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Pilsung89
Reviews
The Avengers (2012)
This is how you make a superhero movie
The Avengers is one of the better movies I have seen come out in a while. It had good characters, good directing, great action scenes, and a good story.
Never before have I seen Hollywood produce several movies, all intending to hype and lead up to a team-up movie. That's what happened here. The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man were all clearly made with this intention of eventually making a grand collaboration movie that featured the stars of each movie. This was a very risky move, but I do believe it paid off.
The story mainly follows the events that bring the Avengers together. Thor's brother, Loki, has come to Earth to claim a very object for an alien race and let them take over Earth in exchange for him becoming the new ruler. Of course, the previously mentioned superheroes come together one at a time in a bid to prevent this from ultimately happening.
Somewhat cliché story, but the chemistry between the characters and the action is where it's at. Not only to all of the main stars do well in their roles, but they do a very good job interacting with each in ways that fit their personality. Tony Stark and Captain America clash over their conflicting virtues and lifestyles, everyone feels a bit wary of the Hulk because of how his powers work, and so on.
And the action scenes are downright incredible. This is a shining example of how one creates epic battles surrounding superheroes. The action scenes are grand, awesome, brutal, and entertaining as hell to watch. They are chaotic but you are always able to see clearly what is going on. Many action moves that create such massive battles just make cluttered messes that make it hard to see what is going on. Here, all the characters can be distinguished and they fight using their abilities to their advantages.
This movie is not for everyone. If you're a person that is not really into the comic book movies or the superhero flicks, this won't change your mind. It is a comic book adaptation and does not attempt to hide that fact, with the characters all wearing their colorful uniforms and such. Plus the story, while good, is rather cliché and typical of a superhero style plot.
But if you are a fan of superhero films, action films, or comic book movies, this is an absolute must to watch. You will not be disappointed.
The Expendables (2010)
A great action flick that pays tribute to older style action movies
The Expendables is a movie featuring an ensemble cast of action stars designed in a fashion similar to the old action movies of the 80's and 90's. For what it is, it's an amazing action movie with a great cast that includes the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Stathom, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, and more.
The plot is nothing too amazing, but it's good enough and follows a formula similar to the movies it pays tribute to. Basically, Sylvester Stallone plays Barney Ross, the leader of a mercenary group called the expendables that do dangerous mission for money. After being contracted to assassinate the dictator of a small republic, Barney deems the mission suicidal at first but has a change of heart when an innocent's life is at stake. It's the typical story of being the good guy, and blowing stuff up to stop the bad guy. Except it features an awesome ensemble cast.
This movie has it all in terms of fights. There are knife fights, gun fights, hand-to-hand fights, and explosions all over the place. The story is typical but the action is top notch, a true tribute to the older action films and a true delight for any action fan. The action is fast-paced, brutal, violent, and very well choreographed.
The main shortcoming the film has, though, is it's lack of attention to many of it's cast member. It has a lot of famous and talented action stars, but sadly many are downplayed. Sylvester Stallone and Jason Stathom receive most of the attention as they are in more action scenes and more scenes in general. They also receive the most character development. And Jet Li fans might be a bit disappointed as his highlight moment of the film actually makes him look kind of weak. The other members are simply underused. It's kind of sad because this is such a great cast that was recruited, and most of them could have been used a lot more.
As it stands though, The Expendables is an amazing action film that is a must see for die hard action fans. Check your brain at the door and simply enjoy all the ensuing violence.
The Last Airbender (2010)
Talk about an epic fail.
This is completely atrocious. I have not left a movie theater so disappointed since I saw Dragonball Evolution. I had a feeling this movie wouldn't work, but I didn't think it would be this bad. The racially inaccurate casting is the smallest problem of the film. The big problems are poor writing, below average acting, and a rushed plot.
Okay, the first thing I will mention is that the movie is way too rushed and tries to cram to much. This film tries to take all the plot points from the first book of the series (which is 20 episodes long), and capture it all in about 90 minutes. That just doesn't work. This should have been more like 2 and a half hours long if not just split into two movies. The result is that nothing is explained enough, and the viewer has no time to enjoy anything, Every 5 minutes the movie is moving to another plot point. No time is taken for the story to deepen, and characters never get to develop real personalities or relations to other characters. Katara, one of my favorite characters from the series, gets little screen time and never really establishes a relationship to Aang. The overall result of rushing and cramming the plot is that the story is shallow and not engaging. Without time to let anything sink and or develop it's not interesting at all. Bottom line, the film should have been expanded.
Next up, the acting is not good. None of the actors portray the personalities that their cartoon counterparts did. M. Knight Shamylan says that he picked the actor for Aang because he could really portray Aang's character. This is not true at all. In the series Aang is a lighthearted and reluctant hero. In the movie he's portrayed as serious and strong-willed and never hesitant. The Actress for Katara is okay but has too little screen to to develop her character. The actor for Sokka portrays him as serious and witty, but in the series he's a sarcastic source of comic relief. You could say the actors themselves are doing an okay job, but their characters are badly butchered in the script. To make matters worse is the bad dialogue. Yes, this is a kids movie, but some of the lines sound like they're written for 4 year olds.
To top it all off, the movie was made into 3D at the last second. Why? to make money. My cousin convinced me to pay an extra 3 dollars per ticket to see it in 3D. It was not worth it. 90% of the movie doesn't even have 3D effects, and what 3D the movies does have is forgettable. The best 3D effect came from the ads before the film. It was obviously just a last minute decision to milk more money from viewers.
The only good things I can say about the movie is that the effects and fights are good. They're not great, just good. In the end the story is incredibly rushed, the characters are all wrong, and the deepest emotional part is a 5 second scene between Aang and Katara. Should they decide to make the sequels they've already planned they need to expand the movies and get people who actually know about the series.
Phil of the Future (2004)
A very good Disney show for it's time
At a time when many Disney shows and movies were either average or downright bad, Phil of the Future stood out like a shiny golden tower. This show seems to have a little of the magic I feel when watching Disney shows and movies from the mid-nineties and earlier. It's typical yet original.
The story revolves around Phil, a teenage boy from the future on vacation with his family. They travel to various points of the past, but they're time machine breaks down and they wind up stuck in our time. Phil and his family have to cope with our world until their time machine is fixed. This show has many cliché and typical points, yet it stays original. I love many things on this show. The humor is kind of corny but usually delivered pretty well. The characters are fantastic, the story is interesting, and the acting is good by Disney standards. May favorite thing about this show is the relationship between Phil and Keely. Keely is Phil's naive but fun and kind-hearted best friend, and the only modern person who knows that Phil is from the future.
It can get a little plain at times, and some of the guest stars are annoying, but in the end I really like this show. I'm quite sad that it only lasted two seasons. I wish it could've lasted 3 or 4 seasons. If you like Disney or like sugary family shows, you should check it out.
Hannah Montana (2006)
Not terrible but not great.
I'm not really into this show. I don't hate it but I don't find it that good. It certainly has it's good points. Some of the characters are likable. I like the characters of Miler/Hannah, Lily, and Miley's dad. I also think these actors did decent jobs on their parts. The overall story of Miley trying to secretly lead a double like is also a little interesting.
On the other hand, there are quite a few faults I find with the show. Many of the characters are too cliché and dull. These include Miley's naive and accident-prone older brother, her extremely dumb friend Oliver, and the rather smart yet annoying young kid named Rico. Cliché characters can work with the right script and the right actors, but they don't work here. Also, many of the jokes don't work. They're often either overacted or take to long to get said/played out.
I give it a 5/10. It has it's upsides, but overall it's not that great to me.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
A great blend of drama, horror, comedy, and action.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a terrific show that has something for everyone. It combines the elements of action, horror, comedy, and drama into a rather effective mixture that makes it a very original, imaginative, and effective series.
The Show centers around Buffy Summers, an average blonde teenager who is chosen by mystic powers to be the slayer, a randomly chosen female warrior who combats demonic forces. She is aided by her friends Willow and Xander, her mentor Giles, and various other characters that come and go. The plot is that Buffy tries to be a normal teenage girl and be an effective heroine at the same time. Creator Joss Whedon made the hero a blonde girl because blonde's usually die in horror flicks.
The show is amazing in many aspects. The acting is terrific. The characters are likable when they're supposed to be and despicable when they're supposed to be. Also, all of the main characters are very 3 dimensional, with every personality being deeper than you first think. Also, the character relations are very believable thanks to terrific directing and acting. The writing of the series is also good. Not only is the overall plot nice, but every episode is detailed and many are unpredictable. The humor is sometimes dull, but often it's terrific. It's the kind of humor that parodies corny and typical humor. One of the definite best parts of the show is the action sequences. The fights in the show are well choreographed and very well performed.
The show did start to lose it's edge in it's later seasons, like many shows do, Largely because Buffy aged with the show and eventually grew into a young woman, losing the teenage aspect that made the show popular. However, it managed to stay enjoyable and avoid dullness by introducing new characters from time to time, my favorite being Dawn Summers, Buffy's sister. Overall, this show rocks!
Dak mo mai sing (2001)
Unremarkable action film
The Accidental Spy is a very average movie. There's nothing special and it's not good by Jackie Chan standards. The movie is the typical comedy action formula that Jackie is famous for, but it seems to lack the effort his projects usually have. The story is confusing at times, the comedy is often over the top or too typical, and the quality of the action is also lacking.
On the other hand, the movie is not terrible. The Story, while not that great, isn't boring either. Also, the action and humor may lack the high quality Jackie Chan fans are used to, but they do follow the formula Jackie usually has in his movies. In the end, the movie is not great, but not too bad. It feels like a typical Jackie Chan project that lacks the usual effort and attention to detail that he Jackie likes in his work.
Top Dog (1995)
Not a good mix of movie formulas
The absolute main problem with this film is that it tries to blend two different kinds of movies that can't really work together. It tries to merge the typical cute and family friendly dog movie with the typical hardcore cop movie that features terrorists, shoot outs, explosions, and fights. It tries to be a family film and a hardcore action film at the same time. Can you see how this clashes? This is essentially a typical Chuck Norris project that tries to add a Beethoven element to it, and it fails horribly. The side of me that likes action movies can't enjoy the action because it's trying to be cute, and the side of me that likes family films can't enjoy because of all the violence. Sometimes you can put a lighthearted tone and a dark tone in a movie and make it work, but not when the tones differ this much.
The movie does feature some decent fights by Chuck Norris, and there were a couple memorable moments, but in the end it's not worth watching unless you really want to see Chuck Norris in action.
Logan's War: Bound by Honor (1998)
Just a long episode of Walker, Texas Ranger
Logan's War is nothing special. In fact, it's really just like a long episode of Walker, Texas Ranger that focuses more on the protégé of Chuck Norris than Chuck himself. the acting, directing, characters, and story are all just like you would expect to see if you were watching Walker. This is no joke. moreover, several main characters are portrayed by people who guest starred on Walker. This isn't very shocking, however, since this movie was created and produced by the same people. The story is very plain: Logan Fallon's family is murdered by a criminal group when he is ten years old. He is taken in by his uncle, Jake Fallon, who is played by Chuck Norris. Chuck is, like always, a martial arts wizard who trains Logan in the ways of combat. Logan briefly joins the Army and then leaves to seek revenge for his family.
Neither the story or the characters are very interesting. What is interesting is the action, which is what you expect from a Chuck Norris film. The fight sequences are nicely choreographed, and wires are seemingly non-existent, which is a definite plus. Also, while Chuck Norris may not have a lot of fighting in the movie, he looks awesome whenever he is fighting. He was nearly 60 at the time, and showed that he still had the skills. Overall, it's a plain movie with some remarkable action.
G-Force (2009)
I just don't find it appealing
I'll give credit to the makers of this movie that they put some effort into making it. I just don't really find this movie appealing. I am not impressed by the mere fact that CGI can make animals look like they're speaking. That's what the producers were probably banking on most: people would just adore talking hamsters, mice, and guinea pigs.
There was some effort put into the production of this movie but in the end that just didn't work out for me. The story is too typical and has no originality to it. There were no real interesting sub-plots or character developments. The jokes were a lot of times either not timed well or just to corny and typical. I already usually knew what was going to happen next in the story, and half-way I predicted correctly how it would end.
This movie had good production and some potential. It just really lacked creativity or originality.
WALL·E (2008)
I don't like political messages in family flicks.
I would give this an 8 or a 9 out of ten. I found the characters unique, the directing good, the jokes quite funny, and the animation nice. Also, the story is for the most part pretty good. It's actually got some originality to it, which you don't see often these days. I also found the pacing to be quite effective. Overall, the effort they put into this movie turned out to be pretty good.
So why am I giving it a 6/10? Because they had to put political messaging in the movie. I really don't like that in family or children's movies. The actual plot of the Earth being a wasteland that has to be abandoned in the future isn't really the problem. The problem is how they send messages towards the end of the film suggesting that we are actually destroying our world. I don't have a problem with the message in general, but why is it politically placed in a family film with a serious tone? Are we trying to scare our children and show them harshness at an early age? I just don't see the point at all.
Other than that, the movie is pretty good.
Matilda (1996)
Flawed but still pretty good
This movie is is pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed watching it in school on days when we had no work. It's certainly not a perfect movie, and it's not a classic, but I like it quite a bit. It just seems to have a feel to it that I wish more movies today had. I'm talking about that good magical feeling older Disney movies had.
Matilda is a movie that certainly has it's share of flaws, but when it's good, it's really good. I talk about the flaws first: The acting is over top at points, a few characters are over the top, and the story has some unrealistic points. The story is about Matilda, a young girl who is neglected by her weird, unlawful, dysfunctional family. She is a very smart girl, however, and can take of herself better than most adults. The one adult she can rely on is her teacher. The actors that play Matilda's parents and principle really overact their evil persona's almost to a laughable point, and the battle between Matilda and her principle is pretty cheesy.
However, like I said, the movie has it's really strong points. I love Matilda's character and the way she bonds with her teacher, miss Honey. These two actresses did very good jobs. The relationship they form is played out really well. Many of Matilda's pranks are pretty funny to watch. The story is also interesting despite being unreal at times. The ending, which I won't spoil, was almost pretty nice. It was probably my favorite part of the movie. The movie had it's dark and scary moments, and also had it's sweet and sugary moments. In the end it made a nice tone and atmosphere for the movie.
In the end I'd call it a pretty good fantasy family flick. It has it's flaws and downsides, but it also has many upsides. If you like family or kid's movies, check this one out.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
A definite Disney classic for the ages
This movie is a classic. Everything about it is great. The story is interesting, the characters are nicely developed, the animation looks wonderful, the directing is good, the music is enjoyable, and the acting is great. It's easy to see how the movie revived interest in Disney animation at the time. And this is from a guy's perspective.
The story is about the mermaid named Ariel who is the daughter of King Triton, ruler of the ocean. Ariel is intrigued with the human world but Triton has forbidden contact with the surface. Eventually Ariel makes a deal with a sea-witch to become human, unaware of the real price she has to pay. That's the main idea of the plot without giving too much away.
The movie may be considered girly but that doesn't stop me from loving it. Ariel is one of my favorite Disney characters. She actually has a similar yet different personality than other Disney females of the time. Like others, she's interested in what she's not supposed to have. However, unlike others, she's not sour on guys. The movie is just plain awesome, plain and simple. If you've never seen it, Look it up.
Flubber (1997)
Not Williams' best role
Flubber came out during the mid/late nineties. This is the time where I believe Disney began losing its magic in the movie industry. Disney movies before always had the magical feeling and good stories. Flubber does not not have either. The main good thing it has is the acting. The acting is fairly good. This is not Robin Williams' best work, but he does a good enough job.
The story revolves around a naive and eccentric inventor and college professor portrayed by Robin Williams. he creates a "living" specimen of goo that can shape-shift at will and is incredibly bouncy, but his dedication to it's creation causes him to forget his wedding. He ends up using the 'Flubber' to get his fiancé back and save his college from threats of closing down. I have no idea how the movie tries to make it work. I didn't really understand as a kid and I don't get it as an adult.
The plot is weird, the directing isn't very good, and many of the characters are wooden. Overall, this Disney flick can be skipped. You won't be missing much
Terra (2007)
A very well done animated movie
I was very impressed with Terra when I saw it at the movie theater. I am really not in modern animated movies but this one caught my attention. It seems to have the same magic I feel when I watch older animated movies.
The plot centers around the peaceful natives of the planet Terra who are suddenly attacked by space invaders who happen to be the remnants of the human race. It turns out Earth has been destroyed and humans must soon find another planet to live on or they will perish. One of the human soldiers is rescued by a young native of Terra, and the two slowly begin to understand and respect each other's species and culture, all while both sides prepare for an epic battle to see which race will ultimately control the planet.
This movie has a great atmosphere, a good story, and good acting. This one of those movies where the mood of the story is powerful enough that it can get you to emotionally react to what's happening. The whole atmosphere is powerful enough to keep you immersed in the story as the movie rolls along. It is also one of those movies that has a slow and steady pace a lot of the time. If you don't like slow-paced movies that rely on story and emotion, then you probably won't like this one. If you do, than this is definitely a film to check out.
Up (2009)
Why is this movie so popular?
I don't understand why this movie is so popular. I really don't. I find it to be an average animated flick. Nothing stands out to me or really appeals to me in the movie. I don't the characters very interesting or memorable. The story is not played out very well at all. the voice acting is good, but nothing special. There were actually quite a few times the characters only annoyed me. I'm not calling the movie bad, but in no way do I consider it amazing. It's just very average to me, on both an entertainment scale and a cinematic scale. this definitely does not compare to animated classics such as The Lion King or Aladdin. It's definitely suitable for young children, though and they will probably enjoy watching it. So if you're looking for a family film to watch with the kids, this movie is for you.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
classic 90's cheesy nostalgia
As a child, I remember seeing this movie and thinking that it was the greatest thing ever. If I ever saw it on TV I just had to watch it, because it was the coolest. Now I'm grown up and realize how cheesy, typical, and silly it was. But I still love it, because it's a fond memory of my childhood. Also, I honestly think it much better than a lot of recent crap.
This movie is exactly what kid's movie should be. It has clean action, clean dialogue, and clean humor. The layout and plot seem typical and stupid to many adults, but It's a kid's movie. One should not expect great acting or a great plot from a kid's movie. The truth is serious dramatic acting or a dramatic in-depth plot can confuse or traumatize a child. This movie is perfect for kids to see. It's not dramatic or real, and and the same time it's not a baby show. And for being low budget, the movie looks pretty good.
Most modern shows and movies geared towards children are either simplified and redundant to the point of being baby movies, or have too much violence or swearing or sexual references. This is why I love the MMPR: The Movie. it's and awesome kid's show.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993)
Sweet, cheesy nostalgia at it's best
Is it cheesy? Yes it is. However, it's also a classic among 90's children shows. MMPR became an instant hit among many kids when it first aired. This show is just cool and awesome. Modern power ranger shows are garbage, but the original series lives on in the hearts of those who watched it growing up.
It's not so hard to understand why many children loved it. The show was about 5 normal teenagers who suddenly get superpowers and giant robots that they can use to save the earth. Children in the 90's looked up to the power rangers as heroes because most kids want to do exactly what the rangers do: possess cool powers and fight monsters. Many claim it's a bad show because it encourages kids to solve problems with violence. This is not the case at all. In the show, the rangers were told to never use their powers for personal reasons, and also to use as little force as possible to win. If they broke these rules, they would lose the powers. The show also has many episodes that teach friendship, teamwork, forgiveness, hard work, and compassion. The original 5 rangers were very different, but were best friends. You had the tough guy, the cool guy, the nerdy guy, the caring girl, and the valley girl. This taught acceptance of those that are different.
Looking back on the show as an adult, i realize how cheesy it is and how many plot holes there were. But that doesn't stop it from being a great show. Most kid's shows are full of plot holes. The show is clean and teaches good values, unlike many modern shows. To me, power rangers started going downhill with Zeo Rangers, and the latest stuff is just terrible. However, the original series brings good memories to me. I give it 10/10.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Far too flawed
Super Mario Brothers the Movie is just downright terrible, no matter what angle I look at it from. I looked at it as funny, as cheesy, as a fantasy movie, and as a video game adaptation, and it's still horrible. I don't understand how the movie was made like this.
First of all, I completely understand that making a live action movie about Mario could not have followed the game's formula too closely. A fat plumber jumping on big turtles, growing when he ate mushrooms, and breathing fire when he touched a flower would have looked terrible. However, this movie carries almost no resemblance to the Mario games. You have Mario and Luigi as the plumber heroes. That's it. The big bad koopa is a dinosaur that has evolved into a humanoid dino. The Goombas in the movie are humans that have been demented into big lizards. Princess Peach is replaced by Princess Daisy. Yoshi appears as a pet to King Koopa.
It's like they wrote a fantasy script for a movie and threw Mario into it so they could call it a Mario movie. The movie itself isn't entirely awful, but it doesn't at all feel like a Mario movie. Making a Mario movie shouldn't have been too hard. I give it a 3/10.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1989)
This defines classic Disney!
As a kid "Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers" was one of my favorite cartoons to watch. As an adult I still love it just as much as I did back then, if not more. This cartoon series is a true Disney classic from the late 80's/early 90's. It's funny, entertaining, and sometimes even gives moral lessons. It's a shame it didn't last longer.
Chip is the leader of the rescue rangers. He's very responsible and very serious about his duties as a rescue ranger, sometimes to the point that the others accuse him of being too bossy or not knowing how to have fun. Dale is a devoted ranger but likes to goof around, which tends to get himself or his pals in trouble. Monterey Jack is a tough Australian mouse who has a lot of power, which is valuable to the team. Unfortunately he has an addiction to cheese that is triggered at the sight or smell of cheese, and this usually ends up causing trouble. Zipper is a housefly who is Monterey's side kick. Gadget is my favorite. She's an extremely brilliant mouse who can build almost anything from random stuff, much like Macgyver. Chip and Dale compete for her affection, though she usually doesn't notice as she is somewhat socially inept. Despite that, she is very caring towards Chip and Dale, and never prefers one over the other. Together the team investigates various mysteries that the police often don't or can't handle.
As I said, this was and still is an awesome cartoon. I wish it lasted longer, but cartoons from that time typically lasted only 2-3 years. Still, it's a classic that I watch whenever I get the chance. This is true cartoon material. Most of the junk that's been coming out lately is stupid and poorly written. Shows like this are what it's all about.
Live by the Fist (1993)
Lots of fight scenes, nothing else
The only reason to get Live by the Fist if is if you really love watching fight scenes in movies. If that is not the case, don't bother at all. You'll be wasting your time. As for the fights, they are awesome, and hardcore martial arts or action fans will definitely want to check this out. There is a ton of fighting, and it's nicely choreographed. Jerry Trimble shows some amazing skills. It's a nice mixture of footwork and grappling.
However, after the fight scenes, there is nothing worth seeing at all. The storyline is pretty dull, and not played out well at all. Jerry Trimble is framed for murder and placed in prison full of racists where he must fight to survive. It only serves as an excuse for fighting. I would say the acting is horrible, but many of the actors are dubbed. Yeah, an English film dubbed into English. Makes no sense. Yet Jerry Trimble and George Takei are not dubbed. Hardcore action fans, get this and skip straight to the amazing fights. After that, There's nothing else to see.
Full Contact (1993)
Probably Trimble's best lead role
Full Contact is probably Jerry Trimble's best film where he is the lead role. Now that doesn't mean it's a classic by any means. Nothing too special, but it might be worth watching on a boring day if you love fight movies.
It's typical in many ways for a low budget straight to video film. The acting is bad from everybody. The story is definitely nothing special, but it is carried out well enough. Jerry Trimble seeks revenge for his dead brother by entering an illegal fight club. What this movie is worth seeing for is some very intense kick-boxing action. The action is brutal, intense, and nicely choreographed. And it's pretty realistic for kick-boxing. Nothing too flashy or obviously fake. Other than that there's nothing worth mentioning. If you're an action fan, give it a try on a rainy day. If you don't like action, don't get it.
Married with Children (1987)
Ummm, No?
After I watched a few episodes of 'Married With Children', I thought it was an okay show. Then I continued to watch it and found out just how corny and bad it was. 10 years was far longer than this series should have lasted. 3-4 years should have been it's running time at most.
The show is about an extremely dysfunctional family. Al Bundy is a typical man who sells woman's shoes for a living and despises it. His wife Peggy is very lazy. She doesn't work, rarely cooks or cleans, and is very immoral. Their daughter, Kelly, is a dimwitted moron who's only intelligence lies in clothes and fashion. Their son, Bud, has only one good quality: He's book-smart. Other than that he's a loser at life, especially with women.
After you watch a few episodes, you should notice how little material the show actually uses. The writers were reusing plots after the first season. the story in each episode is either the Bundy's whining about each other's dysfunctions, the Bundy's coping with borderline poverty, brother versus sister, men versus women, or neighbor versus neighbor. Also, there are several episodes where the family attempts to get rich, often immorally and always failing. The comedy and jokes are virtually the same in every episode, just using different words. The show is supposed to be a comedy about the pain of having a family, but make's fun of the same few problems over and over again. Very few of the true pains of having a family are brought up. Only the really stereotypical ones are used.
The acting is pretty wooden, but the actor's can't be entirely blamed. The characters are so stereotypical and one-sided it's not funny. The production and setting of the show is also pretty bad, especially for being so popular. You can often tell how fake the scenery is, especially in outdoor scenes. No outdoor footage is ever used. It's just a bunch of painted walls. Also, the show is supposed to be a family sitcom, but the comedy and language is edgy and borderline dirty for a family show. It's not a show for kids to watch at all.
Avoid this show. It's not worth your time. It's bad in so many aspects. 3/10.
One Man Army (1994)
Typical low budget action flick
One Man Army is just another low budget, straight-to-video movie. Nothing special to it. If you like mindless action, give it a try.
Typical plot includes Jerry Trimble returning to his home town for his grandfather's funeral, gets suspicious about his death, finds out the town is corrupt, and runs for sheriff. Nothing interesting.
Pretty wooden acting as well. Of course, that is expected in small-time movies. Also included in the package is a bunch of
fight scenes, some gun-play, and a random sex scene thrown in for no reason. Overall, nothing special or unique unless you you want to see some intense footwork by kickboxing champion Jerry Trimble.
Shaolin xiao zi (1984)
Fun, lighthearted martial arts movie
Shaolin Temple 2 follows 'Shaolin Temple', the movie that debuted Jet Li and shot him into super-stardom. The only real links between Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Temple 2 are that they both have Shaolin monks and feature a cast of real life Wushu champions. Many actors from the original appear again, playing different characters.
As opposed to the first Shaolin Temple movie, the tone in this one is that of a lighthearted, funny, family film. The movie itself is about two rivaling family on opposite sides of a river, a Shaolin family of all boys and a swordsmanship family of all girls. The father of the sword family despises the other family. Jet Li, still a teenager when he made this film, is at his absolute prime and looks simply amazing. He plays the eldest son of the Shaolin family. He demonstrates some amazing skills, mainly his staff-work and 3-sectional staff-work.
Jet Li may be the main attraction, but he's not the only one. Another amazing aspect of this film is the children from both families. The children cast were from the junior national Wushu team, and it shows. Everybody knows how to fight, and all of the children have tremendous talent. It's a real shame none of them grew up to be action stars. Just like in the first Shaolin Temple, the actors choreographed all of the action scenes themselves, and all the fight scenes are done in long shots to make it look more realistic.
Do be warned before letting real young ones watch this, though. There is some comedy revolving around private parts, and certain personal parts are briefly exposed in the movie. Other than that, a pretty awesome movie and an excellent job by Jet Li. 9/10.