davidgibson-19224 Reviews

The Fall Guy (2024)

What a blast!

[9/10 · 6 May 2024]

Admittedly, I might watch Emily Blunt say or do nothing for two hours, but still this film was an absolute blast. One of the most entertaining action comedies I have seen in years. Lietch actually created a film worth watching, unlike the ocean of terrible money grab sequels coming out of Hollywood of late. The chemistry between Blunt and Gosling was genuine and palpable. Nothing new or original in the plot, but the story was fun and the action was compelling. The dialogue was a bit hard to follow on occasion, but that may have been a function of the volume more than the accents. As a frequent visitor Down Under, I can attest to the authenticity of the Australian setting. Really fun film, might even see it again!

Lost in Space (2018–2021)

Pleasantly Surprised

[7/10 · 13 May 2023]

This show is so much better than I thought it would be. To begin with, it's lost in space for grown-ups. In the barren wasteland that Netflix has become, this show is actually worth watching and isn't just a rehash of the original.

Parker Posey as the sinister Dr. Smith is a clever change of pace and she is brilliant (and completely loathsome) in the role. That the Robinsons are a couple on the marital rocks adds another level of tension. The girls are adults with complex characters and Will's relationship with the robot is next level. The scenery is gorgeous and the CGI is truly next level. Glad I found this!

Don't Worry Darling (I) (2022)

Better than the reviews

[8/10 · 18 December 2022]

Candidly, I don't get the reviews for this film. It was M. Night Shymalan but actually good. Perhaps it requires more thought than people want to invest. Maybe they didn't like the chilling reveal. Maybe it would have been better received if directed by someone else.

What I originally thought was bad acting on the part of Harry Styles turned out to be really good acting for what was actually afoot. Pugh is always exceptional and Olivia Wilde always underrated. Regardless, I thought this movie was a solid 8 and I am still trying to decide whether she got out or not. I will definitely be watching this again.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Dumb

[5/10 · 14 July 2022]

Wow, this movie was bad. And weird. Could not decide whether it wanted to be a comedy ala Guardians or serious ala original Thor. This was nothing but a bunch of pretty people collecting paychecks. In fact, I gave it a five instead of a four only because it had so many pretty people in it.

Dog (I) (2022)

Better than expected

[7/10 · 21 February 2022]

Based on the previews, I expected a mindless, almost slapstick type typical Channing Tatum comedy. This movie was actually much better than I expected and is a touching story about veterans recovering from PTSD.

Old (2021)

Just Don't

[3/10 · 26 January 2022]

M. Night Shymalan really should stop making movies. Each one is worse than the last. I don't know what was worse here, the acting or the writing. I didn't even last 30 minutes before punching out. Awful awful awful.

The King's Man (2021)

Meh

[7/10 · 23 December 2021]

Typical second sequel...not very good. They tried to cram three different stories into one and the result is a long mess. Not funny either like the first two.

Evil (2019–2024)

A nice change of pace

[9/10 · 12 December 2021]

This show is from the creators of The Good Wife and The Good Fight and is so smart. I love the fact that they don't dumb this down to the lowest common denominator. They don't do or say something clever and then immediately explain it or point out their cleverness. And, notwithstanding the fantastical subject matter, the storylines are credible.

Count Me In (2021)

Glaring omission

[7/10 · 14 November 2021]

I enjoyed this documentary but it lost a lot of credibility by omitting Neil Peart, considered by most rock fans and all industry magazines as one of the top two or three greatest drummers of all time. His estate might have restricted use of footage but IP laws don't prohibit talking about someone. Wow!

La Brea (2021–2024)

So disappointing

[5/10 · 22 October 2021]

The trailer and previews for this show looked great and I'm a sucker for time travel shows. The reality of this show is, however, terribly disappointing. I can't tell which is worse the acting or the writing. IMHO there is exactly one actress in this show who is good at her craft and it's not the lead.

Don't get invested. The show might not survive the season.

Van Helsing (2016–2021)

Don't get invested

[6/10 · 23 June 2021]

Seasons one and two were pretty good but it goes downhill after that. Season 5 is barely watchable with actors often literally standing around delivering poorly written lines. Over all, don't bother.

BAM: Builders of the Ancient Mysteries (2020)

Fascinating albeit flawed

[7/10 · 30 May 2021]

I enjoyed this film immensely even though it aggregates a lot of information presented before elsewhere. It was new to me and really interesting.

A lot of reviewers on both this site and Amazon complain about the narrator, whose native language is clearly not English. Her mispronunciation of many English words is a bit grating and I had to rewind frequently to decipher something said. Those speed bumps are no reason to skip this movie though.

Beyond that distraction, the film pixelates badly on a 4K screen. Clearly not upscaled.

The first 10 minutes or so was a bit slow and the film lacked a clear exit strategy, IMHO mailing in the last few minutes. The two hours in between though was absolutely fascinating and I spent the rest of the morning on Wiki checking out the theories advanced. I will definitely be reading and watching more and have recommended this to my father-in-law, who is an actual engineer and a literal genius, for his take.

In the barren wasteland that is post-COVID video streaming (meaning I've watched almost everything worth watching), this flick is worth a few hours on a Sunday morning.

The Seventh Day (I) (2021)

Pointless

[1/10 · 11 April 2021]

I would say this movie was boring and pointless but I kept falling asleep so I am not really sure. Do not watch this movie. I wasted a perfectly good Saturday evening that I can never get back.

Nobody (I) (2021)

Move over Liam Neeson

[9/10 · 28 March 2021]

Near perfect film for this genre. Can't wait for the sequel!

Save Yourselves! (2020)

Don't bother

[4/10 · 10 February 2021]

This movie started off clever and witty, but died about 40% of the way in. Just fell off a cliff. Not funny. No point. Do not waste your time.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Oh dear

[3/10 · 22 January 2021]

I gave this movie three stars because (1) Chris Pine is always fun to watch no matter how bad the movie, (2) Gal Gadot, and (3) Kristen Wiig was stupid hot. Other than that, oh dear this movie was bad.

Cats (2019)

Don't be scared

[3/10 · 12 October 2020]

Okay, let's be clear. This movie was awful and I am a fan of musicals. It was not as awful as I expected though and I suspect a lot of people who hated it never saw the play Cats. Let's be clear. The play was vastly superior, but both were about people in cat costumes singing songs. The songs were fine. Nothing wrong with the songs (except Rebel Wilson). Admittedly, I played video games on my phone while watching this. This may be overly generous, but I think the director was trying to do something artsy and just flat failed. I suspect I would have given it one more store if I had fast forwarded through Rebel Wilson's scenes. Some things can't be unseen.

Texas Rising (2015)

Good Saturday morning fare

[7/10 · 25 July 2020]

This is a decent flick with a solid cast of B-list actors. Having grown up in South Texas and lived in San Antonio though, I was hung up on the scenery the whole time. Suffice to say, the locales portrayed look nothing like the actual locales. No big deal, but don't base any travel decisions on this movie.

Cosmos (I) (2019)

Worth the slow start

[7/10 · 27 June 2020]

It took about 20 minutes to get into this movie and I almost bailed several times, but the payoff was worth the wait. Shocking how suspensegul this very simple flick got.

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Completely new spin on a classic

[8/10 · 25 December 2019]

This adaptation puts a completely new spin on Scrooge's origin story and plays out his redemption in a refreshing new direction. The show is much darker than any previous version and a heck of a lot smarter. Honestly, this might be the best telling of this story yet.

Zoo (2015–2017)

Stupid, stupid, stupid

[4/10 · 17 November 2019]

Season one was good. Season two was acceptable. Season three is just plain stupid. I'm pot committed to finish this, but recommend you pass. Save yourself 30 or so hours of your life.

Joker (I) (2019)

Clear the Shelf for the Oscars

[10/10 · 9 October 2019]

I am not a Batman fan nor am I particularly fond of Joaquin Phoenix, but this movie was truly exceptional. It started slow but built to a viscerally satisfying crescendo. I never thought I would be rooting for the Joker, but found that I did so throughout the movie. The Joker's pain was so palpable. I am filling out my Oscar pool card right now.

PS This movie is dark and violent and decidedly not a super hero movie. Leave the kids at home.

Good Boys (2019)

I don't get it

[2/10 · 12 September 2019]

I do not understand how this movie is rated so highly by the critics and the audience. I like Seth Rogen and have a low threshold for movies, but this one is just bad. All the funny parts were in the previews. And based on the previews, I was expecting something like Bad Santa or Bad Moms. This movie was just pointless and boring.

Designated Survivor (2016–2019)

Even Better on Netflix

[9/10 · 15 July 2019]

I loved this show on broadcast TV, but it is twice as good on Netflix. Writing is better. Dialog more realistic. Italia Ricci is now dressing like a super model. Bit more sex. Just fun!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Fun monster movie. Don't expect more.

[8/10 · 8 June 2019]

If you are a fan of monster movies, then you will enjoy the heck out of this over-the-top flick. If you are looking for Sundance or Cannes contenders, don't waste your money. This movie is for fans of the genre and delivers in spades. I have to admit though, even I blushed a bit when Godzilla burped.