disisdkat Reviews

Kung Fu (2021–2023)

I REALLY wanted to like this show

[3/10 · 16 July 2022]

It has a female protagonist. It has beautiful initial footage. It has or should have had Kung Fu. The concept of the child becoming woman and rescuing her family and the world had so much promise. I literally hurt my jaw clamping it so much in irritation. I can't even decide where the blame should fall. The dialog reminded me of the CW on a bad day. Sure the actors had to manage with the script they were given so I am not sure I can fault them. Again, I really wanted to like this show. You should at least be able to enjoy the beauty of the martial arts. Nope. Not there. I probably should not have given it the lowest score possible so I changed that but still for me it is a very low score. I am a binge watcher once I begin a show. I watched the first episode and skipped through the last. It was just too painful to watch from start to finish so maybe I missed some wonderful character development. From what I saw of the last episode I don't think so. If this had been done as an hour movie it might have worked but as is there was nothing there.

The Mentalist (2008–2015)

I love this show

[10/10 · 3 July 2022]

I had given the show a 9 because I really hated the Red John thread but I have now re-watched it from start to finish and I love every bit of it. I had never seen the last season which to me to is best of all of them. I generally dislike shows that have the main characters fall in love and pair up. Castle did it as has many others and they simply drop in quality when they do so. Not The Mentalist. What a wonderful way to end a series. Now when I think of the show I just feel good. TV has a way of ruining shows at the end one way or another. I am grateful this did not happen with my favorite long running show. Thank you to the writers, directors, producers, actors and all those involved.

Major Crimes (2012–2018)

I could love this show

[5/10 · 24 March 2022]

But I don't and it comes down to one thing. Rusty. I never understood why Star Trek fans passionately hated Wesley Crusher and felt he ruined every episode he was in. I thought he was a minor distraction. I now understand the feeling. Rusty sours the milk. Actually I think the writers of this show hated kids. Every show where they have a 'kid' the kid is absolutely detestable. It is hearing chalk being screeched across a black board.

If you can avoid that thread of the show which is difficult to do, the show is decent. It is not "The Closer" but it has many of the same characters who have the same humor in the scripts. The other serious weakness in the scripts is the romance between Raydor and Flynn. Seriously? My input will have no impact on the writers since the show is finished but I do wish that for future projects they give a bit more thought to the characters they develop.

The Gentlemen (2019)

Every actor in this film was top rate

[9/10 · 6 March 2022]

The movie is suspenseful, funny, and dramatic. I want to be entertained by a movie. I want to care about what happens and I want to be satisfied with the ending. I do not want to be lectured, preached to or feel worse at the end of the film than I did at the beginning. In fact, I would like to have a smile on my face when all is said and done.

I have gotten to an age where I just am bored by most films and have no emotional investment in them. Add to that the fact that I dislike mobster films intensely I find myself very surprised to say I loved this movie. Every actor in the film was perfect for their role. I could not recognize Hugh Grant and had to look up who was playing his role. It was the antithesis of a Hugh Grant part and he played it perfectly. The only character who fell into a stereotype was McConaughey and I did not mind that because really the part fit him so well. Normally he rubs me the wrong way but that did not happen in this movie. Colin Farrell was another surprise but again in a very good way. Michelle Dockery is a actress who makes you believe she can eliminate you with a look. I was unfamiliar with Charlie Hunnam until this film but I am now a fan.

I recommend this movie. I don't know that I have said that for awhile now.

Reminiscence (2021)

This isn't Wolverine. Get over it!

[10/10 · 18 September 2021]

I loved this 1940s detective, love story set in the future. It was predictable only in the way that stories of that genre are predictable. Was the futuristic setting necessary? Yes. Did they do it well while keeping the flavor of the genre? Yes!

This was science fiction as it was written when I was growing up. It was very much aware that social, scientific advancements may change the wrapping but humans stay the same. The longer this film sets with me, the better it ages. I hope that people go into it with an open mind and a suspension of disbelief. Don't dissect it and try to classify or identify each part. Sip it slowly and just enjoy.

Ex Machina (2014)

Yawn

[1/10 · 11 July 2021]

I love sci-fi and am extremely tolerant of almost any type of flaw or flaws in a sci-fi movie. This was the worse of what sci-fi was when I was growing up. It was the sci-fi written for boys moving into puberty. The fact that the most salient characteristic of the robot is 'her breasts' says it all. JHC what were the people thinking who give it high markings?

Dying of the Light (2014)

The reviews

[7/10 · 22 April 2020]

They seem to say more about the reviewers than the movie itself. The actors and acting is very good. The plot is interesting. The filming is beautiful. I think though that this film is a bit to subtle for many people. They don't seem to recognize when Cage's response is because of his illness rather than because of actual rational thinking. Perhaps this was a failure on Cage's part but I don't think that is the case.

I will not be so arrogant as to claim what I think this film was meant to be about. I will say what I took from it. I saw two old men, used to power and control, decaying as they die. They in a way very much represent their world. I see nothing that either one of them has added to the world to make it better. I, like other reviewers, have made the movie about my world view. So I send you back to my first paragraph.

Because you can clearly see that lighting and color was a big part of this movie, I would have liked to have seen it as it had been intended to have been viewed. Perhaps then it might have been clearer for everyone when Cage was 'in a mental rage'.

Batwoman (2019–2022)

One of the few I will now watch on TV

[10/10 · 1 December 2019]

I love this show. I have not seen anything new and worth the time on TV for a very long time. Yes this is CW and I don't care. The characters are great; the story line is one that keeps you in suspense; and for once the romance backstory doesn't ruin the story line. I don't typically like dark and brooding because it makes you want to avoid seeing what comes next but they have it well titrated with enough mystery and suspense that you have to keep watching. And by that I do mean that you have to watch. TV has gotten to the state that I just listen as I do other things but this show does not allow that. Visually it is candy. All around, one of my favorites that I never miss.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

My favorite Star Trek

[8/10 · 11 August 2019]

I started watching Star Trek shows when I was 18 in 1966. I have watched every episode of every Trek production. This one is beyond measure my favorite. I cannot pick a favorite character in this show because they all are. I am invested in and attached to every single one, even the baddies if you can call them that.

I read some of the low rated reviews and seem to find that if you liked immature and macho male leads as the Captain then this show was not for you. If you liked superficial, video game type action then this show was not for you. If you resented actors who did not fit into the Barbie and Ken mold or were not strictly in the beautiful heterosexual mold then this show was not for you.

I can tell you that my least favorite, almost hated Star Trek Series was "Enterprise" If you loved that series then you might not care for this one. They are possibly exact opposites. I am re-watching that series now hoping to be kinder to it. While I am not as passionately against it as I was and am now able to appreciate some of the story lines I spend way too much of the show saying "JHC I can deliver a line better than that!" The timing of delivery on that show is horrific with NO comic relief. With Enterprise I feel no attachment to a single character except for the doctor. There is absolutely no tension or suspense. I can watch it while playing solitaire or a crossword puzzle and not miss a single thing. With Discovery I am on the edge of my seat and some times must get up and walk around because the suspense is just too much. With Discovery I love the writing, the wit, the delivery, the visuals - everything about it. I never get tired of the opening. The show is simply beautiful, smart and well delivered.

The only complaint I can find to offer about the show is that in a couple of places I found myself saying, "My god man! Hurry up!!! You don't have time to be talking!" Of course you only say such things out loud or to yourself when you are totally pulled into the show. I guess then that isn't really a complaint. I wholeheartedly love this show.

Star Trek: Enterprise: A Night in Sickbay (2002) Season 2, Episode 5

The Vulcans were correct

[1/10 · 8 August 2019]

Earth was not ready to travel through the Universe. Archer is as immature as they come and shows the worse of 'American' behavior. He IS the poster child of the ugly American. And by the way, since the Enterprise is the one entering someone else's culture, it is up to them to educate themselves on the mores/morays of the people they are visiting.

The opening scene did not do much to make me at all favorably inclined for this episode. It was truly cringe worthy.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Moving from 2Star to 4Star

[4/10 · 26 July 2019]

When I first saw this show in 2001 I hated it so much that I stopped watching before the end of the first season. This is saying a lot since I began watching Star Trek as a teenager and have been a passionate fan of everything produced in this world until Enterprise. I am now watching it on Netflix and have managed to get almost to the end of season one. While the shows early in the season were as absolutely horrible as I remembered them I have stuck with it following my son's advice and they have gotten better. I am now up to 4 stars on rating it and will see what the next season brings. Mostly the shows have improved as there is less of Archer and T' Pol. Though they both have improved as the season develops they both continue to drag the show down. I no longer look at T'Pol and want to yell at her to "STOP SLUMPING! For god's sake, you're a Vulcan, show some pride in your posture!" Archer has finally dropped the chip on his shoulder and stopped pouting like a child all the time. He still seems to think the show is all about him. I like all the other characters and have enjoyed some of the story lines. I hope things continue to improve and will edit this as I learn more.

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

Excellent Movie, Disappointing Reviews

[10/10 · 3 October 2017]

I kept trying to find reviews of this movie and all I could find were those saying how great the original was and how this movie was not the same. I watch foreign films, I lived in Spain. I don't expect a film made in the USA to be the same as one made elsewhere. That is not what I am looking for in a review.

The movie switches back and forth between what is the current time and a time in the past over a decade ago that tore apart the lives of all those related to a crime that happened then. Initially it was difficult to know what time frame you were in and then it turned out that you didn't care. It did not take away from the story being told. There are surprises along the way as the mystery unfolds and the ending is also a big surprise but it turns out that this doesn't matter either. What you care about are the people and their story. Oddly enough, at the end you are left with hope.

I did not expect to like this movie. I did not expect to see Julia Roberts successfully play the part she played. Everyone in this was top rate. It is not often that a Hollywood movie surprises me and moves me. I put this in the category of "Unusual Suspects". Not many make that category with me.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

David Yates should be incarcerated

[4/10 · 28 July 2016]

I have waited a good time between reading the books and seeing this movie the first time to try to give the film a second chance with more of an advantage. It did not work at all.

A book that was exciting and for the older audience was turned into pablum. I actually felt like gagging at times. And what he got wrong was completely needless and diminished the characters of the book. It saved neither length or added interest. The pace was tedious and the dull.

At one point Umbridge forces McGonagall to step down and retreat. Anyone who has read the book knows how out of character that was and to weaken a strong female character was senseless. One scene has Dumbledore yelling at the students in a childish fit of bad humor. Again, out of character and needless. It added time to the scene and added nothing to the plot or the character. It diminished him.

The actors were great. The movie should have been great. Instead it was a great disappointment.

Sense8 (2015–2018)

Visual Joy, tantalizing mystery

[10/10 · 6 June 2015]

I am loving this show. I seldom 'watch' shows. I listen to them as I occupy myself with other things. This one I have to watch. It has many actors that I know and like very much and then for me some new faces who are just amazing. Each individual with the 'sense' is very interesting and unique. Each story is one I cannot wait to know what comes next. I fear for their safety and their sanity. I don't know why anyone would say the pace is slow. As I said previously I don't see much of a show because I need other things to keep myself occupied. This show did not require that.

My only complaint about the show is nit picking. There is a point where one has a migraine which others share. You don't rub your head and say "I have a migraine". You puke your guts out and curl up in a ball somewhere dark and quiet. If that is the biggest complaint I have to make in a show then I find myself very lucky.

After Earth (2013)

Coming of age - Father/Son story

[10/10 · 26 February 2014]

I loved this movie. I think I detected a lot of jealousy and resentment in other reviews. They seemed mostly to want to dis Will Smith's son. I was amazed with his acting ability and hope to see more of him.

The story itself had me on the edge of the seat most of the time and close to tears at other times. Perhaps you need to be a parent to appreciate much of the underlying store which is about the lack of communication between father and son; the inability for either to understand what the other is feeling.

I am a big sci-fi fan and tend to be hyper-critical and while there were a couple of bits which challenged my suspension of disbelief, I didn't care. With one there was the message that all animals which have attachment to their young are quite similar to us. The other had me arguing with myself about the feasibility of rainforest plants adapting to extreme conditions which I suppose was not a terrible thing.

This is a movie which I will watch again.

Note: I have watched this again and again as have a great many other people. You can often find it on Cable without commercials so I suspect I am not alone in being happy to re-watch it. Sadly the reviews you see when you come on here are all the most negative and they all seem to be centered on attacking Will Smith and his son. I still hold my opinion after multiple watchings that this is well worth the investment of time to watch it.

The Last Airbender (2010)

If you liked Star Wars this is of the same quality

[9/10 · 1 April 2011]

I probably gave this a higher rating than I would have normally simply because there were so many grossly and unfair poor reviews. Under other circumstances I would rate it an 8. The film begins slowly and there is unnecessary text that detracts from the beginning of the film and makes it feel lower in quality than it is. The further you get into the film the more attractive and interesting it becomes. The characters begin to form depth and it really is beautiful to watch. I enjoyed the story and hope it does not end abruptly because it gathered such harsh and unfair reviews. I am assuming that much of the vitriol comes from readers who cannot tolerate their story being taken from them and put on to film where much of what they loved is lost. I detested Le Guins Earthsea. I also felt that way about the early Harry Potter movies. It was not until I was able to treat the movies as a different body than the books that I was able to enjoy them and enjoy them I did. If you have not read the books and want a visually pleasing moving with an interesting story (remember this is only the beginning, so we better hope there are follow-ups), then I recommend this for the family. I think pre-teens especially would enjoy it.

Transformers (2007)

Yawn......

[5/10 · 15 August 2010]

The cons - This may be the most boring show I have seen in a great long while. Apparently the directors know nothing about adaptation and I don't mean a rewrite - I mean that if you hear the same sound or see the same action over and over and over... eventually you simply tune out and don't hear or see it. As far as the writing goes I guess they saved a great deal of money on writers because there was little dialog to follow even when you could hear it over the constant loud explosions.

The pros - The graphics were colorful. They would have made nice posters for a kids room. What dialog there was could be amusing. The filming was well done and the special effects were up to pare. Of course when that is all there is to the movie they certainly should be decent. I liked the small transformer that turned into a humping dog at one point. That was the height of the humor of the movie.

The Women (I) (2008)

Wonderful actresses in wonderful parts

[9/10 · 5 July 2010]

Unfortunately all of the top reviews you see of this movie are from fans of the 1939 movie. I love black and white films as much as anyone but seriously you need to let it go. "The Truth About Charlie" had to suffer from this same myopia. "Charade" is probably my favorite film of that period but I don't try to compare it with a film of this period. It is a completely different art form. With that out of the way let me say why I liked this film so much. Every actress in it reminds me of someone I know or touches a part of me and it does it with humor. While the setting and the culture of the movie is Manhattan its topic is one that touches every woman at one point in their life. What happens when a husband is unfaithful? What if you are the friend that finds out? Do you tell or not tell - either way you are going to lose? Different advice flows from everyone but at the end only one person can live with and make the decisions. The film centers around Meg Ryan who has some great lines and delivery but I must confess that Annette Bening was my favorite in the movie. She had the more difficult part to play and did it perfectly. This is a film I recommend if you want to be entertained and feel good.

Must Love Dogs (2005)

A comfortable night with characters you enjoy

[8/10 · 26 December 2005]

I really liked this movie and am baffled at why movie reviewers panned it. It was witty, fun, and thank god not written for a 10 year old's sense of humor, as most comedies seem to be now. I liked the people in it and only wished it had been longer so that there would have been more time with each of the characters. In fact that is the only real flaw I found with the film. It seemed to be a teaser for so much more. It would make a great HBO series. It has such great actors in it that it seemed they were wasted with such short parts. While it was amusing to see the complete horrors of blind dates one can end up with, I would have much rather have spent the time knowing more about those characters that piqued our curiosity. What happened with the sweet brother and his totally mismatched wife; how did the father come to invest in another love; who in the world were the love interests of the sisters....

I, Robot (2004)

Captures a Story untold by Asimov Perfectly

[10/10 · 24 December 2004]

I read every book I could find of Asimov's as a young adult and did not bother to see 'I Robot' in the theaters because of the misguided criticisms by the reviewers. I should have known better but what can I say....

The reviews were absolutely correct when they whined about the movie 'I Robot' not following the stories of the book by Asimov of the same title. What they neglected to tell was that it was a wonderful production that had the heart and spirit of Asimov's stories of robots. The movie takes place in a history that Asimov never wrote about but did refer to and used to explained those worlds he created where the humans were robot-phobic.

Will Smith was at his best (and my was he gorgeous to look at). For once I was so caught up in both the story and the character of Sonny that I neglected to spend my time trying to distinguish between graphics and actual film. Sonny was so much my minds eye image of Asimov's character that I did not have that terrible teeth grinding moment where I'm internally screaming "NO, no, no.... wrong, wrong, wrong.

My son who disdains science fiction and was only going to watch a few minutes stayed through the entire movie. I recommend this movie to both science fiction fans and non-science fiction fans. It has heart, action, philosophical interests and more.

Donnie Darko (2001)

A Janeway Headache

[18 November 2004]

This little known film, that I only by chance saw this evening, may move into being a classic. It slowly pulls you in and leaves you involved in ways you never expected. It is very nicely done in many ways but will not be a film for all... it would not play well in the 'Red Country' for example.

The film is oddly dark and charming at the same time. At first it seems like a quirky teen coming of age movie. Then you wonder if you have fallen into another teen horror film. These are all just teasers though and it is much more than it appears. Stick through to the end for it is not what it appears at first glance. It was one of the few films that I was not able to predict where it would go. This is a story you play back in your mind and actually wish... Well I will not be a spoiler. Janeway would have to deal with a headache.