ocacia Reviews

Ahsoka (2023– )

Boring with Boring acting

[2/10 · 7 September 2023]

I love Rosario but she is clearly not Ahsoka despite looking like her. Is she tired or too old for the part. She struggles to move and you can clearly see it is a body double every time she has to life her arm. Her body movements are way too slow to be believable. The music is not even music. Can anyone remember the theme? It is not Fett it is not even Mandalorian. I think they are spreading themselves too thin trying to focus on creating something when the material is poor. I heard complaints about Obi Wan but at least I could invest in some of the stories. Not here. I have no interest in her map hunts. Can they be more original?

Grizzly Rage (2007 TV Movie)

One of the best movies EVER!

[10/10 · 12 June 2023]

Forget everything you have seen Revenant, The Edge, Black Mountain, Jaws. This movie kept me on the edge of my sleep.

The music, the special effects, compositing, animatronics, animal handling push the limits of what you can do for $50 bucks.

The acting is a perfect example of how to avoid an Oscar. The lighting is dark and natural and the story shows you do not need to spend more than a few hours to come up with an entire script. This film is at a level none can beat. It really sets the bar for how low cinema can go. I am not sure if they paid for it before it was made or if they paid for it after it was finished.

Clock (2023)

Fresh and Deep and multilayered

[8/10 · 30 April 2023]

Fresh and Deep and multilayered so I think anyone giving this film 1/10 has to have some other issues with the film. In short they are reviewing ethical issues but not cinematic or storytelling issues.

It is a dark theme, it is disturbing with its imagery but I am review how well it did the job as a film. The writer is clearly very very skilled. I had to look her up and was a little shocked to find a young woman, because (due to how we are conditioned) I expect such complex multi-layered plots to come from more mature seasoned writers. Good writing is ridiculously hard to find in Hollywood. And the biggest budget films totally fail to seem to remember how to do it.

The sub-plot and everything connects in a coherent theme. The Jewish story (while serious clique at this point) has in an interesting exchange which is very rare. So even that was satisfying. The intersection of religion and biological determination and choice are very well done. You could discuss this film for decades.

I knew it was a good film from the beginning as within the first 5 minutes I invested in most of the characters. The use of symbolism is hardly original (def on the nose) but it is well executed and that is all we can ask for.

The Strays (2023)

Black Culture = abuse, bad English, Violence, ignorant, Lil Wayne

[2/10 · 23 April 2023]

So while the film makes a point, the point is still lost because the Black identity she ran away from we all Should Run away from. Black = Poor. Black = Domestic Abuse. Black = common class kids. Black = violence. Black = braids Black = Lil Wayne. So we see an identity that collapses blackness with all the ills of the social underclass. Authentic black = poor, common and uneducated. Speaking proper English and walking like a normal human is inauthentic black.

Why would anyone want that? So the message is destroyed! While the message should be about abandonment it ended up tying all of those negatives as features of a Black British Identity.

I grew up in the UK, that was not my identity!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Better than the first but from Black vs Black to Black vs Brown

[5/10 · 15 November 2022]

Wakanda forever was a deeper more emotive film than the first. It had way more nuance and better acting than the first. Beyond a shadow of a doubt if you put the two films side by side Wakanda is a more mature well developed film, less Marvel and in my mind that could only be a good thing.

But it is still Marvel with a lot of silly stuff that does not appeal to me. Silly fight scenes, silly CGI. Actually if I was to take out the first 3 min and just start with the funeral and all those ridiculous fight scenes the film would be 8/10 based on character development, theme and how they handle Chads death. I read so many reviews prior to seeing it (and I was not going to see it) and none of the reviews were accurate. There were no issues with the exposure of the film, or anything else. And most of all I had no issue with the pace, it was not boring although a hair cut would have helped. It explored deeper political themes and minus that Iron Lady was okay. The music was not the best, I do not think the composer was the best. The costumes for Wakanda with the exception of the Queen were terrible. The costumes for the Mesoamericans were very nice.

But on a political note it seems Wakanda will fight other oppressed Africans and now oppressed Brown people, everyone but a film where they just fight the real colonizers. That makes no sense, but it obviously has to be like that because the film is owned by White Americans and would be a flop if Wakanda had to fight America or france.

Enslaved (2020)

I smell something

[2/10 · 25 August 2022]

So Sam Jackson signs up to let White people retell our history. As someone else stated the man is totally bored in the production. So how much did they pay him to use his name to push this Israeli production as a historical narrative. You would expect so much? But where are the Africans behind the lens? So in 2020 it is that same exploitation piece. This guy got famous off the poor Ethiopians by telling their story for them and now after doing his crooked version of his story and propaganda is now taking on some neglected African history. Tells you a lot about African people that still "The lions tells the tale of the hunt" and pretty poorly also. Where is the substance? Where is the grit?

Hostiles (2017)

Very well made but

[6/10 · 8 August 2022]

It was a properly made film but I just did not care for the violence especially against kids. But that is how these things go. What upset me was the ending. For all that great writing and storytelling to end up killing off the entire family (save one) in one forced encounter was poor. Our of the blue I am to believe 4 guns confront 4 guns and risk their lives over land? It seems they wrote that in for the only purposes of killing off people. It doesn't flow with the story, and it is not the first time I felt scenes were written in to create actio or tension it is just that you can't keep doing it and make a good film.

Prey (I) (2022)

Teenage Predator

[5/10 · 8 August 2022]

Not the worst of the franchise. Better the Comanche dubbed version.

No point repeating what others have stated. But is this a joke? Tiny native chick who is not very talented finds the minerals to fight massive predator that kills bears, and wiped out an entire group of soldiers more than once. Must be a real dummy because big bad sonny didn't last 1 minute against this creature but the skillset of these kids have it begging for its life. And where are all these kids parents? A film has to make you believe and this one is so impossible that you just come out of it.

The camera work is very sharp, I watched the original predator after this and the contrast is ridiculous. Sometimes too sharp too digital. Too clean. Something to watch but will be forgotten by next week. Acting is not that great also. You can tell none of them are professionals. Pacing was not tight and a better director would have pulled out more tension.

NO, they did not speak proper Comanche as the film was ADR dubbed after they lip synced (poorly) the Comanche language. Nice try,. The film is much better in Comanche nonetheless.

The Last Forest (2021)

Takes no talent to make

[2/10 · 6 August 2022]

Boring, same scenes back and forth, sparse narrative of typical dialogues. Seen this all before nothing new here. Just footage with music and a lot of smoke.

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

Dialog written by a White man

[1/10 · 3 August 2022]

Who argues like this? Is this how couples argue? Here is a film directed and written by a White man on how African American artist discuss racism. How Meta.

Fight eat sleep. Fight Screw Sleep. Does this have content to be a feature? Why do I need to see the end to this tired story of cardboard characters? These are hardly original people. The lines are so FORCED! The acting is so Playhouse on Stage.

People do not even eat mac and cheese like that. Much less argue and eat mac and cheese like that. Oh the film is in black and white so I guess that is how we know it is an "art house" film. That means we must seek deeper meaning in over 1hr of bickering. What passes for art these days depends on what critics say and who your daddy is in Hollywood. There are a wealth of true art house films bursting on sites like Mubi that get passed over. But I guess a little James Brown and Black and White makes this one noteworthy.

Tenet (2020)

Expensive incoherent Waste of money and Time

[3/10 · 3 August 2022]

A film has a purpose! Like it or love it films have limits. And the gift of any artists is how they are able to communicate through film what they want to communicate. Just because a film bends forward and backwards and "challenges our mind" does not make it a masterpiece. It is just a expensive film that bends our mind. Hidden in all of the chaos of this film is poor storytelling. Why does he care so much about that woman and her child? So the motivations are not clear. All respect to Denzel's son but he is very bland and uninteresting. I did Like Kenneth and even Debicki. But within all this mind bending pretentious nonsense there still is no serious story. I did not care as the stakes were not put up high enough to make me care if they won or loss. It is not Dunkirk where you felt they were saving the world. I was not rooting for anyone. Nolan is not pushing boundaries he is just spinning off of Inception. And it is a flop. I cannot remember the music either, only the credits track. There are films you watch and you want to understand the meaning so bad, this is not one of them. Inception worked because within its complexity was a solid story. With solid acting. Please stop giving Nolan blind loyalty so he might rethink his next flick.

Technically the dialogue is very hard to hear at times. I had to put up my center channel to 7Db and the volume was all over the place. The fight scenes look so fake, like Matrix 2 and 3.

Keep Breathing (2022)

F this and F that

[3/10 · 31 July 2022]

I am not sure if Guinese was counting but I just got tired of her pointless cussing. Very cliché, like Latina stranded on I Land, what does this remind me of? Oh the I land. And the bloody awful flashbacks I am tired already with the drawn out lack of creativity. She cute though. Like Natalie Mendez.

Widows (2018)

Amazing accomplishment but...

[7/10 · 31 July 2022]

If you consider how jammed packed this story was and how everything was balanced you could forgive the mistakes made. I didn't enjoy the police shooting black kid sun plot as it felt forced and very unartistic considering everything else was handled with such sophistication. That was so silly to include. Too much was going on already. Trying to be woke is the best way to spoil a film. Beyond that Daniel was vicious, my word he was one hell of a villian. Just those eyes. He was the best part. Cynthia felt like a 3rd wheel something about her didn't help with the film. But brave effort. Al lot of themes that anyone else would have mucked up. But most of them worked. The father -son thing, the crooked pastor thing, all worked.

Purple Hearts (2022)

Predictable and consistent with genre

[5/10 · 31 July 2022]

They might as well print out the plot at the star because everything that happens you expect. I just fast forward some parts. Some music was ok, but lipsync was horrible. So many films like this totally unorginal but something to watch to pass time.

The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

Weak compared to Fincher installment

[4/10 · 4 April 2022]

Foy was okay, she carried the role. But the over James Bond type action betrayed the sophistication and story complexity of the Tattoo one . The other major disappointment is without Craig it just does not have the same weight. That guy has ZERO presences, no idea why they cast him.

Greenland (2020)

People not so helpful on the best of days

[5/10 · 27 March 2022]

Talk about one unrealistic film. On a perfect day you can't get anyone to help you but in this film the system works so well. And it get more unrealistic that you just detach from the threat. Because clearly there is nothing really at risk. You know they will make it.

The Skin of the Wolf (2017)

Watch a bear eat and have bear sex

[3/10 · 7 March 2022]

I don't know how much food this guy had to eat but if there was an academy for eating in a film he would win it. Grunts occupy most of the dialog so must have been an easy film to write.

Annihilation (I) (2018)

Not all of that casting was very poor

[6/10 · 20 January 2022]

This movies failure is casting. Apart from. Nat and that lady from hateful 8, those other people were so forgettable I can't remember one of them from the other. Solaris was a better Sci fi of the same genre. The entire story didn't really have enough power so the resolution was meh. Actually I didn't care. Wish the shimmer would just destroy the entire world and take it in that direction.

Southpaw (2015)

You seen one u seen all

[3/10 · 13 December 2021]

This is so stale and 'seen it before' and lacking in any ounce of originality that I didn't stay to the end. Everything trope of the genre. Even the music used in every other boxing film. Warrior was worth it. Jake's acting could not save it. Fuqua is a very boring director. It see nothing in his work worthy of mention only Training Day.

Wasp Network (2019)

US Propaganda

[1/10 · 8 December 2021]

I do not know what to review first the sickening propaganda or the terrible film. Why would respectable actors put themselves in this nonsense. Can you imagine a film about Americans defecting to Iran for a Kebab? Well, this is what this film looked like to me. You betrayed your country and your wife and kid because of ... excuse me. Is this a serious film?

The Tomorrow War (2021)

I Think I saw this film before

[4/10 · 22 September 2021]

Yeah I did, it is every silly sci-fi film where ugly CGI creatures take over the place. More specifically I swore it starred Tom Cruise and that British chick. Deja vu. But that is Hollywood of Today and Tomorrow.

Bella (2006)

Exceptional from start to end

[10/10 · 7 September 2021]

It is not corny, it is not pop corn, it is not simple, it is not pretensive. It has a mature way of navigating (in one day) the complex stories of human beings. How did they weave all of this into one seamless production. 10/10 to the writers, the the director, acting, to the lighting, to the feel and grit of the film and to the score. This is the most impressive film I have seen in years and I cannot ever recall giving a recent film 10/10. It does not have to be the Godfather or Alien, or any of the classics to be worthy of a perfect score.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Why, missing story

[3/10 · 5 September 2021]

Angie took 2 seconds to read what was on that paper.what was on that paper was why everything in the movie happened.usually that would be a computer file spilling the beans, or some artifact worth dying for.but not this film. Some little paper that many lives and a forest are destroyed for. I am not seeing the motivation. And then just like that these bad guys are dead and the film ends. Where is the second team? No, the info was so important but they (the bad guys,)just gave up like that. They had all those resources but no more. A lot of random things happen that are left unexplored. Horses make special appearances then vanish.maybe an extended version would leave is feeling less cheated.

The Clovehitch Killer (2018)

Almost but something was missing

[6/10 · 17 May 2021]

Very good idea and a little different. But something in the directing and the writing was a little off. I don't know but I think other talented director or and writer would have tightened it up. Has in some major plot holes like what happened to that woman half dead on the floor? Did we forget about her? These and other things that ruin how believable and realistic it is. Like I said something is missing that would have made it 8/10.

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (2021– )

Polished quality doc, maybe too polished

[8/10 · 1 March 2021]

This is a proper doc, polished too the nines. The problem with its polish is it glamourizes and dramatized the period to a Hollywood standard. I am not sure how historically accurate the scenes are. Looks like Last Samurai. But it all sells the story and you def need to stay on top of it because the names will throw you. I would love to now go and read a book about the subject for further details. I am no expert so I have to take the information as factual and thank the producers for one polished historical production. Very similar to the one on Rome which was epic!