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Dune: Part Two (2024)
Overhyped But Still Good
I think everyone has just come to expect complete hack written formulaic garbage from Hollywood to the extent that when something good does come out it's treated like
It's the Mau'Dib of movies.
The first movie felt like a beautiful 2 hour trailer. In part 2 there was obviously a great deal more development and yet there were several pockets of the movie that just felt like a waste of time. When things were happening they felt rushed and undersold and when they weren't they just dragged on.
For example - Paul's pre born sister Alia felt wildly underwhelming. And she's one of the biggest reveals of the books. I also felt like Villeneuve left maybe a bit too much on the cutting room table. Part 2 felt oddly g-rated. The violence was largely bloodless like a marvel movie and intimate scenes were shot from the shoulders up.
Dune is far more adult than that. Personally that's what I've been "thirsting" for. A movie like this made for adults.
Performances were by and large well done.
Chalamet turns in his usual subdued but strong performance.
Zendaya seems a little out of place this time around now that she actually had a role rather than only being in visions. She mostly reminded me of an angry 12 year old boy.
Javier Bardem and his fanatical Stilgar were great and once he becomes a believer you can see Bardem really start to have fun.
Rebecca Ferguson is still by far the strongest actor in this series. Every shot she's in - you just don't blink. She's absolutely mesmerizing.
Josh Brolin does his Josh Brolin thing. Serves his purpose.
Austin Butler, you can tell puts alot of work into his roles. He does well here.
Florence Pugh is more like furniture to me. Like everything I've seen her in I know she's there but I'm not really paying attention to her. In Oppenheimer I realized I was ignoring her when she was on screen and I wasn't even doing it on purpose.
Which leads me to my problems with this cut of the film - Pugh and Christopher Walken just felt empty.
There wasn't enough time spent trying to understand them. Less b-roll of the desert and maybe more focus on character development would have been good.
Why would the emperor kill Paul's father who was like a son to him? I know they explained it but it didn't feel... enough. I didn't know or care enough about the character or his motivations to feel genuine. Even if his reasons were manufactured by a certain group and exacerbated by his own pettiness, fear, and jealousy. This is a movie. This is Show not Tell.
With all of that being said - Dune Part 2 is by far the best thing to come out of Hollywood in years which is why people are freaking out like it's the 2nd coming. We're so deprived of quality and not original but fresh filmmaking that we'll worship anything decent.
Oppenheimer made a Billy(yes bc it was tied to Barbie) and that was literally nothing but people talking for 3 hours in different rooms. We're desperate.
Alexander: The Making of a God (2024)
Another Netflix/Hollywood Docu-Nonsense
I'll keep this short. Hollywood still can't make anything remotely accurate about Alexander the Great. It makes me sick. When I was a kid we had that Oliver Stone mess with Colin Farrell and honestly I didn't think it could get worse. I was wrong.
This Netflix garbage is intentionally inaccurate. I don't understand it. I've studied Alexander and ancient Macedon for years and when I tell you they are intentionally changing or misleading very well known historical details, please know I'm not kidding. All for entertainment purposes I guess but here's the problem - the truth is so much more interesting!
Just skip it. There are YouTube documentaries that are far far far better than whatever this garbage is.
I suppose it's better than that Jada Pinkett Smith "Cleopatra was Black" nonsense.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Wanted to love it. Really did... but
I really tried to love this movie. Swear I did. I haven't gone to a normal movie theater where I paid money to sit next to strangers and watch a film since - The Northman(big robert eggers fan).
I've been a huge Cruise fan for as long as I can remember and I love that he respects and appreciates the audience as opposed to the rest of Hollywood which seems to believe they are entitled to our money sans our opinions and wants.
It's always fun to watch Cruise do his thing. Yeah, he looked a little old but not like Harrison Ford in that latest Indiana crap fest - looking like Joe Biden in that hat. Cruise, here, is a bad a$$ older dude who still looked like he could beat the crap out of a much younger person but was nearing a time to hang it up.
Which leads me to the things I did appreciate in MI:DR - Cruise may have a massive ego - understandable being that he's been consistently one of the top 5 biggest movie stars ever for his entire life. But his ego isn't offensive. It doesn't sabotage him or his work. He's too smart for that.
So in this film I saw Cruise consciously put together a younger class that seems like they're being set up to take over some time down the road - Hayley Atwell and the young black man that found himself admiring Ethan Hunt.
Cruise is still a lot of fun to watch. And no doubt the action was fun. Hayley Atwell was super sexy, fun, sneaky, and clever. I absolutely loved that she was actually feminine. She wasn't going hand to hand with 280 pound guys. I bought her character.
Rebecca Ferguson is easily one of my favorite actresses working today. She's just phenomenal in everything I've seen her in and can truly make fairly measly and forgettable role into something concrete - Which is what she did here. She wasn't given much but still managed to stand out.
Vanessa Kirby had next to nothing to do.
Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg... love these guys. Just wish the script loved them as much.
Esai Morales was apparently cast directly from his role in Ozark. He's one journeyman of an actor and a real talent... i was happy to see him in a movie of this size and scope. He deserves it. Again I think the script let him down.
Speaking of the script letting someone down... Pom Klementieff. My god, "look what they did to my girl". So, Pom is perfect as the femme fatale - she has the look, she's gorgeous but we can still buy her kicking some butt. Problem is that they did nothing with her. She spoke like 3 times in the whole movie. Personally, I think she deserved better. This could have been an opportunity for her to do some actual acting as opposed to the marvel drivel and other stuff I've seen her in.
All of the above aside, the number one issue with this movie is the script. I mean was this written by a person? Or did they experiment with AI to write this? I'm seriously asking... but this script was awful. A film school freshmen would do better than this. It honestly felt less like MI and more like a Fast and Furious movie. I half expected Ethan to say he had "Family".
I kept thinking through the film that if you hadn't seen the last few Mission Impossible's then you wouldn't know or care about anyone in this film. Some of you might say... well they should watch those other movies. Wrong. It's on the filmmakers to make each story accessible to new viewers each and every outing in franchises. They failed on that here.
Also, in my humble opinion, I really wish Cruise would can Christopher Mcquarrie who is for all intents and purposes a by the numbers director... Barely above average and bring back John Woo - one the most legendary action directors to walk the earth. To me MI 2 is by far the most memorable. I remember seeing it as a kid and to this day those gorgeous shots and action sequences are imprinted in my mind.
I gave this a 6 and It's only because of the respect I have for Cruise and the supporting cast but considering the writing - this rating is generous.
Peaky Blinders (2013)
9 for Season 1-5 -- 2 for season 6
Okay, so I'll get right to it - season 6 was disappointing. This seems like it's becoming a trend - these final seasons that are a complete mess. The writing, directing, heck even the editing(or lack thereof) was just messy and amateurish.
The writing - listen I think Steven Knight is one of the best screenwriters working today. Taboo, Locke, Peaky's... he's done enough and done it consistently to earn my enduring respect. But this season was just ridiculous. Tommy's new son who literally comes out of nowhere and becomes a Blinder in five seconds and then expels Finn... Finn?!? Tommy, Arthur, and Ada's brother?! Expels him from the family and not a word is mentioned about it? What?!
Michael, Gina, and Nelson were all horribly written. I mean horribly written. I know Michael's purpose was to cause trouble for Tommy from within the family but I never bought it. He never had any real reason to become such a d*** -- That was always the problem with Michael... he just had no reason. Anya Taylor Joy is a decent actress but she's been ridiculous from her first moment on this show and bad writing I believe is the cause. Lol and her Uncle Nelson or whatever his name was... horrible. Just horrible.
Tommy massacring the gypsy women... I get the motivation. Daughter dead, he's out of his mind, needs someone to blame. I get it... and it was still out of character. I just didn't buy it.
The directing was painfully amateurish. The whole season felt like Netflix axed 80 percent of the budget which if we know anything about netflix... they probably did. I don't understand why they went with only one director for the whole season... budget cuts maybe? But Anthony Byrne really showed his music video background here. All style. No substance. My god, how many times did he use a gimbal here? I lost count. Listen I like a good roaming camera but the guy overused it.
The acting - look - acting is a reflection of writing. Not that some actors aren't terrible. They are. And some of them are on this show but the writing really betrayed the cast on this one. Cillian Murphy being the exception as always. But everyone around him just seemed silly. I really loved Natasha O'Keefe back in the day on Misfits but her character here from the jump felt out of place and even more so when she married Tommy... after sleeping with his brother(and everyone else) many, many times. Gross. I never could stand the character and always hated that the show lost Annabelle Wallis. But Lizzie was especially terrible this season. So overdramatic it bordered on soap opera. One particular scene where she and Tommy are talking in the bedroom and she throws a cigarette and leaps on top of him. Cringe. So many cringe moments this season.
This actually leads me to the editing... what... happened. I see better editing in indie short films all the time! Another scene: Arthur finds out Tommy is dying... towards the end of the scene Arthur hugs Tommy hard! Very hard. To the point where you can see Cillian Murphy is visibly uncomfortable and close to falling over. I cannot believe that made it into the final cut. I was as uncomfortable watching that sequence as Cillian looked.
The whole plot that left off in season 5 was all but forgotten. Sam Clafin who was absolutely brilliant in season 5 as Mosley literally had nothing to do.
Peaky Blinders has always existed in a sort of heightened reality - very stylized - but it was always anchored by excellent storytelling. Anthony Byrne, it seems, missed that point.
I still stand by my 9 rating. For me the previous 5 seasons were incredible to behold and fortunately unlike other great shows that ended disastrously this final season doesnt ruin the rest of the series for me.
Hustle (2022)
Adam Sandler is just special
Like the title review says - Sandler is just incredible. I can't d-ride this dude enough. I've literally grown up watching his films and I'm still amazed and wildly entertained by every film he's in. I went to a Netflix screening of Hustle in Midtown the other night with the expectation that Uncut Gems was Sandler's peak... while Gems is still my favorite Sandler drama Hustle is only behind Punch Drunk for me.
The film overall is fine but it's Adam that makes the entire movie. You just love him. He's so genuinely himself and such enigmatic and talented dramatic actor - I would say Sandler is as talented of a dramatic actor as he is a comedic perhaps better. He does so much while making it seem like he's doing relatively little which is the hallmark of great acting. Really not acting at all but just telling the truth.
The film and specifically Sandler's performance definitely gave me Blue Chips vibes... that 90's sports flick with an awesome Nick Nolte and all the now legendary ballers of the mid-90's era. I think that was my main issue with the film in terms of it's direction... I just thought it could've been more. I'm guessing a constrained budget produced an equally constrained script. However, Sandler's performance more than made up for any shortcomings that the rest of the film may have had.
Ben Foster was also fantastic in his appearances throughout the film. Foster maybe one of the most underrated actors alive but he shined as a nepotism infused d-bag.
Queen Latifah was an awkward choice to play Sandler's wife. There was just no real chemistry there as a married couple - in fact it was just odd. For example, Sandler's character comes in from being on the road for a really long time and they don't even kiss. She pecks him on the cheek and they hug. I think we all know that Latifah is very much out of the closet which in theory shouldn't impact a performance but watching she and Adam together it was honestly all anyone could critique about the film. Surely there was better choice for that character.
Overall, Hustle a great q&a with Sandler and surprise moderator Paul Dano did what I didn't think was possible... they made me love Adam Sandler more than I already did. Definitely worth the watch.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Not a LOTR fan but I enjoyed this.
So first let's lay out my prejudice and biases first - I am in no way a LOTR fan. I was bored to tears when I was a kid when my friends kept dragging me to see the Peter Jackson films. I'm not kidding when I say this but I've fallen asleep every single time I tried to watch those movies. I actually remember thinking one Christmas when my mom bought them for me on DVD "My own mother doesn't know me at all".
I know that fans of those movies are literally religious zealots when it comes to them but there it is. Can't stand em. No disrespect. In terms of quality and scope as well as just pushing the medium of filmmaking they are an achievement. Even I can admit to that despite not being a fan.
Also, the books... Listen LOTR is just not my type of fantasy. When I was a freshman in college my English 1000 professor on the first day of class assigned reading LOTR and I thought I was going to cry. I hated every second of it. Mordor, gondor, dwarves, Galabriel, Galadriel, Orcs, Wizards, Middle Earth blah blah freaking blah. All of that stuff for me takes away from the meat and bones of a great story... the humans and the human conflict. It's distracting not to mention annoying. I'm more of a GOT, Sword of Truth, and Mistborn fantasy fan. Stories that don't get bogged down in the world-building but instead focus on characters that are believable and mirror our own world.
Okay, so all of that being said, why did I watch this? Well, to be honest, one thing pulled me in, and one thing only: Morfydd Clark. Lord of the Rings have mercy she's gorgeous. But also the fact that the rabid diehards didn't like it also caught my attention. It sort of confirmed what I think turned out to be true - the producers of this show weren't just trying to appeal to the LOTR base but were trying to achieve what GOT did... they wanted to bring in normie viewers like myself. All the nerd stuff is in there but it's dialed back a bit. Instead, they're focusing on the characters. They've grounded a story I always thought was too ridiculous and childish to be taken seriously and ya know what? I enjoyed it.
Alright, so let's get specific - pros and cons:
PRO: I think Morfydd Clark is a star. I don't think she will blow up as a direct result of this show but I do think it will be because of the opportunities it leads to. I saw some comments about her character Galadriel on social media and here as well stating that she - CON: Galadriel - is written like a bit of a Karen. Not only is that hilarious but yeah, it is a bit true. Love Morfydd but Galadriel is not exactly written well. It's tough to root for her.
PRO: This one was a massive surprise for me but Durin! The second you mention something like Dwarves my eyes immediately glaze over and my attention wanders but the character and his storyline were really a joy to watch. The conflict with his father and his relationship/brotherhood with Elrond was just surprising. Again, it was human.
PRO/CON: Sauron - I mean I think it was obvious from the jump. That being said, I enjoyed it all the same. I saw what they were going for and the parallels they were trying to make to let's say other great classic works. And let's be real, coming from a non fan... I want a relationship between Galadriel and Sauron so bad. It would just make for great TV. Galadriel falling in love with the literal thing she's spent a thousand years trying to kill?! And maybe he actually loves her too and starts to question the whole evil thing? C'mon, that would be so much fun!
CON: The Stranger - I love Daniel Weyman but the Stranger was just annoying plain and simple.
PRO/CON: Cinematography at times felt fantastic and grounded and other times felt very CW network. Specifically, the Numenor stuff... honestly that whole thing felt CW. Too pristine, too pretty, too clean - the actors themselves again looked straight off the crappiest CW hot people with problems show. I'm sure some book nerd is screaming "that's what Numenor is supposed to be!!" I don't care I didn't like it. I just didn't buy it. I didn't believe it. Here's a contrast - GOT - The Red Keep and Lannisters... I believed that was a real sort of middle ages setting.
Hollywood is a lazy industry. Always looking for the easiest sell. IP is the name of the game these days. Forget about anything resembling original or at least "fresh" storytelling - the industry will always take what millions and millions of people love and try to repurpose it. There is a lot of great fantasy out there that is less popular but imo far more interesting, complex, yet grounded than LOTR that Amazon could have gone with. Instead, they chose perhaps the most recognizable option and tried to put their own spin on it. I get why diehard fans are miffed. They're right to be. If you want to put your own spin on something... tell your own story. I liked this show and I'll prob check out a few eps whenever S2 happens but I think we can all agree that Rings of Power will never come anywhere near to the GOT effect.
By virtue of its straight geek silliness, Rings of Power will never be a cultural phenomenon... all that money spent can't change the fact that LOTR will always be niche.
Alexander (2004)
5 is for the Ultimate Cut
What to say about "Alexander"... jeez. Well first, I'm writing this because I recently watched the Ultimate Cut and found it... tolerable.
This movie came out when I was 13 I think and at that age I was already an Alexander hero worshipper. I distinctly remember going into the movie thinking there was no way anyone could make a boring film on Alexander the Great. To this of course Oliver Stone said "Hold My Unmixed Greek Wine"
I work in the industry now and I'm well aware of what goes into a film and also the many ways that studios self sabotage their own films. Again, this was in 2004, a very very different landscape than today. No streamers. Just theatrical, dvd/vhs(i guess), and tv. You had a 2 hour window and that was it to tell your story.
The theatrical release of this movie is objectively horrible. Mind you, there are 3 separate versions of Alexander(that i know of) Theatrical, Final/Directors, and the Ultimate Cut. Both the theatrical and final cuts are unwatchable. You will either fall asleep or chuck whatever device you're watching from. The problems are legion. The script most of all, but the musical score literally makes no sense, casting is off, and Stone's overall romanticised vision all combine to make this one of the hands down worst of this genre.
Speaking of casting, I didn't have as much of a problem with this as some others did/do. I think everything devolves from the script... everyone in this cast is a more than capable actor. However, it's a very rare performer that can elevate a horrible script and unfortunately none of these actors are that rarity... nor should they bear the responsibility of having to try. That being said, the argument that these actors were definitely "not right" for these roles is a valid one.
Depending on how you see things - this was Colin Ferrel's hayday... personally I think he's been doing his best work over the last 5-10 years but early 00's he was the most obnoxious sort of movie star. Constantly in the tabloids. Hanging with Britney Spears lol etc and played it up. The Irish Bad Boy b.s. And during that time he made stinker after stinker after stinker.
But I give him credit. The guy grew up and got real and it really shows.
Personally, I thought Val Kilmer was great for Phillip II. He really was what I've always imagined Phillip to be like... physically damaged from constant warfare but if you know the history, Phillip was not an old man. Though he had serious injuries he was still vigorous and quick witted.
Angelina looks almost exactly like what I've imagined Olympias to look like. Her performance... eh... I think she did what she could with what she had to work with on the page. The accent? Now I've heard people gripe about her sounding sort of Russian but again... go back to the history. Olympias was from a place called Epirus in Molossia which would be somewhere in the Balkan region around serbia or albania. Very near to Russia and ethnically speaking basically the same people.
Macedonians were/are barely considered Greek today! Well the Macedonians thought the Molossians were extremely foreign... hence the drama with Alexander and his detractors at the Macedonian court. Point is... I think her accent is more accurate than alot of people realize.
Jared Leto... I mean what can you even say about this guy. Personally I like him... I love 30 seconds to mars and I've enjoyed most of his performances(that ive seen) but this script gave him nothingggg to do! I mean nothing. All he does for hours is sit around and stare longingly.
But the point of this review is that the Ultimate Cut, if you're a history fan, is actually watchable. One of my first thoughts watching the theatrical cut was... "This is not an Alexander the Great film... I don't know who or what this is about but it is not Alexander"
The Ultimate Cut actually had really important actual historical moments that really fill in the reality of Alexander. It's bizarre that it took Stone 3 different attempts to be even remotely accurate but hey. There are two major scenes that actually happened "The trial of Philotas" "The execution of Parmenion" and "The killing of Cleitus".
My main problem with Stone regarding this film is that Alexander is one of the very few figures... real or fiction... that needs no embellishment. He needs no romanticization. Nothing. All you need to do is find a handful of the more reliable sources and tell the truth. That's it! Instead, Stone went full romance and we all suffered for it. Alexander was brilliant, he was a dreamer and deeply philosophical and he was a megalomaniac, butcherous(if that's a word) and addicted to victory among other things. In short, he was an extraordinary human being who accomplished more in 32 years than anyone else in human history.
Point is, the Ultimate is worth a watch if historical accuracy matters to you and I promise you when it comes to Alexander - historical accuracy is far more interesting than anything Stone and co came up with.
Tim Dillon: A Real Hero (2022)
Not great
I love Tim Dillon but this special just wasn't his best. He does better stand up on his podcast. Maybe he was in his head about the special and it being on Netflix but within about 15 minutes I was scrolling through my phone.
He was just on Rogan again recently and I swear I've already listened to that episode 3 times in a week. He literally had me choking laughing - and of course I get that doing a podcast is totally different energy than being on a stage but Tim never has to try to be funny he just is. He's brilliant. But in this special he seemed to be trying.
The Northman (2022)
Shakespearean
This is the first movie I've gone to in a regular theater in 3 years - I've been to industry screenings and related events - but this is the first movie in years that excited me enough to actually buy a ticket and sit with a room full of randoms to watch a flick. Robert Eggers, Vikings, Skarsgard, and Taylor-Joy? I'm in!
I read a few comments from Eggers leading up to the film's release about the studio interference within the editing process and I'll be honest... it was painfully obvious. I could see Eggers's true intent despite the studio's PG13-izing but this film was supposed to be brutal, bloody, and absolutely savage. Unfortunately, the studio did what studios do and opted to make it safe and palatable to a larger audience and in effect ruining it for everyone. This is not a film that should appeal to the masses - that's what Marvel is for. This here is case and point as to why the studio system and movie theaters are quite literally gasping their last breath. They completely robbed this film of its bite - of the truth of those times - of what would've made this film incredibly memorable. I may be one of the few that welcome the end of studios and theaters if it will allow artists greater creative freedom. I felt like I was watching Hugh Jackman's Wolverine pre-Logan when he would stab and slice people and there was absolutely no blood. It was ridiculous.
I felt genuinely heartbroken for Eggers. He made a freaking awesome film, put his heart into it, then had no choice but to sit back and watch the suits white wash the hell out of it. I hope there is a Director's Cut.
With all of that said, I really did enjoy the film despite the above issues. Personally, I love this genre. Historical but with a twinge of fantasy. I loved that Eggers chose to show the truly tribal and barbaric nature of the Vikings and that age. I don't think I'd ever seen it shown as archaic as it actually was. The series VIKINGS for example, which I enjoyed some of, was still too pristine to be taken seriously. I wish Eggers had opted for a streaming platform instead of a theatrical release. He had to of known the problems with working in the studio system.
The acting was spot on from Alexander Skarsgard. This dude is one hell of an actor. Clearly, it's in the blood because that whole family is incredible. I won't ruin the moment but there is more than one of the Skarsgard clan in this movie and I would've been perfectly fine if they put the entire brood in there. Alexander has stood out in everything I've ever seen him in - from True Blood to The Northman and I hope to see much more of him in future roles.
Anya Taylor Joy is good here. Obviously, her looks are almost too perfect for a film like this but I have to admit her luster has waned for me just a bit. She's a tremendous actor, no doubt, but I remember seeing her in The Witch and being totally incapable of looking away from the screen anytime she was the focus. Perhaps, it's because she's famous now and she's adopted this sort of coked up super model look. In The Witch, she looked like a person... now... well whatever.
Nicole Kidman is there and she's... fine.
Ethan Hawke is having himself a bit of a renaissance - he isn't in much of the film but manages to make himself stand out for the bit that he is.
The cinematography is okay but I have to admit that I was having a sort of Game of Thrones: The Long Night experience. So much of the film was just too dark and I mean literally dark as in I had trouble seeing some of it. I'm sure the discussions with the Gaffer/s were focused on being true to the age but just a bit more lighting would've helped.
All in all, I rated this an 8. I saw what Eggers was trying to accomplish and the film he would've made without the interference. That movie would've received a 10 without hesitation.
Dune: Part One (2021)
People decided they liked it before seeing it
So for the average movie goer it doesn't matter that its actually not a very good film. Look, I get it. From the moment I heard about a new Dune adaptation I was thrilled. You can double that when I heard Villenueve was directing.
Fact of the matter is I'm not the average movie goer. Great VFX just isn't enough to wow me. And thats essentially all that makes this film special at all. Great VFX. The story was 1 dimensional if you can even claim there was a story. The characters - because of the weak story are equally weak.
With the exception of Rebecca Ferguson who I swear is such a talented actress that she made a mountain out of the pathetic mole hill she was handed.
Chalamet does what he can with what he's given which isn't much. I like this guy though. Normally, I have no idea why Hollywood chooses to crown their so called stars but I get Chalamet's appeal. You might be tempted to toss him into the Tween superstar column and that is true. 13 yr old white girls love androgynous looking boy band types. But I have to give him his due...he's a solid actor. I was more than impressed by him in Michod's The King. It was there that I started to believe he just might be legit.
As I said, he's got the appeal the tweenagers love but in his career moves he doesn't play to this everchanging audience that loses interest in whatever latest hearthrob faster than they gained it. He chooses adult roles - Even when he wasn't exactly a legal adult himself. He has my respect.
Zendaya is... sort of in this. Not that it matters but I'm not sold on her at all. I highly doubt she sell tickets on her name alone. So I guess my question is... how is she a star? Isn't putting butts in seats a prereq for being apart of the so-called A-List?
The rest of the cast is an incredibly expensive waste of talent. Look, I get that this is "Part 1" but that talk only started when the reviews for the film started coming in and they were largely negative or sort of middle of the road. The point is that they never knew if they were getting a part 2... especially when they started out making part 1. It's a poor excuse. And it really doesn't matter. Dune is a two hour trailer. It's narratively weak which like a spider web like crack in glass spreads out and sort of ruins everything else about it.
People tend to overlook the SYFY miniseries version of Dune but when I was a kid it was the only live action adaptation I knew of. I certainly wasn't going to watch anything from the outdated 80's. It was also James McAvoy's big break I believe. I encourage anyone and everyone to check it out. For a TV movie - it's leaps and bounds above this current adaptation and incredibly well done for a tv movie in the 00's.
I wanted to love this film... I, like alot of you, decided it was going to be amazing before it came out but being as objective as one can when giving an opinion... it's just not there.
I hope the 2nd film...coming in like 3 years by the way... is better.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
A movie about nothing.
I wanted to like this. I really like - won't say love - but really like The Sopranos. I was pretty young when it was on TV but I remember my mom loved it. I finally got around to binging it myself recently. James Gandolfini was The Sopranos. He was quite literally like the sun... everything revolves around his performance. Even in scenes he wasn't in.
This movie though... wasn't just missing the James Gandolfini but it was hard to believe David Chase who penned the original series actually wrote this crap. Many Saints isn't about anything. It's just a collection of situations, familiars names, places and characters. Seriously, I went to two screenings of this film - one of which was with the cast. They did a discussion afterwards and I swear listening to them answer questions from the moderator it was like they knew this movie sucked. They sort of knew how hallow and empty it was. I felt embarrassed for them.
The marketing for the film is bizarrely out of step with the film itself - Who Made Tony Soprano?- well I've seen it twice and I have no clue. We never see any hints of transformation in Tony. There's no moment. Just this unbelievably cheesy ending that's supposed to be a throwback to an unbelievably cheesy moment in the film. It was so awkward being in the audience... it wasn't a large amount of people. No one clapped at the end. Everyone just sort of sat there. We all knew it was bad and so did the cast.
The Italian girl? No idea what her purpose was in this movie. No clue. She was just there. I think maybe to cause problems? I guess?
Also, the film strangely tried to incorporate race relations... I'm black and I can tell you it wasn't necessary. It did nothing for the story. I've heard people say that The Sopranos was a super racist show. I couldn't disagree with that sentiment more... I thought was Chase did with the racism of his characters was incredibly intelligent. Everything Tony for example would accuse black people of being he quite literally was himself. He would accuse them of stealing as though he wasn't an irredeemable thief, murderer, abuser himself. It was hilarious actually. But it was never woke. There were never any characters in scenes or episodes just for the sake of being there.
Also, young Paulie, Silvio, and Puss... jeez it was like watching a terrible cosplay. I wanted to see this movie primarily because I'm a big fan of Stoll and Bernthal... both of which had nothing to do in this movie and more often than not looked and sounded like they were doing impressions not giving performances and I blame the writing.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Underwhelming. I Blame Marketing.
I can't tell if THE Suicide Squad is a better movie than SUICIDE Squad or merely different. The best parts of the film... and I mean ALL of the best and would have been I suppose eye popping moments were all seen in the legion of promos prior to release. So much so that I felt like I had already seen the movie several times.
With regards to the first SS - I love David Ayer. His gritty, dark, LA crime world style is right up my alley and at the time very in line with Snyder's vision. The first film should've been awesome if not for a meddling bunch of executives. However, I absolutely cannot stand Will Smith. I was bummed as soon as I heard of his casting bc I knew that Smith is a 90's era mega star. He doesn't share... even in an ensemble piece. Which means the film would mostly focus on him and a boring b-plot(his daughter). Unfortunately I was right.
With all of that said, I like Gunn. I'm not a super fan by any means but I think it takes a bold director and real creative vision to make movies like Guardians of the Galaxy as fun as they were/are. I appreciated what he did with this film... didn't love it but I appreciated it bc the entire film had creativity, vision, personality. That's rare these days, esp on the Marvel side where it seems to be "enter any director/showrunner here" they're selling lunchboxes not cinema.
I saw James Gunn in this film. This is why I love Zack Snyder's work in the dceu... his films were HIS. A realistic Superman, a Batman that went off the rails and kills, a truly awesome Wonder Woman with a sword who carries the heads of her enemies and chops off Steppenwolf's!!! These Fellows Have Some Soul!
Gunn, Snyder, and Ayer are not directors to hire when you want to make a film by committee! With corporate suits who don't have an ounce of creativity in them!
Pros: Idris Elba, one of my favorite actors working today. I'm a huge fan and it was joy seeing him do his thing here. I was so happy when it was announced he'd replace Smith.
Joel Kinnaman, I'm a huge fan of his also. His work in the first season of Altered Carbon was incredible and made me want to see his other work. He's always turned in solid performances. Rick Flagg's death was actually a bummer(more on that later).
And, of course Margot Robbie. She's just amazing. Plain and simple. I really don't know what else there is to do with this Harley Quinn though. The character is just not a protagonist. She doesn't work as the heart and center of a film and I'm glad Gunn and Robbie played her as a wild card outlier instead of trying to follow her every beat. I think it's time to let Quinn go and look into a more rounded out character for Robbie. The woman can do anything.
Daniela Melchior(Ratcatcher 2): Thought she was great. I love when Hollywood tries to make some of the most unbelievably beautiful women in the world look bummy. Melchior is so beautiful that even wearing dirty rags and rats crawling on her she still had me swooning every time she was on screen. And when she kept falling asleep hahahaa that me.
Cons: John Cena. I'm so tired of Hollywood trying to make this guy a star. The industry is trying to force Cena on us the same way they keep forcing Kristen Stewart on us. This dude is in everything. Every giant tentpole that doesn't already star The Rock, Cena is right there. And he sucks. Stop Already. I will say, probably the best moment of the entire film was Elba shooting this fool through his throat... man that was nice.
Amanda Waller: Viola Davis is one of the greatest actresses of this generation and Waller gives her next to nothing to do. She's great in the role no doubt. Plays her to perfection... so much so that I realize every time Davis is on screen the entire film could be centered around her and it might be alot better.
Someone needs to explain to me who exactly the villain was in this movie bc I still don't know. Was it Waller, Thinker, Peacemaker? Couldn't have been Starro! When Starro died I actually felt sadness. Especially at his last line. This thing was an alien literally just floating through space looking at the stars and had no aim to hurt anyone when HUMANS. Starro was literally an abused animal that escaped its cage and that sucks.
Lastly, I think killing off Flagg was a bad play. Kinnaman managed to do more with the character this time around. I wanted to know more about him, his background, and to see where he could go in future films. I was rooting for him. He and Quinn seemed to be getting closer and it could've been interesting to explore a friendship/relationship with such opposites. Instead we're getting a Cena Peacemaker series...
All in all, The Suicide Squad was fine. I don't why the industry seems surprised it didn't do bigger numbers. Listen, before COVID, movie theaters were a dying beast. Who the hell wants to watch a movie with a 150 strangers, some with kids, getting up during the best parts to go to the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, talking! Phones ringing etc! When you could watch in the privacy of your own home?
Now add in the element of a pandemic plus you're releasing it online anyway?!? Why in the hell would you expect anyone to see this in theaters?! The movie wasn't great. Not really memorable. I don't expect anyone to be clamouring for another... but I did appreciate it and maybe next time tell Marketing not to give away the best parts a year before the movie is released!
Loki (2021)
8.5 for the first two episodes
If it continues this way - I can definitely see myself upping this to a 9.
I've always been a bit indifferent about the MCU post the first Iron Man. It's just, for the most part been for children. If I were 15 I'd be as obsessed as anyone but alas, I'm 30 and while I still enjoy the comic book genre... I'm more of a Man of Steel, BVS Ultimate, ZSJL type of fan.
However, Hiddleston's Loki has always been one of my favorite characters of the MCU. I like mercurial characters that aren't inherently good or bad(which seems to be a big theme of the show) There's a story there. There's discovery. No easy answers! That is what makes storytelling interesting. Marvel knows well how to do this but they choose to make most of their "products" easily digestible.
I get it. It sells. I'm not complaining. But sometimes they show glimmers of a far greater ability for deeper storytelling -- in Black Panther they very lightly touched on this idea of Wakandans abandoning their African brothers and sisters to slavery all for their self serving secrecy. THAT WAS DEEP. But because it's Marvel... they lightly touched on it then quickly abandoned it to sell lunchboxes.
Infinity War was really really good and heavy at many points. What did they do next? Followed it up with that 3 hour snoozefest fan service-palooza - EndGame. So you get my point... you can't sell a product to the masses and do deep character dives(apparently).
But perhaps Loki might be the standalone... of the Disney MCU series' This is the first to pique my interest enough to watch... two eps deep and I'm not disappointed. I don't know quite what to make of it this early but that in and of itself is definitely a good sign. I can say even though it's not the type of dark I usually like... I am definitely enjoying it.
Condor (2018)
Was a 9 up till the very end
But still a very solid show. I'm not familiar with the 70's film which is probably a good thing because Condor really surprised me. I like Max Irons alot - I thought he did a great job as Edward IV in the White Queen. That performance made me want to see more of his work.
First, let me say, Epix needs to do a better job of reaching audiences. There is far too much content out there to slack on marketing. More importantly, if they have more shows at the caliber of this one then Epix owes it to their showrunners, casts etc to promote promote promote!
Okay. CONDOR. This series is intense, brutal and has no more love for what we thought were mainstay characters than the early seasons of Game of Thrones. Without spoiling anything I'll say this... Almost no one is safe on this show. I love when a show's writers take big swings and risks! It shows they aren't hacks like the majority of the industry.
The cast - now this is what really pulled me in. Max Irons like I said... but when I saw William Hurt then Mira Sorvino -- I actually did a double take. Won't lie, I had a crush on Mira Sorvino when I was a little kid... Replacement Killers anyone? Kristen Hager is great too. Been a fan of hers since Wanted and Being Human. I have to say all of the characters are really well written... these archetypes get annoying and cliche almost immediately in other shows but not here.
Kristen Hager's character is a great example of this as the wife that doesn't know her husband quite as well as she thinks. Not only is it written well but she's such a gifted artist that she somehow makes you feel like you haven't seen this story or character before. Her character is a victim but even in her lowest moments she still seems much more powerful than we might have thought. I've seen Hager in a few different projects and I believe this to be innate in her... whatever that power is - it comes through in her characters. She might have the appearance of a karen-esque waspy 30-something white chick but there is some serious badassery underneath it.
Leem Lubany - her character could've easily ruined the entire series if there had been any usual missteps(you'll understand when you watch) - making a 5 foot nothing 110lb woman the most dangerous character in your show is a risk. If you have her doing any kung-fu bs and taking down 6'5 280lb men with her bare hands... you better have a Marvel stamp on your poster or i'm turning your show/film off immediately. However, the writers make every situation she's in believable(up until the very end). Lubany does her best Bardem in No Country impression throughout the series and honestly... it mostly works. I bought it.
The ending...had to take points off for this. They didn't lose me but the show did really test my suspension of disbelief. One of the strongest aspects of Condor is that these somewhat ridiculous situations are quite grounded which makes them digestible if not believable.
However, the ending kinda poo-poo's on that. I had a hard time buying that after the events we just witnessed Iron's character go through that at the end we'd essentially find him in a similar mental state as we met him. Moreover, really hard to believe he'd be as casual on a phone call with a character that was the cause of the worst trauma you could imagine. Actually, it seemed like there was almost a friendship developing... which just didn't make any sense whatsoever. This part... reminded me that I was definitely watching a tv show.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
So much fun and so much better!
I think we all knew this would be a million times better than that Josstice/Warnerbros suits stinker! That's a low bar. But this was so much better and such a different movie altogether! I love Zack Snyder. Man of Steel was the Superman movie I always wanted to see... when I was a kid the best we had to settle for was Smallville(still love that show) but there was nothing else. The Reeves movies were classic but horribly outdated and cheesy and Superman Returns was nothing more than a boring rehash of the Reeves movies.
Man of Steel finally showed Supes in all his glory and power by pitting him against actual threats! AND it managed to ground the character without any of that cheese and corniness that I hated so much in the old movies.
I loved BVS... I remember seeing it with a friend who wasn't at all into the superhero movies in the theater and she was on the edge of her seat right with me! The hate on that movie was ridiculous... people just love to pile on. I can acknowledge it had issues -- particular the final act with Doomsday but otherwise I loved it and the Ultimate Edition was even better!
After seeing BVS Ultimate Edition and now ZSJL I'm convinced now more than ever that movie theaters are a thing of the past. Why should a director like Snyder be confined to a 2 hour cramming of his film. He clearly has a sprawling vision and I have no doubt that other directors at his level could benefit from streaming. The problem with popcorn flicks is that we're more focused on the popcorn than the flick. You know a movie is special when your hand hovers over the popcorn bag and you've completely forgotten about it.
That's how I felt watching ZSJL! I literally only paused the movie bc my bladder couldn't hold out for four hours... otherwise I was completely locked in from start to finish. From the beginning the entire tone of the movie was different... all the silly, marvel like color - thank God it was gone. There were stakes... guys I was actually worried for our heroes. I actually laughed at myself bc I forgot where I was... bc with ZS... the heroes MIGHT not make it through. I'm not trying to trash Marvel... but we all know things will be just fine for the characters in that universe(Iron Man) being the lone exception.
My point is just that I'm an adult and I feel Marvel really is a general audiences world. I like stakes, I like seeing these larger than life characters go through very real very human struggles... and as hard as it can be to watch... I like seeing them lose. But more than anything... I like not knowing how things will turn out for these characters!
Another thing I need to point out about ZSJL -- WONDER WOMAN!! Now, look, I know a bunch of you will disagree but I hated both Wonder Woman movies... they were both corny. Terrible special effects. Terrible dialogue("I fight for love!) ugh! But I loved WW in BVS and she was absolutely BADA$$ in ZSJL... I mean that first scene that she showed up in! My jaw was on the ground! AND HER SWORD IS BACK! Dude, I thought this character was a lost cause after her two solo movies but this movie proved to me there is nothing wrong with the character or with Gal Gadot but the director Patty Jenkins and her particular vision for this character!
It's so bizarre that this character is supposed to be the embodiment of female empowerment - the movie has a female director but somehow it feels like a complete insult to females. In both WW movies Gal Gadot is little more than a super hot chick with powers -- she does her model walk in slow mo - delivers terrible dialogue(I fight for love again) and that's it. So how is it that ZS somehow makes her what she's actually supposed to be?
Anyway, I loved this movie! I loved that Steppenwolf was a legit character, with legit motives and man was he terrifying!(until Supes showed up lol!)
Needless to say: RESTORE THE SNYDERVERSE!!!! how could they not after this?!
Raised by Wolves (2020)
It started off good...
The international symbol for a movie or tv show sucking is absentmindedly reaching for your phone and scrolling through social media without even realizing it.
Halfway through ep 8 I was in a deep Instagram hole and you can imagine my shock when I came out of it and realized I hadn't heard a thing in 15 mins of this show.
What a bummer. The pilot episode was fantastic. That episode alone got me to sign up for HBO Max. I understand the high ratings. Two episodes ago I would've given this a 9.
Original content on the streaming services is almost known for its crushing mediocrity. It's like mediocre is the intent. I saw the pilot on youtube for free and thought if anyone could change my mind and restore a bit of hope that ALL of Hollywood isn't filled with self congratulatory hacks it would be HBO.
Each episode of RBW seems to get dumber and dumber. I have no problem suspending disbelief. I'm not one of these nerds that watches a sci fi - fantasy series and wants to argue about how the flux capacitor works. Just tell me a good story!
But as the series progresses the characters and by extension the story becomes more and more hollow. First, I have to be honest here... I can't stand child actors. They're almost never any good and I'm sorry but there's no story featuring children that I find to be interesting. They're just annoying plain and simple. I understood the premise of the show but I hoped the kids would be more of a subplot to the adult conflicts. Instead they seem to be front and center and they are oppressively boring.
Travis Fimmel - look - that dude's "thing" worked in Vikings... even though that show was massively uneven and more often than not... AWFUL. But he worked. SIDE BAR: HE WAS STILL ANNOYING IN VIKINGS - Now, he's literally Ragnar in space and it is fooOOOkin annoying! Him and Niamh Algar and their damned space mullets are driving me crazy.
Also can we talk about how SIENNA GUILLORY was the original wife and they just replaced her with Algar like she was a featured extra! Nothing against Algar but Sienna Guillory is not only drop dead gorgeous - she's a phenomenal actress!
Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim are both fantastic actors. That was clear from the beginning. I mean massively talented. But the most brilliant of actors are powerless when it comes to spotty writing and that is most obvious in eps 7 and 8. It's so bad I started laughing.
Look, I make it a point to go in with an open mind and that was most true when I gave Raised by Wolves a shot. But this show is going down hill fast... all in one season and the writing is the sole culprit. I do hope it can turns around though.
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
I actually cried at the end
Yeah. You read that right. I'm a 29 yr old male and I cried like a freakin baby at the end of this movie. DC can... they actually CAN make comic book movies with our favorite heroes for adults!
Lemme tell ya, I'm a big fan of Snyder's vision for the DCEU and I was so bummed at the hate BVS got because I knew he was headed in an exciting and completely different direction/tone than the childish and cartoonish MCU -- then the so called "fandom" and critics crashed and burned that...
or maybe not! With the news of the Snyder cut and now seeing this movie MAYBE DC and Warners are daring to be bold! Daring to go to the opposite end of the spectrum from their Marvel counterparts because this movie was EVERYTHING I ever wanted to see.
For those of us that like our comic book movies dark... oh boy we got DARK! I couldn't believe it. If I were writing this review on my iphone it would be entirely wide eyed emoji's! The humor was dark and absolutely hilarious! I heard a joke in there I think from Harley Quinn about someone with cancer and I was crying laughing.
This was a movie where actions had consequences... very real and very brutal consequences! Because that is life. that is the world and not even Superman is outside of that! AND THAT MADE THE STAKES REAL! FOR ONCE! I imagine this is how far Snyder wished he couldve taken things... he probably pitched something like this and everyone just stared at him.
If anyone from DC and/or Warners reads this review PLEASE! DARE TO BE BOLD! DARE TO BE DIFFERENT FROM WHATS OUT THERE! Yes you're going to get hate. But you will also get so much respect and loyalty! People like myself will not just show up but will want to support you! This was amazing guys. Truly an amazing and fun experience. Everyone involved should be congratulated!
Jack Ryan (2018)
Inconsistency has become a trend in Hollywood
And it's getting annoying. I've seen this happening with the last few shows I gave any free time to. Season 1 is usually a strong start and then there's a writer shift or some sort of shakeup behind the scenes and what was a very promising series turns into a hot mess-- please see Altered Carbon season 2 for an example.
Season 1 of Jack Ryan was solid. Big fan of Krasinski's he's really grown on me, the writing was sharp and to the point with only a few ridiculous unrealistic moments throughout. Nothing I couldn't ignore.
Every moment served the larger purpose of the story being told and nothing felt wasted.
Season 2 was the complete opposite. Literally everything was a waste.
Noomi Rapace is one of my top 5 favorite actresses and this is the second project in her filmography where I felt she was wasted. The first, being that mess of a film The Drop.
Her character was just... there. Then she wasn't... then she miraculously appears out of thin air.
Jaqen H'ghar stopped by the Jack Ryan set once Game of Thrones wrapped to play Jaqen H'ghar.
I like Wendell Pierce as an actor but the writers have truly done his character a disservice. Greer is wholly unlikable, he has quite literally no development whatsoever and by the gods this thing with his heart condition yet he still goes on active missions is so I wish I could put it from my mind.
Speaking of development or lack thereof... Jack Ryan himself. No changes. He's not smarter or angrier or whatever. He's just there for season 2. If a lesser actor were playing him I think the last ep of season 2 would've been the series finale.
Not that I particularly cared about her in season 1 but what happened to Abbie Cornish lol? She was in every episode of season 1 then they just threw her away without explanation? Who are these "professional writers"?
The Venezuela storyline should've had more of an impact on me as I know several people who are refugee's of the country and have lived through many of the incredible and heartbreaking events that have happened there.
Unfortunately, the writing was so contrived and all over the place that I found myself forcing my way through each episode.
Altered Carbon (2018)
Season 1 is an 8.5 Season 2 is a 6
I'll echo what many others have said regarding season 1... it was incredible. Ultra dark, hyper violent, brutal to the point of being shocking at times( and I am not easily shocked) an incredible Cyber Punk world that felt straight out of the grittiest Anime.
I can't say that I was a huge Joel Kinnaman fan prior to season 1 but his Takeshi Kovac was so right for the story and the world built around him it was almost hard to believe. Hollywood rarely gets these things right.
The supporting characters - Ortega, Poe , the Elliot family... they got it all right! Recently i read an article in the hack/fake woke publication of Indiewire that degraded Kinnaman's Takeshi because... he didn't smile enough. Yea. Clearly they weren't paying attention to what this character had been through, was going through or the overall tone of the entire premise. To wrap this up... i loved season 1.
Let me clear I didn't hate Season 2. It was fine. pretty good in some parts. But the casting in a few of the leads was just plain off. I like Anthony Mackie... i've seen some interviews with him and he seems like a really stand up guy. I think he was... fine in this. As an African American, I wanted to see him more than succeed but given what I've seen him do thus far I knew that might be a bit much to ask. Mackie is just... ordinary. He really is just a regular black dude and thats all i see in every role he ever plays. This is harsh I know but he's like furniture in a scene... even when he's talking I don't really notice him.
I hate saying this. But its just how I feel. In a world so vibrant, a world so alive as Altered Carbon Joel Kinnaman managed to stand out. You couldn't look away from that dude if you tried... didn't matter what was happening around him. He eclipsed every set piece and actor sharing the screen with him. Mackie just doesn't have that. In his defense, I don't think his Takeshi was written particularly well either.
He did fine but he was very miscast in this show. I'm so happy that they had so many African American leads(by so many i mean 3 lol) in this season and God I wanted to love it but with the exception of Quellcrist... the others were woefully miscast. In this kind of world they needed an actor whose mere presence draws attention ie Yahya Abdul is an example. There's no shortage of extraordinary black actors out there... they had options.
The bounty hunter: WOEFULLY MISCAST. I've seen her in some of the Marvel shows and again... she's fine. But man she did not fit into this world in anyway and her storyline was so unnecessary I just kept wondering why she was even there. African Americans get so few opportunities like this and yet when the industry does let us get a toe in the door they misfire and miscast.
They grabbed Mackie bc he's their idea of a black guy and we're a monolith right? This is how we look, how we talk and if we don't fit their idea they don't know what to do with us. So disappointing.
The other supporting characters weren't particularly interesting or empathy inducing either. I have to admit... it was hard to care.
I'm 6 eps in and I'll definitely finish because I believe in the show and see the potential for future seasons but I am bummed by this wasted opportunity.
The high points: I really love the actress Renee Goldsberry who plays Falconer. Loved her in season 1 and I'm happy they brought her back! Lots to uncover and discover with Quell. She's incredibly vulnerable, compassionate and empathetic and yet you never feel sorry for her. She's never a victim.
The biggest high point: Will Yun Lee... there's a scene in episode 6 where Quell and Takeshi 2 are talking and I swear all the vulnerability and pain of the character that I was hoping to see through Mackie all season Yun Lee showed in 2 minutes of the episode.
My great hope(and i may find out by seasons end) is that he is the Takeshi Kovac for season 3. He deserves it. Yun Lee has been around for a long time and he is wildly talented. Not just as the token asian martial artist but he is a true actor. This man has honed his craft over decades and deserves to steer this thing for awhile.
Season 1 had a very basic and yet extremely powerful story driving the whole thing...FAMILY. The dynamic between Tak and Rei was so incredible that I remember tearing up watching their scenes together. Bancroft and his family. The Elliots. Ortega and her mother, brother and the kids. It was all so simple. It was all so moving. We can all identify with what they were going through on some level. They lost that in S2.
Season 2 isn't awful but its certainly lost alot of tonal, writing and casting aspects that made it a major player in the sci fi game. S2 just feels like ordinary network tv scifi. 6/10
Messiah (2020)
Like a metaphysical Homeland
Is he? Isn't he? Is he? Isn't he? The writers really keep you wondering all the way up to the end of the finale. I have to commend these writers on a job well done!
I've watched one unbelievably horrible Netflix series after another lately and I was really lamenting the fact that I'd given any of my free time to them(The Witcher, Dracula) - staying away from fantasy for awhile.
Definitely bingeworthy. Slows down a tick in episodes 4&5 just to get in your head enough to fill you with the appropriate amount of doubt then really picks back up.
Michelle Monahan really delivers here and seems to be in her element. When I first heard about this show I was surprised she signed on for this as it sounded very close to The Path a similar show I'd heard about but never got around to watching. I'm sure she weighed the similarities but clearly saw the potential...i'm glad she signed on.
The rest of the cast does a fine job but they are really buoyed by incredibly strong storytelling.
Production value is very strong and I never saw a moment that felt cheap so kudos to netflix for not cutting corners here.
Messiah really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It truly is brilliantly crafted. Everytime I thought I was going left the writers jerked the wheel right. Not for a second was I ever sure about anything until they wanted me to be. And that folks is the mark of true craftsmanship.
I'll leave you with this... when the finale ends you will immediately hope they've posted season 2.
Dracula (2020)
Stupid beyond all imagining but
That might be part of its charm. Im shocked Gatniss had anything to do with this... i mean wow its awful but i feel like the writers and everyone else involved are totally aware of this and really double down.
Their awareness makes this at least better than The Witcher.
Marco Polo (2014)
As close to GOT as Netflix has ever been
And dont you dare bring up that crapfest The Witcher. Marco Polo was nearly perfect with the exception of its totally open ending which was clearly a result of Netflix canning(UNJUSTLY) and prematurely.
This is the one and only time Netflix had a series nearly on the same scale as Game of Thrones... no I'm not comparing it to GOT. This is not fantasy. No magic, dragons, faceless whatevers. Just great story telling. Excellent world building. Technically perfect. Excellent writing which elevates the performances of everyone involved.
Critics hated it because critics are who watch a single episode then talk bad so I assume what was suppose to bring Netflix the prestige they were hoping for unfortunately did not but again... who gives a damn about the critics. The audiences loved it.
Now we're stuck with Netflix's new attempt to capture that GOT fire with the unbelievably awful Witcher series. Let me paint a picture for you... I just rewatched Marco Polo... two seasons - 10 episodes in two days. Yea you read that right. It took me 3 weeks... struggling... STRUGGLING through 8 episodes of the Witcher. By the end I was actually out of breath. Horrible.
The television and film industry is a sad sad place. No wonder theyre always patting themselves on the back at the Golden Globes and Oscars like they just cured cancer. They have to... because they know for sure we wont! Not with terrible choice after terrible choice like canceling Polo and greenlighting Witcher.
Nightflyers (2018)
I just don't get it...
How can a disaster like The Witcher... quite possibly one of the worst productions on any medium ever! Have a nearly 9.0 on this ridiculous site and this show was canceled and has a 5.9 -- I just don't get any of you people out there.
Is this show the most brilliant thing i've ever seen... of course not... then again what is? I swear most of you that left poor reviews are all whining about The Expanse getting canceled... I gave the Expanse a go... BOREFEST. Lots of high sci fi space jargon and politics and I was bored out of my mind. I get why it was canceled like 3 different times.
Nightflyers is a solid space thriller/horror. I have no idea what is happening but I actually care about the characters and though im only 4 eps in I'm stoked to see where it goes... Thank you Netflix for acquiring this series. Unfortunately as it is with so many shows... I typically won't know about most shows if it doesn't come on Netflix.
I get why this series was canned tho... it made the mistake of being on Sci fi channel. They literally cancel every single piece of original programming that they greenlight. I don't even understand why they bother. They don't give any of their shows a chance to grow.
Anyway I'm really enjoying this series... reminds me the film Event Horizon which scared the absolute crap out of me when I was kid. I really like the cast... even though they all appear to be brits lol couldn't find a single American huh? Well they do have the beautiful stunning Gretchen Mol ... so one lol
I just don't get people's taste anymore. You love dogcrap(The Witcher) but hate decent story telling. Maybe I'm out of touch.
The Witcher (2019)
When I heard the word Destiny for the 1000th time
I knew we were in trouble.
I knew nothing about the books or the game and I can say this show is terrible. I knew nothing of Game of Thrones when it came out and it was brilliant... for a while at least. I had no trouble following the story, getting to know characters etc. In Witcher, I literally have no idea what is going on... This is a complete failure of the writers. I don't care about a single character. The fact that i have to be a fan of the books and/or games to know what is going on is bad bad work and I highly doubt this show will appeal to the mass numbers of Normies like myself as GOT did. Witcher feels like a cosplay fanfiction of itself. The writing is atrocious which by extension makes the acting hard to watch.
Witcher is more like the crash and burn series Legend of the Seeker which coincidentally ruined a favorite book series of mine(so i empathize with fans of this). I apologize for even mentioning Witcher in the same sentences as GOT. Just a reference point.
The casting with the exception of Cavill, the overall look, even the wardrobe, and medieval dance numbers are cringey and hard to watch. As for casting... ill reference GOT again bc despite that shows crash and burn for years it redefined the standard of a fantasy series... even in season 1 and a very modest initial budget... the storytelling was top notch. we didn't need special effects and magic. it was all about the characters and world-building and EVERYTHING FELT AUTHENTIC. Yennefer's whole introduction felt like a spoof of herself like something out of Scary Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.
The makeup, the hunchback was all laughable. If this is Netflix's answer to HBO... its pathetic. I heard someone compare this show to Xena Warrior Princess... which is insulting as hell for someone who grew up watching and Loving Xena. Xena knew what kind of show it was and though it had cheap CGI and plenty of camp(late 90's, early 00's) it still had great acting and storytelling. My one positive comes in the form of The Bard... which coincidentally did remind me of Xena(xena fans will understand)... specifically Geralt and the Bard's chemistry. It almost made me hopeful but it's still not enough.
This show is a rushed, low rent mess and something tells me Lauren Schmidt got the job based on more Hollywood PC Identity just look at her resume... her writing credits include The Defenders and other marvel Netflix series... even Punisher which started off brilliantly. Witcher is a complete mess and will not have any real mass appeal unless the writing does a 180 which due to Hollywood politics I highly doubt will happen. Just look at social media... this show was everywhere before it came out and since it debuted I haven't heard a peep on any platforms...
Watchmen (2019)
Glad I took a chance on this one
For the folks out there calling this show "Woke" you actually might be a racist. This show is not "Woke"... Charlies Angels was Woke. Dark Fate was Woke... Watchmen is just great storytelling with a diverse cast and poignant, rarely discussed historical topics.
Seriously, did anyone at any point during high school and college ever once bring up Tulsa 1921? No? Yea me neither.
This show isn't preaching at us and I really appreciate. For the first time in what feels like an eternity there is a strong female lead who is believable and doesn't need to tell us she's a strong female lead. She isn't some stupid Fing supermodel who looks cute holding a gun trying to make us believe her 105lb a$$ can beat up a grown man. THAT folks is woke horsesh**.
I haven't seen this many African American actors on one show/film this mainstream since Black Panther. I love it.
Regina King is truly fantastic and I'm so happy shes the face of something so mainstream.
I'm only a few episodes in but im hooked... all I ask is please Damon Lindelof... don't "Lost" us here.