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Reviews
Hellboy (2004)
Could have been worse
TL:DR Watchable if not memorable
Somehow I skipped this when it came out. Now that I've watched it I'm a bit conflicted.
The Good: The story was decent, especially for a pre MCU comic book adaptation. Ron Pearlman was perfect of course, and much of the casting was very good, at least for the main protagonists. The sets were good, as were some (but NOT all) of the effects. There is actually a suprisingly good balance of action and character reflection/growth, although the humor could have been emphasized a bit more.
The Bad: Pacing suffered at times. I'm not sure the editor was awake. Most of the secondary characters were 2 dimensional at best. Some of them could have been cardboard cutouts and it wouldn't have made much difference. Some of the monster effects, both practical and cgi, don't hold up well today.
The Ugly:
Some of the wire work was atrocious, as was some of the direction, especially the crowd scenes in the subway. Jeffrey Tambor is wasted here, despite the brief attempt at character development and redemption near the end.
Stardust (2007)
Cluttered but enjoyable
The bad: Too many Maguffins. Too many characters. Feels rushed even when it's moving slowly. Distracting cameos. Sound is too loud during action and too soft otherwise.
The good: Rich scenes, costumes, and backgrounds. Decent effects, world building, overall story
I liked this more than I thought I would, bumping it up 1 more star that it arguably deserves. Humor and action and romance in a fantasy setting are appreciated and this delivers all of that. I guess I need to read the graphic novels and the book, but it looks like the movie tries hard to stay true to the source but ends up feeling cluttered. Fresh in some respects, predictable and derivative in others. Still enjoyable and worth a watch.
Predestination (2014)
Heinlein would approve
Cant believe I missed this when it came out!!!
Unlike other Heinlein stories adapted to the screen (mostly looking at YOU 'starship troopers'... way to take a wonderful important story and turn it into a group-robocop pile of mess,) this one is very true to the source, both in spirit and detail, only adding some well concieved additional story and complexity to flesh out the wonderful short story source into a well done full length movie. Rather than being distracting, the additions only add to the core idea of the story.
I caught 2 Heinlein Easter eggs on the first watching. I probably missed many more so I will give it another watch later. (One on a table and one in the name of a briefly appearing minor character.) Well played!
The only thing keeping this from being rated 10 stars is it's obvious modest budget, but I'm sure Heinline would have been more than happy with the result. I know I am.
Sea People (1999)
Worth a watch
A nice uplifting story with decent acting for it's genre and budget. This is a nice take on the mermaid legend, not deep or ethereal like Roan Inish but not bad as a teen growth and self discovery story.
The pace is relaxed but not too slow, at least not most of the time The main 3 actors are great, especially Hume Cronyn of course. The supporting cast is ok if a little two dimensional. (The slightly snarky English teacher is a nice little sidebar though.)
The direction is a little sloppy at times and the editing is occasionally a little cringeworthy, but this is not unexpected in a made for TV movie.
Overall this is a nice quiet film.
The Legend of the Five (2020)
Mostly derivative, flawed, but ok for low budget
I like "kids transported to another world" stories. Knowing that it was low budget I didn't expect much, and didn't get much either.
The acting was hit and miss (mostly miss). The story elements borrow heavily from Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Jumanji, a little Monty Python, and even a hint of the original Land of the Lost. There are too many weird senseless portal jumps leading to confusing continuity with the story. At times it felt like scenes were left out. The elemental powers were woefully underdeveloped and underused. The wrap up completely under delivered.
It wasnt completely terrible though. There was some (if not enough) effort at character development. The Australian scenery was a plus. The overall idea and setting were decent even if derivative. The special effects were ok for a low budget film.
If there was a book I'd read it since it is bound to be better or at least be less confusing. Tighter and more thoughtful writing, more believable acting, and a little better editing and this might have been good: It could have been 6 stars or more. Sadly it wasn't. Waste time on it at your own risk.