- Sep 20, 2014
- 3,926
- 4,677
Film Reviews - what have you seen lately, what did you think?
- Thread starter TLB
- Start date
- Jan 6, 2015
- 14,216
- 26,601
The Protege (2021) <Amazon Prime>
Maggie Q stars as an assassin. You may recognize her from other things, but I didn't. Taken in as a child by Samuel L Jackson, we catch up to her in her late 30's to early 40's still working with Sam as they do hit jobs on the 'impossible to find' targets. I was confused (and pissed, tbh) that Sam has top billing on the film and was killed in the first act, but it makes sense = no spoilers. Maggie picks up his last job and goes hunting, comes across Michael Keaton who does an excellent job of proving to be both a romantic interest for her, and her equal on intelligence and wet work, as he's defending the target she's trying to find. I really can't find anything to criticize here, other than perhaps the overbearing soundtrack in the first act. Decent tunes, but stacked scene after scene....it calms down in Act 2. Anyway, Sam and Maggie and Michael provide a good core for a script that keeps throwing turns and twists at you up front to confuse you a bit and make you sit down and just go with the ride. Supporting actors of Florin Piercic Jr (I thought was David Harbour, the sheriff from Stranger Things....really felt like he got dumped in a minor thug role, good thing it wasn't him) and Robert Patrick (hello very old, and kinda fat T-1000 Terminator from 1991). Good dialogue, good action, good plot, good characters, good acting. Def recommend. 8.5/10
PS - Asian women ain't my thing, but Maggie had a kicking booty and decent body that, while never really showing skin, was nearly always wearing very complimentary clothing and plenty of shots of that booty walking away.
EDIT: Seems she also did a 2010-2013 TV series of Nikita, so this type role isn't a reach for her (and she did it well in this film).
Maggie Q stars as an assassin. You may recognize her from other things, but I didn't. Taken in as a child by Samuel L Jackson, we catch up to her in her late 30's to early 40's still working with Sam as they do hit jobs on the 'impossible to find' targets. I was confused (and pissed, tbh) that Sam has top billing on the film and was killed in the first act, but it makes sense = no spoilers. Maggie picks up his last job and goes hunting, comes across Michael Keaton who does an excellent job of proving to be both a romantic interest for her, and her equal on intelligence and wet work, as he's defending the target she's trying to find. I really can't find anything to criticize here, other than perhaps the overbearing soundtrack in the first act. Decent tunes, but stacked scene after scene....it calms down in Act 2. Anyway, Sam and Maggie and Michael provide a good core for a script that keeps throwing turns and twists at you up front to confuse you a bit and make you sit down and just go with the ride. Supporting actors of Florin Piercic Jr (I thought was David Harbour, the sheriff from Stranger Things....really felt like he got dumped in a minor thug role, good thing it wasn't him) and Robert Patrick (hello very old, and kinda fat T-1000 Terminator from 1991). Good dialogue, good action, good plot, good characters, good acting. Def recommend. 8.5/10
PS - Asian women ain't my thing, but Maggie had a kicking booty and decent body that, while never really showing skin, was nearly always wearing very complimentary clothing and plenty of shots of that booty walking away.
EDIT: Seems she also did a 2010-2013 TV series of Nikita, so this type role isn't a reach for her (and she did it well in this film).
Last edited:
- Jul 23, 2014
- 11,888
- 27,081
- Jul 15, 2014
- 28,616
- 47,584
This has some promise
This... actually looks... AWESOME! Embrace yourself, parody yourself, I'm in and will watch. This actually looks like a play on the reality (like a documentary) series JCVD did, but with a twist.
- Jun 12, 2014
- 3,571
- 5,404
Founding Member
I barely got through the second episode and it just wasn’t doing it for me . It was moving at the speed of smell . Wife has almost finished it and likes it a lot . What say you ? Does it get better ?
- Jan 6, 2015
- 14,216
- 26,601
Coach Carter (2005) <Netflix>
Yeah, 2005, but it plays like something out of the 90's. Only known name is Samuel L Jackson - by 2005 he was established so this was more like a 'wanna do this role' than 'agent making me do this role'. He does well, given he isn't allowed to cuss throughout the film. Premise is that an inner city LA high school has an aging coach who wants to retire and taps on his '71-72 All American player to take over for him, enter Sam. The team had 4wins and 20+ losses the precious year, compounded by bad attitudes and a lack of give-a-fks. I've edited out my TLB;dr summary and will give this - the film calls back to Lean on Me (1989, Morgan Freeman) but is scoped down to JUST the basketball team, teaching the players respet for themselves and eachother, giving them a means out of the hood, out of a school with a 50% graduation, and of those 6% get to college. You get individual storylines for the main players, which are both believable and relevant; including Sam's own son who transfers in to play for his dad despite dad wanting him at a better school. Good date movie, family movie, guy-sports movie if you can take a non-cussing Sam role. Would recommend. 8/10
Yeah, 2005, but it plays like something out of the 90's. Only known name is Samuel L Jackson - by 2005 he was established so this was more like a 'wanna do this role' than 'agent making me do this role'. He does well, given he isn't allowed to cuss throughout the film. Premise is that an inner city LA high school has an aging coach who wants to retire and taps on his '71-72 All American player to take over for him, enter Sam. The team had 4wins and 20+ losses the precious year, compounded by bad attitudes and a lack of give-a-fks. I've edited out my TLB;dr summary and will give this - the film calls back to Lean on Me (1989, Morgan Freeman) but is scoped down to JUST the basketball team, teaching the players respet for themselves and eachother, giving them a means out of the hood, out of a school with a 50% graduation, and of those 6% get to college. You get individual storylines for the main players, which are both believable and relevant; including Sam's own son who transfers in to play for his dad despite dad wanting him at a better school. Good date movie, family movie, guy-sports movie if you can take a non-cussing Sam role. Would recommend. 8/10
- Jul 23, 2014
- 11,888
- 27,081
Watched The Adam Project last night ( I believe one of you ne'er do wells reviewed it earlier).
Disclaimer - I'm a big Ryan Reynolds fan so...
Good movie - enjoyed the banter - even lol'd a few times. Interesting story overall
7.5/10
Disclaimer - I'm a big Ryan Reynolds fan so...
Good movie - enjoyed the banter - even lol'd a few times. Interesting story overall
7.5/10
- Aug 28, 2014
- 16,541
- 26,097
Adam Project not what I expected. There was a kid in it I think. Dude went back in time or something. That's all I remember. 
- Jun 12, 2014
- 7,135
- 6,222
Founding Member
CODA —Apple TV+ free
10 of 10
Should win Best Picture tonight
10 of 10
Should win Best Picture tonight
- Sep 20, 2014
- 3,926
- 4,677
Couple I have caught recently. Unfortunately nothing that good outside of the previously mentioned Adam Project.
Cheaper by the Dozen (Disney +) - My son recently watched and thought the Steve Martin ones were really funny. This one unfortunately is not. Think of every virtue signal/social justice issue they can throw in here and there you go. Can't really say much as I tuned it out pretty quick. 3/10.
Windfall (Netflix) - Jesse Plemons, Lily Collins and Jason Segal star. Plemons play a billionaire tech guy who is on vacation with his wife when they find a robber in their home. It starts out as he just wants to take the money and go and then turns into them helping him ask for more so that he can try to start a new life. Lots of backstory about how horrible Plemons is and how unhappy his wife is. For the most part its just them sitting around for a few hours talking about how horrible their lives are while he waits on the money. Once again marketed as a comedy with very little humor in it and has an ending that they tried to hard with to swerve you. I personally did not like this one that much. 4/10.
The 355 (Peacock) - This one was free so I gave it a shot. Stars a bunch of aging hotties. Chastain, Cruz, Kruger and has appearances by the Winter Soldier. They are all agents for different governments after the same weapon. After it is lost by all of them and Chastain's partner is seemingly killed they all end up on the run accused of being behind the theft. The girls all then team up to take down the real culprits and restore order.
The sad thing about this movie is it could have been a pretty descent spy movie, but once again they had to spend the last quarter of the movie virtue signaling. Up until that point it was pretty descent, but turned into a anti-male patriarchy type of thing where all the men got no consequences while the women did. Completely derailed the ending by having them cry instead of being bad a*ses. 5/10.
Cheaper by the Dozen (Disney +) - My son recently watched and thought the Steve Martin ones were really funny. This one unfortunately is not. Think of every virtue signal/social justice issue they can throw in here and there you go. Can't really say much as I tuned it out pretty quick. 3/10.
Windfall (Netflix) - Jesse Plemons, Lily Collins and Jason Segal star. Plemons play a billionaire tech guy who is on vacation with his wife when they find a robber in their home. It starts out as he just wants to take the money and go and then turns into them helping him ask for more so that he can try to start a new life. Lots of backstory about how horrible Plemons is and how unhappy his wife is. For the most part its just them sitting around for a few hours talking about how horrible their lives are while he waits on the money. Once again marketed as a comedy with very little humor in it and has an ending that they tried to hard with to swerve you. I personally did not like this one that much. 4/10.
The 355 (Peacock) - This one was free so I gave it a shot. Stars a bunch of aging hotties. Chastain, Cruz, Kruger and has appearances by the Winter Soldier. They are all agents for different governments after the same weapon. After it is lost by all of them and Chastain's partner is seemingly killed they all end up on the run accused of being behind the theft. The girls all then team up to take down the real culprits and restore order.
The sad thing about this movie is it could have been a pretty descent spy movie, but once again they had to spend the last quarter of the movie virtue signaling. Up until that point it was pretty descent, but turned into a anti-male patriarchy type of thing where all the men got no consequences while the women did. Completely derailed the ending by having them cry instead of being bad a*ses. 5/10.
- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,449
- 59,472
Watched two movies this weekend - one on Netflix, the other on Amazon.
Avengement (Netflix) - British movie, strong accents. The lead actor is a BMF (in real life too), breaks out of jail, and gets revenge on his brother and others who screwed him over. Lot's of fighting, blood, killing, etc.
Nobody (Amazon) - Bob Odenkirk is the lead actor, as a former CIA type of tough guy who left that line of work, got married and has a couple of kids. His house gets broken into one night and it triggers him and he goes on a killing spree.
Neither is winning any academy awards, but definitely entertaining.
Avengement (Netflix) - British movie, strong accents. The lead actor is a BMF (in real life too), breaks out of jail, and gets revenge on his brother and others who screwed him over. Lot's of fighting, blood, killing, etc.
Nobody (Amazon) - Bob Odenkirk is the lead actor, as a former CIA type of tough guy who left that line of work, got married and has a couple of kids. His house gets broken into one night and it triggers him and he goes on a killing spree.
Neither is winning any academy awards, but definitely entertaining.
- Sep 20, 2014
- 3,926
- 4,677
- Jun 12, 2014
- 30,579
- 16,966
Founding Member
Mosul. I liked it.
- Jul 23, 2014
- 11,888
- 27,081
neither one of you provided a numerical score.
you both know how it works around here.
without that number score (e.g. 7.5 / 10) I can't think for myself as to whether or not I should watch the movie.
please adhere to the protocol.
thank you in advance for your cooperation
- Sep 20, 2014
- 3,926
- 4,677
- Jun 12, 2014
- 30,579
- 16,966
Founding Member
I’m binary. It’s either good or bad!
:)
It was better than most movies out there to me. The characters were real to me and I enjoyed the perspective from an Iraqi’s pov. It’s in Arabic so subtitles for me.
- Sep 20, 2014
- 3,926
- 4,677
Death on the Nile (HBO Max) - It has Gal Gadot and that is all that you need to know. Another Inspector Poirot movie similar to Murder on the Orient Express. He is aboard a river cruise down the Nile for a rich women's honeymoon and of course there is a murder. From there he has to solve the crime before they dock and the murder can potentially escape. Has some other familiar faces such as Annette Benning, Arnie Hammer, Shuri from Black Panther and Russell Brand. The crazy chick is pretty hot as well. The first half sets up everyone's backstories and the second half is the investigation. The first half moved much quicker and drew me in, but the back half I felt like got slower as it went and the ending was pretty easy to figure out even if they went to great lengths to try and make it seem otherwise. All in all though its a enjoyable 2 hours movie if you like who done its. 6/10
The Bubble (Netflix) - Lots of familiar faces and directed by Judd Appatow who of course puts half his family in it. Has Nebula, The Mandolorian, Agent Mulder, Keenan along with some well placed cameos and a smoking hot hotel worker. Basically the movie takes place during the height of COVID and they are one of only two movies in production so are put in a bubble to film. This is the sixth film in the series so along with some of the newcomers there is a lot of drama between the cast. They then get stuck with filming extended, having to constantly quarantine in isolation, etc and eventually all crack and plan their escape.
The premise and cast made this promising at first. However when things got going it became another feel sorry for me the celebrity movie. They tried to joke about it, but made them look worse. The other thing is that this is now the second movie that has made light of the absurdity of COVID restrictions that just two years ago they were preaching we needed to follow. Now they are just blowing them off as a joke. Maybe a I read this wrong, but it came across as a please feel sorry for us and look what we went through to provide you with the movies you so desperately need. 4/10
King of Thieves (Netflix) - Michael Cain and some other aging British actors star in this one as an elderly bank robbing crew looking for one last score with help with a younger tech savy friend. This movie could have been really good, really suspenseful, but they blew it up with everyone whining and arguing the whole movie. It's based on a true story and interesting, but once again the last half of the movie drags it down. 5/10
The Bubble (Netflix) - Lots of familiar faces and directed by Judd Appatow who of course puts half his family in it. Has Nebula, The Mandolorian, Agent Mulder, Keenan along with some well placed cameos and a smoking hot hotel worker. Basically the movie takes place during the height of COVID and they are one of only two movies in production so are put in a bubble to film. This is the sixth film in the series so along with some of the newcomers there is a lot of drama between the cast. They then get stuck with filming extended, having to constantly quarantine in isolation, etc and eventually all crack and plan their escape.
The premise and cast made this promising at first. However when things got going it became another feel sorry for me the celebrity movie. They tried to joke about it, but made them look worse. The other thing is that this is now the second movie that has made light of the absurdity of COVID restrictions that just two years ago they were preaching we needed to follow. Now they are just blowing them off as a joke. Maybe a I read this wrong, but it came across as a please feel sorry for us and look what we went through to provide you with the movies you so desperately need. 4/10
King of Thieves (Netflix) - Michael Cain and some other aging British actors star in this one as an elderly bank robbing crew looking for one last score with help with a younger tech savy friend. This movie could have been really good, really suspenseful, but they blew it up with everyone whining and arguing the whole movie. It's based on a true story and interesting, but once again the last half of the movie drags it down. 5/10
- Jul 24, 2020
- 16,038
- 44,497
SNEAKERS 1992
We watched an oldie but a goodie with out 17 year old son who is into computers. It made a lot of profound and relevant insinuations about what our government can do 30 years ago that is mainstream knowledge today.
Plus, I've always loved Robert Redford.
We watched an oldie but a goodie with out 17 year old son who is into computers. It made a lot of profound and relevant insinuations about what our government can do 30 years ago that is mainstream knowledge today.
Plus, I've always loved Robert Redford.
