RatedRex

I've seen darn near every notable movie ever made. This is one of the three that I walked out of. I just couldn't take the slow, boring experience any longer. That was about 20 years ago. I tried watching it again recently on cable, but I fell asleep on my wife's lap.

Movies have come a long way. As bad as this is today, it was considered a classic in 1942. Well, the plot is stupid, the dialogue is stupid, and the acting is both stiff and slapstick, usually at the wrong time (except for Veronica Lake, who is the only reason to see this). The whole thing is just extremely dated. How "Sullivan's Travels" still rates an 89% on Metacritic is one of humankind's great mysteries.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a ridiculous movie. The ENTIRE town allowed Liberty Valance (played with exaggerated evil by Lee Marvin) to maim and kill at his whim, without any reprisal. Nothing about this movie is even remotely realistic. It almost plays like a comedy. Why this is considered a classic is beyond my comprehension. Even Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne were subpar.

"Public Enemies" is one of my favorite films of the 2000s. I enjoyed the story, and I thought there was enough action, suspense, and intrigue to keep the audience interested.

"Vertigo" is a conveniently written tale where everything falls into place to create a macabre, preposterous fantasy that's only possible in the movies. The entire movie played like a guy with a great screenplay idea. But for the screenplay to work, the audience would need to completely suspend what's reasonable, rational, and sensible. The audience obliged. Hence, "Vertigo is rated as one of the greatest movies of all time. To me, it is a lazily written piece of nonsense, elevated mostly because Hitchcock directs it and people feel they are supposed to like it.

This film represents an outstanding achievement in filmmaking. It feels as if the entire country of Algeria participated in making the film. I found myself rooting for the rebels (even though they are terrorists killing innocent people), because their ultimate goal is clear. However, I didn’t feel any emotional attachment to the story or to any individual. I wasn't saddened when anyone got killed on either side.

It was fun watching people get eaten. But EVERYTHING else concerning this movie ****!!!!!!!!!

"The Hurt Locker was better upon my second viewing. I still think the screenplay had one too many unrealistic situations. However, the direction by Kathryn Bigelow got the best out of each episode. It is a worthy winner for Best Picture in 2009 over "Inglorious Basterds" and "Avatar."

The film tries to make George Washington a mythical figure, similar to what MAGA tries to do with Trump. But it only succeeds in conveying idiotic propaganda. The last 15 minutes of heroics and superhuman feats are almost unwatchable. George Washington deserves a real-life portrayal. He doesn't need propaganda and mythology. His outstanding career speaks for itself.

A deliberate and thoughtful film. It was nice peeking behind the curtain of Japanese culture. "Tokyo Story" reveals that the Japanese people aren't much different than you and me. It isn't quite an entertaining film, but it is an important one.

It started off so well, and then completely destroyed itself. Why would they even do that?

There is something about Christopher Movies that tears at me. "The Odyssey" is spectacular, but it does not tell a great story. It is too episodic and overproduced. Plus, as usual with Nolan movies, the music was too loud. I never could escape. The movie never engulfed me. I always felt like I was watching a Christopher Nolan movie. I felt the same way with "Oppenheimer," "Interstellar," and "Dunkirk." I left the theater somewhat disappointed.

I love animation, but it took me years to get through this. I finally did it, and I was greatly underwhelmed. "Spirited Away" is a hosh-posh of fantasy ideas woven into nonsensical stories disguised as one big adventure. It dragged on forever. The plot lacked continuity. I didn't see anything worth all of the fuss.

The first 20 minutes rank as one of the best movie openings of all time. The movie slows down after that. But it is never boring. This could have been a classic. The production design is outstanding. However, I'm not quite sure what they could have done differently, or better. Maybe the subject matter is just too depressing.

The animation is a masterpiece. It is what makes "Finding Nemo" an all-time classic. The story gets a little slow at times. This is one of Pixar's top 10.

Ana de Armas's is the greatest female gladiator in cinema history. Greater than Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, The Black Widow, and Sue Storm combined. Armas killed dozens of highly trained men and women soldiers while surviving being bombed, torched, shot, stabbed, smashed, kicked, clobbered, punched, and thrown down stairs over and over again. She had no food, sleep, bathroom breaks, or change of clothes. The entire thing was preposterous... but I sat through the entire thing.

A great performance by Diana Ross highlights this half-biopic/half-fictional tale about the struggles and drug addictions of singer Billie Holiday. It doesn't quite hold up as well today. But in 1972, Ms. Ross's performance was the talk of Hollywood.

I've been a lifelong Spider-Man fan since 1963. I still have all the comic books from 63 to 73. "Brand New Day" is a worthy addition to the Spider-Man storytelling family. It ranks third behind "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" and "Spider-Man 2" on my all-time Spider-Man movie ranking.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

My primary problem with "Europa..." is the underwhelming lead performance. He pranced around way too fidgety to be seen as heroic or as a member of the master "Aryan race." His obvious nervousness would have given away his underlying secret, especially during his time with the Hit ler Youth. Without the strong lead performance, a film like this loses its believability.

"Disclosure Day" seems dated. Spielberg borrows too much from past movies. Even the score, by John Williams, seems borrowed. The first 50 minutes were intriguing, but after that it was redundant until it got to its underwhelming conclusion. I was disappointed.

There are not many good WWII movies anymore. However, every couple of years, someone has a story to tell about an important historical event from WWII. This year, the story is "Pressure." A well-made film about the weather conditions potentially affecting the D-Day landing. "Pressure" isn't going to win a lot of awards, but for war buffs like me who love good war films, it will do. 8 out of 10.

When "Sweet Sweetback..." came out in 1971, my friends and I ran to see it. We were in 8th grade. The theater in our neighborhood would let anybody in, no matter how young. My friends thought it was cool. I didn't like it. "Baadassss," on the other hand, is a much better film. There are a few shortcomings, but overall, the writing, direction, and production are more sophisticated. A bigger budget helped, too.

There was something different about Michael Jordan. I swear to God, I noticed it right from the start. Sonny Vaccaro, basketball guru and Nike agent, noticed it too. Good performance by all involved, especially Viola Davis and Chris Tucker. The entertaining saga was surprisingly emotional.

Frances Farmer is such a dramatic role that I'm not sure whether Jessica Lange's performance is truly exceptional or if the role itself is so compelling that any talented actress would shine in it. Regardless, Jessica Lange is the only thing in "Frances" worth watching.

In this day and age, I think "Citizen Kane" is revered because of its reputation, not because it's a great cinematic experience. Folks feel compelled to like "Citizen Kane" because they feel they are supposed to. But quietly, most of today's viewers don't think very much of it and usually ask, "What is the big deal?" I gave "Citizen Kane" another try a couple of weeks ago. It is my 4th viewing over the last 50 years. I still don't think it is worth the fuss.

"Michael" never felt like a film with continuity. It felt like rehearsals. All the scenes played out as they were written, directed, and acted; however, I didn't see real life. Jaafar Jackson had the look, voice, and moves down to a tee, but his performance didn't have a soul. I actually thought the young Michael, played by Juliano Valdi, did a better job of conveying what was inside a person so full of talent. This should be a 4-hour-long movie or mini-series. There is so much more to tell. But I can't imagine anyone picking up the movie where this left off. Who wants to see that horror story?

I was amused, but not quite entertained. Meryl Streep is perfect for her role. I would love to see what makes her tick beyond the clothes, glamor, and attitude. Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Gucci are good, too. But I wasn't captivated. I never forgot I was watching a movie.

"The Departed" is Martin Scorsese's 5th- or 6th-best film. It is also his 5th- or 6th-best directorial achievement. The movie was so over-the-top that it bordered on being a parody. Jack Nicholson's over-performance was the perfect example of how far the film was from anything realistic. To me, "Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, "Goodfellas," "Casino," The Last Waltz, and "The Wolf of Wall Street" were better films. I also think "The Departed was the 5th or 6th best movie in 2006. I thought "Children of Men," "Casino Royale," "Pan's Labyrinth," "The Lives of Others," "United 93, and The Prestige" were better. But it was Scorsese's year. They weren't going to let him get passed over again. The other films had no chance. Actually, I'm happy he finally won Best Movie and Best Director. An artist as great as he deserves to be recognized, even for something that wasn't his best.

There is never a dull moment in "Run Silent, Run Deep." It is a harrowing submarine tale about revenge and dedication. Burt Lancaster and especially Clark Gable are at the top of their game. It is one of the top 25 war movies of all time.

A decent, but standard submarine movie. It is probably a tad overrated. After a while, it became redundant.

Venessa Kirby's acting mannerisms have grown tiresome. Jude Law can't find a good role. Why even make a film like this? I only watched it to see Ana de Armas. But even she was underwhelming. "Eden" was poorly constructed. I don't recommend it.

This realistic presentation is an underrated gem. I found it to be very engaging.

It's a good, sophisticated film, but it isn't great. A little too long, and a missed opportunity for a great ending. This will probably show better on the 2nd viewing, which will clear up a few things we may have missed the 1st time around. The sound mixing was poor, causing much of the dialogue to be inaudible. "Project..." will get a handful of Oscar nominations and may win 2 or 3, but it isn't the classic so many people want it to be.

The first time I saw "Shakespeare in Love," it was better than I wanted it to be because I was so loyal to "Saving Private Ryan." I decided to revisit the film, only to discover that I still like it better than I should. It is not better than "SPR," (too much kissing and poetry), but it is a good movie and a worthy contender.

Christopher Nolan's films are always so overwritten, non-linear, and busy. There is too much going on for me to involve myself enough to care. I feared there would be an unrealistic twist at the end (I was right). I also suspected some of the other strange happenings along the way (I was right about those, too). Nolan tries too hard, which makes his films unnecessarily stressful to watch.

I'm not sure what possessed me to watch "Babe" alongside my sons 30 years ago, but I'm glad I did. I even had to hide my face from my youngest son, who thought he had detected a tear or two at the end. LOL

"Chicago" is a musical with a lot of energy. The dance and singing sequences are very well done. Catherine Zeta Jones is smoking hot. Renee Zellweger is perfectly cast. Queen Latifah is at her best. Even Richard Gere is surprisingly good. "Chicago" probably could have used one more grand dance scene to help balance out the strong first half. But as it stands, it is still a fun production worthy of its accolades.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

There was nothing special about this movie at all. I don't understand all the high ratings.

A sick-minded film for its sick-minded audience. A couple of the scenes in this film are beyond what cinema should be. But that's probably why so many sick-minded people like it.

I felt spiritually connected to Adrien Brody's character throughout much of the film. It is amazing what unspeakable things humans will do to each other simply because someone tells them to. "The Pianist" chronicles the story of one human being but also serves as a symbolic example of the human race as a whole.

"Hair" tells the story ****. It is my favorite musical ever. It helps to have grown up during the era of "Hair." If you had, you would better understand the music, the lyrics, and the culture of the 60s. The movie is actually better than the Broadway production.

I grew up reading The Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel Comics is embedded within my entire being. I hated Dr. Octopus when I was a kid. I still hate him to this day. But I loved the movie. Spider-Man 2 is the best Spider-Man movie of them all. And maybe the best superhero movie EVER.

A decent movie. Kind of strange. Unrealistic plot twists. Horrible musical score. Lots of blood. You will need your closed caption. Rebecca Ferguson was good as always. Cillian Murphy played his usual solemn self. It is worth a peek. But it won't win any awards.

It was the first nostalgic film of its kind; thus, the critics and suburban folks over 30 went a little overboard on it. "American Graffiti" was okay, but it isn't as great for those who can't quite relate.

This didn't do it for me when it came out in 1989 or now. The negative stereotypes are alarming. No one in the entire community seemed to work except Spike Lee's character, who was always late. I think this film gets more praise than it deserves because, surprisingly, it shows great sympathy for the white characters.

I liked "Logan" way more than I thought I would. The slashing blood and guts got a little excessive, but it didn't take away from my overall cinematic experience. One of the top 5 comic-book movies ever.

"Blade Runner 2049" is a slow-moving, sophisticated, cinematic masterpiece. The story, cinematography, atmosphere, and direction are top-notch. Watching "Blade Runner 2049" was a greater experience the second time around. Ana De Armas is outstanding.

This could have been so much better, but there are too many slow sections that make the movie drag. Goslin has the same facial expressions and demeanor in almost all of his films. A little more energy would have made "First Man" 10% better.