sundialpictures-01657 Reviews

The Women of Brewster Place (1989)

Worth Checking Out

[8/10 · 19 December 2023]

This one will be taking up residence in your head days after you watch it. For me, it's Oprah Winfrey's amazing performance as Mattie and David Shire's beautiful underscore. Oh, and the ending will send shivers down your spine and maybe even get you choked up with a tear or two.

I looked into whether or not this had been nominated for Emmys and discovered that it was largely snubbed. Sure, it had two nominations, one for Mini-Series and another for. Paula Kelly, but I feel like it deserved a whole lot more. Oprah certainly deserved a nomination, David Shire needed one for his underscoring, and I would've liked seeing some acknowledgment for the cinematography.

All in all, it's a great flick.

Peacemaker (2022– )

Too Vulgar for My Tastes

[8/10 · 19 February 2022]

I've just started watching this series and only two episodes in. Already, I can tell this isn't going to be for me. This is such a disappointment because I really enjoyed last year's The Suicide Squad and thought James Gunn returning to this universe would ensure more of that same wild creativity.

Well, it's not for lack of trying; John Cena continues to do great work as Peacemaker and I do like his eagle sidekick. There's some great action; I really liked his first fight with a butterfly and the way he escapes the police afterwards. The rest of the ensemble does fine with their characters. I don't lay the blame on them.

So, where do I think it all goes wrong? Why don't I like this more? Frankly, it's the writing. Now, I understand that edgy is a hallmark of James Gunn's filmography but somehow I remember there being less vulgarity and profanity even in stuff like Super and Slither. This series seems to rely on dirty talk far too much. Sometimes that sort of thing works like in the Deadpool movies, but here it just seems like a way to cover for a lack of true comedy. There's really nothing funny aside from hearing the characters make obscene insults at each other.

In short, this just isn't my thing. I don't usually enjoy shocking and vulgar gags or dialogue, never have. If you like that sort of thing, you'll probably enjoy Peacemaker a lot more than I did.

Music (I) (2021)

Don't Believe the Hype, See It for Yourself

[6/10 · 7 January 2022]

I was disappointed to find that Sia's directorial debut isn't the trainwreck everyone says it is. That's why I decided to check it out because of all the negative reviews. What exactly is everyone having a problem with? Apparently, the detractors all hate the lead performance and even invented terms like Autistic Blackface to describe it. They all treat this movie as if it were an affront to humanity because of this performance saying that it's degrading to autistic people. Well, I'm high functioning autistic and I expected to be offended but came away realizing the character Music is meant to be low functioning. She can't speak, only communicates in noises and wears headphones to filter out the noise of the world because she has sensitive hearing. Sure, this isn't my experience and it isn't the experience of a lot of autistic adults, and I think the filmmakers know this. This character is not meant to be a representation of every autistic person in the world. I get that and was okay with the movie.

Basically, what we get is a retread of the Tom Cruise/Dustin Hoffman classic Rain Man and while it isn't original, it does have some nice unique touches that make it interesting. I love the creative music video sequences that Music dreams up, her way of communicating with the world, her way of making sense of it. I also found this movie to have heart, and I totally believe that Sia did this as a labor of love and a tribute to a good friend of hers who has autism.

This isn't the worst film I've seen by a long shot and I think it just became popular to hate on this film as some misguided act of virtue signaling. The more egregious act has been all of these people getting offended by this film in my place.

Dune (2021)

You Should Have Guaranteed The Second Half Before Filming

[6/10 · 24 October 2021]

I feel that this movie suffers from what I call the Deathly Hallows effect. It's where you take a story that would be too big for one movie and you split it into two movies. The first movie would be the first half of the story, which covers all of the set-up, which isn't really the most exciting material but is necessary to get out of the way. The second movie winds up being what everyone wants to see, the exciting action, the meaty parts of the story. That's the unfortunate situation we have here with Villeneuve's Dune. He's designed his adaptation to be like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but he's done so without the full commitment of the studio. Whether or not we even get that exciting second half, the big pay-off for our investment of time and patience, hinges upon how this film does financially. I think that was a huge mistake because this half of the Dune tale is so dry and so lacking in momentum and the characters are so boring that you're hardly excited to dive back into this world. You leave this first film with a shrug, and muttering things like, "Well, I guess it was okay." It'll be a shame if we don't get the other half of the movie, but that's a real risk right now.

Cats (2019)

Loving Cats Means I Have Weird Taste In Films

[8/10 · 16 October 2021]

It was and still is extremely popular for people to hate, nay, despise this movie. Almost everyone who has heard of the movie and some who have actually seen it will tell you it is the worst thing ever created. They'll tell you about the look of the cats, the lack of a story. And even the terrible songs are the reasons they hate it so much. I guess I'm gonna have to go against the grain on this one because I enjoyed seeing it, heck, I've seen it three times. Maybe it's my bizarre taste in movies (for pete's sake, I love some of the weirdest films around, 'Coneheads, anyone?'), but I actually got absorbed in the songs and the world created. All of those towering sets dwarfing the human actors, the strange yet captivating mocap work on the performers, the dance work and choreography, and the songs.... the cast is uniformly strong and I think Hooper's direction here is even better than his work on Les Mis.

Out to Sea (1997)

Matthau and Lemmon Do It Again

[7/10 · 13 October 2021]

Absolutely charming old geezer comedy featuring everyone's favorite odd couple, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. If you've seen The Odd Couple or either of the Grumpy Old Men movies, you know exactly what to expect. What I didn't expect is that it would work so well the third time around. The romances are adorable and brought a tear to my eye. Matthau and Lemmon still bring the funny and I got my money's worth from their antics. Just a lot of fun.

Black Widow (2021)

Disappointingly Routine

[7/10 · 7 October 2021]

Something about this movie just seemed so bland. It's an afterthought in the Marvel saga, and when I say that I'm not disparaging the character, I'm simply stating a fact. This film takes place just before Avengers: Infinity War and so we already know how her story ultimately ends which drains some tension from the story presented here. Sure, it's fun seeing her interact with the other members of the Romanoff family. I especially liked Florence Pugh (who doesn't apparently), she's going to make a great Black Widow going forward. As an average moviegoer who isn't steeped in Marvel lore, it was also fun getting to know Natasha's backstory. I also think the idea to bring in a Harvey Weinstein-ish villain was more than appropriate. It made the story more relevant to some important social issues. Ultimately, however, the movie suffers from that afterthought-ish nature I mentioned earlier. This feels less important than what we saw in the other Avengers movies. Very by-the-numbers direction that lacked punch. It's such a shame because there are things about this movie that I liked and had they been in a better film would've been a great movie rather than a ho-hum one.

Clerks II (2006)

A heartfelt movie with too much crass.

[6/10 · 6 October 2021]

I'm really torn in my opinion of this movie. The movie really sinks low for most of its humor and I'm not a fan of crude and sexual gags. Gags of this nature usually make me queasy and nauseous. Clerks II is one of the crassest films I've ever seen. But, here's the deal, it's also extremely moving in places. That's right, I care about these characters and the tender moments actually get me choked up. There's also a really great scene where Becky (Rosario Dawson) teaches Dante how to dance for an upcoming wedding set to Jackson 5. That scene put a giant smile on my face. So, I'm torn. I don't know whether I love this movie or hate it. It's a little of both at times.

What If...?: What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

Consider Me a Fan of Captain Carter

[7/10 · 4 October 2021]

I really enjoyed this look at Captain America if it were Peggy who got the serum and not Steve. I know some viewers hated this episode mostly because it featured a female action lead but there's absolutely nothing wrong here. Some have complained about the pacing but the creators figure that you've already seen the movies so you can fill in the gaps on your own. Nice seeing how Steve got to participate in the action. Fun episode.

Tiptoes (2002)

Nothing Wrong With TipToes

[6/10 · 24 July 2021]

Don't you just hate those moments where you're on a roll with your review, and suddenly your finger slips and hits the back button and it erases every single one of your thoughts? Just had one of those while writing my review for Tiptoes. Let me make this brief because life seems to hate my long reviews: Tiptoes is nowhere near as bad as it's reputation. Most of the film's criticisms center on the casting of Gary Goldman as a dwarf. I didn't have a problem with him; I thought Oldman was very professional here and he delivered a sensitive and even sympathetic performance. Sure, the script is TV movie material at best but I think everyone involved had their heart in the right place. I was surprised that there was very little to laugh at or make fun of and it puzzles me why this is considered one of the worst. It's just an okay drama.

Unplanned (I) (2019)

Feels More Like An Undergraduate Term Paper Than A Captivating Drama

[5/10 · 19 July 2021]

I'm someone who is pro-life and yet I don't like this movie. Why don't we start with the positive first: Ashley Bratcher is fantastic in the role of Abby, the woman who goes from being very pro-choice to being a staunch advocate for the unborn. She taps into Abby's humanity and doesn't give in to histrionics. She plays it real. I appreciated her performance a lot. Alright, that's about all the compliments I have for this movie. Everything else about the movie is very manipulative. First, the soundtrack blares at you the emotion you should have at every turn, destroying some very well-crafted scenes. The dialogue is nothing but speeches and debates; in fact, most of the movie is just speeches and debates about abortion, as if this whole script were just someone's term paper filled with statistics and so forth but very little of the human drama that helps make the situation immediate. The messiness of life is not found in this production. The villains are very easy to identify because they act like Cruella De Ville (I'm referencing Abby's former boss), what a horrible performance given by Robia Scott. There's very little humanity found in her depiction. Nobody acts like this woman. She delivers the worst line of the movie, too: "Abortion is the fries and soda of our business." Just cringeworthy. And, even though, I'm in favor of this film's stance, I really hoped to get a fair and balanced drama. I wanted to feel for the people at Planned Parenthood just as much as I feel for the people protecting the rights of the unborn. But, presenting real people wasn't on the agenda when they made this film. It feels cheap and easy which just does a total disservice to the issue and also the good to be found like Ashley's performance as Abby.

Harley Quinn: 'Til Death Do Us Part (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

Edgy and Juvenile

[4/10 · 30 June 2021]

Right off the bat (no pun intended), this show seems to be aimed at foul mouthed teenagers that enjoy feeling like they get away with something when they watch a show. Part of me understands that this is meant to be the world according to Harley Quinn; the viewer is meant to experience the show as if Harley were telling the story. That explains the coarse language, the extreme violence, the juvenile tone, the innuendo aplenty, etc. I just don't happen to like edgy entertainments like this, that's why this is probably going to be my first and last episode.

Angels in America (2003)

Interesting Story But Not My Thing

[5/10 · 30 June 2021]

The experience of viewing this miniseries was a mixed bag for me. Let's start with the good: the production is very well done from a filmmaker's perspective. Thomas Newman delivered a moving score, the performances given by Al Pacino, Patrick Wilson, Mary Louise-Parker, Ben Shenkman and Justin Kirk were superb. And, the narrative pulled me in and kept me interested for all seven hours of it (I binge watched it all in one sitting because I just had to know how it all ended). It's definitely not a boring watch, it's a fascinating one. Unfortunately, that's where my praise ends. Not everyone in the cast gave their best: Meryl Streep's three performances felt unconvincing and shallow to me. The worst of the three being her depiction of a jewish rabbi. I thought her performance as Patrick Wilson's mother was closest to being a real person, but I had issues with it still. Emma Thompson went way over-the-top as the angel that visits the dying Prior (Justin Kirk) in visions that can only be described as a mixture of horror and eroticism. I'm still not even sure he really had visions, they seemed more like delusions to me. I also disliked the way this series depicted members of the Latter-Day Saint community. While I didn't sense any true hatred or bigotry against this religion from the writers or actors, I did see a lot of errors that probably stem more from mere ignorance about what these people are really like. The tone of the production also felt scattershot. At times it gets so campy and overblown that I wondered if I were watching a comedy. The subject matter is very serious but the theatrical nature of the source wasn't toned down for the screen and so I was confused by it. In the end, the experience that I will never forget, there are many scenes permanently etched into my memory. Unfortunately, it's also something I didn't enjoy. I felt creeped out by the scenes involving Emma Thompson's angel character, I was appropriately depressed and heartbroken by the turmoil in the marriage between Parker and Wilson, and while I don't necessarily like the characters I did feel empathy for them. I've got mixed feelings about what I saw: it's a great adaptation of the play and it's something I hope never to see again.

Milk Money (1994)

Only Worth Half Your Milk Money

[5/10 · 25 June 2021]

This movie had the interesting idea to combine the movie Pretty Woman with one kid's quest for a new mother. Unfortunately, it only works half the time. The first hour is pretty bad and uncomfortable -- disturbing innuendo and inappropriate and dangerous situations involving young children. The second hour is exactly what it should have been -- a fish out of water tale with some heartwarming moments. If the script were to have received just one more rewrite to fine tune the tone they wanted to go for, maybe ditch the more overt perverted stuff and make it more innocent and whimsical they might have had something worth seeing.

Jack (1996)

A Very Strange and Sometimes Off-Putting Film

[5/10 · 20 June 2021]

Francis Ford Coppola attempts to make a heartwarming family film and produces a very strange and sometimes off-putting film. We're never quite sure if this is supposed to be a comedy like Big or if it's supposed to be a serious drama about a disability. The first half is warm and funny but the second half gets really dark and depressing and the coda is meant to be inspiring but instead it's just profoundly heartbreaking. I'm giving it a 5 for Robin Williams' performance alone.

Heaven (1987)

This film is anything but heavenly

[1/10 · 26 May 2021]

A condescending and obnoxious documentary that's sole purpose seems to be depicting the religious as a bunch of crazy people. Irritating use of cross-cutting between old film clips and interviews appear to be done for comedic effect. The camera angles as canted in every scene with either the subject seen askew or with their heads stuck in the bottom corner of the frame. By the end of this film, I had a migraine and had to take a nap. Just awful.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Not Quite Last Airbender Bad...But It's Close

[7/10 · 24 April 2021]

I've never played the video games but I have seen the Paul W. S. Anderson adaptation from 1995. The trailer for this thing looked cool. Lots of awesome fight choreography and special effects. There was even that R-rating which appeared to be giving fans exactly what they want. Unfortunately, the experience of watching this movie is far from satisfying. I wanted a fun rollercoaster ride of a picture -- didn't need to be oscar-worthy or anything, heck, just as long as you made it enjoyable with enough humor, martial arts action, and gory fatalities, would've been fine with me. What I got was long, drawn-out scenes where characters dump exposition, bland actors that seem to lack pulse and vibrancy, flat cinematography, and a nonsensical story that goes absolutely nowhere. The filmmakers got so wrapped up in making sure everything felt dramatic that they forgot to inject life. There's no humor, no pathos, just bodies standing around until the next fight scene. What a boring flick.

Serenity (I) (2019)

Serenity Now! Predictable In Every Way

[27 December 2020]

It's not often that I accurately predict a movie plot point by plot point, so it was both a thrill and a great disappointment when I was able to call every plot twist in the film on my first viewing. The first shot of the film pretty much gives away the midpoint reveal and the hints and clues are dropped throughout the film with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. What rescues this film from being a complete bore are the performances. The film may not be as clever as it thinks it is but the actors clearly were impressed with the script and believed they were doing good work because they are giving it their all.

The Hustle (I) (2019)

A Wasted Opportunity

[27 December 2020]

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels finally gets remade and the results are a major letdown. If you're expecting creativity and a modern reimagining of the material, you've come to the wrong place. The filmmakers have just taken the 80s classic and done a shot for shot remake, right down to using the same locations. They add a few minor changes here and there but it's all cosmetic, the bare minimum effort required to avoid complete plagiarism. It's a wasted opportunity to do something new with the material but Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson appear to be having fun. I just wish they would've let us, the audience have a little too.

Nightfall (1988)

Christopher Guest Could Make A Great Comedy From This Production

[11 August 2020]

Nightfall plays out like the byproduct of a Christopher Guest mockumentary. It feels like a hippie commune read the Isaac Asimov short story and somehow got hold of film equipment. They set out to act out the story and put it to film and somehow it leaked out of the commune and spread worldwide as a major feature film to the hideous embarrassment of everyone involved. The film plods along with nonsensical and humiliating scenes, involves far too much nudity and sex for a PG-13 rating, and amateurish performances to make one cringe.

Young Einstein (1988)

Young Einstein: A Bizarre and Frustrating Experience

[1/10 · 8 August 2020]

This film joins the same bizarre league of surreal comedy of which Howard the Duck and The Adventures of Pluto Nash claim membership. You sit there with mouth agape for two hours wondering what the filmmakers were thinking of when they made this film. None of the jokes work because we can't connect with any of them. What does work would work for any two year old: slapstick. The one time I chuckled was when a very large woman tried to get rid of a pan of used dish water and wound up splashing it all over herself. That's one cheap laugh that landed, not because of clever writing or performance, but because somebody did something dumb. The rest of the movie features jokes that made no sense and seemed to have been written by an alien from outer space. The film is populated with wacky characters and a story that you can't follow because you can't stop falling asleep every five minutes. Watching this film is an exercise in frustration. You want to laugh but what you see happening is just so weird that you're just trying to understand it. Normally, I would say that I hated this movie because it was unfunny, but there's something about unusual films like this that are endearing to me. It's because you're never going to see anything like it ever again. That doesn't happen very often. That's where the one star comes from.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Lethal Weapon 2 is Anything But Second Best

[4 August 2020]

Screenwriter Jeffrey Boam was one of the greatest popcorn entertainment writers ever to put ink to paper. In 1989, he gave us two of the very best action sequels ever written: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and this film, Lethal Weapon 2. A few reasons why I love Lethal Weapon 2: 1) the introduction of the conman Leo Getz as played by Joe Pesci. Pesci really cements himself as a terrific comedic actor with his portrayal of this sleazy yet charming toad. Whenever he's on screen with Gibson and Glover there's palpable electricity. You feel like he's the little tag-along brother that won't stop talking but admires the heck out of his older siblings. It's such an endearing performance. 2) Deepening the story of the first film; we finally find out how Riggs' wife was murdered and why and he gets to have his revenge. 3) There's a lot of heart in the writing and the direction. Look no further than the Murtaugh vs. Toilet Bomb sequence, or the finale where Murtaugh is comforting his fallen comrade. These are two of the very best bonding sequences in any cop buddy movie. 4) The action sequences are incredible. Each sequence in the film seems to be trying to top the other but does so in a very natural way. You never feel like the story is put on pause to focus on a big, expensive stunt. It's all organic to the narrative. 5) The dialogue is superb. (i.e. lines such as "okay, okay, okay...", "We're back, we're bad, he's black, I'm mad..."; Character 1: "Diplomatic Immunity!!!" Character 2: "It's just been revoked!" and finally, "They've been decaffeinated." If you're scratching your head at those lines, it's time for you to get acquainted with this movie. Just a great sequel overall.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

It's better than Temple but not as fresh as Raiders

[5 June 2020]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade isn't on the same level as Raiders of the Lost Ark. It doesn't have that film's depth and it doesn't have it's freshness. But, what it does have is enough exciting and innovative action to keep your interest. It also has a touching new wrinkle, a father and son relationship. This relationship isn't explored as deeply as you would see in a drama, and that's okay because this is after all an action movie. It's given just enough attention to make us care about what happens to these characters during the adventures. It's also a good source of laughs and warmth. Last Crusade is just good enough to make us forget about the bitterness of Temple, and appreciate Raiders that much more.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

Too Much of a Good Thing

[6/10 · 25 March 2020]

I'm really torn between a thumbs up and thumbs down. On one hand, this film has the trademark visual inventiveness and madcap energy of Gilliam's work, and he's pulled together one hell of a cast for this one. On the other, Gilliam packs so much into his film that the experience begins to overwhelm you and somewhere around the second hour, you're no longer dazzled, no longer entertained, just bludgeoned, exhausted, and ready for a nap. Everything is being played up at such a cartoonish level that you become dizzy. It starts to feel one-note and you're more enduring the film as it concludes than you are enjoying it. At least, that was my experience. I'm still going with a middle of the road rating and leaning more in the direction of positive, but with some reservations.

Farewell to the King (1989)

A heartfelt production if a bit heavy handed in execution.

[19 March 2020]

A heartfelt production if a bit heavy-handed in execution. Nick Nolte gives an incredible performance as Learoyd, the last king of Borneo; the storytelling is never less than captivating, and there are some truly breathtaking and memorable images throughout. The highlight of the film is Basil Poledouris' masterful film score and it's a real shame he wasn't given awards consideration for his work. The only problem I have with the film is in Milius' direction, he steers things toward sentimentality a few too many times. He's very close to the material to the point where he tries just a little too hard to get us to know its importance and to feel something strongly. Not really a masterpiece but a solid piece of work that I'm glad I took the time to watch.