Category Archives: Mediocre

2011, Cancer theme, Drugs, Love Story, Mediocre, Sex Scenes, Vulgar

50/50 (2011)

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From NetFlix:

An otherwise healthy twentysomething has a comically early midlife crisis when he gets slapped with a cancer diagnosis — and a 50-50 chance of survival. But what’s the meaning of life when you’re not sure how long yours will last?

B grade is all I can give this sometimes entertaining “comedy”. Whereas the cancer patient Adam is a quiet, repressed, almost fearful young man, his faithful but self-serving friend Kyle is coarse and sometimes overly bold (especially with women). Did Kyle’s language need to be so gross (when was the last time you heard the word “fellate” spoken in a film )?

One facet of the film rings true for me: it can be disconcerting to be treated by a health professional who is not even old enough to be my child. And would the hospital really assign to Adam a therapist for whom Adam was only her third patient ?

Adam is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who played Arthur in Inception (2010).

Kyle is played by Seth Rogen who played the male lead in “Knocked Up”.

You may recognize Adam’s difficult mom as Angelica Huston whom you may remember from “The Adams Family”.

In its favor, the film probably captures faithfully the experiences of many cancer patients.

2011, Crime, Drugs, Mayhem, Mediocre, Violent

Trespass (2011)

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From NetFlix:

A husband and wife find themselves pushed to their absolute limit when they’re held for ransom by brutal thugs who invade their home. As tensions escalate and shocking revelations emerge, the couple is forced to take ever-more desperate measures.

Blood, bullets, fake diamonds, psychotic young man (played by 29 year old Cam Cigandet from “Priest”, “Pandorum”, and “Never Back Down”), etc. all add up to the mediocre mayhem produced by a house invasion gone terribly wrong. Were Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman that desperate to be in a film?

You can do better, yawn!

2011, Flirting, Imperfect, Love Story, Mediocre, Sex Scenes

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

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From NetFlix:

When Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) discovers that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants to end their marriage, he reluctantly faces the unwelcome prospect of single life with the counsel of the younger and smoother super-bachelor Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Meanwhile, Cal’s adolescent son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), has formed an unquenchable crush on his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) — but is she more interested in Robbie’s recently unwed father?

Steve Carell belongs in this shallow, unlikely, but possibly acceptable tale of love complications and family problems. His history in “The Office” and “Saturday Night Live” fits the bill.

But Julianne Moore can and has done much better: “Far From Heaven”, “The End of the Affair”, “The Shipping News”, “An Ideal Husband”, etc.

Most of all Ryan Gosling should be more careful in choosing movie roles. After such successes as All Good Things (2010) and Blue Valentine (2010) to say nothing of Lars and the Real Girl (2007), why choose lesser parts ?

Perhaps you can accept the plot, although I couldn’t buy it!

2011, Acceptable for children, Could be boring, Fantasy, Flirting, Graphic Novel, Mayhem, Mediocre, Military, Mixed Martial Arts, Motorcycles, Not Recommended, Sci-Fi, Trains, Violent

Captain America (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Marvel launches another super franchise with this action-packed origin story, which follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes — and his sidekick, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) — Steve battles the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a super soldier created by Italian fascists.

Because of the “quality” of this film I have just invented a new category “Not Recommended”. But then any PG-13 rating is automatically suspect. Unless you are a 14 year old male, I can’t find any reason to watch this comic book. What was I thinking ?

Physically weak but patriotic and stupidly brave Steve enters a machine and comes out looking like a buff Chris Evans. Thereafter Steve and his trusty and invincible shield defeat every obstacle. Oddly enough he does NOT get the girl at the end of the movie. Serves him right for making such a ludicrous film!

Here we have ample demonstration that you can spend a lot a money to produce absolutely nothing of value.

2005, Drama, Love Story, Mediocre, Psychological Drama

Neverwas (2005)

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From NetFlix:

After taking a job at the mental institution that once housed his father (Nick Nolte) — a famous children’s author — erudite psychiatrist Zach Riley (Aaron Eckhart) befriends a schizophrenic (Ian McKellen) who unlocks a string of family secrets. Joshua Michael Stern makes an impressive directorial debut with an all-star supporting cast that includes Brittany Murphy, Jessica Lange, Bill Bellamy, William Hurt and Alan Cumming.

Ian McKellen usually appears in good films. Sadly, “Neverwas” is merely acceptable. Considering the impressive cast of characters I can only conclude that the story is less compelling than the characters would wish it to be.

Among the actors we find:

  • Aaron was Howie in Rabbit Hole (2010)
  • Ian McKellen is a grand old man of acting. Besides “Lord of the Rings” I remember him especially in “Gods and Monsters”.
  • Brittany Murphy was Daisy in “Girl Interrupted”
  • Nick Nolte was Joe Bechstein in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)
  • William Hurt was Richie Cusack in “A History of Violence”
  • Alan Cumming is currently in “The Good Wife” and also currently
    in the MC for BBC Masterpiece Theater.

Start-studded, but not important enough to watch if your time is limited.

2003, Clever Plot, Complicated, Dark, Disturbing Image, Mediocre, Plot Twist, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

Identity (2003)

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From NetFlix:

Complete strangers stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer is. John Cusack, Jake Busey, Rebecca De Mornay, Clea DuVall and Ray Liotta co-star in this spine-tingling thriller that culminates in a surprising twist for everyone concerned — including the murderer.

Let me begin by quoting someone else’s opinion:

Good, smart psychological thrillers are so rare that we all ought to be grateful for James Mangold’s IDENTITY. It begins terrifically well and keeps up this pace for most of its running time. It also keeps you guessing right up to the end. Some may find this part over-the-top, but it has stayed with me longer than I expected, and I keep turning it ’round and ’round in my mind. Here’s a good idea, filmed with all the necessary follow-through of intelligent writing, good acting (from a top-notch cast) and clever directing. And considering the amount of corpses that pile up in the course of events, there is relatively little gore. All in all, IDENTITY’s a class act.

Not everyone will gush so much over the film, including yours truly. That phrase “over-the-top” describes how I reacted to the end of the film. With so many known good actors the film should have been better. When the actors shout A LOT, that is a bad sign.

Let us review the actors:

  • John Cusack was in “High Fidelity” and Grace Is Gone (2007).
  • Ray Liotta was in “Powder Blue” and “Crossing Over”
  • Alfred Molina was the girl’s father in An Education (2008)
  • Pruitt Taylor Vince is the actor that fascinates me. You might remember him from the TV series “The Mentalist” in which for many episodes he was the Mentalist’s boss’s boss. He is a corpulent bald man whose eyes suffer from nystagmus, a condition which causes a person’s eyes to move involuntarily. Once you see him, you will never forget him.

Although I don’t regret spending the time watching this film, you can do better.

2010, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Gangs, Mayhem, Mediocre, Mixed Martial Arts, Police Story, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Takers (2010)

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From NetFlix:

With their collective eye on a huge payoff, a motley crew of bank robbers (including Paul Walker, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown and Hayden Christensen) get busy planning out their next heist. Their former colleague, Ghost (T.I.), convinces the boys to target an armored car carrying $20 million. But a detective (Matt Dillon) who’s obsessed with his work is just as obsessed with making sure the thieves never pull off their scheme.

Yet another gang planning that great final heist with lots of car chases, shooting, foot chases, and general mayhem (read that – violence). If there is a main star, it is Matt Dillon obsessed with his work and ignoring his family. You have seen this film over and over. There is a foot chase that defies belief even if the runner is a super athlete. And of course there is an opposing Russian gang. As I have just said, you have already seen this plot many times.

As far as cast is concerned, this is the first time that I have seen Marianne Jean-Baptiste (of “Without a Trace” fame) in a film. Paul Walker did just about nothing in the film.

Next film, please!

2007, Car Chase, Crime, Disturbing Image, Drugs, Gangs, Mediocre, Mixed Martial Arts, Motorcycles, Prison, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Bobby Z (2007)

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From NetFlix:

DEA agent Tad Gruzsa (Laurence Fishburne) offers jailed ex-Marine Tim Kearney (Paul Walker) a way out of his prison sentence: impersonate legendary surfer-dealer Bobby Z in a hostage switch with a Mexican drug lord. Kearney takes the bait, but the plan quickly goes awry. Soon, Kearney finds himself on the run — with Bobby’s 6-year-old son in tow. This fast-paced action thriller also stars Olivia Wilde and mixed martial arts champ Chuck Liddell.

One bag of popcorn is pretty much like every other bag of popcorn. Similarly, “Bobby Z” is chuck full of Mexican drug traffickers (Joaquim de Almeida, age 54 from Portugal, seems to be type-cast as the quintessential Mexican bad guy), nasty motorcycle gangs, crooked federal agents (Laurence Fishburne of current CSI television fame), mixed martial arts, beautiful women, and last but not least a young, handsome, male hero. Now, isn’t that a lot better than a bag of popcorn?

Paul Walker, our hero, IS the film. Former heroes of movies in the past were strong he-men completely sure of themselves. Lately the hero is a bit less confident. Walker (now a 38 year old Californian) doesn’t take himself too seriously, is willing to show a softer side, and has a sense of humor that makes the film a fun bag of popcorn. Does he really do all those action scenes, including fighting and mixed martial arts, on his own? In the films of today the fighting action is better and more realistic, which is to say that it fools me.

According to a Wikipedia entry: In an interview to the Portuguese channel SIC, Paul Walker called it a “bad movie”. Why not take a different point of view: You know in advance it is a B-film, so just sit back and watch the forgettable fun.

2011, Acceptable for children, Acceptable Trash, Could be boring, Fantasy, Mediocre, Sci-Fi, Super Hero

Thor (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Kenneth Branagh directs this Marvel Comics-inspired action flick about the thunder god Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful warrior whose father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) — the king of Asgard — forces him to live among humans on Earth and learn humility. Once there, he finds a friend (Natalie Portman), along with unexpected enemies sent from his world. Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård and Rene Russo co-star.

Making this film at least helped keep the actors employed. What other reason could there be for a talented man like Kenneth Branagh using (wasting ?) his time directing this B- movie for kids ? Of course Anthony Hopkins has been appearing in junk films for a long while. Newer talent such as the 28 year old Australian Chris Hemsworth can use the screen time. But what is the ever beautiful “Black Swan” Natalie Portman doing in such schlock? Do you suppose I could have had at least a minor role in this film?

Fairly gratuitous special digital effects are what this adventure offers. Certainly kids will enjoy the often violent fun. But digital violence never seems as real as, say, a hurtful comment. As for sex, Natalie gives Chris a real smoocher of a kiss. Adults will just have to suffer along.

Adios, I am off to another superhero spectacle!

2011, Horror, Imperfect, Mayhem, Mediocre, Supernatural, Suspense

Insidious (2011)

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From NetFlix:

After moving into a new home, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) confront terrifying tribulations when their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls into a coma and his body starts to attract malevolent forces from a mysterious netherworld. But when the family decides to move again, hoping to leave the evil spirits behind, they realize that their problems are just beginning. James Wan (Saw) directs.

“Blair Witch Project” meets “Ghostbusters”. Patrick Wilson must be desperate to be in a film, any film whatsoever. What value could there be in watching this poorly made farce? Answer: it is so bad, it is funny. Perhaps the filmmakers ran out of money when it came to creating Chief Devil. To cap off the damage, the ending is somewhat daring. You would do better to shop for some other film.