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Reviews
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
The lace action is more... human
It may not follow the 22 minute cartoon episodes that I've watched 4 or 5 times over the last 20 years. But there's something that human actors just bring to the story. Emotion. There is so much more depth to the story, more backstory you just can't add with a graphical representation that makes this so deep. The bending is well done and the characters are much richer when you can see the emotion in their eyes and posture. A script can only provide so much. The actors provide way more context than I could have hoped for. Forget about the differences and just hope we get to the final battle. I think the originals last four episodes will be worth seeing this one to the end.
Fired on Mars (2023)
Haven't found the funny yet
I've watched the first two (2) episodes and I haven't laughed yet. There are just a lot of uncomfortable interactions with some really uninteresting people. Every time he talks to someone it's cringy as hell. How annoying do you have to be to have people actively avoid you. Then there's the whole "Mars" thing. The only reference to Mars is a red sky out the windows and the distance he had to travel to get there. You could create the same story line by living in another country. There really isn't much more I can say about this, it's that boring. There is so much good content out there but I guess you need to fill time somehow.
Little Dixie (2023)
Casting errors ruined a promising film
Beau Knapp as Cuco was a poor choice. His lethargic Spanish at the 8 minute mark highlighted the fact that he was the wrong choice. His character is as menacing as a middle school bully. There's just no real suspense. It reminds me of Boyd Holbrook in Logan. Just a poor fit, no real menace. It's not his fault but he's the main protagonist with a hook throughout the film. Just very unfortunate for everyone involved.
Frank Grillo's character on the other hand, that dude is fearsome. You can't have a weakling against someone with no feeling except a one track mind. Just a terrible imbalance.
I suspect they noticed it during editing but didn't have the budget to fix it. The only other issue was a well worn storyline. It's hard to come up with new ideas though. Caught in the middle of two warring parties and you're the underdog. Maybe next time.
Willow (2022)
Come on!!!
Did none of you actually watch the movie? This is campy as hell, just LIKE the movie. There are so many, many Easter eggs throughout these episodes. The whole point of the movie was fun. Most of these reviews sound like a Law and Order level review of the Reno 911. It's a satire and it's funny. I feel sorry for all these tight ass reviews about "Explain to me how..." blah, blah, blah. What the hell needs to be explained? They have to win in the end, just enjoy the ride with the 21st century dialogue. I only wish Madmartigan could make an appearance. It's possible I suppose. I bet most of these people thought Top Gun 2 was realistic too. Get over it!!!
Class Action Park (2020)
The middle aged nostalgia is hysterically funny
I was interested in remembering all the crap you could do just because there was no way to record it. If you couldn't prove it, it didn't happen served me well more than a few times growing up. I'm pretty ambivalent on the injuries and the reaction to the deaths. But what really struck me at the end was just how bland these people were in mid life. That nostalgia for the "good times" reminds me that some people never actually grow beyond their teenage years. I appreciate the freedom I had, but I know just how close I was to death I was on many occasions. I'm almost 50 and a veteran, this was lame. The ending was terrible.
Black Adam (2022)
Dwayne a Johnson is wasted on this movie
This isn't an origin story. That was a 10 minute opening exposition to explain the origin. Instead of using the movie to develop characters, they just do a resume rundown 30 minutes in, paper thin too. If you like DC movies, this is perfect. Disjointed dialogue, sketchy CGI, pointless transition scenes. This is one ponderous 2-hour movie. I was just waiting for it to get interesting but it just didn't happen. One positive, GBU The Trio playing in the background. And now I just have to complete the final six hundred characters to get this posted because the above pretty much sums it up. And now I'm done.
Resident Evil (2022)
Very predictable
As you watch what happens, you already know how it's going to play out, how people will react, who will die, who will escape unharmed. This show is just predictable.
The Sandman: 24/7 (2022)
Similar to American Gods. Same insanity but slower paced.
This has a similar vibe to American Gods but slower pacing. Some of the episodes are iterative with the others stand alone in depth. Episode 5 could have been a feature film. All are fairly well done. David Thewlis is pretty amazing. Boyd Holbrook reprises his Pierce role from Logan. The others are what you'd expect. I liked it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
All the Missed Opportunities
Just finished the long slog through all 6 episodes. The story just isn't there, it feels contrived just to give so it could exist. So many possibilities squandered, even the CG was sub-par. The acting of most was fine, even the dialogue was well thought. Unfortunately, this is not one I'll bother with a second time. Leia must have been the victim of a serious head wound as a teenager not to remember all this in Episode IV. There were so many possibilities with this series to pick something this weak.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Fast forward is your friend
This season has a lot of filler dialogue to meet the 43 min minimum. I found that if you fast forward through all the unimportant conversations, there's actually a story there. Probably about 5 episodes worth of content.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Good start with room to grow
The first episode was a bit campy but worked well as the starting point. I've read each book at least twice, the earlier ones several times. I don't think Robert Jordan would be unhappy with this. Rosamund Pike works as Moraine. The only problem is that Moraine doesn't smile and that happens to be one of the actors best features, her smile. She uses it anyway and that's fine. Perrin is exactly as I imagined and all but Mat are close enough. He's a little too preppy. Lan is not as imposing as I would expect but they could have done worse. At least they didn't Rand a petulant prick.
It's not Game of Thrones but it's a better adaptation than the Sword of Truth to series. Good start and there is room to grow.
Invasion (2021)
Character development?
Show of hands, something falls out of the sky and moves straight at you, do you walk up and try and touch it? Never mind that Yemen is a place where when something falls out of the sky, it's probably designed to kill you.
You find a whole in the middle of a corn field on a call about a stolen truck. Do you walk to the hole, pretend you don't see the truck you're looking for just across it, walk down in the hole to discuss it, then rifle through the truck, all of which is a presumed crime scene? How did this guy even make it to retirement?
A family of 4 wake up in the morning. We all do it. Maybe it's just that they all wake up sociable and happy.
A women who is less than excited about spending a year on the ISS, maybe don't go. I'm sure there are many others that wouldn't "miss the sunrise" as much.
I'm less than twenty minutes in, but none of these stories are compelling. There is no build up to anything here. Many shows can find the balance in the first episode between the extremes of this and Falcon / Winter Soldier (which got better). I'm all about developing the mystery but the only mystery is when something will happen.
Invasion (2021)
Character development?
Show of hands, something falls out of the sky and moves straight at you, do you walk up and try and touch it? Never mind that Yemen is a place where when something falls out of the sky, it's probably designed to kill you.
You find a whole in the middle of a corn field on a call about a stolen truck. Do you walk to the hole, pretend you don't see the truck you're looking for just across it, walk down in the hole to discuss it, then rifle through the truck, all of which is a presumed crime scene? How did this guy even make it to retirement?
A family of 4 wake up in the morning. We all do it. Maybe it's just that they all wake up sociable and happy.
A women who is less than excited about spending a year on the ISS, maybe don't go. I'm sure there are many others that wouldn't "miss the sunrise" as much.
I'm less than twenty minutes in, but none of these stories are compelling. There is no build up to anything here. Many shows can find the balance in the first episode between the extremes of this and Falcon / Winter Soldier (which got better). I'm all about developing the mystery but the only mystery is when something will happen.
Old Henry (2021)
I wanted to love it but...
Don't let the kid piss you off too much during the first 30 minutes. If you recognize his name there's not much of a plot twist. The origin story of the man he found is contrived and unlikely. The final shoot out is MI2 style unconvincing. Other than than that, good flick.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021)
Aladdin-esk with a sci-fi flavor
What am I watching? It's like a sci-fi Aladdin. And all of a sudden it's Evelyn instead of Evil-lyn? And Skeletor is now a dude that looks like Jafar with a metal skeleton-like hand. Whatever works for you...
The Suicide Squad (2021)
What am I watching?
I feel like I'm missing something profound but all I can get from this is stupidity. A good movie keeps you from noticing you're watching it. This keeps bringing to mind the same question... What am I watching?
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Just one question...
When they needed an expert opinion on volcanoes did they wait for science class to begin, or we're all those kids just sitting there waiting?
The end is rushed and so things just happen in perfect timing but the back story is good. No one can get lost watching this movie.