brentn

IMDb member since December 2009
    Lifetime Total
    75+
    IMDb Member
    14 years

Reviews

Echo
(2023)

Blah, blah....Bland!
There was not much of an engaging story line, it felt like everything important was in the background while cultural significance and ancestral womanhood "stole the show". There was room for much better character development and chemistry between everyone. Aside from D'Onofrio and Graham Greene, most of the acting was stiff and I felt nothing for any of them. Not to mention a very under utilized Julia Jones, who in my opinion despite he age, would have made a much better Echo. Instead they have to get super authentic and find someone who's deaf and minus a leg to "fit the bill". However, none of that matters when she could care less about her on screen acting abilities or the fact that she looks nothing like an athlete. Cox was paid ($45,000/ep) and yet she is put absolutely to shame by other leading female Marvelers like Yelena and Widow or even Hailee Steinfeld. If your getting paid like that and you literally have your own show, get your ass to the gym and look the part. It's very underwhelming and even more unrealistic to have an out of shape super hero, with love handles and all, made to look like she could pull off those acrobatics or martial arts. All in all an complete waste of time aside from a few good action sequences and some decent pacing. The fact that the show was teased as some sort of gritty crime thriller was just a ploy to get us duped into this nonsense.

Talk to Me
(2022)

Well done....solid horror!?
Despite the title of this review, the movie was very good. The only thing was that this was labelled a horror movie with several reviews raving that it was abrasively intense throughout. I was not scared or dreading the atmosphere at all aside from some jumps but that is to be expected. I was just really invested in the story and found it extremely creepy. On the plus side though, the movie works perfectly. A very unique idea that was well crafted and conveyed on the screen. The possession scenes were exceptional with cool details and execution. Those scenes were intense with great acting by the whole cast. I enjoyed the dark elements and thoroughly felt that each aspect of the story unfolded seamlessly with good character arcs and a solid ending. As with all A24 films it feels very indie with all the rawness one could handle but with a solid budget and it shows. Aside from Miranda Otto all the actors are essentially unknowns but brought their "A" game and showed off like veterans. Some other creepy elements and a very damaged lead were ideal for the story's progression and it didn't feel campy or cheesy in any way. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something different.

Retribution
(2023)

Another cookie cutter Neeson flick.
Although better than his last few ventures like Memory, Blacklight or The Marksman, Liam Neeson's current outing is not that much better. In the vein of Commuter or Non-Stop, Neeson is once again embroiled into the centre of a mystery that has him pegged as the villain by an unknown assailant threatening his life and other innocents around him. However, the former films had better characters, pacing, action, execution and above all else....an intriguing and well guided story. Retribution just seems lazy in the acting department aside from the daughter who was the most believable and least annoying. Everyone else just seemed to be saying their lines or even phoning them in. The story was just too weak with no twists or any big reveals. The female characters for the most part were so infuriating while the rest were just dumb. There was no outsmarting or witty actions taken by the protagonists, there was no real struggle in the back and forth department to make me think that any of the main characters posed any sort of threat or challenge. The villain himself was not intimidating nor menacing at all and essentially just a voice. That and a lack of action or any real suspense left this feeling like a mediocre attempt at a thriller that didn't feel believable. The only saving grace for this movie was that it was compacted into 90 minutes so everything happens quite quickly and the ball just kept rolling after that with no real down time. The explosions were also very well done, realistic and well captured. All in all I didn't feel that invested aside from just wanting to see how it unfolded which is something but not much else.

Heart of Stone
(2023)

Typical Hollywood drivel.
It was a more spy centred version of Eagle Eye where the A. I. wasn't the one that went haywire. No one in this movie can act, the dialogue was fairly cheesy, the pacing was mediocre and the plot was cookie cutter at best. The only cool part was the University explosion which was done rather well. People bash movies like Spectral or The Gray Man because those were also a Netflix production but those were awesome and not because I'm comparing them to this garbage. Sure, some of the fight scenes were cool and impactful as far as the choreography was concerned but it's just so stylized and overdone. Why can't we have a spy film that is well paced where all agents in the field are competent and can be relied on to fulfill every aspect of the job. Everyone in this film felt unsure of themselves and lacked that mentality required to be a level headed Agent. 3/10.

Cobweb
(2023)

Good atmosphere but meh!
I found the performances to be right on point except for the teacher, she kind of over did it. The filming and atmosphere was creepy and the story was enough to keep you guessing. In a nutshell, everyone in this movie is bad in some way or another except for that overacting teacher. The violence was mostly offscreen but that kind of added to the surprise and was the most fun in the film. A bit more backstory would have been nice as well. It was almost as if Lights Out met the Boogeyman or Mama. Decent chills but overall a bit of a let down. I would have liked to have seen Antony Star be a little different than just a creepier Homelander but Lizzy Caplan was fun to watch even if a bit cringey. 5/10.

Bones and All
(2022)

Couldn't fulfill my appetite
I have nothing bad to say about any of the characters, Mark Rylance stands out of course but all performances were top notch. I made it through the movie fine but the story became a little labored toward the end. There was only enough cannibalism to keep you invested in the film but most of it resides in the backdrop as the movie centres around Maren's loneliness and sanity as she tries to discover the origins of her affliction. Timothee Chalamet is along for the ride as a more experienced guide, rather than Taylor Russell's equal, which is fine considering he doesn't feel the same way she does about their lifestyle. I also found some of the other plot points very interesting when meeting other "Eaters" and how they seem to recognize each other. These aspects needed to be explored and utilized more as I found that there was a more engrossing idea underneath what was being shown and should have been delved into. A sort of "Underground Community" like in Nicholas Cage's Pig or maybe a more sinister villain like No Country For Old Men for a more menacing atmosphere. I think there could have been more intrigue, tension and horror elements to project on the audience if more conflict was present with different types of characters within said community. Unfortunately, the movie keeps the romance and despair aspects at the forefront which leaves you wanting more out of a story that only had so much to tell. It was a good effort and an original idea but I think a different direction would have made for a more livelier film.

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power
(2022)

A bit of a skewed view.
Not to say that women aren't overly sexualized, they are, but people aren't taking into account that women themselves are responsible for this perception as well. Even if women didn't create the objectification they are guilty of perpetuating it a well as embracing it. Men don't see women as objects to punch down on, we see them as ones to worship. Women are sought after by men and even by other women. Women know this which is why there is an abundance of instagram /onlyfans models in society. Some of these women are type cast and they know it but instead of walking away or changing things up they just give in and do it for the money. There needs to be accountibilty on both sides, however, if there is an agreement reached then it's consentual and there should never be complaints afterwards. People need to realize that it's not about gender disparity, it's about telling a story and the roles that each person has to play. And as far as unequal pay goes it's not about what you are but where you sit on the totem pole of celebrity. Charlyne Yi is not getting paid as much as Julia Roberts or Leonardo DiCaprio because she can't act on that level or it's because she's not the star of the show. Pay is based on talent, status, experience and how much exposure you have on camera. Some people just look at a handful of incidents and use those to 'Brainwash' everyone into thinking that's how it always is. People mostly forget that the Hollywood industry is based on negotiable contracts not set wages. If you can't negotiate you will get low-balled, that's how it works. If a company can pay you less than they will to save profits. And when it comes to objectification I remember Sharon Stone protesting about all the nudity in Basic Instinct after 30 years saying that she didn't realize it even though she was naked, with a camera in her face while the director was also naked on set to make her feel more at ease. Lets also be honest that most folks, even women, do not want to see men naked in movies. We are nowhere near as attractive as women and that's a fact. Women can play certain roles while men play others, these are the facts of life it is not meant to objectify but to make things realistic. No one is holding anyone back.

6 Underground
(2019)

Worse than Green Latern!!
Ryan Reynolds was wrong.... THIS is his worst film. It's just pure BAYhem and nothing more really except for a few cool action sequences and some nice camera work. Mostly it is just one big incoherent mess, very fragmented plot that would literally give a normal person ADHD. Absolutely no character development or chemistry to make you care one way or the other about anyone. A bunch of uncalibrated character personalities that waver and jump around much like the story which is very sporadic and stupid. A huge waste of money and talent. Michael Bay only had 1 good film and that's 13 Hours save for maybe The Rock and the first Bad Boys movie. I was so disappointed that I actually stopped watching after 1 hour then went back to finish and wish I hadn't. I can sit through Green Latern with very little difficulty but THIS movie just plain sucks, no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 2/10.

House M.D.
(2004)

Impossible to hate....But.
I put off watching House for so long because the more popular a show gets the less effort the writers put into it. They end up relying on fans being fans which is why Lucifer, TWD, etc are still going but aren't very engaging anymore. House on the other hand was epic, a great cast with solid writing and performances for 6 straight seasons, six being the best. After that the show got more personal and away from the medical mysteries that made it so cool. It started to rely more on the relationship dynamics which took the forefront rather than solving complex medical issues. I personally found that the last 2 seasons had almost no stakes aside from a couple of odd episodes like Chase getting stabbed. Plus the departure of really good cast members like Olivia Wilde for a less than mediocre Amber Tamblyn who basically hindered the teams progress at every turn just made me, and probably many others, very annoyed. The introduction of Odette Annable (Yustman) was a decent casting choice but she was never involved more than the hospital, her character was very limited and Charlyne Yi is just sulky and not very good. The series finale was actually quite underwhelming even though I did not see the last twist coming. It just felt lazy and that's not a very good send off for the show or its title character. Overall, I really enjoyed the series especially the first 6 seasons and I really felt connected to the characters. I really appreciated House's misanthropic personality. It's what gave the show the edge it needed to incite tension among the characters, build the stakes and create the humour that made it all work. Hugh Laurie was fantastic. Omar Epps and Jesse Spencer were strong in their roles and I'm glad they stuck around for the entirety of the series. I honestly missed Jennifer Morrison a lot after Season 6. She was the smartest of all the characters next to House but was really the glue that held the team together. I hope they bring this show back somehow, a bit of a ridiculous notion but I really loved this show. 9/10.

Black Adam
(2022)

Action packed...not well acted!!
First off, Bodhi Sabongui (Amon Tomaz) was absolutely terrible, he just sped through his lines without giving them any personality and ruined every scene by being this obnoxious kid. They tried to make him the Black Adam version of Freddy Freeman from Shazam but there is no comparison, Jack Dylan Grazer is triumphant compared to this kid. There were no formidable antagonists nor were there any real stakes. I don't know why DC has such a hard time giving most of their movies the same attention that Marvel does. Shazam was cool so why is it so hard to make a good follow-up? Personally I think this is what happens when you try too hard and attempt to appease everyone. You just crash all the ideas into one big mess. One dementional characters all around, shameful attempts at humour, no relateable chemistry between anyone, generic and lame dialogue, no real acting talent besides Brosnan, quick cut action scenes with less than desirable CGI and all this amounting to just boring fanfare for the sake of lining The Rock's already deep pockets. 4/10.

Halloween Ends
(2022)

A means to an END...unfortunately!
I have seen the entire franchise like most people and honestly it's had it's ups and downs throughout. There are plenty of worse additions to the franchise but sadly this is still disappointing. Halloween Ends has a great opening sequence but after that it becomes a very slow burn. Introducing the main character Corey, who is basically a walmart Anton Yelchin, and all his trials and tribulations filling in the first hour of the film with no scares in sight. The movie becomes rather lazy and ridiculous as Michael is not seen often at all. The real turning point being a shaky collaboration between certain characters, which is of course, completely out of character for one of them. The film slowly progresses towards a climax that is sort of satisfying but not really. I will say that the movie has a consistant tone but the characters do not and the story is more psychological than anything we have seen before. I can admit that the film is very unique to the franchise and there were some genuinely decent kill scenes but aside from that the movie has too many short comings and missed opportunities to be decent. 5/10.

Predator 2
(1990)

Top Notch Sequel
I can't believe how many people rag on this film. First of all it has a great cast including Bill Paxton. The setting fits as a concrete jungle rather than a regular one. The predator looks just as amazing in this film as he did in the original. The action sequences with those splash elements of horror are really well placed and full of suspense. I enjoyed the cloak and dagger aspect with the CIA operatives and I liked Glover's take as a more grounded protagonist. The story had nothing new to bring to the table but it didn't have to, the mystery surrounding the predator's objective is a key element in the nature of that alien race and distracted the audience from an alien culture to complicated to expand on. Instead they developed the alien technology and new weapons which gave us a better understanding of our antagonist's abilities. I found this sequel thoroughly enjoyable and though not as good as the original, it does stand on its own two feet and delivers everything an audience could want without sacrificing anything.

Prey
(2022)

Solid Prequel no BS!!
The orginal is a staple in cinematic history as far as action movies go because it had great characters and tons of suspense. The second movie had that great, gritty 90's feel to it and it holds a special place as a very decent sequel. As others would say the series kind of dwindles after that with cheesy additions...AVP/AVPR. Predators (2010) however, actually had a decent plot with known actors but it dragged during the second act and the finale, though not the worst, could have been better. Prey (2022) on the other hand was quite refreshing. The characters, landscape and overall concept was received with great enthusiasm. The action was solid and the lead was intuitive, instinctive, clever and very resourceful. The cinematography was superb and captured the tribe and there way of life perfectly. There were some issues with Prey such as the predators' face was too CGI, there was room for practical effects that would have really drove this movie home but I think they cheaped out. The other issue I had was the lack of a great musical score. Alan Silvestri's original was epic and set the tone perfectly making it hard to forget and helped the audience feel on edge throughout.

In addition, I understand peoples perception of woke culture being the driving force behind hollywood these days but I have been waiting for this series to have a great female lead that could match Ripley from Alien. Although Naru is less believable than Ripley (acting wise) she is definitely a strong character. People need to just watch the movie and stop fueling their opinions with politics. WATCH MOVIES AND ENJOY THEM!!!

Brightburn
(2019)

Missed Opportunity
Given the lore of Superman one could have used every aspect of his origin story to really deliver an evil version of Clark Kent. Although Brandon Breyer is the evil rendition of the popular superhero, he lacks conviction. For starters the child actor was not very convincing to the point that his acting was very wooden or forced with cliched dialogue in an attempt to make him appear cold or stoic. A lot of the origin felt hollow and was delivered hastily and only with a passable level of tension. Not to mention an abundance of missed opportunities to really explore and get deep into the mythos. The parents were too oblivious for too long, mostly mom, which really nullified their characters. I felt that BB could have gone global with his mission but kept it local which was kind of boring, an entity of that caliber would have had bigger plans from the beginning. The ending was also obvious because...what could you do? But there could have been some level of opposition for the villain.

5/10.

Overlord
(2018)

Sci-Fi/War Horror for cult lovers
This movie was such a breath of fresh air. From the opening sequence inside the plane to the mission at hand and then facing off against a formidable villain, this movie has it all. The story being a smidge boring may have lost points for some but the tone of the film, the chemistry between the characters and all of the Nazi occult experiments were more that enough to make up for it. The action sequences were high budget as well as the special effects, the acting was more than adequate and the creepiness of the creatures and set designs really put this movie over as one of the future cult classics.

7.5/10.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot
(2018)

Third act was flat but other then that...
It was a good movie. The first half was a slow build but still aroused a fair bit of curiosity for the main character, his disposition and his life story. It wasn't until halfway through that you get the most epic monologue from Sam Elliot I have ever seen. Not just the acting but how the lines were delivered during the sit down at his dining room table. The atmosphere and gravitas of the storytelling gave me chills and goosebumps without actually having to see the atrocities that were WWII and the monster responsible for it all. I must have re-watched it several times as I felt smothered by how dignified Sam Elliot was during that scene. However, The last half of the third act was nonsense. It was actually done terribly which is why I agree that the movies rating was so low. But I am one of the very few that believe that a single scene can increase the level of appreciation for a film in its entirety and in closing I give a better score.

6.5/10.

Turning Red
(2022)

Mostly for kids
A lot of the Disney/Pixar fare is usually pretty epic but I found this mediocre at best. The story, although loaded in cultural ideals and a little refreshing, felt very cookie cutter in execution. This was aimed a lot more towards children (12 and under) rather than having an equally entertaining level of value for the parents that have to sit through it. There is quite bit of cheese and it wasn't very funny at all. Thankfully it didn't turn into a musical but some of the aspects of childhood were spot on and for that it might be worth it for kids to watch.

5.5/10.

Murder on the Orient Express
(2017)

Good Air of Mystery
I really enjoyed Branagh's iteration of Poirot, he is charming, witty, arrogant, quirky and really drives the investigation tactics right into the audience with great wisdom and curiosity. The story was very fascinating and the way the characters were woven into the plot from every angle of every sinister intention was well adapted. The cast and acting were top notch even from those I did not expect or am unfamiliar with. The pacing of the film was well balanced and compelling with twists all the way through. I was never bored and never felt the movie was formulaic to the point of a foreseeable outcome. This film in my opinion is underrated and should be watched more than once.

7.5/10.

Death on the Nile
(2022)

Not as good as the first despite the rating.
I really enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express. It was well crafted, intriguing and well paced with a great balance of action/mystery. Death on the Nile however, given the higher score, was not as well done. The story itself was quite basic and slow for the first half of the film. It was also a lot more predictable in the vein of a Law & Order or CSI episode. I knew who the killer was by the end of the first half or even before that. The only thing this movie had was more of a back story on Poirot with more deaths, some of them actually being quite abrupt and unforeseeable. But overall a bit lackluster for a mystery and figuring out the end beforehand is a big disappointment for me and a huge aspect of the film that should be as cloaked as possible. Both films were well casted though and the acting exceeded my expectations.

6/10.

Catch the Fair One
(2021)

Pretty decent indie flick
I was engaged the entire time. This film does a great job setting up the characters and story knowing that anyone wanting to watch this would be an independent thinker. The atmosphere is stark and bleak and exactly what it should be when dealing with this kind of subject matter. The movie was made this way intentionally and is its greatest strength. The violence is abrupt, the twists were clever enough and the ending was as realistic, in terms of how things would actually happen if anyone tried to be a vigilante. The only problems I had were that the main character, although did well in her acting debut, was very wooden when she had to deliver some of her dialogue. I also found that Kevin Dunn was under utilized and there could have been a bit more action. This felt like Winter's Bone but obviously missing the star power.

6.5/10.

Shut In
(2022)

Not the DJ Caruso I remember.
Salton Sea, Disturbia, Taking Lives, now these were top notch, engaging films. Shut In is more like I Am Number Four or xXx 3. Just lackluster filming at its finest. The Protagonist (Qualley) is a recovering addict who gets locked into a pantry when her 2 psycho addict friends pay a visit leaving her 2 children at their mercy. The film is set up to be an escape thriller even though the title seems to infer that she is more of an agoraphobe or shy, sheltered introvert that has to fend for herself. There is nothing wrong with having a simple plot but the other aspects need to reflect this and make up for the lack of story. There is little character development, the atmosphere is lazy and not as brooding or dark as it should be and there is no intrigue. The main character shows little ingenuity when trying to escape and no twists and turns for the story to progress. The villains are barely there and are not even close to being as menacing as they could have been save for Sammy (Vincent Gallo). He plays an excellent creep but is not used enough. Overall this film is just a snooze fest it's basically just a matter of time before she gets out and waiting for her to get there is boring drivel. Watch Panic Room, Devil, Escape Room, Split, Crawl or even See For Me which came out recently. 4/10.

Clean
(2021)

Good atmosphere but generic story
Adrien Brody and Glenn Fleshler are both great actors and this movie is no exception but aside from the acting the story was very simple and almost boring, it's no wonder they shelved the movie for over a year. I was not invested in any of the characters and the "brooding" narration that Brody does throughout the film is supposed to resonate with the audience but honestly it does nothing. The final showdown was cheap and by that I mean it looked and felt underwelming and under financed. The movie overall just felt so cookie cutter that by the end I was almost glad it was over since the build outweighed the conclusion. The only selling points were the location, the atmosphere and the aformentioned acting. Sorry but there is no need to rewatch this. Had potential but just disappointing.

5/10.

Bone Tomahawk
(2015)

One of the best western/horror movies ever.
This movie is a pure rescue mission plain and simple as a Sheriff and a group of ragtag frontiersmen pursue cannibalistic indians through the old west to save a couple townsfolk who were kidnapped.

Kudos to S. Craig Zahler on his directorial debut. Not too many films in this type of genre but a few, Tremors, Dusk Til Dawn, and Ravenous, come to mind. The brutality and pacing are epic in representation, a very dreadful tone is administered almost immediately and doesn't let up and the fact that there is no musical score to augment the film increases the disturbing atmosphere by a large margin. The way the film was shot and the lighting specifically at night was exceptional. The casting is outstanding and praise to Matthew Fox for chewing the scenery throughout while Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson and Richard Jennings all give remarkable performances. I think the film might lose points for being low budget but I personally felt it added an element of grit that you don't see that often. Not too sure why the rating is so low for such a great film.

8.5/10.

Edge of Tomorrow
(2014)

Live, Die, Repeat.
You can always count on Cruise or Blunt to give good performances but together they accomplished something fierce. It's a Groundhog Day premise but with sci-fi action and aliens. Basically Cruise gets unwillingly forced into combat by his superiors due to mass casualties. While on the battlefield he gets infused with alien blood and is able to continuously repeat his reluctant battle in hopes of finding a way to beat the aliens that have invaded our planet. The action was superb and there is no doubt that the casting choices were excellent specifically the late Bill Paxton. I could watch this movie again and again.

9/10.

The Adjustment Bureau
(2011)

One of my favs!
Not into romances much but for this I will make an exception. Damon plays a politician trying to run for the senate while Blunt is a wild child contemporary dancer. They meet one evening and just click as soul mates. But fate has different plans when those that control it try to intervene and sabotage free will.

I was hooked from the opening score and was inpressed by the chemistry between the characters and the pacing was non-stop. Some scenes were very real and I found myself smiling or even feeling depressed for the characters. The rest of the film is more of an adventure without the snakes or explosions and despite these things the movie is executed so well that there is never a need for it.

8/10.

See all reviews