wruzek Reviews

The English Game (2020)

Somewhat Enjoyable

[5/10 · 3 March 2024]

I would say the series was somewhat enjoyable and we continued watching it to the end. But clearly this was not up to par with Fellowes' Downton Abbey.

Right off, I'd say American film production influence includes about 8 blasphamies of the name of Jesus and those demeaned the enjoyment of many a Christian.

Aside from that obvious blemish, the story and subplots were enough to keep us watching. I've read that historically it is fairly accurate. The costumes were as well. I do wonder if the superstar footballer "Furgy" was really that small! :) The action football scenes, except for those of the final game, were quite poor and hokey making it appear that any Jack or Joe could do better.

The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)

Could have been better

[5/10 · 21 February 2024]

I did some research before writing this review and found that the film is more accurate than many supposedly true stories. First, Moe Berg actually was fluent in several languages and semi- fluent in some others. He indeed was brilliant. He attended Princeton and Columbia gaining several degrees and he had a near photographic memory. He was indeed an American hero. Paul Rudd did a fine job playing him.

There are a couple of things about this movie that rurned me off. First, in the early minutes there is a very poorly done sex scene with his girl friend, both fully clothed. Second, there are two unnecessary blasphamies that are not only offensive but also inserted gratuitously. Christians loathe these and they harm the entire production for many viewers who see them for what they are.

The Burial (II) (2023)

Good story BUT...

[4/10 · 10 January 2024]

Who doesn't like a story of judtice served? There's a lot to like in this one, even the honesty in the admission that they've added some dramatics that are not part of the true story.

You can read the in any other review but the heroic effort for justice is clearly noteworthy.

At the end keep watching because there's updates as to what eventually happened and some actual photos.

So what's so bad to deserve my relatively low rating? My answer is the completely unnecessary blatant utterances of blasphemy that left me fuming. I won't recommend a movie that insists on inserting these, especially when completely out of the character roles.

Fool Me Once (2024)

Typical Coban

[4/10 · 7 January 2024]

I saw one review title that said "Cookie Cutter Coban" and I thought, "exactly!". So, if you like Coban you will like this. You would also know from the first moment that what you see is not to be accepted as real and so the story will meander for eight long episodes introducing new enlightenments to twist and draw what could have been a movie-length production to tedium ad nauseam.

I do need to compliment the fine acting, especially in light of the withering plot absurdities.

We are also treated to the industry constant of injecting blasphemy to let us know they haven't overlooked where they come from.

The Crown (2016–2023)

Better than most but...

[5/10 · 7 January 2024]

There is no wonder why this production is so highly rated. But I don't follow suit for a couple of reasons.

The acting is superb. The visuals are exquisite. The physical appearance of actors, a tribute to the makeup and wardrobe artists. And so much more we might want to laud.

But there are two things troubling me. The first is that we might tend to forget this is largely the writers conjecture and we could believe what we are seeing and hearing is actually true. Let is not forget it may not be so.

To back up my thoughts about the accuracy is my second point. In the last episode of the sixth season we have a characteristic of the industry agenda take place. While posing for the family portait at Charles and Camilla's wedding, Prince Phillip let's loose with a blasphemy and no one posing for the photo reacts in the least. Quite the Hollywood message!

Bank of Dave (2023)

Something good, Something bad

[4/10 · 30 December 2023]

My wife and I were off to a good movie and indeed it was for the most part. I remembered a caption at the start that said something like "true story (mostly)" so I immediately wondered throughout what part isn't true. We never found out.

The bad for me is revealed in the first five minutes with a blaspheming utterance of "Christ". It comes again later as well. Do I need to explain why this is very offensive? I hope not.

As the story moves along, the Dave character becomes more appealing due to his determination for this great cause, yet he remains above the fray. The way things work out leave us satisfied but I still wonder what part was:"almost true".

The Commuter (I) (2018)

Good potential but got carried away.

[4/10 · 17 December 2023]

This action movie had very good potential but got carried away with ridiculousness like jumping 15 feet from one uncoupled moving rail car to another. The story could have been developed with reasonable actions but no, they had to go over the top.

There is some good. The story starts well grabbing our attention but quickly descends to the unbelievable with phone calls that don't hold water, commuter train stops that take forever and a potential solid plot that becomes watery.

On the good side, there is no gratuitous sex and very little crude language with one big exception. They fouled by including the standard industry single blasphemy which kills the whole messy movie for me.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

More than disappointing

[2/10 · 14 December 2023]

Here's a story that had potential but failed in many ways with a cast that was wasted.

A couple under the daily stresses of life get the opportunity to rent a seaside luxury house for a weekend getaway. They and their two self-absorbed children are overjoyed when they arrive but things go south quickly as strange events start to occur. The owner and his daughter show up looking to stay at the house with them. The story could get better but the successive events are just not effective.

If you're a fan of F-bombs, they are provided aplenty, even by the two minor children. If that's not enough, we have Julia Roberts letting loose with the industry favored patented blasphemy. Ugh!

Over Christmas (2020)

Not what you want in a Christmas movie

[3/10 · 7 December 2023]

To me, this is not a legitimate Christmas story. The story-line is fine, the German town setting alluring, English dubbing well-done, most acting very good although the lead is not very likable even at his redemption. Agreed, he's a Scrooge-type character but Scrooge is not nearly as mean as he.

My wife and I stayed with it in spite of the foul language, especially from the grandmother character. We weathered the brief nude scene and all the sexual references.

However, just before the climax in the 3rd episode something terrible happened. There was a glaring shout of blasphemy that ruined the entire story for us. Why was this necessary in a CHRISTmas movie?

Reptile (2023)

To each his own

[2/10 · 23 November 2023]

Right off the bat I was wary of this because the cool detective character part was a giveaway as to what his role would be. But I'm not going to comment on the acting, personalities, scenery or plot. I only watched this for about 20 minutes until the first, and maybe only blasphemy occurred. Afterwards, I looked at some reviews but did not see any that complained about this awful practice of inserting them in movies today. However. For me they are unacceptable and I rarely continue watching a movie with them. Really, I don't know people who use them in speech so why should I watch them when I'm seeking entertainment?

The Killer (2023)

Couldn't watch more

[2/10 · 23 November 2023]

My wife and I were hoping to see an intriguing movie here but could not get past the first 20 minutes because of the exuding evil. I guess we're just not cut out for this even though it's prevalent in movies today so everyoneelse must love it.

We were hopeful after the killer's first assassination shot but then came a blistering blasphemy so we could no longer endure.

Perhaps we missed out on what might be a redeeming story but alas we did not take the chance and risk more of the same darkness that we'd seen up to that point.

Yes, we're tired of seeing darkness when we seek a little entertainment. Like the song says, all I want is LOVE!

American Made (2017)

Hollywood's Hyped Version of True Events

[5/10 · 13 November 2023]

This was a very well done production but as with almost all Hollywood biopics, it does not follow reality but rather takes significant liberties to sell its film.

For example, one legitimate reviewer puts it this way, Like many a Hollywood biopic, American Made takes its fair share of creative liberties. For instance, one legitimate reviewer gives this example: "Domhall Gleeson's character Monty Schafer is a fictional CIA agent". To get the real story go the Screenrant web site.

Still, this is an enjoyable movie once you keep in mind that it's juiced up. Tom Cruise 's performance is excellent and the supporting roles are as well.

One big disappointment though is the inclusion of the characteristic single blasphemy which signals the industry's pledge to evil.

Spy Game (2001)

Big time flop

[4/10 · 11 November 2023]

With Robert Redford and Brad Pitt you'd think you'd be in for a great movie. It is not so. It's not so much h their fault but rather the weak ridiculous storyline. On his last day at the CIA, Redford is dragged into an emergency. How trite is that! His own CIA team is using him in this his last day and of course he senses that. The mission is to rescue Pitt, a former operative comrad of Redford's. There's lots of flashback action an subtrafuge, all of which Redford is on top of just like Bond. Both of our heros inject blasphemies that perhaps are supposed to enhance their characters but i was unimpressed. As one reviewer said, maybe you need to watch this several times to figure it out.

Nyad (2023)

Story of Determination

[6/10 · 4 November 2023]

This is a true story of incredible determination. NYAD, played by Anette Bening is a world -class swimmer who is now 61 years old. In her younger days she tried to swim the 100 miles from Cuba to Key West but failed. She now decides to try again and trains all day for weeks. She asks her "partner" played by Jody Foster, to manage her effort. Everyone that she tries to recruit to form a team initially resists but a team does come together.

I won't go into the details of the struggle to train and of the dangers NYAD will face but only say the two leads perform wonderfully as might be expected. I do think the film dragged a bit and would have been better if shortened.

A big objection I have is the single blasphemy hurled by Diaz to give tribute to the godless industry.

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

Good Story with Some Objections

[4/10 · 7 October 2023]

I read 10 rated reviews and low-rated reviews. The low ones did not give much credit to the excellent performances of most of the actors. The high reviews ignored the ridiculous levels of drug and alcohol usage that no human could withstand.

I thought it was a good story. Yes, somewhat predictable but very entertaining. It didn't even occur to me that it is considered by some to be a pro-women piece.

Here's the thing that I didn't see anyone else mention. There were quite a few blasphemies that are offensive to many people. I realize that they have become commonplace in the entertainment industry but I don't accept them and they do nothing to enhance this production.

National Champions (2021)

Could have been...

[3/10 · 26 September 2023]

This could have been a winner but in the end is a loser. The dramatics of the struggle between those who wanted compensation for college sports players and those who wanted to play the boycotted national championship football game becomes tedious.

The most obnoxious part of this movie (I wouldn't classify it a "film") is the continuous stream of blaspheming by JK Simmons of who half the world recognizes is their Savior including inserting a middle name of "f-ing". This sickened me and thoroughly cheapened his character and the movie itself.

At the movie end, there was a sense of emptiness that I've wasted my time.

Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)

Not the usual objection

[2/10 · 26 August 2023]

I read through some of the poor reviews and none put forth my chief objection so I'll state it up front so those who don't believe in God can dump my review early. I'm 80 years old and have seen unimaginable decline in decency and I'll have none of it. I only watched the first episode but there were several blasphemies toward the end to make up my mind not to watch it any further. These seem to be an industry requirement but what bothers me most is that people don't care.

Aside from my above complaint this could have been a good show but the script had too many weaknesses. For example, after a vicious fight Erin is unscarred the next day! I wanted to watch more but won't:

You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

No!

[2/10 · 22 August 2023]

We only saw the first fifteen minutes and we looked at each other and it was thumbs down! We can't understand how this is classified "drama, comedy". Comedy - really?

All the positive reviews claiming this is some alternative child raising! I suppose one could make that claim these days as the inept and evil administration has us on the brink of WW3 as half the nation la-de-dahs through daily routines. Still, Mr Fantastic doesn't show an ounce of care about his wife's suffering or kids' humanity. Those are not the way to show survivors how to live. Love is lost. Further, he exclaims the most severe blasphemes of the only One who can help to survive while reviewers give this a 7+ rating! Oi Vey!

Armageddon Time (2022)

Not worth the view

[3/10 · 1 August 2023]

Yes, it's not worth watching. Being from Queens i thought I might identify with this and seeing the cast with Ann Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins I thought I picked a winner but was sadly mistaken.

I thought the acting was pretty good but the story of this dysfunctional family just doesn't resonate and the non-ending goes hand in hand with the meh story. It's hard to identify with the pampered child hero and the poor parenting on display. The grandfather played by Anthony Hopkins brings some sanity but also contributes the the child's personality flaws and bad behavior. Worse, Hopkins let's out a vicious one-time blasphemy that is so out of place I wonder how it got into the script other than being part of the industry's program to desensitize us to such evil.

Maid (2021)

Very fine except

[6/10 · 27 June 2023]

The storyline is quite good at keeping the audience entertained with constant new challenges for our herroine. But let me be open and honest and provide some warnings. First there is constant foul language but worse, vicious blaspheming of the name of Jusus in almost every episode that actually made me nauseous. Then, although no nudity, there are sexual scenes, one of which no child should be exposed to.

I readily agree with other reviews giving accolades to the acting, even the tot who played Maddy was great!

The story reveals the perservence of this down and out single mom trying to overcome the low-life influences she'd dealt with her entire life from both parents and her estranged husband. Too bad the language is way over the top!

The Mustang (2019)

Cudda bin...

[4/10 · 21 June 2023]

Right off the bat I'll give my strong objection to this and then go into the rest of my movie review. Sure, you'd expect foul language in a prison story but I counted five expletives blaspheming the name of Jesus by the actor playing the horse training boss. You can be assured the industry would never do the same to any other group.

The storyline is both unique and compelling. A program in western states has inmates traing wild mustangs. A side story is portrayed involving the starred prisoner's daughter and then there's a drug subplot.

The acting is pretty good and the lead role portrays a prisoner who has redemptive qualities.

Air (I) (2023)

Some good but mostly not

[3/10 · 12 June 2023]

Let me mention the good first as this review is mostly bad. First, the storyline is very good though I don't trust its honesty based on Hollywood's track record of distorting so-called true stories.

Second, if you can get through the filthy language, the acting is very good with Viola Davis excellent. Matt Damon is a fine actor but everything I see him of late he's blaspheming. It's the trademark that you are on the bandwagon of industry evil.

Strange, this is a movie about arguably the greatest basketball player of all time yet he is completely absent except for walking here and there with his parents. His character has no lines!

More bad: Hollywood makes sure to defame the name of Jesus who is worshipped as savior by most Americans who unfortunately remain silent about this. Imagine if they did the same to Islam. Sad.

To Leslie (2022)

Had High Hopes

[4/10 · 8 June 2023]

I had high hopes for this movie but it let me down. I expected plenty of foul language including f-bombs galore and that is the reality. What I didn't want to hear were the several blasphemies which included f##k in the middle of our Savior's name. The Hollywood cowards wouldn't dare profain Islam nor should they.

Well, all in all, the story is rather predictable yet unique in characters with very good acting and appropriate location. As usual in these, the down trodden genre is overdone while the joyful finale far too abbreviated yet the audience cannot fail to be elated with the resolution and favorable outcome.

Missing (I) (2023)

Some Might Like This

[4/10 · 6 June 2023]

This is a technology centric story with surprising twists and turns. The fast moving technology will appeal to younger folks. The professional reviews rate "Language" as mildly offensive but Believers will find the trademark Hollywood single blasphemy highly offensive.

That being said, the acting is commendable and storyline captivating were it not for an over abundance of droning technology that could lull one to dose. The tech screen maneuvers are so fast moving that they camouflage the ridiculousness of the capturing of passwords, for example.

At least there's no sex or other challenges to morality so parents can just warn kids about the blasphemy which will give them a good lesson in the dangers they face today!

A Beautiful Life (I) (2023)

Not so good

[4/10 · 6 June 2023]

It's a story of a fishing boat worker who plays rhe guitar for his singing buddy performing in local bars. One night his buddy freezes during the performance and our fisherman fills in and is a big success. From there he becomed a super star.

The story line goes on from there as expected with a girlfriend and other personal problems. The girl gets pregnant and he seems to be overcome and takes off. Thankfully there is no abortion.

Our hero does utter the standard industry blasphemy just once to put the evil stamp of approval on the movie.

The singing is horrific and some of the acting the same. If you really want to suffer through this, there is a happy ending.