Wow, what happened here?
A Mulan remake had so much potential but it seems like they really phoned this one in. I'm totally cool with them going in a new direction compared to the first one as do the other live action remakes (except for the butchering of Mulan's backstory and turning her into a generic chosen-one), but there are many aspects that make this not a great film on its own.
Not only does the film have no personality or engaging qualities, but the directing and editing are just kind of bad. It's clear this is a high budget film based on the set pieces and costumes, but the cuts are choppy, with weird camera angle decisions and times of poor framing. The pacing is also weird- it's a two hour movie that has a long ramp up with quick climax and ending. This leaves the audience little chance to get attached to the characters. The writing and acting also leave much to be desired- often times empty, awkward, emotionless, and full of plot holes.
If this didn't have the Mulan and Disney brand behind it, it'd instantly be forgotten. This could have been so much better.
THAT ENDING. OH GOD NOOOO
The Big Ugly doesn't make any sense with its useless plot lines and characters. A colossal waste of time.
This hillbilly noir/British gangster flick is just a very, very, very basic revenge action movie, oh and and they mention oil a lot but you never get to see any oil. The action is really quite minimal, the plot is unclear, the characters - macho men, who repeat themselves over and over again.
The movie sets off with a really distinguished and intriguing look at the 1920s which I very much liked, but then transcends into a somewhat-basic new age comedy with the cliche "fish out of water" storyline. It does manage to get in a few laughs and sets a nice heart-warming message about family.
The kind of film you don't mind stumbling on some lazy Sunday afternoon, but not something to go looking for.
There's a reason that Sy Fy Channel comes up with 35 giant animal movies a year. They are fun. Here's one with good effects, A List talent and a budget. Don't expect smarter...expect bigger! Chicago takes a beating in this movie...so that's a bonus! Sit back, turn brain into "off" position and enjoy the ride. Certainly lived up to expectations...just didn't exceed them. 7/10
There is no way you feel emphathy for those astronauts because they are dumb as fuuuuuuuuuuuck
This is a great storyline with no backup or character development. I don't even know anything about the main characters by the time the movie ended. It could have been way better.
For some reason, I wasn't charmed. The concept is not new, but I feel like there was no chemistry between the characters. Or maybe it's their acting? Idk. But it's nice to see Batista's face without the full make up on.
That's the worst, lowest, worst security "max security" prison ever from all max security prisons!
07/10.
This is a cliche-filed solid action movie with crazy gunfight sequences. It lacks a good narrative but the thrilling action makes up for it.
If you are looking for nuance there are tons of Dramas out there. It is not trying to be one of those films. This is an action movie as advertised.
Not without flaws, but if you find the premise intriguing, the series is really very binge-worthy. The acting is decent, the direction pretty good. I'll be excepting the second season with excitement
“You really can't unsee it once you've seen it.”
Guy Ritchie returns to his gangster roots in the underbelly of jolly good England. It’s crazy to think that this is the same guy who brought us last years ‘Aladdin.’ But this time Ritchie isn’t on a leash.
I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy ‘The Gentleman’ as much as I did. A little muddle and sometimes confusing to follow, but the movie has a certain sharpness to it that kept me interested throughout. It’s more in vein with ‘Lock Shock’ and ‘Snatch’. Ritchie has made a successful career being influenced by the work of Quentin Tarantino, hence his given title “British Tarantino”.
The cast are all having an absolute blast with the material and I can tell everyone wants to be there.
Hugh Grant is my personal favorite out of the cast and it’s great to see his enthusiasm in acting again. He plays Fletcher, a gay detective who documents the events in the story into a screenplay he’s writing, so in a way it’s told from his perspective. While debatable if everything in the movie was made up or not, cause “every movie needs a bit of action”. The thing I love about Grants performance is that he isn’t playing "typical Hugh Grant", but an actual character. Although I thought the running gag of him being openly gay and constantly makes flirty hints towards other male characters got old and awkward after awhile. A joke that out stay’s it’s welcome...kinda like Fletcher.
I’m not a big fan of Charlie Hunnam as an actor, as I usually find him bland in everything I’ve seen him so far. However I thought Hunnam delivered a solid performance in this movie and might be his best. He plays Ray, Mickey’s (McConaughey) right hand man who is professional when it comes to business despite the countless idiots in his path. Imagine Russell Bufalino from ‘The Irishman’, but more physical and incredibly British. His comedic timing was pretty good as well that maybe if you give him the right material and character, he’s a better actor than I thought.
Colin Farrell was terrific as Coach and my second favorite out of the cast. He’s ridiculously cool and shows who’s boss, but also display’s some comedic chops. Matthew McConaughey was chilled as Mickey, who is the weed Lord of England that likes things in green, which is money and marijuana. Out of all the colorful characters in the movie, I thought Mickey was the least interesting if I have to be honest. Either because of McConaughey's chilled nature or the less exciting material given to his character.
The style and overall tone of the movie made the whole experience so fun to watch. Everything about the movie is quick. The dialogue is snappy and there’s plenty of clever banter between characters. It’s incredibly clear that Guy Richie loves cinema whenever he’s not held back like some of his previous projects and gets to freely express his passion behind the craft.
The humor and jokes ain't for the faint of heart, but luckily I’m not that soft. Some of jokes didn’t quite land the mark and often times left me puzzled in terms of waiting for the punchline.
Overall rating: A disjointed, but entertaining movie. Misleading title though. There’s plenty of man, but not so much on gentle.
An enjoyable messy Guy Ritchie movie. It feels like Snatch but not as good. Hugh Grant is fun and Colin Farrell is great but not on screen enough.
So a bit of wood was enough to change the air pressure but all that water wasn't?
It's ok, the voice over narrative is off-putting but otherwise entertaining.
[6.0/10] Oh man, what a crock this is. It is so full of cheats and shortcuts and self contradictions that it's hard to take any of it seriously. Suddenly, we've pivoted to the prospect of mortality and self-sacrifice as the most important theme of the season, despite the fact that those have been, at best, tangential to the ideas the show was exploring up until...last week.
And it's totally contradicted by what the episode actually does! Picard trying to "give his life" to prove to Soji that organics is good would have more weight if we hadn't seen him jump into death-defying situations throughout the season. What makes this one any different? And when he "dies", it's not because the Romulans blast him or really anything to do with his grand stand. His brain abnormality just acts up when it's dramatically convenient, with no apparent connection to his attempt at self sacrifice.
Then the episode just wipes away that sacrifice anyway! I can't tell you what a cheat it feels like to have Picard die, learn a very important lesson about the beauty of life coming from the fact that it's finite, only for him to then immediately cheat death! Then the whole bending over backwards to try to explain that even though he has an android body now, he'll age normally feels contrived and bullshit as hell. It's a dumb plot choice that immediately contradicts the episodes laudable themes about accepting mortality as something inherently human.
It's not all bad. As deus ex machina as Riker's arrival, it's still a cool moment. As weird as Data looks in the "quantum simulation" (oh brother), his death and appreciation for Picard's love is moving. And even if Jurati feels like she's from a different show, her quips and jibes got a chuckle out of me.
Everything in this finale is just so rushed and glancing and ultimately unsatisfying. There's some good ideas here, but they're all shortchanged for a meditation on death that feels out of step with the show's ideas to this point, and a bunch of easy plot fixes and character relationships that haven't actually been developed.
On the whole, this season was a real missed opportunity. Assembling this kind of talent and deploying it only for this wobbly mess of a season is a big shame. I'm a sucker, so I'll be back for season 2, and I hope they'll work out the kinks But after this, I'm not terribly optimistic.
Alex Garland, the man behind Ex Machina and Annihilation has done it again. Floored by the first two episodes. The man creates art.
Oh, look, Cal's back. This was a pretty decent episode. The main plot is starting to be more focused on, which is good and starting to become much needed, while everything else, the drama and whatnot, isn't focused on as much. I'm very interested to know the significance behind Yusuv/Yusuf Al-Zuras and everyone else on the boat/ship being directly, or perhaps indirectly, effected by whatever happened when the plane was in the air. They even saw it. I don't think the year was mentioned when that happened, but I imagine it was a long time ago, which makes that whole situation more bizarre, and intriguing. Plus, the plane was mentioned as a silver dragon, which confirms that it must've been quite a while back for that to be their closest comparison. Sufficed to say, I'm very intrigued by that development, and also where it will lead.
Moving on, Saanvi is becoming quite a tragic character. Why did she ever think that scientific means could resolve something supernatural? She kind of deserves what's happening to her, tbh. That's just a blunt, straightforward thought of mine that is by no means influenced by hate towards her or anything like that. At the same time, I feel like the writers couldn't think of any other way to use her character, and that's the reason for this slow descent into demise. I don't particularly care about her, but it would be very tragic if this ridiculous intention of hers, that was never going to work out, to begin with, ends up killing her. I mean, I'm not expecting that to happen, but I'm not expecting it to not happen, you know? It would be unfortunate, that's for sure.
Also, "You know damn well I didn't start that fire." > "You're being vindictive." > "I don't care if I burn this entire precinct down." Wow, Michaela. I don't think you're helping your case very much, even if he does know that you didn't, which he undoubtedly does. She was a bit irritating in this episode. She's trying too hard, falling for "every trick in the book", not keeping her mouth shut, getting agitated way too easily. But I guess she was written that way as a means for one of Simon's associates in the police department that's apart of the "cause" could be used to target her given how Simon's venture in Ben's house led to finding out...everything, pretty much, therefore, presenting a "reason" to send someone to dispose of her, and for the sole purpose of Jared coming in clutch, to save her.
And lastly, for some reason, when the lightning happened in the first scene with Cal in that room, when Grace was starting to feel lightheaded, I thought it was the lightning itself that caused that, by affecting the baby. That's it! The baby is the plane! Of course! It's all connected! There was lightning when the plane was up in the air, and because the baby IS the plane, lightning would irritate it, all because it has PTSD from the lightning when it was the plane. I've solved everything, folks. You've read it here first, so don't forget about me once that is revealed to be as correct as anything can be.
Now d̶o̶ redo Pearl Harbor.
I was sure this film was going to bomb, that romantic story lines were going to sink it and rah rah USA speeches were going to send it down in a ball of flames, so imagine my surprise when there was no love story and the homilies were kept to a minimum.
What director Roland Emmerich replaced that with is a solid war film that relies on historical facts and includes more battle scenes than I ever could have hoped for. Sure, the film is mined with clichés and Woody Harrelson's lackluster performance sabotages the film, but overall chalk Midway up as a victory.
It wasn't awful, not great just kind of good. Got a bit boring near the end. There was some good acting from most of the cast though.
JACK FUCKING HARKNESS!!! OH MY GOD, I MISSED HIM SO MUCH! Jack and Thirteen are the iconic chaotic duo we deserve! The cowards in the writers' room didn't let them meet cause they knew those two would be too powerful together. (Also, if they don't let them kiss, I'm suing).
Loved the callbacks to David Tennant's iconic "a Judoon platoon upon the moon" line.
I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the new incarnation of the Doctor. Nothing against the actress, but she doesn't feel like the Doctor to me. Like, she's too put together? My Doctor is a clown with a single brain cell, so I don't vibe with this sophisticated version. The storyline looks interesting though. Has the Doctor lost her memory or is Ruth!Doctor from an alternate timeline/universe? How does the Timeless Child fit into this? And what was Jack talking about? So many questions. I hope the pay off is worth it.
[7.0/10] Patrick Stewart can act. That is, perhaps, no revelation. But the strongest moment in the series premiere of Star Trek: Picard is simply giving him a moment to emote, to condemn, to express his distress and regret over the state of things. When pushed to explain why he left Starfleet, the fire that fueled The Next Generation is revived, and the ghosts of the utopia it operated in are exercised.
Picard left because of xenophobia, because of isolationism, because of an abandonment of the principals of altruism and mercy and acceptance that buttressed the Federation he knew and believed in. That connection to larger ideas -- of a once noble nation turning its back on those in need out of a fear for what opening one’s doors to the world could invite in, and an architect of that community severing his ties with it when it shrinks from the ideals he so deeply believes in -- not only imbues this story with a real world resonance; it’s pure Trek.
But it’s not enough to offer a man meditating on his legacy and the institutions that devolved on his watch. So we need a mystery box. And we need a terrorist attack from a group of “synths” on Mars that scared the Federation into submission. And we need Romulan refugees resettling in an old Borg cube. And we need Romulan fighters trying to root out and destroy the last of the synths. And we need a mysterious young woman -- half River Tam and half Daisy Johnson -- to seek out Picard’s help to sort it all out.
It’s all...fine. It’s naive to expect a modern day science fiction show to rely on the staid, contemplative tone that The Next Generation thrived on. I don’t mind Dahj kicking ass in a hand-to-hand combat scene that makes Kirk’s karate chops look like childsplay. I don’t mind a wire fu-esque battle between her and a cadre of Romulan attackers that involves dodging phaser fire, leaping grand distances, and gory-ish explosions. Times change, and shows have to change with them, even if it means making allowances for the sort of fireworks that once disappointed fans in Picard’s jump to the big screen.
But what I do mind is how generic so much of the rest of the episode feels. Make no mistake -- it is a tall order to follow-up to one of the most beloved science fiction series of all time, that honors past successes while forging a distinct path for the show at hand. But if you shaved off the serial numbers and took away the easter eggs, this could be any other modern science fiction show, with a look and dialogue and mysteries that suffice but don’t wow.
The best you can say is that in the early going at least, Star Trek: Picard doesn't feel like fanservice. Sure, Picard’s dog is named “Number One,” and he orders earl grey tea, and he has a futuristic safety deposit box full of familiar trinkets. But when the show invokes the past, it does so in service of the story in the here and now.
And yet, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Revealing Dahj as Data’s daughter adds some emotional potency to her pairing with Picard. They make Brent Spiner’s guest appearances in the episode more than a fond reminder of everyone’s favorite android, but as a touchstone for Picard’s close relationship with his former protege. For all the flack Star Trek: Nemesis caught, one of its saving graces was the way it suggested that, flesh and blood or no, Data was Picard’s son, his family. So by making Dahj a sort of granddaughter to Picard through that bond makes her relevant in the early going, when the show has to be economical about establishing its characters and stakes.
But at the same time, that’s part of the problem. Stewart and Isa Briones do their best, but the on screen chemistry isn’t quite there yet, so the results feel more like Star Trek: Picard drafting on the good feelings of old, even if it wants to move in a new direction. Fans of the Next Generation will shudder to hear the name Bruce Maddox, the man who tried to have Data declared property, invoked. Still, it feels a tad cheap to have him missing and potentially responsible for some sort of new-fangled “biological synthetic” that is cloned or replicated or somehow otherwise spawned from Data.
All the while, “Remembrance” has the same, overly glossy look that the rest of modern Trek does. All the while, we get characters giving tearful statements that tidily deposit their backstories, with performances that can’t support the psychological weight the show wants to place on them as well as Stewart can. All the while, we get another damn mystery box, where we’re left to guess who made Dahj and her twin sister, and whether the twin’s new flirty Romulan acquaintance is part of the apparent terrorist group, and what the true motivation of the “synths” who blew up Utopia Planetia was, since the show apparently can’t muster that intrigue while still putting its proverbial cards on the table.
And all the while, we have to cut through clunky scenes that try to establish all of this. Little of it is outright bad. This is a competent production with a stellar lead actor and enough reverence for the source material not to upset too much of it. But when you’re bringing back one of television’s great characters and invoking the legacy of the series that started a new age of Star Trek, I expect better than solid but less-than-inspired adequacy.
None of it quite matches that one moment of personal truth or the real life implications of Picard’s disdain for what the organization he once loved has transformed into. When “Remembrance” deposits him into its adventure, it becomes just another off-the-shelf science fiction series, albeit one that can harness the history and world of The Next Generation, The Original Series, and even the 2009 reboot.
In that one scene, though, Star Trek: Picard gives us a glimpse of the show it could be. “Remembrance” soars when it allows its lead performer to do what he does best and embrace the thematic resonance and introspection that were the hallmarks of his prior series, rather than flash and whodunnits and twisty reveals. Only time will tell whether, with so much narrative throat-clearing and table-setting out of the way, the series sets a course for the better.
Okay, kids. 'Twas a good episode, a step up from previous series: fast paced, very Doctor Who-y, with a twisty little twist at the end but still.. maybe it's just me but it felt somewhat... empty? I don't know it's like something is missing and I can't understand what exactly.
It's good. Not bad but not great either. It would have benefitted greatly by having 10 episodes. Season felt way too rushed.
Good:
Acting is really good all over. Henry Cavill really feels like he was born to play this part.
The swordfighting is absolutely beautiful and fantastically done. Especially Geralt. Although the bigger battles (not one on ones) are really not that great.
Music/soundtrack is really phenomenal. Got goosebumps at times.
Costume design was really well done. And cinematography was pretty good.
Bad:
The different timelines. Not only is it a bit confusing at times (although that can be forgiven with a decent payoff which IMO does not exist in this show) but it just kills any flow of the show whatsoever and the pacing was really bad at times. I think the show would be a lot better with 10 episodes and focusing the first two or three only Geralt and explaining the world we're in.
Worldbuilding. I feel like they expect only book readers to watch this show. They namedrop/show a lot of stuff but never bother explaining anything to non book readers. Of course a bit of mystery is always good but viewers need to understand this world, how it functions and what rules there are (in regard for magic for example).
Dialogue feels really clunky at times. Geralt is fine but everyone else just felt weird at times.
The CGI was okay but I kinda expected better.
I have hopes that Season 2 will be better with a more linear/cohesive story. Right now only the writing is holding this show back from becoming great. I can see a lot of potential for future seasons.
EDIT AFTER SEASON 2 (and after having read the books in between seasons)
It's a decent and entertaining show on it's own. It's just knowing the books, Henry Cavills absolute love for them and the budget behind the show it could be so much more than just decent.
As a show on it's own it's a solid 8/10. But as an adaption of incredible books? 2/10.
I can't make to episode 2. It's so boring, full of cliches and shallow characters. Never read the books. Never played the game. Didn't like what i saw. It's kind of pathetic and tacky.
What could have been a dumb but fun action flick turns into a dumb underwater heist movie. Thank goodness for JK Simmons who breathes some much needed life into this waterlogged adventure.
A classic tale retold in modern times. A shtick we've all seen before in many movies. Though, not a lot can say that they are up to the standards of The Kid Who Would Be King. This film takes the story of King Arthur and flips it. Using the basis narrative to be the forefront of a very meaningful parable.
Yes, this is a good King Arthur movie. It sells itself to be an action movie for kids, but it isn't. It's better than that. It's a family drama with a mystical element thrown in. With commentary that holds true to the characters and even audience watching. Forming to be a journey of lessons that relate directly to family struggles and world views. It was powerful with the aid of visual effects that gracefully captured action and stylised story-telling.
Alex, our main protagonist was acted wonderfully by Andy Serkis' kid, Luis. Showing off lovely emotion when needed and giving a realistic sense of childlike wonder and confusion in sensible ways. All the other cast did have issues though. Not really caring for Tom Taylor's character and neither for Rhianna Dorris'. Feeling too rushed into the story was also a let down with these two. But Angus Imrie did a wonderful job at his portrayal of Merlin. I actually liked him so much that when Patrick Stuart came in, I didn't even give it a second thought as to who I want back more. They both stuck the landing in likeability. But that magic hand movement was maybe a bit too wacky? I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest.
Now the villain is more a metaphor here that didn't need to be shown off a lot. But alas, we got to see them and what a bad casting choice it was for Rebecca Ferguson. She wasn't menacing enough and didn't pose a big enough threat. She would have been better being shielded within shadows for the whole movie. Because what she represents was much better than her reveal. Though, we did get some nice looking action scenes from it. But more questions as well, involving the safety of some people in the last act.
The Kid Who Would Be King is a fantastic family movie. Having a tremendous moral lining that kids should take with them. A bit forceful at times when it came to the delivery. It still gripped me with its visuals. The fight scenes at night were gorgeous and satisfied me for action. I am impressed with how much love and effort was put into this instead of leaving it to be another generic classic retelling of a story for kids. There was care here, and it shows greatly. A true and welcoming surprise.
8.2/10
Really not sure what to think of this movie. It's quite boring. Usually enjoy movies with older actors, but this was nothing but a boring c*ck-fest…
Boring story, boring dialogues, boring conclusion, boring everything…
