Review Ready Player One

Those who know me know that I don’t get to the movie theater often. It’s usually one or two films a year, If I’m lucky. This one I’m glad I was able to see. It spoke to my inner geek.

Forget the 5 star ratings. I’m giving this baby a Nova… A Super Nova!
I can’t say much about the film without giving away spoilers. Suffice to say that the trailers, the commercials do not do it justice.

What I can and will say is this- one of the biggest complains of movie goers about CGI movies is that they suffer either in bad CGI and FX but awesome story line, script, acting etc OR awesome CGI and FX but crappy script, acting, etc. Usually it’s the second- sacrificing the bulk of the film for the CGI and FX.

I give you Ready Player One

Do not miss this film!

Why? Because you won’t find crappy here! Okay, sure, there’s a few corny lines, especially from one of the bad guys but for the quality and balance between script, CGI, and FX

AWESOME!!!! PHENOMENAL!!!!

This is the first film in a long time, years even, that I’m hoping it does well in the awards. If it does not- I’m not going to be a happy fan. Yup, I’m an instant fan. This film goes to the top of my must buy list.

A final note- this movie with touch your heart whether you’re a kid of today or of the 80s. It will definitely touch you if you’re a gamer.

One word of warning- be prepared for Mass-Effect of Pop Culture references.

Review- The Titan (2018)

These days I’ve been skeptical about the movies original to Netflix. Most of what I’ve found have been in foreign languages or out right Bad. That’s not the case with The Titan (2018). I found it to be enjoyable. It’s a good film.

The premise – On a bleak future Earth, a soldier endures a radical genetic transformation to save humanity. But his wife fears he’s becoming more creature than man.

While not groundbreaking in technology like Avatar, I still give this film 5 stars. The main reason is that there is a good mix of story, action, FX, CGI, good directing and cast.

It’s worth the time to spend 1:37 minutes.

This one goes on my ‘must buy list’ – when it comes out on DVD.

Netflix really should restore their 5-star rating system

Left Behind ( 2014 ver. )

Just watched the 2014 version of Left Behind. That’s about 2 hours I won’t get back. Thanks Cage for tarnishing the image I had.

Compelling- Yes. Suspenseful – Yes. Followed the book? No, it’s obvious that the writers ( and the people who made edits along the way) took creative license with the script – which is something I don’t like. I’m not alone in this. Fans of many books turned movies will rip and shred a film if it does not do justice to the book.

As for casting: Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele missed by a mile. He doesn’t have “the look” the books conjure in the imagination- at least not mine. I do consider myself a fan of Cage. For me though, he just doesn’t fit this part. The one casting score I thought was spot on was Hadie. The actress was perfect.

Some of the settings they depicted were out in Left Field. Chloe using a truck to clear the road was clever. The fuel tanker at the end of the road = classic Cage maneuver- and completely unnecessary- as was Chloe’s bridge scene- not the lines, but the setting.

Sadly, despite the big bucks spent to make the film- a lot of the scenes left me disappointed. The film over all was dismal. The original film was better. I hope that cast and crew continues and finishes the series.

One good thing- for the price of a movie ticket Netflix has unlimited monthly access. So, it’s not a loss to the budget.

The Glass House

IMDB Page

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

This should have been the promo line for this movie. I enjoyed “The Glass House” for the sheer drama. It may be a retelling of the classic story of deception, greed, murder, and jealousy. Add in 2 orphaned children and a pair of thugs who “just want their money back” to top things off.  I’ve seen several stories with this concept- and each one of them, while they have the same mix in the plot- the stories are still very different. In my opinion, this is one of the better portrayals of this story concept.

   

Jupiter Ascending

I saw this movie today. While the CGI and special affects are grand the story is a simple one. It’s based on the classic tales of greed and supremacy. If you like Sci-Fi with lots of explosions, awesome ships, cool CGI, and some interesting creatures then you’ll enjoy this one. Sadly they suffered the story line for these other aspects. This is a typical move though- rush the romance, tell the story by the characters explaining and spend the rest on awesome stunts, graphics and CGI.

Still, it’s a fun and enjoyable film.

It definitely makes my ‘DVD Buy List’