holloway-sarahjane Reviews

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)

Terrible Animation

[2/10 · 11 January 2024]

I've seen cartoons from the 80s with better animation. This style is just a way to cut corners. The voice acting is terrible also. Why even make these cartoons if there's going to be little if any effort put into them? They're not even trying to make a good cartoon. I'd rather see one with 30-40 minutes but with good drawing and good plot and voice acting than this sad piece with drawings made by second rate talent or done this way to cut corners. Don't waste your time watching this low budget piece of nonsense. There's much better out there that is worth your time than this ridiculous cartoon.

American Friends (1991)

Based On His Grandfather

[7/10 · 26 March 2023]

It was interesting but I'd like to know just how much older Palin's grandfather was than the young lady. The Victorian's didn't particularly care no doubt. The story had some unrealistic parts, as I'm sure the American friends needed a lot of servants to maintain their lifestyle, I doubt they were cooking their own food in those dresses. Staying in a primitive cottage with no fire wood? But the general visuals of the Swiss Alps, Oxford and the English Countryside were pleasant. The acting was pretty good, and the men's fear of woman humorous but also a little too close to these days lately. I think they are allowed a wife these days.

My Dead Ex (2018)

Surprisingly Amusing

[7/10 · 27 December 2022]

I'm too old to identify with teenagers by in large, and certainly not High School. However, oddly enough, I had a good friend die in a fall at 14 so there was some twisted interest in the premise for me. No, he didn't come back from the dead, it's been nearly 57 years. This rather light comedy of a dead teenager made my imagination wonder, how would it feel to not be able to actually get away from a person who's wake you had attended. Of course you have to suspend reality but it tends to crop up and I want to make comments. #1 Eating. This implies digestion. That makes no sense, they should have left that out. #2 Suspended decomposition. That has to be part of the magic otherwise ew. #3 Aging. Will a dead person age in this magic formula. The big problem for me is, I would have gotten a pair of wire cutters and cut that necklace off, assuming the magic could be broken that way.

Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

In Life Wish for Others

[8/10 · 7 September 2022]

If you make a wish, wish good thoughts for others, that's what I took as the lesson. Everyone can take on other meanings probably. When a wish was totally selfish it did not bring happiness or real joy. I think that can even be true for normal lives, don't make your goals only about yourself. The movie was engaging and great scenery. The concept of what "made" a Genie was nicely done. It was a tip of the hat to "Science is Magic". You were left wondering if she was just a bit insane, but that makes a good story teller. To make fantasy you need to be detached from reality on some level, just like to really enjoy a story you have to leave rational thought from time to time. The only unsavory parts of the movie for me was the "fat" lady part. How they got woman for those scenes is a wonder.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Voice of Marvin

[9/10 · 11 May 2022]

Warwick Davis was not the voice of Marvin, it was Alan Rickman. Warwick Davis was not the voice of Marvin, it was Alan Rickman. Warwick Davis was not the voice of Marvin, it was Alan Rickman. Warwick Davis was not the voice of Marvin, it was Alan Rickman.

Harry Wild (2022– )

So Much Drinking

[6/10 · 14 April 2022]

I haven't counted the bottles of booze in these episodes but one wonders if there's some funding by wine companies to keep a glass of wine constantly being filled. I doubt if Jane Seymour drinks or smokes since she cares about her looks and spends a lot on those teeth. This is not the only detective show out there that does this but it seems like it is replacing the constant smoking that was part of the 1950's movies. Does it matter in terms of the plot? Only that some of the dialog takes place in Pubs. I fear for the livers of the characters. As a side note Harry Wild better get tested for STDs. She seems to think sex with anyone is just fine, along with the booze. The plots themselves take a air of silliness because they try so hard to connect literature to murders. This isn't an important show and will not go down as one of the greats but it's good enough and I won't mind watching so I can start counting how many bottles and how many trysts. Frankly, I do actually appreciate that Jane Seymour hasn't had a lot of plastic surgery, and she moves well for her age.

The Irregulars (2021)

Not Victorian

[5/10 · 28 March 2022]

Or even Edwardian. Not Sherlock Holmes. Not witty, not polite and not particularly intelligent. Here's my take on episode one.

Other than the occasional vistas of London, there's nothing remotely Victorian going on. It's ludicrous to think that a royal would wander about in the streets of London alone, like trying to pin Jack the Ripper on a royal Prince who probably didn't cut his own food. They're suppose to be dirt poor but the main character has an expensive necklace on and they all look well fed. The multiple burning bees wax candles in the cellar was amazing since they can't pay the rent. Anyone dressed like Prince Leopold would never have been thrown on the ground and spit on, because they would have known he was a wealthy person. London was certainly bad in those times, and I could have a laugh about supernatural activities if it wasn't so over the top and cheesy. And a single Raven picking up and human baby and flying?? An Eagle probably would struggle with a small dog. Perhaps a Golden Eagle, but a Raven?

Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)

Interesting If Not Profound

[7/10 · 20 March 2022]

The actors have charm so it's watchable but it is a bit weighted towards materialism. Perhaps part of the theme is money doesn't make people better or happier. The obsession with Ivy league college is constant. It has elements of slap stick that diminishes any seriousness and it pokes fun at teachers. It does attempt to show some sympathy towards the concerns of the characters but a-lot of it is superficial. Devi is a bit of a sociopath. I think it had some unpleasant racism towards pretty much every race while trying to be inclusive. I don't like the casual sex implied, not safe sex implied.

The Hunting (2021)

OK, except for the background music.

[6/10 · 28 January 2022]

Not a bad movie, with some interesting twists. But the overly loud background music was very distracting. Had the music been better done, placing and timing, I'd give it a solid 7.

Dune (2021)

Poorly done, many scenes not well done compared to the original.

[3/10 · 19 September 2021]

The Gom Jabbar scene was terrible, a low-rent version of the original and omitting some important dialog. The actor playing Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) was plain compared to Francesca Annis, who played the original beautifully, with her exotic looks. Costuming was poor, casting was poor. A big disappointment.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Kept expecting it to get better

[5/10 · 12 February 2021]

Typical San Francisco photo shoot. Nothing about it was realistic but great occasional beauty photos of the Bay Area. Unless their families were rich and funneling endless money they would be in bankruptcy and suicidal. I hated the characters. Nothing about them was real. Not funny.

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Revisit a Deeper Meaning of Scrooges Inhumanity

[8/10 · 23 December 2019]

This is not the Victorian Christmas Carol, or the 20th Century Christmas Carol, but a version that has matured and become the virtual reality Christmas Carol with all the truths we now understand about who the real Charles Dickens was, not what he pretended to be. I've read most of Charles Dickens stories and a lot about the real man and his life. He was Scrooge trying to be a better person and this story reflects his duality. Most of his works were on some level Dickens the narcissist with a soul trying to make everything about himself but creating something meaningful for others. This version comes closer to putting in the missing parts.

Yesterday (III) (2019)

Unique take on Beatle Mania

[9/10 · 4 August 2019]

The music in the film makes it worth seeing if for no other reason. The acting and humor is relatively high brow and the concept of a possible bump into an alternate dimension or Universe, or whatever you'd chose to describe it is very sophisticated without explaining how. The fact that super popular events seem to never happen makes sense if you think about how so many events are a matter of a sort of viral popularity and chance.

It was a very emotional moment when Jack found John Lennon alive and well living with some of his art work and seeming to have mellowed. I burst into tears.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

All the Best Monsters and some I've never seen

[9/10 · 1 June 2019]

I'll probably do some spoilers but try to avoid doing too much. I saw the 2014 Godzilla which helps a little in following the plot, whether that matters in debatable. Some people come off as bad guys who thought they were being good guys? I guess? Anyway that's more or less how things got out of control. Some extremely hard to believe escape events, which I suppose was done to add to the terror? They had to come up with a way to explain why we could be in the middle of the action even if it seems incredibly stupid to be there. I did enjoy the battles of the titans, and it was the main selling point. I personally didn't care about the subplots, but they are part of the set up of the action, and gave actors a job. They did a fantastic job in the CGI, without removing all of the cheesiness that makes you identify with the older versions. It was worth the price and very entertaining.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Boring, anticlimactic, tedious, a disappointment

[2/10 · 25 April 2019]

First 90 minutes was boring, sulking around, listless, no action.

The action was compressed into the last 8 minutes and was just a 'showcasing' of many MCU superheros, as though they needed schmaltz and sadness as a plot point. Nothing epic came to play, no appearances of any surprise characters (like Galactus), or any surprises at all, and the twists were pointless (Black Widow and Ronin both trying to sacrifice themselves then swapping back and forth).

There was a lot of promise and possibility but I think the screenwriters just phoned it in, predictable and tedious.

Rewatchability? About 2/10. I don't think I'll bother watching it again. Why?

I can't believe the 1,244 people who gave this a 10. They're delusional

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Block Buster Entertainment

[9/10 · 4 November 2017]

The first thing I love about this movie is the humor. Comic book movies should not be so heavy with any meaningful personal lessons that it lacks light moments. At the same time there are subtle lessons about what is morally acceptable and how to get redemption. The sound track was appropriate and exciting and the actors were excellent picks for their roles. The CGI was flawless and did not at the same time seem to be the reason for the film. Other movies like "Batman" are depressing but "Thor", despite some of the death and destruction, isn't all about how things are simply bad. It doesn't need overt sex to be sexy and it is also a beautiful film.

Our Souls at Night (2017)

Older Love With Baggage

[7/10 · 5 October 2017]

Decent and worth the time to watch two good actors. This movie and story has depth, they aren't perfect people with perfect mental development. Guilt, regret, children with issues. That's all real. They are seniors looking at just being around without much else to think about day and night, so they don't have to work obviously. I appreciated that they had friends and acquaintances dying around them, so it was getting real. I liked that they could have a good time, because being old isn't all about being sad. The only criticism I have is that these are two exceptionally good looking people. No one can say these are average looking older folks. I would have hired Bill Murray and Sally Field. Still cute but not as glamorous. It would have worked better. I would have given this movie an 8 if it weren't for that impression they were too good looking. I do think Robert and Jane were excellent in their presence with each other, so it wasn't dumb. I snorted when Louis went over to Addie's with a paper bag and knocked on the back door, but was glad that he didn't give up when she closed off the back and forced him to choose going to the front door.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

Oh Hell No

[2/10 · 25 September 2017]

Terrible writing, insipid actors, too much time spent on costumes and not enough on soul. The Klingons were indescribably boring, and the costumes made movement impossible, the fake teeth made speaking impossible. The captain should have shot Burnham for mutiny on the spot. The story made the Federation look like idiots. I thought the hologram was a mistake, the Klingon's didn't have the cloaking device until they stole it later, a totally depressing outcome. I won't pay for access to this show, and if it doesn't die I will rant about how bad it is. They totally misread Star Trek fans.

Atypical (2017–2021)

The New Leave it to Beaver

[9/10 · 11 August 2017]

The new typical American family? Worse issues than "All In The Family". Doug,the father is trying to be the enlightened father of the new age while still being stuck in a kind of blue collar culture. Sam, obviously, is the gravity that keeps the family spinning. He has a mild case of Autism but a bit more pronounced that a Sheldon Aspergers spectrum. They all have issues, including Elsa the Mom who seems slightly off her rocker but at the same time is truly devoted. The meanness that the brother and sister deal with in High School seems realistic but perhaps a bit more dramatic. The women are portrayed with a lot more variability than I've seen in just about any other production. Mean, smart, devoted, bitchy, sad, up beat, cruel, struggling and all over the place including over sexed. Zahid is good comic relief if not particularly realistic he helps lighten up what could become over serious scenes. I would seriously doubt that Sam could obtain the attention of anyone as cute as Paige, who seriously rocks as a human being. I would be interesting in a Season 2. Parts that I liked were the therapists seeming to be completely "Cray", and the touching scenes when Sam got it "right". Parts I found unrealistic: The family home and obvious well to do status on one income of an EMT... not likely in California.

The Finest Hours (2016)

what works and what doesn't

[7/10 · 10 August 2017]

Over all it was worth watching as an evening entertainment. The true story is very compelling on its own, with little added drama. I did not find the side story of Bernie and Miriam's "love" story to add to the theme, and in fact it was annoying. I understand they were already in fact married when this even occurred, and the writers should have gone with that. They frankly made Miriam out to be childish, not gutsy, having her run her car into the snow bank... what for? I am sure that didn't happen. They were trying to make her into some sort of proactive feminist and they bombed. Chris Pine did a good job, but he was too handsome for the part. They were playing up "sexy" and that was not a good choice. Chris Pine did a pretty good job of being a simple honest guy, but in the body of a sex symbol??? why? The actors of the ships crew were really compelling.. I think the writers tried to do a Titanic re-make instead of telling the real story which is interesting enough. I did find the movie to have good moments, but it wasn't brilliant. That was the writers fault, they could have been more true to the event and it would have been more interesting.

Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)

White People Watching

[7/10 · 29 October 2016]

My husband and I are middle class white people in the over 60 crowd. We have never been to the theater to specifically see a Madea movie, so first timers. It was a very mixed crowd, definitely both white and black, old and young. Some black and white coming together! that's cool. The movie was an afternoon show and it was pretty packed. My husband and I sat on the end of the row, but somehow a family ended up right next to us and I was literally elbow to elbow with a Tyler Perry look alike, which was amusing. I enjoyed the movie, but found the talk of child discipline a little over the top. I'm not going to laugh at someone saying they were on life support at 4 years old because Madea didn't like being talked back to. That was kind of awful. It makes her sound unhinged in a not so funny way. I'm not sure what Tyler Perry was reliving there. It was in general a bit on the preachy side but that was part of the plot I'm guessing. The "three stooges" or in this case four stooges, was otherwise pretty classic slap stick. The scenes of Mable..or Madea.. doing her thing and talking in her unique way is surprisingly funny. Happy Holler-ween... and the church scene when she ran from the zombies "Help me Jesus!" had the audience in hysterics. There are numerous "plot holes", but it didn't matter that much. You just can't think too hard about it. After all its not serious theater in an big sense. It's apparent "she" has a following, and she's a no nonsense woman of the world, with her "Ho"-0-1-K. It was a good diversion.

Ben-Hur (2016)

Entertaining But It's Just A Movie

[7/10 · 21 August 2016]

The film (in this case probably never on "film") was very visually striking, it communicated the chaos of the Sea Battle and the brutality of it in such a manner that you could truly sense the terror and hopelessness of it. When Judah floated to shore saved by sheer luck he was truly beat up looking, in the 1959 movie Charlton Heston looked buff and unbruised pretty much, as if rowing in a galley was a spa. They changed quite a bit from the screen play of the 1959 version, and since it was all fiction it doesn't especially matter. The Chariot race was the high point of the movie, at least entertainment wise. It was hard not to get excited, I almost felt like a blood thirsty Roman. It was a good deal of CGI but that would be the only way they could have horses flipping up in the air like it probably did happen in the real circus races of the time, although I don't know if there are written descriptions surviving. The Christ part of it was handled without going too overboard except the ending was odd. Lew Wallace, the original author did not have Messala and Judah become all super great friends and forgive each other, so this movie took it a bit too far. I personally couldn't help thinking as they all rode of in to the desert or where ever they were headed, that Masada was in the future for the Jews, and the destruction of the the Temple, not to forget the banishment of the Jews from Israel. Christ was suppose to deliver the Jews, as the Messiah, so apparently the message got mixed up, and the Romans eventually became war like Christians. Maybe that wasn't suppose to be the underlying message, but that's what happened. Good movie entertainment wise.

Happy Valley (2014–2023)

Season 2, Plot Hole

[8/10 · 21 March 2016]

I really like this show,and will binge watch if all the episodes are up. I like the realism and the acting is outstanding. I just finished the whole season 2 and found it compelling, from the twists and turns of "Tom" the detective, to the weird love interest of Tommy Royce and the little woman who was obsessed with him. I did not see the end game coming at all with who the serial killer turned out to be. It was nice to see a few "Hogwart's" alumni in the mix as well. I only have one slight issue, and its just being picky. There is no way that a slight, even though completely mad cow, could have drugged and then dragged an unconscious man into a hotel room. The impossibility of that struck me right away, as she had a lot of difficultly getting him to the car when he was able to assist with walking. Also the "suicide" was a bit comical. That was a damn high tree branch... but of course it was obviously not a suicide. Clare's drunk rage was so authentic, everyone with an alcohol issue should watch that.

The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018)

Love it or hate it

[8/10 · 18 March 2016]

My husband immediately hated this show, I on the other hand was intrigued, mainly because I think it allowed for some unique truths about people, relationships and isolation. It is not a documentary, it is not at all realistic. These people are for all intents the last people but each deals in the only way they know how, and no one is as heroic and crazy as Carol. Phil (Tandy), is a particularly weak individual with no concerns but his immediate satisfaction, whether its for company or food or taking a poop. He's completely self centered and needy. It's the raw human being with no polish. The other characters are all support actors in the "what will Phil do next" routine.

Pan (2015)

Insulting and cliché

[2/10 · 9 October 2015]

I spent money to watch this in premier seating, I almost got up and left. It was terrible, absolutely nothing original about it. Waste of CGI, stupid, and just damn annoying.

They tried to do a moral parable about greed, some kind of tale about killing native people for mysterious youth enhancement, raping of the environment. Who's running for President must be in there too somewhere. I kept hoping some where it would get to be fun but never once was it anything but ripping off either Oliver Twist, Avatar, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean or I don't know maybe King Arthur. If there was an original thought I missed it. I didn't like Peter Pan in this version, and I nearly threw up my popcorn we he called himself the "chosen one". References to a messiah did not go down well.