mikecart1's reviews

Say what you want about Man of Steel, but that was the last great Superman movie... until now. This is a movie that knows its audience. Enough of the retelling of the same story. There is enough story line, plot, and action to satisfy hardcore fans of the comic and casual fans that just want something that won't bore them to death. First, this was a great casting for Superman. Reminds me of the unknown Reeves from almost 5 decades ago. Second, the suit fits and is logical. No more ridiculous suits that make no sense given what and who Superman is. Third, some of his greatest powers are showcased here. Enough of downplaying his absolute strengths. Superman is one of the greatest powers in the DC universe and it is on display in this movie. Fourth, the surrounding cast makes sense and the villain in this is a fair one to challenge Superman. Fifth, there is a lot of hidden plot points in this movie. I watched it IMAX to nearly sold out auditorium and clapping occurred multiple times. Well done! Well done!

If you loved the original, you are most likely going to have issues with this movie. If you didn't like the original, you might as well skip on this one. The movie is all over the place. Given that it's the same director as the original, it makes me wonder if something went wrong with the writing and plot and overall cinematography. The movie just doesn't work. You got characters doing dumb things and that is a terrible plot device. You have this society that is decades from the outbreak, but there isn't enough background to make you care about these characters. On top of that, the only likeable character has very little screentime. The entire plot centers around an idea that makes absolutely no sense given how careful everyone is supposed to be and all the 'lessons learned' of the past 20-30 years. Another thing missing is the soundtrack that made the original feel epic and almost a documentary. Lastly, there is an unnecessarily large amount of nudity in this one. Overall, I don't see the purpose of this movie other than it sort of goes with the theme of the movie titles. Average at best. Zero replay value.

Going to keep this short. While I loved John Wick 1-4, all for different reasons, this one was just one word: boring and repetitive. I am not sure what they were trying to do with this movie. First, there was a weak and very predictable storyline to this movie. Second, the main character just isn't as believable or has the charisma as Keanu / John Wick. There is no 'it' factor. I fell asleep multiple times in this movie whereas in John Wick 4, at almost 3 hours, I was on the edge of my seat refusing to go to the bathroom. Third, there is something about the lighting of many of the fight scenes. They just don't pop. They don't give you the ooh factor. They just seem redundant as if they ran out of ideas. Lastly, this just feels like they are going to run this franchise into the ground. Keanu might actually be portraying himself in real life if he keeps signing onto these movies. He just can't get out if you know what I mean.

Where do I start? First, the trailers don't come close to representing what this movie actually is. From the trailers, did you know it was half musical? Yes, half of a Joker movie is a musical. Second, it seems like something went off the tracks during production. Either the director got mad, Lady Gaga got mad, or the studio got mad. Nothing makes sense. Nothing gets resolved. The script is all over the place. Third, this movie adds nothing to the original Joker. It is as if everyone wanted to see how to absolutely ruin this Joker franchise and did so with flying colors. Fourth, what was the point of this movie? More questions. Zero answers. The story is just confusing, boring, and put people to sleep at my showing. Fifth, the ending pushed this to a 1 for me. I had it at around a 5/10 until the last 10 minutes. Only see this movie if you got extra money to waste and want to be disappointed beyond your wildest dreams.

It really comes down to what you prefer. If you loved the original, the cinematography, the acting, the plot, the overall movie, and if you even have it on DVD or if it's in your Top list of all time, you will absolutely hate this movie. In terms of what is more accurate to the comics is debatable. And if that is all that counts, then dozens of other movies that match the original book or comic will have far better ratings. So what is the issue with this movie?

First, what in the world with the background story? The background took too long and didn't add a whole lot in respecting either main character. In the original, these were characters we cared for that were murdered and wronged badly. In this one, not so much. Second, the villain is way different and makes zero sense. Third, the crow doesn't seem to come into play at all except to fly around the sky in various scenes - probably from CGI and not even actual birds. Fourth, the story line and plot are completely confusing. How did they mess this movie up so bad?

In terms of positives, Bill positively is too good for this type of movie. Without him, this movie would have gone straight to streaming. Watch only if you got nothing else to do.

As a prequel, this movie certainly doesn't give any minimum level of backstory needed to be called one. It might as well have been called A Quiet Place Part 3. The movie is ok in theaters, but not sure I'd ever waste 2 hours watching this at home. The plot is weak and empty and adds nothing to the original classic or the sequel. The entire premise is predictable and seems to be taken from other movies in the past. The acting is fine, but you still have the annoying dumb characters that don't really add to the movie. One example is the countless attacks by people in the movie that can't stay quiet after seeing what happens when you make noise. It's just weak plot filler. Additionally, the overarching plot in this movie is unnecessary. I came in the movie expecting to find out some origin story. They could have had a news broadcast running in the background describing what is happening, powers, weaknesses, where these creatures came from, etc., but they had nothing. You somewhat hear a few announcements when it all starts, but the rest of the movie is no different and no better than the previous 2 movies. Overall, a huge disappointment.

If you take all the sci-fi movies related to outer space from Apollo 13 to Gravity to Interstellar and all the ones in between about aliens, monsters, and mysterious forces, this movie is easily the worst I've seen in my life. There are so many structural issues with this movie it is hard to know what went wrong. The plot is all over the place and no where in place. What is the audience supposed to care about? What are we watching? You have some mysterious situation on Earth while you have these 6 people on the I. S. S. Going bonkers for no apparent reason. Is it AI? Is it real? What is going on?

Then you have the terrible acting by everyone in the movie. Now that's an accomplishment. I didn't like any of the characters. They all went insane at certain points and were all normal at other points. You then have certain things occur that seem to go against basic physics and spatial dynamics.

Finally, you have an ending that just makes you glad it didn't last another hour. After watching this, you realize that you need to start with an actual plot first before just adding special effects and a cool spaceship. It's no mystery this movie bombed in the box office. Absolutely awful.

First, this is definitely not a movie to take your kids unless you want to explain the beach scene to them afterwards. Second, this movie is surprisingly very entertaining from start to finish. The cast is done well. Matthew Broderick might be a slight miscast because he looks old and creepy, but that may have been intentional. The story seems cliche, but it keeps you wanting to find out how the movie ends. The plot seemed to be a combination of several past movies including The Girl Next Door.

As for Jennifer Lawrence, she seems to be good/great at nearly every movie she plays. Being part Producer in this movie probably helped her negotiate her $25M salary for the movie with a total budget of nearly $45M. With no special effects, it seems like a lot of the budget was to pay the cast as I don't remember much promotion for the movie in theaters.

Overall, the movie is a great watch for movie night at home and very funny from start to finish. Even with the nudity, it was still funny and didn't push the Rated R rating.

I saw the trailer to this movie a few times in theaters, but never got around to seeing it in theaters. I ended up seeing it on a streaming platform.

First, the movie is extremely original. It was so original, it was bizarre and leaves you wanting to see the next scene to try to understand what you are watching. This is rare in today's movie environment where everything is based on comics, remakes, sequels, prequels, new interpretations, or straight up copying a previous movie. There are literally no other movies like this movie and I've seen potentially thousands in my lifetime.

Cage hits the mark and I can't see another actor being able to play this character in the movie. The plot itself is so bizarre and strange, but also makes you think. The first half of the movie is probably one of the best first halves I've seen in years.

However, the second half, and whatever climax occurs somewhat misses big time and not sure if the writer or director just lost direction at what they wanted to reveal or tell the audience. The ending leaves you with a lot of interpretation and the movie goes from a comedy to a dark tragedy of depression. There are a lot of themes that echo today's society which makes the movie hit close to home.

A definite must-see if you get a chance or want to watch something totally out of the box.

I had intended to watch this movie in theaters, but there were too many other movies I chose to pay for in theaters and missed out. It may have been good I did. I finally saw this on a streaming service and I was blown away. First, I usually run my sound system at level 20. I thought my ears were messed up and turned it to 25 and still heard very little. I had no idea this movie has nearly no dialogue. While movies have been able to pull this off for effect and purpose, I don't see why no other character in the movie could say anything. Lots of texting and sign language. I guess John Woo was challenged to direct a movie with no actual dialogue.

Second, this movie, while cliche to the max, could have been way more entertaining. Everyone loves a revenge / payback movie. However, this was a complete mess. The storytelling was all over the place, and without anyone actually talking, you, the viewer are left trying to learn how to read body language and texts. Third, this is a huge drop off for both Kinnaman who I loved in Altered Carbon Season 1 - IMO, the best single season in Sci-Fi TV history, and John Woo who directed Face / Off.

Lastly, the ending of this movie was more of a comedy than anything. I really don't know if John Woo was trolling the studio for the ending or what. The action scenes were ok, but the rest of the movie was a complete mess. The only positive is it's only around 100 minutes so you can watch in one sitting.

It's still official. The original Willy Wonka stands atop the throne of best movie of the franchise - and it isn't even close. You Tim Burton's version where Depp played a version so out there and so beyond whatever Gene's character was intended to be. Now you have a prequel where you learn how it all began - or at least how some of it began.

Without going into this take too much, first, the acting is great. The songs are catchy as expected and the scenes are well thought out. However, this is yet another prequel or origin story this year for a franchise that seems to not want to really get into how it started for whatever reason. Similar to Napolean, you are left without a lot of explanation and just dive right into the story of Wonka. Yes there are a few flashbacks to his childhood, but there could have been a lot more.

The side stories are well-done but I can see how they can offend some movie goers because of casting choices. Nevertheless, the movie is a much better take than Depp's version, but nothing near to Gene's. It may just be the point where Gene set the bar so high and the original movie was too perfect to have any sequel or prequel come close or worthy to be in the same class.

Worth seeing in theaters if you are a fan.

According to most sources, this is the 40th movie to feature the famous Godzilla. I have seen a few, but never was a big fan because it gets tiring trying to ignore all the plot holes in many of these movies. However, this might be the best Godzilla yet, and it really isn't even close.

The hype is real. I went to see this and had seen maybe one trailer about it weeks ago, and had overall low expectations.

First, the movie's cinematography is nearly perfect. The movie is shot in colors and in a way that makes it feel historic and based on facts aka a documentary. While you say this is ridiculous, you really need to see how it is filmed to understand. Second, the storytelling leaves you wanting more and anticipating every next scene. It's really done well and the subtitles don't leave you missing the action. Third, this is a really perfect way to go about the background of Godzilla without going overboard. The movie is linked to WWII and the acting, side stories, and action really make it a complete and nearly perfect film.

IMO, one of the best movies of 2023 and I've seen many. And, this is coming from a non-Godzilla fan.

Finally got the see if the hype was real with Phoenix and Napolean. First, the movie's pace is good. Despite being another longer than average movie, it didn't feel slow like "... Flower Moon". While the battles are great, the acting is awesome as expected, the beginning and ending could have been improved big time. From reading other reviews on IMDB, there appears to be a 4 hour director's cut coming out probably on DVD. My issues are all over the place. First, there is no introduction or background or even a text screen describing the very first scene. You have something big happening, and then it occurs, and cuts to Napolean staring out in space. Second, the character of Napolean needed at least 5 minutes of explanation - even if made up - of his ambition to power. I would even accept him getting picked on during recess - even if all fiction. Seems like Ridley Scott, known for epic movies like American Gangster, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, and Alien, assumed the audience knew everything about Napoleon and all supporting characters at that time. No! Not me. Lastly, there needed to be some better explanation of the ending. Napoleon does all this stuff and then what? What was the point? One of the few movies where longer may have been better - or a lot better. Still recommend to see it for the battle scenes alone.

I had no intention of ever watching this movie. I was supposed to see Napolean, but due to issues with the area I was going to with traffic and excess police on a Black Friday, I missed Napolean and was allowed to see Thanksgiving instead as a compromise.

I had only see the trailers a few times, but had low expectations. Did we really need another horror movie this year? The answer is Yes.

The best way to describe this movie is how to take what the Scream franchise did and modernize it without blatantly copying the entire script. The opening segment of this movie is so insane and entertaining, I am not sure why more movies don't set up their stories like this.

The characters are very believable and the cast is picked correctly. While the plot might be extreme, there are enough pieces taken from modern society to make it feel real. The jump scares are there and you are left trying to find out who the killer is. The ending is satisfying.

Overall, a really well-done horror movie that actually has a believable and reasonable script that doesn't rely on super natural entities or unexplained background story lines. Well done!

I'm at home just minutes after watching the premiere at a sold out theater and there is just one word to describe the movie for me and the audience that stayed in their seats as the credits rolled - stunned. Without revealing spoilers, let's just say this isn't your cookie cutter Marvel Cinematic Universe film, and while it appears to be another "alien invasion" movie, there really is no movie like this one ever.

This movie knocks it out of the park as far as storytelling, soundtrack, acting, special effects, and an ending twist that just leaves you shocked, confused, amazed, stunned, or all of the above.

Amy Adams should get nominated for something and the movie script needs to be winning several awards this year.

I will say that you need to pay attention during the entire movie and have an open mind in trying to understand what is taking place. This isn't Independence Day where you can go use the restroom and come back and still see Will Smith kicking butt.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10/10 is because it doesn't quite have the replay value of other movies in this sci-fi/alien invasion category. However, it is still one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time - and I've seen a ton!

I had high expectations and had August 4th marked on my calendar for months. Also, I'm a big DC fan but also like Marvel too (especially X-Men). I like Margot Robbie and of course Will Smith. I went into a sold out auditorium of 150+ fans. I just ate Chipotle. I was excited. Despite RT reviews and word of mouth disappointment, I was READY! Zzz...Zzz...Zzz...

What happened? The movie started off OK, but the plot is absolutely terrible. Who approved of this script? It appears they spent more time and money on the trailers and the text color effects than actually developing a script that fans and casual fans would want to sit 2 hours through.

This movie is a complete mess. While the cast is decent, the character development isn't. While the soundtrack is decent, the dialogue wasn't. And what is up with the villain? Overall, this movie has too many unfamiliar characters within a far too short movie length, a confusing villain most DC fans don't even know much about, and stars that almost seem miscast. As a DC fan, I can only dream of what it could have been.

OK guys. Let's get one big thing out of the way! Arnold is old. Much older in fact than where this series all started. However, if you understand the character he plays, it actually makes sense given what he is and how the entire franchise has never went against this simple fact (true fans know what I'm talking about).

However, his age does make it somewhat more difficult during fight sequences, etc., but the Terminator never ran - at least the T-800 never did.

I guess the biggest problem fans have is that T1 and T2 were in a class by themselves. T2 is probably one of the top movies of all time - forget about limiting it to the sci-fi genre. The plots were complex and they had meaning. However, with the movies since T2, the time-line has gotten so warped, that it requires a lot of explaining and a lot of loopholes to ignore.

Genisys was far better than I expected given the poor ratings. Keep in mind guys that sci-fi movies generally don't get rated highly for numerous reasons. The movie made good use of addressing everything from Arnold's age to the whole time-line paradox. The action is awesome, Arnold is charismatic as ever, and the supporting cast do what they can to make the movie work.

Bottom line: it's no T2, but let's get serious. Is a T2 match even possible without James Cameron? See this movie if you are a big fan of the franchise and T3 wasn't as bad as everyone else said it was to you.

While the average movie goer groups Jurassic Park 1-4 all as dinosaur movies with lots of CGI and elaborate action scenes, I say no.

Jurassic Park 1, the legend behind the legend, was a masterpiece. What made it a masterpiece? It wasn't the dinosaurs boys and girls! It was the science. At the time I thought I was watching a documentary. The science made sense. It was explained in great detail. The idea behind the park made sense. Everything went together. The scenes were thought out. The soundtrack was epic.

Jurassic Park 2, more of the same that tried to just make money. The beginning of the end of this great franchise.

Jurassic Park 3, the worst movie of the 4 by far. The acting was cheesy. The wife of William H Macy's character was the dumbest person in the history of the movies. Just stupid! The movie was stupid. Everything was stupid.

This movie. It was better than 2 and 3 but no where near the excitement and awe of the first. That is what you get guys. Chris Pratt did what he could and the other characters played their parts. But the script just wasn't good. It wasn't deep and it wasn't original. It was victims doing stupid things and getting eaten. I mean CGI this CGI that. Can I really be that impressed? 7/10 Good job, good effort, but let this be the last!

Entourage is a you either love it or hate it type of show. The show caters to younger guys mostly because it depicts the dream of money, girls, alcohol, and partying. It is about friendship and bringing your closest friends for the wild ride. This is what negative critics don't get about the show or this movie. What they find as despicable is what fans find fascinating.

This movie lives up to the hype with a plot that matches the tone of the hit show. All the characters are back with tons of random cameo appearances. The plot itself isn't groundbreaking deep, but it is fresh given how many seasons the show Entourage was on HBO.

I will say that this is a movie that you really need to see the show to fully appreciate. There are many inside jokes that only true fans would understand like Drama's screening tryout to the small inside jokes the friends say to each other. This is what makes the movie for the fans and this is why it works.

Bottom line: Entourage the Movie doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't try to jump to another level of storytelling. It is what it is and if you like the show, you will love the movie. Like others have said, at my 9pm opening night showing, the place was packed and there was an applause at the end.

Take that for what it is worth!