Lonestar55 Reviews

Stuber (2019)

Blah, skip it...

[2/10 · 14 January 2020]

This movie suffers from a terrible script, terrible acting, overt cliches, unlikable characters, unfunny, juvenile, corny, and and even mean-spirited humor (that is if one even call it humor in the first place).

As I appreciate the attempt to bring back the buddy cop sub-genre that was inherent in the 80's and 90's this was the poorest attempt at it yet. This was as far off base as Let's Be Cops. There is literally no chemistry between Vic and Stuber. They establish zero commonground, they have literally nothing in common, they only become friends out of convenience and survival but no other reasons as they never have any laughs together or anything. Worst of all they both are way too unlikable to care about. They are just 2 one-dimensional odd couple cliche partners.

Overall, this movie is pointless, has lame villains, has lame, one-dimensional and decidedly unlikable heroes with zero chemistry of any kind, the humor is way too violent, corny, childish, and mean-spirited, the only good performance was by Dave Bautista and everyone else was terrible, they dust off just about every cop movie cliche that is humanly possible and not in a clever way either.

...Also the action scenes are both bland and fake looking.

Chinatown (1974)

Just about perfect..

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

Watching Chinatown again recently, it struck me that it is just about perfect. All the elements of film-making were performed here at an extraordinarily high level, and the result is one of the most satisfying movies...EVER!

Chinatown is THE standard against which period mysteries must be measured. Start with the wonderful script by Robert Towne. His plot, characters and dialogue entertain and intrigue us and the film's brilliant central metaphor, Chinatown, reveals, conceals and resonates long after the credits roll.

Next, people the story with a terrific cast led by Jack Nicholson, who despite his worldliness is in way-over-his-head without knowing it. Faye Dunaway as the fragile femme fatale, Evelyn Mulwray, and John Huston as one of the most memorable villains in moviedom as the rich & powerful, ruthless yet seemingly benign, Noah Cross.

Brilliant director with an equally gifted cinematographer, Roman Polanski was an inspired choice to direct this film. Polanski is adept at creating tension and dread on film. Chinatown's great success is in the atmosphere and tension and ominous feel of foreboding that overlays the film. Chinatown succeeds because its mystery is actually mysterious, its story complex, its secrets genuinely surprising.

Chinatown is beautiful and meticulous. And the music score is so good that it has been imitated MANY times in Chinatown wannabes. Chinatown is about as good as Hollywood can do, meeting both entertainment and craftsmanship of filmmaking at such a high standard that it raises the result to the level of art.

Chinatown is a brilliantly unique story and a masterpiece we all have recognized from its initial release. A timeless film that should not be missed. A GREAT film!

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Delightfully deranged film..

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

I loved this movie when it first came out and I watched PeeWee's Playhouse religiously every Saturday.......the '80's were a wonderful time to be a young adult!

Only Pee Wee Herman could have pulled this one off, he was marvelous as an adult sized kid on an adventure to retrieve his stolen bike. Definitely a film to keep on the shelf for when kids or grandkids come to visit, it is nearly two hours long and action packed, no dull moments. Rapid fire surprises and laugh after laugh, adults will enjoy watching this with the kids! A sure bet to entertain a group of kids!!

Really, the joys of parenting and getting older are terribly under-rated...anyone who says that your'20's are the best time of your life is soooooooo wrong! Your'40's are twice as good and the rediscovery and sharing of a treasure from my young years with a whole new generation is proof of that.

I think this movie has aged well due to its retro look at the time it was released. Tim Burton is a genius and I have long ago forgiven Paul Rubens for any indiscretions. My next purchase will probably be PeeWee's Playhouse, Season 1; someone needs to learn all about Cowboy Curtis, Jambi, Miss Yvonne, and The Secret Word.

Cross: Rise of the Villains (2019)

This belongs in the garbage bin...

[1/10 · 11 January 2020]

I watched the movie after seeing the trailer, unsure if the movie was real. What a joke. This is the worst movie I've seen in a very long time. This Hollywood-ized version of a comic book is just a soulless money-grab.

From a filmmaking perspective, its awful. The writing, directing, stunts, special effects, and the acting are all TERRIBLE! Every action scene seems to drag on forever and are VERY boring. Completely humorless, dialogue uninteresting, and distracting plot holes.

I'm only giving this movie a 1 star because I can't give it ZERO STARS... Please save yourself the trouble by not wasting money on this movie and if you can watch it for free, just stab your eyes with a fork. Sony and the film makers should be embarrassed to have their name attached to this groan-inducing train wreck of a movie.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

Way too over the top..

[3/10 · 11 January 2020]

The movie was OVERDONE with too much forced action, too much. Too many unreal scenarios. This entire story line felt forced and it showed throughout the entire movie. The movie becomes completely sci fi and it treats the two leads as superheroes. I couldn't finish it in one sitting.

This movie was incredibly cheezy and brainless. The story made no sense at all. It's like it was written by a bad script algorithm. I liked the banter between the characters in Fate of the Furious, but the writers tried way too hard this time around. All the decent parts are overshadowed by the ridiculous action. Overall, I was disappointed with this.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Turn off the brain, turn up the volume and watch the impossible...

[7/10 · 11 January 2020]

A really good follow-up film to M.I. Fantastic choreography and stunt work including possibly the fastest and most painful car chase ever, and a brutal and elegant knife fight.

Long stretches of directorial brilliance and solid editing give you peeks into things you usually don't see but never enough to ruin the pounce or the sting. Good story, great scoring and a wonderful new characters. So much fun!

The Final Girls (2015)

A++ Super underrated film...

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

I can't recommend this movie enough...

Stylish, creative, inventive, funny, and with some outstanding performances, The Final Girls is an excellent addition to the horror/comedy genre. Very original and unlike the SCREAM movie - all the unique ideas were amazingly creative. Something that gives more of a shout-out to other '80s slashers, not just the summer camp subgenre.

I do hope these folks make a sequel, which is promising given the trope ending, which I won't spoil.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

It is great entertainment...

[9/10 · 11 January 2020]

I thought this movie was excellent. It's hard to describe to someone who hasn't watched it yet, but it's a developing story you follow along. Dramatic but definitely not soapy.

Based on a true story, the characters were well-developed and the acting was fantastic. Sam Rockwell was so good at playing a despicable character and McDormand really stands out with excellent performances.

Many films struggle with credibility, logic, and pacing, but this one did not. At no point in the movie is the dialogues obvious and story predictable. This film kept me on the edge of my seat and blew my mind at least a half dozen times.

The Prestige (2006)

Great Movie...

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

Christopher Nolan, who brought us the Dark Knight re-boot of Batman, as well as Inception in recent years wrote/produced/directed this brilliant film about two magicians and the deadly consequences of their professional and personal rivalries.

The cast is flawless, well-paced, and the use of flashbacks very effectively ties together a complex story that resolves itself in a most satisfying ending that will no doubt surprise the first-time viewer.

This is a fantastic film with a wonderfully twisty story, incredible acting, and excellent period detail. Every piece of the puzzle creates a simply tasteful and complex story between two men plagued by an obsession to be the greatest, blinding each to the other.

RED (2010)

It's a Blast!

[9/10 · 11 January 2020]

10 years old but still a very fun movie to watch. When I see promos for movies with a cast of huge actors all coming together for a shock-and-awe action flick, I usually get nervous because the actors themselves have to cover up for a lackluster plot. However, this movie really delivers.

Bruce Willis is in excellent form in both the action and the comedy aspects of his character. John Malkovich's comedy timing is amazing and steals pretty much every scene he's in.

RED is not an Oscar contender, and has absolutely no pretense of making a statement or considering itself high art. It's a blast nonetheless. This movie leaves you feeling happy and satisfied. Highly recommend.

Doom: Annihilation (2019)

From the same director as Soccer Dog: The movie...

[1/10 · 11 January 2020]

I had no clue that this movie could be this bad. It's just awful.

I didn't expect perfection but this is as bad or worse than most SciFi channel productions. Terrible acting, terrible props, and the CGI looks like it was done in 1999. The whole movie is honestly a waste of money.

Why was there so much damn story? Literally all someone needs to do to make a good DOOM movie is start with a Space Marine in the prison on Mars, bad things happen, he gets out, and he fights his way to the end of the movie learning things along the way.

No redeeming qualities. This movie was beyond terrible, don't waste your time.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

This movie could've been good...

[4/10 · 11 January 2020]

This movie could've been good. The overall story was ok and the imagery was excellent, but the acting was awful! The main characters' interactions, especially their "love story," was so forced it was painful. Zero chemistry between the lead actress and actor.

Visually unparalleled, lots of visual eye candy effects in this one.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

This film gets off to a slow start but once the story picks up, it's excellent.

[8/10 · 11 January 2020]

The Skeleton Key is a supernatural thriller, rather than a horror film, and it is based deep in Louisiana. It's especially great for those who don't like excess gore/sex, good for families with older kids who want a good horror movie.

Overall, the story is well written and superbly directed. It is satisfyingly entertaining and engaging with a wonderful ending.

It Chapter Two (2019)

Skip it...

[3/10 · 11 January 2020]

The second film adapting Stephen King's horror novel ''It'' has rather disappointing. It was a 3 hour movie, that was jam packed with stuff.... Yet if felt like nothing happened.

Considering the child actor's effort in the first film I think the adult actors as a team have failed to keep the charm. The second one didn't really do anything for me in terms of being scary like the first did. However that is not to discredit the amazing work of Bill Skarsgard, he was great in both movies.

There were too many moments of comic relief which made it feel not so much like a horror movie and more like a slapstick. Too much CGI and too many jumps between plot points that arent played out.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

Don't read too much on the film before seeing it...

[7/10 · 11 January 2020]

I liked it good enough. It was entertaining, had some good comedy, it surprised me a handful of times, and I liked how smart and resourceful Grace was. I wish we explored more of the mansion, though. With how much of a focus there was on hidden passageways in the beginning, I thought we would see more of that when Grace was actually hiding. I wanted more hiding, and less "running into a room, getting caught, running to the next room."

The movie was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it would be, nor did I find it very scary. The movie wasn't bad, but it had the potential to be so much more. It felt like the movie was made around the idea of having this badass chick in a wedding dress, going ham on people, and the story kind of just came second.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

It's a pretty fun, easy 2 hours

[9/10 · 11 January 2020]

I really like a good mystery/thrillers. Just watched Murder on the Orient Express (2017) last night. I really really liked it!

I'm not sure how close it mirrored the novel (I think it was a novel first right?), the detective character was incredibly well done and fun. I loved all the characters they had and how the movie was like watching a play. It also kept me super attached watching it as I was trying to figure out how the murder was done.

Good Boys (2019)

Better then I expected...

[7/10 · 11 January 2020]

I would have never gone out of my way to see this movie but I watched it on a plane, I'm glad I did. Plenty of laughs if you think children cursing and talking about adult subjects is funny.. I guess I do!

It's kind of like a younger Super Bad.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Didn't know what to expect...

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

Very fun, heartfelt, comedy set in WW2. The movie was fantastic! Taika Waititi made a completely original comedy during an era of sequels, prequels, and comic book movies. I will highly recommend this movie to anyone I can find!