Firestorhm77 Reviews

The Honor Farm (2017)

Sorry, but the low scores are deserving...

[3/10 · 29 August 2022]

So about this film...I think it had some potential as it started, albeit, even if clichéd. Ultimately, the film went nowhere. What I can say is this film didn't know what it wanted to be. It seemed like a typical "Prom Night" horror film, but them turned into something else with the dentist scene later in the film (like a "ritual" type film).

Then the kids try to "rescue" that one lady from the dentist's office. But then they forget about her a few seconds later and go for a dip in the pond like everything's cool. Even though they were scared of the dentist and his colleague, they didn't flag down the cops when they arrived. Still forgetting about the lady bleeding from the head the whole time. Then the film ends like it's "Dazed and Confused" trying to go for a good morning-after vibe.

This film is a wreck. Missed potential to say the least. Like I said, it tried for too many things and didn't know what it wanted to be or what direction it wanted to go. And you can't excuse poor directing or a poor story line by just saying it was all a drug trip.

Ultimately, it's probably okay to watch in the background on a lazy Sunday while you're getting caught up on emails or something. I didn't hate it. It just wasn't good, had no ultimate story or point it was trying to convey, and the viewer is left with what felt like a waste of time. If you want a ritual-type thriller with antlers, watch "The Ritual" which is a supremely better film.

Maybe it didn't help that the writer and director were the same person, on top of the fact it was a "Kickstarter" funded project. Not sure what the theme of the story is. Not even sure the director knows...

Prey (I) (2022)

Not Bad but Inconsistent with Past Films

[6/10 · 6 August 2022]

Overall, this film wasn't bad. What really bothered me, however, was that it seemed inconsistent with the first and second Predator films. In those films, the Predator needed a pressurized helmet and couldn't breathe normal air/oxygen here on Earth. Even in part two, when the predator lost his helmet, he intermittently used a supplemental breathing system that helped him get by.

In this film, Prey, the predator has the stupidest helmet on and it really isn't even a helmet (decorative white face mask?) because the predator's mouth and jowls are exposed the whole time. So how is it breathing our air in this film but then later on in Predator 1 and 2 it can't breathe our air without the pressurized helmet and/or supplemental breathing system? Did the director not watch the first two Predator films???

Also, why did they have to make the mistake all of the recent Predator films make and re-do the Predator costume to make it different? Totally unnecessary!! Stick with the traditional appearance we all know and love. What's with that stupid white mask the predator is wearing? (why?!! Why?!!)

And how the hell is the laser targeting system functioning out of the mask? Along with three darts? Come on! Again, stick with something like the traditional Predator films with a detachable shoulder-mounted laser gun. I know this is suppose to be 300 years earlier but they still could have made the predator costume better and the predator's functionality more consistent with later films.

Overall, I liked the film and will watch it again I'm sure. But if you're a hardcore Predator fan, you'll get annoyed at how they just HAD to change the predator outfit and face, making it look like some kind of goofy Tales from the Crypt character. And as other have said, the animal CGI was noticeable poor.

I liked this film but it was so close to being so much better. (Though it was still WAY better than the previous installment The Predator, which was the worst movie of all time.)

Our Girl (2013–2020)

Season One is great! Season Two? Meh...

[7/10 · 29 January 2020]

I only saw the first two seasons as they were the only ones available through Amazon prime video at the time of this review.

I really enjoyed season one. Lacey Turner (who plays Molly Dawes) does a great job and is very believable. She is a very likable actress and brings her character to life throughout season one.

Season two, however, was not enjoyable to me for a couple reasons. First, it got away from the roots of the show and started to just get into this love triangle and used the military as a backdrop as opposed to season one where it was more military-themed.

Another reason I did not enjoy season two was the lead actress. Michelle Keegan (who plays Georgie Lane) just didn't seem to fit the role. Don't get me wrong, she's very attractive but maybe that's the problem. On screen, she comes across like a hot sorority girl and it did not seem relatable to the viewer in her role as a combat medic.

I cannot judge the series past seasons one and two. I would definitely, however, at least give season one a chance! Again, Lacey Turner does a fantastic job. So much to the point that I'm interested in seeing some of her other films.

That being said, my positive score of seven is mainly based on season one. If I were solely basing my score on season two, it would probably be a four.

Operation Red Sea (2018)

Worth watching!

[6/10 · 29 January 2020]

This movie was actually better than I expected. Though not perfect, it provided a decent storyline and lots of action. It's definitely worth seeing at least once.

I see some of the more critical reviewers saying how it is just Chinese propaganda. I would argue it's not much different than most of our American movies that display sacrifice and heroism (such as films like Act of Valor).

Besides, the trivia section of this movie even states that this film was "a gift for the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, as well as the Communist Party's 19th National Congress." So what do you expect? And quite frankly, who cares if it's propaganda-like for the Chinese citizens?

Give this movie a shot. It is enjoyable and definitely worth seeing. you may be surprised how well the story moves along with multiple battle sequences. I also appreciated seeing another country's attempt at an action/military movie.

Midsommar (2019)

Skip this one...

[1/10 · 23 January 2020]

This movie was way too long and drawn out for what it was. Predictable and didn't seem to go anywhere. Tried too hard to be artsy. There were, however, some good cinematics and acting. This was juxtaposed with some gory scenes and disturbing imagery that I could have done without. If you are looking for a much better movie with a European flair and a pagan vibe, watch The Ritual. It is substantially better! Just my two cents.

The Predator (2018)

Shane Black, you should be ashamed of yourself...

[1/10 · 16 September 2018]

I'm sorry folks, but this movie is garbage. I'm in my early 40's and the original Predator (1987) is my all-time favorite movie. I even respect the other movies in the Predator series (some better than others, of course) for what they are, including both AVPs.

The Predator (2018), however, is complete rubbish. I went into it with low expectations too based on the trailer and some production photos. My wife and I saw this movie today and it was WAY WORSE than I expected. Honestly, I even considered walking out at some points (but being a true fan, I stayed and endured the pain).

Heads-up! THIS IS NOT A PREDATOR MOVIE! This feels like a horrible made-for-TV "B" movie on the Sci Fi channel. There was absolutely NO suspense or build-up. The music/score turned campy at times like I was watching some goofy action flick.

The movie tried explaining way too much to the viewer and there weren't any hooks. Honestly, watch it and you'll see what I mean. This movie doesn't feel like a Predator movie. Even AVP 2 (which didn't get rave reviews) is 100 times better than The Predator.

As a military reservist, I also feel the movie missed the mark with "The Loonies." This isn't a spoiler as the trailers show our group of protagonists are a handful of PTSD service members on a bus. Thank you for disrespecting those military members who actually experience PTSD, making them seem crazy.

The jokes in the movie didn't fit either. There were attempts at comedy/joke scenes that would have been better suited for an actual comedy movie than a Predator movie. Even my wife said that the joke scenes (that she happened to like) would have been better suited for a Lethal Weapon movie. Furthermore, there weren't any memorable one-liners.

Olivia Munn's character was horrible. My wife and I like her as an actress, but her character (biologist/bad-ass) was completely unrealistic. This was unfortunate as she was the only enjoyable actor/actress in the movie.

I'm not sure what they were trying for with regards to making the kid with Asperger's some kind of Rain Man/hero but it didn't work in The Predator. Hopefully, no one on the "spectrum" with this or related conditions was offended too much by the movie. If they were, however, I wouldn't be surprised.

Honestly, I don't think I will watch this movie ever again in my life. I'm not exaggerating either! It was seriously that bad. Not just super disappointing, but seriously bad.

They took everything that worked in the first Predator (1987) and completely disregarded it. Even the storylines and suspense of Predator 2 (1990) and Predators (2010) are leaps and bounds above anything The Predator had to offer. Shane Black should be completely ashamed of himself for giving us this Cleveland Steamer.