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Reviews
Shardlake (2024)
Promising production waylaid by unfortunate elements
I'm on episode 4, want to give this production a chance. It's obviously carefully crafted, with good production values and ambitious historic filmmaking deserves a shot. So far the writing is intriguing but I wish Arthur Hughes was more up to the task of realizing Shardlake beyond either sneering or looking pensively off into the distance as he self-reflects. To his credit, he does well conveying the struggles of someone with a physical disability in a time when there was little tolerance for such differences - ironic because the excessive ethnic diversity casting, historically out of place, invokes no similar attention or commentary amidst a story set in Tudor England. I guess current thinking means that focusing on period discrimination as it relates to disability is ok, but we'll just overlook racial injustice of the time and colorwash the cast because, you know, Bridgerton. Anthony Boyle is good as Cromwell's man. The rest of the cast mostly whispers and hisses while trading furtive glances.
Kapringen (2012)
Taught negotiation procedural
The producers of this film got a ton of mileage out of what was likely a sparse budget and excellent danish actors that will be familiar to American filmgoers who enjoy international crime or espionage movies. A much more gritty depiction of a maritime hostage situation than Captain Phillips (with a plot that's more similar to how these things usually play out). Gripping and entertaining, a Highjacking depicts how the months-long evolution takes its emotional toll on the hostages (in particular the ship's cook) and the shipping firm's CEO who declines advice to use a hired consultant to facilitate the negotiations.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
Where did this movie come from
Flying in under the radar with apparently zero promotional budget from Amazon, Ron Howard delivers a gripping drama. Very efficient, methodical story sticks to the events of the rescue with virtually no backstory other than the fact Colin Farrell's character has a young son. Good balance with the Thai characters so the story doesn't devolve into a white savior fable.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Grin grin, wink wink, STOP!
Taika Waititi's shtick overstays its welcome in his limp sophomore installation. The winking irony can't carry the whole movie and at some point you've got to have Thor stop looking stupid in domestic human situations and start behaving like a warrior thunder God. I'm afraid the Disney influence is really starting to neuter the MCU. I understand it's not Shakespeare but can you at least stay sorta faithful to the source material? Speaking of which... Brett Goldstein as the new Hercules - are you insane? I think he's hilarious in Ted Lasso but in any Marvel iteration, the God of strength is massive, it feels like a big slap in the face of any fan of the comics (or of the original Greek myth source material) where he's literally the strongest man/demi-god on earth.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
They hooked us, now the agenda messaging seeps in
Loved the introduction of Pike and Spock in Discovery which otherwise was a mess throughout the season they were introduced. This show has tremendous potential and I particularly appreciate how the writers are letting the Star Fleet officers behave like professional adults, but... I am beginning to detect dribs and drabs of the kind of 21st century identity politics that ultimately photon-torpedoed Discovery along with the ponderous and painfully self-aware character introspection that bogged down Picard. I hope the writers can TRY and maintain a semblance of the nice balance of intelligent and well-paced storytelling that hearkened back to the earlier episodic Star Treks and leave the soap operatic dreck on the table. And please stop making Uhuru into a wide eyed overly talkative Mary Sue/Michael Burnham clone - just let her be a cool smart younger Uhuru!
Jaguar (2021)
Stylistic, fast-paced and Nazis!
Think combination of Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and Guy Ritchie's Man from Uncle. Great 60's set design and vibe - look, everyone's smoking and talking on landlines! Unlike that Al Pacino Hunters series with its silly cast of unbelievable Nazi hunters, Jaguar's squad seems believabley bad-ass. Hope Netflix renews for a second season.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Discovery's loss = an extra star
The exit of Mary Wiseman's Sylvia Tilly begs the question, what happens if a gas giant enters a black hole? In my universe it means boosting this dismal space encounter group show's rating from 1 to 2 stars. Now we need to figure out a way for the rest of the cast to be transported into deep space since Paramount seems unwilling to cut the cord on this shambling corpse.
The Expanse (2015)
Intriguing script and characters
After slogging through two and a half seasons of ST Discovery before finally throwing in the towel, I am 5 episodes into the first season. What a difference. I'm actually absorbed into the plot and haven't once been jolted back to my reality by the kind of constant virtue signaling that made Discovery so tiresome. I don't fully understand all of the details (some of which are relayed by quick exposition that is sometimes hard to hear clearly) but that's ok. Like a good complex movie, I don't need nor want the story spoon fed to me and I've found answers to lingering plot threads eventually reveal themselves. I note Thomas Jane is only in 24 episodes which is kind of a shame since I'm a fan. Wes Chatham's character is annoying so far but the rest of the ensemble cast seems relatable and thoughtfully written. Solid, intelligent entertainment. UPDATE: after finishing the first half of season 3, very strong writing, excellent and believable character development that invests the viewer in outcomes. Wes Chatham's character arc has even won me over!
I'm Your Woman (2020)
Good period crime drama
No nonsense neo-noir crime drama with a modern female perspective. Enough plot complexity and detail to keep your attention. Only real fault is the damn production is so dark, I was wondering if the filmmakers forgot to pay the electric bill. Oh, and I will agree with others - if you are looking for something to entertain you after putting your infant down for the night, you may want to avoid this due to the amount of baby crying included!
Haywire (2011)
All flash, wasted cast
A-list supporting cast wasted while former MMA champ Carano beats the crap out of everyone. Wants to achieve Mission impossible level of seriousness with director Soderbergh but instead we get a poor shadow of Atomic Blonde.
Tenet (2020)
Disappointment overshadows the good stuff
Just finished watching the 4k disc which I was really looking forward to. Had discounted critics who said the plot complexity interfered with the cinematic experience, as the same has been said before of other Nolan films, notably Inception, which I thoroughly enjoyed the first time even if it took multiple viewings to fully appreciate all of the nooks and crannies. There is something to be said for just going along for the ride and enjoying the scenery even if you miss some of it along the way. I couldn't enjoy this ride as the FOMO was too powerful, even at an unconscious level, for me to simply sit back and appreciate the obviously first-rate technical & directorial aspects and overall decent casting. To continue the road trip analogy, watching this movie was akin to traveling to the Grand Canyon or the Louvre wearing a mask with a couple of pinholes poked out, before being ushered out after two and a half hours. I was left with a great sense of disappointment which will probably deter me from slipping the disc back in for the requisite repeat viewing anytime soon. Such a shame.
Wallander: Vålnaden (2010)
Not up to par, but interesting cast trivia
I've just finished watching 7 episodes from season 2009-2010 and have to agree with some of the others who posted comments critical of this installment. Mroz picked out an unintentionally funny scene where Wallander swims at least half a mile, fully clothed with shoes - although I might add, he was also shot in the face and holding onto his pistol with one hand - not bad for an overweight, ready-to-retire cop who smokes like a chimney!
I don't mean to pick on Wallander's lifestyle choices, after all, they are part of what makes the character tick. But seriously, a little perspective on how to incorporate the man's strengths and weaknesses into a believable story. We don't watch Wallander to see chase scenes and shootouts at the expense of good character and plot development. Unlike previous installments, this episode seemed formulaic – which still ain't bad compared to most repetitive cookie cutter police dramas.
TRIVIA: Check out Iben Hjejle, speaking in her native tongue, who played John Cusack's girlfriend Laura (the significant one) in High Fidelity (2000).
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
Something for everyone
I saw this movie with my 8 year old daughter on a big-screen TV in 2006 for the first time since seeing it in its original format in a theater as a kid when it was released. I couldn't remember why the movie made such an impression on me as a boy but now it's obvious. There's everything present for good escapist entertainment: imaginative, exotic settings, lot's of classic Ray Harryhausen creatures, acting that's not too serious but not so self-aware that the cast behaves like it's a joke, a fun script and Caroline Munro - in all of her G-rated plunging cleavage wonder, even if most of her dialogue is spent repeating the same line: "Sinbad look!" (probably because poor Sinbad was too distracted by her presence to pay attention to the approaching monster). Munro was probably the deciding factor in making the film a stand out when I was pre-adolescent male! Oh yeah, and my daughter loved it! Don't bother waiting for the next $400 million overproduced Hollywood fantasy epic. Just go rent or buy this and enjoy!