martinrey-15593 Reviews

Wheelman (2017)

Tense Robbery Thriller.

[7/10 · 7 September 2022]

Wheelman is set in the same style as Locke. The thriller starring Tom Hardy as a construction worker handling difficult telephone conversations in his car for the whole movie. This is the same however the man character is a getaway driver having problems with a robbery.

It's tense and effective and runs along quite smoothly although not for the main character.

At around 90 mins it doesn't outstay it's welcome.

Wheelman is a short but sweet road thriller with a fast moving story complete with car chases and gunfights that will keep people who like a John Wick genre happy. Just remember virtually the whole movie is set in a car.

Alone (V) (2020)

Decent, Suspenseful Thriller

[7/10 · 4 September 2022]

Alone isn't a high budget stalker thriller but it does its job as a tense road thriller in the way bigger productions such as Dual and Jeepers Creepers succeeds.

Alone is a 90 odd minute road movie with a crazed stalker and an innocent young woman sparring in a northern American territory complete with small towns, motels, mountains and dense forests. Yes you've seen it before but Alone is a good version of this genre.

Alone is well acted with small cast but everyone is convincing in their to role.

Although the story is a slow burner it moves at the right speed and has enough tension and action to keep you satisfied.

Thoroughly recommend this tense thriller.

The Adam Project (2022)

A movie that hits all its targets.

[9/10 · 17 April 2022]

The Adam Project is a bit special. It's very reminiscent of 80s family sci-fi. It has a great balance of action, comedy and drama. Without going into the time-travel storyline the movies strong points are a well thought out drama with great characters and a bit of emotional depth to tug the viewers heartstrings one minute then throwing alien action sequences the next. It's a great balance that really works.

The chemistry between Reynolds and young actor Scobell is naturally funny and something hard to achieve.

The Adam Project is quite a rarity these days because it's really good at what it does.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Ghostbusters 3 and it's good.

[7/10 · 19 February 2022]

Afterlife is a proper sequel to the first two 80s classics. So much better than the 2016 attempt which was a misguided idea.

Afterlife is quite slow and only really gets exciting in the second hour.

The cast is very good including all four of the original Ghostbusters, yes all four with some magic.

The movie could have done with more ghosts and maybe some more scarier ones but it all comes good in the end.

Ghostbusters afterlife is a good addition to the first two movies and is nearly as good as them.

Werewolves Within (2021)

Entertaining light horror

[7/10 · 16 February 2022]

Werewolves Within isn't really scary or really that funny, for a comedy horror that's not a great recipe however the movie keeps you watching and it works.

Set in a small north American town a good cast with colourful characters make this a decent enough hour and a half of entertainment.

It's a light hearted atmospheric movie perfect if you don't fancy something heavy to watch. It's silly without being too silly and not too gory for real horror fans.

John Wick (2014)

Not many better than this

[9/10 · 27 December 2021]

Top notch, stylish shoot everyone and everything action movie. Plain and simple revenge killer movie. Keanu is, well, Keanu and does exactly enough to make this movie great to watch.

It doesn't try to be corny or funny and is a breeze to to watch as it has the most simplistic storyline you could hope for.

So if you want a full-on shoot 'em up action movie this is it. Not much comes close apart from 2 and 3.

No Time to Die (2021)

Very disappointed

[5/10 · 26 December 2021]

I love Craig as Bond, but this is very disappointing. Craig's swansong should have been better than this.

No time to die suffers from sheer lack of action and a poor baddie.

The action scenes are all in the trailer, so that's not good.

The Baddie makes a good Bond movie and this time he just didn't sinister or bad enough, in fact he's very weak and feeble. Sorry but Maleks safin is not bad enough.

This is the worst of Daniel Craig's excellent Bond movies unfortunately.

All in all you shouldn't be looking at your wristwatch watching most bond movies.

Casino Royale this is not.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Good action but poor story.

[6/10 · 26 December 2021]

Godzilla v Kong is a decent action movie with excellent CGI and some great monster fight scenes.

The story around the main action is not good, it tries to hard to be different and complex but it's a bit of a mess.

It is a good mindless action movie, so go into this movie with that in mind and you won't be too disappointed.

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

A great zombie movie.

[8/10 · 17 December 2021]

Double Tap carries on from the original movie, despite the long gap between the two movies, it carries on quite smoothly. It's similar to the first plenty of decent jokes without going over the top and loads of zombie kills.

If you liked the first movie you'll like this.

It's a great zombie movie.

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Starts well but....

[5/10 · 29 May 2021]

The cinematography, the acting although somewhat overdone in some cases, is very good. The movie has everything you need for a gripping thriller but it just doesn't achieve it.

Its a very similar story to Rear Window the Hitchcock masterpiece but comes nowhere near its quality.

A good cast help it through a bit but it can only help so much.

The movie gets a bit messy towards the end and it never has you on the edge of your seat.

It's a brave attempt but woman in the window falls short of being good.

Army of the Dead (2021)

Good Zombie Action Movie

[8/10 · 24 May 2021]

Army of the dead is pretty much all action. A good cast of characters have to salvage a large sum of cash from a Vegas hotel. During the heist the group of mercenaries have to encounter a large number of zombies that inhabit a barricaded Las Vegas.

Essentially this is more action based than deep storytelling with deeply drawn characters, but it works.

Lots of gore and lots of noise.

Well worth the 2 hours 30 minutes running time which won't have you checking your watch.

We'll recommended...

The Murders at White House Farm (2020)

Tense and Intriguing Drama

[8/10 · 27 April 2021]

This the story of Jeremy Bamber the convicted killer of his own family one night in the mid-eighties.

The drama is very well acted by a top cast and production is very good too. Plenty of tension to make keep watching for the 6 episodes. It's well worth the time. However I can see how some don't believe he did it. The case is still being appealed as he contests his innocence 35 years on. There seem to be questions whether he is guilty beyond reasonable doubt, but that's another story.

Unhinged (I) (2020)

Silly but Entertaining

[7/10 · 26 April 2021]

Unhinged is a cross between The Duel, Falling Down and The Hitcher. Crowes character is a man whose life has fallen apart and turns psychopath taking his anger out on a mum and her son.

Mainly set on urban roads the chase which is essentially what it is does get a bit too over the top.

Acting all round is very good.

Unhinged is best enjoyed when not taken seriously. It's over the top and silly but people do snap as we have seen on many high profile occasions.

Unhinged will satisfy the action/thriller/horror fans as there is enough tension and gore to keep people watching.

Love and Monsters (2020)

Good family monster movie.

[7/10 · 25 April 2021]

Love & Monsters is an impressive family adventure movie. Giant monsters roam the earth after a disaster and the humans are their food. Cast is good. It has many throwaway jokes and a reasonable walking adventure storyline.

It doesn't have the big epic feel like the Jurassic Park movies, the monsters in this movie aren't really sinister or scary enough to make an adult feel uncomfortable. Something that Jurassic does, so it lacks real tension.

Strangely the dialogue seems adult-like whilst the monster side of things seem aimed at younger children. To me it's a mix that doesn't really work. Similarly to Goosebumps I suppose but with a script and joke content for adults.

Younger kids will like this a lot whilst adults will be probably wanting more.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Not Mad Max

[5/10 · 5 April 2021]

Mel Gibsons original movies portrayed Max as a real human being with a soul, a character a real person surviving in an apocalyptic world. With action and gore when necessary. The original movies also had storylines and decent acting with interesting characters.

Then there is this. Barely a story, in fact the second half of the movie is the first in reverse. They go out and come back. That's it. Script and acting are cartoon like as Tom Hardy is barely recognisable as Max. No charisma no character, he isn't even the lead.

Fury road is an all action monotonous CGI fest. Extremely overrated unless you like dumb action movies which is fine, however Mad Max movies weren't like that.

This isn't Mad Max.

Run (I) (2020)

Intense Psychological Thriller

[8/10 · 3 April 2021]

Run is only 90mins, so it starts quickly and moves nicely along at a tempo that won't make you want to look away.

Acting is great all round from a small cast. The story does twist and turn and keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next and how it will all end.

Run is definitely worth watching for non-action thriller fans although there is some effective action scenes when it is needed. It's gripping and very effective.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

A little bit of a Scary Story

[7/10 · 29 March 2021]

This is more of a chiller than an out and out horror. Its Goosebumps essentially for adults however it won't scare you too much.

A good cast and a decent story make the time pass without checking the clock. The sets are very pleasing and the whole thing is well made and looks the part. It's just not that scary, although it does try.

It's well worth a look but don't expect a Conjuring or Paranormal activity fest.

Life (I) (2017)

Life Is Good

[8/10 · 20 March 2021]

Life is of course similar to Alien, same type of story but it holds up well to the classic movie it adheres itself to. Great cast with a decent script make this entertaining and enjoyable to follow. It also has plenty of tension to keep you interested. At 100 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome, so the film moves at a good pace, it never feels slow or dull. At times the film is nice to look at, very good CGI make it pleasing and add some extra realism. Life is a good sci-fi movie that doesn't disappoint.

SAS: Red Notice (2021)

Action B-Movie.

[2/10 · 20 March 2021]

First thing first, this film is full of action. That's my 2 stars. The rest of the movie is a made for TV kids film. Problem being it's a 15 rating, when it should appeal to younger minds unless they have any experience watching better movies in which case they won't be satisfied too. This based on a book by SAS man Andy McNab. I find that hard to believe really. The story is bad, along with the script and some of the acting. Why Wilkinson and Serkis did this is strange. The storyline is unbelievable and has plot holes everywhere. The casting is dubious, as the chief baddie played by Ruby Rose is so unconvincing and looks like she'll blow over in the wind. Serkis' character on the other hand walks around with a Danny Dyer accent using F words in every sentence and is actually quite comical. Unintentionally comical. I really should have turned off after 30 minutes but kept going as others were watching. Remove the swearing and you have an all action cartoon style movie for the comic reading generation. As it is, it's a badly written B-Movie that insults your intelligence and not worth 2 hours of your time.

Behind Her Eyes (2021)

Flawed Supernatural Thriller.

[5/10 · 15 March 2021]

My review does unfortunately have spoilers otherwise I would not write it. Behind the eyes is billed as a mystery thriller however it doesn't mention it's a supernatural one. So the first few episodes amble along quite well with each episode keeping you watching. All good, the acting the story if a little slow in parts. However it takes a turn for the worst as the dream sequences are actually astral projection. That's fine too if you like supernatural stuff and I do, however the end couldn't make sense. The boy gets a different mother but doesn't realize? Really? Nobody could pull that off without being suspect as the person would no nothing of the the kids past. Nonsensical writing and not thought through properly. Apart from that it's a good production it's just the end won't work. Shame to say that but the ending needs looking at.

The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Aims and missess

[6/10 · 13 March 2021]

The movie is quite disappointing. Short scenes and quite a directionless start means the film stutters along until near the end. It just seems like short scene after another until the rather lightweight story unravels. Good acting is a plus but an average story and script make this film ok rather than good. Character development is low so it all feels a bit souless. There's no tension or any real excitement which is crucial in a western. It could have been better. Should have been better with that cast in all honesty.

The Terror (2018–2025)

Season 1: Good But Grim

[8/10 · 10 March 2021]

Definitely not a happy story. It's dark with gore and death everywhere. The Terror is a quite slow paced horror drama. The scare is not jumpy just gory and is all the way through the episodes. Great acting and script make this a compelling series to wade through. The set is either a ship or a stark icey landscape so although it's very atmospheric, theres no scenic splendour to enjoy. The Terror is slow, dark but a compelling series to watch.

Red Dead Redemption II (2018 Video Game)

You live this game, not play it.

[10/10 · 5 March 2021]

Rdr2 is an experience, as it's more than just a video game. It's like being in one long Oscar winning movie. Script, acting, storyline are immense, it's quite unbelievable really. You are living as a cowboy day in day out eating, bathing, sleeping, everything in a huge openworld. Action aside this is a great story, it's a prequel to RdR1. It has a massive amount of missions and side missions. I played the game for literally several weeks doing missions or just doing what I wanted it was an incredible experience and that is what this is, an experience. A word of warning it does start of very slow, the initial missions you don't feel free at all but when that snow goes the game really begins and you won't look back. One piece of advice whilst you are playing the early chapters, appreciate it. This story does eventually end and you maybe very sorry and even very sad when it does.

Greenland (2020)

Good Disaster Flick

[7/10 · 27 February 2021]

Similar to War of the Worlds, a family on the run from an impending disaster, Greenland will keep you watching through the whole disastrous, apocalyptic adventure. Yes, you seen it all before but it works, with a great cast and a tense storyline. Well worth 2 hours of your time as you'll be entertained with a fast moving plot and some decent CGI thrown in. It's good.

News of the World (2020)

Decent Western Tale

[7/10 · 14 February 2021]

With Hanks in the lead this movie can't go wrong. A decent entertaining yarn about a traveling newsraider who escorts a young orphan across the wild(ish) west to her family. It has enough going on to keep you entertained for the enjoyable 2 hours. Good to see Hanks back.