Plazeebo Reviews

The Fist of the Condor (2023)

Art - Martial Art

[8/10 · 18 February 2024]

First of all, this is more like an art installation than it is a movie.

It's art. More precisely Martial Art.

The low ratings are probably fair if you expected a movie as we have come to expect movies. However, if you are a lover of Martial Art, you may appreciate this film.

Assuming you're a martial arts fan, you have seen Marko Zaror before. He was the guy breaking Boyka's leg in Undisputed 3. He was the guy getting beat up by Alita the battle Angel in the bar fight. He was the guy giving John Wick a hard time in the 4th installment.

Needless to say, Marko Zaror has the moves, and this movie is a testament of those moves. It is a travelogue through Chile showcasing the land and Zaros's skills.

It's not Boyka or Battle Angel, so don't expect to be dragged into the story. It is a visual experience of the art known as martial art.

Tracker (2024– )

Promising

[7/10 · 15 February 2024]

There was a similar show a while ago called The Finder (2012) which had a similar premise. This is a bit different though. While still light hearted, it's not a comedy/drama but a drama with occasional comedy.

It could have been cool if he was the guy doing stuff - like MacGyver - but this guy has a team on his rooster that are all superfluous. All of the things his team does, he could just as well do himself.

All the scenes with his team are boring and seems to be shoehorned into an otherwise promising show. The show has the same vibes as Human Target (2010), but based on what we've seen so far, I'm not sure if it will be as good as that was.

Still, happy to see a drama/action show with 0 supernatural stuff going on. If I could have my pick, we'd have a new Punisher episode every day, but these fillers will have to do for now.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )

Yes, it's bad but not for the reasons people say

[4/10 · 3 February 2024]

This doesn't get low rating due to the race swap. That could have worked fine if just the show had good writing, an interesting story, chemistry between the lead characters, decent comedy, some action, and some excitement.

But alas, what we get is two uninteresting people talking. And more talking. Constantly running their mouth, and nothing interesting comes out.

It's just plain boring.

Why even name it after a movie if you're not adapting anything from the original movie?

There's literally nothing from the original movie except Brad and Angelina getting killed in the first 50 seconds. Honestly, those 50 seconds were the best of the entire show.

The rest is a boring slugfest of talking.

One More Shot (2024)

Artificial limitations

[4/10 · 14 January 2024]

When you have a limited budget, you spend it on what the fans wants to see.

Action.

We want to see Scott Adkins' sweet moves. And if his buddy Michael J. White is in the same movie, by all means, let the dogs out.

What you shouldn't spend your time on is to make an artsy-fartsy "one shot" film.

Sure, there are one or two great movies out there who uses the single-shot gimmick. 1917 by Sam Mendes being one of them. But they are rare. They are rare because it forces all the boring stuff into the movie, because you can't just cut away from it. So we see people walking, talking, falling, mumbling and a lot of jazz hands.

Listen. When we see Scott Adkins and Michael J. White on the cover, and we get excited, it's because we're martial arts fans.

You know this! Show us martial arts and we're happy. Throw in a decent story and we're more than happy. Make it great like Boyka or Blood and Bone and we'll give you 10 on IMDB.

The Brothers Sun (2024)

Great show

[8/10 · 7 January 2024]

I hate when they mix comedy with action. It is very rarely done great. But this is actually not that bad on occasion, when it's not done by the comedy-plants. Like when the action guy cleans up the action woman's appartment, or when Michelle Yeoh does a "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me" scene.

I found it brave of Netflix in this age of diversity to only have Asian actors. I would have thought Hollywood would insist on a diverse cast.

The story is pleasantly simple. When I watch a streaming show, I want to be entertained. When I want to use my brain, I read a book.

Easy to understand story, great action and fight choreography. Occasionally great humor - better than most comedy shows these days anyway.

What's not to like. This is, for now, the best show on Netflix this year.

Silent Night (2023)

Joel Kinnaman and John Woo - what could go wrong

[19 December 2023]

John Woo's first American movie in 20 years, but it might as well have been a Chinese movie because - well, the Silent in the title is to be taken literally.

Nobody talks.

I'm old enough to have watched my share of silent movies, and I just have to say they improved when the actors began to speak.

I also agree that there is way too much talking and narrating in todays movies. But removing it completely - I dunno - it doesn't work for me.

There's John Woo action - and he is the king of action. But everything else is weirdly boring because it's just people who doesn't communicate. This means we don't get to know them, and thusly disengage.

Joel kicks ass. He could have played Reacher with that physique. John Woo rocks with his action style. But they could have made a better movie.

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023)

I really missed Monk

[9 December 2023]

I soo wanted to like this movie. I was a huge fan of Mr. Monk, and I used to enjoy the show immensely. The fact that we can have a quirky hero with OCD was intriguing and I was rooting for another season.

But, if we can't have the show returning, a TV movie is great, right?

Well, it could have been, but this has got to be the most lazy writing ever done for a movie.

Mr. Monk isn't quirky, he's just awkward.

He's not allowed to be clever and use his intelligence, because the case is so clumsy presented, that we all know who done it and how immediately.

That means, the entire movie we're just waiting for Monk to catch up on what we already know, because no one made the effort of making an interesting case.

Great to see all the belowed characters again, but man - I'm rage-writing this review because it's probably the only time the cast gets back together, and then they get a script written by a 10 year old.

The Irrational (2023– )

Promising

[26 September 2023]

Ever since Tim Roth stopped playing Cal Lightman in Lie to Me (2009) I've been craving a smart psychologist fighting crime.

Then came Perception (2012), but Erick. McCormacks character was just a tad too crazy.

I had big hopes for. Mind Games (2014), but Christian Slater played an extremely annoying role, so it was cancelled as no one could stand watching it.

Enter The Irrational (2023) where an expert in human behavior helps law enforcement. We are immediately exposed to his backstory, which I am sure we will further explore in forthcoming episodes.

The crime he solves in the pilot is okay. We are not as audience convinced that he's a genius (yet), but he does drop a few interesting tidbits from time to time.

My wish list for future episodes: Writes, take a look at "The Mentalist" and "Lie to Me" and see if you can add a bit of that magic to the show.

I will continue watching.

... and so I did. Just finished watching episode 10 of season 1, which is the weakest so far. Something has been bugging me and that's how the writers makes professionals do or say things that a real professional would never say or do. These kind of shows works because they have a foundation. There really is such a thing as behavioral science. But it''s not just the science - sometimes law enforcement agencies are involved, and there we see a multitude of small errors. Calling CIA officers for agents. Wrong use of weapons and tactics, etc.

Both Lie to Me and The Mentalist had real, bonafide professionals helping them with the science. That would be a great step going forward if this show should have a future.

Hidden Strike (2023)

The unwanted love child of Mad Max and Fast X

[4/10 · 30 July 2023]

Take a piece of dumb from Fast & Furiouis. Add a piece of scenery from Mad Max and season lightly with some Rush Hour. Remove all chemistry between the protagonists and you have Hidden Strike.

Not sure if giving the fight choreographer a role in the movie was a good idea - somehow the fighting seemed off. Like - remember when you saw Iron Fist and hated the fighting? It's the same feeling here.

The bad CGI doesn't help. Adding Pilou Asbæk to the cast didn't help either. Having a strong actor just showcases how weak some of the other cast members were.

I like John Cena and Jackie Chan, but they don't really mix well together.

Hypnotic (2023)

Not that bad!

[8/10 · 22 June 2023]

This movie does not deserve a <6 rating. The production quality is fine and there are some nice, albeit predictable, plot twists.

I had hoped for a bit more realism when it comes to hypnotism. In the beginning, we see a hypnotist tapping a pen. This, I had hoped, was a nod to famous hypnotist Milton Ericson who used that very same method in his inductions. But alas, the hypnotism quickly became unrealistic and just turned into "I can control your mind using some kind of power".

William Fichtner was perfectly cast, albeit he did not get nearly enough screen time. Neither did Jeff Fahey who we only saw for less than a minute.

FUBAR (2023– )

Much better than expected

[7/10 · 25 May 2023]

So I happened to watch a couple of episodes of True Lies, which made me throw my almost empty beer can at the TV because it was as if they deliberately tried to ruin the fond memories of a good movie with an absolutely trash show.

This time, it is not an old Arnie property that gets a premiere on the small screen. It is Arnie himself, and he has years of experience being Arnie.

So what you will get here is a collection of one liners. They made Arnie action movies what they were - funny and exciting. The action in the tv series is not really at the same level, but the humor is classical Arnie.

Let off some steam and enjoy this.

Murder Mystery 2 (2023)

Dumb and annoying

[2/10 · 31 March 2023]

Hear me out - you can have dumb and annoying characters and still make a comedy. Check out Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber".

I remember in an interview Jeff Daniels said he was cast because they needed a great actor to pull this off, not a great comedian.

This is just a series of stupid things done by stupid people for no reason at all.

Who thinks it's funny to hear Jennifer Anniston fight with Adam Sandler? It's not funny to hear people quarrel. Sorry to break it to you, "comedy" writers out there.

With such a weak comedy, you could add some quality through excellent writing. But alas, the story is weak and written by an 8 year old. I think.

Rabbit Hole (2023)

Gets better by each episode

[9/10 · 27 March 2023]

This show begins with the worst beginning of any show. A flash forward. Everybody hates those, I know, but sit through it.

It begins as an episode of The Flight Attendand, so if you haven't turned off the telly after the flash forward, you probably will now. Don't. Sit through it.

Then, as you notice that Weir is a pawn in a complex game of chess, you remember that pawn in German is Bauer.

Then, as you notice this pawn is setting a complex trap, you remember the word for fish trap. Weir.

The bauer becomes the weir. The hunted becomes the hunter.

Now you are in the right mindset for this show which is the most well written mystery since the early episodes of Lost.

Love it.

True Lies (2023)

Needs a bit of seriousness

[4/10 · 3 March 2023]

If everything is a joke, then the action never becomes exciting, and you just have to sit through the explosions.

When you run away from bad guys, shooting at you, if you argue with your wife at the same time, it illustrates that the bullets are not real and the danger is not real.

That means, the audience disengages on the action. Which is okay, if the humor is good. I mean - it can be done. Castle and Burn Notice was fun. Mixing action and humor.

But alas - the humor is not really funny. We laughed in the movie because Arnold was a real action star with big muscles. This guy and this girl are just some people in some situation whom we have no relation to.

To get better comedy, be more serious.

The Company You Keep (2023)

A sligthly more mature "White Collar"

[8/10 · 21 February 2023]

This reminds me of White Collar. A criminal helping the authorities while getting in and out of his own trouble.

The production quality is excellent, and Milo Ventimiglia, who some might remember from Heroes, has an awesome chemistry with Catherine Haena Kim.

The humor is subtle and well crafted. The drama is intense from the get go, and the acting is superb, even from supporting characters.

Would love to see Milo being "clever". For now, he is just playing an amazing thief, but would be great to see him use a bit of behavioral psychology and manipulation.

The family of con artists is a fun little opportunity for some family drama, but it is Milo and Cat that steals the show.

The Recruit (2022– )

Jack Ryan reimagined as a comedy

[6/10 · 17 December 2022]

This is basically Jack Ryan as a comedy. The CIA is depicted as utterly incompetent, which I guess is funny for some. Then we have Foggy Nelson as Jack Ryan which might be funny for others.

So, here's the deal. The story is actually not bad, but the comedy is absolutely killing this show. It is not funny how the employees of the Agency are sabotaging each others work. It's just stupid. I mean, really really stupid.

The dorm room romance thing is a strange add-on, and while it's the most fun it's also the most odd scenes.

Here's how to make this a better show: Put a kick ass lead - someone with chops - in it, and ditch the drama and comedy.

While we wait for the next season of Jack Ryan I will still watch this and grace it with 6 stars just because there's really nothing in spy space at the moment.

Echo 3 (2022–2023)

Had hoped for Strike Back vibes

[5/10 · 24 November 2022]

Two elite soldiers forced to collaborate. I still miss Strike Back, so I had hoped for some well choreographed action.

The wooden acting I can live with. The wobbly camera sucks, but okay. The stupid choices the lead characters make... well, it's starting to hurt. The strange military theater that does not look at all real confuses me.

I don't know what this is. It doesn't cater to me (I'm just here for the action) so maybe for the drama people out there? Look what happened to Seal Team - it also turned into a drama, so maybe it's me that's wrong.

It might be a good show for you! Check it out.

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022)

Huh huh huh .. Cool - or something

[8/10 · 29 June 2022]

I AM THE GREAT CORNHOLIO! I NEED TP FOR MY BUNGHOLE!

Yes - this is a trip down memory lane, and what a nice trip. The animations where perfect, and the voice acting was good enough even tough you could hear the difference in the beginning.

Would have been great to see more of the old characters and settings. We only see a glimpse of their couch and a glimpse of their teacher.

Didn't really care for the multiverse characters - they didn't really add to the story.

If you watched Beaver & Bunghole on MTV back in the days, you will enjoy this trip down memory lane. You _will_ laugh - it's guaranteed.

Huh huh huh.

The Man from Toronto (2022)

Trained in 23 styles of martial arts

[4/10 · 26 June 2022]

The agency woman narrates the opening scene: "The man from Toronto is trained in 23 different martial art styles"

If that is the character described in the script, why not cast someone who can actually do Martial Arts? Mark Dacascos would be perfect - he even looks like Hitman 47 when he hosts Iron Chef.

Kevin Hart stars as Kevin Hart in a role written for Kevin Hart doing and saying things Kevin Hart would say. A type like Jonah Hill would have been a better casting.

The explosions where many, and often completely uncalled for. Budget should have been spent on other types of production value.

Ninja (2009)

Ninja movie!

[8/10 · 30 May 2022]

So this is your typical 80's ninja movie, made with the equipment and knowledge they had in 2009.

So now we have 2022, and it has obviously aged, but it's still see worthy:

1: Scott Adkins in his prime, before he turned to cheap B movies.

2: Ninjas! Bonafied ninja action.

3: Great martial arts chreography

In short - this is very true to the ninja genre that was coined in the 80'es. MORE OF THESE PLEASE!

The Northman (2022)

Modern viking saga

[2/10 · 14 May 2022]

So this movie is just as movies are supposed to be today.

It's almost identical to The Batman from a cinematographic perspective.

It's dark to the brim of being unwatchable. The main character isn't really smart or someone you can look up to.

The "Boss fight" was an impressive feat of CGI accomplishment. But - now that Alexander spent so much time getting buffed up, I'd rather see him fight instead of an animated pixel buff.

Senior Year (2022)

Fun nostalgic movie

[7/10 · 14 May 2022]

So this takes me back to Clueless and other movies. I had a blast and a sense of nostalgia.

It's by no means a deep movie. Nor is it as funny as it could have been. But I really enjoyed it anyway.

Ambulance (2022)

Not bad at all

[6/10 · 24 April 2022]

Opening scene hit right in the Heat feels. A lot of the same techniques applied - like the fact that the gun shots weren't dubbed afterwards, but recorded live with small microphones on the guns.

And, Jamie McBride ("Who?" you ask - well he's the dude from the opening scene in Lie to Me) is a bad ass SWAT dude.

Apparently, shaky cam is just something we have to live with, but I did throw up in my mouth a few times due to being sea sick.

Oh - a lot of small easter eggs with homage to the original Danish movie (the ambulance is a Danish FALCK ambulance)

Granted - this is not Heat, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be, reading the other reviews.

The Batman (2022)

I like Batman, but I don't like Bruce Wayne

[5/10 · 22 April 2022]

Try to do a google image search of "Emo". It looks like the camera roll of Bruce Wayne's phone.

For some reason, the unwanted love child of Kurt Cobain and Edward Furlong has been cast as Bruce Wayne. When DC at some point does a multiverse where the other Batman characters will meet, they will beat the crap out of this guy.

I kind of liked the Batman movie, but I really wanted to backhand Bruce Wayne whenever he was on screen. This ruined the experience.

Fistful of Vengeance (2022)

Please stop adding super powers to everything

[5/10 · 17 February 2022]

Would have LOVED to see a martial flick with Ico Uwais. He has some awesome moves, and while we wait for Season 3 of "Warrior (2019)" or re-runs of Into the Badlands, there really isn't that much Martial Arts for us to enjoy.

This could have been it, but because super heroes are so cool, we have to sit through a lot of cheesy supernatural stuff that really only takes things _away_ from the show instead of adding to it.