TakeUpReel Reviews

Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord (2024) Season 1, Episode 2

Uggghhhh!

[3/10 · 14 May 2024]

This episode is slightly better than flippin' Space Babies, but not by much.

I was looking forward to seeing The Beatles in this episode. However, this was a major disappointment. First, hire actors that somewhat look like The Beatles. Second, after music was "restored" (or whatever nonsense the script called it), it would have been satisfying to see The Beatles play something reasonable. Maybe copyrights prevented them from playing an actual Beatles song, but at least write a Beatlesque song.

The Maestro was cringeworthy and annoying. I hated every moment the character was on screen.

When Disney (the destroyer of anything good) attached itself to Doctor Who, I thought, "Well, there's another franchise that I like down the drain." So far, these episodes have been confirming my worst fears about the fate of Doctor Who.

Spend more time and money with good scripts and less money with fancy (and sometimes not so fancy) CGI.

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Inconsistent mess of a show

[5/10 · 24 March 2024]

It was like two groups of people wrote this show. Very talented writers and junior apprentice writers. The story was spotty. I often felt that major parts of the script were lost, but they filmed the show with what they had.

The two main characters were annoying. I disliked Nagata throughout the entire series and I don't think Holden was the right actor to play the Captain. Both of them made eye rolling decisions in the show. Plus, they had no chemistry together. As a couple, their characters were doubly annoying.

Don't get me started on Aghdashloo. I never liked any character she's played in any show she's been on. She must have gotten paid a bonus every time she cursed, because she could make some salty sailors blush. If you took a shot of whiskey every time she cursed, you would be passed out before the episode was over....which, in hind sight, would have been preferable.

The "accents" of some characters came and went too easily and often. The acting of some characters were horrible. Too many stories occurred at the same time. I lost track of the various subplots in the show.

I wanted to give up on this show after a few episodes, but other household members out voted me. I stuck with it and felt some episodes were great and some were terrible. By the time season 5 came around, I was more anxious for the episode to end rather than for it to begin. At the very end of the show, I turned to my brother-in-law and said, "Well, that was underwhelming!'

The graphics and special effects were good throughout most of the show, so that's my silver lining in this storm cloud of a show.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Good premise...

[6/10 · 26 January 2024]

...bad execution.

This movie could have been an hour shorter and told a better story.

I like the premise for the movie, but it drags on far too long. I don't mind an epic-length film, but KOTFM didn't use its very lengthy runtime properly. I didn't know (or remember) most of the people that were killed. Therefore, I didn't have an emotional stake in their fate. After a short period, I thought, "Oh, here's another unfortunate person that was killed. OK. Moving on."

I barely remembered the names of the major characters in the film. I had no investment in the majority of the cast. For nearly a 3 1/2 hour movie, that is inexcusable.

For me, the movie didn't really become interesting until the FBI (or technically BI) came to investigate the murders.

Overall, the story had a lot of potential, but the film did not do the story any favors.

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

This is almost as bad as...

[3/10 · 6 October 2023]

...Exorcist II.

We didn't know enough about the two girls to really care about them. We barely saw much of one of the girls, except for the "Body and blood" scene in the church.

I didn't know (or care) enough about the possessed girls to remember their names.

Also, why were there TWO possessed girls? It would have been better to stick with one. I know, the main girl was given a "protection spell" before she was born; therefore, blah, blah, blah. This could have been written much better.

The movie was reduced to jump scares, because there wasn't much substance to the film overall. The twisting of the priest's neck was lame compared to "Regan" rotating her head all the way around.

They must have paid Linda Blair a lot of money for the two seconds of screen time. I was wondering how she was going to fit into the story. Her scene would have been better as a mid-credit extra scene.

If you like the original Exorcist...or even Exorcist III...or heck, even the TV series, you'll hate this movie.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Uggggghhhhhhh!

[4/10 · 22 June 2023]

I loved the previous movie and was really excited about this installment. Too bad it was all over the place.

An hour into the movie, I asked myself - "What is the story? What's the point of the movie?" This film slogs on for about 140 minutes and doesn't really get exciting until the last half hour or so. By the time I actually became interested in the plot, the movie throws a huge middle finger at the audience by abruptly ending (forcing a need for "Part 2").

I wouldn't have minded a two-part movie (so much) if it was clear prior to viewing. I wouldn't have been so annoyed at the unnecessary fluff in the movie. Actually, I take that back. They could have easily provided a full and comprehensive story in 140 minutes. This was purely a money grab stunt.

Indeed the art was fantastic, but I felt the styles were all over the place. I understand that they used different styles for the different versions of Spider-Man, but the changes occurred too frequently for my enjoyment. However, most of my stars are for the art work. I would have added more stars if the story wasn't such a mess.

Is this better than the first movie? I say no! I expected to rush out and buy this movie when it became available (like I did with the previous movie)...but I doubt I will.

If you don't mind a 140 minute "portion" of a movie, you'll probably enjoy yourself.

The Last of Us (2023– )

MEH! Does not live up to the hype!

[5/10 · 19 April 2023]

The over-exaggerated hype of this show is through the roof. I purchased a subscription to HBO just to watch "The Last of Us" and I was disappointed. Maybe because my expectations was set too high for the show.

I do not know anything about the game, so I can only judge the TV show.

I liked Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the Game of Thrones. I like Pascal in the Mandalorian (even though we don't actually see him much). However, I didn't like the two main characters in The Last of Us. Either of them could have died along the way and I wouldn't have cared.

A few of the episodes seemed to be filler, yet various details could have been explored further.

At the end of the final episode, I said, "Really?! That's how the season ended?" Ughhh! I doubt I'll pay attention to the hype of season 2 when it comes out. That's too bad because the show could have been very good.

M3GAN (2022)

Meh

[5/10 · 27 January 2023]

It's cheesy. It's predictable. Many of the elements have been done in other movies.

The creep factor for the doll is high (for me, since most dolls seem creepy), but the story itself needs a few more revisions.

Maybe if it would have kept an "R" rating, it would have been better.

Some of the characters seemed cartoonish. The neighbor, the Asian boss, the assistant, etc.

The young girl that played Cady did a fine job. She was the best within the movie.

I didn't expect a whole lot from this movie, but I had some time to kill. The movie starts out full of cheese and is predictable throughout the run time.

See it if you have nothing else to do.

Don't Worry Darling (I) (2022)

This movie is as empty as...

[3/10 · 29 November 2022]

...the eggs that Alice (Florence Pugh) broke with her hand.

This movie had a lot of potential. Florence Pugh did a great job. Chris Pine (Frank) was good (although his lines were mostly babble). Olivia Wilde (Bunny) was reasonably OK. Harry Styles (Jack) wasn't great, but I guess that worked for his character.

I saw the movie at home and watched half of it one day and the rest during the next day. (Life got in the way and I couldn't see the entire movie at one sitting).

After the first half, I was anxious to get back to the movie to see how everything wrapped up. Unfortunately, not many things really wrapped up in a satisfying manner (or at all).

There were too many plot holes and loose ends in this movie. For example, in the real world, Alice was a surgeon, but she and Jack had to live in a dingy apartment. Granted, Jack was out of work, but I'm sure Alice was doing well for the two of them...at least for awhile.

Jack (in the real world) seemed like a looser. He was hungry and couldn't even make himself something to eat because Alice didn't text him back. Really? Yet, somehow, later, Jack found a job that would make enough money to pay for his real apartment and the life he and Alice had in the simulation. Uggh. Why would anyone sign up for that?

Why did the script make Alice a surgeon? Wouldn't someone notice if she stopped coming to work all of a sudden? Was she going to be strapped to a bed for the rest of her life? How was her basic needs being taken care of? Who was constantly putting eye drops into her eyes all day long? Who was taking care of the other women in the simulation?

What was Frank's wife's motivation and knowledge throughout all the events within the movie. (I didn't care enough about her to remember her character's name). Wasn't she also strapped to a bed somewhere?

When Frank's wife killed Frank and Alice killed Jack, it seems that the women would still be strapped to a bed with no way to escape (since their husbands are dead in the real world...for some plot device reason).

Did Alice really get out of the simulation at the end? A lot of people think so, but it could have gone either way. Perhaps she gasped because she was caught by the red jumpsuit people. Perhaps she gasped because she was still strapped to a bed. I don't know and unfortunately, I don't care!

Too many things were repetitive throughout the movie. Also, too many things are introduced but not explained properly.

If the "twist" would have been written better, this could have been a very good movie. Too bad the last 30-minutes is so disappointing.

If you feel the need to see this movie, watch the first half and make up your own ending in your head. It will be more satisfying!

Amsterdam (2022)

This movie is OK, but not great.

[6/10 · 31 October 2022]

I wanted to see this movie because of the cast. They did a fine job.

I liked most of the main characters, so that's a plus.

It was a nice departure from the typical shoot-em up, car chase, buildings blowing up type of a movie.

I went into this movie expecting a crime drama...and it is...kind of, but the ending leans heavily on a political conspiracy instead.

I understand that some of this movie is based on actual events, but I felt the script was more confusing than it needed to be.

This movie could have shaved 30 minutes or so from the run time and told a better story. It slogged on during too many places.

This is a movie that needs more than one viewing to appreciate it fully. My review is based on a single viewing. However, I doubt I'll rewatch it any time soon.

Smile (V) (2022)

If you've seen the trailer, forget the movie.

[3/10 · 25 October 2022]

Anything you "need" to see is in the trailer.

None of the main characters were likable. I don't know why, but I didn't like Rose. I really disliked her boyfriend. Everyone else was pretty bland.

The movie is extremely predictable. As soon as I saw the cat, I knew it was a goner. When the kid opened his present, you knew what was coming.

The ending was easy to guess, but then there was a "fake out." I thought, "Oh, I guessed that wrong. That's good!" However, to align with everything else in the movie, the script took a predictable turn back to my initial thoughts.

I was looking forward to this movie, but when it was over, I realized I should have been satisfied with the trailer.

This is a movie that could have been good, but wasn't...for many, many reasons.

Barbarian (2022)

First Act is good. The rest is garbage!

[3/10 · 25 October 2022]

It seems that three different people had unfinished scripts and someone stapled the pages together and decided to make a movie from the result. Unfortunately, the result is "Barbarian."

What or who is "Barbarian?" I have no idea! I didn't know much about the movie, but I saw some positive reviews, so I took a chance. Apparently, the people who really liked this movie are either paid reviewers or have never seen another movie before.

I liked Tess and the tension between her and Keith.

After Keith meets "The Mother," the movie takes a sharp fall off a tall cliff and lands on jagged rocks below. Any sort of impact the scene had with Keith and "The Mother" was immediately destroyed by the next scene. After that, the movie never recovered.

It's annoying to see characters in horror films with super-human strength. "The Mother" literally ripped a person's arm off and beat him with it. Apparently, she can also leap from tall heights without any problem. You would think that she would be malnourished and frail. Noooooooo!

It's also annoying to see bumbling cops that disregard an obvious problem while scoffing at a victim.

The fact that the AirBB house looked reasonably decent in a run down, crack house neighborhood is ridiculous. I doubt the house was rented out constantly, so I'm sure squatters would have overtaken the house at some point.

IMDB states in its Trivia section, "Although not officially credited in any way, Jordan Peele was an invisible hand in shaping the eventual story." If I would have known that, I wouldn't have seen the movie. I dislike the crap movies that Peele is involved with.

Save yourself the frustration and skip this sad excuse of a horror movie.

Stargate Universe (2009–2011)

Could have been great...

[3/10 · 3 September 2022]

...but it wasn't.

Maybe the writers expected a third season or a movie after the series concluded. I don't know. If that's the case, I can give the writers some slack. However, as it is, the ending to the series was frustrating (at best).

My initial rating (after Season 1) was five stars. I dropped it down to three stars after seeing the horrible ending to the story.

The show had potential to be one of the better SciFi shows out there. The only reason I stuck around as long as I did was to see what Destiny's "destiny" actually was. I thought they were going to uncover the secrets of the Universe or the origins of the Universe or something interesting. NOPE!!! Not even close. Instead we watched a lot of plot points that went nowhere.

I'll admit that Season 2 was better than Season 1. The stories were (mostly) better. Some of the unlikeable characters at first became more likable as time went on.

I was hoping for a big payoff at the end of the show. Instead, I yelled at the TV - "That's it!? That's how it ends!?

There were a lot of plot points that were too convenient, such as a newly refurbished shuttle.

Too many episodes in Season 2 were "filler." What was the point of having a reunion with the crew that stayed behind on the planet, only to watch them die one-by-one? Why did we care about the massive amount of data that was transferred to Destiny, if they didn't really use it? What was the point of Ginn and Amanda's consciences being uploaded to the ship's computer if it didn't really serve a purpose (with the exception of almost trapping Rush in a virtual world)?

Speaking of Ginn, I cared more for her (even though she was only on the show a short time) than I did for Chloe throughout the two seasons. Chloe was somewhat interesting when she was part alien, but then that went away. Sure, she could calculate complex equations, but so could Rush and Eli. Chloe is a main character that should have been a secondary character. If she was left behind on a planet, I wouldn't care.

Here's my thoughts for the series overall:

• It's a nice departure from the cookie cutter episodes of SG-1 and Atlantis.

However...

• Many of the characters were either miscast or somewhat unlikeable:

• "Agent May" (I don't care enough to know her character's actual name on this show) was frustrating. I liked her in AGENTS of SHIELD, but I didn't care for her on this show.

• I didn't like the medic lady at first, but she got better. The ALS plot point was useless, however. Also, her baby was another useless plot point.

• I really didn't like Greer at first. He got better over time.

• I liked the Colonel at first. (One of the few on the show). However, when he left Rush behind, my opinion dropped a few pegs for him. Even so, he's still one of the few characters that didn't constantly annoy me.

• Most of the other people were background characters that I neither liked or disliked.

• On SG-1 and Atlantis, most of the characters worked towards a common goal. On SG-U, everyone seems to have their own agenda. It's not a cohesive crew at all. Granted, I know circumstances with the story forced the crew to be that way, but it's exhausting watching the characters move in different directions (to their own detriment). Sure, they seemed to pull a rabbit out of a hat by the end of each episode, but too much conflict is way too much!

• I didn't like some of the ways they used the transference stones. I liked that it's a clever way to explore some of the characters backstories. I disliked when the characters use the stones to meet loved ones and have sex. First, it's creepy for the person stuck on Earth to be making out with someone else's body. Second, the person who really "owns" the body is not giving his/her consent to the physical act, so it kind of like r@pe. They should have used the stones to "reasonably" interact with others on Earth or provide valuable information....but NO more!

To summarize - I would have liked the show much more if the main characters were more likable and if the journey really had a purpose. The ending was terrible.

The Invitation (II) (2022)

As far as this type of movie goes...

[6/10 · 31 August 2022]

...it's not bad, but it's definitely not great.

I found Evie to be an extremely annoying character. She's given an all expense paid "vacation" to England. Her new found cousin arranged for her to stay in a mansion, yet she complained about everything and (nearly) everyone.

Granted some of the people she met were off-putting, but you would think she attempt to be somewhat tolerate...at least at first. Nope!

Naturally, later on, Evie finds out that nothing is exactly as she expected, but at first, she should have been a little more grateful.

The "Lord of the Manor" came to her room and tried to apologize and she was still fairly snarky. Maybe she was playing "hard to get." I don't know, but her acting abilities for this role were off.

I'm sure the "help" noticed other servants missing on a regular basis. Some had apprehensions of performing certain tasks. If so, why stay there doing a job that may cause you to mysteriously disappear? Maybe they were under a spell. It's not explained well.

Another key point that wasn't explained well was the backstory of the woman who hung herself. If she was a vampire, simply hanging herself wouldn't have killed her (unless she decapitated herself in the process).

The movie was too slow in several scenes. If more time was spent explaining more of the backstories or less time was spent with filler material, this would have been a better movie.

The ending is horrible. If the last scene was placed after the credits, I would have been upset to wait around to watch it. The movie would have been better off with the final scene cut.

The trailer gave too much away to the plot. Watch the trailer and then watch the movie when it comes on cable. It's not worth a trip to the theater.

Emily the Criminal (2022)

Good, but...

[6/10 · 26 August 2022]

...missed a few steps.

I like Plaza. I like the concept of the story.

However, I thought the story is a bit slow for the type of movie that it is.

I do not need high-speed car chases, explosions and helicopters falling from the sky, but I would have liked a little more action in this film.

I didn't feel much tension throughout the movie (even during the scenes that were meant to be tense). I didn't fear for Emily's safety very much. Granted, she ran into a few "situations" along the way, but the appropriate level of tension seemed to be lacking.

I wish that Emily had a different reason for turning to crime. I didn't sympathize with her as much as I could have.

Emily displayed an artistic gift, but didn't try very hard to use it. At first, she applied for a job dealing with medical records (or something like that). Then, her friend tried to get her a graphics design job that didn't pay money (at first), so that wasn't helpful.

Sure, Emily had some legal problems in the past, which prevented her from landing her "ideal" job, but surely she could have found a paying job that utilized her artistic talents more than the story led us to believe. This made her situation less sympathetic.

Her background and past legal problems could have been explored a little more. Maybe that would have made her problems more understandable.

If you like Aubrey Plaza, then see the movie...or wait until it's streaming.

Bullet Train (2022)

Fun ride

[8/10 · 24 August 2022]

Considering I recently saw Thor 4 and "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies", this movie is a masterpiece in comparison!

The characters were enjoyable. I'm not a huge Brad Pitt fan, but I liked him in this role.

The background stories were interesting. I liked how the story weaved everyone's past into the events that led them to be on the train.

A few parts were a little over the top; otherwise I would have given this a 9/10.

Good time. I'd see the movie again!

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

If you don't fit the specific demographic for this movie...

[2/10 · 24 August 2022]

...don't bother seeing it.

I absolutely do not fit the target audience for BodiesX3 and as a result, I hated the movie. I went to this film because I generally like horror/thriller/suspense movies. BBB wasn't any of that!

From my perspective:

Every single character was annoying and unlikeable. So much to the point that I wanted the entire cast to drown in the pool or get struck by lighting (early on in the movie).

None of the couples had any realistic chemistry between each other.

I almost walked out of the theater before the game even started.

Some people might relate to the dialog in this film, but to me it seemed like most of the movie was adlibbed.

There was very little (if any) suspense or tension in the movie. Just a bunch of bratty, entitled 20 year olds screaming at each other and being moronic.

For most people - skip this movie.

The Black Phone (2021)

Good, but a little frustrating

[7/10 · 24 August 2022]

Note: I did not read the short story that this movie was based on.

The acting in this movie was good. Especially from the younger characters.

I was annoyed at the various methods that Finney could have gotten the upper-hand with "The Grabber". For example he could have used: the toilet tank lid, the tray that his food was served on, the dishes that his food was on, the glass bottles of soda, the grate in front of the window, the rope, a frozen piece of meat (to hit the grabber upside the head), the horns on "The Grabber's" mask, etc.

Granted, some of these items were used in an elaborate trap at the end, but any one of these items could have been used to escape much earlier. At one point, "The Grabber" was sleeping shirtless upstairs. Finney could have used a broken soda bottle and cut his throat or stabbed him in the chest.

Near the beginning, Finney is shown to be a pretty good athlete, but he is often picked on and is scared to fight back. I don't buy it. His "strong and fast arm" seemed only to serve the plot (much) later on.

The specific people that were his "friends" seem too convenient to the plot.

The detectives seem to be bumbling cartoon cops.

When Finney tried to escape the first time, he was recaptured way too quickly and easily.

Gwen was great in this movie. Probably the best of them all.

Good movie, but it missed the mark on several points.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Nearly a 2-hour SNL skit

[3/10 · 14 July 2022]

...Well, maybe not SNL-esque throughout the full length of the movie, but most of the film was a (poorly delivered) "comedy."

During the first scene, I wondered if I was in the right theater, because it had more of a serious tone than many of the other Marvel movies. Unfortunately, shortly after Gorr encountered his god, the seriousness tone disintegrated immediately and the movie launched into full ludicrous mode.

I rolled my eyes too often. The "jokes" came zooming by too often. Guns & Roses music was used too often. The goats screamed (way) too often.

There's too much that should have been shown, but occurred off screen. (Gorr killing various gods, for example). I often wanted more from the movie and also wanted the movie to end quickly at the same time.

At one point, I thought..."I wish I was more tired, so I could take a short nap during this movie." That's not good.

I like Taika Waititi, but he needed to switch to decaf on this project. He turned the knob past 11 to 374, (Take that Spinal Tap).

This movie was silly and stupid throughout the majority of its run time. Maybe watch this on TV when nothing else is on.

Jessica Jones (2015–2019)

Started off great...

[6/10 · 19 February 2022]

...and went downhill from there.

I really liked Season 1 and David Tennant. However, the next two seasons were difficult to sit through.

I liked Jessica, Tina (season 1), Malcom (season 1 and part of 2), Det. Costa and Luke Cage.

However, Jeri took up waaaaaaaaaay too much screen time. Her character could have be reduced to a few episodes and the stories would have been much better. I didn't care about her at all. I suppose we were suppose to feel sorry for her when she found out that she had ALS, but at that point I just wanted her to go away. I groaned EVERY TIME she was on the screen, which was a lot. (And I like Carrie-Anne Moss).

I didn't like Simpson, so I'm glad that they didn't bring him back towards the end.

I didn't like Tina's Mom, so her end didn't bring the emotion that the writers probably wanted.

Erik seemed annoying as well. They could have picked someone else to play the role.

Malcom went off the rails mid-way through Season 2. I'm not sure why they made a likable character the jerk he turned into. Granted, he got better towards the end.

Like most shows, this started off with promise and ended in disappointment.

Runaways (2017–2019)

What happens when...

[2/10 · 13 January 2022]

...you mix a bunch of unlikeable characters, place them in unrealistic situations, throw in a dinosaur-like creature with very bad CGI and let the show simmer on lukewarm for three seasons?

The answer is..."Runaways"

There were only a few characters that I tolerated .

The love interests had no chemistry between them.

The premise of the first season was intriguing. The second season was horrible. The third season wasn't as bad as the previous season, but I was waiting for the final episode to be over. (Why, oh why, do I sit through garbage shows until the end?)

Every time the dino pet thing was on screen it was eye rolling. I kept thinking of Captain Kirk fighting the guy in the lizard suit. The main difference is that "Old Lace" looked like it was animated by a first grader. (A person in a cheap Halloween costume would have been a better choice).

This show is like that one relative that no-one wants to mention in public.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Forget the Red or Blue Pill...

[3/10 · 13 January 2022]

...This movie needs a cyanide pill instead.

This movie reinforced three things I already knew...

• A 4th Matrix was not needed.

• Studio executives care more about money grabbing cash cow sequels than they do about legitimate entertainment. (And to an extent, I get it, because businesses function by making money).

• Every single character that Jada Pinkett Smith plays is truly unlikeable by virtue of the way she acts.

The first Matrix movie was great. The next two Matrix movies were not anywhere near as good, but the 4th installment makes the last two look like Hollywood gold.

Resurrections (and the latest Spider-Man movie) consists of 95% nerdstalgia and 5% real substance. (I might be a little generous with that ratio). A few nods to previous work is fun and enjoyable, but it shouldn't be the driving force behind the story.

Speaking of "the story"...what really was the story? Whatever is was surely wasn't thought through very well.

I was really looking forward to this movie, so I stayed away from most of the details. Unfortunately, this movie is a huge middle finger to Matrix fans and audiences in general.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Uggghhh!

[2/10 · 10 January 2022]

First, I do not know anything about this story (through books, etc.) except for the recent TV series on Amazon Prime.

Second, I normally like this type of fantasy/adventure show.

The hype for Wheel of Time was sufficient enough for me to be interested. However, I found myself suffering through eight episodes of this mess (my fault), in the hopes that the show would get better. Unfortunately, it did not.

• The script/story was confusing and uninteresting.

• (Most of) the actors did not fit their intended roles. Different/better actors might have helped.

• I didn't care about the majority of the characters (especially most of the main characters). If I don't care about the characters, it doesn't matter (to me) if the characters lived, died, fulfilled their quest/purpose, etc.

• The dialog was awful.

• (Most of) the effects were cheesy.

I generally dismiss ratings of 1 or 10 stars, so I try not to use the extreme values myself. However, I really wanted to give this show fewer stars.

It had potential, but didn't live up to any of it.

I won't waste my time (or patience) with another season of this mess of a show.

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Good movie, but...

[7/10 · 24 December 2021]

...it drags on too loooooong!

Overall, it's a good story, great sets, good acting, but it could have been about 40 minutes shorter.

I'm not sure why film makers today feel they need to make every movie an epic. I appreciate good character development, but I feel this movie could have been a lot shorter and still told the same story. Keep the fluff for extras on the DVD/Blu-Ray/4K disc.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The best part of this movie is...

[4/10 · 22 December 2021]

...the end credit teasers.

I know, I know. I shouldn't expect so much from a comic book movie, but I wanted more. I wanted better.

This is a very big "fan boy" movie, so I understand why so many people are gushing over it. However, for me I found it:

• boring
• way too long
• not very funny
• lacking an interesting plot
• too many "villains" for one movie
• having really bad CGI (in some parts)

The audience clapped every time (insert some character from a past movie) appeared on screen. That's fine, but that shouldn't be the whole substance of the movie.

I liked the scenes with Dr. Strange more than the scenes with Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Dr. Strange isn't in the movie very much.

If you like a lot of call backs to other movies, then you'll love this film. If you want more than a surface-level story, then you may be wanting more after seeing this movie.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

If you saw the trailer...

[4/10 · 1 December 2021]

...and the after credit spots....and the last 15 minutes of the movie, you saw the best parts.

The problem is that you have to sit through this very long slog of a movie to see some of the best parts.

Watch the trailer and save yourself the time and expense of the rest.