sortmaster Reviews

Courtney Gets Possessed (2022)

I enjoyed it

[7/10 · 11 May 2024]

As long as you keep your expectations in check, I think there's something enjoyable here.

It moves fast, the writing is okay and delivered serviceably. The brother is such a prick, but I liked his performance especially. The sisterly interactions were probably the weakest parts of the film but it's only a couple short dialogues.

The effects are pretty minimal but this type of story is character-centric and they do a good job with it.

This is a perfect movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon where you don't want anything too challenging but just want to veg out with a movie that keeps your interest.

Also I just like movies where people try to outsmart Satan and his deal-making.

Unstable (2023– )

Good jokes, Sian Clifford steals the show

[9/10 · 17 February 2024]

I am pretty hard to please with sitcoms. There are so many middling ones out there because writing comedy is exceedingly difficult. So I was as surprised as anyone when the first episode of Unstable actually had me laughing.

I think most of the cast do a great job but Sian Clifford is freaking amazing. Every scene she's in, she steals, and leaves me at least chuckling.

It reminds me a little of Better Off Ted (great show) but the company is an over-the-top Google parody rather than a horrible corporate hegemony. And the son is the proxy for the viewer, being the one normal person in a company of weirdos.

Definitely worth a try, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. And it starts rather fast, so if after one episode you don't like it, pull the chute.

EXmas (2023)

Just a fun xmas romcom

[7/10 · 25 December 2023]

I wonder if I watched the same movie as these people giving 1/10s here. Granted, it doesn't do anything shocking to move the genre forward, so I don't expect a massive critical response, but if you're just looking for a cute xmas movie with a few laughs, this fits the bill nicely.

The acting is good, the pacing is good, the jokes landed for me, I thought it covered the bases for a pleasant Sunday easy-watching experience.

If you like movies like The Proposal, I think you'll be happy watching this.

There were a few comments complaining about the treatment of Christianity but I would consider it mild humor in good fun and those people overly sensitive.

Obliterated (2023)

Reviews are highly polarized -- not for everyone

[8/10 · 1 December 2023]

First off, If you want realism, look elsewhere. This is show is silly but if you can enjoy some cheesy action, drug jokes and aren't offended by nudity, there's a fun show here.

I see a weird amount of hate in some of these reviews, you can tell what this show is about from the description so I don't know who was expecting a highly realistic special-forces action drama.

I will say that the initial first impression of the action sequence in the first episode is the weakest part of series. But once it gets to the party, it picks up quickly. And if you don't like that part, then the show isn't for you.

Vikingane (2016–2020)

Funniest show I've seen in a while

[9/10 · 29 September 2023]

In an age when so many comedies are retreading the same old stories and situations, it's nice to see a comedy take some chances.

It has violence and sexual content, so it might not be for everyone, but I find it to be used to great effect in service of the comedy and not gratuitous in nature,

It actually has a decent a-plot that weaves throughout the seasons, involving the control and survival of the tribe. Murder, betrayal, love-triangles, and pillaging but delivered in a very consumable way that is easy to binge.

This show is such a gem, I hope they continue to keep making it for years to come.

Season of the Witch (2011)

Fun Sunday watch

[7/10 · 8 September 2023]

It's so easy to make fun of Nicholas Cage but he never phones it in. The old war buddies chemistry between him and Ron Perlman is excellent, I'd love to see them work together again.

While the writing isn't going to win any awards, I found it suitably engaging. It didn't have fist-pumping one-liners or anything, but the characters were written believably (and flawed).

The plot is actually the best part. Keeps the viewer uncertain through most of the run time and comes to a sensible and satisfying conclusion.

We don't get many supernatural films about templars but this is one of them. Totally enjoyable as a casual watch for a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Wrong Turn (2021)

Better than rating suggests

[8/10 · 23 April 2023]

While the first half of the movie follows well-worn genre tropes, it really spreads it's wings in the second and third acts. I quite enjoyed this film and it wasn't obvious what was going to happen next.

No one is going to win an Oscar for their performances, but they're perfectly serviceable with a couple standouts.

I suspect some of the hate is coming from people who are big fans of previous Wrong Turn movies? I've seen a few of 'em, and they didn't strike me as particularly noteworthy, so I quite enjoyed this different direction for the series.

If you're in for a horror-thriller that takes you in some unexpected directions, I can definitely recommend this movie.

Day Shift (2022)

Fun vampire-killing action

[8/10 · 12 August 2022]

I'm actually kind of curious who did the fight scenes because they are well above average. The plot isn't going to surprise anyone but the dialogue is reasonably snappy and the pacing is fast.

This is a perfect Sunday afternoon flick.

I was surprised at the currently low rating 6/10. I realize it's not some type of critical darling but it succeeds at what it's trying to do. I would love to see more Netflix movies of this quality.

God's Favorite Idiot (2022– )

Positive vibes and enough chuckles

[7/10 · 19 June 2022]

I found this quite bingable, the pleasant characters make it easy to keep watching. They don't write in cringy or uncomfortable situations which tend to repel me. Reminds me a bit of Kevin (Probably) Saves the World or Ted (though Ted's better).

As for the jokes, they're allright but nothing that really stood out as oustanding. But enough chuckles to keep me going and the story itself was interesting, which helps. It also had a few poignant moments that actually resonated. The relationship between the Idiot and his dad is super cute.

Anyway, worth a shot, you'll know pretty fast if you want to keep going.

Injustice (2021)

Ignore the nerd-rage -- it's good!

[9/10 · 23 April 2022]

This is a good comic book movie!

If you have some massive investment in the comic source, maybe this is somehow disappointing; but as someone who came in blind, this is WAY better than the average comic story. The writing is also snappy and the pacing is fast, no complaints from me.

Unfortunately there is a rather large contingent review-bombing it because it's not religiously adhering to the source material. While I agree that can be disappointing, it's blinding them to the fact that this is actually a good movie, and not super cheesy like most superhero animation tends to be.

If you have 90 min and like superheroes you can do so so so much worse than this, give it a shot. I'm glad I watched it before reading the reviews.

Gun Shy (2017)

Watchable silly diversion

[6/10 · 22 April 2022]

I was a bit surprised by how poorly rated this movie was.

It's hardly a cinematic masterpiece but I enjoyed it! A perfectly watchable movie for a sunday afternoon. I particularly liked the Aussie bountyhunter.

Don't be scared off by the score, if the trailer interests you, you'll be fine with this one.

The Protégé (2021)

Totally watchable action flick

[7/10 · 10 March 2022]

Seems slightly underrated here. Decent cast, some fun chemistry between Keaton and Q, fun action scenes (if a little over the top).

While I wouldn't consider it a classic, it's a perfectly serviceable action movie.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Low point for the series

[6/10 · 15 January 2022]

Lets start by saying I'm a Matrix apologist. I love the first trilogy. The first movie is a 10/10, the sequels rate maybe 7. Not nearly as good, but peppered with moments of brilliance. They are elevated in my eyes, partly because they take place in a setting that I find to be quite intriguing.

So, I was extremely excited to be getting a new entry into the series! I liked Animatrix and would love to have new stories told in the Matrix universe. Learning that Neo and Trinity would be coming back worried me a little. And I think I was right to worry. It feels like a bit of a retread.

I actually enjoyed the first act. The meta questions about what is and isn't reality harken back to the themes of the first movie.

But after that, things go downhill pretty fast. They play loosy-goosy with lots of the in-fiction rules, making up all sorts of new stuff that barely hangs together.

Bots? Bleh.

How did they build a new city without the machines noticing?

No more Oracle but somehow the Merivingian survives?

The super speed of the Analyst doesn't make a lot of sense or why Smith can suddenly match him at the end out of NOWHERE to save Neo with Deus Ex Machina. Or why Smith is alive at all really -- he should definitely be destroyed.

Sigh.

Just really sloppy writing for the entire second half of the movie. And none of the gravitas or excellent dialogue from the earlier movies. The new Smith and new Morpheus don't hold a candle.

Arcane (2021– )

Insanely good

[10/10 · 1 December 2021]

I don't know how we arrived in this timeline where both Dota and League of Legends would come out with such outstanding animated series, but here we are.

Watch both but I'll give Arcane the edge because it's steampunk setting feels more unique with the characters are more emotionally poignant.

Like.. I legitimately had tears in my eyes for certain scenes. And the plot shifts enough to keep you on your toes, unlike so much of modern TV which is painfully predictable.

LOVED IT, very much looking forward to season 2.

Uncle Frank (2020)

Excellent acting, beautiful story

[8/10 · 26 August 2021]

I thought the performances from the 3 leads were outstanding. I was absolutely engaged with their emotional states throughout the movie.

This isn't generally my type of film but the drama never felt melodramatic and the characters were believable; to me, that makes a drama.

The pacing never felt dull, which speaks to good screenwriting and directing. The writing for the characters was also quite good.

I loved the relationship between Frank and Beth; that's what initially drew me into the film and what I take away from it.

Snake Eyes (2021)

Worse than the other GI Joe movies

[5/10 · 24 August 2021]

While the previous entries were way over the top, and not what I would consider fantastic cinema, at least they had a sense of humor.

This movie has the unbelievable action but is completely humorless. If you want to be bigger than life, then you need it to be entertaining. The closest this movie ever gets is the bowl scene with Tony Jaa.

If you want to have a serious action movie, then you need to ground it with some realism and believability. When you have plot-armored main characters, the action scenes don't have any sense of danger or even interest. So you need to make them entertaining in other ways, and this movie fails at that. Plenty of wire work but the fight choreography didn't impress me much at all considering how much of it there was.

Wayne (2019)

Just watch it

[10/10 · 27 March 2021]

It's much better than any caption can properly convey. The humor is strong, the action keeps you on the edge, the story isn't obvious; it's everything a show should be: surprising, entertaining, well written, and well acted.

Do yourself a favor and give it a shot, unless you're extremely sensitive to violence, you'll find something to enjoy here.

Warrior Nun (2020–2022)

Surprisingly Good

[8/10 · 5 August 2020]

From the synopsis I was expecting some rather bad Netflix superhero fare (they've gone a bit downhill lately imho) but this one is actually pretty good.

The writing feels well grounded by the characters. Even though the situations are outrageous, the characters feel believable in their reactions.

Sense8 (2015–2018)

Season 2 is even better

[9/10 · 15 May 2017]

I wasn't sure what to expect with S2. S1 had such a great rising action through the season but I wasn't ready to have another long slow build up. Luckily, that is not how this season is structured at all.

Every episode is an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes sad, sometimes uplifting, sometimes getting me super pumped. The writers/producers/directors/actors really know how to raise the intensity of a scene to 11.

Season 2 is even better than season 1, which I already thought was excellent.

Amazing work by everyone involved, truly.

Last Knights (2015)

Not an action movie

[8/10 · 13 April 2017]

The low ratings confuse me a bit. I think it was a very enjoyable film, especially if you subscribe to the idea of a having a Code.

The action scenes are serviceable, but not amazing. The story is the main draw here: If you enjoyed The Last Samurai, then I imagine you'll like this. The themes are similar.

If you come to it expecting explosions and non-stop sword killings, then you are going to be disappointed, this is a slower paced affair. But I feel that the pace gives more weight to the action when it does take place.

UnREAL (2015–2018)

My guilty pleasure

[9/10 · 4 August 2015]

As a 33 year old male, Lifetime isn't where I tend to look for my programming but I actually like this show.

The cruel way that the 'actors' are manipulated is very believable.

My favorite is the boss, Constance Zimmer plays a powerful bitch beautifully.

This show is everything I generally don't like: a sequential drama with romantic subplots (and even the main-plot, kinda). But I ended up really liking it so maybe give it a try if the premise is interesting to you. Give it two episodes, if you aren't interested after that then you can probably safely pass on the rest of the season.

Chaos (2011)

Best pilot I've seen in years

[10/10 · 3 April 2011]

I thought this opening episode was excellent. If they can keep up the writing, this show is sure to find an audience. I watch all my shows on the net so I'm not sure about networks/time-slots, but I hope they don't bury this one because I think it's got some broad-spectrum appeal.

I like the main characters. They have a good spectrum of personalities. The weakest link I see is the main protagonist, since he's playing the wide-eyed idealist newbie. His evolution will be needed as the series progresses, but the rest give a good feel of jaded spies. The backbiting and info dealing of the CIA co-workers is hilarious, I can't wait for the next one!

If you liked Chuck's season 1, you'll likely find something to like here so give it a shot. It's less cheesy/campy, though still has a light-hearted feel.