falangsabai Reviews

Star Trek Continues (2013–2017)

Be patient, it grows on you.

[8/10 · 5 December 2023]

I must admit that after viewing 15 or so minutes of this copycat Star Trek, I was extremely disappointed. In fact I actually deleted the file. Some of the actors looked the part, others did not. The acting was seemingly wooden. I then read the reviews, sure that all would agree with me. Not so. Others had the same initial misgivings but seemed to urge me to give it a chance. So I did. After 3 episodes it did grow on me, and it became extremely enjoyable. I found myself back in my teens watching this on TV. Aside from the acting which is a bit iffy, they have done a really good job of replicating the show. I found I suspended my disbelief in the characters appearance, and I really got into it. The stories follow the themes set down in the original and are actually very well presented. One change they did make, which had been a real sore point for me in the first episodes, was the actor playing Dr. McCoy. The new character is much easier to accept. If you are of the new generation you may find the lack of CGI and "played down" violence unappealing. But for those of us who remember, this is reverent homage to the original. Enjoy.

The Last Legion (2007)

Near epic-great movie

[8/10 · 3 December 2023]

I truely enjoyed this movie. It is a great action adventure saga with memorable characters. I can not for the life of me understand why this movie has gotten so many low reviews. It has a solid story. I can not quite say this was an epic, but is very close to it. Very well done action sequences and a monumental battle scene make this a great story. The characters are well played and I was particularly struck by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Mira, absolutely gorgeous and the ever talented Ben Kingsly. Actualy the entire cast delivered solid performances. This is a very enthralling tale, for the whole family. Needless to say they have played it very loose with the facts but just suspend your disbelief and enjoy. The finale reveals an amazing and heart warming twist, espec ialy for fans of this genre.

Space Wars: Quest for the Deepstar (2022)

B- movie (as in B movie totaly negative review)

[3/10 · 13 August 2023]

The reviews on this ran from very bad to very good. I like scify and the synopsis appealed to me, so I gave it a try. The film falls completely at the lowest end of the rating scale. In every way it was a very poorly made film. The acting is abysmal, the special effects are even worse. Did not watch it long enough to know if there was plot. It's not even worth investing the 20 minutes that I gave this film. Now, i am not a movie snob and am relatively easy to please but this just missed every mark. Do yourself a big favor and give this a complete pass. I don't know what's happening now but most of the new movies rate with this one.

The Little Mermaid (I) (2023)

Classic Disney

[8/10 · 12 August 2023]

So whats wrong with a live action remake? Each different version brings something different to the table. Again I find that most of the reviewers here over intellectualize. I feel sorry for these people, because it appears they simply cannot let themselves enjoy a movie. I didn't know what to expect. I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Sure there are deviations from other versions and most certainly from the original story, so what!. I was never a real big fan of musicals but this one worked for me. It was beautifically visualized, the story was fast paced (for me) and humorous. I loved all of the characterizations, and was totally captivated by Hallie Baily-wow what an incredible talent. Likewise, Melissa Mc Carthy was a standout. The blending of CGI and live action really worked, and is the only way such a tale can be made in live action. I am not normaly sentitmental, but the ending brought a hint of tear to my eye. Come on guys, a lot of effort and heart goes into making a film such as this, just enjoy!

Another Life (2019–2021)

Waste of time!

[1/10 · 6 August 2023]

My finger hit the stop button a few minutes into episode two. I can deal with slightly implausible story line if it is set up such that I can suspend my disbelief. Like other reviewers Not this time. I found the supporting actors to be totally miscast or misdirected. They seemed like a bunch of high schoolers. They did not for a moment come off as a highly trained and professional crew of a star ship. The straw that broke the camels back for me was when the 2 IC was killed. It was straightforward self defense, as he intended to harm the captain. But the writers credibility snapped when she did not present it to the crew as it was, self defense, letting them overreact as if it was a deliberate murder. Stupid.

The Princess (I) (2022)

Die hard in the middle ages.

[6/10 · 31 July 2023]

This is very watchable movie-once. The kings daughter is locked away is a tower by an evil bad guy who has over run her castle and wants to marry her. She is not interested, The movie is wall to wall action as she fights her way out of the tower. Other than that, there is no plot. I do enjoy a female hero story and this fills the bill. I compared this to die hard, but in fact other than the constant violence similarity Die hard was far superior. While I commend the star for her physical prowess, the fight scenes were lacking reality. I was not familiar with the star from her precious works as many of you did, but I did not find myself feeling much for the character. Like I said, enjoy it once, but I doubt you'll want seconds.

Moon (2009)

Dissappointing

[4/10 · 29 July 2023]

I am stunned at the high ratings this movie received. Bot not surprised it was compared to 2001 a space odyssey because that movie, for me was also a major disappointment. Spectacularly made but a major bore. Moon is exactly the same. This moviie did not absorb my attention in any way. It was extremely slow, obviously low budget with lego like models. One gets the vauge impression that the film maker is attempting to make some great metaphysical statement here, Maybe it did but that did not alter the fact that this was a really poor movie. I was able to watch it for about 30 minutes then I bailed. Don't bother.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Just for the fun of it

[8/10 · 5 July 2023]

No question, the first Independence day was outstanding in every way. A totally exciting thrill ride. I'm writing this as a counter review, counter to all the negative commenters, because I enjoyed the movie.. Sorry guys, but I am neither a neanderthal or a snob. I've been a movie fan for over 70 years and always felt that if the film absorbed me and didn't bore me it was a worthy piece of entertainment. This sequell was fun. Why do we need a sequel, we don't, but the story premise and characters in the first film were solid so why not dish out some more. I really think most reviewers fail to let themselves go with the flow and simply enjoy a movie, instead of looking for ways to intellectually hack it to pieces.

1883 (2021–2022)

Missed the mark

[6/10 · 30 March 2023]

I dislike being the odd man out, but looks like I am on this one. I remember checking this out a while ago, and stopped watching it a ways into the first episode. Beautiful to watch but very slow and could not hold my interest, Subsequently I got hooked on Yellowstone, which is one great piece of television. Then checked out 1923 as it offered background on Yellowstone. Also an excellent series. I then decided to give 1883 another go. By that time I was an admirer of Taylor Sheridan. I patiently hung in for the 10 episodes, mostly because I wanted to see how the ranch was founded. I found it to be slow, pretentious and plodding. The protagonist Elsa was not really a likeable character at all. I'm glad they're doing a season two but with a different character. Hopefully it will live up to the better shows.

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

Chaplin surprise

[8/10 · 19 February 2023]

I happened upon this movie accidentally while surfing the net, I had never even heard of it and I am quite a movie fan. In fact, though in the past I've seen clips from Chaplin's early "tramp" movies I did not realize that he had made films when older. While the "tramp" movies were momentarily amusing I was never a big fan of early slapstick. To make a long story short, I checked out this movie out of curiosity and what sounded like an offbeat plot. What a most pleasant surprise. Though I've not seen his other films made in the later years, I have to suspect this is a standout. Far from the Chaplin of bygone days, this performance is nothing short of brilliant. I've also not seen Martha Raye's early films but she is absolutely the perfect foil for Verdoux's treachery. She's outrageous and really pulls it off. The fishing scene brought me to some heartfelt laughs. Totally off the wall. Chaplin plays the perfect charming, enchanting, scoundrel to a tee. I certainly knew his reputation as being a legend in movies, but this movie made me realize why. This is a compelling tragedy as much as a comedy. It is well done and totally absorbing for its 2 hour length. A must see.

Miracle Mile (1988)

Bomb

[4/10 · 13 February 2023]

Personally I have never cared for apocalyptic movies, and Miracle Mile was no exception. For the life of me, I cannot begin to fathom the high scores and favorable reviews that this movie has received. I did have my cursor hoovering over the stop icon throughout the entire movie. The only reason I persevered was the morbid curiosity of how it would end. The movie started off slow, and despite a bit of action it stayed that way. The premis was so far fetched, it was just impossible to suspend disbelief and get into it. There was nothing the actors could do to save the movie, it was (as was L. A.) doomed from the outset. A total waste of time.

National Treasure: Edge of History (2022–2023)

No brainer but enjoyable

[6/10 · 24 January 2023]

I've just binged through season 1. Frankly I am really surprised at the ratings and reviews here on IMDB. Seems like a lot of folks have an ax to grind with Disney. This was never intended as an intellectual masterpiece. It's a very simple family (primarily teenagers and younger) entertainment. I am a few decades past being a teen yet was a big fan of the National Treasure movies. This series is a pleasant resurection of an age old premise that works: a treasure hunt. I particularly liked and appreciated the homage paid to the original movies. The premise set up with agent Sandusky, the inclusion of artifacts from the films, and the integration of Riley into the story was delightful. Come on guys, TV can be just a pleasant pastime and this fills the bill. The actors are all fine, and it's always a delight to see Catherine Zeta Jones.

Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)

Waste of time

[5/10 · 24 January 2023]

I believe this movie was adapted from an Australian novel, though it does bear a great similarity to Red Dawn but relocated down under. A never identified Asian nation invades Australia and captures its major shipping ports, then proceeds to round up the civilian population. The protagonists are allegedly high school students. This is where the plausibility, hence believability starts to fade. The main students seem to be like 20 something's and look like models. I would guess that this was done on a limited budget, but they did the best they could within those restraints. The result, though, is a film that is very tedious and extremely talkie. Not a lot of action. I must admit that the Australian setting was nicely photographed The kids are unbelievably incompetent: gossiping about their love life, not listening to warnings over the walkie talkie while the bad guys sneak up, planning to blow up a gasoline tanker truck and they forget to bring a lighter? We're also supposed to believe that a high school student can skillfully drive a garbage truck and a 16 wheel tanker truck. Come 'on. However, about midway through the movie I was ready to pack it in and stop watching, it was that boring. But I did keep watching in the hopes that the story would actually go somewhere. It did pick up a bit with one very tense, well done action sequence, but it wasn't worth watching the movie for. Usually I give a movie a 6 if it's watchable and slightly entertaining, but in this case, gotta go with a 5.

Judy (II) (2019)

Sad

[22 January 2023]

There was only one incredible Judy Garland, and no actress or movie can express her incredible talent as did the actual films she made. I grew up watching Judy Garland movies on television and she was captivating. She was an incredible talent and should be remembered for that. True, it appears she did have an incredibly difficult and tumultuous life. That is not what she should be remembered for. This bio pic dwells on the tragedy not the beauty and joy she brought to the hearts of millions of moviegoers. I'm sorry but I did not enjoy this movie and it's just typical of the film industry to capitalize on her even more through this very downbeat and sad story. No doubt, Zwellenger gave an emotion packed performance. But, I for one was expecting the story to chronicle her growth as a person and as an actress, her relationship with the studio and her costars. What the film chronicles is only that tragedy that it all culminates into. I was uncomfortable watching this movie and felt that whether true or not it was dis respectful to an amazing lady.

The Right Stuff (2020)

Boring at best

[5/10 · 16 January 2023]

This series was watchable, but just barely. Whether the characterizations were accurate or not is irrelevant. For the most part they painted a negative impression of these heroic men. They had to do this because the characters they created were otherwise uninteresting. In fact excerpt for Glen it was hard to physically tell them apart. They overplayed the private life dramas of the characters. After watching this, I revisited the movie of "the Right Stuff". So much more interesting and enjoyable. They accentuated the positive, and really delved into the evolution of getting our first man in space. In the series Disney seems content to point out the foibles of these men, yet hypocritical; in the Disney goody two shoes fashion, they left out Shepard's prayer (too offensive? For the most part it was slow and boring, no wonder it was cancelled.

The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)

EXCELLENT THRILLER FOR 1929

[7/10 · 9 January 2023]

Yes this movie is very dated. I've been watching movies for over 65 years, even at 10 years old I was watching the, then, oldies on television. I've experienced the full gamut of movie styles, production techniques, acting dynamics and technology, so I can happily and easily get into a movie from this era. Yes, its very melodramatic, over acted, a bit stilted like a stage play, but the story is intriguing, the acting works for the era, the sets are good, and the movie has a dynamic that works. I understand that not everyone can enjoy these golden oldies for what were, only seeing them through the eyes of the 22nd century. If you can, this is actually quite a classic and very absorbing. I liked it.

Camelot (2011)

Superb series

[9/10 · 25 November 2022]

It is a great shame that this series was not continued. I have seen most TV and movie versions of the Arthurian legend. I have also read the Cromwell books. I enjoyed this series very much. It is a most intelligent take on the Arthur legend, while it differs in many ways from other versions it does maintain the essence of the legend. The characters are well cast and nicely portrayed. The cinematography is outstanding. The sets and costumes are lavish. This is all in all a beautiful, enjoyable production. This is certainly one of the top renditions of the Camelot story ever made. This certainly deserves much more than a 6.

The Arena (1974)

SUPERBAD (and I don't mean good)

[4/10 · 10 November 2022]

To call this a B movie would be too generous. This was a very poor movie, in all respects. The script is stupid, with lousy acting, it's partly dubbed, has cheap sets and costumes, and totally phony fight scenes: This movie reeked of "CHEAP". The unfortunate thing about it is that the premise, of depicting gladatrix is a good one. But they certainly did not pull it off. The only thing of interest was the "eye candy" and fleeting bits of nudity. In fact if it wasn't for this I would have given it a two. But sexy ladies was nowhere near enough to carry this off, it was incredibly boring, and I could not endure it to the end,

Pink (III) (2016)

Gripping

[8/10 · 8 November 2022]

I rarely watch Indian movies, though I have traveled in India several times. While I find the place fascinating, there are aspects of the culture which i cannot relate to. This is particular is the attitude about women. This film addresses that issue head on. While there is a very strong social commentary here, this is also an excellent motion picture. Though 50 % of the dialogue is in Hindi, I was still caught up in the emotions and delivery, subtitles supplied meaning. This is an extremely well made compelling story. While I'm not really familiar with Indian actors, they were all superb. It appears that Indian courtroom procedure is considerably different from America, but that only added to my interest. This is a great movie, not to be missed.

Sunset (1988)

Great fun-cowboys, gangsters and moviestars

[8/10 · 7 November 2022]

I truly enjoyed this movie. Blake Edwards has brewed a marvelous comedy-mystery with some great ingredients. A real western hero: Wyatt Earp, a real movie cowboy: Tom Mix, and a healthy dash of gangsters and Hollywood glamour. Two of my favorites: James Garner and Bruce Willis backed up by a most capable cast. The story is well written, lots of twists and turns, intrigue and mystery. Most of all, it is tongue in cheek fun. As the epilogue says "this actually happened, give or take a lie or two". While the whole thing is Hollywood hokum it's not entirely a lie. Apparently in the real world Wyatt Earp and Tom Mix were really friends, which just gives the story enough credibility to allow me to temporarily suspend my disbelief and have a real good time,. Enjoy pardner.

Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Dracula: Prince of Darkness (2011) Season 5, Episode 10

Mildly OK

[6/10 · 3 November 2022]

At least I was able to sit through it. It was a typical Hammer film, not too bloody. Christopher Lee again portrays the Count. Not much acting there. The story was mildly interesting, but not at all suspenseful or thrilling. It was definitely not scary. Typically it was all shot in the studio. Cinematography was very flat and there was no mood. The supporting characters were OK. All in all it was pretty predictable stuff. I did learn something new about how to snuff a vampire: Immerse him in running water. I'd not even call it a horror film. It's OK if you're a fan of the genre, otherwise, take it or leave it. I would not pay to rent it.

Arabian Adventure (1979)

Downhill from the start

[5/10 · 2 November 2022]

This movie could have been so much better. It had all the right story ingredients: exotic locale, evil wizard, beautiful princess, valiant prince, magic carpet, good genies and bad genies, lots of magic. Unfortunately they were not brought together in an interesting or remotely enjoyable way. The first few minutes showed promise, but it was all downhill from there. I realize this was done over fifty years ago, but the special effects were totally hokey and poorly done. The script is very weak, and the scenes are too long. I'm a fan of Mickey Rooney but I was truly embarrassed for the part he played. In short, stupid and boring.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (2000 TV Movie)

The worst Holmes ever.

[4/10 · 1 November 2022]

This is of course Conan Doyles' best Holmes adventure and I have enjoyed every film version that I have seen, up till now. This is without a doubt the most abysmal portrayal of the great detective that I have ever seen. Matt Frewer is guilty of rampant overacting, his arrogant and cocky portrayal of Holmes, is completely at odds with Doyles' character and the elegant portrayal by Basil Rathbone who remains the best Holmes ever. I was so embarrassed for Frewers playacting that I simply could not watch any more than the first twenty or so, minutes. On the other hand, while Nigel Bruce was a comedic foil to Holmes, as the iconic Dr. Watson, I did like Kenneth Welshes well studied portrayal. But that, alas could not carry the story. The fiilmic style utilized some very cheap techniques that foretold to me that the rest of the movie would be a waste of time.

Detective Knight: Rogue (2022)

Dissapointing at best

[2/10 · 23 October 2022]

I used to be a big fan of Bruce Willis, but most of the movies outside the Die Hard franchise except for the fifth element and the red series, were not particularly interesting. This movie is probably one of the worst. I lasted through about twenty minutes then boredom won out. It starts out strong with a thwarted armored car heist, but goes downhill from there. I will not comment on Bruce Willis acting in this as I know he is ill. I do wish him well. The other actors are wooden and lack any nuance to their performance. The script is very week. The movie totally fails to draw in the viewer, I was being overly generous when I gave it a 2.

Interceptor (2022)

Not a bad little movie

[6/10 · 28 September 2022]

This is certainly not a bad movie. And it is not deserving of the extreme panning and very low ratings of many reviewers. On the other hand it is also not a great movie, not comparable to films like Die hard, which it emulates. This director did not have the budget or cast to do it. The writer/director Matthew Reilly is a prolific author of extreme action books with amazing premises, lots of tension, lots of twists and turns, and some outlandish action. He is one of my top 10 favorite authors, but I think he may have fallen a tiny bit short of the mark here, in his directorial debut. All in all, though he's done OK with what he was given to work with. The basic plot though a bit clichéd, is always an exciting one. I really enjoyed a female heroine. The early scenes are not very absorbing partially due to the actors; they lack the charisma of great actors. Remember "Twilight's Last Gleaming" somewhat similar, but with the likes of Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Joseph Cotton and Paul Winfield to pull it off. But I must say the last half of Interceptor finally did grab my attention as I expected from Matthew Reilly. The action is strong and the climaxes are satisfying. If you like action flicks (and I do) this one will enjoyably pass the time. I'll keep it; I just might want to see it again.