compugor Reviews

Soundwave (2018)

Lurking Tom

[7/10 · 8 May 2024]

Stilted acting all around but appropriate for each of the oddball characters. The ultra genius nerdishily awkward kid protagonist builds a device using old radio transistor parts motivated by wanting to listen in on what happened to his father in the past which seems innocent enough but the device also removes the expectation of privacy for anybody who has ever said anything. He hooks up with a fellow flake in the form of a suicidal hottie with a troubled past which she also desperately wants to listen in on. A well-intentioned but naive detective and a whatever-it-is-I'm-against-it shopkeeper fall victims to the sociopathic bad guys serving mammon and bereft of any moral compass. The effects are quite cheesy and mostly just stop action framing but it remains engaging throughout and has a satisfying ending. Not a must-see but worth the watch.

Sight: Extended (2023)

Virtual Wanksta

[5/10 · 7 May 2024]

A mediocre knock-off of the Black Mirror productions, the story takes place in a world where eye contact lenses have built-in apps that overlay and integrate with thoughts and actions. The agoraphobic Pee Wee Herman type protagonist gets spam scammed by an app that seems to improve his life but turns out to be expensive and takes control of everything he does. After he has become completely dependent upon it, the app is taken from him and he crash lands as an inmate in a mental institution where he gets another version of the app as an alternative to hard time in jail and it turns out to be conducive to his happiness while he is incarcerated. Take it or leave it.

From Other Worlds (2004)

Uniquely endearing

[10/10 · 29 April 2024]

Superb character development of the lead as she starts out as a cold, dumpy housewife and goes through hilarious situations that metamorphosize her to thermonuclear hotness, wow. By the end of the story she looked to be on the verge of spontaneous combustion, like dayum. The supporting actors were all excellent as well in their distinctive roles which all fit in perfectly with the quirky premise and story line. The agent man from FBI, CIA, triple-a, take your pick, and the library clerk combined to deliver tongue in cheek comedy gold. This movie draws you in, tickles your funny bone and touches your heart. Bravo.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Hot Phoenix

[9/10 · 15 April 2024]

Big budget science fiction extravaganza with plenty of action and special effects featuring classic X-Men, new mutants, powerful aliens and no Wolverine. Sophie Turner carried the titular lead role very well while being constantly on the verge of spontaneously combusting. Professor X needed to put his hater blockers on because he was getting undeservedly hated on and there was too much syrupy-sappy emotional drama subplot palaver going on. Seeing Jean kick the arse individually of every single human, mutant and alien is a beautiful thing to behold. So it is now established that she is the most powerful and awesome of all the marvel characters... she could probably kick superman's butt as well. Bravo.

Black Site (2018)

Worst of the Worst

[1/10 · 14 April 2024]

Stunningly stupid with terrible acting, dark dumb screenplay that becomes unwatchable and evidently no budget to finance any of the production necessities to make an even a watchable film. Its so bad that it is rather insulting and ultra idiotic. Moronic employees of the no budget black site building fighting against gods encased in humans with nothing more than batons and flashlights while the 'gods' have swords that can pierce right through no budget body armor. The special effects were limited to white eyeballs which they only had three of so they had to share two for one actor and one for another.

The Darkest Hour (2011)

A Parody of Dumbness

[1/10 · 12 April 2024]

What a waste of Joel Kinneman playing an idiotic dork in the midst of a bunch of idiotic dork kids acting oh so idiotically for much too long of a running time. The acting was so corny and the people exposed to life threatening situations reduced to their primal instinct of acting idiotically is overplayed throughout. One of the girls was so annoying that cheers go up when she gets reduced to ashes like good riddance. Couldn't care less about any of the remaining characters and the plot was so stale that there is no regret at stopping watching it after they made it to the submarine and idiotically emoted up another mission; couldn't stand it any longer.

Bulletproof Monk (2003)

LoFi Fantasy Fun

[8/10 · 10 April 2024]

This is a movie you can just relax and enjoy without worrying too much about plot details. It aptly presents a nice float along fairy tale with coolness and humor. The acting and special effects are adequate for the occasion. The baddies prevailed a bit too much and greater retribution for their treachery was withheld. A much more extensive beat down of the female baddie and the arch bad guy would've been preferred but you can always watch one of the Equalizer movies to satisfy any craving for vengeance not provided by the bulletproof monk played well by Chow Yun-Fat who puts grace above power.

The Beyond (2017)

Boring and Stupid

[1/10 · 9 April 2024]

Shooting a science fiction movie like a documentary did not work. Impulsive idiocy on display by a bunch of know nothing know-it-alls. The build up was so dull and corny you may not make it to the plot point of transferring brains to enter a void romantically conjectured to be a worm hole, as if their knowledge base was on a par with Starfleet academy in the 25th century. Hopefully the head honchette's brain gets transferred and sent into the void. You'll have to suffer through the classified mind you reality show presentation of all the self-righteous curiosity of space agency elitists. People are worried about paying their rent and they just have to know what's on the other side of something that they already lost an astronaut to and wild-guessing that its a so called wormhole with a so called habitable planet on another side, if it even has another side that is.

Beyond the Trek (2017)

Beyond the Genre

[7/10 · 7 April 2024]

The premise is intriguing but what is grippingly engaging about this film is the outfits hugging the bodies of the genetically enhanced chickstronauts like dayum especially the lead hottie. 5 stars for that even if it is for a different genre of film. But I digress. The acting is good enough to effectively portray the genetically controlled crew losing self-control: the captain becoming a temperamental dork, the doctor a forgetful sadist, the interpreter an emotional wreck, the I T guy a romantic lover boy. Can't say much about the 1st officer whose outfit eclipses any character traits. Overall not bad. Repentance may be required.

Breaking Infinity (2023)

Pleasantly Engaging

[9/10 · 6 April 2024]

Rating based on entertainment value not on production extravaganza. Giving it a 9 instead of a 10 only because of the lack of production extravaganza. After all production extravaganza adds to the entertainment value of a production. Plus contributes to the required character count by using phrases in multiple instances using extravaganza four times. Anyway while not big budget extravagant the acting and directing are good and the characters are engaging with good chemistry between the likeable leads. Intriguing premise aptly brought to the screen on an obvious shoe-string budget. Enjoyable satisfying.

OtherLife (2017)

Tedious Strain

[2/10 · 1 April 2024]

Cheesy kaleidoscope effects with a female lead who would be much more easy to look at if not portraying such an idiotically troubled smarty-pants protagonist character who would be much more likeable if not so impulsively aggressive and witchy. The premise is interesting but only engaging in short intervals in between melodramatic emotional overacting about situations the viewer does not know or for that matter care about. The plot gets so convoluted and drags on without enough continuity between the attempted twists in the story which don't really work and don't really matter. Not much satisfaction to be found throughout and ends flatly.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Exquisitely Strange

[9/10 · 25 March 2024]

Perhaps his best effort, it is a tribute to the acting prowess of Jake Gyllenhaal that he has been able to grow out of a Donnie Darko typecast, as his portrayal of the title character was perfect. All of the characters were developed to be quite likeable within the quirky venue of the film. Maggie Gyllenhaal, the real-life sister of Jake, plays Elizabeth Darko, Donnie's sister in the movie, which is pretty cool, and she does an excellent job as well. The opening scene with dialog over family dinner was one of the most enjoyably hilarious scenes ever filmed. The Darko parents were characterized brilliantly, with Mary McDonnell delivering the perfect deer-in-the-headlights / you-gotta-be-kidding-me attitude, and Holmes Osborne bringing to life possibly my favorite movie character of all time as the super-cool and funny dad. The rest of the cast, including notables Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle and Patrick Swayze; the bad boys, the dancing girls, with honorable mention for Jolene Purdy as Cherita Chen and Beth Grant as Kitty Farmer all deserve kudos. Of course credit goes to stellar direction of the gripping screenplay. The soundtrack is fantastic. This film would be a solid 10 if not for the plot being so unintelligible; either way it is a cult classic collector's item for sure, well-worthy of multiple viewings.

Red Queen (2024)

Just awful

[1/10 · 21 March 2024]

Utterly boring, awkward and dumb, this nonsense is unwatchable... maybe you have to have read the books to not bail out before the end of the first episode, because otherwise there's no reason to continue suffering through this dark, weird, snooze fest with terrible acting and no redeeming value. Making matters worse, the dubbing is so bad that the subtitles hardly ever display what is being spoken, to a ridiculous extent, for example one of the horrible characters might say "never mind" and it displays as "I told you to forget it", and not just occasionally but throughout all the stilted dialog. Thumbs way down.

Deus (2022)

Torture

[2/10 · 17 March 2024]

The pacing of this incredibly boring snooze fest is slow slower and slowest. One big long take of irritatingly unlikeable characters delivering their lines in slow motion with extended gaps of silence even between words. All the characters talked slow, walked slow and thought slow performing in slow motion somehow makes for a more engaging sequence of events. If you can somehow stand the stark dark dullery as it looks like its going to end but keeps melodramatically trudging along until you will be begging for it to end. The acting was terrible and the lighting was non-existent. Not a bad plot premise but painfully executed.

The Creator (2023)

Almost Epic

[8/10 · 16 March 2024]

Blockbuster level screenplay and special effects with John David Washington delivering a fine performance on a par with his protagonist in Tenet. Gemma Chan invariably spruces up the visuals which were overall outstanding with stunning cinematography. More than a tad too long and drawn out and uncomfortably awkward in parts but the film is engaging throughout to the frustrating ending with alternate views to choose from or embrace as the plot straddles between reality and dream. Smacks of Blade Runner , I Robot and many other AI based presentations. The futuristic military technology featured includes awesome tactical and surveillance devices as well as super weapons of destruction.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Top Shelf Overkill

[8/10 · 14 March 2024]

Exceptional effects and plenty of action throughout the long running time. It might be a good idea to take analgesic medication beforehand. The premise is fleshed-out or should I say teched-out well, and the storyline remains intriguing with superb casting/acting/direction making Alita: Battle Angel a must see and a sequel to be hoped for. Fine shades of persona are well presented in the characters portrayed: some likeable, some hateable and some in between. The tragic circumstances are not overemphasized to a flaw as they are not taken too seriously but rather entertainment is maximized by the deadly angelic action.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Dimensional Anomaly

[7/10 · 7 March 2024]

Starts out incredibly dull and slow, with introductory credits dragged out on screen for far too long before finally beginning the build-up. Once the action starts and the premise is eventually discerned (perhaps watching it as part of the "Cloverfield" series of films is essential) it becomes an intriguing sci-fi / horror show with solid acting and decent special effects as it presents a mind-bending, chaotic space adventure to where no one has gone before notwithstanding that the dimensional rifting concept is nothing new. Even so the characters are made believable by the fine performances of the cast. Pacing drags too much and for too long back to the subplot on the original earth of the husband of one of the astronauts using a cell phone.

Triangle (2009)

Hot Horror

[9/10 · 7 March 2024]

If Melissa George was any hotter she would spontaneously combust and yet she projected being freaked out and distraught in tune with the circumstances of the eerily horrible storyline so that her physical attributes provided bonus eye candy in the utterly engaging screenplay. This is one of the creepiest thrillers ever put on film, and with the mysterious time-loop element added in it is exceptionally watchable. Even so, it is depressing through to the bitter open end as it depicts a hellish experience with no redemption in sight and not even a hint of hope for any way out of the tortuous conundrum.

Glass Onion (2022)

More Layers than Laughs

[8/10 · 3 March 2024]

Convoluted and murky story line presented with stunning visuals. Fine performances by the entire cast but much of the humor falls flat. Still a fun romp, and the extended reveal using the cinematic technique of flashbacks from differing perspectives adds to the intrigue. Intentionally preposterous, you can just enjoy the spectacle of the venue and the eccentricity of the characters, most notably Daniel Craig's detective Blanc as a Columbo style sleuth in the midst of all the disingenuous personalities making up the pool of suspects. The entire denouement is fittingly melodramatic and pompously exhilarating.

Sanctioning Evil (2022)

Actioning Against Evil

[7/10 · 2 March 2024]

Gratifying to see that instead of all the lamenting about the horrible scourge of this particularly sordid evil some are willing to do something about it at great personal risk. Those who have been most directly hurt by the impact of this wickedness on them due to loved ones being victimized by it are motivated to do something about it especially when they have the appropriate skill set and nothing much else to lose. Engaging screenplay and good character development throughout the thickening plot. Slow going pace and the dark somber circumstances are made less depressing by the personal power portrayed by the lead operative.

Ava (IV) (2020)

Frustrating Flayva

[3/10 · 28 February 2024]

Lots of hateable characters in this half-arse film, especially, Ava's sister, Simon (Farrell) and Simon's henchbeotch daughter. Tony (Common) was out of place and the only one likeable is Duke (Malkovich). Even the lead anti-heroine's role was bogged down with way too much personal drama. Besides which she is unconvincing and the screenplay is ridiculous. Suspending disbelief is easier when there is at least something to root for, but Ava is much more pitiable than even at all believable. Geena Davis as Ava's mother was grotesque. The hanging ending adds to the frustration as the henchbeotch daughter follows Ava. We can only hope Ava does her like she did her father but we are denied any such gratification.

End of a Gun (2016)

Another Seagull Parody

[2/10 · 25 February 2024]

Seagull's movies have become parodies of himself, attempting to compensate with the display of tasty chicks. His bedroom scenes are hilarious, with him in a turtle neck and leather jacket; thankfully the viewing audience is spared him being even partially unclothed. The best these productions can hope for is to be campy spoofs. The dialog is absurd; acting is non-existent. The rawnchy inuendo is becoming more & more intolerable. Seagull's invulnerability can always be counted on, so there's never any real tension to worry about. Eye-rolling philosophical utterances in a ridiculously phony accent add to the ridiculousness.

Dead Zone (2022)

Defunctionalized Zone

[2/10 · 21 February 2024]

Even fans of Michael Jai White must admit that this is a real stinker, as nothing works in this movie. Jai White is cool of course, and riffs off some cool military lingo like "ceilings & sixes", while making all the cool military hand signs (backwards fist for "hold up" ; two fingers pointed at the eyes for "look this way" etc but their equipment doesn't work and the dialog is presented from inside their helmets. The shot/counter-shot is quite tedious especially with the audio and the breathing apparatus malfunctioning. The special effects are lousy with the enemy creature being a really bad knock-off combination of Alien/Predator obviously portrayed by a man in a monster mask. Most of the footage is so dark that it is a strain to watch. 2 stars for Jai White who always wins.

Anna (II) (2019)

Dangerously Delightful

[9/10 · 20 February 2024]

The anti-heroine is presented as a sleek and sensual killing machine with the skills of Wonder Woman, who also just happens to have the expertise of James Bond and John Wick as well. Glitzy and gritty at the same time, to say this film is engaging is a vast understatement. The screen presence of the lead actress is riveting as the ultimate femme fatale. The screenplay is superb, with action effects comparable to the Resident Evil flicks albeit lower tech. The supporting cast delivers par excellence, as the characters develop through the twists & turns. The time-jumping narrative adds to the intrigue and makes it worthy of a second viewing.

Portals (2019)

Bloody Disgusting

[1/10 · 21 January 2024]

Not to mention frustratingly stupid, dumb and dull. Dragged out, annoying shock and zombie motif with emphasis on the annoying dialog and acting which is so stiff and idiotic with no redeeming value to speak of; certainly not any recognizable plot or coherent story arc. Oh and the special effects were no special in the slightest just warp speed into a cheesy looking monolith which epitomizes UNoriginality. Embarrassing to have watched the whole thing through, it did provide a few moments of unintended hilarity once you realize its a schlock shock flick. Berating the characters audibly while watching helps get through it with some release of tension.