ryanwinning1 Reviews

Fallout (2024– )

Best female lead anything I've ever seen

[9/10 · 5 May 2024]

It's a show based off the fallout video game series of a dystopian future, where a chosen few fled underground during the 60's in order to survive the nuclear holocaust, for the survival of human civilization!

It's kind of a fun idea where even though its sci-fi and based in the future the people all still act like they're in the 60's. The characters have a vibe sort of like the movie "Once upon a time in Hollywood," so that idea alone is already so clever that its easy to escape from reality to tune into this series. The trend right now for any show or movie is to have a female lead cast and I think they found the perfect one with Ella Purnell who plays Lucy Maclean who is the daughter of "The Overseer" of vault 33. When her father is kidnapped a young, brave and naive Lucy feels obligated to venture out of their protective vault and into the unknown nuclear bomb ravaged surface in order to rescue her father, so that vault 33 can continue to be as its always been: peaceful and pleasant. The success of the show is anchored by Lucy's curiosity about everything that she comes across in the outside world as we're introduced to new characters and places she comes across while Lucy showcases her true beauty inside and out in her unwavering moral compass in her need to always do the right thing! It's the ultimate fight of good vs evil as the kind hearted main characters of the show deal mostly with corrupted souls who have been conditioned that way by the crooked world where they had to adapt that way in order to survive! Lots of comedy and violence sprinkled in throughout!

I give this one a 9/10 and a must watch for anyone who says "The perfect female lead doesn't exist......."

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

They laid the foundation for such a great franchise!

[9/10 · 31 January 2024]

First off I have to say: what gets swept under the rug is Leib Schrieber is phenomenal as Sabretooth. He almost steals the show he's so good as Sabretooth, but I'll just say he's the perfect running mate alongside Hugh as Wolvie! Lieb is like the perfect combination of intelligence and psychotic killer along the lines of a Hannibal lectur, and I wish he could have made a comeback in future wolverine movies. The whole Wolverine universe is so big and takes a lot of imagination to follow and that's probably the reason why they took a step back creatively for the sequel but I loved where this movie was headed! Agent zero was so freaking cool and all the villains I just wanted to see more action sequences from really. I'll admit the one weak spot was the Deadpool element especially since he wasn't accurate to the comics at all in this movie, but as we all know they ended up justifying the Deadpool part of this film with Deadpool's own spinoff franchise, so I'll leave that one be, but this is probably my favorite overall X-men movie other than "Days of future past" and I give it 9/10.

Silent Night (2023)

John Woo is back with a vengeance!

[8/10 · 30 January 2024]

I read a few negative reviews before watching and I ended up being surprised at how entertained I was! You had some classic John Woo moments, but also brings something that's never really been done before. Joel Kinnamon the main character of the movie has his voice box blown out early in the movie so he loses his ability to speak. Rather than having your typical action movie with the typical cliche lines throughout the newly mute main character has to communicate with body language and other ways than speaking. I think Joel does a smashing job of expressing the pain he's going through over his son's death without speaking a single line throughout the film. As a goal oriented person I enjoyed watching the growth of our father seeking revenge as he gets physically stronger and better with guns and driving from the start of his training as well. Amazing story of personal growth. Fantastic action sequences in true John Woo fashion and just a very cool all around movie. I give this one 8/10.

The Collective (2023)

So bad it's actually entertaining

[5/10 · 14 August 2023]

Hahahaha this script has to be the worst I've experienced in a long long time. I think the part that hooked me in is that the young Mcgyver actor is 100% committed to it. There's not even a moment's hesitation as to how terrible the script actually is he just rocks it like it's Oscar worthy!

The famous actor Tyrese from the fast franchise comes along and he's acting like nothing I've ever seen him play in the past but it's just as funny. The lines are all so corny and cliche but it definitely helped get my mind off of bad fortunes in my own personal life.

I give this one a 5/10 knowing most people will probably give it a 1/10 but I was still entertained, but then again I'm a big fan of spoof movies.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Best movie I've ever seen

[10/10 · 5 February 2023]

I found it ironic that we have the most technologically advanced CGI I've seen in a movie to date with the moral of the story being that life is about connecting with nature and each other. Hi-Tech visuals telling the viewer you're most free when you free yourself from technology. I've determined that life boils down to an experience of many different emotions and that's exactly what this film delivers. It's a masterpiece for that very reason. I found tears streaming down my face throughout the film: Some of joy; Some sorrow; but mostly because of a desire to feel what it's like to really live authentically in this world, and not the mechanized version of how the-powers-that-be want us to live. James Cameron uses this platform to reach out to people who want more out of life with the character named Lo'ak who is the son of Jake Sully. Lo'ak is hard-pressed to ever listen to authority, and instead follows his heart, and makes tough decisions which he is rewarded for in the long run. This is a message from James Cameron to be brave enough to follow what your heart desires and you'll be rewarded in the end even if you have to fight for it. Avatar captures the human experience to a tee in that people develop tunnel vision around their way of life. Whatever way of life you're used to, it's really hard to imagine it any other way and adaptation is typically like pulling teeth! The one exception to this appears to be Jake Sully who shows us that the power of love and wanting safety for your loved ones is enough to adapt, and evolve in an instant. I can't think of a better script than this one. So poetic. So many layers and depth to it. Definitely the best movie I've ever seen. An obvious 10/10.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

An entire sequel of back-pedaling to try and profit

[4/10 · 31 January 2023]

I just watched "Retaliation" immediately after watching "The Rise of Cobra" and it's extremely disappointing. To start with I don't think many understood that the vision of the whole G. I. Joe movie universe was to try and stay as authentic to the original cartoon as possible. The problem is that Hasbro and the creators of these G. I. Joe movies far overestimated just how many loyal fans they really had. The gross revenue generated from the original movie was so bad, but not bad enough to completely cancel this sequel which turned out to be just awful. The way I see it they were committed to the sequel, but only kept 2 things: 1. Zartan has taken the identity of the president and 2. The relationship between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Now if they wanted this to feel like a true sequel I would have focused way more of the movie on Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, but clearly they had this brainless idea that the only way to save the franchise was with star power: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Bruce Willis! Maybe these 2 names sold more tickets, but the scenes they were featured in didn't feel like G. I. Joe at all and created a major identity crisis for the movie. I think they would have been better off just completely starting over from scratch rather than wasting a third of the movie killing off Duke(Channing Tatum) which contributed nothing to the end story of the movie. They cleaned house so badly on the cast of the original movie that calling this a sequel was an insult really. Let's just say I liked the direction and overall vibe of the original far better for staying true to the cartoon.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

Stylistically a One-of-a-Kind!

[8/10 · 30 January 2023]

As a kid who would excitedly jump out of bed on Saturday mornings I loved this movie. You will never find a movie that stays truer to an action cartoon designed to appeal to the 7-13year old boys mind. The creativity and relentless pace of action will probably never be seen like this again. Only in cartoons and THIS MOVIE will dual rocket launchers, or a laser cannon pop out from the side of a vehicle firing at full clip with no explanation required. The little boys imagination in all of us just get these type of things. The tragedy about what happened is that it did so poorly at the box office. It's clear that they were willing to put this $200mil budget cartoon-style action movie up there as a sacrificial lamb to find out if it could draw a big enough audience to turn a profit, and sadly the answer is a resounding: NO! It sucks to me because I thought they laid the foundation for what would have been a really fun G. I. Joe universe which could have rivaled Star Wars, Marvel, and Transformers, but this movie did so bad financially that they had to make so many changes stylistically in the 2 follow up films that it ran the franchise into the ground. I give this movie 8/10. Wish they could make more movies like this!

Grandma's Boy (2006)

Peak of the Nick Goosen era

[7/10 · 26 January 2023]

When this film was first released it made stoners and video game players alike gasp "Finally a movie made for people who smoke weed, people who play video games, and more specifically those who do both at the same time!!" It's apparent that although this was the intention of the film at some point the producers decided that it wasn't going to be a big enough crowd to actually convert the film into profit. You can tell the movie has been revised several times in such a way that even people who don't smoke weed or play video games can participate in watching this cult classic and laugh along like "Oh yeah I get that I get that,' sort of like the impromptu party that goes down at grandma's house near the end of the movie! The main plot of course centers around a video game producing company pushing to release a new game, but the heavy amount of comedic interludes and side shorts give the feeling of a movie that flows like an episode of The Chappelle Show. All in all a pretty unique fun time that I give a 7/10.

Left Behind (I) (2014)

So over the top it's brilliant!

[7/10 · 28 December 2022]

I wish they would make more movies like this!! To me it was a comedy, but done completely straight edged. Straight humor is tough to beat for entertainment when its done right and believe me this is! It's ridiculous in every way, from the overdramatic acting right down to the score and sound effects. I can't believe that the users giving it terrible reviews don't get it. Is it the kind of movie that's going to win an oscar? No. Is it entertaining as it gets? Heck yeah!! There actually is a lot of curve balls that had me asking "What ridiculous thing are they going to put in here next?" The few scenes where a gun is injected in to create even more drama had me Rolling on the floor laughing. It's a great movie to throw on with a couple friends when you want to interact and talk at the same time as a movie is going on.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Terrible dialogue and awful script

[5/10 · 3 December 2022]

There was a lot of great things about the film: the costumes were great and everything about Wakanda Forever was visually stunning. Easily the most realistic under water scenes I've ever seen in a movie to date. The fight scenes were awesome, but as soon as it was time for them to act or have dialogue it was super cringe. The namor scenes were great but anything that didn't have Namor in it could have put me right to sleep. I mean it's not just that it's probably the most "woke" movie ever made to date. The actors are just really really bad. I really hope they don't try to make a spin off movie with the girl who's somehow the greatest scientist on the planet now replacing Tony Stark as Iron(Wo)man, but you know they're gonna try! Anyways visually stunning but terrible script and dialogue!

The Outfit (2022)

So much style

[8/10 · 30 July 2022]

This is what movies are all about right here. This is art. This is craft in a movie. The definition of what a movie should be. The human emotions are somewhat subtle so you feel smart just following along with it. Very cool movie!

The Gray Man (2022)

One actor ruins the whole movie

[8/10 · 25 July 2022]

The Gray Man was so close to being a great movie but is completely ruined by the awful actor who plays Carmichael. This dude is sooooooo terrible as an actor! You can see right through everything horrid factor is trying to do. He's trying so hard to appear to be intelligent that it becomes so obvious the actor that plays "Carmichael" is completely unintelligent in real life! I can't remember the last time I saw an actor butcher an otherwise great movie. This dude is soooooo non-believable as a villian.

Ambulance (2022)

Edge of your seat thrill ride!

[8/10 · 25 July 2022]

Oh come on! To give this movie 1/10 is just ridiculous. You went to the wrong movie if you're calling this 1/10. The intention of this movie was never to tell the greatest story ever, it's a thrill ride!! It's 100% situational and I think it does a really great job of making the viewer feel like they're right there with Danny(Gyllenhaal) and Will(Abdul-Mateen) in this bank job gone wrong. When a paramedic has someone in the back of their ambulance who goes into cardiac arrest they don't have a lot of time to think it through and make sure they're making the perfect decisions. They have to rely on instincts. A paramedic has to be desperate to keep someone alive in some cases. To me the whole point of the movie is to illustrate the types of decisions people make when they're desperate as though they're a paramedic but in other types of decisions and just for fun they throw a paramedic in there who is trying to keep people alive! It's actually pretty genius!

A lot of reviewers seem to complain how dumb and stupid all the characters in this movie are, but the point is that no one in the film is making calculated well thought out decisions. The same thing can happen to people in real life even if it's not life or death people tend to resort to a desperate decision which can lead them deeper in a hole, or occasionally we get lucky out of desperation and end up laughing about it and having a great story to tell later. Every character makes split-second decisions in this film that had me right on the edge of my seat throughout.

This is totally Speed in an Ambulance. Based off the majority of Michael Bay movies I would say the movie "Speed" was not just one of his favorite movies but one he wanted to recreate himself and put his own creative spin on it. He's finally created his own version of Speed and I think he did a pretty darn good job of paying homage to a 90s film which pioneered the way for a movie to have almost no story or plot but still be wildly entertaining! 8/10 for me!

Out of Death (2021)

Liam Neeson would have been better in Bruce Willis' spot

[5/10 · 25 March 2022]

All I can say is Bruce Willis has completely lost it! I am a huge Bruce Willis fan and loved all the Die Hard movies but he's progressively gotten worse and worse over the past 10 years and here we are in 2022 and it's gotten to the point of WTF?? It's like he starts drinking right before filming and just keeps drinking more and more throughout the filming. He's completely tone deaf delivering his lines. The actors who play the cops are actually pretty entertaining and the story isn't too bad in itself. Some lady hiking in the woods comes across a drug deal gone bad and spends the rest of the movie running and hiding from the cops trying to take her out so there's no witnesses. Had they put Liam Neeson in Bruce Willis' role this would have been a 7/10 movie but based off the awful line reading of Bruce the most I can give is a 5.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Real life Blue Pillers won't get it

[9/10 · 5 January 2022]

First things first: I know I'm rating this movie higher than average at 9/10 and even I understand the main reason for its existence is that Keanu is at a stage in his life where he's reminiscing about characters he's played in the past and feels the need to relive that character all over again in the present. The fact that this movie came together the way it did is a testament to Keanu for going ALL IN on becoming Neo for 4 years between 1999-2003, and I thought Keanu slid right back into character like a baseball mitt from little league! The nostalgia of the original Matrix trilogy was worth every bit of the ticket price that my date treated me too!

To all the naysayers who say "this movie shouldn't have been done," and "it's just a cash grab," etc I say "There is never enough movies to remind us that TRUE LOVE triumphs over all!" The chemistry between Keanu and Carrie Anne Moss connects me more to the film than any special effects ever could and for them to still have that same electricity 18 years later totally did it for me! It's a reminder that no matter the odds true love will always find itself. We can do things we never thought possible when it is to keep love alive, and that's not just a Trinity and Neo thing! That goes to all the red pillers and blue pillers alike living together through these unprecedented times: True love is always real! We can overcome any evil in this world when we channel our inner love in order to fight back against that evil!

The entire Matrix series is a bit of an enigma in just how liberating the underlying message is. It's no secret that Hollywood for the most part is run by those trying to send controlling sub-concious messages somehow, and teaches principles with the intention of making the viewer confused and weaker somehow, but since the beginning The Matrix has made a point of questioning the Status Quo and those that society has put in positions of public trust! The entire Matrix franchise has me questioning whether or not the world really is working together to fight for the greater good or not? My closest friends and I call ourselves red pillers for this very reason that we believe we are fighting for the greater good and doing everything we can to help wake up all those who matter in our lives to see the truth and see what's really going on! There is a huge difference in being "Woke" and being "Awake" and from what this movie has taught me taking the red pill is about being "Fully awake!"

The entire cast is really well selected and because of that is able to execute an array of different emotions from suspense to humour and even some tear-jerking moments, but the 2 actors that really stuck out to me was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who plays a young Morpheus and Jessica Henwick who plays Bugs. Those 2 were really put in the make or break roles of the film and they totally played the roles with more confidence than I expected coming in and made the roles their own! I'll be looking forward to those 2 actors in future films.

I'll leave on the note that the action and special effects were great, and for all the throwbacks of the original trilogy there is also a ton of unexpected twists and turns! I give this film a 9/10 and all you red pill taking Matrix fans the 2 and a half hours will fly by and I think you'll love it!

Die in a Gunfight (2021)

People that aren't tough acting tough

[6/10 · 26 December 2021]

Kind of one of those movies you start watching, and very soon start wishing you didn't start watching but just hang in there right till the end anyways. Sort of like 90 minutes of your life gone and you'll never get back.

The guy and the girl probably both came from rich families in real life and just did whatever their rich parents wanted them to do so this acting performance is a chance for them to finally be rebellious.

My friends and I were discussing how the actor that played Goku in the Dragonball Z movie never appeared again in another movie, and low and behold the smart TV suggests I watch this movie that just so happens to have the guy that sort of made the e Dragonball Z movie super blah!

The director appears to think he's bringing some rugged Guy Ritchie style to this, but it fell way short of that with appear to try to be that. I didn't bother pausing this movie at all to go on my phone and text people back or go on social media. I got the full drift though!

Trading Paint (2019)

Really easy watch!

[7/10 · 18 November 2021]

I've gotta admit what hooked me in from the start was Travolta's southern accent. It might not have been perfect but it sure got a smile out of me :) Then a few scenes later Tears are rolling down my face from a heartfelt father-son moment between Travolta and his kid in the movie! This movie really has it all. The monologues and story telling are so well done that I totally disagree with the 4.4 rating it's currently sitting at. When I first starting watching it I made a rule that no matter what I would keep watching until Shania Twain's first scene no matter what, and she was really great for her first full length film! Her presence just seems to have an aura about it and I'm surprised she hasn't been in more movies!

I give Trading Paint 7/10 and it's a great late night easy watch!

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Kind of makes me sick

[4/10 · 15 November 2021]

A handful of some of the most annoying acting performances I've ever seen in my life all in one movie. How is there so many raving reviews??

I don't mind violent movies at all but something about the violence and executions in this film is completely tasteless and unartful(if that's a word). There's no art to the violence in this movie it's downright sickening and disgraceful.

I'm a big fan of Delroy Lindo and his performance was just alright and the only thing keeping me from giving it a 1/10. Idris performance is not great at all by his standards, he's done far better. Anybody saying "This movie has an incredible cast," is out of their mind! Idris Elba and Delroy Lindo are the only 2 legit actors! Jonathan Majors is soooooo overrated he's not a good actor at all, and any scene that had this kid RJ Cyler in it was so corny and unbelievable this kid clearly comes from a rich family in real life and thinks he's doing a great job of acting fearless and hard like he's straight hood!! I've seen Deon Cole perform comedy live like I've actually sat at the front row of one of his comedy shows and the funniest thing to me he ever did was approach this movie like he's trying to win an Oscar LOL!!! The woman on the horse that stops the train because she's on the track had such an annoying performance and there's no way the train would ever stop in the late 1800's. It would run her right over! The little boy or girl or whoever plays the bouncer who checks everyone's guns tried to overact and oversell her few lines so hard it was torture to watch!

Everything about the train scene was just whack. Super whack! How the events of the train scene happened was more far-fetched than Star Wars or the matrix and was so close to being comedy but lacked the comedic timing.

This movie should not be celebrated at all. The way the director tries to copy Tarantino or the movie "The man with the Iron Fists" is the same way someone would look at a million dollar painting and say "I can do that," and just slap together some paint on a wall. This is complete trash! I compare it to "The man with the Iron Fists" because this director is clearly trying to get the same reaction of a Tarantino movie from the audience but I thought Rza did a better job in every way.

The Negotiator (1998)

As good as cop movies get

[9/10 · 5 November 2021]

That's the whole review right there. You will not find a better cop movie than this. This epitomizes what cop life is all about in all its grittiness. A raw cop movie!!

Nowhere to Run (1993)

This isn't really a Van Damme movie

[5/10 · 3 November 2021]

This is pretty much garbage! The fact that any money was spent on this movie is pretty sad. The director made a terrible mistake of thinking he would make this movie realistic with Van Damme and have "realistic" fight scenes with no real choreographers on the film crew! In any Van Damme movie you have to centre the entire film around the fancy kicks and martial arts moves that no one else can do but this director decided he wanted the fight scenes to appear "realistic!" Sorry it just doesn't work that way with Van Damme. The acting is not bad for afternoon soap opera fans but the movie lacks the one of a kind action scenes that Van Damme is known for! It's a terrible waste of time, money and everything!

The Wolfman (2010)

I am appalled by the 5.8 rating

[9/10 · 30 October 2021]

I remember watching "The Wolfman" in theaters and being blown away by how well done this film was and then years later seeing on IMDB that it only scored a 5.8 rating and just scratching my head wondering if I missed something. Now I'm 2021 I Just rewatched it on Netflix and it's still a phenomenal movie! Absolutely incredible! I can't imagine how this movie could have been any better! I believe this movie should be rated along the same lines as "Sleepy Hallow!" I give it a 9/10!

All the actors are great but a huge surprise is Hugo Weaving in the Sherlock Holmes style detective hot on the case of whether or not Lawrence(Benicio Del Toro) is a werewolf or not! I'd love to give spoilers but I won't! It's just a must watch film!

Army of the Dead (2021)

As good as a zombie movie gets!

[8/10 · 22 October 2021]

After watching "Army of the Dead" form start to finish I can't understand for the life of me how this movie has an imdv score of 5.8/10! It's as good as a zombie movie gets and has some really original ideas like having some super fast, strong, and smart zombies mixed in with your typical brain-dead zombies that are easy kills!

Dave Bautista who plays the lead role Scott Ward who is one of the only people to ever escape "Zombie Vegas" finds himself flipping burgers in a diner before being presented with an opportunity to go back into Vegas for the score of a lifetime! Dave continues to evolve as an actor and his depth in this role shows a great mix of hero, comedy and dramatic chops all in one! It's a thrill ride from start to finish! I was far more than moderately entertained by "army of the dead" and score this one 8/10!

Jamesy Boy (2014)

Flows really well

[7/10 · 15 October 2021]

After about 10 minutes of scrolling through the catalogue on prime I found the kind of movie I was looking for. Of all the movies, I decided on Jamesy Boy. What sold me on it was the picture of Ving Rhames on the movie poster, and even though his role turned out to just be a cameo, he still delivered one of his signature monologues which doesn't have much to do with the movie, but its so unique and authentic that worth every second of entertainment value! Along with the cameo from Ving I was surprised that James Woods who plays the warden of the prison, adds some great veteran acting presence. Other than Ving Rhames and James Woods the cast is mostly young actors with very little movie experience but actually play their roles really well. My hats off to the director of this one for really getting the most out of the actors he had to work with and I was surprised to see the main actor Spencer Rocco Lofranco really didn't get much for chances after this movie which I really think his rugged and tough performance warranted more lead roles in higher budget movies after this.

The story is pretty interesting about a teenager who seems to be pretty down on his luck has no choice but to turn to the streets and a life of crime in order to survive. The ebs and flows are really nice and the movie goes back and forth between his current life in prison and his past life as part of a gang which got him into prison.

I recommend this movie for late night watching, where you're looking for a good story with good acting from a cast you wouldn't expect to be as good as it is!

Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021)

Copied scream and made it worse?

[3/10 · 16 August 2021]

Wow! They actually copied scream with a higher budget but still somehow made it exponentially worse! This is completely mind boggling to me! This is not just a horrible movie but a movie they copied and made many times worse than the original. I almost can not believe this.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Unlike anything I've seen before

[8/10 · 7 June 2021]

It's as gritty and gory as it gets! A man pushed to do horrible things by a sick sadistic drug lord out for revenge. Vince Vaughn proves he's not just that easy going funny guy anymore. Wish I could say more other than I've never really seen anything quite like this movie before. Very well done all around!