rcowles0324 Reviews

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Underwhelmed

[6/10 · 22 July 2023]

The acting and production values are up to Christopher Nolan's standards. Cillian Murphy was a great choice to play J. Robert Oppenheimer - that said, there were long stretches where his deadpan portrayal evoked little emotion (in me) regarding his complex character.

If anyone stole the movie, it was Robert Downey Jr. As Lewis Strauss. RDJ moved seamlessly through the time shifts and was ultimately perfect as a foil to Oppenheimer. I won't get into any of the rest of the ensemble cast, but they all played their supporting roles quite well.

So, why the six star review, then? Even at 3 hours, the film and character development felt incredibly rushed, and there were many aspects to this expansive story that weren't adequately fleshed out. To me, it would have been much more engaging as a 6 or 8 episode biopic mini-series. Oppenheimer didn't need to be IMAX film. The story was about his life's work and personal idiosyncrasies.

At the end of the movie, I walked out of the theater to my car & never once said "wow!" While it was technically flawless, and was well cast, it never emotionally engaged me. YMMV.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

SW franchise just lost a generational fan

[3/10 · 16 December 2017]

The Last Jedi lost me as a generational fan (someone who has been there since opening night of New Hope). I won't do any spoilers, but I will say that I left the theater completely, thoroughly disappointed with TLJ. I'm not sure who Rian Johnson was trying to reach with his screen treatment, but it wasn't me or anyone else in the theater, which was packed, and stone silence from beginning to end.

The FX and CGI were fine. That's the only reason I'm doing 3 stars. There was no coherent story. Whatever talents the actors brought to the film were entirely wasted.

The more hours of distance I put between myself and the movie, the more I feel violated as a franchise fan. Rogue One was fun. TLJ is a complete and total face splat.

Buster's Mal Heart (2016)

A complicated film

[7/10 · 22 October 2017]

I was able to suss out the plot line about midway through the 2nd act. Still, there were a few surprises working through to the end. Rami was excellent and perfect for the role; there were a few cool Easter eggs as the film progressed. Anything more would be spoiler-ish.

Overall, I'd recommend this flick to any M. Night Shyamalan fan.

Well done.

Middle Man (2016)

Unexpected surprise

[8/10 · 18 October 2017]

If you like Cohen Bros. movies, you'll love Middle Man. There is crazy much nuance to this great little film. I was captivated from the first to last act. It's really that good. It's a shame I have to enter five lines to recommend this movie. The cast is perfect; the location shots are Breaking Bad excellent. Enjoy.

Rising Fear (2016)

Big up for a no budget film

[7/10 · 14 October 2017]

This genre of movie (apocalyptic, end of the world) are a dime a dozen. Most aren't worth the time invested. I have no idea who in the world Tom Getty is, but him and his family, who got 90% of the credits, hit a home run on a $6K budget. I can't imagine how they did it.

Let me give you a hint. Prior to putting this movie in the DVD player, I was re-watching huge budget ID2 on HBO.

Rising Fear / America Has Fallen kicked ID2's butt. Yeah, there were some lame parts to the film, but overall, it held together until the final frame. There are not a lot of movies that can claim such an accomplishment.

Tom, if you're reading this: Hope you get a nice deal for your next film. You and your crew deserve it.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Schizophrenic mess with good optics.

[4/10 · 17 July 2017]

"War" is a difficult movie to review, and honestly, there's not a lot to say about it. After any given movie is finished, and my companion and I walk out of the theater, we're usually discussing the movie (good or bad). This one we didn't. And honestly, by the time we drove home, it didn't matter and I didn't care. The movie was, overall, that forgettable.

From a cinematography, CGI, and FX standpoint, War is fine. Maybe even excellent. But then, it's 2017. I expect that in sci-fi or fantasy movies. There are no ground breaking visuals in the movie. The main characters are fleshed out fairly well, although the script (and director) fall into a completely unnecessary Jar-Jar Binks comedic character trap with one of the leads.

The pacing of the film is slow. I don't mind a long picture if the content and pacing justify the length - which doesn't happen in War. And I shouldn't come out of a monkey movie that on one level is so very depressing I wanted to slit my wrists. There were plot holes galore, only about 20 minutes of real action, and like I said earlier, it was instantly forgettable. War is supposed to be (I guess) a movie that makes you think, but in reality, it's a schizophrenic mess with good optics.

I would not watch it twice.