allmoviesfan Reviews

Rambo (2008)

Rambo 1, bad guys 0

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

John Rambo is back in action, this time battling the merciless Burmese army who are engaged in some very horrific ethnic cleansing.

When the grizzled vet agrees to take some religious missionaries (Julie Benz and Paul Schulze amongst them) up river to Burma, Rambo ends up being thrust back into combat once again when the group goes missing and are captured by the Burmese army. He must accompany a motley crew of mercenaries (including Graham MacTavish and Matthew Marsden) on a mission to save them.

An ultra-violent and at times confronting return to the big screen for Sylvester Stallone's iconic character. The body count is enormous. I've not seen anything like it before or since. Not for the faint of heart, and certainly a lot more gory and gruesome than the previous three instalments.

Manhunt: Post-mortem (2024) Season 1, Episode 2

"Post-mortem"

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

In "Post-mortem", Tobias Menzies' Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War in a country recently at war with itself but currently adjusting to peacetime, must balance the preparations for President Lincoln's funeral with trying to put together a full picture of who killed the POTUS at Ford's Theatre, and figure out whether it is part of a conspiracy enacted by Confederate forces.

Meanwhile, the actor turned assassin John Wilkes Booth is on the run, trying to stay several steps ahead of federal forces, receiving assistance from various sympathisers.

Less action than the first episode, but nonetheless a strong one: good writing and good acting, especially from Tobias Menzies. I recognise characters from history as they are introduced.

Manhunt: Pilot (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

"Pilot"

[9/10 · 11 May 2024]

The time jumps early in the first episode of "Manhunt" are a little confusing unless you're paying very close attention, but those are gone about two thirds of the way into the episode, which moves at warp speed in dealing with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre by actor John Wilkes Booth, and the attempted assassinations of the Secretary of State and the Vice President.

Caught in the middle, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, has to piece all the events together and begin the hunt for Booth, who escapes Washington D. C. in the chaos after his country-altering act.

Even though you know what's ultimately going to happen (well, parts of it, anyway) "Pilot" is a tense episode that sets up the rest of the miniseries perfectly.

I thought Hamish Linklater did a great job as Lincoln, and Tobias Menzies as Stanton was also good. He'll work his way further into the role as the episodes go by, I'm sure.

(I don't get the hate for this episode - I was enthralled from the very beginning.)

Road Trip: Beer Pong (2009 Video)

Dumb, but fun.

[6/10 · 11 May 2024]

Look, it'sno masterpiece and is definitely not in the league of the original "Road Trip" movie (which is a classic of it's genre, no doubt about it) nor the semi-related Euro Trip that followed. However, there are a few laughs to be found in the first instalment of the franchise, which focuses on a group of students (stereotypical ones, it must be said - your stoner, your guy in a long-distance relationship, your player, and your cringey ethnic student as well) from Ithaca, the same college as in the original, heading to the National Beer Pong championships, where they are entered

As you might imagine, they get waylaid plenty along the way and find themselves in a few situations that lend themselves to the crass, late'00's humour that wouldn't pass muster today. It's dumb, features a fair amount of female toplessness, and doesn't even attempt to be subtle, but I watched it on a long overseas flight and it gave me a few chuckles.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

The Force is strong with this one.

[10/10 · 11 May 2024]

A brilliant film from the start to finish. George Lucas' creative vision is sometimes questioned, but not where the original trilogy is concerned.

You can see why this took the world by storm and continues to enthrall people, myself included, many decades later, not to mention having spawned ten other films and a half-dozen TV series', with no signs of it ever slowing down, either.

I remember watching this for the first time, my mind blown. The classic good versus bad, Rebellion versus Empire, Sith versus Jedi story. Darth Vader is a villain worthy of the name, the Death Star is a monstrosity, Luke Skywalker is the perfect hero, Han Solo is the the rogue with the heart of gold who ends up saving the day, and there are so many other great characters, iconic one-liners and great action.

(The final clash between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance fighter pilots is surely one of the best action sequences ever.)

So good. So much fun.

JAG: Secrets (1997) Season 2, Episode 2

"Secrets"

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

Following a prison break in the pre-credit sequence, the action in "Secrets" takes place nearly exclusively at JAG's Falls Church, Virginia headquarters. There, Admiral Chegwidden (and, later, Mac and Bud as well) are taken hostage by the prisoner who escaped. He believes he was wrongfully incarcerated and decides that the best way to prove his innocence is to take an admiral hostage. Not sure that checks out, but anyway.

There is plenty of intrigue afoot as Harm (with some assistance from Clayton Webb) try to talk the hostage taker down and rescue the admiral, Mac and Bud, all whilst fending off a strike team who - for various reasons that play out as the episode goes along - are very keen to silence the hostage taker.

A very good episode.

The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (2008 TV Movie)

Better than the second one

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

"The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream" is basically the first movie in reverse: a male figure skater needs a new partner, and he finds her in the form of a hockey player.

For mine, the film's biggest selling point is the chemistry between the stars Matt Lanter as Zack Conroy and Francia Raisa as Alejandra 'Alex' Delgado. The rich boy and the poor girl. The skater and the hockey player. They made a hugely believable couple right from the outset. All their scenes together were very well done.

Also, it was nice to see a connection to the original film, through Christy Romano's Jackie Dorsey, the daughter of Doug and Kate.

And look out for a cameo from noted TSN Canada broadcaster Rod Black.

Sure, there are some very predictable - almost formulaic - parts in the fim, but that's the case with most of these rom-coms. It definitely doesn't detract from the film's overall entertainment, and it is indeed entertaining. Not to mention that it's a vast and welcome improvement on the sequel, which was quite dull.

JAG: We the People (1997) Season 2, Episode 1

"We the People"

[9/10 · 8 May 2024]

Notable in JAG lore for being the first episode where Catherine Bell's United States Marine Corps Major Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie debuts alongside season one holdover Harmon Rabb Jr, played by David James Elliott. After JAG was cancelled by NBC, it was picked up by CBS and ran for another nine seasons, featuring the DJE/CB combo all the way to the end.

In "We the People", the Declaration of Independence, is stolen by some disgruntled Marines (in what is a cool opening sequence) and Mac has a connection to the case, thus being handed the assignment by Steven Culp's Clayton Webb. Whilst Mac believes she is only Rabb's partner on the mission to return the Declaration, of course we all know better.

The only annoying thing about the season two premiere is that the season one cliffhanger isn't even mentioned. I mean, last we saw of Rabb was him being arrested for murder. Then, to start this season, he's getting a medal from President Clinton, and working with someone who looks a heck of a lot like the person whose murder he was arrested for (of course, both were played by Catherine Bell). Some continuity issues, but a good episode nonetheless.

Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance (2018 TV Movie)

All things considered, not bad.

[7/10 · 7 May 2024]

Well, considering it's a made-for-TV Lifetime movie heavy on British cliches and surely - SURELY! - with a truck load of creative license taken, "Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance" is actually pretty good. I mean, it isn't going to win any awards, but this a fictionalised version of the royal romance that just about broke the internet, has it's moments.

The shadow of racism that seemed to hang over the whole thing is not shied away from, which I thought was a brave choice that elevates the production, and there is some good acting in places from the cast. There are some cringeworthy moments as well, but you take the good with the bad in a movie like this.

A note on casting: Parisa Fitz-Henley looks a lot like Meghan Markle and from certain angles, Murray Fraser bears more than a passing resemblance to Prince Harry. Some of the other casting decisions are a little off, but you can't win them all. Fitz-Henley and Fraser have good chemistry, and their romantic scenes are quite well done, as well.

Raise a Glass to Love (2021 TV Movie)

Good Hallmark - cheers!

[8/10 · 6 May 2024]

THIS tale of wine and love is an example of what Hallmark can produce when they really set their collective minds to it.

Laura Osnes is a stunning leading lady, and I really wish she'd been in more Hallmark films before decamping for GAC Family, where films are, to my mind, of a lesser standard. Osnes is well cast opposite Juan Pablo Di Pace. Who I don't think has starred for Hallmark before.

Credit Emily Schmitt and Laura Rohrman for giving them a good script with which to work.

British Columbia wine country stands in for Sonoma - BC is called upon often by Hallmark to stand in for all sorts of different cities - and it is stunning countryside, well captured. There's something spectacular about wine country, especially in the fall. Actually, Hallmark's Fall Harvest movies are amongst their most visually spectacular, year-in, year-out.

If only there was more of this sort of Hallmark movie than the other formulaic, cliche-riddled, poorly-written and poorly-acted variety that, unfortunately, is the norm for them.

Cheers!

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

Average but harnless

[5/10 · 5 May 2024]

They probably should have stopped after the first Lara Croft movie, which was superior to the sequel in every way.

Nonetheless, "The Cradle of Life" has some good special effects and impressive action sequences, not to mention a plot with a bunch of nefarious bad guys hellbent on world domination that made me instantly think of a modern-day Indiana Jones, albeit a female one.

Angelina Jolie is the undisputed star of the show portrays the fearless gun-toting titular video game character well, even managing a passable English accent, and the appearance of Gerard Butler's Terry Sheridan gives us a glimpse into her past.

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Better than Patriot Games, every bit Red October's equal.

[8/10 · 4 May 2024]

Rewatching this after a while, I forgot how good a political thriller "Clear and Present Danger" is.

Whilst the story of a secret CIA-run drug war in Colombia gone horribly wrong could not hope to replicate the intricacies of the Tom Clancy novel on which it is based, the script writers have crafted a movie that starts off slowly, setting the scene and establishing the players, before coming home with a wet sail.

Harrison Ford is supreme as Jack Ryan. He is the best Ryan there ever has or will be. I thought Willem Dafoe played John Clark with the necessary edge and enjoyed the performances of Henry Czerny as Ritter and Harris Yulin as Cutter, the two (American) protagonists. Joaquim de Almedia as Cortez, the real bad guy, was pretty good as well. James Earl Jones had limited screen time as Ryan's mentor, James Greer.

Spectacular action sequences (especially those in the jungle) interposed with Washington intrigue makes for a well-rounded movie. You know, it might even be better than "The Hunt for Red October," which is often mentioned as being the best Jack Ryan movie of all.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Flat - a tired franchise.

[5/10 · 4 May 2024]

Director Taika Waititi brought the best parts of "Thor: Ragnarok" to the sequel, but the New Zealander, who also stars as the voice of Korg, couldn't - and you'll pardon the pun here, I hope - make lighting strike twice.

There were times when I thought I was watching a parody of Thor as we knew him from earlier movies. The jokes that worked in "Ragnarok" didn't work here. The scenes with Zeus (Russell Crowe, one of many Australian or New Zealand actors and actresses featuring) were just dumb and don't even get me started on the goats.

A film that could have been better and arguably should have been better. Hemsworth was a shadow of his former monolithic self and Christian Bale, barely recognisable, wasn't really all that much of a villain. Not even Natalie Portman's return as fan favourite Dr Jane Foster or Waititi as Korg could save this one. Unfortunately. Best the shelve Thor if this is as good as it gets.

Blind Date Book Club (2024 TV Movie)

Hallmark Star Power

[7/10 · 4 May 2024]

It's refreshing to see Erin Krakow in a Hallmark movie that isn't a period piece. She and Robert Buckley (of "One Tree Hill" and "Chesapeake Shores" fame) are both big Hallmark guns, and are both well cast in an original and well-written story (no tired tropes or cliches to be seen here!) set on Nantucket, but filmed - like most Hallmark movies - in British Columbia.

The chemistry between Krakow's Meg, a book store owner, and Buckley's Graham, a writer suffering from that terrible affliction of writer's block, is on point from their very first scene together. It's this chemistry that makes the movie so good.

I enjoyed this one. Hope we see more movies with Krakow and Buckley starring together.

Falling in Love in Niagara (2024 TV Movie)

Another on-location Hallmark winner

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

Niagara Falls is the backdrop for this Jocelyn Hudon (one of my favourites) /Dan Jeanotte vehicle and arguably should receive top billing with the two stars, as the scenery is nothing short of spectacular.

The plot is similar to what we've seen before: Hudon's Madeline is a very organised organiser whose fiance gets annoyed with that trait and breaks up with her five weeks before the wedding. And five weeks before their Niagara Falls honeymoon (which she has planned to the hour), so Madeline goes with her sister and there meets Jeanotte's Mike, a tour guide who is Madeline's opposite. He teaches her to step outside of her comfort zone...and of course, after some early hostility, they fall in love. It's your classic Hallmark plot, nothing new or imaginative.

However, "Falling in Love in Niagara" works thanks to the stunning backdrop - at times it's like a travel doco / love letter to Niagara Falls - and the chemistry between Hudon and Jeanotte, which is off-the-charts good.

Living with My Mother's Killer (2024 TV Movie)

A decent twist

[7/10 · 3 May 2024]

Just when you think you've got "Living with My Mother's Killer" all figured out - like, who's bad and who's good - the twist comes, and it changes everything.

Not my first Lifetime movie but probably, based on the twist alone, the best one I've seen. The cast, including Australia's Rhiannon Fish (to be honest, the only reason I watched this - she is one of my favourites) and Canadian Greyston Holt, who had had a few notable Hallmark and Lifetime roles during his career, is pretty good, and there are enough gasp moments to keep you entertained.

Apparently based on a true story. Not sure how much poetic licence has been taken for the film, though.

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

The best Jack Ryan film

[9/10 · 3 May 2024]

Pound for pound, the best of the Clancy novel adaptions, fractionally beating out Patriot Games. Of course, you can hardly expect the movie versions of these Jack Ryan thrillers to be anywhere near as good as the books, given the many intricate plot lines (that play out in length fashion) and details Clancy has in his novels - there simply isn't time in a movie to include them all. Director John McTiernan and the writers have captured the gist of what is an undeniably thrilling story.

Alec Baldwin is just okay as Jack Ryan. This might be the best Ryan movie but he trails Harrison Ford as the best Jack Ryan.

Sean Connery, despite his complete abandonment of anything approaching a Russian accent, does a good job bringing Captain Marko Ramius, who wants to defect to the United States with a brand-new Russian attack submarine, alive. One of Connery's more iconic roles.

Courtney B. Vance, Sam Neill, James L. Jones, Joss Ackland, Stellan Skarsgard and Tim Curry - all good.

Less of a balls-to-the-wall actioner than some might have expected but there is tension - below the ocean surface and in the halls of power in Washington D. C. - aplenty.

A great film!

Sahara (1995 TV Movie)

An obscure gem

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

For a TV movie, "Sahara" had very good production values allowing for some impressive battle sequences, and a strong cast including the headliner, Jim Belushi as Sergeant Joe Gunn of the US Army Tank Detachment, and some good Australian actors including Mark Lee (of "Gallipoli" fame) and Underbelly's Simon Westaway.

An uncomplicated movie, where the desert is as much the enemy as Rommel's Afrika Korps was, set shortly before the events of the Battle of El Alamein and after the Fall of Tobruk, Gunn's tank picks up a motley crew of British and Australian soldiers stranded in the desert, and they must find water whilst retreating to rejoin Allied forces to make a stand.

There are a few cliched moments, but that's to be expected in a film like this - Westaway's Australian soldier, Williams, is straight from Central Casting. They certainly don't make it any less watchable.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

A huge improvement on the last one

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

"Thor: Ragnarok" is, if nothing else, the most Antipodean Marvel universe movie ever made, with Australians and New Zealanders playing pivotal roles in what was a much better, more coherent and more interesting film than Thor: The Dark World. Throw in a New Zealand in the director's chair, and there's definitely plenty of ANZAC flavour.

That director, Taika Waititi, brings out the best in a cast littered with big names - Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jeff Goldblum - and definitely pulls the franchise back from the brink.

A good story, a script with lots of funny moments and characters, helped, too. Hemsworth is so good in the titular role. Sad we didn't see Natalie Portman. Cate Blanchett was good in a limited role. Ditto, Karl Urban.

Great entertainment.

Stargate: Atlantis: The Siege: Part 2 (2005) Season 1, Episode 19

"The Siege: Part 2"

[9/10 · 1 May 2024]

It would have been a straight ten star rating for me, except for one thing: the portrayal of United States Marine Corps Colonel Everett, who arrives from Earth with a detachment of soldiers to hold Atlantis against the Wraith threat and sets about stamping his authority for better or worse, but mostly for worse. I almost preferred the Genii, who have a cameo in the season finale, to Everett.

Clayton Landey is the actor responsible and he has put in one of the all-time shocking performances. In fact "shocking" really doesn't do his efforts justice.

Other than that, "The Siege: Part 2" was high on thrills and tension as the Wraith attack Atlantis. There are some really cool action scenes and the season finale fades to black with Sheppard on a heroic mission... I guess we'll have to wait until next season to find out what happens.

Stargate: Atlantis: The Siege: Part 1 (2005) Season 1, Episode 18

"The Siege: Part 1"

[8/10 · 30 April 2024]

"The Siege: Part 1" is - as you would expect from the title - the first of a double episode to close out the first Stargate: Atlantis season and it is a good one.

With the Wraith approaching, there is no time to lose. McKay thinks an Ancient weapon can be repaired in time and head off to try and make that happen. Elsewhere, the tension between Teyla and Bates reaches boiling point. The latter thinks the former is a serious risk to the Atlantis team since it was revealed that she has some Wraith tendencies, especially when under their influence. And there are suggestions of a Wraith spy on Atlantis...

A spectacular ending to the episode sets up the season one finale perfectly.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)

Over-long and not very good.

[5/10 · 28 April 2024]

There is so much going on here and it's so messy, confusing and lengthy that I don't know where to start.

The story is centered around Barry Allen aka The Flash, The Justice League has expanded with heroes pulled from the various earths of the Multiverse to fight back against the Anti-Monitor, which is out to destroy all the earths. Barry must get tired moving from one universe to another.

There are more costumed superheroes than you can poke a stick at, and other DC favourites like Lois Lane and some bad guys, with a talented cast of actors voicing these characters. But it's all too helter-skelter to be any good.

Suffice it to say, there have been many far better WB Animation movies featuring the Justice League than this one. The second instalment can only get better. Hopefully...

Stargate: Atlantis: The Gift (2005) Season 1, Episode 17

"The Gift"

[7/10 · 28 April 2024]

The first use - that I can remember, anyway - of a dream sequence in Stargate: Atlantis. Also, the first episode that is centered wholly around Teyla, one of the more interesting characters. Been waiting for this kind of episode.

In "The Gift", she is haunted by nightmares and ends up finding out via an elderly Athonosian woman that she can sense the presence of the Wraith. It turns out that she is actually part Wraith, thanks to genetic experimentation in the past. Teyla can even communicate with the Wraith, though when she is under their influence, it's as though she is an extension of them...which is definitely bad news for the Atlantis crew.

A strong episode with a cliffhanger.

Stargate: Atlantis: Letters from Pegasus (2005) Season 1, Episode 16

"Letters from Pegasus"

[8/10 · 25 April 2024]

Letters from Pegasus picks up where the last episode, "The Brotherhood" left off...with the Wraith fleet ("an alien armada," according to McKay) is bearing down on Atlantis and things don't look good.

Thankfully - to a point, anyway - McKay is able to come up with a way to get messages back to earth. The Atlantis team have the chance to record limited personnel communiques. Except for Teyla and Sheppard, who are off spying on the Wraith fleet, on yet another primitive planet, with specific orders not to take on the entire enemy fleet.

A bittersweet episode with the Atlantis crew facing their mortality and recording messages for their loved ones. Declarations of love, as well. And some record their gripes, too.

Sheppard and Teyla disagree initially about getting natives off the planet before the Wraith arrive. Then they witness the Wraith culling a village.

Samantha Tapping has a cameo right at the end of the episode as her Stargate: SG1 character, Samantha Carter.

Stargate: Atlantis: The Brotherhood (2005) Season 1, Episode 15

"The Brotherhood"

[7/10 · 23 April 2024]

Not as good as the previous episode, but you get through to the end, through all the usual drama that comes with strange races and the ever-present Wraith threat, and you realise it's only the beginning of the crisis - cool mini-cliffhanger to whet our appetites for the next episode.

This episode sees the return of the Genii, who are always looking for ways to cause Sheppard and co trouble - you can always guarantee there'll be drama and some good action when the Genii are involved. And it also guarantees that Major Sheppard will get a chance to go full-commando, which is never a bad thing.

There's a mysterious brotherhood and the presence of a deep-space scanner is revealed.