geoflix Reviews

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

How?? Part One

[1/10 · 24 December 2023]

How is it possible that so much energy and money could pour into time and space in order to compile as many thematic tropes as possible into One movie?

How could Zach Snyder convince people to invest in yet another retread of so many better stories told so much better?

The tropes! In the first 15 minutes!

The Opening Explanation..."Some Believe..." The ominous ship emerges from the void Plucky rebel refugee with Secret Past and Hidden Talents Wise sage shepherding the rebel Love triangle between...Brothers?!? No!

Hardy Nordic farm folk living quietly in peace until... "I can work into the night" Bagpipes and folk dancing Let's Reproduce! Festival!

You left the party early ?

Roasting spitbeast Ale "We work the soil by hand to know its soul" Massive ringed planet overhead Sweat and dust - doesn't anyone bathe??

The ship is coming! Clang the gong! (like no one can look up?) Swirling chopper dust The nazis (why does it always have to be Nazis??) Ed Skrein is In The House!

The spooky silent priestesses or priests or (?) The Afrikaans Sargent The winsome farmgal and the charming private; what side will he choose?? I don't know!!

The faithful robot. Will it violate programs?? Who can guess??

I said I Take Everything!!

The slain leader is An Example!

We'll starve! Who can save us Reluctant Hero?

Glass Onion (2022)

Another 30 minutes Rianed

[2/10 · 28 December 2022]

That's it. I lasted 30 minutes or so until I fell asleep on the couch. Occasionally woke up when someone was shouting or banging on something. Or explosions or crashes. Then turned it off.

I read an interview that Rian assembled a cast of actors he wanted to hang out with and have a fun party. The 30 minutes I saw reflected that hope, where the Elon character hoped to create fun times for his minions. Everyone put on their Rian-assigned mask and acted the witty tropes assigned to them in scenes orchestrated to deliver a dose of clever-Rian.

The best part of the movie is that I didn't last long enough to have to complain about the ending.

I thought the mechanical box was cool enough for 2 stars.

Love & Basketball (2000)

The men win, the women work.

[6/10 · 13 December 2022]

Great acting and commitment by Sanaa Lathan to follow the script. But couldn't believe her character's commitment to the little boy that didn't grow up. All the conflicts tied up neatly at the end or not mentioned.

Omar Epps followed the script as well, but I found it hard to believe his reactions to his injuries and expectations for accommodation.

Appreciated how Prince-Bythewood scripted the story around basketball rather than the usual trope of the Big Game.

But there were enough tropes to satisfy the romantics. So, a nice story for 2000 and platform for the writer-director and Lathan to establish their cred for future projects.

Andor (2022– )

Boring if you Need Action! Otherwise, great storytelling.

[9/10 · 7 October 2022]

A few minutes of Luna and Skarsgaard is worth all of Mandalorian (Not the Way).

Andor is what happens when the writer, director, actors, and production team get to tell a story to an audience willing to pay attention.

In all of SW movies and series, you know a character's motivation and fate within 5 minutes. Not so in Andor . The muted Action! And Chasing! And Lasers! And Aliens! Allows more time for characters to tell their stories and to develop our interest.

I can't say who on the team will betray. Maybe no one. I expect to be surprised.

No stormtroopers were harmed in the making this film.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Humor stretched thin as its premise

[2/10 · 1 January 2022]

Everyone associated with this "comedy" tried really hard to work with McKay's sub-sophomoric script, but it was one bad SNL skit after another. I stopped caring at Streep and Hill's weak efforts at channeling The Former Guy and Jr., then started loathing when Blanchett appeared.

Where's Adam Sandler, Will Farrell and Martin Short when you need inane acting chops to align with abjectly stupid writing?

I didn't think I'd see another tragic waste of acting talent on a movie since Knives Out.