Film Reviews by trbp72

Welcome to trbp72's film reviews page. trbp72 has written 6 reviews and rated 9 films.

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The Sisters Brothers

A Misleading Genre Slip Up?!

(Edit) 22/07/2020

I knew nothing of this movie before we watched it...I saw John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix and made an assumption...a wrong one because of the genre label even on here...but man what a great movie! Though it has a few laughs, it sits somewhere between Western and Drama more than the labelling suggests...John C. Reilly does do serious movies from time to time and his character in this movie is very well played, Joaquin similarly is a good 'serious' actor when called upon to do so...but also plays 'crazy' fairly well...and here he sits comfortably in the role.

It is a moving tale of two brothers who are assassins (guns for hire if you will) and have been tasked with taking out a prospector who has stolen from their employer...but during the course of the film John C. Reilly's character is fighting with his worth and wants more out of life...whilst Joaquin's character continues to relish in the danger...but it leads them both to the realization that there is more to life than their lot...and they wish to embrace a new direction for themselves...

If you want a Comedy Western...then try Silverado or Blazing Saddles...if you want a seriously good woven tale of life...then The Sisters Brothers is one to watch!

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Holmes and Watson

I'm with JD on this! Hilarious Antics from John and Will!

(Edit) 04/05/2020

I am bolstering the people who like this movie by 2! Me and the wife love Will Ferrell and Step Brothers is a 'go-to' movie of ours...we cannot help but watch it when it is on TV or if we're feeling down...we stick the DVD on! So after seeing trailers for this we were excited...but missed it at the cinema, so rental was the next option...and wow! We weren't disappointed!

This movie is hilarious from the outset! Both Ferrell and Reilly hit the ground running with the same type of chemistry they exuded in Step Brothers...the supporting cast is also amazing...from Steve Coogan to Braun Strowman! This film just hits all the right funny bones! If you like Will Ferrell, you'll love this! If you don't like Will Ferrell...then why would you even rent it in the first place?! I mean there are people that think this film is funny...and there are others who are wrong!

Really don't understand why those reviewers giving it 1 star aren't amused by it?! Perhaps they were unaware of the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly dynamic...or perhaps they just don't like puerile comedy?! It's the most fun I've had watching a Sherlock Holmes movie EVER! Would have happily watched this over and over...perhaps a purchase of it is in my very near future!

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The Lion King

The King Still Rules!

(Edit) 27/02/2020

I love the original animated Lion King, it is one of very few movies that resonates with me and really grips my emotions. So I was always a little dubious about this 'Live Action' version...when you take beloved characters and 'update' them for the millenial audience it sometimes never quite works the same as the original...but this...well this is something else!

Everything about this movie whilst pretty faithful to the original (I believe it is almost shot-for-shot directionally speaking), also expands the greatness of the animation by giving such lifelike interpretations of the characters! It was great that James Earl Jones was Mufasa again...it would have been nice to perhaps have had Jonathan Taylor-Thomas as the adult Simba...just for fun...but I get there are newer voices in Hollywood...the soundtrack which is the life and soul of the original is also well preserved...The opening bars to 'Circle Of Life' always bring me to tears (it's my cross to bear!)...and that was the acid test for me...once that happened, I knew this version would be as good as the animated one.

So if you haven't watched this because you are protective of the original and think this will spoil your fond memories...I can guarantee that this version will have you gripped and in tears as much as the original, but you will marvel at the stunning set pieces and execution of the pivotal scenes of this movie! Give it a try! You will like it!

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BlacKkKlansman

Great Movie

(Edit) 26/02/2020

I was looking forward to this movie as much like Fixing The Shadow (aka Beyond The Law) deals with an undercover cop infiltrating the Hells Angels in a light hearted, yet sometimes dark manner, BlacKkKlansman details the events surrounding the infiltration of the KKK by a black police man...in a similar fashion...in that much of the 'police station' scenes lend a lighthearted edge to an otherwise dark subject.

The cast of this movie is spot on! Having only experienced Adam Driver in the recent Star Wars trilogy as Kylo Ren, he proves he can do 'normal' here in an outstanding performance as Ron Stallworth's 'White'-patsy. The overall tone of the movie evokes the period of time extremely well and there are some great performers lending themselves as Klan members. Topher Grace is amazing as David Duke (the Grand Wizard of the KKK), again only having witnessed his work in 'That 70's Show' and Spider-Man 3 he really adds a level of disgrace to the character that far outweighs his 'comedic' talent.

The ending that then cuts to recent footage of similar issues still present in the USA makes you realise how much things haven't really changed over the 40 years since the movie's events took place and the real-life footage of David Duke from only 3 years ago is shocking! But I guess a leopard doesn't change it's spots...and he is still a despicable human being! Spike Lee always delivers...and here he does it with the usual panache!

My only niggle...and this might just be me is that John David Washington put me in mind of John Richardson (the comedian) in the way he uses some facial expression and certain elements of Ron Stallworth's character and it threw me for the first 20 or so minutes of the movie! But otherwise this is a fantastic way to spend a couple of hours!

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Christopher Robin

100 Acre Good!

(Edit) 17/02/2020

Seen a lot of negative reviews about this film and it passed me by at the Cinema...so don't quite know how it was marketed...but I imagine judging by the negative reviews, either it wasn't marketed at the proper target audience (teens to adult) or people with small kids simply assumed that because it had Pooh et al in it that it was going to be appropriate for tiny kids and it kind of isn't!!

If you have seen Hook or Finding Neverland then those films put you in the frame of mind for this...because this is what happens to Christopher Robin once he has left his childhood things behind! The opening sequence of the film sets up what you know of Christopher Robin and his 100 Acre Wood friends...but sees them saying goodbye to Christopher (he is leaving them behind).

Needless to say Christopher's adult life is strained by the workload he has and in the moment of the film, because he has been tasked to find a solution to his companies falling profits...his wife and daughter are mostly abandoned it would appear because of his work and thus as he is left alone again for the weekend because he can't go to the country with his family with the things he must do for the presentation he has got to lead on Monday...cue the return of an old friend...who has lost his other friends...

From there, the story centres around the two estranged pals and they involve themselves back in each others lives...as a grown man, I can tell you that this is a wonderfully told tale and pulls on the heartstrings quite a lot! I'm not ashamed to say you'll need some tissues...it gets quite emotional in parts...but has the right amount of silliness that you would expect as a Winnie The Pooh fan!

The acting is superb on all accounts, the visuals of Pooh, et al are amazing in the real world! Even though it is essentially a period piece, it speaks a lot of truth about the importance of work/life balance and all in all I thoroughly enjoyed this movie...as did my wife! So I would highly recommend this film if you are older than say 12, I think children of that age upwards will understand the real-world elements intertwined in the plot a lot better than younger children who would expect what they have seen in the cartoon versions perhaps?! It is not one to put on to keep the kids quiet...it has a deeper level than that.

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Ready Player One

Not Ready...

(Edit) 17/02/2020

I had heard so many good things about this movie from friends and reading other reviews, I was really looking forward to watching this...being a gamer and child of the 1980's myself...but I came out of it really disappointed! It just didn't click with me at all! The visuals are amazing...the acting is fairly good...the nods to 1980's culture and iconic characters are fun...but this movie's plot seems really contrived!

I feel like Spielberg wanted to update Tron or something but that film already exists, is called Tron: Legacy...and is better than this movie! Hell Tron is better than this movie and that was actually made in the 1980's! As the credits rolled I then realised that Ernest Cline who wrote the book that this movie is based on 'co-wrote' the script for the movie...and that really made me wonder whether I should even read the book!? (I appreciate that sometimes the book is better than the movie...and vice versa). All in all, It's a mis-step in Speilbergia...I am a big Spielberg fan...though I guess now I don't like 2 of his movies (this and E.T.!)...

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