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spockwillow
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Dark (2017)
The slowest time travelling show ever !
Back to the Future meets Terminator while dipped in a vat of dark molasses.
Usually shows start slow and often pick up the pace of storytelling. Therefore, I try to always get through a couple episodes before deciding to continue. In the case of Dark the opposite was true and my approach backfired. This was a show that "jammed" the content of 3 episodes into the final 7 episodes.
With rare exception the characters were difficult to follow as they traversed various parts of the 66 year span. Except for a character with a prominent mole the casting choices made easily identifying the same people 33 or 66 years later or earlier harder than it needed to be.
The big reveal in the final episode was rushed and the final moments of the show scream "We ran out of money so this is the end"
I wanted to like it but was very disappointed.
Ultraviolet (2006)
Mindless Saturday afternoon fun
Ultraviolet is one of those movies that when you flip by the channels it makes you stop and watch. You watch not because the script is good - because it is not. Nor do you watch it because the story line holds together - it does not. You watch it because of the combination of supercharged action scenes - Matrix meets modern Asian action, and to watch Milla run around in painted on outfits showing off her abs. You can tell that this film has been heavily edited after it was in the can, as the story line is very choppy - almost unable to really follow. Except it does not really matter because of the low cost highly stylized action scenes and the aforementioned Milla's wardrobe. So sit back relax and watch this odd action movie and please don't look to deep into it.
Children of Men (2006)
Sadly predictable and underwhelming
Children of Men has such positive press and often positive reviews that I actually bought the DVD without renting it. So it was with great anticipation that I settled in to enjoy this critically acclaimed movie. Sadly at the end of it I lamented losing 90+ minutes of my life I will never get back along with the 20 bucks of which I will only be able to re-coup a couple dollars of when I sell this DVD. So P.D. James's story on the surface of a world in which there are no children being born is interesting. Clive Owen and Julianne Moore are fine actors, but this movie cannot figure out if it is a Mad Max type story or not. There are interesting references from the future back to the near future which is fun to work through. While they have been done before they are entertaining. Nonetheless this is a movie that has almost no suspense. You can definitely predict the ending from the moment a late term pregnant women is discovered. I never thought for one second that the child would not survive. It was a coin toss on the the mother or Owen's character to make it. A few decent chase scenes but the overall movie left a lot to be desired. There was so much more there for the taking that was not addressed. I was disappointed.
Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Funny and smart. A movie about the power of words.
A funny smartly written movie in which the most powerful are those who use the English language the best. A perfectly casted lead surrounded by an ensemble of fine actors. Several morale issues are addressed although not the ones you might think. Rob Lowe's character is hilarious - especially for the one day of work he did. The whole MOD squad (Merchants of Death) is a good example of this movie not taking itself too seriously while still entertaining everyone. The take your dad to work day scene is also laugh out loud funny. Katie Holes characters rise and fall may for-tell her own marriage to Tome Cruise. This movie is a must see for anyone with an IQ over 80.
xXx: State of the Union (2005)
Two ex-gang bangers save the country from overthrow
1000 words is not nearly enough to trash this script. OK you suspend reality in many movies of this type. That is all well and good. However the writing in this movie shows a complete lack of skill. Samuel Jackson and Willem Defoe must have been rolling their eyes and laughing out loud while reading their lines in their trailers, all the while checking with their bank to make sure their pay checks did not bounce!! It would have been better to have this movie come to the screen as a silent movie with explosions and gunfire added. It has all the visuals people want in this type of genre; explosions, fast cars cleavage, and navy seals, no need to turn it into a comedy with the spoken word.
Inside Man (2006)
Interesting concept ruined by inability to add and an awful ending
Interesting concept of a bank robbery as cover for something else. Denzel decent as usual but character is shallow. Defoe nicely acted, as usual in this case, for a decent paycheck. Foster as the fixer - she must have been unhappy with the final edit as I trust most of her lines were on the editing floor. Christopher Plummer as the bank Chariman is not old enough to be believable. This is 61 years since the end of WWII and he was suppose to be a big banking wheel in Germany during the war so he had to be at least 35-40 then given the hierarchy at the time. Therefore he would have to be 95-100 years old in this movie. Granted he looks old but not that old!!!! Finally the ending was not an ending. Spike is an OK director but please don't try to be something you are not and give us some ending that leaves us guessing. In this case guessing if the movie is over or my DVD was defective.
Raising Helen (2004)
Very predictable. Fine for families with pre-teens. As much as I hate to use the term it is a chick flick
Without Joan Cusak, this film is a 3. Kate is cute but that is not enough. The concept is almost absurd. The only conflict is that who gets the kids. No tragedy or difficult conflict beyond the deaths at the beginning. This movie really should have been rated PG as nothing remotely offensive occurs that an 8 year old could not view. The whole script was predictable from the 20 minute mark. This movie is a waste of three talented actors as the script is very lacking, and even when it hits on some salient points it flounders. For example the scene at the hotel on prom night was a serious miss. Unless you have young children and want to have the conversation about what happens if mommy and daddy die then I recommend saving the 2 hours and find something else to do.
The Gingerdead Man (2005)
Horrid. Gary Busey must have worked one entire day on this film
This disaster makes "Is Anybody There?" look like the Godfather. Gary Busey must have worked a good 8 hours on this waste of time. He must have owed someone a favor or money or both to be affiliated with this. One scene plus a voice over of a cookie that, well makes you laugh vs. be scared. Shot in lousy lighting in one location in basically one night. Total production costs could not have exceeded $50,000. Oh yes and there is that blood borne pathogen event that would have any health inspector gagging. Most telling of all is the blooper reel only has a couple of scenes meaning they kept everything they shot in the film. If MST 3000 were still in production this would definitely make their line-up.