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Reviews
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
This movie is terrible
As much as I liked Highlander 1, alternating between 9 and 10 stars, that's how much I dislike Highlander 2 The Quickening. The cryptic dialog does not make any sense, the change of lore from 1 to 2 makes no sense, and Michael Ironside's role / Katana's character makes no sense. Should have left 1 as a standalone, to forever live as the cult classic it was meant to be.
Us (2019)
Good, not great
Pros: Good acting especially by the star, some good sequences and efforts by all
actors, an original storyline, and the significant & unexpected twist at the end makes me want to see the whole movie again (will wait for Netflix or Amazon Prime).
Cons: Plot holes are an understatement. Willing suspension of disbelief is one thing, a logistically un-believable backstory is quite another. Without going into spoilers, the DNA element alone is mathematically impossible. Then figure travel, international immigration factoring into a supposedly US-based phenomenon...these matter a lot. The script straddles the two cliffs of ambiguity and depth, doing neither one very well. The morality is not thought through, and there is no real message.
Neutral: What is with all of these 1 star reviews, saying horrible without any explanation. Why was it boring, hilarious in the bad way, terrible?
Not Safe with Nikki Glaser (2016)
This was good!!
Watch any Not Safe youtube video, and tell me you didn't at least crack a smile.
I particularly enjoyed the lie detector episode, find Nikki's boyfriend a new girlfriend, and the Tinder panels.
The comedians feeding over the top cheesy lines to porn stars while in the act was just original. That skit was so well done.
Not Safe was risqué, yet its delivery was textbook comedy. Nikki was all enthusiastic to "go there," and yeah some bits were predictable, but she was never low class about it.
This has a niche audience, for sure. If you like local comedy, or if you are as not right in the bed like me and think this is a positive not a negative, you'll like it. If you're margaret thatcher or orrin hatch, maybe not. Although I would love to hear Nikki describe her secret fantasy of those two getting it on.....
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Great except for all of the SJW hijacking
I really, liked this film. Better than TFA, and maybe as much as Return of the Jedi.
Two complaints: One, Rian Johnson seems to create shock changes just for the sake of creating shock changes. It's bad storytelling.
Two, and much more serious, is how Social Justice Warriors have completely taken over the Star Wars Universe.
There is not one single Resistance man who is a positively strong character leader in the movie. One man is a hotshot loose cannon that gets put in his place and is basically emasculated for the rest of the film, another is a flake who forgets where his heart was as soon as another opportunity presents itself, and the anticipated leader of them all is actually a cynical, defeated, regretful man.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of positively strong character women, leading with integrity, conviction, confidence, determination...
Again, I LIKED this movie. A lot. Love Rey and Kylo's character developments. Also thought it was Mark Hamill's best movie ever. But Disney, please, drop the men-are-the-patriarchy-which-must-be-overthrown-so-a-new-matriarchy-may-rise narrative, will you? It got old before the last movie finished.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Good, not great, not really a Han Solo prequel
I love the Star Wars franchise, although like many lifelong SW fans I have my gripes with the prequels, gripes with certain elements of VII and VIII, and I liked Rogue One.
Solo is 5/10. I think Donald Glover is great, Ron Howard did a commendable job bringing order to the galaxy, Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke are solid, etc. The acting is good. Han and Lando show real chemistry. Love the surprise guest appearance at the end. I'm even okay with a major character's pansexual element.
On the other hand, Han is a lot more "sensitive and feeling guy" all throughout this movie, than he ever was during any part of Episodes IV, V, and VI. Mr. "He's the brains, Sweetheart!" lets his woman make the big decisions?? The original Han Solo was a sexist pig scoundrel, and only an equally hard-headed Leia was able to break through his shell and reveal an actual human heart in there. How does Solo's character development of Han, who is not a scoundrel in any way, fit in with the Episodes IV-V-VI character development of Scoundrel Han? It doesn't. At all.
Unfortunately, this movie does feel like a rushed script. As Ronald Reagan used to say about his B movies, "They didn't want it good, they wanted it Thursday." Woody Harrelson's character really did not show any real character development, he just went out of character. Too many important plot items were just skimmed over--gambling, famous millenium falcon run, Han's ahem education, and more.
There are a handful of good moments, and honestly I liked the film as a standalone flick when I walked out of the theatre. There are also more than a handful of "cmon, man..." aspects of the film and as a Star Wars fan, I think this could have been much better as part of the SWU.
Jason Bourne (2016)
Unrealistic, same tired storyline
I am a big fan of Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy. Felt Ultimatum required a bit too much Willing Suspension of Disbelief, and this movie picks up where Ultimatum left off in that department.
There are moments that do feel Bourne-ish and it is kind of entertaining to watch in a brainless way. Hence 5 stars. There are certainly worse movies out there. But Jason Bourne is simply too unrealistic, the primary villain storyline is the exact same as Movies 1-3, there is no real character development on anybody's part (and what development that's attempted is thin, the moments of reckoning are rushed or nonexistent, and the personal transformations just don't make sense), and Bourne's magic intuition is completely not believable. Damon is respectable in his role, and all other actors each give a good effort. Action/special effects/stunts are decent. Storyline is absolutely horrid.
Miracle (2004)
Almost a masterpiece
I really, really like this movie. Except for the parts that, upon re-watching years later, are annoying or just inaccurate.
First, the positive. The inspiration / miracle factor, comes through in spades. Kurt Russell is great as the mean yet human after all coach Herb Brooks. This movie depicts the formation of teamwork, real camaraderie, and overcoming early reactions to the Soviet team with visceral emotion and life. The opening narrative was one of the most powerful setting-establishers I have seen. The movie is nearly as inspiring as watching the game itself (which is perhaps the best sports match ever, Rocky eat your heart out). I really wanted to rate this a 10.
I wish this movie would have stayed more consistent with how the story played out in real life. The story was incredible enough that events didn't need to be over dramatized, exaggerated or downright falsified. I can't go into details without revealing spoilers, but they are easy to find with minimal googling. I also wish this movie had more profanity. With the intensity of emotions that existed...I understand it is Disney, but Coach Herb is said to have used very strong language at times, and watering his tongue down did not help the storyline. Lastly, there was way too much stick-to-wall-thumping at the end, and not enough showing the hockey game. The first viewing I didn't notice, or mind, but upon re-watching, I asked myself, "Were so many cut-scenes of the same kind of bench reaction really necessary?"
This movie had a je ne sais quoi about it that really sets it apart from most of Hollywood. Miracle on Ice is probably one of America's proudest and most triumphant moments in her history. This movie really captures that feeling. I just think that with some better editing, less exaggeration of certain aspects (Jim Craig was great but not THAT amazing), and not watering down strong tongues who lashed out, this could have been a truly perfect 10 film.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ambitious but cheesy
The Avengers was a fantastic movie in so many ways. This, its sequel, tried too hard and its character development in dialogue was too thin, much like X-men 3.
Some deleted scenes, even as minor as the 4-5 seconds that were cut, did a lot to explain some gaping plot holes. Some of the virtuous-boy-next-door lines by the stars seemed more appropriate for a group called The Partridge Family and not a group of lethal outcasts banding together to wage war and calling themselves The Avengers.
Special effects were nice, and certain fight scenes were nice. This film is not bad. But this film lacks substance.
Atlas Shrugged: Part III (2014)
Just...Terribawful
I am a big fan of the book, and I liked the first movie. That said, this was awful.
The story is rushed, character development is thin to none, and some of the best scenes from the book are missing. Whether or not you agree with Ayn Rand, she understood the beast (in her opinion) very well, and represented the conflict through engaging dialogue in fiction. There is none of that here.
Instead, there is a string of passionate speeches given by the central star but he comes across somewhere between a crazy man on the New York subway, and a poorly edited Anonymous speaker on YouTube. He does not come across as a veritable world leader. There are cameos from various B-list news figureheads, making this appear more a reunion of The Celebrity Apprentice than beautiful fictional story with a timely message.
Like others, I saw it to complete the trilogy, and out of respect for an integrity-based way of doing business that is legitimately threatened today. This movie does not help the cause.