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Arquinnian
Reviews
Dead for a Dollar (2022)
Somnolence Inducing Western
I pushed through this Western for Walter Hill's sake. It took me three attempts because I couldn't stay awake. That is as strong of an indictment as one can make of a film. The plot is incomparably dull. The characters don't do much of interest. Some of the camera angles seem like Walter Hill put experimental material into this film. The plot drags along from one uneventful scene to the next. In terms of acting Christopher Waltz does the best job out of the players. He is an effective and interesting presence on the screen. Not enough to save the film, but he does a good job with his part. However, poor William Dafoe looks like he just learned his lines that day and wasn't ready to provide depth to his character. Benjamin Bratt's delivery gives a similar impression as Dafoe's. That is, that he happened to learn his lines that day. Since his part is small he probably only spent a day or two on set and it shows. Overall the film can be summed up in one word: uncompelling. There is no need to watch or waste your money on this uninspired effort of a film. If you need help falling asleep please wait until 'Dead for a Dollar' is free on demand.
King Richard (2021)
Way too Woke to be a good sports movie
The tragic flaw of this movie is predicated on the fact that the protagonist makes incessant references to his race. He views himself and other members of his race as victims. This attitude toward race, gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ, etcetera has been incredibly popular for the past few years. Everyone claims to be a victim and they wrap themselves in blankets of victimhood. However, these woke movies are difficult to watch because ordinary people don't want to hear other people whine about how hard their life has been. Indeed everyone confronts challenges in their lives. In a few years wokeism narratives will be out of vogue and this film will not age well.
Crypto (2019)
Uniquely Awful
I watch a lot bad movies. I enjoy bad movies. This movie was so terrible I couldn't finish it. That only happens once or twice a year to me. I tried several times to come back and watch it, but it was too vapid and poorly done. The lead actor --- I hope I never see him in anything again. The man cannot act. He is supposed to be playing a genius wunderkind. Instead he plays the part as a mumbling thug in a suit. You have to feel sorry for the big name actors playing opposite this guy. I give it 2 stars instead of 1 because the algorithm discounts 1 star reviews.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Gets Worse with Each Viewing
Any time I watch Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) I feel obligated to re-watch this film. Nothing in this movie can be defended except the scenes portraying the actual attack on Pearl Harbor. That is only 30 minutes of the film. But even then the quick editing and computer graphics ruin the portrayal. Tora! Tora! Tora! is by far the better film. Yes, it is dated. Yes, it has its flaws. But it conveys the historical events in a way that a novice actually learns something about history. And the real strength of the film is in portraying the attack with real effects and no CGI. It has incredible visuals and the terrifying sound of the engines screaming through the sky and the bombs falling. There is no comparison between the two films. Watch Tora! Tora! Tora! and see what we have lost with the invention of CGI.