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Movies • [137 items]

Title	Image	Summary
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)		We went and saw 10 Cloverfield lane. On Rotten Tomatoes it was getting a 90/84% -- so the kiddies and reviewers really liked it. I liked it, but it had Hitchcockian pacing. My wife didn't at all. One reviewer summed it up perfectly, "If Hitchcock had ever directed an episode of The Twilight Zone, it might have looked something like this.
13 Hours: The secret soldiers in Benghazi		Michael Bay brings plenty of explosions and some jitter-camera effects to a documentary? It was more a more true-story version of Saving Private Ryan than anything Oliver Stone or Michael Moore have done. So a drama-mentary? It was a good motive, and mostly historically accurate based on the people that were there. So worth seeing, if you want to see an action film based on real life events.
2000 Mules		Documentary on the criminal voter fraud and ballot stuffing during the 2020 Presidential Election. TrueTheVote used Cellphone tracking data to show 2000 people visited 10 different polling places and 5 different DNC fronts, in the same night. (While not having a pattern of going to those places before or after the election). Ballot stuffing is illegal.
2016 Obama's America		Hated by reviewers, loved by viewers. It tries to give you what the Press didn't, the backstory and motivations of President Obama, from a right wing point of view. It shouldn't be taken too literally, but good background on Obama's sphere of influences: what his friends, family, mentor and Father believed. How much you think that shaped him, or how, is likely to be based on your political views. Slow, but informative, and it's up to you to decide what that all means.
A Monster Calls (2016)		It's a bit of a downer, but the messages are beautiful, inspiring, and on-target. If you can handle a movie that's showing the human spirit through the trials that life, and a child's shock, frustrations, and coping mechanisms for dealing with the powerlessness of the human condition, then you'll love it.
A Quiet Place (2018)		Bored on a Saturday, wife is flying, why not get a hot dog and catch a flick? Did I mention it was a bad flick? It wasn't supposed to be, but it worked out that way. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97/87, so I figured something fresh and interesting, in the suspense/thriller/horror genre. Yeah, not-so-much. The dumbest people alive can't adapt to things attracted by noise? How about starting a wood chipper and letting the problem solve itself?
After Earth (2013)		Reviewers seemed to hate it more than views (11% approval versus 36%). I thought it was mediocre action, poor pacing, but the story was more unique. I give credit towards efforts to be original with their view of Tech Advances, and coming up with original lines. So while it wasn't great (it was barely good), but it was a moderately watchable way for Will Smith to try to help his son advance his floundering acting career.
America: Imagine the World Without her (2014)		Dinesh D'Souza tries to cover too much. The title is misleading: it's more about American History than alternate reality. Still, a worthy documentary: especially for those who buy Howard Zinn's revisionist American History. Nice to see there's at least a few who haven't.
American Assassin (2017)		The cliched storyline: Mitch Rapp's fiancé is killed by terrorists (in front of him), so he becomes the badest mo-fo to get them back, and the CIA Deputy Director is impressed by his Moxy, and so brings him into a super-secret double-good special ops group, under the tutelage of Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). It didn't stink, but it didn't add anything to humanity by making or watching it either.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)		An award winning alternate reality "Documentary" by Al Gore that offered a fictionalized pseudo-science propaganda film about how bad Climate/CO2 was... that scientists openly mocked, and the British Goverment ruled a lie. If you know anything about the Climate, it's worth watching to see how true P.T. Barnum's words were, and how gullible the left is.
Angel Has Fallen (2019)		The Sequel to Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and London Has Fallen (2016) is... Angel Has Fallen (2019). In a completely predictable plot, an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan (Barack) Trumbull is foiled by Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, who is wrongfully accused, escapes, and must prove his innocence and save the conveniently comatose President from the would-be-assassins.
Ant-Man (2015)		You don't go to see Ant-Man to see a deep and meaningful movie. You go to see zany comic-book action and special effects, littered with one-liners and silly comedy. And that's what it delivers.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)		Ant-Man and the Wasp, is the long anticipated sequel to Ant-Man (2015), I'm not sure who was waiting but I'm sure some fan was. These are silly, zany super-heroes with an absurd abilities. They aren't bad, and you know you're getting a lot of slapstick type super-hero stuff, with a screw-up super-hero and his sides cracking one-liners: but sometimes movies are just an excuse to get out of the house.
Arrival (2016)		A good but slow “first contact” sci-fi thriller. The movies style is very first person, and doesn’t explain a lot as you go — you have to let them leak reveals in dribs and drabs. It gets there, but it’s certainly no Independence Day or Aliens action sci-fi film. There was some Hollywood clichéd stereotyping, but the larger arch of the story made up for it.
Atlas Shrugged (Movie Trilogy)		I recommend it with reservations. How much you like it will be influenced by how much you liked the Book (and how high your expectations are). Basically, it's long-winded inversion of Animal Farm: what happens if the producers stop producing. This trilogy would make a good 90 minute story, but that's not Ayn Rand's style. But it is a good (enough) story.
Avengers: Infinity War		I'm glad I saw it, my wife felt completely ripped off. This movie is a 2 1/2 hour long continuous fight scene, with a couple separate simultaneous adventures thrown in. And if you haven't followed the other Marvel films, it isn't cohesive. But the graphics, visuals, fights, were great. And... it's really part 1 of a 2 part epic, which you figure out at the rather abrupt end.
Bad Teacher (2011)		It certainly won't be up for any awards or offer many surprises. But it wasn't quite AS bad as the reviews. If you go in expecting a shallow plot, a few laughs, and fluffy stoner humor -- and that's exactly what you get. I wouldn't exactly recommend it, but it was an excuse to ride to a theater and better than top-chef reruns.
Batman v Superman (2016)		It wasn't as bad as I'd imagined it would be. But it wasn't good enough that I'd voluntarily pay to see it either. So between the 27/68 reviewer to viewer ratio on Rotten Tomatoes, I leaned more towards the reviews, but not AS harsh. It would be something to watch if you were bored on an airplane. And it is a setup for "the Justice League", hence the subtitle of "Dawn of Justice".
Battle L.A. (2011)		Deeper than Independence Day, but still, "another Alien invade earth" total shoot 'em up movie. Since it is L.A., I'm always kinda rooting for the Aliens. In the end, it didn't pound on every cliché, and if you go in with low expectations, it should easily exceed them.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)		My wife’s wanted to see Beauty and the Beast for her birthday. (I wanted to go too). The live action version of an animated classic was sort of on the must see list. It did not disappoint. It got a 71% by reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes but 85% viewer scores, and the reason both were that low is likely that the snowflakes were melting over traditional gender roles, and others got bent over some gay references. Puhlease.
Black Panther (2018)		I was almost scared off by the SJW's and BLM types ranting about how groundbreaking this was, or claiming the first Black Superhero film (other than all the others). But I did see it, it wasn't bad, and slightly fresh and only a little shallow. Top 1/3rd of Marvel films.
Blade Runners (2017)		Blade Runner was better in 1982 than in 2017. he futurism and predictions were off, but it was a great story and visually interesting (but noir). The sequel (2049) took the worst (plodding, dark, self-indulgent), with none of the freshness. It was an hour longer than it needed to be. Not the worst or best movie of the year.
The Blind Side (2009)		Some people got bent about the cliche's of white family saving a black kid, or the black kid turning out to be a star athlete. (Playing to some stereotypes). And there is that. More human interest than SJW/Race (which is why SJW's hated it), and this one is more or less a true story. Best of 2011 flicks, by far.
Blockers (2018)		Instead of 3 boys trying to get laid films of yesteryear, this was 3 teen girls making a sex pact to lose their virginity on prom night... and their incompetent parents trying to cock-block their plans. The movie had its moments, unfortunately most of them were in the trailers. Funny in spots... but you missed it, you wouldn't miss much.
Bond:Skyfall (2011)		Nice retro-Bond almost complete reboot. Definitely worth the price. (93/86 on Rotten Tomatoes). I was getting tired of wall-to-wall action filled with more and more absurd stunts, and this reboot back to having some plot, backstory and depth (at the sacrifice of absurd stunts) was a pleasant surprise.
Bond:Spectre (2015)		Some reviewers whined that it was a nostalgic backslide, as if that's a bad thing. Viewers disagreed and liked it. Since I was a viewer, I was in their camp. The Daniel Craig reboot was far better than any in the last 20 years, with mostly believable action, and a lot darker tone like the books.
Book of Henry (2017)		Book of Henry is not everyone's "cup of tea". Basically, a precocious genius Henry (and his younger brother, Peter) are being raised by their perpetually self-absorbed and immature Mom (Susan), when Henry witnesses the symptoms of abuse, he decides that since the system is broken and unjust, that he'll create some of his own justice, and sets in motion his rube goldberg perfect crime.
Born on the 4th of July (1989)		American patriot kills civilians and a comrade in Vietnam, is paralyzed, and goes on post-war PTSD depression spiral until he learns to speak out against the war and his humanity is restored. Complete Anti-American, Anti-Military propaganda by far left conspiracy loon, Oliver Stone. It's like history through a bad LSD trip.
Bridge of Spies (2015)		A good, slow, historical drama-thriller type movie. Almost a monologue. While based on real events, Hollywood took liberties with the timeline/truth (as usual).
Bros (2022)		Far left Gay Film flops at the box office, bigoted writer blames homophobia and not a bad film/story or woke fatigue. Other Gay Films did far better... and the box office bombed so hard, that even gays didn't seem to want to see it -- so blaming homophobia is stupid. Poorly timed release: people are sick of woke LGBT floggings, so not going to watch for escapism.
Call of the Wild (2020)		Harrison Ford and CGI does yet another remake of this Jack London classic. A big dog's blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is shanghai'd to do sled work in the Alaskan Yukon (during the Alaskan Gold Rush of the 1890s). Watchable but CGI is awkward at times. A worthy family film even if shallower than the book.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)		Captain America wasn't bad for a Alternate Universe Steam-punkish Super-Hero flick. You have to like the genre, but if you're looking for a Buck Rodgers type retro-futuristic super-hero / alternate universe kind of film, you'll like it. If that doesn't sound appealing, then save your redbox money and watch something else. For me, it was worth every penny of the $.99 spent, but not a penny more.
Captain Marvel (2019)		Captain Marvel character was in both DC and Marvel Universes, and was a series of characters. In 2012, they made Ms. Marvel into Captain Marvel... and the woke screenplay was started soon after. They wanted Feminist Superwoman. It was getting trashy reviews before release, but I saw it out of curiosity. It wasn't as bad as the reviews.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971)		Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a classic movie done in 1971, with Gene Wilder. (Technically, it was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory -- but the book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so that's what most people know it as, even if wrong). Just to cut to the chase, this is a classic, and while a bit creepy and weird, it is seared in my memories from youth, and so it's cemented in nostalgic feelings of love for my childhood.
Crash (2004)		I remember hearing that Crash was a great movie that won all sorts of awards (back in 2005) and I'd never got around to seeing it. It was on Amazon Prime, so I watched it. What a craptastic mashup of moronic plots, clichéd angry racists, and absurd dialog. It was a horrid dog of a movie.
The Creepy Line		It was a bit sensational in parts, but did a worthy job in letting people know who and why their data was captured, and what they did to manipulate you. Generally, it was liked by viewers -- but far lefties didn't like that it attacked leftist icons, or showed how these organizations colluded with the Hillary (and Obama) campaigns to rig elections.
Dark Night Rises (2012)		Saw Dark Knight Rises. I thought it was good (or slighly better than OK), but a lot less than I hoped for. My wife hated it. It got 87/90 on Rotten Tomatoes. At least it wrapped up the story arc / trilogy nicely -- but I far preferred the first two, they were darker and more knightly.
Dave Chapelle:The Closer		The last of 6 comedy specials done for Netflix. Chappelle is a comedian that has stood up to the woke mob and not capitulated to political correctness -- so they hate him. Reviewers trashed it, viewers loved it)
Dawn of Planet of the Apes (2015)		If you want to see Planet of the Apes, this is the best reboot you'll see all year. Of course you could fit all the depth of the movie into the plot holes, and still have room for all the smug and partisan rhetoric in Hollywood. But come on, if either Romeo or Juliet weren't hormone addled teens lacking in common sense, the play wouldn't have worked either. Sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief and try to enjoy the show.
Deadpool (2016)		This tied for my favorite Marvel movie with Guardians of the Galaxy -- eventhough they are polar opposites. This was Dogma meets Kick-ass, with an X-Men backdrop (along with 2 X-Men I've never heard of). It feels a little out of place in the X-Men Universe: like watching Disney characters doing porn. But it works anyway.
Deadpool 2 (2018)		If you liked Deadpool, you will like Deadpool 2. Sequels are never as "fresh" as the original. But more of the same is watchable too: snark, dark humor, occasional talking to the camera, fast talking and fast action, with hysterically inappropriate humor that appeals to the 14 year old boy in all of us.
Death of a Nation (2018)		Dinesh D'Souza's "Death of a Nation" perfectly exemplifies the bias in movie reviewers: Rotten Tomatoes Score: 0/88. Not a single reviewer liked it, 88% of the audience does. A bit of rehash for history buffs, but some surprising reveal for those mis-educated in public school. These are the truths that the Marxist left doesn't want to watch or consider.
Deepwater Horizon (2016)		Entertaining but not good as a documentary. The people that were there are working on their own documentary of actual events, instead of heroes and villains. But as thrilling a movie can be about a drilling ship where you already know the ending.
Doctor Strange (2016)		It would have been the best Marvel film this year, if not for Deadpool. It merged the Matrix, Mysticism (eastern), and Marvel (maybe a little bit of inception thrown in). Basically a mind/reality bending martial arts film. And that’s it, it’s sort of a rehash and mishmash of a few stories that you’ve seen before — but it’s so derivative, that it’s unique.
Dont look up (2021)		A movie that almost tries to be a Dr. Strangelove-like satire, and kinda works. I was expecting Woke Drek... and got something better. But mocking the stupid and distracted didn't go over well with many reviewers. Audiences liked it, and it's more traditional dark comedy was slow, but with a satisfying and well-messaged finish.
Dunkirk (2017)		This wasn't bad, but it was a bit of mismanaged expectations. Many will go in expecting a Historical War movie and see a vignette movie telling 3 overlapping stories. A British soldier fleeing the german advance, a British boater coming to save them, and a RAF pilot, and how those stories intersect. Unecessarily complx, but not bad stories.
Elysium (2013)		The visuals weren't bad. Reviewers liked the preachiness of space propaganda for Obamacare, but the 67/58 felt a little generous to me. Other than the incongruities, lack of plot, and sanctimonious smug lessons, it was almost interesting. Reasonable action, OK plot, well paced, well filmed and well acted... except for the weaksauce, preachy storyline.
Fahrenheit 911 (2004)		This was a Michael Moore hit piece based loosely on some true events, taken out of context and editing that would make Joseph Goebbels proud. There are websites dedicated to debunking Moore's disinformation. This was released right before the 2004 election to sabotage GWB. It didn't work, he won by more in re-election than the first time.
Fantastic Beasts (2016)		I’m not a huge J. K. Rowling or Harry Potter fan: I found the movies entertaining enough. Normally, Harry Potters get caught up in the tech of magic, and the heavy ensemble cast of characters. This had more plot. So I liked it... for the genre.
Fast and Furious 6 (2013)		I always thought the movie was named after Vin Diesel's sex life: he's fast, and she's furious. But it's about cars, just like the first 5. The first homage to the tuner culture was fun, each one after that just keeps getting progressively more absurd trying to milk the gullible for another dime bag. My wife loves the series, so I know way more about it than I wish.
Fat Head (2009)		Tom Naughton redid Morgan Spurlock's Super Size me, eating only at McD's. Only Naughton awas not an alcoholic in withdrawal. Results: he lost 12 pounds and his total cholesterol goes down.
Fauci (2021)		A fictionalized hagiography of Saint Fauci of the Lockdown/Mask/Vaccine Mandates, with all of his flaws and failures whitewashed, glossed over or ignored... and any accomplishments exaggerated. Leftis reviewers loved it, audiences hated it.
Film Critics		The left sees everything through their partisan lens, so politicizes everything. They widely dominate movie reviews/critics. I list a few dozen examples of how out of touch they are with audiences, and how extreme.
Flight (2012)		Like Leaving Las Vegas without the happy ending. I can't believe it got 77/75% good reviews? Other than the fact they didn't get anything right technically on flight operations (or know how fly an airplane)... and I had my wife (the Flight Attendant) saying, "That's WRONG!" for any sequences that involved crew. It was a rehash of a rehash, with an obnoxious message.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)		Any racing enthusiast knows the basics of the story, but I didn't. I get bored with Hollywood's track shots (which isn't usually about the strategy/tactics of driving, but more about rubbing tires and flaming crashes). But the reviews from friends were that it was really good. The race scenes were what I thought, but the story was well done and it was an entertaining couple hours.
The Foreigner (2017)		If a Chinese Production company, watched too much Jack Bauer (24) and too many American Revenge films, then made an action movie about that happening with the IRA in the UK, this is exactly what that movie would look like.
Gemini Man (2019)		Will Smith films are hit and miss, and this movie was pretty derivative. (I swear I remember this title from Sci Fi in my youth). But I wanted to see HFR (High Frame Rate) escapism, and there was a big reviewer/viewer spread (26/84) that's usually a sign that it'll be interesting/good, so we went and saw it. I was on the viewers side, it was pretty good.
Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer (2018)		Gosnell is the Citizen Cane of our generation. Not that I think it was the best movie ever made, but then I don't think that of Citizen Cane either. But the elites tried to suppress it being made or distributed. And it tells an important story, and stays true to the facts: it is basically a reenactment documentary.
Gran Torino (2009)		In a crime-ridden Detroit neighborhood, that has converted a white working-class into a Asian (Hmong) enclave, a grumpy old Korean War veteran confronts a troubled teen attempting to steal his prized Gran Torino. The old dog is willing to learn new tricks, and expose his humanity to those that treat others well and a community that treats the elderly with a certain respect.
The Grandmaster (2013)		It was not bad for a subtitled film... but the ride on my new electric bike was more interesting than the movie. I enjoyed it for the novelty/rarity of watching these, but those aren't for everyone (why I left my wife at home). It was a shallow scan of Yip Man's life (one of Bruce Lee's instructors): a modern-classical Asian-feeling martial arts saga, more about drama than fight scenes.
Green Lantern (2011)		OK. Completely predictable, simple plot, nothing too racy. But nice effects, and entertaining. Great for kids/teens. I preferred XMen much more and Thor a little more to it, but those were both really good for the genre. So worth the money if you like the genre.
The Green Room (2016)		I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre, at least not the slasher type films -- this is old style non-slasher horror, and one of the best ones I've seen in decades. It earned its 88/84 on Rotten Tomatoes. I wouldn't want to mismanage expectations too high. But it's a very solid normals meet neo-Nazi skin-head type horror-suspense film.
Hanna (2011)		I was expecting something between kick-ass and born identity. Right idea, but a lot slower and nothing surprising. I think the reviewers definitely mismanaged expectations. It got 77/66 on Rotten Tomatoes, and I think both were a little high. More a wait for video or see it on a plane. Instead of a 17 year old kicking ass and raging, they spent half the movie focusing on 'plot'. Except there was no plot.
Hillary's America (2016)		The subhead, "the Secret History of the Democratic Party" is the more apt description of the film than the title. It was 75% about the History of the Democrat Party, 20% about Bill and Hillary, and about 5% just filler, Apple Pie, Patriotism, and political propaganda. But I liked it.
The Hobbit		This was a simple one movie story, that could have been dragged into 2 movies (kicking and screaming), but was instead a monotonous Trilogy. I went in not knowing that. You could just watch the 3rd and not lose anything. Or someone could splice/edit the shit out of it, and make a better movie. 474 minutes of travel saga is about 354 minutes too damn long. Lord of the Rings without the depth.
House of the Dragon		Game of Thrones Prequel. Dark filming, a weak plot, annoying characters, feels woke and a bit boring. There's still a little human interest and a plot line... but without caring about any of the characters, it's not up to the original. Yawn, spoiled girl wants to break traditions and become Queen, and causes a civil war.
How To Train Your Dragon (trilogy)		Dreamworks animated viking saga that I would recommend to people who like animated kid friendly movies, that can also appeal to adult. Very visually interesting, with somewhat simplistic plots, but well enough done story lines to justify the time and ticket price. If you like family animation, I highly recommend the first 2.
The Hunt		I was bored with the COVID-19 scare, so I went to the movies and saw a dumb slasher film: The Hunt. I was surprised it came out of Hollywood. The premise is in the teasers: elites hunt a bunch of deplorables to get back at the ignorant racists for wrongs done to them or the planet. But you end up rooting for the rednecks, and the snowflakes are mocked.
In Time (2012)		Better than expected. If you go in expecting a bad Timberlake film, and then you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get a mediocre one. A cliché'd plot and premise (oppressed poor, fighting for minutes more of life, in a caste oriented future). Despite the not-subtle premise, there was more depth, character development, well done visuals/directing and better acting for yet another robin hood meets the hydraulic empire type movie.
Inside Out (2015)		I dragged my wife to see this, as I do many/most Pixar movies. This one was strong on originality, a little slow in the middle, with some neat messages, and empowers parents to talk to kids about their emotions and feelings more. It was my least favorite of the Pixar Genre, but that's still pretty good.
Into the Woods (2014)		We went and saw this for XMas. Imagine Mama Mia, with better singers and worse music, done to 4 original (darker) versions of fairly tails, then an extra 30 minutes of filler to tie it all together at the end. Fairy tails are too dark for young kids, and not enough action for older ones. It was a swing and a miss.
Iron Man 3 (2013)		Saw it. Liked it. Thought it was better than any other Ironman, and gave more backstory. 3D was done well, as were the visuals. Did well on Rotten Tomatoes (79/79). Tony Stark always hit me as an annoying douche. He still is, but you at least have some empathy, and see him trying to realize there are other people in the world. They give him personal struggles, and that gives him more depth.
Jason Bourne (2016)		Matt Damon is a flaming douchebag and hypocrite, but is not the worst actor that ever became popular. This one is better than the rest of the series (other than the first), and the series started good, and had been declining ever since. It's 55/66 reviewer/audience score seems about right. You probably won't hate it, if you want an absurd action film. But it isn't great.
Jobs (2013)		Hollywood has this attitude that fiction is more interesting than real life. It is more interesting to people that don't care about the truth as much as they care about shallow entertainment and becoming more misinformed about a topic or person. I'm not their audience, and this movie wasn't made for me. Walter Isaacson's book was pretty good, but flawed. This movie omitted the former and exaggerated the latter.
John Wick's		As someone with training in both combat shooting and martial arts, the first movies gun-fu scenes were the best I've ever seen in the movies, and the behind the scenes stuff shows that Reeves really put in the time to get trained and took it seriously. It is over-the-top fun, but serious too. By the 3rd movie, any freshness is gone, but still fun.
Joker (2019)		DC comic movies are darker than Marvel, and this was the darkest of them. More super villain film: a deep, dark, psychologically exploration into what broke a mentally disturbed man and turned him into the Joker (anti-Hero). Slow, cerebral, well acted, a little twisted, low action, all for the final crescendo that you knew was coming. But it had it's moments, and was good backstory, if you want to watch a snuff film.
Laal Singh Chaddha		“Laal Singh Chaddha” is the Indian remake of Forest Gump. Same beautiful story (with Indian twists). Wonderful. Best film of 2022 for me.
Law Abiding Citizen (2013)		I caught this on regular TV, and it seemed like an attempt at an intelligent action flick (as far that can go). You didn't know who you wanted to win, but in some ways that made it a bit deeper than most action flicks. I liked it, but reviewers hated it.
The Lego Movie (2014)		I went and saw this last week (on the recommendations of others). Perhaps my expectations were too high, I was expecting more. The batman character had me amused at parts... but I fell asleep, woke with a crick in my neck, got heartburn from the hotdog, and walked out before the end. (And I've sat through many bad movies to see it had a redeemtive ending.)
Life of Pi (2012)		This kind of movie is why I'll suffer through mediocre movies until the end, in the hopes that they have and ending and message as worthy as this. My wife doesn't have the patience, and 9 out of 10 times, a slow movie results in a bad clichéd ending. But every now and then, you get redemption. This was that movie for me.
London has Fallen (2016)		We went and saw the London has fallen: Die Hard in London. You don't watch for believability, but for good ol' action. We don't know why they're doing it, or care. Woke/Reviewers squealed ray-cism because the bad guys weren't white, but yawns. It's an action flick and someone's gotta be the bad guys, this time it wasn't Americans.
The Lone Survivor (2014)		Really good for a Hollywood war movie. Still tarted up in a few spots, but at least warriors in tough situations was recognized, without too much of the usual Platoon type craziness or sociopathy that Hollywood usually has to inject. Just a lot of folks in shitty situations, doing the best they can.
Man of Steel (2013)		You can't trust Reviewers. They gave this a 56%, and gave Star Trek an 87%? (82/92 by viewers). Star Trek: into Darkness (e.g. Wrath of Kahn) was derivative and it didn't have to be. While this threw in a lot of original twists and new ways to tell the story, which was harder to do. So I give Man of Steel writers a LOT more credit for story than the latest Star Trek Movie.
Matrix Resurrection (2021)		Matrix was the original woke trilogy where everyone needed to open their eyes (take the red pill) that they were being duped and sucked dry by the bourgeois. So you get to return, where you aren't sure if it was all just a video game, or there are parasitic robot bugs harvesting humans for their life force. If you care, it's not bad... otherwise, it's a bit of a re-tread.
Midway (2019)		Midway is a 2019 American war film based on the 1942 Battle of Midway during World War II. This was a turning point in the war in the pacific that signaled the beginning of the end for the Japanese empire. Not perfect history (Hollywooded), my grandfather had fought in WWII, there was little new or unexpected. But it was still a good enough.
Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)		Reviewers liked it more than viewers, which is unusual for action films, where it's usually the other way around. This replaced the ensemble cast in a caper film, with "Look at me, I'm Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt", but since I'm not a fan of overly complex caper films, this kind of worked, once we get past the obligatory mocking.
Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)		My wife is a fan, so I saw it. It was never my favorite franchise: too much over the top action sort of bores me. Watchable, but just too much reliance on unbelievable stunts over storyline. They replaced the hyper complexity of too many interlaced plans (a caper film), with it being all about Tom Cruise. So it being much simpler reboot, but it works better for me than the older ones.
The Mountain Between Us (2017)		DirecTV gave me a free 4K movies to watch and home (with limited choices), and this was one of them. It was overpriced. My wife's Aunt loved the book: a rom-com survival film, with not a shred of comedy or believability, clichéd, awkward acting and dialog. It left me bored and feeling like I'd survived something harrowing, by making it to the syrupy abrupt ending.
Mummy (2017)		The Mummy got lousy ratings at 16/34 (Reviewers/Viewers) on Rotten Tomatoes. The opening salvo in Universal's, "The Dark Universe", which is basically Frankenstein (+Bride of), Wolfman, Dracula, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Creature from Black Lagoon. All the old horror film classics. This one tries to modernize the story, and use a big action name (Tom Cruise) as a douchebag (not a stretch). It wasn't good, but it wasn't THAT bad.
The Muppets		Once iconic, innocent puppets, saying silly/naive things, that were cute and adorable... then the creator died, Disney SJW'd them, ratings tanked. Now they are annoying little shits that annoy me everywhere. They should be fun, innocent, and preachy douchebags isn't fun.
My Son Hunter (2022)		Nothing makes the left outraged like uncomfortable truths. Is this the truth? It is based on a bunch of fact, but is fictionalized. Less fictionalized than the average Oliver Stone movie, or Michael Moore Documentary, and we've seen the reviewers love the shit outta them. So their problems aren't with the dramatization, but the facts.
No Time To Die (2021)		Longer and more backstory and ensemble to bond you to the other characters. If you like Daniel Craig's rebooted James Blonde, with broodier stories intermixed with whiffs of John Wick type action, you'll likely be pleased. If you find them tedious, this might be too much. My wife and I really liked it.
Ocean's 8 (2018)		I was never a fan of the Ocean's series, partly because I'm not a caper-heist movie fan (too much artificial complexity), and most ensemble films substitute star power for good writing, acting and plot. Plus, it had George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, the trifecta of clueless-but-sanctimonious douchebaggery. While it's not deep, it was an afternoon of escapism.
Olympus has Fallen (2013)		We watched Olympus has fallen to prep for the sequel London has Fallen (2016). Die Hard in the WhiteHouse. You don't watch for believability, but for good ol' action. Silly, over the top, one guy taking on an army kind of action. Little new, totally predictable, but fun popcorn flick anyways. .
Once upon a time in Hollywood (2019)		Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, in a Quinten Tarantino film... a lot of things I'm not real fans of, so I went in bored and figuring it'd be something to do, but with low expectations. And it proved if you set the bar low enough, it can exceed them. Still, this isn't a glowing a review, but it was watchable and somewhat entertaining.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)		The fifth installment in the Rambo franchise was predictable revenge-porn against the Mexican Cartel who kidnap Rambo's niece. Basically, it's the troubled rangers version of Home Alone, with punji sticks and claymores. Slow(er) at the start, with a lot of backstory and setup, then a frenetic end to a lot of bad guys... but come on, what did you think you were going to Rambo film to see?
Redstate (2011)		My wife rented Redstate because it was a Kevin Smith movie and she thought it might be funny. Wow. Not funny. Not good drama. Just depressing homophobic religious serial-killers get taken out by the even worse government. Only about one movie a year (or less) gets my stinker award: this earned one.
Richard Jewell (2019)		Great movie about Richard Jewell; a security guard and police officer famous for discovering a backpack containing three pipe bombs, and helping to evacuate the area and save lives at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. But the media (NBC, CNN) did a "trial by media" that crucified him, until he was eventually exonerated, won a lawsuit/settlement, and the real bomber was caught (Eric Rudolph).
Ricky Gervais/SuperNature (2022)		Ricky Gervais comedy special SuperNature was more his dark humor. Reviewers hated it. Viewers loved it. He explains in it, that he trashes everyone. And if trans folks want to be like everyone else, then they get mocked too. It wasn't mean, and slams all sacred cows. I don't find him hysterical, but he has some great moments, and pithy/ironic/dark observations.
Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011)		Not bad. Predictable but entertaining. I don’t usually like remakes, and sequels often don't live up to the original -- so this should have had two strikes against it. But this prequel/sequel worked well. I tend to think of the Apes as an allegory for angry Democrats and Homeless people taking over SF.
Salt (2011)		This movie wasn't worth its salt (despite the 62/59 it got from Rotten Tomatoes). Sometimes it's the little plot devices that annoy in movies like this, in this move it's all of them. More cliche's than a Piers Anthony book. Less depth than a playboy centerfolds interview. The ham-handed dialog of an Arnold movie: without the humor. If Mystery Science Theater 3000 did action flicks, they would pick this one to pan. It probably wasn't the worst movie of 2011, but it would take work to guide low enough where people would come out thinking, "it wasn't THAT bad'.
Searching (2018)		Searching is a 2018 American thriller film that will be one of the most memorable movies of the year for me. As a thriller it's pretty good (not great) story about a father trying to find his missing teenage daughter. What makes it fresh and interesting is the Dad unravels clues through her social media and computer accounts, and is shot from the point-of-view of watching someone's life play out via Social Media.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)		I can't believe this was highly rated on RottenTomatoes (87/90%). On a 1-10, I'd give it a firm 3.5. It wasn't quite, I threw up and left bad -- but if it was any more derivative, it would have had TJ Hooker and Wesley Crusher busting bad guys in their Red and White Gran Torino, with Fred the Cockatoo cracking one liners at the end.
Star Wars		Star Wars is a cultural phenomena, but I'm not a huge fan despite seeing all of them. 4 and 5 were good. 6 diverged as Lucas replaced Kurtz as Producer and converted the series from serious adult story into merchandising for kids. Lucas ruined 1, 2, 3, and his juvenile re-edit of 4 was worse. 7, 8, 9 (Solo, Rogue 1) were better, thanks to Disney being less purile than Lucas.
Star Wars: I-VI (Links)		I'm not going to do rehashed reviews that covers the basics: Lucas is a hack that ruined the series after Episode V, and stuff like that. It wasn't THAT bad, it was just a shallow shell of what it could have been, if George was deeper than a kiddie pool. These are just some links to amusing theories, links and info around the movies, instead of staring into them (and reviewing them) directly.
Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015)		This movie seems to be a vehicle not only for rampant merchandising of goods by Disney, but also a vehicle for people to peddle their rants and opinions about the movie and everything else -- like cynical observations about that merchandizing, or how derivative this movie is (failing to observe that's true of 98% of what comes out of Hollywood). Viewers were mostly happy, which makes sense, while derivative, it wasn't bad.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)		Solo: A Star Wars Story is a prequel about the Star Wars character Han Solo. It tells about the early adventures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian, and their caper heists within the criminal underworld of the Empire. On it's own, it's thoroughly predictable but done well enough, and it adds a lot of nuance to the lore/canon.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (2019)		My Mom and I do a movie every year -- it's a way to spend time together without pushing buttons. Like a storm trooper missing a urinal at 2 feet, it wasn’t unexpected. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t exactly 1, 2, or 3 either. It wrapped up the story lines in a somewhat predictable way. And yes, a little Girl Power’y, and a whole lot of failure of being consistent with it’s own canon... but Disney didn’t ruin it.
Star Wars: Rogue One (2016)		For me, this was the best movie in the Star Wars franchise. Called Rogue One because Episode 3.5 was a bit awkward. But while I liked it, I was never a super-fan of the genre; too campy, inconsistent, and they lost me at the Ewok orgy and Jar-Jar. Despite being shallow escapism, it wasn’t horrible; I liked the effects and wanted to see how the story arcs progressed. This one closed a lot of arcs: the best of the pretty good.
Super Size Me (2004)		Morgan Spurlock did a documentary on going an all McDonalds diet, and gaining weight, and claiming it is becuase McDonnalds offers you larger sodas and fries. That he was a chronic alcoholic, sex offended, and others that ate at McD's didn't have the same outcome.
The Accountant (2016)		I went and saw "the Accountant". Rotten Tomatoes gave me low expectations with a 51% reviewer rating, but the 86% audience score was more reasonable for a completely watchable semi-action thriller. The best Assassin with Aspergers film you'll see all year: rain-man meets The Professional, without the academy award performances, intensity, and a little more shlock and cliché.
The Climate Hustle (2016)		CFACT's Marc Morano did his late retort to An Inconvenient Truth, in a replay of what they showed at the Paris Climate Summit. It tries to explain all the fallacies in the pro-Climate Change alarmism; forcing factors, how they rank, how does CO2 rank, the fake Climate Consensus, the global cooling scare, and all the sensational claims made -- and then debunking them.
The Final Year (2017)		HBO propaganda film on how great Obama was, called "The Final Year" and was total boring puffery. It skips the many foreign policy disasters by trying to west wing the last year, then it fails to get the most salient issue of a couple of generations: his participation in the Russiagate Hoax and spying on Trump campaign.
The Lost City (2022)		This Saturday popcorn film throwback adventure rom-com is cheesier than Cheetos dipped in parmesan fondue, but it works. Full of one-liners, clichés, and bad setups, that all mock the genre, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum (with a side of Brad Pitt) do a rumble in the jungle: completely predictable, but damn funny anyway.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)		A teenage boy is stuck in a time loop (ala Groundhog Day), until he meets a girl that's also looping. They eventually conspire to map the wonderful time events around them. It's a little slow in spots, but it's not derivative as you might think, and it has some nice messages to make it worth it in the end.
The Mule (2019)		The move is based on The New York Times article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule": a true story an octaganarian World War II veteran who became a drug courier. Clint does a good job of sort of the early Breaking Bad type amoral anti-hero, someone you kind of want to sympathize with, and sort of like, but is a bit of a self-centered dick, with a lot of regrets in life.
The Shack (2017)		This isn't about a basketball legend, it's an introspective about the origins of faith and religion: a story about loss and suffering, judging others (or God), and a reminder about letting go and forgiving. Good people die. Bad people sometimes get away with it. Most people have burdens you can’t understand. Either let others in, or avoid their toxicity — but pick a path and move on.
The Trayvon Hoax (2019)		Trayvon was a drug-dealing thug that ambushed a Latino guy, and was beating the shit out of him, when he was shot in self-defense... and not some innocent tween shot for wearing a hoodie. This goes on to also expose that Rachel Jeantel was not Trayvon's real girlfriend (Diamond Eugene), and the prosecutors were either incompetent or perpetrated the fraud out of malice.
This is the end (2015)		This was "Left Behind", as re-written by some stoner-slackers, and starring Hollywood Narcissists, starring and mocking themselves. Foul, crass, occasionally some funny one-liners. At least it isn't pretentious and the purpose is to make fun of Hollywood types. While funny, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I was 20 years old and drunk or stoned while watching it. (Which describes the enthusiasm of the college aged audience I saw it with). As a fifty something, I felt it wasn't bad, but there were many movies in the foul-mouthed genre that I preferred (Up in Smoke, Porky's, Dogma, the Hangover).
Thor (2011)		Went and saw this (rode over). Wasn't horrible. Wasn't deep or great. Lots of backstory, and really predictable dialog -- but I didn't go expecting the 6th sense or anything. And actually the lack of over-action throughout the entire movie made it better than some crazy, flying place-to-place non-stop movies that just tire you out. It will keep the kids entertained. So for pretty fluff, with some action, it was good. I don't know if I'd give it the 77/76 it got on Rotten Tomatoes, but if you want a super-hero movie, it probably won't be the worst one you'll see this year.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)		Top Gun: Maverick didn't try to virtue signal, no woke, just a sequel that was as over the top as the original. And it became a top grossing movie of all time, despite lingering COVID waves, and people being trained to go to the movies much less, and with other films bombing.
The Tourist (2011)		I was hoping Depps acting could counteract Jolie's. I didn't like any of the characters, and figured out the plot in about 5 minutes. It was an action, drama, romance, thriller that managed to achieve none of the above for me. Watch it if you're stuck on a plane, but there'd have to be very few other options before I'd recommend it. My wife liked it more than I did.
Tower Heist (2011)		We went and saw Tower Heist: surprisingly, not horrible Amusing, cliché, and about as believable as Beverly Hills Cop, but some funny lines and entertaining. Better than the movie of the week on TV. (A lot better than Red State was). If you go to a matinee with low expectations (as I did), you'll walk away feeling you got more than your money's worth.
Transcendence (2014)		Despite some major plot-holes, I didn't mind it. I certainly liked it better than the 18/38% rating it got from reviewers/audience. It was interesting, but could have been a lot more. So a little shallow and predictable, with some interesting dilemmas to ponder.
Truth (2015)		Dan Rather tried to swiftboat George Bush right before the 2004 election with fraudulent documents about GWB's service, and got caught and fired in Rathergate. Hollywood lefties try to distort history with this 2015 propaganda film name "Truth", (ironically, I assume). Even the far left media pans it as crap.
Unhinged (2020)		Russell did a good job of looking and acting like John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane (quiet, crazy type)... and as far as thrillers go, it wasn't horrible or great. Some suspense, with people occasionally doing predictably irrational things, and a few cheesy lines (groaners) thrown in. If you like thrillers done by a horror director, you'll probably enjoy it.
Unplanned (2019)		Unplanned is a prophetic name, as I had no real intentions of seeing it. But after Twitter blocked them (since removed), music labels wouldn't license songs, most TV stations refused their benign advertising, and it was unfairly given an R rating. I saw it. An important and good film, because the far left and their media is trying to suppress you seeing it.
W. (2008)		Oliver Stone fictionalized delusion that had nothing to do with history, but trashed Bush during his administration to try to help swing an election towards the Democrats. Stone failed, at this and life, sad human. Reviewers thought it was OK, viewers thought it stank, and this was self selected viewers that wanted to see this tripe.
Waiting for Superman (2011)		I want documentaries to have pacing, support, and point/counter-point (not a Moore/Gore propaganda film). This was 111 mins to do 11 mins of info, so I think the 89/84 Rotten Tomatoes score was a lot higher than it deserved.
What's your numbers? (2011)		I did my husbandly duty of seeing the chick-flick (romantic comedy) with my wife... and it made Something about Mary or a Kevin Smith dialog seem G-rated. Funny movie, with some real hysterical lines, and quite a bit better than I expected... but very adult shock-humor type jokes. Plot, with the help of her man-whore neighbor, the lead character (Anna Faris) browses back through the past 19 mistakes she's made (failed relationships) and ponders if she missed, "the one". It works, if you like the crass humor genre.
White Helmets (2016)		If you want a depressing documentary on the heroes of the Syrian War (the aide workers), then this is for you. It's still interesting to watch, but I felt like the rescue workers probably look a little purer than they really are -- so it felt a tad spun and whitewashed, but still important to see some of what goes on in a war zone.
Whitehouse Down (2013)		On one hand, it's just a younger prettier version of Die Hard in the WhiteHouse: Campy one liners, predictable plot, humor, actions, and entertaining. I would say, if you ignore the primary story-line, it's a pitch-perfect 4th of July film. On the other hand, you can't ignore it. They beat you over the head with it, then drags it's corpse around for 3 days. It's not a bad movie for watching on a plane, but if I'm not trapped, I'm watching something else.
Wolverine (2013)		I went and saw Wolverine. This review tries to give it more existential depth than I think it deserves: e.g. the movie was more cliché than it deserved. Every superhero (superman especially) had the reluctant hero who wants to change who and what he is, but ultimately has to accept his lot in life (even if it is for eternity). Which is almost how long it took to get to the point. Not horrid, but too much teenage angst for an immortal.
Wonder Woman (2017)		Wonder Woman was a cheesy over the top 70’s TV show with Linda Carter. DC and Warner Brothers do their best to go after the Marvel Franchise with Gal Gadot playing the hero. Reviews are audiences gave it a 92/92 on Rotten Tomatoes, and it quickly exploded to $600M in sales, so I figured I should see it. And while it as good, it wasn’t quite as good as its sales numbers or reviewers would have me believe.
Wonder Woman 1984		There was a forgettable sequel to a forgetable but over praised and over-criticized franchise. It came out during COVID, and had great early reviewer praise, while audiences didn't like it. Then with some political meddling, that flipped over time. But utimately, it wasn't a good sequel -- and it bombed at the Box Office and lost a lot of money.
World War Z (2013)		Wasn't great, wasn't bad. A lot of running. From reading the book synopsis, it sounds like it was a lot more interesting than the movie. But reasonably well acted and story. I preferred every other Zombie movie or TV series more. I thought rotten tomatoes got it right.
Yesterday (2019)		The movie poster sums up the premise: yesterday everyone knew the Beatles. Today, only aspiring musician Jack Malik remembers their songs. What does that mean about fame, art, and what does it say about pop-culture? Every year or two (or three) a movie comes along that hits all the right notes for me (pun intended), this was one of those movies.