srooks1 Reviews

A Fiancé for Christmas (2021)

Fake fiance follies

[3/10 · 27 October 2023]

You would think two well-educated people would not get themselves into a web of lies about being engaged. That is what happened in this movie. Nothing new here except for the ending which did not have the couple living happily ever after. The movie just ended. There was no chemistry between the leads. The supporting cast did a reasonable job of keeping the story going except for Marie Osmond who was the bold and brassy mother of the female lead.

Her acting was overly theatrical, and not really funny. It is not her fault, the script was not really funny or touching.

It was your standard TV holiday movie. Skip this movie and do something that will leave you feeling good.

First Signal (2021)

Dropped Signal

[2/10 · 12 April 2023]

As others have said, the idea for the film was interesting with no follow through by the cast or crew. The script was badly-written. The acting was too much talk and too little action. Overall, this movie was a low-budget mess.

The "alien spacecraft" was a concoction of three space shuttle models glued together and painted black. The only thing that was mildly interesting were the opening credits, but they only lasted 2 minutes. I have lost the hundred minutes never to be regained. Don't watch "First Signal"; read a book, clean the house. Don't watch this movie. The signal for this movie was lost a long time ago.

Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983 TV Movie)

Starflight: The Movie That Crashed

[2/10 · 23 September 2022]

TV Movie that tried to be the next Disaster Hit, and just turned into a disaster. Casting was horrendous. The dialog was wooden. There was a superfluous love story. The movie was released in 1984, but the technology was from the 1970's.

The rescue was premised on the idea that the Space Shuttle could be made ready relaunch in hours. For a movie this bad, I look for the unintended humor; unfortunately, there was none.

The closest thing to humor in the movie was having a passenger transported to the Space Shuttle in a casket. In fact, this entire movie was a flying casket for the actors and crew.

Stargate (1994)

Stand Alone Film Needed More Development

[6/10 · 21 February 2022]

Stargate is a good flick if you suspend your belief. It is exotic and fun with good special effects for the film's time. The story needed more development showing more backstory.

Santa Girl (2019)

Judging Santa Girl

[5/10 · 25 November 2021]

Santa Girl is a fantasy. It is a sweet, predictable piece of fluff to be enjoyed by kids. Yes, there are holes in the script. The editing could have been tighter. This movie was meant to be made quickly. For kids, it is a diversion. For adults, it is a good reason to take a nap.

Sabrina (1995)

No Sparkle

[4/10 · 24 November 2021]

This remake of the 1954 classic romantic fairy tale is lacking the sparkle of the original. Unfortunately, Julia Ormond cannot capture the innocence and joy of Sabrina. It is impossible to follow Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina. Harrison Ford, while no Bogart, is a fine actor. However, Ford mumbles his way through the Bogart role. Ford infuses no humanity or humor into the character.

Forget this remake and watch the original.

Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006 TV Movie)

Prophetic and Dark

[5/10 · 24 November 2021]

There are similarities between this film and our current situation; however, the film is much more dark. The acting for the most part is stark and lacks emotion. This film is almost like like a hastily constructed documentary. This film will not leave you in a good place.

The Christmas Edition (2020 TV Movie)

Not Special, Only Average

[6/10 · 24 November 2021]

The Christmas Edition is your standard Christmas romance set in Alaska. The script is workmanlike. The film is paced well since the story has to resolve in 90 minutes. The two leads are o.k., but there is no real emotional connection between them. The backstory of saving a small town newspaper is serviceable. The background characters are interesting, but not developed.

The one irritating facet of the movie is Marie Osmond's acting. Osmond plays the communications mogul who wants to buy the small town paper, and thus put an end to the romance between the two leads. Even in this formulaic romance, Osmond's acting is uninspired and one-dimensional.

The Christmas Edition is not special, only average.

Not Quite an Angel (1999)

Not Quite a Movie

[4/10 · 23 November 2021]

Not Quite an Angel is more like a live-action cartoon. That's fine it is a kids' movie. Suspend your belief, it's a fantasy. The tale of an angel sent to earth to help two kids and their father.fight an evil developer should keep kids occupied. The adults act like kids, and the kids act like responsible adults. That should make kids laugh. The best part of the movie for me were the out takes at the end of the movie.

A Christmas in Royal Fashion (2018 TV Movie)

Standard Christmas Fairy Tale

[4/10 · 22 November 2021]

Nothing really magical, but a Christmas Fairy Tale set in California. Set in beautiful settings, the actors seem to be window dressing. The writing here is predictable: boy meets girl; boy and girl fall in love, they break up because of a misunderstanding, and they realize they love each other. This film does not make any pretense to being great film making. It is a simple story that needs to be resolved in 90 minutes.

How It Ends (2018)

Unapologetically Bad

[3/10 · 20 November 2021]

How It Ends starts with a disaster. No explanation, then the world goes nuts. This movie is a buddy film set on a hellish road trip. People are killed. The hero finds his girlfriend, and then they try to outrun another disaster. The movie ends, again without explanation. I wonder why this pointless film was made. No explanation.

City of Joel (2018)

Religious Conflict in One Town

[7/10 · 18 November 2021]

City of Joel is a troubling film. It highlights a conflict of religious freedom and the establishment of an official religion. Neither the Christians, nor the Conservative Jews are without fault. Both sides are judgmental and not above using politics to get their agendas passed. As the film points out, the Christians are losing their idyllic lifestyle and the Jews are moving away to find another place to settle.

The Darkest Hour (2011)

Young Save the World?

[1/10 · 17 November 2021]

The Darkest Hour combines the teen movie with an alien invasion in Moscow. The characters are one-dimensional. The writing is predictable. The special effects are ordinay.

This movie was a waste of 86 minutes.

The Prince and Me (2004)

Fairy Tale Without the Usual Ending

[6/10 · 17 November 2021]

Predictable romantic comedy with a twist. Most of the actors were going through the motions.

Julia Stiles jumps off the screen with her energy and presence. She makes the fairy tale palatable.

76 Days (2020)

Hard to Watch

[9/10 · 16 November 2021]

This documentary was hard to watch. The scenes were both gut-wrenching and frustrating and frustrating. Gut-wrenching for the sickness and human drama; frustrating for the lying about the scope of the crisis. After two years of the pandemic, the communist indoctrination of the doctors towards the patients was both comical and insane. This makes the film a sad black comedy.

By Dawn's Early Light (1990 TV Movie)

Dated and confused

[3/10 · 15 November 2021]

Chaos reigns in this confusing tale of missteps that bring the world to the edge of nuclear war.

The technology even for 1990 was old. Sets were not too realistic. The love story between the B-52 pilot and his female pilot was not believable. The cast included many reliable actors from the 1970's and 1980's. They deserved a better script.

The Song of Lunch (2010 TV Movie)

The Song of a Life Lost

[9/10 · 15 November 2021]

Two former lovers meet over lunch to talk of life. Through the lyricism of poetry, the two lovers discover that one lives, and the other has never lived. Two wonderfully textured performances by Rickman and Thompson. Truly poetic gem.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Not Really a Remake

[3/10 · 15 November 2021]

Not much of the 1951 classic remains. The actors are giving soulless performances. Jayden Smith plays a brat who nearly ends the world, but he changes at the end. The alien sacrifices himself for humanity, but the question remains: will humanity ever learn?

This is a big budget film without a soul.

Finding Father Christmas (2016 TV Movie)

Better Than Average

[6/10 · 14 November 2021]

Having watched several Hallmark movies, this film seems to be less forced than most. The pacing is good, and the script is fair, if somewhat predictable. The actors work together well.

However, this film is not great; for me it was more workable as a love story with some mystery.

The Christmas theme seemed like window dressing.

Warning from Space (1956)

Silly looking aliens with a solemn message

[5/10 · 12 November 2021]

Silly looking aliens fly over earth and scare the inhabitants; aliens change tactics and take on human form to deliver an anti-nuclear message. Aliens save earth from a catastrophe. This is a low-budget movie with bad special effects and laughable costumes. The script was weak; the acting was wooden. However, this film shows the after effects of World War II: the anti-nuclear message and the invasion of western culture in Japan, most notably the western-style entertainment in the theatre.

Extinction (2018)

A Meditation on What It Means to Be Human

[6/10 · 12 November 2021]

This film starts out as a standard invasion movie with a family trying to survive. What the film turns out to be is humanity fighting their own creations: androids with artificial intelligence.

The film asks the question which group is the more representative of humanity. This film is paced well, but it presents a dark and sterile wold.

Found (I) (2021)

What is a family?

[10/10 · 28 October 2021]

Three young women adopted as babies from China go on a journey to discover their roots. For them, it is a journey of self-discovery to find out who and what make up a family. They also discover a people who are not the stereotypes that media and politics would have us believe. This film is a journey into the heart. It is simply done, yet poweful.

The Christmas Card (2006 TV Movie)

Standard Christmas Romance

[6/10 · 16 October 2021]

Serviceman gets card from girl. Inspired to see girl. Falls in love with girl, but she has a boyfriend. Will she figure out who she loves during Christmas? Not the most original of stories, but done with heart. The performances are o.k., Ed Asner as the wise father does a decent turn.

A Christmas Carol (1984 TV Movie)

Simply the Best

[10/10 · 15 October 2021]

This is simply the best version of A Christmas Carol. The settings are beautifully realized. The acting is superb throughout. George C. Scott is the most memorable Scrooge that I have ever seen. What sets this film apart are the scenes that show the deplorable social conditions of Dickens' time.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Unfulfilled Potential

[5/10 · 14 October 2021]

This film could have been more. More social commentary about the simian civilization. This film was too concerned about violence in the simian-human civilization. There could have been more humor to serve as a vehicle for social commentary. It appears that Tim Burton wanted to make a more serious film than the original. The ending was a clumsy leading to a new film series.