AnotherRandomReviewer Reviews

The Gray Man (2022)

Rock bottom filmmaking

[1/10 · 31 March 2024]

I don't usually give such a low rating because I always try to be balanced when I assess a movie. Too many people give 0/10 or 10/10 for films with no in between when usually nothing is that bad or good. But this film richly deserves to be completely panned.

I don't blame the actors or the stunt people (who do top notch work here) but the writers and producers. This is film is cosmically stupid.

There is so little resemblance to anything like reality in this movie that it might well have been a cartoon, and even that would be an insult to cartoons. No intelligence agency would do anything like in this movie. It's like they asked a 5-year old what they thought spies do and then filmed that.

For example, the major action scene in the film where the agency chasing the hero stages an all out attack that kills dozens of police officers in an allied country. This would cause a diplomatic break between the USA and the ally and would be worldwide news. But it is shrugged off as just a mess that the agency will have to sweep under the rug.

Anyways, you might as well watch random stunt scenes from random movies and guess what? You'd still end up with something more entertaining that made more sense than this abomination.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

What an unexpected disappointment

[4/10 · 24 February 2024]

Wow, to say I did not see this coming was an understatement. With a keen interest in WWII and scientific development, I thought this would easily be a fascinating film.

Some say this movie was boring but that wasn't it for me. It felt completely unnecessary. There is nothing about this movie that hasn't been covered better in several existing top-notch documentaries. It added nothing that I hadn't heard or seen before. Even the personal struggles of Oppenheimer outside of what happened in Project Manhattan were covered better elsewhere.

The problem is that the story of the atomic bomb's development overshadows that of any one man. Let's face it, the only reason people care about Oppenheimer today is he led the team that developed the most horrifying thing the human race has ever produced.

Anyways, this movie didn't click for me. The top-notch parts didn't add up to a top-notch whole. It happens. You can't fault the actors, the art direction or any of the other contributors to the film when the focus of it was the problem and the fact there are already some excellent documentaries that told the story in more detail and in a more entertaining way.

Masters of the Air (2024)

Just watch Memphis Belle (1990) instead and save yourself some time

[4/10 · 1 February 2024]

This review is based on the first 2 episodes only. Maybe it gets better but in the meantime it is not good.

The movie Memphis Belle covered many of the things this show is trying to show. That movie has its flaws but it is pretty good overall. I wish I could say the same for this show.

The acting is mediocre to subpar, but it think it has more to do with the actors trying to breath into poor character writing. Not much of it rings true. If you have access to them watch Band of Brothers and The Pacific and you'll immediately see the difference.

The action scenes are not terrible for what they are but there are too many errors and the CGI doesn't look great at times. The problem this show is going to have is that each battle is going to look very similar. A formation of bombers being attacked by fighters with shots of the crew inside the bombers, etc,. It's not like on the ground where there are season changes and different locations to differentiate the battles visually.

Last point is one others have mentioned. Why is there a weird disrespect for the British? It's disconcerting.

Overall it is a big disappointment so far. I'm going to give it a few more episodes but for now it's on my on my own personal cancellation watchlist.

Messiah (2020)

One Season was actually enough to say all it needed to say

[9/10 · 11 January 2024]

The show was cancelled after one season but after watching it again I think one season was all it needed. It just needed a couple of more episodes to resolve some sub-plots better but other than that it says exactly what it needed to say. In fact, more seasons probably would have diluted the wonder and power of the show.

I love how the series held its biggest reveal to literally the last scene in the show. While they tease that the Messiah's miracles are just tricks in the last scene they leave no doubt at all that he is who he says he is, something made more powerful by seeing this revelation through the eyes of a character who previously hated the Messiah.

There are other scenes, like when the people spying on the Messiah are looking for evidence he is a fraud but instead see him doing good things that make them realise they are on the wrong side of history by persecuting him. Most people don't want to be the modern Romans, who also persecuted the Messiah, so when they realise this it shakes them to the core.

I appreciate how the Messiah isn't attached to any one religion. He is speaking for God who loves all people and speaks to them in different ways. Also I love how the Messiah seems almost peeved at times and makes it clear he is not there to save everyone, instead he is reminding them that they have already been shown the path and now they need to walk it. They can be their own saviours if they do this.

There are scenes in the show that I will always remember because they spoke to me about faith in a way that seemed real. If I could name one show or film of all the innumerable ones that have made about religion that was the one show that people should watch, it would be this one.

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

Unexpected Awesomeness

[10/10 · 17 November 2023]

I tried this series out because I had run out of new episodes in other shows I watch and I though 'why not, I like samurai stories." I'm glad I did.

It's funny, I read some of the negative reviews of this show and I simply cannot understand what they were seeing. Poor animation? Are you kidding me? The visuals are awesome.

Thin characters without strong motivations? Seriously, did they even watch this show?

It's not a 'true samurai' story. Really? What is then? It's a variation that hits on all cylinders.

Complaints that the action is too over-the-top and the hero is like a superhero? Again, what were they watching? The action sequences were well-designed and choreographed, and while Mizu (the hero) does accomplish almost superhuman feats, she pays a heavy price each time and barely survives many of her fights.

Overall it is a complete force-of-nature series. Do yourself a favor and watch it, but be aware, it's very mature and not for the squeamish at times.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

It's boring. Kind of the cardinal sin for a movie.

[4/10 · 11 October 2023]

I loved the first John Wick movie and while the second one had problems, I like how they expanded the lore of the assassin's guild he was part of. Then in John Wick 3 the lore, story and characters all started to be massively overshadowed by the action. And then we get John Wick 4, the video game.

Or should I say John Wick the super hero movie because he might as well be one because he is so unkillable. Anyways, every scene has a perfunctory bit of acting just to set the stage for massively overlong and frankly ridiculous action scenes. John Wick is supposed to be good at fighting but no person is so good that they can take down masses of near-peer skilled enemies. By the end of the movie I was looking at the clock when the action scenes were happening.

And don't get me started on the massively stupid trope of the blind assassin that is in this movie. Just stop it already. The guy hunting Wick does things over and over again that are simply impossible. It was just ridiculous that we are supposed to believe he would last more than a few seconds against a skilled, assassin trained opponent.

Overall, the movie is a steep disappointment. It was stylishly filmed and is a treat visually, the acting is not bad, and the fights are good to a point but then they go on and on and on so you lose interest.

This should be the last John Wick film. And for anyone who is thinking about watching the series for the first time, just stop after the first. That's all you need. The rest is downhill.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody (2023) Season 2, Episode 9

Stop with the gimmicks before the show is ruined.

[3/10 · 3 August 2023]

I really tried to like this episode. I tried to keep an open mind about it, but the inclusion of the songs was so jarring to the idea that this is a serious dramatic show that I just gave up. Just what were the producers thinking when they OK'd this nonsense?

This should have been a pivotal episode for the season. The episode has a ton of character development and plot reveals that came made the episode inherently interesting, that is, until a song came alone to blow out of the water any sort of idea that this is a serious show. It was embarrassing watching the show try to fit these in without looking too stupid.

Another issue is that the producers flat-out copied the central concept from the famous Buffy the Vampire musical episode. In that, a mysterious force makes people break out in song and forces them to reveal inner truths. Same here.

Having songs that conveyed the plot worked really well in Buffy because it was a fantasy show and had a tradition of having campy episodes occasionally. Plus at that time the musical episode was unique.

Now every show seems to want a musical episode and will get it no matter how much it strains credibility. Star Trek always does not need ridiculous gimmicks like this.

When I think of great Episode 8 (and all of the discussion it caused and how it dealt with really weighty ideas) being sandwiched between the abysmal Episode 7 crossover and this musical nonsense it makes me lose faith in where this series is going. It's a great show that does NOT NEED to waste episodes on mindless fan service or gimmicks-of-the-week.

So SNW producers, just stop it. Give us thoughtful space drama with good characters and solid stories and we'll stay on board the show. It's that simple.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Those Old Scientists (2023) Season 2, Episode 7

What a waste of a episode when there are so few in a season

[1/10 · 23 July 2023]

I was afraid this crossover would be nothing but a gimmick and I was unfortunately right. The characters from the Lower Decks show could have been toned down in this episode, but they still acted like buffoons. This crossover from an animated, weird comedic version of Star Trek to a prestige, real world show was hands down the worst idea the Trek creators have ever had.

The worst thing wasn't just that the Lower Decks characters still acted exactly like they were animated characters, but also people without any sense. They are from the future and supposedly from Star Fleet, but they could not even for a second stop themselves from revealing all sorts of details of the future that could have changed it forever.

I expected that even if they were treated as comedy relief they would still conform, somehow, to some sensible reality like not revealing the future but no, they just blabbered on.

This whole episode totally punctured the sense that the world of Pike's Enterprise was real and trashed that so that it could have a crossover that some idiot executive probably insisted on. The show might as well have had Barbie or Bugs Bunny show up and it would have conveyed the same sense of ridiculousness that this one did.

This episode is probably going to be looked on as a low point in Star Trek history, ranked alongside terrible episodes like Spock's Brain in the original series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

Top-notch, but a bit of a slow burn to start

[8/10 · 29 January 2023]

My wife and I started watching this because there was a lull in available episodes of the shows we usually watch so we finally checked it out because we had heard so much about it.

For about the first 6 episodes it seemed well-produced and well written show but still seemed to be a kid's show. Then as it went on nuances in the characters and the plot became more apparent, and the lore and world-building took on more depth. By the end of the first season there was no longer any caveat about it being a kid's show. It was just a good show that improved almost noticeably every episode.

It's definitely one of the more interesting shows I've seen. Check it out. Don't let it's age or origins as a kid's show stop you. It more than rewards the time you spend with it.

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

I'm nostalgic for when Star Trek used to be good

[2/10 · 22 April 2022]

I watched all of Season 1 which was inconsistent but sort of watchable. This season started off with two ok episodes but has totally self-destructed now. It's actually unpleasant to watch, like witnessing someone desecrate a beautiful piece of art.

I finally gave up watching full episodes after the sixth, and then just skipped through the last two to see if things got better. Nope, nope, nope. It's totally beyond redemption now.

I despair for the new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series because it has the same creative team as Picard and Star Trek: Discovery (also now a piece of steaming garbage). I think Star Trek as a franchise it doomed unless someone else takes over the creative reins.

Arcane (2021– )

Up there with Chernobyl as one of the best TV shows ever made

[10/10 · 26 December 2021]

Quite simply, if you don't find this show to be good, you'll probably never find anything to be good. It's a litmus test in recognising excellence in a show no matter what its source material was.

I rarely give 10 out of 10, but this is a show that deserves it.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

How did this dreck get made?

[1/10 · 26 December 2021]

I saw the first one and kind of liked it. This one...boy, just so bad in so many ways it would take a 10,000 essay to describe. Let's just say that a movie that relies on you finding endless gory deaths to be a source of humor is not worthy of your time.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Just not good.

[3/10 · 19 November 2021]

It's hard to comprehend how this show turned out so lackluster and derivative when there's so much talent and potential behind it. It feels like a gorier version of the B-list fantasy movies from the 80s. So disappointing.

BTW, one thing critics really need to do is stop comparing any new series with a some fantasy elements to it to Game of Thrones. It's abundantly clear that this show is not trying to be that. It was the same when The Witcher on Netflix came out. "Well it's not the next Game of Thrones", they said. O, brother. Shows shouldn't be compared to GoT but how it stands on its own merits. As such, my rating is based on what I saw, not as something seen through a GoT lens.

Anyways, this review applies not just to the first episode but the first 3. I tried to like them since I've been a long time fantasy fan, but so far this series is a big misfire.

Maybe they will right the ship in the next episodes. I will check them out and see. But given the lameness of the first episodes, I'm not holding my breathe.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

An Unexpected Treat

[8/10 · 2 September 2021]

I knew nothing about this movie before watching it. You can quibble about how some of the plot elements or characters are derivative, but overall it is a good watch. Funny and visually great, with some well-designed action sequences as well.

Good for a family night viewing.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Sigh. Just so, so bad.

[1/10 · 2 September 2021]

If all you want to see is giant monsters fighting then I guess you would find this movie of interest. But if you want anything else in a movie - plot, good characters, or literally anything else that makes a movie good - then forget it.

I suggest that you save yourself some time and look up the fight scenes when the get posted on YouTube. You'll get the only parts of the movie that 'might' be worth viewing without the crust of nonsense that surrounds them all.

SAS: Red Notice (2021)

Just make Hannah John-Kamen the star of your movie and forget the rest

[3/10 · 31 August 2021]

Hannah John-Kamen (Dr. Hart) is by far the best thing about this movie. Seriously, if she had played the hero or the villain in this movie, that would have bumped it up a good number of stars right there. But the rest is by the numbers thriller stuff that is quite forgettable.

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021)

A Big Disappointment

[3/10 · 31 August 2021]

I played the games and read the books, but the way the movie distorts the canon of how the Witchers came to be is unforgivable. I can't understand why senseless changes were made to a perfectly good story.

I hope this sort of decision making is confined to this movie and doesn't filter into the main live action series (which already has some changes, but nothing fatal to the essence of the Witcher world..yet).

Not recommended.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

If only it was a fraction as good as the trailer.

[3/10 · 9 August 2021]

The first trailer for this movie made it look like it would be an action film wrapped in some decent 80s nostalgia but it is just...not.

Nothing works in this film. I tried so hard to like it since I like the first one so much I bought it on Blueray, but I gave up. I watched it to the bitter end and then told my friends and family who hadn't seen it yet to give it a pass. So disappointing.

Tenet (2020)

Just because it's complex doesn't mean it's a masterpiece.

[3/10 · 7 August 2021]

What a big disappointment. The director likes complex films but this time he didn't know when to stop.

The problem with this movie is the concept dominates everything. In so many scenes you are left trying to keep track of the inversion of time effects that it distracts from the drama.

Yes, you can follow this movie's plot if you pay attention. I soon found that it was tiresome, in the way that I found the old Rubric's Cubes tiresome. Sure you can do it, but is it worth it? This one sure isn't worth the 2.5 hours needed.

Monster Hunter (2020)

Outstanding move...if you like utterly stupid movies

[1/10 · 2 August 2021]

I don't think I've ever seen a movie reveal how bad it was going to be as quickly as this one. In literally the first 10 seconds, it hits you with some blithering stupidity and continues on from there non-stop from there. To top it off, the movie doesn't even have an ending. It ends on a cliffhanger. Just freaking unbelievable.

Some people were saying this might be good as a kids movie, and I suppose it would be if you're ok with your kids watching people get gored to death or eaten alive.

I don't usually go out of my way to comment on bad movies but when you see a film that takes it to a whole new level then I've got to say something.

Jett (2019)

An Unexpected Treat

[10/10 · 22 July 2021]

A friend recommended this to me and I'm glad they did. Super good series all around. It's a hard-edged crime drama which is why I am mystified by the people giving this series a low rating because of nudity and violence. What on Earth did they think was going to be in this show, musical numbers and hugs?

Anyways, it's not really a 10/10, more like 8.5/10 because there are some issues here and there with pacing, but minor. I'm just bumping up the rating to compensate for some of the unwarranted very low ratings this show has gotten.

Hopefully HBO Max renews it for a second season now that they have acquired the first.

The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion (2018)

Watch it for lead actress Koo Ja Yoon's performance

[6/10 · 11 May 2021]

A lot of the movie was competently done but nothing we haven't seen before, but Koo Ja Yoon is great. At times she is sweet, but when she isn't she seems almost inhumanly threatening. She sells the whole story of the film because you can believe she is capable of everything she does in the film.

WandaVision (2021)

Not every thing Marvel does is 'amazing'.

[2/10 · 14 February 2021]

I watched the first 5 episodes before pulling the plug. This whole show is high-concept gone mad. It might have sounded cool having the show look like a different sit-com every week but it was a gimmick that wore thin after ten minutes.

The other problem is Vision and Wanda really aren't all that interesting. Good side kick characters in a big movie like the Avengers Infinity War, etc, but fairly boring when they are the mains.

Well, as you can see, it's not a series for me. I'm glad others are getting something out of it though. But I will be tuning into something else.

Pacific Rim (2013)

Lots of monsters and robots and flat-out idiocy.

[2/10 · 14 February 2021]

Did you ever watch a movie where the characters are trying to overcome an enemy or problem and you in the audience feel like yelling out 'Why don't you just (fill in the blank)?" to solve the issue?

Well, I don't know how many times I felt like saying this when watching this movie. From why didn't the defence forces use something other than big robots, to why don't those robots use their best weapons until they are almost destroyed, to why would the characters do this or that? It's non-stop.

But on the plus side the movies promised lots of destruction and giant robots fighting giant monsters and it delivers those in spades, so I gave it a couple of stars for being honest about that.

But in the end, if you watch this movie, you'll probably end up saying 'why didn't I watch a better movie"?

Black Sails (2014–2017)

One of the best series I have ever seen

[10/10 · 5 January 2021]

Actually I would give it 9.5 stars because the first three episodes are a bit uneven in tone. Not bad, just nothing that would indicate it would blossom into such a memorable series.

But then it gets going. I won't list any spoilers, but the show is a rare thing. Actions always have consequences. Characters actually have to make tough decisions. Conflict is rarely driven by having overtly evil characters (though there are some), but simply people pursuing their own agendas clashing with each other.

No character ever feels safe, nor are they always right. A big theme is how to navigate the grey areas of life without losing oneself and it is a pleasure to see this theme intelligently handled.

On top of it is is well acted, gorgeously shot, has amazing battle scenes and covers a topic rarely seen on screen without being presented in a cheesy way. It all feels real. There are details that add to this, from the actual ships they built for the series to how characters, if injured, take many episodes to heal, unlike so many series where the characters are back to health by the next episode.

My wife and step-daughter jumped right in to watch it with me and all of us were hooked on it. It's a pity Game of Thrones was out when this series was on because in many ways it is as epic as that series, but better.