sktraut Reviews

The Three Musketeers (1993)

Pretty entertaining

[7/10 · 16 April 2024]

This is way better than it needs to be or even had any right to be. I think that Kiefer Sutherland and Oliver Platt are doing a pretty good job even if no one else really is -- besides Tim Curry who is the best part of the film. True, it's pretty low brow entertainment. But the story tries to be emotional and it's pretty funny, so I gotta give it props. I'd say that Crhis O'Donnell is a pretty bad actor but I think everyone knew that already. And Charlie sheen seems real out of place here. They should've used like Willem Dafoe or something, idk. I just can't take Charlie sheen seriously in this time period, it doesn't make sense. Maybe that's just me. Anyhoo.

Road House (1989)

Pretty great (for 80s action schlock)

[8/10 · 3 March 2024]

I like this movie a lot. The action is awesome, the choreography is convincing, the characters are pretty interesting. Dalton is a well-written hero, and the fact that he is a philosophy major is important to the theme of whether or not we can decide someone's fate, even in life or death situations, without being too preachy. It's cheesy, sure, maybe occasionally at most. It takes itself seriously and isn't afraid to lean all in to the ridiculousness, somehow making it seem sane. Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot are both great. Plus it has a scene where a monster truck flattens a bunch of cars. They didn't need to do that, but they did.

Ninja Kamui (2024– )

Die hard with a vengeance (not the movie)

[9/10 · 22 February 2024]

Ninja Kamui is a visual and auditory wonder. It also doesn't hurt that it has a compelling story. Regardless, the animation and sound design are pretty jaw-dropping. Someone else's review mentioned this reminding them of John Wick, and to that I say yes. If you like one-man-army-type stuff, this will impress you. The fight scenes look and sound like what whiplash feels like, I imagine.

I will now share a quote from the second episode that convinced me to give this a solid 10. It gives you an idea as to how relentless the hero is. It's easily the coldest line I've ever heard out of a TV show. Spoilers.

"Listen here. I'm going to burn their eyes into your memory forever. You are about to be dropped into the pits of Hell, where you'll hear the sound of skin being peeled off, bones being shattered, and spines ripped out whole. In spite of your heart stopping, there will be no sweet release of death. Even in oblivion you'll tremble in fear of the oni that lie beyond."

Valentine's Day (I) (2010)

Obviously not great, but enjoyable

[6/10 · 14 February 2024]

This movie is not as bad as people say it is. I was expecting something really annoying and pointless, but this movie is enjoyable enough for what it is. It's sort of funny, actually. I laughed more at this than many other comedies that people think are so much better. I call this the "Death at a Funeral" effect: people dog pile on a movie and I expect to hate it so much that I actually love it initially, simply because it wasn't nearly as bad as people said it was. This isn't nearly as funny as Death at a Funeral (the Chris Rock version, haven't seen the original English version yet) but it's enjoyable. I watched it on Valentine's Day with my wife, so at least I didn't have to watch the Notebook or something.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Frank vs. Russia (2023) Season 16, Episode 4

Great Final Joke

[9/10 · 11 December 2023]

This is a pretty great episode as far as performances go. It wouldn't have been as funny if Frank and Dennis weren't played so convincingly. This just proves to me how, by this point, these actors understand these characters so well that they still seem like actual people despite the crazier and crazier things they decide to do. This episode is all buildup to a joke that got belly laughs out of me for a solid 5 minutes. This season definitely shook it up a little. Not that the show was getting stale, but it's impressive to see them kinda regain some steam. The characters have always been funny, but the recent seasons have usually been missing the zany story ideas that always made Sunny so memorable. This season it's back in full force and this episode is a great example.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame!

[5/10 · 23 October 2023]

Alright, who thought this would be a good idea? Obviously, they did this for money because they're telling essentially the same story again. I love these characters and Brad Bird has a gift for writing and directing. These two things are the only saving graces for the movie. Besides that, I like to pretend like this doesn't exist. It's so, so silly compared to the first one. Incredibles 1 had some moments of levity, but it took itself pretty seriously and had something to say about people becoming stagnated upon settling down, not letting their gifts and passions see the light of day. This one isn't really saying much. It's trying to hard to be funny and wastes its time on Jack Jack, math homework, and pointless side characters. Honestly, they should have set this one at least a decade in the future and focused on the kids now become adults, telling a different story with different lessons. The fact that this takes place seconds after Incredibles 1 ends deflates that perfect ending. They really didn't need a sequel, honestly. It'd be like (God forbid) making a sequel to the Iron Giant or Ratatouille, two other Brad Bird movies. These movies are self-contained and pretty flawless: they don't need sequels to say anything more. "What happened to the giant?" and "what happened to Remy?" are as pointless as asking what happened to the Parr family. Use your imagination -- the story has been told.

Freaks and Geeks (1999– )

Very good, but overhyped

[7/10 · 7 October 2023]

This show is solid, if I had to choose one word. But no, it's definitely not perfect. It's really just not funny enough or interesting enough. There are very great performances on display and the stories find a good balance between comedy and drama. It's just so slow sometimes. Most of the episodes could be like 15 minutes shorter. This show is the kind of comedy that is more cute than actually funny. What saves it from being mediocre is the realistic aspect of the characters. They all have arcs, they change through the season. They learn or ignore their mistakes and are much different at the end than the beginning. It really just needs to be a little funnier. Some of the characters are too annoying to justify their existence and the show isn't funny enough to keep my interest. Sometimes the 45 min runtime feels like a chore.

Guy Ritchie's the Covenant (I) (2023)

Very, very good

[8/10 · 23 September 2023]

Not quite amazing, but I think this story was a little to simple to reach that level. It's straightforward in its plot, which is effective for a movie like this. It's crafted well, with stakes that are clear and situations that are believable. The score is phenomenal, with a melancholy but upbeat strings section that carry the movie the whole time. Unique and fitting music for the region and story. The performances are fantastic and spot on for the types of characters portrayed. The sergeant and the interpreter don't have an overly sentimentalized relationship. It's realistic and organic to what is shown onscreen. After all, it's not a friendship they have, it's more than that. It's a covenant.

Scary Movie (2000)

You'll die laughing

[8/10 · 30 August 2023]

Scary Movie is so funny. No, it's not really that smart. It's not really clever. It's just funny. Turn off your brain, sit back, and laugh. After Airplane and Spaceballs, it's my favorite spoof movie. The jokes are rapid fire and constantly work. For every miss, there are about 5 or 6 belly laughs or knee-slappers. What makes this film stand out, though, is the Ghostface Killer. The heroes of this movie are so unlikable in so many ways, you almost root for the killer, which, alone, is funny enough. What sends it over the top is when other characters in the movie start helping the killer (think of the movie theater scene) and even befriending him. People write this one off because of all the other "Movie" movies (the other Scary Movies, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, etc.) that diminished in quality with every release. However this one is actually funny as hell. Not perfect, but you might, at least once, rewind to hear a joke one more time.

The Blackcoat's Daughter (I) (2015)

I started getting sleepy after a promising beginning

[4/10 · 24 August 2023]

I wish they would have left that big twist for the end. About halfway through it is shown that Emma Roberts is actually the blonde girl, Catherine, from the girl's school, only several years older. And James Remar explains how his daughter died and shows her school photo, and we get flashbacks of what looks like the girl killing someone. So it's pretty clear where the rest of the movie is heading at this point and you start to check out because you can predict it. The fact that she is possessed and kills all the people still at the school over break is so obvious that I can't believe I wasted my time watching it. All this wouldn't have been so bad, but it just kept droning on and on, replaying scenes we've already seen twice, sometimes three times over. The performances are very good, though -- especially the youngest actress playing Catherine.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Pretty annoying, but pretty to look at

[5/10 · 20 August 2023]

Even if I hadn't seen the original, I don't think I'd like this movie. Even as a kid I didn't like it. Sure, it's got some interesting visual effects. I like how massive the factory seems in this version, with Fudge Mountain, careening chocolate river, and endless great glass elevator route. Wonka's backstory kind of gives him some character, but it detracts from how mysterious he should have been, like he was in the first movie. Even though this movie is named after Charlie, it's much more about Willy after they all get to the factory. When Charlie decides not to accept the factory at the end because Willy wouldn't let his family couldn't come along, the movie becomes pretty much entirely about Willy coming to terms with his concept of "family." Compare this to the original's ending, where Charlie has a moment to shine and make an honorable move, giving Willy back his gobstopper after initially being denied the factory, and showing his worth. He is the protagonist, after all, so the ending should be his defining moment, not Willy's. Most of all, this movie isn't funny. Like, at all -- it's not really trying to be. The original has droll humor. It's creative with the writing. All the news sequences in the first half are off-and-on very funny. Gene Wilder's performance leads you to believe Wonka is a mad genius. He's crazy but he's also sly. Depp's performance (due to the writing, maybe) makes you think he just sniffed some glue and has never seen another human (besides the Oompa Loompas). Not a horrible movie but it felt kinda like a Star Wars prequel: nice effects in the service of not much.

Painkiller (2023)

Stylish and informative, but hamfisted and annoying

[5/10 · 15 August 2023]

I'm conflicted about this show. Every scene I started to like became so over the top. Great performances but some of the dialogue made me cringe. It's like it was trying to make this story in a Wolf of Wall Street sort of style, and they partly succeeded, but I noticed I just kept rolling my eyes. Why is everyone yelling all the time? Sure, artistic liberties are allowed, but I highly doubt people were this heated in so many of these instances. Style is one thing, but it really took me out of the story watching a room full of lawyers howling like wolves at a soon-to-be defendant. It kind of shot itself in the foot, and while it seemed to get better toward the end, it's ultimately unsatisfying.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Overstays it's welcome, but gory af

[5/10 · 7 August 2023]

There's either not enough chills or not enough humor here. The original trilogy had one of those two elements in spades, depending on the movie. Sometimes both. Here we have some inspired mutilation and gore, but all in service for a plot that grows thinner by the minute. I had hope when all the neighbors were introduced and thought, "here, some people that can add something to the plot or at least soak up the carnage before our central four characters bite the dust." But no, they all get killed pretty immediately, having done little more than pray and shoot the mom to no effect. I think a little bit of restraint would've actually done this movie some good. Let the horror breathe a little, build some tension with what we DON'T see. I think it just got a little tedious, though it started out okay. It's not that I didn't care about the characters fates, it just seemed inevitable that they would die. They had little to do beyond getting spooked and mutilated.

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

Mr. Darling and Hook are played by different actors

[1/10 · 4 August 2023]

I don't care about anything else but that. Why couldn't they have kept that ONE tradition? Every rendition of this story has Darling and Hook played by the same actor. It's a statement on how one's parents, the expectation to grow up, is the looming villain for children yet it is the inciting factor in all the adventure they will have. Adolescence is the end of the innocent haven of childhood but it gives you depth and character, a challenge. Neverland without Hook would be pretty boring, life without growing wouldn't be worth living. Everything else about this show, yes, is awful, but the fact that they couldn't get this one, obvious detail right proves they don't care at all about the source material or even their original animated movie.

The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (2023)

A fitting, beautifully animated end

[10/10 · 24 July 2023]

If there is one drawback, it's that it's now all over and we didn't get an entire season, just a little less than an hour and a half. However, as is the style of Venture Bros, rather than look backward and attempt to tie up every loose end in a bout of fan service, this movie takes the show in yet another direction. Rather than parade all your favorite characters back around for little more than a callback, they introduce a few interesting, key characters that drive the whole story. It's funny and rendered flawlessly -- the show has looked better and better season after season, and it culminates in beauty that is this movie's animation. The short scene with Dr. Mrs. The Monarch escaping over the Hudson on Daisy, Red Death's Mecha-Horse, is evidence enough that the creators and artists involved have mastered their form and the we are witnessing a star burning out with the end of this show. It's engrossing and avoids sentimentality in favor for the goofy, droll humor we all know and love about Venture Bros. Yet, without trying, it is sentimental, it is a sad farewell, and this may have the only post-credit scene that makes you somberly smile more than it makes you laugh. A great 20 years and a fantastic conclusion.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Underrated, better than The Last Crusade

[10/10 · 30 June 2023]

I don't really care about all the criticism that this movie is racist or misogynistic. It doesn't amount to much because these movies pay homage to action stories from a much older, less enlightened time. The uncomfortable elements here are, in essence, parody. But the movie itself is pretty much just shy of the greatness Raiders achieved. It's a thrill ride. Even today it's hard not to get sucked into the the universe this movie creates. The effects are seamless and, though not quite as convincing as they were almost 40 years ago, flawless in execution. It's darker and pushes the envelope further than the first movie, certainly more than the third (still love it, but it's a little soft). What makes this a ten is the villain, however. Mola is Ram more diabolical and iconic than any other in an Indiana Jones film. The actor (Amrish Puri) deservedly made a prestigious career in Indian Cinema as a villain. I mean, he ripped out a guy's heart with his bare hand and it's not even Mortal Kombat.

Black Mirror: Demon 79 (2023) Season 6, Episode 5

Good, still not great

[7/10 · 21 June 2023]

This season has been the least technology-based that BM has put out, but here I think it works. I love the characters here, especially the demon, so I was rooting for the main duo the entire time. There might not be some big message, as is standard for most BM episodes, but it does have a slight commentary on human nature, about how there might actually be worse things than being a murderer. It's a compelling enough story. I guess it just felt hollow. It's kinda funny, but not exactly moving. I kept waiting for a little bit more to happen, but it's a pretty straightforward tale. Nothing BM has done since has compared to San Junipero or White Christmas (two episodes that comment on technology with polar opposite tones), but I don't hate the new direction for the show.

Black Mirror: Mazey Day (2023) Season 6, Episode 4

Simple and lame

[5/10 · 21 June 2023]

I've been kind of liking this season. I certainly like it more than the previous season. Only one of those episodes I actually enjoyed out of three, which was disappointing. This season has been less technology-focused than ever, which isn't the worst, but this episode is kinda sad. What is the point, that fame turns celebrities into monsters but it's our fault, the people who are so obsessed with them? It's pretty shallow and not even eye-catching -- even the worst BM episodes were at least visually striking. It wasn't engaging either. I didn't really care about the characters, so when the twist occurred, I was disinterested. What a waste of some good actors.

The Other Two (2019–2023)

Zany, funny af

[10/10 · 19 June 2023]

It's rare that an episode of this show doesn't make me laugh the entire runtime. It's off the wall yet lampoons reality perfectly. The main characters (the "other two") are selfish beyond compare and it always comes to a hilarious point. The jokes are rapid-fire and thoroughly well-written. Hollywood is skewered in nearly every way imaginable. This is beside the point, but it's well-shot too. It's colorful and inventive with the locations, props, and side characters. Carey, Brooke, Pat, and Streeter are portrayed masterfully by their actors and, despite their out-of-this-world natures, seem like real people. Most of all it's just flat-out hilarious, from premise to execution.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Gets Racist (2005) Season 1, Episode 1

Too sensitive? Get out now and stay out.

[8/10 · 6 June 2023]

I think it's funny how offended some people are in their reviews, because the Gang is just getting started here. It's certainly not the funniest episode of my favorite show of all time, but how could it be? It's a great start to the series that sets the tone before it hit its stride. The creators of this show are fearless and will do almost anything for a laugh. The point of It's Always Sunny? They are jerks, almost villains. In fact "Jerks" was almost the name of the show. You're supposed to think they are horrible people and laugh at the misery they inflict on themselves and each other. That's the joke. The people who rate this one star because it's offensive really need to go back to watching Big Bang Theory and get off the jocks of these golden gods.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Almost Perfect

[9/10 · 3 June 2023]

This movie had me hooked from the very beginning. Already I could tell that the animation was going to be unparalleled by almost any other animated movie. The style and the colors give this movie a completely unique feel - even when compared to the first movie. They've upped their game in almost every department. The story is more interesting and is more than just Miles becoming spider-man and saving the day, kind of like the first movie was. The movie is funny and the attention to detail is crazy - there are countless blink-and-you'll-miss-it jokes that are often completely visual and require no dialogue. It makes the movie instantly rewatchable. However I couldn't stand the ending of the movie. It felt like it went on too long to leave enough content for part 3, yet not long enough to have a satisfying conclusion. However, when the story is completed next year, watching part 2 and 3 together, as one long movie, may remedy this. This movie was so good though that they could've just combined both of them into a 4 hour movie and most everyone, the adults at least, wouldn't have complained.

Beef (2023– )

Expertly Balances Tones

[9/10 · 2 June 2023]

The thing I like most about beef is how insightful it is and still laid-back it is. It makes many points and takes its story very seriously and yet it never fails to land it's off-beat jokes that seem natural to the odd story. It's unpredictable. I like the two main characters a lot, and they are given a great deal of depth. The performances are excellent and it's relatable. I feel what these angry people feel, and it's nice that a show can portray very flawed characters with dignity. I rooted for them, in some way, the whole time. We're all flawed, but I think the message of Beef is to live honestly and stop mimicking emotions that aren't real. Otherwise, you bottle up your true colors. One thing I'll say though is that I don't think it needed so many flashbacks. I think it could've found a way around most of them and benefited from it.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )

Tattooed on My Brain

[10/10 · 29 May 2023]

I've seen this show, the entirety of the first 12 seasons at least, more times than I can count. It's beyond funny. It's like looking though a window into a parallel universe (Philadelphia) where the protagonists are selfish to the point of being almost evil. The comedy comes from watching their schemes implode and the characters inevitably turn on each other for some immoral, personal gain. The performances are so convincing that watching the actors in other roles is ruined for me-they have become these people entirely. Some viewers, like my wife, don't have the stomach for It's Always Sunny, and that's fine. The humor is dark. But it's so funny that I can watch it over and over and it never gets old, not in the slightest. To this day I watch the show and find subtle, hilarious details that I never noticed. The newer seasons are still on another level, but every single episode, even the banned ones, from seasons 2-10 are perfect, no question. You gibroni.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023 Video Game)

Surpasses the Original in Every Way

[10/10 · 26 May 2023]

This is the most freedom I think I've ever felt in a game. Throw on the pro HUD (removes mini map, etc.) and you're left with the beauty of exploration. Every botw problem has been fixed, but this feels more like a completely new game from the ground up that just happens to follow botw. It's a fun world to slowly unravel and figure out, and certainly makes the overall challenge more about traversal and discovery than simply fighting enemy after enemy. It rewards patience and resourcefulness. You can't simply run or climb to every spot on the map. Some places you can't reach. Some you can't even see. Considering that the main goal for Link is simply finding Zelda in this massive world, the point of the game is interacting with and manipulating one of the most responsive and vibrant open worlds yet experienced in a video game.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Pretty Great

[9/10 · 7 May 2023]

I wouldn't call this the best marvel movie ever, but it's certainly close. This is a very straightforward look at these eclectic characters. They aren't telling throwaway jokes for quick laughs. These are people, because of great acting, that seem authentic in every GG3 scene. They are funny because it's who they are, especially after all these movies but even if you just watched this one and nothing else. They all have arcs, to some extent, which impressive with how many characters and how much is going on. But its not complicated or confusing. The message is clear and moving. The villain is evil with a capital E and embodies the antithesis of the Guardians. Overall very great stuff. Only con would be that it's a little loud in theaters. Turn it down you crazy kids!