Posts by John Peterson3

It’s just a fun movie for what it is—I honestly don't know what people expect from this genre.

I’m a huge fan of Mann, but this one really loses its way toward the end. The hunt for the hacker was gripping, but once that Black Widow scene hits, everything just devolves into one cliché after another. Everyone’s entitled to a miss, and Mann is no exception.

Underwhelming. I expected much more from this.

Legendary?! 😂 🤣

It feels like they’re just trying to turn Jack Ryan into another Bourne. Such a shame; this could have been the start of a great franchise.

Just a cheap rip-off of a few other movies.

The movie caught me off guard. I went in expecting just another typical project with the Bessonov name attached, but this actually had some substance. Ironically, even though I enjoyed it, it left a bit of a bitter aftertaste. If the CIA angle had been more subtle—more grounded, really—and if they hadn't leaned on a magical cure or that caricatured Amber Heard, who shows up in the first scene looking way more obnoxious than in any of her other roles, this could have passed for a top-tier drama. Even with the cliché premise—a terminally ill CIA operative being tossed aside by the agency he gave more time to than his own family, using his final days to fix his biggest mistake, his family—it still works. They had a cast that could have absolutely killed it: Costner, Nielsen, and a solid little Steinfeld.

But hey, it is what it is.

He could have easily landed the role playing the guy who portrayed Fisher in Blacklist. Sure, Ironside is the original, but this actor did a pretty solid job stepping into Fisher's shoes. Of course, they'll need to slap a famous name on the movie if they want anyone to actually buy a ticket. Either way, I'll probably watch it.

I haven't read the books, so I didn't have any expectations going in. I saw the trailer a while back and thought it looked interesting enough to check out. I really need to stop watching trailers more often; movies are usually much better when you go in knowing absolutely nothing about them.

The core premise is absolutely bursting with potential. In my opinion, the biggest flaws here are Smith and the director. If someone else had been at the helm, this would be a completely different story. Lima needed to face much more intense danger to truly earn that level of growth—to overcome his fear of the unknown, the trauma of losing his sister, and that crushing pressure to prove himself to his father. It’s a shame, because it could have been brilliant.

What really stung right from the jump was the ship's design. I haven't seen anything quite that ridiculous in a long time.

Patrick Martin said:Good for you if that kind of mindless shooting keeps you entertained, man. I played those kinds of shooters a while back until I realized they're all completely hollow.

Oh no, that's dangerous, we should probably ban it then.

And that bit about "passing off fake crap"... honestly, that just makes me laugh. 🙂

🤦

Dafuq?!

It didn't quite land for me. Fuqua knows how to craft fantastic action and drama, and he’s great at playing with character depth. This felt like a modern version of a Seagal siege—different setting, but the same old story.

To be fair, the movie is fun enough, but it didn't blow me away.

Now I'm just waiting for that other White House flick starring Schwarzenegger and Ray.

wanderingridge1 said:I'm right there with you. This person acts like they know exactly what to expect from Michael Bay. Well, newsflash: we all know exactly what's coming, and it's an absolute train wreck every single time! It’s just endless, cheap sentimentality and mindless, stupid moments shoved into a movie that actually had the potential to be serious. We aren't talking about some sci-fi flick he made; this was supposed to be a film based on actual historical events. It's a disgrace.

If you ask me, the real winner here is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096256/?ref_=sr_1 😁

That’s a contradictory take. If you truly knew what to expect, the cheesiness and stupidity wouldn't catch you off guard. The same goes for the fact that it isn't a serious, fact-based film.

Wait, what? It was directed by Michael Bay!

silentcanyon58 said:Hey, check this out... I honestly think we can all get behind

Strange Days (1995) directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

I remember back when it first came out, a buddy and I headed over to the AMC theater in downtown Chicago... and there were maybe six other people (!) in the whole audience for the screening. What a total disaster! But looking back, I really feel like it has managed to carve out its own cult classic status over the years, and people have definitely learned to appreciate it more. 🙂

Solid recommendation. Re-watched this about three months ago. Great film.

Rachel Ortiz33 said:man, Pearl Harbor is actually worse than Armageddon, seriously.

True, though it depends on your perspective. I know exactly what to expect from Bay, so I’m rarely disappointed. He makes popcorn movies, and that’s exactly what they’re meant for.

It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you consider the kind of films that could be made with the budget Bay is handed, but that's a different conversation.

Neither Armageddon nor Pearl Harbor are as bad as people make them out to be. If you go in knowing what you're getting, there's no reason to complain. Just relax and enjoy it. That's my approach.

Keith Jones36 said:The marketing for John Carter was fundamentally flawed, specifically regarding its positioning.

The fact that it was a Disney production led people to categorize it as a family-friendly film geared toward younger audiences, which implies limited violence, sex, and profanity. By suppressing those elements, they effectively lowered the expectations and interest of a much larger demographic of viewers.

Who the fuck is John Carter? What younger viewer is going to know that this is based on the 1917 fantasy novel Princess from Mars by the author of Tarzan?
Since there had never been a prior film adaptation, this lack of familiarity with the source material also alienated the younger audience.

That's a massive production failure. So many films and shows get ruined because a studio like Disney strips away every drop of blood and profanity. Small details, but they matter.

I have the whole Barsoom series by Burroughs on my computer. I was planning to work my way through the books after seeing the first JC trailer. But based on the little I've read, Burroughs didn't exactly pack his books with sex, swearing, and violence—at least not more than what we saw on screen.

Correct me if I'm wrong. If that's the case, it might give me a real reason to dive into the full series.

Pearl Harbor comes to mind first. People expected some epic historical masterpiece, seemingly forgetting Michael Bay was behind the camera. :nezna: No matter how much people trash it, I find it incredibly fun to watch.

The Island is another Bay project. Even though he pivoted it into an action chase, it’s still a great flick. It’s a shame they left out some interesting premises—like two "adults" being completely lost in the world—but still.

raja also considers Reign of Fire a bad movie. My take is the same as it was for Pearl Harbor: it's great at what it is. Seriously? We're talking about dragons here. Dafuq?!

There are plenty of movies worth watching just for the sake of it. Most get trashed because of personal taste or audience expectations, but if you look at them objectively, they're perfectly solid ways to kill time. People brought up John Carter, which both critics and audiences hated, but as a film, it's just a fun adventure. Nothing more, nothing less.

This movie doesn't even reach the level of mediocre.

Keith Garcia7 said:Just a quick heads-up: Australians already released a film with a similar theme back in 2010. Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010) (2010) 🙂

This movie puts Red Dawn to shame. The books are just as good.

Red Dawn fell apart because of the script. If you're selling an invasion to an audience, you should actually focus on the invasion instead of leaning on cheap patriotism and explosions. It’s a shame; I really expected more from this one.

Entertaining enough, but you'll forget it pretty quickly.

The Basketball Diaries
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112461/

I watched this back when I was playing high school basketball and drugs first started showing up in my neighborhood. This movie actually sparked a conversation about addiction that I didn't need, and it's honestly the only film I've ever seen that had a direct impact on the course of my life. Long story short, I stayed clean and steered clear of everything else.

The only thing I ever touched was some weed on occasion—strictly recreational. Nothing else has ever interested me. That's been my stance from the moment I saw the film until now.

Like they say: use your head and enjoy the ride.