Change Your Image
ostlerb-02853
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Ahsoka (2023)
Good storyline tainted by God awful acting
I had been looking forward to this show for years and was particularly excited about seeing live action versions of Ezra, Sabine, and the whole crew from Rebels. Now I'm thinking they should have just made an animated version of this series because the human actors in this show were God awful, including Rosario Dawson. No one knows how to show any emotion at all. I felt like I was watching a group of actors read lines from a teleprompter behind the camera. Even the live Grand Admiral Thrawn was a massive disappointment - soft spoken with no fear in his voice whatsoever. The bottom line is that I was very conscious of the fact that I was watching a group of actors film a show.
The Flash (2023)
Andy Muschietti saves the DC Universe
Great story, great acting, just all around great. The opening scene might be my favorite Ben Affleck/Batman scene. Expect some unexpected cameos! All I'm gonna say there is that most of the "spoilers" you have probably seen online are true.
In terms of making sense of the time travel rules, it follows the same rules as "Back to the Future," meaning changing one little event in time (even the smallest minute detail) can completely change the future. Unlike Marvel, which utilizes the multiverse & the quantum realm to explain the time traveling, the DC universe is essentially one with many possible outcomes, and The Flash's back & forth actions in time show all the possible outcomes (i.e., Michael Keaton vs. George Clooney/Val Kilmer's "universe").
Definitely worth the wait, thank you Andy Muschietti!
The Voyeurs (2021)
Not at all what I was expecting
When the film first started, I was expecting it to be about an adorable, goody-good, faithful, successful girl giving in to her deeper, darker desires - to cheat on her kind and equally faithful husband - as it's pretty obvious she doesn't feel fulfilled by him (frankly, this would have been a MUCH better story).
Nope, that's not at all what happens. In fact, this movie is pretty messed up and very unrealistic.
The first major plot twist was tragic but not unrealistic. But the second major plot twist, which happens about 20 minutes before the end, was when reality took a steep hit and completely changed what the entire movie was all about. I won't say anything specific, but let's just say the second major plot twist was the revelation that the first major surprise was all fake and staged. It'll make you wish the first, devastating plot twist was actually real.
If not for the very end, I would have given this movie a 1.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Darker tone and more intense than the first two films
Quantumania finally moves on from the "ex con who can't get a job" narrative to a much more competent version of Scott Long and a fresh, original story that hasn't already been impacted by the events of other movies. Frankly, I'm glad that the movie was much different than the first two. I never really felt any suspense or excitement in those.
The tone of the series gets a much needed makeover. The comedy is minimal, the suspense is much higher, and the producers finally found the right music to illustrate the mood. Best of all, Scott finally transforms himself from the clumsy, annoying character he used to be to the serious, valiant fighter that I've waited 8 years for.
I wasn't a fan of all the goofy, CGI characters that were introduced. And as usual, the writers attempted to inject comedy where it simply doesn't fit. In fact, the first 15 minutes are actually very cringy. Since I can't give it a 7.5 rating, I'm rounding up to 8. In reality, it's a 7.5 for me.
Batman Begins (2005)
The one thing I can't get past....
The League of Shadow's plan to "destroy" Gotham is to release a panic-inducing toxin that will "rip Gotham apart through fear." I just don't buy that.
It would be much more believable if they were releasing a nerve gas or something that killed people almost instantly. But a panic-inducing toxin? Is that supposed to scare people into killing each other or something? I just don't see how that is supposed to destroy Gotham. Whatever the reason, the story didn't provide much logic for how that was supposed to work.
Other than that, it's still a great movie that I never get tired of watching. 9 out of 10 stars.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Most Underrated Spider-Man Movie
This really is the most underrated Spider-Man movie. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Jaime Foxx were all great, Dane DeHann (Harry) too. I think they did a great job of capturing Max's perspective and why he is angry with the world. And what I especially love about the Garfield movies is that they've added a backstory to Peter's parents.
Other things I like: The film is visually stunning, and the upbeat Hans Zimmer music just makes it more fun to watch.
That being said, the reason I can't give this film a 10 is because of how Gwen dies. It's not the fact that she died (there were plenty of clues throughout the film), but it's HOW she died. Green Goblin was nowhere in the movie then suddenly appears at the end to kill her. It's just too random.
Still, I never get sick of watching this movie. A third one is definitely needed.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Honestly don't think it could have been any better
This movie just does such a great job of storybuilding, foreshadowing, and putting things into the perspective of all sides. I honestly don't think there's anything they could have done better.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Boring
That's really all I have to say about this - boring. Didn't not feel any suspense whatsoever. I also wasn't a fan of Katy's "I'm a girl but I'm gonna talk like a dude" personality.
The one good thing about this movie is the visual effects. That's the only reason I'm not giving this movie a 1.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
This movie completely erases everything that's happened so far
This movie is a complete slap in the face to the fans. Basically, we watched all the other movies for nothing because this movie changes the past so that everything from X-Men Origins: Wolverine to The Wolverine never even happened.
What else? Suddenly, Kitty just so conveniently has the power to send people back in time (that wasn't introduced before). Also, no one seems to have realized that William Stryker looks 20 years younger than he did in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, even though both films take place in the same year.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
This movie deserved a more serious tone
I really liked the story, but the overall tone seemed a little too light-hearted when the events were anything but that. To it's credit, though, it did get serious for the most important part of the movie.
I also wasn't a fan of the Guns N Roses music. Just doesn't fit the movie. Hans Zimmer or some other instrumental artist would be much more appropriate for this type of film.
Loki (2021)
Dreadfully boring
That's all I have to say. I had to force myself to get through this show. It's so boring and has no impact on the MCU whatsoever. 10/10 would not recommend.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Good story, good music
Many will criticize the movie's CGI, which is fair. I don't judge a movie on that, though. I care about the story, how well it's executed (i.e., does everything make sense? Is everything presented in an orderly manner?), and if it keeps me entertained throughout. This movie does all of that. The Hans Zimmer music certainly helps with the entertainment.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Way better than the first one
Unlike the first movie, this one has a true storyline. The plot is pieced together very well. The dialogue is much better and much more believable (fortunately Tom Cruise's acting skills have improved since 1986). And the Hans Zimmer music is selected perfectly to fit the emotion in every scene.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part III (2022)
The lightsaber duel was executed very clumsily
The one thing that bothers me about this episode is his encounter with Vader. At first, it felt like Obi Wan was imagining/hallucinating Vader. After all, Vader suddenly popped out in the middle of nowhere in a very wide open area. Then Vader was taking it easy on Obi Wan, apparently because he wanted to take him alive for some reason. It was very confusing and didn't make me fear for Obi WAN's life like the show probably intended for it to.
F9 (2021)
Bad storytelling, even more absurd stunts
Nevermind the absolutely unrealistic stunts and the fact that death is not possible if you are a part of Dom crew (heck, I bet Gisele is even still alive), anyone who has ever watched a Fast & Furious movie knows that Dom cares for nothing more than family, yet he's had a brother this whole time??
That's just bad storytelling, and all the subplots are entirely too confusing (i.e., Is Mr Nobody on their side or not? Why did Han feel it was necessary to go along with faking his death?, etc.)
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Cipher talks way too much
Despite the fact that Dom chose to go rogue instead of asking his team for help, this movie still had potential. That potential died with Cipher.
She talks way too much and is completely monotoned. It's an excruciating headache to listen to her.
Also, the opening scene is a complete waste of time. Had no relevance to the story whatsoever.
Batman Forever (1995)
Awful dialogue, failed comedy
This movie a comedy that isn't even funny. The dialogue is horrible and makes it impossible to take the movie seriously. I mean, the opening scene is Batman getting in the Batmobile, then Alfred says "Shouldn't you take a sandwich?" or something like that, and Batman responds, "I'll get drive-through." Apparently that was supposed to be funny. A Batman movie is not supposed to be humorous or even attempt to be.
Val Kilmer could have actually made a great Batman if he were given a worthy script, such as the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Sadly, we'll never know.
Peacemaker (2022)
The "humor" sucks
50% of the show is dialogue that is apparently supposed to be funny but is really just annoying and has no relevance to the big picture in any way. Also, Vigilante is the most annoying character of any TV show I've ever seen.
The Batman (2022)
DC has finally learned from its mistakes
In the past, DC has cut out important parts of the movie for the sake of making it shorter (Batman v Superman, Justice League, even the Dark Knight).
This time, they finally did what they always should have done...release a 3-hour theatrical cut. And yes, every minute is important. Many will complain about the long runtime. If you can't make it through a 3-hour movie, I'd suggest waiting until it comes out on HBO.
Furthermore, this is exactly how Batman is supposed to be - Dark, angry, and vengeful. With all due respect to the Christopher Nolan trilogy, Batman just seemed to be more authentic; more consistent with who he is in the comics.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Bad plot, but has some good moments
This movie is very difficult to assess. I hated it the first time I saw it, but I decided to give it another chance, and after watching it again, I like it a little more.
Let's get the obvious out of the way...the idea that a stone can grant your wish is very silly, even if this stone was created by a god. In a sense, the story feels like that of a children's movie. And I just couldn't get past this the first time I saw it.
After watching Wonder Woman about 12 more times, I decided to give this movie another shot. I still dislike the plot, but I like the moral of the story. I also like that the movie introduced new skills to Diana while keeping it consistent with her character.
It almost feels like DC told Patti Jenkins, "We want you to take a bad story and make it as good as you can." And given what she had to work with, she probably did.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Good plot, bad humor, Thor plotholes
I love the story. I'm glad that the ending wasn't the traditional Hollywood ending where everyone lives happily ever after. However, the attempts at comedy are forced, not funny, and simply unnecessary (namely Quill, Drax, and Mantis).
Also, why did Thor go to Earth instead of Titan? Thor had Stormbreaker forged for one reason: Kill Thanos. Doesn't make sense.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Fails to provide a true, original conflict
This movie very much disappointed me. I did my best to keep it brief, so here it goes:
First, the plot lacks originality and relies way too heavily on the past movies. They reused way too many lines and sequences from the first three movies, and I lost count of how many flashbacks were used as well.
What else? Morpheus shouldn't have been re-casted. Niobe looks awful (apparently they were trying to make her look 60 years older). For some reason they brought back Smith (with a new human form), despite the fact that the Architect deleted Smith at the end of the last movie. And people are actually wearing COVID masks during one of the scenes. Seriously? Did COVID strike the Matrix, too?
But worst of all, the movie fails to provide a true, emerging conflict. As humans and machines have finally learned to live together peacefully, there was no conflict until Neo was unplugged from the Matrix, so Neo was really unplugged for no reason. Why unplug him if peace has finally been achieved?
The Dark Knight (2008)
Rushed plot, too many important events occur offscreen
I used to really like this movie, but the older I get, the more I see that the plot is incredibly rushed and way too packed (reminds me of the final season of Game of Thrones). All of the events occur too quickly...and even though it's a 2.5 hour movie, another 30 minutes should have been added for better transitions from one scene to the next. Worst of all, this movie completely lacks foreshadowing.
The kidnappings of Harvey Dent and Rachel....one minute they're kissing goodbye and the next minute they're tied down to oil drums with explosives...and they don't show us anything that happened in between? They at least could have shown Ramirez making a phone call to Maroni to give the audience a clue that something bad is about to happen. Nope, nothing. The "social experiment" scene where neither boat decides to blow each other up because "Gotham is full of people ready to believe in good"..... I can't find one single moment in the movie that even remotely foreshadows that. The guy with the bomb in his chest in the jail....where in the world he did come from? I don't remember seeing anything leading up to that.
It feels like DC expected fans to sit back and be entertained without caring much about the mechanisms of the plot. And obviously it worked. It even hooked me when I first saw it. Like most people, I mostly liked it because of the Joker. Looking beyond that, I now see that this is one of the most overrated movies of all time.
This movie has a 9.0 rating, but it is not because it has a well-constructed plot.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
Pleasantly surprised
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I too was skeptical at first, but I thought the movie did a good job of capturing Jean's struggle with herself from her point of view.
However, I didn't like that some of the X-Men were suddenly questioning Professor X's competency (particularly Raven). Professor X always put his team first, and everyone knew that. Bad writing in my opinion. But still a good movie.
Logan (2017)
Too many unanswered questions
Too many unanswered questions. How is Logan now mortal when he never was before? What happened to all of the mutants? We are told how some of them die, but what happened to all the others throughout the world?
Clearly much has happened between Days of Future Past and Logan, and a prequel is definitely needed to answer all of these questions. Sadly, it won't happen.