tkarlmann's reviews

I recall seeing this film IN 1959 -- in an actual theater. Every half-decade or so, I rewatch it, even though I have the DVD. I think THIS film is James Stewart's best role/performance ever. I simply cannot fault any part of the film.

Oh, sure, youngsters can quibble about J. Edgar, and peruse his personal failings as a human being, but that's true about ALL of us, save for One Man -- He lived about 2,025 years ago -- perhaps you've heard of Him?

In 1959, I felt so strongly about this film that wanted to become an FBI Agent myself and this strong feeling lasted for decades. Life took me in another direction, but even today I am still moved by this film!

If you watch closely, you will see many parallels with our present FBI, and the efforts of Kash Patel to clean the FBI up, and just plain do good work.

Watch the film.

Did the cretons who made this film think, in their wildest dreams, that the Thunderbolts were going to replace The Avengers? Are you serious?

The Thunderbolts are what you get when you start with a wonderful concept like The Avengers and then spend too much time on Tik-Tok while taking brain-numbing drugs!

We need an Alternate TimeLine here. Let the druggy Tik-Tok-ers have their Thunderbolts; but bring back The Avengers. OK, Robert Downey Jr. Has said he "won't come back to the MCU" -- and that is a tremendous loss for everyone.

Yes, I tried to watch him in "Oppenheimer" and could not finish the film -- it was too boring.

So, we get rid of that STUPID "Thanos" and re-start The Avengers!!!! Without "Fat-Thor", with a somewhat dimwitted but GREEN "Hulk" who just wants to smash, and a CA that does NOT go back in time to play with his Girlfriend.

Why not USE a formula that has worked in the Comic Books for Decades???

I wish no ill on the Thunderbolt actors -- they did a fine job -- but the mix just does not work for me. I grew up in the 1970's reveling in each new "Avengers" issue!

"The Avengers" outclass "The Thunderbolts" in every conceivable way; there is NO WAY that these are the "New Avengers"! Just look at your ticket sales to confirm this.

Yes, it was incredible to see all those stars again -- many in their prime. However, the thing that caught my attention was the incredible detail about everything in the film -- from the picnic attaché to the fabulous gowns, and the dancing numbers and singing numbers.

I'm retired, and when I watch 'newer' films, they typically bore me. In the newer films, it always seems to be nighttime. The dialog is mumbled so as to make much of it unintelligible. Then there are sooooo many flashbacks that it's too much work to straighten everything out.

In this film, they seem to have embraced Thomas Edison's new-fangled invention called "The Light Bulb", as everything is bright -- so you can actually SEE what is going on!

This film took me back there -- my parents' generation. I thought the singing and dancing were impeccable, regardless of the poofy elites here who like to trash this fine film!

Just think ... in addition to fighting the Germans and the Japanese -- converting virtually the entire U. S. into Wartime efforts, this "Great Generation" still had time to make this fine film! I think that is simply incredible!

Oh, and Betty Grable was pregnant during or around the time this film was made! I've also read somewhere that Ms. Grable was pregnant when that iconic "pin-up" photo was taken -- and her pose was from the back to hide a baby bump.

Incredible performances by all! Don't believe the nay-sayers -- this is a fine film!

I'm not going into what the director did before, how this piqued an actor's portfolio, bla, bla, bla or any of that movie-nonsense. Go read other reviews that are filled with that!

What I care about is the STORY! I'm not even going to say "what if". I'm saying that this film is a sneaky way to tell us all what really happened. Did we ever really go to the Moon. I don't think so; but lots of people do.

Go review what's on YT currently.

1) Why are there no stars in the "Moon photos"?

2) Why do shadows appear to converge?

3) Why is ALL the footage you've ever seen is a 3rd-generation copy of someone pointing their video camera at a TV screen?

4) Why was there no evidence to any Moon-dust thrown around under the 'Lunar Lander'?

5) How were the astronauts protected from the Van-Allen radiation belt?

6) So, NASA now claims they "lost" the tapes and the recipe of how to do Moon Landings.

I'll stop here -- go do your own research and decide for yourself if we ever really went to the Moon!

Starting out, this pretty young woman is driving along ... and we have no idea what is going to happen -- let alone high-stakes pool playing.

Playing pool myself, I've been hooked on films about pool since The Great One (Jackie Gleason's "The Husler".

The setting could not be better -- as I think the Location used to be one of those old Southern Mansions from Pre-Civil War days, but that is my own conjecture -- I had a chance to visit one once.

Kim Coates is one of the best 'Bad Guys' around -- and he really does a good job here! Lily Simons just keeps getting prettier and prettier as the film goes along. The first time I saw Mr. Coates was in "The Last Boy Scout" with an incredible performance; he just keeps getting better doing his excellent character!!!

There is a dark theme here too -- be forewarned!

Thid film has some things that for the most part are becoming lost today -- this film has heart! The film is written and directed by the same guy -- supposedly, at least partly, reflected by his own life experience. The film has a 'cozy' feel to it. I think it was done on a smaller scale with none of that fake, computer-generated nonsense. Each major actor/actress had their own stand-in and their own double -- the way films used to be made. Great work by ALL!

I highly recommend this film!

I read the "Featured Review" and had a very similar reaction. All of the pageantry, spectacle, puts you right back to Roman Times. Fantastic Sets!!!!

Upon my second viewing, I now have an extremely FAVORABLE reaction to this film!

All of the snippets that paired with the original film are greatly appreciated!

I guess, according to history, there were actually TWO Emperors, and BOTH appeared complete idiots.

This time, I followed this new story, and found it almost better than the original! I wholeheartedly advise you to see this film; and if you were too busy playing with your cutie to follow the storyline, then view it a second time!! . I was completely satisfied.

Some films are so well done, that they just simply take you into their world. This happened to me with this film!

Those sets are so well done, that I felt I was right back in the Middle Ages. Only problem was, they didn't put any caulk between the logs, and they never seemed to be cold. Other than that, I kind of wanted to live in the small village they created! A+ for the hard-working people who created all those sets!

The characters seemed totally believable; and their costumes also rate Top Honors!

The story not only kept me in suspense but was engaging as well.

Mixing The Fairy Tale in with a Wherewolf theme was genius.

Get your popcorn and get ready to thoroughly enjoy a VERY well-done film!!

You take an entire Series of excellent Marvel Universe Films (a Single Iron Man film earns the studio $1B), plus all the decades of "comic books", mash them all together, hose them down, then pass them through a leaf shredder; then write a script from that mess that only "Gen Z" (and maybe a very few 5th-graders) can make sense of; then pass this through movie theaters and call it entertainment? Really? ... NOT!!!!

Marvel itself spent the last few years killing off nearly all of the Original Avengers and X-Men because they wanted to be 'stylish' -- and we end up with this tripe!

They killed Iron Man. His movies merely earned the Studio billions.

They kind-of turned Thor into a fatso with a beer belly, then into a girl.

Then they took the Hulk from a raging unstoppable wrecking crew, and turned him into an effeminate combination of The Hulk & Dr. Banner.

They killed off Captain America by turning him into an old man. Then all of a sudden Cap passes his Shield to another guy -- as if that's where his power came from!

Then they killed off Scarlett Johansen completely to the consternation of every girlwatcher out there. Those guys need to await Gal Godot's next Wonder Woman film!

So, the Studios, collectively, take all of their really big-buck earners, and just kill them all off -- really smart idea, there, Studio-Guys! Did you all flunk grade school too?

Although, it's a different story if the actors no longer wanted to play those parts. I heard Ms. Johanson say: (after some on-set horseply) "See, this is what it's like working with these guys for 12 years!".

But then we're left with films like this? Really? This is all you've got? Studio guys need to all be fired, then have them try to sell peanuts or pencils on the street.

I gave the film five stars mostly for Hugh Jackman's performance.

I have been extremely fond of ABBA since I first heard their music -- in the 1970's on the radio! I must have reacted really emotionally to the radio broadcast, because my girlfriend at the time asked me: "Do you know them?". My feelings toward ABBA lasted way longer than the developing toxic relationship with this girl -- (She said she was a former stripper and had a child of 2 out of wedlock at the time.) Perhaps you get the idea.

Anyway: ABBA: This film tied together the bits and pieces of their lives and careers I'd gleaned over the years; but this film put everything into proper perspective and chronological order! I found the film to be very honest about four people who simply poured everything they had into their careers, families, and their live touring. I may be inaccurate here, but where else can you find 4 people with successful music careers of their own, who came together, got married (Boy-girl, boy-girl) some had children, got divorced -- all the while maintaining a world-renowned musical career that lasted about 7+ years? I don't know of any other. As a bonus, the girls were/are world-class gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!

BTW: Agnetha's (the blonde) vocal range is B2 to E7! For music folks that should mean a lot! There was an Olivia Newton John show where Agnetha even sang, briefly with the fabulous falsetto voice of Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, and you can hear Agnetha had to lower her soprano voice to match Barry's own incredible voice! Yes, folks, she's not just beautiful, but extremely vocally gifted as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film; both emotionally, and as a documentary. I encourage you to see this film, perhaps even if you are too young to have ever heard of ABBA! You MUST have heard at least "Dancing Queen" -- in now even plays in supermarkets as background music.

I was moved by thus film. I have always liked Bob Cummings and films about Angels. ANY film that can make me tear up, even slightly, deserves a Very Good review!

What do you think we need in this world, today? More films about drugs, wars, Satan-worshippers, crooked get-rich-quick Politicians; or more films about Angels? Honestly, the proverbial 'pendulum' has swung so far "to the left", that I'm not certain it will come back. Maybe it needs a bit of a nudge, eh?

Well, perhaps we can start by urging a new generation to watch this film, as a start.

Marjorie Reynolds has never looked lovelier than in this film, IMHO. Bob Cummings plays his part so softly, that you would hardly even notice he's there -- kind of like an Angel.

What the hey, spend ~2hrs, watch this film, get your own heart in just a bit better place, and perhaps we can nudge that Pendulum!

This film's substance and heart MORE than makes up for any shortcomings some may see in this film!

What would you do when/if the lights went out and then some armed "UN Forces" came knocking on your door -- telling you that your President has declared Martial Law, to surrender ALL weapons, and that these "UN Forces" took precedence and all authority over our Constitution?

We need to have an answer here, People!!!!!!!

In the film, a small, community-based group, chose to fight.

Considering the abhorrent state our 'Government' is in right now: an absolutely & utterly incompetent President; compromised Military 'leaders' who read "The Communist Manifesto" in their spare time, while other(s) of the highest rank, males, go around in dresses; no existing Southern Border; no oil; stupidity seems to be everywhere in Bureaucrats and bug-eatin' Democrats; compromised Communist professors in our Colleges & Universities, etc. Etc.

What this film puts in short-form action-film style, is already happening -- and you can see this for yourself IF you are smart enough to go beyond watching Main-Stream Media News!

The newest wrinkle is that while we are certainly being invaded; the invaders come without any guns -- then they expect U. S. Citizens to pay them to stay! Our Government gives them money, food, clothing, shelter, cell phones and more. Who voted for this nonsense?

Want to know more about this film? I have news for you -- we are all living it, right now! There is no other rating for this film other than a perfect "10".

This film represents the complete absurdity of War, in general, and with all the technological 'superiority' we in the US pretends to have -- even deepens the absurdity.

The acting is great, the production of the film is great, January Jones remains extremely attractive, bla, bla, bla.

The point that I got from this film is how ridiculous all this, 'war' stuff is. If that was the goal of the film-makers, then they 100% succeeded. If their goal was to entertain me, then that number, even with January Jones in it, plummets to 0%.

In my mind, I also saw the guys making all these $$$Expensive$$$ missiles, wringing their greedy hands with glee -- every time an $85,000 missile was 'used'.

God, I wish I had spent the time watching this film doing _anything_ else! This film shows the extreme mental anguish of War, without showing ang of the red stuff. I also feel, right now, like, I'd like to join a War-Protest rally somewhere. This film is NOT fun; nor is it 'entertainment'.