every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about

Lots of movies lately - trying to catch up on the reviews before I get woefully behind. Boy, it would sure be great if I had some help with this.... Comments on the reviews, the films themselves, or recommendations for what to watch--all welcome. Hint, hint.

A few hilariously awful turkeys lately, and a couple of surprise hits. One just never knows, does one?

Force 10 from Navarone (1978) - "During World War II, several oddly assorted military experts are teamed in a mission to raid and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy."
I watched it because: I haven't seen it in forever, it was recommended on Amazon Prime, and a war movie sounded like a good way to pass some time.
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 57%  Audience: 56%
story: 2.5/5--weird and cobbled together, like they weren't quite sure what they were going to do so they dumped a bunch of ideas into a bucket and picked them out at random. Some of the ideas aren't bad, but there is no cohesiveness at all.
visuals: 3/5--filmed on location in Bosnia, Montenegro, and a few other places around Europe, it still isn't the most cinematically fascinating.
acting: 3/5--standout: Edward Fox (Miller) - but there was also some dreadful casting here (Barbara Bach as an Eastern European double agent? Are you f'ing kidding me?!)
intangibles: 2/5
overall: 2.625/5

Thrill Seekers {a.k.a. The Time Shifters} (1999) - "A reporter, learning of time travelers visiting 20th century disasters, tries to change the history they know by averting upcoming disasters."
I watched it because: I clearly must have a hole in my head. This is prehaps the last of the Peter Outerbridge Canadian b-film backlist that I have to work through?
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A%  Audience: 49%
story: 1/5--oh my good Lord, fer dumb
visuals: 2/5--"for adult amusement purposes only", this is worth watching. The effects are so, so bad. Cardboard swords and characters holding props so they can read their lines. THAT level of bad. BADBADBAD
acting: 1/5--I hadn't realized that Casper Van Dien was Canadian, so I did learn something from this movie.
intangibles: 1/5
overall: 1.25/5

Taken 3 (2014) - "Accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed, Bryan Mills goes on the run and brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name."
I watched it because: it was in my box set, I was looking for a thriller...and I had used the phrase "unique set of skills" several times lately so Bryan Mills was on my mind.
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 13%  Audience: 44%
story: 3/5--I didn't think it was the dumbest story ever (see, e.g., above) but it did seem abrupt.
visuals: 3.5/5
acting: 3.5/5--standout: Forest Whitaker is a favorite. I'll pretty much buy whatever he's selling, because it seems to me that he slides into a role quite smoothly.
intangibles: 3/5
overall: 3.25/5

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) - "A housewife who is unhappy with her life befriends an old lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know."
I watched it because: I'd seen it before, including at the theater when it first came out. I wanted to watch something long and emotionally complicated.
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 74%  Audience: 91%
story: 4/5--this is an epic, well-drawn and real
visuals: 3.5/5
acting: 4.5/5--standouts: there is some fantastic stuff here. Many of the actors in this film are award winners. This time around, I was struck by the performances of Stan Shaw (Big George) and Gary Basaraba (Sheriff Grady Kilgore). In quite different ways, each embodies the concept of devotion. (They serve other purposes in the movie, of course.)
intangibles: 3/5
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Supporting Actress--Jessica Tandy
• Best Writing, Screenplay based on material previously published
overall: 3.625/5

Love and Bullets (1978) - "Arizona cop is sent to Switzerland to bring in the girlfriend of a dangerous mobster so she can testify against him. The mobster sends someone too - assassins."
I watched it because: I haven't seen a Charles Bronson movie in a while, and not one of his action flicks (just Westerns). This was recommended on Amazon Prime, it's set in Switzerland, and sounded kind of fun.
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A%  Audience: 42%
story: 2.5/5--this story makes almost no sense. Phoenix is going to send a local cop to Switzerland to pick up a mobster's girlfriend?! WTF?
visuals: 4/5--even considering the era, this is a spectacular. Those cable cars up in the Alps...shudder!
acting: 2.5/5--standout: Charles Bronson was 57 years old when this film was made, and he absolutely killed it. Totally masculine, dominant, and sexy as hell, he's everything the younger guys wanted to be but couldn't quite handle. And the final scene of the movie - it was priceless, and he played it perfectly.
intangibles: 2/5--I wanted to punch Jill Ireland right in the voice-box. And Bronson's blow-gun was just too, too clever (i.e. ridiculous).
overall: 2.75/5

[the title quotation is by Steven Spielberg]