mike_burz Reviews

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Most complicated love story ever

[3/10 · 27 December 2021]

We finished watching, looked at one another and thought , what did we just watch? Basically it's a love story with a lot, and I mean a lot, of CGI. But the most complicated confusing love story-and it took 2.5 hours to tell it. Shakespeare it's not. If you are in awe of the first one -a tight well crafted story-please do yourself a favor and skip this. If you're board and need a movie to finish off your holiday candy this is it. Also this is a movie you can do to bathroom and not miss anything because you won't be able to understand it anyway.

Dumbo (2019)

A CGI Travesty with No Soul

[1/10 · 30 March 2019]

I'll try to keep this simple. Disney should be ashamed. Tim Burton should be ashamed. The screenwriters should be ashamed. The actors should be ashamed. Most of all the visual effects supervisor should be ashamed.

The visual effects were third rate. I cannot begin to express how awful and unrealistic they are. And this is the 21st century. The story was pointless-muddled as to who the narrative is about. In a cliche summary: this is two hours of my life I will not get back. I hope I will have saved you that.

Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009 Video)

Awful way to treat a great show

[1/10 · 20 July 2010]

This movie was so disappointing in so many ways. No Rube. No original Daisy Adair. Mason was given nothing to do. Roxy did not behave as the original character would. And the new head of the Reaper Squad was a two dimensional character with no back story and no real presence in the story. The show had no real story line. Nothing made sense - the actions of the characters did not fit the story's ground rules. The script had none of the raw edginess and dark humour of the TV show. The pacing was irritating - very amateurish. After watching the whole series we looked forward to a wrap up of the show (ala "Serenity"). It would have been better to have let this show remain in purgatory than leave a bad taste in one's mouth. A waste of a creative premise and an excellent original cast.

King Kong (2005)

Nice Digital Ape - Way too long

[6/10 · 1 January 2006]

Nice special effects - good ape. Waaaay too long. Continues a Peter Jackson directorial trait similar to Lord of the Rings - long closeups of Frodo gazing at the ring in various attitudes (wonderment, shock, awe, hate, love) interspersed with battles. Same here - long closeups of Ann and the ape gazing at one another interspersed with battles (ape against raptors, men against bugs, etc). Why Jackson would spend his Hollywood credit remaking a classic (dispite the comment that this movie inspired him to make movies) is a question. If this subject inspired him why not say so and then go one to create a story that sets the standards for future movie makers so that they say - this is the one that inspired me to make movies. (And LOTHR is not it - good interpretation but it is not his story) Good and entertaining way to kill three hours but its such a nice day...

War of the Worlds (2005)

A disservice o HG Wells

[4/10 · 2 July 2005]

Top marks for special effects. But this is not a movie - once again a Spielberg fun house ride but you don't move - the people on the screen do. Though it keeps true to some of the elements of Well's story, it is just a "let's all runaway from the bad guys" plot. First half kind of entertaining, second half tiresome.

And has anyone else noticed that the designs of the aliens equipment look just like those depicted in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol 2"? A far more imaginative interpretation of Wells story.

Way too many inconsistencies for such a big budget picture. Too many to list and I don't want to be too much of a spoiler.

Rent it when it comes out on DVD, save yourself a lot of money and you can stop to use the bathroom as well.