Starbuck823 Reviews

The Flash (I) (2023)

Fun but can miss the mark at times

[6/10 · 29 June 2023]

The movie had some great moments and tugs on the heart strings a bit with the main story line. There was some good humour, though the double Barry did get too much at times.

Growing up with Michael Keatons Batman, I was super excited to see him a part of the movie. I thought they did a good job explaining the multiverse and how MK Batman made it into things. They missed a good opportunity for Supergirl - she was great but so very underutilized, it was more a token kryptonian appearance than anything else. It's even more frustrating when considering that HC apparently isn't in the rebooted universe. And on that note, while the end was cheek I know, it was way too much and considering that they are rebooting, they lost an opportunity for a recast to instead go with a piss take. Same goes for glimpses into the multiverse - it missed and tried too hard.

Overall, enjoyable but a little frustrating because it nearly was a great movie.

Snowpiercer (2020–2024)

Slow start rolls into an excellent show

[9/10 · 29 January 2021]

While season 1 had a slow start, it built to a great second part of the season. There are some negative reviews which I think might have been influenced by the slower start. I do agree that Daveed is a weak link - he's a good actor and in the quiet moments, is great. But when he is meant to inspire presence and leadership, he doesn't quite make it. Jennifer C shows her skill and talent - she has a very nuanced role and coveys a lot in small expression changes. Watching her in this makes me realise I've underrated her talent in the past. It's a sci fi show, so there is always an element of suspending some disbelief. The show focuses on more the human interaction and while some are amped up to me, I think it's not a stretch of what human reactions would be in the scenario. Season 2 has started strong and very excited to see what's to come.

Charlie's Angels (2019)

Not as bad as you've been told

[7/10 · 1 August 2020]

Is it amazing? Nah. Is it terrible? Nope. I remember enjoying Charlie's Angels (2000) when it first came out. Watched it years later and felt it was a bit gimmicky. So, I think that this version and the 2000s angels are on par. Probably the overt gal power gets to some but aside for a few heavy handed lines, it's fine. Really, it's no different to corny buddy bro movies really - we are so used to them but soon as a bunch of chicks do the equivalent, it's all oh no, men are in trope roles, typical feminism script, blah blah blah. For me, it was probably a bit too shiny/over the top in costumes, but so was 2000 CA - I think it's just targeted towards the 15-25 group and that's how it looks for it. Overall, it's a bit of a fun movie that you just sit back, switch off your brain and enjoy.

Days Gone (2019 Video Game)

Absolutely great game

[10/10 · 13 May 2020]

With the performance bugs taking away from the initial release, I think it's been a somewhat underrated game since. The studio stuck with it and have delivered (sizeable) updates addressing the issues since it's release. This game has highly enjoyable game play, combat and travel mechanics are well done and the story was surprisingly deep and engaging. Anyone who likes single player story/action games, this is a must have.

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Nearly got it...

[5/10 · 8 July 2015]

As stated in the summary, this movie is a nearly - nearly makes it but fails in coming together.

Visual effects in this film are amazing - it could (and in most part) is watched for this alone.

The background story is space opera style and when combined with the visual scope, it holds a bit of promise. Where it is let down is the scripting for the characters. The two leads - Mila and Tanning - have to work with weak dialog. The actors do what they can but the script has little development which makes for a somewhat awkward underlying romance and little explanation to why this occurred. The siblings have a slightly better go of it but Redmayne's choice in how to portray is not the best. Lucky he followed up with Theory of Everything - this role could have been a bit of a career dampener. I also found Mila's character choices a bit silly - it was suggested at the start that she was to believe the good in people but with her life experiences you'd think she'd be a bit more savvy to reading people.

Overall, the visuals and story scope are quite good but the main characters are the weak link.

Terminator Genisys (2015)

Nothing beats the originals but this is part of the group

[8/10 · 2 July 2015]

OK, so is this better than T1 or 2? No but it is worthy of being a third. The whimpy John Conner of T3 sucked and Salvation, well it might have worked better if it was a stand alone story of the Terminator 'universe'. So this movie disregards those and picks up from the original judgment day date and it's much better for it.

Be aware, the first 20 minutes or so are nearly the same as T1 - the future events are new and look much closer to the original bleak vision of a machine ruled world. Once Reese heads back, events are near the same as T1 and wow, was there some attention to detail! As a fan of the originals, I appreciate the effort made to replicate the sets, costumes and actors. Now don't worry, it doesn't go on for long and this is where the story starts to change.

The story adds a bit more mind bending to the time travel concept. I suspect they had to do this because the originals really didn't explain much other than the fact time travel had occurred, so they needed more explanation to create different events. Some complain it's far fetched or complicated - I didn't think so personally, but we are dealing with time travel, what do we expect really? The plot basics are essentially the same - stop Skynet. But I liked how they shifted Sarah's character and how Reese had to adapt to a new mission - it added new elements to characters that have been around for a long time.

The actors do a good job with their script. I wasn't sold on Jai Courtney being Reese but he did better than I expected. He had to deal with the fact the Sarah Connor that he fell in love with wasn't the person he expected and he was manipulated into his feelings for her by John Connor who he hero-worships. This gives a new spin on the Reese character which I liked. And then we have 'Pops'. I did have a laugh at this though I'm thinking most won't. Lets face it, we have an aging Arnie and we can't turn back the clock to the 90s when we was in awesome Terminator prime. So I thought by making him age in the film and look older was a better option than trying to make him look and play young. His lines are a bit rehashed but it's good to have him in the film. His relationship with Sarah does somewhat echo John's attachment in T2.

The standouts are Jason Clarke and Emilia Clarke. Jason does a great job as John Connor and is very much what I would envision him to be. He does what he has to and is not beyond manipulating people because he knows what will happen if he does not. But it's Emilia Clarke who is the lead and she does a wonderful job. The new Sarah Connor is battle hardened from a young girl now but carries much frustration at that the one path she destined for. I suppose I'd feel the same if my family had been killed, a cyborg from the future saved me, told me that my child is the savior of man kind and you must fall in love with Kyle Reese to have this child or things will never exist. Yep, I'd be a bit frustrated too! She does a lot of butt kicking and does a great job of being tough but there are some quieter moments that are carried with a lot of feeling and I credit Emilia Clarke for making it work so well.

They evolved Skynet and how it would be implemented is very plausible in todays type of world. In the 80s and 90s, the concept of computer intelligence takeover seemed possible via military applications but now it goes to proper scary possible in todays online world.

People, ignore critics reviews. This actually can be compared to JW somewhat as they are sequels/reboot combos that are out at the moment. This has a Metascore of 39 and Jurassic World had 70. I enjoyed and rated Genysis much more than JW and I feel that those scores are very wrong. 50-55 would be more accurate of Genysis and 40-45 for JW. Genysis was better because it respected the originals while creating it's own story where JW nodded so much to the original it became the same story with bigger teeth and dumber characters.

Overall, this movie did a good job of linking to the classics while creating it's own niche for future story lines. It was very enjoyable and made so by the strong leads of Emilia Clarke and Jason Clarke.

Inside Out (I) (2015)

Pixar Originality

[9/10 · 20 June 2015]

One of the things that always stood out about Pixar films was the originality of the concept. Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, all such wonderful concepts that tickled the imagination of both kids and adults. In recent years, it seemed they had lost the touch - Cars 2, Monsters University and even Brave - while all not terrible films, it seemed that Pixar had lost a bit of their original flair.

Inside Out brings us back to the Pixar of old with a wonderful telling of life changes and handling emotions. Fear, Joy, Anger, Disgust and Sadness are the main characters who occupy our brains and rule our actions with their responses.

As the trailers summaries, we see the story of Riley - who is an eleven year old girl who mostly has joyful experiences and thus Joy is the primary character in her head. We see that other emotions get a part but Sadness mostly is ignored and is pushed to the side. Then we see how things change when they family move to San Francisco. This is when drama occurs and Joy and Sadness get sucked away from HQ and have to find their way back.

The concept of the emotions in the HQ are wonderful but the whole world of the brain, memories, imagination and thinking are both clever and wonderful. We see how Riley can so easily change without a balance of emotions which can result in change in her memories, her personality and her actions.

I don't want to go to much further in detail as it will spoil the story telling but it is very well thought out and has many clever layers to the characters and concepts. This is where I think it might be too clever - I was surprised kids lasted as long as they did and I suspect some of the concepts might be to much for the younger crowed. There are numerous funny parts, colourful visuals and comic actions to keep them occupied but overall, the movie feels it might be more suited to pre-teens rather than the younger crowds. Joy and Sadness's journey comes with some revelations which aren't complex but I really think the older group will understand and appreciate the full meaning.

One other thing I found was that the film was perhaps fifteen minutes too long - the journey and its lessons could have been completed a little quicker and I found myself thinking "come on" when it got extended yet again. Again, I'm surprised kids didn't get a little rowdier in the slower parts. The ending was touching and rounded out the movie nicely. I particularly liked seeing into other peoples (and animals) heads - it pulled good laughs while still being cute.

Overall, the film is fantastic but it is a touch too long and the target audience may not fully appreciate it however I am sure the many parents taking their kids to this movie will. Inside Out is beautiful visually and shows a wonderfully original concept told with a lot of heart so I think its minor flaws will be mostly forgiven and many people will gain a lot of enjoyment out of this film.

Far Cry 3 (2012 Video Game)

Open world gaming and story telling at its best

[9/10 · 18 June 2015]

Open world gaming is hard to pull off. Many developers make this claim but fail to pull it off. Farcry 3 does an excellent job of allowing you to free roam while producing a storyline worth following.

Gameplay is excellent, the building up of skills follows the difficulty curve nicely. There are some cool moves you can gain which makes for more diverse gameplay. Taking outposts is one area you can really be a bit different. You can be stealthy (which is much more rewarded in XP points), be a sniper from a distance, open a dangerous animal cage who takes down a number of enemies or you can just go in and blow stuff up. Though, be sure to disable the alarms - reinforcements can be a bit pesky and numerous in the harder outposts. There are also plenty of things to do on the island aside from the story missions - racing, sharpshooting and knife throwing challenges, poker, hunter and wanted quests, local missions and heaps of collectibles to search for.

I didn't have many issues with the game. Technically speaking, it moved at a good rate and had good textures. Some parts you could see it fading in so to speak but it's not often. Character animations and voice acting are top notch. Jason Brody might be the character you play but the far more interesting character is the villain Vaas. The voice acting and scripting is top notch.

Probably my issue with the game is not being able to skip the cinematic scenes. Sometimes they go on and on and if you choose to replay the game it can get annoying. And some of the drug trip sequences are a bit annoying. While it adds to the theme of down the rabbit hole we go, I just found myself wanting to skip them and move on.

I'm not big into multiplayer so I can't fully comment on that but there are some coop missions for friend play which adds to the game.

Overall, a very good game and will keep you entertained for a good while.

Jurassic World (2015)

Nostalgia can't cover many plot and scripting holes

[5/10 · 18 June 2015]

Personally, I am baffled as to why this has gotten such positive reviews. I never expected it to be better than the first film but I didn't think it would be so far below it.

The film aims to pay homage to the first. So much so, I found myself rolling my eyes by the second half of the movie with how many shots echo the first film. In fact, by the end I was annoyed that it pretty much ripped off the whole first film and didn't have the decency to do it well. Within the first film, there was a large amount of tension. You really felt like the main characters were in danger and felt scared. But in this film I did not believe that any main characters were in danger even though they were depicted as such. For a film that has lots of 'scary moments' I really didn't feel any tension and you could tell straight away who was going to be dino chow. Yes, I am making lots of comparisons with the first film however it echos it so much you can't help but do so.

There are some positives of the film - It is cool to finally see the park in action and thriving. Having the John Williams theme within the film does create the nostalgia and feeling of continuity. CGI in most parts is good though I found the CGI textures look too shinny - the first used real props which made the textures look more real.

Now for some major issues of the film. Seriously, the most plausible part of this movie is actually creating the dinosaurs.

The characters act in the most stereotyped way it's ridiculous. The brothers - texting teenager who checks out every girl (even though he has a girlfriend) and the younger but super smart one who is scared for their parents divorcing. The 'villian' and his motives for using the dinosaurs. His actions throughout the movie were so predictable it was laughable.

The male and female leads. Possibly the worst scripting for the female lead - Laura Dern's character was smart and believable. Bryce Dallas-Howards part was so one dimensional it wasn't even plausible for her transition from uptight CEO to searching the jungle for the kids to shooting dinos. Oh and all in a white pant suit and high heels!!! Then we have Chris Pratt. Really, raptor wrangling??? Come on, the first film made them scary and gives no plausibility that human interaction would be possible beyond being their meal. Now we have Chris Pratt jumping in there being the raptor whisperer. Please!!

And there are some serious plot holes that are in effect to keep the film rolling. First, we have a large resort with dangerous animals and situated in a tropical cyclone area. How is there NOT a proper evacuation protocol in place other than mustering people into the one congregated space where the dangerous animals can enjoy a buffet. Then there is the supercharged Rex. Who has these abilities that allowed her to escape her enclosure then never uses them again. Oh and this enclosure has smaller walls than she is high, so that totally makes sense. And the Gyrospheres - why would there not be an auto-recall function for safety purposes? And taking the sphere for a ride off road after an evacuation call AND through a suspiciously torn gate seems like a great idea. Eye rolling was occurring frequently after this point.

Overall, I was strongly disappointed with the film. It had great potential to be equal to the first but fell far below. But since it's done so well in the box office, it seems I am in the minority of my views.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014 Video Game)

Played on PS3

[7/10 · 12 January 2015]

This game will get compared to the AC series and the Batman series. I can see the similarities to AC but I found it has more in common with the Batman series, especially when it comes to controls and upgrades. Perhaps it is the association with Warner Brothers. Unfortunately, while being better than Batman - Arkham Origins, it has numerous faults in common.

Not to say this is a bad game. It has excellent voice acting and scripting. The nemesis system adds definite difficulty and thus strategic planning on the players part. Lots of Middle Earth lore. Engaging playable characters.

The main reason why I compare this to Origins (aside from controls/gameplay) is that is has numerous glitches and small faults that make things frustrating. As said above, I have it on PS3, so it may be different on other platforms. I read quite a bit about this game and it got great reviews and little mention of these problems (even on PS3 specific reviews).

The glitches/tech issues. One of my main annoyances was the long delay from the pause/map screen to the return of the gameplay. Every time you pressed it regardless of action taken, it took 5-10 seconds to return to play. While sounding like a small thing (nitpicking just about), it really detracted from the flow of the game, from if you were checking a survival challenge or pausing during a hectic moment to gather your wits. I can't think of such a highly rated game that does this.

Another was the graphics - while great in some aspects (characters and cut-scenes), I saw many parts in the environment where it would flash about or be very grainy. Many commented on the quality of the graphics but I did not rate it as highly, especially when the frame rate slowed from time to time. And, unfortunately, this slowing wasn't as rare as you would hope. Most of the issues were from the environment, things like background settings just plonking themselves into frame often in poor resolution before it jarringly sharpened, things suddenly appearing/disappearing etc. The character animations were stable (though I did have a few times I dropped through the ground for no apparent reason, one time fighting a captain. Very frustrating). Often, within the Orc menu, I found it would shift a few times while sharpening the details on the Captain. And, this well could be my TV, but I found I had to get really close to be able to read the writing - details about the strengths/weaknesses, details about the artifacts etc, all were somewhat tiny and blurry. I have a HD TV and haven't had this problem before (My eyes are fine too). Small things but again, detract from the game.

Speaking of the environment, it is a large map with plenty of side missions (AC/Batman). But to me, it really all looked the same. Wooden, dirty, slave camps, ruins etc. I know the setting doesn't lend much but running across the environment, you can't tell where you are and makes it monotonous. You can't just look around and tell what area you are in very easily. So you have to always check the map. Which, when you have the constant delay from checking your map/marking waypoints and returning to play, it gets tiresome. Not to mention sometimes the scaling feels a little off. Sometimes climbing things, it feels like it's much bigger than it should be or compared to when you were climbing something similar moments before.

Big talk has gone into the Nemesis system. It is the major strength of the game, though has it's faults. It's great working out a captains strengths/weaknesses then planning a strategy to take them out and finally accomplishing it (it's hard - if you get overwhelmed, you'll probably die which will make the Orc harder to beat next time). But doing all that work/planning and killing captains seems to be hollow when 20 minutes later the Orc you killed is back in the line up and stronger. I understand why they eventually return but the quickness of their recovery does bug me and very much detracts from your play.

There are a few small other things, but really, this is a solid game. Honestly, not a 9 or 10/10 game like most reviews have said but 7/8 level. I've given it a 7 here mainly due to the tech issues and visual. Another small note - the musical score. While Middle Earth type (aka, Howard Shore orchestra style) often it is very over bearing in the wrong moments.

Castle (2009–2016)

Good Evening of Watching.

[9/10 · 16 May 2010]

At first I didn't rate the show too highly. The actual mystery/murder part for the first half of the initial season were a bit cheesy and easy to guess. What kept me watching was mainly the characters - they were a bit shaky at the start, but had good potential. One of the best relationships is between Castle and his daughter. For once it is based on a good person and a loving father, not the rebellious teenager or neglecting father stuff. Makes for a nice change, and makes the character of Castle more likable.

Second season was a major improvement, and is an enjoyment to watch. The interactions of characters are great, as well as the quality of the murder/mystery is much better. The Castle/Beckett dynamic is great, creating the wanting of a further relationship between them while letting the audience know that they need to grow more before they can actually become a item.

Great show - not to the seriousness of SVU or the popcorn glamour (and no substance) of CSI. Easy to enjoy your evening with.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Decent film even with its flaws

[6/10 · 13 December 2009]

OK, so McG did an OK job. I mean, its hard to top James Cameron, especially when both of his Terminator movies had ground breaking affects for the time. I think the problem is that he wasn't able to create the emotional connection that was apparent in the first two. He did a great job in the references to the previous films, and was more true to the JC style of the Terminator, but I'm not sure if it was purely his direction or the writer's fault, but some of the emotional stuff (aka, Marcus romance) was a bit corny.

Christian Bale makes us forget the tragic Conner that was in T3 (thank goodness), and pulls off the character nicely. Worthington did a great job - he showed characteristics of a terminator only when you looked closely. I rather liked Conner's wife (Dallas-Howard) too - they did a good job of making her a bit of a leader with John, rather than just a wife. She was heaps better than Claire Danes, who I found rather insipid in T3. Thumbs up to the kid who played Reese - I think this kid did a great job in creating the younger Reese, and showing us how he becomes the future Reese we have seen.

I'd say that the story is Marcus rather than John Conner. I didn't mind that so much, but I would have liked to see more of the other supporting characters and the life of the post judgment day world. Can't decide if I liked the soundtrack or not. I think it did better when the music was a bit more understated, but when it jumped in all loud and obvious, it actually took away from the scene.

I read that there is another one in the works. I'm hoping it is not a time travel one (I read its a possibility) but rather focuses on the ending of the war, and creating a bit of a conclusion to the story.

Overall, I'd say this is a good movie - doesn't top the original two but is defiantly worthy being part of the Terminator franchise.

Bones (2005–2017)

Top show

[9/10 · 3 May 2009]

First of all, give this show a few episodes. You need to get to know its characters, because they make the show.

I reckon Bones does the whole forensics better than CSI. I think its mainly because the characters work well together, where as CSI, the characters are a bit sterile and don't steer away from their given stereo type. Plus, CSI always seemed to have these random minute forensic details that can only be found by the lead man, and lo and behold, he solves the crime. In Bones, the forensic and the investigation parts are put together really well, and you feel like that everyone had a hand in actually solving the case.

The whole Booth/Bones relationship is done very well. When you put a male/female partnership, the dynamics can be tricky. I think they have got it right, with slow building their relationship through out the seasons. I'm glad they have been given the seasons to expand the relationships not only between Bones/Booth, but all the characters. The show also does good job of providing subtle humour without slapping you in the face with the obvious. Hard to do, but it is well done.

All in all, this is a top show. Give it a go!