The 1985 Teen Wolf has heart with its story and characters you can identify with. Despite its cheesy moments and cheap practical effects of its time - somehow wields it's movie magic, the film draws you in to an albeit standard Hollywood fare of school romance, teen angst, school bullies and family history. It's one "horror" or vampire film that does not need to be filmed in the dark to evoke mystery and fear. Somehow it works. Above all, this Teen Wolf film need not stay relevant to make a political or cultural statement and yet it is enjoyably entertaining. That's why it's a cult classic now.
Reviews
25 Reviews
Morbius
(2022)
As Blind As A Bat
28 May 2022
Mediocre. Ho Hum. Zzzzz. With the advent of movie magic and CGI sophistication, it is not impressive. The practical effects of Richard Donner's Superman in a time before super CGI fares so much better and meaningful. You root for the heroes.
Blacklight
(2022)
Ho Hum Time- and Money-Waster
5 March 2022
With a budget of $40.0 million, you'd expect a more intriguing film especially when you have Liam Neeson as the action star again. But alas! By the first 10mins, you can ascertain how the film going to go. Do expect mediocre action-car chase- shoot-out- fighting sequences with the cast mouthing out stock lines. And, the director should seriously not pass off Canberra, Australia as Washington DC, USA! Seriously again, Mark Williams should keep to producing and not directing action movies with Liam Neeson in it. Blacklight should be Liam Neeson's last stop in an action movie. It's getting tiresome and tedious.
Silent Night
(I) (2021)
Don't listen to the experts
9 December 2021
It may be a depressing Christmas movie and certainly not your Love Actually. It might even reminds you of covid 19, enforced vaccination and Brexit and offers you a current wisdom to not "obey" the pharmaceutical giants, medical experts and most of all, your government. Everybody has a choice. You might curse yourself for staying on too long on the dire dark story of a movie but you may regret it if you exit (pun intended) 1 minute before the movie ends. The last minute revelation is vital to the intention of the director. Watch till the end before the credit rolls in, you'll appreciate the movie a little more.
Red Notice
(2021)
As Processed As Fast Food
20 November 2021
The trailers give you the impression it will have intriguing elements of an adventure, international flavor ala Indians Jones, a weather-worn hat and possibly a whip, danger and fun. Alas! None of these.
Red Notice is as bland as sipping water and pretending it's martini with an olive. The film is also as processed as fast food but without the salt and sugar but that's what followers of the three primary cast actors blindly sought after. At least fast food is enjoyable although it may not be good for your health.
Frankly, by now, you'd have got tired of Reynold's Deadpool-esque bland humor. How about Gadot? She's just strolled in and out supposedly with intelligence and grace but she just have to be reminded that she is not wearing the Amazonian super power swimsuit here. (No thanks to the script writer and director.)
And as for Dwayne Johnson, why bother going for any movie he is in? There's nothing credible about the roles he took on these days nor his performances, if you can call it that at all. They are all not believable and as forgettable as Steven Segal's movies.
If you want to waste your time, money and life, and go with numerous ho-hums (read: yawns) with all the mindlessly conceived on screen antics that passed off as creative talent, please go ahead and watch Red Notice.
Red Notice is as bland as sipping water and pretending it's martini with an olive. The film is also as processed as fast food but without the salt and sugar but that's what followers of the three primary cast actors blindly sought after. At least fast food is enjoyable although it may not be good for your health.
Frankly, by now, you'd have got tired of Reynold's Deadpool-esque bland humor. How about Gadot? She's just strolled in and out supposedly with intelligence and grace but she just have to be reminded that she is not wearing the Amazonian super power swimsuit here. (No thanks to the script writer and director.)
And as for Dwayne Johnson, why bother going for any movie he is in? There's nothing credible about the roles he took on these days nor his performances, if you can call it that at all. They are all not believable and as forgettable as Steven Segal's movies.
If you want to waste your time, money and life, and go with numerous ho-hums (read: yawns) with all the mindlessly conceived on screen antics that passed off as creative talent, please go ahead and watch Red Notice.
One Shot
(III) (2021)
Ashley Greene
10 November 2021
One truck is a magical container that keeps churning out numerous terrorists to add to the body count. Ryan Phillips, like recent movies with Bruce Willis, only made brief appearances in the film. The bad and good guys dropped like flies when they are not even shot at. The score was a muted boredom. Dialogues are stilted and uninspiring.
And I went for the film for the sake of Ashley Greene, and Ryan Phillippe.
Anyway, try not to see any action film with a running time of less than 1 hour 45mins. You'll waste your life and time if you do.
And I went for the film for the sake of Ashley Greene, and Ryan Phillippe.
Anyway, try not to see any action film with a running time of less than 1 hour 45mins. You'll waste your life and time if you do.
Infinite
(2021)
A Reincarnation of A Fast and Furious Mindless Crash
12 June 2021
Antoine Fuquo's films used to be exhilarating action-packed stories with substance. Think of Training Day, The Equaliser, The Shooter and even the less-loved but still worthwhile Tears of the Sun. Unfortunately not this one - Infinite. Did the studio heads mess up his direction? Did Mr Fuquo got caught up with the Fast and Furious farcical franchise? Frankly, you won't sympathise and relate - you simply can't - with any of the primary cast such as Ejiofor, Dylan O'Brien, Sophie Cookson and least of all, the lead star, Mr Mark Wahlberg. Chris Evans must be relieved he opted out of this film due "scheduling conflict". The ephemeral The Highlander (1986, Lambert, Connery) with less sophisticated CGI was a better film and value for your money. The last I heard is that people behind this mindless car crash is going to finance a sequel - and more thereafter. Please, from what we've seen in the first one, no more reincarnation cycle infinitely. Please use the money to help fight the Covid19 pandemic, your money will be infinitely well spent!
Things Heard & Seen
(2021)
Flaccid as Lake Placid
15 May 2021
When you think and got excited that the film is veering towards the like of Amityville, Mama and even Conjuring in the early part of the film, you'll be grossly misled as the ending will leave you limp and flaccid. As most stories without a solid direction, this film starts off well but 2/3 on it loses steam with the main characters, the emotion and even acting.
The film should have worked with a main cast of Norton, Seyfried, Seehorn, and veterans as Karen Allen and F Murray Abraham. Even with the younger actors like Natalia Dyer and Alex Neustaedter. But it trudges on placidly and ended up in the beautiful lake leaving you wondering what's the ending is all about.
It's really a waste of your time. Sadly.
The film should have worked with a main cast of Norton, Seyfried, Seehorn, and veterans as Karen Allen and F Murray Abraham. Even with the younger actors like Natalia Dyer and Alex Neustaedter. But it trudges on placidly and ended up in the beautiful lake leaving you wondering what's the ending is all about.
It's really a waste of your time. Sadly.
Quantico
(2015–2018)
Some Kind of Soap Opera
6 March 2021
Any show, more so a pilot, that starts off with the protagonist having spontaneous sex in a car with someone she hardly known is attempting to tell its audience that the lead character has its own careless will and mind and does not care if the audience care about her credibility or not. More so since she is supposed to be an intelligent and well-trained federal agent. Going further into the other episodes are soapy Dallas dramatics. It would be more interesting, and credible and edgy even if the writers stay off the soap opera narrative. If you wish to design the show to the likes of Dallas, do so with the whole show. Let's be reminded your audience has grown more intelligent abd smarter.
Clarice
(2021)
Awful Tv Adaptation
18 February 2021
If it's the eponymous title role to be undertaken, the protagonist actor must be able to pull it off with here screen presence and must be convincing enough. If she fails to persuade even with her mere appearance, and yes, blame the show runner and writers, then the show won't be appealing to its audience. It's a plus point for the writers to veer away from the Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill narrative as keeping these in will be to hinge on the film's success.
Reign of Fire
(2002)
Reigning tops in 2002
20 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In comparison to the current sleuth of similar genre of movies and with our current advanced CGI movie magic, Reign of Fire was a good action packed movie with a cast and script to boot. The CGI in Reign of Fire can't be compared to the current ones but somehow it worked convincingly unlike the cringeworthy bigger budget, Die Another Day (premiered same year). Just one peeve though, about the ending which seems contrived where an American saves the day in a movie set in the UK with a motley of British and multi-ethnic survivors. But Reign of Fire was and still is one of the best movies ever seen in long time since 2002. Reign of Fire can indeed reign alongside the 1981 - a time way before MCU - Dragonslayer.
The 2nd
(2020)
What Happened?
3 October 2020
How did Ryan Phillipe end up in this project? The execution of each scene, camera work, dialogue and action sequences are just not coming together. You can tell how a film is going to go in the first 5 minutes. Actually 2 minutes. I stopped watching after 5 minutes even with fast forwarding.
Mulan
(2020)
What's wrong with Disney?
5 September 2020
You can tell if a movie is going to be a well-produced one by its first 10 mins or in some cases, merely 5 mins. This Mulan movie at the beginning shows off the young Mulan jumps effortlessly onto a high roof to chase a rebel chicken. She slips off the loose roof tiles but flips upright with ease as she plunged to the ground. Nothing wrong in setting up the story in this manner but it's the way they made her Kung Fu-ed her fall in an obvious stilted style exactly like a puppet on strings.
We know Kung Fu heroes or heroines can't leap effortlessly onto a 20 feet high roof and command impossible gravity defying feats by mere light footholds. While the film makers can remove the strings and harness digitally, but they don't have to have the actors moved like they are on strings. This is the same as with Michelle Yeoh's The Touch (citing one example of similar genre) her stunts there are painfully difficult to watch and appreciate. Yeoh just as Disney's Mulan's YiFei Liu can proved to be A-class actors in the hands of a better director and stunt choreographer.
The choice of Mulan's father played by the indefatigable and veteran Chinese actor, Tzi Ma, could be more convincing given another Chinese actor.
Also, film makers could have avoided the temptation to employ generous use of CGI just because they could afford it.
It's a shame that Disney with all its years of film making experiences and what-money-could-buy resources could have done a better live action film with an inspiring story like Mulan. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, Terra Cotta Warrior, Ip Man series fared better with their flying stunts.
We know Kung Fu heroes or heroines can't leap effortlessly onto a 20 feet high roof and command impossible gravity defying feats by mere light footholds. While the film makers can remove the strings and harness digitally, but they don't have to have the actors moved like they are on strings. This is the same as with Michelle Yeoh's The Touch (citing one example of similar genre) her stunts there are painfully difficult to watch and appreciate. Yeoh just as Disney's Mulan's YiFei Liu can proved to be A-class actors in the hands of a better director and stunt choreographer.
The choice of Mulan's father played by the indefatigable and veteran Chinese actor, Tzi Ma, could be more convincing given another Chinese actor.
Also, film makers could have avoided the temptation to employ generous use of CGI just because they could afford it.
It's a shame that Disney with all its years of film making experiences and what-money-could-buy resources could have done a better live action film with an inspiring story like Mulan. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, Terra Cotta Warrior, Ip Man series fared better with their flying stunts.
Rogue
(I) (2020)
If Michael Bay...
29 August 2020
I watch Rogue for Megan Fox. Now, if Michael Bay is involved, and if he will do it in the style of 13 Hours, or Antoine Fuqua with Tears of the Sun, Megan Fox will shine as the next action heroine. Rogue will be better without the lion too.
The Tax Collector
(2020)
Why waste your money and time?
8 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Why bother spending money and time on this movie? I went for it despite the heavy tones of violence, gangsters, tattoos, profanities, not that there were no good movies with these themes in the past. I continue watching past the first 10 minutes because of David Ayer and Shia Labeof. But was I mistaken. Wonder why Labeof was sacrificed early in the movie? And don't be fooled by the trailer. I plead with you not to waste your time, money and Your dear life on this movie. A great disappointment.
Nancy Drew
(2019–2023)
When creativity give way to crowd pleasing
4 July 2020
When politically-correctness and wokeness get in the way of reinventing a good detective series, the whole series became placid. While the writers may like to update a story to make it current, which is perfectly acceptable, they are not doing justice by trying to insert current themes to keep please the herd-crowd. But then that's how it is with today's entertainment attempting to produce shows to please certain groups. The lead actress, Ms McMann has great potential to go far if with better writers.
Can't hold a candle to the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew series of the 70s.
Can't hold a candle to the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew series of the 70s.
Defending Jacob
(2020)
Moody ambience, murky end, maudlin fare
10 June 2020
You can give high ratings to Steve Rogers, oops, I mean Chris Evans, Lady Mary Crawley, oops, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell and Cherry Jones for their performances. Jonathan Freeman's moody muted cinematography induce you into a family torn by a murder trial.
However, when you've religiously followed through till the last episode, which means you have used up 8 hours of your life, the hope that you've held up in defence of the sweet looking boy, Jacob, will be awfully wasted. Then you begin to wonder what's the fuss and hype about the source material of the novel. In other words, you should be discerning enough not to trust the herd of fuss and hype. Because the ending is akin to an episode of Twilight Zone. At least Twilight Zone ending could give you some satisfaction but not Defending Jacob. See the show if you must for the main cast sake but don't expect resolution.
However, when you've religiously followed through till the last episode, which means you have used up 8 hours of your life, the hope that you've held up in defence of the sweet looking boy, Jacob, will be awfully wasted. Then you begin to wonder what's the fuss and hype about the source material of the novel. In other words, you should be discerning enough not to trust the herd of fuss and hype. Because the ending is akin to an episode of Twilight Zone. At least Twilight Zone ending could give you some satisfaction but not Defending Jacob. See the show if you must for the main cast sake but don't expect resolution.
Gretel & Hansel
(2020)
A Horrifyingly Confusing Macabre Tale
10 April 2020
It is a genuine struggle to stay awake through this artisanal of a fairy tale that goes no where. It's a visual feast with classy cinematography. That's all there is to this horrible tale. These days, I really don't know where all these writers and directors have birthed from but perhaps from the dark and horrifying macabre forest of farcical creativity. Why talented actor like Alice Krige and one or two from this tale would participate in such a horrifyingly poor tale of a movie? And the creator's of this tale think it's an art house gift to a fractured world. It is not. It is but a great disservice to cinema lovers. Dont waste your time and money on such horrid tale of a movie.
Charlie's Angels
(2019)
Let's take Charlie's Angels seriously.
15 February 2020
Charlie's Angels should be taken seriously - at the box office takings and movie making - if only they seriously re-invent the franchise like Tom Cruise and Chris MacQuarie did with Mission Impossible and Daniel Craig's Bond. If only they take heed of this, then Banks and her team won't need to blame sexism for this farcical time-and talent-waster.
6 Underground
(2019)
Mindless farce
1 February 2020
Michael Bay, Ryan Reynolds, Melanie Laurent just to name a few, surely are much better than this mindless, CGI wreck of an incomprehensible so-called action movie. What a waste of good money and talents to create a CGI-laden movie with a farce of a script? You won't feel any hint of sympathy with any of the main cast even when they showcased a weak attempt to draw your emotions to Reynolds's character in saving some harmless poor kids from fire bombs. This movie can be trashed along with another casualty, Gemini Man. Don't waste your money buying this movie; just download it off a torrent site.
Dracula
(2020)
If not for Sister Agatha
7 January 2020
See it if it's just to be enthralled by Dolly Wells who played Sister Agatha. She is a sharp witted atheist nun - if there's such a meaning - with a stiff and shrewd upper lipped Romanian accent to boot.
You'll already feel a sense of loss when you witnessed Sister Agatha's imperilled life at the cliff hanger 2nd episode of this 3-part mini series.
If only the Sherlock creators/writers will give Sister Agatha more meaningful lines after the 2nd part but alas, the 3rd episode will leave you wanting for a more cogent and purposeful revival and existence of the blood sucking undead. But no! You'll cringe at the enfeebled attempt for a poetic twist in the finale.
Now, if only the powers that be in the entertainment underworld will hire Dolly Wells or even Sister Agatha for a reprisal of the latter role or perhaps a super sleuth ala True Detective or better yet, a spy to love in the next 007 adventure!
You'll already feel a sense of loss when you witnessed Sister Agatha's imperilled life at the cliff hanger 2nd episode of this 3-part mini series.
If only the Sherlock creators/writers will give Sister Agatha more meaningful lines after the 2nd part but alas, the 3rd episode will leave you wanting for a more cogent and purposeful revival and existence of the blood sucking undead. But no! You'll cringe at the enfeebled attempt for a poetic twist in the finale.
Now, if only the powers that be in the entertainment underworld will hire Dolly Wells or even Sister Agatha for a reprisal of the latter role or perhaps a super sleuth ala True Detective or better yet, a spy to love in the next 007 adventure!
Stunning landscape
28 November 2019
The Courier
(2019)
Wasted Talents
23 November 2019
What's Kurylenko and Oldman doing in such a poorly scripted and directed movie?
Watch out for:
1. Writers' limited vocabulary is confined to the F word and screaming fits
2. A bunch of henchmen strolling around in circles in a parking structure
3. The heroine, ex-Bond girl is the female version of John McClane.
4. You'll be eager to walk out of the cinema midway through the movie and certainly don't care if the good guys slice or die.
Don't waste your time and money on this movie.
Watch out for:
1. Writers' limited vocabulary is confined to the F word and screaming fits
2. A bunch of henchmen strolling around in circles in a parking structure
3. The heroine, ex-Bond girl is the female version of John McClane.
4. You'll be eager to walk out of the cinema midway through the movie and certainly don't care if the good guys slice or die.
Don't waste your time and money on this movie.
Terminator: Dark Fate
(2019)
A Dark Dreary Bleak Fate
26 October 2019
With all the anticipation build up to the return of the original creators for one of the most successful franchises, it turns out to be an anticlimax. Except for the first half of the movie, the rest spurned out to a forgettable drear.
It seems that the writers have mysteriously ran out of creative juice and ended up rehashing the same old same old boring story of the robot-from-the-future-going-back-in-time to terminate the saviour of the future. Dark Fate failed to to elevate above the smart T2 Judgment Day.
Given that Cameron brought in a retinue of gifted writers like David Goyer, Billy Ray, Justin Rhodes and story by Cameron himself, Dark Fate is a forgettable drear. Watch out too for the night scenes that was so poorly lighted it flashed by into a dim monochromatic blur. If critics reviews for T3, Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys were flaccid, Dark Fate is bereft of vigour, aimless and uncompelling. It's a shame since it's a beautiful nostalgic traipse with the return of Linda Hamilton, Schwarzenneger and James Cameron.
It seems that the writers have mysteriously ran out of creative juice and ended up rehashing the same old same old boring story of the robot-from-the-future-going-back-in-time to terminate the saviour of the future. Dark Fate failed to to elevate above the smart T2 Judgment Day.
Given that Cameron brought in a retinue of gifted writers like David Goyer, Billy Ray, Justin Rhodes and story by Cameron himself, Dark Fate is a forgettable drear. Watch out too for the night scenes that was so poorly lighted it flashed by into a dim monochromatic blur. If critics reviews for T3, Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys were flaccid, Dark Fate is bereft of vigour, aimless and uncompelling. It's a shame since it's a beautiful nostalgic traipse with the return of Linda Hamilton, Schwarzenneger and James Cameron.
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