Dean Harmse

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First off, this movie needs to be placed in the "Mad Max" universe, because that is where it belongs. 100% no doubt in my mind. I read a lot of 1 star reviews, and people claiming that it is the worst movie ever. These people, I am afraid, just doesn't get the point of the movie. It is about the human condition. It is about greed. Sure, people can be all WOKE and sing cumbaya, when things are going great, but when the paw-paw hits the fan, and everyone is down and out, it is everyone for themselves and we will turn on each other. Dog eat dog (like literally shown in the film). I really enjoyed this film. I am not even a Zac Efron fan or a great fan of the genre, but I gotta give it to him, this film really showcased his acting chops. Having the audience feel your pain, anguish, hunger, thirst and confusion while you are acting off of no-one but yourself and your surroundings is a true testament to an acting job done very well. With all but 6 people appearing on screen, including a mother and baby that are on screen for a few seconds, the largest part of this film is Zac Efron alone in the desert. Seeing Efron's nameless character's mind and body deteriorate in the scortching sun in this dystopian survival thriller is haunting. It's not a movie for family fun movie night, but it is worth a watch. Especially for fans of the Mad Max franchise.

Gold

Is this game a metal detector simulator? No. Is it action packed? No. Is it fun? Yes. I am an older gamer with limited time to play games. I play games to relax and unwind after a hard day at the office. Treasure hunter simulator is a game that I can just play for a few minutes to relax. It is quite educational too, as you get to learn about historic locations and artifacts. It is always exciting when you find a hit on your detector, as you never know if you will find trash or a priceless item.

Treasure Hunter Simulator

I don't know how I missed White Collar when it aired 15 years ago, but I did. Procedural police dramas aren't really my thing, but I watch them with my wife who is a real fan of these types of shows. Although White Collar looks like the typical "buddy cop" or "cop and consultant" drama, it does differ from shows that will typically be put on the same shelf. The first and best thing about White Collar, for me, is the chemistry between the cast members. It really is top notch. The second thing I really enjoy is the fact that they are not investigating murders like most similar shows do. I wouldn't classify the crimes they investigate as just "White Collar" crimes, but murders are few and far between. Matt Bohmer has tons of charisma and it is sad that he never really reached the heights that I feel he could have reached with an acting career. Later seasons aren't as good as the first three, but it is one of the best shows out there. Fairly light when compared with the likes of Castle, The Mentalist, Bones, NCIS, CSI or Law & Order. It is fun to watch. I am stoked to hear that a reboot is in the works, bit sad that the actor that portrayed Mozzie passed away. He really was one of my favorite characters, and the show will not be the same without him.

White Collar

1 like

If Colin Farrell doesn’t get an Emmy for this role, then I don't know... You sometimes forget that this is a DC/Batman series, because it is unlike many "superhero" series out there. Episodes move slowly, sometimes bordering on boring. I found myself switching off some episodes half way through, because I got bored, but when an episode gets you in it's grips, then it can really hold you. The performances by the actors are superb, especially the main cast. I think this role, for Colin Farrell, is the role of a lifetime. It must have been fun to play this character.

The Penguin

A fun, light and entertaining heist film. This film is one of my guilty pleasures. A real popcorn movie that never gets too heavy. The soundtrack is excellent. There is nothing groundbreaking about this film, the plot is quite generic for a heist film, but it is pure fun from the opening credits. Pierce Brosnan has bags of charm, and Rene Ruso's sex appeal oozes from the screen. This movie is perfect if you want to kick back and relax.

The Thomas Crown Affair

1 like

Think Grey's Anatomy, but in an Investment Bank, and with more than enough nudity and sex. What I liked: - I genuinely don't know. I watched the show and enjoyed it. It's not my favorite show, by a long shot, but it wasn't the worst I've seen either. - The setting in the world of high finance is perhaps one of the things I liked, because I loved movies like Wall Street, The Big Short and Boiler Room. - I prepared myself for some serious social commentary, but was pleasantly surprised that nothing gets shoved down the viewer's throat. What I didn't like: - Some of the sex scenes are too long. I found myself forwarding many of the sex scenes. - Some of the sex scenes are cringe worthy. - I found all of the characters genuinely unlikeable. If lots of nudity, sex and drug use puts you off, then I would suggest you steer clear of Industry.

Industry

2 likes

Reviewers and players always give bad reviews, because they want every single game to break new ground, and introduce something brand new in every game. What is wrong with just enjoying a game that isn't revolutionary from a gameplay perspective, but tells a new story. I loved the other Mafia games, but they are more linear in nature than Mafia 3. It is well known by now that Mafia 3 differs from the other installments, because instead of rising through the ranks of the Italian Mob, in this game, you take on the Italian Mob (among other organized crime groups). The story is great, the voice acting is awesome, and the soundtrack filled with music from the era is outstanding. Driving is this game feels great compared to other games, with vehicles having a weight to them that gets some taking used to, but once you have a feel for the vehicles, you can race around the city with ease. Combat is great and it is essential to work out a strategy before engaging enemies, because even with a tactical vest, enemies can kill you instantly if you just charge in guns blazing. And because you only carry two firearms at a time with limited ammo, I felt even more of a need to sneak around and take enemies out with takedowns to conserve ammunition. Talking of exploring, New Bordeaux is beautiful and you will miss out if you don't take time to explore the world and see the sights. With all the DLC, this is a big, long game that you don't need to rush through. Choices you make in the game has consequences. You need a strategy before taking action. I love open world crime games, and Mafia 3 is one of those games I enjoyed the most. I took my time to do everything I could, I didn't rush through the game. I didn't mind the repetition. As a casual gamer, who only play when I have time, I don't mind the fact that there is no multi-player. Why do people always cry about multi-player? What is wrong with sitting down and going on an adventure by yourself? What gripes do I have? There is only a few. Even in 2024, I experienced bugs (on PS4). Some custcened didn't play. Luckily I had sub-titles on, so I could read it on the frozen screen, and know what happened. Some other bugs I experienced was not being able to pick up objects at times, Objectives disappearing, and few more that was normally sorted out when restarting the game. A few times when coming out of a friendly or unfriendly building, I would find my car destroyed for no reason. Repetitiveness. In the beginning, the wash/rinse/repeat of the missions you do to take over an area was fine, but in the end it started to wear me out. Sometimes the enemy and NPC AI is a bit iffy. Why pedestrians dive into the steet to avoid being run over beats me. Enemy AI, at times, are really dumb. When engaging in combat in buildings, I often had to hide near a doorway as enemies came rushing through the door and I could merely pick them off one by one. Draw distance. Cars in the oncoming lane sometimes appeared out of nowhere, and if you just drove a long way from picking up a tactical vest to go and fight a battle, an head-on collision at speed can half your tactical vest. My last gripe was the cut-scenes. Some of the scenes use the standard outfit Lincoln is wearing, so if you are wearing something else than the standard outfit, the cutscene breaks the immersion.

Mafia III

I looked forward to this series, but must be honest, I am disappointed. I feel that there were so many opportunities missed. Like, having the characters speak Spanish when it is appropriate, and English when it is appropriate really gives the episodes authenticity, but then they mess with things like the timeline of actual events vs how they portray it in the series. And if you are going to mess with the timeline, then don't make the story so boring. I don't mind being bored watching a show if it is to portray real events. The real life assassination of her enemies using a van "armored" with bullet-proof vests was a show of ingenuity, but it is mentioned in passing on the show. Although Sofia Vergara showcased her acting chops in her portrayal, I believe Blanco in real life was more unhinged and tougher than portrayed. Blanco was a sociopath, and obviously very ambitious, and one would think as an actress it would be fun to portray a sociopath, but that side of Blanko's personality is not really shown. They could have done more with the character and story.

Griselda

3 likes

I enjoyed 1883 more than I enjoyed Yellowstone. As a fan of Western films and series, 1883 felt both familiar and fresh. Tyler Sheridan's series aren't light. 1883 is heavy on drama, and chuckles are few and far between. Tim McGraw, Sam Elliot, LaMonica Garret & Isabel May are all brilliant in their respective rolls. Characters in 1883 are actually likeable, as opposed to Yellowstone where most of the characters are unlikeable and unrelateable. I really got a sense of what it must have been like on a wagon train, traveling into unfamiliar territory, facing every danger the arduous journey may dish up. I often wondered if the reward at the end of such a journey was worth the price paid by the pioneers. 1883 is very good, but not perfect. Some of the dialogue is very cliched, and especially some of the action scenes fall into the traps of many Westerns before. Guns with unlimited ammo are one of them. On at least two occasions I witnessed Faith Hill's character fire off three shots with her double-barrelled shotgun without reloading. Enemies are bad shots while the protagonists rarely miss a shot in a gun battle. Some of the story is also very predictable. My wife didn't watch the show with me, but on many occasions I told her what just happened and what I predict was going to happen, and like clockwork, it did. There are some other things that also made me shake my head. They make the character of Ennis look like a scruffy and dirty cowboy, but the moment he starts to talk, his pearly whites just makes the whole scene look like a joke. The same goes for Elsa's teeth. Elsa also rips the sleeves off her dress in order to be more comfortable as a cowgirl, but her skin remains untouched by the sun, despite her spending entire days in the saddle. She also has unshaved armpits when sleeping in the wagon, but in other scenes where she rides or is being carried, he pits are curiously smooth. Talking about smooth, Sam Elliot's character never even has one but of stubble during the entire show. I would have enjoyed another season or two of the first generation of Duttons on the Yellowstone Ranch, and it is sad that it wasn't renewed. It would have been interesting to see the Yellowstone Ranch being established.

1883

8 likes

South African television/film productions just keeps getting better and better. The production values of this series is on-par with anything coming out of developed countries. Beautiful scenery demonstrating the gorgeous South African landscape, awesome costumes and sets. The writing is great, and the retelling of the story of the great King Shaka is riveting. The actors in this series are true masters of their craft. The acting is top notch. I was blown away by the raw emotion in some of the performances. And this has to be said...man, do we have some good looking people in this series... I cannot wait for the story to continue in season 2.

Shaka Ilembe

9 likes