The_Rook Reviews

Foundation (2021– )

Foundation Copied and Ruined

[1/10 · 6 July 2023]

This stinks so bad of plagiarisms' I can't believe the Asimov family isn't taking legal action. The nonsense it only follows in broad strokes but has different characters is a large steaming pile of.... So, if what they say is true why use his book series title, history, and the key components of the series? Does anyone else see them milking the success of the book series to get people to watch because of the existing audience for Foundation title? How many times must we endure someone taking a title of a movie, book, or tv series and totally remaking it into a different story (i.e., Little Mermaid, The Wild, Wild West, Equalizer) to suit a different audience? How is it they can manage to totally ruin the original story and then claim the same title to get an audience that is familiar with the originals.

Instinct (2018–2019)

Instinct

[8/10 · 25 November 2020]

It was an excellent series right up until it became more about his gay relationship and his spouse adopting a baby. I don't watch any series about Sci Fi, Mystery, Comedy, or Drama for the key characters love making, romance, marriage, children, dysfunction, or anything that takes it away from what the series was sold on in the first place. They seem to have forgot it was supposed to be about a brilliant Ex-CIA agent solving mysteries. I'm ticked off that some wanted to make it gay so badly, they got it cancelled because they ignored the whole reason people watched it in the first place.

Whiskey Cavalier (2019)

Whiskey Tango Heck

[9/10 · 6 April 2019]

Anyone watching the new series Whiskey Cavalier? Great writing, casting, directing, acting, camera work, sets, locations, and music. It's a nice mix of spy thriller with some comedy. A couple episodes back they tipped a hat to True Lies by having one of the team in a van complaining about being in the van, like Tom Arnold did, and the leads were dressed to the nines and dancing to the same tango song Schwarzenegger and Curtis did in True Lies. The most recent episode they are all travelling in Europe in an RV and the music playing is Holiday Road from National Lampoon's Vacation. Still funny if you don't catch the references, but even better if you do.

The Rundown (2003)

The Rundown

[10/10 · 11 April 2018]

It my opinion one Dwayne Johnson's greatest roles. The intro of football players in on the field action shots as he spots them in the bar is new and a brilliant add. Perfect for a bounty hunter preparing to take them on if necessary to collect a debt. The backstory of him wanting to be a chef and jotting down cooking ingredients for recipes is another clever hook. Then to have him go to the jungle to grab a clients son begins the real action. The movie is tight and well edited so that you don't see unnecessary filler. The cast is excellent and make you want more time with everyone of them, even the evil Christopher Walken character. With such a brilliant premise it was disappointing when a sequel wasn't quick to follow. To this day I think they should do one. Johnson is still doing action roles and is even a more seasoned actor. I hope someone will write a screen story and get it made.

Jurassic World (2015)

Jurassic World

[7/10 · 4 July 2015]

The first movie was magical and scary. I thought Jurassic Park III was much more frightening and fun than II, and II definitely sucked after they transported big Rex and Baby Rex to San Diego (yawn), okay it sucked after Ingen came in. To much like a King Kong or any other big monster in the city movie. Jurassic World has a couple new twists, and what exactly do fans expect when you are making another movie about dinosaurs on an island with people? Jurassic world isn't a yawn fest but it should have had better writing and directing. If Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg had been involved I think it would have been better. Bottom line it is still is better than II. So let's hope there is a V and they put more thought into it.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max Post Road Warrior

[8/10 · 14 May 2015]

I was a huge fan of the original and saw it when it first hit US theaters and set Mel Gibson on a path to super stardom. The original seemed a little weird and B grade at the time of it's release as it was visionary long before other apocalyptic movies of the genre. This movie seems to pay homage with similarities using a gas tanker and other similar vehicles, desert backdrop, and a music toy used by the feral boy in "Road Warrior. Many differences though in back story and the group Max has allied with to escape from the dregs trying to kill them. Great writing, direction, casting, acting, F/X, locations, and music.

CA Luster

Reign of the Gargoyles (2007 TV Movie)

Reign of the Gargoyles

[16 October 2014]

Personally i applaud the SyFy channel for putting out B movies. I haven't enjoyed this many rainy Sunday afternoon movies since the 50s and 60s. This movie I have seen a few times and I actually like it. To bad it isn't in one of the three movie sets the SyFy channel has released on DVDs.

A group of WWIi soldiers find a secret Nazi weapon that has brought Gargoyles to life. These soldiers must figure out a way to destroy them. They use all weapons they can find and even a German Heinkel bomber to try and destroy the demon controlling the gargoyles. I hope this becomes available on DVD.

Song of the South (1946)

Song of the South (1946)

[10/10 · 13 October 2014]

The sad truth is this movie is part of our American History and yet because of labeling for no legitimate reason the movie is not sanctioned by those like the NAACP. The irony is movies that are offensive to other Americans are granted free license for distribution because there is a double standard.

Song of the South is merely a tale like many fairy tales told prior to the 1960s. This tale is told from a perspective of the South that is closer to the truth of our culture at that time than some want to reflect on. As a child I saw this movie and it did not skewer my ideas about any people in the movie at all. It was the animals and the music that are the true entertainment. I hope some day everyone of every color will appreciate that and stop censoring anything they don't think reflects them as perfection throughout history.

Penguin Pool Murder (1932)

Penquin Pool Murder

[7/10 · 25 September 2010]

Edna Mae Oliver is a delight and if you enjoy classic you will see several other recognizable faces. I only wish the Hildegard murder mysteries were on DVD. She made three in this series. She had a long and great career as mostly a supporting actress making seven movies in 1933 her biggest year. Some of her parts are in well known classics like Little Women and A Tale of Two Cities. Be sure to catch this rather comedic murder mystery. She plays a schoolmarm with some great lines. As Hildegarde she tries to figure out who is the murderer. This film gives a good look at the fashions of the 1930s. Fans of the Thin Man series should definitely like it.

Cat Ballou (1965)

Cat Ballou Ballad

[10/10 · 30 January 2009]

One of the unique things about this movie is Nat King Cole and Stuby Kaye singing the Ballad of Cat Balou throughout the movie in certain scenes. It adds more fun to the whole style of of the movie. This is by far one of the all time special comedy Westerns. Besides "Blazing Saddles" and "City Slickers" this is a favorite. The scenes with Lee Marvin playing the bad guy and then a drunk gunslinger are classic and not to be missed. It is no wonder he got an Oscar for his part. The scene of him and his horse propped against a town building is one you won't ever forget. I highly recommend you rent this and if you enjoy Western comedies like the ones I mentioned or those John Wayne did like "McClintock" you should go ahead and buy it.

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970)

Interesting Characters

[8/10 · 15 September 2007]

Junie Moon is an interesting friendship movie. Great unusual characters that band together and help each other. Junie becomes terribly disfigured from a mean man. She finds herself relying on other people with there own special problems. The characters will grow on you. Good acting, directing, and decent sets. It has been years since I saw it at the theater. I still have never forgot it because of the types of people and how they dealt with their personal problems. I would definitely buy it if it was available on DVD. Not appropriate for young children. Some adult situations. To bad it isn't out on video of any kind. Until it is check out "The Station Manager", another great unusual friendship movie.

Fantasy Island (1998–1999)

Fancy That

[8/10 · 10 July 2007]

My wife and I both truly enjoyed this series more than the original "Fantasy Island". That isn't to say we didn't like the original, we did. This just seemed more fantasy and less "Love Boat" than the first one with Ricardo Montalban. All the characters were interesting with their own unique quirks. The travel agency lead in was funny, and the support staff were great. This was definitely more fantasy and comedy than the first series, but it had it's scary side as well. I liked McDowell being a little scary. I think it was more appropriate. Afterall anyone that thinks God wouldn't be scary is kidding themselves. I hope this comes out on DVD. Even if it is only 13 episodes I will buy it.

Special Unit 2 (2001–2002)

Lawless Links Locked-up

[8/10 · 15 June 2007]

Fun SciFi series. This is now airing on SciFi channel in the DC Metro area. Special Unit 2 is a special police unit formed to capture and contain unusual people or creatures (slang is Links) that commit crimes against humanity. They have special weapons similar to those use by M.I.B since they face an unusual variety of perpetrators (perps). Take this with an open mind and a sense of humor and you will probably enjoy it. Decent cast, directing, stories, effects, and music. This only had a short season of 19 episodes but it was a good one. Unfortunately like so many decent SciFi series it was canceled. I hope that like the short lived "Threshold" they will put this series on DVD.

The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)

Rolls-Royce

[6/10 · 30 March 2007]

This is a slow moving but entertaining movie. The three stories are romantic and charming. The cast is outstanding. Ingrid Bergman, Omar Shariff, George C. Scott, Art Carney, and Shirley McLaine to mention a few. Chances are of you enjoy movies from the 1960s you may like it. This type of movie was common then, but many have not fared well in getting to video. This has never been a hit but always enjoyed by many. Unfortunately it is not available on DVD or even VHS. If you have seen it and enjoyed it you may want to see "The Red Violin" with Samuel Jackson. Several stories that tie together with a red violin. The only common thread in "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" is the car. One of those if such-and-such could talk stories. It has been years since I have seen it telecast on TV. Good luck trying to see it.

Kidnapped (1960)

Read droits_de_l_homme review

[10/10 · 14 April 2006]

I know an honest appraisal when I see one. Add to that droits_de_l_homme is from Scotland so he knows what he is talking about. I just know I have always loved this movie. I have always been a fan of classic writers like Stevenson and Dickens. This Disney movie is long overdue for putting on DVD. Why such a great piece of work with a stellar cast has not been put on DVD before now is beyond me. I bought the VHS many years ago and I am glad I did as it is OOP now. If you are lucky enough to catch it on TV I am sure you will agree it is a masterpiece of family entertainment with an accurate depiction of Scottish history thrown in for good measure. I always hoped this would come out on DVD with Disney talking about the story behind it as he often did when these were made for the Disney TV show.

Lucky Lady (1975)

The Bootleg

[7/10 · 31 March 2006]

After the popularity of "The Sting" a few other movies surfaced with period themes and involving gangsters. I have to say to me "Lucky Lady" was one of the more entertaining. Acting from Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds, and Liza Minnelli was certainly more than competent and decent from the rest the cast. The costumes, sets, and music were quite good. Overall just a fun movie to watch. Take a group of privateers during Prohibition (law passed making drinking liquor against the law in U.S.) that wants to make a little fast money selling liquor smuggled in from Canada with the mob and the law hot on their heels and you get the theme of the movie. Considering the star power here and the fact that this is certainly much better to watch than a lot of trash out on DVD it surprises me this has never been released on DVD and if it ever was on VHS it is long since OOP. I sure hope some smart studio gets this our on DVD. I can guarantee they will do much better with it than many others they might try to market.

The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (1980 TV Movie)

Gold Watch Time Travel

[10/10 · 26 March 2005]

Robert Hayes, Pam Dauber, and Jill Ireland are great in this very funny movie based on the MacDonald book. When a young man is left a gold watch by his millionaire uncle he can't believe that is all the uncle left him. Then a message from his uncle tells him there is more to the watch than meets the eye. He finds out the watch can stop time. With such incredible power he doesn't know what to do. Unfortunately for him there are two people that want the watch for illegal purposes. They will stop at nothing to get it. The means by which Hayes foils them and escapes is often hysterical. It is sad this hasn't been released on DVD, nor even VHS. Be sure to read the book.

The Blue Yonder (1985 TV Movie)

The Blue Yonder

[8/10 · 4 March 2005]

Excellent TV movie for all ages. Peter Coyote, Art Carney, and Huckleberry Fox are wonderful in this movie. A young boy hears about his great grandfather trying to fly across the English Channel from stories by his grandfather. Then he finds out his grandfather has a time machine he has been to sick to use. Max takes it for a spin and meets his great grandfather in person. He tries to help him make the flight that could put him in history books. Unfortunately I rarely see this on TV and it is not on VHS or DVD. I hope it gets enough recognition to be transferred to DVD soon. If you enjoy movies like "Back to the Future", "Explorers" and "Flight of the Navigator" you will certainly like this movie.

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

My Enemies Enemy is my Friend

[10/10 · 13 August 2004]

Be advised, some spoiler information in this review.

I have good news and bad news. The bad news first, the movie is no Aliens. The Marines aren't here and most humans will not be kicking serious Alien booty. Instead the match-up is mostly Aliens and Predators and I was even a little disappointed in my favorite of the two, the Predators. A couple seemed to die to easily at the hand of an Alien. Why didn't they use invisibility more? Maybe they thought that would have given the Predators to much advantage. They don't even start out with their shoulder mounted artillery.

The good news, plenty of action, special effects, and a decent back story. Some of the characters are kind of cool even if most of them become Alien fodder. When a group is financed by a millionaire, gee he looks like the robot in Aliens, to explore a newly discovered temple buried in Antartica, things slowly build until they realize they are bait in a maze and survival is a full time job. Our heroine, Alexa Woods played by Sanaa Lathan, once again is female as in the previous Alien movies. She finds out that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Best to help the guards rather than let the prisoners escape. Not as cool as Alien, Aliens, Predator, or Predator 2, but still well worth seeing. No doubt they left it open for a sequel.

Treasure Island (1934)

Good Version

[16 May 2004]

I have seen most versions of Treasure Island. This is one of my favorites. Not what I would call erotic in any shape or form. Good Beery and Coogan vehicle with plenty of pirates and treasure hunting as other versions. The story line is not much different than any other. It seems a bit brighter and more lighthearted. Although none are very true to the story this one is a decent adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson book. I happen to like the casting of Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone, and Nigel Bruce in this gem. Their defense of the Island Stockade is exciting. It has more replayability than all but a couple. It is great fun for the whole family for a lazy afternoon. A notch above most except perhaps the one with Charlton Heston. I certainly hope to see this on DVD since I would add it to my collection.

Formula 51 (2001)

Formula 51

[28 April 2004]

Here in the United States it is known as Formula 51. Unfortunately it did not get any TV ad hype and it is more of a sleeper. Any fan of movies like "The Transporter" or "The Italian Job" will probably enjoy it. I personally thought Samual Jackson and the rest the cast were great. In my humble opinion this is far more fun to watch than "Kill Bill". Plenty of action and comedy. When Jackson's character is busted for Marijuana right after he graduates college, he must turn to the seedier side of backstreet pharmacy to pay the bills. When he comes up with a new drug made from legal across the counter ingredients, all the drug lords want a piece of the action. Great fun watching Jackson play them all against one another.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Not for Spoiled Kids

[10 April 2004]

If you have a child that is only dazzled by special effects, don't let them watch this movie. They will probably find this boring. Let them watch only Harry Potter or some other new movie loaded with special effects. We wouldn't want them to expand their mentality with movies that try to imagine something beyond the books. Since no book was ever written about a young Sherlock Holmes, it takes imagination to think beyond that square little box and create a story that you think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might have written had he wanted to show us his beginnings. Adults will probably like this, and anyone that enjoys movies like the Young Indiana Jones movies.

Terminal Invasion (2002 TV Movie)

Terminal Darkness

[10 February 2004]

As far as I'm concerned Bruce Campbell is bad, in a good way. This certainly is no worse than his older Evil Dead movies in my book. Sure it could have had a good premise for the alien invasion and better lines for them. That aside there is some decent acting, special effects, and the story isn't bad. All in all I would buy it if it was available on DVD. Quite honestly I think they should have either had one very bad alien or an ordinary man as a murderer that was among them while they were stranded. Of course Bruce would get the blame as the convict, but he would be innocent. Maybe in the sequel. Still I found it entertaining enough to keep me awake watching it late the other night.

The Blue Yonder (1985 TV Movie)

A Wing and A Prayer

[8/10 · 16 December 2003]

This is a wonderful story about early aviation and how several pilots lost their lifes trying to cross the Atlantic before Lindbergh. When a young boy hears a story from his granfather, played by Art Carney, about his great grandfather, played by Peter Coyote, trying to make the crossing he decides he must help him. With the help of his greandfather he travels back in time. It is a shame a wonderful family movie like this is not on VHS let alone DVD.

Shoot to Kill (1988)

Signature Killer

[10/10 · 7 July 2003]

As pointed out in a great review above, Poitier is underrated. He is in fact a great actor. He was underappreciated in "A Good Day to Die" as well as others. This movie is exceptional. It keeps you guessing halfway into the movie as to the identity of the murderer. I agree with the other reviewer that it would have been better had they kept it secret a little longer, but we both agree that it doesn't deter from the great film that it turned out to be. The acting, director, music, sets, special effects, stunts, and everything else is exceptional. It surprises me why such a great movie done in the beautiful Seattle area turned out to be a Sleeper. The shots in the mountains and around Pugent Sound are great. This is one of my all time favorite action/mysteries. If you like Sidney Poitier and/or Tom Berenger you will love it. If you love movies like "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls" or any of the Hitchcock movies you should love it as well.