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Land of the Lost (2009)
Lots Of Hidden Treasures
So firstly lets just forget that Matt Lauer is in this movie. He was sleazy then and is sleazy now.
Land of the Lost has been enjoyed by me and my family a few times and it still continues to make us all laugh. Its stupid funny not clever funny but funny is what funny is.
Aside from the humour the film also captures the essence and charm of old school adventure movies. Its like going back in time to Journey to the Centre of the Earth with a bag of sex jokes. It makes for an interesting combination.
Its silly fun, well made and is an easy way to drift through a lazy, quiet Sunday afternoon :)
Semi-Pro (2008)
Makes The Occassional Basket
Its Will Ferrell being Will Ferrell. Will is mostly hit and miss within his movies but he always seems to deliver an impassioned performance that makes you forget the movies flaws. This is again the case with Semi-Pro.
Its a sometimes funny movie and just as often not funny but it has enough charm to keep you watching.
Semi-Pro is also filled with what can mostly be described as Will's mates or the SNL team. They do pretty much add value to the film and help lift it when it needs it.
Semi-Pro wasn't going to be an award winner nor will it be remembered as a classic. It is still pretty good fun :)
Wilson (2017)
Woody Wows
Woody makes this movie an 8!
If you have ever read any of my reviews (and I'm sure you haven't lol) you would know how highly I rate Woody. So the outcome of this movie was no great surprise. Its a good movie that Woody makes great.
Hi performance is so honest. All you see is the character. Its not like you see the character and underneath you can still see the mega star Woody, you just have the character.
The story is filled with the rollercoaster emotions of sorrow and hope and they take you for quite a ride.
At times you find his character pathetic and suddenly you don't aaaaand then you do again.
I can't think of a reason why a considered movie fan wouldn't enjoy Wilson :)
Fracture (2007)
Poor Title, Great Movie
Fracture is a nice blend of film making. It has both a good story and a first class cast (try saying that fast!) but it doesn't fall on either one making for a strong combination on screen.
Hopkins is in his element here delivering the kind of performance you would expect yet it never feels like he is just dialling it in. The rest of the cast also seem well invested in making a good movie. Rosamund Pike is particularly good.
The drama is engaging and the emotions of the characters really sweep you up in their individual stories.
I was hooked into Fracture the whole way through never checking the watch to see how long was left, its a dramatic entertainer that is well worth giving your time to :)
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
I'm Batdude
What a ripper of a movie. The voicing of this character may well be the finest example of the artform I have ever enjoyed. It would have been so easy for this film to miss but the Batman performance guaranteed its success.
The film is beautiful to look at, as all the Lego movies have been and the audio is used to great impact. The plot is not super detailed, as you would expect, so all the joy comes out of the interactions that revolve around Batman.
Lego Batman is very funny and should provide a lot of fun for children and adults alike. Some of the throwback jokes are quite clever and I smiled my way from start to finish :)
The Baker (2022)
He Also Cooks...I Mean Bakes
If you think the story line is familiar, winner winner chicken dinner.
Its another in a long long long line of 'who is this guy' movies.
So, its nothing new. But, that's ok. What really matters here is 'do the performances hold your attention'? Yes they do. Extra large Ronnie is awesome in this, yes he's playing the same role (Hellboy aside) that he always plays and he does it with a nice undercurrent of humour and not taking himself too seriously.
Elias is solid if not under used and Harvey K delivers exactly what you think he is going to do. Still its nice to see him on screen.
The movie (see for yourself) does miss the opportunity for a classic screen moment towards the end but such is life.
Watch the credits.
Nice effort :)
Dark Waters (2019)
Movie Great Company Crappy
This movie gave me mixed emotions. I got frustrated with the company, the townsfolk, arghh, such a win lose scenario.
The film is brilliant and the Hulk should be very proud.
The actual events are horrific.
Dupont acted appallingly but so did the townsfolk when judging those who were fighting the company because it threatened their livelihoods, especially the later scene in the church. These people were fighting for your (and their) lives not some wages.
Its visually bleak, which supports the story, you can feel the struggle being had.
To the actual lawyer who took this on...bravo, such a fighter :)
The Fall Guy (2024)
Its A Little Too Pleased With Itself
The Fall Guy has too many inside jokes and is way to happy with its own existance. It feels like the happiness of the audience was secondary.
Barbie managed to pull of an exceptional film using similar tools, whereas The Fall Guys falls a long way short.
The leads put on a charm offensive but all laughs are over simplified bordering on stupid.
An example of the in jokes, is the use of the sound effect of the Bionic Man in one scene, who was played by Lee Majors who played'The' Fall Guy in the tv show. How many audience members, for this demographic, would make that link. I was 6 when the Bionic Man was on tv?
Too try hard which was a shame :)
Mob Land (2023)
Funding My Retirement Movie
The cast of Mob Land is given very little to work with in this title.
Travolta, Dorff and Dillon are all essentially wasted in this barely average effort.
The basic premise of the film is valid but it has the depth of a kiddies wading pool. The fact that this movie was shot in eleven days is evidence of how the film was slapped together and was nothing more than a cash grab for the main cast.
Dorff delivers the most but even then it looks dialed in as its very reminiscent of twenty other Dorff movies.
Its not a disaster of a film but it is a waste, watch it on a plane or train when all the better options have been exhausted :)
Sully (2016)
Make It Bigger And Better And Another 30 Mins Longer
Way to suck the life out of a movie. Clint Eastwood is one of the best directors and Tom Hanks is an elite actor but they both miss the mark of greatness in this movie.
Sure its good. They could both do 'good' in their sleep. I was expecting brilliant. Something with on screen tension and drama to match the real life story.
The story is, as we know, incredible, so why isn't the movie?
It looks great, sounds great and IS interesting, it just doesn't have any moments or great theatrical heights. I know not every movie can 'handle the truth' but I would have thought this movie with its courtroom (inquiry) drama would have had a little more sizzle :)
Nightmare (1981)
A True Nightmare Would Be Watching It Twice
Not much of a classic here really...its a bit bloody and over the top gory but more in the old school stupid way rather than squeeze you heart until it stops way.
It has aged terribly so for contemporary viewers I would give this a very wide pass. For those who like trawling through 'classic movies' to hopefully find a hidden gem, let me tell you, this isn't it.
Also a heads up, you need to ignore anything to do with Tom Sorvino, producers are just cashing in on his name rather than any real involvement.
Its a weak film and certainly nothing to be celebrated, go enjoy a nice haircut instead :)
Willie Dynamite (1974)
Oh No He Didn't...Nope He Didn't...Not Once
Let me start with the only real positive for this movie, the fantastic outfits worn by Mr Willie D. They are super. Over the top examples of I don't know muscrat, squirrel? Who is to say but they look epic!
Beyond that Willie Dynamite is a fizzer. Its a blaxploitation film where no one is exploited!!! They simply removed every element that makes this genre what it is. The language (usually the best parts) is flat, the sex is missing and the action was hiding out whereever they kept the sex. Only the clothing came to the party.
Additionally I like a story to have some ups and downs but we must have caught Mr D at a bad time because his life just went continually from bad to worse.
Skip it and check out some much better examples :)
Layer Cake (2004)
No Dumb Cake Jokes Here
The Brits do it again, another great example of great 'gangster' film making.
This foray into the life of a drug dealer with his own set of operational rules to run his version of the business. Now under threat, will his rules carry the day or will he fall to the challenges.
Two first names Daniel Craig is very entertaining in Layer Cake and as mentioned in other reviews you can certainly see some of the future Bond performances birthing themselves here with his suave demeaner.
Filled with great characters Layer Cake is a a rich piece of film that provides, laughs, thrills, action and fun :)
Silent Night (2023)
A Good Return For Woo
Silent Night, whilst lacking the typical bombastic stylings of John Woo, still packs a punch and is a better than average actioner.
Its a bit of a slow burn as we work through a Rockyesque training program but as the movie progresses then so does the action.
Joel Kinnaman is the entire film and he is awesome. Usually actors come in second to Woo's theatrics however rarely, such as Face/Off or here in Silent Night, the actor's performances overpower him.
Not a film for all, it gets pretty punchy at times so the squemish will struggle, yet the film would lose any validity if it were to take a softer approach :)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
A Great Show Excluding One Horrible Factor
This is great.....BUT.
The show is divided in to 2 parts, the origins of Monarch and then what Monarch has become (or contemorary time). BUT WAIT...there is more. The third and final division. Every crappy, boring and irritating moment of the show belongs in the May division.
The May character is one of the most annoying on screen inclusions of all time, worse than Jar Jar Binks!
Everything I dislike about the show is connect to May.
This means if you feel the same as me you will mostly dislike the middle episodes of the series.
SO...perservere. The series starts and finishes strongly, it is totally worth it, just read a book for the middle section :)
Borg McEnroe (2017)
The Films Falls Slightly Short Of The Sporting Events
I liked the film however I did leave it feeling like they makers had left a fair bit of story on the table, especially concerning McEnroe. In terms of focus the movie should have been called Borg Borg McEnroe.
Sverrir Gudnason was an inspired choice to play Borg, he transports you to the individual instantly. Shia LaBeouf on the other had was something of a disasterous choice for the role of McEnroe. I enjoy Shia most of the time, and he was good to watch, I just never felt like I was watching McEnroe.
As a sport film it falls short of maximising the natural drama of the real events, as a drama the movie overall is an interesting one :)
The November Man (2014)
An Abomination Of A Movie
OMG this movie is RUBBISH!
They call him The November Man because December was taken?
This is 'impressed with itself' movie making of the highest order. Pierce Brosnan swans around the screen as if he is still James Bond yet moves like a geriatric.
His special set of skills are to bore his enemies and friends to death with a conceit about how he will show them why he is the best.
I have a bunch of Brosnan movies that I had yet to watch and after watching November Man I lost all interest in viewing any of them.
There are no positives that I can associate with this movie.
IF you enjoyed this, take a good look in the mirror and reassess all of your life choices :)
Against the Ice (2022)
Maybe NCW's Best Movie So Far
As I am sure with most people I became a fan of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones. Since then I have happily sought out his films and have been pleased with the results thus far.
Against the Ice is just one more reason to be, and stay, a fan of his.
This is great story telling. Now it surely helps that the actual real life events that this is based on were incredible but that doesn't always guarantee a great movie.
Against the Ice does tremendous justice to the story. The acting is top notch with the emotions portrayed earnestly rather than OTT for the sake of drama. There is enough drama in the story, they didn't need to ham it up.
Highly recommended :)
Rendition (2007)
Put A Bag Over Your Head And See If You Like It?
Rendition shows its audience just how fragile our lives can be and that at any stage something may occur to completely sideswipe it.
Rendition, based on a true story, is a passionate movie where each side of the story is fully invested in what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Its very well put together merging atmosphere with tension and drama to make for compelling viewing.
The star of this show is most definitely the story. The leads deliver well but with a story this strong Mr Potato Head and Buzz LIghtyear could have played the leads.
A great movie to get you thinking (hopefully) about what is acceptable when trying to keep everyone safe?
:)
Sex Ed (2014)
Don't Stare At The Poster
Sex Ed ended up being a far better film than I ever would have anticipated. Going in my expectations were about as low as they get, so perhaps that helped.
Putting me off was the star of the film. His performance ultimately was much better than expected. The picture of him on the cover put me off watching this movie for years, if looking like a loser was a fragrance then that fragrance would be called HJO.
The film does swap around quite a bit from low level comedy to low level who is thinking of the children. In spite of this at the end of the day it still mamaged to entertain so it sits just above average :)
Lightyear (2022)
Impressively Deep If You Want It To Be
Lightyear easily met my very low expectations for this movie and then some.
Visually the movie is beautiful, the animation is dark and matches some of the heavier tones of the film.
The actual story, yes it does have one, was surprisingly deep and well considered. Often its glossed over to keep it interesting for the kids but there is enough meat on the bone to keep most adults a little more than intrigued.
This makes LIghtyear one of the better animated efforts over the last 20 years as it blends adult thoughts, concerns, fears and the like with funny giggling moments for the young'ens.
Lightyear has a little something :)
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
Hard To Believe Its A Hidden Gem
A super solid movie that falls just short of classics such as Crimson Tide or The Hunt for Red October.
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson test their wills against each other, the Russian government and their boat.
Its gripping, suspensful and full of intrigue barely allowing the viewers to catch their collective breaths.
The support cast for the film is also rock solid.
In reviewing the movie its actually very hard to put a finger on why this effort doesn't equal the other movies I mentioned. Just understand that it doesn't and we will leave it at that.
Highly recommend checking this out, great :)
White Noise (2022)
This Is A Very Good Film Edperience
White Noise is the kind of movie every real film buff should seek out. Why? Its different, it throws away the formula and provides the viewer with a really engaging cinematic experience.
Beyond that, the film is a lot of fun, filled with genuinely funny moments.
Adam Driver is particularly good and seems to skip his way through the movie fascianted at just about every turn.
For a deeper dive the movie does look into some issues around family and life in general but these are juxstaposed against impending doom. So the contrasting is clever and entertaining.
Not a film for all but for fans of 'film' make it a 'need to watch this sooner rather than later' :)
The Boogens (1981)
Its An Oldy But Barely A Goodie
The Boogens is a charmingly nostalgic and amusing creature feature that harks back to classic horror movies where scaring you didn't seem to matter!
While the plot may seem okay, the film gets a lift with its atmosphere and practical effects.
The characters are endearing, if somewhat archetypal, adding to the nostalgic charm. As the creatures wreak havoc or as a modern viewer would interpret, they move around a bit, the suspense escalates, no not really, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats if you are a 6 year old child.
Though not groundbreaking, The Boogens delivers a somewhat fun, old-school horror experience that's perfect for a late-night watch with friends.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Rember The Titans Minus Denzel
This is one for the cinemas. You want the biggest screen and the most thunderous sound to really take advantage of this movie.
The story is ok, the acting etc is all servicable but its all about the Titans.
A couple of areas where the film falls, Mothra has become a massive fairy straight out of a little kids movie and the film starts to feel a bit like Transformers and their gang of cool kids.
Additionally the soundtrack is a massive miss, with 'classic' 80's tracks really just going for the teen viewers parents market. It doesn't add to the film at all.
At the end of the day its a Titan fest so its all good :)