socceralex16 Reviews

Outlander (2008)

Not Worth Your Time

[4/10 · 27 November 2013]

I am not sure how so many reviewers claim this is a good movie, could be the usual promoters trying to sell it. Basically everything about this movie is stupid. The plot is silly, the characters are not likable, and the action is OK. The special effects are blah at best, and the acting isn't engaging. A spaceship crashes in a lake and the only thing he salvaged is scrap metal? Our main character is so sad of losing his wife and child that he engages with the main female character immediately? Got over his wife real fast. No reason is ever explained as to why our main character never tells the others enough to really help them defeat this creature either. And the party scene, wow. Might be helpful to warn everybody of the impending threat when you know its coming right? Ya you don't need details, because you don't need to see this movie. So many better options than this.

Shame (2011)

There are reasons to watch this movie, and reasons not to...

[5/10 · 18 December 2012]

I found myself curious about this movie. Its topic, its lead actors who sport strong resumes, and the direction i knew it took before watching it. But now after seeing it i just don't get it. How is watching a man pee important to the story. How is watching him jog for a few minutes important? Why must Carey Mulligans character sing the entire song New York New York so slowly? For dramatic effect? This isn't art. Its boring scene fillers. What happened here is a plot without enough substance. Even after the interactions, the many but necessary sex scenes there still wasn't enough scenes and they needed to be filled or others scenes extended. It creates unnecessary and painfully dull sequences throughout this movie. And i don't think this movie has an ending. The so called climax was extremely predictable but no real resolution. The problem of the sister disrupting the sex addicts life is not resolved. I don't understand how even the biggest supporters of this movie enjoyed the lack of an ending. They praise the acting, but there has to be more to make a good movie. You can have excellent acting, with things like facial expressions be entire scenes. But in this film these scenes are just dragged out way too much. Many of these reviews may have liked this movie. And the ratings suggest the majority enjoyed it thoroughly. But this is not a movie mass audiences would like. Thats why it wasn't marketed that way, thats why most people never heard of it, and thats why i don't recommend this movie to anyone besides drama critics and artsy movie lovers. Everyone else wont like it at all.

Prometheus (I) (2012)

I loved everything about this movie, except the movie itself.

[6/10 · 9 October 2012]

The problem with Prometheus is simple, its a badly scripted movie. Now as most people know, making a science fiction movie work is quite hard. For all those reviews complaining about theoretical things or physics or whatever need to be disregarded. Since faster than light travel is impossible at the moment that all but ensures we will never see another planet up close so why bother complaining about such things when its done in movies? Instead complain about the things that are controllable. Why a character does something? is the purpose of the movies main plot even explained properly? How do characters forget about obvious things that potentially could be harmful? how do smart men get lost so easily? Is there any human being on earth who looks at a snake and treats it like a cute puppy or kitten? Then why would a human treat an alien snake as such? Things like that is what ruins this movie. Because man is the environment, the acting, the costumes, the special effect, are they all top notch. I truly appreciate well done sci fi movies because of how hard it is to portray the future, an alien world, etc... so when there done well i enjoy that aspect. This movie did everything well, besides deliver a good movie. Watch it for the reasons i did, enjoy it for the reasons i did, and dislike the parts about it everyone dislikes, and you can still overall have a decent to good movie experience with Prometheus.

Scream 4 (2011)

Not bad, but nothing new here

[13 October 2011]

I think im in the minority here, but i didn't care for the movie that much. I know writing a 4th installment for such a franchise is hard, but i wanted to see something new, surprising, and fresh. I thought they may kill off another main character, like Gail or Dewey, or both. I thought some of the humor took away from the purpose of the film, which is to scare. Too many times i found myself laughing, which took away from any real tension. I also thought the ending was weak. You spend forever to come up with this plan to survive, and then fail to kill the one target you really wanted. I know its a movie and the rules and all, but i guess this is why i cant get into scary movies. Overall if you like these kinds of movies then feast. If you were expecting shocks and suspense, then look elsewhere.

Screamers: The Hunting (2009 Video)

Very Disappointing

[3/10 · 9 April 2011]

Most reviewers rip a movie like its the worst movie ever even though its not. Is this the worst movie ever, no. Can you watch it start to finish, sure. But should you? Well, id say no. Yes this is a bad movie, and a lot of that has to do with plot. The writers had to give a reason to return to this planet, but the reason given is bad. The way literally every person dies is rather stupid, and the ending was awful. Most of the writing, the plot, and the dialogue just doesn't make sense. The characters don't do anything that makes sense. Watch this only if your a fan of the first and are curious how bad they could mess it up, which is basically why i watched it. And if thats not the case, then im sure there has to be something else you can do for and hour and half better than watching this movie.

The Pacific (2010)

Its Lack of Character Development makes sense.

[7/10 · 24 May 2010]

Overall this show is not bad. Id even say it is good considering. But is it great, no. The main problem this show had was character development which many of these other reviews point out. But you must understand why. In Band of Brothers (BOB), most of the soldiers were alive during filming, and remembered so much that they were able to give detailed descriptions of themselves and their friends fallen in battle. This series didn't have that luxury. Only 3 men depicted were still alive during filming. That makes it very hard to portray individuals accurately with no one able to recall how they acted. So instead, understandably, they went in a different direction and focused on the war. Of the 10 episodes, 9 had major battle sequences. BOB had only 7 episodes with such battles. 6 if you take away episode 6 Bastogne as it focuses on Doc Rowe and his problems getting medical supplies and the hellish cold those men went through. Not to mention the entire first episode of BOB was all boot camp for that much needed character development. In The Pacific, the first time you see the soldiers together its as they are shipping out for battle. I wont go on and on like some, but basically if you go in not expecting to care for the characters and to enjoy the reenactments of the battles you will like it. But if your a true critic, it will be only good at best. And thats to bad. Of course rumors are already circling for a 3rd installment focusing on Africa. Wonder if that will happen.

Miracle at St. Anna (2008)

Spike Lee's Latest Joke, errr Joint...

[3/10 · 12 February 2009]

Now Spike Lee seems to confuse me. Maybe its the subject of his movies, maybe its the actors in them, or maybe its how involved he is in the project. When he did Inside Man, he made a pretty good movie. Then he gives us Miracle at St Anna. The writing is bad. The acting is bad. The characters are bad. The only good part may have been the action, which had nearly an hour and a half between battle scenes. Thats like watching pearl harbor all over again. A long, drawn out middle that is mostly pointless.

First off, did anyone who saw this movie give a crap about any of the characters? Each character gets a stereo type that you tend to label them as such, taking away any affection you may have had towards the characters. I mean even the poor Italian village girl that becomes the focus of the plot turns into a slut, for no real reason. Her first scene she is trying to know if her husband is alive, acts worried sick, and then out of no wear she sleeps with the "jerk" of the group. I was glad she was killed off. Ugly character. Its just an example of the failure to attach to any of the characters and in essence root for them.

Spike Lee may have lost it. He shouldn't write thats for sure. And he needs experienced actors who can ad lib lines to help characters, because he can not do it himself. Watch this movie for 2 battle scenes, because everything else is forgettable. 2 hours and 40 minutes. 40 minutes worth watching, 2 hours wasted...

10,000 BC (2008)

Bad doesn't do the film justice...

[3/10 · 11 March 2008]

OK, so many people here hated the movie. Why is simple. Its a bad movie. Bad acting, bad plot, huge historical errors, corny dialogue, the list goes on. I never comment during a movie but man i had a lot to say during this movie. It was that bad. I laughed way to often, especially at the acting, and kept trying to figure out certain aspects. The sabortooth tiger is in the movie briefly, and is not aggressive or dangerous in this movie. The most vicious animal is some kind of killer ostridge if that makes any sense. It also throws in a cold clear environment for the main characters people, yet everyone else is African and the main scenes at the end are clearly in Egypt with the pyramids being built. This makes no sense because it gives the viewer the perception these people crossed the Andes to steal people from Europe to bring them to Egypt to build the pyramids. Does that make any sense!!!??? Roland Emmerich better pull a Michael Bay and redeem himself from this ridiculous movie.

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

Did i miss something?

[3/10 · 20 January 2008]

Maybe its just me, or was this film absolutely ridiculous from start to finish. Now i know many of you enjoy a movie that kills a lot of people in neat ways, but would about believable ways? Don't those look better? And plot! Doesn't a movie need a plot thats believable and interesting? Not only can Clive Owens character take out a small army, but that same small army always knows where he is. Its like the entire movie is done in a mile radius! Impossible to get away, impossible to die, impossible to run out of bad guys, impossible to miss killing the bad guys, impossible to hit the good guy, i mean give me a break!!! Startship troopers was bad but fun. Crank was out there but fun. This movie defies reality, common sense, and logic in a non matrix way making it just ridiculous. See it if your easily amused, otherwise don't waste your time if you like movies that make sense.

Hot Rod (2007)

Quite stupid, and rarely funny

[3/10 · 31 December 2007]

OK, so i don't know where everyones love for this movie comes from. I thought it was bad. Now awful, but close to it. Nothing about this movie struck me as brilliant or hilarious. Most of it was just dumb. I guess its similar to Napoleon Dynamite in the sense you either love it or just don't get it. Well i liked Napoleon Dynamite and thought this was a waste of time. The reviewers got it right when they called it horrible. Its just really stupid comedy. The stunts are about all that is funny. The dialog is garbage, the insults are corny, and even the weird looking lead character (which by the way looks perfect for a comedy oddly enough) couldn't find any way to use his goofiness to save the movie. Seriously, avoid it if you can, unless movies like Joe Dirt and Freddy Got Fingered are in your favorites of all time. Man i sure hope your not that sad...

Loose Change: Second Edition (2005 Video)

This Documentary has it wrong, but no one knows whats right

[5/10 · 22 July 2007]

After seeing this documentary, I felt a little uneasy. It has long been presumed by a growing number of people that the Government used 9/11 for their benefit, but to cause it may be a bit much. I have no doubt our government faked a number of things. My roommate freshman year of college was at the pentagon to clean it up the next day after 9/11, and i'm telling you no 757 hit it. But then again people will believe what they want to. And I doubt we may ever know what type of plane hit the pentagon anyways. As for the trade center, this documentary says there were a lot of explosions, and clearly, in the video evidence, you can see that with shattered windows, and outward explosions during the collapse of each building. But to believe our government did it, and not the possibility it was a continuing effort of terrorism is insane. Not to mention the fact that the trade center imploded so it is possible that could cause all those internal explosions floors away from the free fall. And there facts saying no building has ever collapsed from a fire is true. But its once again only half right. How many sky scrappers have been hit by large commercial airplanes??? How many of the previous office building fires they show examples of had the excessive weight of the trade centers beams? And finally, if a full size plane at full speed ends up going into the middle of a sky scrapper, doesn't it take out AT LEAST half the support beams for the coinciding floors, which in this case was around 4-5 floors? People have to remember, this documentary is only half right. The are 100% right on how many things from 9/11 were lies, made up, and misleading. There explanations though, totally ridiculous. I guess they truly despise this president even more than the rest of us to go that out on a limb. My advice to anyone who has seen this movie, be open to the lies this documentary goes over, just not the explanations.

King Kong (2005)

Silly, fun, but still too long (some spoilers)

[7/10 · 17 December 2005]

OK, so Peter Jackson absolutely loves to try to ruin his intense epic imagination with long movies doesn't he? I mean over 3 hours of a movie that took over an hour to really get started, then it all clicked. The humor was cute, the action was fun, but the most lovable characters did some of the dumbest things like how the Hayes just stared at Kong instead of shooting him with his gun (he did have a point blank shot to the eye at the very worst to save himself). And Ann, defending Kong like he hadn't killed tons of people. If she truly felt anything for him, she is one sick puppy... Now though it was quite entertaining overall, some other things didn't make sense. Why does one scene show bullets do no harm to Kong, but he eventually dies from them in the final scene? I enjoyed it yes, but honostly its not going to win any awards thats for sure.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Episode III does what I and II could not

[8/10 · 19 May 2005]

I own every Star Wars movie, and have seen them all a lot. After enjoying the original trilogy so much growing up, I was, as most, disappointed with the first 2. I thought the use of special effects replaced the weak plot of the first one, and the so so plot of the second one. But finally, Lucas awakes. Almost everything he wrote into this 3rd movie makes sense. I loved how it explains the questions we all had. I loved how it has intense battle scenes that weren't too long and didn't take away from the plot. And best of all, it makes sense. Lucas concludes the first 3 episodes with an opening (from a plots standpoint) to the original 3 without being thrown off. You can watch the 3rd one then watch "A New Hope" and not be lost, confused, or left wanting. You are right where you need to be from a plot standpoint, somethine the other 2 episodes did not. I hope this movie lets those super intense star wars fans finally leave Lucas alone. I guess now it depends on whether he does the finally 3 (there are 9 chapters to the star wars concept...).

Alexander (2004)

Not Oscar worthy but not that bad

[6/10 · 27 November 2004]

A lot of people including myself saw previews of this movie and thought Oscars immediately, until i saw the movie itself. You see great previews with amazing sets and the potential of a great film but it falls short. The acting was good, but not excellent. The costumes and scenery were excellent though, and truly made you believe you were next to Alexander in his world. The major problem though was plot. It concentrated too much on Alexanders passion for men, and not his conquering nature. It had only 2 battles in the whole movie, each about 20 minutes, which I felt was not enough when telling the story of the greatest conqueror of all time. It lost my attention and just wasn't interesting enough for the epic it could of been. If you appreciate scenery and costumes, then see Alexander, otherwise wait until video. Too bad too, with all those actors and Oliver Stone at the helm you would think great movie for sure, but just wasn't that way. Only 40 minutes worth of battle if that and the rest plot, with plenty of boring parts that didn't go anywhere. 6/10

The Lost Battalion (2001 TV Movie)

A&E surprises me again with another good war movie

[8/10 · 25 February 2004]

When you look at the box, or consider the no name actors aside from Rick Schroder, and see that A&E made this movie for t.v. with a small budget, you may wonder why your even watching it at all. Yet when you do watch it, and get deep into the plot, you notice this is one good movie. The scenery was on par, the acting was very good, even Schroder did very well. The action sequences, though not comparable to Saving Private Ryan for obvious reasons, were very well done. Plenty of blood and explosions, and though a few of the flying wildly deaths were a bit corny, everything else was on key. I own every single war movie made in the last 20 years that exist on DVD, and this is definately one on the upper end of that spectrum. In 2 years, 2 great war movies were made that most have never heard of (A&Es The Crossing as the other one), others cannot find, and if you wish to own, must check online. Give this movie a shot, because it belongs in any war movie collection. I took off only for a few factors, a little short, a little corny in the death scenes, and as a history buff, I am not sure the uniforms were on par from the German side, looked WWII'ish, haha, but lack of budget can account for that. 8/10

The Missing (I) (2003)

Good acting and directing could help the plot

[4/10 · 17 February 2004]

Contrary to the majority of my fellow movie watchers comments to this movie, I did not like it. It flowed badly, going quite slow, the action sequences were corny and lightly done. For a rated R movie for violence, I didn't see hardly anybody have blood come out of there bullet wounds except with the dead Indian overdone blood bath. Someone gets shot, falls dead, hardly anyone wounded in the gun battles(the aim!), nothing that hasn't been seen many times before. The bad guy witch doctor does not scare me, and the reason for the kidnapping to sell girls to Mexicans was kind of dull. Why couldn't the witch doctor be making some kind of kid stew or something more original. Not to mention his band of outlaws would kidnap and sell innocent girls to raping thieving Mexicans but won't rape em, as shown in the movie. Kind of didn't make sense, bad editing I'd say. And with Tommy Lee Jones character, a white man becoming an Indian, never heard of such a scenario in all of history, except when a child joined a tribe, not a full middle aged adult. Make him half Indian to begin with or something. From the previews, trailers, and commercials, all in all I expected much better and was disappointed. If you wanna see a good western, rent Open Range instead.

Open Range (2003)

Starts Slow, picks up and makes a great movie

[9/10 · 17 February 2004]

Caution, spoiler. This movie was a very nice movie to add to any collection. The beginning starts slow, showing what free grazing was like, but once the conflicts begin, the movie picks up to its actioned packed ending, and turns out to be a pretty good western. I have never been a fan of Costner too much, but he puts in a solid performance, as does Duvall. The way the gun battle at the end was done was terrific, surprised me very much. It had been a long time since I saw a western movie that had a gun battle that had surprised me with every shot and kill. And I have never seen the main killer bad guy be shot dead as the first guy to go down in a gun battle, but it worked very well here. I could of swore Duvall was going to die the whole movie, surprised me that both of them lived with only 2 wounds. Would of been nice to see a younger main female actress in the movie though, Bening was really it, but that just doesn't really matter once the movie picks up. I gave it a 9/10 solely cuz the beginning is slow. I feel this is definately a good western to watch.

The Grey Zone (2001)

Hit me as hard as anything I have ever seen

[26 January 2004]

Believe or not, this movie is the roughest, most graphic depiction of the horrible events of the holocaust I have ever seen. Dont get me wrong, its a great movie, I own it myself. You have to understand, watching the entire process of how the erradicated so many jews, done by jews, can hit anybody pretty hard. In essence though, you spend the whole movie watching Jews lure other Jews to their deaths, and then in the end the stage a revolt, eliminating materials that were used to do the atrocities. So they go from killing to saving lives. I thought that was the most interesting fact.

Anyways, the acting is fantastic, I am not even a big fan of half the actors, but they did so well. The plot is strong, and even though it carries a bit slow, if you can manage to stomach the images you will see, then this movie is a great movie to see.

Equilibrium (2002)

Great fun and acting that surprisingly makes a good movie

[21 January 2004]

At first glance, this movie looks like crap. The plot is somewhat weak and unrealistic. The story looks a little far-fetched as well. But if u take the time to give this movie a shot, you will not be disappointed. This movie has tremendously good acting, a nice cast of some very good actors, and one of the best background music I have ever heard. Few movies flow so well with the combination of background music, acting, excellent scenery, nice pitch of story and action sequences, and good directing. Too bad not too many people have ever heard of this movie, but if I were you, I'd check it out.