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rudymaynard
Reviews
The Fountain (2006)
Now I Know
...what happened to all the old acid casualties who didn't become Rajneeshees, Jesus freaks, or Hari Krishnas - they wrote gushing reviews for this and gave it ratings of 8 or higher! What a load of pseudo-spiritual crap; I felt like I had been through one of those '70s-era encounter groups. It managed to be incredibly schmaltzy and invoke every sappy soap-opera trope in the book while bending over backwards to be relevant and "meaningful". It's hard to believe that this is the same Aronofsky that directed "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream". Then again, when I recall the ending of "The Whale," I understand that he certainly has a taste for melodrama, to put it mildly.
I gave it two stars only because some of the visual effects were sort of pretty, like an old Cream or Jefferson Starship album cover.
The Invisible Man (2020)
Why?
Many others have elaborated on the myriad of plot holes and the incomprehensible actions of the characters in this ridiculous mess of a movie. But the one implausible failing is the characterization of the protagonist. Elizabeth Moss is not, by any stretch of the imagination, anyone's idea of what a "trophy wife" looks like. And as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that her personality is as pleasant as biting down on a piece of aluminum foil. Yet we are to believe that a young, handsome, and brilliant billionaire is so obsessed with her that he fakes suicide so that he can pursue her. I can only surmise that perhaps the audience was to regard Cecilia as some sort of evil genius a la Keyser Söze, and that she engineered the whole chain of events so that she could attain wealth and power with the invisibility suit. ...Or it's just more #MeToo/Handmaid's Tale propaganda from Hollywood. That seems more plausible, at least more plausible than the plot of the movie.
The Rookie (2018)
A Good Premise - For a Movie or Miniseries
The concept of a mature, successful, blue-collar man reinventing himself as an urban police officer is an interesting concept for a movie, or even a miniseries. But, when he makes it past being a "boot", it becomes just another by-the-numbers cop show. And that's where "The Rookie" has stagnated since it's first season. So it's writers and producers have had to resort to improbable situations and romances to pad the script. And there are, of course, lots of thinly-veiled but profound messages regarding "equity", "diversity", and "inclusion". And then they tied it in to a show about an overweight, black, female FBI agent...! Give me a break!
2000 Mules (2022)
The Real "Inconvenient Truth"
What D'Souza presents here is not really a smoking gun, but it's more than enough circumstantial evidence to prove the validity of his case to anyone whose brain hasn't been addled by their virulent hatred of Donald Trump. That Joe Biden was elected by the largest number of votes in US history simply defies reason. As a polemic documentary, it presents its case well and supports it with a satisfactory helping of rather alarming data. What was lacking was hard data on who was really responsible for the ballot fraud. That leftist Democrat organizations perpetrated most of it is a given, but who, ultimately, was responsible for organizing and financing them? Soros is mentioned once, then the subject is dropped.
The Recruit (2003)
Trite Recap of Every Trope in the CIA/Spook Book.
This crap has been done to death thousands of times, yet people still pay money to see more iterations of the same tired characterizations and implausible plots. Let's see if we can add anything new. Nope, not this time. Well, at least I got it from the library for free.
Chernobyl (2019)
Otlichnyy fil'm!
Firstly, those who complain about the English and Scottish accents are full of b.s.. Having all the actors speak in phony Boris and Natasha accents would have been ridiculous. I found the performances to be first-rate, overall. Harris was brilliant, as were Watson and Skarsgård. The production design was perfect: the crummy cars, bleak housing, unfashionable clothing, and constant smoking and drinking all realistically depicted life in the "workers' paradise" of the Leninist utopia. I'm glad that the producers didn't pull any punches in portraying the folly, hypocrisy, and mendacity of the Soviet bureaucracy.
Curiously, I had never heard of this series while it was being broadcast. I only stumbled upon it when I was perusing Jared Harris' filmography. I guess one should be thankful that it was even made, given the prevailing leftist slant of the media since Trump was elected.
Almost Famous (2000)
A Foolish Period in Musical History
I don't know if the filmmakers set out to make a parody of the '70s music scene, but they sure succeeded. The one thing that is clearly illustrated in the movie is that the industry, and the "rock" press nearly killed rock and roll m
Serenity (2019)
What's So Hard to Understand?
Maybe you have to have had a childhood as traumatic as Patrick's, or at least suspend your politically-correct prejudices long enough to comprehend what this film is really about. It's not as if Knight doesn't telegraph his punches almost from the start, yet most reviewers seem to overlook the central premise of the story and instead nit-pick details of characters that are actually just elements of a child's fantasy.
That being the case, it is, in fact, an incredibly tragic film. The "twist", that all this is a reality conjured up on the computer of a boy who's lost his father to a foolish war, and whose stepfather is an abusive ogre, is heart-wrenching. That this fantasy world doesn't conform to PC culture has apparently clouded the judgment of many reviewers, which would account for many of the negative reviews. However, it seems plausible that a pubescent boy, especially one who sees the world through a computer monitor, might not have a properly "woke" worldview. This would, of course, also explain some of the cliched dialogue and characterizations which some critics have myopically faulted. And I know that the concept of using lethal violence to defend oneself or your family is also very unfashionable these days. Regardless, any kid who's had a similarly dysfunctional family should be able to understand how Patrick might think.
All in all, I found "Serenity" to be a very satisfying film. The performances and cinematography are excellent, and I enjoy movies that stretch the imagination a bit, even when they evoke unpleasant ideas.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
So It Ain't As Good As....
The original. Jurassic Park was unusual for a big-budget special effects extravaganza - it had an interesting story arc, several well-drawn characters that we cared about, and some decent acting. JW:FK is just a by-the-numbers popcorn flick, replete with all of the elements expected in one. If you don't expect more than that, it's not disappointing.
Lone Survivor (2013)
An Excellent, if Flawed, War Movie
I agree with some of the negative reviewers that the invincibility of the heroes and the ineptness of their opponents is implausible.
The best parts of this film happen as the team realize that they will probably never get out alive. But it's an action movie, and you do almost feel every bullet and fall. However, the other 1-and-2 star reviewers seem to be culled from the ranks of those useful idiots who regularly post selfies of their attendance at one or another of the foolish marches plaguing the urban centers of the U.S..
It's ironic that almost everyone will cheer the "good guys" in movies about the Civil War, WWI, or WWII, even though the motives for entering each of those conflicts were initially as insidious as the motives for our involvement in Afghanistan. In fact, the Civil War was an unconstitutional, Machiavellian plot to expand the power of the federal government masquerading as an effort to free the slaves.
Trumbo (2015)
A Bit of Irony.
Bryan Cranston's performance as Dalton Trumbo is superb, (even though he figured out a way to characteristically show off his nude physique.) The supporting cast is also excellent, especially Diane Lane and Elle Fanning as members of his ill-used and neglected family. The cinematography is quite good, with perfect production design. But the notion that communists somehow believed themselves to be defenders of free speech demonstrates the foolishness of the progressive left. Under any real communist government, they would simply have become unpersons or been shot for advocating freedom of expression.