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Reviews
The Days (2023)
Should be 3 episodes. And is the incompetence real??
As many said, this is no Chernobyl. And that is totally OK if they really wanted to make a documentary. However, rather than making it realistic, they mixed documentary with a Korean (or Japanese) soup opera, and stretched it into 8 episodes with nothing happening. The main pains being:
> Extremely long shots at people just staring, or sitting
> Every conversation full of eh, uh
> Constant emotional convos how we old guys will save the young guys etc.
> Irrelevant scenes with origami mother and cute sister
> Mr. Bean like acting of many people - OK, they might be incompetent, but that doesn't mean they should look like there is a rat making it's way up their butt
Now more to the actual story - my understanding is it relatively closely follows the real events. That is extremely sad, because while watching you are just sitting in disbelief about the incompetence. It is almost hard to belief that this level of incompetence is possible, and I suspect that some of the more sinister facts regarding TEPCO were intentionally left out. As others mentioned, for example the fact that they had a report showing they need to increase the flood walls due to tsunami risk and didn't (unlike another non-TEPCO power plant), they had a report about station black out risk in case of flooding etc. And there must have been way more hiding things from the government, otherwise I cannot imagine such pathetic response to the disaster.
I really wish this show was not made by the Japanese, and instead by someone ready to criticize them, maybe the Korean or the Chinese. The way Chernobyl was made by the Americans about the Soviets, allowing them to be very critical. Imagine if Russians were filming Chernobyl... likely would be similar samurai-like show as "The Days", hiding the incompetence.
Now, there is the unbelievable incompetence and lack of urgency throughout. Most of it comes from the inability to get any resources or ask for them - you get the impression this is a Lunar station and nobody can reach it. Yet, it is in Fukushima, near large cities. Yet:
> They are unable to bring a generator for like...5 days?? What?? Any event organizer can bring one to an outside party, but they cannot get one for the plant?? They could fly it in by a helicopter if the roads were so bad...
> They cannot even get batteries and have to connect car batteries...like...seriously??
> They are unable to get more firetrucks or pumps and hoses... and send the people operating them home... You just cannot believe they are at risk of a reactor blowing up, and the emergency servicrs or military cannot provide these basic things
> Cleaning roads and cars away. First, it would take one excavator to push it's way through the cars and smaller debris, but apparently that is not worth it. After all, it is just a nuclear disaster, right... Second, they actually have an excavator as later shown, but only decide to use it when things have started blowing up...
> They are not getting any medical trams help, rotating the people to avoid radiation exposure etc. - I mean how long would it take to fly in an emergency response team? 2 hours? But ni, 5 days later, and there is no one.
> Most of them are just sitting reading through manuals to come up with obvious solutions. Even the concrete pumps - which they treat like some sort of never heard of space tech - should be obvious. Moreover firemen also have trucks that can be used for taking out fires in tall buildings...
Anyway, the incompetence is so crazy that I feel the Japanese left out the real sinister behavior from TEPCO. You can sort of feel it from the lack of communications with the government, but if TEPCO was truly intentionally hiding and downplaying the situation (the same way the Soviet engineers did in Chernobyl), then this should have been the central part of the story. Instead, the story acts as if not bringing in any resources, and overall treating the whole disaster as if it was just a leaking pipe at grandma's house and we cannot bother the neighbor asking for a wrench, is just ridiculous.
Treason (2022)
A joke? Are we supposed to believe MI6 operates like this?
First time I am reviewing a TV show after just one episode - it is enough to understand two key problems - plot nonsense and "house-husband" behavior of MI6 deputy.
So the plot nonsense was described by many - no CCTVs in London, MI6 deputy for no reason secretly meeting and giving intel to enemy for no reason... there are just too many. I will not elaborate to avoid spoilers.
The "house-husbandry" of the main character is even more obnoxious. Now imagine you are number two person in MI6. Well, at this point your family better be used to that you cannot tell them about work, that you often get home late, that you leave on sudden emergencies etc. Well, not according to this TV show. On the day of the main crisis when he needs to step up, his main concern is letting his wife know about the details of the crisis (before the PM and despite "media blackout"), and reassuring her he'll be home in time to tuck the kids in bed. Next day, despite this emergency and finding another urgent threat, he first goes to a movie theater, and then "sneakily" picks up the intel and informs MI6. At night, he silently sneaks away to research a case on his computer, and when his wife "catches him", he quickly closes the laptop and returns to bed - as if this was extremely unusual, the first time in his career he needed to solve an issue at night.
This is just impossible to watch. It is as if he was picking up groceries, not solving national security issies.
Rough Diamonds (2023)
Unlikable protagonist, illogical, caricature of hasidic jews
This show has three main problems which make it really painful to watch after a few episodes.
1) Main character Noah is extremely unlikable. He seems to be portrayed as a voice of reason coming to an incapable scheming hasidic family. It is not like they hide his problematic past and even problematic "current employment" is shown. Still, he is presented as the more honest, ready to accept his mistakes, not hiding behind a religion etc. Within this hypocritical family.
Yet, when you really watch, while he always makes gestures of accepting his mistakes, always verbalizes great care for others, his actions speak the opposite. He gets his friends in trouble with no clear remorse. He constantly promises he'll protect someone with no ability to do so. He keeps pursuing his "long lost love", meanwhile starts sleeping with another woman. The whole time telling her how he will take care of her, that he'll take her out of the mess she is in - despite himself being in a much greater mess which could endanger her and her children, and knowing full well that if her family finds out what is going on it will destroy her life.
2) Illogical behavior and utter incapability all around. Characters go to a great length to get themselves out of problems, only to then suddenly care about some random people and dig themselves even deeper in. I guess the show must continue... Also while portrayed as tough guy who knows what he is doing, at many occasions Noah suddenly acts totally stupid.
3) The Hasidic Jews are portrayed as a total stickman for the liberal directors to use for target practice. They are all shown as very one dimensional, rotten, scheming, hypocritical people. I expected the show being situated in a hasidic environment would be a refreshing twist, this portrayal just makes you cringe.
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Overall - I am not sure if the show intended to make all the characters really unlikable, or if they intended for Noah to be likable and he just isn't. Either way, you don't root for anyone in the show, and kinda wish some of them got killed already.
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself (2022)
Starts great but totally falls apart
Having grown up on Harry Potter, finding a show described as adult gory version of HP sounded great. And to an extent, the first few episodes are kind of like Harry Potter meets Mad Max.
Learning about the magic of the world, the conflict is set up, the characters are introduced, and one starts liking the protagonists and disliking the antagonists. Seems like it is set for a great story where the main characters will become more complex and grow in their power, the villains will be further revealed, and the plot will thicken.
Unfortunately, no. As soon as the scene is set, the show nosedives. Instead of the characters growing as "witches", and the plot thickening, the main characters start enjoying Paris nightlife and exploring their sexuality.
You almost feel as if you jumped into a magical Sex and the City played by same actors but with totally different plot and roles. What you had learned about the characters till then, suddenly stops being developed. Instead of exploring their powers, working hard on surviving and saving their friends, it becomes a love drama.
On top of that, even the magic is kind of taken from the key of the show to just an interesting background. And as such, nonsensical stuff starts happening without even attempting to explain how it fits into the logic of the magic introduced.
Also - what is actually the difference between "Fairborns" and "Bloods". Aside from one healing faster and living like middle-age farmers? Given the whole conflict is about it, one would expect some sort of an explanation. I guess it was replaced with longing looks and kisses.
Sounds like they won't be making any more seasons which is good, I think. They could go back to the style of the first few episodes which would be great, but I doubt they would. They would just keep going with the "Twilight-style" lame romance drama, combined with Mad Max gore...and I don't think these target audiences overlap.
Capitani (2019)
Parody of police work
The high level plot is not so bad. However, the way the police operates is just so ridiculous it is hard to watch.
Capitani, described as a tough but competent detective, doesn't actually show any competence. He acts like he is smarter than everyone while at first not even starting to properly investigate.
People obstructing justice, dealing drugs, suspects etc., instead of getting properly interrogated etc., are just allowed to keep at it after some supposedly smart talk they get from Capitani.
Aside from the police work being almost a parody, the way "the village" is portrayed is again like some horror-comedy. Everyone is some sort of an evil either involved in some nefarious plot, or at least an evil gossiper terrorizing everyone around.
Anyway, while the plot makes you want to finish, the ridiculousness of the police work and all the characters makes it really painful to continue.
Hua deng chu shang (2021)
"Korean" drama, not crime/mystery show
So I read mystery and crime in the description, and was going to give it a chance as I have never seen a Taiwanese crime show.
After first few minutes, I was wondering why it feels exactly like the Korean dramas my Korean classmates watched in college. But I kept watching, expecting there will be a turn and it will start focusing on some crime plot.
Well, it doesn't. There is a very minor focus on a crime (<10% of time), but largely it is just a regular "Korean" soap (from Taiwan) with the typical over-acting, ridiculous childish romance stories, adults acting like teens etc. I was going to stop watching, but my wife started liking it:(
Anyway if you enjoy this genre, then given the other reviews, it is probably a decent "Korean-like drama." But if you are expecting an actual crime TV show, this is not it.
You Don't Know Me (2021)
Phantasmagorical soap opera
First of all, this is not a crime drama. This is a telenovela which just uses a crime and an absolutely ridiculous depiction of how court works to make it possible to have 4 episodes of emotional porn monologue. Now, many people actually like this as you can see in the ratings - and if you do, the acting is actually very good.
But for those actually hoping for a crime drama, two things become extremely obnoxious:
1) The idiocy of the court. The whole idea that there will be days of monologue telling a romantic story... That everyone will be teary-eyes and intently listening... Maybe this came out of the imagination of some overly romantic 13 year old... The whole reasoning behind the plot is in the end also really stupid.
2) The constant self-victimization and unwillingness to take responsibility for anything. Now this is common, but normally there would be the other side where one's rationalizations to get challenged, and you could have somebody to root for. But here, towards the end of the show, you really just end up totally fed up with the whiney main character, and hope that at every turn things don't end well for him.
So basically the moronic imagination of the court frustratingly, against all common sense, enables this self-victimizing rant to go on and on. And since no other side is ever really heard, it feels like you are being forced to empathize with the main character and accept his argument...
Gran Torino (2008)
Best Movie Ever
This movie is truly amazing. It has everything - emotions, jokes, thrill, meaning...
If you have never seen it, you must watch it. You might think this genre is not for you (whatever - you like sci-fi, fantasy, horrors etc...). But if you watch it, you'll love it anyway.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Only for Children
The high IMDB rating only makes sense if you are 10-15 years old. Then the teen romance with action scenes and infantile characters, jokes etc. Is likely enjoyable.
But anyone 18+ will probably roll their eyes out of their head watching this. And yes - I know recent Spiderman movies have been for kids. But the reviews everywhere were soo good - the ultimate Spiderman, a true gem by Marvel bla bla bla.
In reality, the movie has an extremely dumb plot... Basically the whole thing happens for no reason at all. None of the characters are actually developed at all, making it impossible to build any connection with them. This then totally doesn't work in the constant "emotional" scenes which are overplayed by the actors - while you feel nothing because the characters were not developed.
There is actually no villain, and stories from previous movies are disgraced by turning their villains into sick puppies of a sort. And previous versions of Spiderman into emotional basket cases...it feels like a parody, yet it tries to pass along some message...
Anyhow it is kind of like watching a high-tech Tom&Jerry - lots of friendly-ish fighting, no overarching plot, just watching silly things happen over and over again.
If you are a kid, or a parent getting something for kids, it is probably an OK choice - and actually with decent morals etc. But don't get tricked by the ratings if you are an adult viewer.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Infuriatingly nonsensical plus undeveloped characters
It starts off promising - new habitable planet, problems on Earth. But then it turns into an emotional torture mixed with unbelievable stupidity of main characters and typical ridiculous space nonsense.
Emotional torture: there are many characters with whom we have no chance to build any sort of a bond with. Yet we end up hearing emotional speeches of all of them. In fact this makes 90% of what is said. This just doesn't work if you have no connection to them.
Stupidity: so, imagine you have an incredibly important message to deliver. You dedicate all your effort to it for many days, risk your life etc. Finally, when you get a window of opportunity to deliver it (knowing it might be short), what will you do? Deliver the message clearly, getting the key information across as fast as possible to ensure it gets through - sort of like calling 911, right? Most likely not beating around the bush, saying vague things without actually getting to the point, right? Well....
Another thing...if you were to think about starting a new...colony. It would likely cross your mind that the more genetic diversity you get to start with, the better. And you would probably try to avoid losing this diversity... Well...
Space nonsense: the movie is very...serene... More of a drama, not an action movie. So you'd think they wouldn't try for "bombastic" scenes. Yet there are some Armageddon-like events. How do you imagine an asteroid storm, for example? If you imagine it like driving through a snowball fight, you'll love this movie!
Another Life (2019)
Obnoxious, no story
This show is unwatchable. The cast resembles a reality show rather than a spaceship crew. None of the characters are likable or interesting.
Fake meaningless conflicts are created so people can scream and argue but nothing is actually going on.
I read somewhere it is like a new Battlestar Galactica. Well, it is not.
The Northlander (2016)
No story, amateur script, slow
This movie doesn't seem to have any story, character development - or anything in general that would make it enjoyable to watch, and additionally most things make no sense for either being futuristic or primitive, characters and script suck, the whole thing stands on over-dramatic soundtrack and camera movements.. Being a fantasy fan, I got excited there is a fantasy movie out there with at this time 6.6 rating. I was not expecting it would be anything like LOTR, and quite honestly, even if it was like War Craft I would have been happy. But this movie truly offers nothing, giving 2 for at least nice scenery. No clue if so many people like it simply for being weird, or there are some fake ratings, but 6.6 makes no sense.