brainwerx-1 Reviews

Fallout (2024– )

Before "The Last of Us"

[8/10 · 30 April 2024]

This game came out before "The Last of Us", and that game is just a more brutal adaptation of this game. Both series, as a result are quite good. After watching both, I can honestly say that I prefer this version. Its dark humour, its dystopian I love it. The choice of music is excellent and adds to the dystopian feel of the show. I can't wait to see what they do with the second series in the show. The ending certainly opens up a bunch of possibilities.

This show is really about a version of Edgar Allan Poe's "the Story of Dr. Tar and Professor Feather", or as they say in the show "what happens when the ranchers have more power than the sheriff". In the end, we still don't find out, really. We just see that they are just two sides of the same coin.

Monkey Man (2024)

A bit of a mess at times.

[7/10 · 27 April 2024]

Overall a great story and great action. Not really seeing the John Wick thing. Maybe more of a die hard connection. Either way it's a good story, good characters. I do like Dev Patel and the things he does. He is a well rounded and talented actor, producer, writer. He has definitely moved beyond where he started.

Honestly, this movie could be set in any big city and still work. That he set it in a location he knows best is fantastic. He has insight into the locale. That is what makes the movie work. The struggle that everyone feels to get out from under their respective circumstances. The things that a person has to do to leave things behind. The sacrifice (wanted, unwanted and needed).

Definitely worth a watch.

MacGyver (2016–2021)

It's just bad

[4/10 · 26 April 2024]

I understand rebooting a show. You can't compare the original. Different eras. Different sensibilities etc. That isn't the issue, at least for me. The issues are 1) acting - it's mediocre at best 2) writing - predictable and just poor 3) the premise - poorly thought out and just not done well (see 2 and 1, above). Overall unless you are just not that bright and want everything spoon fed (or you're 10 years old), this show will hurt your brain. It has very little to redeem it and I tried. I tried watching it. In fact I gave it 5 episodes. Hoping it would get better. It didn't. Nothing happened.

It's not worth the brain cells.

Blue Lights (2023– )

great series

[8/10 · 25 April 2024]

Let's get this out of the way: it's a slow, sometimes painfully so. The action can get a bit intense, but it is infrequent. I think that the show is trying to show the drudgery of everyday life as a cop in Northern Ireland. I'm not Irish. Clearly. I do like good police shows as long as they are not as formulaic as the North American ones tend to be. This is not. Is it dull at times? Yes. Is it well acted and scripted? Yes. Does it seem to reflect what goes on in Northern Ireland? I don't know. I think it does. It's unfortunate that they killed off Richard Dormer's character in the first series. I like him as an actor, and I think he would have been great going forward. But, that is not my decision. Regardless, great show. Worth watching... FYI, the second series is much better, and apparently there are 2 more planned.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Garbage

[2/10 · 21 April 2024]

The first of these was horrible and I gave it a 3. This movie, which I was hoping would be better, is not. It deserves worse... but I'm being kind.

Basically is just a crappy remake the Seven Samurai, or Magnificent Seven, if you prefer the American versions. The story is weak. The writing is horrible. I can't actually believe that this was purchased by a studio for anything. Since usually the movie is worse than the book, I can't even begin to think of goes bad the book is.

Overall, the actors are good and I expected better from them. But, there is only so much you can do with a crappy script.

Road House (2024)

Overall better than expected

[7/10 · 26 March 2024]

The only downside to the movie was Conor McGregor. His acting is not great. But, I'm not sure if that is just the way he moves or the director just couldn't get him to act.

Jake Gyllenhaal was great. He did a really good job at playing the lead. He was likeable, and tough. Everyone else in the movie was good, just not Conor McGregor. It kind of turned me off.

Overall the movie was a good updated version. It was different enough that you can appreciate both for different reasons. Honestly, I kind of like the update.

Yes, times are different and most remakes suck. This one didn't suck. It is not a perfect movie, just a great deal of fun.

3 Body Problem (2024)

Great series

[8/10 · 23 March 2024]

Love the series. But, honestly, I've never seen a bunch of more selfish individuals that are essentially just wimps. The interesting thing is that there is one truly amazing character amongst the main character's and he is initially presented as the weakest. But, he turns out to be the strongest of them all. The others are just wildly annoying and painful to watch.

I had heard of the books. I knew of the 3 Body problem from maths. The series, as I said, is really well done and's I love it. But they really could have made the main characters more likeable. Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham are great as always.

The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2021– )

good background noise

[6/10 · 20 March 2024]

This is a mediocre show, but it's not bad. Basically Death in Paradise meets Murder She Wrote... both equally mediocre shows.

Overall it is enjoyable, with some annoying characters, and typical brits, mostly overweight. The acting is better than I expected. But, overall, it is just a so so show with not much mystery. Most of the 'mysteries' are easy to solve, even not watching and having it in the background as noise I can figure it out relatively easily. Some of the actors are better than others, some are overacting like crazy... I blame that on direction... but as I said... it's not a bad background show.

Madame Web (2024)

not great, but not bad

[6/10 · 16 March 2024]

Ok, the movie is a bit of a mess. It isn't all that great... The writing is predictable, but overall, it's not as bad as some of the reviews would have you think. I can't help thinking that the writers just didn't get the concept. The 4 main characters were good, and you were able to see where they were coming from and where they were going. It was a messy ride though.

To be fair, I was never a fan of the Madame Web character, if in the graphic novels/comics. But, I thought I would give it a go, since I never want to believe really bad reviews, as I always think that (especially where there are female leads) the reviewers have issues with female heroes. As I said, is it great? No. Is it worth a look? Yes. Just understand that it is a good concept, but it could have been better.

Damsel (2024)

better than expected

[7/10 · 10 March 2024]

Were there some plot holes? Yep. Glaring. Was it boring at times? Absolutely!

But, was it, overall, a fun movie? Yes.

The movie is basically about the usual: revenge for what humans did, and the deal they made to keep themselves alive while sacrificing others.

Basically, it is a story of how greed, lies and fear will be the ruin of anyone. The girl that faced her fears, and realised that it was all a lie survives. Not a particularly original concept, but a good story overall. As I said above, it is not a perfect story by any stretch of the imagination. Which is generally my problem with many modern writers: a lack of imagination.

I still think it is worth the watch.

Anyone But You (2023)

much ado about nothing is right...

[5/10 · 19 February 2024]

This movie tries too hard to be a comedy, more to the point a romantic comedy. It fails. There is little chemistry between anyone. Honestly, why would you have Rachel Griffiths playing an American?!

I started out being doubtful about the quality of the movie and it really did not disappoint. They tried some physical comedy, they tried some romance... about the only really interesting thing is how they inserted the quotes from the actual play "Much Ado About Nothing" into the movie. They are interesting in that they can act as chapter headings for the movie. Aside from that they rest of the cast is blah... if you get a chance to see this movie... don't.

The Marvels (2023)

a mess

[5/10 · 12 February 2024]

This movie is just a mess. They tried. But, overall the entire movie makes no sense. It feels very much like a filler 'episode' in a series. They wanted to fill some gaps and introduce other characters, but in the end, they simply did nothing more than make a confusing movie. You know it's a problem when the cats are the best part of the movie. Sadly they are only on for about 20 minutes in total. The rest of the movie you are simply sitting there wondering when it will get better, or when this thing will start to make any real sense in the entire MCU - hint, it never does. Frankly, if you never see this movie you will not miss a thing.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )

Slow build but watchable.

[6/10 · 2 February 2024]

The original movie was not bad. It had a dry humour that appealed. The two characters in this are put together awkwardly and this series watches them as they evolve into the team they are in the movie. Both of them, Danny Glover and Maya Erskine, are good in their roles. They are feeling each other out, as well as figuring out who they're working for and why.

Is it the best series on prime? No. Is it better than Citadel, which is a huge piece of crap. These two are likeable, interesting to watch. The writing is good. If a bit slow. It's immensely watchable. I don't know why all the really negative reviews.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

7 samurai

[3/10 · 23 December 2023]

Is it me or is this just a space opera remake of the seven samurai, the magnificent seven, if you prefer. Ultimately it's seven 'outlaws' against the evil empire or whatever. The idea sounds great. The seven samurai is a classic after all.

That said, the movie, or more specifically, part one, doesn't really grab anything. They made everyone too generic. Killed off the actors or characters that had real potential to save the ones with known names. There are many ways this could have been done better, not use Zack Snyder, possibly may have been one option. His movies are stilted and lifeless. This is a mediocre movie at best. Not nearly worth the hype.

The Golden Hour (2022– )

Bad decisions

[6/10 · 19 December 2023]

This series is pretty typical: rogue cop that has the answers, and nobody believes him. They suspect him and behave accordingly.

Basically the series is about a number of bad decisions made by everyone because everyone assumes the worst about everyone else. It's about xenophobia, mistrust and assumptions about who an individual is or isn't based on their background. In short, it is all about profiling of people.

The other problem is, at least for me, none of the characters are particularly likeable. The acting is good, and I have seen the actors in other things. But, as I said, none of these characters are likeable. While the series is good, you really don't care if the characters live or die.

Freelance (2023)

Good tv or streamer

[6/10 · 29 November 2023]

The movie is actually better than I expected. I watched it for two reasons: Alison Brie. Sadly, I did not see enough of those reasons. But, John Cena, is quite good as is the guy that plays the president/dictator.

As always Marton Csokas plays a great bad guy. As I say the movie is not bad. Don't expect much. It's kind of like The Runaway, with Dwayne Johnson. A lot of running around. A lot of shooting. But a great deal of blood. It's a fun watch. Unlike the most recent Sandra Bullock movie, which was horrible, but in the same vain. Overall it's a fun way to kill a couple of hours. Don't expect award winning writing. It's not going to win anything. Just enjoy it for what it is.

Code 8 (2019)

Better than expected

[7/10 · 11 November 2023]

I was looking around for things to watch. Came across this. Overall it is not bad. Not great. But definitely worth a watch. There is a part II coming out shortly apparently. I guess more people liked it than not.

The Amiel brothers are pretty good. They're not great actors to begin with but they aren't bad the other actors are good for super. Greg Bryk never fails to deliver. Sung Kang is good as always.

Again if you have nothing better to watch this is worth a look. Is it the best thing out there? No. Does it have potential to be a good movie series? Yes. But, they would need better lead actors.

The Lions of Sicily (2023– )

Options.

[7/10 · 3 November 2023]

This is a great series. The English is horrible. But, you can change it to Italian, French etc. Likewise the subtitles. This is the saga of a family that has a lot of ups and downs. At times it's frustrating to watch. But a great series.

All the reviews that talk about the language thing have not tried to change the language. There are options. I like the series and do not understand how the complainers never thought to look. You don't like something and never look to see if you can change it? Seriously?

I hope that they choose to do more with it. I would love to see another part of this saga.

Jo (2013)

Good series but

[6/10 · 10 October 2023]

Why do American series need to ruin certain things. You are in France. They use kilometres not miles. Why are you stating distances in imperial, in a country that uses metric.

Jean Reno, as usual, is great. As are all the other actors, that are British or from the UK. But, instead of allowing them to use their real accents, they have to use American accents that, in some cases, are barely passable. Overall I enjoyed the series. But, honestly, that just made things a bit laughable. Knowing that they are UK actors. As well, if you're in France, use French pronunciations. Not American. Again, this is taking away from the show.

Cursed (2020)

The majority are right

[6/10 · 13 September 2023]

The series has a lot of potential. But, it is wasted. There are some great scenes and the idea is sound. But this is really a great example of wasted potential. I'm not sure if it is the writing, the acting (it's not great), or a combination of the two.

The scenery is great. The locations are fantastic. If they had stayed more closely to the Arthurian legend it may have been a better story. As it is they are kind of running parallel to it but not. I think my main problem is with the actors that plays Nimue. She is bland. Gustaf Skarsgard is great, as usual. He clearly was not struggling too hard with this character. But, still did a great job.

Overall my vote of 6 is kind. It is worth a look. But don't expect much.

Futurama: Rage Against the Vaccine (2023) Season 11, Episode 7

one of the best episodes

[9/10 · 4 September 2023]

This was a great episode. It absolutely brought home the science, all the while skewering all the misinformation around it. It explained the science perfectly and, again, cut through all the nonsense that was being posted at the time (and to some extent still is). It really does show that many people will not believe in the work of real science but will essentially look for other things to cure something that they do not understand (we saw this with the various plagues throughout history). Overall this is a really strong episode in favour of a scientific solution and tells people in a funny way that nonsense is just that.

If there is a scientific basis underneath something, look at it.

The Blacklist (2013–2023)

Spader makes it

[7/10 · 17 August 2023]

This show is interesting in that the premise is good. But, in typical Hollywood fashion they over hype the violence and gun play. They could have done a lot more with it if they focused more on James Spaders character (Raymond Reddington). He is far more interesting. The female lead is bland. The other characters are so typically stereotyped it's annoying.

Basically, this show, like many Hollywood shows is the same episode (in this case 218) done multiple times with some bland stuff thrown in. Stuff that does nothing for the show. Frankly, Spader and his people are far more interesting and if they'd focused more on them it could have been far better.

Ancient Giants of North America (2023 Video)

overall good information but...

[5/10 · 30 July 2023]

The narration was horrible. The narrator either couldn't pronounce some of the words or had a very low reading level or both. While the information in this is not new, it does have some good information. I would have liked to have seen it include more information on other cultures, not just in North and Mezo America.

As I have said above, the one thing that bothered me throughout the documentary, was the narration. If you are going to present something like this as dryly as this is presented, get someone that can, at the very least, pronounce the words you are putting in front of them. This would help tremendously. I would rate it higher if it wasn't for that, and the poor boring writing.

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Better series

[7/10 · 26 July 2023]

I am a fan of the Indiana Jones series, but for more sheer fun and enjoyment The Mummy series, excluding the Tom Cruise movie (it was horrible, regardless of how you look at it), is great. I can watch these more frequently versus the Indiana Jones movies. Even the most recent, which is good, is getting boring. The thing I like here is the lack of constant chases. Remove those from the Indiana Jones movies and it has, maybe 45 minutes of actual movie. The Mummy movies just seem to have more substance. They're fun. Exciting and Arnold Vosloo is a great baddie. He has fun. It's obvious. The movies have great actors: Fraser, Weisz, Fehr. Really fun.

Plane (2023)

Good movie

[7/10 · 16 July 2023]

I didn't know what to expect from the movie. I am on the fence about Gerard Butler (the Angel series of movies are trashy and mediocre at best - I'm being kind), but he was excellent in 300. Frankly I watched it because I am a Mike Colter fan.

Overall the movie is great. It holds your attention. There are parts where you find yourself holding your breath. I really enjoyed it. Would I watch it again? I really don't know. There are few movies I would watch a second time. Let alone a Gerard Butler movie. As I said, I am on the fence when I comes to his movies, as I find them to be very hit and miss. But, I would say, regardless of how you feel about him. Give this movie a go. It's worth it.