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Reviews
Love at First Sight (2023)
Well executed
Well worth a watch on a night in. All you need for a good movie is a solid concept that's well executed. This movie doesn't break boundaries, but it is well done. Musical accompaniment is excellent throughout and crafts a tone and motif. It is more a rom-dramedy than a rom-comedy.
The lead couple is well acted. Both leads are going through family situations, but it doesn't feel too contrived. There are even a couple heartfelt family moments. However this movie is carried by the two leads. They are both well acted and their chemistry is excellent. The main couple feels authentic in a way 99% of rom coms don't.
Also mayo sucks so you get a point for that.
The Mandalorian (2019)
Inconsistent
I have a hard time rating this since it is so inconsistent both episode to episode and season to season. I'll talk about episode to episode first. Tone doesn't really match and certain episodes seem like side quests that aren't really connected. Some episodes are lightning quick all action well others are more of a slow burn. There will be a light hearted fun episode the then next episode is super serious. The season pacing doesn't follow the traditional 3 act pacing. It makes watching multiple episodes like a yo-yo. Production value is good and it is solidly acted. Dialogue is okay (most Star Wars dialogue isn't great).
Season one was a solid start (7-8 rating). There is a lot of groundwork being laid here. Tone episode to episode is uneven, but it doesn't detract too much and most episodes are entertaining
Season 2 was phenomenal (9-10). The season 2 finale was one of my 10-15 favorite episodes of any show ever. Early in the season it outlined the objective, set clear logical obstacles as season progressed, and characters used logic/reason to solve the problems. This season also had the best pacing and most even tone.
Season 3 is a mess(4-5). Grogo is back without any explanation of why. He can on demand use very powerful force powers without any training. Then in the next scene is a powerless hostage. Mandalorian who has always used ingenuity and logic to address obstacles suddenly is dumb and constantly needs to be rescued. This season also directly contradicts lore it established in seasons 1-2. Worst of all most episodes are actually pretty boring.
Daisy Jones & The Six (2023)
Very good show
In general I'm not a huge fan of the documentary style, but the payoff from that style is worth it. The musical accompaniment is top notch and the music itself is great. Riley and Sam are excellent in the leads and their chemistry is amazing. Both characters are layered and they take their time to develop them. Camilla also is quite good is a difficult role. Comic relief is top notch from Chacon (drummer) and Olyphant (roadie). Tom Wright has several standout scenes and nails the character even if he is very different in the book. Other 3 band members are solid and the relationship between suki and will feels real. Storyline was tough on Josh, but he did hit best with it.
The series really nails the ending. Last episode is a hard 10 of 10.
I have to knock a point for the Simone character. Her storyline is very tangential to the band and slows down pacing at bad times and distracts when the band is at is most interesting. Had she just been a friend of Daisy's with limited screen time it would have been fine, but she got way too much screen time. If you completely remove the character the story would have been better. Her screen time could have been better used to better flesh out the 4 other band members or at least give Daisy/Billy more screen time together. Also Simone has a very limited role in the book (also isn't a lesbian) so it isn't like they were trying to stick to the source material.
Altered Carbon (2018)
Very Different Seasons
Season 1 is a 9 and season 2 is a 5. Changing the lead kind of killed the show. Joel Kinnaman is a very underrated actor for slow burn shows. Season 1 is at its best when it is embracing the slow burn. Season 1 is at its best when it feels like an old detective noir film. There are action pieces, but it isn't the focus. I wish they had given Kinnaman another season.
Season 2 tried to be more big action and less subtlety. It missed on both counts. Big action requires big budgets and Mackey can hold his own when the show is trying for subtlety. Mackey does well as Falcon in big action set pieces, but this casting just didn't work.
The Last of Us (2023)
Show not tell
When you have a series you want to show not tell. The games do this a lot better. In the first 2 episodes Joel keeps saying he is a bad guy, but all of his actions show he is a sad guy not a bad guy. Had the simply shown the sequence of him hunting down Robert with Tess and torturing him it would have hit home a lot more. The biggest arc for Joel from a bad person to someone who fights for Elle, which doesn't work if he is just sad and not bad. If he is just sad he is simply replacing one daughter with another. Not having Tess kill the 2 thugs or Robert changes her character as well. The Sarah/Joel relationship is better in the games.
They are kind of missing the mark on Elle as well. Elle was very naive when the game starts. As she travels with Joel, she learns from him. She learns about how to survive, fight, what infected, and other people do to one another. She gets something out of the relationship. In the show she is perfect from the start and doesn't get anything from the relationship. In completely undercuts her arc.
Also some choices haven't been the best. Changing the spores to the connection thing doesn't seem great so far. This is nitpicking but not having the solder argue to save Sarah was a poor choice. In the Sarah and infected neighbors scene there is a level of confusion/disorientation in the game that is missed in the show. Going back to show not tell they tell idea, you the military is bad but had they shown them Kill Tess that would have shown they were.
Positives the CGI backgrounds look okay. The clickers makeup look fantastic. The show captures the claustrophobic fear in episode 2 clicker sequence. Marlene actress stole the scenes she was in.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Soulless Remake of the Original
The comedy misses more than it hits, the acting is down (even the Sandersons), the plot is poor. The music is repetitive. It introduces magic as a catch all to solve all problems. The stakes seem artificial. The team good character inter conflict is not natural. The new billy accent is distracting. The supporting characters aren't interesting.
This one lacks the fun and originality of the original. Everything is kind of is just a pale repeat of the original.
You are better off just watching the original for the multiple time. This one isn't worth your time. There are some films that should just be left alone.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Classic Halloween Fun
No big surprises in the premise, but it is really well executed. It focuses on the 3 act traditional good verses evil structure. The initial hook scene from the past sets the film well. The first act in the present is a bit slow, but once the second act starts the story really picks up. The witches are well acted and kooky fun. Comedy is surprisingly good. The music is catchy and very on point for Ortega. The stakes of the feel real.
The good guys make smart decisions and have to use guile against the witches pure power. The cat/billy make great secondary characters. The final showdown actually holds up well.
The Killing (2011)
A slow burn "who done it" in the best possible way
If you don't like slow burns this probably isn't your thing, however I don't think it is nearly as slow as some make it out to be.
The show is incredibly acted, excellently written, and well shot. The show is shot similar to Seven. Rain and suspense are constant presences throughout the run. Dialogue is great throughout.
The two leads are fantastic and their characters are complex and layered. Joel Kinnaman gives a underrated subtle portrayal and Mireille Enos is absolutely entrancing. Billy Campbell is solid in his best acting performance.
The story twists and turns and every time you think you know who did it the show flips on its head. Give it three episodes and you will be hooked.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Not tolkien
If you want to make up your own fantasy world with its own rules, norms, and cultures then do it, but if you are trying to do tolkien then be true to the source material. In no way, shape, or form is this tolkien. When you adapt someone else's work (especially a dead someone), you need to be true to that person's work. If there are thing you don't like about that work then make up your own. You don't just add someone elses name to your garbage. Peter Jackson put it best when he said something along the lines of "I tried not to bring my own baggage and just adapted what was on the page". This show is entirely baggage and no tolkien.