bigfatmouth-23883 Reviews

Herd (III) (2023)

I bit of a snooze-fest, but not wretched

[5/10 · 27 November 2023]

As other as said, this isn't your "typical zombie film". By that, they mean there are hardly any zombies (better described as "infected") in it.

DEI is so often shoved in our faces, that there's often a Pavlovian eyeroll. I didn't really mind it in this movie. Meh.

Anyway, the acting was so-so. I didn't consider it to be completely amateurish. There really wasn't much in the way of special effects, as there were only a few scenes with the infected.

There was an interesting twist near the end, but I found it odd that the movie didn't bother really delving into it any deeper.

I don't think this deserves a 1, but I kept bouncing between a 4 and a 5. I think it's really a 4.5. I didn't have to pay to watch it, but I'm also not complaining about spending 90 minutes of my time on it, either.

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

Silliness and goofiness only gets you so far

[5/10 · 7 August 2023]

Well, I went into this movie not expecting much. I enjoyed the first one, so I figured I'd give one a shot, too. I said to myself, "I'm only here for big sharks and people getting chomped". It just wasn't enough to carry everything else.

The acting was terrible. The CGI was meh. The absolute dismissal of anything to do with deep water physics. And, by that, I mean * absolute *. They're not ten feet down, people!

I walked out of the first one entertained. I walked out of this one wishing I had the nine bucks to buy a cheap burger.

I'd say wait for it to hit a streaming service, but I don't think it's even worth your time.

Bullet Train (2022)

A very funny and enjoyable romp

[8/10 · 7 August 2022]

Overall, this was a hoot to watch. Great action, fun dialogue and some twists and turns as well. There were just a couple of scenes involving the complete disregard for physics that caused me to roll my eyes, but everything else was just pure entertainment. Loved the cameos, too.

Ambulance (2022)

A decent action flick. Hey, it's Bey. Deal with it.

[6/10 · 9 April 2022]

I knew what to expect going in and it delivered. Lots of action. Lots of car chase stuff with some good gun action. Fast-paced. A slightly silly plot, but, whatever. Things blew up, cars crashed, and I was entertained.

I was unaware, until now, that this was a remake, so I knocked a point off for lack of originality.

The Ice Road (2021)

Will Liam Neeson do anything for a dollar? Very average flick.

[5/10 · 26 June 2021]

I went into this not expecting much and got exactly that.

I knew it was going to be bad when, just two minutes in, it contained a continuity error involving the first truck. It showed Neeson behind the wheel of a Kenworth truck and then the exterior shot showed a Volvo. Now, normally I wouldn't care, but it's a movie where trucks play a central role! Good gravy!

Anyway, it's predictable out of the starting gate and, as others have said, the CGI is lacking.

I never did understand what solution the wellhead provided, but I must say I was impressed that apparently can install one of these in minutes.

If you've got some time to blow and don't expect much, maybe you'll think it's OK, but I don't know. I like Neeson and I love trucks. That's the only reason I gave it five stars. It probably deserves four.

Rollergator (1996)

Not even "So bad it's goo" bad. It's almost physically painful to watch

[1/10 · 3 September 2020]

What a perfect movie for Rifftrax to cover.

When the movie started and there was a comment stating, "Well, thankfully the guitar music won't go on forever", I knew what was in store.

Bad, unending music. Unintelligible dialogue. Horrible effects. That puppet. Oh, how I wanted to strangle the puppet. Then it started rapping. After that, I wanted to set fire to it.

I will say that Sandra Shuker, while not a good actress, is adorably cute. She could put me in her backpack any time.

The Invisible Man (I) (2020)

A great, suspenseful time at the movies.

[7/10 · 1 March 2020]

I really didn't know what to expect, as there have been a few attempts at the "invisible man" story line. I was pleasantly surprised. The times when you weren't sure if anyone was there or not were quite spooky and, I must say, there were a couple of scenes that got me to jump out of my seat a bit.

I gave it a 7 because there were a few things that bothered me. I don't want to mention them here because they could be considered spoilers. Nothing too terrible, but I did think, "Oh, c'mon, now!" on occasion.

All in all, though, it was pretty suspenseful, well-acted, and ended with a bit of a twist.

The Gentlemen (2019)

One of the best times I've had at the movies in a long time.

[8/10 · 27 January 2020]

Slick performances. Great dialogue. Masterful storytelling. A bit of humor tossed in here and there. I seriously don't know what else a movie needs.

Not sure why some critics had a problem with it. Maybe it didn't further some "woke" agenda or whatever. One critic actually complained that it was dated chiefly because it did not. Ridiculous. It was a riot. My wife, who rarely attends movies with me, enjoyed the hell out of it as well, heartily laughing more than a few times.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Frenetic pace. Needs secondary title "

[7/10 · 1 January 2020]

My goodness. I didn't think anything would top the swearing in "Casino", but I guess I was wrong.

I don't think my heart could take living for five minutes like the characters in this movie live. It's frantic. All. The. Time. If this is a peek into something approaching a real life, all I can say is "Good luck".

I did enjoy the movie, but I did find it hard to root for Sandler's character to succeed. Not very many folks you wanted to see emerge victorious in this one. This doesn't mean this was a bad movie. I'm just suggesting that you go in understanding that there isn't much to like in regards to the characters.

I will admit that the near-to-the-end scene involving a bet on a game did have me on the edge of my seat.

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

A fun romp, with lots of great action.

[7/10 · 21 December 2019]

I, personally, don't know what you expect to get out of a Jumanji movie. I go in expecting action, silliness, and good chemistry between the characters. I think this movie delivers that quite well.

I particularly liked the Jumanji characters' personas being "touched" by the "real life" people. Hart, Black, and Johnson, of course, do their usual goofy antics. I was also very pleased with Awkwafina's work.

Just a fun time all around.

Game Changers (2018 TV Movie)

Not sure why the rating is so low. This was pretty darn good.

[8/10 · 6 January 2019]

The film covered a wide range of shows, a few of which I had never even heard of. However, being a kid of the 70s, some of the footage from that time was great to see.

Could they, perhaps, have gone more in depth? I guess, but then the film would've been three hours long. I think they used the time wisely, as I was never bored.

Great job!

Annihilation (I) (2018)

It was trying very hard to be something. What, exactly, I don't know.

[5/10 · 4 November 2018]

I really, really wanted to enjoy this more. I kept thinking, "I must be missing something, right?" I don't really think I did. I think other people are reading what they want to into the movie in some sort of attempt to appear deep. Perhaps it is deep and I'm just too shallow to get it.

I did enjoy the imagery and I think there some interesting scenes, but , man, I just don't know if that made it worth it.

The thing that bothered me the most was the public's apparent lack of knowledge about the anomaly ("the shimmer"). Natalie Portman's character acted as though she knew nothing about it, which, in turn, would mean the general public didn't know anything about it. The movie suggests this is some big secret being kept from the public at large, but I don't know how you'd keep some anomaly consuming part of the U.S. coast a secret.

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Better than the thrashing it's receiving

[7/10 · 27 August 2018]

At first, I was excited to see it, but the early reviews almost convinced me to stay at home.

I'm glad I didn't, because Happytime Murders was a goofy, fun time.

Yeah, a lot of the humor was lowbrow and part of me was embarrassed to like it. The other part? Well, that part laughed ... quite a bit, actually.

There were actually some touching moments and the occasional attempt at serious topics. But, in general, it was just a vehicle to tell dirty jokes and show naked puppets. Sometimes, that's OK.

The Meg (2018)

Predictable summer silliness.

[5/10 · 11 August 2018]

I hope no one left the theater disappointed because they expected exceptionalism here.

I thought a few parts were clever, which is why I gave it a 5. If you can catch a matinee and keep your expectations in check, it's really OK.

Skyscraper (2018)

Goofy fun, but goofiness only plays for so long

[6/10 · 11 July 2018]

Yeah, I knew what to expect going in, but it still had some groaner parts. The more than a few bits from Die Hard were a bit off-putting, but not sure how you essentially remake Die Hard without looking like it.

There's even a helicopter, so you can practice your "I guess we're gonna need some more FBI guys" line.

Things blow up. The Rock kicks butt. Baddies die.

If those are your expectations, you should have fun.

Hotel Artemis (2018)

Solid, enjoyable film

[7/10 · 16 June 2018]

I'm not sure why this would get a lot of hate. It's not fantastic, but it's decent and it kept my attention.

The reason it doesn't deserve any higher is because there were some missed opportunities, mostly for character development. Some of the characters had a history and it could've been fleshed out more. Some of what they did try to flesh out seemed kinda rushed.

That said, I enjoyed the acting and some of the interactions.

I was entertained and, frankly, that's what really matters to me.

The Commuter (I) (2018)

Nothing really new for Neeson, but still kinda fun

[6/10 · 16 January 2018]

I admit that Neeson's films are a bit formulaic, but it can still be a fun time to while away some time. He certainly doesn't break any new ground and his nemesis doesn't break much ground, either.

Perhaps someone can clear something up for me regarding normal MTA -vs- commuter rail. Is it safe to assume that a commuter rail train leaving Penn Station would not be stopping at MTA stops in Manhattan? I'm not even from NYC, but I was fairly certain commuter rail lines wouldn't have their first stop until they were at least out of Manhattan. That really bugged me in this move.

The Bad Batch (2016)

It so desperately wants to be cool, but continuously misses the mark.

[4/10 · 5 October 2017]

I'm very liberal when it comes to rating movies. Not everything can be "The Usual Suspects" - I understand that.

Holy crap, does this thing drag on and, man, is it trying desperately to be hip, edgy, cool, or something. It's like it comes up to the edge and I think, "Ooh, it might happen here!" and then it doesn't.

Dang.

It's not fun. It's not even really fun in a bad way. It's just ... bad.

Spectral (2016)

Didn't really know what to expect and was reasonably satisfied

[6/10 · 3 April 2017]

Not exactly certain what people are looking for here. It wasn't going to be some big-budget spectacle.

A few scenes were a bit silly, but it kept my attention. It was entertaining and better than I was expecting.

How they solved some of the problems seemed a bit hokey and rushed, but , hey, it's sci-fi, right?