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herpetologistkevin
Reviews
All-Star Superman (2011)
Poor if you don't know the comics
When you sit down to a movie, children or adult, live action or animated - you expect it to follow a logical sequence. This movie does not do that. It is bits and pieces of different stories thrown together hoping you'll follow along. Sort of like many McCartney songs. Now that I know the movie is following a multi-comic book story arc then the format is understandable but still does not make any sense as a stand-alone movie. From the basic premise that somehow Luthor could engineer some human into a fusion bomb, send a ship to the sun, know that Superman would rescue it thus get too much radiation is just silly. Some pieces are those with Samson are foolish and a little embarrassing to sit through. Others like the jail piece with Parasite while a little silly, especially how they stop him, is a little more serious as Parasite is seen killing police and criminals alike. Some pieces like the 2 from Krypton make no sense in the time frame of the movie. So let you youngest kids watch this but if you or your older children want a good storyline - there are better Superman and DC movies out there.
These Final Hours (2013)
Worth Watching
I've skipped over this for weeks on Netflix but tonight I decided to watch it. It was much better than I thought it was going to be.
I felt the atmosphere was good throughout most of the movie. A good mixture of the extremes and moderation you might find in this kind of situation. The cinematography was good with interesting tones for the sky and most scenes.
What I liked were the bits and pieces unexplained like what had happened to the father? What happened to that large family group in the end? If it was by agreement then why the haphazard positions of the bodies? What hit the earth? Why was there such a break in James' family? Pieces we likely didn't need but we wonder about.
What was lacking to me was the sense of distance. I don't know Perth or the places being mentioned but you have the feeling that there are long drives everywhere. Yet by the end of the movie you feel the first girlfriend sea side cottage, James' sister's house, his mother's, the party and Rose's aunt's are all not that far apart. Yet we seem to be spending much too much time in vehicles.
Overall it was worth watching. Always nice to see a movie set somewhere you don't know and with actors you don't recognize. Overall the acting was good including the actress who played Rose - except she needs to practice her crying.
No sappy ending.
Painkillers (2015)
OK - good TV
Not bad but it feels like an overlong episode of the new Outer Limits. Not surprising as the latter was filmed in Canada often with Canadian actors in Canadian settings - as was this movie. It's not one of those amazing Outer Limits episodes that stay with you but one that's not bad. Enough twists to keep you interested. The actors have been doing their craft for years so they're good at it. Penikett and Feore both act as they do in most things. The two female leads were more animated and their roles were actually better than the star. Durance was Durance in a very small role. I did like the outdoor winter shots as they weren't faked and filmed in the Badlands around Drumheller, AB. Studio shots were dull, dark and limited. Again the feel of a TV show and not a movie. In fact I wonder if this wasn't anticipated as a pilot for a TV show. It plays it safe aiming for a TV audience. The ending (spoiler) has a voice over of 6 more spheres and they want the Penikett character. So not a sequel for one movie but a series - but more TV than movie. So if you watch it as you would a TV episode then you likely will enjoy it.
Deadpool (2016)
Excellent
I knew who Deadpool was but had never read much about him. I would have gone and seen it regardless but the marketing with the various ads and trailers convinced me to go sooner than later. Even if you don't like superhero movies, and Deadpool would be the first to tell you he isn't a superhero, this is still a fun movie to go see if you're not a kid. "Happy International Woman's Day". The injokes and pop culture references are almost non stop. I can't wait to see it on DVD just so I can make sure I caught them all. Even the appearance of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are great as they are different (aka minor) superheroes who are much more interesting than the heroes who have their own movies. You have to like some sophomoric humour to get through parts of this but it is worth it. While I didn't think there were gaps in the storyline, I think when we see the DVD version, I wouldn't be surprised if we flesh out some of the story. He was away for 2 years but it doesn't seem that way.