mjacksongta Reviews (22)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

One scene wrecked the whole movie for everyone

[8/10 · 26 November 2017]

When I first watched this movie I liked all but one scene which I found took from the movie. I watch the movie unlike most on here that rated Al 1 with zero expectations and was very much so enjoying it until the scene that I hate. I just rewatched the movie now and still can't believe that scene maybe even more so now. And so I feel compelled to write a review. Even searching now I see that even critics criticize this scene for single-handedly ruining the movie.

Basically the movie is a showdown between a psycho killer and an average but crafty southern ex vet. They do a very good job executing this to the point where you are literally on the edge of your seat for some parts. Javier Bardem helps this by playing his part masterfully. All actors in this film were good but he takes it to a new level. I'm gonna even call his character one of the best villains in any movie.

Now since all of that is perfectly fine just picture when you see a whole movie building up a showdown just to find out that the main character or Good Guy character was gunned down off camera by random Mexicans in a gunfight that they don't even show in the film.

It's honestly the worst thing I've ever seen happen to a movie. Talking over with friends they said it actually comes up often in lists such as biggest Wtf moments in movies and that it's the Coen brothers messing with the audience but I think it's much more than that. It seriously ruined this movie. I'm still giving it an 8 for it having my attention up to that point and the actors did amazing jobs. But from that scene on I seriously am not even engaged in the movie.

Am I alone on this one?

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Watch, enjoy, repeat. Groundhog day meets deja vu with a hint of district 9

[10/10 · 1 January 2016]

I am surprised that I have never even heard of this movie until now. I would have liked to watch it in theatre but it was enjoyable on the basement TV none the less. Because I had never heard of it and had no idea what it was about, I think I enjoyed it more as the ground hog day stuff caught me by surprise. I don't like giving spoilers and so I will not go in to detail about the movie. But I will say that it is a pretty creative concept and although very similar to ground hog day and deja vu... it is unique in its own way and not your average Sci if war movie.

Watch, enjoy, repeat.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

People are dishing out way to much hate for the eight

[10/10 · 31 December 2015]

This is an instant classic Tarantino film. It's like all of his other movies put into one. He also uses mostly actors from his other movies... well even more than the usual. Admittedly this film can start off slow if you are not a Quentin Tarantino fan or don't know how his movies are. As a fan you watch and wait anticipating a good finally and it doesn't disappoint. He seems to cater this movie to the fans of his previous titles and so the haters are out strong on this one.

Like Django unchained, this film starts off post civil war but doesn't touch on the black and white topic as much. Still though with Samuel Jackson being a black bounty hunter back in those times has its similarities with Django unchained. You will also see major similarities with Reservoir Dogs, but since they are both great movies and he's only copying himself I don't see a problem with that.

As soon as you realize that you are watching a "who-done-it" western you can just sit back and enjoy and watch the characters unfold.

The actors all do an amazing job and although not his best... Quentin Tarantino delivers. I gave it a solid 9 out of 10.

Lean on Me (1989)

Morgan Freeman's BEST performance ever!!!!

[10/10 · 24 November 2015]

This is a very underrated and under-appreciated film based on a true story of a New jersey school principal who is faced with the task of trying to turn a struggling school back around.

This concept has been done many times before like in dangerous minds and other alike movies but this movie is different as it came first, is based on a true story and lastly that Morgan Freeman absolutely nails this role. All of the acting is strong in this film, even though there are a lot of no name one time actors in this movie the main characters are strong and again Morgan Freeman gives the performance of his life.

If you are a Morgan Freeman fan and have not seen this movie you need to watch.... NOW!!!!

The Martian (2015)

It's like Gravity but good

[7/10 · 9 November 2015]

The Martian, is like gravity in the fact that he's lost in space alone and that it is a space film. Other Than that they couldn't be further apart starting with the fact that the Martian actually has a plot. The humour is good as well, not to much to take away from the seriousness of the movie but enough to lighten the mood and let you relax and enjoy it. In terms of a drama/Sci-fi movie I gave the Martian a 7. It's not to say that it's a bad movie, actually I quite enjoyed it but it's not a movie that I would watch again, I know what happens in it there's no crazy twist. It's a movie that you watch, enjoy and then move on from. 7/10

The Equalizer (2014)

Home Depot EQUALS a bad place to be while on Robert McCall's bad side

[8/10 · 4 November 2015]

In terms of an action movie I gave the equalizer a 7 but soon after felt the need to watch it again and then upped it to an 8. Why? We'll it's an action movie but yet there's no crazy car chases, there's no bombs or heavy big explosions every where. Really the only action scenes are the fight scenes and even they don't come that often. But when they do come they deliver. Denzel is as awesome as ever in these scenes and the creativity in these scenes are what sets it apart from every other action movie. The main character Robert McCall in an ex specialist of some sort, you don't know what at first but know that he's highly trained in something and is now working as an ordinary man working at Home Depot or home Mart as it is in the movie. He looks like just your every day man but can kill you with just about any everyday weapon. And he does this so calmly that big crazy car scenes and explosions would rake away from his character. A man that takes the bus to come kill a whole gang is pretty bad ass by any standard.

As always I don't want to give spoilers but I do recommend this as a good wholesome action movie.

The Book of Eli (2010)

Underrated classic by people scared to enjoy a movie that mentions a bible

[10/10 · 3 November 2015]

Unfortunately IMDb has let down the ratings on this one. It seems that everyone scared of bible gives it a 1 right off the bat. Sure I get it not everyone is religious but does that mean that now the whole action of the movie sucks? The story now doesn't make sense? Apperntly all movies are allowed to be fictional so long as they don't mention god? I'm really let down by this rating and by reading these reviews.

This is an AMAZING, movie with a great surprise at the end that you don't see coming.

That's just what a good movie entails but the haters are still gonna hate. I say enjoy the movie for what it is... a good movie and then after you can go back to your god fearing or god worshiping life which ever it may be.

Lucy (I) (2014)

a movie based way out side the box, given poor ratings by those who live tightly inside the box with no means to look out side it

[9/10 · 7 August 2015]

I was very surprised to see such a low rating for this movie. It is a new concept inside a world of remakes and prequels. Not only that but it was done well, clear and thought enough for you to atlas entertain the idea that "what if this were true"

The drug concept was a very good twist on some movies that would have Used no creativity and just had a person born that could use 100% of their brain.

I truly have no complaints about this movie but it takes a lot to give my movies a 10 and so I rare it a solid 9. It's a must watch film even if you only watch it once. Also it's a different role for Scarlett Johansson but she handles it well.

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)

the best cheesy movie I've ever seen

[8/10 · 12 March 2015]

some how this movie came out in 2011. it belongs in the early eighties. and that's not a bad thing, we need more.mindless blood and guts movies to wash away the real bad movies like gravity that can some how win Oscars with no script at all. the lighting, camera work and even costumes are all that of the eighties or a really low budget 90's movie and yet you cant pull away. hobo with a shot gun holds nothing back. raises the bar in some scenes with stuff thats usually to hardcore for movies.

a must see movie by anyone who doesn't need a high budget Oscar winner film, or the highest grossing film of all time to be able to enjoy a film. take it for what it is but enjoy it for what it is as well.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

the first time i watched this it was called matrix reloaded

[3/10 · 10 March 2015]

a perfect example of milking trilogy dry for nothing else but pure profit. we all should have seen that coming when they made the shortest of the three books two 2 hour movies. still though i thought at the very least they would do it with some class or creativity. this movie is exactly the same as matrix reloaded but without the effects. looking for "the one" to lead the rebellion and give everyone hope? who else can do that but Neo oops i mean Katniss Everdeen and Morpheus' s part is played by Julian more right down to the speeches in the dark under ground. they used the same drab clothing, the same set and everything. only difference is everyone's hair grew back.

horrible movie thats best feat is making us all so interested in seeing the last installment just to see how they bounce back from this dramatic tale about absolutely nothing.

Duel (1971 TV Movie)

what this is not a Stephen King???

[8/10 · 1 September 2014]

whole movie has a Stephen King feeling throughout it. it had feelings of maximum overdrive and every other Stephen King movie that I've ever seen. the camera work was excellent for it's time. films never thought out side the box like this back then to where as they filmed underneath and on top of trucks and cars.

story line is simple. a typical average run of the mill family man is challenged to a "duel" by a crazy trucker in an old broke town truck. everything the man tries to do to escape seems to put him two steps behind the truck wielding maniac.

put your self back in the days of no cell phones everywhere to call for help and sit back and enjoy.

American Hustle (2013)

America hustled

[4/10 · 24 March 2014]

America did the hustling on this one. hustling the whole world into thinking this movie was any good and not to mention doing it for 138 freakin minutes.. best picture nomination is a joke. if it won I'd lose the last little bit of respect I have for the Oscars totally. As for Christian Bale and his nomination I found back to be a joke as well. He is usually a good actor but in this role he was average at best. I guess all it takes nowadays to get an Oscar nomination is to have someone strap on a fake pot belly to make you look fat and a beard. Way to go Oscars. There was no real plot and this "some parts true" story was not worth any thing more then a short story book. let alone all the raves it got.

girl from hunger games plays her role really well but still her role is small so save your self the time and headache and don't watch this over rated film.

4/10 and thats being generous

Return to Paradise (1998)

return to the Oscars and pick up your awards

[10/10 · 16 March 2014]

every time I watch this movie 2 things come to mind. 1 why to a get teary eyed every time I watch it even when I now know every square inch of the movie. and 2 how in the hell did this movie not even get so much as a nomination.

this movie is GREAT and it's a shame to see so many haters on IMDb ruin its score.

all actors in it deliver some of the best performances of their careers and mixed in with great directing and best of all a strong plot.

you leave return to paradise asking your self repeatedly would i go back? you even discuss it with your friends but you don't want to ruin it for them so you tell them to watch it just so that you can talk about it.

one of my favorite movies in any category 10/10

Ride Along (2014)

much better then I expected

[8/10 · 24 January 2014]

as far as simple comedy's go I have ride along an 8. it was full of laughs, the cast was great and it even trough in a bit of a twist.

now I'm not saying you won't see the twist coming but comedy's IMO aren't for that anyway. but just the face that it was there was great.

This is probably Kevin Harts best script to date and it matched his comedy routine very well. as for ice cube he did a great job for who he is but I do feel that Dwayne 'the rock' Johnson would have been a better cast as he's much bigger and more intimidating then ice cube.

all and all though its worth the watch. just go into it with an open mind and remember that it is a comedy. don't compare it with like Shawshank or Braveheart or something like that.

8/10

Django Unchained (2012)

brilliance unchanged

[10/10 · 18 December 2013]

I love this movie from the first time I watched it and somehow can't stop watching. It is a movie that's you watch the second time and catch things you miss the first time or anything like that in just he's getting better. I even keep laughing at the same parts.

its has good action, good comedy, and even a good story line. I love it when Quinton mixes sensitive real life historic events with comedic fiction and his own twists worked well in Inglourious Bastards but this time it truly was his masterpiece.

it does touch on the sensitive subject of racism and slavery pretty hard so I understand that touchy people that are given django bad reviews but if only they could watch this movie with an open mind so that they could enjoy it I think the IMDb.COM rating would be well into the 9's.

go watch this movie right now. oh and I recommend watching it with a good speakers with lots of bass, the soundtrack in this movie is phenomenal.

10/10

Into the Wild (2007)

a disguised B movie with pearl jam in the back ground

[3/10 · 18 December 2013]

Into the wild should have been right up my alley but it was horrible. It just dragged on with No climax or ups and downs. I love movies with people against the elements or showing nature but ..... it felt like a B list movie the entire time but yet overshadowed by Sean Penn directing it and a few other cameo appearances by other name actors. I really don't know how it got such a high rating on here.

I like Eddie Vedder but the whole movie felt like a promotion for an upcoming album or something like that.

would not watch again and wouldn't recommend. 3/10 and that's being generous just because I like nature.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

surprisingly amazing

[10/10 · 12 December 2013]

this was the best cartoon Christmas movie I've ever seen. Lately Christmas movies and cartoon movies have changed for the worse, but Arthur Christmas added old style Christmas movie with new age relevancy. It was witty and had every single detail imaginable find out which also made it a real treat. I'm sure that's if I were to watch it again I would catch even more witty extra details.

Arthur Christmas went that extra mile in everything from humor to Christmas tree beard goatees.

the cast was perfect right down to establishing a wide range of ethnicities and different places around the world.

I fully recommend this movie for anyone from young kid 2 adult.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

only MK fans can get through this... ONCE...maybe

[6/10 · 21 November 2013]

this movie was really bad for the most part even when it just came out but as a MK fan some things keep it alive. the music was awesome just like the first one and the thing I really loved was that they used a FULL arsenal of cast members from the game which was unlike the first one where they seemed to just throw in a hand full of characters and call it a day. however the problem with that is that they killed everyone off to quickly. there were characters that were dead after a punch or two. there was no threat from these characters and it was if they were no threat to humans at all even with all there powers. costumes were done really well although there seemed to be some similarities to the predator.

one thing that really bothered me about the first one was that they didn't make rayden Asian. they just figured dress a guy in a "rayden" hat and call it a day. now in this one its even worse. they just tried to make rayden look like Christopher Lambert. add in the short hair and u have something REALLY off.

acting was horrible also. not totally the actors fault. the script and directing were bad.

only a true MK fan could get through this movie and for those who do its worth the watch.... ONCE

Fargo (1996)

average story with exaggerated accents

[4/10 · 25 April 2013]

first time that I've really differed from the rest of the general consensus on IHDb but I guess there's a first time for everything. I honestly don't know if I watched the same movie as everyone else. I get that its supposed to be a dark humour type of movie but it just wasn't there

William H Macey was a little over the top which I know was what he was casted to do. but he did a bad job doing it and so he just seemed like a c list actor.

they threw Steve Bushami in there for some comic relief and called it a movie. I call it an overrated movie I won't watch again. and I'd be offended if I lived in north Dakota at how badly they were represented.

I gave it a lenient 4/10

Freelancers (2012)

A poor man's training day... a Very poor man

[4/10 · 30 March 2013]

I thought that De Niro's great acting would over come the presence of 50 cent and his horrible "acting" I was wrong. the 2 minutes of total screen time De Niro had was barley noticeable. I hate to say it but He must have just wanted to pick up a pay cheque. 50's acting was much improved from the last roll I saw with him in it in Ritious kill but maybe that was just because he had a smaller part and De Niro had Pachino to help drown out him out.

The script seemed mixed up, they seem to put every kind of token cop from every cop movie i've ever seen before and then just switch their roles for the fun of it. maybe fun for the writers and directors but not so fun for us viewers. The IMDb rating of 4.4 is definitely justified.

I gave it a generous 4/10

Life of Pi (2012)

If not for the unfair haters this would be the highest rated film on IMDb

[10/10 · 30 March 2013]

this movie has it all from a great story line to great graphics to great relatively unknown actors. it's to bad that so many people in bad moods have rated it 1/10 just for spite. If you go through the ratings you'll see a solid 9-10 average across the board with the odd hater giving it a 1 but then bragging about it's awesome graphics. sorry but that just gets me mad. almost as bad as all of those English Guys giving Brave heart a 1/10 because they didn't like how they were portrayed in the movie.

Any way Life of Pi is one of those movies you want to see again aright after watching it. You get lost in and if you had the chance to see it on the big screen in 3D you feel like you are on that boat.

no spoilers and nothing to explain, just watch it if you haven't already.

10/10 **********

This Is 40 (2012)

1 star for every time I laughed in this 2 hour "comedy" 2/10

[2/10 · 16 March 2013]

never been disappointed in any movie that I had no expectations for before bit there is a first time for everything. this movie was just an excuse to let every actor and actress from the young up to the old get them selves in a rant and start swearing pointlessly. I spent the first half hour trying to figure out whether it was a horrible comedy in which no one in the theatre was laughing or whether it was the worst drama I have ever seen.35 minutes into it I didn't care either way.

never been so let down in IMDb user reviews before. all ratings over 3 I'm convinced are extras in the movie and the 8+ ratings must be friends and family of judd apatow. do not watch.