mbazhome Reviews

Blue Lights (2023– )

Police Story

[6/10 · 14 May 2024]

I like a good police procedural, especially a British one. This one with all the bent coppers is one of my favorites. This one is not as good for me. I really enjoyed watching the police side of things, but the mafia drug business bored me to tears. I could have used a little more suspense overall. But still I couldn't stop watching, I think I was waiting for something to happen. I've seen a few of these actors before and they're all very good. So far I've only watched the first season. We'll see if the second season is more interesting for me. For season number one I give this show a 6 out of 10.

The Control Room (2022)

Enjoyable

[8/10 · 14 May 2024]

The lead character makes one dumb decision after the other. They all pile up and the next thing you know he's in way over his head very quickly. The whole time you're thinking don't go in there! I would never do that! Don't do it Gabo! But then he does. I managed to get past the bit about how I would never do the dumb things this guy does. If he didn't do one dumb thing after another there wouldn't be much going on. So it makes for a lot of different twists and turns. Definitely not a slow burn. Also it's in Scotland which is great. I'm in America so I had to watch with subtitles, but it wasn't really necessary. I give this 8/10.

65 (2023)

I liked it

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

It seems many reviewers didn't like this film. I have to disagree. It kept my interest throughout which is really saying something for a Netflix movie. Adam Driver is lovely and always enjoyable. The girl was fine. This movie has dinosaurs which I wasnt expecting since I knew nothing about it before I saw it. I always prefer to go into a movie cold with no preconceived notions from the trailer or whatever. Yes the science was mostly preposterous of course but so what. This is like a survival movie and a good story. The effects were good. It's the kind of film where you have to suspend any skepticism and enjoy it for what it is. I give it a 7/10. Watched on Netflix.

The Gilded Age (2022– )

I love New York

[10/10 · 15 December 2023]

I'm really enjoying this show. Don't know what took me so long to start watching it, but here it is December 2023 and I've started watching season one. I love period dramas and this one is no exception. Most of the period pieces are British which is great but a New York point of view is refreshing, The best part about this show is that it's not a slow burn. Something happens in every episode. I am so tired of Netflix slow burns where nothing happens and an 8 episode series could boil down to one or two episodes.. This one keeps me interested. I really enjoy the costumes. Wow the dresses are just gorgeous and the homes and furnishings are beautiful. I mean could you imagine having money and living in a time like that.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001–2011)

Watch and rewatch

[10/10 · 6 June 2023]

I really enjoy this show a lot. Vincent D'Onofrio is perfection, quirky and weird but always gets to the truth. In an early episode he climbed on top of a church pew by first stepping on the shoulder of a fellow officer who was completely unprepared. Classic. Jeff Goldblum is another great actor and wonderful to watch.

I watch this show a lot to calm my anxiety. It has a soothing effect on me. The original Law and Order does that for me too. SVU not so much. Organized crime ugh. Unfortunately criminal intent didn't last as long as the original. That's a shame. To me it's worth watching and rewatching.

The Suspect (2022)

Enjoyable

[9/10 · 7 May 2023]

I personally enjoyed this series a lot. It's based on a book which is always makes for a better story in my opinion. This one kept me guessing. There were more than a few suspects which is great, I hate figuring it out too early. Some reviewers here say the police were dumb but I think I real life they often hone in on one suspect and good luck to you if you're that person. Now about Aidan Turner of Poldark fame, how could you not love him. Great actor, easy on the eyes, not crazy about the beard but maybe he was going for a psychologist in a tweed jacket look. The senior detective was fantastic. Really enjoyed his performance. The young patient was great as well. Very good cast of actors. All in all I thought it was intriguing and entertaining. 9/10.

A Man Called Otto (2022)

Wonderful

[9/10 · 9 April 2023]

This one really got to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Otto and for whatever reason his trials and tribulations and triumphs made me weep several times during the movie. I felt bad for him losing his wife and though I'm not at his age yet I lost my best friend to cancer and that was bad enough. I guess I'm at the age where I'm thinking about this stuff more than I did before. Tom Hanks is a treasure and delivers a wonderful performance as usual. The woman who played the neighbor was fantastic too. I totally fell for their unique friendship. Actually I felt that way about the movie itself and all the characters in it, I fell for it - hook line and sinker. 9/10.

The Rig (2023– )

Ugh

[1/10 · 17 January 2023]

A purportedly exciting show like this one is just another boring forgettable slow burn. The first episode was actually interesting and I was looking forward to more. I thought with the ash coming down it was maybe a nuclear attack had happened and no one on the oil rig knew about it. Sadly this was not the case. The plot degraded into a silly unbelievable supernatural type of situation. The Thing did this much much better. As others have said the actors didn't have much to work with. I recognized many faces and have enjoyed their work in the past but this was not good. Sorry but I hate-watched the remaining episodes. Should have just gone to bed early instead.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

Super Fun

[9/10 · 7 November 2022]

Weird is hilarious, we went into it with a lighthearted attitude and enjoyed every minute. One of my other favorite movies is Bill and Ted. So you get where I'm coming from. This film is all weird all the time. To truly enjoy it, you have to appreciate weird Al's humor which of course is not hard to do. There are so many cameos in this movie, I thought that one bad guy was Keanu as John Wick but alas it wasn't. The mom and dad were hilarious. The friends from college were awesome. Madonna was a total b!#ch in the end. Too bad, I kind of liked them together. My rating - 9/10. Minus one for no Keanu haha.

FBI (2018– )

FBI always gets their man

[9/10 · 8 October 2022]

Ok I saw the John Oliver episode where he disparaged Dick Wolf shows. Apparently Dick Wolf is friends with Donald Trump. I wonder what Dick thinks of Trump's recent disparaging remarks about the FBI.. I watch a lot of cop shows and crime shows, this is one of my favorites! Action packed and interesting cases. Yes it's somewhat repetitive but so is the job. I like all the characters especially Jubal with his earpiece. I also love the New York street scenes, that was always my favorite part of law and order. My favorite part of this show is when they say to the suspect, "You know lying to the FBI is a felony!" In their scary bad cop voices,, or when they're approaching a suspect on the street they yell FBI! And the person ALWAYS runs. Who wouldn't!? Cracks me up every time. Anyway I like the show, there are tons of episodes too, 22 per season I think.

Thin Ice (2020– )

Borgen was better

[6/10 · 24 July 2022]

Borgen Power and Glory was almost exactly the same storyline. I enjoyed it more and would recommend it! This show bored me to tears. Another slow burn... The first episode was okay but then it dragged.

Sunshine on Leith (2013)

I'm on my way

[7/10 · 26 June 2022]

Nice scenery of Edinburgh, what a beautiful city. Great songs of course. Didn't know much about this movie before seeing it. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The Contractor (2022)

Well done

[6/10 · 25 June 2022]

Lots of gun violence, big budget, action, almost like a spy thriller. No it's not as good as Bourne but it's still worth a watch. Chris Pine is my favorite Chris. I'd take him over Evans and Pratt any day.

Breaking Surface (2020)

Claustrophobe

[9/10 · 11 June 2022]

I am not a diver, too claustrophobic for me. Caves are another thing that make me claustrophobic. Underwater caves? Forget it! This film was a tense experience for me. I enjoyed it:)) 9/10.

Defending Jacob (2020)

Not a whodunnit

[5/10 · 10 June 2022]

This is not a mystery suspense show. It's a drama about a family going through a major crisis and how it changes their relationships. It looks good, the actors are all good, but the story is just meh. They try to build suspense, but episode after episode nothing really happens to move the plot along. I was much more interested in finding out whodunnit than the family stuff so for me it's a 5/10.

Moonfall (2022)

Ignore the haters

[9/10 · 5 June 2022]

I thoroughly enjohed this movie. Suspend all disbelief and sit back and enjoy the ride.

Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry were good, and the actor who played KC was fun. Even a little Donald Sutherland cameo.

Ignore the haters. I give it a 9/10.

Ambulance (2022)

Speed

[5/10 · 30 May 2022]

Speed was a great movie. This one is not. Speed had Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. This one has Jake Gylenhall. Speed had a mean bad guy. This one has Jake Gylenhall. I don't know who to cheer for? The cops? 5/10.

Pieces of Her (2022)

Toni Collette

[5/10 · 23 March 2022]

I'm a fan of Ms Collette, unfortunately there's not enough of her in this. The actress who plays her younger self is dead in the eyes. Sorry that's mean. She was great in The End Of The *** World but here she really bugged me. Also unfortunate is the reveal of why the double life. Pretty unbelievable. Once again the first couple of episodes are best.

Hunter Killer (2018)

Michael Nyqvist

[8/10 · 23 January 2022]

It's kind of sad watching this movie because it was one of Michael Nyqvist's last films before his death. I enjoyed him in many movies. According to Wikipedia he was only 56 when he passed away. Thank you for the great films Mr Nyqvist.

Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)

Interesting

[8/10 · 12 December 2021]

Really enjoyed this one even though I'm not usually a fan of Nazi movies or war movies. I really appreciated this little movie about a unique school in England.

True Story (III) (2021)

Predictable

[5/10 · 27 November 2021]

This was more of a caper than a thriller. Like a Frasier episode where everything goes wrong. Found the Kevin Hart character to be a total douche and unlikeable, but it was nice to see Wesley Snipes again. Watched on Netflix 5/10.

The Guilty (2021)

The guilty

[6/10 · 21 November 2021]

Of course the original Danish film was better. I had forgotten the title and when I started watching this one I was like I think I've seen this before. I don't remember disliking the main character in that one. Jake was great but at times this film dragged for me.

The Ranger (2018)

Don't mess with the ranger

[6/10 · 16 August 2021]

This film is just over an hour so it won't waste too much of your time. It was just okay for me. Watched this while on a camping trip. The ranger himself was the best part. 6/10 for me.

Grizzly II: Revenge (1983)

Nope

[1/10 · 15 August 2021]

This film should not be called Grizzly 2, it has nothing to do with Grizzly 1 and it's nowhere near as good. Apparently it's changed from the bootleg version many previous reviewers saw. No MJ music in this one. George Clooney Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen get top billing. What a joke. The editing is a jumbled mess. Too much B roll. The concert itself is another joke. What is this girl group "You take the milk from the coconut"!?! Oh and spoiler alert - We never even get to see this rumored gigantic bear just its face. The best part is the French Canadian bear hunter Bouchard. Saw this on showtime. 1/10.

Marcella (2016–2021)

Season 1

[5/10 · 4 June 2021]

I enjoyed season 1, it's worth a watch. I can't really remember any of Season 2. In season 3 Marcella is totally unlikeable. I quit in the middle of the season.