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Reviews
Prodigy (2017)
Slow and pointless
This film is just thin on everything. Thin plot, thin directing and a carload of b-movie actors. It is described as a psychological thriller. It's not very thrilling, but it does have a bit of furniture flying around on strings. It's a long ways from something like Firestarter, without the fire and if that film ended in the first 15 minutes. They wanted us to think the girl was something akin to Hannibal Lechter, but the film failed to convey or provoke any sort of fear or curiosity other than a little girl in a straight jacket on a hand truck. I think the tiny budget and its constraints of the 5 sets hampered what could have been a great story. But what can you expect from a film that was basically set in a control room and an interrogation room. Reminds me if one of those old one scene Broadway plays.
The girl is hands down the best actor in the film. I hope to see her in better roles in the future.
Jack Ryan (2018)
Not a very good adaptation
It's a barely watchable show but, here are the things I hate-
Begins with collateral damage victim angle to create a bad guy. Standard anti-US plot. The Middle East was a cesspool long before the USA was ever created.
Changed Ryan's heli crash in the ocean to land.
Bad women's pink lipstick on the male characters especially Ryan.
Dr Mueller is an infectious disease doctor instead of an eye surgeon. How convenient for future plot direction. I can already see Dr Mueller saving the day. Very cliche.
James Greer changed from Admiral, very respected and loved character to a disgraced sullen angry MUSLIM CONVERT!? and extra rude unlikeable jerk. Far cry from James Earl Jones or the Greer from the stories we love.
This could have been really good, but it misses the mark. It's now just a typical TV hack job of an excellent story line. Clancy wouldn't have bought in to this.
They should have just called this something besides Jack Ryan.
Unforgiven (1992)
Slow, boring and a typical Academy winner.
This movie is just a pure sleeping potion. In the last 30 years, there has been a few movies deserving of their Oscar wins. This isn't one of them. It is slow, boring and it's supposed message is so obscure, only a person that would be clued in before the movie can decipher its message of non-violence. You can't show violence and then say the movie is anti-violence. This isn't history. The scenery is good. Morgan Freeman is outstanding as always. I think in some ways they gave this an award just to make sure Clint Eastwood got one. They did the same with On Golden Pond, a horrible bore of a movie.
This does have a few redeeming qualities that save it from being just a one star movie in my book and those are the few scenes that develop the plot in between excruciatingly boring character development. Gene Hackman always does well as a really mean bad guy, this is no exception. This plot isn't very original, it's predictable poorly developed and poorly executed. It should have been a 90 minute movie which would have been a more appropriate pace.
I've watched it twice now and it just didn't get any better the second time. I am placing it just one star above that Oscar winning train wreck called Shakespeare in Love.
The Catch (2016)
Falls short on all fronts
I tried to give this an honest chance, but there are just way too many plot holes. The script looks improvised on the set. For example, when the lights dim at the 1st episode closing party and the investigators immediately move away from the doors, and the guy predictably gets away. The photogenic posing instead of grabbing the guy kills me. The second glaring thing that really killed the show for me, was the overly friendly FBI guy. The garage scene was just too far from reality. Her standing there with a crowbar in front of a car with possible evidence and the cop does nothing. They would have had her in a little room in a hot second. Mirielle Enos is not a good choice for this role and her makeup is just caked on. The supporting cast is horrible. Sorry Shonda, this one is bad.
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Great Visuals, story suffers a bit though....
This is a pretty good story, a bit too slow at times. The scenery is what makes this film tolerable, sometimes enjoyable. Some of the equestrian practices shown are not depicting correct or safe methods, but this is normal in films. Horses don't flip out like people in the first place. They may be scared of places, sounds and things where the trauma occurs, but would never become psychotic as shown here.
The other troubling thing I kept seeing over and over in the film is Scarlet Johansson's character kept trying to do things with her prosthetic instead of her good leg. I myself had a slow healing broken ankle and spent 9 months on a cast. You learn to use your good leg quickly, like when trying to climb a corral fence and mounting a horse from the side of your good leg, not your bad. These little film maker faux pas and the acting by Kristin Scott Thomas (trying too hard, obvious fake smiles- how hard is it to smile?) kept this from being an excellent movie.
Dark Angel (2000)
Pretty good with some caveats
This is a pretty good show, great action. It takes place in a dystopian Seattle after a terrorist EMP. The govt has turned up the heat with checkpoints setup across the city. Our heroin Max is basically an opportunistic good guy and cat burglar looking for clues to where her twelve genetically engineered siblings are. It's great original adventure.
What isn't fun is the title theme, fingernails on a chalkboard. The other is they like to flash a lot of posters and t-shirts of the butcher of hundreds of thousands of dissidents, communist and founder of Castro's secret police, Che Guevara. What message the writer is trying to send on the last name of Guevara that Max chooses for herself I don't know. Hardly a good symbol for equality and independence. Despite the political spin this series has, it is still good entertainment.
No God, No Master (2013)
Definite pro-Marxist spin
This is a nice period piece that was a married by the distortion of facts about Galliani and his anarchy thugs and their roll in bombings and robberies in 1919-1920. Let's establish a few facts not touched on or distorted in the film- The first batch of bombs in April 1919, numbered 36 bombs, they were intended to be delivered on May Day (Communist Workers holiday). Half were not delivered to insufficient postage. Only one other detonated when a Georgia Senator's housekeeper opened the package, she's was horribly injured. No boy on a bike was blown up as the movie shows. On June 2 1919, eight 25lb dynamite and shrapnel bombs were blown up simultaneously. Addressees included government officials who had endorsed anti-sedition laws and deportation of immigrants suspected of crimes or associated with illegal movements, as well as judges who had sentenced anarchists to prison. These bombs only succeed in killing a night watchman. The film doesn't mention the 1910 bombing of the LA Times, which is actually the first terror bombing in the US, not the 1920 bombing of Wall Street, another deliberate lie in the film. The way they try to show that they were struggling workers all innocent of attempting to kill officials and some corporate board members is just sad. The attempt at making the two robbers look heroic giving their speeches at their sentencing is pitiful attempt at communist spin. Modern socio-communist filmmakers ruined what could have been a great factual historic drama. Too bad.
Supergirl (2015)
James Olsen.... really?
OK... I gave this show a fair chance. The casting is poorly executed and lazy. Supervisor is not blonde, but I can overlook that... I'm sorry, but JIMMY Olsen is supposed to be red haired, freckled and geeky. Several stories in the comics were based on this. Now we zoom into the future, regardless of his color, suddenly Jimmy Olsen turns into a physically cut confident manly man that insists on being called James. This is just too big of departure from the roots of the story. Making characters another race is expected in this age of TV diversity, but you need to keep their essence. They didn't and ruined the story for me. I can't take this adaptation serious.... Jimmy Olsen is a geek and us comic fans are geeks, he is one of our own, not a cut gym rat. It gets a 1 star in my book. Killing a story in a poor attempt to be diverse.
All Is Lost (2013)
Great acting, poor sailing research.
OK, This could have been a great movie, but! I am not a sailor, though I do boat. The preface of the story is good and is well executed. Robert Redford's acting is awesome. Just a few plot holes I have to point out because in this modern era they can not be ignored. now if the story was set in the late seventies or even early eighties it would have been more plausible. Any ocean going sailing vessel especially one that crosses oceans will have the following:
Life jackets-(the character never puts one on through the whole movie).
Waterproof vhf back up radio. Waterproof GPS An EPIRB, PLB or ELT- A satellite emergency beacon. In this case there should have been a manual one on the boat and an automatic one on that very expensive life raft. Abandon ship bag- food, water, flares (pencil or flare gun with at least 10 shots), fishing gear, solar water collector first aid, etc. Bilge pump alarm(This is standard equipment). I am sure there are sailing experts that can add a lot to this list. There are so many blunders in this movie that it will be a huge disappointment to anyone that owns a boat. This guy was not real smart anyway.
Who would start a fire in a rubber raft?
Bitten (2014)
Cartoon dogs killed it for me...
The problems with Bitten were just too large for me to overlook. The animation was just too corny looking and there was no reason for it in this day and age. It looked like it was done on someone's home computer. You can't build suspense with a cartoon werewolf. They could have used some real dogs of wolf hybrids just as easily and it would have looked so much better. It really looked to me like they were trying to sell this one on sex. I was hoping for a little more intelligent take on the popular novels, but it was not to be. The target audience was obviously teens. The lead actress Laura Vandervoort did a decent job, better than some of the actors on the immensely popular "TVD" and she was good on the cancelled "V". I just couldn't watch Bitten though... I don't think it will last too long. I could be wrong though, I am amazed at some of the shows that get renewed!