ahbindare Reviews

The Last Full Measure (2019)

Individual Valor

[10/10 · 22 September 2020]

This film has more substance than any other Vietnam Era movie I have seen. The movie has an R rating but It's not a continual portrayal of violent action, although some scenes of the fighting are violent and disturbing. No nudity, no inappropriate language It is about Heroic individual Valor, PTSD and the struggles that many Veterans suffer. This was portrayed with class and understanding. William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel Jackson, Diane Ladd, and Chris Plummer were outstanding in their parts. I can't recall any film that actually moved me to tears, but this one did. A must watch

Vivarium (2019)

Disconnected Plot

[4/10 · 30 August 2020]

Interesting premise, but leaves more questions than answers. This could have been presented in under an hour, like a Twilight Zone episode. There seemed to be large gaps in time with no connection to certain changes in the characters, and leaves the viewer to fill in the blanks. Every twenty Minutes or so something was thrown in that kept you watching in anticipation for a startling explanation, but nothing was provided. I believe the directors wanted to add a surreal quality, but missed the mark entirely.

The Irishman (2019)

Mob History

[9/10 · 29 December 2019]

It's a very well made, Scorsese captivating movie with a real story all the way through. The character development is excellent, but it was too long for me to watch in one sitting. De Niro, Pacino and Joe Pesci do a great job, but If you are looking for fast action and superhero characters, you won't find them here. With all of the 1-3/10 ratings I have seen, I had to go back and make sure that I watched the same film. A lot of references to the movie being boring might arise from the fact that everything does not really need to have quick cuts from one scene to the next scene, or jump to another setting with no intro. The Irishman is by far the best movie of the year for me.

Downton Abbey (2019)

A perfect film for Downton Abbey devotees

[10/10 · 26 September 2019]

If you watched the entire series you will love this movie. If you didn't watch the series I would advise doing so before seeing this 2019 release. (available on Amazon prime) There are so many small affectations by each of the main characters that you might miss a lot of the subtle messages if you hadn't watched the series, and didn't know how it progressed to this point in time. At the end of the movie I was longing for another episode to find out what happens in the future.

American Hangman (2019)

Keeps you guessing

[7/10 · 3 September 2019]

A lot of the clues in the narrative are subtle, so if you don't pay attention you miss vital information. Donald Sutherland portrays his character well, I gave it a 7 because it was entertaining with no particular political rhetoric.

9-1-1 (2018– )

Inferior

[2/10 · 5 January 2018]

After the first few dramatic scenes, this highly advertised series took a fatal turn to the ridiculous with the harebrained portrayal of a lone Fireman (who calls himself "Fire hose") chasing down a female in a Fire Truck with lights and sirens. Touted as a reality series, with a cast of recognizable actors, it quickly went from having potential to the likes of mindless slap stick. From this point on there was nothing left to do but turn it off. The plot summary "Explores the high-pressure experiences of police, paramedics and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations..", must have been written before production began.

Mindhunter (2017–2019)

Slow to start

[7/10 · 8 November 2017]

You need to get past the slow and often disjointed episodes 1 & 2 before you get hooked on this series. Acting and directing are good, and the story line moves from unusual to interesting. A sometimes predictable story line, but with very interesting characters. Hope there is a season 2!

S.W.A.T. (2017– )

Disappointing

[3/10 · 4 November 2017]

Shemar Moore and a strong supporting cast can do nothing to salvage this improbable action and no substance show. It certainly contains Hollywood's hyped vision of how they view Law Enforcement, but falls far short on delivery. The frequent and far-fetched action scenes incorporate little if any reality. If you are looking for any authenticity in law enforcement special weapons and tactics, You can skip this series. Not even remotely similar to popular TV series like Criminal Minds, Law and Order or The Black List.

Chappie (2015)

Sad portrayal of a a Sci-Fi Robot.

[4/10 · 18 March 2015]

I am a fan of District 9, but this movie was so far from what was implied by the Movie Trailers, I wasn't sure I was in the right theater. True, it was an afternoon showing, but there was a total of only six people in the audience (I think a couple of these were Theater Employees) this should have been a clue. There were too many absurd and "over the top" action scenes, Combined with a very loud and distracting "Rap" soundtrack and it's Rambo VS. The Alien frenzy. On the up-side, there was a story line that seemed to have some early promise, but was quickly overshadowed by CHAPPIE, the floppy eared Lego/Stitch styled Robocop, and its band of, well, lunatics that didn't portray any common sense. Actor Dev Patel played a good role and added the only quality to this sad and somewhat comedic film. The camera work and CGI were good, but couldn't really do much to lift this film above a "B" movie at best. In my opinion this movie escalates "WALL-E" to near greatness in comparison.

Run All Night (2015)

Great action film

[8/10 · 18 March 2015]

One of the better action movies I've seen in a while. Great characters - great acting and interesting story line. I really liked this film and I don't understand why this movie does not get better reviews. unlike a lot of the popular glitzy action films, this one leaves a memory of what it was really about. The camera work was great and incorporated some of the best and most believable action scenes I have experienced. The language was fitting and not overpopulated with Fbombs. The story line is easy to follow. The soundtrack is appropriate without a lot of unnecessary crashing and banging, or a way over the top, or overpowering soundtrack. Definitely a good film.

Dead Man Down (2013)

Complex story, good cast and very well done

[7/10 · 20 March 2013]

The story line has you guessing at every turn what direction this movie is going to take. I would call it a combination action movie, psychological thriller with a thread of a love story intertwined. Starts slowly but builds to a fast action paced finish. The direction, cinematography and cast carry this film from start to finish. Not your usual revenge movie to be sure. Director Niels Arden Oplev provides much more than just standard fare, with the influx of a little European flare and design, for the production of this film. I think more could have been done in building some of the more minor characters, but it does not distract from the story line. Overall it was a really good movie, and well worth seeing.