dgriggs6 Reviews

Bandit (2022)

A FUN movie. Just sit back and enjoy

[8/10 · 20 February 2024]

Josh Duhamel portrays Michigan thief Gilbert Galvan. Movie starts with Galvan being arraigned in Michigan for non-violent crimes. Gets sent to a minimum security facility in Saint Joseph, MI. On shore of Lake Michigan in 1984. 18 month sentence. In autumn 1984. But Gilbert doesn't wait. Runs away from that place and hitchhikes to Ottawa Canada in April '85. That date is important for something I will say later.

He purchases a Health facility ID from a Robert Whiteman. And "adopts" that name. He earns tiny wage, but gets nowhere. Goes to a church to get a place to sleep.

Fast forward. He gets very involved with the young woman Andrea. 8 months later they are living together in Ottawa. "Robert" sees newspaper article daying that Galvan may be a fugitive in eastern Canada. So he tells Andrea he needs to visit his dad "out west" in Canada. Gets yo Vancouver and on Feb 2, 1986. Robert brazenly robs a bank there. Rest of movie details how he robbed 59 Canadian banks in late 1980s. Some clever stuff.

But what got me irate is hoe the screenwriter decided to UNFAIRLY DUMP on President Ronald Reagan. Showed a few sentences of a Reagan speech when Galvan arrived in Vancouver, in which Reagan honestly admits that America's greatest struggle is the poor economy. BUT THAT SPEECH WAS IN OCTOBER OF 1982!!! Galvan arrived in Feb 86, when the American economy was growing!! This is a trend that has been growing and expanding in American and Canadian movies. Dump on the GOP!!! It is disgusting and lots of my friends and neighbors think so also. I am middle class, not rich.

The Protégé (2021)

Stupid film that began intriguing

[4/10 · 11 February 2024]

Protege. Michael Keaton, who has a quick appearance early before reappearing well past halfway mark, did much better in Beetlejuice. He is wooden, full of trite sayings. But Maggie Q is far worse. Very little emotions AT ALL.

I suppose most of these failings should lay at feet of scriptwriter ... But how about SOME emotion here twosome?? And when Anna (Maggie Q) escapes from a high security cell, it is absolutely beyond belief.

In stead if action and excitement growing after Anna escape s from that cell ... the plot slows to a crawl. It is especially revolting when mystery person Lucas Hayes turns out to be a poor blind deaf mute in a jungle hospital .... UGH. Avoid this one.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Lots of violence, and Lisbeth Salander is one WEIRRRRD character, but once her past gets revealed, that is understandable

[10/10 · 4 October 2020]

I THOUGHT THIS FILM WAS FABULOUS. But I have no problem with violence and sexual deviations in a movie. And being a gigantic 007 fan, I was ecstatic that Daniel Craig had brought lots of toughness back to Bond's character (in Casino Royale). But Craig shows that he is a great actor imho in "The Girl ...", because he is basically a bit of a wimp in this film. But still a hero. Rooney Mara was OUTSTANDING as Lisbeth Salander. I was hoping her career would take off after this film, but I have not seen her myself in other films since. Throw in the vastly underrated (in America) Stellan Skarsgard, .... and Chris Plummer and Robin Wright, plus GREAT background music and a very intriguing plot, and we have a big winner.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

A very entertaining look at a high tension hijacking. as well as a look back into NYC culture of 1974

[9/10 · 6 November 2019]

Boy, DID SEEING THIS MOVIE TODAY (11-5-19) on the MGM channel ever bring back some memories!!! I first saw it decades ago shortly after in was released in 1974. I actually lived in NYC for about 20 months, from New Year's 1976 through AUG 1977. And yes, folks, TONS of New Yorkers actually WERE that abrasive, argumentative and downright profane back then. Crime was worse then also. But I must admit that life in the "City" was never boring. Living and working there morphed me into being fluent in profanity. This film is centered on a strange, weird hijacking ... of a NYC subway car. The 4 Bad Guys led by the unbelievably GREAT actor Robert Shaw (as leader Mister Blue) take over control of a subway by brandishing machine guns. Among the hijackers is ex-motorman Mister Green, played by great role actor Martin Balsam. They have plans to demand ransom, $1 million, which is probably worth over $10 million now, and to kill hostages unless their demands are met. Using the expertise and knowledge of Balsam/Green, they devise an ingenious plan to escape from the subway tunnels WITH the money and without being discovered by the police. It almost works.

The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

A thrilling remake of Girl with Dragon Tattoo, but one that has some issues.

[6/10 · 20 February 2019]

I just saw this movie twice by renting it. The plot is very interesting, starting with the heroine of Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander, as a young girl with her older sister Camilla in rural Sweden. Their father is only parent, and a "devout" sex offender and probably a torturer. Lisbeth escapes, taking an impossible-to-believe swan dive off of a balcony with 100 foot drop. She lands in snow and miraculously gets up running. Fast forward to present day, and Lisbeth is back to her avenging of male sex offenders. But after that, she gets involved with a Uppsala Univ. male professor and his Firefall program. Which he developed for NSA of US govt. And moved it!! Plot takes off from there. The plot twists are excellent. However ..... In my humble opinion I think the movie suffers from being too linked to very modern technology, instead of linkage like Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara had in Dragon. Good old fashioned research with some help from new technology. I may come to like Spider more once I see it more ..... but I must admit I desperately missed Craig, Mara, and Robin Wright. And of course Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard.

Gran Torino (2008)

CLINT STRIKES AGAIN!! ... A WONDERFUL FILM!

[10/10 · 29 December 2018]

Clint stars as Korean War veteran, retired Ford Motor employee Walt Kowalski, living in Detroit. He is a widower. Tough as nails, not very friendly. Has two sons, but is distant in relations with them (understandably, once you get to learn about them). He is just about as politically INCORRECT as a guy can be in 2008. So if you are into political correctness big time, you may not like this movie. But as the movie progresses, viewer comes to realize that inside his incredibly CRUSTY exterior, Walt really has a heart of gold. The family living next door to him are Hmongs, from the hills of Laos. They are steeped in tradition. But after getting way off on the wrong foot (the Hmong son is practically "forced" by cousins/ gang members to try to steal Walt's Gran Torino!), the two households grow closer and closer. Walt becomes their bodyguard in a way. The Village Idiot cousins refuse to back off, and Walt decides to take a drastic action. But what endeared this movie to me were some of the quotes. After Hmong women continue to bring him food as a thank you, tho he tries to resist, he is overcome by them and says, "Jesus, Joseph and Mary. These Hmong broads are like badgers." LOL LOL

Beetlejuice (1988)

GOD!!! I ADORE THIS FARCE OF A MOVIE!

[10/10 · 29 December 2018]

I doubt anyone is out there who will read this review, because this movie is so old (recently "turned" 25 yrs old). But just in case .... Yes, the Maitlands are a very ordinary young couple living in a peaceful little town. When they die in a car crash close to home. They "come back" to their house, but quickly realize that LOTS HAS CHANGED. AND that they are ghosts. They end up enlisting Michael Keaton / Beetlejuice to help them get new residents the Dietzes to LEAVE the house. That is when the hilarity begins!!! In my experience, people either loved this flick or hated it. Some classic lines: "THAT!!! is why I won't do 2 shows a night any more, BABE!! i won't. I won't do it!!" "Where can a guy, AN AVERAGE JOE LIKE MYSELF, go to get a little .... er, .. ACTION??" "My whole life is a dark room. One big ..... DARK .... ROOM." And the DAY -O dance sequence at the Dietz's dinner table. And the background music is fabulous in my humble opinion, also.

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

Sorry!! I didn't like this!

[3/10 · 29 December 2018]

From the OVERUSED, INSIPID BACKGROUND MUSIC, to Trammell/Stone being an EXTREMELY manipulative woman who AFAIC only gets to have extensive influence over first Nick Curran (in the original B I movie) then over psychiatrist Michael Glass in B Instinct 2, Trammell only gets her way because she is found to be pretty and sexy by those 2 men. This movie doesn't cut it. As someone who has been BURNED BADLY by people I allowed to get very close to me for years who were extremely MANIPULATIVE, I despise the practical glorification of Trammell's character. I place manipulation way down there with lying and other major deficits of human behavior. But if you ENJOY watching a person and especially a woman being extremely manipulative and devious, this movie is for you!!

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIES!!! And I have seen tons of films ...

[10/10 · 26 April 2017]

I cannot believe it has been so many years ago that I first rated this movie (TEN! I would give it an eleven if I could!) but never wrote a review. First off, I will admit to some biases. I have played and adored golf for almost 60 yrs, since I was 7. Secondly, I was born and raised in the Boston area. Third, I DESPISE arrogant, holier-than-thou, self-righteous people, and am glad that among lots of western nations, the US is or at least was one of the least-conscious class societies. Fourth, Francis' incredibly loving mom reminds me of my mom. So if you share some of these things, and have never seen this movie, you may just LOVE IT!!! I found myself wanting to rip out the throat of INCREDIBLY ARROGANT Lord Northcliffe, played magnificently by Peter Firth. And best of all, this flick is based on a true event. Ouimet's (pronounced WEE-met) big upset win in 1913 US Open Golf. How big an upset was it? In 2005 when flick was released, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were two of top 3 golfers (1st and 2nd?) in world. This 1913 upset was as if the Massachusetts State Amateur champ defeated Tiger and Phil at US Open. I consider it THE greatest upset ever in sports. Even more than the 1980 (and 1960) wins by the US Olympic hockey teams over the Soviet Union.

Man on Fire (2004)

A fine film in many ways, BUT RUINED by the WORST PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAR out of hundreds of movies I have seen in my lifetime

[3/10 · 23 August 2016]

The plot is interesting (read other reviews to learn about it). Denzel does his usual superb acting job, Dakota Fanning and Radha Mitchell as daughter Pita and her mother Lisa Ramos also do fine jobs. If not for the photography I would probably give this flick about a 7. The movie runs a bit too long in my humble opinion. But who was the person in charge of photography??!!! Paul Cameron?? If I had been watching this on the big screen I would have had to leave after an hour because of a splitting headache. The camera is out of focus and jiggling about 1/3rd of the time!! Just horrible. However, I did learn something from this movie; namely, that in Latin America at least in the early 2000s (this movie was released in 2004), there is a big problem with kidnappings.

Up in the Air (I) (2009)

Just had a flashback while watching this

[8/10 · 2 May 2016]

I just watched this movie again tonight (5-2-16), first time since right after it was released. I am VERY interested and knowledgeable in economics compared to most folks. Part of the success and impact of this movie is that it is one of the very best to capture the vast amount of despair that was going on in USA in 2009. VAST numbers of people, the vast majority of whom had done nothing wrong in their jobs, were fired because of the near Depression that hit then. I am 65 yrs old. By FAR IT WAS the worst economic downturn in my lifetime. "Up" showed how different people can react to different awful news that is a life changer. That and the scenes at the wedding of Ryan's relative are what linger in my mind. Shows that personal relationships for most people are the most important things in life.

About the SHOCKING revelation that Alex is not only married but has kids. Now that I have seen the movie a 2nd time, I consider this the one substantial weakness in the movie. Would a married mom with kids go with Ryan to his family wedding? Keep her private life completely hidden, without even warning Ryan to never, ever just show up at her home? I didn't and don't buy it. Earlier scenes should have been handled differently. BUT I still think this is a wonderful movie. And the acting was great by the 3 primary characters.

Stalingrad (2003– )

Turning Point of WW2 .... and most brutal battle of them all

[10/10 · 15 January 2015]

Absolutely without a doubt this German 3-part documentary is a 10. But be FOREWARNED ... simply listening to the German 6th Army and Red Army survivors (about 80 years old in 2003) and a few citizen survivors of Stalingrad is both very upsetting and heart wrenching. But there are a lot of both pictures and film, too. By the last 2 months of this 5+ month battle (from late August 1942 to February 1943), the conditions inside Stalingrad were devastating, horrific. Incredible cold, which began in late November, lack of food and any kind of warm shelter, hopeless military situation for the Germans. Even people eating horse meat and later on dogs and even cats and at very end parts of dead PEOPLE!!!

And the UTTER stupidity of Hitler. He could have and should have given permission to his generals to withdraw the 6th Army by no later than December 1942, thus saving much of the men and equipment of the 300,000 man army that first attacked in August 1943. But he ended up sacrificing practically the entire army and IMHO sealed the defeat of his nation. From that point on the Soviets were on the offensive and the Nazis were retreating.

Tammy (2014)

I was very interested in this movie ......

[3/10 · 1 August 2014]

... After reading the reviews of about 25 people. But then I saw the trailer. I HAVE NOT seen this movie. But the trailer alone has turned me completely off. Having Melissa/Tammy hit a small buck because she was not paying attention (AT ALL)to the road in front of her, and scraping the living daylights out of her light blue sedan (including the destruction of her side view mirror) because she tried to fit the car in between two trees is NOT a bit entertaining to me. It is stupid. Also the scene where she tries to elude two state troopers is likewise not funny, just stupid. I am not at all fussy about comedy. But scenes have to strike me as funny, not stupid.

Seven Days in Utopia (2011)

I enjoyed the beginning of this movie, but .....

[4/10 · 29 November 2013]

I am an avid and pretty good golfer. Have played it for about 55 years now. Although the opening scenes in which Luke self-destructs on the 18th hole of the final round of a very important golf tournament for him -- when he foolishly listens to bad advice from his very bossy, caddying father -- was very contrived, at least something like that conceivably could happen. Later Luke drives through the countryside of the Texas hill country and decides to take the turn to a community called Utopia.

Then there is another very unrealistic scene. Luke is driving and stares at a guy (turns out to be Duvall/Johnny Crawford) in a field placing flagsticks in what does not look like (but is) a golf course. Doesn't look at the road ahead of him for about 4 seconds, then finally returns his gaze and discovers an enormous steer standing in the road directly ahead of him. Instead of abruptly down-shifting and braking, he turns off the road and slams his car into and through a sturdy wooden fence. Others here describe what happens in Utopia, quite a bit of which I liked. But at the end of the movie, after he gets into the Texas Open (an official PGA event) and has a chance to win it all, they don't even show the final putt!!! STUPID!!!

Eden Lake (2008)

Unbelievably bad

[1/10 · 16 January 2012]

If my wife and I could give a zero rating, we would. The film lasts 90 minutes. We watched the first 30 and then skipped to the final 15 minutes just to see who survives. After the young couple Steve and Jenny are too stupid to leave Eden Lake after getting a taste of the young hoodlums and their aggressive female Rottweiler, and then Steve sees the kids' bicycles the 2nd day in the village and has the audacity and stupidity to enter the house, we began to root for the hoodlums. Are any of you familiar with Dan Akroyd's character Leonard Pinth-Garnell on the original SNL cast? Well, Leonard would have had a field day in reviewing this piece of crip. "Putrid, horrid ..... really bit the big one ...."

Excalibur (1981)

A wonderful, epic movie

[10/10 · 7 October 2010]

I can't believe this movie is now 29 years old. I found the character of Merlin to be the most captivating, not Arthur, especially when he did his chant of "Ahnal nathrac, uthas bethude, dothiel dienbay (spelling?)." And what really made this movie so memorable for me was the incredibly beautiful background music. If you ever get a chance to see this movie in a movie theatre, go see it!! Especially if it has surround sound. And some of the special effects are terrific, too, especially after Arthur has a bit of rejuvenation and leads his knights on horseback, and the landscape magically changes from dreary to green and blooming as he passes by. Helen Mirren was a luscious babe back then who did a wonderful job portraying Morgana ... now she is 65 years old. By the way, if you have seen neither this movie nor Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which was released in the 1970s, before this movie), see this movie first, then Holy Grail. The latter has an incredibly hilarious scene early on in which Arthur meets some peasants who start reciting socialist dogma to him. They demean the way Arthur came to power, claiming it was "some farcical, aquatic ceremony."

Appaloosa (2008)

The Law? Justice? this movie is all about Good vs. Evil

[14 August 2009]

This is in many ways a classic western, but with several twists. Near the very beginning of the movie, the town's marshal goes out to confront rich rancher Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons), but Bragg kills the marshal and his deputies without warning. The town's leaders summon famous gunmen Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett Hitch (Mortensen) to become the new marshal and deputy. Cole sets down his rules, which are strict, and roughs up two of Bragg's men in the saloon to serve notice to Bragg. The movie rolls on from there, with a major role being played by Renee Zellweger. Virgil Cole falls for her completely, even though she is very untrustworthy. Cole and Hitch pull a sneak attack on Bragg's property and drag him off to town, where a trial ensues and the judge finds Bragg guilty of murder. But before Bragg can be transported to another town for execution, he is freed. Because Bragg knows the U.S. President, he is pardoned. But Cole and Hitch do not forget and do not forgive. Bragg buys the local hotel and subverts the mayor and town's leaders. Warns Hitch that if "you boys don't fall in line, you may be out of a job." Bragg is protected by the law. Has justice been served? Hitch can see the handwriting on the wall and acts before his close friend Cole is fired as marshal. In the end, the "good guys" win. Good (OK, "good" is a relative term here) defeats evil.

Primal Fear (1996)

A wonderful movie that has manipulation at its core

[9/10 · 25 December 2008]

I first saw this movie several years ago on a cable network, and started watching in the middle of it. I was immediately fascinated by it, because soon after I started watching there was the transformation scene where Edward Norton's character Aaron "morphs" into the evil Ray in front of Richard Gere and Francis McDormand. I watched later on as Gere provokes -- manipulates -- Laura Linney's character into displaying anger and frustration in the courtroom. Linney's loud and challenging outbursts cause the desired effect. But at the very end of the movie Gere's character finds out that he is the person who has been the victim of an even more humongous manipulation. I hope that this review does not give too much away. But I really enjoyed the fact that the manipulator got punished in the end -- I despise manipulation!

Rendition (2007)

Fascinating, but I wonder how much of this is factual

[6/10 · 1 December 2008]

An excellent thriller, but I did not give it very high marks because I believe the writer had a hidden agenda: to embarrass the U.S. and specifically the Bush administration, just like the movie "Sniper" with Wahlberg and Danny Glover. The best comment I heard was from "mohamedster" on page 2 of the User comments, who was detained at Dulles airport for 3 hours and probably given no apology, either. To you on behalf of all Americans, mohamedster, I am truly sorry. But the United States and the United Kingdom are truly fighting a war against radical Moslem terrorists. To those of you in other nations, you may have no idea what it can be like when nearly 3000 innocent people are killed brutally simply because they worked at the World Trade Center. In my mind, this struggle is very simple: good vs. evil, and the U.S.A. and the U.K. are the GOOD!! And I really doubt that the CIA is engaging in electric shocks, which IS torture. Water boarding is a gray area; our own troops are subjected to it as part of their training!! And I deliver mail to a couple of Moslem businessmen who love the U.S.A. and are outraged by how Al Qaeda and Sadddam have given Islam a black eye, unjustifiably. Sorry for the sermon.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Overall, very disappointing

[6/10 · 20 November 2008]

I have been a James Bond fan ever since seeing Doctor No in the winter of 1963, shortly before my 12th birthday. Very soon thereafter I read all the Bond novels written up to that point, and absolutely loved the way Sean Connery, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, and Desmond Llewellyn brought to life the characters of Bond, M, Miss Moneypenny, and Q. Overall, these actors and characters were fairly representative of the characters in the novels. Well, I am totally fed up with the trend in several of the recent Bond movies to have Bond be so disobedient and rebellious. As I remember it, 007 was argumentative with M only once throughout all of the novels .... after Bond was captured by the Russians after the end of the novel You Only Live Twice and before the beginning of The Man With the Golden Gun. And he had been brainwashed by the Soviets!! Otherwise, Bond was completely loyal to M (and the feeling was mutual!), almost like a devoted son to a father. Well, that is all out the window in several of the movies of the last 20 years, including this one.

"Quantum" also started a trend, interrupted for one film, Skyfall with Bardem as the villain, in which the villains are simpering, somewhat effeminate villains. What happened to great villains like Largo, Goldfinger, Telly Savalas as Blofeld, even Kurt Jurgens??? Pretty much gonzo. Quantum is definitely the worst of the 5 Daniel Craig Bond movies. And one of worst ever.

"Quantum" has a few excellent scenes, but overall it is boring. My advice is to wait until DVDs are available, then put on the subtitles.

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Amazing movie! And here is some trivia.

[10/10 · 21 June 2008]

Other viewers have already sung the glories of this terrific film. The purpose of this review is to throw in a couple of pieces of trivia that I never knew about the film. I rented a DVD a few nights ago and they had a special features segment. Did you know that John Huston owned the rights to this film for -- get this -- 25 years!! And that he originally planned to have the characters of Peachey and Daniel played by Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable!! In my "notso" humble opinion, I think the film did much better with the two British actors!!! And that except for the scenes in the mountain peaks, which were filmed in the French Alps, nearly all the outdoor scenes were filmed in Morocco!! The man who played the part of the high priest (sorry, I have forgotten his character's name) was 100 years old and was a shepherd!! After filming scenes in the daytime, he would return to his shepherd's job at night, with the result that for the duration of the filming he had practically no sleep!

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Extremely disappointing film

[1/10 · 23 May 2008]

My wife and I just endured this 150-minute awful film. The first hour was not too bad, with a probably very realistic look at how crude (no pun intended) and difficult finding and extracting oil was in the American Southwest in the early 1900s. Daniel Day-Lewis does turn in an outstanding performance as the central figure, self-made oil man Daniel Plainview. But after the first hour, the film spirals down continuously revealing the deep personality problems of Daniel, his son HW, and the young preacher Eli Sunday. And the background music is the pits!! In nearly all movies, the background music enhances the experience, or at worst does very little. This is the glaring exception. We were very disappointed in the film.

Shooter (I) (2007)

Pretty good movie that could have been great

[6/10 · 15 February 2008]

Lots of excellent action, right down to the wonderful descriptions of how long-range snipers have to account for so many factors when trying to hit a small object from over 900 yards. Heroes in the movie are wonderful patriots, down-to-earth people. My huge problem is who the villains are. Just like the first Mission Impossible movie and The Good Shepherd, among others, many recent thrillers are casting the U.S. government as "the bad guys." Crazy liberal references to WMD in Iraq and Abu Ghraib were made during a key scene involving what otherwise would have been a terrific scene with Levon Helm as a Tennessee gunsmith. And twice near the end one of the bad guys taunts the living daylights out of Swagger (Wahlberg) by claiming "I won, you lost." PLEASE, Hollywood, SPARE US THE SUPER-LIBERAL, PIOUS, HOLIER-THAN-THOU MALARKEY!! It was bad enough when you used to always have Germans or South Africans as the villains, but recently you are picking on the CIA, the FBI, and the U.S. Government in general!!