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alexanderhuissel
Reviews
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
A low point for the franchise
Other reviewers have already pointed out everything that's wrong with the story and the characters and the writing in general.
Let me add this: the camerawork and editing in many scenes is simply terrible. The 180-degree rule is broken countless times during conversations, the camera cuts between differently angled shots of the same character while he's speaking (without intercutting reactions of other characters or anything like that) because why the hell not, and there are dutch angles everywhere and for no good reason... This is film school 101 stuff, really.
Solid action, but everything else feels subpar compared to the previous movies. It's the worst installment since M:I 2.
The Last of Us (2023)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
As a huge fan of the video games, I was really looking forward to this show. Knowing how video game adaptations usually turn out, I was also skeptical.
IMO this is the best video game adaptation so far, but it's not as good as the game.
While watching this show I constantly found myself thinking "Why did they change this scene? Why did they change this line of dialogue? Why did they change this character's motivation for doing X? Why did they add this character? Why this new side-plot?" IMO most of it didn't improve the story, but made it worse.
Looking at the season as a whole, it had a strong start, then got really mediocre, but picked up again for the finale.
7/10.
BoJack Horseman (2014)
Profound, mature, and funny
Hands down, the best dramedy show I know, but probably not everyone's cup of tea.
The show's humor has quite a range: silly, witty, lewd, dark, but always hilarious.
BoJack Horseman deals with some serious topics and touches on philosophical questions about life. It's not a feel-good show, but it inspired in me reflection and introspection.
The show offers amazing psychological character studies and really surprised me with its character arcs. BoJack Horseman is a masterclass in screenwriting and storytelling!
For me, BoJack Horseman was a profound, and almost life-changing, experience. And a lot of fun!
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
More of the same, but somehow worse
Good news first: God of War: Ragnarök inherits a lot of the things that made God of War (2018) great: solid gameplay mechanics, fun combat, engaging boss battles, and beautiful graphics, to name a few. Yet, it does not really improve anything and barely adds something new. I really would've liked to see more variety in enemy types and puzzles. I find it get's a bit repetitive after a while.
However, my biggest gripe with this game is its story. I think it's badly written. While it is clear what threat our heroes are facing and what's at stake, it is never outlined what steps our heroes have to take to reach their goal(s) and what challenges they will have to face. You are only ever told the very next step. So you don't know how far our heroes have progressed, how much time they have left, etc. Consequently, there's not much suspension build-up, and it's hard to feel a sense of joyful anticipation because you just don't know what's coming (except for the task at hand). Also, I personally felt, the story was really long-winded. In the last third, I really had to force myself to play and finish the game.
I could ramble on about the story and the characters, but let's stop here. It's not all bad. The story has its great moments and interesting characters. It just could've been better.
All in all, despite its shortcomings, God of War: Ragnarök is a good game, and, for the most part, an enjoyable experience.