barrywomb Reviews

The Roast of Tom Brady (2024)

Kevin Hart is NOT funny

[3/10 · 28 May 2024]

I don't get why Kevin Hart is still rolled out for stuff. Laughing at his own sh@tty jokes. Swearing just to swear is not funny. Hart has been funny but not in about 15 years. He is SO not funny here. After his first bit, I just ff'd through his stuff. Not to worry. You can see him overacting as he laughs way too hard at some of the most unfunny stuff to ever come across my tv.

Comedy Central had hilarious roasts. Other than Niki Glaser and Andrew Shultz this wasn't funny whatsoever.

Watch the audience- the LA elite look completely bored. Even a guy on the dais is looking at his phone.

I can't NOT recommend this enough.

Dune (2021)

zzzzz

[5/10 · 9 April 2024]

I read the Dune series back in the 80s. I barely remember the story to be honest, but at the time, I did like the series. I saw the Sting version when it came out and don't remember liking that much.

Regarding this movie, they've obviously spared no expense- ie, lots of special effects and plenty of fighting, cool music, etc.

That being said- This movie (TO ME) suffers from the same things that the Star Wars franchise suffers from (Yup! I said it- NOT a Star Wars fan): Lots of interplanetary governmental politics (that I could care less about), filmed with wooden actors, muted colors, and monotone dialog. This movie was really hard to watch because it was just so DULL.

Nothing made me CARE about the governments that were at stake nor the characters. I thought Paul was pretty good given what he had to work with, but there was basically ONE depressing mood throughout the movie to me. The best part was the sandworms, but Tremors was more fun.

I will watch the second one and hope that it redeems the first, but Part One was utterly boring. I seem to be in the minority so good luck with your experience.

The Wonder Years: A Star Is Born (2023) Season 2, Episode 7

Why?

[3/10 · 28 February 2024]

What's with the "hey little white girl without any witnesses around time for you to go home" - door slammed in her face.

Why would this show drop that and another "white girl" jab later in the episode?

Seemed incredibly out of place and a bit tone deaf for this normally brilliant and thoughtful show.

The entire episode was supbar. From the over the top acting kids and drama teacher to the scenes mentioned earlier. I have loved every episode of this show and this just cheapened it for me. It's beneath the normal quality episodes of The Wonder Years.

Hopefully, this was a one off miss for the show.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

FINALLY

[8/10 · 3 July 2023]

Finally, somebody seems to be getting Star Trek right. After suffering through TNG and trying to get into the different subsequent shows, this one brings it back to what was good about the original. The original Characters.

I've watched the first 4 episodes and have been delighted that the old characters have been revived. Sure, there's no McCoy, but M'Benga was also a part of that universe. Pike does seem a lot like Kirk, but I'm only just getting started with the series, so that could change.

Kudos to the Spock guy- his voice, geez, so close. His hair's not quite there, but so what? He's NOT Leonard Nimoy, but he plays a good Spock. Uhura, same deal. Not Nichelle Nichols, but the character fits, especially as a young version of the character.

I believe I even caught a reference from the Cartoon series (Spock's childhood pet) so these guys have done their homework for sure.

A few geeky nits to pick: 1) I don't think they should've introduced the Gorns yet. When Kirk fights them later in this timeline, nobody's ever heard of them, so having them appear here seemed to break the police tape a bit.

2) Khan's descendent being part of the crew. Nice idea, but the actor gets tedious AND seems heavily based on the Orville's character in a similar role.

Speaking of The Orville- that show was closer to Star Trek than any of the later shows at least until this one. That show brought some humor and decent characters as well. The Strange New Worlds team seem to have paid attention there.

3) Since this timeline is before the Kirk years, it seems odd that the Enterprise is so high tech with everything touch sensitive and so very dark and sleek. Just, again, seems to go outside the lines.

Small 'bones' to pick (see what I did there?).

This is my favorite show at this point. Too bad it's on Paramount+. I'm not watching it there and won't pay for it.

The Mother (2023)

Is this Jeanette Wick??

[4/10 · 15 May 2023]

This is isn't great. No dialog to speak of and just cliche, shootemup all the way. Just like the John Wick movies. Oh, except the girl's the badass and the guys are the ones who bungle stuff, get shot, and need her help to save them. Had there been a a good script, it'd work. This just doesn't. Nothing with her to work with. "Enough" was a great Jlo movie. She can act, but this script, direction, and story leave a lot to be desired. This is like Keanu was busy or something. The kid in the movie kinda nails it "people don't talk like that". Yup.

And really? I need 600 characters? C'mon. It doesn't warrant that many.

Nope (2022)

Boring, Dumb

[4/10 · 2 April 2023]

This movie was a Nope for me. Ooh, how original, right?

But then again, I felt the same way about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". All this buildup and hype for no payoff whatsoever. I'm not sure what this movie's point was... was it "Don't film it", "Don't look at it", "Don't get horses around it", "Don't let a live chimp loose on a TV soundstage".... what? It was nice to see "Glen" from The Walking Dead, though his part was weird, to say the least. I found the main actors either cartoonish or just slow, boring, dull, and devoid of dialogue. Thank goodness for streaming services. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I actually paid for a movie ticket to see this. Granted, I pay for streaming, but not the cost of a theatre ticket. I certainly hope Jordan Peele is not going the way of M. Night Shamalammadingdong. I remember really liking "Get Out" quite a bit, but this... whatta waste of time.

The Stand (2020–2021)

Huge Disappointment

[3/10 · 21 January 2023]

I love King's novels. I've read so many of them. The books rarely disappoint me. The Stand (along with IT and The Dark Tower stuff) were particular favorites. His character development and knack of story telling is just so good.

I was looking forward to this adaptation of The Stand so much. Yet, I was annoyed with the choice to make it a Paramount+ thing. Really??? So I bagged off of watching it for a few years until I was able to watch it recently via a friend's account.

I'd like to say I watched the whole thing, but I just couldn't. I got through 4 episodes before I stopped watching. It's so incredibly off the mark from the book or even the sort of quirky earlier series (at least that one had a great opening scene with the "Don't Fear the Reaper"- what a great way to open the story). The earlier series, while not great, was so much more thought out than whatever this is trying to be.

As every other King fan here has stated, "WHY deviate from the original narrative?". Granted, there's budgets, length, etc. To consider, but J*sus, why drag this story through the crap filter?

The show is so all over the map that it's tough to follow and, unlike the novel, you don't feel anything for any of the characters. I WILL say that the scene with Larry Underwood going through the sewers was pretty damned creepy. But other than that, the 4 episodes I sat through did nothing for me.

What group of TV execs sat in a room and thought this'd be a good idea? Stories take time to tell or it's just throwing your money down a hole.

I may give the other episodes a chance, but right now, I'm hoping that someone, someday does this story right. They missed the mark here by a long shot.

Hustle (2022)

Sports movies are usually similar...

[9/10 · 12 January 2023]

Sports movies are usually similar types of movies, ie. There's always a struggle to get good, then the event itself, then the outcome. I see a lot of people bemoaning that in these reviews for Hustle, where the negative comments are. It's a sports movie, it's not going to be THAT unique or a big 'game changer' from the Rocky's, etc.

What IS amazing here is how good Sandler is in it. Adam can be hilarious. Most people love him or hate him with no middle ground. Hey, when he's good or funny, great. When he's not, he's not.

In Hustle, to my mind, he was excellent dramatically and it completely surprised me. I thought the entire cast was great, but Adam stood out because of how we're so used to seeing him- and this is not that. My wife and I (not really sports fans) loved this movie. It had heart, it had drama, and it had bits of very funny comedy sprinkled in- like life.

We kept waiting for the bottom to fall out and it never did. It got better throughout. Highly recommended.

And to those crying about mixed-raced marriages in films, or woke-ness and downgrading the film due to that: It's tough to believe we've become this ignorant- your kids must be proud.

John Wick (2014)

Really?

[5/10 · 8 January 2023]

I will never understand the appeal for Reeves as an actor, the first Bill and Ted aside where he fit well and the story went somewhere. I have tried to appreciate his acting chops but to me he's so wooden and unbelievable- especially in "Knock Knock"- good God, Whatta ridiculous film that was- see my review for that. He's a nice guy for sure, but as an actor, I don't get the appeal.

I'd never seen the John Wick stuff until 2023. I never gave the series a chance due to - well, see the first paragraph. After watching this film, I haven't changed my opinion.

This film felt like I came in late throughout the whole thing. There were significant flashbacks, but still, it had a "we started an hour ago" vibe. That being said, the entire movie was one gun battle, fist fight, or car skidding after another. I mean, that's all it was. I guess I could've come in anywhere.

There was a good cast here, but there wasn't much for them to do. The dialog was super corny and Reeves' lines were kept to a minimum. I keep wondering if that was by design.

When Wick was finally caught by the Russian gangsters- I was waiting for the main guy to say something like "we are going to leave you tied to this chair. 2 minutes after we leave, one thousand poisonous snakes will be released and the room will fill with poison gas!" (insert evil henchman laugh).

Now, having said that last bit, I just looked up "Was John Wick a comic book?" Well, yes it was. Had I known that going in... nah, I still wouldn't have liked it. There are some great comic flicks, see the Nolan Batman series. This one just left me cold.

That being said, it's Winter so I will most likely check out the other 2. I hope they are better.

The Black Phone (2021)

Not Bad

[6/10 · 31 December 2022]

I see a few references to 'this is very Stephen King'. It should be, the writer, Joe Hill is his son.

I don't understand people's hate of this movie. It was decent. Kept me entertained and interested. The 2 main actor kids were great, especially the young girl. When her dad was being abusive, she was absolutely believable. I could've done without the scene where the bully was really getting his face punched in. It was a bit too over the top (could've just shown the kid wailing on him rather than the gore...) but it's a small point.

I agree with others that the Dad should've got his at some point. Ethan Hawke was fine. Not a 'great' movie, but not a sucky movie, either.

Troll (2022)

Why So Much Hate?

[6/10 · 26 December 2022]

Not sure why people are dumping on this film with such vitriol, especially when so many American movies are guilty of similar transgressions. It's a fun monster movie in the Godzilla tradition. People fall all over themselves about the Jurassic Park movies and some others but dump on this? Hmm, I don't get the super-hate.

You can read the synopsis on the site, but it's your basic "Monster awakens from centuries-long sleep because of human 'progress' marching into its environment, monster goes nuts and goes on rampage, etc.".

While the film does borrow heavily from some American movies, there are much worse movies out there (insert any Transformer sequel here) that don't get the reaming. The special effects are decent and having a Troll was a pretty good angle as it's not the most used villain in a movie (at least an American movie). Take it for what it is- a comic book of a movie that's reminiscent of the old Rodan Vs Mothra type of stuff.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)

Came to IMDB Knowing What to Expect

[8/10 · 18 December 2022]

After watching this film (after reading the short story years ago) I fully expected to come to IMDB to check the reviews, and of course people are whining that "it's too slow", "not enough horror"- good grief, grow an attention span or flip over to Transformers XXVII. This is the 2nd review I've written with this observation in as many days.

SO many Stephen King adaptations to film suck. SO MANY. However, there are a few- Misery, Green Mile, Stand By Me, and of course the masterpiece Shawshank Redemption (to name a few) that absolutely stand out as quality films.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone is a really good film. Donald Sutherland is excellent as Mr. Harrigan and Jaeden Martell was also very good as Craig. The movie has no swearing (unless I missed it), no gore, no trucks with personalities (ala Maximum Overdrive). It's just a good, well-produced and well filmed ghost story. I found nothing to dislike and it held my attention. The score was also a great fit.

You can't always trust trailers (no, not another Maximum Overdrive slam). Of course, trailers are always going to make a film sound more everything (scary, funny, gory, hilarious, whatever) because trailers have a minute or 2 to pull you in and hook you. I see people complaining about that, too.

It is possible that I'm not remembering where liberties were taken with the original story. But I'm not comparing them. The film is its own thing. Mr. Harrigan's Phone is worth your time.

Bullet Train (2022)

Not Sure What People are Crying About

[7/10 · 17 December 2022]

Not sure what all of the over-the-top downer reviews are about here. Is it possibly because you didn't follow the actual dialog of the movie? For me- over the past few years- there's something 'up' with the sound in movies where the dialog is buried under sound effects or music. Drives me nuts. Ok, add subtitles on your TV and boom, you get what's going on. I wish filmmakers would get a handle on that so that subtitles aren't necessary. Besides the point.

I don't think I have ever seen Brad Pitt not do something well. His comedic timing is really great here and if you pay attention (that means: put down your phone, stay awake, and pay attention for more than 5 minutes) the movie is pretty decent. His bathroom scenes were pretty darned funny.

I WILL say that the trailer didn't make me want to watch this film. Not sure what was up with that, but it just didn't pique my interest, so I nearly passed. However, checked reviews and also said "If it sucks within 1/2 an hour, we'll find something else". Luckily, it was enjoyable.

The 2 British guys were also funny. I thought the whole Thomas the Tank Engine was a weird touch at first, but if you go with it and see the brothers when they were younger, it made sense. But they were good together.

The Tarantino comments review comments are probably warranted. All the gore was kind of overdone, but the movie was still a good watch.

Prey (I) (2022)

Good movie- LOUSY Dialog

[6/10 · 3 December 2022]

This was a good spin on the whole Predator storyline from the 80s. This story was a decent one for the genre, and it had lots of action. The ending was pretty predictable, oh well. Still good. The main actress did a good job as well. My one big gripe was the dialog of the Native Americans. WAY too modern for a story set in the 1700s. "I gotta take a squat"- Really??? Too many contractions, too. I get that the filmmakers didn't want the audience reading subtitles the whole time, but some of it sounded ridiculous in this setting. I'm glad nobody said "our tribe is good peeps" or something. The cgi with the bear, wolf, and the snake was well done. I kept seeing in the press how great this was as a film. Seems like hyperbole after seeing it, but it was entertaining.

Enola Holmes (2020)

Loved it.

[8/10 · 13 November 2022]

Wow, what a great looking and sounding movie. Not sure why the low numbers (in the 6s? Other 'bigger' (crappier) movies got better scores). Great acting, charming story, and Millie Bobby Brown- holy crap, does this girl have a future in films! I've seen Stranger Things, of course, and she was good in that, but she's funny, can act, and I'm definitely excited to watch her grow up on film. Well done. The synopsis of the movie is all over this site, so check it out. Never read a Sherlock Holmes book or seen a movie. I could care less if it sticks to that canon. I just enjoyed the movie. The romance stuff was a bit girly, but whatever. Loved the musical score as well. Definitely worth the time.

The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2025)

Love this Show

[8/10 · 28 October 2022]

This show is so right on point, especially for where things are today in 2022 in the US. The political intrigue and religious zealotry is so interesting. I read the book years ago and, to me, the show surpasses the book in every possible way. Granted, the book didn't go to this level of description and story, but the show is worthy.

As people have said, season 5 IS very slow. But, I'm invested in the characters, so I'm ok with that. I DO wish that the muted coloring they use in the production was different. If things are slow, the film/video sharpness and color help to lull you into diverting your attention. It doesn't need to be primary colors, but in the age of HD tvs, what's with the crummy picture?

The story and show are excellent So what if it was a bit slow? Have some patience.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)

Kind of for kids...

[5/10 · 25 October 2022]

Watched this last night on a friend's recommendation. Seemingly aimed at kids, but with some swearing and stuff. Not really sure why they didn't just go for a PG rating and take out the other stuff that really seemed out of the target age bracket for this movie. Especially in a time of streaming. Since it's not a box office movie, will you really lose money by making a PG flick? Maybe so. But it just seemed out of place in this story for kids. Another thing that I didn't get was the 'White Privilege' comment early in the film. What's the point of that comment in a kid's movie? Maybe it was supposed to be kind of like a Bugs Bunny cartoon where a kid could watch it but there's something for the adults too...? Just seemed to instantly date the movie and does everything now have to have a political slant to it, including kids movies? Racism is an adult hangup, don't make it for kids. I get it, white privilege is a thing, but I didn't see the reason for tossing that into a kids movie. It's ok, but definitely aimed at kids (?)

Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy (2022 TV Special)

No Laughs

[4/10 · 24 October 2022]

I prefer earlier Gabriel. His first special was absolutely hilarious. Other ones that he had were also pretty good, too. This one, unfortunately, didn't do anything for me. He cites Kevin Hart for doing a stadium show, so he wanted to try it. That's fair. However, Kevin Hart's stadium show was also not funny- comedy rarely translates to huge arenas. This was also pretty long- usually, that's a bonus, but the comedy just wasn't happening for me, so I was waiting for the end before it was the end. I notice that Martin is making lots of appearances in his videos now. Nobody is there to see him, not sure why he gets pulled out at shows.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

First 4 seasons great...

[6/10 · 7 October 2022]

The first 4 seasons of this show have been great. Well-written, pretty well acted (it's strange that Ralph Machio comes off the worst in it), and it kept my attention. However, season 5 seems to be missing something.

Season 5 finds Krease in jail and Cobra Kai in the hands of Terry Silver. Ok, 1 karate psychopath, I can believe. 2? Eh... it's starting to feel very much like an episode of Scooby Doo mixed with Days of Our Lives characters as special guests. It became really tedious for me because 'there's not much we haven't seen before'.

I did like the addition of Chozen. He's been funny, awkward, and interesting. Terry Silver and a lot of his 'students' have been one dimensional and dull during this season. I keep waiting for someone to rip off his mask and say "It's old Mr. Witherspoon from the amusement park!"

They've increased the swearing in the show, which I don't get. This is a show that is targeted at young adults and boomers. The swearing- which seemed new for Season 5- isn't how I'd expect a disciplined Sensei to behave- and it's out of step with how the characters were originally detailed. Other shows have done this this year too (see The Orville). The gore/violence quotient is up, too. It's Karate, it's violent. But it's never been overtly violent with a lot of blood and stuff. It's better (to me) as it was. Seems like they're trying to throw everything in there to interest folks, but it does take away from the mythology of it.

And... A BABY? Are we naming it Oliver?? Come on... when shows (especially those from the 70s/80s) start to tank, they add a kid. Yikes.

Season 5 didn't 'suck' but it was better in earlier seasons.

Bad Words (2013)

Loved it

[8/10 · 5 October 2022]

This movie was hilarious, had heart, and had a good story that wrapped up in the end. The fact that people are upset about there being racist jokes in it, good grief, get over it or go watch a screensaver. It's COMEDY for comedy's sake. Why does everything (especially comedy) have to be analyzed through the "I'm Offended" lens? Learn to laugh at yourself- Bateman gets insulted all through it, I suppose that we're being mean to him? It's a story. Bateman is always great- I have yet to see him in anything that I don't like. Alison Janney was also good in it and I wouldn't have recognized her, but her voice is unmistakable.

If you have a sense of humor, check it out. If you don't, maybe go watch Sophie's Choice or Beaches.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

4 Episodes in...

[4/10 · 24 September 2022]

I'm 4 episodes in at this point. Dozed a few times both in episode 2 and 4. I'm a guy that read LOTR and The Hobbit a few times as a young man and have seen all the movies a few times, even those from the 70s.

This LOOKS good as far as scenery, but my God it is ABSOLUTELY BORING. Nothing happens. There's no humor, there's no charm, it's just angry looks from Galadriel and guy elves that look more like Star Trek TNG vulcans but are even more dull.

The show is trying to add some personality with the harefoots, but it's coming across very forced. The one thing I think they got right was when the orcs reached out of the wall to grab the elf. Straight from The Hobbit and it was suitably creepy... but then these orcs sounded like some kind of cockney drunks in a pub, really?

Galadriel... seems so off. Cate Blanchett didn't hit the mark for me either, but the writing for her version was much closer in Jackson's movies. This feels like they're going for some kind of Wonder Woman wannabe vibe. I don't think that's who Galadriel is supposed to be character wise.

All of this jumping around- I get it- you're trying to show all of the different realms (just like GoT), but please, can we have a point to this? The best scenes were the orks under the house. The rest of it is just meandering, heartless, and unbearably slow.

I will keep watching in hopes that it gets better, at least for a bit.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

AWFUL

[3/10 · 3 September 2022]

Not sure why, but we watch all of these, every time there's a new one. We keep hoping they get better and they get worse. The acting in this is so terribly bad- even from veteran actors. Jeff Goldblum? I will never understand the appeal (other than The Fly, which I wished that we'd watched instead of this). Great CGI here- I'll give it that. But the story was noticeably absent and just kept going and going and going. If your movie doesn't have a story, it doesn't help to beat the audience over the head with CGI. You can read the synopsis of the film all over this site, so no need to rehash it. If you like a good story, and you like good acting... RENT SOMETHING ELSE!

Old (2021)

WHAT a Waste of Time...

[3/10 · 3 August 2022]

Man, I get SUCKERED into this guys movies nearly every time. The 6th Sense was awesomely good. The Village- it was ok and the ending made it decent. But this one... Terrible dialog. Terrible cinematography. Just Crap. Not sure who keeps green lighting Shamalamadingdong's movies, but STOP. MAKE him fix his stuff. This guy is capable of great things. But he keeps missing the target. I saw the preview for this in the theatres. "Looks interesting". But then I saw that it was MNS. "Oh... he's been disappointing for years now". Sure enough... whatta waste of time. SO GLAD I didn't pay for this and saw it on HBO. Cool concept, wasted.

Ozark: A Hard Way to Go (2022) Season 4, Episode 14

Gonna Miss This Show

[8/10 · 14 May 2022]

The people complaining about the 'bad guys win' - look around you. That happens. My only problem with this episode and season was that it was a bit slow, but Ozark could be like that. It sucked that we lost Ruth, but you kind of knew from the gitgo that Claire wasn't going to be able to keep her mouth shut.

One part I loved about this show that everyone is crying about: Richard Thomas (Grampa). You have to wonder if the producers actively sought him out almost as a joke. You can almost see them all sitting around the conference table, spitballing this idea: "Ya know, ever wonder what would John Boy Walton would be like in 2022?". If u think about him like that, it's humorous. Also- people are complaining about his character making no sense- he actually does. The Langmores- their whole family line was rotten. The guy they had in jail for Wyatt's murder- his whole family line was rotten. And now Wendy's whole family was rotten to the core and Grampa illustrated that point well. Ruth was trying to redeem herself and even then, fate came down and said "Nope".

Bleak, sure, but also realistic.

Superman & Lois (2021–2024)

CW had it, now they've lost it...

[2/10 · 12 January 2022]

CW had the best Superman series ever with Smallville. They could've taken that show in so many great directions, but then they couldn't keep their cast because their cast knew the show was going nowhere.

Now, Superman and Lois.... I've caught a few episodes. I think it stinks. Superman is ok, but Lois seems miss-cast to me. I tried to stick with it, but it just feels like some kind of teen drama kind of thing. Smallville had that too, but at least, it was engaging for a few good years.