Dune: Part Two (2024)

It was fine. I had to watch some recap videos to remember what happened three years ago in the first one. The sequel doubled down on the holy prophecies and sand worms.

How does one board their entire clan on one of those things anyway? How do you get off? How do you steer them? How do you stop the worm from going underground? Don’t bother asking these questions. The movie has no answers. It’s fine. 

Rating: C

Dune (2021)

 

I thought they did a pretty good job developing the story without confusing the audience. The desert planet was full of creative surprises. Love those dragonfly ships. At two and a half hours, I felt some editing was in order. Plenty of extended shots with dramatic music playing that could have been whittled down. But I’m definitely in for the next installment. 

Rating: C+

Red Sparrow (2018)

That was a long movie to sit through for a mostly unsatisfying end. If anything, it drives home the fact that if Trump went to Russia, it’s a lock that he was compromised and is owned by Russian Intelligence--aka, Putin.

Rating: D+

Assassin's Creed (2016)

A mental time-traveling action flick that’s facilitated by a complicated virtual reality machine. The plot is far too complicated and convoluted to be contained within the confines of a 2 hour movie. The execution was clunky and heavy handed. Also, this all takes place in Plot Hole City.

Rating: F+

Babylon A.D. (2008)

The Transporter meets Children of Men, only without the tight editing and script. Someone bit off more than they could chew here. Direction was scattershot, dialogue was woeful, acting was sub par, and the screenplay needed a few more revisions. Too much movie trying to be squeezed into a 90 minute package.

Rating: D

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003)

An interesting story that unfortunately unravels at the end. We are left wondering what happened to half the characters.

Rating: C-

Melancholia (2011)

I swore I would never see another Lars Von Trier film again after the nightmare that was Antichrist. But I kept reading things that said this one was worth seeing, so I acquiesced. Things move very slowly, sometimes in slow motion. It’s dreary. The wedding scene is as boring as the one in Rachel Getting Married. Halfway through you’ll be ready for the planets to collide so the film with end. I used the FF button to get there faster.

Rating: F

The Wings of the Dove (1997)

The cinematography was great and I enjoyed the simple story, but I'll never warm up to the idea of a love story ending in tragedy, as this one did. I want to feel good at the end, not depressed.

Rating: C-