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Reviews
Operation Mistletoe (2024)
Standard Hallmark style romance
This was a pleasant enough movie with nothing really special. Pretty, intelligent girl with a good job dating a man we aren't supposed to like, introduction of a good looking successful man who would be ideal, and villain who threatens to ruin the holiday.
Unlike in so many movies, the ideal couple doesn't start out bickering. No, they knew each other and like each other, so the question is whether they can become a real couple again. There is a meddling best friend who stands out from the rest of the cast but still isn't that special.
And the villain isn't obviously a villain. There is a plot that will potentially destroy something that makes this ideal Christmas town not so ideal. But no one is truly evil here.
Lots of pretty decorations and a gorgeous old house that is one of the centers of Christmas celebration. The girls wear pretty clothes.
I am told Spectrum upgraded me without my permission without charging me more and I could watch Hallmark or Lifetime. I don't even have time. I saw this on The CW.
I don't recall anything that keeps this from being family friendly.
My one objection is the Motown style Christmas music. To me that sounds contemporary and I want nothing that sounds like it was recorded after 1960, or even Chuck Berry. There is plenty of background music that is fine and can't even really be heard.
If you watch many of these movies, I find nothing to make this any more special than the others, unless you like them all. But it's pleasant enough if you plan to watch a few.
Lockout (2012)
Not quite my taste, but lots of action and even humor
The best thing about this was Snow's sarcastic jokes. Other than that, I can only say that there were plenty of times where the action was fast and furious. Including a chase that makes the movies with the names I just mentioned look like a NASCAR event. Recording everything and being able to back up is helpful. I actually found myself enjoying the movie at times, but people this violent aren't really what I find entertaining. Watxhing Snow work toward his very difficult goal was exciting.
The president's daughter was pretty and mostly pleasant, but once she meets her rescuer, she becomes quite snarky like Snow and ... wait, this isn't going to be a romance, is it? One important detail is that regardless of how badly she is hurt, she can walk with no trouble, or even run when the situation calls for it, without pain. The same is true for Snow. That's nothing compared to an indestructible character in another movie I may or may not get around to reviewing, but let's face it. Scientific accuracy is not a priority in this movie. That just gets in the way of the excitement.
I;ve heard the name Guy Pearce but none of the other names ring a bell. Maybe Maggie Grace.
Joe Gilgun stands out as a prisoner so demented and wacko he should be a Batman villain. In fact, I've never seen a Batman villain this bad. He does calm down in some scenes with the help of his brother played by Vincent Regan, who for some reason comes across to me as George Clooney as James Bond if Bond were a bad guy. Another standout performance where it's never quite clear if he's helping or making things worse.
Lennie James is good as the one government official we believe we can trust. And Peter Stormare is also good as someone who may be on the side of good, but we root for the one he considers the bad guy.
And Tim Plester turns into Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man", though not quite on that level, as a side effect of stasis.
I wouldn't say, like some people, that this has been done before. It's a prison riot in space. When was that done? The CW series "The 100" had something similar, and the prisoners were kept frozen there. If this is similar to anything else, it is different because outer space is different. Visual effects aren't exactly groundbreaking but I would say they are well done. As one might expect, this resembles "Star Wats" at times.
The music is loud but appropriate, I guess.
It's an exciting adventure if your expectations aren't too high.
Nugget Is Dead?: A Christmas Story (2024)
I don't like these people, or dogs
I can say several positive things about this movie. It is possible that people who hate the perfect couples or perfect families all over Hallmark and Lifetime will like this family. I am reminded of a TV movie about "The Partridge Family" where Danny Bonaduce's father was so happy about writing for a show called "All in the Family" where everyone hates each other. The truth is there was love there if you were patient, and that's true of this family too. When Steph first arrives, everyone is happy to see her, and there are a few scenes where they get along. And I think people looking for a nice holiday will eventually be rewarded.
But this much arguing, especially at Christmas, is hard to take. Also, even though I don't like dogs, how exactly is it funny that the dog dies? Or does it? There is a lot of deception going on. And I misunderstood some of it and thought the vet was doing something inexcusable, something that would get her in a lot of trouble. I assume Australia has ethics rules for professionals. I did at least find the vet pleasant.
I did like the pretty holiday clothes. If you hate matching pajamas ... well, it wasn't like that at all.
Okay, I did like Randy, Steph's brother. And his friend Leon, who wasn't used to holiday celebrations. He tried to put up with it all.
Steph had a cousin who usually wore brightly colored exercise wear that showed off a very fit body.
The only thing I can suggest is that you either have patience or record it and fast forward to the end.
The Family Man (2000)
Enjoyable holiday fantasy
In the tradition of "It's a Wonderful Life" and a "Christmas Carol", Nicolas Cage gets to see "What if?" I certainly didn't expect him to want to have the life he missed out on, and it took a while for that to be a possibility. More likely was the chance that Jack would want to return to his Wall Street life. Seeing what could have been reminded me of a great but short-lived TV series called "Ordinary Joe". If this movie had taken that approach, I guess it could be said that on Wall Street, we had Orange Jack, and in New Jersey at the tire store, Green Jack. The TV series used different colors to indicate what version we were seeing. But there were no parallel stories side by side in the movie. The only thing I can say without giving too much away is that no matter how much time Green Jack spent in New Jersey, it was Christmas when Orange Jack resumed his life, and he had decisions to make.
Cage did a good job and even as a Wall Street big shot, he was not a jerk. He was nice to everyone but demanding in a nice way with employees, thinking Christmas wasn't that important when billions were at stake. He was funny when he had to adjust to the boring ordinary world but he was still appealing and did not give in to certain temptations. Nothing ground breaking but where Jack had a chance to move up in the world, there's your Oscar moment. Even if this doesn't quite reach the level of Oscar caliber. Golden Globe maybe.
I'm not that familiar with Tea Leoni but Kate too was appealing, and attractive. She was quite patient with Jack's strange behavior, but it became too much sometimes. I won't say what she was doing in the real world, but she continued to have a certain kind of appealing quality.
Don Cheadle was quirky as the angel or whatever you want to call him.
Makenzie Vega was wonderful as the young daughter. The scenes with Annie and her father were great. It was obvious she was going places. I haven't even looked her up.
Harve Presnell was a cowboy type and about what one would expect.
Amber Valletta as Jack's date in the real world looked great topless from the back (broadcast TV) and even from the front in the dress she was almost wearing. On a related subject, Kate got a little naughty from time to time and those scenes were fun. And there was a sexy temptress in the fantasy world. I wouldn't really recommend this to kids.
Important lessons are learned here. And not everyone is living as perfect a life as would be believed.
It's a nice movie to watch at Christmas, though The CW may have scheduled it a little early.
The Age of Adaline (2015)
Very good, especially Blake Lively
The best thing about this movie has to be Blake Lively's performance as a woman who is perpetually 29 years old as everything changes around her, as her daughter ages to the point she has to be introduced as the grandmother. Adaline, or Jennifer as she is known, is a charming, old-fashioned woman who is somewhat uptight, but when the movie detours into rom-com territory she also shows a humorous and fun side. And she's pretty, even gorgeous for this one New Year's Eve party. Of course, her unique situation makes her somewhat paranoid, and it's sad to watch what she has to go through. In this day and age, though, I have to question why a cop in the 1950s would think she didn't look like she was in her 40s. Plenty of women look like that in their 40s these days.
Ellen Burstyn does her usual good job as Jennifer's "grandmother". The interactions between the two women are nice but there is conflict. The situation is not normal, though, and there's not really a good answer.
I didn't recognize Harrison Ford, which may be a good thing. He looked familiar for some reason. Maybe I was thinking of Bryan Cranston, but I don't really know him because his series wasn't on a channel I watch. Regardless, he did a good job. The situation was uncomfortable, but it's reasonable to expect such a strange situation to be difficult to handle.
I didn't know the actor playing Ellis, but Ellis was an appealing character regardless. The rom-com type scenes were nice.
I enjoy history, but maybe not quite enough to spend my life in places such as the room where Jennifer worked. Still, it's a nice change from modern settings.
And as one would expect, there was lots of older music, which I enjoyed. Ellis' idea of jazz didn't appeal to me any more than it did to Adaline. I like some smooth jazz, which is what that might have been, but not pounding drums.
I found the narration confusing, because as Jennifer watched the historic movies, it seemed like the narration was part of that. It could have been handled better, but some explanation was necessary. The reference to 2035 made me think this was taking place far in the future, but certain details made it clear the year was 2015, the year the movie was made. I did have some difficulty with clues that we were seeing something that was important in the past, and it took me a while to understand flashbacks. But scenes from the past were important, as there was an important surprise detail that had the potential to cause trouble.
Is it family friendly? Well, a couple ended up in bed sooner than they should have, but other than that, I guess it's not too bad.
It was definitely worthwhile, and the sort of thing you see on awards shows.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Not a classic but mostly harmless, ending has more substance
It has been years since I saw the original and I saw no reason to watch the original again even if ABC gave me the chance to. I don't remember much so I went into the sequel as if I know next to nothing.
The start of the movie gives some additional information from the 17th century that I assume the first one didn't have, and it is a little intense for kids but somewhat funny, and explains a lot. A beautiful but scary villain appears briefly and sets up the main plot, and then she is never seen again.
Then we have an ordinary teen movie with the typical situations, which soon becomes Halloween themed as the town celebrates their most famous citizens, and our heroes manage to conjure up what turn out to be the movie's real villains. There is a real threat to two of our heroes, but don't get too concerned. Because the sisters are mistaken for costumed celebrants, they are not too scary. There is some naughty humor as the real sisters participate in a contest for best portrayal of the Sanderson sisters. Great costumes. And then for those who like this kind of music, a great musical performance by the real sisters which somehow turns the town into a flash mob. Almost perfect choreography. Maybe a few people who aren't quite in sync with the others works better. This all takes place with a typical misbehaving teen subplot, together with the other teens' attempt to escape their ordeal.
The silliness evolves into something more substantial and even scary. Younger and more sensitive kids might be okay with it, but I'm not too sure. There is another well-done musical performance even if it isn't my taste. And then lessons are learned by both sides, just like on an ABC Afterschool Special but with more visual effects. And they are good visual effects.
Whether this is as good as the original or not (and I assume it's not), Bette Midler does a great job. She is just scary enough and evil enough. Sarah Jessica Parker is somewhat more cynical and mean than I remember, but I enjoy watching her being mistreated. At one point, she has had enough of that. And "amuck, amuck, amuck" only worked in the first movie. Kathy Naijmy was appropriately subservient and just nasty enough but nicer.
The book has one eye instead of a face and yet that eye can effectively communicate emotion and feelings, as it struggles to stop the sisters from doing something unspeakable.
Doug Jones as the zombie is funny and there are some visual effects that add to his humor.
I've heard good things about Tony Hale, but here I wonder.
The acting and writing for the 17th century is somewhat better.
The rest of the acting and writing, except at the end, was I guess about like what one would expect from a TV-movie or silly sitcom.
Stay around if you like loud music because the sisters give us the best music video yet with the closing credits. Parker especially still seems young and enjoys dancing.
It wouldn't be a lot of people's first choice for Halloween, but it mostly works.
Siberia (2018)
Not a lot to like here
If I focus on just what I liked, there were scenes with Lucas and Katya's family, Lucas and his wife, the clever people who came up with schemes, and beautiful scenery. Wait, beautiful scenery in Siberia? Maybe that can be explained by the fact the movie was filmed partly in Canada.
The brothers cared about their sister and didn't want anything to happen to her, but as long as Lucas was behaving himself, he got along well with them and they even jokingly acted overprotective. There was some humor here.
On the subject of humor, some people might appreciate the jokes about ... private parts.
Molly Ringwald is always good. And maybe prettier than Katya.
I can't really say all the scenes with Lucas and Katya were good. It bothered me that they had to resort to making this couple fall for each other, or at least have a sexual relationship. I don't know who Ana Ularu is but she is very good as an actor. I will say I was quite surprised to see a woman so beautiful in a place like Siberia. But she did state she joined her sister in Australia until she had to run the family restaurant. So she has been in the "real world". And wow, when she was trying to look good later on, she looked amazing. But certain events in that part of the movie did not please me.
Keanu Reeves has always been a good actor, playing so many different types of roles. I've seen him a lot. I think he was good here. And to some extent, there was entertainment value in the tension involved in dealing with people who might kill those who did wrong, and Lucas' discoveries that put him in terrible positions. But there was value in scenes with those people who could scheme to make things appear what they were not. The question was whether Lucas could ever get himself out of this terrible jam.
I looked back and couldn't really see that this movie had much to recommend it. But looking at individual scenes, maybe so.
Labyrinth (1986)
Mostly good, at least in the fantasy world, though I didn't care for most of the creatures
I recorded this but didn't watch for a long time because I thought it might be something I had seen. When I saw a great documentary (Emmy-winning, I later found out) on the life of Jim Henson, I clearly realized this was not something I had seen.
The documentary made it sound like this movie was not weel regarded but later became a classic. I will say the first scenes weren't very good. Even Jennifer Connelly wasn't a good actress.
Then Sarah entered the fantasy world and became a really good character. The fantasy world had amazing visuals for its time, and the creatures were really well done though not really my taste. A few of the creatures had pleasant personalities at least, particularly Ludo. Hoggle is appealing and stands out. Brian Henson, son of the master, shows he can make it on his own merits.
David Bowie does a good job as an actor and he seemed quite capable of interacting with the baby Toby. I won't say he is a villain I love to hate, but he is a good villain. I don't care for his music, and he does get to perform at least one of the songs. I can't say how good it is but people who like that kind of music will probably like it.
There are enough twists and turns and unfortunate events, and we wonder at times if Sarah will ever reach her goal. But she shows intelligence and accepts help from others. Important lessons are learned.
Good job by the elder Henson and many of those involved.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Fine job, Ariel eventually won me over
I saw the animated original a long time ago and a live action version which included parts of the original. I don't remember enough to really compare them.
I heard the complaints when this movie was made. My first impression of Halle Bailey was she just didn't have the appeal of the animated character.
But what a magnificent singing voice. True, they could have had her do the singing. But she also had a nice speaking voice. What a shame there was this one plot development. No, wait, the movie audience (and not others in the movie) got to hear her sing once just after she lost her ability to speak, and once just before she regained it.
Once on land, without saying a word, Bailey did an amazing job of making us like her. Such an enjoyable character and such good scenes with her and Eric.
The human actors all did such a good job. I was particularly impressed with art Malik as the servant Grimsby. Melissa McCarthy, usually so pleasant, was unrecognizable as a truly hateful villain. I thought I heard Brad Garrett's voice as the king of the sea, but he was Javier Bardem. I've heard of him. Wonderful job.
I wish Jodi Benson, the original Ariel, had been around for more than one line. I had to go back and find her.
Sebastian was appealing. I can't really say the same for Scuttle or whatever the bird's name was.
Great music, especially the steel drums.
The "under the sea" world was magnificently done. Chances are none of it was real, and that took a lot of effort.
"Under the Sea", the song, was a visual masterpiece in addition to being well done.
And on land, what a fine castle. What beautiful scenes outdoors.
A great job overall.
Monster's Ball (2001)
Unpleasant for the most part but well acted
I watched this to see an Oscar-winning performance by Halle Berry but I'm not sure I did. While she was good, and everyone with a significant number of lines was good, I just didn't see an obvious Oscar nomination. I will say Berry was quite pretty and spoke in a very different way than the sophisticated way she usually talks. Other reviews show I didn't see this movie on the level that others did.
Billy Bob Thornton was also quite good and while he has this look that makes him appropriate for bad guy roles, he started out quite bad and ended up good, or at least he seemed to be doing the right thing. Sometimes I questioned his motivation, especially after this one discovery he made, and after his father's comment.
Peter Boyle was also very good, and very bad at the same time. But a lot of people in the South were like him at one time, I guess.
Given what has happened recently to Diddy or whatever they call him now, I had an easier time watching what happened to him than I otherwise would have. At the same time, he did a really good job and I felt bad for the character. However one feels about the death penalty, this movie makes people face what it really means. I saw someone who was potentially redeemable and wouldn't support the death penalty if that is the case. Also, the art his character did was really good.
I have to believe the creators of "The Cleveland Show" were inspired by Tyrell. The son on that show looked and talked exactly like him.
From what I heard about this movie I doubted it would make it to broadcast TV, and even cleaned up, it certainly pushed the limits. I couldn't believe what I did see. But what happened was implied. I couldn't believe how casual and polite the hooker was about what she was doing. And while it seemed to happen fast, maybe the original had more detail.
I wondered how in the world the movie would have a proper ending because it was almost over and there was no sign anything could develop. The answer is: it didn't. You just have to decide what might have happened.
Teachers (1984)
Mostly good and often funny film about a bad school ... well, not that bad
It took me a long time to watch this. I was recording shows on one DVR I didn't really need anymore except the other ones were always full. And it was inconvenient to watch anything on this DVR if I had time. But it's not important when the movie aired in my area.
What is important is that this was sort of a comedy about a school that appeared to be bad on the scale of the one Morgan Freeman ran later in the decade. And I have more to say about Freeman later. But the truth is the school wasn't as bad as the first scenes made it appear at first.
Can it be stated that this is a movie like many others? Maybe back in the day it was groundbreaking. I wouldn't know. Even if there is a formula, I like the formula.
Apparently the faculty is mostly apathetic and the students who need more aren't going to succeed, while there are others who can succeed if given the chance. But the focus is on the faculty and just a few students.
Nick Nolte starts out as a lazy bum who will apparently be more apathetic than the other faculty. Wrong. Regardless of how well Alex did as a teacher, of course, Nolte clearly shows how talented he is and how respected he will be when the time comes for awards. But he ends up as the most caring of all the faculty, even breaking the rules to make a difference for his students.
Judd Hirsch does a great job as he does in most of his roles, showing he is in charge and that he should have been the principal instead of the pathetic Henry Blake character who has the title. However, he is part of the problem as one of the faculty who says they can't do it all and they'll settle for good enough.
Richard Mulligan is great as an escaped mental patient who pretending to be a substitute teacher delivers realistic performances of historical characters such as Abraham Lincoln.
I didn't know Ralph Macchio but I've seen him those "Karate Kid" movies and he is really good as one of the students who is smart but not achieving by measurable standards. He might have been dyslexic but the movie never makes clear what his problem is. He can get things done even if he can't study and learn what is taught in class.
I must have seen Jobeth Williams in other movies and she is certainly pretty and likable, and her lawyer character really tries. She is up against obstacles. As for her big scene, I was watching on broadcast TV so I don't know how much I missed.
In a time before he became the authoritative and respected actor we all know, Morgan Freeman was a con artist lawyer. The role doesn't seem to suit him now that we know him as a man who might have been able to turn this school around. Yet he does a good job with it. If made years later, this movie should have had Jamie Foxx or Chris Rock in the role, and they could have really done something with it.
Laura Dern has great hair. I forget she was ever that young, and in fact she looks too old to be a high school student. She does a good job here.
There is a tragedy that seems too dark for a comedy movie, but the movie mostly works.
This movie was cleaned up for broadcast and I was grateful.
As would be expected for the movie' intended audience, the "music" was everything that was bad about 80s music.
Does this still work today? Some things may have changed, but even forty years later, there are apathetic teachers and students who need someone to care and don't have that.
I think it's really good.
Ender's Game (2013)
Inspiring but dark future
I did not read the book and all I knew was what I saw in the summary.
Ender was selected to be a leader because he was a genius but like so many similar characters, he wasn't taken seriously and was even bullied. And yet he wasn't a bully himself, like so many TV and movie geniuses. His training seemed to take place entirely too fast, and I assumed Graff was looking for someone who could lead a battle in the distant future. And yet he advances through the different stages of training, and while not perfect, he does well enough to impress those who had faith in him. What makes Ender such a good character is that he took others' opinions seriously.
Bonzo was entirely too cruel, though Ender's solution was just as bad. The previous sergeant, while cruel, changed his tone as Edner moved to later stages of training, and he was a better character.
Harrison Ford did a good job but lacked personality, which is what most of his characters have. His stubbornness and determination ended up making ender the leader his people needed.
When Ben Kingsley finally appeared, he had what was missing from Ford's character. A fine performance, and more dimension to the character.
Viola Davis did a great job, logical and caring.
Ender had allies, particularly Petra, who was warm and caring but tough when she had to be, and Alai, who seemed like he would wash out but became what he needed to.
Abigail Breslin has been praised from a young age and she didn't disappoint. She was Valentine, Ender's loving sister, and a mysterious video game character.
And on the subject of video games, these were hardly games. They were quite serious. And all too real. The main point may have been to show what we were doing was what was done to Earth in flashbacks in "The 100", where many of the few survivors ended up on a space station. If Ender's solution for fighting the evil creatures was carried out, it would make us no better than them. It could be stated that these creatures were people too, and at the end, this was shown to be true. I want to leave the one final fact of the ending for you to see.
Visual effects were mazing. The space station was incredible. The action was exciting. The producers of visual effects just seemed to go on for days in the credits. And no wonder.
If you can deal with a dark future, the story of who Ender became a leader is inspiring.
Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
Mostly good look at life in the 'hood, but raunchy at times
I think I saw the original, but I don't remember it. And maybe a sequel. Maybe both of them.
I don't know the 'hood but I've seen plenty of TV series and movies. There is a good story here and great efforts to find solutions to problems. Maybe government can't do it all, but if individuals can solve their own problems, that's great. Things can be bad in the 'hood and they didn't ignore what can happen there.
Even though I am white, I wasn't bothered by the comments about white people. I enjoy Chris Rock's insults, for example, though he isn't in this movie. At the same time, I'd have been happier if they had come from Anthony Anderson. I really enjoyed his characters rants about white people on "Black-ish". And while you probably have to keep the same actors in a sequel, I would have liked him better as the lead. He was still very good as a con artist type claiming to do good, and someone we could root for even if he wasn't on the right side of good and evil. His co-worker from "Black-ish", Deon Cole, added to this movie as well.
One problem for me with this movie as that between the time it was made and the time I saw it while at the beach, Cedric the Entertainer had a legendary TV series in which he played a businessman named Calvin. So this movie was very confusing. Eddie is a very different character, but entertaining. Still, I was confused a lot when Calvin was mentioned.
And on the subject of Calvin, he was quite a good character too. I mostly know Ice Cube from his role as the intimidating and disapproving brother-in-law of his movie character in the TV series "Are We There Yet?" based on the movie. He is somewhat toned down here compared to that, but someone who can be respected for his caring attitude and his determination to keep a business in a bad neighborhood while he has to weigh the pros and cons of raising his son elsewhere.
Common, as in "The Wiz", was anything but. He went above and beyond in scenes that were not funny.
I know J. B. Smoove as a smooth-talking and charming man much like he is here, from a series whose name I don't even remember, and probably no one does, which starred the actress who played the wife of the glee club leader from "Glee". And he is good here, and on the wrong side of good and evil like Anderson's character.
I didn't recognize Utkarsh Ambudkar until he said he was Indian (from India) and then I realized. He's the husband who can't see the ghosts his wife talks to. And he's quite good here, disagreeing with those who are not from the same ethnic group as he is.
I didn't recognize Lamorne Morris of "New Girl" but I liked him there and I liked him here.
I haven't mentioned any women, but I just didn't care for them. And I certainly didn't like the raunchy talk about ... relationships.
Also, even though someone decided to put a TV-14 on this movie, BET left in every use of the S-word they possibly could. I could have done without that.
It was mostly a worthwhile sequel and even stands on its own.
Halloween Kills (2021)
Little entertainment value for me, and what did they do to Anne Murray?
I've avoided movies like this for many years, though I think I have seen one of the Jason series set at a summer camp. Probably the most entertaining movies in this genre for me, even if I didn't get to see either all the way though, were the funny "Chucky" movies. This has none of the appeal of any of those. I don't see what was so great. Even the great Jamie Lee Curtis--that was it?
The best scene for me was one with young girls at the playground. That had nothing to do with the terrible things that were happening. Another scene with the same girls could have been good but it was a cruel joke. I might have been able to like Big John and Little John. And some people were having a good time before they realized what was going on.
Maybe I should see the original or one of the other sequels. I just don't know what it is that appeals to people about these movies. I've never seen Freddy Krueger but I did see that actor in a great movie and believe he would be a great villain. Here, was it even Michael Myers? There's not even a personality or anything about the villain to even make him entertaining. I have an idea. How about a spoof where the SNL and Austin Powers actor does the killing?
And the scenes where a mob of people prepare to confront this villain? Just entirely too silly. But since this wasn't supposed to be funny, that's not a good thing.
"Could I Have This Dance" by Anne Murray is a nice song. But why ruin it like that?
And the worst thing is that for some odd reason SyFy allows the F-word while FX does not (and even warns us about the bad language when they show movies). I just can't stand to see a pretty woman talk like that. It's not even necessary.
Yes, I have more choices now. I happened to be at the beach and what I wanted to see wasn't on. But I had heard so many good things about this series. This was not the one to start with.
Snitch (2013)
The Rock makes it work, even if it's not his type of role
I like Dwayne Johnson in pretty much everything he does. He just has a really pleasant personality and normally plays likable characters. Here, he makes us like him really early, flashing a great smile many times, and even showing that smile a few times later. Not that he should have in some of the cases. Johnson isn't really suited for this role, since it doesn't call for a big tough man, and yet he makes it work. He's not an action hero and doesn't show off his physical abilities. He even shows vulnerability. Schwarzenegger and Van Damme would have remained tough with a gun pointed at them. John Matthews' determination will get things done, and he cares about people.
Susan Sarandon makes us despise her. She's as good if not better in her role. A talented liberal actor can certainly play a conservative effectively (Alec Baldwin, for example). At least I assume tough on crime means conservative. On the other hand, she's trying to get elected, and maybe that makes her character even worse.
I'm not familiar with Michael K. Williams but he makes one tough criminal. And then there is Benjamin Bratt, a name which sounds familiar, but he's even worse. Some people in this movie just don't care about morals. Though he is tender in a scene with his son.
Jon Bernthal is determined to go straight but will help his boss, not realizing the true nature of why he is risking everything. And when he does learn the truth ... that just gives him a new dimension. He's tough when he has to be.
Obstacles just keep getting in the way of the goal. And there is some violence but most people don't die graphically. Just know not everyone will make it through. The tension is there throughout the movie but you want everything to work out.
This may not be an action movie, but wow, what a chase scene. I record everything. And that made it possible to go back and see that again. There are a few additional explosions.
Not the best movie of its type, but it's okay.
American Underdog (2021)
Inspiring family film, not a lot of football
No matter how bad things get, you know Kurt Warner is one of the greatest NFL players ever, so things will have to end well for him. Okay, at least I've heard of him. Trent Green? Who's that?
And Brenda Warner is one of the producers. So if his potential girlfriend is Brenda, chances are that's the same one and you don't have to be concerned.
But it's a long and difficult road for Kurt Warner, and it seems even more unlikely he will ever succeed than it did for Michael Jordan when he was cut from his high school team. Regardless, because of what we know, we know we can get through all the adversity. And there is way more of that than I had ever expected. Not a lot of football, but I'm not a sports fan. Though the football scenes are quite well done.
I know Zachary Levi mostly as the bumbling but pleasant spy from "Chuck". And one of his co-stars from that show, whose character resented Chuck and thought very little of him, has a similar role as a very demanding coach who almost gives up on the future superstar. They're both quite good. I particularly liked Levi in the scenes with Brenda's disabled son Zach. And that is another role that was well-played. You have to ignore the fact so many years pass and just accept that he doesn't seem to get any older.
This is far from a comedy but it has many funny scenes and that helps me like it better.
I tend to forget Anna Paquin grew up, but of course she did. I remember that she received a lot of praise for her acting, and she is still good. No matter what, her character can keep going.
Another good character was Kurt's best friend played by Ser'Darius Blain. Ironic that it was a Black guy who dragged his white friend to a country music bar (and it's the white friend who hated country music).
I know the name Dennis Quaid. He does a good job as the first NFL coach to real see something In Warner.
I've heard of Ray Lewis and not for good reasons. He is appropriately intimidating.
On the subject of country music, that was the best music in the movie. Amazingly, the first country songs played were songs I didn't like when they were first popular, but "country" music has gotten so much worse that now those are the good songs. And what were the good songs are the really good songs. Other songs played in the movie were different styles I didn't care for, and some weren't worthy to be called music. But the movie's target audience probably liked them.
Announcers sounded very professional, even in arena football.
There must have been real footage of games, and I have to believe they used the real fans in actual games because how could they film in front of that many people? There must have been green screen trickery. And of course it's almost certainly real footage on TV screens.
Tornado damage certainly looked real. The first destroyed homes must have been real footage, but did they build and then wreck buildings for scenes used in the movie? Whatever they did, it worked.
I would say this is fine for the whole family. For those who would be discouraged by a Christian message, there isn't really a lot of religion here and it's not even clear how faithful Warner is until the end.
Maybe it's not the best football film ever, but it's worthwhile.
Black Water (2018)
Exciting, but not enough Lundgren
I'm still just watching whatever is on even if I have more choices available that I haven't figured out how to access yet. I got lucky and had few glitches with an antenna. I pretty much knew what to expect with the names Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.
Actually, I didn't. I didn't know who he was at the time, but from the movie's first scene, Lundgren is great. I guess I had seen him in other movies than the one where he is basically a Russian robot assigned to kill Rocky. Lundgren actually has a personality here and it's a shame he wasn't the star because they could have done so much more with him and made this more enjoyable. He even manages to be funny.
And of course I've long since learned Van Damme is a tough good guy with the personality of a robot but likable enough, and able to fight his way out of any situation. Though his fighting was a little less physical here than I was used to.
Regardless of the logic of the situations here, there was plenty of excitement, and I was at least entertained with the progress toward getting off the submarine and clearing his name, if he actually was a good guy (this could have been an "Ocean's Eleven" situation, after all). And we were always left wondering who was on what side. Were there even any actual good guys here? Or girls?
And the girls were certainly pretty. The one who was prettier and didn't get to be around much got to take off her clothes, and at least we got to see what broadcast TV will let us see. The other girl changed clothes for no reason other than to give us a look, which was fine. And of course she was tough and capable.
Al Sapienza (whoever he is) was quite good as someone in intelligence, and it was never quite clear whose side he was on. Eventually it was, but I won't give away what that means.
Everyone seemed to have unlimited ammunition and no one was killed unless they had to be, and some people survived a wound they probably shouldn't have with no apparent problems afterward. Hey, whatever the script calls for!
Again, don't use logic. Just enjoy the excitement. If they figure out how to cause a crisis, just enjoy it and let the people wonder what they should do and have the amazing ability to fix it after being clueless.
Not a great action movie, but fine if you're not demanding.
The Three Musketeers (2011)
Don't look for logic. Just enjoy. If you can.
My introduction to The Three Musketeers was apparently The Banana Splits. Not sure how I found that out. Other than that, I only remember that I saw a movie with Tim Curry and another one with Cheech Marin and David Hasselhoff. I know I reviewed the latter for imdb but only remember that only Cheech seemed to have any talent.
I've never read the book and don't know anything about it. So I'm pretty much starting from scratch, only knowing that these heroes fought with swords.
This D'Artagnan seemed quite likable and I supported him in whatever he did, and rooted for him to succeed romantically with lady in waiting Constance. I don't even really remember which one was bald but he seemed to have more personality than the others. But one of the Musketeers had a remarkable deep voice.
Superheroes can defeat many people at once. Maybe The Rock and Schwarznegger and Van Damme. How do Musketeers do it? Just forget logic and be glad they can.
James Corden, who I didn't recognize, was the only cast member whose name I should have known. He was really good as comic relief. Was this supposed to be funny, other than him? At times, I think it was. It wasn't really necessary. But comedy helped. Lots of jokes about wearing the wrong clothing. Some language and concepts were obviously contemporary. We can have fun with that, if that's the intention.
I knew the name Milla Jovovich from some futuristic movie. I thought she was really good. If you want a "Mission: Impossible" version of classic literature. Hey, if you can have zeppelins, why not?
Freddie Fox, as a king who lacked confidence, did have beautiful hair. I suppose women didn't have hairstyles like that back then, but I prefer that more contemporary look.
Paris looked great, and Notre Dame looked magnificent. But in that one scene, given what has happened to the great cathedral, I thought NOOOOOOOO! It was almost like it all happened again.
My cable company upgraded me without my consent, so I may get to see better movies soon, and I have to figure out the listings. But for now Channels 48 and 55 are all I have time for. Good movies no one has seen, or bad movies that were in theaters.
But this isn't really a bad movie. Just one that gets a lot of criticism from people who were expecting better.
Paddington (2014)
Beary good family adventure
I know nothing about Paddington. Maybe I'm too old to have read his books as a child, or maybe it's just the fact that I didn't enjoy reading once I got beyond the level of the easiest books. Whatever the reason, this is my introduction to the character, and it was quite a surprise. From the start, this seemed more intelligent and more sophisticated than what I was expecting. Yes, certain things are unbelievable. Somehow the explorer Montgomery Clyde taught the bears everything they needed to know to pass as human, if they ever accepted his invitation to come to England. We just accept that somehow Paddington and his relatives learned it all, and that certain details still had to be learned. Don't ask me how Paddington knew about mail and how mail would be delivered to his aunt or, for that matter, how his aunt would have a place to go when she could no longer live alone. After all, the intelligence of Paddington and his family was said to be rare among bears. Just accept it all and go on.
It's mostly a funny movie but it has genuinely sad moments.
Ben Whishaw does a great job voicing the bear and really makes us care about him. And the animation is so well done and so seamlessly a part of the live-action world that we really believe there is a bear there. His intelligence reminds me of early episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies". They weren't dumb. They just didn't know how things worked in the real world outside what they knew. Paddington seems surprisingly able to understand a lot of things, but what he doesn't know about toothbrushes gives us a great gag.
I was surprised to find out Hugh Booneville of "Downton Abbey" was Mr. Brown. The character is a long way from the capable supervisor of the servants, and yet he is likable in his way, even as he is quite demanding and resistant to change and risk. And yet Mr. Brown gives in and makes an effort, even dressing as a woman in a funny scene.
But it is Sally Hawkins as the kind wife that stands out among the humans. That's just my opinion.
I didn't know Nicole Kidman was the villain, and yet she is a great one, not quite on a Glenn Close/Cruella de Vil level, but more normal. Charming when she needs to be, but not truly caring.
Just a few weeks after he was first gentleman of Britain, I got to see Jim Broadbent once again, this time as a gentle old antique shop owner. He did a fine job.
Matt Lucas, whoever that is, stood out even with only a few lines as a taxi driver.
I know the name Julie Walters, and she is quite good in some scenes, the best ones at the museum.
The kids were likable. Judy was typical of kids her age, and almost always wearing headphones to block out the annoying world, eventually showing a warm side. I want to know more about that wall. What a challenge it must have been for the set decorators. Hundreds of photos and who knows what else. And Jonathan was about what one would expect from a young boy, but a little more likable and a brilliant builder of science projects.
Michael Gambon and Imelda Staunton did fine jobs as the relatives of young Paddington back in Peru. Staunton was especially good after the tragedy.
It's not clear when any of this took place. There were obviously movies with sound when Montgomery went on his expedition, and yet the scenes where his findings were rejected by the guild seemed like they took place in the 19th century based on how people were dressed. But Millicent was alive, and not that old when she was doing taxidermy at the museum. There were computers with monitors in the present, though all text was green. I remember and miss those days. There are video cameras in the security office at the museum.
But a search similar to an Internet search at the guild was done in a quite impressive and very visual way, with a vacuum system like the drive-thru line at the bank, and a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon where Tweety was transported.
The architecture of the museum was magnificent. Outside it looked like a cathedral, and inside it did too. Could it have been built as a church? I don't know.
The jungle of Peru was beautiful, and the devastation after the tragedy effective.
Slapstick physical comedy is well done but I don't know why the toilet incident had to be so overdone. How much damage was done to that home?
This is obviously a kids' movie, and yet intelligent enough for adults too. I don't want to say there is no content parents would object to, but they really shouldn't. There is an explosion that doesn't cause an injury, which is only bad if kids think explosions aren't dangerous as a result. A man is threatened and hung upside down when information is being demanded from him. And you probably know what is dumped at the petting zoo. People are shown getting drunk, but this is necessary to move the plot along, sort of. And there is some danger for Paddington but if kids know he will be all right, that's fine. And the event that leads to Paddington leaving home is tragic but needed.
There was good music. I particularly liked the band that played some sort of exotic music in the street. What I genuine hated was "Shine" by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams (who did not make me "Happy") with the closing credits. That's when I took advantage of the fast forward button on the DVR (yes, I record everything).
A wonderful adventure even if you know nothing about the bear. You will want to know more, I'm sure.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Great performances, good Western
I'm not a big fan of Westerns and don't know what really makes a good Western, but this had a good story and good execution. Maybe I said too much using that word. Not really funny, and yet at times you have to laugh.
Anyway, it was interesting to see this tough but beautiful woman come into town with a mysterious plan. I had no idea who she was but once I saw the name Sharon Stone at the end, I knew why she was so good in the role. I was thinking about Britt Robertson but this movie is so old she might not have even been born. Anyway, I've seen a lot of good work by this actress and I am finally getting around to seeing her in recordings I made a while back of "The Rookie: Feds". And she's tough, pretty and ... actually, I don't think I ever saw her shoot. But she could play this role.
When I think of villains you love to hate, Larry Hagman's J. R. Ewing and Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor come to mind. And Gene Hackman HAS played Lex, but it has been so long since I saw him in the role, I don't remember, and I have somehow never seen "Superman". But Hackman is excellent. You have to hate a man that is so evil, and yet he is so likable in his way. And he even gets to be vulnerable. How is that possible? And no, I saw "Unforgiven" a very long time ago. Don't really remember.
Leonardo diCaprio before "Titanic"! Actually, he was so good in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" that it was obvious he would be going places. That was a very different role. Here, he is so good at being cocky and confident without any sense of vulnerability. Perhaps some range would have been nice, but what he did, he did very well and showed he had the potential to be one of the great actors of our time.
I've heard of Russell Crowe and heard that he is a very good actor, though he somehow didn't stand out to me. Knowing who he is now, I would ay he did a good job and I just couldn't appreciate it at the time.
Pat Hingle is appealing as the bartender. I kept thinking I know him but why? And his daughter is adorable and kind.
Several other gunfighters showed a lot of confidence and stood out. The black man stood out the most to me.
I didn't recognize Gary Sinise in the flashbacks but it was such a good scene with his young daughter, even if it was terrible.
It was stated no one is to shoot until the clock chimes. No chimes were ever heard, at least not on Channel 55. But the camera focuses for a long time on that clock, and the hand finally moving --that's suspense.
And I don't want to give away the ending, but WOW!
Nice Mariachi music was played at times. I know that's what it was because the word kept showing up in the credits.
Kids shouldn't see this. The trauma this one poor girl experienced is hard to watch. And these people have the worst morals. On broadcast TV, some details might have been missing.
Is it a great Western? Probably not. But it's good for what it is.
The Last Descent (2016)
Could have been better, but most of what they showed was well done
I didn't bother to read the description and I didn't know how it ended, so my experience may have been different from that of most people. I was also very confused by the ending until I read a description of it. I have a hard time telling people apart if they look alike, so I was totally misled--and disappointed. But the news footage used told me all of this was real. Or at least based on something that really happened.
Still, the process is what is important here. The people trying to help John did quite a good job. Susie had a wonderful attitude, but Aaron was needed for the long term. I thought maybe because of Aaron's lack of faith, he would get his faith back, and maybe he did. I have read, though, that he wasn't a real person. The inclusion of a faith based message was positive, and it wasn't the kind of pushy message sometimes seen in inspirational movies. In fact, I don't recall anything that would have been specific to Mormons.
Chadwick Hopson did a good job but didn't challenge us any more than was necessary. Having read other imdb reviews, I can say I'm glad some ideas presented in those are not what I would have wanted to see. I can only hope it was the camera and not the actor that was upside down, even if the scenes didn't last all that long.
Alexis Johnson did a great job, both in the present as the concerned wife and in the past in flashbacks as the perky and intelligent girlfriend. Many of her scenes had no dialogue but they were the nice scenes which the movie desperately needed.
The movie left out some details. More flashbacks might have been nice instead of so much of a focus on inside the cave. Also, it was not possible to hear any of what was going on above as Aaron and John were alone. And very little of the process of trying to rescue John was shown.
I'm not sure why it took me so long to watch this. I think the baby being born at the beginning confused me and made me think I was watching a different movie, so I waited. It's a good thing I didn't delete this from the DVR because if I had read the description, I would have realized it wasn't that movie.
And here is an amazing coincidence: on a night when I realized I had some movies to watch that I hadn't gotten around to seeing, I also had a list of episodes of a series that I had been reluctant to watch. The next one up was a Thanksgiving episode! And for these people it was also a terrible Thanksgiving. Sacrifices had to be made, but eventually the celebration happened.
I didn't care for the music, but I think people would enjoy the classic-style alternative rock sound when there were songs with lyrics.
I noticed this movie was rated TV-PG with no content indicators and it was a family movie with nothing objectionable, except for being scary. I think it would be fine for older kids.
Not great, but for what it was, I guess it was good.
The Iron Lady (2011)
Amazing performance from Streep but too much moving around in time, not enough detail
I was not seeing Meryl Streep. I was seeing Margaret Thatcher. Regardless of how one feels about the prime minister, all the scenes with Streep were amazing. Not just her performance, but how they made her look just like the woman. Politically, I would likely be opposed to her policies, but one can be entertained and I assume educated by this film. Some fine speeches, and attitude and determination that got this woman to high office. And did they show Streep dancing with Reagan? Amazing work!
But too much time was spent on her later years. As much as I enjoyed her conversations with Denis who wasn't there (and Jim Broadbent was great), more time should have been spent on Thatcher's years as a politician. Very little time was spent on the years between college and election to Parliament. And of course they kept jumping back and forth, and I don't even think the flashbacks were done in order.
And while the uppity attitude of the men in government was shown effectively, I don't know that anyone stood out or did all that well. It all sounds good with the accents, but as I read other reviews I realized maybe it wasn't all that great.
I felt like I learned more about Thatcher and her policies but it didn't seem like enough time was spent on her career.
There was just enough comedy to make me happy even if this wasn't supposed to be a comedy.
Most of the music was good (she liked Rodgers & Hammerstein and so do I) but of course they just had to have loud garbage in some scenes, mainly those with protests. And a ringtone on a cellphone in the present. Terrible! Why are people so inconsiderate?
I'm curious how the V-chip rating had an S. What sex? Language maybe, and lots of violence, and there was a V. I wouldn't recommend this to yound children but what I saw asn't too bad.
Good, but not great.
Safe (2012)
Quite violent but I liked how the man protected the girl
I'm not familiar with Jason Statham but I think I've heard the name. I would say he did a pretty good job, although I kept imagining Dwayne Johnson in the role. Bruce Willis would be another possibility if he didn't have to be a cage fighter. One has to accept that killing is okay if it's bad guys and advances the effort to do good. And that rules have to be broken because nearly everyone is corrupt.
It took a while, but I suspected there would be a connection between the two stories. The scenes with Chinese seemed quite well done, and Catherine Chang was at her best in those scenes. The little girl's intelligence was amazing. I didn't find her that appealing when she spoke English but I guess she did an okay job. What I liked best was how Luke made such an effort to take care of Mei and to search for her when he lost touch with her.
Bad guy or not, James Hong is always appealing.
Of course there were exciting car chases and chases on foot. The violence to me was kind of excessive but where I saw this movie, nearly all blood was blurry. And in the real world, one hopes there will never be so many incidents in public places. I found myself wondering what it was like to be an extra in those situations. It would take a certain degree of talent even to have a nonspeaking role there. Though I did notice an incredible number of stunt players in the credits.
The Chinese businesses, exteriors and sets looked amazing. Some of that had to be real and not just for the movie.
I lost touch with which bad guys were which, but of course some spoke Chinese and some had Russian accents. Anyone who fit neither category was a corrupt cop or government official. But it seemed just about everyone was bad.
Not the best thriller, but because of the substitute father doing all he could for the girl, I suppose it was worthwhile.
The Jungle Book (2016)
Fine job, a little intense for kids
I have not seen the original movie or read any books but I did see what I guess would be called a live-action sequel where an adult Mowgli spoke the line, "To him, you are food." So that's the extent of my knowledge of what this is about, other than clips of at least one of the songs.
It is hard to call this live-action, but I think that's what I saw in a description. But there was no way all this was real, even though it looked amazing. Mowgli couldn't possibly have run across the jungle the way he did. Even stunt men wouldn't be that good. No, it all had to be created. And what a creation that jungle was.
There is a great story with teaching Mowgli what he needs to know to survive. And why he shouldn't return to his kind, though it seems like it should have been a good idea. I kept hoping he would.
I couldn't tell if it was Patrick Stewart or Anthony Hopkins playing Mowgli's wolf mentor, but whoever did the voice did an excellent job, worthy of Oscar consideration, worthy of epic movies from the distant past. Then I found out it was Ben Kingsley. Of course. He is in the elite group. Same for Lupita Nyong'o, whose name I didn't know at the time.
While I didn't know his name, Idris Elba's powerful performance combined with the art work made Shere Khan one of the scariest villains Disney has ever produced.
Other good performances came from Giancarlo Esposito, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken.
Bill Murray seemed kind of out of place with the fine actors heard previously, but for his role as Baloo, he was quite good. Not every character has to sound like he or she is in "Spartacus", and Baloo was more ... blue collar and accessible. Other more amusing characters give this more kid appeal. And on the subject of kids, this seemed kind of intense, especially given the realistic art work, for young kids.
Given this movie's tone, I thought the familiar songs seemed out of place, but I guess people who liked the other movie will enjoy them.
Neel Sethi was okay as an actor. He was quite good as an athlete, but his delivery of dialogue didn't quite live up to his other cast members. That's okay.
And that temple or whatever you want to call it. Amazing! That wasn't real? Well, I hope not. Because they destroyed it and I sure hated to see that happen. But wow, that was something to see.
This movie had several important environmental messages and an amazing effort to save the jungle. We saw what happened. If someone had paid attention, that fire would have been quickly extinguished. It was such a shame to see what happened, but our heroes came through.
A great effort.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Not as good as the first but it had its moments
So my experience with the "Hunger Games" series is as follows: It took me several years to finally see the first one after I somehow missed seeing it the first time it was on NBC. A very dark world but Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks and the nutty TV hosts helped make it tolerable. I also visited a set where a few scenes were filmed, but it was closed the first time, and the second time I was late for the tour, which was the only way I would be allowed on the property. The tour leader's attitude about my just showing up definitely did not make me feel good about seeing any more movies in this series.
I checked into my motel room, aware this movie was going to be on. It took a while to unload the car but I don't think I missed anything significant. With commercials included, the movie had been on for 30 minutes. The set I visited may not have been a part of this movie.
The dark world of the first movie had just gotten a lot darker and I didn't know how I could stand it. But as the next competition was introduced it started getting interesting and I was no longer thinking about the violence and poverty and other extreme problems. The lighter moments soon came and Woody and Elizabeth were back, both making me feel so much better. The wacky TV presentation didn't quite live up to the extravaganza of the original, but it was at least lighter. Some of the competitors were enjoyable characters, and things didn't seem so bad, even though only one person was supposed to survive to the end. I liked seeing characters work together and be friends.
I won't say I really enjoyed it, but I liked it at times. Katniss is a girl next door more than a hero, and even vulnerable. Jennifer Lawrence did a fine job showing quite a range.
It took me a while to realize one girl I liked was Katniss' sister, now older. I wasn't clear about what was going on a lot of the time.
Still, this movie didn't seem overly long and it wasn't progressing as it needed to. AMC's decision ... well, I'll have more to say about that. Let's just say I knew there was another one in the series and maybe that was supposed to be a continuation. I was enjoying this enough and anticipating a logical conclusion.
Well, if a movie that has a natural ending is a flat, straight road, this movie's final scenes were Sleepy Hollow Road in the resort town where I spent time last week.
It was clear the movie to follow would have to deal with unresolved problems. Even though it was to last until midnight, I intended to watch some of it. You won't see my review because while it did address what had not given this movie a real ending, it was too dark and horrible for me to stick with it even until a normal bedtime.
I don't know what AMC was thinking. Almost no one in the Eastern U. S. could be expected to keep watching on a weeknight. It was a marathon of all four movies, with the last starting at midnight. Still, no one could have anticipated the death of Donald Sutherland, and it now seems quite appropriate that AMC picked this week for the event. He did a fine job in this movie as one of the leading villains. I just hated him because he was so evil. I've liked him in many other roles, though.
I'm not a teenage girl and don't know how females can stand something this dark and violent. Still, I saw every episode of The CW's "The 100". I guess there's even something in this type of movie for me.