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Reviews
Counterpart (2017)
SciFi Noir
An extremely engaging show that makes me wonder if this is what you'd get if the likes of Len Deighton or John LeCarre had written science fiction. Not very big on flashy effects, but it doesn't have to be. J. K/ Simmons delivers two (Yes two) very engaging performances.
Setting this show in Berlin is a brilliant idea and just adds to the intrigue..At first glance this show might seem plodding, but it soon has you asking lots of questions. Even the series premise is not exactly what it seems. Even many of the characters don't exactly know what they themselves are up to. I'm not talking ineptness here, I'm talking about asking questions. And there are a lot of questions.
Cinematography is excellent, writing is imaginative and allows the characters to interact in a fascinating manner. Performances are excellent across the board. I highly recommend it.
Flight (2012)
Well Done Character Study
Flight is the study of a man who in a moment of crisis, saves over ninety lives. But as a result winds up having to save himself. What sets it apart from other films dealing with substance abuse is that it sets up an interesting point of view. At one point Don Cheadle's character points out to Denzel Washingtons character Whit Whitaker, that several pilots had tried to duplicate his actions in averting the total loss of every passenger and crew member in the simulator, and all failed. This leads to an inference that if Whit hadn't been stoned out, he might not have been able to pull the maneuver off. This is reinforced at the hearing where Whitaker says his actions were instinctual in reply to a question questionfrom the hearing officer. This of course leads to ask does this excuse his behavior? Of course not. Whitaker's own statements at the end point out the futility of that line of thought. This is the the truly remarkable beauty of this story. We are allowed to come to the same conclusion that Whitaker comes to. But we come to it of our own volition. The same as our protagonist. We come to it without preaching or being led by the nose. It is an excellent study of a man who must in the end, save his self respect in addition to a plane full of people.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Truest to the Dickens
This is absolutely the best version of Dickens' tale I have ever seen. George City. Scott gives a wonderful performance as the embittered old miser who learns to embrace not only the spirit of Christmas, but the spirit of humanity and hope that allows us to b our best. The script is chock full of dialogue taken directly from the original story, and the cast is excellent. Each actor brings their character to the full measure of importance to the story, and in a story such as this, what could be more important. Scott himself shines in going from the brooding and cynical miser who comes to realize it is he who been the worst off for his greed. To the truly transformed human who discovers what true riches are. It is a transformation that is the most convincing of any performer ever to play the role. I would be committing a travesty if I failed to mention the performance of Edward Woodward as the Spirit of Christmas Present. He practically steals his scenes from Scott with a cocking and sneering demeanor that plays perfectly off Scrooge's cynicism.
The Girl (2012)
Water Muddied by Boorish Performance
I love movies about making movies. Unfortunately this one is not for me. This is supposed to be based on real events, and while I am not saying these events didn't happen. I just can't buy it. While the writing certainly was part of the problem, it is the awful performance of Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock that brings the movie down. Whether or not Hitchcock actually harassed Tippi Hendren isn't the issue I have here. It's believing that the fiend doing it in this film is actually Alfred Hitchcock. Look I know that Hitchcock was famous for his gallows humor and a love of dirty jokes and limericks, but the movie has Tippi Hendren as the only one who is hearing any of these remarks. In addition Toby Jones comes across as a boorish piece of wood in his portrayal of the master of the macabre. Because of this I simply can't buy this story at all.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
H P Lovecraft Meets Mission Control
I found this film to be the most original horror flick I have seen in over a decade. The writing, effects, and plot all make it worth watching, but just barely. The basic flaws are in the performances. None of the actors in this movie looked as if they gave a damm. However it is a very original premise that both pays homage to, and makes fun of the genre at the same time. The scene where the spooky old guy from the gas station asks if he's on speakerphone is really funny. If they had just gotten some better acting I would have given it more stars. But if you are a fan of the genre, you may find it well worth your time.
Source Code (2011)
Extremely Well Done
This is a film that defies genre labels. It's not a time travel film, but it does seem to be able to change the recent past. It's a unique blend of science fiction and thriller, with a little bit of romance thrown in. For me the connection between Colter and Christina really clicked and made me want more of these two characters. I've seen some reviews that panned the ending as being unnecessary, but after the stunning revelation a little more than midway through, they had to provide more of a kick in the pants for the end. Definitely worked for me. Towards the end, it seemed it would end with Colter dying in a virtual reality fairy tale, and Goodwin throwing her career away to make it happen. But we then get left with a completely altered reality that actually works. I enjoyed this immensely.
Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
Pleasantly Surprised
This movie came out shortly after the awful Skyline. I had seen Skyline and it had lived down to it's reviews. I was expecting the same reaction as the critics consensus was very similar for both films. I was wrong. Have there been better alien invasion movies? Yes, but not many. Have there been better war movies? Lots, but this still holds its own. The plot moved along quickly and kept me engaged. the dialog was clichéd at times, but didn't burden it down. You could feel a connection with the characters, and were interested in them. The cinematography was very good. And the effects team did a bang up job. This film probably won't win any awards, but it doesn't need to. If you're looking for decent science fiction, you can put this on your list.
Monster (2008)
Impossible to Follow
I don't know if this piece of drek was entirely coincidental to "Cloverfield" or not, but it doesn't feel that way. I understand when disaster happens, video equipment will get damaged and there needs to be some realism. But at least in "Cloverfield" you could follow the story. The camera malfunctions came so often that it was like watching a badly put together nickelodeon. The malfunctions themselves seemed to be unrealistic at times. I will admit the brief shots of the tentacled monster were not bad, but if it's impossible to follow the story, then nothing else matters. Oh, one more thing. On a movie this bad, I really don't want to see a behind the scenes documentary. That's like pouring acid on a wound.
Razorteeth (2005)
Oouuuuuuuuuchhhhhhhh!
Lets count the ways this piece of garbage stinks. Acting-The acting is at best wooden. I take that back. A fence post displays more life and depth of feeling than any of the messpians in this disaster. Visual effects-They shot the view of the piranha attacking through a red filter. This is supposed to make us believe the water has turned bloody? As to the piranha themselves. They are fake fish that only move when someone is manipulating them by hand. You never see more than a head shot of them in the water and I swear to god it looks like someone stuck them in an aquarium tank and just stuck a camera up against the glass. It's like watching kids play with dolls. Editing-What editing? To sum it up. This movie isn't even fodder for an MST3K style treatment. Stay away.
2012 (2009)
Why Has Emerrich only made one good disaster movie?
The answer to that question is, that that movie (Independence Day) didn't take itself seriously. Everything he has done since has been much more straight faced and that has been there downfall. I know what your going to say, ID4 wasn't a parody. No it wasn't, but it made so many sly references to other films and TV series in a wonderful eye winking way, that it made it much more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been. Maybe that's the point here? Maybe Emmerich might have a better track record with comedy merged with gigantic special effects. Maybe he should have done that awful "Disaster Movie"? Granted. there was one part of the movie that seemed to gravitate towards that sly wink. That would be Woody Harrelson's over the top performance as the conspiracy radio talk jock covering the crisis while waiting for the Yellowstone caldera to erupt. Alas, it was far from enough to even make it entertaining. The special effects are well done, but all that does is make this a grand cliché.
The Lovely Bones (2009)
Excellent Story
I have to admit I didn't expect the film to leave me feeling the way it did. I knew going in it was a disturbing subject, but it was handled in a way that was quite unexpected. The cast handled their roles with great performances. Saoirse Ronan was outstanding. Probably the best young actress I've seen in years. I do hope she gets roles that properly make use of her talent. Stanley Tucci does a great job in immersing himself into his character. Interesting that the last role I saw him in was Julie and Julia. Going from playing a nice guy in that one, to a serial killer here. Pulled it off very nicely. Did it without looking real slimy, which unfortunately is how a lot of films portray characters like this. Sociopaths are very good at hiding, and that's how he played it. Never coming across as sniveling or overly excited. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weiz were also great as the parents. Kudos as well to Susan Sarandon, Michael Imperioli, and Rose McIver. Visually the film worked very well. Some of the CGI was a bit overdone, but most of it worked very effectively. I particularly liked the imagery where Susie's father is smashing all but one of the ships in a bottle, as Susie watches them smash on the rocks in her in-between world. Excellent work here by Peter Jackson. This movie made me feel, and that's never a bad thing.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Overloaded, Ponderous, and Tedious
I found it difficult to keep my eyes on this waste of time. Downey was OK as Holmes, and I did enjoy Law as Watson. However the movie kept throwing all manner of plot devices at you it became extremely difficult to actually follow the story. The habit of having Holmes visualize his deductions might have worked, if it weren't for your mind being assaulted by all manner of other effects and unnecessary bits of dramatic filling. Don't get me wrong. My complaint isn't too much action or too many stunts. It's too much everything. Instead of making it fast paced, the Director winds up slowing everything down. It's not like watching paint dry. It's like watching paint dry and every few minutes someone comes along and throws on a new coat of paint.
The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
Kind of like bait and switch
When I first saw the trailer for this, I was very intrigued. It (the trailer) reminded me a lot of "Burn After Reading" which Clooney was very good in and which I enjoyed a greatly. What I found was a film that was slightly amusing, but also tried to be dramatic and was only mediocre in that context. While there were plenty of amusing moments in this film. they were only mildly amusing, and not well placed. Unfortunately the attempts at drama only dragged down the story. There were good performances by Clooney, Spacey, and Bridges, but the simply couldn't elevate the story sufficiently. I might have given it a higher rating if the film had just tried to be amusing, but after seeing the trailer and then seeing the film, I felt somewhat disappointed.