tasev1 Reviews

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)

Expresses what ds9 was all about

[10/10 · 14 May 2019]

Loved it. Funny, emotional, entertaining, informative. Got to see the cast and crew as they are and as they were...their struggles, and personalities. Really opens your eyes to why it took so long to accept as a good series, and what the implications could be if it was produced post-911. Some surprising performances, and scenes that we've all wanted to see differently but never could until now. Definitely stick through the credits and into the post doc round table.

Made me realize that I think ds9 was a better series than tng, even though I hated it at first.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Delightful, respectful, and well composed.

[10/10 · 29 December 2018]

This film parallels the original, without copying it. I was afraid that it might fall into the trappings of modern moviemaking 'magic', but it did not! From the hand-drawn animation, to the selection of music, and all the connections made to the original to inform the story fit together beautifully.

Even though I preferred Andrews' Poppins, I understand the difference comes from the book material....and that I can respect.

One song kind of rubbed me the wrong way with a very subtle adult humor (don't think it had a place in this movie), but it related directly to the plot anyway. Still....I noticed, and it was the only sour point for me. The music is great, but with the song compositions and the era in which we live, no matter how good the music, the songs will not have longevity like the first film had. Just a casualty of society.

Blunt is just.....unfathomably beautiful in this film.

Bumblebee (I) (2018)

A fun, no fuss, old-school movie.

[8/10 · 29 December 2018]

If you used to enjoy old 80's action movies, adventures, sci-fi romps, and the tropes that come with them then you will have fun with Bumblebee.

The movie sets itself in the 80's and doesn't hide the fact that it's origins is a cartoon - so those two things combined is what actually makes this movie such a classic joy to watch. Even the ridiculous military personnel and scientists can be forgiven when you realize where that ridiculousness comes from.

This is a simple, fun story, where you care about the characters and actually like them. Despite the stereotypical villains and 80's tropes, the girl is anything but stereotypical. She's likeable, vulnerable, and she fights when there's something to latch on to. None of this super-hot-supermodel bullcrap. Even the ending shoved a finger in the typical man-woman action movie ending, and I loved that.

Oculus (2013)

It is more than you think.....

[8/10 · 8 May 2014]

First off, I am not one to see very many horror movies. This was my first experience seeing one in the theatre. I was actually scared going in, and watching the trailer gave me visions.

So, if you call this movie 'horror', then it failed because I wasn't really scared at all. What I WOULD call this film is a psychological thriller - and a good one at that!!! Why? Because it kept me thinking about the plot, and even after the film I formulated a theory. The movie itself gives you all the clues to make your own judgement, but no matter the judgement, it can't be wrong. The story is rather different, puzzling, and refreshing. Cinematography was done brilliantly by melding the past and the present, child and adult, to show parallels in the story.

Here's the jist, without much spoiler - a girl obsesses over a mirror that she believes to be haunted and responsible for the death of her parents. Her brother, fresh out of a mental hospital is dragged to the old house with her to record and document the events she is about to cause. Based on statements in the film, I have formulated this theory: Is the mirror really haunted, or are the lead characters suffering from mental illness and everything they see and believe is in their head? In either case, it is plausible.

Almost Human (2013–2014)

A fun dynamic duo

[10/10 · 19 December 2013]

Classic cop shows have always been about the lead characters, and whether they make a dynamic duo or not. This is well on it's way to be a modern, classic cop show. Karl Urban and Michael Ealy have a FANTASTIC chemistry on screen together. I don't watch it so much for the story, as I just want to see what kind of quips and laugh out loud humour I will see from the two of them.

I am a big sci-fi fan, and this series touches on all my favourites from Star Trek, to I Robot, and even Tek Wars. The effects are above standard for a TV series, and the stories told remain unique due to the fact that with sci-fi, any and all is possible limited only by imagination. I will keep watching this for sure.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Not a bad film, but...lacking.

[7/10 · 18 May 2013]

caution: spoilers Shall we begin.... The movie was fun, and I was entertained. Because I know Trek, certain plot twists and characters kept me entertained. I applaud JJ for misleading us in the trailer and misleading us in Benedict's character, and that is the ONLY reason this movie still had any surprises left for us. Well, and also not copying the original story and making it different, adding to the surprise. The trailer showed plenty, but left lots of room to be shocked. I did indeed like the plot, and I appreciate the changes made in order not to copy the original.

On the other side without going into lengthy ranting: plausibility factor thrown out the window, any form of logic was continuously broken, the characters were ridiculous and thrown in with the dogs, and I could go on. That's not to say there isn't a movie that doesn't do that - but in these JJ films they GLARE. What on earth were they thinking hiding a starship in an ocean and not expecting to be seen? You know there's lots of SPACE up there for a SPACE ship, right? Shuttlecraft go there too. Is Kirk stupid or something? They actually admit in this film that Kirk doesn't belong in the chair and he's not ready for it...so they get rid of Captain Pike AGAIN, and throw Kirk into command AGAIN just because he's a hero. At least Shatner's Kirk EARNED his stripes through a valid career.

The Host (2013)

Couldn't get over the cheese

[6/10 · 29 March 2013]

Truth be told, I wouldn't have paid to see this movie. I am a fan of science fiction and what it can do with one's imagination, so naturally I was intrigued at seeing this film from that point of view. The basis for the story was great, and it had a good plot. But the love story narrative isn't something I usually see in a theatres. Now that's not to say I can't appreciate a good romance, but this one ran a bit too cheesy for me to enjoy. A love triangle with aliens? Katy Perry would have fit in just fine! I would have rather seen a greater struggle for the one she was meant to be with.

I suppose like Hunger Games and Twilight, the full story and more juicy science fiction will reveal itself in yet another trilogy, but I just might not follow along.

Oh, and yes, she is very pretty.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Good action movie, with good cast

[8/10 · 29 March 2013]

Firstly, the cast in this film certainly carry it. I do enjoy Gerrard Butler in any role, he's just got the persona that you want to watch. I actually enjoyed this film despite the gratuitous bloodshed. Sure there were a few unrealistic mistakes, but if those were fixed we wouldn't have a movie and the bad guys would have failed sooner. I think this will hold up against White House Down easily. Characters were defined just enough to care about them and build tension, though the overall plot and knowing what will happen next was mostly predictable. The battles were as realistic as can be expected for a blockbuster film, and did successfully drive home the reality of war and death and how sudden and brutal it can be. It actually hurts to watch some of these people suffer.

Much better this than Die Hard or Expendables.

Skyfall (2012)

The good outweighs the bad

[9/10 · 11 November 2012]

No matter what, I gave this film a high score because what it did well, it did VERY well and it more than made up for the things I hated about it.

Positive - for the 50th anniversary, this film does a fantastic job at playing homage to all the original films from the obvious, right down to the smallest of detail that may be missed. The movie takes Craig's Bond full circle in character development through 3 films (from rough inexperienced, through angry and vengeful) right into the 'final version' of his Bond's character and gently depositing him in Connery's shoes. The movie is not in my opinion a traditional bond flick, but that in it's own respect is what I actually like about it (QoS was more traditional). We get an insight into his soul and where he comes from. Character introductions were brilliant.

Negative - Bond villain was terrible. Bond girl (if that's what you call her) was even worse. Eve his fellow agent was more of a Bond girl than anything, and though beautiful (and no offense intended - you will understand at the end) was the wrong (in my opinion), er, nationality. Q was way to young to be believable despite the fact that they try to excuse it in the film. And his TWO gadgets, well, apparently we just don't use gadgets anymore . And the story: WEAK. Old plot device told poorly (and they almost allude to that in the story itself).

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

It was no legacy...

[6/10 · 10 August 2012]

Ouch. I wish Greengrass directed this film, because to me it felt like a mess. Had a good idea with a solid backing, but it failed to take advantage of it. I like that they intertwined the story within the Ultimatum storyline like you see in the preview as well as playing homage to the original series, but the execution sucked not to mention that the Bourne events had no influence on Cross' character - something that "Legacy" would suggest. The storytelling felt disjointed, and the action sequences had way too much camera shake to enjoy them (the first trilogy wasn't so bad). Other than Manila, and the solitude of Alaska, location is one trademark of the legacy that just wasn't there. In the first three films, the assassins didn't need to speak to have personality and character - this film's assassin was just a ghost in your memory.

Even though not directly stated, I think most people would understand by watching this film what MAY have actually happened to Jason Bourne. The only way this film will have any more meaning is if they continue the new trilogy.

Ted (2012)

stupid movie - full of jokes and no substance

[3/10 · 7 July 2012]

I like a good comedy sometimes, but it's because of films like this I never watch them in the theatres. I didn't find this one all that funny at all. As stupid of an idea as a man attached to a living teddy bear may seem, that's the point of the comedy - I get it. I just thought it was dumb and didn't work.

What I expect is not only laughs, but a good story to support those laughs and more emotion for the characters (i.e. stakes) to make it that much funnier and enjoyable. Mark and Mila's characters had absolutely no basis in their relationship (there was nothing concrete actually keeping them together, nor was their union) so when "Ted" compromised that and everything went to hell, I didn't care one way or another. Nor did I care about Ted and what happened to him near the end either.

The story was weak, the characters were weak, and that made a weak comedy - no matter how funny the jokes.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Disjointed, lousy sequel

[4/10 · 26 December 2011]

Let me get this out of the way first: I loved the first film. In fact, for this one I had high hopes especially since we were finally dealing with Moriarty.

This film severely disappointed me. The story was disjointed, and there was no clear direction of that story until the very end. They used their iconic cinematography, wild action scenes, and silly humour to carry the film nowhere to the point that both my friend and I were actually bored of it. And that, unfortunately killed the ending for us during which we did not care at all for the characters nor for what kind of ending the film carried. I never read any original Sherlock stories, but I found that Robert's portrayal, though well acted, was excessively "OCD" and "insane" - far more than the first film.

I'll be honest - I far more enjoyed Brent Spiner and his co-star portraying these characters on Star Trek the Next Generation than this film.

Cars 2 (2011)

Sequels need to be different, and good

[9/10 · 27 June 2011]

A fun filled ride both kids and adults can enjoy. They certainly couldn't copy the first film with location and story, so they had to go all out with the story in a new direction to keep things fresh and interesting. Following the ever popular spy-thriller genre, for me, they succeeded - I love spy thrillers. What's next? Cars from Space? (haha - Carboys and Aliens).

I saw this film in 3D, and Pixar never ceases to amaze me. The locations are beautiful, the story is good, and the humour is still there. Pixar sticks adult jokes or references in there that most kids won't understand (like Mater in the washroom, or certain bond references), and locations I have been to recently (namely Paris) were a welcome sight for me to visit in the film.

The only thing I can say for sure is that I don't think it will leave an impact as the first film did for me: Cars 1 was really my first introduction to Pixar, when I fell in love with their work. That film blew me away, and I will never forget my experience watching it. The only thing new in this film for me was the scenery and the story. But that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less.

Inception (2010)

Good movie, but cerebral

[8/10 · 30 July 2010]

There is no doubt that this film is a great movie. But you have to have an open mind (literally), or your won't understand most of it. Very creative indeed, with an all-too basic story to back it up which is why it is so interesting.

Nothing about this movie is realistic, and there is no other film like it (save for The Matrix series), so it is really hard to compare with anything.

I honestly don't know what to say about this film though. I liked it, it was good, but I was far more satisfied and entertained watching Salt. Between my friends and I, Salt garnered far more post-movie discussion than this.

Except for the end - that opinion is up to you! (For me, it was very predictable - I saw it coming and wasn't surprised)

Salt (2010)

A few issues don't bother me.

[9/10 · 30 July 2010]

I pretty much got exactly what I wanted out of this film, and thus I walked out quite satisfied. A female version of Jason Bourne, mixed in with a "24"-style storyline and old cold-war movie nostalgia and some good plot twists made this action film great to watch. No matter how skinny Jolie may be (or how she may look in real life), Hollywood always makes her look pretty on the big screen - covered in blood or otherwise. HOWEVER, my biggest qualm IS Jolie - her size doesn't fit the role and the type of stunts she does. She certainly appears capable, but certainly not believable. I have to agree with an earlier comment, Michelle Yeoh would have been a better fit for this role (and a female lead in this film would surely have been more interesting than Tom Cruise).

In contrast, PERHAPS Inception may have been a better film and more successful at the box office, BUT I walked out far more satisfied after watching Salt than Inception.

The Last Airbender (2010)

See it, if you like eye candy - but not if you like acting.

[3/10 · 9 July 2010]

Just like many epic pictures, this film is visually spectacular with some incredible ideas and potential for a strong story. Sadly, this film is not finished since we are only dealing with book 1 (and I see no evidence that there will be another anytime soon).

Looking at the teaser, and even the final previews many of us had high hopes, but wondered how M.N.S. could make such a huge jump from his usual work.

Though the martial arts in the film was intricate, and the cast well coached in movement, their performances were totally useless. Not only we were watching unknowns, but the dialog was lousy, the acting was dry, and there was no emotion. There was no connection - I honestly didn't really feel like taking sides at any point in the conflict. There was no pride, no cheer for victory, just blah. Not that the victory wasn't epic - it was - just the cast didn't make you feel it.

Repo Men (2010)

a let down

[3/10 · 3 April 2010]

Despite the subject matter, I had hoped to get much more from this film than I did. Hoping for a sci-fi thriller along the lines of Minority Report and A.I. (fully expecting some gore of course), the support for the story was lackluster. Although it was a pleasure to watch Jude Law trot through a city very close to home for me, and to hear some of my favorite songs through the film, it was not enough to keep my attention. My main problems? Excessive and unnecessary gore, poor character relations and development (very unnatural), and a lousy surprise ending that seems to only serve as an explanation for some things near the end, amongst other things - all serve to make you feel like you walk away with nothing. It has been a long time since I have seen a film with such bad characters, that not even Jude Law or Forrest Whittaker could hold this film up on it's feet.

Avatar (2009)

Mind blowing, yet seen before

[9/10 · 25 December 2009]

I give this film a 9 out of 10 just because it was so fantastic to watch (in 3D), enthralling, mind blowing, emotional, and there aren't many films where the end credits roll, and THE AUDIENCE STARTS CLAPPING.

However, there are two things that bug me about this film (and it isn't the military General that you truly hate, despise, and would love to see his guts painfully strewn everywhere). No, it is character development. I feel like I was emotionally attached to the aliens as a species, and I felt nothing for the humans. I don't know if it was the cast, but I didn't find any particular character I liked, or felt for, or rooted for. (thankfully the emotional context was high enough to compensate for that). Sam Worthington didn't particularly impress me.

The other thing was the fact that a few weeks ago I saw the film "Battle For Terra" - which coincidentally had almost the same plot. Humans invade planet to get what they want - they can't breathe there - and are willing to destroy an alien species to get what they want. The politicians/scientists want to negotiate and the military wants to dominate. Of course, one human soldier is taken in by the aliens and is forced to take sides.

Both films are different in look and back story, yet similar in context. Both are good.

Sound familiar?

District 9 (2009)

This is unique

[9/10 · 16 August 2009]

Amen, this is NOT just another alien movie! Thank god. It absolutely blew me away! The one thing I think that made this movie such a success is the fact that it was filmed (for a good chunk of it) from a documentary point of view. That is what brought this film down to Earth, believable, suspenseful, intriguing, and most importantly current. The fact that the cast was unknown, to me at least, was a help. I certainly could not have had the same effect if any non-South African Hollywood superstar played the role.

The perfectly chosen location of Johannesburg, South Africa allowed the film to play homage to Earth's past conflicts, from your well known African civil wars and arms dealers, to forced relocation of a society and segregation of African-Americans (to name a few). Essentially, these creatures behaved as we would have under similar circumstances, except with this story our roles are reversed - we are the aggressors.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

More than I bargained for

[8/10 · 12 August 2009]

I went to see this film at a cheap theatre, just wanting to see some special effects and not expecting to see a very good flick, especially since I used to watch the cartoons when I was a kid. My expectations were low.

I was surprisingly blown away by this guy-flick-action-movie a la old school appeal film!. Why? Because this film had an element of every imaginable idea of military, science-fiction, fighting action wawa-wiwa technology my head has always imagined and wished would be true. And they PUT IT TOGETHER WELL. How well? I'm a realist, so I always look at believability, continuity, factual errors, etc.... I didn't even notice, let alone care about realism. It didn't matter because I was having too much fun. I'm a sci-fi buff, so I saw many points undoubtedly inspired by everything from Star Trek and Terminator, to Fallout 3 and Sea Quest DSV to name a few. This film was a playground, and it had everything. Sex appeal, technology, martial arts, fighting on ground, in the air, and underwater. James Bond would poo his pants.

I await a sequel, and hopefully a game release too! If you want to be entertained, and to see a good action movie, this is a good bet. I had more regret with Transformers than this one. Don't be too critical - just remember how cheesy those mindless action flicks of the 70's and 80's were, yet so popular in pop culture.

Cloverfield (2008)

Be careful when you see this

[2/10 · 23 January 2008]

At my local cinema there have been A LOT of people complaining about this movie - the method of photography tends to make many people sick and nauseous. I fly aircraft in turbulence without seeing anything out my window, and I don't get sick. This film I COULD NOT HANDLE. I barely made it to the halfway point before I left.

Now, I don't mind the idea of the perspective, but there is an excess of camera movement and lack of focus to make the film anything but enjoyable. I think the movie would have been quite fine if they still did it from the perspective of the people on the run, with camcorder cut-scenes stuck in for good measure, but would have still provided the box office numbers. I was truly looking foreward to this film, and was very disappointed.

Godzilla was way better.

I sure would like to see the ending though.