irishboy141 Reviews

Gran Turismo (2023)

Very solid racing movie

[7/10 · 24 January 2024]

This is a standard sports movie and a very good one. Classic underdog plot. The racing scenes are excellent and the 4K disc is fantastic and reference quality. The actors are great and trying, the lead kid was especially good. The writing is decent too and it's nice it acknowledges how dumb the idea of sim drivers sounds. It was interesting research learning that this was a thing for 6 or so years.

Definitely give this movie a shot, it's solid, fun, and refreshing. It's nice watching a grounded/realistic car/racing movie after all the Fast and Furious garbage we get force-fed year after year.

Single White Spenny (2011– )

Awful and embarrassing

[1/10 · 1 October 2023]

This show is as bad as original sin and about as funny as the Nuremberg trials.

I put it on as background noise and even then it was grating & awful. Spenny isn't funny here (or most places), the show is written poorly, and the side characters have nothing to work with (although they all try).

Back to Spenny; I hate singling him out, but he's the writer, creator, and major creative force behind the show and the buck stops with him. The show isn't bad because it's not KvS or whatever, it's bad because it's not funny.

Skip this abomination and watch something worthwhile; like White Chicks, Gotti, or Agro Dr1ft. You know, something with depth.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Siege of AR-558 (1998) Season 7, Episode 8

Probably the darkest & grittiest episode of Star Trek

[10/10 · 10 July 2021]

This episode was both suffocating and extremely dark, almost too much. The violence itself isn't that gory or over the top, quite the opposite, It's down & dirty & pretty realistic. The fact that the director was a Vietnam Veteran puts the episode into context, because this whole episode feels like it could've been plucked right out of the war.

The episode & ending battle is almost too much, too intense, too hopeless. Which is precisely why it works. The horrors of war spares no one when you're in the fray, be it your mind, body, or soul, a least one piece of them will be left on the battlefield.

Cure (1997)

Fan-freakin-tastic

[9/10 · 6 June 2021]

No clue what the hell I just witnessed, but I loved it and can't wait to watch it again.

It reminded me (in a good way) of Exorcist III, Se7en, Don't Look Now, and a dash of Hereditary.

Phenomenal film.

I Am Woman (2019)

Bland, boring, and fake empowering. Mrs. Reddy deserved better

[4/10 · 9 May 2021]

Very standard, a movie that meets bare minimums and not much more. I really wish there was some style to the direction, or the editing, or the script. All the "empowerment" stuff is SO on the nose. I realize sexism in the 60s & 70s was extremely common, but most of the men in here behave like cartoonish 6th graders.

I wanted something of 'Mad Men' quality, but I got something more akin to 'The Playboy Club' (a show no one remembers and that was cancelled before the 1st season ever aired.)

First Cow (2019)

Beautiful & Glourious small scale story

[8/10 · 3 October 2020]

Fantastic, beautiful, slow paced, filled with memorable characters, great directing/cinematography, interesting editing, and a suprising amount of depth.

I don't think this is the greatest movie ever made, but it's a fabulous work of art that deserves to be seen & appreciated. I loved how slow and chill the experience was, it was a refreshing experience to just unwind and let a film work it's magic without 7 million cgi explosions blowing out your eye sockets.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Profit and Lace (1998) Season 6, Episode 23

Not the worst episode

[7/10 · 14 September 2020]

I don't know why people consider this the worst episode. It was fine and lighthearted, nothing great but not insulting either.

The Old Guard (2020)

Interesting concept, so-so execution

[4/10 · 23 July 2020]

Charlize Theron makes this movie watchable and does what she can with the material. Kiki Lane was good as well, and the actors in the main group do a fine job.

The things that hold this movie back are a terrible generic villian, a predictable story, boring direction, basic editing, out of place music, and the general lack of a personality. (Also the ending is shamelessly sequel baiting)

I don't really recommend this one folks. If there is a sequel and they get a good director then that would be interesting, but for this movie, I give a meh/10

Red Joan (2018)

Bland as watching white bread

[2/10 · 9 May 2020]

The direction/editing/acting/music/cinematography/set design has no style or substance, so it becomes an extremely tedious/boring movie to watch within the first 5 seconds.

This movie's main problem is it's unending blandness. It extends to every aspect of the film. The characters have no character, the story seems woefully inaccurate to real history, and the sets seem very cheap and soundstage-esque (hardly any extras are in a set at a given time).

I really don't like how boring and one note all the characters are. For example the main character is a scientist, she gets hired to work on England's atomic bomb project (it's even sold to her as a "super bomb"), she's excited and jumps aboard, but then decides a year or two later that a super bomb will kill people and that we should share it with the Soviets.

The real person this is based on was a true believer in communism from her college years and was a knowing agent from the start. She didn't just decide randomly out of the blue to leak info to the Soviets. Because she was a real complex person who knew what she was doing, not some one dimensional bland weirdo who doesn't think anything through.

Skip this, it's not even worth the review I just wrote about it.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zuko Alone (2006) Season 2, Episode 7

One of my favorite episodes

[10/10 · 16 April 2020]

Avatar is one of my favorite shows, containing unparallelled maturity, humor, dealing with heavy subjects, and containing severalof the best character archs ever written.

This episode is more of a standalone one off about Zuko drifting through a rural earth kingdom village (It's very reminiscent of old westerns).

Zuko's interactions with common people and the reveal of his childhood/relationship with his mother was heartbreaking and explains alot. He's such a complex and interesting character, the voice acting and writing is excellent.

Everything is perfect and ends about as tragically as you'd expect.

Unlocked (I) (2017)

Borne for Dummies

[2/10 · 3 April 2020]

This movie is generic and sin and has nothing going for it. The acting ranges from bland to passable, everything else sucks. Most noteabley the direction and editing.

The direction has no substance or style to it, the movie looks like a generic medicine commerical.

The editing is poor, especially during the action scenes. Is it as bad as Taken 2/3 or Catwoman? No. But it's on par with other generic Borne rip offs where the cutting is too quick and cutting to the same subject when it's needless.

There's a scene where the main woman sheilds a guy then escorts him out of a door, and it cuts three times in a second (all cuts focus on the main woman).

Another weird choice involves a brief flash back to "Paris 2012" while the main woman punches a punching bag. During the flash back text saying, "Paris 2012" appears. But 5 minutes later when the CIA are talking about our main hero, they mention she helped during the Paris 2012 terror attack. The redundant information is both needless and confusing.

This is pretty bad and generic, skip it.

Badland (I) (2019)

Generic and boring

[2/10 · 30 March 2020]

I hate modern made westerns like this because they give all modern westerns a bad name. While quality genre fims like No Country for Old Men, Wind River, Hell or High Water, Hostiles, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Etc. are good movies in their own right, they represent an evolution/deconstruction of the genre that (in theory) should propell the western into new themes and new lessons for our new time.

But movies like this is just generic crap chasing Clint Eastwood's coattails that became stale and boring over 40 years ago.

Oh and the plot is boring as hell too, a bounty hunter plot involving hunting war criminals... never seen that before... and the dialoge is terrible! There's SO much exposition, and the music is the most hand holdy/overbearing I've heard in a long time. I hate it and I'm never gonna think about it again.

Props to the costume artist though, good job.

Aftermath (IV) (2017)

Hindered by boring direction and editing

[5/10 · 26 March 2020]

The acting in this movie is very good, everyone is trying and giving it their all.

Unfortunately this movie is hindered by it's bland direction and basic editing. It's not shot with any style or substance, it's seems like a series of shot-reverse-shots (like a Star Wars prequel). Consequently it makes the movie feel boring and too long.

Also I'm a little hazey on the morality of the movie. The guy who "caused" the accident was genuinely sorry for what happened and suffered in his own way as well, it was all a horrible accident. *spoiler ahead, skip to last paragraph*

Yet he still get's the book thrown at him by Arnold's character due to poor timing since his family was around. I feel like he would have apologized without the feeling that his family was threatened.

All in all, it's okay. But I don't think I'm gonna remember it or watch it again.

The Call of the Wild (2020)

Creepy CGI dog ruins the movie.

[3/10 · 2 March 2020]

Do the filmmakers know that not only Dogs are real, they're easily trained and very emotive? Could you imagine them doing a remake of Airbud but with a fake CGI dog? It'd be a big disaster.

I don't mean to keep hammering on the special effects (as I'm sure a lot of work went into them), but the dog just doen't look real. If you can't connect with the dog in your dog then you have a really big problem.

Harrison Ford is okay, he seems to be trying so that's nice.

The direction is pretty standard, but the cinematography looks decent, even beautiful at times.

Overall I can't really recommend it. It's very standard and predictible, and I just couldn't connect with the CGI dog.

Long Shot (2019)

Cute, but predictable.

[5/10 · 29 February 2020]

The main positive is Seth Rogan, he's really funny and has good lines. Him and Charlize Theron's chemistry is also pretty good.

The rest of the cast is fine and perfectly servicable.

The main thing that took me out of the movie was it's direction... it's so boring! It's shot like a dentist commercial, always flat, overlit, and uninteresting. The editing is also boring, there're LOTS of typical shot-reverse shot scenes and it's very played out and tedious.

I wish the story took more risks, as is I could see the plot coming from a mile away because we've seen it a million times. Guy gets girl out of his league, they fall in love, have to separate at the end of the second act, then reunite for a happy BS hollywood ending.

As is, it's cute and meh. I'll probably never watch it again, but it's an okay movie to watch on a lazy day if nothing else is on.

Gretel & Hansel (2020)

I thought it was pretty great

[8/10 · 4 February 2020]

I don't understand the mountains of mediocre/negative reviews. Gretel & Hansel is a damn fine slow-burn horror movie.

The actors all have great chemistry, the direction and look of the film is spectacular/very creative, and there are legitimately creepy visuals.

Does it have any flaws? If I were to nitpick, I guess some of the dialogue feels a bit odd and out of place with the period it's in. Also the movie didn't go as dark or as F'd up as I wanted it to.

Still it's a really good movie and deserved a better release. It's not the typical "horror movie so bad they dumped it in January" it's a legitimately good movie that the Studio had no faith in. Give it a shot.

Cats (2019)

The best horror movie since 2018's Hereditary.

[1/10 · 24 December 2019]

This film is truely a masterpeice in unintentional horror. The effects are so special I'm going to have nightmares for weeks to come. Why they didn't just dress the actors in costumes and makeup I have no idea, either the filmmakers are lazy or someone wanted to push the boundries of visual effects. Cats pushes those effects right off a cliff into the uncanny valley. The design and look is freakin disgusting.

I never saw the stage musical, so I didn't know what I was in for. This movie that has no plot, it's just a bunch of random cats introducing themselves. I tried to enjoy it as a so-bad-it's-good cringefest, but the lack of plot and the terrible effects make it impossible.

If you can't even look at the screen without feeling annoyed & disgusted, it's impossible to enjoy it in anyway.

Thanks Tom Hooper.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Christmas Who? (2000) Season 2, Episode 8

One of my favorite Christmas specials

[10/10 · 7 December 2019]

I remember watching this episode a million times as a kid. But I hadn't scene it for at least a decade before I revisited it on Amaxon Prime.

I'm happy to say it still holds up (like every episode from those first 3 seasons). The humor is still there, the funny bad effects with Patchy the pirate's segments, and obviously the 2D animation has aged flawlessly. Squidward's arch is neat and believable. The music was good.

As an adult it's a nice, short Christmas thing to watch (say if you just finished Bad Santa and it's almost bedtime, but you wanna stay up a bit longer). As a kid it's a must see.

The Polar Express (2004)

It's okay, but the animation hasn't aged well

[5/10 · 4 December 2019]

Watching this movie in 2019, I felt a disconnect between me and the film. The director seemed to be more interested in the "cutting edge" effects of the time that hasn't aged well. There are several Derpy kid faces, weird lip sync issues, and several creepy uncanny valley faces.

The story is taken from a children's story book, so I didn't expect very much. However there are several moments of obvious fluff scenes that exist simply to pad the running time. the scenes that come to mind are; the scene where we follow the ticket out the window and in the mouth of an eagle (I'm sure it was cool in IMAX at the time, but it didn't age well and doesn't hold a candle to the likes of the "How to Train your Dragon" series), the rooftop train scene, the entirety of the Hobo character, sneaking around the North Pole, the Caribou scene, and the train on ice scene. this movie could've been and maybe should've been a half hour HBO special.

Tom Hanks plays most of the characters and he carries this movie, the little black girl's singing was great, but her character design slipped into the uncanny valley several times.

Ironically the gimmick-y "motion tracking animation" is the very thing that holds the film back. Either it's character's are too creepy because they're real people's movements just overly animated, or it's really boring because of the character's stiff (realistic) movements.

I would love to have Dreamworks remake this movie more cartoony in the style of "How to train your Dragon" to make it more visually appealing and entertaining.

As is, it's fine.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

I don't mean to keep sucking this movie off, but......

[10/10 · 13 November 2019]

This is one of the most unique movies I've ever seen. I feel like an old timer saying this, but I've never seen anything quite like it. It balances horrifying visuals, tension, and genuinely funny comedy perfectly.

It has fantastic direction, beautiful cinematography, excellent set design, perfect costumes, and two powerhouse performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. I hope this movie picks up and gets Oscar buzz because it deserves nominations for sound editing, sound mixing, cinematography, editing, best actor, best supporting actor, best direction, best screenplay, and of course best picture.

I cannot recommend this enough, I don't mean to overhype it, but just go in blind and experience it. Even if you don't like horror/psychological thrillers, I still recommend it for it's unique craft and presentation. Movies like this rarely get made.

Grey's Anatomy: If/Then (2012) Season 8, Episode 13

Interesting idea, but should've been a 10 or 20 minute dream sequence in a normal episode.

[1/10 · 6 October 2019]

I love alternate history and thinking about "what could've been", but man it really didn't work in this case...

It's an interesting idea, and it could have worked if it was a part of some "It's a Wonderful Life" type plot. Maybe Meredith could have wished to have a different life because she has a bad day, she wakes up in this alternate reality, and eventually wishes to return.

As it is however, it's a worthless filler episode. Nothing in this episode has an effect on the rest of the series, and according to the synopsis it was literally all a dream.... so it was a complete waste of time.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

I was shocked by how boring this was.

[3/10 · 16 September 2019]

Like every John Wick film I went in wanting to love it, but a lot of things stacked up that made this a very boring, consequence free, pointless experience.

Lets talk about the pros first; The action is directed fine (a little static and flat for my tastes, but it's much better than quick cutting garbage), I liked Lawrence Fishburn, Asia Dillon, and Ian McShane, the stuntwork was really good, the cinematography was lovely, and John Wick's origins are hinted at (in an exposition heavy scene, but it was interesting enough).

Now the cons: John Wick himself isn't a good character, he seems to be an indestructible killing machine until the last 5 minutes of the film where they need to hook you in for the sequel.

I mentioned the action being directed ok, but when you have an indestructible character (with a bullet proof suit on) it makes all the action scenes extremely tedious. I just watch John kill wave after wave of faceless henchman waiting for it to be over and get back to what little character stuff there is. Also the action scenes go on for way too long, I remember yawning or checking my watch a few minutes into every action sequence. There are some shockingly bad effects in these action sequences, specifically three: 1. The scene in Casablanca where Hallie Berry is taking cover behind a pillar, bullets are chipping at her cover and the chipping effect looks so fake. 2. Any time a knife is stabbed into someone it's clearly faked with CGI, this was very distracting due to the amounts of knife attacks in this movie. 3. CGI BLOOD. I hate it when films use CGI blood and this is no exception. It's not gratuitous with it, but it still looks phoney as hell and took me out of the movie.

The acting is pretty mixed; Keanu has never been a great actor and he has very little to work with. Hallie Berry is pretty lackluster and phones in her acting (she's only in the movie for 5 minutes). Ian McShane is passable. The only actor I connected with and believed was Lawrence Fishburn as the Homeless king, he really knows how to chew the scenery. Asia Dillon was a neat new character and she was fun to watch exchange banter with Ian McShane.

Like I said I wanted to love it, but I can't igore all these glaring issues. I'm happy for you if you liked these, It just doesn't have the same effect on me.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Fantastic cocktail of a film

[10/10 · 13 September 2019]

This film really surprised me. I went in blind expecting a Hateful 8-esque shoot 'em up, but I got a very thoughtful and entertaining movie that plays out more like an Agatha Christie type mystery with a Charles Manson-esque cult and the crooked government of the 70s looming over everything.

I'm not going to spoil anything, just know the acting is great, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and the directing, cinematography, and set design is sublime. The pacing was also very good, I didn't feel the 2 and a hour runtime at all.

Give this a shot and you'll love it.

The Boys: Good for the Soul (2019) Season 1, Episode 5

A fantastic look at Superheroes in the real world, with satirical elements

[10/10 · 21 August 2019]

This is the best superhero show ever to air on TV/streaming.

It's a beautifully dark show that feels so fresh and current, despite being based on comics from 2006. It deals with themes of corporate greed, mob mentality, war crimes, revenge, superheros having egos and letting the fame get to their heads.

I don't want to spoil too much but one of the most interesting questions running through the series is, "How would an everyday schmuck like you or me get revenge on beings that are essentially Gods?" The answer(s) are super entertaining.

The acting all around is fantastic; Karl Urban (like usual) is amazing and steals the show as Butcher. Jack Quaid is great as Hughie, Antony Starr is legitimately scary as Homelander (he fills every scene with tension and anxiety). Erin Moriarty is so down to earth and real in her portrayal of StarLight. I could go on, just know that everyone from main to supporting is giving it their all.

The effects are incredible for a TV show, and serve the story perfectly because it's all so realistic and plausible.

Jay Bauman of Red Letter Media said something like, "This feels like what Zack Snyder tried to do with Man of Steel, except better." and he's absolutely right. It's an actual realistic portrayal of superheros in real life that has the balls to get really dark as well as absurd and hilarious at times. Watch it immediately.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Moo Moo (2017) Season 4, Episode 16

Decent and respectful

[9/10 · 6 August 2019]

This episode is the most serious and dark episode thus far, dealing with Terry being stopped by a cop outside his home when he's in civilian clothes (i.e. stopped for being black).

It has the normal obligatory humor with Amy and Nick having to babysit Terry's kids and explain racism to 7 year old. Which is good, but the real meat of the episode is Terry arguing with Holt on what to do and the repercussions of filing a complaint against the officer who stopped him. It gets very real and practical about picking which battles to fight, when to fight them, and the negative effects of doing the right thing.

It's nice to see this serious real life issue given justice in a comedic show, it didn't devolve into inappropriate/lame humor like most shows do as a cop out. The writer's weren't afraid to let the drama sit with you, it's not undercut by a random joke.