Reviews

If it weren't for the plot synopsis, which should have been labeled with a spoiler alert, I'd have had no idea what was happening. This is one of those rare films that should have been longer, so it could drop some clues about wtf was going on. Or, drop/shorten some of the MANY nightclub scenes. But, it's obviously one of those quota films 1950s studios had to do.

I'm on the cusp of being too old to enjoy this film (48). I bet the under 40 crowd will like it the most, especially if they appreciate understated comedy and don't expect all movies with aliens to rely on explosions. I loved the 2 leads, liked the setup showing their mindless reliance on tech, and empathize with their struggles to disconnect from tech and reconnect with each other. It's a quiet relationship comedy with an alien twist for extra flavor. Don't expect anything else and you'll enjoy, unless you don't enjoy quiet, observational comedies.

Just putting in my 2 cents as someone who read the books before seeing the show. Yes, SOOOO much different, but those changes are necessary! Shows have to have one central character and Manfred was a great choice. Yes, other character changes, but the show honors the spirit of the books and is a freaking blast to watch. So over the top sometimes but man, I really needed that (still do). I miss it big time.

This was a fun movie with good performances all around. There weren't any real surprises for me and I doubt there would be for anyone over 12. But that's what genre fiction is for; it's comfort food for the mind. Full disclosure: I'm a writer, so I may have identified a bit more with our protagonist than most would.

I didn't expect to like this movie but it was an interesting premise and slightly surprising ending (hubby and I guessed the killer, but based on movie tropes). Acting is mostly competent, even if production values are lacking. Full disclosure: I've only seen the rifftrax version.

There was a decent amount of tension in this episode, but I couldn't get past how unbelievably stupid the three main characters were. The whole time I should have been thinking, "Will she get away?" Instead, I thought she's an idiot, he's the most incompetent cop in history, he could have killed her a dozen times over. It completely took me out of the story.

Normally, I'm not cheering on a shootout, but when Hitch says, "That was disappointing, wasn't it?" I had to agree. Both gunmen bored and annoyed me at the same time, which seems unlikely, but jeezely Pete, by the third time (of MANY) one taunts the other to draw, I'm hoping for an end to the characters' (and my) misery.

The basic plot: a men enters Maggie's establishment, which looks like a little cabin but apparently feeds random stragglers. The man refuses to remove his gun belt. Why becomes clear when a second man enters. It seems there was a poker game the night before and it devolved into an argument. The first man let the second live, and now the second is looking for revenge. Their showdown over ham and eggs lasts 20 minutes. 20. Minutes. "You draw first." "You draw first." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." Lather, rinse, repeat. For 20 minutes.

In between, Maggie implores both men to think before they shoot. The twist ending I hoped for involved Maggie and a pistol hidden in her apron, but alas, it was not to be. Not one of the show's better offerings, in my opinion.

I couldn't keep from commenting after reading the very short "Not bad" commentary. This movie is much better than just not bad. The acting is stellar, even from the children in the cast, who don't play cute or anything else but act just like my son's friends. The movie is smart and expects it's audience to be as well. The double back flash story lines are imaginative and contribute to the story rather than act as time filler. I watched this movie with my kids and then I watched it again by myself a few days later. If you have kids and are sick to death of movies that inspire a diabetic coma with their syrupy sweetness, then check out "Holes." My 6-year-old enjoyed it as much as my 11-year-old, and my husband and I enjoyed it as much as the two of them. How many movies can you say that about?