thebabe3 Reviews

The Retirement Plan (2023)

Very Entertaining.

[8/10 · 19 April 2024]

Lots of movies have big plots, with twists and turns; not this one. It's just a sit back and enjoy the fun.

Nick Cage, although in a bad wig is always so fun to watch. Yeah he plays an old guy, but it's Nick's old guy. Cage always gives his all as he actually has some great stunts to do which broke me up The Cayman Islands is lovely setting with our guy living on the beach is or should be everyone's dream.

Everyone of the bad guys is just a tad over the top which adds to the fun.

The cast with Ron Perlman as a bad guy trying to look evil is funny as he kidnaps the daughter played by a very charming young actress.

Don't listen to the naysayers! Just sit back and enjoy the laughs.

Sayonara (1957)

Japanese Culture

[5/10 · 23 February 2024]

This film which I remember seeing in the '60s was a journey for me into the Japanese culture and architect . I loved the simplicity of the houses and the balance between indoors and outdoors.

The costumes were wonderful of course. As an aside my granddaughter went to Japan and was dressed in a traditional costume. She said it took an hour to do the dressing and the ceremony.

This film with Marlon Brando doing his funny southern accent was what put me off. His acting is good, but he could have just been "American". James Garner is impressive as always and Red Buttons deserved his Oscar.

Ricardo Montelbaum is wonderful as always.

I'd recommend it if only for the wonderful sets. It was huge hit at the movies at the time of release.

Just enjoy it.

Godfather of Harlem (2019– )

RAP IN THE 60S? LOL

[6/10 · 19 February 2024]

I so wanted to love this series. As a child of the 60s nothing surprised me more to hear music for this series bein rap. What kind of thinking is that? There is nothing that irritates the you know what out of me like not doing things to the era.

It goes with the bad make up on women and the cars being wrong because we know this stuff! This series has the making of classic and everyone of the characters is so good.

Don't get me wrong about music, but the failure of the producers to get it right just ticks me off. Forest Whitaker is always just the perfect person for all his roles. Here he is in a perfect performance.

The other is Vincent D'Orfino who of course never fails to make me remember his moves.

I would have rated this higher except for the music.

Godless (2017)

A Pretty Good Western

[6/10 · 2 February 2024]

I'm such a fan of everyone that was cast for this series. Michelle Dockery is of course from Downton Abbey as she has made a break from the period drama and is so believable as the strong female lead in this series.

Merrit Weaver is so underrated so it was lovely to see her as the town leader.

Thomas Sangster has got to be one of the most wonderful faces ever to grace a screen. He's got it all. The camera loves him and he handles the guns with such expertise that one would think he took lessons from Sammy Davis Jr who was fastest draw .

Jeff daniels is super scary . He leads a gang who have no morals so don't care if they kill women and children when ever the urge happens.

Having said all this, it's not a John Wayne kind of western as it is extremely violent . How a gang like this would have happened is a bit beyond the pale. But it's really really bad guys and then some good people which are the women survivors of La Belle, the western mining town that had a mine explosion and all the men were killed.

Only on person survives and all the remaining women dote on him and the men who are left . Thomas Sangster as Whitey is just trying to please everyone as he knows as the lone survivor he is a gift to them.

Having said all that, the presence of Tantoo Cardinal as the the grandmother just wonderful. She added the humour that was so needed in this gory tale.

Jeff O'Connell as the lead male is very very good and a perfect foil for Ms Cardinal.

The tale of Godless has wonderful moments in it, but the goriness of it is why I gave it a six. At times a bit unbelievable but it's pretty well done.

I'd say if one is going to watch this be prepared for gore.

The end actually well done as of course there is a shoot out. It's a western. It is one of the best shootouts. So don't miss it.

And if someone is squeezy, they probably won't love this series.

It's worth the watch because everyone in it is wonderful. Everyone.

The Locksmith (I) (2023)

Ryan Phillipe deserves Better

[3/10 · 21 January 2024]

Ryan Phillipe is handsome, he's got charisma so why is he not doing better films? T= This film is so full of holes. So Millar, (Ryan) gets out of jail for good behaviour after doing ten years in the slammer.

His buddy Frank (Ving) has been there for him all these years and meets him as he's out of jail, offers him a place to sleep in what is a small parts shop and locksmith services.

First problem for me was why Frank is wearing winter gear it looks like, and our boy Millar is lightly dressed. But I moved on because he's not that successful, so that's his only clothes and he lives in the shop with a sofa and coffee table.

Millar has a daughter that somehow knows and loves her daddy after all these years of being in the slammer with the wife (Kate) being a detective in the local force that somehow has never been detected by the good cops for all these years.

The wife (Kate) has the worst hair style I've ever seen to which as I looked at the credits said there were 3 stylists. They gave the kid the best style, the hookers the next best stylists and then they remembered the good Kate to make her look extremely uptight.

The wardrobe department may have spent 50.00 on the star's wardrobe which sucks big time.

Now the bad cops, for some reason don't want to leave our hero Millar alone because for some reason he is a threat to them.

The hooker says she needs help and somehow, our hero Millar after ten years in the slammer helps her rob a poker game .

Our here doesn't do any research, seems to know exactly where the money is, the way to get to the money, and how to escape without any of the 5 security people getting him.

Of course there are no security cameras so our hero escapes with all the money.

The whole story is just too ludicrous to be believed.

The director was given this script as his first movie endeavour. He should not give up his day job whatever it is because directing isn't working.

Low budget movies sometimes work. This one doesn't.

I want Ryan Phillipe to become an actor who gets some good scripts to break out of D movies and at least get to B!

As for Ving Rhymes, he has limited range and I always like?

Questions! What did the wife do for sitters during the ten years Millar was in jail? And if they weren't divorced why did he not live with her? There was no story as to how he somehow suddenly is "daddy" to a kid that he's not seen in ten years or such.

Skip this film. Save yourself.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Why did they make this movie?

[3/10 · 3 January 2024]

Maherrasha Ali is the best thing about this movie. He is superb in everything he does so I watched it to the end because of him. Ethan Hawke is wonderful as he is doing different roles these past few years.

Julia R needs a new makeup artist. Her eyebrows were almost to her ears for goodness sake! And her hair is so very dark to the point of unflattering. I had a hard time getting past her look.

Having written all that, good actors are wasted on this political piece of tripe.

I'm giving it three stars because the house is fabulous, good acting and Kevin Bacon entered the screen.

They all deserved better.

There are so many holes to the story. No neighbours ever appear to wonder what has happened.

Let's face it, it's a bad movie.

The budget was spent on the actors, definitely not the writer.

What a waste of talen.

Payback (I) (2023)

Great Expectations, but!

[8/10 · 21 November 2023]

While I loved this show and most of the actors in it. The lead character had basically 2 , yes 2 clothing changes in all that time. She wore the same coat, the same shoes, pants and except for the sweaters (2) it seems, never changed over all the time she was involved.

Great settings overall . Lots of drama and the way the lead character is on her own without help is truly amazing. Quick thinking and survival skills for someone who is just an accountant.

The weak link in the whole series is the police. Terribly miscast people, or just not enough emoting, but not believable for me.

How she manages to meet the police without the bad guys finding out when they pretty much have her followed constantly was a bit unsettling for me.

Anyway, the show certainly didn't spend much on costuming. That's what I came to say.

Happy Valley (2014–2023)

Not a fashion show.

[8/10 · 10 September 2023]

It's gritty. It's so realistic to the point that I found myself wishing that Catherine would take her coat off and not be in uniform all the time. Even at home, she wears her scarf, her coat, her uniform, her vest. It's just one of those little things that everyone else is in ordinary clothing or uniforms, but not our Catherine, she's always so bundled up that I find it hard to fathom anyone dressing like she does.

The series is wonderful. It has all the elements of a wonderful British drama at its finest.

I would have given this a 10/10 except for the limited budget for dressing the cast. Watch it.

The Son (2017–2019)

A GREAT SERIES. HIDDEN GEM.

[8/10 · 10 September 2023]

Piers Bronson is the star, no mistaking it. This series is a western and the Commanchies are very much a part of the history of the show. With lots of language with subtitles it makes it compelling saga of survival of the young Eli.

This show is just so far and out better than Yellowstone which was praised to the hilt. The Son is a story! It's two years in the telling and it was worth me sitting to blitz watch for a few evenings.

The acting is superb! Piers is a perfect SON.

It was a two years show. I highly recommend it. It's brutal, at times, so be warned. The cast has been perfectly picked. The younger Eli is wonderful. Zahn McClarran is just such a wonderful actor who can be seen in another series Longmire as a very different character. In this as he moves through his tribe is one of stature and wisdom.

I must read the book.

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

Does she ever Wash her hair?

[6/10 · 6 May 2023]

I want to like this show so much. I love the premise of it all, but if she doesn't wash her hair, and at least comb it, I'm not sure I can get past all of this. The least she could do is pull it into a pony tail. The least she could do.

Now as far as her being pushed into the job, I get it. She is smart and she deserves the promotion, but she needs to bathe. She has access to water and a comb.

The cast is amazing as well as the sets which give us a feel into the British culture.

Husband and wife have great chemistry btw and I do love the human and humor dialogue between them.

When she is supposed to be professional she is a force, but her hair! She would never be considered for the position of Vice President of USA looking unkempt as she does. And she wouldn't be in the diplomatic core without being well put together as she represents the United States of America. Even I would comb my hair.

I have watched more of the series which I do like, but the very messy suit, the ever black suit. I wonder how a person with her "credentials" would have been promoted due to not having the ability to present herself as even "tidy". All other women on the show dress well and have a professional look, except our Diplomat.

It's grating.

One Shot (III) (2021)

One Shot! "Who are those guys?"

[2/10 · 19 March 2023]

One truck filled with never ending men who dressed up and down with more ammo than most armies and our heroes had an incredible amount also.

I watched it to the end as I wondered how it would end? Like Butch Cassidy said "who are those guys?" One truck was filled with a whole battalion with never ending ammunition!

I had hopes the Ryan Phillipe would have more than just a few lines. He should have been a co star. He seems to be good at playing these hard fisted characters. I wish him better parts.

This movie could be a video game as most of the characters, good and bad came around corners and doors.

Shantaram (2022)

Charlie Hunnam reminds me of Heath Ledger

[10/10 · 27 October 2022]

Shantaram! Never heard of the books, so will certainly find them now. However it was Charlie Hunnam, my Sons of Anarchy star that got my attention.

The movie follows our hero through his life's journey. The bad and the good as tries to find some good in his life as he escapes his prison in Australia to life in Bombay.

Hunnam is such a fine actor, underrated for sure. He is what I always thought Heath Ledger would look like if he had aged. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, the characters that he meets along the way make this series just an example of what good productions can be.

I'm caught up and wished I 'd been able to see more and more and more.

Bosch: Legacy (2022– )

Executor!

[9/10 · 20 June 2022]

As the executor of the will, Harry would be able to fix up his house on the hill. The Billions! He gets a percentage of the will! They totally missed that. I was so disappointed that Honey didn't say "btw, Harry!"

Reprisal (I) (2018)

Two Stars because of Bruce.

[2/10 · 22 April 2022]

I just realized that this is Bruce being paid a million dollars for a day's work so that they can put his name on the marquis!

Sadly, I now know that he was already suffering from on set Dementia, so someone was pushing for him to get out of the house and do something because why else would he lend his name to this terrible film?

Such a shame as he has had a great career, and I thought he was really rich! I guess he isn't!

Goliath (2016–2021)

Season Three Sucked~

[4/10 · 21 April 2022]

It is weird when one becomes attached to a series and then Season 3 happens leaving one wondering what happened to the writers that wrote season one?

Did they go on the drug addled train of Season 3?

Goliath was one of those shows with incredible actors who really connected to each other and BillyBob being who he is should have had some creative input into how in the name of all that is television crap did that happen?

Don't watch it if you think that you will be getting another quality season. It didn't happen.

Mile 22 (2018)

He did it for the money

[3/10 · 18 April 2022]

This is one of those movies that could have had Bruce Willis (poor guy) in it for the draw card, because Mark W sucks!

The script had lots of possibilities, but lacked luster. W rapid talked his way through this crap and probably had only about 3 days work.

He disappointed me as I thought he picked good films. Of course with his real estate holding for sale at 85 million dollars, the mortgage had to be paid.

Such a disappointment. He actually looked like he just did it for the money!

The Birthday Cake (2021)

The worst sound ever!

[2/10 · 28 March 2022]

I so looked forward to this film especially if Ewan McGregor is in in, Val Kilmer and lots of great supporting cast, but the music in the background was so terrible that unless we had the words on the screen we could not understand what was going on with the dialogue.

Lorrain Bracko is so wasted in this film!

The biggest disappointment!

I always wonder why no one says to anyone who is editing that the sound is so bad!

Don't waste your time!

Deep Water (I) (2022)

Ana is very Beautiful, but!

[6/10 · 18 March 2022]

She is stunning to be sure. But you know Ben Affleck is such a brilliant actor that he is just mesmerizing every time I see him on screen.

The faked affair as the movie was being made was just to make us interested in the movie. Could have saved our breaths.

There is only so much one can do, but I still enjoyed the film because of him, not her!

The daughter steals every scene by the way!

The Adam Project (2022)

Very Entertaining!

[7/10 · 13 March 2022]

It was Reynolds at his most charming and fast talking at his best. The kid is absolutely perfectly cast! He could have been related!

The movie has just enough of the sci fi that people will like and enough humour to keep smiles happening.

This is a good one for a family night.

I Am Burt Reynolds (2020)

Burt Reynolds last of the superstars

[7/10 · 7 March 2022]

He was fun, he could laugh at himself, he was great to his fans, and he made entertaining movies that still stand today.

His Cosmopolitan cover hung on the walls of a few million women I am sure. You knew that if you had the chance you would have loved him for his absolute sexiness that he didn't realize that he had.

Evening Shade was such a great series and it ended abruptly because as we know now, he probably was having very painful back spasms and living with drug addiction.

I remember the scandal of his divorce from Loni as it was as huge a shock to us as it was to her at the time! It cost him the show and for a long time he was quite toxic if that's the word for him But Boogie Nights! He was just so deserving of that Academy trophy. We felt his heart that night as did Robin Williams I think.

Anyway, the documentary pretty much covers him ! He was the last of the big Stars!

Pieces of Her (2022)

Could have been awesome.

[5/10 · 5 March 2022]

There was lots of good in this mystery. Toni Collette to start. The story could have been cleaned up from the sloppiness of the book, but they didn't do that. The daughter was sloppy, but not stupid, and the actress had a hard time not being stupid about her situation.

All in all this only gets a 5, good actors in this, but quite wasted at times. Again, Karin Slaughter should have improved on her sloppy book!

Reacher (2022– )

A Solid entertainment

[8/10 · 27 February 2022]

I found myself counting the bodies! How can one laugh at gruesome? I did. I love this series and having read the books, we should understand how Reacher thinks.

A bit of a far stretch in some cases but really entertaining. I think Alan Ritchson is perfect for the part. This is his big moment. I Charlie Hounan, we will all love this character no matter his flaws.

I think this is going to be just an awesome series!

From Prada to Nada (2011)

Not Nada...It's better.

[8/10 · 26 February 2022]

I loved this little movie. The leads so complimented each other that I could believe they were really sisters. Excellent character actresses who are the aunts that the girls move in with.

The story makes me wish for such culture. I loved the love these people have for living. They are rich beyond the money! Culture permeates their souls.

So good that I was smiling for much of the movie.

The Royal Treatment (2022)

THE IGNORANT AMERICANS

[2/10 · 23 February 2022]

If this had been filmed with some even likeable sidekicks, it would have been great little chick flick. But the group other than Izzy and her mother would drive any person crazy! The over the top acting and how ignorant they are as to have at least some semblance of manners was so offing that I fast forwarded it to the end!

Those poor actresses that were subjected to acting in their worst gig ever!

Ozark (2017–2022)

Just a few Questions

[7/10 · 23 January 2022]

I love the show, but one would think that with all the money they have made that they would drive better vehicles. Some of the cars are about 20 years old! Come on!

The other is why Ruth has never even bought a new trailer or fixed up her trash property.

One would think after all this time that the sofa would have rotted or been changed by now. The roof must leak on the really old one that's falling apart.

It's starting to be a bit of a soap opera.