raybartlett Reviews

How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015)

OMG so FUN!

[10/10 · 27 December 2015]

This movie was fun from the very beginning, and though there was some fear it would fall apart along the way, luckily it didn't ever lose steam. It keeps pushing right along with lots of great humour and a bit of romance too. You gotta love a movie that not only steals a scene from another movie, leaving the viewers saying out loud, that that scene is a rip off, when lo' and behold one of the characters actually admits they are scene stealing from the said movie! So fun! So refreshing.

The lead actor looking a bit like Patrick Swayze and a Ghost being central to the story line just added a bit more fun to the already wonderful story. There is so much unpredictable stuff in this film it all adds up to a wonderful sitting.

It joyfully steals from plenty of movies that came before but with it all being tongue in cheek, it's all so worth it. Yes, I loved this movie. Merry Christmas Sarah!

A Little Game (2014)

Wonderful Family Movie

[7/10 · 25 January 2015]

This is a light hearted wonderful family movie. The newcomer, Makenna Ballard, takes to the film like she has been on camera her whole life and without IMDb, it would not be easy to tell this is her first project. The cast is spot on for most of the characters and the heavy weights don't let you down, (F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis).

The fantasy elements seemed unnecessary and tripped up the pacing and impact of Abraham's lessons. If they would have just played it straight instead of the fantasy elements the story would have had a deeper impact with it's message of using your brain to find your way out of situations, but they relied on fantasy to help out her brain instead.

The childhood rivalries are familiar, but that's because they ring true, and what is more familiar than the truth?

It's a fun movie and many of the messages are good for kids and good to be reminded of for adults.

Santa's Summer House (2013)

Bad Acting but Good Story

[6/10 · 14 July 2014]

It's true the acting in this movie would be improved if a computer read the lines and the croquette scene felt like it would go on for hours, but the story is as wonderful as a Lifetime or Hallmark Christmas film.

Either the acting gets a bit better after the croquette game or I was just worn down, but the unsurprising pay off at the end was worth the trouble. You have to be a sucker for Christmas movies to buy into any of it, but that's the joy of Christmas movies, they are just delightful indulgences that are probably the last bastion of good guys winning and bad guys either being put to shame or repenting, where the hero is actually someone trying to do the right thing. If you enjoy that formula you will like this movie.

A Snow Globe Christmas (2013 TV Movie)

More like Comfort and Joy with Nancy McKeon

[6/10 · 17 December 2013]

Though it rings of Family Man as many have pointed out, it bares a stronger resemblance to Nancy McKeon's Comfort and Joy. The film twists and turns in ways that are sometimes more frustrating than entertaining. However, the acting is good and the lighting is good and so is the sound. 2013 has not been a good year for sound and lighting in these types of holiday films. In particular kitchen scenes have been riddled with reverb, but not this film. They came through. The overlap with prior Snowglobe films is apparently coincidental more through casting than the story. There is no connection other than the name and a shared actress. It definitely tightens up at the end and makes for a good watch.

Time Warrior (2012)

The Time Warrior Who Doesn't Change Time

[4/10 · 24 August 2013]

There are some things being said in the other reviews that I disagree with, the women in the film are not that bad at acting. The stripper and the blonde mom actually did a great job. The little sister, who disappears a little past half way through the film - don't know why, was pretty good too. All of the men are in great need of acting lessons or how to hold a towel over one arm while asking "smoking or non-smoking" before taking people to their tables. The lead was bad and that is never a good thing. Everyone keeps raving on and on about how the budget must have been spent on the special effects - OK, so the Lamborghini, and the other hot sports car, and the helicopter were dirt cheap to rent right? Without knowing what it cost to rent those cars it seems it must have been a big part of the budget along with that really nice house that was featured - unless that was one of the cast member's. If you are looking for a tidy close you are in for rough seas; in every direction nothing made sense.

He is supposed to be a Time Warrior but doesn't ever travel time. The plot holes are everywhere - jumps wall without skateboard, gets home has skateboard, sister creepy and into game, sister vanishes from the film, black dust comes out a guys throat - because of why???? And again, no time traveling. I am still trying to cope with the idea that Donkey Kong never has a donkey regardless of the level or the idea that the San Diego Freeway doesn't go to San Diego! I don't need more confusion.

It was way better than Laser Blast, and way worse than Night of the Comet. But don't hate on the women/girls - do hate on the men/bullies/dads/leads, yes, do. The seed of a great concept is in this so it may be worth your watch, just be prepared to pay for that seed with your time and a small part of your brain that will die forever.

Imaginaerum (2012)

A Fine Story - you have to wait for

[7/10 · 25 April 2013]

Having just finished watching this, and then reading the other reviews I am at a loss for all the fuss about the sub par special effects. They looked a lot better than the 250 million dollar Oz the Great and Powerful, which felt sadly fake in near every scene, and both movies are fantasy, so I saw nothing lacking in the special effects. The dialog in the opening of the movie for about 20 minutes is really just not great, but being a fan of Nightwish I stayed with the movie, and was glad to do so by the halfway mark. The other reviewers pointed out the homages so I will skip them. Coming at this film after seeing Tommy, The Wall, and Harry Potter films, I was not left in the lurch as many were about what was going on. I knew darn well I was seeing symbolism at every turn and was enthralled by it. The scene where the generations overlap in their pain was pure brilliance on the screen. I had never seen optics used in such a way to juxtapose two time periods and create a mood while still piling on the symbolism to even deeper meanings. The skipped words between characters in certain scenes is tasty for those who like being appreciated by the filmmakers to be smart enough to recognize what they were - like with the combination. It may not start out tidy but it gets that way. I was surprised by the idea that it was a movie with music and not a music movie. I was under the impression it would be more like Tommy than The Wall, it's not. The brief appearances by the band did leave me wanting way more, because I am fan of the group, but it didn't hurt the movie a bit. If only the beginning was as good as the rest I would give it all the stars, but it does open so poorly it would not be honest.