Change Your Image
JosephPNelson
Reviews
Haywire (2011)
Came for the action, not the story, still disappointed
I decided to check this movie out, not because of the story/plot/characters, but because I heard the action scenes were good. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. The first fight in the diner managed to get me excited, but by the second one, I had had enough. Both scenes had lots of cuts, which is typical of Hollywood action, but the first one was better choreographed and "harder hitting". Now, I can live with a crappy story if the action is good, and can I live with crappy action if the story is good, but not crappy everything. Perhaps later fight scenes might have met, or exceeded, the bar they set with the first one, but I didn't feel like spending 2 hours to see if 20 minutes of action may or may not be good. It just had too much bad dragging the thing down.
First, the score was absolutely terrible and extremely distracting. Every time music played, I was reminded of just how bad it was. Second, information about the story and characters is drip fed to the audience. I don't know if this was intended to create interest, and a desire to find out what was going on, but it just didn't work. I found myself growing increasingly annoyed at being kept in the dark. Third, the lead has potential as an action star, and I liked her well enough in Deadpool, but I'm not quite sure she's leading actress material. Perhaps she was hindered by the script and/or director, but she lacked the skill/on-screen charisma to carry this hot mess.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
A Worthy Successor to the Original Trilogy
Well, for everyone who has ever had their expectations smashed upon the jagged rocks of reality, I'm happy to report that it's safe to get excited. J.J. Abrams has expertly crafted an experience that delivers on everything that made original trilogy the beloved franchise that it is today. Of course, the action, grand spectacles, pretty faces, and sprinkling of humor that is typical of triple-A crowd pleasers is present, but so are the elements that make a good movie into a great one. Just like the original trilogy, this installment sets itself apart from the pack thanks to its likable and memorable characters, an interesting storyline which exists as more than just a vehicle to drive the action, and a fictional world so compelling that even adults want to live in it. So, get ready to care about new characters. Get ready to fear a multi-dimensional villain. Get ready to go on a new adventure. A worthy successor to the original trilogy has finally arrived.
Of course, this is not to say that The Force Awakens is perfect. First, the Hero's Journey has become so overused, that I now consider it cliché. While its use here managed to pull me out of the experience a little bit, it was still a far cry better than the worst, clumsily written examples. As a result, I imagine most viewers won't mind its use here. Second, I feel like the fan service could have been toned down a bit; but judging by the happy squeals of the adult woman that sat next to me, it seems to have been a welcome addition for others. Finally, while there are many story elements that mirror the source material, there was one that probably should have been scrapped in favor of something new. Indeed, it was even one of the first things that my brother commented on after the movie, and he's far less critical movies than I am. Regardless, I consider these flaws far too small to stand in the way of most people's enjoyment of the film.
Finally, I was also pleased to see a female protagonist done right. Rey was not a prize to be won, a damsel to be rescued, some traditional male archetype that had been gendered swapped, or any other such rubbish. While I doubt that this should make a difference on whether or not you should see the movie, I feel that GOOD heroines are rare enough to warrant pointing out. Hopefully, she won't don any gold bikini's in future installments.
The Force Awakens has been worth the wait, and it is most certainly worth braving the crowds. If you like action/adventure, or Star Wars in particular, you'll definitely want to check this movie out. It may not be perfect, but it is the Star Wars sequel fans have been waiting for. Heck, it's a good movie in its own right, and it could have easily stood on its own. So Force-Jump, don't walk, to your nearest theater for earliest showing you can make.
Hannibal (2013)
Falls short
Okay, so this show is supposed to be intelligent -and to a degree it is. Compared to a show like NCIS, it's genius; unfortunately, NCIS doesn't exactly set a high bar. For example, Hugh Dancy's character is a guy who can empathize with serial killers. In terms of plot, this means that he uses this empathy to rapidly solve cases, pretty much single-handedly, by being able to understand what the killers were/are thinking. An innate ability to understand the killers motivations, a few clues tied together, and a possible leap of logic later, and voilà, they're knocking on the killer's door. Besides that, there's lots of other little stuff that bugs me. If I only I didn't demand intelligent programing to actually be intelligent, I might like this show. Regardless, this show has fallen short of my expectations. Oh, I do like Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal though. I hope to see more of him in the future.
24 (2001)
Meh
My brother tells me lighten up. He tells me that TV/movies are fictional pieces of work meant to entertain and that writers are allowed to take artistic liberties in the pursuit of that goal. While, I agree with him to a certain extent, I can't help but get irritated at all the stupidity I see. Of course, I have a background in military intelligence so it means that the ridiculous of this particular show is more blatantly apparent to me than it is to my brother who is a civil engineer. *Possible Spoiler* Take for instance one scene where one of the CTU analysts (or whatever his job was) was trying to find the location of a cell phone. In this scene he uses the words "trace" and "triangulate" interchangeably and states,even though the signal was up for several minutes, that he didn't have enough time to find even the general location of the phone. Now I, of course, could easily go into a several paragraph tirade over technical errors made in this two minute scene, but in the end it's really not important. What is important is whether you're the type of person who gets annoyed at these "artistic liberties" or whether your the type of person who says "Who cares? It's a TV show." In the end, it will be your answer to that question that determines whether you like this show or not. Trying very hard to be fair, I rate this show a 6 out of 10.
Ask This Old House (2002)
Informative Show without the Drama
I am at a loss as to why this show's average rating is a low six. It is a very informative show without any of the reality TV-like drama that accompanies some of the DIY shows. I love it because I just want the knowledge and none of the worthless drama. Furthermore, the difficulty of the projects they do is right in my comfort zone (I used to work summers with my Dad and Uncle doing home remodeling and maintenance, so I have a good base, but I lack the decades of experience that they have). Most of the projects are practical/pragmatic in nature. In another words they're not about prettying up the place to sell (new paint, furniture, etc), but about fixing problems or adding functionality. Projects include plumbing, electrical, general carpentry, flooring, and even landscaping. Anyway, it's a great show and hope it lasts another ten years.
Earthlings (2005)
Too Graphic
I made it all of about fifteen minutes through before I had to cut it off. It was basically a narrated collection of the worst animal cruelty videos ever filmed. I watch a lot of documentaries of different types (including documentaries on genocide), and this was just too much. I couldn't see any reason why I'd sit there and subject myself to this documentary's graphic scenes. I'm surprised this film is rated as high as it is. Maybe it has more to do with people agreeing with the film's message, than with actually liking this extremely disturbing look at how humans treat animals. Regardless, I'd recommend passing on this one and checking out one of the plethora of other great documentaries out there.