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Teachers (1984)
Mostly good and often funny film about a bad school ... well, not that bad
29 September 2024
It took me a long time to watch this. I was recording shows on one DVR I didn't really need anymore except the other ones were always full. And it was inconvenient to watch anything on this DVR if I had time. But it's not important when the movie aired in my area.

What is important is that this was sort of a comedy about a school that appeared to be bad on the scale of the one Morgan Freeman ran later in the decade. And I have more to say about Freeman later. But the truth is the school wasn't as bad as the first scenes made it appear at first.

Can it be stated that this is a movie like many others? Maybe back in the day it was groundbreaking. I wouldn't know. Even if there is a formula, I like the formula.

Apparently the faculty is mostly apathetic and the students who need more aren't going to succeed, while there are others who can succeed if given the chance. But the focus is on the faculty and just a few students.

Nick Nolte starts out as a lazy bum who will apparently be more apathetic than the other faculty. Wrong. Regardless of how well Alex did as a teacher, of course, Nolte clearly shows how talented he is and how respected he will be when the time comes for awards. But he ends up as the most caring of all the faculty, even breaking the rules to make a difference for his students.

Judd Hirsch does a great job as he does in most of his roles, showing he is in charge and that he should have been the principal instead of the pathetic Henry Blake character who has the title. However, he is part of the problem as one of the faculty who says they can't do it all and they'll settle for good enough.

Richard Mulligan is great as an escaped mental patient who pretending to be a substitute teacher delivers realistic performances of historical characters such as Abraham Lincoln.

I didn't know Ralph Macchio but I've seen him those "Karate Kid" movies and he is really good as one of the students who is smart but not achieving by measurable standards. He might have been dyslexic but the movie never makes clear what his problem is. He can get things done even if he can't study and learn what is taught in class.

I must have seen Jobeth Williams in other movies and she is certainly pretty and likable, and her lawyer character really tries. She is up against obstacles. As for her big scene, I was watching on broadcast TV so I don't know how much I missed.

In a time before he became the authoritative and respected actor we all know, Morgan Freeman was a con artist lawyer. The role doesn't seem to suit him now that we know him as a man who might have been able to turn this school around. Yet he does a good job with it. If made years later, this movie should have had Jamie Foxx or Chris Rock in the role, and they could have really done something with it.

Laura Dern has great hair. I forget she was ever that young, and in fact she looks too old to be a high school student. She does a good job here.

There is a tragedy that seems too dark for a comedy movie, but the movie mostly works.

This movie was cleaned up for broadcast and I was grateful.

As would be expected for the movie' intended audience, the "music" was everything that was bad about 80s music.

Does this still work today? Some things may have changed, but even forty years later, there are apathetic teachers and students who need someone to care and don't have that.

I think it's really good.
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Ender's Game (2013)
Inspiring but dark future
23 September 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I did not read the book and all I knew was what I saw in the summary.

Ender was selected to be a leader because he was a genius but like so many similar characters, he wasn't taken seriously and was even bullied. And yet he wasn't a bully himself, like so many TV and movie geniuses. His training seemed to take place entirely too fast, and I assumed Graff was looking for someone who could lead a battle in the distant future. And yet he advances through the different stages of training, and while not perfect, he does well enough to impress those who had faith in him. What makes Ender such a good character is that he took others' opinions seriously.

Bonzo was entirely too cruel, though Ender's solution was just as bad. The previous sergeant, while cruel, changed his tone as Edner moved to later stages of training, and he was a better character.

Harrison Ford did a good job but lacked personality, which is what most of his characters have. His stubbornness and determination ended up making ender the leader his people needed.

When Ben Kingsley finally appeared, he had what was missing from Ford's character. A fine performance, and more dimension to the character.

Viola Davis did a great job, logical and caring.

Ender had allies, particularly Petra, who was warm and caring but tough when she had to be, and Alai, who seemed like he would wash out but became what he needed to.

Abigail Breslin has been praised from a young age and she didn't disappoint. She was Valentine, Ender's loving sister, and a mysterious video game character.

And on the subject of video games, these were hardly games. They were quite serious. And all too real. The main point may have been to show what we were doing was what was done to Earth in flashbacks in "The 100", where many of the few survivors ended up on a space station. If Ender's solution for fighting the evil creatures was carried out, it would make us no better than them. It could be stated that these creatures were people too, and at the end, this was shown to be true. I want to leave the one final fact of the ending for you to see.

Visual effects were mazing. The space station was incredible. The action was exciting. The producers of visual effects just seemed to go on for days in the credits. And no wonder.

If you can deal with a dark future, the story of who Ender became a leader is inspiring.
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Mostly good look at life in the 'hood, but raunchy at times
16 September 2024
I think I saw the original, but I don't remember it. And maybe a sequel. Maybe both of them.

I don't know the 'hood but I've seen plenty of TV series and movies. There is a good story here and great efforts to find solutions to problems. Maybe government can't do it all, but if individuals can solve their own problems, that's great. Things can be bad in the 'hood and they didn't ignore what can happen there.

Even though I am white, I wasn't bothered by the comments about white people. I enjoy Chris Rock's insults, for example, though he isn't in this movie. At the same time, I'd have been happier if they had come from Anthony Anderson. I really enjoyed his characters rants about white people on "Black-ish". And while you probably have to keep the same actors in a sequel, I would have liked him better as the lead. He was still very good as a con artist type claiming to do good, and someone we could root for even if he wasn't on the right side of good and evil. His co-worker from "Black-ish", Deon Cole, added to this movie as well.

One problem for me with this movie as that between the time it was made and the time I saw it while at the beach, Cedric the Entertainer had a legendary TV series in which he played a businessman named Calvin. So this movie was very confusing. Eddie is a very different character, but entertaining. Still, I was confused a lot when Calvin was mentioned.

And on the subject of Calvin, he was quite a good character too. I mostly know Ice Cube from his role as the intimidating and disapproving brother-in-law of his movie character in the TV series "Are We There Yet?" based on the movie. He is somewhat toned down here compared to that, but someone who can be respected for his caring attitude and his determination to keep a business in a bad neighborhood while he has to weigh the pros and cons of raising his son elsewhere.

Common, as in "The Wiz", was anything but. He went above and beyond in scenes that were not funny.

I know J. B. Smoove as a smooth-talking and charming man much like he is here, from a series whose name I don't even remember, and probably no one does, which starred the actress who played the wife of the glee club leader from "Glee". And he is good here, and on the wrong side of good and evil like Anderson's character.

I didn't recognize Utkarsh Ambudkar until he said he was Indian (from India) and then I realized. He's the husband who can't see the ghosts his wife talks to. And he's quite good here, disagreeing with those who are not from the same ethnic group as he is.

I didn't recognize Lamorne Morris of "New Girl" but I liked him there and I liked him here.

I haven't mentioned any women, but I just didn't care for them. And I certainly didn't like the raunchy talk about ... relationships.

Also, even though someone decided to put a TV-14 on this movie, BET left in every use of the S-word they possibly could. I could have done without that.

It was mostly a worthwhile sequel and even stands on its own.
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Little entertainment value for me, and what did they do to Anne Murray?
15 September 2024
I've avoided movies like this for many years, though I think I have seen one of the Jason series set at a summer camp. Probably the most entertaining movies in this genre for me, even if I didn't get to see either all the way though, were the funny "Chucky" movies. This has none of the appeal of any of those. I don't see what was so great. Even the great Jamie Lee Curtis--that was it?

The best scene for me was one with young girls at the playground. That had nothing to do with the terrible things that were happening. Another scene with the same girls could have been good but it was a cruel joke. I might have been able to like Big John and Little John. And some people were having a good time before they realized what was going on.

Maybe I should see the original or one of the other sequels. I just don't know what it is that appeals to people about these movies. I've never seen Freddy Krueger but I did see that actor in a great movie and believe he would be a great villain. Here, was it even Michael Myers? There's not even a personality or anything about the villain to even make him entertaining. I have an idea. How about a spoof where the SNL and Austin Powers actor does the killing?

And the scenes where a mob of people prepare to confront this villain? Just entirely too silly. But since this wasn't supposed to be funny, that's not a good thing.

"Could I Have This Dance" by Anne Murray is a nice song. But why ruin it like that?

And the worst thing is that for some odd reason SyFy allows the F-word while FX does not (and even warns us about the bad language when they show movies). I just can't stand to see a pretty woman talk like that. It's not even necessary.

Yes, I have more choices now. I happened to be at the beach and what I wanted to see wasn't on. But I had heard so many good things about this series. This was not the one to start with.
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Snitch (I) (2013)
The Rock makes it work, even if it's not his type of role
15 September 2024
I like Dwayne Johnson in pretty much everything he does. He just has a really pleasant personality and normally plays likable characters. Here, he makes us like him really early, flashing a great smile many times, and even showing that smile a few times later. Not that he should have in some of the cases. Johnson isn't really suited for this role, since it doesn't call for a big tough man, and yet he makes it work. He's not an action hero and doesn't show off his physical abilities. He even shows vulnerability. Schwarzenegger and Van Damme would have remained tough with a gun pointed at them. John Matthews' determination will get things done, and he cares about people.

Susan Sarandon makes us despise her. She's as good if not better in her role. A talented liberal actor can certainly play a conservative effectively (Alec Baldwin, for example). At least I assume tough on crime means conservative. On the other hand, she's trying to get elected, and maybe that makes her character even worse.

I'm not familiar with Michael K. Williams but he makes one tough criminal. And then there is Benjamin Bratt, a name which sounds familiar, but he's even worse. Some people in this movie just don't care about morals. Though he is tender in a scene with his son.

Jon Bernthal is determined to go straight but will help his boss, not realizing the true nature of why he is risking everything. And when he does learn the truth ... that just gives him a new dimension. He's tough when he has to be.

Obstacles just keep getting in the way of the goal. And there is some violence but most people don't die graphically. Just know not everyone will make it through. The tension is there throughout the movie but you want everything to work out.

This may not be an action movie, but wow, what a chase scene. I record everything. And that made it possible to go back and see that again. There are a few additional explosions.

Not the best movie of its type, but it's okay.
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Inspiring family film, not a lot of football
2 September 2024
No matter how bad things get, you know Kurt Warner is one of the greatest NFL players ever, so things will have to end well for him. Okay, at least I've heard of him. Trent Green? Who's that?

And Brenda Warner is one of the producers. So if his potential girlfriend is Brenda, chances are that's the same one and you don't have to be concerned.

But it's a long and difficult road for Kurt Warner, and it seems even more unlikely he will ever succeed than it did for Michael Jordan when he was cut from his high school team. Regardless, because of what we know, we know we can get through all the adversity. And there is way more of that than I had ever expected. Not a lot of football, but I'm not a sports fan. Though the football scenes are quite well done.

I know Zachary Levi mostly as the bumbling but pleasant spy from "Chuck". And one of his co-stars from that show, whose character resented Chuck and thought very little of him, has a similar role as a very demanding coach who almost gives up on the future superstar. They're both quite good. I particularly liked Levi in the scenes with Brenda's disabled son Zach. And that is another role that was well-played. You have to ignore the fact so many years pass and just accept that he doesn't seem to get any older.

This is far from a comedy but it has many funny scenes and that helps me like it better.

I tend to forget Anna Paquin grew up, but of course she did. I remember that she received a lot of praise for her acting, and she is still good. No matter what, her character can keep going.

Another good character was Kurt's best friend played by Ser'Darius Blain. Ironic that it was a Black guy who dragged his white friend to a country music bar (and it's the white friend who hated country music).

I know the name Dennis Quaid. He does a good job as the first NFL coach to real see something In Warner.

I've heard of Ray Lewis and not for good reasons. He is appropriately intimidating.

On the subject of country music, that was the best music in the movie. Amazingly, the first country songs played were songs I didn't like when they were first popular, but "country" music has gotten so much worse that now those are the good songs. And what were the good songs are the really good songs. Other songs played in the movie were different styles I didn't care for, and some weren't worthy to be called music. But the movie's target audience probably liked them.

Announcers sounded very professional, even in arena football.

There must have been real footage of games, and I have to believe they used the real fans in actual games because how could they film in front of that many people? There must have been green screen trickery. And of course it's almost certainly real footage on TV screens.

Tornado damage certainly looked real. The first destroyed homes must have been real footage, but did they build and then wreck buildings for scenes used in the movie? Whatever they did, it worked.

I would say this is fine for the whole family. For those who would be discouraged by a Christian message, there isn't really a lot of religion here and it's not even clear how faithful Warner is until the end.

Maybe it's not the best football film ever, but it's worthwhile.
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Black Water (2018)
Exciting, but not enough Lundgren
25 August 2024
I'm still just watching whatever is on even if I have more choices available that I haven't figured out how to access yet. I got lucky and had few glitches with an antenna. I pretty much knew what to expect with the names Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.

Actually, I didn't. I didn't know who he was at the time, but from the movie's first scene, Lundgren is great. I guess I had seen him in other movies than the one where he is basically a Russian robot assigned to kill Rocky. Lundgren actually has a personality here and it's a shame he wasn't the star because they could have done so much more with him and made this more enjoyable. He even manages to be funny.

And of course I've long since learned Van Damme is a tough good guy with the personality of a robot but likable enough, and able to fight his way out of any situation. Though his fighting was a little less physical here than I was used to.

Regardless of the logic of the situations here, there was plenty of excitement, and I was at least entertained with the progress toward getting off the submarine and clearing his name, if he actually was a good guy (this could have been an "Ocean's Eleven" situation, after all). And we were always left wondering who was on what side. Were there even any actual good guys here? Or girls?

And the girls were certainly pretty. The one who was prettier and didn't get to be around much got to take off her clothes, and at least we got to see what broadcast TV will let us see. The other girl changed clothes for no reason other than to give us a look, which was fine. And of course she was tough and capable.

Al Sapienza (whoever he is) was quite good as someone in intelligence, and it was never quite clear whose side he was on. Eventually it was, but I won't give away what that means.

Everyone seemed to have unlimited ammunition and no one was killed unless they had to be, and some people survived a wound they probably shouldn't have with no apparent problems afterward. Hey, whatever the script calls for!

Again, don't use logic. Just enjoy the excitement. If they figure out how to cause a crisis, just enjoy it and let the people wonder what they should do and have the amazing ability to fix it after being clueless.

Not a great action movie, but fine if you're not demanding.
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Don't look for logic. Just enjoy. If you can.
18 August 2024
My introduction to The Three Musketeers was apparently The Banana Splits. Not sure how I found that out. Other than that, I only remember that I saw a movie with Tim Curry and another one with Cheech Marin and David Hasselhoff. I know I reviewed the latter for imdb but only remember that only Cheech seemed to have any talent.

I've never read the book and don't know anything about it. So I'm pretty much starting from scratch, only knowing that these heroes fought with swords.

This D'Artagnan seemed quite likable and I supported him in whatever he did, and rooted for him to succeed romantically with lady in waiting Constance. I don't even really remember which one was bald but he seemed to have more personality than the others. But one of the Musketeers had a remarkable deep voice.

Superheroes can defeat many people at once. Maybe The Rock and Schwarznegger and Van Damme. How do Musketeers do it? Just forget logic and be glad they can.

James Corden, who I didn't recognize, was the only cast member whose name I should have known. He was really good as comic relief. Was this supposed to be funny, other than him? At times, I think it was. It wasn't really necessary. But comedy helped. Lots of jokes about wearing the wrong clothing. Some language and concepts were obviously contemporary. We can have fun with that, if that's the intention.

I knew the name Milla Jovovich from some futuristic movie. I thought she was really good. If you want a "Mission: Impossible" version of classic literature. Hey, if you can have zeppelins, why not?

Freddie Fox, as a king who lacked confidence, did have beautiful hair. I suppose women didn't have hairstyles like that back then, but I prefer that more contemporary look.

Paris looked great, and Notre Dame looked magnificent. But in that one scene, given what has happened to the great cathedral, I thought NOOOOOOOO! It was almost like it all happened again.

My cable company upgraded me without my consent, so I may get to see better movies soon, and I have to figure out the listings. But for now Channels 48 and 55 are all I have time for. Good movies no one has seen, or bad movies that were in theaters.

But this isn't really a bad movie. Just one that gets a lot of criticism from people who were expecting better.
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Paddington (2014)
Beary good family adventure
11 August 2024
I know nothing about Paddington. Maybe I'm too old to have read his books as a child, or maybe it's just the fact that I didn't enjoy reading once I got beyond the level of the easiest books. Whatever the reason, this is my introduction to the character, and it was quite a surprise. From the start, this seemed more intelligent and more sophisticated than what I was expecting. Yes, certain things are unbelievable. Somehow the explorer Montgomery Clyde taught the bears everything they needed to know to pass as human, if they ever accepted his invitation to come to England. We just accept that somehow Paddington and his relatives learned it all, and that certain details still had to be learned. Don't ask me how Paddington knew about mail and how mail would be delivered to his aunt or, for that matter, how his aunt would have a place to go when she could no longer live alone. After all, the intelligence of Paddington and his family was said to be rare among bears. Just accept it all and go on.

It's mostly a funny movie but it has genuinely sad moments.

Ben Whishaw does a great job voicing the bear and really makes us care about him. And the animation is so well done and so seamlessly a part of the live-action world that we really believe there is a bear there. His intelligence reminds me of early episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies". They weren't dumb. They just didn't know how things worked in the real world outside what they knew. Paddington seems surprisingly able to understand a lot of things, but what he doesn't know about toothbrushes gives us a great gag.

I was surprised to find out Hugh Booneville of "Downton Abbey" was Mr. Brown. The character is a long way from the capable supervisor of the servants, and yet he is likable in his way, even as he is quite demanding and resistant to change and risk. And yet Mr. Brown gives in and makes an effort, even dressing as a woman in a funny scene.

But it is Sally Hawkins as the kind wife that stands out among the humans. That's just my opinion.

I didn't know Nicole Kidman was the villain, and yet she is a great one, not quite on a Glenn Close/Cruella de Vil level, but more normal. Charming when she needs to be, but not truly caring.

Just a few weeks after he was first gentleman of Britain, I got to see Jim Broadbent once again, this time as a gentle old antique shop owner. He did a fine job.

Matt Lucas, whoever that is, stood out even with only a few lines as a taxi driver.

I know the name Julie Walters, and she is quite good in some scenes, the best ones at the museum.

The kids were likable. Judy was typical of kids her age, and almost always wearing headphones to block out the annoying world, eventually showing a warm side. I want to know more about that wall. What a challenge it must have been for the set decorators. Hundreds of photos and who knows what else. And Jonathan was about what one would expect from a young boy, but a little more likable and a brilliant builder of science projects.

Michael Gambon and Imelda Staunton did fine jobs as the relatives of young Paddington back in Peru. Staunton was especially good after the tragedy.

It's not clear when any of this took place. There were obviously movies with sound when Montgomery went on his expedition, and yet the scenes where his findings were rejected by the guild seemed like they took place in the 19th century based on how people were dressed. But Millicent was alive, and not that old when she was doing taxidermy at the museum. There were computers with monitors in the present, though all text was green. I remember and miss those days. There are video cameras in the security office at the museum.

But a search similar to an Internet search at the guild was done in a quite impressive and very visual way, with a vacuum system like the drive-thru line at the bank, and a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon where Tweety was transported.

The architecture of the museum was magnificent. Outside it looked like a cathedral, and inside it did too. Could it have been built as a church? I don't know.

The jungle of Peru was beautiful, and the devastation after the tragedy effective.

Slapstick physical comedy is well done but I don't know why the toilet incident had to be so overdone. How much damage was done to that home?

This is obviously a kids' movie, and yet intelligent enough for adults too. I don't want to say there is no content parents would object to, but they really shouldn't. There is an explosion that doesn't cause an injury, which is only bad if kids think explosions aren't dangerous as a result. A man is threatened and hung upside down when information is being demanded from him. And you probably know what is dumped at the petting zoo. People are shown getting drunk, but this is necessary to move the plot along, sort of. And there is some danger for Paddington but if kids know he will be all right, that's fine. And the event that leads to Paddington leaving home is tragic but needed.

There was good music. I particularly liked the band that played some sort of exotic music in the street. What I genuine hated was "Shine" by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams (who did not make me "Happy") with the closing credits. That's when I took advantage of the fast forward button on the DVR (yes, I record everything).

A wonderful adventure even if you know nothing about the bear. You will want to know more, I'm sure.
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Great performances, good Western
4 August 2024
I'm not a big fan of Westerns and don't know what really makes a good Western, but this had a good story and good execution. Maybe I said too much using that word. Not really funny, and yet at times you have to laugh.

Anyway, it was interesting to see this tough but beautiful woman come into town with a mysterious plan. I had no idea who she was but once I saw the name Sharon Stone at the end, I knew why she was so good in the role. I was thinking about Britt Robertson but this movie is so old she might not have even been born. Anyway, I've seen a lot of good work by this actress and I am finally getting around to seeing her in recordings I made a while back of "The Rookie: Feds". And she's tough, pretty and ... actually, I don't think I ever saw her shoot. But she could play this role.

When I think of villains you love to hate, Larry Hagman's J. R. Ewing and Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor come to mind. And Gene Hackman HAS played Lex, but it has been so long since I saw him in the role, I don't remember, and I have somehow never seen "Superman". But Hackman is excellent. You have to hate a man that is so evil, and yet he is so likable in his way. And he even gets to be vulnerable. How is that possible? And no, I saw "Unforgiven" a very long time ago. Don't really remember.

Leonardo diCaprio before "Titanic"! Actually, he was so good in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" that it was obvious he would be going places. That was a very different role. Here, he is so good at being cocky and confident without any sense of vulnerability. Perhaps some range would have been nice, but what he did, he did very well and showed he had the potential to be one of the great actors of our time.

I've heard of Russell Crowe and heard that he is a very good actor, though he somehow didn't stand out to me. Knowing who he is now, I would ay he did a good job and I just couldn't appreciate it at the time.

Pat Hingle is appealing as the bartender. I kept thinking I know him but why? And his daughter is adorable and kind.

Several other gunfighters showed a lot of confidence and stood out. The black man stood out the most to me.

I didn't recognize Gary Sinise in the flashbacks but it was such a good scene with his young daughter, even if it was terrible.

It was stated no one is to shoot until the clock chimes. No chimes were ever heard, at least not on Channel 55. But the camera focuses for a long time on that clock, and the hand finally moving --that's suspense.

And I don't want to give away the ending, but WOW!

Nice Mariachi music was played at times. I know that's what it was because the word kept showing up in the credits.

Kids shouldn't see this. The trauma this one poor girl experienced is hard to watch. And these people have the worst morals. On broadcast TV, some details might have been missing.

Is it a great Western? Probably not. But it's good for what it is.
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Could have been better, but most of what they showed was well done
28 July 2024
I didn't bother to read the description and I didn't know how it ended, so my experience may have been different from that of most people. I was also very confused by the ending until I read a description of it. I have a hard time telling people apart if they look alike, so I was totally misled--and disappointed. But the news footage used told me all of this was real. Or at least based on something that really happened.

Still, the process is what is important here. The people trying to help John did quite a good job. Susie had a wonderful attitude, but Aaron was needed for the long term. I thought maybe because of Aaron's lack of faith, he would get his faith back, and maybe he did. I have read, though, that he wasn't a real person. The inclusion of a faith based message was positive, and it wasn't the kind of pushy message sometimes seen in inspirational movies. In fact, I don't recall anything that would have been specific to Mormons.

Chadwick Hopson did a good job but didn't challenge us any more than was necessary. Having read other imdb reviews, I can say I'm glad some ideas presented in those are not what I would have wanted to see. I can only hope it was the camera and not the actor that was upside down, even if the scenes didn't last all that long.

Alexis Johnson did a great job, both in the present as the concerned wife and in the past in flashbacks as the perky and intelligent girlfriend. Many of her scenes had no dialogue but they were the nice scenes which the movie desperately needed.

The movie left out some details. More flashbacks might have been nice instead of so much of a focus on inside the cave. Also, it was not possible to hear any of what was going on above as Aaron and John were alone. And very little of the process of trying to rescue John was shown.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to watch this. I think the baby being born at the beginning confused me and made me think I was watching a different movie, so I waited. It's a good thing I didn't delete this from the DVR because if I had read the description, I would have realized it wasn't that movie.

And here is an amazing coincidence: on a night when I realized I had some movies to watch that I hadn't gotten around to seeing, I also had a list of episodes of a series that I had been reluctant to watch. The next one up was a Thanksgiving episode! And for these people it was also a terrible Thanksgiving. Sacrifices had to be made, but eventually the celebration happened.

I didn't care for the music, but I think people would enjoy the classic-style alternative rock sound when there were songs with lyrics.

I noticed this movie was rated TV-PG with no content indicators and it was a family movie with nothing objectionable, except for being scary. I think it would be fine for older kids.

Not great, but for what it was, I guess it was good.
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The Iron Lady (2011)
Amazing performance from Streep but too much moving around in time, not enough detail
21 July 2024
I was not seeing Meryl Streep. I was seeing Margaret Thatcher. Regardless of how one feels about the prime minister, all the scenes with Streep were amazing. Not just her performance, but how they made her look just like the woman. Politically, I would likely be opposed to her policies, but one can be entertained and I assume educated by this film. Some fine speeches, and attitude and determination that got this woman to high office. And did they show Streep dancing with Reagan? Amazing work!

But too much time was spent on her later years. As much as I enjoyed her conversations with Denis who wasn't there (and Jim Broadbent was great), more time should have been spent on Thatcher's years as a politician. Very little time was spent on the years between college and election to Parliament. And of course they kept jumping back and forth, and I don't even think the flashbacks were done in order.

And while the uppity attitude of the men in government was shown effectively, I don't know that anyone stood out or did all that well. It all sounds good with the accents, but as I read other reviews I realized maybe it wasn't all that great.

I felt like I learned more about Thatcher and her policies but it didn't seem like enough time was spent on her career.

There was just enough comedy to make me happy even if this wasn't supposed to be a comedy.

Most of the music was good (she liked Rodgers & Hammerstein and so do I) but of course they just had to have loud garbage in some scenes, mainly those with protests. And a ringtone on a cellphone in the present. Terrible! Why are people so inconsiderate?

I'm curious how the V-chip rating had an S. What sex? Language maybe, and lots of violence, and there was a V. I wouldn't recommend this to yound children but what I saw asn't too bad.

Good, but not great.
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Safe (I) (2012)
Quite violent but I liked how the man protected the girl
30 June 2024
I'm not familiar with Jason Statham but I think I've heard the name. I would say he did a pretty good job, although I kept imagining Dwayne Johnson in the role. Bruce Willis would be another possibility if he didn't have to be a cage fighter. One has to accept that killing is okay if it's bad guys and advances the effort to do good. And that rules have to be broken because nearly everyone is corrupt.

It took a while, but I suspected there would be a connection between the two stories. The scenes with Chinese seemed quite well done, and Catherine Chang was at her best in those scenes. The little girl's intelligence was amazing. I didn't find her that appealing when she spoke English but I guess she did an okay job. What I liked best was how Luke made such an effort to take care of Mei and to search for her when he lost touch with her.

Bad guy or not, James Hong is always appealing.

Of course there were exciting car chases and chases on foot. The violence to me was kind of excessive but where I saw this movie, nearly all blood was blurry. And in the real world, one hopes there will never be so many incidents in public places. I found myself wondering what it was like to be an extra in those situations. It would take a certain degree of talent even to have a nonspeaking role there. Though I did notice an incredible number of stunt players in the credits.

The Chinese businesses, exteriors and sets looked amazing. Some of that had to be real and not just for the movie.

I lost touch with which bad guys were which, but of course some spoke Chinese and some had Russian accents. Anyone who fit neither category was a corrupt cop or government official. But it seemed just about everyone was bad.

Not the best thriller, but because of the substitute father doing all he could for the girl, I suppose it was worthwhile.
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Fine job, a little intense for kids
30 June 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I have not seen the original movie or read any books but I did see what I guess would be called a live-action sequel where an adult Mowgli spoke the line, "To him, you are food." So that's the extent of my knowledge of what this is about, other than clips of at least one of the songs.

It is hard to call this live-action, but I think that's what I saw in a description. But there was no way all this was real, even though it looked amazing. Mowgli couldn't possibly have run across the jungle the way he did. Even stunt men wouldn't be that good. No, it all had to be created. And what a creation that jungle was.

There is a great story with teaching Mowgli what he needs to know to survive. And why he shouldn't return to his kind, though it seems like it should have been a good idea. I kept hoping he would.

I couldn't tell if it was Patrick Stewart or Anthony Hopkins playing Mowgli's wolf mentor, but whoever did the voice did an excellent job, worthy of Oscar consideration, worthy of epic movies from the distant past. Then I found out it was Ben Kingsley. Of course. He is in the elite group. Same for Lupita Nyong'o, whose name I didn't know at the time.

While I didn't know his name, Idris Elba's powerful performance combined with the art work made Shere Khan one of the scariest villains Disney has ever produced.

Other good performances came from Giancarlo Esposito, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken.

Bill Murray seemed kind of out of place with the fine actors heard previously, but for his role as Baloo, he was quite good. Not every character has to sound like he or she is in "Spartacus", and Baloo was more ... blue collar and accessible. Other more amusing characters give this more kid appeal. And on the subject of kids, this seemed kind of intense, especially given the realistic art work, for young kids.

Given this movie's tone, I thought the familiar songs seemed out of place, but I guess people who liked the other movie will enjoy them.

Neel Sethi was okay as an actor. He was quite good as an athlete, but his delivery of dialogue didn't quite live up to his other cast members. That's okay.

And that temple or whatever you want to call it. Amazing! That wasn't real? Well, I hope not. Because they destroyed it and I sure hated to see that happen. But wow, that was something to see.

This movie had several important environmental messages and an amazing effort to save the jungle. We saw what happened. If someone had paid attention, that fire would have been quickly extinguished. It was such a shame to see what happened, but our heroes came through.

A great effort.
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Not as good as the first but it had its moments
23 June 2024
So my experience with the "Hunger Games" series is as follows: It took me several years to finally see the first one after I somehow missed seeing it the first time it was on NBC. A very dark world but Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks and the nutty TV hosts helped make it tolerable. I also visited a set where a few scenes were filmed, but it was closed the first time, and the second time I was late for the tour, which was the only way I would be allowed on the property. The tour leader's attitude about my just showing up definitely did not make me feel good about seeing any more movies in this series.

I checked into my motel room, aware this movie was going to be on. It took a while to unload the car but I don't think I missed anything significant. With commercials included, the movie had been on for 30 minutes. The set I visited may not have been a part of this movie.

The dark world of the first movie had just gotten a lot darker and I didn't know how I could stand it. But as the next competition was introduced it started getting interesting and I was no longer thinking about the violence and poverty and other extreme problems. The lighter moments soon came and Woody and Elizabeth were back, both making me feel so much better. The wacky TV presentation didn't quite live up to the extravaganza of the original, but it was at least lighter. Some of the competitors were enjoyable characters, and things didn't seem so bad, even though only one person was supposed to survive to the end. I liked seeing characters work together and be friends.

I won't say I really enjoyed it, but I liked it at times. Katniss is a girl next door more than a hero, and even vulnerable. Jennifer Lawrence did a fine job showing quite a range.

It took me a while to realize one girl I liked was Katniss' sister, now older. I wasn't clear about what was going on a lot of the time.

Still, this movie didn't seem overly long and it wasn't progressing as it needed to. AMC's decision ... well, I'll have more to say about that. Let's just say I knew there was another one in the series and maybe that was supposed to be a continuation. I was enjoying this enough and anticipating a logical conclusion.

Well, if a movie that has a natural ending is a flat, straight road, this movie's final scenes were Sleepy Hollow Road in the resort town where I spent time last week.

It was clear the movie to follow would have to deal with unresolved problems. Even though it was to last until midnight, I intended to watch some of it. You won't see my review because while it did address what had not given this movie a real ending, it was too dark and horrible for me to stick with it even until a normal bedtime.

I don't know what AMC was thinking. Almost no one in the Eastern U. S. could be expected to keep watching on a weeknight. It was a marathon of all four movies, with the last starting at midnight. Still, no one could have anticipated the death of Donald Sutherland, and it now seems quite appropriate that AMC picked this week for the event. He did a fine job in this movie as one of the leading villains. I just hated him because he was so evil. I've liked him in many other roles, though.

I'm not a teenage girl and don't know how females can stand something this dark and violent. Still, I saw every episode of The CW's "The 100". I guess there's even something in this type of movie for me.
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The Bank Job (2008)
Intelligent (when it's not bumbling idiots) and complicated (maybe too complicated)
23 June 2024
I've seen several movies like this. These guys were a lot dumber than the Ocean's Eleven team (later version) but all the various government agencies, banks, porn film producers and so on manage to work together to pull off something quite complicated, even if morons are doing the actual work. So many different processes had to be coordinated, or maybe they didn't. Oh, yes, and there is a Black activist.

And how much of it was true? I don't guess it matters. Even the cops didn't seem to be too bright at times, and we don't want that.

A lot of actors seemed to be giving good performances, or maybe it's just that they were British and had those sophisticated accents. Our heroes were Cockney, but maybe they were good too.

I knew the name Saffron Burrows but didn't know who she was until I saw a cast list after I had started watching. She is gorgeous and intelligent, in contrast to her co-conspirators.

I have difficulty telling people apart when I don't really know the, so I lost track of who was part of what operation and in some cases more than one. I just know there were a bunch of young men in suits, and a bunch of old men in suits.

While pretty much no one could be trusted, I felt Det. Roy Given was one of the good ones, and I was right to feel that way. At least that's what someone said. So much was going on I'm not sure whether he remained honest and upright until the end. Just something about him.

Of course this was mostly funny, and there were enjoyable moments as those investigating began to close in. But something always went wrong for those who were supposed to catch the bad guys. Who for us weren't really the bad guys because I think we're supposed to root for them.

One of the funniest things was the cops going to what seemed like every bank in London.

Things kept going wrong for our heroes too, and over time, it appeared they wouldn't get away with it. Even now I'm not sure whether they did.

And then it got violent. More so than I would have been happy with.

And what were those photos? I had to rely on what people were saying, because on TV nothing could be seen.

A lot of language had to be cleaned up as well.

We had a couple of scenes with cute kids, but don't let kids that age watch.

Overall, I think this was enjoyable.
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Air (I) (2023)
Entertaining and sometimes funny
16 June 2024
I only wear Converse Chuck Taylors. Low tops. I have about as many shoes as Imelda Marcos. Okay, not really. And I did give in and buy Reeboks a few years ago when I needed something I could wear in the rain, and leather Converse weren't doing the job. I have several pairs of old dress shoes but hardly ever wear them. I didn't even know what Air Jordans looked like until COVID made it possible for me to watch a great documentary series about Michael Jordan for free on ABC. Oh, yeah, and I don't even care about sports.

I still enjoyed this movie. Most of it. Whether the story was true or not, I felt like I learned a lot, even if parts weren't true (they generally aren't in these movies).

It's hard to imagine how a lot of discussion of numbers will appeal to anyone but accountants, but somehow it works. And then there's the process of developing a shoe, which should only appeal to engineering types.

Matt Damon gave a fine performance as a guy we could easily like. Not quite Oscar worthy, though he did give an Oscar speech, and by that I mean he had a scene that one might expect to see as the person's Oscar clip. Sonny sort of lacked confidence and he was kind of a loser but he had determination that allowed him to persevere and get the job done. We know he must have because Air Jordans became so popular, but it was exciting to watch how Nike got to where they were, since the odds we against them from start to finish. It's why people watch "Columbo" and "Elsbeth". And of course Sonny's job was on the line and he was constantly close to losing it. I do wonder how in the 1980s he could get away with "Casual Friday" even in the big meeting. Everyone else dressed up.

Jason Bateman I know mainly as a funny kid. But I watched how he had to mature quickly after the death of his TV mom. I haven't seen him that much in adult roles, but he is obviously an adult now. Here, also somewhat lacking in confidence and annoyed by those who can't get the job done.

Ben Affleck was appropriately quirky as the big boss. While he was pushing for something big to happen, he didn't seem to care quite as much as those under him but he was already rich and not really in danger of losing it all. He was willing to take a risk. And if that hadn't been the case, maybe no one would have listened to Sonny.

Chris Tucker had a great personality and I have to assume it was based on how his character was in real life. I kind of felt guilty in this politically correct era enjoying an attitude that came across as if he was working on the plantation.

You don't mess with Viola Davis. If anyone deserved awards it was her. She knew what Michael needed and she could get it. And she seemed to know what we know now but no one could have known then.

I don't have a problem with Michael being mostly missing. We've heard quite enough from him. Focus more on the others.

North Carolina was a beautiful place and they got the sounds of nature right. I go to Myrtle Beach every year and don't really see what Wilmington looked like here, but it looked great. I suspect where I go, hurricanes won't allow tall trees like Mrs. Jordan said had been there for hundreds of years. Brookgreen Gardens is one of the places in the Myrtle Beach area where I occasionally visit that has a similar appearance.

I enjoyed scenes from the 80s reminding me of things I enjoyed, but not necessarily the music. The 80s were, in my opinion, a terrible decade for music. In fact, things seem to have gotten worse since then but 80s music was so bad. There were exceptions. I was disappointed the song with "Bow wow wow" in the lyrics ended so fast. And somehow I don't find "Money for Nothing" unpleasant even with the guitar solo. Good 80s music (in my opinion) existed but doesn't fit, so I guess it wasn't used for that reason.

A good movie even if you don't actually like sports.
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Oscar for Willem Dafoe! However ...
16 June 2024
I didn't bother to find out what this movie was about, but it had some interesting details, even if was mostly boring. That's not to say it didn't have value, but it's more for people who go to poetry readings and criticize anything "commercial" than people who want to be entertained. If you don't want to be depressed, don't bother. If you want action or laughs, not much to be found here.

Of course, if anyone should have won an Oscar it was Willem Dafoe. He not only looked like Van Gogh but made us believe he WAS what Van Gogh should have been like.

Other fine performances came from Mads Mikkelson as the priest and Rupert Friend as Theo Van Gogh. Oscar Isaac as Gauguin was a much-needed voice of reason who had his own problems but at least seemed more stable than his friend. There was another good performance from a man playing an asylum patient but I'm not sure who that was. Perhaps Niels Arestrup, the "madman". And Lolita Chammah was the reluctant subject of one art work, or would have been. I thought she was quite patient with him considering his weirdness (that's before I even knew who was doing something we might consider weird.

A lot of nice scenes took place "in nature" as Van Gogh called it. Pretty to look at, but not much was happening. And sometimes things turned blue or yellow. I guess this was intended to convey Van Gogh's disturbed state of mind. One scene was even in black and white as the artist drew in black and white. In a comic strip, that might have been a joke.

There were discussions of the nature of art. I want art to look like something and don't really care about interpretation or visions. Some people in this movie agreed with that.

Excellent work by the artists, especially the black and white drawings. I know next to nothing about the work of Van Gogh but I guess everyone has seen "Starry Night". I have more an appreciation for more realistic work. But it all looked good.

I remember deciding not to watch a Kirk Douglas movie because I wasn't ready for something like that. Now I would be. And The CW showed a series on the life of Da Vinci. So I was somewhat more ready for this than I would have been.

This was more of a challenge and an educational experience than entertainment for me. But it was worthwhile, I suppose.
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It Follows (2014)
Entertaining even if I don't like horror
9 June 2024
The first couple of scenes with Bailey Spry were so good I was disappointed when I later realized the second pretty girl was not Annie, but just sort of looked like her.

But Maika Monroe was good too. Not to mention quite good looking, and she isn't wearing a lot most of the time. I was going to say she is quite good at underwater gymnastics, but there was a stunt person for her. But that person is really amazing to watch.

Other really good characters included Jay's sister Kelly who was so caring (and eventually showed off her body too) and Paul, who was slightly nerdy but quite likable. And then there was Yara who was attractive but quirky.

There is a high level of tension a lot of the time, but there are plenty of perfectly normal scenes to enjoy and even occasional humor.

I can't say much about the violence. A lot of edits had been made to the movie before I saw it on TV. Porn magazines and naked versions of "It" were blurry.

I can't even begin to describe what made this film seem well done. There are certain details about the camera work and the scenery that might work on some different level than a casual viewer would expect.

I can't quite explain what made it work when Jay was pushed around in a chair. The camera was positioned so it moved as the chair moved, and there was something about Jay's face when the chair started moving.

And in that scene, has there ever been anything like that parking garage? When seen from the outside it is hideously ugly but remarkably huge. The place is falling apart and I hope it was torn down soon after that, but I wonder how they could feel safe filming there.

Rundown neighborhoods made me think of Detroit for some reason. Maybe that's because I've seen news reports that show Detroit as one of the worst cities for having neighborhoods like that. The kids lived in such a nice area but they kept having to go into these parts of the city that were just left to decay. I didn't consider where this place might be until someone said "Eight Mile" and I remembered that was an album and movie by Eminem who was from Detroit. And there were also scenes in industrial looking areas. Quite effective.

And yet there were plenty of rural scenes on beaches or in wooded areas. Knowing what I know now, apparently Lake Huron? Peaceful and nice, but never for long.

Also effective was what some people would call music. Disasterpeace does describe it very well. Not music I would enjoy listening to but it works.

On the subject of music, I don't know why a movie theater would have an organ but that was nice. I started to say in this day and age but with cars that were so old, I don't know when it was taking place. Except for what is called a compact and contains makeup, I didn't see any electronic devices, which is unusual for teens in the 21st century. But movie theaters had not needed organs for nearly 100 years when this was made.

I knew right away when I saw those first scenes I wanted to see this, and halfway through I was not wanting it to end. That's a good sign.
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Exciting thriller if you don't focus on what is logical or legal
12 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen plenty of superhero type TV series, and possibly some movies, where the hero or heroes do what is necessary to save those in trouble or make things right, regardless of whether what they are doing is legal. Or moral. The Flash (CW version), however, refuses to kill people. In this movie, that is not the case. If you accept that it's okay to ignore the police and pretend you are them, this movie works. Maybe it's not the greatest action thriller, but it has its exciting moments. Still, it is kind of dark and not what I would choose to watch.

I'm not familiar with Cole Hauser, but I think his name is familiar. He is good here, starting with a scene where he reads to a VA employee his fine writing about what it is like to be a soldier, as the viewer sees action in Afghanistan. He is quite troubled and a little too honest. But you forget that quickly as he becomes a capable and determined leader. But you need to forget he is not actually a cop or you'll worry he's getting himself in deep trouble.

Knowing what I know now about Bruce Willis, I'm thinking it's possible to see early signs of his disability. Detective James Avery is determined to get the job done but at the same time he seems apathetic. Or just tired. Could be Willis is starting to go downhill. It's not one of his best roles, but he has some good scenes. Or perhaps he was actually written this way. In which case maybe it was a better performance than I thought.

I've never heard the name Melissa Bolona but she's quite pretty and spends much of the movie in a short dress that also shows off her shoulders. To quote the bad guys, she is feisty. I liked her when she wasn't being threatened, and I enjoyed watching her fight and do whatever it takes to get out of her situation. And even when it's all over it isn't all over. Instead of being traumatized, she's right in there fighting the bad guys again. She does get to cry when things quiet down. Her courage and determination is surprising when you see her cry early in the movie just because her feelings are hurt.

Sophia Bush is pretty but she doesn't have much to do.

Jenna Kelly is the first victim discovered and she seems quite shaken up but does her best to help.

I don't recall a lot about the music, except for the fact loud drums were used effectively in the action scenes. The settings where the bad guys do their dirty work are appropriately dark, dirty and grim. And the type buildings I'm always glad to see preserved, which will look better when they are.

It's a little late to say this, but in the TV market where I live, this movie was shown two weeks after a terrible incident in the major city that probably looked a lot like one of this movie's final scenes, and some people in that city definitely should not be seeing this so soon.

Is it any good? It has its moments. It has the pretty girl who can fight. I guess it's not a complete waste of time.
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I don't care for vampires or the supernatural, but Rose and Natalie were appealing
28 April 2024
There was something about how this movie started that told me in spite of it being about vampires, I would like it. Okay, I still didn't like it that much, but Rose was not only pretty but quite likable with attitude and determination. I sort of enjoyed her various storylines and her attempts to deal with acts of hate and solving the mystery of a favorite teacher. Lissa was somewhat appealing but not that great. However, later on a bubbly and quirky character was introduced who was even more appealing, in her way. I finally found out it was Haley from "Modern Family" but she was a very different character. When she went to the dance, she was really pretty. The performance took on a new dimension later which didn't make me happy.

Stunt fighting was quite interesting, with what might have been different styles of martial arts.

The listing that came with my DVR didn't call this a comedy. It was funny enough at times (especially with Rose's attitude), but I would tend to agree that it needed more humor for comedy to be included as a genre.

There were other male teen characters who were somewhat appealing but no one stood out to me that much. With the accents, so many acting performances seemed good. I will say the ultimate mean girl Mia was very unpleasant and I would say not well acted. Not pretty either.

Oscar the cat was cute but not used enough, and I won't say why but he really wasn't as much a part of the movie as I would have liked.

What an elegant style of architecture. Reminded me of Duke University. The buildings all looked so good, inside and out. And great looking stained glass.

As one would expect for a movie for teen girls, the music was terrible in my opinion. Probably the worst song of all came during the first half of the credits, and assuming the songs in the credits were listed in the order they were played, the band was Chvrches. I did hear lyrics that matched the title, so I'm sure I'm right. The quality of the song, for those who think alternative rock is actually quality music, did seem superior to the pop garbage teen girls tend to like. But I personally found it quite unpleasant.

Family friendly? I think not. Some violence, some of it quite disturbing, and occasional stereotypical vampire behavior. Good makeup, I guess. Some sexual content too. I don't even want to know what the boys were doing in that one scene.

Do I recommend it? Well, don't go into it with high expectations.
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The Super (2017)
Not my taste, but a couple of good performances
21 April 2024
This isn't the sort of movie I would choose to watch, and I can't honestly say I was rewarded. I liked Julio well enough, and Beverly was certainly pleasant as well as pretty. Mr. Johnson was sufficiently creepy but not really a bad person. Mrs. Grey was nasty so something that happens should make people happy, I tried to like Phil, but he had some difficult scenes and sometimes I thought he went overboard.

The whole building is creepy on several levels, if that's what you like. Some areas look as nice as if they were new, but after all, parts of the building are luxury apartments. Those who can't afford those apartments ... well, those aren't so nice. One floor doesn't seem to have any lights other than the red light used when developing film, also used when the elevator is stuck. And Walter's apartment is full of religious imagery. Sound effects, scary music, and some kind of chanting add to the atmosphere.

And there is the obligatory exciting ending. But a number of developments you might not expect.

If there is any reason to praise the movie, it's the young actress who plays the little girl. I can't say just why she is so good without giving something away you really don't want to know, but she comes across in a way that makes me think she could have played Wednesday Addams, except in a more friendly way than that.

And of course there is Val Kilmer. I'm not that familiar with him but I recently saw another movie where his cancer affected his ability to speak, and that added something to the other movie, as well as this one. This man is beyond scary.

Another good thing about the movie is the use of a good song in one scene. It's not that often music that good is played in a movie.

Should children watch this? No, they might get nightmares.

Can I recommend this? I'm no expert on how to tell if a thriller/horror film is good. Maybe. But definitely not a classic.
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Standard but enjoyable rom-com with some naughty moments
14 April 2024
Okay, it's not the best rom-com ever, but it's different. They all have something distinctive even if they fit a formula. And who wants realism? We're here to get away from reality.

What is it people have against J-Lo? So she is beautiful. That doesn't mean she can't act. I thought she was good in "Gigli"! I found her appealing enough, and I don't just mean good-looking. She looks like she is having a good time, when she is. Though it must be stated she has a beautiful face and an amazing body, which she is willing to show off as much as possible. One scene shows her from the back wearing as little as TV will allow, and maybe there is more I didn't see because of editing, such as another scene where she is facing the camera. Even when she is supposed to be pregnant, her legs still look great, and she is amazingly limber in the doctor's office before the procedure that makes her pregnant. Not sure why she covers her legs at the gym. And even with less makeup, she still has a beautiful face. There is one scene where she is showing photos to her boyfriend, and it's not really like acting. There's just something genuine about her in that scene.

Enough about J-Lo. I'm not familiar with Alex O'Loughlin but he is also quite appealing. Part of that is that he looks like Michael Rosenbaum, the most likable villain I can ever recall other than J. R. Ewing. But it's not him. And Stan is a good guy.

Linda Lavin is wonderful as Nana. It's good to see her playing a positive character once again, because she has played a lot of nasty old women in recent years. Also, Nana doesn't seem old. Her friends are still quite active. Others have some trouble getting around but that's fine.

That's more than we can say about Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham and Father Dowling to me), but he is likable even if he is obviously old. I sure would like to have seen more of him in other productions, even at that age and not in the best of health.

Robert Klein is so good as the doctor. I really liked him.

Anthony Anderson has a couple of good scenes as a frustrated father who isn't really warning Stan to get out while he can, because occasionally there are good times. The censor did get to the s-word (I think) but it's hard to tell. What father says that, multiple times, in front of his young son who has ... picked it up from the sandbox? But if you can accept such a disgusting joke, somehow the word needs to be there. Multiple times. The kid is good too.

Michaela Watkins makes a good best friend. She has one standout scene but it's the first one, where she seems to hate her kids. Other than that, she's just there. Those kids never appear again. Maybe one. I don't remember.

Melissa McCarthy is a quirky support group leader. One of these overly positive types. I'm not sure whether to use the word hippie.

And about that group. I'm not crazy about some of its members. There are the stereotype lesbians, though I don't think they speak. I shouldn't mention the outtakes yet, but I have to because there's one unpleasant scene that was apparently left out of the movie. And yet according to some imdb user reviews, that scene was in the movie, so maybe it didn't make it to TV. Just as well. If you're lucky, you won't see the woman giving birth in the water except with the credits.

There is a cute and helpful baby store employee who has a couple of good scenes.

Now let me say you have to stay for the outtakes at the end. They are funny. I don't like dogs and particularly not this one, but they have to try over and over to get the dog to walk up a ramp into ... well, I don't know what to call it. A fancy doghouse, maybe? It has a bed and looks like where a dog would go when indoors.

Some music I liked and some I didn't. I don't like J-Lo as a singer or others performing in the same style. Or the type music I believe her fans like. Some wedding music was familiar but performed in a different style then the best-known recording. No, it's not who you think getting married.

Should kids watch this? No! There is almost nothing, not even the scene with the kid at the playground, that kids should see.

If you can't find a great rom-com, this can be your back-up plan.
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You root for Oscar, but we know something bad is coming
7 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't familiar with the story and didn't bother to read what the movie was about. But a video reminiscent of Rodney King starts the film (the quality is poor and for those not familiar with the story, it doesn't help), so it can be assumed there is some tragedy, and as we get to know Oscar, we have to assume he will be the victim.

Still, Oscar is not a bad person. He does a lot of good things and he is very loving to his daughter. But he has made mistakes and he can get angry at people. It appears he has no other choice but to go back to his old life, but we want him to succeed some other way. Mostly, since he has no real source of income, he manages to get away with stealing when he won't get caught, and in one case his friends do the same. I didn't see the name Michael B. Jordan until later, but when I did ... oh, THAT'S why he was so good. I've seen him as a flawed but basically good guy in "Parenthood" and maybe a couple of other movies such as "Creed".

I've seen a lot of Octavia Spencer lately and she does a fine job here as his mom, holding it together when she has to, and resisting the temptation to make things too easy for her son.

Melonie Diaz is the patient girlfriend who as responsibilities and gets tired of seeing her man mess up. She has some really good scenes when the tragedy takes place. Plus she looks great in underwear.

Another standout performance comes from Kevin Durand, who seems to be the officer in charge in the real-life incident this movie is based on. While he is being unreasonable and not listening to those who say these men weren't the guilty parties, he seems to think he has to win at all costs to do his job right. It's not clear whether he was racist and maybe the casting has to match the real events, but all the officers seemed to be white and those being mistreated were Black.

I really liked Ahna O'Reilly as the young woman Oscar helped in the store where he claimed he worked and just had a day off. She shows up later.

The scenes with Oscar and his daughter are some of the most enjoyable. For all his faults Oscar is a great father. I would even say, as I did with a previous film I reviewed, it would be possible to take just the scenes of the two together and make a kid-friendly movie out of it. But of course most of this shouldn't be seen by kids.

And we get to laugh in a number of scenes. Knowing what's coming, or knowing something's coming, we might as well.

At least when I saw this on TV, it wasn't clear exactly what happened toward the end. I don't even know which officer is supposed to have messed up or why. There is a description of the findings and trial result before the end credits, but the movie does leave something to the imagination. There is blood but the violence isn't that explicit.

As one might expect with a movie with mostly Black characters in the hood, the so-called music isn't pleasant for someone with my taste.

It's a mostly good effort with a tragedy that can't be avoided because that was the main point.
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Fine job with minimal dialogue, and fun and funny for all ages
31 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
At long last, a movie the entire family can watch. Because of the way I choose movies, I haven't seen a family-friendly movie in weeks. I knew nothing about Shaun the Sheep, but I recognized the "Wallace & Gromit" style of animation. I am not a fan. Nevertheless, everything looks amazingly realistic except for people and animals. And an enjoyable story is told with no dialogue other than nonsensical sounds or animal noises such as "Baa" with the occasional "Uh-oh", "Uh-uh" or whatever essential word is necessary to communicate.

No words are really needed for a really funny story. And there are even sad scenes. But we can assume everything will turn out all right. The intelligence of these animals is amazing.

There is just the right amount of physical humor and this isn't really too violent, though a teddy bear with no apparent owner is the victim of an advanced weapon used by the evil Trumper, the Animal Containment worker. That weapon is probably the most concerning part of the movie, but still not too intense for young kids.

Several scenes have what could be described as toilet humor but they're probably not inappropriate for young children. A bag labeled "Manure" is probably the worst thing. What is inside is not processed but looks like what would have to be cleaned up. And someone ends up in a pile of what I assume is the same thing.

The only understandable words other than the few that are needed are song lyrics, usually recorded music, but the sheep also sing as a "Baa-baa shop quartet". There is music for just about every taste, including classical and conventional movie background music. There is also loud rock music in the city and in many scenes with Trumper which I found really unpleasant. The traditional country style music in the farm scenes was nice. Even though this seems to be British, what Americans call country music originated in part with traditional Scottish and Irish styles, and I assume these styles influenced the music on the farm.

This was a worthy effort.
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