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Reviews
The Beekeeper (2024)
Entertaining but way Far Fetched
Jason Statham plays the Rambo of the 21st century. I enjoyed the plot and there are not many movies that deal with hackers and the ways they con and target the elderly who have little computer savvy. Statham takes revenge on the perpetrators who scammed a friend/victim of his. The problem was the way he handled it was so unrealistic it ruined the credibility of the movie. It was entertaining and exciting and it flowed nicely, it was just way too much. I thought it could have been played out better. Action wise a ten , story wise a two. For entertainment purposes. I highly recommend and who actually takes movies seriously.
Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)
Lost Some Magic
My wife and I saw this on opening night at the movie theater. Surprisingly, it was a decent crowd with mainly couples. The beginning was o'k , the ending was pretty good but the middle was absolutely borrrring!!!! It will almost put you to sleep. There was no chemistry , no character development and not much going on. Unlike the first two , Mike had rapport with his dance partners , this one had nothing. The dance partners were too old to be a stripping act so that would not work, but they could have come up with something better. This will probably be the end of this one, as I'm assuming this is going to get a thumbs down - all the way around.
Revenge Ride (2020)
Should've Been a Comedy
If this movie came out in the 80s it might have worked. It was one of those movies you would except to watch on USA Network Up All Night. The only thing good about this movie was the acting. The cast actually gave an honest effort with the script that was provided which wasn't much. It was basically a train wreck with more holes than you can imagine.
In Winter (2017)
A Movie With No Story
This is the first time I have written a review without watching the whole movie. I only made it through half of the movie. There was no reason for me to continue and find out what happens because nothing happened in the first half to draw my interest. I think it was supposed to be a romantic movie - after watching the first half , I honestly don't know how I would classify it. Most people will turn this movie off during the first five minutes - during that time the only thing you see is credits on the screen , a steady snow and a dreary building. There was no story to this movie. You had no idea who the characters were , there background or what they were planning to do. I cannot believe some people rated this movie a nine or ten. My question - What movie we're you watching ?
Stone (2010)
On The Fence On This Movie
Great Cast - Deniro and Ed Norton were certainly on there A-Game. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great script. You got a glimpse of Deniro's "demons" at a younger age - but they never really mentioned what happened in between that time and when he became a parole officer for a prison system. It seemed like an alright marriage and it appeared that he disliked his daughter as much as she disliked him. But there was no background as to why. Ed Norton had a strange character was involved in a strange marriage and an even stranger relationship with Deniro. I'm not sure what the point of this movie was - if there was one ?
Jackie Brown (1997)
Tarantino Nailed It
A perfect ten - all the way around. The plot, the way it's played out, delivered and the acting - a ten. The cast was superb. Samuel Jackson, whose a fine actor, was at his best, playing a pimp looking , smooth talking character. He thought he was a major player, but he was really a small time crook. Robert Deniro was typical Deniro. He played a part where he thought he was smarter than he actually was. Bridget Fonda was a stones our surfer girl who wasn't as ditzy as she appeared. Robert Forster was at his best and had no problem handling a leading role. Pam Grier was someone you were rooting for during the whole movie. This has probably been said, but they don't make movies like this anymore. A gem of a movie.
The Reunion (2017)
More like an afternoon school special
This was a B movie or a low budget movie. As far as acting it was amateur night. There wasn't much emotion, except for the actor that played the villain - he was actually convincing. The plot was actually pretty interesting but the way it played out kind of reminded me of an afternoon school special. Definitely not a movie night type of movie.
13 (2010)
All Eyes On The Bulb
I did not see the Original "13", so this review is solely based on the re-creation. I actually enjoyed this movie. It was fast paced and had a nice rhythm to it. I thought some of the background stories from some of the contestants (Micky Rourke's character) weren't needed, and the MC of the event was annoying. I also couldn't figure out why people would gamble so much money on a game of chance with little to no skill involved. I would give this a higher grade but the ending was absolutely terrible. It left more questions than answers.
The Assistant (2019)
Cure for Insomnia
Plain and simple - this movie will put you to sleep. This is not a fast paced movie. It drags and drags and drags. The most exciting parts of the movie - having a paper jam in the copier, watching a frozen dinner spin around the microwave, organizing paper clips and rubber bands in a desk drawer, I'm not exaggerating . There was no conversation, just chattering, hearing the chime from a text message, hearing an elevator door open. It seems like the story was based on a chauvinistic boss , who we never see, but was probably a jerk. But it didn't go anywhere. What did I learn from the movie - If your using the company's landline phone, you have to dial 9 1 then the number to make an outside call - Oh and how to use a speed dial. I honestly cannot see how anyone would actually enjoy watching this movie. It was less than 90 minutes long but it felt like you were watching the movie the whole day. Probably because it detailed the worker's routine from the time she started her work day until the time she finished. One reviewer wrote if you thought the movie was boring your missing the point. When I watch a movie, I'm hoping that it keeps my interest. This is the first time I paused a movie (several times) with the sole intent to see how much time was remaining in this snooze fest.
Otryv (2019)
Somewhat Predictable but Entertaining
Many reviewers have compared this to and recommended watching the movie "Frozen". I have seen both, and I think Break is actually a better and much more entertaining than Frozen. When the characters are presented in a life/death situation you can really see how there personalities change as far as who is only look out for themselves , who is ruthless and who is calm and clever, and who will turn on one another. To a degree it is predictable, but I don't think anyone is going to expect a smooth ride on a lift. It was about an hour and twenty minutes and it actually went by quickly.
Stray (2015)
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible
After reading some of the positive reviews, I honestly don't think we were watching the same movie. The idea was somewhat interesting but there was no flow to the movie. It just bounced around and you had to guess what happened in the intervals - which there were many. Also, this had to be the worst acting from any of the characters that I have ever seen in my life. It's almost like they pulled these people off of the streets, gave them a script and the next day they just showed up. I don't even want to get into the ending , it was that bad.
The Kate Logan Affair (2010)
It Could've Worked
This could have been a decent movie. It needed a stronger plot and a Daniel Craig type of person to play the leading male. The way it stood, it lacked interest - I kept saying to myself "There's no way an attractive young woman would have an affair with this character". Way off on that.
Cabin Fear (2015)
Not a "Complete " Waste of Time
Part of my early, very early morning routine, is to go downstairs and as I'm getting my morning workout in, I'll watch a movie. It's usually from Amazon Prime since I'm a member. Saying that, I'm very familiar with Independent, Low Budget, Amateur Night and B Movies. I would consider this a B Movie. No big actors and all of the screen shots were taken in one location.
I would not consider this a slasher/horror film. It's more of a Who Dun It type of movie.
It wasn't terrible and I wasn't expecting it to be good - just watchable.
The one complaint I have which may be a spoiler - I wish the writers would give us more of a Conclusion rather than some Ending that leaves the viewing audience trying to figure out the aftermath.
The Evil Inside Her (2019)
Better than Average Horror
I'm really not into the horror films, and after watching the first five minutes of this, I was ready to shut it off. But, I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did. This is more of a thriller than a horror, but there is some serious gore. So much so, that you may have to look away at some of the scenes. You definitely don't want to grab a bite to eat and start watching this. Eric Roberts was perfect in his role as the villain. One word to describe him -" CREEPY ". All in all it kept your attention and more than likely you'll see this play out till the end. If your thinking this is a type of Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street - it's not - it's a whole different animal.
Goodnight, Charlene (2017)
This was that bad "I'm serious"
I watched this movie on Amazon Prime for free and I probably overpaid for it. This was absolutely the worst and I mean the worst movie I ever saw in my life.
The plot - there was none. There was no background on any of the characters and not one of them had any personality. Talk about going through the motions. When the actors/actresses spoke it was almost like they were rehearsing there lines and speaking in front of a mirror. It didn't seem like they were carrying a conversation with that person.
The scenery - it seemed like you were constantly looking at the same piece of striped wallpaper, or the sign at the bar where one of the characters worked at.
When the characters spoke they were almost never with anyone else, and again the screen shots would have them alone spitting out some dialogue directed at someone.
I can't believe anyone would rate this more than a 1.
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
If You Saw The First One - Don't Expect Much - So You Won't Be Disappointed
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was one of my favorite movies. There was mystery, suspense, adventure and a love story. The sequel lacked all of those qualities.
When I heard the main characters, Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig were being replaced, I kind of figured this was doomed for failure.
There was absolutely no chemistry between the new Mikael and Lisbeth. Not only that, Mikael looked younger than Lisbeth, where as the first movie Daniel Craig was much older than Rooney.
They really didn't even need Mikael to be in this movie as he was basically a non factor.
I guess if you did not see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo this movie wouldn't be that bad. The problem was that I seen the first movie, and I'm basically forgetting this one even existed.
The Longest Ride (2015)
Nicholas Sparks + New Concept = "Great Movie"
It seems as though the last few Nicholas Sparks Movies that I have seen were very similar as far as the direction, plot and the endings were very predictable.
I was somewhat hesitant to watch this, but when I saw the trailer, the storyline actually intrigued me. I'm glad I went because this was one of Sparks's better films. Its not as good as "The Notebook" or "Dear John", but it's pretty close.
There were actually two love stories and I really enjoyed the format. I found myself more interested in the elderly couple's flashback scenes than the main character's romance. It seemed like their characters were more developed. The only problem I had with the "younger" couple was besides their physical attraction to each other and a mutual caring for other people, they didn't have much in common as far as interests and goals. I really couldn't see either party doing a complete turnaround as far as their personal interests.
The ending: I knew there was going to be a "twist". As I was trying to predict what would/could happen, I found myself going in different directions - Which was a good thing. I wasn't completely surprised by the ending, but it was still fulfilling.
Run All Night (2015)
Definitely Worth the Price of Admission
Unless this is the first time you're seeing a Liam Neeson movie, no-one that has seen this movie, should be giving it a negative review. Reason being, if your going to see a "Liam Neeson Movie", you know exactly what your getting into. This movie did not disappoint, as Neeson turns into a One-Man-Wrecking-Machine, complete with your typical car chases, shootouts,comical one liners, and evading the Police and the Enemy.
I'll give this an extra star, as Neeson meets a nemesis that is just as brutal, nasty, and skilled as he is.
The only part I did not agree with was at the beginning of the movie- There was a flashback scene, that basically told you the outcome of Neeson's character. I thought it was unnecessary and I'm still trying to figure out what the point of that was.
The Ending: Without giving it away, it was a little far fetched, but there was a meaning to it
Taken 3 (2014)
"Good Luck" in watching "Taken 3"
Liam Neeson reprises his role as Bryan Mills, along with Mills's ex wife, Lenore and his daughter, Kim, in Taken 3.
In a sense Lenore gets kidnapped/taken in this movie, and Mills is set up as the fall guy. Once Mills figures out he has been framed for a homicide, he sets out to prove his innocence and to extract revenge on the perpetrators.
Once that occurs, thats when this movie really really really(I said that 3 times) went over the top, almost to the point where it was beyond ridiculous. First of all, "The Crime Scene", for someone who got her throat slit, there was hardly any blood. Plus, when you actually thought about it, that was a terrible cover up framing Mills for murder by the assailants. Mills had an alibi, there was surveillance video which supported him, and there was little implication he could have been a suspect. Another point, why would it take a Law Enforcement Agency so long to find out someone's spouse has a high valued monetary insurance settlement taken out against there "loved one". That should be a priority in solving a homicide. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
The action scenes were the typical "Bryan Mills" car chases, eluding people, gunfights, and hand to hand combat. But, we were actually entertained in seeing Mills literally disappear into thin air(I'm not kidding).
Saying all that, it was somewhat entertaining, and when it comes down to it, that might be what its all about - entertainment.
The Best of Me (2014)
Unfortunately this got "The Best of Me"
I believe all of Nicholas Sparks's movies are based on his books/novels, and they mostly center around Romance, Passion, and Tragedy. Sparks must be running out of ideas because to sum it up, "The Best of Me" was wayyyyyy to long, very predictable, and monotone to the point that it was listless.
Due to the fact this movie was so drawn out, I had such a lack of interest, that while I was watching it, I was thinking about all sorts of things, like what I'm going to do the next day, what to pick up at the store. The producers dragged out the flashback scenes in a way that you had no idea as far as the direction of this movie. There was no correlation regarding the younger lead male character and that person twenty years later.
The ending: Even though I was half concentrating on this movie, I still predicted the outcome regarding the conclusion.
Nicholas Sparks has had some great movies "The Notebook", "A Walk to Remember", Dear John", but I would recommend taking a pass regarding "The Best of Me".
Non-Stop (2014)
"Non-Stop" Entertaining
Non-Stop features Liam Neeson as Bill Marks, a Federal Air Marshal, who has his own personal demons. At the beginning of the movie, were introduced to Marks's mental and physical disorders. He conceals liquor in a bottle, appears to be a chain smoker, and his eyes are glassy and bloodshot.
Marks boards a plane traveling from New York to London, and his job is security/protecting the passengers aboard the aircraft. We see glimpses of different personalities and traits of several passengers, and we learn that one or more of those individuals is a terrorist.
As they had just departed, Marks receives a threatening text message and thats when this movie took off, as it was kind of like a "Who Done It - Mystery", which left the audience guessing on who could be the villain, Marks included.
When the passenger's well being were threatened, Liam Neeson turns into a one man wrecking machine, similar to the way he dealt with the enemy in Taken.
This movie was suspenseful, thrilling, and intriguing. Neeson was "PERFECT" for this part.
Was it realistic? "Heck No", Was it entertaining? "Hell Yeah"
Endless Love (2014)
Very Little Comparison To The Original "Which is Actually Good"
"Endless Love", is about two young teenagers who fell madly in love with each other at first sight.
The original "Endless Love", was an early 80's movie, which had a similar concept. This was a lot different than most reproductions of original movies, which is actually good, as the original "Endless Love", was nothing to write home about.
I'm not even sure why they had to have any correlation to the original movie, as this was a totally different plot than the original. But, for some reason they used some of the original screen names, and there was a fire, and the young female was riding on the handle bars of a bicycle, being driven by her boyfriend.
Both Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde give a pretty solid performance as the young couple. Pettyfer plays the sensitive boyfriend and he looked a lot more comfortable in this role than in his previous performance on "Magic Mike". Gabriella Wilde shows a lot of emotion, but she comes off as a little naive. I thought Robert Packer, who portrays David's Father, was the most convincing as a single parent that is very supportive of his son.
Overall, I'm glad this was not a replica of the original.
The Girl He Met Online (2014)
So Many Coincidences
The Girl He Met Online is a suspense/thriller starring Yvonne Zima as the girlfriend and Shawn Roberts as the boyfriend.
At the beginning of the movie, we get a glimpse of Zima's unpredictable behavior as she maliciously destroys her ex-boyfriend's townhome. Zima stole the show as she played the perfect female villain. She kind of reminded me of "the wicked evil woman" that was on a daytime soap opera, and you just couldn't wait to see what she would do next. She was cunning, calculating and ruthless. Whoever got in her way "Lookout", it was serious payback time. Zima played this character with the perfect temperament as she didn't get extremely vulgar, but you can just see her plotting her next move.
I have never seen a movie with so many coincidences. I thought that was good and bad. It certainly built some drama and had your attention, because those moments had you guessing what Zima's character would resort too.
Since this was a "Lifetime" Movie, I actually thought they may have Robert's character start a relationship with his (ex) girlfriend's mother. Thankfully, that didn't happen, as it would have ruined the whole movie.
When the movie was over, I asked myself this question - "If this was playing in the cinemas would I pay the price of admission to see this movie", and the answer is absolutely "YES".
Lone Survivor (2013)
Navy Seals are "The Best of the Best"
Lone Survivor is a true story based on Operation Red Wing, which was a military operation based in Afghanistan, intended to bring down Taliban Leader Ahmad Shah.
At the beginning of the movie we see glimpses on what it takes to become a Navy Seal. I believe that was actual footage of a BUDS Training Class. Too me, this was the most meaningful part of the movie as it somewhat dictated their character, intensity and drive.
Too become a Navy Seal, you have to endure a very rigorous and intense training program. During the first few weeks of training, the instructor's goals are to weed out the one's that don't belong.The instructor's have the attitude, "If your going to quit during training your probably going to quit during the heat of a battle".The very few that are able to overcome tremendous obstacles are the one's worth training.
You'll often here the phrase "Train like you Fight", and "Fight like you Train".
During the epic battle between the Four Member Seal Team against the hundred or so Taliban Militia, every one of those Seals just fought, fought and fought. They were all struck by gunfire, injured, outnumbered, but their was no quit in any of them.
It all reverted back to their training. If they weren't pushed to the max during their training they would not have been able to endeavor what they encountered in Afghanistan.
Death Ring (1992)
"I Knew it was Going to be Bad" "I Just Didn't Know it was Going to be that Bad"
When I looked at the credits, I noticed several popular names like Mcqueen, Norris, and Swayze. Unfortunately, they were all siblings of the more recognizable and much more talented actors.
Death Ring is about a sport where people hunt humans for pleasure and entertainment. It takes place on an island and Billy Drago is the promoter of the event. Mike Norris plays Matt Collins, who was an ex military- special forces unit, and also the winner of the survival of the fittest competition. Collins is the human prey in the manhunt. There's a reason this movie went straight to video "It sucked" - Plain and Simple.
The only positive thing I could say about this movie was the performance of Billy Drago playing public enemy #1 Danton Vachs. Drago was excellent in his role as the lead villain, as he kills a disrespectful guest with a fork, at the kitchen table as they were preparing for dinner.
There were so many incidents that were so ridiculous that you couldn't help but laugh.
When Norris is preparing to counter attack the hunters, he puts mud over his eyebrows and on his chin in an attempt to camouflage himself. Moments later, he gets confronted by a villain and he has no camouflage on him.
The Asian Hunter has three ninja stars as weapons. He gets a visual on Norris, and he throws the stars at him during three sequences. Each one of them barely misses Norris's head, but they each hit the dead center of a tree.
Drago has some sort of militia group guarding his house. Well, as far as their shooting abilities, the phrase "He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn", would be giving them too much credit. The safest place to be when they were firing their assault rifles was to stand right in front of them. Chad Mcqueen is flying a helicopter in an attempt to rescue Norris and his fiancé. Mcqueen is approximately fifty feet in the air, in a stationary position above the mansion. The Military Personnel are opening fire at the plane. That group couldn't put a hole in a stationary target thats practically right above them.
The funniest part was when one of the hunters is looking at a map in an attempt to locate Collins. It looked like he was reading a traffic map. O'k, he really has no idea as to where Collins is, he doesn't pick up any clues or prints, and its an island with no streets. What's the point in looking at a map? It certainly wasn't a map of the island.
I'm amazed that someone can actually write a script like this, proof read it, and actually go through with it.