Change Your Image
trav_haines
Reviews
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Continues marvels mediocre streak
Continues marvels mediocre streak of films and shows ever since Avenger's: End Game. With the exception of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Spider Man: No Way Home marvel seems incapable of making quality cinema. They need to find a better balance of comedy instead of trying to cram jokes into nearly every single scene. Maybe this film works for younger watchers but as an adult it is a whole lot of bloated action and details that make no sense. Why is it every Marvel villain is nearly invincible and will kill without a second thought but they use half measures when it comes to the heroes who represent the greatest threat to their plans? Here is a front row seat to me about to get everything I want. Let me explain my master plan in detail while you retain your super hero gear so you can foil my plans just in time for the credits. Kang has laid waste to entire timelines yet lacks basic common sense just for the heroes. They are slowly killing my enjoyment for all things Marvel.
Stalker (1979)
Interesting premise, overly slow and long
Stalker offers great cinematography, solid acting, and uniquely bleak scenes. However, it also contains glaring contradictions and several hours of standing or slowly walking through the zone while discussing philosophy or the meaning of life. It moves along at a snails pace for nearly three hours while it builds tension that often leads to nothing but more walking, talking, and philosophy. Imagine the Lord of the Rings minus the action or engagement. If you like gloomy cinema packed with philosophy and progression at a snails pace this is your film. Stalker has a very unique and interesting premise but the pace is brutally slow to the point of being off putting.
Dredd (2012)
Good but several plot holes
A decent action flick filled with ultra violence. This film is John Wick esque in terms of many many brutal killings by the title character. Karl urban does a fantastic job with the Dredd persona and he is perfect for the part. It is easy to see that he would be a logical choice for Billy Butcher in The Boys based on this film. Unfortunately, there are several pretty big potholes. Situations like leaving areas that were just unescapable a few minutes prior or being out of ammo despite literally dozens of firearms lying around from his plethora of victims. First watch 8 of 10. Second watch 7 of 10.
The Expanse (2015)
Sci-Fi at its best
In my humble opinion, easily one of the best works of science fiction ever shown on screen. Seasons one, two, and three were particularly excellent from when it ran on SyFy. Amazon kept seasons four, five, and six of The Expanse on solid footing but left a gapping whole for a conclusion when they cancelled the series for some mystifying reason. It's challenging to think of any other series or film as stellar as this show in the realm of science fiction. If you are even remotely a space enthusiast you will come to love The Expanse's breathtaking views and special effects . This show is rife with action, drama, and fantastic world building. It is also incomplete and in desperate need of a conclusion, 9/10.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
A continuation of subpar marvel films
Thor: Love and Thunder further continues the frustrating Marvel trend of their films and shows becoming increasingly devoid of logic, believable characters, or coherently flowing plots. I thought Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness was terribly flawed yet Marvel managed to make an even worse film with Love and Thunder. Long gone are Marvel films like Ironman, The Winter Soldier, or The Avengers movies. Every single Marvel movie does not need a joke every 5 minutes or a bunch of goofy humor sprinkled throughout. Love and Thunder had some great visual effects and Christian Bale played a fantastic villain. Beyond that this is a film devoid of heart and is a overly campy and cheesy to the max. It took me three watching sessions and some fast forwarding to finish this pile of cinematic doo-doo.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Better then Hobbit trilogy almost on par with LOTR trilogy
I am baffled by so many of the negative reviews of The Rings of Power. It's not a perfect show, there are flaws, however it is almost as good as the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and in my opinion significantly better than the Hobbit trilogy. The Rings of Power has a much more culturally diverse cast then any of the previous films. Adding a more diverse cast that strays from the source material seems to put way to many viewers off of an otherwise entertaining and engaging show. Apparently turning a few hobbits, elves, and royals anything but white makes a show awful in the mind of less open-minded viewers.
Inventing Anna (2022)
Glorified thievery with many made up details
After watching the first episode I got curious and did some research on Anna. It's evident from her interviews she has no guilt or remorse about swindling people and businesses out of millions. It's typical of studious to creat events and characters for "based on true stories" like this however Netflix barely hits reality. They've churned up her empathy to make Anna more likable. Then they threw in some racial issues, criminal justice drama and feminism to round out their story. In my opinion, they missed the mark and gloss over her thieving contriving actions to present a fictitious parody of Anna. I love Julia Garner in Ozark however her version of Anna's accent is way off the mark. It reminds me of Al Pacino's god awful Cuban accent in Scarface. Anyone else notice how this show borrowed the theme of characters repeatedly mocking what Anna Chlumsky is wearing from The Devil Wears Prada? This show is low on originality and realistic details. Three episodes in and I'll likely not finish this series. Its message seems to be crime does pay for some over privileged people.
Predator 2 (1990)
A pale imitation of the original
The first of many subpar Predator movies after the original. There's some solid VFX but the plot if chalked full of cheesy over the top stereotypes or non sensible events.
Predator (1987)
Holds up extremely well for a 80's action film
Just rewatched Predator and it holds up well. There's some way over the top explosions and action but for the most part it remains a solid watch. Remains one of the most quotable action movies there is: "Get to the chopper", "I ain't got time to bleed", and "if it bleeds we can kill it" are among the greats.
Quigley Down Under (1990)
Decent Western
Loved this movie as a kid but it didn't stand up to the test of time all that well when I rewatched it recently. Some portions are highly entertaining while others are early 90s cheesy cinema.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Ok but not academy award worthy
The pace of this film is snail like. They could have cut 15-20 minutes and it would have helped. How many scenes of Benedict Cumberbatch brooding in anger are needed? We get it, he's mean and angry. It's a decent movie but I have zero desire to watch it again. Aspects of the film were enjoyable but I'm surprised at how much acclaim it received from critics. Just because a film has aspects of homosexuality during early 1900s cowboy culture Montana doesn't make it a great film. This movie is a further continuation of the Brokeback Mountain culture of critics loving movies that everyday people think of as ok at best.
Shingeki no Kyojin (2013)
Stellar show
A very enjoyable, unique, show with high quality animation. This show offers plenty of plot twists and entertainment. My only critique is the final season, which is 70% flashbacks, and 30% pushing the story ahead. On top of that, the final season offered little conclusion for the majority of surviving main characters. With the exception of a few major plot revelations and action packed episodes the final season is in my humble opinion largely a dud.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)
Great show in decline
Fantastic show but around Season 13 Sunny lost that spark. The shows gotten louder and more over the top each season but progressively less funny. It reminds me of how AHS, The Walking Dead, Archer, or The Simpsons started strong but continue to putter along way too many seasons past their prime.
Red Notice (2021)
Mediocre
I only made it a quarter of the way through before I shut it off. What little I saw made me think of Oceans Eleven if it had twice the action and triple the sarcasm. Think Van Wilder meets Heat without the same level of quality. Besides the Irishman, I've come to regret almost every Netflix film I've seen.
Dune (2021)
Great Movie
Hands-down one of the best sci-fi movies to come out in recent years. Even with the film coming in around 2 1/2 hours I never felt like the film was dragging on. This was an excellent movie. Hopefully Warner Bros. Has enough sense to continue on with the sequel.
Fargo (2014)
Seasons 1-3 fantastic, season 4 just ok
Seasons 1-3 are fantastic, season is 4 just ok. Season one is one of the best seasons of any show ever made. Seasons two and three are still excellent but not quite as stellar. Season four is a disappointment. Hopefully Fargo doesn't end up like Westworld, Walking Dead, or AHS and get progressively worse as seasons continue.
Westworld (2016)
Each Season Progressively Worse
Season one was a 10, season two was a 8.5, season three was mediocre and I stopped watching by episode six. My biggest hang up for season three was how poorly a lot of the action scenes were done from a common sense point of view. One moment Delores can shoot multiple people with pinpoint accuracy and take a several bullets like it's nothing but other times she cannot hit a single target from point blank range and is on the verge of death from a gun shot wound. Which is it? Nearly unstoppable killing machine or can't hit the broadside of a barn and vulnerable? There were a handful of similar occurrences that I became continually frustrated by and gave up on the show. Very disappointed in season three. Ruined a otherwise stellar show.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Meh
This is one of those movies you keep watching hoping it will improve until the credits role and 2 hrs of your life are over. If you enjoy fight scenes saturated with CGI, ok dialogue, and plot holes this film is will be right up your alley.
Band of Brothers (2001)
Fantastic
Hands down one of the best WWII pieces of cinema ever made. What's even more impressive is how well this mini-series has held up visually over the years. I'm rewatching 20 years after BOB was released and the VFX hold up well. It's not like some shows or movies that you come back to years later and realize how poorly they hold up over time. Definitely not the case with this terrific show.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Amazing
Hands-down one of the best comic book films ever made. This is one of a small handful of movies I've watched multiple times in recent years. Looking forward to the sequel.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Great show
This is a fantastic show with unique plot twists. Super creepy and does a great job developing characters you care about.
Schitt$ Creek (2015)
Great show
I thoroughly enjoyed this show. One of the rare shows that can make you laugh out loud or, on occasion, have you fighting back tears.
The Crown (2016)
Wish they wouldn't have changed the cast
Wish they wouldn't have changed the cast for season 3. Loved season one and two but stopped watching after a couple episodes of season 3. They should have kept the same actors and used makeup instead of a whole new cast to age the characters. Netflix ruined the continuity between seasons. No one can replace Claire Foy and Matt Smith.
The Witcher (2019)
Overhyped, overrated
It's great for brief minutes each show which kept me going through a few episodes. Unfortunately, the remaining time is either corny or mashed up so it isn't easy to follow. It's a poor substitute, wanna be, Game of Thrones.
The Man in the High Castle (2015)
Season 1-2 phenomenal then meh
The first two seasons were great (season 1 in particular) then the series got progressively worse with each season. I watched episode 1 of season 4 and now I've given up on the show.