fuelrodx Reviews

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

If I'm having fun, the flick gets a good score. Period.

[9/10 · 3 April 2023]

Cameron knocks the ball out of the park......again. I knew from the gitgo that the CGI was going to be great. And I do like having child characters in this as well. It added a little more dimension to the personaliites. With them going to stay with the another group of people brought in added storyline and visuals. When I saw it a second time, I appreciated it even more. Unexpected was the Navi version of Quaritch. Surprise. Once again Zoe Saldana bears the emotion. Love it. I recommend that everyone see it at least twice, and that is because then on the second view your not expecting too much and will be a little better entertained.

M3GAN (2022)

Loved it!

[9/10 · 30 January 2023]

Hey I do not watch horror movies and I don't see this as one. But this is about the best I've seen in a robot-gone-rogue movie. There are many of them out there and they can get tiresome. The thing I can say that impressed me is that this film, rogue robot, was done intelligently. So let me address this piece of work on script and scenes. These people were smart carefully selecting what they wanted you to notice. First, note the eyes. They were done in a way to "draw you in." So as the movie goes that's continually what captures you. Secondly, her mouth does not move like a human's. It just moves up and down. This, purposely chosen, because they want you to have in the front of your mind you are looking at an AI robot and no other type of complex humanoid. Smart. They put in some touching scenes also to seal the deal. Three times she sings to Casdy. I started laughing when she chased the CEO down the hall cause it appeared as if he had a dinosaur chasing him, it was almost comical. Made my day. Interesting thing here is she wasn't just going on a rampage per se, but people and the dog were specifically targeted with intent. If M3GAN thought you were a problem or a threat in some way, she'd probably take you out. Anyway, it was interesting.

Barely Lethal (2015)

Surprisingly fun

[8/10 · 27 January 2023]

It' s a cute high school movie setting overall, but Hailee does a good job as she always does, just like in Bumblebee. Samuel Jackson always does well in everything I've seen him in. So the Prescott organization trains kids from very young into adulthood as assassins. Megan (Hailee) wants out. Manages to escape and goes to high school as a foreign exchange student. I love all the situations and it's entertaining as it should be. But the scenario near the end when Megan and Heather are duking it out at the Homecoming dance was a treat. After that Megan is back at the house and Victoria Knox (Jessica Alba, the villain) was waiting for her and have once again another duking it out. Love it.

Heathers (1988)

A little crazy

[8/10 · 15 January 2023]

Ok, this basically about killing off classmates and football guys that you don't like. So J. D. helps Veronica get rid of people she can't stand in the clique or anywhere. It really surprised me because I just wasn't expecting it to take that direction. Guess I just assumed that it was the standard romp among youth movies. Christian Bale seemed to have handled his role well, but he was supposed to be the one off the rails. And if he hadn't shown up, all that wouldn't have happened I would guess. I liked it even though I was caught off guard. So later I watched it a second time which I normally do and it still had that whimsical touch to it.

Black Adam (2022)

Wildly Entertaining

[8/10 · 2 January 2023]

The thing that stands out in this flick is that there is more action than I'm used to seeing in a single film. It was chock full. I called it "Crazytown On Steroids." Loved the scenes where Hawkman and Adam are either arguing or duking it out. It had its humor. The acting, I think, was done well by everyone and the plot was decent. Lots of CGI. The kid was pretty good with that skateboard too. And OMG, how does Dwayne Johnson stay so bulked up? He must drink gallons of whey protein a day. I would say that a lot of thought was put into the film and when that is so, it's usually because you have a good director and good script working. When I was a young boy I read the Hawkman comic books so it was good to see the Hawkman character again. Oh well, it was fun.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Absolute Killer

[10/10 · 12 September 2022]

I've always been a fan in the fighter jet world having gone to many military airshows. Navy pilots tend to be the most aggressive in their flying that it puts a tear in my eye. This was the coolest way to do a movie of this type. The flight scenes were just great and you feel like you're right there with em. One of the pilots told Tom that he was never going to do the maneuver they did ever again. This maneuver was at 50ft and he said it was too dangerous. Knowing the speeds that these guys fly you could eat 50 ft in a split second and find yourself in the ground. They must have really been pushing it.

Miles Teller ("Rooster") went to Tom and asked him if he was willing to do a Top Gun 3. So Miles told the media that he and Tom are discussing it. I hope they decide to do so.

The ONE THING that got me in the movie was the Cobra Maneuver. In every demo/flight show I have seen, there has been nothing like that. First they go canopy to canopy and it was quite close, but then peeled off so closely in a circular manner I just gushed! Folks that's really dangerous! But these guys are the best. They probably had about 3000 hours in the aircraft. By that time you're an expert.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

I actually liked it

[7/10 · 29 August 2022]

I see most everyone didn't like it but I digress. I liked that Laura Dern , Sam Neil, and Jeff Goldblum were in it because it's a mix of the old with the new. Nothing wrong about that. Not only that, but they ended up hiding from the T-Rex's in and around an upside down vehicle much like in the first film. Honestly, I found it to be exciting. Really loved the scene wher Pratt's character was on the motorcycle being chased by velociraptors. I can say that the difference people feel between this and the original was probably Spielberg's involvement in the direction initially. For me, the picture held my attention so I can give it some credence.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Loved It

[8/10 · 28 August 2022]

Had no idea about this movie, but I loved the kind of action it had and Katie (Awkwafina) had me laughing. Shang Chi (Simu Liu) moved well in the fight scenes. I thought it had enough in the story to work well. CGI was good. The gal that played his sister moved well in fight scenes also. So was Michelle Yeoh as his aunt. Tony Chiu-Wai Leung played the part of his father "Wen wu" and did very well in that role. (aka: the guy with the ten rings) Some movies I can watch many times. This is one. I hope they make a second movie on this. But I don't know how successful it was. I know that Cruella was successful becaus ethey didn't waste any time starting up pre-production of Cruella II.

The Lost City (2022)

Pleasantly surprised

[7/10 · 28 August 2022]

I thought Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock did well in this. I got my laughs from it. IMO, a comedy can be silly if it wants to as long as it delivers the goods. I don't look for some great plot in a comedy. As long as it isn't boring. When Alan makes his entry on the stage with Loretta and hams it up I was chuckling thru it. I liked the action moments with Brad Pitt which was kinda short, but it worked. I know these types of movies are difficult to make successful so I don't want to be too critical of it. But I always have like Sandra Bullock's acting. In any event, as long as I'm entertained, great.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Interesting........

[7/10 · 19 August 2022]

I personally enjoyed the movie. I'm not going to be too critical of it. I will say I liked it better the Avengers movies. At least it had some sauce to it. Cumberbatch does that role well. Surprised to see one of the Olsen sisters (Elizabeth) and she handled the Wanda/Scarlet Witch role to my liking. And Rachel McAdams (our top Mean Girl). It is my understanding that you don't want to overplay your hand in making these movies and end up putting too much into it which will ruin the flow of it. Maybe they could have done it in a way that will interest people more but I'm ok with it.

Thor (2011)

Entertainment On Tap

[9/10 · 20 July 2022]

Love this movie. It's like a thrill ride. Anthony Hopkins, just the A-list actor that he is. I mean if you can make a PG-13 cook like this then I'm all ready with my popcorn. Loved the sound effects too. And the the music as they lead you into Asgard at the beginning, Just beautifully done. Portman was good along side Hemsworth, too. Love it when they go into Yodenheim. And when Thor is zipping thru the air and takes down that monster, Thank you, we needed that. The scene with the robot was like.....WoW. Gimme more.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Another step in the machine

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

The Wachowskis managed to move the trilogy forward with this second installment. And did so successfully. This sci-fi concept was a blockbuster and I was glad to get another dose. We added some other characters and brought a whole community into focus. My kids loved watching it too. So Neo gets further into the machine connection in this one.

Killers (2010)

Cute movie

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

A nice light hearted yet funny assassin movie. Both stars did really well and I liked to see Tom Selleck in this one. Loved the shotgun scene. Never a dull moment, amirite?

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Loved it: from a die-hard Matrix fan

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

Lana Wachowski came back after family loss to make this picture. Lilli declined to do this with her sister because she's processing grief differently; however Lana wanted to channel her energies to process her grief. Mike Myers did the same thing after his father died and did Austin Powers IMO, Lana did a really good work with this one. She had to rewrite the story in a way that kept with Matrix tradition and offered something more. So you get a lot of cuts that point back to the past. I loved "Bugs" in this movie. She moved well in action scenes and it's great that Carrie Ann Moss could be in this too. A little history........a little newness too.

Black Widow (2021)

Johansson and Pugh: Perfect

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

That's probably the thing I liked most: that Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh starred alongside one another. Thought they worked well together in this. Then we find out that Taskmaster is actually Olga Kurylenko (surprise). At least you get some action in this movie along with the twosome accusing each other of being posers. Rachel Weisz plays their mother (that was a surprise too). Anyway they ended the movie with Natasha leaving in a hypersonic jet. Now if you're going to end a movie, that's how you do it.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

I like fun movies

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

Give Hemsworth a nod. Anthony Hopkins is always good. Tom Hiddelston is good in that role as Loki. Both this and Ragnarok were fun romps. Great to see Natalie Portman in this. Of course the Aether goes after her in the movie. Also that gal who played her friend was a natural. Like to see the that kind of excellence. At first I didn't realize that was Rene Russo playing the mother. Guess it's been awhile. But they're always having problems with Loki so that puts a little strain in the plot.

The Batman (2022)

Either you love it or hate it

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

This movie grew on me. Yes, it's a little darker than Tim Burton's Batman or even The Dark Knight. Just a little grungier character which Pattinson seemed to put out there. Oh, and all the subtle stuff, like him going by the name of Vengeance and a different logo. Also the little gal (Zoe Kravitz. Lenny Kravitz's daughter) actually was Catwoman. She has lot of cats at home and her head covering has those points on each side of her head. I liked that subtle thing going. Also she either had to learn martial art kicks just for the movie or she has a background in it. The Riddler in this movie is a really nasty guy. I was glad they stayed at PG-13 though.

And OMG, don't pass on the "Batmobile."

That blew me completely away. It's the baddest monster sounding thing I've heard in a long time.

Icing on the cake.

That's all I needed. Hit me baby one more time.

Infinite (2021)

Entertaining

[8/10 · 19 June 2022]

The concept was presented well enough, IMO. Had some decent action sequences and I want Nora's Aston Martin. LOVE bad sounding hotrods. I have always liked Mark Wahlberg because he settles into his character and so did Chiwetel Ejiofor. Sophie Cookson did well beside Wahlberg. I had to watch it more than once because I missed some things but they did include what was needed to get the story across. Near the ending when they are at Bathurst's estate had sequences I liked and Evan gets dropped off in an off-road buggy. Nora runs and slips under the car to the other side. Cool. But she gets a bad injury when Agent Shin blasts the buggy. It was a decent romp.

Eternals (2021)

Loved this spectacular eye candy

[9/10 · 27 February 2022]

I've always liked Gemma Chan and here they gave her first billing in this one. I didn't get bored and paid more attention to the acting which was very good. Loved the way the Marvel signature opened with Pink Floyd. That made my day. That's the era I'm from. But also I like creature features. My sci fi preference has that. With the Eternals created for the sole purpose of destroying the Deviants met my requirement for fun. In the actors' dialogue you get a personal feel on the flick and the characters. And you can tell early on how Sprite had a real liking for Ikaris so it doesn't surprise you later when she leaves with him. One of my favorite visuals is when Searcy does a Metamorpho on the bus. Now that's some cool action. Druig was the more rogue personality. I liked the way Gilgamesh possessed strength and packed a super punch. Nevertheless, everyone had some well-defined roles.

Cruella (2021)

Enjoyed every minute of it

[9/10 · 18 November 2021]

Everyone I know that has seen this movie loved it. When you have good acting, good script, good props, and amazing costumes it just works. How can you lose? Hey, I watch these movies on a 65 inch ROKU TV using a blue ray "upscale" player to match the 4K TV capability. The costumes shown on here are the best I've seen and colorful. They kept with tradition here; you even have dalmatians in it. And yes, they were dalmatians with an attitude. Good fun. And did I say that Stone was phenomenal? And so was Emma Thompson.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Wow

[10/10 · 22 July 2021]

I'm not a big DiCaprio fan , but in this movie he was just amazing. He settled into his role completely. Also the Rick Dalton character was an intense one. The reason i got the DVD to start with was because of the news I read about Bruce Lee's daughter speaking out in the media and seeing that Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth faces off with Lee got me interested. Lee's daughter said that her dad was not like that - that he doesn't pick fights or irritate people which I understand to be true by what I've seen and read about him. But this is a FICTIONAL account. Tarantino wrote the story himself and seeing that Bruce Lee part of the movie, I thought, was humorous. DiCaprio made me laugh too. I like the characters (which were real people in their day), but fictional story. The guy that played Manson definitely looked the part and Dalton whipping out the flame thrower in the end was epic. If you can handle the constant F-bombs in the movie. You know, anything Tarantino does is going to have something gratuitous in it, and in this case, it's the language.

Sing Street (2016)

Enjoyable movie

[9/10 · 27 June 2021]

Loved the acting and the good music. They dressed Lucy Boynton nicely with that 80s look. This is one you can watch many times over. It has some real character to it. Ferdia Walsh Peelo did a nice job too. Seemed like he was actually doing the vocals. Who knows? On location in Dublin, Ireland. He is supposed to be a boy coming of age and he gets one look at Raphina and it's over. He gets her to star in his band video.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Big in its day

[10/10 · 12 March 2021]

This was big stuff in 68. And Heston was a favorite. This was groundbreaking at that time, that's why I gave it the high score. It became immediately the talk of the town and so you see a bunch of sequels come thereafter, almost like you can't get enough. But the first one was the killer. The costumes and makeup were done excellently at that time. These are the iconic movies that really make waves. And it seems to last

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Could have been better

[7/10 · 12 March 2021]

Don't get me wrong, Daisy Ridley did a good job. I just don't think Adam Driver was good enough. If you're going to do the Dark Guy you have to have some sass. Also I think that some other characters should have gotten a little more prominence. I was not impressed with Fisher in this one. Just didn't seem the same. It still had some oomph in places. But hey in this day and age I guess we expect more. And in the previous ones, I didn't like Hayden Christensen. Just didn't seem right. Nevertheless I'm giving Ridley an "A."

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Even better than the first one

[8/10 · 12 March 2021]

Got a lot of laughs on this one. Had to watch it again to get all the laughs out of me. There is a moment that tickled me so bad when Wichita returns and realizes Columbus and Madison had been together and she goes"Wow.........WOW!" Funny moment. And Berkeley cracked me up too. I think they all bounced of each other really well. That made it work. A fun romp.