ilikeimdb Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Dumbed Down but Stylish

[6/10 · 16 March 2024]

This really isn't a Dune-the-book movie but a related tale that takes away all the sci-fi and deep intrigue that makes Dune-the-book such a fascinating tale. Instead what we get is super-stylized black-and-white with the details and the context rendered nearly superfluous in order to propel a simple tale of political ascension. Why is spice so important in use and action? What's the background that has set this whole conflict in motion? What's big deal about the worms? Why is Paul so reliant on the myths spread to "pave the way" versus his own abilities? Is Paul something special or not? Surely you've seen Dune I, now finding its natural continuation in Dune II which furthers the cause of gorgeous special effects, environmentals, sound, etc. But somehow it's all bland and as colorless as much of the landscape despite the spectacular costuming. Without context it's another ho-hum story of moderate manipulation that aims to succeed via Paul's riding the coattails of religious parable and meaningless miracles a la a pushy Gypsy's Rose. P. S. Zendaya is only marginally better in D-II but T. C. has really grown up and greatly compensates for the overall plot dullness.

Constellation (2024– )

Kinda boring compared to The Cloverfield Paradox

[3/10 · 22 February 2024]

It's not Noomi Rapace's problem that the screenplay for Prometheus was so poorly conceived and so I'm glad her talents were recognized independent of that mess of a movie...and now she appears once again in a space peril epic that appears to have borrowed much too literally from The Cloverfield Paradox...except that movie was much more dynamic and exciting and here everything is kind of sterile and Swedish, cold and calculated, both over-delineated and underwritten with hackneyed family problems, another problematic child relationship, another distant husband... and this doesn't have to be the situation vs. What's shown in The Martian where families could take a more mature approach to the whole space program (and let me tell you, the husband is one bore of a spouse and the child is one annoyance after another) but I digress from the other sinister higher-level string-pulling administrative exploitations so expected and also so boring. Can I rename this the Constellation of Yawns? Sorry, Noomi, but you really need to find a vehicle worthy of your talents.

Sleeping with Other People (2015)

A ill-considered ending undoes an otherwise fine movie

[6/10 · 6 October 2023]

Until nearly the very end, I was enthralled with the cast's acting quality, portraying dysfunctional sex addicts. I can see why women adore Jason Sudeikis: He's completely and totally devoted to figuring out how to best make love to women in a way they'd appreciate...completely outwardly directed...except for his extreme solipsism. Like, is this really an acting job?!? This ongoing Sexaholics Anonymous meeting discusses many socially relevant topics impacting the current dating lives of men and women...so it's all topical and sadly believable and you'll be better trained to avoid those dysfunctional types in the future. The movie plays out very well until the ending, which IMHO undoes so much hard work put into the witty dialog and plot. It's shocking how destructive the ending is...but I'll leave that to you, readers, to judge for yourself.

Asteroid City (2023)

Tries to be Synecdoche NY but fails badly

[1/10 · 21 August 2023]

Self-indugent, self-important, and constantly annoying, Asteroid City is one wasteful ride with looping self-references in a rather pointless display of directorial legerdemain that, as mentioned, repeats its themes over and over and over for really no reason at all...but tries super hard to extract meaning from a meandering plot and a bunch of duality interactivity that at first seems mysterious and poignant but later is revealed to be claptrap added to impress those too tired to insist film should be used for some larger purpose, larger reason, than to show off the latest CGI integration technologies. Despite a plethora of fine actors, I found most of the acting so stilted as to be silly...deliberately silly, again to make some kind of "deeper" point so that pseudointellectuals could extoll the virtues of point and counterpoint in an artifical, stilted, cutsey-futuristic environment.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Tons of action; Well done!

[9/10 · 17 June 2023]

Although some of (most of?) the setup and concept is derivative of other movie plots, the test is execution and whether the movie holds your interest...and this one does from start to finish. Lots of fine, in character, performances from all involved. You think you know what's going to happen but are often left guessing how it's going to turn out and the movie's sense of humor never wanes despite the underlying seriousness of what's happening. Lots and lots of well executed special effects that don't seem gratuitous nor overblown. Does this movie get points for originality?... well, not exactly but in this case it doesn't matter. This is a fun ride and I'm giving Edge of Tomorrow a significant thumbs-up.

The Last Days on Mars (2013)

The Boring Walking Dead on Mars

[2/10 · 6 June 2023]

Oh My Gawd. Why anyone would bother making another zombies on Mars flick is completely beyond me. Once again someone has picked up a nasty microbe which turns people into those hungry walkers from Prometheus (I assumed most of the footage here was stolen from Ridley Scott's cutting room floor). No one in the station really treats this contageon with appropriate seriousness, just like those dummies from the movies Life and Prometheus...but particularly Liev Schreiber who seems to take a slacker mentality to every encounter...and why are the communication channels always down? Did you go to Mars with walkie-talkies from a going-out-of-business sale at Toys-R-Us? But most of the time, it's like the whole cast was doing too much of that Olympus Mons Sativa...except for those exposed to the microbe.

Alien Code (2018)

Once heck of a misunderstood / misjudged budget movie

[9/10 · 6 June 2023]

This movie is going to generate binarily devisive reviews with folks loving it or hating it. As you can see, I'm in the loving it camp. The suspense builds right from the beginning in this character study which almost doesn't belong in the Sci-Fi genre: It's more of a psychological thriller with tangents of Sci-Fi thrown in. As mentioned, this is totally low budget so a good bit of suspension of disbelief has to be employed because of a lack of extras, venues and special effects...but not because there's huge plot holes that appear out of context. I found the acting surprisingly spot-on and believable (in context). This movie raises critical questions of morality, individuality, and reality versus perception / conscienciousness / insanity. I totally expected this movie to be a cheap throwaway but it was anything but. Give it a chance and your patience will be rewarded.

Knowing (2009)

Knowing how derivative this is won't save you (minimal plot revelations)

[3/10 · 6 June 2023]

Why does Nicholas Cage need to get drunk in like every movie he's in? I know he's a perpetually sad sack but all the drinking seems to be a crutch to excuse a bunch of questionable overblown acting choices (as though Cage graduated from the William Shatner School of Natural Acting). OK. Back to Knowing. This movie is a mismash of plot lines and concepts liberally taken from other movies. I don't want to give away key plot points but this is like 2012 meets Close Encounters meets Xfiles with the back half of the movie completely ripping off Melancholia (even down to the use of similar classical music) but with less impressive acting. Terrific special effects, at least visually (because the situations portrayed don't jibe with physics).

The Sand (2015)

No, this is really bad!

[1/10 · 19 April 2023]

Banal, sad, boring are this features' best attributes. The acting: Atrocious. The screenplay: Sophomoric. The babes: Not that bad but with the acting so ludicrous it was difficult to admire any of the women since anyone casted in this bomb wasn't going to get any callbacks. Special effects: Silly but by far the best part of this complete and total non-horror waste of time. Oh...I do need to correct myself because this was a horror flick: It was a horrible flick beyond moronic. The Sand was in every respect worse than Zombeavers which should give you a clue about this lamentable turkey unredeemed by copious amounts of snogging and shagging (none worth watching).

This Is the End (2013)

Sophomoric and Hysterical - A Total Bros Movie

[8/10 · 28 December 2022]

An outrageous, scatological tour-de-force of an inside joke bros movie. Some of this feels scripted but lots sounds like an out-of-control stream of consciousness ad-lib that's produced some of the funniest non-PC movie lines ever. Think of this movie like a long comedy sketch with a large cast of actors playing themselves in self-skewering roles that make fun of both the Hollywood establishment and everything else....yet there's a more serious side that starts to creep in towards the end, still juxtaposed against the outrageous dialogue that never, ever quits. It's a heady ride with a quieter middle and a somewhat predictable end (that in some ways feels like a cop out but I suppose might have been the only way to have secured financing for something so non-PC).

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Wow! People are so negative here!

[9/10 · 17 November 2022]

I'm a bit shocked that ST:P was rated so lowly by so many...and in a strongly disparaging way...but without many specifics to complain about. OK: Let's start with the basics. Acting quality. Who were the weak actors in this series? Anyone blithely out of character? Didn't think so. Plot lines. Boring plots? No intrigue? Deals with unimportant issues? Nope. Too hip, modern, aka cursing. It's not up to the fracking level but was the cussing over the top or way out of line or inappropriately used to emphasize a point? I didn't think so. Wokeness. Yup: Plenty of woke topics and woke actions. Gosh, can we discuss inter-species / inter-racial / inter-sexual situations on ST, ST:TNG, ST:V, ST-DS9, etc? Should ST stay away from topics like AI self-determination, immigration status and treatment, sexuality, treatment of aliens? That wouldn't be in keeping with ST's history. This is still well-worn territory for ST.

Is it bad the feel of ST:P's two seasons were based on all-or-nothing outcomes like TNG: All Good Things (certainly), or V: End Game? In particular in the 2nd Season, the entire plot revolved around Picard but you didn't know exactly what needed to happen / be proven. It wasn't all pretty or pat. Were things too Woke at the end? Did too many get their hearts broken by a foreshowed but not ST:V consistent change of sexual preferences by one of the main characters? Is that the basis for the crying and complaining? Regardless, anyone claiming the series didn't involve Picard is missing a positronic synapse or two.

What would Roddenberry complain about here? I saw lots of pretty women in some amazing outfits so check! Seriously.

ST:P. Anytime I can get to see this acting quality I'm fully in. I didn't think the modern touches were way out of line (it's not like the entire series was set in the 1400s). Too much mayhem? Too much blood? Not in a grossly gratuitous fashion. So much complaining without clear target locks.

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

An Abysmal Disappointment

[2/10 · 21 May 2022]

I'm guessing John K saw a bilious pile of cutting room extras on the floor post-editing AQP-I (a rather short movie) and saw an opportunity to leverage those efforts into an impressive financial return on a minimal investment. There's zero to learn in this movie and the rather shoddy transition from AQP-I to AQP-II is not merely annoying but shows an astute lack of concern for viewers not exposed to the well-done first movie. A complete waste of time.

Ender's Game (2013)

Beautiful FX and competent acting can't compensate for an absurd premise and bad science

[5/10 · 10 May 2022]

Let's start with the better stuff: The CGI and FX are very good and, more importantly, are used competently to propel the story line forward: They're very handsome if not always 100% believable. The actors also acquit themselves very well. Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield play their leading roles strongly and don't tend towards inappropriate histrionics (and I'll even give a nod to Ben Kingsley who could have played his part as totally over-the-top). Supporting cast such as Viola Davis also does a fine job. So, if FX/CGI and acting aren't the issues, then what is?

The entire setup, premise, and scientific underpinnings are beyond redemption. You learn at the very beginning about an armed conflict and later find out about the baddies but, frankly, I don't see how those baddies could possibly have mastered the technology necessary to do those nefarious deeds (especially after seeing their planet). Next, the whole setup depends upon finding a new leader and the idea that you would entrust that much responsibility to that leader is completely 100% absurd...like selecting the new chef of a 5-star restaurant based upon how they managed to create perfectly grilled burgers at McDonalds. Just Silly.

The ending is atrocious, too, and a cop out...and you also have to wonder how the colonists on LV-426 managed, all those years, not to check out their environment and find that alien ship until Burke gave them a clue it was practically right next door. ...just a bit too convenient. Admittedly I have not read the book so perhaps this movie left out key details, etc., but one can only judge what's presented. It's just super annoying and will likely bug you too.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

A very wild ride but not a perfect one

[8/10 · 18 April 2022]

Can many brilliant moments in a movie compensate for lesser-than moments of significance? I was asking myself that question over and over as EEAaO kept astonishing me with inspired whimsy and outlandish sequences. So, what are the cinematic problems with EEAaO? First, the opening drags and drags. I know there's a goodly amount of setup / intro needed but there's actually too much setup for what's to come and the pace is glacial. This contrasts with many later moments of sublime stillness in the middle of manic action that make perfect sense for overall pacing. Second, there's a Disney-sized dollop of sentimentality and sui generis La Familia a la Chinoise that hits you over the head, particularly later on and it's 100% telegraphed. That said, the movie has jaw-dropping moments of cinematic bluster and choreography. If Michele Yeoh doesn't get an Academy nod for best actress there truly is no justice. So, if you like over-the-top movie moments and can tolerate the underlying family-centric group therapy session thrust upon you, get ready for an amazing ride.

Invasion (2021–2024)

Slow, Boring, Depressing: Let Them Die

[3/10 · 23 January 2022]

When will aliens arrive to kill off the most annoying humans occupying this series? Virtually no one has any redeeming value except as foils for product placements. Nice that Apple let a bunch of production companies shoot this in parallel but it's hardly an original approach. Heads up: Once you've gotten to the kitchen sex scene it's all down hill, precipitously, from there.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Stunning Visuals with a Tragedy at Hand

[6/10 · 18 January 2022]

There's two primary problems with The Tragedy of Macbeth. First, Denzel Washington. He doesn't sell Macbeth (sounding like a bored Morgan Freeman) and I'm not convinced he understands what he's saying most of the time, despite his alleged "formal" training. We're left wondering about Macbeth's character and, frankly, it doesn't make sense the way Denzel Washington portrays it. Second, Joel Coen needs to do a better job of setting out the plot and circumstances for those who aren't familiar with Macbeth. It's like Where are they? Why are they doing this? What's going on? It's so formal and convoluted it takes a lot of concentration to tease it all out and neither Denzel Washington nor Joel Coen make this easy.

That said, the visuals are all stunning. Like wow stunning. Cinematography and sets right out of the Seventh Seal... but reimagined. Director of Photography should win awards for this one. Frances McDormand...she 100% understands what she's saying but, once again, there's not enough setup to explain her later actions either (it's another Academy nomination nod for sure). Now, if this is the fault of Shakespeare then Joel Coen had the ability to correct and augment.

I'm glad folks are throwing out the traditional color lines concerning who gets to play what characters (despite the Miss Saigon brouhaha) but 'ya still have to understand Ye Olde English to act it and Denzel is a significant fail here (unlike Corey Hawkins who got it).

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

A lot better than the reviews suggest - it's entertaining

[8/10 · 24 December 2021]

Everyone just loves to complain, apparently! M1 is an audacious work of genius and I well-tolerated M2 and M3 (though the latter two were appreciably weaker outings) and liked the Animatrix. After reading some of M-R's reviews I worried that M-R (aka M4) would turn out like the dreadful Dune2021 or M1:M4 would be to Alien:Prometheus. I thoroughly enjoyed M4 even though it's not a flawless outing and many folks will complain about how it ends. Key problems (without revealing spoilers): 1) NPH gets way, way too preachy...reminds me of the 20 pages of philosophical monologue that Ayn Rand inserted into Atlas Shrugged; 2) Fan Service to M1 is over-the-top; 3) One key character acts against character for no reason I can discern in a major turn of events; 4) Some sizable plot holes in the 2nd half. Still, I was totally engrossed, especially in the 1st half. Beautiful special effects.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Inventive, well-produced, very good acting, scary aliens

[8/10 · 15 December 2021]

I've read some of the reviews by "experts" and I find their complaints miss the mark. The only valid criticisms regard the length of this movie and all the family backstory that is given a substantial plot line...but what's wrong with that? It's a complicated story that internally makes lots of sense with very few moments of "that's really a stupid thing to do" aside from the setup of the final scenes that only partially strains your credulity...but only partially. Nasty, nasty creatures, indeed.

Looking (2014–2015)

Solipsism + Callousness = Gay Sui Generis

[3/10 · 29 November 2021]

Frankly I was both bored and rather upset. I wanted to run up to the Russian River and hide from all the trivial gay millennial relationship nostrums spewed at me San Francisco style. I don't remember SF being that shallow and irrelevant but here it is via Looking without virtually any of the humor and incisive screen writing so prevalent in Sex and the City. Where's the intrigue? Just one gay slacker stereotype after another. Why should I care for any of these plastic characters? The emotional immaturity is beyond belief.... OK! IT'S TRUE! 90% of SF is inhabited by only four types of gays (with lots of overlaps): 1) sex addicts, 2) drug addicts, 3) insufferable Millennials, 4) hangers-on who can't leave because of their rent-controlled apartments. Oh sure; many are hot/hunky, strolling/trolling the streets for sex, drugs, or "Looking" mainly for onanistic ennui but it's not saying much. Veni Vidi Vici...not.

Dune (2021)

Atrocious Plot Changes; Dull, Pointless

[1/10 · 23 October 2021]

I was hoping Dune 2021 would more rigorously stick to the Book's plot and bring alive Herbert's detailed story in a way the compressed / compromised Dune 1984 could not. Instead D2021 glosses over or completely leaves out major plot points, changes key aspects of its characters, makes up new plots when convenient, or simply repeats certain scenes from D1984 with nearly the same dialog but without the necessary context. D1984 also has significantly better acting. Zendaya's acting is so flat the EKG wouldn't register. Timothee Chalamet's acting is similarly flat and uninspiring: For his Paul Atriedes, Spice is salt and very mild pepper. D2021's truly beautiful CGI can't compensate for the fact that no one watching the film cares one iota for the fate of any of its characters. Sad.

Reptile 2001 (1999)

Beyond dreadful in every respect

[1/10 · 28 July 2021]

Makes Manos look like Citizen Kane. Horrible overreacting, inscrutable plot. Boring main characters... In fact it's excruciatingly boring with worse acting.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Entertaining but issues with rational actions

[7/10 · 6 June 2021]

What's good about the film: o It's fairly serious and doesn't merely use the spendorific CGI to cover up for the nothing that's happening.

O There's an actual plot that tries to fill a backstory from SW: IV and does so reasonably well.

O Interesting characters that are suitably selected for their broad-spectrum PC-enablement.

O The humorous elements are kept under control just enough.

That said, this film is full of annoying actions that you wouldn't expect any reasonable person / organization to do, plus there's logic holes big enough for the Death Star to drive through. I can't mention them w/o giving away serious plot details but even if you're half asleep you'll be saying to yourself "Now that's a stupid thing to do / to have done" at many points in the film.

Jupiter's Legacy (2021)

Riveting despite plot anomalies (minor spoilers)

[8/10 · 12 May 2021]

I'm very much enjoying this dysfunctional family super hero drama... It's like the Incredibles but with worse family issues and a different back story. Big Problem: Where did all these side story heros / villans come from?? That's left totally missing so far. Very dark overall. Josh Duhamel is very impressive as the Utopian.

Stowaway (I) (2021)

What a schlock job of absurd setups

[2/10 · 1 May 2021]

I'm not going to reveal plot points except to say the agency in charge of this mission must be the sloppiest shop in the quadrant when it comes to keeping track of important things and in training its crew. The pace is glacial. The resolution is glacial. The plot absurdities should be burried in a glacier. It's not that the acting, per se, is that horrible but the whole thing is annoying and doesn't say much, ultimately, about the human condition except for the aforementioned poor management practices and crew safety practices that are beyond all redemption. Avoid.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Cringeworthy but occasionally funny

[5/10 · 10 March 2021]

The Subsequent Moviefilm strays from worthy targets a bit too often for my tastes and there's a lot of truly tasteless stuff in this film which purports to be a wry commentary on backwards countries but doesn't succeed in that either. That said, it's amazing what Sachs Baron Cohen gets away with and in that respect it's right up there with Jackass on the outrageous meter. I think the first/original Borat movie had a better soul.