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l-piotrowski
Reviews
Dream Horse (2020)
Fun, Feel Good Movie,
I figured this would be a typical horse racing movie, and while there were some similarities to other films of this genre, it succeeds in providing quality entertainment that I did not expect. I think the Welsh , small town, part of the movie and how people banded together was a big difference. Excellent acting, very good horse racing scenes and like the other reviews in this forum have said , I left the theater glad I saw this movie. I recommend it to all .
A Timeless Christmas (2020)
Good Christmas Movie
I admit this was the first Hallmark Christmas movie I have ever watched. I'm amazed at how many of them there . I like time travel stories so that is why I decided to DVR it and give it a try. I figured it if was boring or blah I would turn it off, but that never ended up happening. The storyline was good, kept me guessing as what was to come next and wasn't too schmaltzy or sappy. Good acting by all though I think the actress playing the mansion tour guide was the best one in the film. It is a good Christmas movie and one I'll be watching each holiday season in the future.
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Good Summer Action Movie
I've seen the prior two movies in the trilogy and believe this was not quite as good as the first one but is definitely better than the second. The film moves at a very good quick pace, not too many slow spots, with excellent special effects .I recommend seeing this movie in a theater. It is a good way to spend a couple of hours in the late summer time!
Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)
Good Movie, Recommend Seeing
I saw this movie today and thought it was good, with excellent acting, and location (filmed in Malta which was the place of one of Paul's journeys). The movie doesn't sugar coat the persecution the Christians of that era had to endure, shirk away from divisions within the early church community or difficult questions being asked by those living in those times. The story line drags in a few places but for the most part it is a movie worth seeing in a theater.
I saw a 5pm show and sadly there were only about 10 people at the most there, so hopefully more will attend future screenings.
London Has Fallen (2016)
Liked This Movie-Don't Understand the Negative Reviews
I had been anticipating the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen as the previous movie was very good. I was dismayed to read all the bad reviews in the newspapers, on IMDb and other sites and considered not going but I'm glad I went to see it. The movie is what it is advertised to be, lots of action, good story line and even some humor . I thought the performances by the main characters were good and the action scenes well done. The movie kept my interest all the way through.
If you liked the Olympus Has Fallen, I would encourage you to see the sequel and not be turned away from the critics.
It's a good entertainment, popcorn movie time type of show!
Continuum: Final Hour (2015)
Fitting Finale-Outstanding Series that Ended Too Quickly
I thought this was an excellent finale, one which exceeded my expectations. I thought the producers, writers, cast, etc did an outstanding job in bringing a fitting conclusion to an excellent series. I only wish there were more episodes in season 4 (as probably all involved would have wanted too), but I am glad that the show did come back for a 4th season. There were interesting characters throughout the series, with twists and turns that kept the show interesting and never dull.
Thanks to all who contributed to making Continuum. I will miss watching it but am glad that the show was allowed to conclude with a fantastic series finale.
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Not as Good as Expendables 1 and 2
I thought Expendables 3 was just an OK movie. The action scenes were quite good, with a lot of excellent stunt work and special effects. Mel Gibson did a good job in his role . Unfortunately, the writing and acting was not as good as the first 2 movies. This version did not have much humor and most of the movie stars seemed to be mailing it in, not really getting into their parts. The movie was too long with a run time of over 2 hours. I cannot believe it received a PG-13 rating! The language was fairly clean but there was a lot of violence, way more than warranted a PG-13 rating. Overall, it is not a bad movie, but not a very good one either. This one is not a must see in the theater movie, or at best at matinée prices.
Hellbound? (2012)
Interesting Documentary & Discussion
Hellbound is a movie that deals with the question of is there or is there not a hell, and who goes there after death. The movie contains interviews with quite a variety of people ranging from members of the Westboro Baptist church who protest at military funerals (and in this movie are shown in New York City on the day of the 10th anniversary of 9/11), a pastor of megachurch, a heavy metal rock band, to various authors who have written about what they believe about hell.
It becomes apparent that the filmmakers believe in universalism, meaning all people will eventually go to heaven and that evil people such as Hitler, Stalin etc will have a chance to be redeemed. There are interviews with people who do not agree with this viewpoint, though I think more time is spent on the 'all dogs go to heaven' belief than on other viewpoints. I think too much film time was spent on the fringe people such as the Westboro protesters and not enough time was spent with those who do not believe in universalism.
I do think this is an important movie to see and though there were only 7 people in the theater for a 620pm showing on a Friday night (plus this was the only theater in the Chicago area that had this movie that night), I am hopeful more people will attend future showings.
The Expendables 2 (2012)
Great Summer Action Movie
I liked Expendables 2 even more than the previous movie. Expendables 2 has just about all the great action stars of the past with lots of fighting, cheesy dialogue sprinkled with some humor, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. A deep philosophical flick this is not, but anyone considering see it should already be aware of this. I'm sure there will be the bad reviews decrying the end of civilization that people will actually see and enjoy this type of movie with all the real problems out in the world, but who cares, this is a nice couple of hours of escapism fun. Stallone, Statham, Van Damme, Wills, Arnold, Chuck Norris and others manage to pull off an exciting thrill ride that anyone who was a fan of their past movies should appreciate.
This movie definitely warrants the R rating. No sex or swearing, but lots of death, destruction, mayhem (but not too gory thankfully).
Hope Springs (2012)
Decent story, Good Acting
I found Hope Springs to be pretty good movie with a very good ending. Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carrell do a fine job in their roles. The story is weaker than it could have been as it seemed it was focused too much lack of sex in the marriage instead of the underlying causes of the the problems in the relationship.
This definitely is a chick flick (there were only 3 guys including myself in the theater), but there is some humor and a positive message that it is never too late to improve a marriage or long term relationship. It is not a movie for kids as there are mature subjects and some intense drama. I could have seen an R rating as appropriate just due to the subject mater.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Good But Not Great Film
I thought this was a quirky, kind of fun film. I am a fan of time travel related movies and TV shows, so the premise interested me. There are a few plot holes to overlook and the story kinds of goes off in tangents. The main character, the one who places an advertisement for someone to time travel with, is the most interesting person in the film. I've read a few reviews where there is some question about whether or not the main character did or did not go back in time. I believe the answer is obvious, but I can see where some confusion may exist. It is worth seeing as a matinée but not at nighttime price and frankly, seeing it as a rental is sufficient too. That being said, it is a worthwhile movie to see.
The R rating is appropriate. There are sexual themes in a few scenes and the story is made for an older audience, so kids and teens should not watch this movie.
Contraband (2012)
Disappointing, slow and sometimes boring
Contraband is a mediocre movie that fails to live up to what is presented in the trailers and in the movie's premise. Definitely not one of Mark Wahlbergs's best films by a long shot. The story was not interesting, the action scenes dull and the acting was sub-par.
I never really cared about any of the characters. I can't think of one performance that stood out as being good. Not sure if it was a bad script or just bad acting.
The pace of the movie was really slow. I kept waiting for it move faster, but never did.
I liked Wahlberg in "The Italian Job', but Contraband has a much weaker supporting cast and a poorer storyline.
There are better heist, action movies to see than this one.
The Muppets (2011)
Not Enough Muppets In This Movie
I was looking forward to watching this film having been a fan of the Muppets for a long time. This film had few laughs, dragged on for too long and had far too many all human scenes. The songs were lame. The Muppets were just in the background in this movie. I didn't care for any of the human acting and the writing was poor. I'm amazed at the scores and reviews on IMDb. I just don't understand why people think this was such a good movie. Kids will get really bored with this one and most adults will too.
I did read that Frank Oz did not agree with the script and did not work on this movie. I can see why now and wish Disney had let him do the movie the way he wanted.
Don't waste your money at the theater with this movie. It is at best a DVD rental at a discount price.
Drive (2011)
Decent action scenes but overall disappointing
I had looked forward to seeing this movie after the good trailers and positive reviews. Unfortunately, I don't understand the very high scores on IMDb and by the critics.
I did like Ryan Gosling's performance,and appreciated the realistic driving scenes (very little CGI; I wish there were a lot more of them)but that's about it.
The story had too many tangents to stay coherent and there were too many plot holes. The first half of the movie has some really slow scenes that kept me wondering when the movie was going to pick up steam. I thought some of the violence was needlessly graphic.
The R rating is quite appropriate to due very graphic violence, some coarse language and some nudity, though very little sexual content.
Overall, it was an OK movie for a $4 matinée on a cold cloudy Friday afternoon, but I would not recommend spending nighttime movie prices for this show.
Wretches & Jabberers (2011)
Inspiring Movie
This was a good documentary style type of movie about two men with autism who travel the world to show others that lack of verbal communication does not mean lack of intelligence.
The two men with autism (Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher) communicate primarily via their communication devices. They travel to Sri Lanka, Japan and Finland to encourage others with autism to share their ideas and thoughts. It was moving to see them want to communicate but struggle to do so. It is encouraging to see them help others realize that they have important ideas to share even though they may not be able to speak well (or at all) verbally.
I recommend seeing this movie, though it is in very limited release, so those wishing to view it may have to wait for it to be released on DVD.
Chaos (2011)
Good Pilot Episode
I liked the pilot episode I saw today online. I thought the characters were interesting and the writing crisp with sly humor. The show seems to be a mix of Human Target with the action and fun interplay between the characters and Better Off Ted with the witty, slightly sarcastic take on the bureaucracy of an organization.
It has a quirkiness to it that is quite appealing with various twists and turns to keep you off guard. This is refreshing given the lack of good entertainment on TV nowadays.
I will watch this weeks episode and if it is a good as the pilot, then I think CBS will have a hit. Hopefully they give it time to get the good ratings I believe will occur.
Unknown (2011)
Good start and middle, disappointing ending
Unknown is an OK movie that could have been a lot better. The movie has lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing about what is going on. Unforuntately, the last part of the movie is not very good. It almost seems like the writers of this script spent so much time and effort building up the movie that they either ran out of ideas for the end or there was pressure just to finish the movie and get it released.
There is much to like. Liam Neesen is excellent as usual. He does a great job portraying a man who no one seems to recognize. Diane Kruger also gives a strong performance. The action scenes are very good.
The last part of the movie just does not match up to the thrilling first parts. I thought the final revelations of why Neesen's character went through what he did this were very weak.
The PG 13 rating is appropriate. Lots of violence, not a lot of swearing, no explicit nudity but some scenes of a man and woman taking a shower together.
In summary, Unknown is worth seeing as a matinée or as a movie rental, but not at nighttime movie prices.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
Not as good as the book or the first Narnia movie
I was disappointed in this movie. It was just OK, but could have been a lot better. I have read the Chronicles of Narnia series many times and have always thought this book would be the best one in a movie. Unfortunately, this was not the case in this version.
The problem was that it strayed too far from the book with unnecessary tangents and subplots. There are added characters and additional story lines not in the book that detracted from the movie. The movie did not flow well at all and at times, seem forced. I was also disappointed that the ending was changed from what was in the book.
This is a OK film too see. The special effects are good. The actor playing Eustace Scrubb did an excellent job. There are scary parts so I thought a PG13 rating was warranted. I would not take any child under 10 years old.
RED (2010)
Fun movie to see. I liked it very much.
Red is an enjoyable, fun movie. It has some good action scenes, nice humor and good interaction between characters. The story is kind of absurd, but that doesn't get in the way. Bruce Willis is really good, but my favorite character was the one played by John Malkovich. The Morgan Freeman character was just so-so. The PG-13 rating is accurate. I would not recommend anyone under 13 seeing this. No sex, a few swears, lots of shooting and explosions.
Overall, if you are looking for a fun movie with a few twists, good action and nice wordplay between the characters, this is for you. I recommend this movie.
What If... (2010)
Combo of Family Man and It's a Wonderful LIfe
I thought this was a very well written, well acted movie. The film is about a man who gets a chance to see what his life would have been like if he had not made the choices he did.
The story has a Christian viewpoint (disclosure: I am a Christian and agree with the beliefs expressed in the movie), but is not heavy handed at all. I believe people of all faiths or who have no faith will agree with the positive message of the importance of family and serving others.
I have watched a lot of movies by Christian filmmakers and this is definitely one of the best. John Ratzenberger is one of my favorite actors and does a great job in the movie.
As I mention above, the story is similar to the Family Man, but What If, is much better acted and more family friendly that that the Nicholas Cage movie. There is no swearing, violence or sex, but the PG rating is accurate as there are some intense moments . I would not recommend taking small children. I think it is a great date movie.
The movie is in limited release and my wife and I had to drive about 30-40 minutes to get to the theater it was in. I hope it will stay around for a while.