charlieedmond Reviews

Atlas (2024)

The dialogue and writing is a burden on the visuals

[4/10 · 25 May 2024]

There's no denying Atlas has great visuals, much like most of Netflix's Sci-fi movies. Unfortunately it suffers greatly in the writing department. It feels like a handful of random topics were thrown into a blender and this was the result.

Within 30 minutes, none of the characters avail anything to make them interesting, the whole plot is not interesting and was clearly rushed. As such all of this compounds into a super forgetful experience.

The music and sound design of the movie is also remarkably subpar for a Netflix production which is really sad considering the inspiration for the movie was Titanfall which showed a clear emphasis on sound to really emphasize the immersion of the world which characters found themselves in.

This is a poor attempt at what should've been a remarkable sci-fi experience.

Blood of Zeus (2020– )

This animation brings its interpretaion of Greek Mythology to LIFE!

[9/10 · 11 May 2024]

There's so many diverse portrayals in this show, I only wish Blood of Zues expanded upon all of the deities. Who knows, perhaps it will further down the road.

If you remotely enjoy a good fire side story about celestial beings and stories about love and anguish, then you will no doubt enjoy Blood of Zues.

It's by no means a word for word recantation of Greek Mythology but it's clearly not trying to do so, it's trying to tell it's own unique story based heavily on such Mythology and I am here for it.

It's gripping, it's visually enthralling and the soundtrack is heavenly.

My only qualm as I said, is that it focuses too little on other deities but Season 2 seems to have changed this, focusing on other deities too!

All the Light We Cannot See: Episode #1.4 (2023) Season 1, Episode 4

Tear-jerking finale

[10/10 · 10 May 2024]

This final episode is in my opinion the best episode of the series. Mind you I have not yet read the novel but after this ending, I fully intend to.

I could not take my eyes off the screen, It was like I was there, the drama was through the roof, quite literally.

I only wish the ending was a little more fleshed out but despite that I think it was perfectly fitting for a mini-series.

Marie is hands down, on my list of favorite protagonists and so is Werner. Their love story is strange but it resonated profoundly with me, that through turmoil and war, hope and love will always prevail, if you remember that the most important light is the light we cannot see, yet.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

Huge budget, no substance

[4/10 · 8 May 2024]

It's hard to review this movie without comparing it to all the other forms of media it is so similar to.

It's a bit like watching a mishmash of all the popular science fiction media of the last 30 years or so. One would assume this yield a fun and entertaining result, but not so. Rebel Moon left me wondering why should I care about these characters, there is next to no character development, a handful of characters are thrust upon your lap and you're suddenly expected to feel invested in their story. It really, feels shallow and under developed.

The only positive about the movie, is the visuals, that's about it.

I would recommend watching the other similar material it clearly drew inspiration from instead.

Fallout (2024– )

Tons of fan service but very open ended, kind of like the source material

[7/10 · 17 April 2024]

Straight of the bat you're thrown into the world of Fallout, and that intro is really, one of the best intros I've seen any piece of media. It's just a pity those initial scenes were so limited, sort of like the first sip from a cool Nuka-Cola.

I wish I cared more about the characters and plot but they really just feel like 2D cardboard cutouts serving the purpose of tour guides to show us the world of Fallout. They do a really good job at this but as a result I they do little to make you care about them.

There's also like zero original soundtracks for the show, relying on preexisting soundtracks which were heavily used in the source material, once again reinforcing the idea that the show is relying heavily on the fan service element.

It has great action sequences and world building but beyond that, it leaves much to be desired regarding the world of Fallout.

3 Body Problem: Judgment Day (2024) Season 1, Episode 5

Phenomenal, best episode so far.

[10/10 · 27 March 2024]

The suspense as the "antagonist" explained the predicament humanity is now up against is simply goosebumps inducing. I think every human who is familiar with the Fermi paradox and the idea that humanity for all intents and purposes could exist in a petri dish, felt seriously uneasy during that sequence. That something, real, is manipulating reality to their own benefit, and that quite literally, we would be unable to stop it.

It's kind of scary, I would put that sequence in the same genre of Horror, because it was just that terrifying as it is something that could very well be real, and the most scary things in the world, are what's real.

This is ironic given the amount of scientific inaccuracies the series has thus portrayed, but this series isn't a science lecture, it's a fictional piece of media. So despite the 2 dimensional characters and other issues, this episode deserves a 10/10 for that sequence alone.

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Intriguing, very intriguing.

[8/10 · 27 March 2024]

Straight of the bat, there as some inconsistencies with the story, such as with the time periods and certain character placements within those periods but beyond that, the series is rather palpable in that regard. Oh, and expect to ignore the "science" in this show, because it makes almost zero sense... Perhaps that's intentional given the story... It's quite off putting when the physics of the show is literally contrary to how modern physics depicts it with literally no explanation as to why. You need a great suspension of disbelief to enjoy the show, particularly with how the Sun works.

The only other criticism I could muster is that some characters suffer from being 2 dimensional, showing little to no deviation in their portrayal of said characters. It's not a train smash but I did find my self skipping those scenes but it was quite boring and detracting from what was an otherwise thrilling watch.

I only wish the series took the liberty of expanding upon the story with what the Russian and American scientists initially discovered and their reaction to the discovery too. Since it wasn't just an exclusive broadcast to China.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997)

A vertitable golden trove for fans of Lois & Superman

[10/10 · 25 March 2024]

I can't believe it.

Literally everything I wanted from Lois & Superman was created in 1993.

It has charm, it has wit, it has an awesome soundtrack.

I think I might be in love, of course it's hard not to love Lois but still, my point still stands, the first episode was absolutely phenomenal and I imagine the rest of the season likewise is.

I'm super glad that the series was not afraid to embrace this sorta humor, it's refreshing given what's around in the 2020's, where every series is either over budgeted or just not at all entertaining in the true old fashioned sense of Television.

This is good TV and I highly recommend watching it.

True Detective: Night Country: Part 5 (2024) Season 4, Episode 5

Probably the worst written episode thus far.

[1/10 · 11 February 2024]

Nothing about any of the actions the characters take makes any sense anymore. Maybe that's the point, to try and guess why people do what they're doing.

Maybe we were the True Detectives all along...

This episode by far has the worst pacing, and the most forced references to Season 1. Let me just say, just because you repeatedly reference Season 1, doesn't mean it's gonna combine with the merits of Season 1. This Season needs to stand on it's own and the writing just isn't doing it.

The cast is good, the cinematography is great. But my word, I can't emphasize enough how badly the writing nose dived here.

True Detective: Night Country: Part 4 (2024) Season 4, Episode 4

Finn Bennett and Jodie Foster are carrying this show and yet it focuses on everyone else

[5/10 · 6 February 2024]

Probably the most filler episode of this season.

There a few moments in this episode where detective work was taking place. And by few I mean like two or three minutes of the 50 minutes.

And wow, those minutes were meant to lead to a reveal but instead led to something that made no sense. It's just very bitter as I expected better than to be led on through filler, filler that expands on characters the plot has nothing to do with, and the filler that did expand on the main characters are touched on for just seconds before the screen flickers back to the present moment. It's just jarring to be frank, jarring and boring.

The only reason why I give it a 5/10 is because of the cinematography and set design. It's simply superb and makes me feel like I'm a True Detective in Alaska's Night Country.

True Detective: Night Country: Part 1 (2024) Season 4, Episode 1

Solid but then the mixed second half happened.

[6/10 · 5 February 2024]

I have no idea why the second half of this episode was so poorly written, especially when the first half built up the suspense so well. It's almost like someone else wrote and directed the second half of the opening episode.

Firstly, there was a very unnecessary sex scene that moved the plot no where and had no effect on building anyone's character. Literally no point, it should've been cut.

Secondly, there was a conflict between two persons for the sake of conflict that did nothing but pull the audience out of the show, this also should've been cut.

I just don't get it, you have all the resources and the backbone of a great series to build upon but this is the execution?

Jodie Foster is the best part of this episode and I have a feeling as the season goes on, we'll see less of her... which is just sad and telling of the direction they had in mind for this season.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Missing a convincing plot.

[6/10 · 23 December 2023]

Whilst the movie obviously focuses on Snow before he became who he was in the trilogy, it does a good job at show casing how the Hunger games became what it was. I only wish that it focused more on this and not the interpersonal relationships Snow formed, relationships which had little to no impact on the story beyond just serving as plot devices to move the narrative forward.

I wish the capital was explored more as well as the victors who won the war. None of this is explored beyond mere references that we already know about from the trilogy.

Overall, the movie is an average attempt at revisiting the lore of The Hunger Games.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Thrilling first half, awful second half.

[4/10 · 13 December 2023]

This film involves a common scenario where a writer introduces a bunch of mysterious questions that ought to be answered but then never answers them leading to a very unsatisfying conclusion.

Despite this, the adult cast is phenomenal, the children/teens on the other hand shouldn't have existed. They add and contribute nothing besides trying to convey a message that most of modern society relies on "escapism" or some kind of entertainment to get through the day.

The narrative is obscure, and considering Sam Esmail's work, one would assume the narrative would lead some where eventually and that the build up is all part of the thrill but it does not. It simply drowns in the mystery.

Ultimately this was a waste of time.

For All Mankind: House Divided (2023) Season 4, Episode 4

Yay, back to the played out writing.

[6/10 · 4 December 2023]

If there's one series that bounces between good and bad it's For All Mankind.

I have no idea why the show writers insist on spinning this conflict between Russian and the West when they have nothing to base it on, instead opting to base it on something that makes little to no sense. Going from a situation that was 100 percent stable to basically a code red all because of something petty when compared to what's at stake is insane, it's the writers poor attempts to try make the Soviet Union appear as antagonistic and it's a very poor attempt given what's transpiring in the show.

There's so many other ways of creating an antagonistic force than this...

This episode is the perfect example of why For All Mankind is an average series that had potential to be great.

For All Mankind: Have a Nice Sol (2023) Season 4, Episode 2

Probably my favourite episode of the Mars saga.

[10/10 · 3 December 2023]

The show is called For All Mankind, and this episode really highlights the differences in the way mankind perceives differences in the wealth classes. Sure it makes sense that veterans such as captains and commanders should be afforded more luxury due to their obvious amount of time dedicated in their field of work, but about the fresh blood? Are they not entitled to similar remuneration?

This episode draws contrasts in ways that seem natural and helps flesh out the newly introduced character who is probably my favorite in this season.

The episode is still riddled with filler but that is to expected when the writers aren't sure what they're doing.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Not a single second wasted for a warning for eternity.

[10/10 · 11 November 2023]

It's no secret who Oppenheimer was and what his job was. The film seeks to expand on this and explore what his personal reflections were about his work and his job. It also explores those who sought to break down his public perception as a result of his personal views.

You would think, how could a movie make this engaging whilst not coming across as verbose or boring, well, when you have a star studded cast and dialogue that feels like it was written as though humanity already lives on the Moon, you get a masterpiece such as this. Not once did I feel like it was too long, in fact, I wish it was slightly longer.

This movie is visionary, it makes no attempt to "ease" the punches of reality, it is indifferent with regards to war. It looks at it exactly as it was with one primary question, "What price are you prepared to pay to win the war and end all wars?", and consequently, that price is what this movie ultimately explores, not just for Oppenheimer but for all the scientists along with him.

And now, the world must live with that price too.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

By no means groundbreaking, but a movie worth your time.

[7/10 · 24 October 2023]

Despite the obvious flaws in the sequel needs to rely heavily on the first movie, the story is sorta able to stand on its own if you can look past these flaws, that said no movie should have to force the audience to do this in order to make sense of the story.

The visual marvels are what makes The Way of Water worthy of your viewing. I was enthralled and captivated by the ocean wonders, I just wish the movie had featured more of it as it did with the jungle flora and fauna from the first movie.

The CGI is at times exceptional and then at other times adequate. One would think that a movie that took this long to produce would have far, far better CGI.

Overall, it feels above average but I honestly believe a continuation of the world of Pandora should have taken a spin-off so that the story could've actually been given the emphasis it deserves.

Kandasamys: The Baby (2023)

Solid 9. Funny First Half, Serious Second Half.

[9/10 · 22 October 2023]

The characters were all relatable in their own ways, the story despite it mainly being a comedy never felt stagnant. It always kept moving showing something new every segment of the movie. You can tell the director really knew what they wanted to put together.

The cast, without the cast this movie wouldn't be as golden as it is. Every single cast member added so much to each scene.

It really is a breath of fresh air when a family movie comes along that isn't afraid to broach on topics that deserve to have a light shone on them, to show how the modern generation feels about culture and what truly needs to change about it whilst still preserving that heritage.

Professional production that's worth your time.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Great cast but mediocre story coupled with CGI overload.

[6/10 · 20 September 2023]

If Blue Beetle had been released in 2019, it would've released to far more praise but sadly, Blue Beetle simply regurgitates the same story and visual effects overload which has become a staple to the superhero genre.

The only saving grace of this movie is the cast and what they bring to the table. However there are a few moments which clearly show that the writers had no idea what to do with some of the cast members, and would've been far better if they had simply discarded those scenes or changed the scenes to omit these characters from those scenes instead of forcing them to be part of the script.

Furthermore, it feels like the script kept jumping between comedy, action and drama. It would've been far better had the script focused on comedy since this the strong suit of majority of the cast.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Some parts Mystfying, other parts utterly Nonsensical.

[6/10 · 8 August 2023]

The first half of the movie feels like it was written to be part of a different movie compared with the second of the movie.

This leads into many irregularities that I found very boggling for a movie that wants one to think about and reflect.

Visually, the movie is wonderful especially with respect to the era of which it was created. Many parts of the dialogue are smart and lean into a kind of curiosity but sadly, those parts stagger further and further apart within the first half hour, becoming a kind of drama before merging back into a sci-fi.

It is a worthwhile watch, but not one that leaves you in awe despite the visual and audio expertise of that era.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Far better than most superhero movies these days but falls short on the writing and story.

[7/10 · 8 August 2023]

The visuals, the animation, the style, the music. That's all a solid 10/10. Unfortunately this alone does not define a masterpiece... story telling as ironic as that sounds regarding "Across the Spider-Verse", is very important when crafting a newly beloved protagonist in the role of Spider-man.

I would equate this lack of story as an attribute of all the "multi-verse" bridges to tell a story, essentially, if the writers want a character to be defined a certain way, they just take the "multi-verse" short cut and bam, they have you feeling sympathetic to someone. It's cheap, and over used despite being one of the first movies to apply "multi-verses" in the past few years to their story telling, the success of the first release clearly influenced other writers to take advantage of the same gimmick, just look at Marvel and DC right now.

All in all, this is a fun movie with cool animations and a couple welcome twists.

The Flash (I) (2023)

CGI Splendor but barely any new ground is broken for the Flash

[6/10 · 17 July 2023]

Quite frankly, it is an enjoyable movie with some humorous quips scattered throughout but fundamentally the story is non-existent and leaves an after taste that really reiterates on the fact that superheroes are movies not just all about fancy visual effects, pop references or "multiverses".

It's about the hero and their journey, you would assume the journey would be incredibly important to the protagonist however at times the protagonist doesn't know the importance of why they're going on this journey and thus the whole story collapses under this weight as well under their pre-established character from prior movies. So the story is really poor.

The CGI and special effects is really, the only reason you would see this movie. At times it feels like you're watching a comic book come to life, with the same kind of "unrealistic appearance" you would expect if a comic were to actually come to life. It was all really well done in my opinion and I really just wish the movie had better writing.

There was also the issue of Ezra, like I said earlier, the story didn't know where it was going and thus there were many times where Ezra's emotions would jump between serious and comical and then there was the problem of capturing two different "Flashes", Ezra simply couldn't pull it off convincingly that both "Flashes" are in fact different versions of themselves, it felt like they were both the same "Flash" despite being entirely different. The whole immature thing is not at all convincing to show a difference between both "Flashes", sure it is humorous to see the "Flash" learn about his powers but that's about it, Ezra's humor stops there and as a result many other actors could have filled the role better and brought more to the table to further the roles of the "Flash".

The story is also littered with plot-holes, I mean I don't expect a superhero movie to have perfect writing where everything makes sense, but to completely ignore fundamental points just so that you can force something to happen is really, really poor writing.

So in a nutshell, fun movie but terrible for fans of The Flash.

The Witcher: The Art of the Illusion (2023) Season 3, Episode 5

The Art of Confused Writing

[1/10 · 5 July 2023]

I implore you, consider what difference it would have made by omitting the loops and just moving through the event in a normal flow of time. Not only were these loops reminiscent of the horrendously done time jumps from Season 1 but they served almost zero purpose, besides adding few a extra lines of dialogue each time.

I don't think a filler episode could've been done worse than this. All the loops, inter cut by intimate moments that themselves also make no sense, where was the time for all that intimacy based on what's happening the following day. It just makes no sense.

It's really a pity what they've done to Yenn so far this season... absolute waste of potential. At least Geralt had his moments but even then, those action scenes are just fan service, his actions also don't make sense within them, particularly when he casts Aard instead of Igni in one instance? Guess the budget just ain't there for CGI fire effects.

The Idol (2023)

Why is the only question I have.

[1/10 · 5 July 2023]

There's no plot, there's no story telling, there's no reason to like any of the characters despite the actors being prominent in some capacity.

It seems like HBO had an obligation to produce an Adult series and this is what was produced.

A terrible, rushed 5 episodes of randomness, littered with meaningless nudity and sexual interactions. When ever nudity or sexual conduct appears it should have an attached reason or meaning, there's no such purpose behind it in The Idol. It feels tacky and employed just to draw the audience in as "sex sells".

In some way, if it tried to be a metaphor for the sell your image, sell your soul which many people are subscribing to, it could've worked.

The Office (2005–2013)

I remember when I discovered the Office...

[10/10 · 1 July 2023]

I was bored one afternoon, scanning through channels looking for something to watch, and decided why not watch this show called The Office whilst I eat dinner.

That was a mistake, I was choking every few minutes whilst eating, laughing at the treasure I had discovered.

Now, many years later I have the luxury of streaming the Office, and wow, seeing the intro just feels like "home". I don't think that's a good thing considering... would you want Dwight in your home. But yeah, The Office has a place in my heart.

I just wish I had discovered it sooner as it's the perfect series to brighten up a dull day and put a smile on my face.