Kunovega Reviews

Money Plane (2020)

Truly Stupid

[2/10 · 20 December 2020]

The writing is terrible. The logic failures are worse.

The sad part is the cast itself isn't bad, some of the acting would be acceptable (not stellar but acceptable), but they have nothing to work from the script and the logical failures are just one plot convenience after another.

There is No Game (2015 Video Game)

Short but excellent

[9/10 · 9 August 2020]

This was a game created in a weekend for a contest and it won several awards. It may be short, but it's also free and very funny. As of 2020 there is now a follow up game which is much longer and more in depth in the same style: "There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension" and I highly suggest picking it up when you get the chance.

Lady and the Tramp (2019)

Not terrible, just pointless.

[5/10 · 19 November 2019]

As a story this doesn't really present anything that wasn't in the original film. If anything it loses some of the magic that comes from classic animation.

Watching this live action just ramps up the absurd nature of the way it's presented. Watching two cartoon chefs feed some dogs in the original is cute; but, watching two live action humans do it in this makes you wonder why they aren't locked up as lunatics. Bringing them a table, a menu, singing to them while they eat, etc.

And the absurd antics of the dog catcher come off no better. He's some over the top parody that never feels real.

Then there's the coloration and design of the dogs, Tramp comes off as an old man basically taking advantage of a tiny young Lady. The cartoon design holds up without making you think about age difference, but this coloration and size for the CGI/live dogs translates really weird for me.

Basically the cartoon is cute and funny, but the live action is a lot of cringe.

Also, for some reason they shoe-horned in diversity and made the main couple a mixed race couple, if this were a modern day setting I wouldn't care, but given the time period this was supposed to be set within, that would not be common. It's just one more strange design choice for anyone aware of history. I'm not knocking any points off for this by itself, but it was one more odd aspect of the film on top of a lot of just bleh design choices.

Grand Hotel (2019)

Fun little summer soap opera

[8/10 · 2 September 2019]

This isn't breaking any new ground, but it's an entertaining little drama with some decent actors that are fun to watch.

It starts off a bit slow, but the story arcs have enough twists and turns to keep it going. If you have the time, give it a try, it might pleasantly surprise you even if it won't blow you away.

The Amazing Johnathan Documentary (2019)

Complete waste of time

[2/10 · 17 August 2019]

This is not a real documentary, or at least not a real documentary about the Amazing Jonathan.

The only content relating to the Amazing Jonathan is covered in the first 10 minutes and contains less information than his Wikipedia page. He's a comedy-magician, he's getting older and has health issues, he struggles to perform a few farewell performances. The end. That entire story is over and done with 10 minutes into the documentary.

The next hour and 20 minutes is not about the Amazing Jonathan, it's about the director and how he isn't sure of himself. He's not sure he should be making a documentary, he's not sure about the fact that there's two other documentaries being made about the Amazing Jonathan, he's not sure he's made the right life choices. You know, even those glib self referencing bits could have been OK as part of the film if they lasted just a few minutes, but instead the director is on a loop. He literally just repeats himself having this same conversation with himself, with his parents, with his friends, with the Amazing Jonathan (to the point where Jonathan doesn't even want to work with him anymore). You'll even be treated to 10 minutes of the director repeatedly calling and listening to Jonathan's answering machine ~ because he's tired of answering the same questions.

This is quite possibly the worst documentary I've ever had the displeasure to watch. It's not about the titled subject matter, it's about the director himself, and worse, it's not even a good documentary about the director, he's just stuck in a loop crying about whether he should even be making a documentary.

No sir, you shouldn't be making a documentary, go back to smoking meth (you'll get to see him do that too), it's a far more productive use of your time than churning out garbage like this.

The Painted Lady (2012)

Jena Malone Nude

[7/10 · 22 January 2019]

This is Jena Malone nude reading a poem for a few minutes.

I'm not sure what this was made for or why, but it seems to be an excuse to just show off how cute she is topless.

Magnum P.I. (2018–2024)

Does not capture the magic

[2/10 · 12 October 2018]

I wanted to give this an honest chance.

I don't mind the lead actor, he's OK for the role. I don't mind the change of Higgins to female, though it would probably have worked better if they changed one of the friends to female instead of Higgins.

What bothers me is how disrespectful this is to the source material, but also to basic logic.

The original show had the mystery of "Who is Robin" the mysterious owner of the mansion always sitting in the background as Magnum's benefactor. That mystery is spoiled in the first 5 minutes. Robin is just some guy they all worked with while in the military who happens to have written some books when they came home and those books made him super rich. Not just rich, but rich beyond what most authors achieve in a lifetime and able to waste millions of dollars daily supporting his friends crazy lifestyles.

Higgins is too young and inexperienced to be believable as being in charge over Magnum or the estate. She's also portrayed as a super woman. In the first episode alone she takes a bullet like a terminator, doesn't flinch and beats up a couple of guys without even messing up her hair. That might work in some other series, but not in a back to back scene where the male lead just got beat up in a more realistic fight scene.

Much of the magic of the original show was Higgins being the older mentor-like figure to banter with Magnum. None of that works here. The new version of the character is simply not believable as an authority figure due to how poorly it's written. The actress who plays the part deserves a better role and better dialogue, it's the character and the directing that fail her here.

And just to add insult to injury Magnum destroys two Ferrari in the first episode, both a new one and an older classic. That sets the tone for this new series, it's all about the destruction and over the top action. It doesn't care about setting up a story and exploring it's characters with any depth.

All the mystery is already gone, the characters are written as shallow and unbelievable and despite some adequate acting the actors have very little to work with to redeem the show.

The dogs take the show from 1 star to 2, they were funny. Everything else is fail.

Life Remote Control (2011)

Why does this exist? It's bad

[1/10 · 12 October 2018]

What happens if you take a mental patient and give him a video camera and then let him film random events for 10 years?

This is that film. Crazy artist, lots of drug abuse, travels the world with a video camera and films street artists around the world. No plan, no script, no plot.

This is just a mashup of home movies mashed together by someone that films random things.

The Brothers Grimsby (2016)

Simultaneously great and gross

[9/10 · 7 March 2018]

This is a roller coaster of grotesque and bizarre humor that somehow manages to shoe horn in a touching, dramatic story about 2 brothers into it's otherwise ridiculous and twisted plot.

One part action, one part drama and a heaping overdose of over the top gross out humor and what you end up with is an incredibly under rated and unexpected master piece.

Of all Sasha Baron Cohen's films, this may be the most narrative and touching he's been able to achieve. While it's not quite the humor level of his earliest films like Borat, it contains more variety of elements than he's been able to achieve before this.

You'll be cheering at the action, crying at the drama and if you can manage not to vomit, you'll be belly ache laughing at the humor.

If you are sensitive to gross out humor, this might not be for you. But if you don't mind some cringe with your laughter, there's a lot to enjoy here.

Patriot (2015–2018)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 8 June 2017]

This is hands down one of the finest crafted stories I've watched in my 40+ years on this planet in any medium.

I really don't want to give spoilers as the plot is a journey that I hope you take in from start to finish with minimal knowledge of what it is to come. I'll only mention things in vague fashion and with information that you would find out from the intro/trailers.

At a glance this may appear to be just another spy thriller. But what lies beneath is a dark comedy wrapped in a drama/mystery/thriller. And the writers treat the audience with a level of respect rarely seen these days. They expect you to pay attention and follow along so they don't just spoon feed you every detail up front.

But they also don't leave you hanging too far out there either. The narrative has a back and forth ebb and flow around when the main events take place but isn't afraid to jump to the future and past on a whim to give you more depth and background.

Rarely do you see characters this well crafted, stories this deep and philosophical boundaries questioned with casual deference while juggling political commentary and still managing to toss in some laughs even in the darkest of moments.

Beyond the story being great there is also a solid cast. I don't think there was a single bad performance in this show. Every actor with even the smallest part was a brilliant casting choice that fit precisely into their role. And the leads shoulder burdens that would make Shakespeare proud.

Even from a technical standpoint this was a beautifully shot work of art. Despite the obviously minimal budget there are some simple gorgeous shots in a variety of interesting locations. From old world cities to industrial junk yards, to simple forest scenes. This was a director and cinematographer duo that know how to make the visual story just as interesting as the word play in the script.

I will caution you only that it does start out a bit slow. But the roller coaster you are about to embark on will pick you up and drop you soon enough, so please stay seated and pay attention.

If you have a brain you will laugh, you will cry, and you will wonder why TV and movies don't attempt to be this good more often.

Please let there be more seasons of this. The world really needs it.

Shut Eye (2016–2017)

Better than it first appears

[9/10 · 7 December 2016]

If you've seen the trailers you are probably wondering what the show is about. The trailers don't show you what is really going on and neither does the synopses for the show outlined on the IMDb page.

You do start by getting a healthy does of a very fictionalized version of gypsy culture in California but the main story line goes beyond that. I don't want to spoil it but there's a twist in the first episode that sets up the rest of the series.

The acting is good. Some of them may make you cringe, but that's the point. That reaction is exactly what they are going for.

This series is a black comedy, the drama and dark undertones will not be for everyone, but if you can appreciate twisted humor this will not disappoint.

I recommend giving it at least one full episode. The first episode starts out slow and you might not understand it until the end, but force yourself to get through it.

By the end of the first episode you will either understand and be ready to take this ride, or you'll be lost and know it's time to move on to something else.

I just binge watched all 10 episodes and it was seriously awesome. Highly recommended for anyone that likes dark comedies or is a fan of these actors.

Minority Report (2015)

Good but will probably not last

[9/10 · 25 September 2015]

This show is already getting slammed as a "police procedural" but the reality is, what else was it ever going to be? The precog's are not super heros, they have one special power and it does not work particularly well (each having different visions of the future that don't always provide all the details or even agree with each other). But if you were a fan of the film you already knew this, so the set up for the show is no shock in that regard.

You follow the weakest of the 3 precogs as he struggles with knowing parts of the future and how he hasn't been able to do anything with his visions since the precrime program shut down (in the film).

The show does a good job setting up that the world is still trying to recover from the loss of precrime and drops us into that world as Dash (the weak one) has finally decided to seek help instead of failing to solve crimes on his own.

So yea it's a police procedural with a gimmick, but it's well done in a campy sci-fi sort of way and if the ending of the movie minority report left you with a few questions, this show at least makes a valid attempt at answering some of them while creating new questions to push the plot forward.

I don't want to say too much more as it would spoil the plot (everything I've typed so far has been in the trailers or you find out within minutes of the setup), but the show looks like it has a over arching plot as well that is being setup, not just criminal of the week routines, and the sci-fi elements are done respectfully and don't look out of place.(ie. it's not rubber monsters) It's biggest flaws are due to no fault of it's own. There are aspects of the film that set up some of the biggest "why did they do that?" questions. I mean I personally could come up with several ways that precrime could have been "used" without causing the problems that it did, or without the abuses in the system that happened both before and after, but again those are societal flaws in the civil liberties portrayed and the government which are all left overs from the film and the series is working within the confines of that narrative.

I do wish they could have found a way to bring back Samantha Morton as Agatha, but her replacement does an adequate job of filling the role; and the replacement of the other two precogs is seamless enough due to them not really being shown much outside of the tank in the film and this show is meant to be several years later, so they don't have to look 100% the same.

But overall, if you were a fan of the film this will probably find reasons to hook you. Now I can only hope it lasts through the FOX network's horrible habit of canceling sci-fi shows before they are given a chance to grow an audience.

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

Better than the ratings would imply

[8/10 · 5 August 2015]

This is a movie full of cliché and predictable twists. But it's still Eddie Murphy being funny and filled with cute little moments.

I'm not sure why this film attracts so much hate, it doesn't bother doing anything so terrible that it deserves the vitriol level of criticism that seems to be thrown at it.

It's at worst a movie that's easy to classify as "average", but personally I actually really enjoy this film. It's a non offensive, straight forward sci-fi comedy that doesn't require any deeper understanding or intellectual delving.

There's no deeper meaning here than some funny people having an adventure on a future moon city. You could do a lot worse with your time than to sit back, turn off your brain for an hour and just enjoy the show.

Honestly this is one of my go to movies for multitasking, something funny on in the background that doesn't require my 100% attention to still make me laugh while I'm doing other things. And it ends up getting watched more often than some of the "better" movies that I would rate at 10 simply because those are often a chore to watch and require actually thinking to understand them.

Yes if you understood that correctly: I do enjoy a deeper movie and would rate them higher, but it's also not what I would typically grab from day to day when I just want to laugh while getting through the grind: The Adventures of Pluto Nash "is".

Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)

TV does not get better than this.

[10/10 · 16 May 2015]

In my decades of TV and movie watching I've come to use a particular phrase far too often: "Well it's not Shakespeare but at least it was entertaining." It's kind of my go-to summary of routine stuff that is fun to watch but isn't really ground breaking. Of course there's better and worse but that one phrase is (for me) adequate enough to describe the bulk of OK shows that come and go.

I'm happy to say I can't use that phrase here. Instead I get to say: Sons of Anarchy is Shakespeare.

This is a show I started watching with no expectations. What I ended up with was a thrill ride of drama, action and dark comedy.

Whether you like the idea of a story about bikers or not, set aside any hesitation and at least give it a chance. This does not glorify the outlaw lifestyle or encourage people to break the law. It just lays out an epic tale of family, friendship, betrayal and brotherhood in all of its glorious and more frequently tragic circumstance.

There is a connection here to the core of human relationships that is rarely portrayed in any format of entertainment; and while you may not always agree with the choices someone makes, you can't help but feel their pain while considering what it would be like in their shoes to be forced into making those choices.

Shakespeare has far and long been considered a master of storytelling. All I can say is the writers have learned from him and infused that same level of craftsmanship into a masterwork of drama that pulls at the very heart of man.

Beyond the story, every aspect of this show is also well done. The acting quality from some of the leads is among the best ever put on film. Even the secondary talent brings a level of realism and believability that suits what is needed for their character. The casting was simply spot on and leaves no room for improvement.

The sets, costumes and cinematography are all also suitable for what needs to be portrayed. This isn't a big budget sci-fi with a bunch of expensive special effects, its the nit and grit of the real world we all live in and it's shown in all of its dirt and glory.

In 40+ years of watching TV and movies; I'm honestly at a loss to name a single thing I've ever watched that was better written or acted than Sons of Anarchy.

There are a few things that come close, and to be honest there are things I'd rather watch more often on repeats simply because they are more fun or more in line with my daily tastes. But, as a total experience Sons of Anarchy is a must watch, at least once in your lifetime. It's just that good.

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Not as good as it should have been...

[9/10 · 26 July 2014]

Let me start off by saying this is hands down one of the best TV shows on the air today. Unfortunately part of me can't help but wonder if it's the lack of other quality TV options most of the time that lead me to feel that way.

There is a lot to love here: quality acting, nicely done sets, great attention to detail in props and scenery. Judged on it's own merits there is a lot to enjoy and take in. As a spectacle of it's own this is among the best TV has to offer, with only a handful of movies (with larger budgets) that can top it for its genre.

The problem is; this has source material. Being based on a book series that is simply far and away the best of it's kind printed in the last decade. Having read the books this is where the problems with the show begin to bleed through: the plot simply is not as good as it pretends to be.

You have A-list material from the books which could have been lifted page for page; but instead the show writers have chosen to not only truncate the dialogue but also write in their own mediocre scenes.

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand cutting some things simply because the books are so much longer. But what I can't agree with is cutting material and than replacing it: that means you did have time for things you skipped...

The stuff being added is B-grade at best.

That's the shows biggest sin; dumping good scenes and adding in fluff. The laundry list of other changes (characters that were cut; merged and otherwise changed) is also a bit unsettling. The entire "game of thrones" has essentially been dumbed down for TV. What should be a chess game of monarchs is watered down to a couple of idiots playing checkers. Some of the blood lines for example instead of having multiple heirs only have 1 and the threats and plots surrounding them have been simplified or nearly cut entirely. And in its place? Extra sex scenes from minor characters.

The show is at it's best when it stays true to the books, the dialogue and plot twists shine and keep you engaged. Than it wanders off into la-la land where the writers think they know better than the source material and all I can do is shake my head and wonder just how truly epic and amazing this could have been.

So; is the show good? Yea. Just not as good as it should have been. They were handed the keys to one of the most well developed fantasy worlds ever written, and I just wish they would stop hiding under the bed sheets and stick to the source material.

In summary all I can tell you is this: Read the books. Unless you lack imagination and reading comprehension it will be one of the best reads of your life.

Watch the show afterwards and take it for what it's worth: a 9 that should have been a 10.