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Reviews
Masters of the Air (2024)
Where are the Americans in this American story?
Hanks and Playtone couldn't find American actors to tell this American story? I love the Brits, the Irish but there's something fundamentally missing from an American story told mainly by non-Americans. My grandfather was a bomber pilot on D-Day. I grew up listening to his horror stories of that bloody day. Those stories have been passed down through generations of my family. I'm sure there are some American actors who have those stories in their families. That real-life history & authenticity mixed with a genuine American sensibility is missing here.
The writing is...not good. "Why do you Brits add an "s" to 'maths'? There's only one." Well, actually the word is 'mathematics' but, whatever. That pub scene, where our American heroes are ridiculed by the pompous, villainous British RAF pilots is nearly unwatchable. It's all cliches and generalities, bad acting, worse writing.
Callum Turner and even Barry Keoghan seem completely miscast, presenting two-dimentional caricatures of some cliche 40's Yankee flyboy. You know the production/writing/directing is lackluster when even Keoghan can't deliver. I had pretty low expectations for Austin Butler, which were accurate. At the end of the day, it's hard to root for or become emotionally invested in caricatures.
Masters of the Air had so much promise but unfortunately it comes up short. Where is the heart? It's in Band of Brothers.
Certain Prey (2011)
Unwatchable
Painful. One of the worst screenplays ever written. The acting is not much better. The entire film is a caricature, an excruciating attempt at modern film noir that fails from the opening frames.
From the cheesy, Sam Spade-esque voice-overs, to the excessively cliché dialog, to the ridiculous costumes (the deputy police chief wears panty hose over his head while breaking and entering, as does the assassin.)
Once you understand you're watching a terrible movie, you can almost laugh at how awful everything is. Honestly, this should have been a comedy.
Unless you enjoy pain, this is an easy pass.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Strong female leads...to 1 star reviews
A fun, sleek, action-fest that I'm guessing, from the reviews, would rate much higher had the leads been male. Worthwhile viewing.