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jon_hsieh
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Gladiator II (2024)
A film adapted for a TV spin off. {NOT A RIDLEY SCOTT FILM}
I've watched every Ridley Scott film since Alien 1979. Hes brilliant.
This film didn't feel or look like his work at ALL. ZERO. The pace, cinematography, script and production design were all off. It was almost as if they forced him to take credit. The amount of one liners and rushed dialogue was surprising given Scott is more known for character establishment and building. The camera work felt made-for-tv given its soap opera look and not being cinematic.
The script saw lots of similarities to part 1 which was a let down. The musical score was not compelling in any scene (dramatic music for an obvious reveal...ok we knew that! Cue the chorus!) despite having a talented composer.
Its just unbelievable to see top notch talent producing second grade work. I still dont buy it lol.
Disregarding the above and forgetting gladiator 1...the film was ok. Nothing memorable. A pass to time on a boring weekday. I wont be surprised if this was a set up to a tv spin off. Oh well def not a rewatch. Wait for stream on this one.
*Update*
Yep even cinematographer, John Mathieson, agrees lol.
Smile 2 (2024)
Finally a horror film with logic and a strong female lead!
I almost gave up on the horror genre for good. The amount of films that come out that throw logic out the window and lack any sense of realism is baffling. Its refreshing to see writer/director, Parker Finn, do something no horror writer could do in a while.
Naomi Scott was particularly impressive. She really embodied her character in a unique realistic way. The subtle nuances in her acting carry a lot of weight which i appreciate the most. Will be looking forward to her future roles.
Production, cinematography and rest of the crew did well. Overall, this film was a great addition to the franchise. Definitely a rewatch.
The Killer's Game (2024)
Theres levels to filmmaking and it clearly shows.
When i watched Killers Game i knew ive seen these fight sequences elsewhere. Another movie called Day Shift with Jamie Foxx. Cheesy, cliche and over ambitious.
Stuntman turned director JJ Perry did much better compared to DayShift. But where he did better is what i hate the most. The clear similarities to David Lietch's Bullet Train. Its almost like those parody B rated movies (those wayans bros) but Perry actually trying when the wayans brothers' aim was to be pure comedic.
Not mentioning how the film is riddled with amateur tiktok transitions. But yea same style in DayShift...over ambitious and unoriginal.
Unsurprisingly, JJ Perry is also credited as one of the screenwriters. Take any of these actors and see which Director theyve worked with. Bautista and Villeneuve/Rian/Night and even Gunn. Bautista does extremely well with dialogue. Its smooth and matches. The chemistry and dialogue between Boutella and Bautista is equivalent to strippers at my grandmother's birthday.
Theres levels to filmmaking...you may get there one day. But at least be original find your own style Mr Perry.
Wolfs (2024)
Did Clooney or Pitt even read the script?
2.5 ⭐
Written and Directed by Jon Watts, this has to be one of the worst scripts of the year. The amount of plot holes is staggering as if they threw it together in one night. If you're the type of audience that gives zero #$'@'s on why or how something is done...this is for you. Storytelling is pretty crucial and Jon Watts just doesnt have it. This film would have suited more of a david lietch (fall guy, bullet train).
Surprisingly the chemistry between Clooney and Pitt was completely off. The dialogue was awkward and not fun. Id rather see their characters from oceans 11 interact than what I just watched.
Wasnt sure what Watts was shooting for. Didnt know if this film was supposed to be light and fun or serious with tension. Whatever it was...there wasnt anything established or transitioned well. Even his Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland werent all that great.
Decent production, cinematography was ok. Wouldnt pay to watch this at all. Definitely not a rewatch film. One and done.
Trap (2024)
Nepotism leads to another mediocre Night movie.
This film was made and designed specifically to give Nights daughter maximum exposure. Her acting skills are clearly subpar.
Ignoring the fact this was nepotism at its finest. The writing/story seemed rush, robotic and almost cliche. Usually Nights films bring decent production value but this one felt really indie. Possibly self funded? Cough nepotism.
As for the twist, Night is just running out of ideas and creativity. He made one huge box office hit that probably inflated his ego. Now everything he thinks of is some special plot. Hats off to him tho, capitalizing on his name. Yolo lol.
I dont mind putting your kids in movies to strengthen their careers. But at least make sure theyre good.
Definitely dont pay to watch this. Stream free or if your nightly backgammon got cancelled.
This is the last time ill ever watch a Night movie thats for sure haha.
Longlegs (2024)
How to put your audience to sleep
Theres absolutely nothing gripping, suspenseful or exciting about this film. Complete snooze fest. I literally walked out 1 hour 10 mins in just because i preferred my bed versus a theater chair.
Story was weak, slow and lacked any flow. Performances were decent.
More and more of these so called "highly rated" films are coming out especially in 2024. Im convinced production/distribution chains take advantage on how social media dictates a vast majority of influence on films. Funneling their advertising budget into paid posts for crappy movies lol.
Lesson learned, dont believe the rating. Trust an old fashioned review from a real person haha.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Shhh, Quiet...lets remake part 1
2.3 ⭐
Director/writer Michael Sarnoski and John Krasinksi's film kicks off as we all would imagine a prequel would go. High action and suspense. That quickly dissipates as the story chooses to follow, yet again, a couple of individuals evading blind aliens.
As you could imagine, its just part 1 but instead of heart pumping moments (giving birth while trying to stay quiet), the director chose an emotional route which I found odd given the last 2 films.
Ignoring the artsy metaphorical attempt, I didnt like the idea we were watching another version of part 1. There wasnt really any answers given in what a prequel was meant to be in the first place.
I unfortunately paid for this and i wouldnt suggest anyone do so. Stream worthy at best.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Did we just get media swindled?
Wanted to give this film a go given it was A24, produced by Emma Stone and the crazy media hype.
Its obvious the film is very indy. Heavy dialogue, slow pace, simple sets...etc etc. What got me reaching for the remote to shut this off was the pace. Incredibly slow. Each scene was bland and didnt really establish anything with substance to support the story. Dialogue was equivalent to watching paint dry. Characters were uninteresting and lacked chemistry.
The only aspect of this film I give credit to is the DoP. Color grading and shots were on point.
Moral of the story, dont EVER believe the hype. Now i gotta figure out how i can get my precious minutes back from watching this.
Atlas (2024)
Jennifer Lopez is just hard to watch.
3.8 ⭐
When this film was written you could tell the approach they were going for...incite as much emotion/connection to the audience. It wasn't subtle and it showed...a bit too much. Its a delicate area only a few directors can do elegantly.
Jennifer Lopez' character was just hard to bear/watch. The story was decent, writing could have been better. Production quality felt as if they had a decent amount of budget but was lead by a inexperienced B team filled with cheap sets and poor VFX.
Overall at least it was free. Wouldnt be going out of my way to watch someone that steals content from others to boost their own careers anyway. Yea shes a fraud...but i was also bored.
All in all...if you have ABSOLUTELY nothing to watch...guess this will fill it in.
Fallout (2024)
Fun with a splash of mystery!
9 ⭐
What a fun series! Its really tough to make game adaptations but Jonathan Nolan, along with others, did a masterful job. Production and cinematography were all top notch. But what stood out the most for me was the casting and writing. Felt the cast really embodied the writing and understood where each character was coming from... especially walter goggins. I've always like him in westerns but he really stood out and did a superb job.
I wish it was bit more PG-13ish (taking out the sexual content, wasnt needed anyway) just so i could watch this with my kids. Other than that...
Cant wait for season 2!
Civil War (2024)
What a waste. Id rather watch water get wet.
What a waste of an great idea. This film is absolutely not what you thought it was gonna be. Surprisingly Garland chose to wrap the story around 4 journalist in a "war" rather than what we all wanted to see... civil war. This film is incredibly slow and slightly picks up towards the end. The casting was decent but youd think, at the very least, the action would be top notch especially for a film called civil war.
Could have been 100x better. Garland probably didnt spend too much time on this at all. Cant wait until other great directors pick this up. Someone please call @RIDLEYSCOTT asap and get this pushed through.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Guess that huge contract with GoT showrunners didnt pan out lol
3.9 ⭐
Pretty interesting start to the show but that quickly takes a turn towards the middle. I just cant wrap my head around how idiotic the series gets with the most questionable scenes using the smartest human beings on the planet and created by DB Weiss, David Benioff and others. Its like the GoT finale all over again...fail.
Using nanofibers to destroy a ship or sending a human to meet aliens are a few examples of just how small minded these writers are. Youd think if you were writing a series you would do some research. Talk to the greatest minds out there and figure out some real world solutions instead of coming up with some kids way of making drama.
Besides that the actors did fine, production value was there and cinematography on point.
This show fell short...i wouldnt recommend watching this.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Director Denis Villeneuve is on another level.
9⭐
Every movie Denis Villeneuve directs is just captivating. His direction allows his team to create and capture such incredible moments.
This whole film was well thought from casting, color grading, production sets, cinematography, sound l...down all the way to costume designs.
I thought it be pretty slow like Dune 1 but the whole 2 hours and 45 mins i was left intrigued and wanting to know more. Hats off to Denis as he also cowrote the screenplay with John Spaihts.
As an avid film student thats watched over 2000 films, this is surely a rewatch and one you'll see grabbing the podiums next year.
Thanks for a great sunday night!
Mea Culpa (2024)
When you gamble and your stock goes down.
Directed, written and produced by Tyler Perry. Ive never watched anything by Tyler Perry but i now know i wont ever again. It just shows that theres so much good talented directors out there that just dont have the opportunities and resources that Perry has and squanders. Almost any director is better than he is especially indy.
This whole production just screams 80's. From the crappy sets, cheesy acting, camera choices, editing and horrible writing.
Usually self produced films (kelly rowland) just turn out bad because leading actors just cant see bigger picture. In this case, its evidently true.
Theres absolutely nothing good about this film.
DO NOT WATCH...
The Beekeeper (2024)
Unoriginal, copy n paste, horrible casting...what youd expect from C rated production.
2 ⭐
Absolutely shameful from David Ayer and a who i dont care to search of a writer. A complete garbage film with their twist of unoriginality coupled with a weak story filled with copy n paste and cheesy actors they found on Skid Row.
Disregarding the fact they couldn't come up with anything on their own. This film is riddled with bad scenes to corny lines that should have been on the chopping block or on B roll. But that shows you exactly what this production was about. Smoking weed, finding a script near the bottom of the pile, getting some semi big names and praying they make money.
Hell, even the cameras they used were questionable.
This film was hard to watch and if you're new to the movie scene (your very first movie) this might slip and be alright. Itll set the bar for every other movie to be great.
TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution (2024)
Produced by a semi tabloid, clickbait company featuring one of the biggest frauds
Im a huge believer in UFO/UAP culture but when a semi tabloid starts off their series with Jeremy Corbell, it shows their lack of journalism efforts. Jeremy Corbell has been caught lying left and right. His "documentary" has been picked apart with 100% evidence.
(Jeremy Corbell apparently discovered a picture of an area 51 alien tech hand scanner using a simple Google search. Bob Lazar later confirms the picture but to our surprise, it's the same hand scanner found in the famous movie...close encounters of the third kind, as an example).
That alone makes me question Jeremy corbell's motives. Regardless if he's lying I must admit he has brought awareness to the topic.
The whole series does have reputable stories and encounters. Just don't watch or listen to anything Jeremy Corbell or Bob Lazar says.
Happy ufo hunting all.
Lift (2024)
How to look in a mirror without looking into a mirror.
It seems Director Gary Gray has lost his touch with recent flops like Fast 8, MiB 3 and now Lift.
A Hartbeat production (Kevin Hart), Lift is a film that reflects an overnight production with zero thought and Hollywood narcissism at its finest.
Im just sitting here imagining the writing process with Kevin Hart right next to him boosting his ego with ridiculous lines. I guess that's what happens when its your production company and you just wanna pat yourself on the back because no one else is gonna do it. Almost made me think he was trying to audition for a black James Bond haha. (Stay in your lane) haha
Setting aside the obvious self gloating...the film was short on the comedy side, production felt cheesy, acting was decent but script/storyline was nothing worth remembering. Pretty much the same result as Harts last years film with Mark Wahlberg, Me Time.
I wouldnt recommend this to anyone. A half done project aimed to prey on audiences using big names. A cash grab with no cinematic achievements.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)
After the first episode, dont watch anymore.
I can see why the first episode was chosen. But what follows is a complete failure to keep an audience engaged and interested. Most episodes you're just sitting there with no story pushed and wondering what the hell is happening. (Similar to Guerilmos Nughtmare Alley).
Other episodes you're left with the most boring characters ever written. Its absolutely mind-blowing that a writer has a whole world to imagine and they choose utterly the most boring situations ever.
Great attempt at a mini series but just lacking in almost all areas. Id never recommend this to anyone besides the first episode.
Barbarian (2022)
Living in the Twilight zone with these reviews from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes
Late review! -1⭐
For anyone thinking about watching this.... DONT. Dont rent, buy or free stream this.
I have officially given up on the horror genre.
Am i living in the Twilight Zone or were these paid reviews? 7/10 IMDb 92% on rotten tomatoes. Mind blowing this project had 16 producers that green lit this.
Almost every single horror genre director with exception to Ari Aster (hereditary) and a few others, sacrifices logic for pure stupidity resulting in the WORST films made in history. Its so unbelievable i have to believe there must be some hidden reason. It has to be taxes or money laundering. ITS the only thing that makes sense lol.
At any rate, this film is complete trash. How someone sat down and came up with even the dialogue for this script is beyond comprehension. Im surprised these lead actors took these roles...times are rough it seems. I imagine funding was non-existent given the entire film was shot on literally one location showing real production value lol.
Once again, i hope you saw this and i saved you the pain from this so called "horror" film.
The Killer (2023)
Incredibly slow, predictable and nothing out of the ordinary.
3.5 ⭐
I love Finchers work but this one was a bit off. This film had a typical revenge story with a lackluster ending. Fassbender lead the way only to discover the script limited his potential for a great performance. The whole film was just sitting and waiting for the peak to hit but it never does.
Cinematography was nothing out of the ordinary. Production was decent but it didnt seem difficult at all given how the film played out. Dont think any awards will be dished out for this one..
A watch and forget movie with no lasting impressions from the audience. Probably why Fincher chose Netflix. Its free to watch for a script he pulled from the middle rack.
I wouldnt recommend this film to anyone trying to save 2 hours of their night.
Talk to Me (2022)
What not to do in filmmaking...
Writers/Directors Danny and Michael Phillippou know exactly how to disconnect an audience to it's characters. Creating hate for the semi protagonist is not a smart approach and always leads no where.
The path these so called screenwriters chose was almost as if they wanted an audience to walk out based on the sheer stupidity these characters were forced to act. There were a million ways this could have been written to accomplish the same result.
Although Lead Actress, Sophie Wilde, did a decent job...her performance didnt gain any new following. Think Joffrey from GoT.
Im surprised A24 backed this but the production was good, acting was good (for what it was worth) and cinematography was ok. Will not be watching anything from Phillippou ever again.
Dont pay or even stream this...
No One Will Save You (2023)
Masterclass on on visual storytelling.
7.4 ⭐
It took me about 25 mins to realize this movie was possibly gonna have no dialogue. At first, as a screenwriter, i was a bit annoyed. Found myself giving the movie more and more time to develop and next thing i know...im pretty immersed.
What a refreshing display of visual storytelling. The ability to create tension with only motion pictures and sound is the very definition of movie making. Anyone who wants to be a screenwriter should definitely get a copy of this and see how writer/director Brian Duffield breaks this down.
Lead actress, Kaitlyn Dever, puts on quite a show. Looking forward to seeing her in the future.
Great production and cinematography..hats off to the crew.
Definitely a rewatch down the road!
The Creator (2023)
Cinematography saved this film from a horrific storyline and cast
4.8 ⭐
Absolutely stunning work from director Gareth Edwards and cinematographer Oren Soffer. Shot on a Sony FX3 and on location. Impressive. From color grades, shots and VFX...all top notch. A visual spectacle.
Although Gareth Edwards pulls through visually, he fails miserably on the storyline. The amount of times my party sat there and looked at each other saying "wait, what? Why?" was too much to count. Things didnt add up and begs the audience to question many things. As if Edwards was just trying to get to an ending rather than build the story. Creating that tension or closeness between ai and humans was lacking.
John Washington's mono tone, emotionless acting contributed to that disconnect. The exact "read off the script" acting we saw in Tenet. How he got this role is mind blowing and nepotism at its finest. His performance was only saved by child actor Madeleine Voyles, who was great. Few other questionable casting decisions, you'll see if you choose to not wait for the stream (the soccer mom playing a ruthless captain)
All in all, this film was entertaining at the very least. Could have been awesome as i love how rogue one was done and im not a star wars fanatic.
Worth the ticket? Eh yea not bad but definitely not a rewatch. Oh and ill never watch anything with John Washington again lol.
Nefarious (2023)
Cliche writing followed by an amateur production and acting
This movie starts off with a obvious indy feel. Bad camera choices and literally one set location was the result of an obvious budget issue. Cinematography was a let down and the performance by Sean Patrick Flannery seemed as if he was trying too hard. Old acting in a different era i suppose.
The cliche ideas of heaven and hell make me wonder how these writers still get gigs. Zero imagination
No wonder why studios dont pay them. If you're gonna write the script with literally one set...have a good ACTOR with GREAT dialogue. Aaron Sorkin, DB Weiss even David Goyer to name a few can create more tension in these scenes.
Sean Patrick Flannery interpretation of a demon was so bad. It almost felt like he watched Primal Fear with Edward Norton to grasp the idea of "acting"
In 2023 production quality is usually pretty good given the technology is so easily obtained. But this was just horrible. Looks like they got a 2019 dslr, slapped a lens on it and called action. The editor had an easy job thats for sure.
I actually paid for this and felt i got cheated. This is an over all bad movie from script to scene.
DO NOT PAY, DO NOT WATCH.
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
For the easily amused, unintelligent viewer
This movies for you if you're easily distracted by almost anything.
Script writer's for this movie sure know how to dumb things down with their so called creativity. How these guys make a living writing this junk is mind blowing to me. Any teenage writer would have a better imagination.
Acting was just horrendous. Acting didnt match most of the scripts tone in multiple scenes.
Production and cinematography was decent.
These chinese production companies really have to stop trying to cross over into the american market with their "rules" and old cinema (look it up if you dont get that). Its quite embarrassing and im chinese. The chinese just cant do big budget movies.
Do not watch, dont spend a dime. Wait for this to be free on TNT or IDGAS network.
This movie is the result of the wrong people having a big budget in the wrong industry. But if you love movies, this gives you hope that one day no matter how bad you are...you can be a writer, actor or director.