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Reviews
Ad Astra (2019)
Ad Dis-Astra
Ad dis-Astra
This movie goes to the top of my 10 worst films. I should note my "worst films" are not old 1950's B movies but modern highly budgeted movies with major talent that simply turned into horrible disappointments.
I gave this one star only for the visuals. Everything else is far below a 1950's B movie.
One thing you can count on for the movie is watching Brad Pitt stare... and stare... and stare... a LOT.
Dialog? ... there isn't any.
Acting? ... you'll find more in a 2nd grade school play.
Story? ... there isn't one.
The science? ... Flash Gordon serial episodes of 1936 have more science than this movie.
Spoilers
The opening has a free standing "tower" that is in not tethered in space and remains in the influence of gravity at a height that could never exist structurally. Brad falls but does not manoeuvre away from the tower before deploying his chute which gets shredded with falling debris... something any remotely experienced skydiver would do.
Space pirates in "black" outfits using "black" moon rovers attacking three "white" moon rovers carrying astronauts in "white" space suits. Who are they? What do the want? ... gotta have a car chase even if it's on the moon and has absolutely no point whatsoever!
... and when will movie makers EVER learn there is no sound in space? ... well, except of course the blazing guns of moon pirates.
Seems like low gravity doesn't exist inside the utterly absurd moon station.
... and will movie makers EVER learn materials to build space habitats are hugely expensive to get to the moon so there are no high ceilings or long hallways of meaningless pillars where space is at a premium.
For a moon space port of such magnitude to exist it will take us far into the future but instrumentation, vehicles and, apparently... common sense have all remained in shuttle erra technology.
Brad Pitt's rogue dad, ostensibly responsible for cosmic electromagnetic bursts from a project near Neptune has managed to live without replenished food or water for 20 or so years, after killing his crew. Like his son, he stares a lot too and has nothing intelligent to say.
Instead of going through the very wide gaps between the 7 rings of Neptune apparently the clever thing to do is risk everything to go right through the rings.
It just goes on and on and on with stupidity like this, as other aware reviewers have noted. This movie is sufferably appealing to morons who never finished school, have no life and have zero understanding of even the most fundamental elements of space science... and this in an age we are actually in space.
The most sickening thing about movies like this is it was financed with over $87 million and returned $127 million globally, making a profit of $40 million to inspire more ignorant garbage like Ad Astra.
Do NOT pay to see this movie and make sure you are in need of rest if you watch it because you are going fall asleep.
At least the actors didn't have to worry about remembering their lines... there weren't any.
Toward the Unknown (1956)
My Number One Top Ten Movie
I have no idea why this is being called Brink of Hell... it's true title, as seen in theatres in 1956 is "Toward the Unknown"... I know... I was there.
I've read several of the reviews of this movie and you can certainly ascertain the age of some reviewers. I lived this period of time growing up as an Air Force kid and being around these planes and pilots and the politics of the day. So let me address a couple of points...
First, what makes this movie so good is the fact the "acting" does not seem like acting at all. For instance, Virginia Leith's performance as the love interest to William Holden is very much how real life actually is.
Why is this not on DVD? ... because the Holden family, after his death felt this movie did not uphold his image properly due to him playing someone who signed a confession as a North Korean POW. Small minded morons as this is one of Holden's very best and most accurate performances. Lloyd Nolan's performance as the commanding General of the flight test centre is spot on.
Having lived in my early teens during this golden age of aviation I can tell you this is the most accurate aviation movie I have ever seen and with the most accurately portrayed people (aside from the General's aide which was just a tad too silly). This movie is how flying was and still is in many cases. No huge explosions or shoot em ups... no super heroes.
I'm an ex military pilot and have seen just about every aviation movie made... Top Gun is a joke... the Right Stuff is a cartoon and a total injustice to the book.
This movie is how it was... a true time capsule.