Jon Loder's Reviews
Just when I thought good movies were a thing of the past...
Just when I thought good movies were a thing of the past, Jackie Chan throws this surprise at us. I was expecting the typical Chan slapstick-comedy combat scenes but, instead was treated to great acting and much more realistic fights. At age 63, Jackie proves himself to still be the no-stunt-double-required actor we've always admired. This movie, unlike previous Chan work, is hard-hitting drama involving greed, corruption and vengeance. Perhaps more justice than vengeance. Jackie's character, Quon, doesn't go into action until exhausting all hope of police help. They say that meekness isn't a lack of violent nature but a control over it.
Created: 02-21-2023
They still make good movies, just not as often.
I almost didn't watch this for one reason: I haven't seen a Ben Affleck movie that I liked since Good Will Hunting. He played the part of The Accountant perfectly. The character has a lot of depth supported by flashbacks to a childhood involving a father who chose to deal with his son's handicap in a way that he thought was right but it wouldn't go over well, especially in woke society. The supporting acting is the result of some of the best casting I've ever seen. Ben's character gets a little too over-the-top John-Wick-style but not enough to detract from the great story being told.
Created: 02-21-2023
My favorite movie
If I were asked what my favorite movie is, the answer would probably be Ronin. Maybe, the answer would be The Godfather. it depends on my mood, I suppose. There's no unrealistic, super-spy (007) going on. The car chase and shootout scenes are realistic. Jean Reno is one of those bad guys you gotta love. DeNiro may be a woke, Hollywood elite in real life but, in my opinion, a great thespian and this was his best performance.
Created: 02-21-2023
One of my favorites.
This movie is quite gritty and violent but not beyond what it takes to tell the story. I think it's Marky Mark's best acting.
Created: 01-12-2023
I really miss good, binge-worthy, TV like this.
From his roots in BBC Comedy sketch performance in Bits of Fry and Laurie to Stuart Little's adoptive dad comes the best Sherlock Holmes rendition I've seen yet. Doyle's classic character comes alive in modern day medicine. Something like this couldn't possibly be made today. The show goes head-on with issues involving gender, race, bigotry, misogyny, abusive law enforcers, wealthy bullies, etc. It's a shame that Shore went on to create the woke agenda based, The Good Doctor.
Created: 01-02-2023
One of my favorite re-watchable movies.
This did get a little over-the-top with the unrealistic he-man situations that Selleck excels in. If you want realism, this probably isn't for you. It's fun and a little ridiculous. This movie is the antithesis of Woke. The main character is masculine and protects the weaker at every turn. Alan Rickman delivers a perfect performance as the ultimate bad-guy. The final showdown is absolutely classic Selleck. Another thing that I really like about this movie is the behind-the-scenes history of the iconic rifle. Look it up. It's worth reading about.
Created: 01-02-2023
I didn't expect a sequel to be this good!
I don't know if "sequel" is the right word for this. The only thing that carried over from Knives Out is the main character. Once you get over Daniel Craig having a southern gentleman accent, it's great. They did one major thing right in making this one: they used a good Whodunnit story like they did in the first one. The acting was nothing short of perfection in all characters. The sequence of story telling was on par with Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino. I expect multiple Oscars going this way.
Created: 12-27-2022
Entertaining in the Tim Burton fashion.
The woke level in this series is so low that it looks like a minor concession by Tim Burton to the Woke activists that are lurking around Hollywood threatening to attack with propaganda. One character alluded to his "two moms." Other than that, I didn't notice anything woke.
Created: 12-27-2022
Meets expectations...
This had much of the comedic elements of the movies (1&2) but without the elaborate movie production budget. The only nudge of wokeness would be when some "alternate lifestyle" guys take a liking to Drax. He refuses to dance with them but they drink at the bar together having a great time. The quick-witted humor between the characters still has the chemistry that made the franchise so watchable. It's not a bad way to spend 30 minutes.
Created: 12-17-2022
Screenplay writers sometimes actually read the book.
This is so close to the book that it's not really worth splitting hairs on the differences. Lee Childs is far from my favorite author but, overall, I like his character, Reacher. It's nice to see that they completely departed from the Reacher-in-name-only disaster by Tom Cruise. The casting is perfect. As far as Woke goes, I noticed none. Good series are few and far between so savor them when the do come around. Enjoy. SEASON TWO UPDATE: What a let down! This series is taking a massive tumble down into woke valley and lazy screenplay writing. I hope they pull up in time for season three. I've read all the books that these series are based on. The first season was reasonably close. Most of the wokeness is from the idea that a woman can be trained in hand-to-hand combat to the point where she can defeat a trained man. I hope parents are smart enough to teach their daughters to know better.
Created: 12-09-2022
