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Emmet_L_Brown
Reviews
Condor's Nest (2023)
Plot: Interesting ... Execution FUBAR
Yesterday I invested 200 minutes of my time in this movie, and, to put it mildly, I will not get this time back 😆.
While the premise of the movie is indeed a good one and it could have been much better explored, fact is that in the end, it looks exactly what it is: a cheap production.
Acting is from medium to mediocre, although closer to the end the character of Arnold Vosloo delivers a nice speech.
Attention to detail is close to none, the uniforms are laughable, as are the weapons and the guy doing Reichsführer SS H. Himmler bears no resemblance whatsoever with him.
The movie is listed as a "Drama/Thriller/Action" but it also falls into "Comedy".
But, despite the many shortcomings, if you put them aside and swallow a huge suspension of disbelief pint beforehand, it can be entertaining, after all, not many war movies have Himmler, a nuclear scientist, a Soviet spy and a female Mossad agent sharing screen time.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Terminate the terminator
Let me open this review mentioning that I am a long fan of the Terminator series and still remember when T2 was a huge event, a highly anticipated movie back in the day. The special effects, the narrative, the Guns n' Roses soundtrack, the action, the special effects, make it almost an obligatory view for those invested in sci-fi. Fast forward 28 years and we are presented with what would be the definitive sequel to T2, but it fails in so many aspects.
First and foremost the first five minutes of Dark Fate ruin T1, T2 and all other movies contained in this timeline, and keeping in mind I have not been a huge fun of all other installments either, at least they maintained some sort of common sense and continuity. But *spoiler ahead* killing a young John Connor is similar to not killing Bruce Wayne's parents on that rainy night in Gothan City and destroy all Batman timeline afterwards. That alone was utterly ridiculous and a disservice to the fans. What is seen can not be unseen so what we do with all the histories told after T2 until now? Forget them? Assume they were a bad dream? Or maybe they happened on a parallel universe, hun?
Then we have all this PC agenda thrown in. No problem at all with a female terminator (we have seen this before) but why replace J.Connor with a female version and on top of that, from South of the border? They could have chosen anyone, from any place, but, the political agenda and the female empowerment angle had to be used. It is really becoming a bad habit of Hollywood recently, unfortunately.
The script was lame and almost a rehash of what we have seen in T2, even the main antagonist was pretty similar to the previous one. So in 28 year Skynet, or, Legion as it is called now, only managed such a small technology advance? Really? Just compare the real world computer technology jump we had in this time-frame and it will make no sense.
Somehow I managed to give it a six, as, seen as a stand-alone movie, it is has its merits, some good action here and there (sparsely) , a bit o humour and the nostalgia of seeing Linda and Arnold acting together again.
For the sake of respecting the legacy of the original films, they should stop here and leave the stage with some respect left.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Not bad at all, would sit through a second time
Disclaimer: I am not a huge Captain Marvel comics follower nor did I know much of her recent history arc. The last time I read comic books she was still Miss Marvel.
That being said, I gave this movie a solid eight, despite all the negative reviews here and on other sites, ignore them. This is a good superhero flick.
But, while character develpment is a bit lacking, the history is presented in a logical way and even if you never opened a comic book, pretty much understandable to everyone. Maybe it will not satisfy the die hard Marvel fan, or those who were expecting Oscar winning material here. It is not.
In summary, it has action, it has humour, it has a political/social message (not that I care about that, anyway), great CGI and all that 90s vibe. It is a light and fun movie to watch, with no dull moments. The last third is the best, as she has all her power unleashed, and watch for the cat, it is totally unexpected.
Of course I have my reservations with one or two "artistical liberties" taken, but, whatever, they don't spoil the movie.
8/10
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
The waiting was not in vain...
I was waiting for this movie since I saw the first trailer, many months ago. I grew up listening to Queen, and the first record I recall hearing was Queen Greatest Hits, when I visited relatives once in a while, we had no turntable at home back then.
Fast forward to my teenage years, I vividly remember watching Revenge of the Nerds and having goosebumps while listening to We Are The Champions, in the end, boy this tune still has the same effect on me nowadays.
Other notable Queen moments include Who Wants to Live Forever, Don't Stop me Now and of course Bohemian Rhapsody (and the famous Wayne's World scene) plus many other songs I become to appreciate over the years. My biggest regret, not being old enough to have seen them live.
So, after watching Bohemian Rhapsody, titles (and tears) rolling, I was sitting there, in awe, flabbergasted, thinking "Blimey, what the hell have I just seen?"
Yes, it has some inaccuracies here and there, but don't let them distract you from the artistic value, the big picture (pun intended) shown to the audiences. A great tribute to a great band, a great lead singer and an emotional journey.
Go watch it, is a keeper, one of those movies you have to see once (or many times) in your life...
The Show Must Go On!
10/10
Tomb Raider (2018)
Great entertaining
Let me open this review mentioning that I never played the game.
That being said, I went to the theatre with mild expectations, as, the previous Lara Croft films were, for me, borderline, relaying to much in close to super-power abilities and had a too big fantasy or supernatural element in them. Yes, I am a big fan of Indiana Jones and it also has the same elements but, I guess I like the series so much because Indy is not flawless or capable of extraordinary stunts, like Lara on the first two films.
After just a couple minutes shy of two hours later, I exited the room greatly satisfied. I never looked away from the screen, and Lara's character development was neatly done. When she got her ass kicked at the beginning I thought "What the hell is going on here?" and it soon became clear the storyline the director/screenwriters decided to follow. From that point on, Lara's journey from a very down on earth delivery girl into a multi-billionaire action heroine become a rollercoaster of events, lots of action, some injuries, many moments where her humanity and emotions are explored and even her inability to fit her new role so easily. The decision to keep the supernatural element out of this film was also a good one, and the plot twist close to the end, concerning Himiko, is a very intelligent (and plausible) one.
Tomb Raider is by no means Oscar material but has a decent plot, great CGI, action scenes are good and well executed, some banter here and there, an immersive score and some pretty decent acting by Alicia, showing a strong vein for action movies. All in all, very entertaining.
9/10
Left Behind (2014)
I should have left that one behind...
Every time I log into Netflix this movie shows up, and I always pass it. For some reason beyond my understanding, I finally decided to give it a go.
*Minor Spoiler Ahead* After five minutes into it, I already knew it would stink. Nicolas Cage, as an airline captain, arrives for a JFK-LHR flight with no briefcase, no suitcase, not even a folio or envelope. No Way! As an airline pilot, I know no one would do this (well, maybe a very rookie First Officer, not a seasoned Captain). Even for a short maintenance flight, we take at least some rucksack or small briefcase.
From that point on-wards it only goes worse and worse, and worse.
Zero character development, zero story, zero technical accuracy, zero humour.
Can I have my time back?
Avoid it at any cost
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
War? Still looking for it...
I should have read the reviews here before going to the theatre, would have saved me the ticket, petrol, and parking.
I must have dozed off at least four times and the plot has more holes than a slice of Emmental cheese.
No war whatsoever, nada, zero, zilch. Some guerrilla combat(?) and that was it. The only war I saw was me fighting to keep awake.
Go read a book instead
1/10
Dunkirk (2017)
Take me out of this beach as soon as possible...
I was waiting for this film with great anticipation since it was announced many months ago.
WWII films are one of my favorites genres, and with that, I am talking about classics like The Guns Of Navarone, The Eagle Has Landed, Saving Private Ryan, etc.
Keeping that in mind, I must say that I left the theatre utterly disappointed, not only with the shallow narrative of a major WWII event but, with the way Chris Nolan decided to tell his story.
** SPOILERS AHEAD **
The three point of view storytelling is somewhat confusing, first because it is not so obvious what Nolan is trying to do, it takes a while to notice the dynamics, and, the always present continuity errors (gross sometimes) do not help either. I am not attached to traditional storytelling, and most of the films I like had some kind of alternate scripts, but for my liking, it went a bit too far with Dunkirk.
Another major flaw is the shallowness of the story, all the characters are almost like supporting characters, with no lead or at least one or two characters you feel empathy for. Maybe Noland made the "lead character" the event itself, but it is not depicted with depth or detail (I will not mention historical accuracy) it deserves either.
The icing on the cake was, in both positive and negative senses (caveat: I am an aviation enthusiast and work as an airline pilot), the air combat scenes. Impressive work and kudos for Nolan for not using only CGI, always a pleasure to see, and hear, some Spitfire/RR Merlin in action. The air combat sequences were, indeed, the highlight for me.
But also a major disappointment, as ** MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD ** the final sequences practically disregarded all the laws of aerodynamics and energy management known to men (back then and today). Planes can not fly forever, do air combat maneuvering and then fly sustained and prolonged level flight without an engine running. Period.
4/10
The Accountant (2016)
Best movie experience I had this year, by far...
I do not write many reviews here, actually, this is the first one.
But after watching The Accountant I felt compelled to take the time and write a few lines. Let me star saying this: Blimey!
Great acting and solid actors, fast-paced script, a bit of suspense and the all needed action (and very nicely portrayed). The chemistry between Ben's character and Anna's was just great, not to mention the sights and one-liners delivered now and then. And then they surprise you with not one but two twists, that, sincerely I haven't seen coming, and normally I pick them up way in advance.
That's a keeper, for sure.