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curmudgeon86
Reviews
Oldeuboi (2003)
Overrated mid movie
I watched it with the expectation of a classic cinema, and was underwhelmed.
These are the positives: the movie is well-acted. The protagonist is magnetic. The hallway fight sequence and the long flashback sequence are magical. The premise is imaginative and enticing.
But everything else was underwhelming for me. I was not captivated, surprised or even grossed. The famous twist was obvious before it came. I just did not see whatever it was that other people saw in the movie.
Maybe if I felt some way about the antagonist, there is a chance that I would have had a stronger reaction. He just came across as a weird unlikeable psychopath, but not particularly interesting.
Stylistically too, Oldboy was far less interesting than what I had expected. Except a few scenes and sequences here and there, nothing stayed with me.
This feels almost like an exploitation-type movie that could well have been forgotten, but somehow became world famous.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
Paint by the Numbers YA Fantasy
I watched the pilot and quit.
It suffers from the same issues as much of modern "Young Adult" genre; the teenage drama was the A-side. It's just dressed up as fantasy. So like instead of a human toxic ex you have a demonic toxic ex.
The source of all drama is the immaturity of the main characters, which makes sitting through unbearable for adult viewers like myself. The actual mystery-solving is relegated to B-side, and is at the level of a cartoon for 8-year olds. This is the opposite of good YA series like Veronica Mars where the teen characters are not overly immature and the actual story is the A-side.
I would have liked it better if it was more like that: focused on two ghost detectives and a medium solving interesting magic crimes.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Excellent art, weak story
Into the Spider-Verse was one of the rare big studio movies that felt fresh, authentic and full of heart. Across the Spider-Verse falls short of matching its predecessor in each of those counts.
Whenever a superhero movie succeeds, big studios try to distill its essence down to a formula, trim out any creative risks to make it safe for large-scale public consumption and add some fanservice. This is the case with the second instalment of Spider-verse.
Except for the art. The art was brilliant and original. But little else stays with you after after the end.
On a side note, is anyone else tired of multiverses? In the first movie, spider-beings from different dimensions were fresh and funny. Twenty popular movies and series later, it feels played out. The central plot feels like something out of an old Rick and Morty episode.
But the bigger problem was this: the essence of Spider Man stories is that he is both a teenager and a superhero. He has typical teenager problems, struggles to juggle his double life, makes mistakes and learns from them. The first half of the movie followed that template and was good fun to watch.
But then the movie turns it upside down and the teens become smarter than the adults. The adult Spider folks in Spider HQ(which was basically Citadel of Ricks from R&M) not only approach a sensitive conversation with Miles with the delicacy of a sledgehammer, it's unclear if they even know what they are talking about.
The centrepiece of the movie is an extended chase scene with little suspense about the result. Here's another thing that annoys me: making your hero suddenly overpowered by having them beat other characters in a way that defies in-universe logic.
The English punk spiderman made me chuckle though.
The Tourist (2010)
Depp miscast in a Hugh Grant role
Not a bad movie for all that. It's an old style caper, that gets by on charm of the lead actors and comedy rather than plot or action.
There were several weak points --both the comedy and the plot could have been better, the dialogue snappier. Jolie was good but a little underused.
But the biggest weakness was the casting of Johnny Depp as the bumbling everyman tourist. It dulled Depp's natural charisma, which was vital for the movie to work. Depp was simply the wrong choice -- his natural charm comes out when he can be a little weird or flamboyant. They also make him look less handsome than usual in the normal guy getup.
The role should have gone to someone who would be charming as a bumbling idiot. Cary Grant's cinematic grandson Hugh Grant was the natural choice, although that would have killed some of the jokes based on American tourists. George Clooney would probably have worked too.
With a well cast lead and a few hilarious moments, this could have been a 8/10 movie.
Secret Invasion (2023)
Good premise, bad show
Secret Invasion is built on an interesting premise. An immigrant community (Skrull) is at war with the natives (humans).
Echoes of several real world issues appear in the show: can immigrants only assimilate by acting exactly like the natives (putting on human faces) or can they be accepted in their own skins? Will the natives like the immigrants simply if the latter prove the goodness of their heart(as Talos believed, like many first generation immigrants) or will those who are different never be accepted as the rebel second-gen immigrant Gravik believes?
With such topical questions to work with, this could have been a really good show.
But that would have needed moral ambiguity, multiple character viewpoints, a solid story with escalating dramatic tension.
What we got instead: none of the above.
The show was bland and slow, with little dramatic tension and a rushed climax. Some plot developments were closed so abruptly in the fifth episode that it felt like a student movie.
Just to point out one example of weak writing: in a well written show, you deliver on what you promise the audience.
All through the series, tension was built between two key characters. But the climactic fight did not involve one of them, but someone else entirely. This is the director reneging on the promise made to the audience, so the ending felt empty.
It would have been redeemed if they had created an equal amount of tension between the two characters that finally squared off. They certainly had the chance -- but they did not do that either.
The only redeeming feature: good acting by great actors like Olivia Coleman, Don Cheadle and of course Samuel L Jackson. These seasoned vets once again proved how great acting can elevate the material. But it wasn't enough to save the show.
Avenue 5 (2020)
First season: Meh Second season: horrible
I watched the first season last year and rated it 5/10. I don't remember almost anything about it, it was just kind of barely watchable with a few solid moments but kind of loose and all over the place.
Some people seemed to like the 'dry humor' in the show, others thought there was none. I got the humor, but thought it to be fairly weak.
I started watching the second season with the hope that maybe they will improve and things might fall into place. I was wrong.
The problems have actually exacerbated. The show has now deteriorated to the point of unwatchability. It's even more all over the place and they have added some forced, unoriginal humor. I genuinely hope they cancel the show after this season and put it out of its misery.
The White Lotus (2021)
They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money
Whether you like the stories or not, there's no denying the mastery behind The White Lotus. You feel transported inside the White Lotus hotels, spying on the obscenely rich holidayers who form the main characters of the show.
Beautiful locations, gorgeous frames, top notch acting and masterful direction makes it feel almost like a reality show.
The two seasons are thematically different. The first, set in Hawaii, is about class/money. Unlike most viewers, I preferred the first season. It takes a good look into how money affects human relationships. Much of the story is best summed up by the quote from Great Gatsby about the rich: "they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...and let other people clean up the mess they had made."
The second season is set in Sicily and is about sex. The setting is appropriate -- the tales of lust, romps and adultery have a European flavor. The story about two couples who come to vacation together is the best. Meghan Farhy's incredibly well written and well acted character steals the show. The rest of the threads don't quite have the same originality or character development as that one(or the threads of the first season). Some of the stories and characters felt underdeveloped and almost redundant (esp the grandfather and the father).
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012)
What's the deal with this boring show
The following segment is a perfect illustration of why this show sucks:
Long shot of Seinfeld's car cuts to Seinfeld and Rock talking inside.
Chris Rock: There's no self service in Jersey
Seinfeld: Oh really, why?
Rock: because of Chris Christie, I guess. I don't know
Seinfeld: I can't believe how close the name Chris Christie is to Krispy Kreme.
Cut to long shot again.
Most of the show is like this -- tiny snippets of banal conversation, stitched together with a bunch of shots of car and coffee, centered around a guy who thinks 'Chris Christie sounds like Krispy Kreme' is a funny enough observation to be left in.
The amount of content that's actually funny or interesting in a typical episode can be condensed to a minute-long Youtube clip. If you watch the clips on YT, you have watched the show.
Sometimes you get a really funny and likeable guest like Norm or Bill Burr and even in those episodes, there's no more than five minutes of interesting content. This is because Seinfeld is always around to drag things down.
You have to wonder if he thinks his observations are so funny and/or insightful that they would engage the audience (they don't), or if his
contempt for his audience is such that he doesn't care whether they are entertained.
Either way, he isn't trying to take the audience along in the ride. You are left outside, listening in.
Glass Onion (2022)
Worst Ending in Film History?
The ending was the cinematic equivalent of scraping a chalkboard with your fingernails for fifteen minutes straight.
The movie was a solid 6.5 till then. Visually appealing, well-acted, decent pacing. Yes, the mystery plot wasn't strong -- there wasn't enough details of the characters. Yes, denouement wasn't clever or interesting either.
But the last 10 minutes ruined whatever came before. I have no idea how anyone thought this was a good ending. Some characters were offered moral redemption but they had not really done anything to deserve it.
With a cleverer mystery and sans the wedding. It could have worked.
Dead to Me (2019)
Not what it says on the tin.
I started watching because this was advertised as a show with dark humor and mystery.
Turns out it has neither. Laughs are few and far between, and some of the attempts (like the mother in law character) feel forced. If you expect a comedy like Bojack, After Life or Barry, this is not in the same category.
There is even less of mystery. We know who did it from the first episode and there is no puzzle at any point.
This is actually a drama about two women, with one protagonist struggling with her grief of losing her husband and the other befriending her but hiding her own secret.
The show is at its strongest when it addresses grief and loss. I felt that the show would have been better if they lost the mystery angle entirely and have the protagonists help each other through their issues.
It was difficult for me to either like both the protagonists or remain interested in the plot and I tapped out after episode 5.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Texts (2019)
Genius level writing
This episode, written by Rob and Charlie, may be the best written episode of Sunny. It gets even better on a second viewing, when you start appreciating how cleverly a number of different plot threads and jokes are weaved together.
There are a number of callback jokes within the episode, a particularly funny recurring joke being about how meerkat treat their weak. The resolution is neat and fits well with the story. A rare Sunny with a positive ending.
If you appreciate good writing, you will definitely love this episode.
Slow Horses (2022)
Halfway between Tinker Tailor and James Bond
In the spectrum of spy movies, you have at one end more 'realistic' ones like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (written by an ex-spy), high on intrigue and low on action. On the other end, you have the wildly unrealistic action-packed stuff like James Bond (incidentally also written by an ex-spy).
Slow Horses (not written by an ex-spy) is right in the middle of that spectrum, it wants to have its cake and eat it too. I am sure there is an audience who love this middlebrow melange of Le Carre and Fleming, but I am not that audience.
The story pretends to some type of realism by rattling off some spy jargon, yet it has spies and agencies behaving cartoonishly way too often. Then there are the cliched stock characters like the 'all-powerful hacker' and the 'unhinged fanatic'. The development of Gary Oldman's character doesn't make much sense.
On the plus side, the acting is almost uniformly good and elevates the material. Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves and Brian Vernel stand out. There are some clever twists and the thrill is maintained throughout. I would have much preferred if it dropped the pretence of being something more and settled for being what it was -- a vanilla thriller.
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
feels like it was written by sophomores
Steve Martin and Martin Short were great. Them and Selena Gomez made a likeable unlikely team. The bits where she helps her two elderly friends navigate the modern world were funny and touching, likewise for the bits where the two men try to be protective and caring of her despite not quite understanding why millenials act the way they do. Martin and Short are funny and charming and Tina Fey was great in a cameo.
But the weaknesses outweigh the strengths. The story feels like it was written by first time writers -- it has a very sophomoric feel to it. It is boring and weak. This is a mystery story but that plot is kept more or less in halt till the very end -- the middle episodes are full of extraneous and frankly boring backstories and subplots. Selena Gomez's acting was another weak point of the series.
The story needed to focus on the mystery, it needed some colorful suspects, some suspense and a lot more fun scenes of the three leads investigating together. Instead we get a lot of cliched, done-to-death subplots involving each character. There were glimpses of a hella fun show, but it got buried by the bad writing.
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015)
Would have given it a 6 except for the first season finale
The first two episodes are good, but the bad starts piling up slowly from thereon and culminates in a godawful finale. I can't unsee it unfortunately, but I can warn you not to be drawn in by the good reviews.
The first thing stands out about this series is the depiction of London in early nineteenth century. The harsh living conditions of common people, the debates around surgery and science vs religion are all depicted in a way that is close to historical truth. There is no romanticising the past here. The atmosphere is immersive, or at least good enough to suspend disbelief. However I find using and even modifying historical characters for the plot iffy.
The second good thing is the acting, particularly by Sean Bean and the girl who played Flora. Sean Bean brought a lot of depth and humanity to his role of a humble but honourable police officer.
That said, the story was the weak link. The story seemed to flow well for the first few episodes with several mysteries piling up, but things started happening rather abruptly from the fourth episode to hasten the story to conclusion. To use a cooking metaphor, the plot had too many ingredients and was undercooked as a result. Some of the mysteries remained unsolved by the end.
As a detective story, it falls short by some distance. I am not an exacting judge, but here it is all 'It's him, no him, no him' all on the basis of remarkably weak clues. If you're expecting something at the level of Broadchurch or Shetland (purely as a detective story) you would be disappointed.
Still, it was a 6 in my book till the horrible final episode. It was not only depressing and upended all the character development of the first five episodes, it also had several characters act uncharacteristically and illogically, to bring about a particular 'twist'. It killed any interest I may have had in the second season.
Living with Yourself (2019)
Starts well but loses its way
I made the mistake of believing the top reviews which were very positive. That and the fact that I wanted to like this because I like both the leads. Which is why I am writing this to warn others.
The show started off well enough and the first four or so episodes kept me hooked. Paul Rudd was excellent in his double role. Aisling Bea was likeable. The story took turns which I didn't guess, which kept things interesting. The switching between different character POVs was nice and things were amusing if not laugh-out-loud funny.
But things went downhill from the episode which ends with an office party. From this point the show starts struggling. The story turns into relationship drama and not much else, the humor disappears (it picks up briefly towards the end with the introduction of the FDA), and it becomes dull and even difficult to watch at times. A completely tangential storyline involving a town hall meeting is thrown in which was totally unnecessary and had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. I didn't mind the ending but by that point the story had ceased to be interesting or entertaining.
------------------------------------------
Looking back, the problem is that sone of the character arcs is quite tragic, but they are trying to fit it into a light dramady. So the tone keeps alternating between comic and tragic so quickly and it becomes genuinely difficult to watch -- you get heartbreaking moments presented in an attempted light tone. Its just bad writing. The idea had potential but the writers needed to make up their minds about what they wanted the story to be.
Happy! (2017)
Unlikeable characters, lacking in humor and wit
This is essentially Christmas Carol with violence and grotesquery.
The protagonist is a typical noir comics hero --a criminal-turned-cop, estranged from his family and living on booze. He gets a chance at redemption when he teams up with his daughter's imaginary friend, a blue unicorn, to rescue her from a kidnapper. Similar stories have been done before and 'Happy!' could have been made as another wholesome-ish lighthearted venture with an unlikely partnership with a constantly chattering unicorn (reminds of Shrek's donkey) and a redemption arc for the hero. But it takes the opposite direction.
We get something of a gritty noir with weird over the top villains who do gross stuff, plenty of over the top violence and an abundance of gore. The imaginary unicorn has sex at some point. Think Preacher (the comics).
Preacher (comics) worked for me because despite the gross stuff going on around them, the heroes were likeable characters with interesting journeys. I was hooked because I cared about the heroes and the stakes felt real.
Here the hero is totally unlikeable and the villains are so over the top that the stakes don't feel real. There is no tension. None of the side characters are interesting or likeable either. The unicorn was plain annoying and did not have a consistent personality and I could not care less about the corrupt detective.
Humor could have redeemed this, but humor was conspicuous by its absence. Everything passes for dark comedy these days, but where was the comedy? I semi-chuckled maybe once in the two episodes I watched.
If you like shock-tainment or gore for its own sake, you might like this one. If you want a strong story with well-developed characters to go with that, you would be disappointed.
Luther (2010)
More drama than mystery
I bailed after 3 and a half episodes. I was sucked in by the good reviews which promised an intelligent show, but it was way below expectations in that respect.
It's not that Luther doesn't have its moments. The acting is good. Idris Elba is believable as an obsessive detective, Saskia Reeves nails it as his tough-but-fair boss. Psychology of criminals is a major aspect of the series and that was well done. The criminals were quite believable psychologically.
The main issue for me are the flimsy plots. In the first episode Luther finds a key piece of evidence towards the end -- it is unbelievable that it had not been noticed before. In the second the climactic confrontation of Luther and the murderer came across as way over the top and unbelievable. In the third episode Luther deduces the murderer's location from a piece of information that could easily have had other interpretations.
The plots had already turned me off the show, and the two central women characters further sealed the deal. Zoe as Luther's wife has this annoying slightly miffed expression on her face all the time, it's hard to see what anyone would see in her. We are told that she is a strong woman, but we don't see any evidence of that. On the contrary she cheats on her lover instead of breaking up. Then there is the Alice Morgan character who is supposed to be some kind of narcissist/psychopath who just acts weird. Psychopaths mask, so why does she act like that? Is she not masking before Luther? And why does Luther befriend a criminal like her? In the third episode he tells her that she needs to stop bothering him, in the fourth he is back in her lab talking to her like a friend. This is totally inconsistent with his character.
The weak plot wasn't engaging enough for me plus letting bad people off the hook was a deal breaker.
Covert Affairs (2010)
Typical Hollywood unrealistic idiocy
There's a class of American shows that are unmatched in their aggressive mindlessness. Improbably attractive glammed up spies, thoroughly unrealistic stories and complete absence of anything that could spark a brain cell. Add to that the usual sick desensitization and championing of torture and such (because america's enemies are such monsters there is no other way).
Also Piper Parebo and her puppy eyes are annoying as anything.