william-391-277130 Reviews

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)

Good until it wasn't

[6/10 · 10 October 2023]

Having recently watched the original Caine Mutiny, I was excited to see how such a strong cast and director could retell the story for a modern audience.

Right out of the gate, the pace of the movie was off. Cut scene to each witness, no time spend on any transition between them.

Then there's the scene with Lt Keefer. The original movie provided a clear understanding of his motives. In this one the Keefer and Maryk dynamic during the trial is not explored. No dots connected for the viewer, just a simple glazed over opportunity to develop the story.

The final scene left me puzzled. The message it sends is diminished from the takeaway of the original. Moral courage and fortitude are nowhere to be found. Maryk is made to be a one dimensional buffoon.

9/10 for the actors, 4/10 for the message and muddled delivery.

Slumberland (2022)

Another plagerized remake

[4/10 · 18 November 2022]

The Netflix algorithm has once again taken bits and pieces of timeless classics and pasted them together in a failed attempt to create something meaningful.

Take one part Chronicles of Narnia, add in some Neverending Story, garnish with CGI and a well known actor. As with most Neflix originals, you never really connect with the characters. There is no development and the story just passes from each act to the next with a reused template. No doubt small children will enjoy the visual effects though. For everyone else you have a great movie to watch in the background while you scroll on your phone.

The Batman (2022)

Holy self loathing batman!

[4/10 · 22 March 2022]

This re-imagined batman is a mixed bag. On the one had it really has a detective feel to it, reminiscent of the old detective comics. It has a dark atmosphere and the Riddler presents some interesting puzzles to solve. But that was about it.

The director decided to muddle the legacy of the Wayne family, insisting that his family was corrupt and Bruce was the product of white privilege. It was a cringe worthy moment for many in the theater.

The entire movie batman seems so offended by his own existence. At some point I thought he might put on dark eye shadow punch holes in drywall.

Batman has always been a hero. He's shown confidence, and strength through his weakness. For a child he was someone to look up to. Now he's just miserable like the generation he now represents.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

Boldly going where no one should go again

[3/10 · 30 January 2018]

This new incarnation of Star Trek is almost as bad as the Jar Jar Abrams Star Trek movies. Its constantly going at 100 miles an hour, forgoing character development and decision making for explosions, impulsiveness, lens flare, and a forced equality narrative that no one really cares for. While the original series and TNG addressed racism and sexism, they did so by making equality the norm, to where the viewer is exposed to it and accepts it based on the merits of the characters portrayed. This series makes it a plot point to force the equality message without developing any characters in the journey. Even CBS touts the show as a progressive platform for equality. Since when was that the selling point of Star Trek? If you want to see good science fiction, I would recommend The Orville or Black Mirror: USS Callister (which may be getting its own series). Lets hope the pendulum swings back to the middle soon, so any future sci-fi shows can do what they were intended. To explore new worlds and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.