galahad58-1 Reviews

John Wayne: America at All Costs (2019)

Bias

[1/10 · 25 March 2024]

A terrible documentary that was a constant attack on John Wayne's character. The director/producers obviously had strong resentments towards John Wayne and went out of their way to make Wayne look like a villain.

Getting veterans to put down Wayne was also tasteless. I am a veteran and I do not dislike or disparage an actor for making a military movie. The show displays Wayne's appreciation of veterans and his work in supporting veterans and then the producers (and only two veterans) try to belittle Wayne for The Green Berets. That is like hating Ben Affleck for the extremely false look at Pearl Harbor.

I was looking for a quality documentary about John Wayne. I would have entertained some negative views if it did not feel like a smear campaign of Wayne's character the entire production.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Dead Franchise

[4/10 · 30 December 2023]

Dead Reckoning is the worse Mission Impossible ever made.

So what hurts this movie? The terrible story makes the movie feel like a big joke; the sheer stupidity of the thief constantly running away when she is told how dangerous the stolen item is; the fact that Hunt did not just shoot her and get the key that is destroying the world; the way too many chase scenes because of the idiotic thief; the cliche part of the story that Hunt's superior is directly involved; or the absolute abysmal performance of Hayley Atwell that completely destroys the film.

Atwell is annoying every single scene that she is involved in.

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

Swim Away

[1/10 · 29 December 2023]

I am not sure if any movie can be dumber than Meg 2. What kind of idiot would try and keep a meg in captivity? What kind of idiot would swim with that meg? Why would anyone go back into the trench to once more be exposed to prehistoric sharks? How does a base mysteriously show up in an area- and at a depth- where no one can go? How does that base become built with prehistoric sharks around and not be attacked?

Meg 2 has so many plot holes; so many terrible situations; so many mindless actions and encounters; and some of the worse characters you have ever seen.

An absolutely terrible movie that is not worth watching.

Napoleon (2023)

Napoleon Bore - aconte

[3/10 · 25 November 2023]

The historic Napoleon has a ton of source material that would translate to a very interesting movie. Sadly, the interesting source material is ignored and we have the usual "Prometheus" bogged down and boring movie that Ridley Scott enjoys making.

Napoleon was a great innovator and strategist. None of that is portrayed in the movie. His military mind is completely ignored.

Napoleon won a lot of battles. Again this is ignored. Yes, there are a few battle scenes. These scenes are very short and have zero substance to them. The battle scenes that you see in the preview is almost as long as the actual scenes in the movie.

The majority of the movie is about his relationship with his wife and the scandal from her infidelity.

This is a complete borefest with little substance and a complete lack of the Napoleon history.

Singing Guns (1950)

Stinging Gun

[4/10 · 16 November 2023]

Singing Guns is a decent film that had the backbone to be a very good 7-8 rated western.

I enjoy watching Ward Bond and Walter Brennan movies and having the two of them together made me believe that this would be a good movie. While Bond and Brennan are as good , and entertaining, as they usually are in their roles - Vaughn Monroe is so horribly bad that he degrades every single scene that he is in. Monroe has no charisma, no acting ability and is stiff and wooden in every scene. His delivery of each line is a stinging gun to your senses.

If this film had cast a different lead it could have been very good.

Shoot Out (1971)

Bad Shot

[2/10 · 15 November 2023]

I was surprised to see Gregory Peck in a movie as bad as Shoot Out.

The story was boring, predictable and poorly written. The scene where he meets the widow and all of the sudden she is in love with him was poorly executed and there was such a lack of chemistry between the two characters.

Of course, you knew the antagonist would bust in as soon as Peck hugged the woman. The scenes following were long and drawn out and they were annoying rather than the dramatic feeling that they should have received.

Acting was the absolute bottom of the barrel with the three gunmen being more annoying than JarJar Binx.

I am not sure how anyone rated this turkey above a 3.

Ragnarok (2013)

Jurassic Rip off

[4/10 · 11 November 2023]

You have seen this before - so many moments stolen from other monster movies and mashed together: the assistant who steals the creature's egg (Jurassic Park III), the person who steals for profit (Jurassic Park I and many other movies); the rope across the water (Rogue); these are just a few examples of unoriginal ideas taken from other films.

The idea that a multi thousand year old creature is alive without a substantial food source and just happens to have an egg ready to hatch is ridiculous. Add to the idiocy the assistant who risks everyone to take the infant creature back to civilization.

Not the worse movie, but not anything worth watching.

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

Exorcise the Ending

[6/10 · 7 October 2023]

The Exorcist was a decent movie. It had the right atmosphere for a possession movie; the correct amount of tension and suspense; a decent performance by all of the involved characters; and a decent build-up for the expected exorcism.

Just when you think that things are going to become intense and you are wondering how the two girls are going to be saved - the film sells out and just ends in a very anti- climactic fashion. You just sat through all of this build up for a major letdown.

What could have been a worthy addition to possession movies falls flat on it's face in the last act. So flat that you feel cheated. It was a lazy and uninspiring ending that took away from a good start.

Heart of Stone (I) (2023)

Flat as a Stone

[5/10 · 22 August 2023]

Heart of Stone is not a bad movie - nor is it a good movie.

The action has all been done before; the story has been told many times before; the concept is extremely old and you will find nothing new or exciting in this movie.

If you are looking for a slightly different retelling of the same old spy action story then you may find that this film will be comfort food for your tastes.

If you are looking for something more entertaining than this is not the movie for you. The film drags and plods along with minimal storytelling and a continuous repetition of many older films. Originality is sorely lacking.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Raiders of a Garbage Movie

[2/10 · 10 August 2023]

The Last Crusade should have been the last entry in the Indiana Jones storyline. The character should have gone out on top. The movie business never learns and the greedy try to profit off of successful films with terrible sequels.

The fourth entry was terrible with a pitiful script and terrible acting. Why try again when it was evident that the Indiana Jones magic was gone.

Now we have The Dial of Destiny. Destiny has now proven that Indiana Jones is done. This script is even worse than the fourth entry, Ford is absolutely dreadful as Jones, the supporting cast is miserable and it is just beyond bad.

Extraction II (2023)

Cliché

[5/10 · 17 June 2023]

Extraction II offers nothing new to the action movie genre. In the first couple of minutes you can have the entire story figured out.

The one cliche that annoys me is that the baddie always cries and carries on about one of their loved ones dying - yet they kill hundreds of other people's loved ones and are the one responsible for their loved one dying by being evil. It is time to take this old, worn out cliche out of movies.

The other action movie cliche that has been so overplayed is where the hero is so injured and damaged, but remarkably regains his battle prowess and martial arts techniques overnight. It is so ridiculous to see anyone who needs months, or years, of rehab become super in days.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thunderously Bad

[2/10 · 15 September 2022]

Marvel Cinemas have lost their magic. The studio has become so greedy and it has flooded the superhero movie market with garbage not worth watching. Each movie has been worse than it's predecessor and the quality has been lacking.

There are no more Iron Man or Captain America quality movies anymore.

I did not know if there would be a movie worse than Captain Marvel, but Morbius proved me wrong. I did not think you could get worse, but this Thor was the bottom of the Marvel universe.

Natalie Portman is so bad in this movie - even more wooden than she was in Star Wars. It also did not help that the dialogue felt childish.

Uncharted (2022)

Chart A Course For Better Waters

[5/10 · 19 February 2022]

Bad casting and a lackluster script create an average movie. The Nathan Drake - Scully relationship is completely warped and it actually takes away from the film. Chloe wasn't even needed since her character is a wooden caricature of the game version. All this untrust between the main characters created a group of characters that you could care less about. The movie missed the father-son type of relationship that Drake-Skully should have had.

The Green Knight (2021)

Green Knight Goes Politically Correct

[2/10 · 29 October 2021]

A very uninspired version of a classic tale. The story was a terrible interpretation that felt bogged down and boring. The film could not even get the main character's name right.

Jungle Cruise (2021)

Familiar Cruise

[5/10 · 2 August 2021]

Disney decided to copy just about every aspect from the Brendon Fraser Mummy movies. Each of the three main characters are identical to the three mains of the Mummy and a bunch of the scene come straight from the Mummy movies.

The sad thing is that Johnson cannot act. He is an entertainer who can be good in the right situation, but this isn't one of them. Blunt was flat - very flat - not sure if she was trying too hard to be Rachel Weisz, but it was not her best performance.

The action was dull and boring - been there, seen it, and seen it again and again and again.

The story just fell apart at the end: 1- The cursed people can go so far from the river before it recalls them. But somehow the Rock gets his former companions into a cave - which by the way - would be closer to the water and imprisons them. That didn't make sense.

2- The story tells how the tree blooms every time the moon is at a certain stage. Of course, it happens during this cruise. But it also means that it happens often - so the fight for one petal (from the tree) doesn't make sense since the tree will rebloom as soon as that lunar cycle comes again.

3- The German character was such a bad, bad, bad and idiotic presence that was unnecessary - I guess they figured they would add an Indiana Jones moment to the film.

4- There was only one way into the tree's home - one way - yet Johnson slams his boat into the opening and seals it. Now, the water is right behind the wreck of the boat so the cursed individuals are still in range of the water (according to the earlier scenes) so that did not make sense. And then with the entrance sealed - how do they get out? If they free the boat then the cursed individuals come back - and without a boat how do they manage to get back to civilization? Did they swim all of those miles?

I gave this film a 5 because of the visuals. It is a decent rental film for a mindless adventure night. The story and acting are just terrible though.

Black Widow (2021)

Back in Black

[6/10 · 9 July 2021]

I have noticed that this movie is getting a lot of bad press. After seeing the trailer, so long ago, I had my doubts about this film - especially since Marvel is making a lot of recent garbage.

This movie will surprise you. While it is not going to be considered in the upper echelon of Marvel movies; it falls in the middle of the pack. No where near as bad as Captain Marvel or Black Panther.

There are flaws in the movie, but they do not tear it down to a bad level - they just keep it from rising to a better rating.

Scarlett. Johansson had always been a rather average performer. Another reason to doubt this film. The surrounding cast pushes the film ahead and makes it work.

Is it anything new? No - and in the beginning the same old car/motorcycle chase you have seen over and over makes you think that the film would crash. Once the film gets the crew (the four characters from the first ten minutes) back together is when the film becomes interesting.

The one glaring weakness was the portrayal of Taskmaster. He was always a Captain America antagonist for one thing - but that doesn't take away. The problem is the creation of Taskmaster in the film - it was just ridiculous.

Good movie - not great - but worth watching.

Richard Jewell (2019)

Jewell of a Film

[8/10 · 21 June 2020]

In the 1770's this nation fought for the "freedom of the press" - they fought so that the press would be able to print unbiased and truthful news without the influence of the government. This film shows how untruthful, how deceitful, how disgusting and how uncaring the media is towards people. How the news will lie and cheat and destroy just for one unmoral reporter to make a name for themselves. This film shows how the media can create an environment of hate (we see it every day today) and destroy a person's life. After watching this movie, I would hope people would wake up and see how deceitful and dishonest the media is today.

Birds of Prey (2020)

Bird Poop on the Windshield

[1/10 · 20 June 2020]

Probably the worse movie of all time. Definitely the worse DC movie that has ever been made. Someone decided to "try" and make a DC version of Deadpool with Harley Quinn in the lead. This was a bad decision since you can see that the screen writer did not understand the comedic part of Deadpool and could not find the proper lines and scenes to match. Robbie is also awful trying to give a comedic performance - her performance is so bland and lifeless that it is embarrassing. The supporting cast is beyond idiotic. The writer destroyed Huntress and Black Canary and instead of making them nice strong characters she made them a mockery with terrible performances and dialogue. Avoid is garbage at all cost - wipe it off of your windshield for what it really is.

The Last Full Measure (2019)

Measured Up

[7/10 · 30 May 2020]

The Last Full Measure is a very good film. It is a film that takes you on a journey through the lives of Vietnam veterans - their view of the battlefield and their journeys through their lives.

I encourage vets to watch this film - it is a very good movie. I do wish that the film was longer and included more of the interviews with the veterans.

Upgrade (2018)

Upload

[8/10 · 24 April 2020]

What a great low budget science fiction movie. On par with the production value, story and performances that would put it in your library next to Equilibrium. An interesting story with a nice twist at the end. Good plot with few holes. The movie moved at a nice pace and added the right amount of tension, drama and an added element of humor. Nice performances by a lot of unknowns who were better than most stars in the science fiction community. Overall highly recommended.

Underwater (2020)

Drowning

[2/10 · 15 April 2020]

A bad remake of "Deepstar Six". Terrible acting - especially Stewart - who I do not understand how she stays in the acting business.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

The Wrath of Fans

[3/10 · 9 April 2020]

Another example of how big business uses a "known" title to draw folks into a bad show that has nothing to do with the subject matter. While this show has it's moments - it is not what you would expect from Star Trek and would have been better off creating a new fleet, a new world, and new life forms to tell their stories. There isn't a bright spot in this show - it is a cash cow for Paramount using a famous brand to bring in dollars.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

Sleeping Nightmare

[4/10 · 27 March 2020]

Disney really has lost touch with audiences. Too many remakes, too many "politically correct" garbage, and not enough original ideas.

The first Maleficent was a nice movie. Jolie made the movie and it was a good fit for her style of performance.

This Maleficent is bad. Jolie is the only bright spot - only because she is so beautiful to behold.

Let's talk about the silly, juvenile, ridiculous and bad things in the movie: first the Queen hates all fairies and somehow has a secret basement that the King and the Prince have no clue about - no one hears the constant banging of metal to make weapons - or smells the furnaces throughout the entire castle. All the subjects make these weapons knowing that the king is for peace - so the entire kingdom is in rebellion? Secondly, the invitation to dinner - which you know is a trap. Maleficent knows that she does not curse the king, yet does not help him - because it was a dumb idea and would have ended the movie there. Third - the church sequence. Really? The tree fairies and the hundreds of flying fairies just fly around and not a single one attacks the girl playing the organ that is killing them? Could things be that dumb? Lastly- the queen kills hundreds of fairies, tries to kill the king, tries to kill Maleficent, throws Fanning off of a roof, puts every living thing in danger and they - turn her into a goat and laugh. Talk about a stupid letdown. And then after everyone is fighting with pure hatred - they suddenly stop and have a wedding?

What a dumb and idiotic movie. The 4 is just for Jolie - the rest would get a 1

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Should Be Terminated

[2/10 · 19 March 2020]

Terminator: Dark Fate is one of those movies that should never have been made. It feels like a direct-to-video film since it is missing a good script, good acting and a decent plotline. Unfortunately for the Terminator franchise - this movie is a mess that will probably cause the end of the Terminator run.

Linda Hamilton is bad in this movie - and I mean really bad. It is not that Hamilton would ever be praised as a great actress, but this movie will not do her any kind of justice. A very flat and lifeless performance - just a mean and nasty portrayal of Sarah Connor.

Too many plot holes: even the lame excuse for how Connor finds the hunted group on the bridge makes no sense; the way that there is information to Arnold is goofy since it would have had to happen prior for anyone to know (the cyborg) the coordinates; the bad killing hundreds to save one action scenes that made no sense; the horrible and ridiculous airplane scene; the list goes on and on.

Too bad that movie franchises are starting to look like cheap imitations coming out of Mexico - first the bad Rambo and now the bad Terminator - these movies make both stars look "expendable"

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Once Upon a Time .... ZZZZZZ

[4/10 · 9 February 2020]

What a boring movie. I do not even think that the word "movie" describes this project. There is a total lack of story - nothing that happens has anything to do with any semblance of plot. The scenes are chaotic and plug-and-play (no reason for it, just there) where there is no sense of continuity. The editing was just bad -beyond bad. The pacing was long and boring - it felt like you were sitting on your porch just watching traffic go bye and watching the neighbors interact. Every scene had a car scene afterwards - a long car scene that had nothing to do with the film - a long car scene where it just focused on the face of the driver and played old songs or old news clippings - nothing at all to do with anything-just filler and a waste of time and space. Making Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee into caricatures was senseless - especially since it had nothing to do with the core project. One ridiculous moment after another - one idiotic moment followed by a car commercial. A terrible waste of time and space.