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joekuhlmann
Reviews
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Terrible movie, just regular bad if you are a mk superfan.
No plot or character development. Terrible script. Bad acting. Ok special effects and costume design. Decent fight choreography, but not excellent. Dialogue and plot are cringeworthy throughout. Would be better as a tv series if they could slow down and really develop some emotion in the characters. Or do each character backstory one by one similar to how marvel studios built the mcu, then do the tournament as a huge blockbuster film. Not enough money or resources to ever do this thing right, so we are left with this heap of steaming crap. I had hope it would be a bit less cheesy, but alas this thing is pure manchego.
Fear the Walking Dead (2015)
A flawed show still worth watching
I am a fan of the walking dead, which is also flawed. There are ups and downs, peaks and valleys, but as a whole the show has its rewards if you push through some of the nonsense. There are certain underdeveloped characters, but they mostly dont last anyway. There are some really moving scenes and themes, and there are also some story arcs that lose their way and seem pointless. The show as a whole through 2 seasons ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. Its entertaining enough to keep watching, and im pretty picky so i say give it a shot, but you have to stick with it and eventually you will most likely end up getting into it.
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Really good but not a masterpiece.
Cillian Murphy is down right amazing as Thomas Shelby. The rest of the acting is also really good. The cinematography is really top notch. Its exciting, gripping, and deep with character and plot development. So why isnt is a 10 then? Well to be totally honest.....its the choice of music. There are certain times when there is a conflict that the background music switches to this hard driving rockabilly stuff that doesnt fit the time period at all and just makes the entire scene feel a bit corny. In these moments the show starts to feel like songs of anarchy only it's set in 1920s england. It's not a huge deal breaker, but for me it's way out of left field everytime it happens and makes the whole scene feel disingenuous and forced. Because of this the show feels a bit less believable and immersive and takes on an almost novelty feel to it, and it happens often enough for me to not put the show among other recent greats. It's a really good show, but masterpiece?.......that's a bit of a stretch if you ask me.
Bad Education (2019)
Poor man's "The Big Short"
Hugh Jackman was great. Allison Janney was great. Ray Romano was ok as usual. That said the movie was desperate for some sort of entertainment value. It was moderately boring from start to finish. I found myself hoping something was going to break open and because the film did not deviate from the truth it suffered a bit. The big short had it's comedic moments. The wolf of wall street had a very interesting main character to work with. This film however didn't really have the right source content to produce a truly entertaining piece of cinema. Was it a bad movie? No not by a long shot. It was fine. There was some good character development along the way and the cinematography was handled well. When the movie was over I was just left with the feeling that, as a native long islander in my mid 30s, the film didnt offer much that I didn't know about the story already. Decent flick, just not necessarily for everyone.
Extraction (2020)
Great action flick!!!!!!
To all the people who complain about the plot.....have tou ever seen the expendables, crank, or the transporter?!?! This was way more believable and heartfelt than any of those movies. Chris Hemsworth delivers a memorable performance given the few lines of dialogue he had. The cinematography was top notch as well as the sound editing. If you want an edge of your seat action flick this is definitely one of the best ones I've seen in quite some time.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Great send off for jesse! Fans will enjoy.
If you are expecting a blockbuster movie, it isnt that. The movie simply felt like an extended episode, a second part to the original finale, centered on jesse and his struggle to find freedom and resolution. If you are a fan of the show you will enjoy el caminos provided that you can manage your expectations. The original finale left Jesse's story arc lacking, and this movie corrected that shortcoming for me completely.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Decent movie to watch on haloween.
Watched this immediately after the witch this haloween. The acting was serviceable at best but the flick was good enough to keep me watching. Scary, creepy, and entertaining. Enough blood and guts to make it decently disturbing. Worth it if you want to be creeped out, just dont expect too much if you are a cinephile.