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mcbwallace
Reviews
Wonka (2023)
NOT a remake
No kids, no golden tickets, no grandparents. This is the story of how Willy Wonka came to be.
I do not like musicals, but this is so charming, funny, and cute. The music is not song with people doing choreographed danced numbers. They dance, but not like a music video, more like the classical musicals, Wizard of Oz, or Gigi. The story doesn't stop while they sing and dance.
This is a great movie to watch with kids. Clean, whimsical, and light. A little long for younger kids, but great quality. The different chocolates, and ingredients, and the origins of his recipes are ingenious, so creative.
Timothee Chalomet is a true natural in the role of Wonka and doesn't feel like he's acting at all, only showing us a different facet of his personality. Noodle, Abacus and the rest of the laundry gang also do great job filling out the rest of the "good guys".
Chicago P.D. (2014)
Trudy Love
First: when viewers complain about casting changes? Don't be dim. These wonderful actors have moved on to "bigger" things. More likely than not nobody "got rid of them", and you're revealing revealing plots when you put it in your reviews!
Tru-dy, Tru-dy, Tru-dy!- this character in lesser hands is a caricature. Amy Morton has made Trudy a WOMAN! She is amazing! I always want to know what she's going to do and say next. Every one wants her respect, but also wants to get one over on her. Trudy runs that place, and everybody knows it. That's not writing, that's writing inspired by ACTING!
I was a HUGE Third Watch fan, so I like the Trudy, the beat cops, interaction with the paramedics and firefighters and some investigations. Trudy gives it the Third Watch vibe.
The whole "intelligence" unit I find to be too heavy (yeah I know it's crime, crime is heavy), but SIX people showing up to every scene to decide what to do? And what qualifies it as an "intelligence " case and then ALL of them go there? Drugs? Murder? Organized crime? Gangs? Could be any of those- makes ZERO sense. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why that team is dispatched. The different members of the team are all likable, but heavy handed attitudes is a bit much episode after episode. I'm currently only on season 3, but starting watching it because there's so much crossover between Chicago Fire.
Also, not a great idea to introduce a leader by having him first threaten a firefighter for testifying against his son- planting drugs on him, terrorizing he and his fiancé. Really hard to feel good about a character like that.
When They See Us (2019)
Disturbing
I NEVER do this. This isn't really a review because I couldn't get through the first episode. I remember this case. Thinking these kids were animals, feeling for the jogger, finding out someone else did it, and these kids had been abused, manipulated, bullied, and just plain had no choice but to confess. The acting is obviously amazing, because I wanted to jump through my screen and help every one of these kids.
Watching this happen, even with actors, is heartbreaking. I've seen documentaries, and it is just incomprehensible that so many people got together to make their narrative of the crime work. We see this all the time. It seems to be more important to prove guilt of the chosen suspect (s) than find the guilty party. This is exactly the kind of behavior that makes it harder for honest police/detectives and prosecutors to get the trust, respect and support they need from the public.
I truly feel for these young men/children who are now adults, and find it frustrating that these police tactics are rarely if ever punished.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
Rating for the leading man, otherwise a 7
I haven't read the book yet and completely plan to, so I can't speak to how this follows the book. Sets a really great atmosphere for the future Capital and how the success of the games affects it. Love the leading man, his classmates and family. Lucy sings WAY too much. WAY too much. The run time could have been cut if she just sang even ONE verse of songs instead of multiple verses. I mean, really? I didn't feel real chemistry between she and the leading man. It was pretty far through the movie when I KNEW they were love interests. (I thought maybe it was going a different direction)
Also, Studios continue to cast actors that aren't age appropriate. The Hunger Games seem much less brutal when the participants that are supposed to be much younger are so obviously in their 20s. Yes, we all loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, but she didn't look 16.
Despite the shortcomings, the development of many characters, and their relationship with the main character was well-developed without dragging the story. I DID think they worked really hard to make Lucy TOO much of a character.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Perfect Sequel
This was a really great movie. It captured the charm and excitement of the first movie, and let the audience see how the family and each character had developed during the intervening years. Many superhero movie depend on over-produced, extra-long fight scenes with a lot of special effects. This movie struck a balance between action scenes and actual dialogue and good storytelling.
This kind of movie with kids in it CAN fall flat when the kids get bigger and older, but this Shazam! Held on to the natural dynamic that existed in the first movie and makes this one rewatchable as well. Love you Zachary (since Chuck)!
I take issue with people who give this a poor rating and complain it's "as bad as the first one." Then why would you watch the second one and b***h about it?
The 12th Victim (2023)
Changed my mind
Definitely too long, BUT I have always thought Caril was guilty. I've heard all of this information before, but never in the proper context to properly portray the circumstances. For a 14-year-old CHILD, and a man with a very low IQ to be allowed to communicate pre-trial, ensuring that Starkweather is angered by his codefendant to ensure he takes her down with him? No one questions that his story changes, as long as it's what they wanted to hear. No ethics at all, not to mention the evidence that was sent back to Wyoming and never used in her defense. Putting her on trial as an adult, put in an adult prison. Oh, and she was "pulling all the strings". Of course they were all grown men saying an 8th grader outsmarted ALL of them. Shame on all of them! Bit of a rant, but when my panties are in this much of a bunch, that's a positive review. Would have been a higher rating if the episodes had been edited a little.
WeCrashed (2022)
Should have been better
Most of the first episode took "artistic license" with the main characters' relationship - a complete waist of time. Every time Adam and Rebekah are alone it feels so fake, stupid, and poorly written. All of these scenes should have been shorter and some of them completely deleted. The way these two people actually met is well-documented, and they got it completely wrong.
Also, I did not care for Jared Leto or Anne Hathaway at all. Keeping in mind that these are very talented actors that were probably following direction: Jared Leto didn't have enough charisma to play Adam, and Anne Hathaway wasn't awkward enough to play Rebekah. The rest of the cast was great.
I saw a documentary about this story, and I really feel this would have been a lot better if they had covered the facts better, and left private interactions they had no idea about to a minimum.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Loved it!
So much of the same charm the original has with a great number cameos. Lots of laughs and nice family moments that aren't cheesy. Great references to the original that don't feel forced at all. Feel-good movie with kids that are realistically cute and teenagers aren't snotty or bullying the new kid.
I love movies/tv, but I get tired of young people behaving WAY too sophisticated, cynical, mean, self-absorbed, materialistic and entitled. This is a breath of fresh air. The brother and sister get along, and don't mistreat or disrespect their mom just because she makes a decision they don't agree with.
Family friendly FOR THE MOST PART. No cursing. Very few references to sex that would go over a small child's head. It does get intense at times. Jumps, loud noises, monsters. But no gore (these are all things I wanted to know when my daughter was young).
Thank you Misters Reitman, and thank you Harold. Your mere memory gave us extra smiles and tears.
Ozark: Fire Pink (2020)
Tom Pelphrey is a treasure
I felt the need to comment on this episode specifically because of the amazing acting by Tom Pelphrey - who was already one of the few bright spots in Iron Fist. I do NOT watch movies/tv shows that manipulate audiences into tears. Hate them. This episode was beautiful, sad, frustrating, and so insightful.
****SPOILER ALERT******
Throughout the episode Ben tried to right his wrongs, consistently doing it the wrong way and making matters worse (and Wendy is THE worst at watching an unstable person). It was heartbreaking and annoying (that Wendy couldn't keep an eye on him for a second). Few, maybe no other, actors, could portray the part of Ben sympathetically, believably, and in an understated manner.It was easy to make the connection between his off-med and on-med character. They were truly the same person under different circumstances. If there is an Emmy or a Golden Globe for Tom Pelphrey to be nominated fore, submit this episode please
. You can also submit any episode for Julia Garner, she is always amazing.Her character always stays true to herself while still evolving.The same with her nephews Wyatt, and even Three who doesn't get a lot of screen time.
Great show, characters, story, and cast. Every season is better than the next.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Get me a Grill for all this CHEESE!
I read the synopsis, and went in spite of the story because I liked the actors. The beginning of the movie IS the synopsis, and it's really cool, so I got excited.
Then the girl enters. Drama starts, action ends. Cheesy scenes, Cheesy lines, and she is an AWFUL actress! Like a statue. I even saw a place where she flubbed her line and they dubbed it later. When she says more than a couple words in a row, they show her from behind, because she obviously doesn't know English and (at least seems to be) speaking her lines phonetically. There's a flashback scene with her as a child, and the LITTLE girl is amazing. The other actors, too. But HUGE lull in the middle with the chick drama.
By the end of the movie every scene was from either Armageddon, Independence Day, or Top Gun.
Parenthood: Because You're My Sister (2013)
Review of Whole series w/******** SPOILERS ******
I didn't watch this when it was on because it's a straight- on drama. But it's good. Nice mix of family. Dig that the parents/grandparents aren't clueless old people.
Amber and Drew are most consistent and likable --- SPOILER *** I thought it was a big possibility that Amy was pregnant by her college boyfriend and not Drew.
I liked Mark in the beginning, but he just got sad and desperate for Sarah in the end. I thought they should have brought back the guy from the very beginning who liked her in high-school.
Loved the adoption story-line, the characters stayed true. Joel needing to get out in the world made sense. But he did rock as a stay-at-home dad, and didn't act like it belittled him.
Christina - did Monica Potter get sick of playing a bitch? Not to mention---- Aspergers is high-functioning autism. Remove the word "fair" from Max's vocabulary, and explain there are different rules for everyone. DUH! Christina had the same kind of Cancer I did. There's a list as long as your arm that sends you to a hospital. You don't lay in bed with a cough for 2 days. Really? It was like the script said "ignore Haddie - let Max do what he wants - sex talk with husband - and just when Haddie MIGHT get to go to a decent school have another baby" But highest points were seeing Crosby evolve, Jabbar grow, Haddie and Amber being cousins, and all the various brother/sister/in-law activity that goes on in a typical family. THAT's what made it cool.
Rites of Passage (2012)
Too silly to be offended by
First - it takes WAY too long for this movie to get going.
Second - I believe in respecting all cultures, but this movie was so ridiculous (talking sock puppet), that I don't know how any Native American could be offended by any representations in the film.
Now, college professors and students look pretty stupid.
There ARE some pretty amusing moments.
Most from Christian Slater.
Although I felt all the actors did a great job, the material?
I wouldn't waste my time.
The "4" is because I actually made it through.