Riles123 Reviews

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)

Horribly stupid and lame, and full of overdone tropes

[1/10 · 21 December 2023]

This movie is a complete dumpster fire. I can't imagine the actors are too proud of themselves, unless they have no concern for producing something of value that doesn't defecate on humanity. Yes, humor can be crass but this movie takes it to a level of stupidity and demoralization that you have to wonder why anyone would write it (perhaps they view most Americans as complete morons). Viewers of Hollywood "entertainment": please do not put up with this.

I thought as a society we were past finding rape funny. Literally what is the point. Even if you try to find humor in it (and I know many comedians do), this is not the way. Neil Patrick Harris' character is a complete psychopath. Is that supposed to be funny? I've heard the argument before that movies that showcase the worst of humanity are simply self-aware enough to reflect the lowest of our species back to us. I don't buy it. This kind of entertainment brings our collective consciousness way down.

Beyond that, we have more utterly exhausted tropes that are way past their "prime," like constantly objectifying naked women. We also have a baby high on cocaine, lots of male genitalia, gross violence, and other forms of stupidity.

Horribly stupid movie. It actually could have been better if all the low parts weren't in it. There were some funny parts that ended up being completely overshadowed.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Lacks all the heart and soul of the original

[6/10 · 26 January 2023]

The original movie was very fulfilling spiritually. It wasn't perfect, but it had heart.

This movie isn't half as profound. The visuals are stunning -- we all know that. But the plot is so lackluster it is almost laughable. I'm so done with Hollywood creating these huge blockbuster films with absolutely nothing deep for the audience to grab onto. Apparently we are supposed to forgo the desire to be sincerely impacted by film (or simply not notice because of the insane CGI).

For one thing, Miles Quaritch's return is almost ridiculous. We didn't need to see him again. He died in the first film, and they should have left it there. In truth, there are probably very few plotlines that could have made his return seem genuinely congruent with the story as a whole, and this wasn't it. The fact that he just has to come back and kill Jake Sully, and Jake Sully alone, to the exclusion of doing anything to actually further his crew's mission, is poorly explained at best. Why Jake Sully when he has left his people entirely exposed in the forest? Without Sully's aid and knowledge of the "Sky People", they might be easy to subdue.

Along with the other apparently heartless, one-dimensional humans still involved in this tireless, war torn endeavor (which I guess is now about finding a place for human civilization to relocate once Earth is uninhabitable, yet this motive is only mentioned once!), Quaritch lacks a true character arch. In the beginning of the movie, once it is acknowledged that Spider is his son (although not really, because the Quaritch in this film is just a clone of the original... As the new Quaritch poorly explains to Spider once he is captured), I figured he would have the opportunity to grow. Surely his son (whose not really his son) would help him do that. While it's true that this kind of happens, his development is poorly fleshed out -- like everything else in this movie. Further, much of Avatar 2 depends on the dubious advancement of technology, to the point of absurdity.

Speaking of Spider, I really stopped feeling one with the characters of this film when Neytiri pulled a knife on him. I have plenty of understanding for downtrodden, heart-broken individuals who do messed up stuff in a time of extreme pain, but this pushes the limit, and there is literally no resolution to it! The entire film emphasizes the value of family sticking together, and although Spider isn't technically a part of the family, he might as well be... Neytiri's treatment of him was so disappointing given the insight, wisdom, and sense of self-control she displayed in the first film. This was just totally out of character... it didn't seem right. She could have just snuck up on Quaritch when he had Kiri anyway (there were plenty of other far more fantastical moments). Or Spider could have done so beforehand, when Quaritch was truly vulnerable, instead of trying to reason with him. At the end of the movie, Jake echoes Neytiri when he says "a son for a son"... Is that supposed to be some sort of resolution to Neytiri's behavior?

In short, Avatar 2 is chaotic and disjointed. Very few subplots are fleshed out and carried the whole way through the film. The result is something special effect ridden, but jaded and confusing, not very impactful on a heart level, and very lacking in all of the depth and profundity of the first film. It's worth seeing if you loved the original Avatar, but you'll probably be disappointed.

And Just Like That... (2021– )

The perfect example of everything that is currently wrong with society

[1/10 · 27 December 2021]

It's not just that this show is full of a bunch of political propaganda that makes it so bad. Although that is indeed disconcerting--especially when every dialogue and every plot line has to make some b.s. Statement about how people "should" be living and about what's "right". (And yet, it never feels natural, does it, so what does that say about what they're pushing?)

It's that it has no HEART or SOUL. It's empty. It's detached. It's superficial and so lacking in all the magic that made the original show so enjoyable to watch.

Actually... Has anyone else noticed a trend in most "entertainment" these days? There's no spirit to it. There was so much more magic to almost anything that came out before 2005...

I guess the PROGRAMMING of today is just getting more and more warped, and more brainwashing. It's taking people away from their core. We're prizing belief systems over simply being. No one knows how to be truly at peace anymore.

Where is the simple magic of life? Everything is so empty now. When are people going to wake up?

Heartland: Great Expectations (2012) Season 6, Episode 9

Everything that could go wrong did... And all because of stupidity

[7/10 · 4 June 2021]

I love this show, but I found this episode endlessly irritating and unrealistic. First of all, Clint knows what a great man Jack is--the fact that he would say, even after the silly "everything that could go wrong, did" mishaps of the day, that Jack's prospects regarding fostering look bad, is ridiculous. Every character saying the wrong thing in front of Clint (just annoying and shortsighted to the point of idiocy) still doesn't take away from Jack's clearly beautiful heart and way with kids. And the fact that Georgie goes to the barn at night exactly when it is about to catch on fire is just... Too perfect, to coincidental to be good writing. She had no reason to go there in the first place. Just an all around frustrating episode.

The Wrong Stepmother (2019 TV Movie)

Wish I could give this 0 stars.

[1/10 · 4 January 2021]

This is not worth your time. Seriously, there is nothing redeemable about this movie. It is as if an elementary-aged child wrote it, or worse, someone who has zero interest in coming up with anything of value for humanity. Horribly stupid and lacking in depth. Horrible script, unbelievable plot-line, so many holes. No message, no... anything. The only way any plot point comes to fruition in this movie is if a character is so brain-dead he/she allows it to (like when the girlfriend pulls out a knife, walks a few steps, and stabs the man she is conning into dating her with absolutely zero reaction on his part). This movie is idiotic and an insult to humanity by its sheer existence. 0/10.

Barefoot Contessa (2002–2021)

Sweet, relaxed, comforting cooking show

[10/10 · 17 February 2020]

Anyone who says Ina is yuppie should really check the accuracy of their perceptions. I usually notice an elitist "vibe" in people and there's none of that going on in this show. I love Ina's demeanor--I think she's calm and sweet and my favorite, authentic. She doesn't talk too much or put on an overdone TV personality. I used to watch this when I was just a kid in the early 2000's and it reminds me of the calmness and sweetness of those days. Modern TV is largely anxiety-ridden. Bring back TV without constant talking and laugh tracks and with pauses in between action like normal life...

Ina is a sweetheart and her and her husband are just so cute. She is a joy to watch.

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

Certainly not the best movie, but it does touch on an important issue

[4/10 · 7 February 2019]

This really isn't a great movie. If you want to watch a film that will touch your soul, try Lion.

That being said, I don't think this sequel is as horrible as everyone seems to think on here. I mean yeah, the stereotypical blonde thing is overdone, but at least Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods shows that there is more than meets the eye to some if not all people. I have a sister that is not the most analytically intelligent, but she certainly has a high EQ, which is no doubt just as valuable in this society as IQ. We need a dichotomy like EQ and IQ, a scale that houses a multitude of variations in between, to evolve. We need to be able to feel, decipher, and comprehend both our emotions and those of others if we are going to become the most enlightened forms of ourselves, fomenting the most enlightened society in turn. Pure intellect isn't going to end suffering; we need a highly developed form of compassion too.

Recognizing the value of someone like Elle Woods, who often "misses the mark" in terms of the finer facets of analysis, points to a capacity to see the whole picture. We all have or at least should have someone in our lives, male or female, that nurtures us by picking up on how we feel.

It's disappointing to see so many people knock Legally Blonde 2 for choosing a political issue they fail to see the enormity of. If you don't get how important animal rights are, you're seriously missing a facet of the "bigger picture" of evolution. All forms of life, by virtue of their inherent value, deserve liberation. It's just low that so many people think the lives of animals are less important than those of humans. This isn't a competition. We don't have to solve racism or sexism first before we tackle animal rights. If we are simply working toward recognizing and fully assimilating (by subjugating the ego, mainly) the inherent value of life, all of these issue will be tackled at the same time. I commend Legally Blonde for referencing a political/social dilemma that is so very toxic and sad.

Sydney White (2007)

Terrible

[4/10 · 1 October 2018]

I'm not sure how anyone could find Sydney White to be even a remotely quality movie. I hate to say this, but I think this film is fit for those with few critical thinking skills. It exemplifies every stereotype in the book--it, in fact, blows these stereotypes out to an unfathomable degree--without concern for originality or genuine appeal to emotion or intellect. Very few incidents inspired me, and nearly all of them made me think about what is wrong with society, and not because the plot, characters, or themes are ahead of their time. I don't believe this film hits the mark on teaching its viewers how to be themselves--rather, it shows them how to strive for a watered down version of what Hollywood deems the "outsider".

Humans are far, far deeper than "outsider" and "insider". I don't know anyone as daft as the characters in this film. People are far, far more evolved on the whole than portrayed here anyhow. Not that Hollywood ever exemplifies the highest form of the self...

I have a soft spot for Amanda Bynes; I was a preteen at the time of She's the Man's inception. She's the Man is much better.

The Kissing Booth (2018)

Cringe-worthy and Misguiding

[4/10 · 15 June 2018]

I will have to agree with the users who are perturbed by the blatant lack of respect had by nearly every male figure in this movie for the main character, Elle. I will also have to disagree with those that claim the lightheartedness of this movie, or its "fictitious" nature as another put it, excuses the terrible messages it sends to its young audience. Elle only gets attention once she starts showing her body off, the young men constantly refer to her body--especially her breasts--when speaking about her (really? Not one boy in the film is interested in her mind, in getting to know her, beside the Flynn brothers? Not only does this film give young women the wrong message about how to be treated, it paints the men out to be utterly devoid of a value system...), and worse yet, Elle is too daft to stick up for herself for the majority of the film! I know this character is young, but I'd like to think most teenage girls in this day and age instinctually get a negative feeling (trauma aside) when treated like a commodity. She just goes along with it, incapable of seeing in light of her desire to be liked how she's just being played. I'd like to see a character that not only sticks up for herself around her best friend's older brother, but who knows how to be treated! Now that's a role model. And once again, the poor value system impressed upon the masses by Hollywood is not to be taken lightly. Young kids are watching more and more TV; if we're not going to rectify their connection to the television screen, we might as well feed them information that compels them to grow. All in all I was very disappointed with basically the entire plot--and while the acting was decent for the most part, I too (like another reviewer) kept face-palming! So cringey, I would think even for a high schooler.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Popstar is not a good movie

[2/10 · 8 January 2018]

Popstar is just another method by which Hollywood controls the people. Stupid, vulgar, unoriginal, incredibly immature (oh how we instill terrible values in our youth!), lowly, mean spirited, and rarely, if ever funny. Even the content that garnered a reaction from me seemed to do so unintentionally. The copious amounts of positive reviews on here make me wonder if IMDb manifests its own conspiracy...

Underlying the "comedic" subsistence of the film is a message: the pop music industry is built upon formula, not talent, not originality, NOT the genuine desire to guide the people's consciousness-- or moral compass-- toward higher mentalities. Unfortunately, "The Lonely Boys" follows the same formula, in effect overshadowing some enlightened realizations with yet more unenlightened ones.

No good. Don't believe the positive reviews unless you're an impressionable, susceptible 12 year-old. In which case, don't watch the movie at all!