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Reviews
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Shameful & Cringy
I love a good, CGI, adventure flick, and I'm a fan of the Rock! I can get past leaving Brendan Frazier out (begrudgingly), but Luis Guzman's character and the antics were impossible to sit through. It was buffoonish and harkens back to the bad old days of Hollywood and how they depicted brown people. I've seen this man (Luis) do better, and be better (Carlitos Way), so I was mightily disappointed. I'm not sure of who this is being marketed to, but their ability to suspend disbelief is far higher than mine. This was a let-down from the first movie, which I watch almost every time I see it on TV.
The Twilight Zone (2019)
A Fair Approximation
I'm betting of the the 'Angry Man' reviews are from people who were never true fans or students of Rod Serling's original. His was always current with the social, political, and economic conflicts of the day. Peele's rendition feels the same. If you lean too far right, you may not enjoy this series at all, along with clumsily falling over. Whether I agree with the positions of the show, I recognize Serling's influence. I wonder how the gatekeepers of the 60's felt about many of the episodes of the time. Nothing can replace or match the magic of the renowned playwright who created the vision, but the stories should continue to be told.
Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre (2021)
Undiscovered History
I've known about the Tulsa Race Riots for probably 30 years. I am fortunate to have attended an HBCU, that exposed this ugly chapter in American history. I found this film pretty informative and detailed what actually triggered the incident. It does a good job of putting context to the tensions forming in that area at the time. I would definitely recommend this film as a start to uncovering what America was built on and why we are where we are today.
Troll 2 (1990)
A Cinematic Masochists Paradise
If you delight in torture in its purest form, you've found the right movie here. I was a fan of the first movie, watched in my early teen years, so I was eager to recapture a bit of the B Movie magic it had originally displayed. What I got was a maddening exercise in bad acting, horrible writing and cringe worthy cast interactions. At a mere guess I'd say the same misguided soul who produced this, also wrote and filmed it. To imagine work this bad being the result of a larger cast of movie makers is indeed frightening. Nearly 30 years after its release I have to hope that those involved in its production look back with an embarrassed laugh. Anything resembling pride should be buried deep down and never brought to light.
Lost in Space (2018)
Science foolishness
So, I don't hate the new series reboot, I just find myself fast forwarding through most of the scenes with 'Will Robinson', and either daughter. Their annoying teen angst and uncontrollable need to put themselves and reason at risk is painful to watch. For a group of people stuck on an alien planet and fighting to survive, I find it remarkable that they can't find the time to set aside petty differences and indulgences long enough to make progress.
As an adult who watched the original as a kid, I wanted something more up to date, with less of a campy feel. I would have Prefered less screen time for the ever annoying Will Robinson, who defiantly befriends a formerly murderous robot, and almost as little emphasis on the new Penny, who's clueless rebelliousness is completely out of place on a space mission.
I'm just not sure if this show wants to be Star Trek, Lost In Space, Guiding Light, or Gilmore Girls. Until the writers make up their minds, I'll continue to fast forward through 85% of the show to watch the action and science.