Change Your Image
imdb-z-dja
Reviews
The Gray Man (2022)
Invincible secret agent says cool lines. Stuff blows up.
100 bad guys at once -- no problem. Everything blows up -- check. Non-stop cool lines under pressure -- you know it. Hokey story as an excuse to just get ridiculous -- Michael Bay would approve.
Expect an over-the-top action movie/secret agent/Austin Powers parody with unlimited bullets and fighting.
"Whaddya say, do you wanna dance?"
Nope (2022)
Should I have seen this movie? Nope
This was one of the weirdest, most disjointed movies I've seen. The story is simply ridiculous. It was poorly written, inconsistent, and appears to have been "phoned in" by Peele. This was lazy and it shows on the screen. I hope this isn't indicative Peele's future work, if so, he's lost me. Two stars is likely generous for this weak effort. Nope, I can't recommend this.
Tin Star (2017)
Loooong stretches of talking and too little story
I'm just about to the end of season one and still don't know the story. There is so much character play with too little story progress. We spend almost all of each episode just watching scenes play without advancing the plot. The balance seems off. I don't know if can make it much longer.
Space Force (2020)
Just not interesting, or funny
Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Greg Daniels, Lisa Kudrow, etc., and it's just rambling nonsense. Didn't expect that with this cast pedigree. Surprised this has fans -- and a second season. This is simply an example of poor writing; I'm not even sure if this is intended as a drama or comedy.
Scandal Sheet (1952)
All the ingredients noir there
I'd imagine most people are either a fan of this type of film or are not. If you are a fan of dark, gritty crime noir, this has all the ingredients.
The performances are mostly solid and the story moves along nicely. There are only a few scenes shot in daylight with most of the shenanigans in dumpy hotels, newspaper offices, and dark streets. There's a lot of fast talking banter, see. I would have liked to see someone less pretty in the John Derek role, but I guess they wanted someone who came off as a fresh reporter. (I think they actually used a soft filter on Derek's close-ups -- something you normally see only with female leads) Of course, Broderick Crawford is nothing less than his usual tough-talking hardcase.
A definite watch for 40s/50s crime noir fans.
Crooked House (2017)
It's OK, but mediocre ratings are fair
The story here is fine; a good AC whodunnit. But the lead character is just weak and unbelievable as the investigator. I never had confidence in the guy. As is typical for AC, there are LOT'S of characters involved and all have motive. But, again, the investigator is not a great help in leading us through the story. He usually seems as lost as we are. I can't help thinking a stronger personality -- either as written or performed -- would have made this better.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Just watching actors create a movie -- maybe more for them than us.
Some people like blue, some like green. Some people like a movie with a lead-in, a main story, and an ending. Some people only care about being in the moment of actors, acting.
This movie is just watching actors, acting.
To me, this was just an excuse to bring together a group of actors and supporting crew to execise their craft -- to put something on "film". I'd imagine Jane Campion made this more for her than us.
If you expect movies to have a lead-in, a main story, and an ending, you will very likely find this boring and pointless. I recommend this for people who enjoy simply watching actors act and any story is incidental.
The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
Not for me
Full disclosure, I didn't make it very far into this. Too silly. I was drawn by the cast of classic thriller/horror character actors. But seeing them in these roles was just not enjoyable -- especially the sad character played by the great Karloff. Nope, not for me.
Shazam! (2019)
Seemed like a novel idea, but silly and tiresome
OK, I thought this was heading somewhere at first, but it ended up just playing the same note again, and again, and again, and again.... the mix of weak attempts at humor and the repetitive gag of a child as a superhero just gets old very quickly. Billy is actually more mature as a kid than the adult Shazam. Who is the audience for this? Kids? Teens maybe? I really can't tell. I definitely wouldn't recommend this for fans of the original -- it's just too silly.
If you enjoyed the 40's serial, this is not something you'll see as an homage story. It's basically a ripoff of the concept for teenagers who never heard of Shazam.
I See You (2019)
Not predictable. Better than I expected
This was surprisingly good. It has the feel of something without a lot of money behind it, but the acting is not low budget. The story is also unique and offers some twists and turns that will likely surprise you. I enjoyed it. Recommended.
Enterprise: Extinction (2003)
Terrible story. Terrible acting. Pointless episode
I can understand why LeVar Burton and Brannon Braga both expressed shame and embarrassment with this episode, it's terrible. Everyone involved should feel this was a poor effort. The only thing more primitive than the alien characters is the acting. I can imagine the actors channeled one of the old gorilla-gets-loose episodes of The Three Stooges -- only with talking.. This one is a real dud.
Since it's not key to the storyline, do yourself a favor and skip this one.
The Lighthouse (2019)
I'm disappointed
I normally enjoy films that are unique and outside the box of typical Hollywood pablum, but this is just weird. Great cinematography and mood, and a typical top-level performance from Dafoe -- all for a rambling, shouting mess of pointless dialog. Again, very weird.
I will copy/paste words from another review simply because I can not say it better: "Essentially, after the first hour this became narratively unclear and focused instead on repetitive fever dream scenarios and bombastic speeches and emotional conflict between the two characters - all of which were well done and well executed but only raised question marks without a clear story or message."
So true.
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Made it halfway...
Great cast, good premise, but end result is tiring and violent to the point of being ludicrous. They use extreme violence and swearing as substitutes for a plot. Too bad, this could have been clever and entertaining, but apparently all they had was an idea but no cohesive story.
Fear in the Night (1946)
Say... Not bad, see.
It's typical 40s hokey but a very honest little movie for the time. As is usual for small productions from this period, you have to look past the ridiculous dialog and situations to remember they were serious with this. If you like corny mystery noir that is a throwback to a movie style long gone, this is worth the 70 minutes. It's also fun to see a young "Bones" McCoy.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Calm down
Some of these reviews are just silly. People are applying human emotions, and thinking, to a animal that may be relatively intelligent, but shows no actual evidence of human emotion. The octopus did not "feel" betrayed nor did it love this guy. Its death or injury was not due to his cruel negligence. Why aren't people angry about the fish eaten by the octopus? Should he have allowed his friend to kill them?
This guy is a documentary filmmaker and he made a documentary about an octopus. He likely edited and staged scenes for specific effects. Even if he felt a connection to the animal, it's not his role to protect it. The other animals (sharks) have to eat too; that's the reality of wild nature.
The people who feel anger toward this guy because he didn't protect his "friend" are allowing themselves to pretend nature isn't brutal. Wild nature is the definition of brutal. If this view of reality makes you angry, you should probably stick to Disney films with happy endings.
8/10 for cinematography and for bringing awareness to animal intelligence.
Ben (1972)
Only for those who appreciate really bad movies
This is one of those movies that is so bad you can't turn away. It has it all: a ridiculous plot, bad acting, laughable dialog, a kid singing to a rat, and all often happening simultaneously. Even for a 70's B-Movie, this is classically bad. This was produced by Bing Crosby Productions so this was not a bunch of teenagers in their basement with a camera.
If you enjoy movies that are compelling simply because they are so bad, this is for you.
The King (2019)
Netflix?
An intelligent story (not a documentary) that is well-acted and well-produced. It's definitely a new bar for Netflix. Timothée Chalamet is a star in the making; he has a screen presence that isn't common. Definitely worth the watch. Be ready to be surprised.
Lodge 49 (2018)
Jumped the shark after 1st season
I really enjoyed the novelty and freshness of the 1st season, but couldn't finish the second; I understand why it was canceled. The storyline became silly, confused and difficult to follow. They seemed to be out of ideas and just tried for ridiculous in place of clever. Too bad. I enjoyed the characters but they lost me in season two. Apparently, not just me.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020)
Who is the audience?
Is this the teen version of TWD at 10pm? It seems geared towards a younger audience so I guess I'm not the target audience as an older adult. Or, this is Scott Gimple being bad at show-running, again. Gimple made some questionable decisions when involved with TWD and the ratings tanked. It's early so it may settle into a more well-rounded drama, but right now it's TWD for teens.
The Water Diviner (2014)
Entertaining tale. It's not a documentary
While it does say it's based on actual events, I enjoyed the story as entertainment and will let others point out historical inaccuracies.
It's a well-produced movie with good performances and direction, by Crowe. It moves along nicely with some gut-wrenching moments. I wasn't thrilled by some aspects of Crowe's character's "abilities", but just went with it.
Overall, an entertaining story and worth watching.
The Witcher (2019)
Not for me
Sorry, I don't get it. It's slow, rambling, poorly acted and uninteresting. I like Henry Cavill and I like this type of story, but I made it through 2 episodes and that's all I can stand. Enjoy without me.
Jessica Jones (2015)
Mostly good character development
I enjoyed the flawed characters as they struggled in their dark world. Much better than the typical superhero nonsense. Ended at the right time.
6 Underground (2019)
A stupid money grab for all involved
THIS REVIEW IS ONLY FOR THE FIRST RIDICULOUS 1/3 OF THE MOVIE. I DIDN'T (COULDN'T) WATCH THE ENTIRE MOVIE.
The movie is a caricature of mindless, gratuitous, explosion/chase movies. At least as much as I could stand to watch
Twelve year old director Michael Bay has made a silly and poorly crafted mess here. The only reason I can see for this is for people to get paid. The intent is for an over-the-top action fest but it's just not entertaining. It makes Jason Statham movies (which I like) look like Shakespeare. Stupid slo-mo effects that seem to be targeted at teenage boys, and silly dialog that makes you embarrassed for the actors. Reynolds like to do irreverent, but he has hitched his wagon to a bad product this time. The opening chase scene has ridiculous edits that have cars magically appearing and disappearing over and over again. There are mindless stunts that are just an excuse for CGI work. This is just poorly crafted nonsense. I made it through the long and laughable chase and hoped the story would improve. Within minutes I realized it would not, so I stopped wasting my time. I could feel the few remaining IQ points I have being sucked from my brain.
This is a stupid movie, but I'm sure everyone got paid so good for them.
Hail, Caesar! (2016)
It's just an excuse for random scenes of entertainment
This isn't a typical movie... (see title) ... so keep an open mind. The "plot" is just a thin string that the Coens use to hang caricatures of classic Hollywood tropes. Don't expect a deep story, that's not what this is. Well-played, well-crafted, random entertainment. ONLY the Coens could get away with something like this.
IO (2019)
Sorry, it's just slow and dark
I'm critical of those who rate movies based on explosion count and this gladly had none, but it's just soooo slow and stays in the same place the entire time. You have no bond with the characters and with only two that's not good. I tried to stay with this but my attention jumped constantly. Slow and monotonous.