jeepgirl22 Reviews

Killing for Extra Credit (2024 TV Movie)

Not Good

[3/10 · 27 March 2024]

Wow, the longer this movie went on, the more I intensely disliked the main character, Mary Beth. What a loathsome, self-centered person! So disrespectful of her mom! And why did the mom have no backbone when it came to dealing with her bossy teenage daughter? Who wrote this?? A teenager? When the mom asks her daughter about her very low cut top and the daughter acts offended and self-righteous?? Excuse me, but any good mom would not ask her about the top, she would say "young lady, go upstairs and change because you are not leaving this house looking like that!" And who was the costumer on this movie?? Mary Beth apparently did not own hardly one item of clothing that wasn't very low cut to overexpose all the viewers to her bosom. It's not sexy, it's just annoying - someone trying to be sexy and failing miserably. And her consistently and wrongly jumping to conclusions about people over and over again was so dumb. And she thought she could solve a mystery? Please...(eyeroll). This movie was not enjoyable at all. The acting was ok but the writing and storyline was pretty ludicrous. The ending was very predictable as to who @extracredit really was. Saw that one coming a mile away.

Woman with the Red Lipstick (2024)

Incredibly Stupid!

[3/10 · 6 February 2024]

I can't believe this screenplay was made into a movie. So many plot holes and unrealistic occurrences! I'm not talking eye-rolling. I'm talking jaw-droppingly stupid. It makes absolutely no sense that everyone is trying to find a stalker/abductor but no one is actually trying to find the missing girl! In fact, when the person is arrested that is believed to be the one that abducted the missing woman, everyone is relieved like it's all over! Even the missing woman's mother calling the reporter on the phone and talking about how she didn't suspect a certain man and the whole time her daughter is still missing and she doesn't even seem upset!! No one acts like that! The mother would have been much more concerned about where her daughter was than about them finding whoever took her! That would have been her chief concern! That would have been the police's concern! And then, at the end of the movie, when the police are insisting that the "heroine" ride in an ambulance to the hospital? It's abundantly apparent there's nothing wrong with her and yet just a few feet away is the young woman who was abducted, mistreated, and who knows what else was done to her, and no one is insisting that she go to the hospital, that she be examined. The writing is, oh my goodness, so unrealistic!! Ridiculous movie. Save yourself some aggravation and do not watch it!

The Incredible Pol Farm (2024– )

Great, Enjoyable Show!

[10/10 · 16 January 2024]

I totally loved this show! I'm a fan of the Incredible Dr. Pol show, too - about his veterinary practice - but this show has a totally different dynamic. It's been so much fun to watch the different projects come together but especially the relationships in the family. The mistakes, the successes, all pretty relatable. The show really shows the love they show for each other and they manage to have fun even when working on tough projects. Would I do things the way Charles and Beth did them? Probably not. But we are all different with different preferences and likes. The show is really well made and just enjoyable to watch!

When Calls the Heart (2013 TV Movie)

Totally Misses the Mark

[5/10 · 3 January 2024]

First of all, the Janette Oke book series is faith-based. The stories revolve around the characters and their relationship with God. This is sadly lacking in this movie. The characters and romance of Aunt Elizabeth and Wynn are pushed so far into the background, they are barely relevant to the story. So, the acting skill and chops of Maggie Grace and Stephen Amell are not utilized which means their talents are really wasted because they are both fine actors. How good would this movie have been if we had seen more of Elizabeth and Wynn? If we had been allowed to see their relationship develop? Instead, we are left unsatisfied with a giant question mark when it comes to them. Too bad Hallmark doesn't have the backbone to use Janette Oke's stories to their full potential instead of telling watered down, extremely altered stories that barely resemble the source material. I know this movie was created to introduce the television series, but it is badly executed. I really wanted to like this but instead I was just very disappointed.

Candy Cane Lane (I) (2023)

Liked It a Lot!

[7/10 · 3 December 2023]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie seeing that Eddie Murphy's comedy tends to be on the crude and vulgar side more often than not, but this movie was pretty clean, content-wise. My husband and I laughed quite a bit. I loved the main couple's conversation of how their marriage viwis meant that they were a team and they always had each other's backs. That is how marriage should be. They're family had normal parent/child drama but there was still the sense of love and respect in the family. The story was unique and I loved the twist at the end. My favorite part was the ornament figurine characters. They were very funny and the CGI animation of these characters was truly just beautiful work! I was truly amazed at how lovely they were and liked the sound they made when the walked. I've never seen CGI portray something as porcelain or ceramic before, and this was really well done. I just loved watching them speak and move. I can't believe I actually saw CGI done that I admired! I usually find it an annoying or just really bad and cheap-looking. So someone should get an award for the work they did here. This movie was very enjoyable. It was a fun watch. I think it will go into my routine of holiday movies.

Supercell (2023)

Well Done

[8/10 · 11 October 2023]

I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. There are so many independent and low budget movies available on streaming these days, you never know what you'll get. But, when I saw it was going to be a pretty clean movie and Skeet Ulrich was in it, it was a no brainer. I think the acting across the board, from veterans like Alex Baldwin and Anne Heche to the unknown, was very well done. Direction was really well done. The movie has a real natural feel to it, like the conversations and relationships seem to just flow. There's no forced dialogue, it just seems to flow like in every day life. There is real family feel to this film, like some of these people really feel like they are family. The special effects weren't spectacular, but they weren't bad or cringe worthy, either. The movie has some nice suspense to it. I enjoyed this film and was pleasantly surprised. Really well done.

Shooting Star (2022)

Not as Good as I Hoped

[4/10 · 6 October 2023]

I love Drew Waters. I think he's a very good actor and I very much admire him for trying to make good, clean movies without offensive content. We need more like him. There are many (but not all) good actors in this movie - Jake Busy, Michael Pare, Jay Pickett and others. And I have no problem watching low budget movies. Especially since most big budget movies today are atrocious, with very little redeemable content. I had high hopes for this particular movie, but the writing is just poor. Not the dialogue, that is fine. It's the disjointed story with some major plot holes. Major!

Plot holes - a teenage girl shoots a man dead to save a doctor's life and isn't affected or traumatized by it - at all!! She goes home and never thinks another thing about it OR ever mentions it to her dad?? My goodness, even an old Western show like Gunsmoke or the Big Valley would have shown a teenager traumatized by taking another person's life, no matter how bad they were. But this girl just goes about her day like it never even happened! That is sloppy writing! The young boy who liked her and wanted to kiss her is killed by a bad guy and no one ever notices he's missing or worries about him?? And the teenage girl telling her dad that the bad man who kidnapped her - friend to the man she killed which is also NOT mentioned to her dad - was planning on selling her on the black market? I sincerely doubt that a 15 year old girl living on the prairie in the 1800s would even know the term "black market", especially since it wasn't actually used until 1931.

Squeaky Clean Mysteries: Hazardous Duty (2022)

Why? You ruined a terrific story!!!!!

[4/10 · 7 September 2023]

Why on earth would you use the title and characters from a great book series and not make any of it like the book except the names?? The movie Gabby is nothing like the book character. Gabby has curly, wild red hair, loves kooky tees and flip flops are a main stay in her wardrobe. Sierra has a hippy vibe and hello!, she's supposed to be Asian! Also, there is no humor in this movie. Humor is a big part of the books - characters and situations make you laugh along with the seriousness of investigating murders. And lastly - where's the faith factor?? Riley and Gabby are both Christians. They are imperfect and sometimes struggle with their faith, especially Gabby. Faith isn't something banged repeatedly over one's head in the books, but is definitely included. In this movie -- non-existent. The chemistry between these characters - also non-existent. The writers and director managed to take a great, fun book story and turn it into plain pudding. Not even vanilla - just plain boring nothingness. I can't believe author Christy Barritt signed off on this. Yes, it's great to have your novel made into a movie but at least make sure it's a decent one.

I know I'm very opinionated on this, but I've read the entire Squeaky Clean book series avs loved it and the characters. This movie is a joke.

Shadow Island Mysteries: Shadow Island Mysteries: Wedding for One (2010) Season 1, Episode 1

Not Good

[3/10 · 19 July 2023]

My impressions of this movie - wow, was it predictable! I knew who the guilty party was way before it was revealed. And Claire? For someone who loves mysteries so much, she sure is terrible at solving them! Really, not too bright. And her and her best friends - seriously, these two are best friends? With lines like, "you're just jealous because I'm getting married first" and "do you know how much money that dress cost?" So, are these women or twelve year old girls?? And there's no way you can convince me that her best friend, Monica, would fall for a guy as smarmy Danny. No way, no how. I'm not a picky person. I enjoy tv movies and don't expect them to be award-winning or life-changing. I just want a little bit of escapism. I just don't like to escape to places where everyone is stupid.

A Belgian Chocolate Christmas (2022)

So Boring....

[4/10 · 14 July 2023]

You would think that a movie about chocolate and Christmas couldn't miss, but this one does. How do you mess up chocolate and Christmas?? You make it super boring. First, the old premise of a woman pretending to be someone else has been done, done and redone. You know she will be found out and you know her love interest will be unhappy about it. Same old formula we've seen over and over again. Snooze.... Second, the main character and her best friend looked so much alike that I had hard time at the beginning telling the difference between them. I thought they were twins at first! Third the two main characters are just meh. They have no spark, no chemistry. Frankly, I didn't care whether they got together or not. I made it about halfway through this movie before cutting it off. It was so boring that it seemed to just drag. At the halfway point I felt like I should be close to the end because it felt like I had literally been watching it forever. I may go back and watch the end. I may not. I love GAC Family but this movie is definitely not up to standards.

A Small Light (2023)

Very Good but Unneeded Fictional Brother

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

The series itself is very good. This is a part of the Anne Frank story that I did not know. Reading additional info on Miep & Jan was quite fascinating, including their continued close relationship with Otto Frank. I absolutely loved the character of Jan and his portrayal by Joe Cole. I think he was the best fleshed out portrayal. His love for his wife, his nobility, his heartbrokenness at sorrowful news was just perfection. Who wouldn't fall in love with him? I would love to give this a higher rating than a 7 bit unfortunately the creators of this series decided to but a bit of "wokeness" in the story via the entirely fictionalized character of Miep's adopted brother who is portrayed as a homosexual. Miep had five foster brothers, none known to be gay. So this part of the storyline is fiction and a lie, basically so they can check off the box of gay character. Which brings down the whole quality of the production.

The Old Way (2023)

Mediocre

[5/10 · 2 April 2023]

My husband loved westerns. Not all westerns. Good ones like Lonesome Dove, The Searchers, you know,good movies. So he got me to rent this movie on a streaming platform and use my digital credits so it cost us $3 for the rental. Things I liked - not terribly violent, no f-bombs. Things I didn't like - Nicholas Cage's character -what a horribly selfish person! Self-centered, worthless dad. I don't have a clue what his wife saw in him. Some of his actions were just idiotic.

I also didn't like the daughter - her character was not fleshed out well and was very inconsistent. Nick Searcy was good, but hia character apparently did not know the proper way to speak to a child. The ending? Stupid. This was a dumb story that had no need to be told. My husband didn't like it much, either. He said it wasn't worth the $3 we paid to rent it. Actually, it would be worth the two hours to even watch it for free. This movie is one of the reasons why when he asks me to find him a good western to watch, I tell him "babe, they don't make those anymore."

Jane Eyre (1996)

One of the Worst Adaptations

[1/10 · 5 March 2023]

Jane Eyre is a favorite novel of mine, and I love it when classic novels are adapted to film. I don't expect them to be perfect. You can never get every detail of a book into a film format. Still, this movie feels very little like Jane Eyre. Charlotte Gainsborough seems miscast in this role. Although her appearance seems something like Jane could have looked like, she is too tall and gangly, and her acting seems woefully dialed in, frankly. Her face shows so little emotion and the viewer finds it hard to feel anything for her at all. William Hurt's acting is fine, but his character isn't fleshed out completely - due more to the writing and direction than to the actor - and he doesn't feel like Mr. Rochester from the novel. The parts of the novel that are so climactic and dramatic seem quite anti-climactic and ho-hum here. The one shining star of acting in the film is Anna Paquin. She does a wonderful job of portraying Jane's passion as a child. Final opinion - skip it. This film is a big disappoinment.

If you want to see a film version of Jane Eyre full of atmosphere and passion, watch the classic 1943 version with Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine instead. Yes, it's black and white, but the acting is absolutely wonderful. It definitely sweeps you away in the story. I need to go watch it right now to wash away the memory of this pitiful attempt.

RV (2006)

Really Bad

[2/10 · 17 January 2023]

We made it through about 20 minutes before my husband just cut it off. Thank God! No offense to the actors but the story is awful, the premise portrayed in a very unbelievable way and it's not funny. At all. How do you make a comedy with the someone as talented as Robin Williams and manage to make it so unfunny?? All I can think is terrible direction. I've seen the many actors in this movie in plenty of other movies and they are all very talented. This movie is a total waste of their talent and was a total waste of our time. I can't imagine sitting through the entire thing. This movie may be funny to a five year old but I even question that.

A Soldier's Revenge (I) (2020)

Really bad

[1/10 · 6 January 2023]

Neal Bledsoe's hat is ridiculously stupid in this movie and frankly so is his acting. His character shows little depth and comes off with all the emotion of a moody teenager. Apparently, Bledsoe's acting talent works ok for a cheesy TV rom-com movie, i.e. Hallmark, but that's about as far as his talent and ability goes. It's even more apparent when one puts him next to Val Kilmer, who actually can act! This movie's story isn't engaging. My husband is always looking for a "good western" to watch. Well, this definitely was not that. I couldn't wait for my husband to get to the end of it so it was over! Also, this movie should have an R or TV-MA rating not TV-14. Frequent profanity including the f word. This movie is best tossed in the trash and forgotten.

Three Wise Men and a Baby (2022 TV Movie)

Very Silly

[5/10 · 12 December 2022]

I was hoping I would like this movie, but it quickly became apparent that these three sons were written to be extremely juvenile, especially to be in their late 30s and early 40s. So that was very off-putting. Their constant bickering and finger-pointing just didn't ring true. It was also extremely annoying that they decided to do a nativity with wise men and seemed to have no clue about the actual story about it. They couldn't even say baby Jesus, they fumbled around with words until they finally decided to call him the King. Big eye roll. Thankfully, the movie didn't contain any woke agenda so that was a plus. The explanation of the mom leaving the baby wasn't fleshed out enough so it didn't ring true, either. Oh, and the three guys doing their fairy dance - really stupid looking. Not amusing at all. And I'm not being overly critical. I don't expect movies to watch to be life-changing or award-winning. I just want to be entertained. This was not entertaining.

All in all, this was a huge miss. Three good actors, and Margaret Colin, too are wasted on a sloppily thrown together concept and an extremely silly script. In a word - disappointing.

The Noel Diary (2022)

Loved It!!

[9/10 · 1 December 2022]

Justin Hartley is always so good and he was great in this movie! He conveys so much with just a look and when his character gets upset, you can feel it in your bones. The scenes with his character and his dad were so great. I loved his character and Bonnie Bedelia's too. She's still so pretty. I liked Rachel, too, even if she didn't alway make the best decisions. This movie made me tear up so many times. That doesn't happen to me often. And the fact that it was rated PG without nudity and profanity just made it pretty near perfect. If the two main characters hadn't spend the night together, it would've been, too. But even that scene was subtle, without being in your face like so many movies and series these days. This movie had a really great story, very original. Great feel good movie!

Beauty for the Asking (1939)

Enjoyable and Unpredictable

[7/10 · 23 October 2022]

I really enjoyed this movie. At the beginning, I thought this movie would be predictable and formulaic, but it surprised me, especially at the end and I loved the ending.

Flora was my favorite character by far. I was sympathetic toward her at the beginning and really enjoyed seeing her transformation. And it was so fun to see Frieda Inescort play a character so different from the usual ice queen roles I've seen her play.

Lucille Ball was pretty and good in her role, but nothing to write home about. Patrick Knowles was good in his role as a character who doesn't realize what a huge jerk he is.

But, Inescort shines in her role as Flora. She is what made this movie good and different.

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

Truly Delightful Movie

[9/10 · 13 September 2022]

I hesitated to watch this because of bad reviews, but because clean movies are si hard to find these days, and because I love Emily Blunt (and Jamie Dornan from his OUAT role), I decided to give it a go. Wow, I'm amazed how good this was! Funny, heartwarming, tear-jerking at times, and such a perfect ending! Christopher Walken was wonderful. And Jon Hamm was great in his role, too. I smiled so much while watching this. The only thing that kept me from giving it 10 stars was the use of the Lord's name in vain infrequently. I didn't appreciate that. But the rest of the movie is a delight! Unique and a classic.

9/11: Inside Air Force One (2019 TV Movie)

Great Documentary

[10/10 · 11 September 2022]

I've seen this doc more than once but it's good to revisit on the anniversary of 9/11. It really gives a sense of the import of what happened, how much worse things could have been, and first hand accounts of that day, from the President's staff to the reporters on the plane to President Bush himself. (For those who say our country was so unprepared, I say that's an unfair analogy - they did the best they could with the intel they had at the time. How does one prepare for an attack so evil it was beyond the imagination of rational people? Who would have dreamt such things? Only those who are truly consumed and controlled by evil themselves.) 9/11 was a tragedy that, even after 21 years, is still shocking and horrific and painful to hear about and remember. But remember we must, and learn from our the past, so it will not be repeated. Great documentary.

The List (I) (2007)

Very Confusing Movie

[4/10 · 6 September 2022]

Decided to check this movie out primarily because of Malcolm McDowell. Also, because it was rated as a clean movie and, according to some reviewers, was faith-based. All of the actors did fine in their roles, but the story is all over the place and makes no sense. It's like the movie couldn't decide what it wants to be. Is it supposed to be a thriller? A mystery? A morality tale? It's none of these. Ok, it could be called a mystery because it gives no answers to what is going on and you leave with more questions than answers. I kept rewinding it to see if I missed something, but no, the movie is just a convaluted, confusing mess! The only thing I got out of was that the main character finally realized his pursuit of money was not worth it. And this movie was not worth wasting my time on.

Royal Blossom (2021 TV Movie)

Juvenile

[4/10 · 21 August 2022]

I probably wouldn't have chosen to watch this movie if not for Andrew Lee Potts, who I love. The whole prince or princess incognito theme has been done was way too many times and it's never believable. But the worse part of this movie was the writing. It's was so amateurish, it felt like it was written by two 12 year old girls. Joe Gamina did the best he could with his role, but Manal El-Fetuiry could not hide her British accent coming through again and again as she tried to come off as American. Stefanie Yunger is too weak an actress to play the lead. Oh, and there's no way that final floral arrangement would've won that contest. The other two finalists were beautiful. The "winner" was hideous. What a silly movie...and not in a fun way.

Redeeming Love (2022)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 13 August 2022]

This movie could have been so much better. Although, a lot of the story stays true to the book, God isn't included nearly as much. The story would be great for teenagers if the creators had not felt it necessary to include the sex scenes. So inappropriate! And crazy that they managed to keep the scenes in the brothels clean, but decided to get much more graphic with the scenes with the married couple. It took away from the quality of the movie and was unnecessary. You can get the point across without actually showing them have sex. They did with all the other scenes. You can tell adult themes in a story without giving a play by play before our eyes. The novel is not graphic in any way and yet tells a wonderful story about God's forgiveness and His redeeming love for all of us, no matter our past. You also don't get to know Sarah/Angel as well in the movie as in the novel and don't really see how unworthy she feels because of the life she's led. The movie is based on a Christian novel and often such movies are something that church groups and youth groups attend together. Unfortunately, because of the unnecessary sex scenes in the movie, it isn't appropriate to do so. The story in the novel isn't an easy one - prostitution, adultery, child sexual abuse, incest - but it still tells the story in a way where you are deeply affected without having those acts played out for you. The film doesn't play those acts out, either, but playing out the sex between the main characters spoils what could have been a much better film. Do I recommend it? No. It will be quickly forgotten because it doesn't leave a lasting impression. Read the novel. It is a story that stays with you and you never forget it.

Hostile Territory (2022)

Finally a Decent Western!

[8/10 · 2 August 2022]

So my husband loves westerns - his favorite genre. We tend to watch movies that are clean - no nudity or graphic sex or strong language/profanity - and are actually still good and entertaining. These days, finding westerns isn't hard - low budget westerns are cranked out at a crazy rate. But finding a western that is actually good - good script, good acting, cinematography, etc - and no "mature" content is definitely a challenge.

This movie checks all those boxes - good script, good acting, beautiful scenery, some violence but not graphic and pretty mild language. And the movie is good - not boring, not cheesy or stupid - and my husband actually put down his phone and watched the whole movie. Finding a movie that interests him enough to put down his phone is rare. And after watching, he called it a pretty good show. That's actually high praise in his book, lol! It's a good movie and a good Western.

Wuthering Heights (2009)

Passable, but did not expect the Bane voice for Heathcliff

[6/10 · 2 July 2022]

So, I've read Wuthering Heights and I've seen the Olivier version and the version with Juliette Binoche. The story of Heathcliff and Catherine is not a great romance, it's a tragic one. And destructive. These two characters brought out the absolute worst in each other as well as causing heartache and pain to those closest to them. Neither of them is heroic or noble in any way. They are selfish and self-centered, especially Heathcliff. I despise the character in every incarnation. But I wanted to see this version, because I do like Tom Hardy. But what I did NOT expect was to hear him using the very voice of Bane that he used for The Dark Knight. It was crazy! Number one, the voice did not fit the character of Heathcliff at all, and number two, Hardy said he created the voice of Bane specifically for the Dark Knight. That is apparently not at all true - the Dark Knight was released in 2012 and this movie was released in 2009. And Hardy is definitely using the same voice/accent for Heathcliff here as he uses for Bane a few years later. It's unmistakable. Which was surprising to me - Hardy is a very talented actor and I never would have expected him to recycle a voice like that.