The Transformers franchise is hardly great with maybe only the first two being passably entertaining, the rest just action-porn with non-sensical plot and CGI vs. CGI fights that were more tiresome rather than exciting.
Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection is a great and near-perfect set that includes excellent video and audio transfers now in 4K and Atmos tracks for each film.
The Tax Collector doesn’t really break new ground in any sense. It has a familiar story and while Shia LaBeouf was great for the amount of screen time he has, while Bobby Soto has the look of a leading man, but lacked the charisma.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle exemplifies the early 2000s so damn well, and yes I realize McG was parodying the action schlock from that time period (like M:I2) but doesn’t do it very well, or at least the humor rarely lands.
Mortal Engines is to say the least imperfect and I suppose even disappointing considering Peter Jackson was involved as a producer and co-screenwriter, and indeed it’s not very well written and yet I did find myself relatively entertained.
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is hardly the high point of action but I must admit that I actually mostly enjoyed this installment possibly because the previous sequel was so bad that it made this film look like Citizen Kane. In any case, once again the visual effects are incredible and the story was at least acceptable.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen takes the action up a notch as sequels do but, somehow, dumbs down the story and makes me not care on bit about any of these characters, mechanical or human.
Transformers is something I more or less hold the same opinion about when I watched it in theaters, 10 years later. It’s not terrible by any stretch and most of the action is well done, but the acting is subpar and the dialogue even worse.
Man Down does shine light on the important subject of PTSD for returning soldiers and as commendable as that is, it’s unfortunate the screenplay does it little justice but I will say Shia LaBeouf’s performance is amazing and it does feature a respectable supporting cast.
Overlong and repetitious with its story, American Honey could’ve used a pass or two in the editing bay at which point it would’ve made for an interesting character, and country study, instead is more on the dull side by the two hour mark (if not sooner).
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right. The Blu-ray released by Sony has excellent video/audio transfers while the bonus material is quasi in-depth with 50+ minutes of deleted/extended scenes.
The Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures is a great set for fans of the franchise. Each of the film’s 1080p HD transfer is amazing to go along with the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. The only drawback is that features from the previous releases, including Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were not ported over.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is hardly the high point of action but I must admit that I actually mostly enjoyed this installment possibly because the previous sequel was so bad that it made this film look like Citizen Kane. In any case, once again the visual effects are incredible and the story was at least acceptable.
I was absolutely enthralled with 2006’s Paris, I Love You as it beautifully showcased the City of Love, Lights, Dreams, Art, et cetera while also giving us stories that made use of each precious minute allotted; and I had high hopes for the follow-up, New York, I Love You where we get to see the City That Never Sleeps. Unfortunately even though the directors try their best to showcase New York, the stories never quite hit the emotional levels (be it for comedy or drama) that I felt with Paris.