paul_m_haakonsen

Truth be told, I didn't have the biggest of expectations to this 2025 action comedy titled "Bride Hard". Why? Well, the movie's synopsis sounded very generic, but also I am not particular much a fan of Rebel Wilson. But since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, nor actually ever heard about, and had the chance to do so, of course I did.

And color me impressed. The movie turned out to be rather enjoyable. I was actually genuinely entertained throughout the course of the movie. Writers Shaina Steinberg and Cece Pleasants actually put together a nice script and storyline. Sure, it was somewhat generic, but it worked out well enough.

The acting performances in the movie were good, and I was actually surprised with what Rebel Wilson delivered, as I didn't figure should be able to carry an action comedy, but she did so with flying colors. So thumbs up for that. In addition to leading actress Rebel Wilson, there was one other familiar face on the cast list, and that was Stephen Dorff.

There is a good amount of action throughout the course of the movie, laced with good comedy situations. And that definitely helped carry the movie a great length.

If you enjoy action comedies, then I will say that "Bride Hard" is actually worth checking out.

My rating of director Simon West's 2025 movie "Bride Hard" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Needless to say that I was, of course, not familiar with this 1971 TV movie titled "Ransom for a Dead Man" prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2025. And since I hadn't already seen it, of course I opted to check it out.

The storyline in "Ransom for a Dead Man", as written by Dean Hargrove, Richard Levinson, William Link and Gene Thompson, was actually okay, though a bit on the boring side. There wasn't really a whole lot of anything interesting going on, which made for a bit of a tedious viewing experience.

There were a couple of familiar talents on the cast list, with the likes of Peter Falk, Lee Grant and Harold Gould. The acting performances in the movie were fair.

Hardly anything extraordinary here, unless you are a diehard fan of the "Columbo" TV series.

And it is definitely not something I will be returning to watch a second time.

My rating of director Richard Irving's 1971 TV movie "Ransom for a Dead Man" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

I was familiar with this movie, as I had seen the cover before, but never actually gotten around to watching it before. But as the opportunity presented itself here in 2025, as part of a mini-marathon of Charles Bronson movies, of course I opted to watch it.

Writers Jerrold Freedman and Steve Kline put together a script and storyline that essentially proves timeless, as it deals with issues that very much are abundant today, 45 years after the movie was released. And it was a nicely constructed and told story, which just made the movie all the more enjoyable to sit through.

The movie has a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Charles Bronson, Ed Harris, Bruno Kirby, Michael Lerner, Kenneth McMillan, Wilford Brimley and John Ashton. The acting performances in the movie were good.

While "Borderline" is not the best of Charles Bronson movies, it is still an enjoyable and watchable movie today.

Watchable, for sure, but "Borderline" is hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing.

My rating of director Jerrold Freedman's 1980 movie "Borderline" lands on a five out of ten stars.