wlee08 Reviews

Black Bird (2022)

Decent Build-up, lacks the big payout

[7/10 · 17 January 2024]

Surprisingly strong start to this binge-worthy series. But by the fourth episode the flaws were starting to add up. Greg Kinnear was one of the best characters, but in the end it feels like he didn't play a large enough role. The voice and manners of the bad guy were interesting at first but became annoying pretty quick. Too much screentime of him acting weird and not making much sense in his high pitched voice. They probably should have changed the ending and it would have been a great fiction. The story presented here never really had that 'gotcha moment' that the viewer is hoping for. Also, the story of the crooked prison guard is never resolved or explained.

Casino Royale (2006)

For a taste of your martini, I'll give you some advice

[7/10 · 11 October 2023]

The poker game is very much a central aspect of the film. Much of the action takes place both at the table and during the intermissions from the poker game. Viewers familiar with the rules of Texas Hold-em Poker will benefit from all the subtleties, and might consider this card game to be as good or better than any action piece in the film. Those who aren't might find the card play tedious and wonder when the movie will return to car chases and explosions. To be fair, the movie has it's share of really great action sequences, including car chases and explosions, such as a fantastic airport runway chase with a ton of surprises.

Le Chiffre is clearly meant to be the villain in the story, although he becomes somewhat sympathetic the more we see of him at the Casino Royale. For example, when Bond returns to the table, Le Chiffre astutely notices that Bond has changed his clothing - he mocks Bond for his excessive perspiration. In reply, Bond delivers a much nastier remark, mocking Le Chiffre for his eye defect. But instead of being rightfully offended, Le Chiffre simply smiles at the comeback and continues to play cards. We learn that Le Chiffre is not motivated by any evil design, or plan to take over the world, as many other Bond Villains have been portrayed in other movies. Instead, his greedy black market activities have caught up with him, and by the time we find him at the poker table, he is simply a man in need of a huge sum of money to save his own skin.

The ending felt confusing. Bonds' nutsack is saved in the nick of time. Le Chiffre is quickly dispatched. When Bond regains consciousness he gets nervous because another bad guy is there, but that other dude is quickly apprehended by some other people. Bond passes out again. He wakes up and wants to run away with a woman. What? Did he bang his head that hard? Could this really be James Bond professing his love to a woman and getting weirdly emotional and vulnerable? So they run off together. The movie seems to be ending on this weird anti-climax, certainly a total collapse of all momentum in the story...but apparently it is all necessary to introduce us to one final twist, and unfortunately a lesser set piece involving a sinking house in Venice. It probably works better in the book.

Not a bad movie overall, and actually quite good in places.

Thirteen Lives (2022)

Hokey, delivers the low-hanging fruit

[7/10 · 7 September 2022]

This recreation is far beneath the ability of a director like Ron Howard, but I guess they wanted to do it without making too many mistakes, and unfortunately it comes out like a paint-by-numbers - a true life survival story that easily appeals to the viewer, as long as it doesn't drag too long, and elicits all the right feel-good moments. I did shed a tear occasionally, but it felt manipulated and I felt dirty afterwards. When the poor farmers agreed to give up their crop, without even asking for a dime of government assistance, imagine the sacrifice! It works for a moment - it does touch the heart for a second or two - but in the back of your mind something feels off. How did they all end up on that porch? The farmers didn't ask for compensation before agreeing to give up their means of survival? The heroic governor didn't even offer?

Other such fabrications, sometimes used to heighten the tension during the cave rescue - like fishing for dropped needles as the boy is waking up - seem suspiciously over-the-top.

Tenet (2020)

Excels in technical filmaking, drags in storyline

[6/10 · 5 August 2022]

Interesting concept lends itself to a demonstration of technical filmaking, especially in the special effects department, but doesn't lend itseld to a very good story. Some of the scenes crawl to a snails pace while we struggle to connect with any character drama, while the huge scenes, complete with explosions and car chases - scenes we are usually meant to sit back and enjoy - leave us in a state of confusion because of the backwards/forwards thing. Watching it again doesn't seem like it would help either, as its clear the writers felt free to pretty much bend the rules of this game.

I have no problem with bending the sci-fi rules, but how do you overlook the obvious stuff - like milllions of dollars (perhaps billions) in gold bullion bars being transported on a regular freight airline without any security, seemingly being pushed around on carts by airport maintenance workers? Even within the first minute something seemed off, as the musicians tuning their instruments at the opera are brought to a sudden hush. If you've heard orchestras tuning up before performance you will know what I mean - theres always one or two instruments that are still tuning for a second or two. They never come to a unanimous quiet on a dime like that. Any musician on set could have pointed this out.

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

Dial down the gore and its a great show

[8/10 · 31 May 2022]

This is no-doubt a great show, with creative writing and clever everything - great music, really funny, etc. But I think they should have put a tighter reign on the makeup/special effects/gore department. I can't look at the screen half the time its disgusting said my grandmother. And now torture in season four? First two seasons not so over the top, but it seems to be getting more to the point where you feel like you're watching the end of some weird horror movie, that you didn't sign up for in a childrens show. Not to say this was ever exactly a 'childrens show'. But it felt safe to let the whole family watch for a while. As long as you're prepared to quickly look away, or get a hand up in front of the computer screen, you should enter season four with some trepidation.

The Bubble (2022)

A decent comedy with some genuinely funny banter

[7/10 · 3 April 2022]

It's no secret this movie is getting poorly reviewed, so I guess I went into it expecting a turkey and was surprised to find a witty and relevant script. Almost every line in the movie has something humourous and clever so you might find yourself hitting the rewind here and there to catch the innuendos. It's definitely a bit muddled, choppy, and has no clear direction, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy being lost in the absurdity. Getting lost might be the overall theme here - we've become individually and collectively isolated during the pandemic, and confused by the rules, as we confront our own mental stability and witness the shifting values of society.

Imperium (I) (2016)

Tense and Concise

[6/10 · 31 March 2022]

Strong performance by Daniel Radcliffe keeps the raft of a storyline afloat. Its easy to follow, perhaps at the expense of creating characters without too much depth. Thre must be a decision along the way - are we making a Jack Bauer movie or something more like an Oliver Stone movie on race relations in America. I think you get a bit of both here, but not enough of either. The action is muted and the lessons on race relations seem a bit superficial and confusing. Nestor Carbonell is strong in his role as the head of the bureau.

Space Sweepers (2021)

Feels like a cult classic, even though it may not become one

[8/10 · 1 March 2022]

A lot of the same elements that went into making Firefly a fan favorite appear in this movie. A sort of bucaneer rag-tag crew with big hearts and undying loyalty, out to make a few dollars, cross paths with the mighty forces of galactic empire and evil and will need to evade and plan and eventually fight it out, hopefully with lots of gunfire and space debris. Also similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, but not as large in scale or cleverness.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Preaching to the choir of the woke

[6/10 · 24 December 2021]

If this movie is an attempt at a metaphor, it starts to feel preachy. The argument is lost by the parody and the exaggeration of pop culture. A lot of time seems wasted in a frustrating way, and this frustration is not lost on the viewer. Black Mirror meets SNL perhaps, throw in a bit of Melancholia. The attempt at a tonal shift to comedy doesn't really work, as.the dark subject matter looms large and we sit dismayed at the exaggeration of everyones worst qualities. I wanted to like this movie more, and the talent was certainly there, but overall felt underwhelmed by the inconsistent tone.

El Amarre (2021)

The Monkeys Paw meets Fatal Attraction

[6/10 · 24 October 2021]

She's got a crush on a well-dressed co-worker, but he's aloof. VIsiting a marketplace with a friend she avails herself of the sevices of a fortune teller / witch and a magic love spell is created. Instant attraction or your money back. But what calamity could befall when we mess about with the paranormal in order to achieve worldly desires? As the saying goes "Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it"

The Guilty (2021)

Biggest letdown in the history of pandemic cinema

[4/10 · 14 October 2021]

OK, maybe that's an overstatement. Maybe not. This looked like it could have been fantastic, should have been a winner, - the kind of movie we all needed during these difficult times -but ended up feeling contrived, weird, poorly written, and unconvincing. You really have to suspend your disbelief from begining to end.

The OA (2016–2019)

A cult classic

[10/10 · 31 January 2021]

I hope they can figure out a way to bring this show back - it was so well done. Just beautiful: acting, writing, cinematography. Sure to be a cult classic in the genre of Lost, and comparable to the works of David Lynch

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

A One Trick Pony

[5/10 · 19 June 2020]

I think the appeal of the John Wick movies is the same as the appeal of any martial arts movie - you don't watch it for the acting or the story, you watch it for the moves and the laughs. Although Keanu actually did a pretty good job throughout, and John Leguizamo is always fun to watch John Woo directed a lot of these types of movies, combining guns and martial arts. John Wick heightens the gore, but doesn't add a whole lot to the genre that hasn't been seen before

Extraction (2020)

Impressive camera work and stunts but flawed story

[7/10 · 26 April 2020]

This movie might have one of the best 'long takes' (single take or appearing to be a single take) film sequences ever, and it boggles the mind how they were able to film all this action in one take, spanning quite a distance and involving a ton of stunts and pyrotechnics. The technical wizardry aside, most of the intent seemed to be showcasing stunts instead of telling a convincing story. Much of this story has been seen before in other films, and there wasn't much humour in the script. Its actually a bit on the dark side as it ups the violence to unecessary levels - think The Raid Redemption. Uses the 'white saviour' trope, and other cliches, as the battle-hardened, hard-drinking ex-marine-now-merc has vague flashbacks of a lost child or wife that sustains him and gives him his sense of aimlessness in the world, allowing him to mow down hundreds of cops in India, whether they're on the take or not. That's about all the character development we get - so overall, they could have injected a bit more life into the script. Not a bad effort overall

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Pretty good sci fi

[7/10 · 18 March 2020]

This is not a bad show if you like sci-fi. The effects are quite decent and the sets are really great. Seeing the huge ratings, especially on rotten tomatoes (100% positive for seasons 3 and 4) led me to keep going, waiting for the greatness. Where I find the show gets bogged down a bit is in the writing and the acting. I was kind of hoping the Avasarala character would be written out after season 1. She has such a strong accent that it didn't make sense to hear her speaking with such an advanced vocabulary. Many of these scenes, the dialogue between the politicians on Earth, were boring and you wouldn't miss much to fast forward through them. By season 4 Avasarala's lines become overly peppered with vulgarity, which seems like a writing ploy to get a few laughs, contrasted with her role as a conservative diplomat. Cara Gee was awesome in season 1, - her manner of speaking is really unique - and she's good in the later seasons too, but her role becomes less defined. They should figure out a way to make her and Holden interact more. Some of the plot elements in season 4 are rushed, and for this reason not entirely convincing. Good show, I would watch a 5th season out of interest.

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

I've seen better Rambo movies

[4/10 · 29 September 2019]

I've enjoyed the other Rambo films, especially the first one, and the others where he is in military fatigues, but this one felt a bit like a 'made for TV' movie. Borrows from Taken (Liam Neeson) for a mostly implausible storyline of Man vs. Sex Traffikers. You can't do these types of storylines without a huge 'creep factor', so you sort of cringe in your seat at the scenes in the underage brothel, the bruised and beaten girls getting their daily heroin injections And the violence is also pretty disgusting. Wait, what? This is a Rambo movie, of course it's going to be a bloodbath. I knew that going in. But it actually did go too far, if you can believe it - almost like someone felt the need to push the envelope. Would have been nice if they threw a twist or two into the ending, Instead he just picks them off one by one, Roll credits. (The credits, incidentally, are actually pretty good) What about all the bad guys who didn't follow him down into his maze of booby traps? The ones who stayed up on the farm? And what happened to that journalist? It doesn't matter, don't be a nudnik. My theory: It was all in his head, like a bad PTSD dream.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

The Most Dangerous Game

[9/10 · 15 September 2019]

As crazy as they come. Not sure why I liked this so much - maybe the color, the music (classical), the thrill of the chase, the folkloric story rooted in the classic short (and black and white feature) "The Most Dangerous Game". This is The Most Dangerous Game if Tarantino got his hands on it. So in some ways the initial develpment is a bit predictable, and not always fully credible, but those would be the only weaknesses. You'll have a good laugh if you're into black humor. You'll have a jump or two from the edge of the seat. Bends a few genres in a similar way to movies like Cabin in the Woods, Get Out, or maybe even Mother!, but is probably a bit funnier than all of those

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Not Aging Well

[6/10 · 3 September 2019]

I liked this the first time-around because it's mysterious, but you keep expecting a lot of action and fun and that never really happens. Watching it again a few years later it seems, ah hmm...perhaps a bit boring. It has some good moments,(I'm thinking of Elvis serenading Han Solo as he repeatedly punches Gosling harder than Pine punches Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness. I take that back. After watching it again its clear Kirk beats on Khan ten times harder in Star Trek Into Darkness, a movie that came out four years earlier. They should have got the same special effects team to oversee the beating) 2049 tends to stay in the key of Slit your wrist - this future world is void of trees and smiles, and even the hookers are trying to pull a fast one on you. The dreary minor music adds to the lonely ambience. All you have is your fake hologram girlfriend and existential questions. Ending seemed rushed and didn't really address Wallace or the issue of knocking off expired androids.

The Week Of (2018)

Funny and clever

[8/10 · 23 June 2019]

I was smiling the whole way through - hilarious! Lots of deadpan humour, Larry David type situations -The bumbling middle-aged white guy, trying to organize his universe, and appease everyone around him, intertwined with the madness of modern life. Don't take it too serious, maybe some people are getting offended. If you like Arrested Development you'll probably like this, - there's even a chessy magician

You vs. Wild (2019)

Episode 1, let's go!

[5/10 · 21 April 2019]

He needlessly shoots an alligator with a slingshot, causing it to scurry off in fear. Then all of a sudden the poor man claims to be hungry and wants you to decide whether he should eat some termites he found under some bark or a nasty looking centipede he has unearthed from the jungle floor. "you decide!" (Meanwhile, its assumed the camera guy is munching on a granola bar)

I feel like I made the wrong choices and if I had only chosen the other option it would have turned into something awesome like an Indiana Jones movie (maybe the scene with the attractive German attache) . Instead I get walking through a jungle eating bugs off the ground.

At the very least he could have addressed my poor choices: "How's this compass supposed to help me now? You idiot! I could have really used the rifle...with this vicious baboon still on my heels... Oh, maybe you think I should throw the compass at him - is that what you were thinking, Einstein?!"

The Jews (2016)

Nutty, hilarious, thoughtful

[9/10 · 15 March 2019]

It helps if you're already familiar with some of the religious and cultural themes - and have a thick skin - some of this stuff is so funny it's gotta be offending somebody somewhere

Pain & Gain (2013)

Fun movie - disagree with how they portrayed certain events

[9/10 · 11 March 2019]

Even though I really enjoyed this movie I felt the way they portrayed the killings does an injustice to the victims. I'm refering to two specific deaths which the movie shows as occuring "accidentally" or "coincidentally", - in reality the only evidence that these deaths were accidental is from the statements of the killers. One death occurs after a barbell weight "accidentally" lands on the head of a victim. Isn't it much more likely that this victim was killed intentionally? A second death is attributed to shampoo on the floor and a bathroom slip. Again, this victim was probably killed by a direct and intentional blow to the head. Unfortunately the true story is only known to the killers, and the victims are not around to tell their side. In that sense the movie does an injustice to those who died at the hands of these murderers.

Chasing the Dragon (2017)

Something doesn't quite jive

[5/10 · 14 January 2019]

With a script this complex, spanning the rise and life of the main character from poor street fighter to druglord, it almost felt like they were going for a Scarface-level epic. but instead of developing realistic characters they used caricatures - the British villain felt particularly bogus - and unrealistic scenarios, such as large groups of people brawling in the streets with sticks and saucepans, who all happen to be amazing at martial arts. Perhaps having a main character who is too good at martial arts distracts from the biographical, historical tale. Tries to walk a balance between a heartfelt historical drama and an action movie. Didn't really work for me

Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)

Ranges from very funny to very average

[7/10 · 23 December 2018]

Great opening, great plot, interesting characters, but after a while it begins to get tedious with the over sexualized, not so funny relationship ideas. What is interesting is that the show can go from very good to very bad in a matter of a scene or two. I would have liked to see it remain a comedy pitting the ideas of this wealthy, dignified yet shallow family against the country bumpkins and their down-to-earth lifestyles. There is much comedy to be mined from this - and the best parts might be the family's relationship to Rolland and his family. Unfortunately when the show goes off into the relationship woes of the two children it is no longer funny and actually gets a bit creepy. David's straight and gay relationships - smooching with various dudes - love triangles - heartache - all this just takes away from the laughs. David is a very introverted character and doesn't need a relationship to make him interesting. Perhaps if he got a job as a cook or a waiter in the restaurant it would have been more effective than opening a boring gift shop with his romantic partner. Love the role the daughter brings to the show - her shallowness is epic and hilarious. She has a certain 'Je ne sais quoi'

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

A complilation of short stories that all ring a bit shallow

[6/10 · 22 November 2018]

When you hear "Coen Bros", you're expectations are naturally that much higher. Perhaps that's why I felt let down by this offering. The characters are not very deep, nor do they have much to say. The best story in the bunch, from an originality standpoint, might have been the one with Liam Neeson. But here the two characters never speak to each other, which is especially baffling considering one of them is a professional linguist. The other stories are not particularly interesting - the first story about a gunslinger rings hollow and could have been written by anyone, even a child, although it does feature some very funny music. The one with the young woman traveling to Oregon is more complex but feels unfinished, as they set up an interesting economic dilemma for her and allude to uncertain marriage enagagements. But these story ideas seem superfluous in the end. The story of the gold digger is also on the simple side with nothing very memorable about it, although it is fun to follow along with the character's dogged determination. "Wild Tales" - another compilation movie - has set the bar pretty high with it's intense storytelling. Buster Scruggs doesn't quite reach.