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Beckett (2021)
Beckett aka Superman
The movie actually starts off quite promisingly and there is a certain amount of intrigue but this is soon replaced by a predictable plot and a comically indestructible Beckett.
It was actually like watching an 80s/90s action parody in the way he was able to keep on going despite being in two serious car crashes, falling from several stories high onto tree branches and cars, getting stabbed and shot multiple times and there is probably so other things I have forgotten. It's just silly, clearly the writer and director have been binge watching too many Marvel movies during the production of this movie.
Even Captain America wouldn't get up after the beating Beckett took.
Also, he is totally unlikable as he essentially murders his own girlfriend in first ten minutes of the movie, I'm assuming the whole thing was him trying to find redemption of a sort?
Finally, the US embassy staff involved in a local mafia kidnapping? Really? Fits in with all the other unbelievable events though.
I think Denzels lad is a good actor and he does a good job in this movie,it's just that the movie is lacking in the reality and plausability that a good thriller needs, hence the subpar rating it has on IMDB.
Sweet Girl (2021)
Unbelievably Stupid plot twist
I really enjoyed this movie for about eighty minutes then the plot twist happens.
The beginning of the movie is quite emotional and very well acted by the cast.
Then the movie begins its journey of action revenge thriller as you would expect.
Plot twist happens and then I suppose you are not meant to think back on what you have just watched because if you do you then have to try and reason how a 50lb tiny girl subdues two 220+ bodyguards and another man on her own and then takes down another two trained assassin's on her own.
Seriously? Please writes, directors, producers go and actually watch a fight. We don't put featherweights in the ring against heavyweights for a reason.
The ending itself is also sadly predictable.
Such a disappointing film as it starts off so well but then it's like they swapped out the writer/director/producers at the 3/4 point and replaced them all with the same Muppets who like to subvert expectations who have been ruining good TV since 2017
Arrrrgggghhhh!!!!! Really enjoyed this movie until the ridiculously stupid plot twist and the unimaginative ending sucked too
Booooooo!!!
Feel sorry for the actors involved as it could and should have been a great movie.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
What did I just watch?
Nonsensical drivel would be harsh I suppose but its not too far from the truth.
It starts off promising but then it goes from being nonsensical to you finding yourself asking am I smartest one in the room?
There is a HUGE dilemma where Pratts character is meant to be emotionally torn by leaving his daughter to die in the future BUT nobody seems to realize that when he goes back to the past, the future will/can be changed and none of what has happened will happen.
There is just so much of this in the mid point of the movie, you have to wonder how either the director or the writer or SOMEONE didn't point all of this out.
Then there is of course the oh so subtle not so hidden global warming save the planet now, its your last chance to do it humans, which sadly is what the movie is all about really.
Sick of movie makers making movies with agendas and trying to hide it in the movie.
Terrible movie, not very well acted and also for such a preachy save the planet written and directed movie. The production team are quite happy showing mass genocide of another species so long as it saves the human race, so good lessons all round I guess.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
It doesn't make sense
Didn't think much of the first one and felt the same about part two.
What really doesn't make sense at all having watched part two is how these alien monsters managed to take over the world? They are incredibly squishy and easy to kill. Considering over 50% of the US population owns a gun, how the hell did they kill everyone?
Then you have the military, what happened there?
Maybe this will all be explained in part three?!?!
If you can suspend your disbelief for the length of the movie then you will probably enjoy it.
Personally I have no idea why these movies are so popular.
The Little Things (2021)
I rated it 7 for a reason
I think if you have never seen the movie 7 then you will enjoy the ending a lot more. It's not that the ending of this movie is bad because it isn't and it's something I've never seen before and wasn't expecting. What I was expecting was a jaw dropping 7 esk type reveal and ending but we didnt get that. Then again if I wanted to see that shouldn't I just watch 7 again and if it had have ended like that it would most likely got slated for being a 7 copy.
I thougroughly enjoyed the movie right up to the ending which having thought about it is only disappointing because I'd built it up in my mind to be a 7 type movie ending which it wasn't and it wasn't the ending where Denzel arrives just in time to save his partner and it wasn't the ending where the baddie takes the cop by surprise and the gun goes off leaving you to wonder who's alive until the reveal but then they have all been done before and this is an ending I've never seen before but is it an ending I would have chosen given the choice? Well....No. Sometimes it's just nice to have another slice of cake, even though you know what it tastes like.
The other problem with the movie is that it leaves you with a question about what the movie was actually about. Was it in fact a movie made in era of high tension with the police in the US about police corruption and the murder of an innocent man or was he and even if you decide upon that you are still left with the corruption issue.
The problem is that the main suspects guilt is ambiguous enough for you to question the motives and moral right or wrong of the cops. If this was a Dirty Harry movie you wouldn't even bat an eyelid at the ending, just cheer along as the cop who breaks the rules to get the bad guy gets it done again.
There are also numerous issues that spring up with the events of the ending. Getting in the car with the murder suspect and digging holes while he walks around you with you gun inches away from him?
A character that up to this point has been cool calm and collected breaks character after a single provedation and kills the suspect with a single swing of the shovel?
They then decide to commit a major felony with the possibility of getting caught when he simply says the suspect grabbed his gun and he swung the spade and hit him. There are no witnesses and all they need do is place the gun in his hand, after a brief investigation it's justifiable self defence and a lot easier to cover up than burying a body which could be found and taking the risk of cleaning an apartment and a car. The FBI are now carrying out an investigation in the area. It would also have fitted with the fact they covered up the earlier accidental killing.
So, the ending has issues and it's easy to see why people have been voting this lower than what you might expect.
It's not a 1 as some Muppets have been putting and it's not a 10 for most people. I think your expectations and past movie experience will determine how you rate the movie.
It does also lead to some interesting discussions about what the writer and director were aiming to bring to the screen. Is it a politically motivated agenda piece aimed at corruption in the police or is it a morally driven movie about the grey lines in life and what people are willing to live with.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
A Chilling glimpse into the future
Looking back on this movie now over twenty years old it is quite chilling to see the realisation of the impact of modern media on society and how pervasive and controlling with its own agenda it really is, it's like we all slept walked into this.
While not a great bond movie it does showcase how the modern media has evolved to become not quite the bond super villain but a close paradoy with its own agenda and power to destroy (figuratively) anyone who doesn't agree with them
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020)
Its Ironic
Its ironic that the movie is about an actor who is deceiving the supposedly less intelligent members of the southern united states as I'm assuming the audience won't be those who have been targeted in the movie leaving the 'intelligent' northerners to enjoy the movie?
This brings me to my point, which is simply that to enjoy the movie you would have to either have an I.Q lower than the national average or have an I.Q still in development i.e that of a child but as the movie is rated 'R' I'm going to assume no responsible parent would let their child watch the movie. So who the movie is aimed at is quite the mystery.
The critics reviews are also perplexing as reading their reviews they talk about an average movie at best which gets good in the last half hour if you stick with it but its not as good as the first and yet they are still awarding it 4 or 4.5 star out of 5
Its clear there is an agenda in the movie but it seems utterly lost in a what is a confusing movie. It shows a lot of shops selling things to Borat and his daughter and ignoring anything they say to make the sale, is that a dig at capitalism or just the greed of humanity?
It shows a woman showing genuine concern for Borat's daughter and her proposed plastic surgery and her lack of understanding of her body.
It shows the Russel family take in a foreigner during a national epidemic and tolerate his cultural differences, it also tries to highlight their 'southern prejudices' as they talk about Democrats drinking blood.
It then shows Borat in disguise singing a song about injecting the virus and the crowd are singing along then the Russel family help to reunite Borat and his daughter.
I wanted to turn the movie off after the first twenty minutes but having read the reviews I stuck with it to see the good last half hour but even then its just a slog.
Honestly, the only shocking thing about this movie is the high reviews its been getting.
Rust Creek (2018)
Nothing original
Aside from the female lead it's a story that's been told before only this time with a weird relationship between the female lead and her would be criminal captor/rescuer
It's TV drama level acting and direction with a dull story not helping it out.
Pretty sure this would only appeal to those who have a great fear of being lost in hill billy land otherwise avoid watching
The Vanishing (2018)
Initially intriguing but ultimately predictable
The first few acts are intriguing but it quickly becomes a long drawn out tale which has a few twists and turns along the way but ultimately the ending is disappointingly predictable.
For the last half hour of the movie it's obvious how it ends and in the final few minutes the movie seems to be taking another amazing twist and not ending predictably but sadly no.
All in all the acting is superb as is the direction ,it's just the writing at the end that lets it down.
It's a story that's been told before so that's what makes the ending predictable, which is a shame as it would have been a fine film otherwise for the formulaic ending.
If you're under 21 then the ending may well come as a surprise but then I doubt the film will appeal to anyone under the age of 30
Ghost Stories (2017)
Its been done before and probably better
Where do you start? The acting, directing, lighting etc etc were all fine and some aspects good but the story. Oh the unoriginal story and predictably poor ending.
If you are easily spooked and jump at the drop of a pin then you may enjoy this movie whilst watching it in the dark and to be honest its not a bad movie as such just a very disappointing movie.
If on the other hand it takes more than a pin drop to make you jump and you don't enjoy movies that have awful endings then avoid watching this movie.
As a movie it fails; had it been the ending to a television short or a mini series then perhaps it would have been less disappointing.
It reminded me of the stuff that used to scare me as a kid watching hammer house of horror and the like.In fact that's probably where I remember the ending and story from.
If you are easily scared and creeped out then watch it you may enjoy it; if not then stay away.
Entebbe (2018)
Good movie shame about the ending.
This movie is packed full of good actors; who do a very good job in their roles.
The issue with the movie is the direction and possibly the script but as I haven't read the script I can't say for sure but you can blame the director for the wasted opportunity of making an amazing film.
In essence most of the film is good but the ending is very flat and leaves no impact upon you the audience. Instead the ending turns into some artistic expression by the director who really ruins the entire tone of the film with the ending.
The movie ticks along nicely drawing you in and building tension but in truth even here it falls a little flat and by the end of the movie you really don't care about anyone in the movie as it all just falls flat. The movie does very little to help you connect with either the terrorists or the hostages other than to elude to the Rosamund Pike character being possibly deranged?
The movie is not meant to be an action flick with guns blazing and a hero who saves the hostages and anyone who has done even a little amount of research on the film will know that already before watching it. The problem is the movie is almost devoid of any violence what so ever its almost like it has been sanitised for a certain viewing audience; this in turn leaves the viewer disconnected from any passion that could have been in the film. It also makes building tension very hard in the film as you have no sense of the hostages being in any real danger.
The ending instead of having you rooted to your seat and having your heart in your mouth watching to see if the hostages survive or if the plan goes horribly wrong or if the German terrorists will have a change of heart or and the list goes on but sadly its all glossed over in favour of a strange dance routine and a diatribe of explanations at the end in monochromatic pictures.
If you have desire or passion to watch the movie for some reason then its worth a watch but otherwise I'd avoid it as the movie as a whole will just let you down and you will feel disappointed having watched it.
In Darkness (2018)
I'm a little confused
I enjoyed the movie right up until the 'dramatic' reveal at the end.
It's a movie that feels like it was written in parts and then everyone took a break and came back to it after a while and no one sat down and read through it again to make sure it all made sense.
It tries very hard to be an intelligent thriller with as it turns out a reveal at the end that I guess was meant to be the big twist.
The problem is that the big twist at the end assuming it was a big twist and reveal is that she is in fact not blind and has been pretending all along which creates A LOT of plot holes in the movie you have just watched.
The other possible explanation is that the traumatic experience that caused her to go blind when she was a kid was reversed by the traumatic experience that she suffers at the end of the movie BUT the BIG problem is the movie does not explain either; in fact in a series of flashbacks it hints at she may have been able to see all along but that creates HUGE plot holes in the movie. For example why she simply didn't stop 'pretending' to be blind for ten seconds and slip the poison into the bad guys drink as she had planned before she dropped the vial.
Its one of these movies that could have been a great movie but it loses its way somewhere along the telling of the story and then just leaves you feeling confused and asking what was that all about at the end of the movie rather than the intended feeling of satisfaction that she 'won' the movie plot and how clever she was to pull off that deception
Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)
Power Rangers in disguise
I'm not sure you can blame the writers for this one and I think even the director does their best with the material they have.
The first movie Pacific Rim was a fun mech movie that was aimed at the 18-35 crowd but this movie it seems has been aimed at the 8-12 year old crowd and thats one of the reasons it fails.
Its almost as if the movie was written by the writers with the first movie in mind and you can see parts of a that in this but at some point it seems that a stupid exec or idiotic casing director decided to cast two young actors in their mid to late twenties as the main leads that then becomes ridiculous as they are playing the roles of experienced veterans on screen. Supposedly battle hardened Yager pilots who are ready to teach the next generation. This then sets up the next ridiculous thing from an adults point of view they then cast the rookie pilots all in the age range of around 16 so the young leads can appear more veteran and its been done before and yes that movie was pretty awful too.
The comedy is childish and the acting is what you would expect for a movie aimed at kids.
The action is good but I couldn't but help feel like I was watching a video game rather than a big movie production.
This could have been taken in the opposite direction to become a Mech franchise leading to clan wars with the occasional Kayju thrown in but sadly they went this direction and pretty much like Power Rangers bombed at the box office I really expect this will do pretty much the same.
If you have young kids they might enjoy it but for anyone else its just pretty awful.
Wildling (2018)
A twist on the old tale of coming of age.
Its hard to say exactly who the film is aimed at as I can see it appealing to all ages and genders for different reasons.
In essence its a coming of age movie about a young girl discovering herself and adapting to the world she finds herself in.
Its quite obvious to see why Bel Powley was cast as the main lead as she does such an amazing job of portraying someone with animalistic characteristics and equally as a child stepping into a young adults world for the first time.
If you are looking for a horror slasher gory monster movie then this really isn't it although there are some scenes of gore and violence its really more of a tangled love story about a girl finding her belonging in the world she finds herself thrust into.
While its entertaining and intriguing for the most part and as others have already stated it is obvious where the film is going but this none the less doesn't detract from the enjoyable experience.
Would I personally pay full price for this in a cinema? Probably not. Pay to stream it on download for the family; sure.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
An acting masterclass
This movie clearly is not going to be for everyone as you have to keep up with it and it can be quite surreal at times.
The actual main plot is relatively simple and in many respects it replicates a lot of movies that have done it in the past but spices things up by adding a few twists such as the 'hero' being deeply flawed and yet retaining a deep sense of duty to certain morals.
A picture paints a thousand words and deeds speak louder than words spring to mind when recalling this movie as it is more about physical acting than any great dialogue. It is impactful and memorable for what the actors portray rather than any great diatribe performed by any one particular player.
There were certain elements that almost swayed me not to like the film so much but that could just be my personal preference such as the use of the mood setting music and noises but without it due to the lack of dialogue the movie would probably have seemed fairly quiet.
Also with the title being what it was and the main lead being a deeply troubled man I had reservations as to whether it would all be in his head and it would turn out he imagined it all; thankfully the story does not unfold like that although ultimately its up to you to decide quite how the movie ends.
The Void (2016)
A B movie horror packed with cliches
If you like B movie horrors packed with predictable cliches you have seen time and time again then you will enjoy this movie otherwise its best avoided.
A good book but a poor film which the execs had no faith in and gave it a limited release resulting in a poor turn out from the cinema going crowd.
Ultimately I think the director has to carry the can on this one as its all very predictable and very formulaic in its delivery kind of like a grad student project.
Downsizing (2017)
What did I just watch.....
I'm still not entirely sure what I just watched but I remember seeing a movie from the 1960's with little people but they were attacked by giant ants.
Its a shame this movie didn't have giant ants attacking people as it would have added something to it I think but sadly no there were only giant butterflies.
In all seriousness though I think the movie was meant to highlight the over population of the world and the finite resources that we all survive upon. Interestingly it briefly highlights the fact as a species we nearly all died out around 70-100 thousand years ago.
There are some philosophical issues touched upon in the film but all in all its confusing as a whole being as its neither one thing or another in the sense that you are never quite sure what type of movie you are watching. At times it can be darkly comedic and swings from drama to surreal voyeurism.
All in all there are some thinly veiled points in the movie but its doubtful this movie will have a profound impact on anyone.
Good cast but strange direction and even stranger story over all.
Lycan (2017)
Horrifying but for the wrong reasons
This movie looks more like a project a teen director would put together for their finals.
The best thing about the movie is the music tracks it has some lovely music in it.
The acting is about on par for the whole movie its not as bad as 1970s b movies but not as good as some polished TV dramas As for the story.....Its confusing and convoluted at best and just down right awful in parts.
With a reputed 1/4 million budget its hard to see where it was spent but I'm guessing a lot of it went of red corn syrup.
Save your time and money and watch Dog Soldiers or American Werewolf in London if you want to see a decent werewolf movie.
A better title would have been canine as there are no werewolves in this movie
Dunkirk (2017)
A poignant reminder of so many owing so much to so few
Is this a great classic that will last the test of time? Probably not. Does it suffer from Nolan chronology? A little, yes.
Is it a poignant reminder of the deeds of so few to ensure the freedoms that so many take for granted in today's world we live? Yes it is.
If you are expecting an epic war film with bullets and bombs aplenty then you really should stay clear or rather perhaps you shouldn't and go watch it to educate yourself as this is a movie more about the people who find themselves thrust into wars and their actions throughout.
The movie does nothing to glorify war and nearly steers clear of making a hero out of anyone in the movie altogether instead it highlights the deeds and spirit of the British people during wartime.
It was also a nice touch for those that remembered the movie Battle of Britain made back in the 60's starring a young Michael Caine as a fighter pilot to have him as a cameo in the same role albeit as a voice over only.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Chapter 2 same as Chapter 1
If you liked chapter one then you will enjoy chapter two just as much if not more. It is essentially the same movie with a few different twists and turns but all the same action that made the first one so enjoyable.
If you liked the first one then watch the second as it has all the same entertainment as the first.
Also as an added bonus you will feel the urge to watch the Matrix after watching this. Maybe even Carrie Anne Moss will appear in Chapter 3?
The Dark Tower (2017)
A confusing and somewhat dull adaptation
Sometimes great books make for great films especially in this day of CGi when films no longer fall short in bringing to life what our imaginations brought to life in our mind from the pages of the book.
Sadly as with a lot of book to film cross overs in this day and age the fan base for books and comic books is not what it used to be and you of course always run the risk of what is someone's imagined idea of what the book characters, setting and story should be will not always translate into what the vast majority of us think it should have been.
All that aside this movie is essentially a kids movie that revolves around a child actor (teen) and movies with a child actor as the main star have not done well at the box office since E.T It has a 12A certificate in UK.
Yes Edris and Mathew do fine jobs facing off against one another but they revolve around the kid and you can't help but feel you are watching a kids movie rather than a kid caught up in a nightmarish adults world.
Ultimately it would have made a better mini movie series on Netflix than on the bigscreen
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
Deadpool without the costume
This is about as close to Deadpool as you are going to get without Ryan Reynolds actually putting the costume on.
Is it an amazing piece of cinematography...probably not. Is it a funny action movie with a lot of laugh out loud moments in it.....yes it is.
Jackson is playing the usual smart ass guy he has been type cast as since die hard 2 and Reynolds is, as I said earlier, playing Deadpool without the costume.
The rest of the cast do their jobs well especially Salma Hayek who is just as beautiful and sexy now at 50 as she was 21 years ago in Dusk till Dawn.
Arrival (2016)
Enjoyable until it becomes predictable
Having read quite a few really positive reviews for this movie and watched the trailer I was very much looking forward to watching it and I really did enjoy it for the first half of the movie but......sadly there is a but.
The direction, sets, cinematography, special effects, acting everything in fact is just fine and even great in some aspects I'm sure but.....
I'm not going to spoil the movie and explain how it ends but I will say that the movie gets to a certain point and it becomes very obvious where it will end and the direction the movie is heading in which doesn't make it a bad ending as such it just becomes a predictable one; at least it was for me. This spoiled what was an otherwise enjoyable film.
This is very much a thinking mans/woman's science fiction movie; I only wish I had switched off and not figured out the ending to what is a very different kind of sci-fi flick from star wars or star trek.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
The problem with this movie and any other science fiction movie is....
In many ways Star Wars has ruined science fiction because it has become generational and intrinsically part of western culture it is how people now perceive any space saga set in.....well......space or outer space on planets. They have a vanilla flavor in the form of Star Wars and if its changed it has to be something different yet still relatable.
Every and I mean every recent BIG science fiction space alien movie has bombed at the box office because of those reasons and this movie is no different.
If Hollywood wants a new science fiction franchise it needs to think relatable and original. Star Wars was such a big hit because it was so relatable and original (to a degree) It was essentially a remake of any number of 1950/60's medieval Hollywood prince princess black knight wizard standard romp.......hell they even call Obi-1 a wizard at one point. Avatar is a good example.....its sci-fi on another planet with aliens but there is something familiar about those aliens and its basically just the story of Colonial Americans massacring native Americans for their lands so its all relatable.
Sadly as good as this movie is it just isn't relatable for most movie goers......its aliens are just too alien and everything going on is just fine if you know the back story already but its a little too much for most people to just pick up and run with.
Going in Style (2017)
Enjoyable light hearted comedy drama
I'm not sure this movie will appeal to everyone but if you know the actors and relate to them like I do having grown up watching them at the movies or on the television; you will find this movie to be a very lovely warm tale with many moments of comedy and a lot of just smiling and enjoying the ride as the movie flickers on.
In essence the bad guys in the movie are the corporate bank and the ruthless business out to save money at any cost. Which leads to the three of them, Caine, Freeman and Arkin to portray a modern day trio of robin hoods and scheme to right the wrongs they feel have been dealt by the money grubbers in the movie.
It well directed and written; the main cast show their pedigree as veteran screen actors and the supporting cast members all play their part well.
Well worth the viewing time