TheRealJ-Ro
Cinema Addict - 1504 Film Ratings
Member Since: 27 Jul 2008
Location: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
Age: 39
Bio: TWITTER @BlockBuster_Guy
YOUTUBE BridgewatersFinest
I rank in tiers of 5 (so every ranking will end in either 5 or 0), decided (mostly) by the following criteria.
100-90 is OUTSTANDING: I do feel like there is such a thing as a "perfect film", but I don't dole out 100s easily. The difference between a 100 and a 95 film is a certain intangible quality I suppose, something that I know will make me always come back to it no matter what. Any film that makes a 90 and up from me is one I would either recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, or one which I feel goes far above and beyond my expectations from it.
89-80 is QUALITY: A quality film for me is one which is often a strong recommendation, a film that does its job to a higher level than the next tier, often notable for overall performances and/or production.
79-70 is SERVICEABLE: A serviceable film for me is one which does its job and is good entertainment either within its own genre or as a stand-alone film. It may or may not be recommended viewing from me, but more often than not it will be.
69-35 is AVERAGE: Since the term "average" is so wide, here is how I define it. An average film falls anywhere between something that is not a total flop and has redeeming qualities (performance, content, production, etc.), and one which has the ability to entertain most people (while potentially not being a personal recommendation).
34-0 is UNDERWHELMED: An underwhelming film is one which is forgettable. It either has no redeeming qualities, or its positive qualities do not outweigh the negative ones. At their worst, movies in this category offend me as a movie-watcher.
YOUTUBE BridgewatersFinest
I rank in tiers of 5 (so every ranking will end in either 5 or 0), decided (mostly) by the following criteria.
100-90 is OUTSTANDING: I do feel like there is such a thing as a "perfect film", but I don't dole out 100s easily. The difference between a 100 and a 95 film is a certain intangible quality I suppose, something that I know will make me always come back to it no matter what. Any film that makes a 90 and up from me is one I would either recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, or one which I feel goes far above and beyond my expectations from it.
89-80 is QUALITY: A quality film for me is one which is often a strong recommendation, a film that does its job to a higher level than the next tier, often notable for overall performances and/or production.
79-70 is SERVICEABLE: A serviceable film for me is one which does its job and is good entertainment either within its own genre or as a stand-alone film. It may or may not be recommended viewing from me, but more often than not it will be.
69-35 is AVERAGE: Since the term "average" is so wide, here is how I define it. An average film falls anywhere between something that is not a total flop and has redeeming qualities (performance, content, production, etc.), and one which has the ability to entertain most people (while potentially not being a personal recommendation).
34-0 is UNDERWHELMED: An underwhelming film is one which is forgettable. It either has no redeeming qualities, or its positive qualities do not outweigh the negative ones. At their worst, movies in this category offend me as a movie-watcher.
Recent Ratings
Check out TheRealJ-Ro's...
| 85 85% | Robot Dreams (2023) - Rated 18 Aug 2024
"Oh yeah, this works for me in a bunch of ways. Dog is a loner who doesn't really relate to people, and Robot's indelible happiness can't help but make you smile - even as his dreams and circumstances develop this increasing dread for the audience. Exploring themes of love, companionship, dealing with trauma and loss, personal growth, and the ability to find enduring meaning and happiness (even if it doesn't look like you thought it would), there's a lot to digest here for the entire audience."
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| 80 70% | Música (2024) - Rated 14 Aug 2024
"I sure as Hell didn't have "passion project movie by the Awkward Puppets guy" on the ol' 2024 bingo card. This hits in all the ways a good coming-of-age should hit, mixed with cultural flare and the musical-fantasy elements of a "Rocketman" or "Yesterday". It's an alluring combination. While I don't have a standout performance, Camila Mendes owns every second of her screen time, and don't look now, but Rudy Mancuso is a special talent. The double-life montage is particularly good. A delight!"
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| 65 31% | I Saw the TV Glow (2024) - Rated 28 Jul 2024
"Justice Smith undeniably chooses interesting projects, and there's a dedicated visual style that I can't help but appreciate. "The Pink Opaque" is a show that would have been the hottest shit on YTV in the late 90s. Definitely pretentious, and lacking in a number of production areas (the sound mix in particular). Knowing that this was made with the trans experience in mind, this definitely represents more to others than it does to me. As presented, I thought it was intriguing, but only okay."
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| 85 85% | Late Night with the Devil (2023) - Rated 27 Jul 2024
"I am SO sold on this as a concept. Exceptionally well-crafted and even better in execution. I sometimes worry when, before a movie starts, there are stingers for 27 different studios who all had their fingers in the pie, but make no mistake, this is a singular, triumphant vision from two talented directors. Dastmalchian shines, and the interplay between him and Laura Gordon & Ingrid Torelli is particularly excellent. The final sequence borders on goofy but pulls itself together incredibly well."
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| 15 3% | Mea Culpa (2024) - Rated 08 Jul 2024
"A good Tyler Perry movie. Does it exist? Will it ever? It's shocking that after so many years, Perry still writes most white characters as cartoony supervillains. Everyone in this movie is artificial, and as much as it wants to be a suspenseful slow-burn, all that artifice renders this too unreal to buy into, even before it takes a hard, but lame right turn into complete buffoonery. That anyone is willing to invest in or platform Tyler Perry movies in 2024 is both a miracle, and very, very sad."
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| 70 42% | Road House (2024) - Rated 05 Jul 2024
"BARFIGHT! Yeah I think we can safely just take this at face level and have fun. There's a story but it only kinda matters. The lightning-quick rush to the premise and clunky fight scenes I think are offset by Gyllenhaal's undeniable charisma. I just really like watching that dude work. There's a lot of scenery-chewing going on here, especially by Conor, and if we aren't telegraphing a sequel, the mid-credits scene is just masturbatory, but this is undeniably fun while being unspectacular."
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| 80 70% | Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) - Rated 02 Jun 2024
"I don't feel the intense frustration that some others have with the increase of CGI/decrease of practical effects, but it was definitely noticeable. I adore Anya Taylor-Joy in all things and this is no different, but Furiosa's origin story doesn't leave me with the same visceral emotional impact as Fury Road. All the same, it's big action, bombastic sound, that isn't weighed down by its world-building (I'd hate to see this movie without that!) I'm thankful to have experienced it in IMAX."
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| 65 31% | Somewhere Quiet (2023) - Rated 29 May 2024
""It's always the husband". Thank you for that insightful commentary, "lady on sidewalk with poster". This epilogue of the Final Girl I think is mostly well-made, with an intentionally-oppressive tone. I wasn't really hooked to solve the mystery. Some would say that's the movie failing at what it's trying to be. It's a unique exploration of the unreliable narrator, as it's occasionally difficult to tell what's happening in the real world, that ultimately falls short. Tone only carried it so far."
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| 10 2% | H. P. Lovecraft's the Old Ones (2024) - Rated 28 May 2024
"(Suspenseful/dramatic/ominous/mysterious orchestral music continues). Maybe some of this was direct verbiage of Lovecraft, but it was delivered with all the enthusiasm (and none of the talent) of a 4th-grade play. Low-lights include: rubber-faced monsters; random naked girl in a field; salt kills tentacle monsters (don't tell the hentai girls); exposition fairy-ing alphabet soup like drunken reprobates; Old Gods making goofy sex faces, and much, much more. This is garbage of mythic proportions."
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| 80 70% | The King Tide (2023) - Rated 29 Apr 2024
"Many thanks to Isla! This tremendous piece of Canadian cinema is. sadly, the final film I will see at my local theatre before it's shut down - fuck you, Cineplex. This reminds me heavily of an elongated "Twilight Zone" episode, exploring themes of isolationism, family, peer pressure, fear and tribalism and how they can lead to extremism and zealotry... there's plenty to sink your teeth into here. Supremely engaging, with an ending that is as gut-punchy as it gets. Bravo, Christian Sparkes!"
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