Wow, I am surprised there are numerous bad reviews, probably someone are getting jealous of the uprising Noah Centineo, or wrongly expected it is a wild high school gigolo story. I am not a particular fan of Noah, I just like the pacing, script with its witty, well-thought dialogues, the "finding who I am" theme, nice background music, and the relationship ups and downs between characters. The directing and acting are also comfortable to watch, although it is not "groundbreaking", but I can watch it again and again for the details.
Reviews
10 Reviews
The Perfect Date
(I) (2019)
Entertaining, likeable, an all-round quaility production, i watch it again and again
21 April 2019
Predestination
(I) (2014)
The ultimate Greek tragedy under the coat of Sci-fi, with stunning Sarah Snook.
11 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Predestination is not just about "chicken first or egg first", it is about the essence of Greek Tragedy: You travel back in time trying to fix your misfortunes, only to find out it is still inevitable: Hence, we are puppets on the stage, following the script with invisible strings on our back and joints. The Unmarried Mother's heartbreaks, sufferings, injuries, failures, lost, devastation....are "predestinated". The ultimate question and dilemma from the Greek tragedy and this film: can you change your own fate? Do you dare to do it? Do you really have a choice?
Another example of looping paradox: your parents hate each other with an ugly divorce. If you have travelled back in time, will you prevent them from knowing each other? If you do it, you will not exist. Then you still have to let their disaster take place in the future. Even worse, your travel back in time made them know each other!
Robert A. Heinlein who wrote All You Zombies (the short story of the film based on) is genius. Sarah Snook should have got an Oscar for this film, I can watch this film over and over again just seeing how stunning she is.
Another example of looping paradox: your parents hate each other with an ugly divorce. If you have travelled back in time, will you prevent them from knowing each other? If you do it, you will not exist. Then you still have to let their disaster take place in the future. Even worse, your travel back in time made them know each other!
Robert A. Heinlein who wrote All You Zombies (the short story of the film based on) is genius. Sarah Snook should have got an Oscar for this film, I can watch this film over and over again just seeing how stunning she is.
Blood Brothers
(2015)
Low budget with great acting
5 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
It is always challenging to make a movie with low budget but highly entertaining with drama, suspense, tension and surprises. Blood Brothers managed to do that: Loosely base on a real murder case, actors are good, the director delivers how creepy, narcissistic, cold-blood and arrogant psychopaths are, with a different kind of creepiness with Hitchcock films. Although the budget is obviously low, I am also not a fan of horror or cult movie, it grabbed my attention from the beginning to the end. If the detective can crack the case with Sherlock Holmes style, rather than the easy way used in the movie, fix some inconsistency of the characters, I would give it a higher score.
American Idol
(2002– )
Possible implant again
5 February 2016
Show business is always connections comes first: it is annoying Gianna Isabella dropped her mother's name before singing at the audition. It would be DISGUSTING if she becomes the winner： Many girls on the show are way better than her.
Frankly, she can sing, but anyone who has been training from childhood can sing, her voice is not unique or outstanding. if she has won this, then the show really deserves to be ended： Audience are not idiots, it would be so obviously implanting.
During the David Cook season, the media exposed one of the top 24 is heavily connected to the Fox senior executive, after that, that girl was disqualified. So it is a clever strategy to show the connection with JLo in public in the very beginning to avoid the same disqualification happens. Lindita and Sara should be in top 24 instead. The only positive thing I think of Gianna is, at least she does not dress like a teenage slut.
Frankly, she can sing, but anyone who has been training from childhood can sing, her voice is not unique or outstanding. if she has won this, then the show really deserves to be ended： Audience are not idiots, it would be so obviously implanting.
During the David Cook season, the media exposed one of the top 24 is heavily connected to the Fox senior executive, after that, that girl was disqualified. So it is a clever strategy to show the connection with JLo in public in the very beginning to avoid the same disqualification happens. Lindita and Sara should be in top 24 instead. The only positive thing I think of Gianna is, at least she does not dress like a teenage slut.
Young Adult
(2011)
A Streetcar Named Ex-Prom Queen
19 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
If your high school sweetheart was stolen by the prom queen years ago, this is a really feel-good movie to you.
Young Adult is bold enough NOT to have a happy ending or silver lining, Charlize Theron is brave to take an unlikable, narcissistic and almost pathetic lead role. Diablo Cody's screenplays reminds me Tennessee Williams: the lead characters are shattered, ruined, and finally must face the broken mirror, their bad choices made and their own flaws.
Back to the film itself, I like some of the brilliant touch-ups: Buddy is not Mr. Nice either, he does not care about what happened to Matt. Matt's sister may have flattered Mavis only for getting a chance to leave Mercury. Does Mavis still love Buddy? No way, it is not about the old flame, it is about desperately trying to get back her glorious teenage years and what she could have had. But eventually you would feel sorry for Mavis' loss and failure. C'est la vie.
If Juno, the teenage pregnant girl written by Diablo Cody, turned 37 years old, she could be Mavis and this film just needs to add a scene: she watched her 20 years old son/daughter in a distance, turned around and left in the rain.
Young Adult is bold enough NOT to have a happy ending or silver lining, Charlize Theron is brave to take an unlikable, narcissistic and almost pathetic lead role. Diablo Cody's screenplays reminds me Tennessee Williams: the lead characters are shattered, ruined, and finally must face the broken mirror, their bad choices made and their own flaws.
Back to the film itself, I like some of the brilliant touch-ups: Buddy is not Mr. Nice either, he does not care about what happened to Matt. Matt's sister may have flattered Mavis only for getting a chance to leave Mercury. Does Mavis still love Buddy? No way, it is not about the old flame, it is about desperately trying to get back her glorious teenage years and what she could have had. But eventually you would feel sorry for Mavis' loss and failure. C'est la vie.
If Juno, the teenage pregnant girl written by Diablo Cody, turned 37 years old, she could be Mavis and this film just needs to add a scene: she watched her 20 years old son/daughter in a distance, turned around and left in the rain.
The Martian
(2015)
a slightly cheesy version of Gravity
22 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I have not read the fiction, but the structure is appealing: a survival story with space science authentic details. To me, Gravity is a poet, the Martian movie, well, it is kind of cheesy and mediocre.
Not a bad movie, it is still fun to watch if you do not need philosophy or inspiration; I can tell everyone worked hard on making the movie. But somehow the loneliness, fear, despair, danger, the life-on-a-thread situation are not delivered enough. It's not Matt Damon's problem, I do not feel those emotions and elements because of the choices of dialogue of actors, what and how to be presented, and what are not shown in the screenplay and editing.
The bigger trouble is, some actors who played NASA staff, rather look like staff in a theme park or a mall. In reality, NASA staff may look like ordinary people, but I just cannot believe some of the actors on that screen are NASA staff.
Glad to know that the last scene of Matt Damon was not from the original writer, because it is such a mediocre closure.
Not a bad movie, it is still fun to watch if you do not need philosophy or inspiration; I can tell everyone worked hard on making the movie. But somehow the loneliness, fear, despair, danger, the life-on-a-thread situation are not delivered enough. It's not Matt Damon's problem, I do not feel those emotions and elements because of the choices of dialogue of actors, what and how to be presented, and what are not shown in the screenplay and editing.
The bigger trouble is, some actors who played NASA staff, rather look like staff in a theme park or a mall. In reality, NASA staff may look like ordinary people, but I just cannot believe some of the actors on that screen are NASA staff.
Glad to know that the last scene of Matt Damon was not from the original writer, because it is such a mediocre closure.
Entertaining, dramatic, epic
14 October 2015
I am always fascinated by the drama among the Plantagenets and Tudors Dynasty; this TV series about 4 Plantagenet Kings and their successors, has less academic but more story-telling and drama approach, which is entertaining and informative to me and the younger generations.
I think (no specific order) Dan Jones, the scriptwriters, the directors, the soundtrack guys, the casting director, the actors are outstanding. In a limited budget, it managed to re-enact with drama authenticity and the power of the true stories.
The fourth episode about Richard II and Henry IV is the most epic one. If I were a casting director , I would be interested at the directors, the soundtrack guys, the actors who played the kings and queens, supporting actors are also very strong. Dan Jones is making another TV series about the War of the Roses, I cannot wait to watch.
I think (no specific order) Dan Jones, the scriptwriters, the directors, the soundtrack guys, the casting director, the actors are outstanding. In a limited budget, it managed to re-enact with drama authenticity and the power of the true stories.
The fourth episode about Richard II and Henry IV is the most epic one. If I were a casting director , I would be interested at the directors, the soundtrack guys, the actors who played the kings and queens, supporting actors are also very strong. Dan Jones is making another TV series about the War of the Roses, I cannot wait to watch.
Clash of the Titans
(2010)
another soulless blockbuster by Hollywood suits who think audiences are stupid
5 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In 29 September 2015, I wrote a review about the Terminator Genysis. Interestingly, I can pretty much copy and paste that review on this movie.
I admit, I went to see Clash of the Titans for Sam Worthington, Medusa and Kraken. I saw the original movie but not attached to it. Now I found out, I was the target audience, so all I can get are watching Sam Worthington, Medusa and Kraken, NOTHING ELSE: the Hollywood suits think audience are dumb enough to accept a script below standard as long as there are big budgets on big stars, bigger props and visual effects.
The script in T5 is lame, at least the characters' actions have a logic and reasons. After watching the Clash of the Titans in 2010, I was baffled at that time:
Wow, Zeus is a rapist by pretending the victim's husband. He sent the thunder to punish the angry husband, but did nothing when the poor woman and baby Perseus fell into the sea. When Perseus grew up, Zeus just showed up and said, "Hi, I am you dad, I have superpower, despite what I did to your mother, even I did nothing to raise you and never contact you before, worship me, son!" Way to go, dad!!
Perseus and Andromeda are basically strangers to each other throughout the whole movie. Why the first time she met him, knowing nothing about that humble fisherman at the end of the hall, went forward to give him a drink with sympathy? Have they really known each other then? Nope, there is no connection, bonding, or any relationship between the hero and the princess, the whole adventure of Perseus turned a puppet show without necessity and human emotions. To take a revenge on Hades is neither important nor exciting to audience, alright?
Why the team went on the trip without horses? How far could they go on foot in ten days? Even a child can tell that is unrealistic and not practical. Why the team so accepted the existence of Io? She showed up from nowhere but none of the soldiers questioned why a hot woman was following them, and none of them has reaction to her beauty, those soldiers were made of paper or cardboard?
Why the two hunters joined the trip? Why Draco was mean to Perseus in the beginning, and later he suddenly turned so kind to teach Perseus sword fighting? Why the big scorpions are so lethal and suddenly turned to be vehicles? Why the creature made of wood came to help them? Why Calibos in his final scene changed his attitude towards Perseus? Why none of the soldiers in the palace protect Andromeda and let her kidnap by the mobs easily? Why Andromeda in her final scene knew her father was dead?
Motivations, interactions and emotions of characters, mostly are unconvincing and blank due to the lack of logic and reasons in the script, which made the movie fell into pieces of fake and crap.
The worse is, the movie made enough box office despite of bad reviews, so the studio made the worse sequel, the Wrath of Titans; Wow, they do think audiences are too dumb to find out the script they approved, is hollow and bad!
Alongside with T5, Pompeii, the Legend of Hercules, it proves that some Hollywood suits take movie making merely a business and figures on spreadsheets.
I admit, I went to see Clash of the Titans for Sam Worthington, Medusa and Kraken. I saw the original movie but not attached to it. Now I found out, I was the target audience, so all I can get are watching Sam Worthington, Medusa and Kraken, NOTHING ELSE: the Hollywood suits think audience are dumb enough to accept a script below standard as long as there are big budgets on big stars, bigger props and visual effects.
The script in T5 is lame, at least the characters' actions have a logic and reasons. After watching the Clash of the Titans in 2010, I was baffled at that time:
Wow, Zeus is a rapist by pretending the victim's husband. He sent the thunder to punish the angry husband, but did nothing when the poor woman and baby Perseus fell into the sea. When Perseus grew up, Zeus just showed up and said, "Hi, I am you dad, I have superpower, despite what I did to your mother, even I did nothing to raise you and never contact you before, worship me, son!" Way to go, dad!!
Perseus and Andromeda are basically strangers to each other throughout the whole movie. Why the first time she met him, knowing nothing about that humble fisherman at the end of the hall, went forward to give him a drink with sympathy? Have they really known each other then? Nope, there is no connection, bonding, or any relationship between the hero and the princess, the whole adventure of Perseus turned a puppet show without necessity and human emotions. To take a revenge on Hades is neither important nor exciting to audience, alright?
Why the team went on the trip without horses? How far could they go on foot in ten days? Even a child can tell that is unrealistic and not practical. Why the team so accepted the existence of Io? She showed up from nowhere but none of the soldiers questioned why a hot woman was following them, and none of them has reaction to her beauty, those soldiers were made of paper or cardboard?
Why the two hunters joined the trip? Why Draco was mean to Perseus in the beginning, and later he suddenly turned so kind to teach Perseus sword fighting? Why the big scorpions are so lethal and suddenly turned to be vehicles? Why the creature made of wood came to help them? Why Calibos in his final scene changed his attitude towards Perseus? Why none of the soldiers in the palace protect Andromeda and let her kidnap by the mobs easily? Why Andromeda in her final scene knew her father was dead?
Motivations, interactions and emotions of characters, mostly are unconvincing and blank due to the lack of logic and reasons in the script, which made the movie fell into pieces of fake and crap.
The worse is, the movie made enough box office despite of bad reviews, so the studio made the worse sequel, the Wrath of Titans; Wow, they do think audiences are too dumb to find out the script they approved, is hollow and bad!
Alongside with T5, Pompeii, the Legend of Hercules, it proves that some Hollywood suits take movie making merely a business and figures on spreadsheets.
Terminator Genisys
(2015)
just another "machinery" manufacture of big budget pop corn movie
29 September 2015
If you are a teenager who has never seen the first Terminator movie, this one is OK to spend some leisure hours with friends.
Sorry for the unfair comparison, but if you are a fan of James Cameron, Christopher Nolan or Marc Webb, this movie is not in the same league: just another calculated pop corn big budget movie with lots of visual effects, fight scenes and a LAME script. (pretty much sum up this movie)
My point of view is:
Terminator 1: a masterpiece
Terminator 2 Judgement Day: a decent sequel
Terminator 3 Rise of the machine: a TV level movie which is dull and wasted the terminator characters. (James Cameron not involved in production)
Terminator 4 salvation: a cool innovation with consistency and a solid script (James Cameron not involved in production, but suggested Sam Worthington to play the lead role)
Terminator 5 Genysis (James Cameron not involved in production): genuine s**t, worse than T3
Let's examine the flow of production:
a. Sitting on the giant's shoulder by "wearing the jacket of Terminator", checked.
b. Hire popular actors and actress, checked.
c. Mixed nationalities actors to draw the international box office, checked.
d. A big budget on visual effects, explosions, car crashes, lots of weapons, checked.
Then why this movie is so mediocre? I would say the essential parts went wrong:
1. script, script, script,: There are some surprising twists, there are more lines and an alternative role for Arnold, but the interactions, dialogue of characters are unnatural, flat, empty, superficially explain what is going on by conversation, just like the twilight movies. The characters are 2-D, the jokes and catchphrases were trying to be funny, but so silly and dreadful that I feel sorry for the actors. Nothing is creative or sparkling there, even the writer admitted the idea was borrowed from Back to the Future II. Plus, those plot holes....Whoever gave a pass to a shallow script like that to begin the production, really needs to go back to the film school and study first.
2. miscast, and the kitten actors pretending to be tigers: I like Emilia and Jai, but their appearance looks like siblings, and the interaction is zero chemistry as a couple-to-be. Unless they were cast in the last minute, there is no excuse their physique are not right for the parts. Maybe they know the script sucks, so why bother to do any homework for the preparation of the role? They are two good looking actors "playing". Anyone who has seen T1 and T2 knows those two actors on T5 are not Sarah Corner and Kyle Reese.
3. It is so vulgar and awkward to use the word "mate", and those related conversations totally downgraded this movie.
4. The directing sucks, the montage and cinematography are only TV level with bigger props. I do not know how much control the director could have in this movie, but if I were the "director", I would at least demand Jai to lose some weight to look like constantly in hunger: check out how perfectly Michael Biehn played Kyle Reese.
I saw Thor 2, totally understand why Natalie Portman is upset for making this movie: T5 is another big budget action movie for no-brainers.
It's the same old problem, overpay the big stars, for special effects, fight and demolition scenes, hire a director who has to serve the producers and big stars, but underpay for the scriptwriting; a safe, machinery, quality-not-caring, lazy way to make money by Hollywood suits.
Sorry for the unfair comparison, but if you are a fan of James Cameron, Christopher Nolan or Marc Webb, this movie is not in the same league: just another calculated pop corn big budget movie with lots of visual effects, fight scenes and a LAME script. (pretty much sum up this movie)
My point of view is:
Terminator 1: a masterpiece
Terminator 2 Judgement Day: a decent sequel
Terminator 3 Rise of the machine: a TV level movie which is dull and wasted the terminator characters. (James Cameron not involved in production)
Terminator 4 salvation: a cool innovation with consistency and a solid script (James Cameron not involved in production, but suggested Sam Worthington to play the lead role)
Terminator 5 Genysis (James Cameron not involved in production): genuine s**t, worse than T3
Let's examine the flow of production:
a. Sitting on the giant's shoulder by "wearing the jacket of Terminator", checked.
b. Hire popular actors and actress, checked.
c. Mixed nationalities actors to draw the international box office, checked.
d. A big budget on visual effects, explosions, car crashes, lots of weapons, checked.
Then why this movie is so mediocre? I would say the essential parts went wrong:
1. script, script, script,: There are some surprising twists, there are more lines and an alternative role for Arnold, but the interactions, dialogue of characters are unnatural, flat, empty, superficially explain what is going on by conversation, just like the twilight movies. The characters are 2-D, the jokes and catchphrases were trying to be funny, but so silly and dreadful that I feel sorry for the actors. Nothing is creative or sparkling there, even the writer admitted the idea was borrowed from Back to the Future II. Plus, those plot holes....Whoever gave a pass to a shallow script like that to begin the production, really needs to go back to the film school and study first.
2. miscast, and the kitten actors pretending to be tigers: I like Emilia and Jai, but their appearance looks like siblings, and the interaction is zero chemistry as a couple-to-be. Unless they were cast in the last minute, there is no excuse their physique are not right for the parts. Maybe they know the script sucks, so why bother to do any homework for the preparation of the role? They are two good looking actors "playing". Anyone who has seen T1 and T2 knows those two actors on T5 are not Sarah Corner and Kyle Reese.
3. It is so vulgar and awkward to use the word "mate", and those related conversations totally downgraded this movie.
4. The directing sucks, the montage and cinematography are only TV level with bigger props. I do not know how much control the director could have in this movie, but if I were the "director", I would at least demand Jai to lose some weight to look like constantly in hunger: check out how perfectly Michael Biehn played Kyle Reese.
I saw Thor 2, totally understand why Natalie Portman is upset for making this movie: T5 is another big budget action movie for no-brainers.
It's the same old problem, overpay the big stars, for special effects, fight and demolition scenes, hire a director who has to serve the producers and big stars, but underpay for the scriptwriting; a safe, machinery, quality-not-caring, lazy way to make money by Hollywood suits.
Sleepy Hollow
(2013–2017)
love the cast, hate the wig in episode 8 of season 1
25 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Love the cast, certainly the main cast and the script made the magic, the supporting cast also are impressive and help to make it real, such as Nestor Serrano, the polygraph guy; and Neil Jackson who played Abraham Van Brunt.(Thanks to the US casting director who brought us Tom Mison.)
BUT! (There is always a but.)in episode 8 of season 1, the scene of Ichabod choosing jewelery, and the other scene Katrina told him she is going to break up with Abraham, the gluing edge of the wig on Tom Mison's left face (near the end of eyebrow) was so awfully clear: audiences can clearly see a badly glued wig, and the fantasy of the colonial world totally collapsed.
Please, production crew, I understand you are going through a tight schedule, but please don't ruin the perfect illusion of Ichabod Crane again.
BUT! (There is always a but.)in episode 8 of season 1, the scene of Ichabod choosing jewelery, and the other scene Katrina told him she is going to break up with Abraham, the gluing edge of the wig on Tom Mison's left face (near the end of eyebrow) was so awfully clear: audiences can clearly see a badly glued wig, and the fantasy of the colonial world totally collapsed.
Please, production crew, I understand you are going through a tight schedule, but please don't ruin the perfect illusion of Ichabod Crane again.
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