INTXb Reviews

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

Worse than Battlefield Earth

[4/10 · 4 April 2024]

The story is dreadful. I'm 100% convinced that Zack Snyder (Writer/Director) dumped various plot points from other movies (like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars) into an AI script writer and this was what was outputted. The story kind of drivels along without making much rational sense. There are several scenes where the characters are just standing around in the background watching the scene unfold, as if they didn't know what to do with them so they just had them stand there. I'm of a fan of Zack Snyder movies but this one is probably his worst. It's is worse than Battlefield Earth... at least with that one someone attempted to make a sensible plot. It saddens me that there will be a part two.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Overly polished cinematic snoozefest

[6/10 · 28 March 2024]

It's the peak of Hollywood production and yet it's a snoozefest. What happens when you have an overly polished cinematic experience packed with characters that have no real personalities or depth of any kind? You get Dune 1 & 2. I found my self sluggish in my chair falling asleep at multiple points in the movie. The studio must have required a 2 1/2+ hour movie because the movie was packed extremely slow scenes, actual slow-mo scenes, and scenes of landscapes with zero substance. The movie could have easily crammed in 45 minutes if they wanted to. I figured after the first one that it surely couldn't be another sleeper and boy was I wrong. If there's a Dune 3 I'll bring my neck pillow next time.

The Creator (2023)

The movie is like a dream but not in a good way

[6/10 · 5 October 2023]

The movie plays out like a dream but not in a good way. Everything is glazed over - there is no good explanation for why most of the plot happens or why things are the way they are, it just kind of does - like the way things work in a dream. For me this doesn't work because I like movies that are logical and sensical even if they are sci-fi or fantasy. The effects are really impressive as I couldn't tell what was CGI and what wasn't. The acting is fine as well. I don't have much to complain about it other than the fact that it's a movie with little substance. It just looks cool and plays out like a dream with a happy ending. It's rather forgettable like most dreams as well.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Fantastic production but why did they go trying to make it all introspective

[6/10 · 6 August 2023]

I took my whole family to this movie thinking it was something we all could enjoy at least a little. My two girls are 6 and 8... I realized going in that it's mostly for adults but I wasn't expecting it to be totally for adults given the theme. Too bad. My oldest daughter was so disappointed by it that she was crying after and didn't understand it to be honest - she thought it was going to be more fun because we watched the trailers over and over. I mean it was a fantastic production and a lot of creativity went into making the Barbie world but why did they have to make the Barbie characters so introspective. So much crying and melodramatic parts for a movie that should be geared towards a kids imagination. And why did the ending need to be so lame. I thought at the very list they could have ended it on a fun note for the kids but the ending really sucked for my daughters.

Paradise (I) (2023)

Unexpectedly very good

[8/10 · 6 August 2023]

I really wasn't expecting something quite as good based on the putrid 6.3/10 rating on IMDb. The production, acting, premise, are all really good. The sci-fi story is very interesting though pretty linear and mostly predictable. With that said I was fully captivated throughout the entire movie and I'm one that gets antsy easily. I haven't seen any of the actors before but they all played their parts very well and were fully convincing in their parts. I would definitely watch a part 2 of this movie if one is made. The only reason I think this movie didn't get a higher review is the subtitles and the fact that it doesn't have a single A-list actor from Hollywood.

65 (2023)

So bad I walked out

[2/10 · 10 March 2023]

Just got back from this one and it was so bad that I just walked out. Right from the very beginning when we see them on an alien planet - looking just like humans on a world that looks just like earth, wearing normal human-like clothes and human-like hair, and speaking English - I know this was going to be a stinker. The two leads had no Chemistry and at all and it felt like whoever directed this didn't have a clue how to make two likable and interesting characters interact in an entertaining the way. The plot itself is nonsense... apparently their ship can't avoid asteroids and two seconds later it's crashing into earth. Even if you're a sci-fi fan or a dinosaur fan I still recommend watching any other movie.

Willow (2022–2023)

Everything I wanted and more

[8/10 · 5 December 2022]

I read the reviews and the score on IMDb and I thought it was going to be just bad but I'm 2 episodes in and so far it's everything I wanted it to be and more. The cast is great. It has the feel of the original with it's own personality. I really have no idea what everyone else is going on about - it's almost feels like there's some kind of smear campaign against this show. I really can't find any issue with it at all. I'm loving it and hope others will just ignore the reviews and make up there own minds. I'm really looking forward to watching the rest of the season to see how the show unfolds.

Don't Look Up (2021)

This movie is just so...

[7/10 · 25 December 2021]

Effective. There were many funny parts in this movie and even though I laughed it just felt wrong every time. Clearly this movie draws parallels to the recent increase in science denialism, specifically in relation to global warming. But even deeper than that this story tells the tale of how people are just incredibly stupid and ultimately have their own self-interests at heart. Even at the very end, the scientists chose to ignore what was evitable in preference for their own self-interests.

Cold Skin (2017)

Best movie I've seen in 2021

[9/10 · 22 November 2021]

The whole movie was incredibly convincing, being taken place about 100 years ago, and given the story that's no simple feat. All the cast completely own their roles. The makeup in the "other" characters is lifelike and some of it may even be CGI but I couldn't tell. I was completely engrossed in this movie from the very beginning to the very end. It's definitely not your typical movie. I'll be keeping an eye on everything else that this director makes as well as the main actor, David Oakes.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Was expecting more

[6/10 · 19 November 2021]

I'm two episodes in but I haven't been very entertained by the show overall There's a lot of pointless chatter and sitting around inbetween occasional action sequences. Rosamund Pike is quite convincing and interesting as Moiraine but the rest of ensemble, particularly the younger "four" are pretty bland and boring. Since the show seems to be focusing on these four younger kids I just don't see how it can get much better as they are simply unimpressive.

Eternals (2021)

Didn't expect it to be that bad

[4/10 · 17 November 2021]

The previews looked promising based on visual effects and a pretty intriguing cast and premise. But that was the extent of the positives. The script and story are something a young teenager could write. The cast are beautiful and do a decent job with what they were given but that's it. It's just so poor and I was left shaking my head at least a half dozen times at bad character decisions and plot devices. Felt pretty ripped off. Also started to fall asleep 3 times.

Dune (2021)

Every scene was exceptional

[8/10 · 10 November 2021]

I can't speak to the lore and whether or not the movie was true to the original or not but I can say every scene was exceptional and beautifully crafted. Every role was casted very well. My only knock is that everything is too perfect and glazed over and so it kind takes a way the genuinity of it. But I'm really looking forward to #2.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Barely watchable

[5/10 · 3 July 2021]

The script in particular ranges from passable to cringe-worthy. The story is ok but incredibly simple like a teenager wrote it. It could have been a lot better. So many idiotic decisions are made by the characters just to keep the action and pace moving forward. I think without Pratt's star power this would be a "direct to tv" type movie. However with the major lack of blockbuster in the last year and change it does make this one stand out more and is worth watching to simply help stave off boredom.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Character behaviors make no sense

[4/10 · 21 April 2021]

The guy does all these amazing tricks because he knows everything that's going to happen but nobody even acts slightly surprised... what?

The guy finally means someone else stuck in the time loop and the girls reaction is to act uninterested... what?

I couldn't continue watching this because these things annoyed me too much - too bad because the movie had a lot of potential.

Love and Monsters (2020)

The timing couldn't be better...

[8/10 · 9 November 2020]

This movie was just what I and presumably everyone needed since we are all bunkered up through this quarantine. The movie is basically about a boy who himself is in a bunker due to external threats and rises up face them and go on entertaining adventure. But somehow the studio didn't seem to know how to release this one which is really sad because it's a good family movie everyone could enjoy right now. I was just lucky enough to stumble on a way to watch it, it's just too bad almost nobody will even hear about this one.

Away (2020)

Better than I thought after 2 eps.

[7/10 · 7 September 2020]

After the first two eps I thought it was kind of cheesy and some random stuff happens just to create drama but after watching the whole first season I realize a lot of care went into the production. The actors are good though some of the script is not great. The show does get better though it is over-the-top with the emotions sometimes, like a soap opera. Ultimately I enjoyed it.

Tenet (2020)

Fantastical production but nonsensical

[6/10 · 27 August 2020]

Nolan's experimentation of time in all of his films is fantastic but this one went too far to trying to look ingenious. It ends up being nonsense disguised as something intelligent.

Nolan pushed the boundaries of sci-fi into fantasy in Inception, and it mostly worked, but this one is more fantasy then sci-fi. You will have to suspend belief the size of a mountain to be entertained. Apparently just willing an object that is reversed, such as a bullet, will make it work in reverse, huh? It's also explained in the film that the heat from an explosion will have the reverse effect on a person travelling backward in time (i.e. being frozen instead of burned) but this should mean the reverse laws of thermodynamics would apply in all other manners as well, even just a warm day should felt as a cold day, etc. The parts where people are travelling backward in time also don't seem to make sense but it is difficult to decipher what is actually going on most of the time.

The two leads execute several fantastic plans that seem impossible without a lot of time and resources, but somehow you're supposed to just accept that they are these exceptional spies without ever getting any details, including character development or backstory.

Most of the production is fantastic though, especially terms of the cinematography and the color palette of the film.

By the way, don't expect much humor, there was only one part where I heard anyone in the theater laugh.

The audio was also extremely poor, I had to strain myself to hear most of the dialog.

Palm Springs (2020)

Enjoyable but no Groundhog Day

[9/10 · 19 July 2020]

A good movie to watch if you want to kill a couple hours. The two leads are pleasant and I liked their chemistry but the movie was just not as well crafted as Groundhog Day which includes the attention to detail. Admittedly GD is one of my all time favorites so it's a high bar. The lead often doesn't act like a guy stuck in a loop for a long time. Also they didn't tell Roy what they discovered near the end which is a big loose end. They could have don't without the cheesy effects used to demonstrate traveling through dimensions or whatever.

Teen Spirit (2018)

Pretty good

[6/10 · 22 June 2020]

Not a bad movie... somewhere between 6-7/10. Plot is pretty straight forward. Elle Fanning gives it a boost with her aura (she kind of radiates). To be honest it might not be a good movie without her. At the same time her performances are kind of humdrum, even in the end she seems amateurish. Also it never really explains why her personality is so dreary all the time, but I think this is mostly just Elle's acting (appealing in a way because it sets her apart from other actors). Zlatko gives the best performance though in a supporting role. Worth a watch if you're a fan of Elle or just a fan of offbeat movies.

6 Underground (2019)

Checking all the right boxes doesn't make a good movie

[4/10 · 21 June 2020]

The movie checks all the boxes required to make a big action movie, but somehow it's so boring. The opening chase scene in an old renaissance city is a prime example of something really good being knocked off (we've seen this before in better movies). It tries really hard to make top-notch action but it feels like you're being force-fed something you're supposed to like but don't. Almost all the humor falls flat and seems unnecessary... truthfully the movie would be better without it. It tries to recapture Reynolds "action +humor" combo-pack which worked so well in Deadpool, but for whatever reason not here. I guess this review is unfair because I couldn't get through 1/2 of it.

The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019)

Lost interest

[21 June 2020]

Good production but after binging season 1 and proceeding to season 2 it occurred to me that I simply don't care about the main characters. They're both annoying on different parts of the personality spectrum. As outcasts, it will make them unique and appealing to some people. Also wasn't really buying the plot for season 2, a little too convenient to create the next chapter.

Need for Speed (2014)

Much better than nearly all of the F&F movies

[9/10 · 3 June 2020]

What's up with the rating for this movie? Who doesn't like this movie... it's baffling? I'd rather watch this 100 times then have to watch another Fast & Furious assembly line production. People are saying this plot is straight forward, I don't get that at all. It builds suspense and keeps the adrenaline going right until the end. Cool soundtrack. All the cast were great. Makes me sad it wasn't a bigger hit because it's a recipe for dumber movies like F&F. And I'd like to see more like it from the director, Scott Waugh.

Blockers (2018)

It's just not funny at all

[4/10 · 2 June 2020]

Whoever wrote this script should not write any more comedies, it's really really not funny at all. The only parts that made me chuckle at all were not even supposed to be funny. The premise is good enough for a comedy so it should have been way better. I feel bad for the actors, but they did well considering what they had to work with.

Space Force (2020–2022)

About what I expected

[6/10 · 1 June 2020]

A pinch better than I was expecting and I wasn't expecting much. Bottom line is it's watchable for the most-part. Though a lot of it is just lame. The parts with General Naird's family (wife and daughter) seem kind of pointless, I mostly skipped through them. The Malkovich / Carell dynamic is the best part of the show. Jimmy O. Yang is also funny.

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill (2020 TV Special)

Refined Jerry is as good as ever

[8/10 · 11 May 2020]

Jerry's still got it. I really enjoyed it. The whole set was great and the delivery of each joke seemed well crafted. All the right words and body gestures to go along with the jokes. I didn't feel at all that he was mailing it in, seemed to genuinely enjoy doing stand up. Good job Jerry!