benji-UCLA

IMDb member since March 2019
    Lifetime Total
    25+
    IMDb Member
    5 years

Reviews

How I Met Your Father
(2022)

It's okay.
People are hating on this and rating it a 0 before even giving it a fair chance. Sitcoms usually take a bit to find their footing. Was it great? No. But the pilot for HIMYM was awkward and stiff, and not well received at all when it first premiered. The cast of this show has potential. As of now it is a solid 5 or 6. These sites are so unreliable anymore because people are so petty 🤣

Your Honor
(2020)

Amazing
I'm not sure it's possible for Cranston to top his performance as Walter White....but this is about as close as he could possibly get. Your Honor is top of the line writing, direction and acting. The supporting cast is also phenomenal which seemed to make Cranston's performance that much more captivating. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Cranston....or just a fan of extremely well made and thought out television.

Power Book II: Ghost
(2020)

Not that bad
People judged this before even allowing it time to find its footing. This show is not the original power but there are still enough interesting characters that are worth watching. Stick with it past the first few episodes and give it a chance. I only rated this show a 10 to balance out the bad ratings but it's at least a solid 7.

Mulan
(2020)

Did a disservice to the film and to the original Mulan by using the name
Honestly the movie itself isn't a bad movie and probably would have a higher score if they didn't slap "Mulan" on it. This movie is just simply NOT Disney's Mulan. People who expected a live action remake of Mulan got something entirely different. This should have been a stand alone film with a different name for the title character. I recommend watching this as if it isn't supposed to be a "live action remake" because of you have that mentality you are going to be extremely disappointed.

Ratched
(2020)

Ryan Murphy....
I'm sure if this show had been released in a world with no AHS, or Hollywood, or any other Ryan Murphy show, it would be a huge hit. Sarah Paulson is amazing as usual, but honestly the series as a whole just feels tired and half baked... This "origin story" is basically AHS Asylum and Hollywood smashed together... I take that back- not "basically"- that's EXACTLY what this show is.. Ratched is an iconic character and she deserved so much better than this. Ryan needs to try something new instead of re using and dumping the same old played out Murphy sauce he lathers on to everything he touches. It literally doesn't even matter what the setting or plot is supposed to be about anymore....all of his shows end up looking and feeling exactly the same. I used to be a huge fan, but I'm over the exploitive, overtly sexual and overly stylized garbage he has been churning out as of late. If you are a fan of this character I would recommend just skipping whatever this is.

Teenage Bounty Hunters
(2020)

It gets better...
It took me a few episodes to really understand what exactly they were going for....it's extremely satirical and exaggerated but it's surprisingly well written. There is a lot of humor for people of any age, and the two leads (who were basically no names before this) do a surprisingly great job. Their chemistry feels very real and it helps keep the show grounded at points even with all the ridiculousness going on. The actress playing Sterling had such great comedic timing and overall was probably my favorite character....but the entire main cast were all well acted and likable...even April, the "antagonist", was HILARIOUS in her own way. Give it a few episodes to grow on you before you decide to write it off.

Capone
(2020)

😭
What a waste of such a great cast. I love Tom Hardy and Linda Cardellini.... but this movie was..... bad. It just dragged on and on and on it felt like NOTHING was actually happening. Don't waste your time...go watch Tom or Linda in one of their other acclaimed series or movies.

Ramy
(2019)

Are these people claiming this isn't "real" enough even muslim?
Some of the reviews are so frustrating. This is spot on with its portrayal of a Muslim family...with parents who immigrated here and children who were raised here....saying it isn't "Muslim" enough because the kids swear in front of their parents...I have always swore in front of my parents among other things that I think become more normal or common the longer we were here. After a while a lot of Muslim families in America kind of mash these new American normalcies with how a Muslim family might live who did NOT immigrate to America. This is spot on...the "Muslims" who decided this isn't real enough based on THEIR opinion and nothing else are so ignorant. This show is AMAZING!

The Invisible Man
(2020)

We've seen it all before...
This movie is essentially a Hollow Man Rip off...though, I must admit, the acting and the storyline of this movie was a huge improvement over Hollow Man. Even though this premise is hardly original, there are a lot of genuinely terrifying and suspenseful moments throughout the movie. I may not have been surprised....BUT I was super entertained. I absolutely recommend seeing it in a theater, as i believe the movie theater and surround sound setting helped with building suspense during a lot of the film.... Overall, because of the acting and the effective suspense building techniques, this film earns a solid 7.5 in my opinion. If there is nothing else playing that catches your eye at the cinema, you most likely won't be disappointed with seeing this film.

Tommy
(2020)

Bonus points are ONLY for Edie.
I love Edie Falco so much....The first 3 seasons of Nurse Jackie was some of my favorite television of the past few decades. This show has an interesting enough premise...it has the potential to be really good. It just feels like something is missing, and I have yet to figure out what that "something" is...im hoping this show will get through the growing pains and find its way because I HATE the thought of the show runners and CBS squandering their opportunity to work with a talent like Edie.

Watchmen
(2019)

Stick with it...it's worth it.
I loathed this series after the first episode or two...mainly because I'm a HUGE fan of the Watchmen, and I felt like the series was a huge step down from the motion picture adaption (and that adaption wasn't great, so you get an idea of how much I disliked this in the beginning)...as the season went on it seemed like the actors became more comfortable and it showed. They really began to grow into their roles. After the second episode on, the overall quality of the show improves....DRASTICALLY. If you gave up after the first episode or two, I recommend going back and watching the rest because the rest of the series in comparison with the beginning is like night and day. I was pleasantly surprised and my opinion of the series as a whole improved tremendously. I guess maybe it was just some growing pains with the beginning of the season? I don't know....but this actually ended up being a GREAT series, albeit with a very mediocre beginning.

The Witcher
(2019)

Did I watch the same show?
The production of The Witcher is pretty epic...it's obvious Netflix went all in on this, and it paid off as far as the cinematography is concerned.

The acting...meh...honestly my issue was not with the acting. I am a huge fan of this series so I kind of had an idea of what to expect (or at least I thought I did) but for some reason a lot of the material that was turned into a script for this series ..it just didn't work for me. There were a lot of "serious" or "intense" moments that just came across so corny to me, but I can't figure out WHY....it just isn't connecting for me.

I was expecting to love this series on a GOT level....instead, I am left feeling as puzzled as I was watching Westworld season 2 lol. Other people are seeming to enjoy it so far, so maybe it's just me...maybe I'll give the first few episodes a rewatch before continuing on... But as of right now, it just isn't drawing me in the way I expected it to.

I still recommend it, mainly because the cinematography, again, is BREATHTAKING....plus I am hardly arrogant enough to think that a series is no good just because I personally didn't care for it. Here is hoping something changes for me and I start enjoying it as much as everyone else here!

Soundtrack
(2019)

Better than some would lead you to believe.
So many complaints about the actors lip syncing instead of singing the songs themselves ...why? How is that so important that you are willing to write off the ENTIRE show? Yeah, they referred to this as a "musical" because of the dancing and theatrical elements...but it was never intended to be your standard sing-along musical- which is why it is APPROPRIATELY titled "Soundtrack"....I feel like most of you have had to have heard the phrase from someone at some point about a song or album being the "soundtrack to my life" ...

The feeling that you get when you are experiencing an extreme high filled with joy, or an extreme low filled with anger and/or sorrow, and you pop in your headphones to play a song from your playlist that you LOVE because it sums up your current emotions and experiences so completely and honestly....that feeling (at least for me) is like no other...it can feel so beautifully spiritual or so painfully surreal that it has, at times, brought me to tears. That is the power of music....the music that we love so much that holds a special place in our hearts because it feels so deeply personal. The music that we can't stop listening to, when we are in our feels, for so many more reasons other than just the catchy beat or hook..THAT feeling...THOSE emotions...that is what Soundtrack is about. It's putting on your favorite crush song after a new spark or connection give you butterflies ...it's going for a drive and blasting your favorite heartbreak anthem while you sing along and cry as you do your best to cope with your feelings and emotions...it's dancing with your new husband/wife/spouse at your wedding to the PERFECT love song to discribe your relationship, and feeling so emotionally attached to that song that even decades later you STILL can't help but smile or be brought to tears Everytime you hear it.

Look, the show is far from perfect, but it is also far from being a complete waste. The actors were okay, the story was solid, the music was still great and fit into the situations perfectly ...it's a solid 7.5 (the perfect ten is just to balance out the unjust 1 star votes) and I'm glad I sat through it. I would absolutely recommend it if you are a fan of relatable romcoms ... The descent music and fun dance breaks were just a delightful bonus for me. It gave the show some flavor and fun to break things up a bit. Give it at least 2-3 episodes and see if it works for you...don't write it off based on the jaded opinion of a few people who only watched the first 20 minutes because they didn't like that the actors were not actually singing. I feel like a lot of those people missed out on a new series some of them may have actually really enjoyed

Hustlers
(2019)

Haters dragging down the score
The current rating is a 6.6....I'd probably give it a 7. All these 1's and 2's are ridiculous. This movie may be hard to watch at times, but it is very REAL. And regardless of how you feel about JLo (she tends to be a pretty grating presence) she gave a solid performance of the role she played. Cardi may be "trash" but Cardi LIVED this life...love it or hate it, it IS authentic.

I will say I was super impressed with Constance Wu...I felt like she was completely out of her element and I wasn't sure how she would do. JLo is getting a ton of credit (and again, she was okay) but Wu stole the show for me. This role was so different than anything I've seen her in, but she was actually really believable. This movie is a GOOD movie as far as telling the story that was written with as much authenticity and believability as possible. It may be a type of movie that some people are not into and that's fine....some people may think it's "trashy" and in a lot of ways it is....but it is supposed to be. It's a movie about exotic dancers hustling people...what did you expect? Did you think the dancers IN A MOVIE CALLED "HUSTLERS" were gonna run away to Narnia or something? Give me a break. These people knew exactly what type of movie they were seeing (if they even saw it) and are bashing it because they don't like JLo or hate Cardi and her cameo.

It's a solid movie, and if you want to see this movie KNOWING THE TYPE OF MOVIE THIS IS, you will not be disappointed. I was genuinely entertained. IMDb is getting less and less reliable because of the way some people, who are completely biased, bash movies out of spite or without ever even seeing the movie...a lot of others who saw the movie and still rated it a 1 probably decided they were going to rate it a 1 before seeing the movie. Give it a chance and form your own opinion.

Charlie's Angels
(2019)

Really? Come on, people!
This movie is absolutely nowhere close to being a perfect 10...but it also isn't as bad as a 4.1...it's crazy how much the ratings on here differ from competitors... This having an even worse rating than the 50 shades movie is mind blowing to me.

Look, there are a few good laughs sprinkled throughout, enough great action scenes to balance out the corny ones and a couple good performances considering the script they were given. Kristen TheRobot Stewart was actually much more enjoyable than she usually is, and Naomi Scott is an adorable delight as usual.

This movie is a solid 6.5- I wouldn't recommend wasting money to see it in theaters, but I WOULD recommend giving it a watch once it is released elsewhere after its theatrical run.

Daybreak
(2019)

Fun!
I don't understand why people are being so hard on this show....but it is much better than the current rating. It's fun...a lot of violence and thrills and laughs...it never tries to be anything other than what it is. I loved it! It seems like EVERY show gets dragged down these days because IMDb is full of so many trolls. Give it a chance.

Batwoman
(2019)

Allow me to explain.
NO this show does not deserve a perfect score. It also does not deserve to be lambasted the way it has either. Honestly, I watched a few episodes, and it just isn't for me. I felt the same way about Supergirl, Arrow, Black Lightning etc....most super heroes shows just are not my thing (with the exception of Jessica Jones and Daredevil on Netflix)...but the Arrowverse shows do have a pretty solid and loyal fanbase- and rightfully so. Even though it isn't my cup of tea, there isn't anything too inherently WRONG with these shows either. The action is descent enough for a CW series...the acting is mediocre at best, but is far from terrible and is okay enough to connect to the target demographic for these shows...Batwoman's pilot and first few episodes certainly were NOT this much worse than the pilots and beginnings of these other shows. Honestly, people complaining about a shows over use of diversity and all around "wokeness" is a pretty terrible reason to completely write a show off.

Batwoman hasn't tried to be anything other than what it is- a sometimes cheesy melodrama sprinkled with action and the kind of acting skills you would see on any CW show from Dynasty to Riverdale, from Supergirl to the throwback classics Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill....every CW show somehow ends up having a similar feel to it regardless of what the show is actually about and it is entertaining enough for teens or young people in general to be invested in or enjoy.

I gave the show a 10 because hundreds of people who rated this show a 1 or 2 haven't watched more than the trailer. You don't have to LIKE this show, but that doesn't mean it's necessary to purposely drag the rating having never even given the show a chance to begin with.

If you are part of the demographic that enjoys the over-the-top melodrama of any other CW show along with the same level of action and fighting sequences as every other Arrowverse show, you will probably enjoy this as much as you enjoyed Supergirl or The Flash. I won't be following along any further, but I hope not too many of you would-be fans write this show off because of the trolls on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.

HONEST RATING..for me, the show falls between a 5 or 6/10...if you are an Arrowverse and CW fan, add a point or two to my rating.

Joker
(2019)

Believe the hype!
I was hesitant when I was going to see this because the IMDB score was so high that I honestly figured people (comic and Batman fans, DC fans, Joker fans etc..) were just rating it a 10 without seeing it. I can't remember the last time a movie has exceeded my expectations this much. In my personal opinion, this is now the best portrayal of the Joker in history....just barely edging out Heath. I honestly think Heath would be super proud!

I'm not going to get into any details, because you should most definitely experience this movie first hand...the acting, cinematography, production, writing/dialogue and story are all TOP NOTCH and it is most definitely Oscar worthy....In fact, i have a feeling this movie is going to sweep the Oscar's...it is THAT good!

I suggest seeing it while it is still playing in theaters, because the movie-going experience of seeing this on the big screen is second to none!

13 Reasons Why
(2017)

Season 1 is great 2 is horrible and 3....
I unfortunately agree with the majority on season 3...it is much better than season 2, and I think they did a much better job with the writing on season 3 vs season 2....but there were so...odd...additions to season 3. The Ani charachter is getting a lot of hate, and it's unfortunate because the actress playing her actually seems to have a bit of talent...the problem isn't the actress....it is just the charachter itself....the addition of Ani felt way too forced, and the way they tried to make her feel more inclusive in a short amount of time kind of felt like they were shoving her down our throats...and her charachter came across as nosey and somewhat irritating. I won't be rewatching season 3, but if you stuck around for the first two seasons, it's worth the watch atleast once...it kept my interest enough to allow me to atleast finish the season.

Animal Kingdom
(2016)

Still one of the best shows cable TV has to offer.
I have been with this show since the beginning, and as good as it was, I was worried it wasn't going to make it past the first season due to poor ratings...not enough people knew this show existed back then. It has managed to hang on, and year after year, buzz seems to grow a little bit each season and it seems to garnered a pretty loyal fan base. Season 1 set a bar that will probably never be met again, but all 4 seasons have been consistently strong and entertaining. If you enjoyed Sons of Anarchy or currently enjoy Mayans MC, you would probably love this show. The "family" dynamic is an actual family in this show versus a gang family, but the concept is still pretty similar... Family of criminals who support their lifestyle with their illegal activities....with family issues, infedelity issues, legal consequences and deaths of characters as consequences of their risky lifestyle along the way- similar to SoA. Strong acting, and descent writing have kept this show producing strong content even 40 episodes in now.... Give it a try... I definitely recommend it to new viewers.

The Lion King
(2019)

Very good live action despite all the trolls.
Listen...Disney is still creating and putting out NEW and ORIGINAL Disney movies with new Disney princesses and stories and heroes etc... People act like they abandoned new material entirely and that just isn't true. I personally love the live action remakes, and I'm super stoked that many more live action Disney movies are due out in the next few years. I find it so fascinating being able to watch these classic stories, that i loved as a child, coming to life in a much more realistic way...it's like watching that same movie that I grew up with....but with a fresh pair of eyes. Disney isn't hurting for money and just trying to do these live action remakes as some kind of cash grab....they are simply freshening up these timeless and great tales for a new generation of kids to fall in love with all over again. It really makes no sense for people to freak out and lose their minds the way they are....if you really are that turned off by live action remakes then don't watch them...you can still just enjoy the original....though, being so close minded may be depriving you of the opportunity to really enjoy that same magic you felt when you watched the originals as kids.

They did a terrific job with this. I found it to be just as funny and touching as I did the original decades ago. If you love the original, and keep an open mind, you will LOVE this....the cinematography in some of the shots really is magical. I definitely recommend this movie to others....tune out the noise and negativity and form your own opinion about the movie.

PS Naomi Scott may be the most beautiful princess I have ever seen!

Euphoria
(2019)

Personal feelings for this one will probably depend on your background/upbringing
It sucks to see so many people bashing this show as if it just flaunts nudity and drug use for no reason at all.. In reality, some form of what a lot of these kids are going through did take place where I lived. Not everyone is privileged enough to grow up in a gated community within the suburb of Yuppy Valley, USA. I completely understand if people don't care for this show, or have trouble relating to it...everyone is different -different strokes for different folks... For me, growing up in a high crime area ....seeing several of my friends fall into addiction before making my own way there as well.... Having MULTIPLE friends who, as an underage minor, were sexually assaulted or raped. Parental vision was almost non existent and we kids would grow up on our own running around town at all hours of the night...before eventually falling in with the"wrong" crowd and began learning the art of hustling among other illegal activities as a way and means to survive. We also had the few preppy jocks, and the creepy teachers and all that.... And they were just as cringey and awful as in this show.

Whether you like it or not....regardless of how "offended" you are, most of these stories are so accurate with so many kids growing up and I LOVE finally seeing a show about teens that come from hard times and do what they need to do or have been taught to do to survive... This resonated with me.so much more than any other show about teenagers... And I'm super appreciative.

Crawl
(2019)

Solid flick. Ignore the haters.
People seriously complain about everything these days....horror movies are not "realistic" enough...blah blah blah. It's a MOVIE! A FICTIONAL MOVIE! People were bashing this movie at my screening because "houses in Florida don't have basements." Really? So freaking dumb lol. For the record, though, it is a crawl space below the house that is still above ground and is indeed common in Florida. This movie takes the overused basic formula of racing against time to escape whatever situation the characters find themselves in before they die.....house in Florida...hurricane hits....extreme flooding and people are trapped with the water levels rising higher and higher...can they find help or find a way to escape before it's too late? That alone would be enough for a movie these days....it has been enough over and over again and has been done a million times before...so let's make it interesting and throw in some crazy aggressive ass alligators to spice things up- another Hollywood favorite, as far as themes are concerned....killer shark/dinasaur/gator/dog .... Combining the two themes certainly wasn't breaking any barriers but it was fast paced, creative and super fun to watch. The characters are likable.enough for people to root for them. No one on the set of this movie was eyeing a freaking Oscar nom when creating this...they knew exactly what kind of movie they were making, and for as "unrealistic" and "basic" as this movie was, they jam packed a whole lot of suspense, gore, thrills and fun into a 85 minute movie, and it was a great movie theater experience. If you are looking for a simple, fun and entertaining thrill ride, this is for you. If you think movies need to be 100 percent realistic, and are a sucker for great dialogue, this may NOT be for you. Personally, I would absolutely recommend it to others.

Child's Play
(2019)

So much better than it has any business being!
Listen...I normally wouldn't of scored this a 10...it's probably a solid 7.5...but I know so many people are rating it a 1 with no review, maybe without even seeing the film because they feel they need to be loyal to the original. Look, we get several different iterations of marvel and DC characters all the time...same basic characters but their own unique universe that each story lives in....that's the type of mentality you should have with this movie. It's a fresh take on an old story...some new ideas are introduced to make this movie interesting enough to stand on its own. There are not a ton of kills, but it has enough kills to quench our gore thirst and I felt satisfied by the end of the movie. The death scenes we did get were great- it wasn't just a simple quick stabbing and it's over....you could tell they really put time and effort into making these death scenes special and scenes that you will remember...and I'll take quality over quantity any day. They have just enough humor and cheesiness in this movie to balance out the amount of horror and creepiness...and it just works. I will say it again- Give this movie a chance! It's a very new and up to date take on a classic, and it really is a fun ride...take this for what it is, and have fun with it...try to enjoy this new version, while also knowing and feeling excited about the TV series we are getting with the OG Chucky! I think we child's play fans are getting spoiled! Let's be honest, the last few straight to DVD Chucky movies were pretty awful....this new take is solid, and in my opinion it will only push Mancini to want to make the TV series as great as possible....Chucky is no longer just a joker...he is genuinely scary again! And, really, all I want from the TV series is to see OG Chucky find it's roots and return back to the style and atmosphere of the first two Child's Play movies...OG Chucky was without a doubt at his best in the first two movies...I don't mind some humor, but I want to see the same killer doll that gave me nightmares when I was a kid....NOT the joke cracking wise ass Chucky who is impregnating female dolls and having ugly ass doll children....IM LOOKING AT YOU, SEED OF CHUCKY! Lmao that movie was such a let down...even for a straight to DVD movie...it really had no business being made, along with a few of the others.



GO SEE THIS MOVIE! IF YOU KEEP AN OPEN MIND, YOU WILL ENJOY THE RIDE!

Aladdin
(2019)

Haters gonna hate...
So many people giving this movie a 1 or 2 star and complaining about the Disney live action remakes...give me an effing break! This movie was visually stunning! Aladdin has been one of my.favorites since I was a kid, and they do a great job converting it into its own live action remake....people who grew up with Aladdin will love it....And this will help an.entire new generation of kids fall in love with Aladdin, also! Ignore the bad reviews- a lot of them probably haven't even seen the movie! Give this movie a chance, and I bet you will enjoy yourself!

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