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Reviews
Civil War (2024)
Great commentary on America, but lacked a fleshed out story line
First, a disclaimer:
In case any other combat veteran sees this, warning: expect to be brought back to the urban warfare we became familiar with, but much, much more personal. It was actually difficult for me to watch at some points mostly because of the audio. I actually had to leave at a couple of points because they did such a good job with the sounds of war.
Review:
The film is a great commentary on the state of America and the trajectory of our country as populism and political polarization continues to intensify. On the one hand, the lack of a fleshed out storyline of the "why," makes room for people's own interpretation. On the other hand, the lack of a fleshed out storyline is also frustrating. If you're a big "why" person, this will drive you nuts. I think having put in some information as to the motivation behind the various factions would have helped connect viewers more to the point of the film.
But regardless, my takeaway from their message is: there are no winners. War is ugly, full of desperation and wanton cruelty especially those who are caught in the middle.
La Brea (2021)
Great potential....botched execution
I was so thrilled about this show when I first heard about it. As a life-long nerd and dinosaur lover, I thought I could finally have a show that launched in ways that old ones like Terra didn't. Whelp. It didn't succeed in the way I was hoping.
The overall concept is great, and there is some promising acting, but none of it can save the repetitive storyline plot points: crisis, run away screaming, try to discover some new time travel related mystery, internal drama, rinse and repeat. The other issue is the cheesy CGI. You can tell this has a lower production budget and I would be more forgiving of that if it wasn't for the tiring, worn-down, exhausting plot points.
Quantum Leap (2022)
Meh.
It's a fun thing to watch if you don't want anything that requires thinking. Acting is pretty decent but there are some things that I simply find annoying. Particularly the very obvious messaging in the show. I'm a fairly liberal person and I appreciate wide range of diversity in casting but the fact that there always needs to be a small lesson on gender identity is super old and tiring and NOT an effective means of changing hearts and minds. There are other ways to send that those same messages without having the dialogue come across like it's for a kids show. Having such messaging so on the nose will instantly cause half the audience to check out and feel like an ideology is being "crammed down their throats," while a more subtle approach could allow those same viewers to be more receptive.
Apples Never Fall (2024)
Suspenseful, Slow, & Delectable
Yet another Liane Moriarty achievement. The lingering pace and the front row seat of the messiness of a seemingly perfect family gives this slow burn drama a sense of intimacy that you don't necessarily get from other suspense mysteries. It is well paced, with a front row seat to the intricacies and complexities of family life, all while circling around the mystery of, "what happened to Joy?" In a lot of ways, the story of Joy's disappearance is secondary to the commentary on what it means to be family and to the extents we will go for our family and for ourselves at their expense. I'm not sure why the negativity around this show - the acting is fantastic and the source material is masterful.
My only criticism is some of the unrealistic nature of the police involvement and how essentially the kids are doing their jobs (in order to avoid spoilers, I'm not going elaborate on that.)
Murder Is Easy (2023)
Don't understand the negativity - a decent adaptation
I trying to understand why so many people have such low opinions of the show. The cast does a great job with their characters, and the storyline is straight forward enough to follow. The cinematography was delightful as well. Some called the show "messy," yet I can't find exactly what was messy about it - again, straightforward plot that follows a clear path. While I know book fans tend to prefer the storylines stick to the original plot exactly, that doesn't always translate well on to the screen. I do agree that the show could have done a few things differently, but overall it's an enjoyable adventure with all the twists and turns one can expect from "classical" murder mysteries.
Upgraded (2024)
A familiar movie you've seen before
Cinderella. Maid in Manhattan. Princess Diaries. Every single Hallmark Christmas movie. Basically, if you've seen any of those movies, you've seen UpGraded: Girl that is down on her luck gets a(n) (accidental) makeover or upgrade and in a case of mistaken identity she lands Prince Charming that comes in and saves the day.
It's cute enough to watch when you don't want anything cerebral and would like something that is comfortable and familiar, but don't expect this to be anything beyond that. The acting and dialogue is decent enough but it's not enough to save it from coming across as familiar and tired - it's the mass fabricated suburban homes of story lines. In short - don't expect a cinematic masterpiece but do expect to be at least marginally entertained.
Halo (2022)
Amazing sci-fi show with complex plot lines
All the "purist elitists" here are losing their mind because the show isn't following the cannon exactly as they want it to. But that's to be expected - these types do the same thing with other science fiction franchises and with comics. And whenever it comes to video games, individuals inject their own interpretations into the storytelling.
However, these man-babies are overlooking the simple truth that this is indeed a well-developed science fiction story; for anyone who was a casual player of the game or didn't know the story like at all, you will find yourself quickly immersed in a vibrant world with enough layers of complexity to keep you hooked. Pablo is the absolute perfect cast for Master Chief, and Natasha McElhone's Halsey while an unlikeable antagonist shows that her motives are for the best of the future of humanity. The human villains of the show are not simple "bad guys," as Halo does a wonderful job of showing their well-meaning albeit misguided intentions.