123movie.cc
Finding the perfect movie for Taco Tuesday can be difficult. Going to the movie theater is not an option, and you have already spent 30 minutes scrolling through Netflix, but nothing has caught your eye.
On Tuesday, last, what looked like for me was that at least.
That's when I found 123movie.cc. Its modern look has a very familiar feel to other search engines. Think Google simple. A logo and a search box.
This website contains a large number of films that you have never heard of, as well as some new films.
A Design That Shines, But Isn?t Gold
I quickly looked through the catalog, realizing the new car had a transmission that was shoddy.
The design is familiar, and you can easily search for whatever you are looking for. But I wanted some recommendations for a Taco-Tuesday movie. So, I headed over to the movie section.
I am not pleased with the landing page for the movies. The films are in no particular order and half of them don't have an image for me to judge the book by its cover. Therefore, I am in a sea of meaningless movie titles with no direction on which way is up.
Fortunately, there is a filter option for the amoeba of movie titles.
You are able to search by genre and year. But those do not help much. Instead, I prefer to listen to users. And they make it easy for me by offering to filter based on most viewed links and top of IMDB.
Unfortunately, while these filtering methods will give you a list of things people enjoy, it is limited to their library. And worse, it is a randomized list.
It is constantly updating a different list of recommendations depending on the time of day. For example, "The Gingerdead Man" was first on the most viewed tab at #1, but when I refreshed the page it was #7. It seems that there are some top recommendations that appear in no particular order.
And the Top IMDB filter option has the same issue.
Besides offering movie lists that are completely random, it offers movie lists which have no resemblance to the actual top lists on IMDB.
No movie is objectively the best. There are different classics for different people.
Although many people may disagree, I believe that Revenge of the Sith: Reviewed should come before a Revenge of the Sith: Released.
Yet, 123movie.cc has an algorithm that puts the masterpiece of a review by PlinkettReviews before the actual movie.
The layout of the website is easy to navigate, but you will still be lost in a meaningless library.
Surprisingly Clean on Mobile
Many free streaming sites are difficult to use on a phone without ad blockers installed.
Any action might lead you down a rabbit hole of ads that may, or may not, be malware for your device.
But 123movie was reasonable. I clicked around before landing on American Dad. When I selected the show, I was presented with two ads that I was able to back out of. That's impressive compared to some sites that are almost unusable with ads on.
Mobile sites generally feature advertisements over the play button, which redirects a few times until you reach a landing page designed to convince you that hot singles in your area are looking for you.
But this website didn't offer that. Instead, the link went straight to a landing page you're able to back out of. I had to do this twice before the show was playable.
The connection was good, and within 20-30 seconds, the show started and didn't pause to buffer through the entire episode.
Overall, the mobile experience of this site should be the standard for free streaming services. They offer a mediocre library with minimal ads that are easy to avoid and fast servers that start your show (or movie) without buffering multiple times.
Sometimes, Bad is Good
On Taco Tuesday, a randomized movie list could have ruined the day. But instead, I ended up watching a movie that was so bad I couldn't stop laughing.
I believe that the statement perfectly summarizes my experience using this website.
The site looks good, but the library is hideous. But not hideous in the ?I?m never eating here again? way. It is awful in the ?favorite-dive-bar-with-bad-service? way.
I am not going to suggest you invite friends over to watch a movie on 123movie. But if you find yourself bored on a weekday and want to watch a movie, keep an open mind and check out the library. Most of the movies on the list are so bad you will not be able to stop laughing after a few glasses of wine.
This website has the appeal of an unattractive dog.
Taking a chance on finding something on the site will result in a mediocre experience finding a movie at best.
The (not so) Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I endeavor to give the benefit of the doubt whenever I have a chance. However, there are certain things that remain inexcusable.
This website has a broken algorithm to suggest the next title. Furthermore, it can be inaccurate.
Assuming you choose to watch the movie, let's say it starts out fairly well. However, after a few minutes you realize that the plot is incredibly convoluted and nonsensical. You find yourself struggling to make sense of what is happening on-screen. Midway through the movie, you finally give up, feeling disappointed and angry that you wasted your time.
You are lying under your favorite blanket with a big bowl of popcorn and your favorite fluffy socks.
Pick a movie.
You select the movie to watch by clicking it. After the ads, you are presented with additional options for selecting your movie.
But you, who are older than the 2001 Jeff Goldblum staring in the Cats & Dogs movie, are greeted by a much younger version of him staring in the 2019 Cats. Let's leave aside that his performance is probably a better theatrical choice than the financial blackhole that is the 2019 Cats.
You were promised a movie. 123movie does not deliver on their promise.
I can handle the lack of good movies, the subpar algorithm, and possible malware-laden ads. However, I cannot handle a false advertisement. If you are going to be a library filled with bad movies, at least take the time to get the links right.
What Can Be Improved
Sometimes you need to take things at face value.
The site offers free movies with minimal ads and a layout that makes it easy to check out their library.
But two things can be fixed to put glitter on their dirty library.
Make sure the links in your essay are accurate.
Choosing something to spend two hours of my life on can be difficult. And once I finally make up my mind, it is frustrating when I am redirected to another movie. To me, this seems like the most important fix for the quality of life.
Second, make sure that the filters are accurate.
I am not well-versed in technology, but I imagine there is a way to obtain an accurate list of IMDB movies integrated into the site. At the very least, the most viewed movies on the site itself should be easy to find - their data is already contained within the site.
At first glance, the filters seemed useful. However, after refreshing the page, I was offered a different list with the same movies.
What?s the Verdict?
This website is not of good quality.
The library's layout is easy to navigate, but its collection of compelling movies is sparse, and some of the links might be incorrect.
Although this website is free, some things about it are worth enduring. However, the drawbacks of this site make it difficult to recommend to friends.
I will use 123Movie if I need background noise while cleaning the house, but it would be challenging to put this site on a list of reliable resources.
This is McDonalds of free streaming. It's usually disappointing, but when everything else is closed, it can be an option to get by on.