burkhartonline Reviews

Knives Out (2019)

Outstanding

[9/10 · 25 April 2024]

Loads of laughs, drama and a delightfully twisted plot. Daniel Craig plays his role to the hilt, as does Jamie Lee Curtis and the rest of the cast. Ana de Armas is adorable as the loyal nurse / friend to the elder Mr Thrombey.(Christopher Plummer).

The scenery and the Thrombey mansion are breathtaking, and the director created a perfect atmosphere for a good whodunit. The soundtrack is nearly perfect. OK everything below here is just filler text since I haven't used 600 chrs yet. :)

The scenery and the Thrombey mansion are breathtaking, and the director created a perfect atmosphere for a good whodunit. The soundtrack is nearly perfect. OK everything below here is just filler text since I haven't used 600 chrs yet. :)

Lucifer (2016–2021)

Great Show Except...

[7/10 · 10 September 2023]

For the most part Lucifer is a great show. Unfortunately there are times when it becomes unbearably, painfully silly. Thankfully this doesn't happen all that often, and it's usually related to Lucifer's (Tom Ellis) excesses.

The show gets a lot of mileage out of Lucifer trying to learn how to interact with humans - *after* he figures out that it's necessary if he's going to live on Earth. He's an arrogant, self-centered narcissist who lives only to party and get laid. But then he meets "Chloe" (Lauren German) and she turns his world upside down. She's an LAPD detective, btw. And a good one.

The rest is mostly Lucifer trying to understand what's happening to him since falling in love is a totally alien experience. And Chloe, who at first has no clue who he really is (she just thinks he's weird but likeable) also has to explore her growing affection for him.

And it's not just a romantic comedy. There are times when both main characters show the world just how bada$$ they can be. This is especially true of Lucifer. He is the Devil, after all. There are some rousing fight scenes scattered thru all 6 seasons. And eventually we do get to see Lucifer go full-on Satan with bat wings, horns, lizard skin, etc.

The casting, acting, and writing (except the silly parts) are excellent. Supporting cast is also excellent. The show is tons of fun. I'd say not for kids though. Lots of drugs, booze and some limited nudity. But definitely fun for adults. Enjoy!

The Princess (I) (2022)

Not Bad At All

[6/10 · 24 March 2023]

It was a fun movie. Lots of action (much of it delightfully impossible) and a star (Joey King) that you can invest yourself in. The only cast member I knew was Dominic Cooper, who was the Ottoman prince in "Dracula Untold." He's a fine actor. He's the bad guy here, trying to steal a kingdom.

But Joey King in the title role stole the show. Never mind that she's such a cute gal. She's quite talented and made her character almost believable in spite of all the over-the-top action.

Cooper's henchmen were the one major weak spot. They were so stereotyped one could almost guess their lines before they spoke them. But not bad enough to ruin the movie.

Excellent fight scenes, a few good one liners, and likeable characters. I'll watch it again.

American Assassin (2017)

Not Bad

[6/10 · 10 August 2022]

Formulaic and predictable. Decent action scenes. Ultimately it's just another "bad-guy-has-a-bomb" story with the CIA trying to stop him. One of the CIA agents is a rookie with a nasty attitude, one is a veteran (Keaton). Overall not bad but could have been better. Rent it once and enjoy it. But don't buy it.

Prey (I) (2022)

Good Movie. Better Than The Last One

[8/10 · 7 August 2022]

I was skeptical going in because the last 2 Predator flicks were subpar. But this one took off in a new direction. It didn't have the cheesy feel that all of the previous Predators had. The 1st two were OK in spite of bad scripts because they had great actors.

This one felt more like an A-grade movie in spite of having no one I'd ever heard of in the cast. The acting, effects, writing, everything were all above average. And the story has a lot of heart. You become emotionally invested in "Nara" and her brother (and her funny dog).

If you were a fan of the 1st two movies but not so much since then, I strongly recommend Prey. It's a very good action / SciFi/ thriller.

Dune (2021)

Dull And Pointless

[2/10 · 31 October 2021]

Well acted and decent special effects. But that was it. Mind you I've never read the novel or seen the original movie. I spent much of the time wondering what I was missing. I'm truly glad I watched it on HBO so at least I didn't spend any money on it. I hope others are able to enjoy it, but I found it a waste of time.

Haywire (2011)

Not Bad - Not Great

[5/10 · 9 September 2021]

A bit hard to follow. Good acting and action scenes. Carano held her own with a cast of great actors. The weak plot and some questionable editing makes me glad I just watched it on HBO instead of actually paying money for it. I doubt I'll watch it again.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Not Bad

[5/10 · 7 August 2021]

Decent effects, lots of jump-scares, acting is mostly good if not great. Plot was a bit shaky in places but not bad enough to ruin the movie. Watch it for free on youtube (I did) - don't pay to see it. Then it's an entertainment value.

Sicario (2015)

Includes Violence Against Children

[2/10 · 6 August 2021]

First off, I cannot give a good rating to any work of fiction that includes violence against children. And Sicario includes such a scene. Beyond that, the movie attempts a slow burn toward a big finish and fails all the way around. It isn't the cast's fault. Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin all do good work, but they had terribly little to work with. The plot just plods slowly along with Emily's character feeling / acting lost and confused, while Del Toro and Brolin keep her in the dark. I regret having spent money on this pile of cinematic garbage.

Underwater (2020)

Save Your Money

[3/10 · 12 April 2021]

Yet another "people-trapped-underwater-in-a-metal-box" movie. This plot is so used up. The cinematography is bad (too dark), the supporting cast behind Kristen Stewart and Vincent Cassel are not too great and the effects are just average. Aside from about an hour's worth of Kristen in her underwear, there's nothing to see. Watch "Deep Blue Sea" or "Leviathan" instead. Both are much better.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

It's Great Except...

[7/10 · 4 April 2021]

The ape and the lizard were awesome. Great effects and Kong was as likeable as a Titan can be. The battle scenes were just plain amazing. Top marks.

Kaylee Hottle is a charmer. She was great as Kong's little friend. She is in real life completely deaf and this was her first film, so prepare to be impressed with the job she does. She's great.

Millie Bobby Brown and Brian Tyree Henry were very good although I thought they over-played Henry's conspiracy theorist character a bit. They provided just the right amount of humor for the film. The rest of the cast were adequate if unspectacular. I was unfamiliar with Demián Bichir ("Walter Simmons") but I'll watch for him in the future. Good actor. Eiza Gonzalez did a good job and was, as always, lovely to look upon. What a gorgeous gal she is.

All in all, while I don't like the look of Legendary's Godzilla (I prefer the suit / look from Toho's Millennium movies), it's a great monster flick and one I will watch again.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

Twice As Long As It Needed To Be

[2/10 · 4 April 2021]

OK, the special effects were great and the acting was for the most part good. But there was way too much needless dialog between characters. And the action scenes had no organic feel to them. They felt choreographed. Yes, of course they're choreographed but they're not supposed to feel that way.

Steppenwolf was as boring a villain as I've ever seen. He's pathetically one-dimensional. Just a big chrome-plated dude with a gravelly voice. DC villains are normally interesting and engaging. Not this guy.

Momoa did his usual good work, but his script was awful. He was nowhere nearly as likeable as he was in the Aquaman movie. Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams and Gal Gadot imo did the best acting overall.

This flick is too long, too predictable and flat-out dull. Even the action scenes are dull. And 4 hours long? Gee whiz what a waste of time.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Complete Waste Of Time

[1/10 · 14 October 2020]

Bad acting, dumb plot, barely adequate effects. Great scenery at least. Jim Cummings was pathetic and the supporting cast wasn't any better, with the exception of Chloe East. Chloe seems to have some talent so maybe she'll get a better role next time.

Their attempt at a surprise ending was about as ham-handed as humanly possible. The "final battle" was so lame it was barely watchable. Truth - I only finished it out of a vain hope that maybe I'd feel like I got my money's worth. But no. What I'd really like is a refund.

Aquaman (2018)

Very Good

[7/10 · 27 April 2019]

The acting was superb with the exception of Patrick Wilson who was merely adequate. Dolph Lundgren, who I often find to be a weak link in a cast, was outstanding in his role as King Nereus.

The plot was a bit predictable but not so much that it hurt the movie overall. Lots of action scenes which were well done. And plenty of humor throughout. The CGI effects were well done, but a bit too much of a "neon" effect in places. Atlantis was lit up like Las Vegas.

Whatever shortcomings the plot had, the ending made up for it. I regard Aquaman as more of a fantasy movie than a super hero flick, but there was plenty of heroism to go around. I'll watch it again, I'm sure.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Devil Complex (2018) Season 5, Episode 14

Best AOS Episode Yet

[10/10 · 26 March 2018]

The most gut-wrenching episode of the series so far. Iain De Caestecker (Fitz) steals the show as he once again plays a dual role. His personal demons add a truly nightmarish aspect to the episode. Bits and pieces of General Hale's plan, and the surprise return of a villain from a previous season add to the mayhem and suspense. And Chloe Bennet will break your heart when... oops! No spoilers, please. Trust me, you don't want to miss this episode. Early on in season 5 they got a bit bogged down in the story line. But the last few, especially this one, have made the wait worthwhile. Truly great television by any standard.

It (I) (2017)

It's Okay

[5/10 · 30 September 2017]

I didn't like it as well as the made for TV movie years back. Lots of scary scenes, and the effects were good. But it seemed to be more about individual scenes than following the plot.

If you've never read the Stephen King novel or never seen the first movie then you'll enjoy it. It's well-acted and the kids are quite likable.

Lucy (I) (2014)

Not Bad

[6/10 · 17 February 2015]

The premise that humans only use a small percentage of our brain's capacity has been called into question, but that doesn't really detract from the movie. It's still a lot of fun.

Scarlett and Mr. Freeman do their usual fine work and the supporting cast, especially Amr Waked are more than adequate. Plenty of action scenes including a pretty good car chase and a bit of humor tossed in for good measure.

Some of the action scenes are a bit predictable, but near the end of the movie things got so bizarre I could no longer suspend my disbelief.

Nevertheless, it's a decent flick and I enjoyed it. I would however recommend renting it before you buy the DVD, just to be safe.

Godzilla (2014)

Good, but not great

[6/10 · 17 May 2014]

It was more about the people than Godzilla. Acting was pretty good and the plot was acceptable. Effects were great and there is plenty of action and drama. But not nearly enough monster action. It does at least avoid the silliness that ruined many of the past movies. No "boulder volley ball" or "monster kung fu" in this one.

And since they were doing a CGI Godzilla, why make him obese? Seriously, he was fatter than the rubber suit version. I prefer the classic Godzilla over the "Iguana" from 1998, but they had a chance to make him look better and they absolutely did not. And their presentation when he finally uses his nuke breath was out and out lame.

My son and I arranged for an extra day off work to see it. We were pumped and excited after watching the trailers. We left the cinema a bit disappointed. The movie does not come close to the hype leading up to its release. Frankly, "Godzilla 2000" was a better movie, in my opinion.

If you watch it, just expect "another Godzilla movie." That's all it is. If you expect it to be special, you'll be disappointed.

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Great movie

[8/10 · 20 January 2007]

SoaP was great. Some of Samuel L. Jackson's best acting, and a very likable character. The "bite" scenes were frighteningly real.

My son and I watched it together and were marveling at how real those "CG" snakes looked. Then we found out they used REAL snakes in the movie.

If you've not seen it, by all means don't miss it... Unless you're prone to having nightmares about snakes.

I wouldn't suggest allowing young children to see it, though. There's a fairly explicit sex scene, and while the language is actually pretty clean through most of the movie, there is some use of the "MF" word near the end. Those were the only negatives in the flick as far as I'm concerned.