r-fronimides Reviews

Shōgun (2024)

Rare MASTERPIECE!... FINALY, REALISTIC "Shinobi no mono"!

[10/10 · 16 April 2024]

Usually a remake hardly is equal good with the original one - a film, a tv show, a song, etc...

But sometimes, rarely... the remake is YEARS OF LIGHT MUCH BETTER than the original! That happen to me once, with the remake of "Battlestar Galactica" - "SO SAY WE ALL!"

...And now... with this rare MASTERPIECE!

Obviously I have read the novel!

And OBVIOUSLY I have watched the original short tv show. Yes, the original was also very gorgeous, amazing casting (all actors were magnificent), superb screenplay, battles, swords-fighting, etc.

But this here, this new remake... is "out of this planet"!!! If you have study the Japanese culture and History or at least if you LOVE them (as I do), you'll be enchanted!!!

It has them all, as the original - and even far more better!!! The casting is great (okay, the original tv show had SUPERB actors of that era), the screenplay is very nice, the costume are gorgeous, the CGIs are fantastic, the scenes (landscape etc) are amazing, but the VERY STORY (scenario) is MUCH better than the original!

In the original tv show, the English pilot "Blackthorn" ("Anjin") was instantly adopted the Japanese ways, he was extremelly polite, the Japanese also accepted him very fast, etc.

Here... the English pilot is... ENGLISHMAN! He cares for himself (mostly)! He has his own agenda, he wants to achieve his OWN PLANS, not simply "obeying" a foreign lord (Toronaga) just because he was unlucky and got shipless there!

I LOVE how they portraited "Blackthorn", much much more better as it was in the original show.

And... I was waiting... I was SUPER WAITING... to watch what I love (and study) more in Japanese History: "SHINOBI NO MONO"!!!

In the original tv show, we had TWO such scenes; one (very early) try to kill "Anjin" and another to kill Mariko. They were good, really good scenes in the original show.

But here... oh boy! THEY NAILED IT!

In the first try (attack) to "Anjin", they CHANGED it now and they had A FEMALE "SHINOBI" ("Kunoichi"!) - how many times have you ever actually watched a FEMALE "Shinobi" agent in action????? And most important, in 17th century's Japan (not modern "Kunoichi")!

The second attack... the EPISODE #9... probably THE BEST of the entire season... was great till the last 15 minutes... ...and the last 15 minutes was SUPERNATURAL AMAZING!!! I had multiple... orgasms, by watching a (supposed, we never been there in 17th century's Japan) AMAZING REALISTIC infiltration of a large group of "Shinobi no mono" to a castle!

No "fancy" clothes, no "eccentric" weapons, no "bizzare choreography"... no. We watched PURE REALISTIC "Shinobi" agents, wearing DARK BROWN (!!!!!!!) simple clothing (with ribbons around their limbs), a SIMPLE piece of cloth covering their head and face (not "fancy" mask and cr@p!), they were holding USUAL AND SIMPLE weapons ("Katanas", "Kusarigama", "Shuriken", etc) and they WERE NOT "invulnerable" (like Hollywood think about those agents) - several agents died in the proccess of the attack!!!

...AMAZING tv show, AMAZING remake!

Can't wait for the 2nd season - obviously those you haven't read the novel, you don't really think this is the end of it, right?

The story is hardly in the MIDDLE of the novel!!!

So of course it will be AT LEAST ONE MORE season!

Renegade Nell (2024– )

Could be a SUPERB show... but they've done it again!

[4/10 · 11 April 2024]

The concept is great.

We have England at 18th century (nice period to represent it) and we have a girl trying to get justice and revenge. Okay, the plot is not so "unique", but we have something to work with, right?

So, the 1st episode is quite good (with flaws)... and when you continue watching the rest episodes the thing's getting from bad to worst.

Why? Again... once again... our modern "plague", the "political correct" issue! Therefore, we have a TOTALLY ORDINARY girl (without a SINGLE THING to making her different from the others), she's not even good looking (her younger sister is!), she's acting like a boy/man (so it's a bit "binary" character!) while the rest male characters are "not that important"...

The funny thing is... the main female character ALSO IS NOT THAT MUCH important!!! All characters are boring, dull, they don't have much of character, you're not getting involved with them much - so you don't really CARE for them, even for the main (ordinary) character!

Then, you have the "supernatural" element, a male (!!!!) fairy who he's "tranforming" our main female character to combo of... Hulk, DeadPool & Wolverine... together!!!! I mean, okay, I want to she her kicking buts... but she's UNTOUCHABLE, IMMORTAL, she can't get hurt at all!!!

And we have the "supposed REALISTIC HISTORICAL" element; the 18th century England! It's so obvious this tv-show is been written, produced and directed by AMERICANS, not even Europeans!!!... The landscape "looks like" England, the clothing "looks like" English, but generally NOTHING convincing that this is ACTUALLY ENGLAND of 18th century!

So... bottom line is, it could be AMAZING show.

Now, is just a "so 'n so" show, and it's getting repeated and boring after few episodes.

Damsel (2024)

Hahaha... It was so silly, that I actually enjoyed it a bit!

[4/10 · 15 March 2024]

I'm a full-ultra fanatic supporter of "fantasy-epic" movies/games. So, when I've learned about this movie I was excited...

...till I found that it was a NETFLIX production.

Meaning? All the "cliche" and stereotypes "political correct" Netflix fanatically serving!

The very bad/evil MEN who unprovoked were responsible for tha "curse"/doom... the innocent FEMALE BEAST who lost (THEY killed) her three FEMALE DAUGHTERS... the innocent FEMALE victims brides to be sacrificed to calm the beast... and of course our main hero character, A FEMALE (obviously!) innocent princess who turned to... "DOVAHKIIN" (lol!) and she was able to kill the incredibly UNBEATABLE beast!!!

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!

It was almost a... parody, a comedy!!!

My rating (4 stars) are for the superb costumes and armors/weapons, for the AMAZING fantasy landscapes and of course... for the DRAGON itself!

FINALLY... for once... a REAL 4-limb dragon and NOT a "classic" wyvern (as most movies/games have)!!!

...Netflix... give us break and go and make a deal with BETHESDA and create a movie (or small tv show) about "SKYRIM", about the REAL "DOVAHKIIN"!!! Then... we'll watch a SERIOUS fantasy-epic movie with dragons!

1883 (2021–2022)

COULD be a great tv show, but it's not THAT good.

[6/10 · 3 February 2024]

I always liked the "Western" films; but, unfortunatelly, the old American Western films were too unrealistic, the people were dressed like were from fashion show (even the coy-boys), too much "noble speeches", the gunfights were too "dramatic", etc.

So, I liked more the "Spaghetti Westerns"; these films were more "rough", more realistic, the people were dirty, tough, their characters were rough, etc.

(Of course, SOME modern American Westers - for example "Silverado" or others - started to look more real, almost like the "Spaghetti" ones...)

Now... this tv show here COULD be a superb one, but in the end it isn't. Let me write you down first the good (pros) and then the bad (cons) So, it show us EXACTLY how the immigrants settlers were trying to find/establish a new life in "the New World" - and infact, in the true WILD West. In most of films, we just watching FEW MINUTES of SOME daily incidents of their lives.

Here, we watching from the very first day they starting their tough jurney to their last one. It's very UNIQUE, never happen before. You watching everything, their daily relationship between them, their contact with dangers (bandits, plains Indians. Wild animals, enviroment, weather, etc), tough uncivilized other settlers/cowboys, etc... I understand, this is a "somehow" prequel of "Yellowstone" tv show, but I wish there were a couple more season for this great "1883" show. Could be, I guess. They could have spread more the story and having a couple more seasons for it... So, basically the story is fine, there is realism, it's quite very good overal... Then, how come just 6 stars?

Let's see the negatives:

"Of course"... in our modern lunatic times... the "political corect" not missing from the show.

We have a White ex-"Yankee" old man, former Union captain who served in a regular company/regiment (we watching flashbacks when he fought in the Civil War), but HIS PARTNER (a former Union sergeant) "just happening" and he's a BLACK fellow!!! Well... Black folks fought indeed in Civil War (some of them, even in CSA Army among with their "masters"), but in Union Army the Black soldiers were enlisted in ONLY-FULL-BLACK regiments!!! So, since we watching the old-guy (WHITE) his flashback from Civil War and we're watching he's commanding a REGULAR WHITE folks regiment... how the Black sergeant was beside him, they were partners??? Also, we have European immigrants (Germans, Dutch, etc) but "we must had" also a GIPSY person - and not just as "extra" actor BUT PLAYING A STARING ROLE!

Now... it started "okay" with elsa as narrative, but after 2-3 episodes this is getting really super-annoying! I mean... the show is getting kinda like "Elsa... and some other fellas, in the wild West"!!!

After a while I so shick of this!!! Half of each episode is a narrative monologue of Elsa!!! I know, okay, the story is "from her eyes", got it... but NOT SO MUCH! I wanted to watch ACTION, not just listening a 18 years old girl monologues about her THOUGHTS!!!

Also, okay I got it, Elsa is a "wild girl" but... we met her as a regular girl in dresses and in FEW episodes she became MORE PRO "COW-GIRL" than the grown-up REAL cow-boys in her company/group!!! That reminded how RAY (in new StarWars trilogy) became the super-duper great master Jedi IN A WEEKEND, when Luke Skywalker needed... a life time training with Obi-wan and Yoda!!!! ANOTHER "potical corect" - women can do it much better than men!!!

I also was SOOOO BORED about her... lust!!!! The first boy (cowboy) she met, she "fell in love" and got almost instantly sex with him!!! The guy killed... she was sad... and the VERY NEXT GUY she met (an Indian), she ALSO fell in love (and sex!!!!) and she abandoned her own family for the guy!!!!!!!! And her parents ACCEPTED her choice "just like that"!!!!!

Not mention the Comanche Indians themselves!!! Except FEW (just few) actors (extras), all the rest were White actors with some silly costumes, trying to demostrate "a Comanche Indian"!!!

They all speaking PERFECT English and very rare speaking indian language, while THEIR OUTFITS & DECORATIONS has nothing to do with REAL COMANCHE folks!!! I'm wondering... the producers or directors, didn't google ANY REAL PIC of REAL Comanche, to see how these people looked like????

Anyways... This tv show COULD BE EPIC, AMAZING... But, like most of the modern efforts, it failed. It's very good story (9-10 stars), but the overal result is 4-5 stars... so it's fair to give a 6-7 star MAX!

Utoya: July 22 (2018)

Can't understand the high rate of this movie.

[5/10 · 25 December 2023]

I've first watched the other film (22 July) and then I've seen this film has higher rate; so I've watched this here too...

...Sorry, but I can't understand why this movie has so high rate. The movie is one of the MOST BORING movies of all times!!! I supposed I would see a thriller drama, with agony/suspense... Well, I think I slept on my couch 2-3 times during this movie!!!

They took the "old-school-Blair-Witch-Project" style of camera shooting (like the camera is actually "your eyes" and you are "inside the action") and ...that's it. That's all. The entire movie is following a group of teens (mostly ONE teen, a girl), like "you" (camera) happen and remained with that girl, and "you following her" when she's searching her sister, when she's running away (from the gun-shots), bla-bla-bla... ...you see from time to time some other teens running and screaming... and NOTHING ELSE, nothing else happening!!!

You simply HEARING gun-shots (from the Right-Wing assassin/killer of 22nd July murders)... and nothing else, no drama, no action, no agony & suspense, NOTHING AT ALL!

Even the gun-shots sounds like SHOTGUN - the actual killer was armed with military assault rifle, which obviously not sound like this!

Seriously... This movie is SOOOOOO BORING!!!

I can't understand the high rate of it!

Okay, I get it, the actors (nobodies, not even one of them is a well known actor, they looks like they are actor-students, not pro) are doing the best they can, their screenplay is quite good and realistic.

But that's not the ONLY POINT of the movie!

On that island, happen the MOST BRUTAL MASSIVE MURDER in Norway's entire history! And we see... zero, nothing!

It supposed to be a DRAMA, a THRILLER.

I didn't scared at all, I didn't envolved emotionally AT ALL what's so ever with this film.

Sorry, but I liked the "22 July" MUCH more than this here.

The Siege of Jadotville (2016)

Real actual story, well portraited by this great film.

[8/10 · 23 October 2023]

The events of this film are true; the story is real, actually happen in the '60s during the "Cold War".

Congo (Central Africa) has INCREDIBLE resourses in uranium, carper and other vailable goods that all needed (USSR, USA, etc).

The country had democracy and actual elected president, but he did the "mistake" to open "war" with many foreign companies (French, Belgian, etc), so these companies planned and executed a coup, they replaced the Congo president, got him in jail and finaly executed him!

The new "presiden" (a general) had perfect "connections" with these foreign companies and to keep his roule, he started a cruel leadership to his country, so eventually the UN had to reply and send peace-keeper troops.

They decided to send a small company of Irish troops. And during a large scale operation, they send just a handfull of 155 men to guard an outpost in the far southern corner of Congo.

These 155 men faced over 3,000 (some saying 5,000) African & French Legionaries (mercenaries) for 5 days, just with their own light weapons (rifles & machineguns), grenades and nothing more - waiting hopeless for aid (for reinforces) that never came. The "green" (without a single battle experience) Irish killed over 500-700 enemies, when they had NO CASUALTIES (just 5 wounded men)!

Eventually, after these 5 days the Irish brave soldiers decided to surrender. They've been kept in prison for a month and then they've been released back home to Ireland. Their state decided to FORGET the incident and these Irish folks never gained any respect... until many many years later (late of '90s), when the Irish State FINALY recognized their AMAZING "Last Stand" like modern Spartans in Congo!

The film is AMAZING! As far as I read the actual events from books and watched documentaries, the film is about 90% accurate to the actual story, the main charactar (Colonel Pat) is identical... well, except his VERY HEAVY Irish accent (lol)!

Generally, the film is remarkable and VERY underrated!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

From a FANATIC fan of Indiana... that was a GREAT finale!

[4/10 · 6 September 2023]

If you wonna ask me "which are your TOP movie characters you MOST love?", I would replied "Darth Vader & Indiana Jones"!!!

Especially Indiana... was always the story, the film, the character I ALWAYS LOVED. The "Indiana Jones" films (well, "MOST" of them) having all I like in an adventure:

• supernatural element
• archeological elements & sites
• fast speed action
• erony & good humor
• evil NAZIs (MOST important)
• a lot travels around the world

...and more.

So, obviously, the first "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was A MASTERPIECE, had all the above.

The 2nd "Indiana" film was a BIG dissapointment, with the story in a SINGLE land (India) - he didn't travel elsewhere, with BORING enemies (those Kali worship evil Indians), without much of supernatural & archeological elements, etc.

The 3rd "Indiana" was a good one, because they thought it right - they placed all the above I wrote about a GOOD "Indiana" film; plus, they also took another GREAT actor (Sean Connery) and they developed more Indiana's character.

The 4th "Indiana" was also quite a dissapointment. They tried to place all the above elements, but they failed big time, it was a "fast-to-earn-money" project, they didn't paid much attention to the details, the supernatural element (aliens) was silly developed, the bad guys were ...Soviets now, etc.

So... we came to the 5th and last film.

Well... IT HAS THEM ALL, as the first "Raiders" film!!!

In fact... I think I liked this last 5th film EVEN MORE than "Raiders"!!!!

Why? Because, now in this film there was A LOT ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!!! Lucas never gave attention to the details!

In "Raiders", he was simply gave a single plain "wonna be WW2 German" uniform to EVERY German and that's it. The Germans tried to take the Ark with a... futuristic plane and with just a "swastika" on it, it was a Nazi plane! Indiana Jones tried to threat the Germans by holding a... Soviet RPG rocket launcher!!!! And many more like those...

In this film, ALL the details were REMARKABLE!!! The film starts in the end of WW2, so the Nazis are using THEIR VERY LAST UPGRADED uniform styles, camo covers (on their helmets, on raincoats, etc), they have also modern assault rifles except the "usual" ones, the anti-aircraft gunners had LUFTWAFFE uniforms with their red colar rank symbols, the aircrafts were Historic IDENTICAL (Jungers Bomber), and many more!

Even in the end of the film with the travel back in time, the director paid so much attention to the details! The Sycilians had Greek "hoplon" shields with THE TRADITIONAL ANCIENT "Three-leg" symbol on their shields!!!!! And many more!

The ONLY BAD thing about the movie was, that even if they made great Harrison Ford with CGI to look young in the WW2 scenes, they failed to do the same WITH HIS VOICE!!!!! We were watching a 30-40 years old Indiana, but he was speaking the... 80 years old Harrison Ford!

Generally... this is a GREAT, A SUPERB film!

As a FANATIC fan of "Indiana" character, I wouldn't think a GREATEST finale!

Of course there are a lot not accurate things (especially about the "Kythira Computer", the main artifact) but it's a FICTION character with FICTION storyline...

Great finale, Indiana Jones!

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Very good effort to portait the original Dracula.

[7/10 · 6 September 2023]

I really don't understand why this movie has so many negative reviews!

First of all, the movie is based on a single chapter of Stoker's novel "Dracula". From the entire book/novel, the movie took the one chapter that narratives the trip of Dracula from Roumania to England, via a ship - "Demeter". As in the book, Dracula "travels" in a dozen of crates with Roumanian soil, his coffin, etc. And he needs to "fed" himself due the crew etc.

Even in the famous Coppola's "Dracula" film with Reeves, Hopkins, Oldman etc, there is also the very same scene - but last too short, because the film is about the entire novel, not a single chapter.

So, I really don't understand why so many people don't like this film. If you have read the actual novel (I bet the 90% of you DIDN'T!!!), this film almost ALIKE that specific chapter of the book!

Of course there are some "political correct" changes, like the Black fella (hero) and his female partner, okay I got it - small details to let me down.

Also, many of you gave negative critic about the VISUAL APPEARANCE of Dracula; he looks like Gargoyle-bat creature. BUT HE HAD ALSO that appearance, in the book AND in the other Coppola's "Dracula" film! So, why you were so upset about it?

Seriously... the film is VERY good! It's dark, it's evil, it has the original "Dracula" elements! Why don't you like it? Can't understand.

Very good efford indeed.

The Three Musketeers - Part I: D'Artagnan (2023)

A good remake, but could be better.

[7/10 · 6 September 2023]

The film is very good, really. You'll enjoy every minute of it. So, why I didn't rate it with better score?

Because the script writers wanted to give a different plot of the original book-novel/story. The film keeps more of the book's elements (the 3 main characters + the young D' Artagnan who wants to be Musketeer, the evil Cardinal, the fair between the queen and the English Duke, etc), but turned the entire plot to something different - a totaly fiction conspiracy from Protestants against the Catholic French Crown.

Also, many of the main characters haven't been worked too much. Some casting were perfect, other actors didn't fit much with their character.

But generally, overal, since I'm a HUGE FUN of this Alexandre Dumas' novel, I can say that I enjoyed the film and I can't wait to watch the second part.

It's a good film, but can't beat the previous movies of the same story.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Seriously? THAT, all of you, think it is a "D&D" film? It's a MODERN COMEDY!

[6/10 · 25 May 2023]

Ok, I'm trying to figure out:

Am I just a "dinosaur" (I'm 52 years old) and I'm living in a totaly "other era" and I can't understand you people, or you're just used to "fed yourselves" by ANYTHING they "feeding" you in life general... ...and most of you consider this movie very good?!

Before I start watching a movie, I first see the film's poster, pictures from the movie and of course the trailer. From these, I already started to be skeptical about what I will see! The poster is full of gaudy colors, the characters are in silly poses, etc., while the trailer broke my heart...

And I started watching the movie.

First of all, the BIG mistake they make now, is to "throw on your face" the BEST SCENES of the project in the movie trailer - usually in the trailers they showing you SOMETHING from the movie, definitely not the BEST scenes!... Well, that's it! If you see the (plenty) trailers that have been released, it's like you saw the BEST scenes of the movie!

Also, they also making the mistake of "random throwing" EVERYTHING of a lore at your face, putting them into a blender... and whatever the result is, that's it! They should NOT have shown SOOOOO many characters SOOOOO fast, because the viewer doesn't have time to process SOOOOO much information - especially when they have NO IDEA of the ACTUAL D&D RPG games!

Then ALL of the characters were "shallow", "paper-made", "flat", without going deeper and showing you more fully WHO ALL these guys are.

None of the characters (except maybe the bard, the warrior and the evil sorceress) "convinced" me - and especially the Paladin (who for 20+ years I played ONLY PALADIN, I was waiting so much to see this particular character)! Yes, ok, his behavior was "Chaotic Good", but "flat" & "shallow", he didn't DEEPLY introduce me to the character of Paladin. The same was for the other characters (mage, druid, etc.). It was a super fast "building" of those heroes without going deeper at all. As I wrote, the ONLY characters that somehow "convinced" me were the bard, the warrior, and MOSTLY the evil witch, but she wasn't the ULTIMATE "Boss" I was expecting (something like "Saoron" villain) that the heroes would "spit blood" to defeat her - which they finally defeated SO SILLY (again), with a COMEDY way!

But ok, lets accept all of these!

WHAT TOTALLY PISSED ME OFF was the "cuteness", the UNSTOPPABLE SATIRICAL style of the film, which was essentially COMEDY in a... fantasy world! And the point is not that the movie was consistently comical, but that the characters acted AS IF THEY WERE MODERN PEOPLE (of the 21st century) TELEPORTED into a fictional fantasy world and BEHAVIORED AS MODERN PEOPLE in that fantasy era!!! Ok... the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" had ALSO A LOT HUMOR SCENES (Merry with Pippin, Gimli with Legolas, etc.), but they were WITHIN THE THE LORE of the movie, they were acting like THOSE fantasy RPG characters, they didn't behaved modern, they didn't acted sarcastic as modern people, with eronic silly jokes all the time, etc!

Here in this movie, it was like a bunch of 15-year-old kids in modern times were playing the D&D game and SOMEHOW MAGICALLY "teleported" into the fantasy world of the game and SOMEHOW trying to adapt to the needs of their NEW REALITY, but without much of success and showing their MODERN behavior...

Let's see the "atmosphere" of the project.

SUPPOSED to take place in the "FORGOTEN REALMS". Ok... it didn't give me the "Forgotten Realms" feeling. The shots of the "wilds" were nice, but neither the city "convinced" me, nor the elven forest "convinced" me (this scene was completely unacceptable), in general it didn't seem like the "Forgotten Realms" came to life in movie - it felt like a FESTIVAL of D&D FRIENDS (modern humans) and with whatever means they had trying to "bring" the lore to life, in a weekend where they all got together! The costumes and props were generally good, but there were other things that were completely invalid or ugly, such as the hot air balloon or the... "ship" (looked like a fantasy submarine with a sail)!

Shall we go to the CGI?... Perhaps one of the WORST CGI I've seen! They reminded me of the AWFUL CGI that "Netflix Witcher" had, which I justified because it was a first attempt by Netflix to make Gerald's Lore and I didn't have many demands. But here? This is a big production! I expected GREAT CGI, which was not there!

The ONLY GOOD things the movie had were the action scenes, the battles, etc., the choreography of the actors which was PERFECT and I really liked it.

NOTHING ELSE, really, "convinced" me!

...Honestly, all of you who writing so much tributes about the movie, HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED this game (I'm talking about pen 'n paper Dungeons & Dragons)???... Or at least, have you played the ONLY ones (in my opinion) PC games that are ABSOLUTELY PERFECT in D&D lore, like the "NEVERWINTER NIGHTS" & "BALDUR'S GATE"??? Well... if you've played all of these, you'd agree with me - the movie has NOTHING to do with the D&D feeling!

Seriously... who said to you, that we (the old-school D&D gamers) were... laughing and doing silly things and saying stupid eronic quotes, while we were playing a DM's campaign????

We were VERY FOCUS, VERY serious about our role and the story and in fact, when we DIED (our character) in a campaign I remember ACTUALLY CRYING like we actually lost our real life - THAT MUCH "CLOSE" we were with our character!

Like I wrote, this movie looked to me like a FESTIVAL of D&D FRIENDS, who sat down and gathered in one area for a weekend, put on their costumes, and HAD A FUN, doing comedy stuff and having good time for a couple of days (before they return to their normal modern routine lives) - nothing else!

MERCIFULLY... for the sake of my 20+ years of playing D&D (from 1980 to 2000, Paladin class ONLY!)... I'm going to put a 6 rate on the movie - MERCIFULLY! If I waw HARD in my review, I wouldn't even give it 5 points!

(I love that I was hard for the WARCRAFT movie when it came out! In relation to this game, WARCRAFT film was an EPIC, after all! It seems to me that you are used to seeing mediocrity and considering them "great works"! )

Enough said...

Peninta-peninta (2005–2011)

By far the BEST Greek comedy TV show off all times!

[10/10 · 24 March 2023]

Well, if you're not Greeks you don't know how dramatic lives turned for some of the major stars of this TV show - one male key role character suddenly died (Sakis Boulas), the other is "loosing it" (Pavlos Haikalis) and the third (and most major role) accused for several rapes and his career ended (Petros Filippidis)...

...Regardless these very sad things for the THREE MAJOR roles of this show, we can't forget how INCREDIBLE and SUPERB comedy was!

These three male actors (also good friends as people, except their "friendship" in this scenario), had AMAZING "bound" and it was like each one were the 1/3 of the same person - that's how PERFECT match they had.

The story is about 3 male friends (and their wives & families), 3 male guys in their 50s (that's what the TV show title means "50-50" - their age) and how they can't stop acting like teenagers, doing stupid things, acting crazy and making the others around them crazy too.

Their wives can't standing them and they are good friends and they're allies against them - so it's the 3 male "50s" guys vs. The 3 female "50" ladies!...

Trully... if you know or understanding Greek language... you won't stop laughing with this TV show. There are quite some AMAZING funny Greek TV shows, but THIS HERE is to me the TOP-1 of all times!!!...

The story is PERFECT... the roles/characters are PERFECT... the acting is AMAZING... the directions is GREAT... the result is A RARE GEM!

Unforgetable TV show, that kind of shows they're stopped making any more!

A Prayer for the Dying (1987)

One of the few JACK HIGGINS great novels, turned to good movie!

[8/10 · 23 March 2023]

Jack Higgins (is a nickname) was a British (English) INCREDIBLE writer - he passed last year, 2022!

Higgins was responsible for dozen AMAZING novels! He was specialized in spy thriller novels, but also ww2 stories, IRA fighters, etc. His books had a superb writing, you could "feel" the action and drama...

...Now, this film here, is one of Jack Higgins' MOST GREATEST novels ever made! The book was remarkable and to be fair, the director here did great job and the movie also feels SO "HIGGINS"!

And the funny part is... except the small role LIAM NEESON played (and as you know he's IRISH)... the real shock was Mickey Rourke!!! Mick is a NEW YORKER actor, pure American... and in this movie he playes INCREDIBLY good the Irish IRA fighter Fallon!

And... his accent!!!! Oh boy, Mickey did a very good job to sound as best as he could... IRISH!

Incredible story (Jack Higgins) and very good screenplay! The SCORE (music) was also amazing!

A very good film, indeed!

Ben-Hur (2016)

Sorry, but is better than the (LEGENDARY) original one!

[8/10 · 14 March 2023]

It's not "bad" when a new remake is getting better than the original EPIC film. Okay, yes... The original Ben-Hur film from '60s is an EPIC movie, one of the very best of all times. Yes... but is OLD. The screenplay is OLD, the costumes/armors/outfits are OLD (and totally non-accurate),... generally, is an EPIC film but VERY outdated!!!

Now... this one here.

Okay, the screenplay is NOT BETTER than the original old film; but isn't bad neither. All the rest, are BY FAR BETTER than the original film from '60s; sorry, but it's a fact. No, this film don't have 2,000-3,000 actors in a single scene-shot, but has CGI and very good one. The chariot race is BY FAR better (and more realistic), the environment/landscape/cities are MUCH more realistic, the ROMAN LEGION scenes are probably THE BEST of all films exists on the market (!!!), etc.

So... I dont' understand why this film has low rate.

Because it's a remake of a LEGENDARY film from '60s?... So what? What that means? That I "must" watch "The Longest Day" with John Wayne and Richard Burton and all these dozen amazing actors,... instead watch "Saving Private Ryan"?????

Sorry, but I'll watch "Saving Private Ryan", is better!

Therefore, this film is a VERY GOOD remake and very enjoyable to watch it. To me, is not so enjoyable (any more) to watch the old '60s Ben-Hure.

Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden (2012 TV Movie)

I really don't understand why this movie has so low-rate!

[7/10 · 19 February 2023]

I've watched both, this movie here and the "Zero Dark Thirty"... This movie here, has very low-rate. The second one, has much better rate (so, the audience liked it more).

Therefore, I've watched them both, one in Saturday's evening and the second in Sunday noon... I'm sorry, but the "Zero Dark Thirty" was HORRIBLE movie - the SECOND part, the actual operation to kill Bin Laden!!!

This here, was quite bad in the first part (the pre-operation part), but the assault itself was VERY VERY MUCH better!!!

And, sorry... but the whole point wasn't to watch the DAMN operation itself??? Well, this film here is VERY good in this (last/final) part!

Trully... I'm asking you, those you watching war films and rating them: HAVE YOU SERVED AT ALL???... I did 2 years in AirForce Special Forces. Okay, I wasn't "frogman" or "Green Beret", but I was Special Forces too. I did trained as assault team member, I know the drill, how they're (or SUPPOSED to) operating.

Well... here, in this film, they "convinsed me" they were actually Elite Special Forces (the MOST Elite, from the best: SEAL Team 6).

So... Bottom line: the first part of the film (the pre-operation part) is not so good, but watchable.

BUT... the final part - the "Operation: Neptun's Spear" - was VERY GOOD, and I really liked it.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

I can't understand the high-rate of this film.

[6/10 · 19 February 2023]

Seriously, I really can't understand why so many people liked this film.

Okay... the 2/3 of the film is very good; I mean, all the part TILL the actual "Operation: Neptun's Spear". All this part, is really very good.

BUT... Like it or not, the main important part of the film SHOULD be the assault on that "fortress" house, where Osama was hiding. The operation itself was the "key-part" of the entire story; and sorry, but the MOST HORRIBLE part of the film, was the SEAL 6 assault to that "fortress" house!!!

No, really... Do you have served? Did you have military service at all? I was, 2 years, in AirForce Special Forces. So, I do have "some" experience how an assault unit is operating... Well, NONE of those actors played the SEAL 6 team's men, convised me they were "Special Forces" men! Truly, that part of the film was like... amateurs "playing the SEALS" or like common G. I.s dressed as SEALs!!! Not a single scene of the assault, was realistic to show us "hey, these guys looks and acting like the NOTORIOUS Seal 6 Team"! Not one of them!

Seriously, I've watched both films, this here and the "Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden" film. That second film, has REALLY low-rate from the users, here in IMdb; and I don't understand why, since THAT film's assault sequence was "years of light" MUCH better than this here!!!

Okay, I understand. That (2nd) film, the part BEFORE the assautl, wasn't so good as in this film here. Okay, that's true. BUT... what we ALL were expecting, was the assault itself to kill Bin Laden!!!

That was the MAIN reason we watched the film!

So... here, the assault was HORRIBLY directed. The screenplay was terrible, it was pitch-black (I know, it was in the real mission, but it's a damn FILM, we want to actually SEE the damn action), the helos came (noisy) over the house and NOBODY CAME OUT to shot on them - NOBODY woke up at all! - and the action was like "hey, go over there. I'll go here... watch out... oh, go go... hey... where are you?"... and YELLING to each other (the Seal team members) into the night DURING the assault???

That's a SERIOUS ELIT FORCES' operation???

Nope. I didn't like it, as I liked the "Seal Team 6: The Raid". Like I said, the FIRST part of the film (the CIA redhair officer, trying to find links to Bin Laden), yes that part was great, realy good.

BUT... the operation itself was HORRIBLE, like child wrote the scene and kids played the roles!

Quest for Fire (1981)

One of my Top-10 BEST movies of all times!

[10/10 · 18 February 2023]

This is an INCREDIBLE film, by all means!

You may have watched other "similar" modern films dealing with prehistoric times. Movies, with actors who have nice hairstyles & looks, who speak great English, etc.

Well, this movie is UNIQUE!

The actors here are completely dirty, with poorly maintained hairstyles, dressed (almost half-naked) in dirty poorly made sheepskin coats, they're not speaking any language but communicate with growlings, they have poorly "weapons" made of wood and stones... and in general, the whole movie feels like time travel, like we went 300,000 years back in time and saw them!

It's a really WONDERFUL movie, basically showing us almost ALL the prehistoric races of Man:

Homo Erectus, Homo Neanderthalensis (Neandertals) AND... Homo Sapiens!

Our main heroes are the 3 best warriors of a Neandertal tribe, which they've been send (by their tribe chief) to "find the fire", because after a battle the tribe had with a MORE primitive "humanoids", they've lost their fire ("stored" in a "lantern", because the tribe had no way how to produce their fire, they were KEPT the fire "stored"!)...

So... after long adventures, these 3 warriors eventually meet a HOMO SAPIENS tribe: by far more advanced, with language as communication, with huts & primitive HOUSES, with much more advanced weapons & tools, etc.!

There, these Homo Sapiens LEARNING to our 3 heroes how to create tools, modern weapons and MOST important... how to PRODUCE fire by themselves!!!

Therefore, our 3 warrior heroes eventually returing back to their tribe WITH NEW MODERN KNOWLEDGE - and of course, how to CREATE FIRE of their own!

Seriously... this movie it's one of this RARE "GEMS" out there! Very unique, very powerful and realistic!

Spartacus (2010–2013)

Very very good show indeed!

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

Okay, it "follows" (a bit) the real story of the notorious Thrasian SPARTACUS, but no problem... the show is very good indeed.

Very brutal, very powerful, a lot realism but also a lot "fantasy" scenes (to make them more dramatic), a lot... sexual (and language) elements,... a lot... a lot, in general!

There are A LOT very well created characters and although they are lot of them, you understanding which are the most "powerful ones" and you focusing on them, you're not "getting lost" while watching the show.

Very good show, which became NOTORIOUS since the main character/actor died so young.

Rome (2005–2007)

To me, this show and "Band of Brothers" are the TOP of all!

[10/10 · 17 February 2023]

It's an INCREDIBLE amazing tv show!

Why's that?

First, of course, it's dealing with a VERY dramatic era of Roman History, the rise (and death) of Julius Caesar and then, the rise of the FIRST (and probably the GREATEST) Roman Emperor, his step-son Octavian or as he was named "Augustus Caesar"!

Second, the clever idea of the production NOT having as MAIN characters/heroes NOBLE Romans; they chose to have as main characters 2 SIMPLE men, a common centurion (low rank officer) and a simple legionnaire (common soldier)!

So, we're following their lives and by that, we're watching the SIMPLE COMMON ROMAN PEOPLE daily life!!! That's an original! In most of these kind of films/shows, we're watching how the rich/noble Romans lived. Now, here, we're following a simple common day in Rome, for simple common (poor) low class Romans.

Third, the casting & screenplay are AMAZING, all the actors are FANTASTIC and they're playing their roles simply incredibly!

Forth, even if in 2 seasons we have JUST 20 (or less) MINUTES of battle scenes (most of the show is full of intrigues, plots, etc), these battle scenes are THE BEST of all times - about the Roman Legion's style of battling!

...Unfortunatelly, since this production was one of the MOST EXPENSIVE of all times, HBO ended very "aggresively" the 2nd season - I believe this show could have a couple (or more) seasons!

I wish! It was a SUPER "journey" to Romans' lives!

Generation Kill (2008)

Probably a modern version of "Band of Brothers"!

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

As in "Band of Brothers", here also we're following a small unit into the USA-Iraq war.

Yes, of course, the ENTIRE unit is a US Marine Regiment (a regiment isn't a small unit!), but like in "Band of Brothers" the director of this show's focusing on a small group (of the entire regiment), mostly on "Iceman's" platoon.

Again, like "Band of Brothers", we have this "shaking camera" which is very clever idea, it's "placing you" into the boots of a team-mate of this unit, it's like you're actually shooting with your camera events for your fella-soldiers!

It's very emotional show, very dramatic, also very realistic and not boring (as some similar films/shows).

Generally, I super enjoyed it a lot, very good production!

The Pacific (2010)

A wonna-be "Band of Brothers"... but is a fair result.

[7/10 · 13 February 2023]

This show was produced after the notorious and GLORIOUS "Band of Brothers".

Obviously, since it's a similar TV show (and devided in episodes, like "Band of Brothers") you can't but compare this show with the other.

Well... is not that good.

First of all, let's face it: the Western Theatre of WW2 was much much more dramatic and interesting than the Eastern one. Second, yes, we have here also a group of soldiers but the show failed to focusing on different AND INTERESTING characters in each episode, as "Band of Brothers" did so amazing.

Anyways, the show still is a GREAT one.

But... nothing similar to "Band of Brothers".

Gettysburg (1993)

Could be much much better, if it was focusing mostly on Chamberlain!

[6/10 · 13 February 2023]

Why to me this film isn't so great as "Gods & Generals"?

Because, like most films like this here (showing a very large scale battle), it's shows a lot a lot events (from different battle's spots), a lot a lot different characters and afte a while you're "lost", you can't follow the events.

To me, the GREATEST moment of this film, is the defending of "Little Round Top" hill, by the notorious Colonel Chamberlain and his regiment. It's not only because this specific event was the KEY-POINT for the North's win (because if the South could captured the "Little Round Top", they would surround the Northern line), but because FINALY the film is FOCUSING (for long time) on a specific even and a specific hero (Chamberlain, winner of MEDAL OF HONOR for this defend!)...

That's the major problem of this film (or like in "Waterlow" film); the director is trying to show almost ALL the Gettysburg's battle events and you're simply "lost" after a while.

If the film was focusing MOSTLY on Chamberlain (to be fair, HE WAS the key-role to Northern victory in Gettysburg), the film would be MUCH better.

Gods and Generals (2003)

I don't understand the low rating of this GREAT film!

[9/10 · 13 February 2023]

This film has quite low rate and I can't understand this.

It's an AMAZING film, much much better than "Gettysburg" movie!

In "Gettysburg" movie (which is obviously shows the turning point to the North side), we have a HUGE scale of battle, with many many characters and after a will you're getting "lost" and you can't follow the (mess-up) plot.

Here, it's not a "tribute" to the South side, as many complaining about ("hey, I though North won, here it shows the opposite")... This filme is a BIOGRAPHY of one of the GREATEST generals in America's History: "Stonewall" Jackson!!! Therefore, it shows HIS LIFE and the dramatic end of it.

Obviously, since "Stonewall" Jackson was an extremelly great & successful general (for the South) and since the South had ONLY WINS the first years of Civil War, what you would expect? Of course it will showing you the South, defeating the North - as it actually happen!!! The North start winning the South AFTER Gettysburg's battle!!! Before that battle, North was suffering from major defeats in battlefields!

And again, like I wrote, this isn't a "tribute" to South side. It's a biography of a great Southern general. You should watch it exactly like that, as a biography.

And like I also wrote, since is mostly focusing on "Stonewall" Jackson, you're not getting "lost" from many characters, many stand-men (they are), etc.

Since the camera's follows Jacksons most of the time, you're getting involved & emotional with this character.

To me, it's by far MUCH better than "Gettysburg" film.

Band of Brothers (2001)

By far THE BEST production ever made for WW2!

[10/10 · 10 February 2023]

When I've watched the "Saving Private Ryan", I thought I've watched the best WW2 film ever... ...Well, till I found this INCREDIBLE piece of work!

"Band of Brothers" TV show is by far THE BEST long film (or if you like, short tv show) about WW2... or perhaps, about ANY WAR!!!

Why? For quite lot reasons.

First of all, the story is not fictional (like for example in "Saving Private Ryan"), it's pure REAL story, REAL events, of a REAL unit, about REAL people (soldiers) and in fact... before each episode we have THE REAL LIVING (back then, no survivor now in 2023) soldiers of "Easy Company"!...

Second, we're talking about the FIRST & HIGHEST decorated DIVISION of the war! The "101st Airborn" had the most casualties in WW2, they were the TOP-ELITE force of United States (in WW2) and the men of "101st" most decorated individual soldiers!... Yes, USA didn't fought the Germans from the beginning, but when they did... this Division fought in ALL battles from "D-Day" to the end of the war (May 8th, 1945 - the "V-Day", "Victory in Europe")!

Third,... it's VERY emotional dramatic show and INCREDIBLE REALISTIC one (like "Saving Private Ryan" did)!... VERY important is the emotions, the drama. And it's more dramatic, when you have these REAL living (back then) guys, speaking on the camera about the episode you're going to watch!

...But most important to me why this production is BY FAR THE BEST, is that although it follows a Division all the way from "D-Day" to the end of the war, it FOCUSING on a SMALL group, a SMALL unit, a Company, "Easy Company"! And that's very cleaver! Think about all these great war films of the past, with huge casting, lot actors, thousand of stand-men for the battle scenes... and eventually, you've been "lost" in the film, you can't follow the story.

Here, the heroes are just a Company, a small unit! You can follow these guys and MOST IMPORTANT, YOU CAN REMEMBER THEM... and you can get EMOTIONAL about them.

Another GREAT thing this show does is, its not focusing on the leaders (e.g. Captain Winters) or to the Under-Commition Officers... but each episode is focused on 2-3 SPECIFIC men of the unit... and in all these 10 episodes, you actually watched the story almost the entire unit!!!

...To me, there isn't ANYTHING alike this show, this production!!!... After this show, it was another "Band of Brothers: Pacific", which is was "okay" but NOTHING alike/close to this PERFECT result!

I don't believe it will be another SO POWERFUL war film or show, as this "Band of Brothers"!

I wish!

Spitfire (III) (2018)

THE LEGEND OF THE SKY!

[9/10 · 4 February 2023]

A literally superb documentary about the LEGEND of the sky, the DEFINITIVE factor in the survival of the United Kingdom and the final Allied victory in WW2!

The LEGENDARY "Spitfire" aircraft!

With many interviews from pilots who flew it then in the war, men AND women, who are still ALIVE (over 100 years old now) and remember with emotion the amazing moments they lived in the cockpit of this plane.

There is a wonderful scene (at the end) where a (then) 18 year old girl flew the last Spitfire built in the war and in a moment of romance SIGNED her name inside the cockpit... After SO many years, in 101 now, she was called to an airport and suddenly she SAW THE SAME PLANE approaching from the horizon and landing next to her... with her engraved signature STILL INSIDE the cockpit!

The Outpost (2019)

Good, accurate film about a MEDAL OF HONOR winner!

[8/10 · 4 February 2023]

SSG Clint Romesha is one of the very few LIVING (usually they are dead!) Medal of Honor winners!!!

The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration of USA for extreme valor actions into the battlefield. Usually those they're getting this medal, are KIA (dead in combat) - they're getting the medal after their death (it's THAT rare medal)!

So, imagine those guys they're winning this rare medal and THEY ARE ALIVE, they've made it also! That means, they did extremelly brave things due battle AND survived too!

This story is an ACTUAL REAL story of this fella, Clint "Ro" Romesha. The guy did incredible things to SECURE AND SAVE his fellas, he risked his life to get them to safety AND he drove back (2 times I think) large number of Taliban assaults into their camp!

I've watched Netflix documentary about the Medal of Honor (and had Clint in one episode) and I've watched this film and its quite very good, accurate and realistic.

Recommended.