kevinlloyd-26393 Reviews

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Contrived, uninspired cash grab

[3/10 · 5 November 2022]

I'd be very surprised if James Cameron gave his blessing to this blatant insulting attempt to pay homage to and continue this beloved franchise. Nothing here but contrived storytelling, empty writing, and a complete absence of substance.

Easy money for Linda and Arnold I guess, though they should have known better. Rest of the cast is forgettable.

Arnold's likely swan song as the Terminator, which is just depressing.

It pretty much bombed at the box office in 2019, and the trailers were a clear indication of its lack of quality, but I was bored 4 years later and gave it a chance. Turned it off after 20 minutes. Should have trusted my gut.

Skip it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Doesn't take itself or Star Trek seriously, and it shows

[4/10 · 27 June 2022]

It truly feels like they're only riding the coat tails of previous legendary Star Trek series, it feels entitled to it. It doesn't stand on it's own. Many scenes are wooden and lack humanity. Episode 4 had real promise, then it was down hill again.

I will say I am a huge fan of Anson Mount, but his most of the actors' talents here are being wasted, and that's a shame.

They're disrespecting the legacy of Star Trek and their fans by slapping together this nonsense. I don't understand why this series has the hype it does.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Nothing but a vanity and ego project for Cage

[2/10 · 27 June 2022]

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did. But none of it landed for me. Forgettable characters, including Cage. None of the jokes are funny. It's literally a bad satire of his career that never gains traction. No real substance to it.

This is nothing more than a vanity and ego project that would never have been made without Cage involved.

He wonders why the big studios aren't interested anymore, then makes this. I get the real sense this is when his career jumps the shark.

Last Seen Alive (2022)

Great acting can't save a poor script and story

[4/10 · 4 June 2022]

The actors and acting here are quite good, but I don't know why they would say yes to this, and their talents are largely wasted. There's a decent amount of tension and buildup to a wasted and lazy ending.

We get flashbacks and other moments where we get to know this couple and her family, but so many plot points here don't make sense.

There are really good moments, but they don't really go anywhere. Very little action here, along with an unsatisfying ending.

I'm a big fan of Gerard Butler. I strongly recommend watching "Cop Shop" instead.

The 355 (2022)

A near complete waste of talent, but decent fight scenes

[4/10 · 29 January 2022]

Incredible talent wasted. Decent fight scenes that couldn't save it. Completely lacks heart, aside from moments with Cruz. Forgettable characters we don't care about. Poor writing.

Rated a 4 because of star power and fight scenes.

Skip it.

Sweet Girl (2021)

Excellent movie with a unique twist! Would LOVE a sequel!

[9/10 · 21 August 2021]

Watched "Sweet Girl" last night. Really enjoyed it! Would have appreciated more action, but overall excellent! Would LOVE a sequel!

The twist at the end was fantastic! Very unique! Wasn't expecting that at all!

Isabela Merced is really impressive here! She will be one to watch in the future!

Halloween (I) (2018)

Honours the original with very little to offer

[3/10 · 14 June 2021]

Pays homage to the originals, but otherwise has a weak and almost entirely predictable premise and story. Ridden with cliches, stupid decisions, bad writing, and typical jump scares.

A clear cash grab and easy pay day for Curtis.

Offers very little to the franchise, besides new blood to pass the torch to, whenever they decide to do that.

Most of it is a slow burn filler with an unsatisfactory ending.

Let Him Go (2020)

A horror movie pretending to be a dramatic action flick

[8/10 · 28 May 2021]

First, ALL of the actors are incredible in this movie. I turned it on expecting a dramatic thriller. It was clearly pretty early that this is a psychological horror movie with some drama and action thrown in.

Some of the scenes are straight-up horror and creepy as hell, so be prepared for that.

Enjoyed it for what it is, but it gives the viewer nothing to feel good about, so it's not really satisfying, but it's not trying to please anyone. Well done movie, though.

Wrath of Man (2021)

Awesome action with legendary actors, but lacks depth

[7/10 · 28 May 2021]

Jason Statham is an action star, there's no doubting that. But he practically plays the same character and has personality (or lack thereof) in every movie, just with different circumstances. Jeffrey Donovan and Holt McCallany are excellent as well, and honestly underrated actors. Watched Donovan in Let Him Go recently and he's barely recognizable in the best way.

Wrath of Man is a balls-to-the-wall action flick that manages to skillfully include a decent plot and bare bones story to make you care just enough about these characters, but aside from Statham, just barely.

The story jumped around quite a bit, which made it confusing at times, when all people want to do is watch the action flick this was intended to be. And certain scenes were just slapped together, like the ending, to quickly wrap things up, although it's satisfactory.

Enforcement (2020)

Has promise, but fails to deliver

[4/10 · 29 March 2021]

I found the story compelling and interesting and promising, and the intense premise kept me watching and wanting to know what would happen, but I just found myself disappointed.

Great acting and solid writing, but I was frustrated by the directing to some extent, particularly the poorly filmed or edited fight scenes.

I appreciated the good cop, bad cop theme, but found that just fell apart over the course of the movie. For some reason the focus shifted from the good cop and the person he was protecting, to a long stretch where all we saw was the bad cop and what he was dealing with, even though we lost all sympathy for him by that point and didn't really care to get to know him. That didn't make any sense.

The final moments were certainly a twist, and also didn't make sense. Honestly a lot of build up and suspense for a weak ending.

In all, this movie had promise, but ultimately fails to deliver.

The Doorman (2020)

People in rooms talking and bad fight scenes

[4/10 · 26 March 2021]

A long build up of story and suspense, but mostly done with people in rooms talking, leading up to bad fight scenes and a weak ending. Low budget and it shows. Gave it a 4 because I'm a fan of Ruby Rose and Jean Reno. Otherwise it's a 3. Okay acting by the rest.

Never Grow Old (2019)

Fantastic western with a disappointing last act

[7/10 · 7 September 2020]

I love almost everything about this western. The acting is absolutely top notch. The writing is decent, but suits the tone, story, and characters. The attention to detail of the time period is flawless. The film carries a strong momentum, with some misses along the way, but manages to fully immerse the viewer regardless. The last act, and especially the last few minutes, seemed out of place. Like the ending was being rushed and they couldn't quite figure out what they should do.

I found myself confused at times. I don't understand what led to a certain character being hanged, given the circumstances, and honestly feel that time would been better spent maintaining the momentum and giving more time to the ending.

I'm equally confused as to why it took so long for our main character to realize what was happening and do something about it, other than building tension, particularly when every other character seemed painfully aware.

I definitely recommend this western regardless.

The Tax Collector (2020)

Strong start, but an overall disappointment

[3/10 · 16 August 2020]

A solid start and sprinkled with well done scenes, but overall a disappointment. It has promise, but spirals, and never lives up to what it could have been. By the end, you still don't care about the characters. Well acted, though.

Not even sure why Shia is in this. They waste every opportunity to use his character. Supposedly he got tattoos for this role, but we never see them.

Don't waste your time.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

Elements of horror with superb acting!

[8/10 · 1 November 2019]

Few horror movies actually scare me, and neither did this one. That said, it's an excellent period film in every respect. The superb acting stands out more than anything else, though.

The lead, Arya Joy, is definitely one to watch for in the future! Clearly others feel the same way, as she's been in several movies since.

Bloodline (III) (2018)

Excellent horror until the third act

[7/10 · 28 October 2019]

He appears to have a moral compass. Killing those who have beaten or raped his high school students to make life better for them.

Then he kills the father whom his son (and I) honestly believe was trying to get clean and make things right.

But the police are on to him. So he and his wife kill the son and frame him for the other killings, simply to throw suspicion off themselves. That's when this film lost me. Moral compass gone.

Running with the Devil (2019)

Terrible, unorganized, clearly done for the paycheck

[3/10 · 29 September 2019]

It's very unfortunate that the star power involved here all agreed to be a part of this. Can't fathom why'd they do it, besides for the paycheck, which is really sad and an insult to their careers and audiences. Terrible from start to finish. Only part I found interesting was the little girl, the lead cop's motivation for getting to the bottom of things.

Some of the scenes Mr Fishburne does...wow. Talk about hitting rock bottom in one's career.

Don't waste your time with this one.

Crawl (I) (2019)

Extremely well acted, beautifully directed, well executed thriller!

[8/10 · 29 September 2019]

Now one of my all-time faves! A solid, extremely well acted, beautifully directed, superbly executed disaster thriller! Kaya Scodelario & Barry Pepper are "all-in" and it shows! Yes, it's only 1h30m, but it doesn't feel like it! Check it out!