SJ Robert's comments

Pineapple Express (2008)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

That was fun. Never seen a 3-way joint before. 3.5/4

Jigsaw (1968)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

All-star lineup. Really curious about the special effects in 1968 depicting the acid trip. Wish there were links. Could be a fun watch. Had high IMBD rating.

Hunted (2012)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

Liking it. Melissa George (who doesn’t seem to age at all) leading a spy action thriller series. What’s not to like?

Red Corner (1997)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

Better than expected. Excellent and perhaps someday-classic version of the familiar framed innocent man theme. Good plot twists, good acting, interesting foreign setting, fast paced and very entertaining. Even a bit emotional at the end. 4.5/5.

Treadstone (2019)
SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago.

Love the genre, but this is borderline unwatchable for me. The jiggly shoulder cam is way overdone - distracting and extremely annoying, as is the heavy beat music being too loud relative to the dialog - can’t hear the words sometimes. Show had potential. Maybe they’ll hire a new camera director and sound editor for Season 2. Though not sure I can make it through S1 past E4.

Irresistible (2020)
SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago.

Loved it. Jon Stewart’s farce about the farce of our electoral system. The twist at the end is great. Yes, this is legally possible!

Irresistible (2020)
VacantField42 5 points 3 years ago. (Contains Spoilers)

Pretty funny film. Definitely hits home in the USA and makes the truest point: How many of us actually matter in this “Pundit Economy”?

if you live in the US, I hope you watch it…no matter what your politics are.

SJ Robert -1 points 3 years ago.

You can remove your spoiler flag. Your comment had no spoilers.

Smiley's People (1982)
SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago*.

Unfortunately this version of the great Smiley’s People mini-series is edited. I encourage you to instead search YouTube where you can find the unedited version. You can tell the unedited version because they run over 58 minutes (vs. this series here which is about 54 minutes). It doesn’t sound like much of a difference but the small scenes they cut out really add to the feel and texture. Something as great as this series - perhaps the greatest spy series ever - deserves to be watched with the full director’s cut. Believe me, you’ll want to savor every moment of this masterpiece.
It is NOT an action packed James Bond-type spy movie. It is a slow-burner. What it lacks in action it more than makes up for in intrigue, suspense and complicated and detailed story. More realistic and grittier than fantasy spy movies like James Bond. Absolute 5/5 rating, but the PrimeWire series here gets only 3/5 for being a cut version.

Harpoon (2018)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago.

Liked it. Didn’t like the ending but the movie overall was very good. It’s in Spanish but with English subtitles. The description is off a bit. Cata is not “injured in a lake” but that’s a minor detail. Good. Recommended.

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
greyfur 2 points 3 years ago.

I saw this a while back, was actually right good, was actually rather surprised at how good it was. Give it a shot, you might like this one. Ties up all the loose ends.

SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

Thanks, greyfur. That’s the kind of nudge I was hoping to hear from somebody.

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
Sabataj1 2 points 3 years ago.

That was a pretty solid movie.

SJ Robert 0 points 3 years ago.

OK, I watched the trailer/preview. Looks interesting, with good production. I like the sci-fi/crime hybrid. My only question: does it make sense at the end? I hate movies that have it all - acting, cinematography, plot, etc. but have muddled, confusing, unresolved endings.

I Am Mother (2019)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

Well made, production-wise. And good acting. (Hillary Swank is always excellent, even though I might not like the character.) But the end was a bit muddled and confusing. 2.5/5

I Am Mother (2019)
McShagan -3 points 4 years ago. (Contains Spoilers)

Fairly underwhelming. The acting was good but substandard writing trying to be smart tells a story that just doesn’t add up in the end.

SJ Robert -1 points 3 years ago.

OK, but why mark that as a spoiler?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)
SJ Robert 4 points 3 years ago*.

This, Smiley’s People and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold are simply the very best of the spy genre - the very definition of 5/5. The gold standard. Warning: this is John Le Carre and his George Smiley - the very opposite of Ian Flemming and his James Bond. This is not action packed, constant fight scenes, car chases, sexy women being seduced and comic book evil nemeses. This is not fantasy secret agent stuff for young teenagers. This is serious espionage that develops slowly. You will be drawn in deeper and deeper by THE master story teller of the genre, with top notch British acting.

Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler (2019)
finigan1 4 points 4 years ago*.

Two episodes in and it is really good so far,kind of reminds me of agent carter in a way,but more serious (which should have never been cancelled) I guess it is just the time period,and the tunes they play now and again,definitely worth your pennyworth.

SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago.

Agent Carter was great. Agreed - should never have been cancelled.

Another Life (2019)
Xsile 1 points 4 years ago.

I will watch all the episodes, however the acting is really bad or perhaps really bad directing. The whole crew of astronauts react to everything hyper emotionally and completely irrationally. Especially when you consider the training they all would have gone through to be in the positions they are in.

SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago.

Thank you! Before scrolling down to the comments I was thinking this could be serious, great sci-fi or it could be cheesy crap involving a bunch of immature or unprofessional crew members. I hate sci-fi with a serious plot, with obvious trillions spent and years engineering and developing a space project and then hiring a crew that obviously isn’t suited for their jobs. Instead, from your review it sounds exactly like the crappy TV I want to avoid. Thanks for saving me from this show!!

Another Life (2019)
[deleted]
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago.

Thank you! Before scrolling down to the comments I was thinking this could be cool or it could involve a bunch of immature teens ruining it. Thanks for saving me from this show!!

Child 44 (2015)
SJ Robert 4 points 3 years ago*.

Very good. Recommended. The title sounds like a cheesy Sci-Fi. It’s not. The brutal totalitarian political structure of Stalin’s U.S.S.R. plays a significant role as backdrop and cultural environment obscuring and creating obstacles surrounding a heinous crime spree. Really well done. This one will stick with you awhile.

Reindeer Games (2000)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago*.

Good story, particularly some twists at the end. Charlize Theron at 25 - yum. Lots of familiar faces - Danny Trejo, Dennis Farina, Isaac Hayes, 49er/Redskin Dana Stubblefield, Clarence Williams III (The Mod Squad), Donal Logue, even a young Ashton Kutcher in one scene.

Ronin (1998)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

One of my all-time favorites. Serious intrigue/action movie.

Men of Honor (2000)
SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago.

I thought DeNiro was excellent in this. Well, he’s excellent in pretty much everything he does, but I mean it was a different character than I’ve seen him play before.
It’s a film about honor and pride and overcoming obstacles. But it’s also about egos and stuck, inflexible thinking - that human characteristic that will end life on this planet someday. It goes beyond racism, though that’s certainly part of it.
3.5/5

The Italian Job (2003)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago.

One of the best heist movies. Great cast, all at their best. I remember this movie when it came out - it’s the one where I fell for Charlize Theron (me, and the rest of the world). Highly recommended. Destined to be a classic of the heist genre.

Thief (1981)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago*.

I don’t know about masterpiece. It was very good. Started a bit slow but then got up to speed. Topkapi was the heist flick that started it all and was/is what I consider a classic and a must see for those into the genre; old now, but still a great watch. Another really good heist flick is The Italian Job. (Edit: the 2003 one. There’s also an earlier one with Michael Caine, that must be good (he’s great) but I haven’t seen that one yet.)

The Kingdom (2007)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago*.

Very good. One of the best mid-east terrorist movies. Great casting. Good story. My only problem is with overdoing the jittery shoulder cam - unnecessary and distracting. But overall definitely worth the watch. Lots of familiar names and faces not mentioned above on the website description.
Oh, and only the clipwatching links have the English subtitles for the Arabic dialog parts. Don’t be put off by the 3 stars for those links. They work/look/sound just as good as the other higher-rated links.

Drive Angry (2011)
SJ Robert 1 points 3 years ago.

Destined to become a cult classic. Just the right balance of action, violence and a little fun thrown in. Amber Heard at the peak of her gorgeousness. William Fichtner at his best. Great date flick or for hanging out with buddies on a Friday night. I only give 5/5 for movies that I think will become classics. It’s not a “seriously” great classic movie, but for its genre it is.

Mandy (2018)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago*.

Really bad. Not worth the effort to watch. I endured it, thinking it must eventually start to make sense and get better. Nope. Even as a bloody revenge movie it just wasn’t fulfilling. For the first 30 minutes there’s no sense of plot at all. Then it just gets more surreal and unrealistic. If you want a fun Nicholas Cage revenge flick with demons and great action (and gorgeous Amber Heard) then enjoy Drive Angry, which will surely become a cult classic. This one doesn’t go anywhere, is inconsistent in its sense of realism vs. fantasy, and just does nothing for me. It’s not that I can’t enjoy a weird, abstract movie. (Eraserhead I give 5/5.) This one is weird but aimlessly so. Skip it and you will miss nothing.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)
SJ Robert 3 points 3 years ago*.

Description is inaccurate. Best western I’ve seen since Unforgiven. Russell Crowe is always good. Christian Bale is always good. Together - you’ve got a winner. Didn’t realize until the credits that the Pinkerton/bounty hunter with the beard was Peter Fonda - couldn’t even tell it was him.

House of Sand and Fog (2004)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago.

Good movie. Not really a crime drama. Just a really good drama with legal quagmire as the story setup. Jennifer Connelly at her most gorgeous (also check out Dark City; great Sci-Fi flick) and in top acting form, as is Ben Kingsley. 4/5

No Country for Old Men (2007)
SJ Robert 0 points 3 years ago.

Javier Bardem is an excellent actor. He plays the psychotic killer perfectly. It would be easy to over play it, making the character over the top whacko. He doesn’t. He plays it almost normal. Just crazy at the edges.
Good story. Well acted by all. Not a typical happy ending. Solid 4/5.

Shot Caller (2017)
SJ Robert 2 points 3 years ago. (Contains Spoilers)

Surprisingly good. The story (writing), acting, editing, slow revealing of what the movie is about (directing) - all excellent. It’s essentially a variation of the Greek odyssey - decent man cast into oblivion due to circumstance must transition to find his way through the journey to the other side. Much more than just a badass prison gang movie. Spoiler: it’s really a very male love story (that women will also get). 5*