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Reviews
The Out-Laws (2023)
ALMOST a good movie
The Out-Laws COULD have been a great movie. With the exception of Adam Devine - who has yet to be funny in any movie I've seen him in - the entire cast is composed of GOOD actors who deserve better. Leading me to ask the age-old question: what dirt does Adam Sandler have on these people?
Half of the movie FEELS well-written, decently-paced, and funny. Pierce Brosnan (and his leading lady wife) steal the show! The concept of a beta male meeting his absolute Chad of a father-in-law (criminal though he be) is a funny concept! But the movie gets derailed by excessive and unnecessary sexual "humor," and Adam Devine's cringing cowardice. It feels like it WOULD have worked if he had been an everyman thrown into this situation. Give him normal, toned-down reactions. Let HIM be the straight man to comic situation around him.
Frankly, the writing in this movie is ample evidence to support the studios refusing to cave to the WGA's demand for writers to get even MORE money for lackluster scripts.
The Resident: Home Before Dark (2021)
Good episode, bad trend
So this season, we've had a wedding, a pregnancy, the hospital closing down, being turned public, and nearly had a main character die. If I were to guess, the ratings are plummeting and they're trying to
scrounge up viewers by adding as much drama as they can. Wonder how long they can sustain this?
The Resident: The Accidental Patient (2021)
Better and worse at the same time
Good parts: there isn't any annoying political message in this episode.
That said, the episode stretches believability. Cain rescues a woman from a flaming car wreck, and then - on the same road - gets hit by a car, because he wasn't paying attention. This happens concurrently with a pending lawsuit.
The car didn't slow, didn't rubber neck to look at a Flaming Wreck; it just plowed right over the character we needed to take out.
When he is brought into the ER, he is conscious, and is given a quick exam by Conrad. Conrad declares: patient''s grip strength is 5 out of 5 and equal across bilateral (basically some medical mumbo jumbo for "he can close his hands."). Five seconds later, Cain gets a CAT scan, and his interior monologue decries his inability to touch his fingers. Massive continuity error that would have been fixed with a quick cut in the edit room.
Finally, Cain gets operated on, and there is a complication....because his interns decide to start without the Lead Surgeon.
The episode is a constant barrage of unbelievable disasters happening to the least likeable character on the show.
Other B plots happen, but they are somewhat dull by comparison.
Mute (2018)
Decent movie, odd pacing, too long
Fine acting. Felt like a Netflix movie the entire time, but a high-budget one. Very uncomfortable dystopian future, especially around kids. Heavily implied that one character is a pedo.
SPOILER
Fortunately, though, he dies, so the audience can breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Warrior Nun: Psalm 46:5 (2020)
Too boring to be good
Ok, so an angel's halo gets surgically implanted into the corpse of a quadriplegic girl, and it brings her back from the dead. And the Vatican has an order of female templars (the eponymous "Warrior Nuns") who are trying to find this halo and fight demons who seem to want this halo for...some reason.
Sadly, this show makes the cardinal sin of being boring. It's not "too bad it's good," but the actors are flat and without charisma, and the script is pretty dull for a pilot episode. I'll keep watching, because I want it to get better, but this isn't even a stereotypical Netflix show; it's just...lifeless.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 5: The Gunslinger (2019)
Bad acting draws this episode down
While this episode is excellent from a character-building perspective and definitely plays further homage to the Western genre, it suffers from some terrible acting. Two main characters - a mechanic and the titular gunslinger - feel like they just finished a run on a less-popular Disney XD show.
If the casting were better, this would be an excellent homage to John Wayne; as it is....5/10.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rocks and Shoals (1997)
An Excellent Episode on the Morality of War
This episode examines some of the morally grey issues that philosophers and generals have debated for centuries. While Star Trek, as a series, can tend towards being preachy, "Rocks and Shoals" handles such issues with a light hand and does not take the lazy way out by writing that one way or another is right or wrong.
Definitely worth the high rating it has been given.
Christopher Robin (2018)
Wonderful Visit to a Nostalgic World
I grew up on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, so this movie had a LOT to live up to. In many ways, it exceeded my expectations. Ewan McGregor does a fantastic job acting opposite Pooh, et al. He brings an honesty to the role I hadn't expected (but I don't know why I DIDN'T expect great things of him; he puts his entire heart into every role he plays).
Sadly, though the first two acts of the movie are spectacular, I fear Act Three does not live up to the promise made by the first 2/3 of the movie. I'll not spoil much beyond saying "It did little by trying too much." Still, though, the last five minutes redeemed the preceding 30 minutes. Therefore, the first hour is good and the last five minutes are good.
I recommend this movie.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Muse (1996)
Nope.
It's a Jake-Centered episode, wherein a 50-year-old succubus drains the creativity out of him. The B-Plot involves Lwaxana and Odo, and is ok, but yet another awkward Jake relationship makes one forget about what makes Odo's participation special.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Visitor (1995)
Inner Light 2.0
Most fans will recognize that title. Of course, it is usually considered one of the best episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The plot doesn't particularly matter, but what did is how rich and splendidly Stewart acted a difficult role, bringing rich pathos to a scenario that lead to tragedy.
in "The Visitor," Jake ages throughout the episode - and "Adult Jake" is played by Tony Todd, horror legend. This is perhaps one of best character pieces in "Deep Space Nine," because the plot takes a backseat to the writing, the acting, and the relationships developed between these established characters.
In a way, it is more impactful than "Inner Light," because unlike the people Picard interacted with, we are familiar with and care about everyone within this episode.
Well worth the high rating it has received.