rogerflores-41611 Reviews

Creed III (2023)

A Captivating and Cathartic Emotional Experience

[10/10 · 5 April 2023]

I am a fan of boxing and this movie blended the realistic with the spectacular as I've never seen demonstrated in an artistic medium. The fight scenes were tight and on-point with none of the silly round-house punches or dramatic reactions to punches that marked early Rocky movies. This felt like a strategic-rendering of an actual fight backed with all the players' motivations. I am astounded.

I don't want to give away the story b/c its important to me that viewers glean their own meaning and interpretation. However, in general, this movie traverses the waves and crests of emotion involved both inside the ring and out. It is a moving, passionate exhibition of art and boxing combined. Micheal B Jordan's directing was sensational and flawless.

Something from Tiffany's (2022)

Zooey Deutsch can't save Absurd Plot line

[3/10 · 13 December 2022]

This movie has such a glaring plot hole its un-watchable. The entire movie could have ended 7 minutes in if the lead character just showed Zooey Deutsch the receipt for the ring that he bought for his fiance on his credit card. Apparently this movie takes place in a world where no one gets a credit card bill. He bought a diamond engagement ring vs the cheap earrings the other guy bought. Pretty simple solution ends this stupid movie. Instead, we're supposed to believe that he never considers this option. He apparently lives in a Universe where he is forced to try to convince the other guy to admit he took his gift or convince Zooey Deutsch that the other guy is lying. Um, receipt much! Show the credit card statement and this movie ends like it should've-- 5 minutes in. Add the terrible acting by the romantic lead male and everyone's dialogue and this movie is painfully amateur and non-sensical.

Barbarian (2022)

Way, way Over-rated. One of the dumbest movies ever

[3/10 · 9 December 2022]

I can't express this enough: never have I seen lead characters make such stupid decisions. There is an insurance commercial that says: when you're in a scary movie you make bad decisions. WELL, this one takes the cake. The fact that it has such high ratings makes me think the Horror crowd likes the HIlls Have Eyes type concept, but it just is too stupid to accept even the initial premise that someone would rent an AirBNB, show up in the middle of the night with a stranger already there, in a terrible neighborhood and then elect to stay the night, while drinking with him. Thats only the beginning of how stupid the lead character is. Trust me when I say that its a painfully stupid script and the acting makes no sense relative to the situations. I'm not sure what the viewer is supposed to glean from this non-sensical plot.

The Peripheral (2022– )

After watching all episodes, this is an 8 so far

[8/10 · 4 December 2022]

It drives me crazy when 100k ratings pop up before the season is even finished. The arc of the show matters and this one ends up not being as great as the promise of the first few episodes but its not a total bust. If you know anything about Jonathan Nolan, its that he doesn't know how to end things-- look at Westworld. Great start. Meandering, non-sensical finish. Peripheral starts out amazing and sputters to an ending that turns out to completely invalidate the previous 7 episodes. You could theoretically not watch a single episode in Season 1 and skip right to Season 2 based on the logic. Its similar to how Christopher Nolan blew the ending to Inception in the name of proving he is a true artist. It would be better if these brothers could find a way to complete a story arc. That said, the premise is amazing and makes me wish someone else could come in and write the conclusion.

Falling for Christmas (2022)

Very vanilla, yet warm and likeable

[7/10 · 15 November 2022]

Of course this is a formulaic Christmas movie. Its hot chocolate on a snowy day inside a small ski-resort community. Its not reinventing the wheel. Lohan is very likeable and charming and a little silly, which puts her back in her acting wheelhouse. For all the trolls who see Lohan on the marquee and are chiming in with a bevy of low-ratings, understand this isn't for you if you're not into these kind of movies so please stop. Trolls not wanted here.

The featured review I saw was very critical of everything from the script to the acting and I'm just like: this isn't a Tarantino movie-- r-e-l-a-x. It was warm comfort food for people who want that.

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

Imagine Blended with Un-likeable Characters

[5/10 · 28 October 2022]

What could be more relate-able than 2 super rich, mean divorcees going to a remote tropical island to marry off their successful daughter to a Seaweed Farmer whose native culture is still so obscure I can't figure it out?

The premise of the movie is somewhat similar to Blended or Just Go With It-- two mis-matched people go to an island only to kindle romance, except in this case, instead of having likeable working class Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore or Jennifer Anniston, it features two super rich, stuck-up characters who don't like anyone and seem pretty rude in general-- even George Clooney and Julia Roberts can't make you like these characters for a majority of the movie.

This movie gets a 5 because they obviously threw a lot of money at it so the production value and the cast is stellar but the characters are terribly written and all of them are hard to like or root for. Plus, it leans heavily on jokes that might have landed well in a 1950s rom-com, but seem dated and cliche in 2022. The worst part is that I could excuse the awful premise if there were some genuinely funny moments but alas, there are none. All the "shenanigans" land flat b/c once again, the leads just seem mean not mishappenly heartfelt.

And the supporting characters don't seem to play any relevant purpose-- Billie Lourde is completely wasted in this role as the feisty besty who ends up with about 3 forgettable scenes. And of course, there is a guy with a terrible French accent, who plays Julia Roberts bf, who I guess we're supposed to think is either funny or the dupe, and instead, he just seems like a guy who turns out to be the victim of mean jokes and bad fortune, which is pretty much the entire theme of this move. Mean-spirited.

The Watcher (2022– )

Recycled stories and themes and No Scares

[5/10 · 26 October 2022]

This is hands-down the most disappointing Ryan Murphy venture. Without his name attached, I don't think this would have seen the light of day for several reasons: 1) the story is full of elements you've seen somewhere else right from the start, with a couple moving their family, including the patented teen-aged daughter estranged from her friends, into a new home that seems haunted and the recycling just gets worse and sadly more mundane from there. 2) There is literally nothing scary to see here-- there are a few paltry attempts early-on to "creep" the viewer out but they never show any actual gore or develop the reason for the creepy presence. It actually turns into a family drama about trust between a husband and wife that is so superficially contrived it hurt to keep watching. 3) There's no one to root for. Every member of this family makes the "WORST" decisions at every interval and they are clearly the dumbest choices a person would make and that ruins the fun of this show early and often-- again, making it very painful to watch stupid shallow people do stupid shallow things.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Writing after watching all episodes-- 7 rating

[7/10 · 23 October 2022]

As a Game of Thrones fan, the first 8 episodes of this show were thoroughly a let down, with the 9th and 10th actually being interesting. But considering all episodes, HOD lacked the frivolity and the characters of the original. There's really no one here to like or get attached to. It seems more like a book report on the first 193 years before Game of Thrones than a stand alone prequel. So I almost don't think IMDB should allow ratings based on 1 or 2 episodes, which swings the vote so far that there's really no point in other people giving a rating. This show definitely doesn't rise to the level of a 8.5 or 9.

Rosaline (2022)

A snarky, modern re-write makes this enjoyable

[7/10 · 18 October 2022]

For loyalists of the original Shakespeare drama, this is pure blasphemous fun. And, if you are a fan of Anna Kendrick's early snarky work, Rosaline will win you over early and keep you watching. This modern re-telling of Romeo and Juliet doesn't waste time trying to speak in the vernacular of Shakespeare, which is a relief. Instead, it focuses on a classic theme: the guilded caged princess who must marry against her wishes. But this caged bird is snarky-- and yet, she must grow as a person (and character) to overcome some of her jaded disposition in order to find her one true love. This movie isn't a classic and won't win any awards, but it is totally watchable and has a satisfying conclusion.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Disappointing, boring, and cheap

[4/10 · 15 October 2022]

I enjoyed Halloween Kills but this was a major disappointment. The idea of the story isn't bad on its face, but the execution is so bad it is painful to watch. I had trouble making it past the first 30 minutes, and doing so did not lead to a satisfying pay-off. And, the way the film is shot makes it look like a soap opera on tv rather than a major motion picture. The acting is equally bad, or it could be that the directing and editing is so bad the acting doesn't stand a chance-- its hard to determine what is worse. Nobody comes out of this poorly executed film looking good, including Jamie Lee Curtis, who is hard not to like in the other Halloween movies. This was a total bust but hopefully the next installment will try harder to get it right.

About Fate (2022)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 12 September 2022]

Emma Roberts deserved better. Instead, this movie is an abject failure. From the music in the opening scene, which is cringe-worthy, to the lead actor, Thomas Mann, who is utterly un-photogenic to put it mildly, this pedestrian rom-com never makes it out of the gate. As a fan of rom-coms, it feels like the Director should apologize for these scenes in every single way possible, whether it be the lighting, the editing, the sound, to the actual filming itself. Nothing to see here. I am saddened that the likeable and quirky Emma Roberts was drowned in this disaster. Sorry. Nothing good to say about this. Just a waste.

Honor Society (2022)

Woke Ending ruins otherwise good rom-com/coming of age story

[6/10 · 31 July 2022]

The first 2 acts of this movie are a 10, featuring a great romantic rapport between the two leads as well as a nice coming of age story. In the final act, just as the audience is rooting for this couple to overcome the deception they played on each other, the movie takes a hard left turn into some woke pride fest. The story subsequently abandons the romantic element, essentially dismissing Gaten Matarazzo's character arc, leaving the audience who was rooting for this couple hanging out to dry. The ending is such an unwanted turn that I dropped this all the way to a 6. I could've given it a 5, just because of how disappointing this plot twist was.

Night Sky (2022)

As a Sci-fi fan and drama fan, this is a bore

[3/10 · 14 June 2022]

Mind-numbingly slow. I am a very patient person when it comes to Sci-fi fantasy drama, but this tested that patience with no pot of gold at the end. The only explanation for the high-ratings are bots. If you don't think this is helpful, watch 2 episodes and then understand that the rest of the show is more of the same. NOTHING HAPPENS EVER. There is a nice art design of a space that is supposed to exist but you never inhabit that world, it just shows up through the lens of a cave that is shown in the first 5 minutes to bring in the Sci-fi crowd. I could give credit if it were a Black Mirror/Twilight Zone-type show that got expanded, but instead its like if the movie Cocoon had taken all the cool special effects out, and then just had a 2 act drama on a stage.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2022– )

This Law Drama Crushes It

[9/10 · 7 June 2022]

Its hard to find a new way to execute a legal drama, but this show does exactly that and left me wishing they would've done more than 10 episodes. The first thing that stands out is the excellent cast. I can honestly say the women steal the scenes, from Becki Newton (Lorna) to Neve Campbell to Jazz Raycole (Izzy), these actresses are very likeable and charismatic and leave you almost wishing they each had their own spin-off. The lead actor, Garcia-Rulfo, is darker, quiet, and under-played than I would have expected for a 9 star show, but after a few episodes his style won me over. At first, I thought he might be a weakness, but his low-level tenor fits perfectly and its almost hard not to get up and cheer when he does his Lincoln Lawyer-thang.

Netflix crushes it with this show and in particular, that they intersperse his other cases with the major lead murder case, rather than making each episode a new case, which is so boring and over-done. I would call this show an intelligent person's procedural: I don't like procedurals generally, which is why I held-off on watching this show, which made it an unbelievably pleasant surprise when I finally gave it a shot. Its easy to watch but its not some throw-away formulaic legal or police drama. It also doesn't use sex or gore to entice the viewer-- it uses skilled writing, acting, and directing to set the pace, deliver the dialogue and win over the audience. I can't give it a 10 only because the arc of the show has not been fully fleshed out. It leaves a little on the table, which is good for a show that plans on having multiple seasons rather than a limited series. But all-in-all, this one was so good, I had to take the time to review it after I finished watching.

The Valet (2022)

Super Funny Right From the Start

[7/10 · 5 June 2022]

I don't waste time in reviews giving you the plot. You can read the plot anywhere. This is a comedy with a warm heart and its funny in a classical way: and by that, i mean, its not trying to be too politically correct, too raunchy, or too smart. Its a little dumb, but in an endearing way. Some of the reason it works is because it seems like a throwback formulaic comedy that isn't trying to make a million statements or conversely, offend half the population's personal belief system: its just people put in funny situations and the ensemble cast makes it work. As different as the two leads are (Samara Weaving and Eugenio Derbez), their relationship is believable, which is another reason the whole movie works. ON a final note: Samara Weaving is surprisingly likeable, even though she starts the movie as the shrew, which only proves to me that she is becoming a true A-list actress. The way she undergoes a transformation in a subtle series of ways makes her very likeable as a leading lady, and the movie benefits from great directing, writing, and overall casting. Good job to Hulu and the folks that rolled out this traditional comedy in an era where such things are almost unheard of.

1883 (2021–2022)

If the computer game Oregon Trail came to life

[8/10 · 4 June 2022]

A show unlike any I've ever seen. A Western where everyone is vulnerable and there is no untouchable gunslinger or outlaw. Sam Elliott carries a cast of characters on the Oregon Trail, and the creator, Taylor Sheridan, doesn't sugar-coat anything. People die from beginning to end and in all sorts of ways, from smallpox to battles and everything in-between. The Native Americans have no accents when they speak English, which I think is a great artistic choice. It doesn't make them seem like the Other or romanicized, rather the absence of the halting Native speaker makes them seem more real. The beautiful, unfettered landscape alone would make 1883 worth watching, but the characters and the situations are always dire and compelling. This is perhaps the best Western series I've ever watched and it plays out well over 10 episodes and is worth the time.

However, it, like the West it depicts, is not perfect and some of the artistic choices are somewhat off-putting. My largest criticism is too much voice-over narration by the lead actress, Isabel May. A little narration is fine, but this is too much, which is a big reason I can't give it a 10. The other reason, is again, Isabel May, but its her look: from the way she smiles to the way she cries, her facial expressions look like she is imitating Jennifer Lawrence, which is disconcerting and detracts from everything else she does well, which is a lot. She is not a bad actress or a weak link, but she looks like a young girl who probably grew up watching Lawrence and then just imitated her acting style. So those are my only two criticisms and the reason I give this show an 8 instead of a 10. Everything else is amazingly unique and genuine and the casting was perfect.

The Northman (2022)

Not what you would expect..in a disappointing way

[6/10 · 30 May 2022]

I was hoping for something like Braveheart or Last Samurai-- a sprawling action epic. This is not that. It is a story of revenge against a relative, who turns out to be nothing more than the equivalent of a slave-master. There is no battle for a throne or anything like that. It is merely one man's grisly plot to get back at his uncle. About half of the movie's exposition takes place in these drug-induced fever dreams, so if you're into flash-backs or flash-forwards with lots of images and little story, then these won't bother you. The other half is gruesome violence. There isn't much of a plot or character development. It feels like a lot of great, compelling talent went to waste as again most of the story takes place in this hallucinogenic state of non-sense sequences that are supposed to reveal some deeper mythology but fails to capture any sense of urgency in the story. It just feels like the myth, the legend and all that gets lost somewhere, which I blame on the Director and perhaps the writing. Its not the worst movie, but it could've been something epic and wasn't.

Pam & Tommy (2022)

Guilty pleasure, imminently watchable with good acting

[6/10 · 27 May 2022]

The story is primarily about the guy who stole the sex tape (played by Seth Rogen) and then the effect it has on Pamela Anderson (Lilly James). The first two episodes are more of a comedy, but then it switches into more of a biopic drama. The partying and the characters make this an easy guilty pleasure watch. Not too deep, but fun with some sex, drugs, and rock n roll.

My criticism and the reason for a 6 instead of a 7 would be of the entire Rogen plot-point, which seems superfluous. He gets a deeper back story than Tommy, but his character doesn't really do anything to propel the story. It just seems like its own separate story, and one that is hard to care about. So anytime they switch back to him, its a good time to get up and grab a beer or something to eat because you won't miss anything about Pam and Tommy.

Tommy (Sebastian Stan) doesn't get the same in-depth back story as Rogen and James, but he does a very good job of portraying Tommy Lee without much support from the script. Ultimately, his past and future are almost an after-thought. It should really just be called Pam (and a couple of other crazy, basically thoughtless and bad guys).

Don't Look Up (2021)

Satire with a Serious, Desperate edge and some Sci-Fi as well

[9/10 · 23 April 2022]

Using the fear of an Extinction Level Comet hitting the Earth as a mirror for current events, Don't Look Up is a thinking-person's political and social satire. Fortunately, it doesn't make the mistake of taking itself too seriously so it remains funny while highlighting the dilemma of living in a country where people will literally believe anything and they will do so for the weirdest of reasons.

As a fan of both sci-fi and political satire, this movie was so satisfying and thought-provoking I've watched it 3 times already. The sci-fi element was a nice addition.

Politically, it mostly leans toward criticizing the narcissism and megalomania of the Republican party in politics, though not exclusively.

In terms of the Social Media critique, it satires the narcissistic weirdos like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, as well as the social media culture that promotes the lowest common denominator-type views.

Ultimately, Don't Look Up successfully blends the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity and vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and social media.

The Batman (2022)

Absurdly illogical finale ruins the 3 hour tour

[6/10 · 20 April 2022]

I feel like the Director just assumed after laboring through 2.5 hours, the viewer will be so brain-dead they will just accept the crazy scenario that sets up the finale. That's all I'll say about the plot and I'll let you decide.

Unlike the Dark Knight, there is no adrenaline-rushing opening scene. It takes about 20 minutes for this movie to really start and then it meanders throughout the middle. So much so, that I did the dishes and didn't miss any important story point because there aren't many. If you've seen any other Batman movie, then you too, can clean your house while you watch the middle 2 hours of this one.

Zoe Kravitz steals the show. She is the only interesting and new element to an otherwise tired rendition of past Batman epics. Pattinson however, is fine as Batman-- its not his fault that his character is un-interesting and un-developed.

Matt Reeves deserves the blame here. If he is the Showrunner, than I'm not really sure what his goal was, other than to make you sit through 3 hours of a tediously dark movie filled with cynical views of society that does not lead to any kind of redemption or growth of the characters. You could honestly say, that with or without the events in this movie, the characters would have been in the exact same situation as when the movie began.

Stitchers (2015–2017)

Nonsensical plots, bad acting, & poor directing=Waste of time

[3/10 · 6 April 2022]

I am at a loss for how this show has a 7 rating. I'll start with why it might've got that score from some people: 1) Emma Ishta is super-model beautiful and walks around in a tight leather outfit for most of every episode; 2) The special effects are not glaringly bad; 3) It follows very basic storylines that any 10yo can keep up instead of wasting time with silly things like logic or details. Now, why I gave it a 3. I'm a sci-fi fan, and I could've forgiven the absurd concept that provides no back-story about how the technology to transplant consciousness into a dead body might actually work. But, here's a list of things any normal viewer can easily NOT FORGIVE: 1) The lead Emma Ishta is beautiful but she is a poor actress and its hard to believe she is some kind of tech genius; 2) the director insists on never showing Emma Ishta in a fight scene but somehow the bad guys always manage to end-up magically in handcuffs even though Ishta is a student with no training in combat; 3) The writing is as bad as you would expect from a B or C level sci-fi show from freeform.

Man of Steel (2013)

Too Sci-fiey and too much backstory

[5/10 · 14 November 2021]

The first 30 minutes feels like they owed Russell Crowe money so we don't even get to the "Man of Steel" and by the time we do, there's no time to develop his character arc. It proceeds directly to him saving things and being super. They also go all-in on making this a total Sci-fi space alien film instead of developing the story for our hero, Superman/Clark Kent. That's it.

Goliath (2016–2021)

Secret Gem of a show

[9/10 · 27 September 2021]

Amazon smartly released all 8 episodes of Goliath so you could binge and follow the full arc of the story in a continuous setting. Goliath doesn't bury the lead by making you watch 7 episodes before stuff happens. Crucial elements of the story are revealed quickly and consistently and still it goes a full 8 episodes. Billy Bob Thornton just absolutely crushes it with his unique voice. Combined with Nina Arianda, it may have the best acting on TV that seems to never get noticed.

Meanwhile Apple continues to water-board viewers as it slow rolls its shows, with one episode at a time making you forget the reason you watched the first 2 episodes of any of their shows in the first place. They have ruined Ted Lasso and pretty much every other show in this way. I mention this b/c Apple put out several shows at the same time Goliath was released, including Foundation, See, and Ted Lasso. Goliath's full season was more satisying than all 3 of those shows combined.

Hidden (I) (2015)

Not a 6 star movie

[3/10 · 29 August 2021]

The top user reviews bury the lead: this is a cheap movie that looks cheap. And during the 2nd act when whatever creature is chasing them finally arrives, the whole movie just falls into a typical B horror flick with everything you'd expect: awful, almost non-existent special effects, dumb decisions by our leads, choppy editing, bad dialogue, and strange plot twists that could've worked if you had money and time to develop those ideas better. So if you don't mind having to tolerate terrible choices by your lead characters then you will absolutely love what the top reviewer calls an "entertaining slow burn thriller." Wow. Really?

Werewolves Within (2021)

AT&T girl is the only brightspot

[4/10 · 8 July 2021]

I was suprised by the comedic-timing and all-around likeability of the lead actress, who is recognizable for being a commercial spokesperson like Flo from Progressive. So its a little disconcerting seeing her in the lead role of a movie, but she deserved it. She was good. Sadly, she is the only bright spot in an otherwise boring and cheap production. The minute they change the location to have the entire cast in one room of the hotel it dawns on you how cheap this production is and how unbelievable the characters are. It looks like you're watching a play except its a movie. So the Direction is bad as well. But the entire concept wreaks of Stephen King and his idiotic view of what he thinks constitutes a good movie. He should stick to writing 1,000 page sci-fi books for folks who are learning to read.