welhof1 Reviews

Blockers (2018)

Funny and new! 7.5/10

[7/10 · 15 May 2024]

This was a classic 'sit down for a 100 minutes and don't expect much and leave with a few laughs' type of movie. It was funny. No one can argue other wise.

The plot was new and different which I liked. It wasn't the same ole rehashed comedy bit with new actors. It was actually a new take on a teen comedy, although not really a teen comedy.

The cast was great. The 3 younger ladies were pretty good especially the Indian one, I can't remember her name.

I wouldn't watch this with your kids, as it was an adult movie. There was some frontal male nudity that wasn't really needed but whatever.

Overall a great new comedic idea with a great cash that will make you laugh out loud several times. I did.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Horror cliches abound!

[5/10 · 18 March 2024]

I will start this review off by saying I am not a fan of horror or slasher movies. I watched a lot of movies and the genre just never appealed to me.

This movie had so many horror clichés in it. It was nauseating. How many times did they have the opportunity to kill the villain and consciously decided not to. It's an old trope that is worn out and needs to go away.

This movie had two redeeming qualities. The first was the length. With credits it was about an hour and 15 minutes. The second was the villain. I admit they did a pretty good job with him. He was pretty scary and creepy. Also, maybe that bus scene was cool. That was pretty intense.

This could've been an OK movie but all those clichés and it just really were frustrating.

Wonka (2023)

Surprise hit!

[7/10 · 12 March 2024]

I've never been a big fan of the Wonka movies. I've never even seen the previous two of them with Johnny Depp and the other one. For some reason, the whole vibe of the movies really turned me off.

I was surprised at how much I liked this one. The singing parts were pretty short, thankfully. I never enjoy those movies. They always seemed a little cringe. The plot itself was OK. Nothing too new.

What really made this movie for me where the characters. About everyone was unique and had a pretty distinct personality. Even the very subtle secondary characters that had very minor parts were fun to watch.

I watched this with my girlfriend and her two young daughters, and we all stayed awake, and really enjoyed it!

The Family Plan (2023)

Fun Family Comedy

[7/10 · 6 March 2024]

This movie was exactly what you expected. Just a quick and easy funny family comedy. They didn't try and reinvent anything. Just relied on some silly scenes and the charisma from the actors and it all worked. If you are looking for something like this to steam you'll enjoy it.

The plot was kind of cool. You've seen it before but they put a different spin on it that worked. With Hollywood running out of ideas this was surprising it worked.

Marky Mark is still jacked at 53. He's starting to look old but still is likable and a draw to the theaters.

What happened to the gun that fell in the van during the chase scene? Should I submit a good to IMDb?

Gone Girl (2014)

Amazing twist!

[8/10 · 25 February 2024]

If you haven't heard of this please try to avoid all spoilers. They will ruin it.

This was a pretty good movie adaptation of the book. I remember reading the second half of the book in one sitting. When that twist hits, wow.

I know it's hard to cram everything in a book into a movie but I felt this film was a bit long. They could've trimmed it down 30 minutes I think. Especially that second half. It just kept dragging and dragging.

Also the acting from the two mains wasn't that great. Affleck has never been a great actor and the female seemed like she was over acting, idk.

Great movie though. The book was better of course! But the film was pretty darn good.

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Hilarious Classic

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

I don't know of anyone who hasn't seen this. It's just pure fun.

Marisa Tomei stole the movie for me. Every scene she was in was great, especially the court scene towards the end. She is a fantastic actor and simply just a gorgeous woman.

All of the other characters shined too. The judge, the sheriff, the prosecutor. There were no real villains in this movie and that was refreshing. Everyone was likable.

Marisa Tomei. What a great job she did in this movie. Did she win any awards? I'm not sure.

I've seen this movie maybe 4 or 5 times and I can guarantee it won't be my last. A definite must watch.

Reign of Fire (2002)

Different movie idea!

[8/10 · 24 January 2024]

I'm always interested in watching a movie that has a new plot idea. It seems like they are always rehashing old plots and this was refreshing.

The CGI for 2002 was pretty incredible. That was over 20 years ago and I remember movies back then being very cheesy. Maybe this one had a pretty big budget I don't know. Very good CGI.

I wasn't crazy about the idea of the alpha male. I won't spoil anything, but it sounded like a cheap cop out to me.

The ending happened kind of sudden and quick. I was hoping there was a longer resolution to the movie but it was just over an hour and a half so it wasn't a very long movie.

Someone else said a pretty good sleeper hit!

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Fantastic. Beautiful. Funny. Wow.

[9/10 · 23 January 2024]

Like most people, I went into this with to mild expectations. I've seen the previous dungeons and dragons movies and even though I thought they were OK, they just were not all that great. They really outdid themselves with this one.

I played dungeons and dragons a lot when I was a kid. And the references to that game in this movie were amazing. It's been a few years but I can still point out the different monsters and settings and spells etc.

I really hope they do more movies with this universe. Turn it into like a Marvel or Star Wars type thing. I want to see more movies and spin offs and just a whole lot. More of everything in this movie. Well done I love this film.

Hijack (2023)

Very suspenseful!

[8/10 · 23 January 2024]

I always enjoy watching airplane or train hijack movies/shows. There's just something claustrophobic about the whole incident that gets my heart racing. This one was no exception.

First, I love Idris Elba. I think he is an amazing actor, and he really shined in this show.

The entire TV series was pretty well done. It was hard to stop after one episode because you knew it was a short series and you knew you could probably finish it out. I ended up watching it in two sessions.

I won't talk about all the good parts, so I'll focus on the bad parts. My main gripe was that certain scenes moved way too fast. Someone would die or some incident what and it just got skipped over. It was almost like the director forgot about it. Also that very end scene. Was that necessary?

I really hope they do not make a sequel to this. Just let it go and create something new.

At the End of Eight (2019)

Cool premise. Little slow.

[6/10 · 16 January 2024]

Any time a movie has a new and unique plot I'll watch it. I'm tired of the same old thrillers out there. This was different. It was pretty cool.

That all being said, it was just kind of flat. It had a few suspenseful parts but not enough to cover all the hype. Speaking of hype, no way this won or was nominated for as many awards as it was.

I main gripe was that no one would have acted the way they did in the same circumstances.

The plot twist was interesting I guess. It didn't seem forced which I liked. I see that a lot. The ending was pretty abrupt and not that satisfying.

Short movie though if you're looking for a quick thriller!

Escape Earth (2021)

Overall just a weak movie

[4/10 · 15 January 2024]

Like everyone I was in the mood for an apocalyptic type movie and stumbled onto this one on Prime. First thing I noticed was the rating and how short it was, not good signs.

My main gripe was the budget. They had to skip over some of the fight scenes because they didn't have the time or money to choreograph them. I've never seen that in a film before.

The CGI was horrific. There was this one scene where there was this armored personnel carrier type vehicle in the road. It was comical. Then the other things like smoke in the distance and the space scenes. Could I have done better? No, but come on.

It had a pretty cool plot I guess. I think if they had more money they could've done more with it.

Oh my biggest gripe was when the guy uses his SHOES to lure out the shooter then proceeds to run through the woods with no shoes on. Why not use anything BUT your shoes?!? Who wrote that?

12 Monkeys (1995)

Interesting plot 6.5/10.0

[7/10 · 8 January 2024]

I just didn't see the mass appeal to this movie. It's been noted as one of the greatest with an 8.0 rating on IMDb but I'm not sure why.

99% of the movie was pointless. It was misdirection and I get that but it was way too much. Nothing that the characters did made any difference on the outcome of the movie.

The villain was my main gripe. There just wasn't enough explanation on why he did what he did. You saw him briefly for two scenes in the movie and while you got the gist of his character, you never understood why. Then at the end she just coincidentally bumps into him at the airport and puts 2 and 2 together? Just didn't buy it.

Brad Pitt was good, he's a good actor although his mental patient acting was a bit much at times.

Annabelle (I) (2014)

Few creepy scenes.

[5/10 · 5 January 2024]

These are not my type of movies. I never really cared for horror movies much.

This one was just kind of slow and boring. There were mage. One or two scenes where I thought were kind of clever. There were also a few jump scares which I definitely don't like. Why do some people like them? I don't know.

The doll itself wasn't even that creepy. I did appreciate that they didn't make it move at all. At times I was waiting for a Chucky time moment but it never came. By keeping it still, it added some originality to it.

My main question was why not just burn the damn thing? Maybe they couldn't and I missed it.

Uncle Buck (1989)

Perfectly fun movie

[8/10 · 26 December 2023]

I can't believe I'm just now seeing this classic. I heard of it and knew it existed but for whatever reason never watched it.

Typical John Hughes film setting. You know right away whose movie it is. I love the way he has that touch in a movie.

The actors were all great. The kids were very likable and shined in thejr roles. John Candy is such a personable and likable actor. His face and smile just have a thing about them. It's hard to believe it's been almost 30 years since he passed.

Not much of a plot in this one but that's ok! He just babysitter the kids for a few days. I guess the plot was his relationship with them changing?

Great movie. A definite classic.

Gremlins (1984)

Classic 80's Spielberg.

[8/10 · 6 December 2023]

I can't believe I've never watched this movie. I was an 80's movie kid but always steered away from the fantasy horror movies. I was more action and comedy. I wish I had watched this sooner, as it was pretty awesome.

Classic Spielberg. The guy is a master at his craft and it shows here. His movies all have a similar awesome feel to them and you can sense it right away.

What stood out most to me with this film was the animation. It was so good. There was some clay animation I think? Was it? But most of it was just good old puppetry and it worked.

It was also hilarious. It didn't take itself too seriously and that was great. When the gremlins took over the town and chaos ensued I laughed out loud on a few occasions.

I'm cautiously optimistic on the sequel! Hard to top this one!

Nowhere (II) (2023)

Surprisingly decent but the Plot Holes!

[7/10 · 20 November 2023]

I love these type of WWYD in these situations type movies. I always find myself Monday morning quarterbacking the situaion. Of course I would never find myself in this situation.

My main issue was just how unbelievable the whole movie was. There is no way this girl would have the luck she has nor would she be as creative as she was. The things that she did, were just a bit much.

That birthing scene. Wow. That was about as real as it gets. Her prosthesis looked real. The birthing looked real. They did a great job there.

The plot hole is that container staying afloat. It was riddled with holes and has a large opening up top. It should've sunk. Also that water had to have been freezing.

All that aside, it was a pretty entertaining film with a satisfying ending.

Radius (2017)

Cool premise

[5/10 · 16 November 2023]

I wanted to like this. Every time I see a movie with a new plot I've never heard of I immediately want to check it out. This one is definitely different.

It just moved a little slow. It seemed much longer than 90 minutes. The first half was a lot of them walking around or driving around and just got a little boring.

The movie seemed to be based on a book. You could kind of tell when they added little things to the story that didn't quite fit in. They could've cut a little bit of the unnecessary fat and added a bit more action.

That twist was dumb. I didn't expect it which was cool but it just kind of came out of nowhere and just felt a little disjointed from the overall plot.

I don't know. It wasn't a terrible movie. I was just a little disappointed with the delivery.

He's Out There (2018)

Suspenseful thriller!

[7/10 · 30 October 2023]

I read some of the reviews before watching this and the top reviews stated how annoying the kids were. I did not find them annoying at all and in fact, I found their behavior quite believable. Of course, two little girls are going to be crying. What were people expecting?

This was pretty suspenseful throughout. Lot of the scenes had my heart beating fast, and the music choice was excellent for those scenes. There were not many jump scare scenes and that was nice because I hate those.

All of the actors behavior in the movie was quite believable actually. It had the usual horror movie cliché but they weren't bad.

I don't see how this was rated solo. It was a fun exciting 90 minutes.

Slipstream (1989)

Awful quality and no plot.

[4/10 · 18 October 2023]

I rarely criticize the quality of a film. This was just so low budget that it made it almost unwatchable. I don't know much about cameras, but whatever they use in this one had to have been very cheap.

The acting was pretty bad throughout the entire movie. I never thought Bill Paxton was a good actor. He's been in some good films but it's just not a good actor. It was interesting seeing Mark Hamill do something besides Star Wars though.

I was also confused on the direction the plot went. They started off trying to track down this convict and ended up going to this other city and not caring at all about if he was captured or not.

There is a reason this was never shown in theaters.

The Babysitter (I) (2017)

Decent but not my type

[6/10 · 15 October 2023]

I am not a horror movie fan. I just never got into all the blood and screaming and people jumping out at people. That all being said this wasn't a bad movie. If you are into horror, movies, with all of the horror clichés in them you would probably enjoy this one.

The setting was pretty cool. I liked the house, and the fact that the entire movie took place there. It kind of gave you a claustrophobic feel.

What I did not like, was the fact that the main guy would never behave the way he did. This movie had all the horror clichés in them. The main one being people don't seem to run away from terror. In fact they do what they can to stick around it. That just makes no sense.

Sound of Freedom (2023)

Good message but slow

[6/10 · 8 October 2023]

I don't understand why this movie was controversial? Why is there such a political divide on this? I honestly have no clue how true this was or how much of a true story it was based on. If it's 100% true, we need to talk about it and try and find a solution to this issue. What we don't need to do is pretend it doesn't exist. It's horrifying for a parent to have to go through this.

That all being said. I did find the movie a little slow. I wasn't expecting some blockbuster action flick. I wasn't expecting a documentary. I was expecting something to draw my interest a little bit. There are better and more engaging movies out there about child exploitation. This was just slow for me, but I definitely am not denying it's going on!

Nick of Time (1995)

Flawed but ok thriller

[6/10 · 4 October 2023]

The plot was pretty interesting. Guys daughter gets kidnapped and guy gets blackmailed to do something. I've seen it before but not sure where.

My gripe was with all the things happening and no one noticing. The guy brandishes a gun at a political rally and no one seems to notice. He walks someone out of rally with the gun and still no one notices or even them missing.

It was such a dumb idea to use this idea for an assassination attempt. Clearly someone thought it was clever but it really wasn't.

The acting and plot were ok I guess. It was just the little things that made you think no way they would do that bothered me.

Blair Witch (2016)

Suspenseful. Decent sequel.

[6/10 · 4 October 2023]

So this film ignored all the events of book of shadows which was a good thing. It had a good premise of the first movies main characters' brother out trying to find her or trace her footsteps. Movies were similar. They had the camera following them along and relied on 'found footage.'

I thought the first one was amazing. It was also new and a product of its time. This one tried the same style but just didn't work as well.

Several horror movie cliches were in this and they were annoying. They would call out their lost friends name in the woods. They wouldn't answer. Their friends start to panic. All of a sudden their friend appears right behind them and taps on their shoulder and says 'I'm here!' and everyone jumps. Why sneak up on them. It's such a cliche.

I was super confused with the time jump. They didn't explain it. Why was it necessary?

If you're a fan of the first one, this is a must watch.

Fear (1996)

Decent 90's thriller 7.5?

[7/10 · 27 September 2023]

This was definitely one of those movies you expected, and OK film, but walked away thinking that it was slightly better than OK. I really enjoyed this movie.

One thing I did like about it was all the 90s references. The dialogue and the clothing and the music were all great because I was a 90s kid.

The movie itself was pretty suspenseful. The first 2/3 of it were really good. The ending scene I thought was a little too long. It just didn't fit in with the movie. It felt rushed and unnecessary. I don't know how they could've ended it better but I did not care for it it. This had to have been one of the most sudden endings I've ever seen.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Not my type

[5/10 · 25 September 2023]

This wasn't a bad movie I'll be honest. The acting was pretty good and the plot was unique which I appreciated. The thing I did not like is that it was intentionally sad.

Why do people voluntarily want to put themselves through that emotion? When I lose someone or something unfortunate in my life happens I get sad. I hate that. I would like to avoid that but that is life. I would never seek sadness out. I could kind of say the same for horror movies. I don't like being scared so I avoid those too.

That all being said, it wasn't a bad movie though if you are into being sad. The acting was pretty good. It had a unique plot. It was a little long, about 20 minutes too long.