Change Your Image
mattphlaum
Reviews
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Fun but Goofy
The only redeeming qualities were the action scenes and a few tear-jerking moments. These were few and far between. The entire premise of the movie was undercut by the protagonist skirting around all the major plot points to eliminate the threat before it ever happened. And it all could have been done with some C4 and better planning. The entire ending felt very contrived as if the writers got side-tracked in the last half of the script and the director was too busy getting off on explosions to notice.
The Road Trick (2017)
Nice kid: bad tricks
In a show about magic, I was expecting something more along the lines of David Blaine performing a lot of magic. The tricks are few and far between, taking a backseat to the awkward social interactions that the star has with the locals. Adam is very charming in a sort of bumbling way but he is not a great magician. His sleight of hand was painful to watch and oftentimes the secrets themselves were blatantly obvious, even when performing tricks only for the camera that could perfected with better angles or another take. He should stick to Broadway shows where the size and scope and effects distract from his lack of talent.
Total Recall (2012)
Total Re-gurgitation
I wish I could recall the last two hours of my life. I really thought this movie would be fun - not good, mind you - but fun. A re-make of an old classic with an even bigger budget, better actors, and today's special effects would be worth 8 bucks. Plus Jessica Biel is sexy as hell. I was rewarded for my rare optimism by poor acting (seriously, the robots were more engaging); cliché dialogue (at one point, the villain actually said darkly, "Go handle it" to his henchman); and unpredictable plot-turns (the audience was kept guessing what the hell was going on). And these were all carefully scripted for the sole purpose of getting to the next action sequence - none of which had anything to do with the original movie. The only call-back to the original title was the appearance triple-titted hooker. No need to explain how the hell a regular human came to have these mammoth milk-monsters, because there are three of them. I should have walked out after they made their five-second cameo. I would have been happier.
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
One of my Favorites
I seldom find any films, especially those from the 80's, that I would classify as timeless. This film is a masterpiece. Based on Baroness Ozzie's classic about history's first masked hero, the story takes place during the bloody years of the French Revolution. The plot brilliantly unfolds with enough drama to keep the audience on the edge of their seat while Andrew's and McKellen's dry back-and-forth keeps the movie light-hearted. Seymour is breath-taking as always, although save one seen in the library, her interactions with Andrew's seem a little forced, especially when compared to the chemistry between Sir Ian McKellen and Anthony Andrews. Definitely one of my favorites.