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bcmantonya
Reviews
Impact (2009)
Very close to the worst and most boring...
Thing I've ever seen. Oh my, let's start with acting:
Honestly, the kids were by far the best actors, especially the little girl. When her grandfather died, she was really believable. Natasha was subpar, I've seen her do much better work (The Whole Nine Yards). The rest of the scientists were wooden, boring, or just plain ridiculous. The military was stereotypical. The president was weak. Even the grandfather phoned in his acting on this one.
What especially hurt the minimally decent acting was the director's choice of CONSTANTLY giving us face shots of people who were supposed to be emoting but nothing was going on. How many times must I see people who are facing extinction who look bland and zoned out instead of terrified or overwhelmed with sadness? It became obnoxious how many face shots there were in this movie, most of them were drawn out way too long.
Which brings me to the next point, the scenes and sets were empty. Scenes that should have been full of people rushing around or panic stricken or angry mobs had instead a smattering of people walking casually in the background. The scientists spent more time sitting at coffee tables talking about personal things than in computer labs solving this problem. The main crisis center set looked like something from the original Star Trek show, and don't get me started about the effects and set pieces of them on the moon. For a budget of $10 million, these things should have looked better.
So many other people have talked about how wrong the science was on this, I won't go much further into it. All I'll say is that I didn't know most of what they were talking about, and it sounded questionable to me. But I did seriously doubt that blowing the moon in half wouldn't have sent very large pieces directly at Earth, as well as having a massive effect on the Earth in general if you bought into the idea that everything else about the moon went back to normal.
Yeah, this was a sad attempt to make an Armageddon knock off.
The Dressmaker (2015)
If there are low ratings, they didn't get it
This is a singular kind of movie. Where others have said it had problems because it wasn't cohesive or it didn't follow one particular theme, this is what makes this movie a breath of fresh air. Plot unlike anything I've seen in a very long time, something to the effect of woman goes back home to reconnect with her mother and determine once and for all if she was the murderer everyone said she was. But the plot doesn't stop there, and I think that's where most people who don't like this movie get lost. The plot changes as it progresses. The directing style and shot theme-ing also change. You can't nail it down to only one type of story or plot or theme-ing device. And it works because that's how real life is. It's messy and unexpected, has highs and lows, people are mean for no good reason and get away with it because they're bullies or manipulators. Tilly (Kate Winslet) thinks she's cursed. The movie makes it very obvious that it's the town and the people who are in fact cursed. They simply tricked Tilly into thinking it was her fault from the time that she was a small child.
There is only one thing I wasn't very fond of with this movie. Liam Hemsworth. While he's fun to look at, that's all he's really good for in this movie. Basically just eye candy. I felt like a better actor in that role would have made it more believable and I would have felt more when he died unexpectedly (although it's also one of the only times I could see the plot point coming).
I've watched movies that were all over the place either with plot or theme-ing or timing or locations. This movie knew exactly what it was doing and did it. I won't soon forget about it, and with most movies lately, that's saying something.
The Flash (2023)
Good film
Good lord, all these stuck up people and their fussing about a fine film. Yes the CGI could be better, but it didn't take away from the film. Interesting plot, great characters (for the most part, General Zod was a bit meh), and plenty of humor and emotional moments. It kept you guessing on what would happen next and I liked that. I thought Ezra did a fine job carrying the movie, especially as two versions of himself. I liked that you weren't ever sure what version of a superhero you would get next. They paid great homage to the past versions while keeping all of them true to themselves. The only thing I found disappointing was the new Supergirl, she felt rather nerfed. But it was necessary for the plot, so.... All in all, I enjoyed this movie.
Dog (2022)
This is the kind of movie everyone should see
First of all, I love Channing Tatum. I think he's a solid actor, good human being, and really seems to put his heart and soul into his work. The story line was good. I appreciated the softer, slower pace of this film compared to what it could have been, what other movies similar to this have been in the past. I liked that it was more about them being together, with each other, than it was about making comedy or action packed parts. The little bits that had comedy weren't overbearing and were there more for a chuckle. I appreciated them filming the dog in a way that helped it come across like an actual dog, not a film trained dog doing tricks for the camera.
I thought the movie was really good and look forward to watching it again in the future.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
2/3 of this movie are rated a 10, the rest I'd give a 2
While watching this, for the first 2/3 of it I was literally engrossed by the stories. They were thick and full of culture and taste and feeling and touch. The scenes drew you in to what was happening in a way few movies do anymore. I didn't like all the characters. I didn't root for all the characters to win. And I didn't always feel badly if they lost. But this movie spun the stories so well you were completely immersed and it was delicious. I wanted to taste the food, feel the fabrics, smell the perfumes and fires. The stories themselves were interesting, told in a way that felt new.
Then all of a sudden everything flipped. It was like cold water was thrown on the movie but you were supposed to try and still enjoy it as before. I actually felt violated by the massive shift the story took from that point forward. The best way I can describe it would be to say it was cold. No warmth.
The beginning of the movie, we are made to see Tilda as cold and reserved. She's given up on anything related to love and emotional happiness and replaced it with intellectual happiness. And she does seem to be a fulfilled woman, albeit somewhat atiff. Yet this is when the movie is telling the fullest, warmest, most enthralling stories. These stories have an affect on Tilda, apparently changing her so much that she chooses to change the course of her life. During the last of the movie she is now in the midst of love, warmth, and living her fullest life. But this is when the movie becomes incredibly cold and devoid of any feelings. The stories are clinically told, just facts relaying events. There's no culture, no warmth, no feelings, no drawing you in through the richness of the scene. At this point, the movie doesn't feel right and it doesn't match what you are seeing. You're supposed to believe they are in love, fully romantic, all consuming love. But it feels like a complete lie. She kept calling him a trickster, and this felt like a trick. Next, you see the consequences of this wish, which to be honest seem bizarre and out of the blue. She decides to fix her mistake, but again this doesn't feel right either. It felt like she became a pet to him, fully devoted to him, but understanding that she doesn't matter in the same way to him. And that adds another element of an almost icky nature to this last part of the movie.
And the final nail in it all, the end when he shows back up again.
Are they friends? Lovers? Master and pet? It feels so forced and contrived at the end.
I wish they would have simply made a movie about his stories. And they moved her so much that she, with her first wish, sets him free. Not because she romantically loves him. But because it's the right thing to do. And this brings her so much satisfaction that she decides to indulge in imagination again and begins writing stories instead of only teaching about them. Yes, it's much more simple and probably formulaic. But that's what the beginning of the movie had going for it.... the beauty of the stories, woven and told with love and longing. Let that be the inspiration, not whatever the ending was attempting to be.
Couples Retreat (2009)
Mediocre, then the 2nd half happened.
This was a comedy in which the director and/or producers had a to do list, then must have simply started checking things off as they made the movie. Token black couple, check. Beautiful backdrop, check. Vince Vaughn doing multiple rants, check. Ridiculous situations that would never happen in real life that are supposed to be funny but really aren't, check. Almost nudity and sex, check. All people live happily ever after, check. And yet they somehow managed to make a rather lame movie in which I didn't care about almost all the characters. It would have been better with only 2 or 3 couples so there could be more focus on each story. Having couples that so obviously hate each other yet end up together at the end was horrible. Having couples that got divorced, went sleeping around offensively afterwards, then came crawling back to the spouse they just divorced to say Oh I had it good with you, let's get back together.... and they DID was awful. Having a couple who did in fact have some issues, taking the moment to actually intelligently highlight the issues, and then proceed to completely forget about that storyline.... that was a waste. And having a couple who obviously shouldn't have stayed married, who were thankfully moving towards separating amicably and with respect, only to go sex crazy out of nowhere and magically be back in love together the next morning.... was dirty. Disappointing that the director didn't have enough guts to do this story justice, because it could have been soooooooo much better.
First Daughter (2004)
It was bland
Have you ever tasted something and it was just meh? It doesn't taste bad, but it doesn't really taste like much at all? That's this movie. There's nothing that's horrible about it, but it also isn't very good. It is a very bland movie. I see some people were saying it was because of the writing or directing, neither of which were good, I agree. But the acting wasn't good either. There was literally nothing to grab onto in the story, no intrigue, no drama, barely a love story. The only time you get surprised in this movie, they end up dragging it out to the point you don't even care by the end. Honestly, this feels more like what a novice film director might do for a first college project. Or maybe even high school. If you have nothing better to do and don't mind being bored, give this a try. Otherwise, keep looking for anything better.
Nope (2022)
Not sure why all the hate
I thought this was a solid, thought provoking film. Honestly it reminded me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but less government-y. The only thing I thought was unnecessary was the chimp story. I get why it was in there, but the point it was trying to make could have been made differently. I thought it was acted well, the cinematography was great. The pacing was a bit tedious in some spots. I think what I liked most was how genuine it felt. People reacted the way you would expect them to in real life. I appreciated that very much.
There were definitely parts I didn't fully understand and had to watch more than once, so I'm thankful I watched this at home. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and would watch it again in the future.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Still not sure about this one
While I watched this movie, I found it interesting. But since watching it, I've found I like it less and less. I really didn't like that the trailer was misleading. I didn't like that they made Dr Strange look and act more cartoony. I wasn't impressed with the character or actor of the new girl. I absolutely hated what they turned the Scarlett Witch into (or what they did with Wanda). I felt the musical fight scene was reminiscent of the bad parts of Fantasia. I was intrigued by the Multiverse but Spiderman did it better. The other universes could have been explored so much more or better than they were. And my God, please don't let Charlize Theron join the MCU. I'm going back and forth between a 4 and 5. So disappointing because the first Dr Strange movie is my top 3 MCU movie.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Not quite a 7 but not quite a 6
The GOOD: any scene with Ron Perlman. Leo DeCaprio was very believable, followed by Rob Morgan. The very end (thankfully it didn't swoop in with a Disney save the world ending). How much it made me hate Meryl Streep's and Mark Rylance's characters. All the side character actors did a great job!
The DECENT: the story line. The occasional comic relief (I preferred that over an actual comedy movie). I feel like most of the bigger actors fell in this category, not blowing it out of the park but not fully sucking. I did feel Cate Blanchett overplayed her character. I thought the movie did a decent job in frustrating you, constantly going back and forth, changing camera angles, fixating on a single story thread... All of which added to the already frustrating story line in a good way.
The BAD: the pacing. I agree that it could have been much shorter and still been a good movie. Jonah Hill (I only saw Jonah being Jonah, never a character). Everyone's obviously fake veneers (hugely annoying, completely pulled me out of the movie every time I saw some). How the satire was played is essentially what makes me want to give this a lower score than I did. I felt like I had been thumped with a 2x4 for two hours on how bad the human race (specifically Americans) is. I agree that this ending is a real possibility based on what is happening in the world today. But I felt like the movie thought it was teaching me something, like I was clueless and it wanted to enlighten me. I felt like the director assumed I needed it explained to me (numerous times in repetitive ways). By the time I got to the end of the movie, I was happy with the ending because I wanted the slightly pretentious movie to suffer.
Regardless of my hangups, it was a good, thought provoking movie. There were a few break out performances. But I'm not going to watch this again.
Red Notice (2021)
Eh. It's been done much better
Johnson was stiff and it felt more like one of his first movies than one of his better movies. Reynolds was the same as he's been for a while, whether that's on TV promoting something or on the big screen, he's kind of becoming a one act guy. Gadot was almost believable as the bad guy, but she had zero chemistry with either of the guys. The plot was lame, the action seemed like a Lifetime movie trying to be Mission Impossible. Honestly the best thing and actor was the lady who kept trying to arrest all of them. The ending sucked.
Black Widow (2021)
Don't understand the hate
I thought it was action packed, great character development, emotional when needed. I don't follow the comics so it was an interesting story. The only part I didn't like was the location of the Red Room. Beyond that, great movie!!
Ophelia (2018)
Could have been much more
Costumes were decent, although too color saturated for the period. Cinematography was stellar. Sets felt cramped. Acting was either great or boring or over the top. Loved Tom Felton, Naomi Watts. Clive Owen was ridiculous. And as much as I want to be a Daisy Ridley fan, she can't emote. She has two facial expressions. One is the not happy right now slight scowl. The other is maybe she is happy less scowl. I think I saw two smiles and one almost teasing expression from her. The idea of this story could have been very interesting but Daisy couldn't pull off the lead and most everyone else I didn't care about. Too bad.
Ru yi zhuan (2018)
Stunning
This was my first experience with Chinese drama TV. I caught snippets of it on YouTube, then found the entire show. I couldn't stop watching. The show itself was done so well... the costumes, the sets, the actors, showcasing the beauty of China. But beyond the obvious phenomenal acting, it was the dedication to detail and weaving of an emotionally heart wrenching love story inside real history of the Qing Dynasty. I can't tell you how many times I stopped watching an episode to look up the history of this period of time. Read about Qianlong and Empress of the Nala clan. Read about the different women in the harem, all the royal children, the Empress Dowager. Even the painter from Italy and the leaders from the border tribes. So thrilling to watch it unfold, to learn what life in the Forbidden City was like. Watch how China fought wars, how it tried to coordinate the military and tribal officials with who was selected in the harem. Obviously, there was drama in the harem, people fighting for power and positions. It got downright visious at times. But the character development was amazing, and the storyline were riveting. I can't wait to watch it again!
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Laughable
Bad script. Literally every single actor was bad (except Chris Pine, but even he couldn't do much with what they gave him). Bad effects. Bad story. Huge, massive plot holes. Plot points that made zero sense. Did I mention it all was bad? Read other reviews if you want specifics on why it was bad, I don't want to waste any more time thinking about this joke of a movie.
Arrival (2016)
Good but not great
Plenty of other reviews sum up the plot. What is good about this movie: the aliens are not some version of humanoid, talking acting thinking processing like humans. Even their language is different in numerous ways. That was refreshing. Amy Adams gave a solid performance. The idea of how complicated it is to learn a new language, especially if you are starting from scratch. What is not good about the movie: the bad guys were once again the Chinese and Russians. Again the military symbolized stupid, war hungry, rule following idiots with zero depth. Jeremy Renner's character was boring to the point of distraction. The coloring of the movie was way too bleak. Grey and blue in about 90% of the scenes. The discovery of the very basics of their language and how humans actually figure out what the various circle words meant was never explained and would have been very interesting to see. I was invested in AA's character, but beyond her I only cared about the two aliens. None of the other characters had any connection to the audience at all.
Dolittle (2020)
Disappointed
I'll be brief. The story was basic and felt limp. The actors were blah. RDJ looked like he was confused, trying to morph Tony Stark with Holmes with Capt Jack Sparrow and in any given scene couldn't remember his style. His accent wasn't as much of a problem as the way his voice sounded. It seemed like he was whispering the entire time, trying a difficult accent and trying to rush the words so it didn't sound like the accent was hard. Honestly couldn't understand him most of the time. Antonio Banderas was the most solid but still stuck with a lame character. The main boy (can't remember his name) seemed like he was stealing from Harry Potter #1 and Spider-Man. The little girl was stereotypical. And the queen was awful. The main bad guy was honestly the only person I enjoyed watching in the movie. The pacing was off, the cgi animals were decent. But I left the movie not caring one bit for anything in it.
Yes it's definitely aimed at kids and should be taken at that level, but I've seen much better kids movies.
Mulan (2020)
Better than I thought it would be
It's not the original obviously. What I did like was the cinematography. I liked the allusion to the Phoenix. I liked the main character Mulan, I thought she did a great job! The fight scenes were good, especially anything she was in. The changes to the story for the most part were fine. I liked how they focused on a rigid feel to most of the characters, which I what the original movie portrayed also. What I didn't particularly like was the sets seemed low budget and the costumes seemed too colorful and more like stage musical style. The story did seem patchy and didn't have the best flow. I wasn't fond of the witch. I felt that storyline wasn't necessary. But mostly it did feel hollow. It's pretty impossible not to compare the two movies together, and the original is so full of emotion that this one suffers in comparison.
Good but definitely could have been better.
Schitt$ Creek (2015)
Absolute gold
I actually found this gem from YouTube snippets. Usually comments in yt are at least partly derogatory, however this show had only positive reviews. So I was intrigued and gave it a shot. I literally haven't stopped watching in every spare moment I have. The show follows a family of 4 (father, mother, son and daughter) who find themselves ripped from obscene wealth to practically nothing. They move out to rural USA, surrounded by folks very different from their rich friends. But it's these folks who take them in and help them transition and grow. The show is smart, witty, salty, delicious, warm and so much fun. The characters are well fleshed out and the actors portray them with such life and depth. The writing is genius. There isn't a single scene or interaction that doesn't make an impact. Even characters that are one episode archs are well written and acted. This show is so genuine that I wish I knew these people for real. I can't say enough about how good this show is. I look forward to what Dan Levy does in the future. Absolutely fabulous.
Bad Moms (2016)
Why so much hate?
It's a good movie, literally just made for fun. There's no huge, deep meaning in it. Just showing how women are trying their best and still beat themselves up for not being perfect. It was funny, silly, and had moments of seriousness, but mostly just a story to take you away from your own hard day to day struggles. There were a couple of lines that stood out as not exactly fitting in with the rest of the movie. And I thought the whole sexy widow storyline wasn't necessary. But I found it enjoyable and would watch it again.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Ignore the haters
I'm writing this month's after it was released, months after I saw it in the theaters. I saw it opening weekend. And honestly I've never felt that way coming out of a movie before. So many emotions, all swirling in my heart and head at once. It was utterly overwhelming. My personal experience was intense but based off the reactions of the rest of that theater crowd, so was everyone else's.
I like to watch a movie multiple times to see how it stands up. Watch for plot holes, inconsistencies, watch the acting again. See if things seemed forced or ingenuine. See if it brings up emotions again and again.
Today I'm watching it again. Still I feel the anger, sadness, grief, excitement, and thrill! The performances are amazing (although I'm not a fan of a blended Bruce Hulk being) and the pain they go through is gut wrenching.
No it's not perfect. Yes it's heavy, and the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the movie doesn't really have "superheroes". But that's why it's so powerful. They are broken, just like all of the universe is. They are human, struggling in an existence that doesn't make sense and they couldn't stop from happening. They miss their family and friends.
The last 1/3 of the movie is the perfect way to end this story.
Very well done. Compared to so many others out there lately, this one got it right.
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Mediocre 7.5
I'm a Marvel fan. I love Tom Holland as Spiderman. But outside of a few parts of each of his standalone movies, the movies just feel rather flat and weak to me.
Tom Holland is adorable and believable, genuine and strong. I appreciate that it's his strength of character that shines through. Same with Aunt May, Happy, and MJ. Everyone else felt like an extra, like a stock version of whatever character type they were paid to portray.
Villians in both Spiderman movies were underwhelming. And it's disappointing because both actors are incredibly good at their craft. Again, it feels like the villians were written by some step by step process learned in acting school. No depth outside of revenge towards Tony Stark. Both felt cartoonish and unbelievable, as well as unrelatable. The tie ins to Tony Stark's background felt forced. It was done much better in Iron Man 2. Which begs the question... why are Spiderman's villians actually Stark's? Why not give Peter his own personal villains?
I did like how this movie dealt with the 'blip', from the kids' perspective at least. And I liked how they dealt with Peter mourning Stark, both as a father figure and as the protector of the world. How he felt hopeless in filling Stark's shoes. How he didn't want to miss out on being a kid and enjoying his vacation and hopefully working on something with MJ. But again, I think that's more credit to Tom than necessarily the writing.
The CGI was over the top. The villian was blah. The school trip in the midst of one attack after another was so far beyond belief it was ludicrous. And don't get me started on Fury. Yes, I saw that he was actually a shape shifter, but the subpar way he handled everything made it obvious it wasn't Fury for literally the whole movie.
My kids love Spiderman, so I've watched these movies along side them. But unlike many other Marvel movies, I won't think of this one anytime soon to re-watch.
The Last Boy (2019)
Good movie but left feeling it was just off a bit
Very interesting movie. Didn't follow the normal formula, which I appreciated. For the most part, the actors didn't over act, and there were a few I felt were very authentic. Unique story, with an ending that leaves you not knowing if you want more or if it is perfect as is.
However there were a few things that interrupted my experience with the story, almost to the point of distraction. The background behind the apocalypse was vague, including any kind of time frame. Based on everyone's acceptance of their situation, it felt like a good deal of time had passed. But then again, everything looked fresh and rather clean, making it feel like it had literally just happened. Houses were practically spic and span, people's clothing was clean and fresh looking. The kids backpacks looked brand new. The ambivalence about the time frame I can live with, but I felt like it would have been more genuine to show things and people a bit more roughed up. I can't imagine life was easy for anyone, but by the looks of it, it came across like they were simply walking from one end of town to the other, camping out in one after another nice house/barn.
The pacing of the movie is slower, and the feel is rather gentle or calm, juxtaposed against the situation they were in. I liked that. But I felt that their trek was glossed over, so we didn't get a real understanding of how hard it actually was.
This is not a movie for everyone. But I'll definitely watch it again, and look for additional work by the director, as well as both kids.
Rampage (2018)
Bad even for popcorn movie
Let's see.... Typical DJ role, outfit, phrases, action. Story was bad, when there was any story/plot. The CGI "monsters" could have been interesting but they distorted them so much they were unbelievable (except George). The side characters were flat, sad stereotypes that were badly acted. The best side character was the dumb kid in the beginning of the movie. Mr Cowboy was so over the top it was painful to watch him. I like DJ movies, but not this one. I want my time back from watching this.
Brave (2012)
Mess of an idea
I remember the trailers for this movie. It looked like the story of a girl bucking all the traditional customs and stereotypes by saying no to pre-arranged marriage, not being prim and proper, as well as being different from everyone else is beautiful. What it turned out to be was a mess of a fight between the girl and her mom with some bizarre magic thrown in. This came so far out of left field that the movie was probably 2/3 over before I understood what the actual storyline was. I didn't like this direction, it felt like they took a character who could have been strong and confident in herself right from the beginning, and turned her into a whiny, teenage brat. I didn't think the connection between mother and daughter was heartfelt or genuine at all. The connection to her father was at least believable in that he had old school beliefs versus her brat whining. The twins were annoying. And the animation was... Lost in all the bizarreness in the story. Plus it seemed like it was someone's goal to make as many different body shapes as possible and that put me off too. I've only watched this once, will never again and I have never shown it to my kids.