imdb-597 Reviews

Vanity Fair (2018)

Becky Sharp without the rough edge.

[10/10 · 5 August 2019]

I am only on episode three, and I am loving this series. Although much of the satire and humor of the book is missing, Olivia Cooke is so engaging as Becky, she is a real joy to watch. Curious to see how they will handle some of the darker aspects of the novel.

Not quite understanding the 1 star reviews especially the extreme language they are couched in. I can understand not liking something but the contempt and hatred expressed is incomprehensible to me. Also, some of the ignorance on proud display concerning the source material is rather droll.

Catch-22 (2019)

Horrendously bad.

[2 July 2019]

Having just read the wonderful book, I slogged through the first five episodes in hopes that something good would appear on the screen, only to finally quit partway through the final episode. That's how bad this is - learn from my mistake and don't waste your time.

Ronin (1998)

no reason to care

[1/10 · 29 May 2019]

In this movie, you are literally never given any reason whatsoever to root for any of the characters to 'win', nor do you have any clear idea what winning would entail. On top of that, the action sequences are so ridiculous and unrealistic that you might as well be watching a superhero movie.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: End Game (2019) Season 20, Episode 24

Predictably bad ending to a lame arc

[18 May 2019]

The whole Rob Miller plot arc was ridiculous from beginning to end. This untouchable arch villian... give me a break! For one example in this episode he has two uniformed officers pick up Noah from his school... why were those officers not investigated? and all the similar incidents going back through this whole arc... the answer is - because none of this makes any sense, no such character could possibly exist, one look behind the curtain and they are gone. Yes, there are nefarious and corrupt powerful people, but this is not a believable example of one.

Generally, this show's strength is in standalone stories, 'ripped from the headlines' that reflect on our society. When it tries to make it about these characters, the quality generally declines

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Part 33 (2019) Season 20, Episode 14

Truly awful

[1/10 · 12 February 2019]

This really was L&O:SVU at it's worst. No drama, no mystery, no story. Just a lot of unrealistic hand wringing, bad soap opera and poorly written dialogue. All at a snails pace - to go nowhere.

Hanna (2019–2021)

Completely unnecessary redo of a superb film.

[1/10 · 5 February 2019]

While sharing the story of the 2011 film, this tells it in the wrong order, putting one of the big reveals right at the beginning. Also missing is the fairy tale atmosphere and allusions, and of course, the amazing Saoirse Ronan. And the pacing is terrible. Watching this just made me want to view the movie again.

Exodus (1960)

Revisionist history

[5/10 · 19 January 2019]

Even with the whitewashing of history, and the glorification of terrorism, this was a fairly enjoyable movie until the 3 hour mark, at which point the revisionism became too much to bear.

Excess Baggage (1997)

What's not to like?

[29 September 2003]

Excess Baggage is a not a bad movie. I'm learning French so when I found this DVD in the bargain bin and saw it had a French soundtrack and French subtitles I thought I'd give it a whirl. The movie is entertaining although certainly not groundbreaking. Nothing unexpected happens but it does so to an excellent soundtrack with Dave Matthews and others. Del Toro is the highlight here, I haven't seen his other stuff so I can't compare it, but he is convincing and amusing. Chris Walken is typecast, but quite well. This movie lived up to my expectations 100%.

Because Mommy Works (1994 TV Movie)

Divorcée faces reality

[3 September 2002]

Anne Archer plays a divorced woman who lives in the politically correct world where her son's father exists only as a source of child-support payments. When the father, effectively portrayed by John Heard, tries to live up to his responsibilities as a parent, she reacts with jealousy and fear instead of compromise. The parents inability to communicate with each other like adults leads to a custody hearing, with predictable results. The film tries hard to portray the mother sympathetically, but the selfishness of her actions makes it very hard to empathize with her. Although it is certainly not the message the filmmakers intended, hopefully some parents might watch this movie and realize that their children are more than just extensions of themselves.

A Bullet for Joey (1955)

Best line ever from George Raft

[6 September 2001]

Not bad, but rather formulaic 50's crime/spy movie. However, it was redeemed by George Raft's delivery of one of the best and funniest lines I've ever heard. No spoilers here, but pay attention during the scenes between Robinson and Raft.