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Reviews
The Courier (2019)
Funniest comedy of the year... oh wait!
This movie would get ten stars if it were sold as a comedy. But the producers, writers and director were serious when they billed it as a thriller. The feminist tropes are endless as our hero, Olga whatever her name is body slams and beats the crap out of 260 pound men who are built like linebackers. Her 98 pound body magically defies the laws of physics as she man handles a group of about 20 heavily armed well trained mercenaries with her bare hands. Of course she is able to do this because as she says to the Indian guy "I was military" This made my wife and literally I laugh out loud. Then you see flashbacks of her when she was fighting "in Syria" but they don't tell you who the heck she fought FOR. Her accent is either Russian or Ukrainian and Ukrainians did not fight in Syria the Russians did so apparently she fought for Assad's side but I digress. And why would I expect historical accuracy from such a horrible film. Geeze Gary Oldman will do anything these days. 99% of the movie takes place in a parking garage which is lame. Watch this if you want some good laughs but move on if you're looking for an actual thriller.
Corner Office (2022)
A decent way to spend a rainy day.
This movie delves into the mind of an office worker who is obviously suffering from delusion among perhaps other things. Jon Hamm's acting is excellent as usual and the rest of the cast puts in a solid performance. The film starts with Hamm's character starting his first day at the office and likening it to his first day of school. We immediately realize that he is peculiar as he narrates his thoughts to the audience. The character is relatable as I'm sure most of us have met someone like this throughout the course of our lives. There is suspense as we don't know exactly how the story will play out. As a huge fan of the old Twight Zone, this movie is in the same vein and will entertain fans of the genre. The soundtrack is pleasing and lets off a good focused vibe. What confuses me is these people giving it a 1. For me it's a 6.7 so I rounded up to 7. It's an entertaining watchable movie in an age where checking virtue blocks is more important than having a good plot.
The Irishman (2019)
I've had of enough of Deniro, Pesci, and Pacino
The only actor of the three that belongs in their respective roles is Pesci who is actually Italian and plays an Italian criminal so well. Hoffa was Irish and Dutch/German. Sheeran was Irish. Pacino and Deniro have no business playing them. It's like having David Schwimmer play a southern redneck Christian pastor. The movie itself was well written and the nostalgia was excellent with such attention to detail. The Howard Johnson's motel looked just as I remembered them from my childhood in the late 70's. The cars from the era were pristine and brought back memories from the time where cars looked like they were ready to sail the rough seas of the Atlantic. So good movie but the choice of actors was really bad. I could think of a lot of better actors for the roles. Oh, and the guy who played Tony Pro is an Englishman who looks absolutely nothing like the real guy.
211 (2018)
Nicolas Cage is in this
Therefore, it is a crime to not have the option of giving this a score of 100. Cage is brilliant as a senior police officer ready to retire. He graces the screen with awesome acting and believability. How Cage can even walk under the weight of the unbearable talent he possesses is beyond anyone's understanding. Cage kicks ass despite having a bad lieutenant who is moonstruck at pleasing his own ego. I would leave Las Vegas despite being on a winning streak to go see this movie again. I just hope a sequel is in the works or at least some adaptation of the original. Perhaps Liam Neeson and Bruce Willis could co-star.
Lou (2022)
Ridiculous Nonsense
If this film was meant as a comedy then they achieved their goal. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times especially during the fight scenes. Here you have thin framed 63 year old woman beating the snot out of big athletic stocky 32 year old men. This is a joke and shouldn't even be done in the realm of the marvel superhero genre for numerous reasons. Then you have the plot holes which are many. I'm trying to stay within the boundaries of a non-spoiler but let's just say that a lot of things in the plot do not make sense. I can tolerate a few things here and there but this movie is just complete nonsense.
Intrusion (2021)
An intrusion into your living room
Not so good acting. Unrealistic plot. Bad writing. The most redeeming part of this movie was the cool desert house. Tired of the rat race in Boston, therapist Meera and her husband, architect Henry Parsons, have recently moved into an isolated, ultra-modern house in Corrales, New Mexico, which Henry designed and built. One evening, they find their house broken into, although the only items stolen are a laptop and their cell phones. A few days later, Meera is woken up by a rattling noise and finds the power out. Henry goes outside to check the generator and finds it destroyed. Spotting flashlight beams inside, he realizes the intruders have returned. He discovers Meera tied up inside the house and releases her. They try to escape, but are pursued by several masked men. Henry retrieves a handgun hidden in the house and the couple flee upstairs. Henry lowers Meera down to the ground and she gets to her car, but then she hears gunshots from inside the house. A wounded man staggers outside, followed by Henry, who shoots him. It's watchable but you can't help but begin to critique the film halfway through. Mildly entertaining is the kindest way I can describe this thriller. The plot has been done over and over needs to be put to rest.
Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Good war drama
Very good film. I was a bit generous in giving it a 7 but with all the idiots out there giving undeserving films high scores I felt I had to compensate for that. Seriously the way people give out 10's here is ridiculous. Operation mincemeat is the story of how the British tricked the Germans into thinking the d day attack would be conducted elsewhere and at a different time. It's a story about subterfuge and espionage. There's a lot of good content that describes the situation in Europe and the length of which the British had to go to to make their plan work. I can watch ww2 dramas till the end of my life it's such an interesting subject.
Mr. Jones (2019)
Mildly entertaining
Pre war drama thriller about Stalin's theft of Ukrainian grain and the so called "holodomor". The movie fails to explain a lot and the viewer should have a historic knowledge about the topic. Otherwise you'll be confused and will likely strain yourself listening to the dialogue which is often muffled, fast and low volume. As for the starvation issue, there is a lot to sift through as the topic is an absolute lightning rod for political discourse both then and now. Level headed non-fanatics who have studied the topic using unbiased sources will tell you that the real death toll is extremely hard to calculate. There's a complete lack of documentation regarding the number of people who died from the famine of the 1930's in this region. The Ukrainian people were free to leave their houses at night to pilferage from the farms and they were free to hunt for food as well. There was also a typhus outbreak at the time that killed hundreds of thousands. The movie suggests that "millions" had died. But it fails to prove that estimation. Today, as in the past, staunch anti-communists, that is to say people who don't go a day without saying the word communist at least once, claim that 3, or 5, or 9 or 20 million people died as a direct result of Stalin's "genocide". It seems the more anti-communist a person is, the higher their claim gets. I was on one message board where this fanatic claimed the Stalin "murdered over 120 million Ukrainians". Of course there weren't even 40 million in existence at the time. So when you hear about the "holodomor", consider the sources and have plenty of salt handy to take them with.
The Laundromat (2019)
Meryl Streep is worth 170 million dollars
The 73 year old actress is worth 170 million dollars and yet is the star of a movie that preaches about economic disparity and unfairness. I guarantee she pays less taxes percentage wise than the average municipal worker thanks to her high priced clever accountants. I like Gary Oldman and Banderas but I'm sure the same can be said about them too. This movie also manages to show clips of Obama acting self righteous talking about the problem. Did you really think you'd get through the whole thing without a little democrat propaganda? Lol. Another clip shows Lester Holt reporting on the story. Meanwhile, as of the last election, democrats typical receive more money from billionaire donors than republicans. As a generation X'er, I never thought I'd see that day come.
The Devil Next Door (2019)
Good not great. Needs to be longer.
This series had me captivated. You have a former Nazi prison guard denying he was even there. This was not the case of "I was just following orders" as stated by Adolf Eichmann and so many other Nazis on trial for their crimes. This is the case of "prove it was me". And I felt that the evidence did prove that he was Ivan the terrible... to any sane person grounded in common sense and a knowledge of the history of the time. But did the prosecution prove beyond a reasonable doubt according to western standards where the death penalty could be implemented? You be the judge. What I do know is that John Demjanjuk's demeanor throughout the ordeal was all wrong if you're talking about an innocent man. Throughout the trial he laughed and smiled and seemed to be sincerely enjoying himself immensely. Totally inappropriate behavior for a man who is innocent. It was as if he knew he already got away with murder 800,000 times over and was now "playing with house money". He had a Nazi tattoo in his armpit that only Ukrainian Nazi guards gave themselves. It makes you wonder their motives for the tattoo. Perhaps so that they can identify each other upon demand without bearing the vulnerability of BEING identified in public or in the event of losing the war. John Demjanjuk Had the tattoo removed however and was up front about it but said he didn't know it was a Nazi tattoo and when he found out he quickly removed it. This was the only tattoo he had ever gotten and it just happened to be a Nazi one. He would eventually claim that he spent those years in a pow camp himself yet bore no signs of such trauma and came to the US right after the war. The holes in Demjanjuk's story were like Swiss cheese. However there were some inconsistencies in the stories of the survivors. But unlike John Demjanjuk, these inconsistencies were quite explainable and emblematic of human fallibility. John Demjanjuk's son made one comment about trying to prevent "another crucification" that I felt may have been rooted in anti-Semitism. He was comparing his Nazi father to Jesus Christ; and echoing the old blood libel. John Demjanjuk's grandson is shown at the end telling an interviewer that he really doesn't care if his grandfather WAS Ivan the terrible because "it happened a long time ago" and "he did what he did to survive" of which the latter statement is a complete falsehood. People had choices even back then. When their father was on trial the son made statements relating empathy for the Jewish people (perhaps to hide the family's antisemtism which could be used an indication of guilt) yet when the trial was over he switched gears and made statements indicating a latent hostility for Jews. His facial expressions said a lot. I've read some of the comments here and can say that it seems Demjanjuk's supporters are alive and well and posting on this board; which is their right of course. But look for those subtle ethnic attacks that are not so subtle. To those supporters I say, sorry those "vindictive" Jews value human life so much that they would go to such lengths to achieve justice. And sorry your hero was a sociopath who enjoyed torturing people he was predisposed to hate. Instead of donating hundreds of thousands to his defense perhaps a children's charity would have been a better move.
Monster (2022)
Pure fantasy
First of all, I have to give credit where credit is due. Richard Jenkins delivered a fantastic performance (as usual) playing Dahmer's father. I like most of Jenkins' movies but here he shines as the guilt stricken father of the infamous serial killer. Without Jenkins however, this series would be unwatchable. Evan Peters also delivers a great performance as Dahmer. Now that that's out of the way, I'll get into the problems with the series which is the writing and the extreme and dishonest levels of "artistic liberty" the writer, director, and producers take on telling the story. In a nutshell, they took a true story and used it to push a very "special" narrative. We've seen this before, the police are a bunch of, well you know what they are. It's gotten so bad I don't even need to say it. And I don't wish to be hunted down by Biden's DoJ for posting a review. Also, the character who plays Glenda is almost more unlikable than Dahmer himself. She is his neighbor and for some reason half of the series is about her. My very first impression of her was positive but that quickly changes as she does nothing but scream and yell and complain about everything under the Sun. As for the "artistic liberty", if you watch this series, and I advise you not waste your time, just try to think outside of what your being fed. Anyone with a critical thinking mind will see this piece of pure trash for what it is; propaganda.
I Survived a Crime (2021)
Horrible
The producers obviously went out of their way to get a certain demographic of criminal and victim which strongly goes against reality. This show is lame and a waste of time. If you want to see the reality of crime, go on YouTube and watch the 'active self protection' channel hosted by John Correia. The content is not filtered in any way and simply shows what's happening around the world. To see the graphic videos you must have a YouTube account and be logged in as they often show graphic content. The purpose of the channel is to analyze and review the actions of the victims and point out possible ways that the victims could have minimized their danger.
I Came By (2022)
Copycat of Bad Samaritan
This movie's plot is almost a carbon copy of Bad Samaritan which is also about a rich white male with a complex backstory who abducts people and keeps them in his hidden dungeon before killing them. In Bad Samaritan, the main protagonist is a young Irish male (about 23 yo) criminal who breaks into rich people's houses until he inadvertently finds a hidden room holding a victim prisoner who appears badly beaten. I Came By is exactly identical right down to the ethnicity of the Irish guy. I think these directors are choosing Irish because of the historical relationship between Ireland and the king of colonialism, England. Both Irish guys have best friends and cohorts who are people of color. And both friends have a change of heart about what they're doing and try to back out early in both films. There are of course some subtle differences in the two movies like how the bad guy disposes of his victims and what happens to them. Although I give it a four (due to plagiarism) I did enjoy this movie as it kept me entertained and captivated throughout.
Samaritan (2022)
Atrocious
Like every other movie this meathead has made since Rocky 1. I was going to begin this review by saying that I was surprised so many people liked this movie.
But in all honesty I'm not actually particularly surprised, not these days.
The standard of most things has become diluted, not just people's tastes, but the tosh they're fed - the films themselves. This is not a very good film by any base standard.
Its narrative is mediocre at best, sets no new ground (if you want to watch a decent film in this genre watch Kiss the girls or Along came a spider)
Its plot has amateurish holes from the outset.
Black Sea (2014)
Cool adventure story
In a sea of some movies where 90 models beat up 230 lb men, this movie surfaces above them. From a technical viewpoint, there are numerous plot holes and problems. However, most people are not experts on submarine technology therefore the film is watchable and entertaining. For those trying to torpedo this movie with a one star, your bias really shows. You simply don't like the movie because it doesn't check all or any of the woke boxes. Jude law is excellent as usual and the rest of the cast delivers a solid performance. As for the intended audience, I'd recommend this to males between the ages of 17 and up.
Independence Day (1996)
Horrible pop trash
This movie and movies like it are the cinematic equivalent to Kid Rock, Justin Bieber, American pro football, or going to Times Square to see the ball drop on nye. It appeals to the dumbed down American SHEEPLE. Other movies in this horrible genre include Armageddon, Forest Gump and Lethal Weapon and is liked by idiots worldwide.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
Borders on so bad it's good genre
This military conspiracy thriller sequel is so full of gaping plot holes and cliches I really don't where to start. The acting is decent especially by Cruise but at his pay, you'd say it should be. I don't want to add spoilers so all I'll say is see how many huge deviations from reality you can find. And I'm not talking about the normal kind you see in action movies. I'm talking about assigning jurisdictions and authorities to the military police they're not even close to having. It would be sort of like depicting the mayor of Chicago going to Mongolia and enacting a law against immigration from Bangladesh. The biggest plot hole that I found has to with Samantha talking her prostitute mother into filing "a paternity suit with the military" against Reacher while having zero reason to do it as the two have never even slept together. How Samantha's mother even got Reacher's name to file the suit is a mystery as it is never explained. As for Samantha, she's not exactly a likable character. She's a kleptomaniac thief who steals whatever's not nailed down, and she obviously has little respect for adults or anyone for that matter. So why should the audience care about her? Also, her pursuer, the film's bad guy, seems to not only know that Reacher is her father (which he turns out not being) but that Jack will do anything to protect her. But the bad guy is actually spot on as Reacher hunts him down like Liam Neeson in another ridiculous film of the same genre. Although I want to give this movie a 1 to balance out the idiots who have it a 9, I will not do that as it would be dishonest. So I'll give it exactly what it deserves which is a 3. It has some watchable scenes but you'd be better off going with another choice if you want a decent flick to kill some time. By the way, I liked the original Jack Reacher but this sequel fails to impress.
Last Seen Alive (2022)
A solid five stars
LSA is fairly entertaining and will keep you in suspense. Butler's acting is good as usual. I give it five stars because although the movie is generally shot well, the plot is too far fetched. And as usual, movie makers completely bend the rules of police work and reality. The most unbelievable aspect of the whole film is... well, let me just say this... If you watch the movie, take notice of the time of day. Then follow the events that unfold and keep track of the timeline. When you're done, ask yourself, did you notice anything interesting?
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Hard to sit through the whole movie
For the first 10-15 minutes of the movie I was either laughing or at least smiling. I loved Will Ferrell in Zoolander and Blades of Glory, two good comedies. But this film was a heaping pile of manure. After the opening 15 minutes, what I observed was horrible writing and cringe worthy acting. First, we're to believe that Ferrell and Rachael McAdams are the same age which obviously they're not. But I can get past that. Then we watch as the goofy closeted Russian singer speaks in a volume we cannot hear. I had to turn the volume up several time to hear his murmuring which he does throughout the entire duration of this "comedy". Some of the mansion scenes are filmed in what looks like an averaged sized living room that is badly disguised as a palatial ball room. The strange characters in the party scene seem squeezed together. So it's not exactly a feast for the eyes which considering the two A list stars, it should be. Icelanders are characterized in a very unrealistic way. Now, considering it's a comedy, I can get past that too but based on the totality of the horrible dialogue/writing, camera crappiness, and stupid plot and sub plots, I cannot recommend you waste your time on this train wreck of a movie.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Better than the original
First of all, I really appreciated the fact that they didn't try to indoctrinate the audience with left wing some propaganda. I'm assuming they understood that their audience would be 45+ year old white males and didn't want us walking out of the theater. The movie did a good job of ENTERTAINING the audience which is what we pay for!!! The plot was realistic while sticking to the typical high drama of most Hollywood movies. I would definitely recommend watching this high quality film in the movie theater as a normal tv screen will not do it justice. Just as in the movie Midway, there is just too much action in the skies not to see this on the big screen.
Boon (2022)
Poorly written
Isn't it funny how in movies, if you get shot, all one has to do is REMOVE the bullet. Once it's removed you're on the fast track to recovery. Spoiler alert, he gets shot, does his own surgery taking the bullet out and is chopping wood a day later. There's a mysterious Tunnel dug at high altitude that leads um where? To freedom apparently. Ya skip this waste of time.
Ghostbusters II (1989)
So stupid
Just as dumb as the first one, which is pretty bad. In fact, you can't GET any dumber than the first one so there's that. The dialogue is absolutely atrocious and cringe worthy. Forget what you might have heard about this PoC and watch it alone and see how many times you laugh. It will be zero. You will laugh zero times which is pretty bad for a "comedy".
Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
Great acting
Grasps the tension and tumult of the times. My biggest problem with the movie is that absolves Chamberlain of his horrible judgement. The Czechs had a decent military and the people were ready to fight Hitler. Based on the number of tanks, artillery and planes they had, as well as an eager people that would have provided resistance, if England would have supplied them and declared war on Hitler prior to Munich, it would have prevented Stalin's Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with Hitler. This would have had major consequences that would have placed Germany in a disadvantaged position. Historians would later speak of how "furious" Stalin was when he heard of the Munch agreement. He felt betrayed and this caused him to make the deal with Hitler.
Gold (2022)
Tired old narrative about greed.
You've seen the theme over and over again in movies. My favorite movie of this genre was Humphrey Bogart's Treasure of the Sierra Madre. And there are several exact parallels including the "yeeee ha"!!! Of Zac Efron's counterpart in expression of his excitement about "the gold". He even looks and sounds like Walter Huston of Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Unfortunately, this flick offers zero creativity. It's a wonder Efron agreed. To do it. Boring characters and predictable plot make this one you might want to pass on.
House of Gucci (2021)
Funny and interesting
I wasn't expecting much but was entertained. Jared Leto steals the show as Paolo Gucci, the dimwit of the family. I didn't even know it was him until I looked it up.