Change Your Image
coco12345
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Belgravia: The Next Chapter (2024)
Terrible Choice of Leads
The actor who played the lead Fredrick was so wooden, so robotic...just terrible. There's a scene where he tries to cry and I laughed out loud. Other than that sad moment when I'm sure he tried picturing a puppy getting run over by a steamroller, he showed only one emotion the entire season. I get he was trying to play impenetrable and unassailable, but it came off as stiff fence post. Community college acting 101. So, so bad. My Alexa has more personality and allure than this guy.
And while the lead actress played with much more range there was zero chemistry between her and Fredrick. Zero.
Every other actor played with depth and charm and personality. It's too bad...would've been much more compelling with different leads. What a waste of their talent.
Citadel (2023)
Great actors deserve better (except Chopra)
Stellar acting must be difficult with such camp writing, but Madden and Tucci and Manville and Moller and Cummings managed to pull through. How they managed with the ridiculous script is beyond me.
Chopra, on the other hand, was awful. Her acting was one-dimensional, ham-fisted, and anything but subtle. She played it like a cartoon version of a sexy spy. All Jessica Rabbit, no Sydney Bristow. And zero chemistry with Madden. All she did was eat up the scenery. Her amateur acting really stood out against so many seasoned actors.
Could've been a good show w/out Chopra and the boring, predictable dialog.
Were the writers trying to make another spy-comedy like Kingsman? If so, it failed miserably. It's pretty bad when you can't even tell what the show is trying to be.
Sanditon (2019)
If the Hallmark Channel did Austen on a penny budget
Terrible, terrible, terrible production quality.
So, so bad. Lame dialog, cliched stories.
I could get past all that if not for the abysmal production quality. Fake sets. It's obvious they're plastic or CGI. Even the sunlight is obviously studio lighting. The same cheap dishes in every home. Virtually no decor other than fakery and CGI. Cheap, tacky costumes.
On top of that the two main female characters look like immature, modern teenagers. Yet they're pursued by any number of dashing, sophisticated, mature gentlemen? Come on.
I've only watched a few Hallmark channel shows b/c I can't stomach that tripe, but I'm pretty sure if they did a period piece it would be Sanditon. So bad.
Creed III (2023)
It was Ok
Predictable. The only twist in the movie was figured out immediately by everyone I know who saw it. So no thrill there.
And boring. So much time spent yapping. Even the fight scenes were dull and predictable. Nothing interesting or new.
Directing was a bit in your face. Good guy wears white, lives in a white house, has an adorable child, is the perfect husband and father. Bad guy wears black, sneers a lot, carries a gun. White/black, good/bad. We get it.
Asked everyone when we left the theater and all said "It was Ok".
Need 600 characters to write this review so here, let's get this to 600.
America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (2022)
This Show's Recipe Needs an Overhaul
ATK excels b/c of it's professionalism and trustworthiness. I trust these people. They aren't fashionable or pretty or trendy or slick. They're cooking nerds and that's why I watch.
So who did they choose to host their first competition show? IDK, (some D-list blogger?) but she's terrible. She doesn't appear to have any culinary knowledge and is about as authentic as a street corner Rolex. That's what producers think the ATK audience wants? It throws everyone at ATK's credibility out the window.
This woman has no idea what chicken tinga is, she stands right in front of competitor's stations while they're frantically working, and actually asked someone what's going inside their ricotta dumplings. Why couldn't any of the many competent, knowledgeable, and authentic ATK cooks host this show?
Examples of her comments: "That sounds bomb!", "Sounds good dude!" while strategically baring her cleavage. But hey, she can count down! That's about the only contribution she makes and that could be done by a clock on the wall. She's no Padma, that's for sure.
Also, sorry, but what is the point of this show? Seems like they're trying to knock off Top Chef. Why not shoot for something fresh and relevant to ATK? ATK is all about technique but the individual competitions have little to do with technique. How is Nonna's meatball dish going to get anyone hired as an ATK host? I don't need to know an ATK chef's culinary POV. I have no idea what Julia eats for dinner and that's fine.
And while I stopped watching, it would've been nice if after the winner is announced they show the winning dish. I'm probably not alone when I say I don't remember each contestant's dish.
Back to the drawing board, ATK.
White Noise (2022)
Almost Unwatchable? No, Totally Unwatchable
I just can't, with another director who thinks he's so friggin' clever and we peons just don't get him. Sometimes "intellectual" movies aren't. They're just feeble attempts to be different, to be odd, to be weird. This is one of them.
I read articles comparing Baumbach with Woody Allen. Wow, not even close. Baumbach is self-indulgent, humorless, obvious, pedantic.
Allen knows how to thread this fine line. Wes Anderson knows how to do it. Baumbach does not. He's not clever. He's not funny. He's not witty. He's not post-modern. He's not even esoteric. He's like a film student trying to stand out. But it doesn't work. I can't stand this movie. I can't stand any of his movies. I get them...I just don't like them.
Black Adam (2022)
What is this and Why?
Pierce Brosnan is completely wasted in this role but damn, he looks good! My stars all go to this luscious man.
Other than that expect the usual Rock schtick: one-dimensional acting, misplaced comic relief, blah blah blah.
I didn't know anything about the characters or the story before I watched and can say I still don't know much. I don't know where the Justice League came from or why. Are they the good guys? I don't know. Is Black Adam is a good guy or a bad guy? Beats me. I get that it doesn't have to be black/white, good/bad. But I should have some sense of these character's motivations and goals and purpose but I have none. Zero, zip. Which means I couldn't care less about any of them.
Except Pierce, lol.
Dangerous Liaisons (2022)
No Chemistry
There is some excellent casting in this show but unfortunately the lead isn't one of them. Valmont isn't sexy or charming or attractive. He's smarmy and unappealing and not too bright. And he looks like a 16-year-old boy; not someone wealthy Parisian women would want in their beds.
Character development is seriously flawed. Personalities go from angelic to evil to meh back to angelic in the course of one episode. So much flip-flopping.
And why add the murder story line? Completely unnecessary and didn't really develop into anything plot wise. A bug dud. Same w/the kid being alive. Why? It went nowhere.
Six stars b/c I'm still entertained by just about any period piece. Shame on me.
Aftertaste (2021)
Thoroughly Delightful
Yes, the lead character is a mean bully. Know any celebrity chefs out there like that? Of course. But the show is about more than that. It shows his attempts to change, grow, be a better person. Each richly written character has dimension. They laugh, they cry, they fail, they get back up again. That's the point. If they were all sweet and kind there's not much of a story here.
I binged watched both seasons and didn't even notice the swearing some reviewers mentioned.
My only complaint is none of the dishes they make seem Noma-worthy. Not even close. And when the two chefs hold an egg cookoff the omelets were BROWN. Maybe that's an aussie thing but yuck. Eggs should never ever get color.
Tulsa King (2022)
This Show Has it All
Never thought I'd give a Stallone TV series 9 stars, but this show is really, really great.
Great directing, great acting, great script, great dialog, great casting, great scenery (who knew Tulsa was so bleak?).
A well-done show with genuine heart and humor is rare, but to see it in a crime show? This show pulls it off exceptionally well. A crime show with heart and humor...what's not to love?
IMO this is Stallone's best acting since Rocky. He completely possesses his character and completely fills the screen. He's riveting; I can't keep my eyes off him. He plays sweet, he plays kind, he plays generous. And he also plays tough and cold and ruthless. But I had no problem reconciling these contradictions because his character is so well-developed and believable. I had no idea Sly had this kind of acting range. Emmy-worthy, for sure.
Would be a perfect 10 stars except for the Dana Delany casting. She's just not believable in the role. Or maybe it's her dialog. Is she really this steely? Here's hoping she doesn't remain so one-dimensional and cliched.
The Kitchen (2014)
Farewell to The Kitchen (At Least Until They Fire Sunny)
Reading other reviews it seems I'm not alone. Sunny is insufferable. I don't remember her being so obnoxious years ago, but she gets worse and worse with each episode. There's not a moment of breathing room with her constant yapping. When she's not interrupting, she's hooting and hollering and mugging for the camera. I can't hear anyone but her. Why? The show doesn't need this. Can someone at Food Network put a muzzle on her? When she's calm and explaining something she's fine. It's all the other nonsense that has to go.
And please, can she stop calling for things? "I call the end piece!". "I call the spatula!". What is she, 6 years old? It's embarrassing.
Also embarrassing is the way she eats her food. She looks at the camera, unhinges her jaw, and shoves in so much food I hope they're all trained on the Heimlich Maneuver. She never breaks eye contact with the camera, making sure her antics are recorded. Does she think it's funny or cute or "real" to see her cram a whole deviled egg into her mouth? It's uncouth and vulgar. So hard to watch.
I get that she's trying to be a "regular" person. But can't she do it without being so obnoxious?
I hit my Sunny limit today and so I'm writing my sad farewell. I recorded every episode since almost the beginning...but alas, no more.
This makes me sad b/c I love watching the others. GZ especially. He's the most genuine person on the show. I laugh when people call him a snob just because he dresses nicely and makes fancy food and cocktails and/or doesn't know about certain "common" foods. I was laughed at because I had never heard of Funfetti cake and I've never eaten a cup or ramen noodles in my life. That doesn't make me a snob, it just means I don't shop for boxed cake mixes or buy prepared foods. Same with GZ. He's been immersed in the elite culinary/restaurant world. Why would he know about things like Lunchables? That doesn't make him a snob. In fact one of the things I love about him is his genuine appreciation for learning new things; even if those things are common in most households.
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022)
Delightful
Oh my, it's been a while since I've seen a show that didn't treat the audience like idiots. Granted, I missed a few connections in the end. How did the dead guy fit in? Surprisingly it didn't matter, the show was so entertaining.
The lead was great. Lucy Boynton however, was the best she's ever been. She was captivating; stole the entire show. I'd first seen her in RocketMan and found her flat and dull. Not so here; she was a revelation! Can't wait to see her next project.
All this because Hugh Laurie's direction was flawless. Not a dull moment. Not a wasted scene. Not an errant cue.
This is about as perfect an adaptation as you can get. Please, please, let Laurie direct more shows like this!
Irma Vep (2022)
Intellectual, for Cinephiles, Blah Blah Blah
Yes, it's a show only patient cinephiles will understand. But is there any pleasure in it? True, there are some fantastic characters. Well-written, deeply developed, brilliantly acted. But the main character is so flat and one-note. I like Alicia Vikandrer well enough but she has zero charisma and is the dullest character in the show. No amount of patience or Cinema 501 classes will help with that. If my app didn't remind me of new episodes I would completely forget to watch each week.
Loot (2022)
A Poor Person's Idea of What Rich People are Like
Rudolph is a cartoon caricature of a billionaire. I'm guessing kids might find it amusing when Rudolph brushes her teeth her dogs also get their teeth brushed by women in French maids outfits but I do not. Or that her yacht has 3 pools and the smallest pool is so embarrassing that it'll only be used by those minty fresh poodles. And pretty sure billionaires don't drink champagne day and night. That kind of out-of-touch rich worked in Overboard and Arthur but doesn't work here. Here, it's just stupid and boring. Been there, done that.
Also,
-Zero chemistry between Rudolph and Scott.
-Didn't buy either of them as billionaires. It's like they're faking being rich. I keep waiting for Rudolph to wake up from a dream and they really live in a 1-bedroom apartment in Pasadena.
-Tough boss Sophie is over-acted and one-dimensional.
-A gay sidekick? Shallow BFFs? How original.
Fire Island (2022)
Joyless, Souless, Pointless
I love Bowen Yang but even if this was Fantasy Island he wouldn't be a sex symbol. Lizzie Bennett was an attractive woman. Bowen bless his adorable heart ain't no Lizzie. So for stud Charlie to fall in love at first sight with Bowen across a bar full of hot near-naked men is beyond belief.
Getting past that though there were still so many issues. Mostly the fact that this movie was sad and humorless and boring. Didn't care about a single character. Though that's no surprise b/c they were all one-dimensional caricatures.
Loved the concept; hated the casting, directing, writing, and execution.
Review isn't long enough so the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog, ok?
We Own This City (2022)
Great show but those accents?
Agree with other reviews that the show is a bit hard to follow but great nonetheless.
But why does Jon Bernthal sound like he's from Appalachia, his captain sounds like he's from New Orleans, and others range from hood to ivy league? Yet not a single Baltimore accent in the entire cast. Wouldn't have even noticed except JB's mountain hick accent is so thick it's distracting.
Still...good show.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
Great...if you like network formula tv shows
I was really looking forward to this but it feels like any of 100 predictable network tv shows. Yawn.
There's the ruggedly handsome, sulky, brilliant lead.
There's the quirky, comical associate.
There's the smart-aleky teen.
There's the love/hate relationship with the ex.
There's the professional beyond-reproach judge.
There's the smarmy DA who dated the ex.
There's the hard-nosed cop.
What next, the tattooed, pigtailed tech genius?
Ambulance (2022)
Most boring non-stop, heart-pounding action film I've ever seen
This could've been a really good movie. This should've been a really good movie. And I get that it's mostly one long, non-stop chase scene. "Speed" did that, and did it well so it can be done.
But these chase scenes were too much and at the same time not enough. They were so long and repetitive that they became white noise. Ambulance racing, veering, avoiding. Cops chasing, chasing, crashing, crashing, crashing. Block 'em in! Let 'em go! Cut 'em off! Let 'em go! On and on and on.
Knowing the ambulance was never going to crash until the end of the movie meant sitting through hundreds of random cars/cops crashing here, crashing there, crash, crash, crash, waiting until the end of the movie when it finally stopped. And the random/cop car crashes all looked the same. It got...boring.
There were a couple exciting pit stops but completely overshadowed by the ridiculous crashes.
Was unfamiliar with the Will Sharp actor but thought he was great and looking forward to seeing him in other things. Jake Gyllenhall on the other hand was asked to play a one-dimensional, unhinged borderline psychopath and they peppered the movie with comedic attempts to show his range but just felt out of place and again...boring.
Pieces of Her (2022)
Low Budget Crap
Agree with all the other reviews that this was a really bad show on so many levels. How did they rope so many decent actors into this mess?
And it was so cheap! They used different actors to play the characters 30 years ago which is only right. But not Nick? They couldn't afford one more actor to play Young Nick? Instead they used the old guy but just gave him a long stringy wig? Wow.
And the sets! The billionaire's house was laughable. They filmed a few scenes from the outside so we could see that is was an old stone castle-like structure. Ok, looks like wealth. But there were meager dead plants in the urns. Did no one on set notice this? Worse, the inside furniture and decor looked like it was cobbled together from a dormitory dumpster at the end of a semester. Cheap furniture not even remotely period correct. The grand piano was crammed into a little room and had two (two!) photos on it. In another scene is was crammed next to a white 1990's dining room set. There wasn't a thing in that house that said "wealth". I'm convinced they had no budget left for sets. It was a joke.
My Salinger Year (2020)
Where's the Salinger?
There's almost nothing about Salinger in this film. Even the title character has little interest in him. She learns nothing about him, is hardly excited to speak to him. He has little interest in her. He's barely present in the film.
This should've been called My Year At a Wacko Literary Agency. The agency characters are far more interesting. Though they were barely drawn out. Needed much more character development.
And really...who in their 40's writes a memoir about one year as a failed 20-something writer in NYC in the 90's? Too cliched. Or maybe not cliched enough, IDK. Though Margaret Qualley is captivating, this movie was not.
Cry Macho (2021)
#1 Worst Eastwood Movie Ever
Filled with more Mexican stereotypes than I can count. The women all wear peasant dresses with shawls or ponchos. Some walk down the dusty streets with goats. The Mexican ranger wears a star pinned on his leather vest over his embroidered shirt and pants tucked into cowboy boots. Each tiny village has street carts on every corner selling nothing but baskets. So many baskets.
The directing is sloppy at best. In one village there was a chap standing around in a poncho and sombrero (seriously). Clint and boy drove to the next town and voila! Same chap in same poncho and sombrero.
In one shot there's a woman walking in a poncho carrying a valise. She walks out of the shot. Seconds later she reappears walking in the opposite direction. So bad. It hardly matters when the sets look straight out of Chi-Chi's restaurants.
Not even going to discuss the ridiculous plot. Clint drives to Mexico city to bring a kid back to Texas. Of course they're hounded by bad guys and Federales. So what do they do? "Hey, this town looks interesting. Let's stop and check it out.". Why? So they can introduce a love interest for Clint. No other reason. No hurry to cross the border apparently.
And speaking of Clint as a love interest...can't we all just admit his days as a sex symbol are long over? Or at least, as a love interest for sexy 30 and 40 year old women. He's a gaunt, stodgy, cranky old man yet young, rich, hot women just can't help seducing him? Come on. At least find someone his own age.
And the kid. Oy, the kid. He lives in a mansion with armed guards and Porsches. Mom says he's a wild, cockfighting gambler, drinker. But with Clint he talks and acts like a 5-year-old from Leave it to Beaver. "You're a real cowboy?!? Can I wear your hat?" "Do you think my dad will buy me a horse?". "Did my dad ask about me?!?". So, so, so bad.
Oh, and completely anti-climactic ending. What a waste of time.
The Pursuit of Love (2021)
Unlikeable characters, one-note directing
I agree with most of the comments here. This show is different than the usual, yes. But that doesn't make it good. There isn't a single likeable character to root for. The women do nothing but whine and cry and complain; the men are also single-note stereotypes to the nth degree. Couldn't care less what happened to any of them.
The directing was amateurish at best. It's like Emily Mortimer just graduated film school and decided to mimic Wes Anderson and a few others. The only originality was the juxtaposition of the modern music (though that's been done to death as well) with the period shots.
And there were some beautiful shots to be sure. Emily has a great eye and I hope she makes another period piece but with better character development and better pacing. This one was non-stop blah-blah-ing about nothing. The pace was relentless.
I haven't read the novels but why the infatuation with Linda? She's annoying, selfish, petulant, abrasive, almost hateful. She's not beautiful or witty or charming or kind or interesting yet everyone is in love with her? I don't get it. The film in no way explained her hold on all these kind, interesting, decent people.
My first time seeing Emily Beecham and she was fantastic. I will watch her in anything.
Security (2021)
What is this movie even about?
I have no issue with the dubbing. But I have a major issue with the plot. There's no clear story line, just a whole lot of disjointed mini-tales that amount to nothing. I had no idea what was relevant and what wasn't. The estranged wife is running for mayor? A billionaire is buying an old manor home? The billionaire supports the right-wing mayoral candidate but doesn't want to be seen with her? The daughter is sleeping with her professor? The professor has writer's block? A student is secretly taping her classes? The protagonist has an unfulfilled romance? He wrongly thought his daughter was molested as a child? He has insomnia? Who cares? None of these sub-plots furthered the main plot in any way. After about 20 minutes in I was in the 'who cares' and 'where the f is this going' lane. All this to find out a girl was beaten by a weird old dude but she's fine now. That's the big climax?
No surprise but there was zero character development. Creeps were creeps from the beginning. Sulky teens were sulky throughout. Everyone was sullen and morose and
The only reason for any stars is the town's locale is stunning. Seaside at the foot of the alps.
The Homesman (2014)
Lots to Like; Lots to...?
This is a tough one. Gripping story, gritty portrayal of pioneer life. But it tries too hard to be clever and in the process leaves too much out.
In the beginning we see sudden, unexplained cuts of the women in question leaving me at least, confused. Was there an editing problem? And there was no back story on Cuddy or TLJ so I didn't care about them. No progression either, unless you count being a fine woman one day and hanging yourself the next as character development.
The women being transported are a 5th grader's idea of a "crazy" person; completely one-dimensional.
And the 2 minute cameos from anyone and everyone TLJ has ever met is more distracting than should be. I half expected his old roomie Al Gore to show up as "smartly dressed coach passenger" at some point.
I appreciate the director isn't spoon feeding us but with so much left out it felt incomplete and unsatisfying.
Thunder Force (2021)
Oy vey
Ditto to everything already said about this abysmal film. I love Melissa and I love Ben...when he's acting. But if a director makes stellar Octavia Spencer look like a wooden walk-on then something is amiss. And it happens in every movie he directs. He's great...just not at directing. Give it up Ben.
This was without doubt one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Well conceived, but badly written, badly acted, badly directed, bad bad bad bad bad.
I'm surprised that he's continually willing to put his and Melissa's reputations up against all his failures. Tammy, The Boss, Life of the Party. All have the exact same ratings and criticisms....the script and the director.
Please Ben... we love you. You're a funny actor. Don't feel overshadowed by your wife. Play along and do what you do best. And please release Melissa from her obligation to support your dreams.