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Laurie-213-383809
Reviews
65 (2023)
Boring and predictable
Mostly just a long series of "Yikes, I'm being attacked by a dinosaur" scenes... over and over and over again.
The background story with the sick daughter was sweet/bittersweet, but most of the movie was just boring dinosaur stuff with a very predictable ending (or should I say, "almost ending?"). The sci-fi aspect of the movie did make me pine for technology that seemed to be almost indestructible and batteries that last almost forever.
I guess the ending was supposed to be climactic, but it was just too predictable to produce the adrenaline rush that was probably supposed to be there. The dinosaur conveniently knocking the escape vehicle to the correct orientation had me rolling my eyes.
Honestly, once we finished our popcorn, I couldn't wait for this snoozefest to be over.
Bullet Train (2022)
Violent, bloody, and bloody funny!
I've never watched such a violent, bloody movie that made me laugh so much with crazy plot twists and blatant ridiculousness. The movie never takes itself seriously, and movie goes shouldn't either. Just sit back, try to keep track of all the unique characters and relationships, and you'll probably have a great time. There is a great deal of violence, but it's balanced with laughs and a surprising number of "Whoa!!!" moments. Haven't been to a movie on a long time that elicited as much audience reaction as this one did!
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Very intriguing movie
Didn't read the book, but may do so now. Mesmerized by the movie, but then I'm a real sucker for natural beauty and the marsh/swamp scenes were breathtaking. The story was creative though Chase was perhaps too much the stereotypical self centered jock. Not having read the book, I found the last few minutes of the movie very interesting. Biggest shortcoming of the Kya portrayal was, as pointed out by others, the perfectly clean, perfectly dressed teen/young lady with the nice white teeth who supposedly grew up on her own in the marsh. Of you can look beyond that, the movie was a great watch.
Finding You (2020)
Sappy and predictable, but pleasant
You can probably predict everything that's going to happen on this movie, it probably could have been written by a high schooler, and some of the acting is really quite poor. However, this movie is still a pleasant watch thanks to beautiful Irish scenery, settings and sights. It's also so refreshing to watch a movie with no political agenda, no sex, no gender dysphoria, and some positive plot outcomes.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Two movies in one... but only one is worth watching
Underneath all the chaos of this movie lies a lovely story about not being so caught up in "the business of life" that you miss the beauty of life, the personal connections, and the positive (even if sometimes small) impact or negative repercussions of the decisions you've made. Each individual decision has the potential to branch out into a myriad of paths, and I think Evelyn finally learns to appreciate the positive aspects of her decisions and their resulting paths, and realizes that few paths are without merit and no path is perfect.
However, this lovely story gets lost in a a ridiculous over-exaggeration of chaos that, if toned down and purged of the stupid "potty humor" could have been a real positive. Beatings by huge dildos and universe jumping via butt plugs cheapened the sci-fi aspects of the movie and distracted from what could have been a great film. Too many long fight scenes made for boring stretches, the hot dog fingers stuff could have been funny (and point taken regarding the skills development of other body parts) if not overdone, and the bagel thing was just... dumb. The overused "I can't accept my child being gay" intro that turns into parental acceptance at the end of the movie seems to be a requisite storyline these days, and is becoming a real eye roller. "Again???" I appreciated the variety of "Evelyn" characters and they way the skills of each were integrated into the new Evelyn. Who knew sign twirling was such a useful skill? :-)
Though the acting was excellent for the Evelyn character (Michelle Yeoh) and her family members (Ke Huy Quan, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong), the part of IRS agent (Jamie Lee Curtis) was played way too over the top. I also feel that the writers made the part of Evelyn's husband Waymond's a bit TOO passive. That much contrast was not needed.
All in all, an interesting, but weird film that could have been a lot better.
Father Stu (2022)
Wow, what a powerful movie!
The only reason I hesitated for a moment to not give this movie a 10 is because the they didn't include tissues with the ticket. Based on a true and very moving story, it was beautifully portrayed and made even more powerful by the video and pictures of the real Father Stu at the end. Hopefully, no one ruins it for you with spoilers before you get a chance to see it, because there's more to the story than what's shown in the trailers.
NCIS: Hawai'i (2021)
I really tried to like this show, but it's just... bad
This is by far the worst of the NCIS spin-offs. I really tried to like this show, but the only positive thing about is the drone footage of the beautiful Hawaiian islands and that's not enough to carry a show. I gave it a good try and watched seven episodes because there are other shows I warmed up to after I got to know the characters, but there's just no liking this show or the characters on it. The acting is awful. I feel like I'm watching a high school production. Some characters are ridiculously bland and boring, while others are ridiculously over-acted. Some of it isn't their fault because the writing and plots are terrible, but their acting is just NOT good. Put a fork in this one.
American Underdog (2021)
Rarely does a "true life story" match "true life" so closely
Honestly, I only have one complaint about the movie, and that is how old "Kurt" looked in his college years in the movie. The rest was surprisingly accurate to his real life story, and the casting was excellent. Google the movie characters and their real life counterparts, and it's amazing.
Kurt's and his wife's personal stories are full of heart wrenching tragedies that provided enough real drama to leave you wondering if some of it could have been made up for the movie, but then you do some research and you find out it's actually true. Other reviews say that the storyline is predictable, but that's like saying "Titantic" was predictable because you knew the ship was going to sink... well, OF COURSE you know he was going to make it. It says it right in the synopsis, just in case you've been living under a rock and don't know who Kurt Warner is. The beauty was in watching the story of HOW he made it in football and HOW his family life came together.
Very interesting and satisfying movie, and I'm not even a Rams fan!
The Batman (2022)
Long... VERY long... dreary... movie. Did I mention LONG???
First off, I'm thinking that maybe the Batman story is getting kind of "overtold."
Maybe Hollywood should lay off just trying to retell the same superhero stories over and over and over again and come up with some new ideas instead. I know, I know.. they sell. Yup, they suckered me into going yet again. Maybe I shouldn't have gone to what feels like my hundredth Batman movie and expected some fresh entertainment, right? Perhaps I'm just Batmanned out, but I seriously felt that this movie was FAR too long. Long and dreary. Slow. Characters took waaay too long to say something, way too long to do something (even waiting for Batman to walk from one place to another sometimes warranted an eyeroll). There were too many pauses and too many times I was thinking, "Oh, just get ON with it!"
As far as the characters/acting goes... Robert Pattinson was a very good Batman, though the Bruce Wayne side of the character was pretty much ignored (make him a recluse and you don't have to bother developing that side of the character, right?). Jeffrey Wright did a great job as Gordon. Would have never guessed that was Colin Farrell as the Penguin (amazing makeup!), but the character wasn't really developed much, not that there wasn't enough time to do so in this dreadfully long movie. Zoe Kravitz filled out the Catwoman outfit nicely but, other than that, was not feeling that casting. Once the combat mask came off, Paul Dano had all the creepy facial expressions of a demented psycho, but would have liked to have had the reveal and some peeks at the Riddler during the planning and implementation of his "dastardly deeds" instead of just seeing him (except for "in costume") after the fact.
Did the end of the movie leave me feeling like I "wanted more?" Nope, not in the least.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Brilliant "spoof" that may be closer to real life than we'd want to admit
Finally, a creative storyline! Those are hard to come by these days with so many remakes of old movies and so many themes rehashed with slightly different characters and sets.
The noteworthy cast turned in a great performance, with just enough wild-eyed fear and somber acceptance to pull off the "OMG, everyone really does die!" ending.
Leading up to that ending, although we know it's a spoof, is a sequence of events that we laugh at a bit nervously, because one can't help but wonder how much of the real story we'd get from our "We don't report the news, we MAKE the news" media and politicians if an equally devastating disaster were really on the horizon. Mid-term elections coming up? Sweep in under the rug, plaster on a smile and, if you can figure out a way, blame the other party! Is it really hard to believe that a sitting president would downplay a potential world-ending crisis? Nope... not if it could make him/her look ineffective!
Sweet Magnolias (2020)
Sappy, soapy, predictable and boring
Poorly written, poorly acted, lame soap opera plots with stereotypical characters. Not sure what's worse, the silly storylines for the adults in this saccharine mess or for those for the teens. Watched multiple episodes, hoping it would get better, but it only seemed to get worse. I haven't found a new, creative storyline yet, just rehashes of storylines you've seen over and over again through the years on TV shows and made-for-TV movies aimed at women and teen girls. I'm able to give it two stars at least, because there was nothing offensive in the episodes I watched, but can't do more than that because the entertainment value is soooo low.
Wonder Wheel (2017)
Even Kate Winslet's fantastic performance can't carry this mess of a movie
I usually enjoy 50s period pieces, but this one was pretty close to terrible. Kate Winslet gave a wonderful performance in this strangely awkward movie. Pairing her with Jim Belushi seemed odd, but he was somewhat OK in his role. Justin Timberlake wasn't given much to work with, so his character kind of left me shaking my head and I'm not sure it was his fault... not sure anyone could have pulled off much of a win with the way his role was written. Pretty much no character development beyond those roles. Weird, fake looking backdrops throughout much of the movie, and what seemed to be a pieced together plot. One of the worst screenplays I've tried to digest in a long time.
After Life (2019)
One of the best shows I've ever watched
Based upon the storyline, I was not expecting to be blown away by this show. I honestly thought it would be either boring or sappy, and it was neither. Somehow, this show taught or emphasized (depending upon your own experiences) some of the most important life lessons, but without being "preachy" about it. I rode the ups and downs with the characters, laughed and cried. My takeaways...
1) Life is precious. Make every day count. 2) Cherish those you love and let them know every day how special they are to you. 3) No one's life is perfect, no matter how wonderful it may seem to others. You have no idea what others are going through. 4) People can be OK with some aspects of THEIR life that would make YOU unhappy. 5) You can be surrounded by people and put on a good face, but be gut-wrenchingly lonely on the inside. 6) Loss is handled differently by different people. It's OK to go through the steps of grief at your own pace, but it's also OK to give yourself permission to be happy again. Being happy does not change or diminish the love you had/have for them. 7) Recovering from the loss of a loved one is not a straight line. You'll think you're doing better and then the finality of that loss will come along again when you least expect it and slap you back down. 8) Taking out your grief/anger on others doesn't help you get rid of it. It's not like there's a limited supply. 9) Small, seemingly insignificant acts of kindness can seem huge on the receiver's end and you as the giver may gain just as much joy as the receiver. 10) Don't just "go through life." Make memories, record those memories, relish those memories.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
The supporting cast and sub-plots make this show a must-watch!
My interest in this show has steadily grown, but not because of the main character. Obviously, the show revolves around "Mrs. Maisel," but although interest in the exploits of her character ramped up for a while at the beginning of the show, her selfishness and the lack of depth of this character sent my interest level in her plummeting as I watched more episodes. Fortunately, this was offset by the continued development of a brilliant supporting cast with perfect comedic timing, who were given great storylines. OK, Mr. Maisel's a bit bland and boring, but Midge's manager Susie, Midge's parents and in-laws (and several minor characters) easily carry the show forward and keep it delightfully entertaining. The period, location and cultural aspects of the show, including costumes, vehicles, activities, etc. are spot-on for the most part, with just a couple of minor slip-ups in verbal expressions that were not really from the period. Although I'm no longer rooting for the main character, I'm rooting for this show to continue to entertain and serve as a marvelous platform for a bunch of talented actors. Who knows, maybe they'll even write Mrs. Maisel back into being someone I like again.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Surprisingly fascinating!
If you'd told me a while back that I'd be binge watching and thoroughly enjoying a miniseries about chess, I would have told you that you were crazy. Yet that's exactly what happened! A surprisingly interesting story, well-written, and with plenty of emotions, both high and low, throughout the series. The casting/acting was excellent. I also think the miniseries was just the right length. Well done!
This Is Us (2016)
Start out interesting, but has run its course
The first couple of seasons were interesting, but it's time to end this. It's gotten boring, drifted too much into trying to make social justice points and, good grief... can SOMEONE in this show be not dreary for more than five minutes??? They take little uninteresting pieces of story and turn them into a long, drawn out piece of drama, then we get the ridiculous Kate-Marc revelation/confrontation/it's_all_better_now quickie issue-resolution after supposedly a lifetime of damage. What started out as a good show is now pretty much on the level of a daytime soap. Just waiting for the evil twin cousin of someone who died to show up to complete the transition. The exception to the dreariness was Randall's amusing viral video situation, a MUCH-needed break from the ho-hum that this show has become.
Judy (2019)
Renee Zellweger gets a 10, the movie gets a 6
I give the movie itself a 6 because there's so much of Judy's life missing from the story... so many important and interesting things that should have been included. However, Renee Zellweger gets a 10+ for her absolutely amazing portrayal. The look, the mannerisms were so spot on that I felt like I was watching Judy herself!
Killing Eve (2018)
And it keeps getting better!
SEASON 4 (My rating 1): Oh, what have you done, writers?!? Like too many other series, you've taken a great show and destroyed it in its final season.
Went back and edited my rating to a three overall, and that's being generous. Had it at nine for the previous seasons, but when I add ONE STAR for this mess called "Season 4" and divide by four seasons, that's a two and a half. I got generous and rounded up to three, but I should probably have rounded down to two. The storyline has disconnected and fizzled out to something boring and unrecognizable. The characters have gone "out of character." The plot, if you can call it that, plods along with a lot of weirdness thrown in. The writers seem to have reacted to the fact that this is the last season and said, "Pssshh... let's just throw a bunch of stuff together and see how ridiculous we can get. It's not like we were going to get another season anyhow." The first couple of episodes feel like they were written while by someone under the influence of booze and/or narcotics. Not sure how it can be both boring and crazy at the same time, but they've somehow managed it. The talents of the actors in this season are totally wasted, as has been my time watching this mess.
SEASONS 1-3 (My rating: 9): Wow, I'll just start out by saying Jodie Comer is amazing! There are way too many death/destruction/crime shows out there for my taste. Really, is that what we want to fill our minds with before bed each night? However, this one has captured my imagination and greatly intrigued me. To me, the assassinations take a back seat to the superb acting, plot twists, and fascinating emotional and psychological conundrums in this show. The range of characters are so diverse... some seemingly without conscience, yet frighteningly loyal to individuals or ideals. I don't want to include spoilers, but the plot lines hand us many surprises, and my feelings towards a number of the characters have changed dramatically as the characters have changed as as we've been introduced to background stories. As dark as the plot gets from time to time... well, actually often... we're suddenly hit with scenes that make us laugh out loud. The actors in this show are marvelous, and I have to give kudos to the casting crew! Sandra Oh is always wonderful, but Jodie Comer just kills it (pardon the pun) in this show. Her facial expressions, range of emotion and conflict are just so spot on! The rest of the cast is great as well, and the writing keeps us coming back for more and very anxious to find out what's next for this strange group of people. This is one show that's gotten better and better, despite a couple of plot twists that had me shaking my head, even though they were intriguing. Keep it coming, folks!
Space Force (2020)
Very Disappointing
Expected much more from this cast. Not sure even these stars could salvage this poorly written show, but their overacting didn't help. There were a couple of chuckles here and there, but "Wow, this is really stupid!" was our thinking through the few episodes we manage to finish. Since it wasn't getting any better, we felt our time was better spent seeking out a higher quality show and abandoned this one mid-episode, which is something we've rarely done. There have been a number of really good space parodies over the years, but this was not one of them.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' (2019)
Painful to watch
Edith was horribly overacted by Melisa Tormei and she appeared far too young for the part, both as Archie's wife and as Gloria's mother. The actors did not appear to be playing the characters, but rather seemed to be trying to play the original actor playing the character. In most cases, this didn't work well. Woody Harrelson had Archie's accent and intonations down well, but his physical gestures were over-the-top. Had to switch this show off part way through, as I found it painful to watch these professionals offering up entertainment that could have probably been improved upon by a high school acting class.
Altered Carbon (2018)
Fascinating sci-fi plot, overshadowed by excessive violance and sexual content
I find it disappointing that the creators felt the series needed so much graphic violence and sexuality to sell it. The sleeve/stack/immortality plot, especially with the nods to how this could create moral/religious dilemmas and how it interacts with and complicates existing relationships, is fascinating sci-fi. The use of AI and virtual reality in the series are excellent, especially the AI neo-Victorian Poe (delightfully portrayed!) and the hotel he runs. The AI and the hotel's style contrast to the world around them was a fabulous idea. Add in a murder mystery (yes, this does require at least implied violence), some excellent special effects, and you have the basis for a fascinating sci-fi series. The locations and cinematography were top-notch, especially for a TV series. However, many of the episodes were extremely tainted by unnecessary, over-the-top violence, to the point that I almost gave up on the series multiple times. The unnecessary nudity and excessive sexual content distracted from rather than enhanced the storyline
How It Ends (2018)
Possibly the worst movie (non-) ending EVER!
I've watched movies with disappointing endings, with aggravating endings, with sad endings... this movie had NO ending. It seems that the writers painted themselves into a corner and had nowhere to go, so they just turned off their computers and left. My husband and I just sat there for several moments, mouths agape with disbelief, then got up and walked away from the TV in disgust. What a freakin' waste of time!