agsconsulting2874 Reviews

Salta (2023)

Better than I expected

[20 December 2023]

I loved this movie. It has a great blend of comedy, drama, excitement, suspense, romance, loyalty, friendship and, of course, some good science fiction.

Yes, there are lots of time-travel movies out there, but this one is actually different in a number of good ways. The review by marccuenca-80561 says it exactly as I would, so you should read that one too, to save me the time of repeating what was said there.

I recommend this movie to all ages. It is a good one to watch with the entire family.

There is just one more thing to add: Be sure to watch it to the very end. There is more beyond the credits.

Valentin (I) (2002)

Grabs you gently, but won't let you go...

[17 February 2023]

This may seem at times to some viewers like a slow-moving film, but it seldom felt that way to me. The steady pace only drew me in more deeply. It is realistic, touching, compelling, and evoked a mix of emotions.

Though told from the point of view of an 8-year-old, and convincingly so, there is a sad sense of maturity he conveys that is the result of the experiences of life thrust upon him. Valentin is very much a little boy, with all the innocence that goes with that, but at the same time he is fully aware of the flaws of the adults in his life.

As other reviewers have said, it is an essay on adult betrayal of all the things a child should expect from those who are supposed to take care of them. There are some bright spots, but not necessarily in the places you would expect. It is well worth your time to find them.

The Time of Secrets (2022)

Highly disappointing

[31 July 2022]

This is a miserable attempt at a remake of the previous film My Father's Glory. That film was a masterpiece and, together with My Mother's Castle, is highly recommended by this writer. Anyone who has seen the original film would do better not to watch this one at all. Anyone who has not seen the original should definitely watch that one (or better, both) instead.

As others have noted, the sound track is lacking, but that is the least of its problems. Where to begin?

Whoever chose the fragments of the original made poor selections and did a sad job of trying to connect them in a compelling manner. Those pieces that were chosen were given more screen time -- or perhaps it merely seemed so because those excerpts were so poorly and tediously done -- but the biggest problem was the parts that were left out. In the process the magic of the original was destroyed.

Avoid this film.

Nimmermeer (2006)

You'll have to see for yourself...

[29 June 2022]

Like others have said, this is a cinematographic masterpiece. It would be difficult to find very many other films that compare on that score. The camera work is excellent. The artistic elements are superb. Those parts deserves a 10. This by itself makes the film worth watching.

The acting was also quite good. I would give that part a 6 or 7.

Regarding the story itself, this is where some problems arise. As others have said, much was borrowed from other films, especially Pelle the Conqueror, but this film does not compare to that title. It fails to develop a story of similar depth, perhaps due to the short length of roughly one hour. One redeeming aspect is the attempt at a "happy ending" which is more "satisfying" than Pelle the Conqueror, but it still left me somewhat disappointed. So I give all those components a 3 or 4.

In spite of its flaws, I would definitely watch it again.

The Odyssey (1992–1994)

From Excellent to mediocre in three seasons

[28 June 2022]

The first season was, as the subject line says: excellent. It was intriguing and rather unique as alternate world themes go. It made me want to watch season 2.

Season 2 was okay, but it started to become apparent that this was going somewhere that I didn't want to go, with a shift away from the first season concepts that made it so interesting to me. It was still worth watching though.

I watched season 3 to find out what the ending would be. I won't give it away, but it was very unsatisfying and disappointing in my opinion. This part of the series devolved into a teen drama that was more annoying than entertaining.

They should have tried to end this (with a different ending) in season 1 or season 2.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Trivia - did you catch this?

[3 June 2022]

Great movie, but there are enough reviews here.

At roughly 1:03 the priest enters Dallas Korben's room and calls him "Willis" and is quickly corrected. Was this an intentional goof?

Separate Sights (2020)

Well Worth Watching

[24 May 2022]

After having stumbled onto this little gem by accident, I'm very glad that I did, and I think you will be too. After having watched a lot of low-budget films, this one came across as much more professional. The acting was quite good, especially by the two main characters. The cinematography was first-class, and the story kept my interest throughout. Thirty minutes is longer than usual for a short film, but I could envision this one being developed further in some areas to make it even more compelling.

The Tiger Rising (2022)

Lost potential

[6 April 2022]

Sorry, but this one misses the mark. I had great expectations going in, since there were some good actors involved. They did their best with a poor script, and some unbelievable scenes they had to try and make believable. The plot was thin and the plot holes were many. The story line was weak and poorly developed. I never read the novel this was based upon, but suspect it was cut down substantially, and lost a lot in the process. Consequently, there were a number of story transitions that were not at all smooth. I'm sorry if this analysis disappoints some, but I'm merely expressing my own disappointment.

My Dog the Space Traveler (2014)

B Movie

[10 September 2021]

The acting is horrible - with one exception - the Boy is the only one who displayed any talent, and was actually believable. (Well, actually, the dog was decent enough.) The other acting was painful to watch and amateurish. The plot was terribly weak and unbelievable. Too many plot elements were left unexplained. The dialogue was among the worst I have ever heard. Don't waste your time watching this.

Think Like a Dog (2020)

For adults watching this movie with your kids...

[18 June 2020]

OK, it's a kids' movie, so kids will probably like it much more than I did.

My initial expectations had to be lowered significantly as the movie progressed. If you actively engage in a willing suspension of disbelief it will help. The movie is average, but in many places tries too hard to be something more. And the pace reminded me of someone trying to drive a stick shift for the first time.

The plot is one that has been used before in some form or another: talking dog as a result of a science experiment gone awry; greedy bad guy tries to steal the technology; you know the rest -- no need for spoilers here.

If you tend to easily spot plot holes, or cheesy gimmicks, you will be kept painfully busy. The happy ending, in addition to being predictable, was less than satisfying.

If you're able to put all of the adult thinking aside for 90 minutes, you might actually enjoy the movie.

Artemis Fowl (2020)

Movies are movies and books are books...

[17 June 2020]

A good action movie with an interesting plot. It's typical Disney, so if you like that style, you will enjoy this.

Not having read the books, I rather liked the movie on its own merits. The acting was quite good, especially for the lead actor who had little previous experience. But the length was too short and thus made the whole thing a bit rushed, but it's primarily a kid's movie, so that's understandable. I look forward to any sequels.

If not for all the low ratings, I would still have given it a 7. The 10 rating was to counterbalance all the sour grapes ratings of 1 and 2 from those who read the books and were disappointed with the movie.

This is certainly worth an hour and a half of your time for some fast-paced and family-friendly entertainment.

The Cactus Kid (2000)

Watch it to the very end and you will understand.

[3 May 2019]

This is a very nice gem of a movie, and I highly recommend it. Anyone who doesn't watch the full movie will come away thinking it's full of plot holes. It's not. I was pleasantly surprised. The other positive reviews give all the important details. I simply wanted to give my thumbs up.

Rockaway (2017)

Genuine - Worth Watching

[22 January 2019]

This is a real review, by a real person. You can check my other reviews to verify that.

I thought the movie was well-done. The acting was excellent. I was impressed by the talent and power of the these young actors and look forward to seeing more from them. The visual effects were quite good, and I really felt like I was watching something that was filmed in the past when this actually happened. The film moved well, and moved me also. It flowed well, and kept my interest throughout.

I won't go into the story line, as other reviewers have done a good job of that already. I will only say that it is a story that needs to be told, especially since it is based on actual events. The real-life characters are shown in the end credits next to their movie counterparts.

I recommend it without hesitation.

Ace Wonder: Message from a Dead Man (2014)

Family fun has a double meaning here

[15 September 2018]

I love this movie. It has a good story line. It moved at a good pace, and kept my attention. The plot was well-woven. The use of the graphic novel sub-theme was very appealing. it's really a great movie for the whole family to watch together. And it's amazingly well-done for what seems to be a private venture. I did not know that many of the main characters were not professional actors until doing some research. I tried to find out more, without much success, but the Moore family are in the film using their real names, and were involved in the production and other aspects. What ever became of Gator Moore? I hope they read this, and would consider making more films like this one.

I disagree with the negative reviews, and highly recommend this movie as good clean family fun. There aren't many films that I can say that about in recent years.

I did not give it a ten, because I reserve that honor to only a select few, but this film came very close in my opinion.

Lost in Space (2018–2021)

How shall I hate thee? Let me count the ways....

[15 April 2018]

Dark; depressing; non-stop crises; dysfunctional family; constant conflict; more like a soap-opera; many annoying characters; overbearing lead actor; no light at the end of the tunnel; no fun at all. If you like to watch movies as an escape, then you don't want to escape here. (Unless you really like being depressed as an escape.)

If you were hoping for something that even vaguely resembled the original, forget it. There is almost nothing in common, except for the spaceship and the names of some of the characters. The original had a good balance of light and dark, funny and serious, etc. This is just endless hopelessness without any relief.

So let's forget trying to compare this to the original, because there is no comparison. For sake of argument, let's say this was something new, not based on anything else. It totally fails to inspire me or make me want to watch the next episode.

I gave it 3 instead of a 1 because some of the actors try their best with the poor material they were given to work with.

How this got such a high overall rating I cannot fathom, unless I am really out of touch with the current generation of movie-goers.

I don't recommend it.

Benji (I) (2018)

So much potential, so sadly wasted...

[17 March 2018]

First of all, this movie is way too dark for small children. Portraying it as a family movie is misleading. Maybe today's kids are numbed to some of the harsh scenes in this movie, but I would not want any young children of mine watching it.

There are some really good segments, and the dog does some clever tricks that are truly worth watching, but the bulk of the movie has problems: (1) It's not credible unless it was supposed to be for very young children, but as already stated, too many scenes are not suitable for very young children. (2) The reactions of some of the adults are unbelievably stupid in face of what is going on. Again, this might be acceptable if this was a slapstick movie of this genre, but it tries to be serious, while doing a horrible job of being consistent. (3) Some scenes were hard to watch because the premise behind them was so lame. I found myself cringing far too often. (4) Some minor concepts were obviously borrowed from other movies. You might find it entertaining to try and spot them.

So it could have been a good crime, thriller, drama, but it's not. I only gave it a four because the kids, especially the older boy, do a good job, and because the dog was very entertaining as well.

I agree that the '74 version is highly superior in every way.

L'école buissonnière (2017)

Full of quiet emotion at many levels, a beautiful story

[5 March 2018]

The story begins in an orphanage where the children are treated badly. One defiant young man among them, Paul, has a woman visitor, Celestine, who was summoned there. She is being asked to take him into custody, as the orphanage is soon to be shut down. She is not a relative, but there is some vague connection which we do not learn at this point in the story. She refuses the request, but agrees to see Paul before leaving. His defiance is manifested yet again and he is slapped by the man in charge and treated roughly. The impact on the woman is obvious, and the next scene we see them together on the train. It is obvious that Paul has mixed feelings about this change in his life.

They arrive at a small house in a rustic setting. Celestine is a servant of a Count that lives nearby on a very large estate. She is very kind, but her husband, Borel, is rather brutish. As it happens Borel is also employed by the Count as a sort of gameskeeper. Paul has a hard time with Borel, but since it is summer vacation he is able to spend his time in the woods. He quickly falls in love with the surrounding nature, and also makes friends with a local poacher, Totoche. This presents an interesting conflict since Borel is constantly trying to catch the very clever Totoche in the act of poaching, but is never successful. Totoche teaches Paul many things, thus the title of the movie.

A slight twist is introduced when we find out that Celestine (and many others) actually support and protect Totoche, but Borel is clueless. Paul continues to change in a nice way and grows closer to Celestine. The interactions that follow keep the story interesting, but we are not aware of what is yet to come. The remainder of the story is nicely paced and carefully woven as it develops toward an unexpected disclosure.

The acting was very good, the scenery was splendid, the plot kept my interest throughout, and the ending -- though some may find it a bit too "cute" -- left me feeling quite satisfied. You must watch it in order to judge for yourself.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Good acting, average everything else...

[4 October 2016]

After all the hype, my expectations were rather high, especially since two of my favorite young actors were among the "peculiars". Asa Butterfield did an excellent job, as always, and makes the film worth seeing. Milo Parker was disappointingly under-utilized. As for the story itself, I've never read the books, so can't make a comparison. However, there were many moments in the film that were intended to be serious, but were rather clumsy, and the reaction of the theater audience was muted laughter. The actors were not at fault, they did the best they could with the material given them. Special effects were average. The plot was rather predictable. The "mystery" aspect was not very mysterious. All-in-all it seemed like a G or PG movie that was trying to appeal to an older crowd. My strongest reaction at the end credits was disappointment.