DrCCat Reviews

Babicka (1922)

Grandma's teaching

[8/10 · 8 May 2024]

The good: being over 100 years old this movie holds up. Grandma dishes out her wisdom like a delicious stew on a cold day. The costumes are authentic. There's a number of life lessons in the movie which good today. Definitely a slice of life film. The acting is dramatic, but it definitely on par with the films of those days. The actors & actresses can tell you a lot, just by their expressions.

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The bad: lots of jump cuts. Not sure it's film quality or deliberately done. I feel bad for one of the characters. Normally music better in Czech films, but it's not a deal breaker.

The ugly: for a look back at how things used to be, I recommend this movie!

Fallout (2024– )

player.setlevel 9

[9/10 · 18 April 2024]

The Good: the acting was solid, the sets pull you in. In a few of the scenes I could taste the dust and grime. If you didn't know the lore, the characters are able to fill you in without that annoying info dump that's so prevalent in film & TV these days. The series adds to the lore of the games & has a few surprises for fans. I'm not a fan of Easter Eggs being shoved in, but the eggs on the show felt natural and not shoved in for member-berry bait, like: ready player nostalgia. Lucy is a decent fish-out-of-water and not just a girl boss. Cooper Howard/The Ghoul has a lot of charisma.

The bad: my opinion of maximus is mixed. He came off as either insufferable or compelling. He's definitely an upgrade from Star Wars Finn. The romance between Lucy & maximus seems forced. The humor is a bit cringe worthy at times, but tolerable.

The ugly: I'd recommend this series. Keep in mind that the series central theme is: nothing is as it seems.

Fool Me Once (2024)

We are the fool

[5/10 · 20 February 2024]

The good: excellent music which fits the scenes. The pacing & plot fit well, which keeps me interested in the story. The overall premise is a nice take on the murdered spouse theme. The characters are clear when delivering their lines & dialog. Not for one moment I couldn't say I didn't understand what was going on with plot & characters.

The bad: where to begin? The DI Sami entire character can be cut from the show. He's suffering from: unknown disease which makes him pass out during key plot moments. His entire arc can be skipped & adds zero to the narrative. The new detective adds more to the plot than Sami. We are introduced to Sami with an untied shoe, good first impression by the Keystone Cop. It was his rookie partner, not the main detective that decided to check the CC cameras on the night of the husbands murder. Then only suspect, who owns the motorcycle used for the murder & seen on the CC TV, is let go. The excuse: 'He has a sold alibi' - fine, charge him with accessory to the murder. DI - Incompetent is only there to pad the runtime.

The MC isnt any better- Maya Stern is a bully, which is her MO for the entire show. She makes Dirty Harry look a peace loving Aang from Avatar. Also Maya is bright as a 10 watt bulb minus the filament. For example: she sees her dead husband on the nanny cam, which kicks off the story. Maya confronts Nanny McMace-in-Face about the incident. Of course Nanny Mace denies everything & maces the MC & runs off with the only piece of evidence that her husband is alive, the SD card. Not a smart move - I don't know, how about - send a copy to the police? But we needed the card stolen so the plot to happen.

The neice isn't much better & missed her chance on being in Pretty Little Liars II, since she lies to everyone on the show including her mother's secret lover, brother, half brother & father all in the name of 'I was trying to protect them' cliché.

The father isn't much better because he lies to the police about his whereabouts on the night Mayas husband was killed. Why? For more 'I'm trying to protect them' cliché. Really?? He's single & isn't cheating, so why hide hide the alibi? Just needless faux mystery to ramp up tension.

The Smother-in-law is a toxic stereotype of the stuck up blue blood complete with 'your type isn't good enough for my rich snooty family' & 'my family can do no wrong because we are old money'. The only thing missing is the husband with monocle & a pampered dog.

The ugly: I don't know what to say. Im on the fence if I recommend this or not. One hand the mystery is interesting, on the other the side characters are cardboard stereotypes. I'm not sure why this show is number 1...slow entertainment cycle.

Detective Forst (2024– )

Detective in search of a coherent plot

[5/10 · 4 February 2024]

The good: the first 2 acts were great. It pulls you in. The music fits with the tone. The acting had me wanting to see the next scene & episode. The characters had depth. It had just enough action and suspense, which was mixed with the desolate scenes of loneliness and isolation.

The bad: the plot fell apart like Detective Forst's fragile mental health in the 3rd act. The antagonist is rewarded with plot armor and the boss Immunity clause cliché in the final episode. There were too many gratitudous sex scenes that didn't fit the narrative, and shoehorned in. Anytime the protagonist met a woman, he was sleeping with her in the next scene. To fill the run time, I guess. The overall plot was about revenge, but was too convoluted at the end. The Detective lady, didn't even bother to report her serial killer husband, a thread that didn't go anywhere. Or she was the prosecutor, it didn't make sense what her role was. Either way, she was cool with a serial killer husbznd running amok because her daughter said "oh you miss daddy too?" The female lead, Olga, takes the serial killer for a car ride...never hinted at why and was out of character. The James Bond-like minor villian was a bit over the top. The only thing he was missing was a fluffy white cat. The violence was going for a Quinton Tarantino level of blood and brutality without the style. More excuses to pad the run time. Some of it was good & fit, other times I got the feeling that the production company got a discount on faux blood or bought too much and needed to use it up before wrapping up production.

The ugly: I would recommend this show, but don't watch the last episode. It will leave you annoyed and yelling at the TV, like I did.

Christmas as Usual (2023)

Romcom without the rom or comedy

[1/10 · 14 December 2023]

The good: The costumes was the only positive aspect of the movie.

The bad: the acting was sub par, the main character has zero self awareness. For example: in the church the guy starts sneezing loud enough to be heard in Iceland, doesn't even try to cover his mouth. He eventually gets up and goes outside, then begins shouting on his phone at the top his lungs. The director can't get enough of the close ups. The cringe worthy racism reminded me of an 80's after school movie. The spicy food scene was predictable and unfunny. Seriously, what made him think the Norwegian family would be used to spicy food? Again, zero self awareness. Though I do have one question: where did he buy those strong spices? Even the outdoor scenes were bland, like the acting.

The ugly: watch this if you want to know how not to make a romcom, otherwise avoid it. I enjoy cheesy Christmas themed romcoms, this movie didn't have either.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Leave no review behind

[8/10 · 9 December 2023]

The good: I enjoyed the acting, and the characters seemed reasonably put together. While the situation forced them to interact, their evolution and emotions pay off later on. The characters have several layers to them & don't reacts because the script tells them to. You actually see motivations behind their actions. The music, sound effects & use of camera angles pulled you into the movie. The director knows what a long lens is for and you, the viewer, get to see the set. Most modern movies today you can put the characters anywhere & use the short lens. Here, you see the actors using props & not just focused in on close-ups!

The bad: I can't stand most CGI in movies. The deer looked corny, but everything else: lightning, acting, & music pulled it together so I was able to suspend my disbelief. No jump scares - where were the jump scares the run rampant like rabbits? I personally can't stand jump scares and actually happy there were none. But if like that jaded trope you won't find it here.

The ugly: I enjoyed the movie and would recommend seeing it because of the acting, pacing and dialog. At first I was put off at the end, but when you understand the character it makes sense. Checkov's gun is used and there payoff in the end.

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

Revenge done right

[9/10 · 6 November 2023]

The good: when plotting revenge why dig 2 graves, because I plan on killing more than 2 people...and that's best way to describe the plot of the story. The characters are constant & the side stories are easy to follow because it aligns with the plot. The art work & background are amazing, pulling you in. For example when the characters are in the snow, I felt like I needed a jacket. The protagonist isn't an over powered monster that cuts down people like lawnmower cutting grass. This builds the tension nicely! I was actually concerned about the protagonist in several fights. The character's motivations are believable.

The bad: I don't like CGI, but once you get used it, it's okay and not off putting.

The ugly: there's a lot of action and violence. The humor is done right places & not out of place. I also like the silent lone wolf type of characters, & the main character fits the archetype well.

Aftermath (IV) (2021)

Snooze film

[3/10 · 1 November 2023]

The good: the actors try really hard to salvage the movie, but the cringe worthy dialog doesn't help. The premise is okay, but done better in other movies and films. I was surprised that the wife actually tries to defend herself and not cry!

The bad: characters are as predictable as a clock. Stereotypes are thick...flirty college girl, wife nobody believes, useless police detective, Harvy Weinstein type of rich guy etc. Jump scares are frequently used in this movie.

The ugly: it's a low budget horror movie, don't expect award winning dialog, A-list acting, coherent plot, but expect jump scares and cheesy 1-liners.

Ahsoka (2023– )

Order 66 this show away

[2/10 · 3 September 2023]

The good: the music is decent, but don't fit the scenes. The visuals are good and does a decent job pulling you in. The actors look the part and generally look like they want to be there instead of collecting a pay check. It was good to see Crusher again. There was one decent fight scene at the ship yard. Disney did tone down the CGI, which is nice.

The bad: pacing of a sleeping snail. If you cut out Ahsoka or others standing around mouth breathing for most of the episode it would be cut down to 10 minutes. With only 8 episodes this filler isn't necessary. Back story isn't explained and lost me, even though I watched star wars Rebels. The show, if you can call it that, feels like it was C Grade fan fiction. For example, on episode 3 their ship has no power so Ahsoka decides to go out in space and bat at the ships like pesky flies with her 'laser sword'. Another example is when another character is asking for resources to help Ahsoka and the council replies with "Thron is dead, even though there was no body found, he's dead". Real thought provoking writing there.

The ugly: I'm wondering about all these high rankings, did I watch a different series? I wouldn't recommend this show, though I was looking forward to seeing it. Ahsoka is like an Almond Joy, without the almond or the joy.

One Piece (2023– )

Hoist the sails & kiss the gunners daughter

[9/10 · 3 September 2023]

The good: where to begin? The music is on point and adds to the story, the casting is good and the actors have good charisma together. The action scenes are decently choreographed. Typically over acting, CGI and cringe worth fights is significant in most action shows & movies these days. None of that is here. I was 200% shocked to see practical effects! In this day and age using prosthetics for the Fishmen? Really!?! Awesome! Flashback scenes give you a heads up when there is a time jump. The introduction of characters with a wanted poster doesn't get old and is funny by the reaction of the actor. I'm excited for season 2!

The bad: only complaint is Luffy's facial expressions in the first few episodes. They are kind of off putting, but after episode 3, he grew into the character. Other than that....zero complaints

The ugly: I would highly recommend the show. Several times I could smell the salt water in the air, and manages to pull you into the world. Definitely worth watching again to see what details I might have missed.

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

No happy thoughts for this movie

[1/10 · 2 May 2023]

In an attempt to appeal to modern sensibilities, this film (if you can call it that) appeals to no one. This movie is a shell of the former source material. With no heart, warmth or exciting scenes, prepare for a movie that's better than a sleeping pill.

The good: Jude Law and the.music score was on point. Jude Law's acting was good and should have been the focus of the movie instead of the other characters. The pirates were good, in a Pirates of the Caribbean way. The only other happy thoughts for this movie was "the end".

The bad: Dizzy skimped on the special effects and lighting. The croc was so badly done a handbag would have been better. The FX people couldn't even get the CGI water to look right or even use real water for the cave scene. There was an over use of dark scenes, which made it difficult to see what was going on. The actor who played Peter Pan attempted to channel David Tennant, but without the talent or charm. Wendy was an insufferable character who blames others, and pulls off her cringe dialog with the skill of McGruff the Crime Dog. Poor Tink got sidelined.into being Wendy's side-kick, and later on forced into liking Wendy for little or no reason. At one point Wendy causes the pirate ship to fly off. Why? Do ships now have happy thoughts? Why is the ship flying?

The ugly: No amount of clapping will save this film.

Anon (I) (2018)

Half-hearted Black Mirror

[4/10 · 18 March 2023]

The good: the visual FX were amazing and worked well. The actors had decent chemistry together and visuals that of a dark dystopia where all your activities were ready to be reviewed like a reality TV show. The premise was good, but the backstory was under developed.

The bad: the plot was all over the place, especially at the end. It seems like every sci-fi director these days requires a M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end, Anon is no exception. The secret antagonist at the end wants the fem Fatale because...reasons? Not really sure what the antagonist's motivation was, I guess he wanted to get a girl and was willing to murder-death-kills people to win her heart? While there was generous amounts of T&A, they could have cut it out and it wouldn't have made a difference. With no backstory to the fem Fatale I couldn't care less if she got killed or fell off into a plot hole. Her explanation at the end on her motivation to hacking people made zero sense. Her motivation sounded like something she read on the bathroom wall next to the toilet paper and other graffiti.

The ugly: truth be told, to say the movie is a slow burn does a disservice to the LOUD noises that punctuate the movie to wake up the audience. The characters mumble their lines and than BAM! Car crash or gun goes off. The movie was mediocre, but not great.

Channel Zero (2016–2018)

Creepy as a wet noodle

[1/10 · 28 January 2023]

The good: the music is good and sound effects are slightly above a sound board bought from Radio Shack.

The bad: the characters are so stupid you can strangle them with a cordless phone. The director relies too much on camera filters everyone looks like a smurf or have a liver dysfunction. My significant other was even making fun of it, the show was that bad.

The ugly: Avoid this like you would avoid a port-a-potty at a concert. Too many recaps. You can go out and drink, sober up, go to work and come back and miss zero plot points. If I had to rate this like a candy bar, it would be an Almond Joy. But without the almond or the joy.

Andor (2022– )

And-bore new Star Wars Series

[3/10 · 24 September 2022]

Not sure what show these 10-star reviews watched, but it's now what I saw. So on to the review...

The good: the costumes were spot on. You can definitely tell what class or who they are by the costumes. The music fits with the scene and isn't thrown in because. The set pieces make it feel like a lived in world. It felt like I could actually be on the set or scene.

The bad: the dialog, plot, pacing, and acting. The MC (main character) is so unlikable. He shoots 2 unarmed men, steals his friend's spaceship, owes money (the show made it unclear why) to criminal elements, wanted by authorities, is clueless and mumbled most of his dialog. The show has him acting like an idiot. For example the brothel scene. MC is asking the madam if she saw his sister and after telling him no, he walks out, scene done.

Lucky for our protagonist the planet has only 1 brothel, how convenient. So checking other places is not on the schedule, but what's on the schedule is generic security guards who shakes him down for credits. The scene goes predictable like a rolling loaded dice. There's nothing memorable about this show.

The ugly: you can easily skip episodes 1 & 2. On episode 2 I started to clean the cat box and didn't miss anything. You can jump straight into episode 3 because half the time the writers go back tell you what just happened anyway. If you like dark gritty noir mixed with a few sci-fi elements....watch something else.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Discount 4400

[5/10 · 7 September 2022]

The good: nice premise and the sci-fi element is interesting. The variety of characters makes up for the bad parts. The debate between government officials was good, but could have been expanded upon. The pseudo science babble talk was kept to a minimum.

The bad: so all 20 people on that plane lives in NYC? No one took a connecting flight? The dialog is predictable, like a Hallmark movie but with less cheesy music. The actors were over acting. You would think out of 20 people at least one person would be like: this is sooo cool, I can help people and do cool stuff! Instead we got moping people or 1 person would be like...I bet I can get rich with my new skills.

The ugly: it's a show that you can play in the background and listen to while you are cooking, cleaning or pretending to work.

Snowpiercer (2020–2024)

Train wreck?

[7/10 · 17 April 2022]

While I can agree with many of the reviews, but I do find the premise interesting and different. That's what I like about it...its not the same CGI garbage, boring shtick, or pointless fetch quests for the McGuffin seen in most sci-fi TV shows. The story relies on the character development, such as it is, to make it watchable.

The main character's acting is dry and seems preacher, the other supporting characters are better and help push the story along the tracks.

In the sci-fi world of Mary Sue unbeatable characters this show demonstrates that the MC isn't invincible and makes mistakes. For me that's worth watching.

Last Christmas (2019)

As fun as reading US tax code

[3/10 · 22 December 2021]

I tried to watch this movie, but the jokes fell flatter than the stock market during the great depression. The attempts at slap stick humor were so predictable that a blind man could see them coming.

They shoehorned in George Michael songs at every 7 minutes & you could set your watch to them. None of the songs matched the tone of the scene.

The characters had dialog that was slightly above an oven and unoriginal. There was more sexual tension & chemistry in Toy Story than in this movie.

For example at the Christmas dinner the older sister complains that she only became a lawyer because her father forced her into it. I guess he forced her to be so successful that she was promoted twice by her law firm, too?

The main character wrecks her life as she walks a path of self loathing and self destruction...for reasons. Suffers zero consequences for her actions, everyone feels sorry for her, as she stumbles through the story.

I would expect the behavior from a teenager, not a full grown adult.

There were some cute moments when the mom had dialog that wasn't forced, but cue the predictable & unrelated Wham! Song to ruin the moment.

The surprise twist was no surprise because medical shows like New Amsterdam, the Good Doctor and Chicago Med did this plot already and better.

Santa Inc. (2021)

Terribly unfunny

[1/10 · 3 December 2021]

Same jokes we have heard before, same attempt to be "edgy" with curse words, same attempt to child-like animation style that falls flat and same preachy hollywood message. This show was as funny as overflowing colostomy bag.

There is nothing new here, just more rich people complaining how unfair things are while collecting a nice fat paycheck. Congratulations Seth you managed to beat the Star Wars Christmas special as the worst special.

Aladdin (2019)

Live action without the action

[2/10 · 17 November 2021]

This review contains no spoilers, just shame for all those involved. Where to begin...

First the CGI is so off putting the world was artificial and devoid of life. There's so much CGI they should have made the movie all in CGI instead. Everything looks so clean that you would wonder if everyone just showed up on day to live in the city. Even the so-called dirty street urchins have fabulous hair and nicely washed. The mud on their faces were just smeared makeup.

Will Smith can't sing, not even auto tune can save his performance, if you can call it that. The acting was horrible. Everyone on set was there to collect a paycheck.

The director rushes from scene to scene, and I got the feeling he was told to cram as much nostalgic references as possible.

And the director played Assassins Creed and Prince of Persia before filming started for the inspiration instead of reading the orginal story.

Jasmine looks like she's from India and pushing into her 30s.

This movie was like an Almond Joy, minus the almond or the joy.

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (2021)

Missing from the budget - lights

[5/10 · 11 August 2021]

Like the 2nd movie the scenes were so dark I could only guess at what happened because of the squishy blood sounds that were made when someone got killed. There was zero tension because of the over acting. The jump scares failed to land because things were so dark.

I think they were going for an American Horror Story atmosphere, but it felt so rushed. It would have worked better as a TV show & not ran through the same scenes.

Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 (2021)

Better but...

[5/10 · 11 August 2021]

The second movie was better, but the night scenes were so dark I couldn't tell what was going on half the time. Whoever was the lighting director should have been fired.

There were no spoilers because I couldn't tell you what happened during the critical scenes.

Captive State (2019)

What did I just watch?

[20 July 2021]

Not sure if I should downvote or upvote the movie. About half the movie was techno babble & the other part of the movie was rushing from 1 plot point to the other. There was no time to digest what was going on. I can't spoil this movie because I didn't know what was happening. I had to read the spoilers even after I saw the movie.

Too many characters, too many confusing plot elements & aliens were a big meh. There was no tension because I didn't know what to be scared of.

The Intruder (I) (2019)

Terminal case of boring

[1/10 · 6 July 2021]

This review contains no spoilers, just shame for all those involved. You can't spoil this movie because you can predict what will happen, when it will happen and who is going to be killed next.

There is more tension in an episode of Dora the Explorer or Paw Patrol. I only watched this till the end because I was hoping there might be a twist or something, nope just more disappointment.

Warcraft (2016)

World of Meh...

[3/10 · 3 July 2021]

Without going too far into spoiler territory this movie tries to cram too much (characters, plot lines, CGI, and side plots) into its 2hr & 3min run time. Not to mention, nonsensical plot elements.

For example the scene where human characters are discussing the how many legions that have been destroyed by the orks. Wait...for a place that has been living in harmony for years (according the dialog said 20 minutes ago) why do the humans have so many legions of troops? Even Rome (at the height of their power) took months to raise a legion at a moments notice. The orks (we are told) took months to bring their clans together. And I'm expected to believe the humans have legions waiting around in peaceful times doing nothing?

I've played WoW from 2004 to 2015. I kinda remember all of the names and factions, but for someone who doesn't know the world I'm sure they are more lost then I was.

The movie rushes from one scene to the other as quickly as possible. This movie gives the audience zero time to breathe & process what's going on. I get no sense of tension because the actors are simply reciting their lines like this was a jr high-school rendition of Wizard of Oz. The actors look as board as I was. The CGI an over the top dazzle fest, & half the time I'm not sure they know what they are interacting with and looked uninterested.

If you want to watch something more entertaining, watch the cut scenes from the original games.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Good action movie

[9/10 · 2 July 2021]

Its a good action movie to sit back and enjoy. It's nice to see a movie with a positive message instead of trying to shove political messages & forced diversity into every scene.