Solnichka Reviews

Shōgun (2024–2026)

Anna Sawai almost ruins yet another series with her terrible acting

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

First, let's say that the screenplay is great; the character development is stellar; and the production quality is delightful. Three stars right away. Now, the acting: Cosmo Jarvis does his best to merge James Purefoy and Richard Burton together, even though he's still pretty annoying throughout the series. Maybe it's the way the role is/was written? Fine. Hiroyuki Sanada is brilliant, maybe the perfect actor for this production/role available today. Owns every scene he is in, for sure. Both Moeka Hoshi and Fumi Nikaidô are excellent in their roles, too; it's a shame these two fine talents were relegated to the side because of the terrible miscasting of Anna Sawai in the lead role. She was terrible in the Monarch series on AppleTV+, and she was terrible in this amazing role. That's one star down, for sure, because everyone seems to be afraid to criticize her for whatever reason-but she totally prevented this audience from even caring about her character, despite the tragic writing. Hoshi and Nikaidô steal every scene they're in; Sawai ruins every scene she's in. Other than Sawai, pretty much every other actor in this series nails their respective role. So that's 5 stars there. The only other negative? The silly final 15 minutes where the "outcome" is reduced to exposition of the future, like this was the "Twilight" finale or something. Did they run out of money/time? Just a lame way to end a fantastic series-maybe cut a little of the fringe from the first 5 episodes, and there would have been more time for a properly developed and explored ending ... instead of just spoon feeding the political intricacies to the audience. Weak ending, sadly. Definitely a watchable series, but Sawai and the finale's "finale" really hurt the overall rating. #facts.

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013)

Pretty fun for modern progressives to enjoy watching, but conservatives may not like it

[8/10 · 8 February 2024]

A fun little movie that won't take up much of your time, as it only runs 97 minutes long-and it could have been a bit longer. Fun choice by the filmmakers to use archival footage of Ali instead of casting someone to replicate his persona. The balance between Ali's documentary presence and the "behind the scenes" look at the SCOTUS machinations on the case makes for very good narrative flow and pace. The screenplay takes a lot of shots at Warren Burger, and deservedly so: he was sexist, probably racist, and homophobic (not part of the film, luckily)-a triple threat to equal rights, sadly. There are also a lot of modern-day digs at the Court itself for being too political ... not wrong, but perhaps not the best place to throw those punches, either. The time period reflects the sociocultural challenges in America at the time, right down to the SCOTUS clerks themselves, even though those portrayals are mostly fictional. In the end, it all wraps up a little neatly/nicely in explaining how Ali "won" the appeal, but perhaps too much legal exposition would have turned off the casual viewer. We've used this film (and the book it is based on) for instruction in both college English and history courses, and it always plays well with the younger audiences who know little about Ali's legacy today. A lot of fun lines, too, for those well versed in SCOTUS history as well, from Potter Stewart's "I know it when I see it" quip to others nods for Byron White and Harry Blackmun. The acting is pretty top notch, too, including a nice turn by Dana Ivey as the only woman in the main cast. Definitely recommend.

1923 (2022–2023)

So much better than Yellowstone, though not as good as 1883

[9/10 · 18 January 2024]

Give us more Alexandra and Spencer, please! That was the best part of this series, by far, even though we didn't know it at the start. With so much gap in storytelling between 1883 and 1923, it's hard to follow along at first with this series, but it gets rolling and successful by the end of the season's 8-episode run. The least interesting storyline is the one in Montana, actually, as the brutal racism of the American frontier is an embarrassment to Christianity and the West as a whole. It's rough to finally see it accurately portrayed, America's second genocide; 1883 mostly avoided exploring the first genocide, of course, to focus on the Dutton move to Montana. This series demonstrates what lawlessness does to everyone, regardless of ethnicity. We can't celebrate that, and maybe that's the hardest part of this series to watch: the Duttons are not "heroes" like the Corleones might have been regarded as, as there is little ethical or moral code to their actions (save Spencer, of course). It's hard to root for Jacob here, even though we love rooting for Cara. Isn't that always the way it goes? Behind every allegedly great man, there is a truly great woman. Enough said there ... the casting and writing are pretty awesome, collectively: Helen Mirren is her usual brilliant self, but Julia Schlaepfer and Brandon Sklenar shine together on screen. But Timothy Dalton and Darren Mann do nothing for their characters. It was painful watching any scene with either of those actors. Still, can't wait for the next season-and maybe some filling in of the gaps between 1883 and 1923 would really help? Truly.

1883 (2021–2022)

10x better than Yellowstone, in all ways

[10/10 · 14 January 2024]

As a standalone miniseries, this is just near perfect. Hard to find flaws with it, as the accuracy, acting, cinematography, direction, writing, etc., are all top notch. It fits as a historical drama because it depicts reality for the setting-unlike Yellowstone, really. The voiceover narration really grows on the audience, too, as in the beginning it seemed poetically forced, but over the handful of episodes, its value shines through in terms of perspective and a first-hand, primary-source account of the era. The acting-including a few well-placed cameos-is stellar, even though Tim McGraw is hit-or-miss in so many ways. Here? He's a hit. Isabel May is fantastic, too. The camera just frames the scenery perfectly, and the editing-with a few allowances for beard growth overnight-is pretty well intact. But this is Sheridan's writing at its best, too ... much more so than the overly expansive and unrealistic original series. Maybe he should stick to short-form stuff like "Wind River" and this masterpiece?

Yellowstone (2018– )

Pathetic and sad celebration of toxic masculinity in Montana & "The West"

[2/10 · 13 January 2024]

Not where to even start, sadly, as we wasted too much time watching this silly rip-off of "The Godfather", set in the West-where the men are men, and the sheep are nervous. At least good Sicilians had empathy and a moral code; the American West had/has none of this, of course. The acting was okay, and we usually like most of the writer's other productions, but this? Way over the top, ridiculous, and not worthy of anyone with a brain's time. Heck, even "Legends of the Fall" did it better than this, and that time setting would have been better for these laughable 2010s storylines here that are completely unrealistic and not plausible. The violence is Neanderthal in nature, too: again, in another timeframe, maybe it's more practical and believable, but like John Gotti found out, every era comes to an end well before the people living it in realize that. And sure, that's the point, perhaps, of this narrative over all, but it overshot the mark by decades. No one in the 21st century would tolerate this sort of stuff; no one after the 1960s would have, really, so it's complete unrealistic and a needless "celebration" of pathetic and sad men who don't know the first thing about being real human beings. Don't even bring up the caricatured women, either, because all they do is demonstrate how their own weakness enables men of despicable character in this nation/world.

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

Pretty good entertainment on all levels, except character development

[9/10 · 29 November 2023]

The acting is really good; the two leads are excellent, and the chemistry between the characters feels real. The support cast should be strong, but honestly? Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage truly looked like they just mailed their performances in for a paycheck. That's too bad, as more exposition from both their characters was needed, and yes, that's a writing critique, but writers can only do so much with the actors they're given to work with in a production. It seems weird that those two, of all of them, would let the audience down. The music is a pleasant surprise, for sure, and Rachel Zegler nailed the songs with ease-just in case you didn't know this was part musical. The biggest complaint here is a lack of believable character development for Coriolanus Snow; this is a writing issue, for sure, so it will be interesting to see what ended up on the cutting-room floor once this hits streaming-service viewing. It's a long movie that doesn't feel it too often, except when Dinklage and/or Davis is on screen. Longer with more backstory/exposition for the Snow character/family would have made this film even better.

Napoleon (2023)

Loses points for miscasting of male lead and historical inaccuracies aplenty

[8/10 · 29 November 2023]

The film is entertaining, if not full of too much violence. How many beheadings are we expected to "need" to understand the story, after all? Enough is enough. It's also very pretty to look at, and the story itself is solid enough when it sticks to the facts. Embellishments really aren't needed for a story like this one, but the filmmakers went off the historical rails a few times too many. The director used to be better at this than he is now, that's for sure. As for the acting Vanessa Kirby is fantastic, but Joaquin Phoenix just doesn't really pull it off. He's pretty miscast in this role, and just because he as an Oscar now? That doesn't mean he gets a pass on every film he makes. He is pretty laughable in this role, for a few reasons. One little addition? Develop the romance angle more fully early on if you want your audience to buy into it later. Just a tip.

True Blood (2008–2014)

Show goes off the rails after 4 seasons ... ridiculously so!

[6/10 · 26 November 2023]

Not sure how this show even lasted for 7 seasons, but then again, if people ate up the "Twilight" movies, they'd go gaga for this. The introduction of an endless stream of "supes" just makes this series less interesting as it goes on. When you need to invent new "species" to keep the narrative going, you've run out of ideas-and that's where this series ended up in Season 5. Character development was nil, too ... the writers just tried to complicate people's lives more instead of actually offering up any growth or dynamic progress. The "Villain of the Season" formula also wears thin eventually, too, especially considering the setting: Nowhere, Louisiana. It would be more believable if it was set in New Orleans, with its population density. Anyway, the acting was mostly good for awhile, but then even the leads look like they're bored and tired of the silly writing. You've been warned; watch at your own risk.

The Civil War (1990)

This published historian thinks this documentary is merely passable thanks to endless "Lost Cause" sentiment

[7/10 · 18 October 2023]

It is necessary to explore all sides of the event, of course; yet a historian's job is also to interpret those perspectives and produce an overall narrative that frames the facts accurately. This documentary does not do that: "In vernacular use, history means both the facts of the matter and a narrative of those facts, both 'what happened' and 'that which is said to have happened.' The first meaning places the emphasis on the sociohistorical process, the second on our knowledge of that process or on a story about that process." Using someone like Shelby Foote as a primary narrator in this documentary undermines the entire credibility of the production, sadly. Underusing Barbara Fields as a reliable narrator in this documentary was unforgivable. It's hard to believe Ken Burns got famous because of this production, in truth, when his choices in expertise were so mediocre. The cultural turn in the profession had not yet permeated academia in full by the time this was produced; it would be great to re-do it now with a more responsible approach to the reprehensible Southern cause.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)

Too long, but Taylor Swift is a VERY talented performer/songwriter

[8/10 · 15 October 2023]

As a Gen X music lover, I have to say I identify more with Tori Amos than Taylor Swift; that being said, Swift is a great songwriter and a great performer. There isn't a bad moment in this film, really, even though I did fall asleep twice-once during the "evermore" sequence and another time during a slower segment as well. I only know six of her songs, overall. Yet the whole film was full of great songs I was happy to listen to and hear for the first time, and I look forward to exploring her music more offline. The visuals are fun, and it was great to see the crowd so happy during the film, too. The supporting performers were awesome in both diversity and talent, and that means a lot as well for any viewer. Highly recommend even if you know just a handful of her songs; you don't be disappointed.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Incredible albeit not perfect and yet still worthy of multiple viewings

[10/10 · 3 August 2023]

Thinking person's Cold War film, really. Dialogue heavy, so you have to pay attention or you may miss something. The non-linear narrative may not work for everyone, but we all know this is how Nolan makes his films. Therefore, we need to be ready for it. The acting was top notch, although Emily Blunt deserved more screen time. Same for Florence Pugh, really. So, there's a lot of mansplaining in this film, so to speak. Maybe that's a reflection of the subject matter's eras, but in a modern world, it is very noticeable. It doesn't detract from the quality of the film, but perhaps it makes us think that the film could have been a lot better if done differently. Either way, highly recommend this film for informative, intellectual, and thought-provoking ideas about humanity and science. Probably a lot of lessons in here about AI, too, using the idea expressed in Jurassic Park: The scientists were so concerned with whether they could, they didn't think about whether they should.

For All Mankind (2019– )

Season 1 is a good start, except for "Margo" and contrived drama, ofc

[8/10 · 23 July 2023]

We are not fans of alternative histories, because the longer one goes on, the more ridiculous the fiction becomes-and nowhere near grounded in realism. Maybe that's the point. Season 1 of this show is good, however, until the end, when all the "disasters" happen sequentially, which is not realistic or believable. And really, you're going to kill off Deke Slayton? After you've killed off Gene Kranz? We realize some people who "lived" real life have to die, but we found these deaths to be highly ridiculous for many reasons. Otherwise, the show is good and held together by (mostly) good acting and (mostly) good writing. The exceptions to the acting? The actors playing Ed Baldwin and Margo Madison. We wonder if it's the acting or the writing, though, as there is NO WAY that Margo would have been able to blackmail her way into a Flight Director position-considering all the factual frameworks this show still has to operate within. Did these writers read any factual histories on the Apollo program? We can recommend a few. As for the Baldwin character, it just strains credulity that he would ever be allowed to fly again after the opening episode's shenanigans. NASA never ran that way, when we think about all the astronauts run out of the program for lesser transgressions (hi, Apollo 7, for starters). So, the writing is the problem, but the acting is just as bad in those two roles, probably-good actors can save bad roles, and these actors are not good. We do love Chris Bauer, though, coming across as a mix of Kurtwood Smith and Fred Willard in his role as Slayton. Shame to lose his acting chops by the end of Season 1. We haven't gotten to Season 2 yet, but we're not sure we want more ridiculousness. This was about as much as we could handle.

No Hard Feelings (2023)

Cute movie for a light-hearted matinee

[8/10 · 4 July 2023]

Jennifer Lawrence still has it, that's for sure. The supporting cast was solid, too, especially the kid playing Percy. The movie does a good job of showing the awkwardness of the situation and the eventual sentimentality the characters experience as they grow together-and apart. It's fun to see good character development when so many movies just have static, boring caricatures. This is not a great film, nor does it try to be. But it was enough of an entertaining story that you won't regret spending a few dollars on it at a matinee some way-too-hot afternoon this summer. Oh, and yes, that is J-Law doing full frontal, too, evidently. Good for her, as the script justified it, for sure.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Much better than Crystal Skull, but WAY TOO LONG

[9/10 · 4 July 2023]

The last entry in this series was so forgettable, you may have to review the synopsis to even remember anything about it-other than the laughable nuclear-fridge bit. This time out? You'll remember a lot more, because when the bad guys are Nazis? It is always better!! Nazis are the worst of the worst, so even watching an aging Harrison Ford fight them is cool. The supporting cast was good, too, and it was a pleasure to see Karen Allen at the end, but why waste JRD with a cameo? That was disappointing. Overall, this was a fun popcorn movie, for sure, but it was way too long. The opening sequence could have been cut in half, for example, and the same with the meandering tracking down of each antique piece of the Dial, etc. Take 30 minutes off this runtime, and it's a 10-star rating. The chase scene through Tangiers was just silly, for example. The throwback scenes looked fine; no issue here with the "de-aging" digital stuff. It is what it is and adds to character depth. PWB was really good, too, and maybe they could build a new franchise around her character. But why not bring back Short Round, too?! Oh well, maybe next time. Again, this was so much better than the fourth movie, so maybe they should end it all on a high note. Well done!

Silo (2023– )

Common ruins every scene he's in, but otherwise, it's great!

[9/10 · 17 June 2023]

It's a drag when one actor ruins a series, and this time it's Common. He can't act; let's leave it at that. In fact, he's laughable in every scene he's in, which means the whole series has a production issue. However, Rebecca Ferguson and all the others save the show to the point we can tolerate one bad actor. The story is good; the narrative flows well; the acting (besides Common, of course) is amazing. Just have NO idea what the producers were thinking when they cast someone who can't act in a key series role. Brutal. And this review must be 75 characters longer, so ... stop killing off great actors in this first season! Not all shows need to be Game of Thrones!

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

"Mike" character keeps this from being a perfect 10

[9/10 · 28 May 2023]

Watching this years after it was released is a fun experience, especially with the period-piece placement of so many '80s elements. The acting is pretty good, too, with one exception, and the writing is fun, with one exception: Finn Wolfhard and "Mike" basically are so laughable and unrealistic, it's beyond annoying. All the other child actors are great, and maybe it is because the writing for their roles is better? Either way, the characterization of "Mike" basically begs a viewer to turn this off, and the actor in the role is so bad. He was bad in the Ghostbusters movie, too, playing the same character basically, so ... maybe it's not the writing. Either way, fast-forward through all his scenes, and this will be a perfect-10 series.

Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Overly dramatic and unrealistic, like "90210" for the 2000s

[6/10 · 15 November 2022]

Welcome to yet another show to use the "drama of the week" to take on social issues in an attempt to be didactic. The only thing that keeps this series afloat is the great acting, where amazing talents are sadly forced into contrived plot lines that feed the "drama of the week" narrative. Oh, and are we really supposed to believe that almost every win for the football team comes down to a miracle, last-second play? Willing suspension of disbelief, indeed. A high school kid kills a rapist in self defense, but then covers up the crime with his sheriff dad? Nope. Multiple characters disappear forever after serving their narrative, didactic purpose? Yep. Throw in every social/cultural cliche possible here to keep the story going? Yep. Again, lousy writing, great acting, good music. You will roll your eyes in each episode twice as often as you laugh or cry. It's no surprise this show wore out its welcome in Season 2 and then was shunted off to some random broadcast spot for the last three, abbreviated seasons. Do yourself a favor and stop watching after Season 1.

Rose Island (2020)

Cute but flawed

[8/10 · 9 October 2022]

Good music in this one, along with the cinematography, and the acting is generally solid. Some gaps in the screenplay that an extra 10-15 minutes could have solved (i.e., engineering feats, political insights, etc.), but it is a fun commentary on the times and the place. Make sure to watch the version with Italian dialogue rather than the version with the French (!) dialogue, for sure. The story is based in fact although altered for narrative drama, of course, but it's a cute film despite all these flaws. Recommend for fun, light weekend viewing. Hidden histories like this are always fun to watch, which is why we should all learn MORE history.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Brutally half bad, yet ... needs to be viewed? ARGH!

[5/10 · 23 September 2022]

First off, the key issue here is that the producers have gone off-road from the source material, in a lot of ways. That's a shame for any loyal Tolkien reader. The established timeline of the Second Age has basically been trashed, broken, and glued back together haphazardly. It's painful, actually, to watch and experience the kind of confusion that comes with that decision by the showrunners. Most of the invented storylines are terrible, too, and even though the acting in those is decent enough, the storylines themselves are no match for the grand arcs that Tolkien left on a silver platter for the producers to work with. It's like they said, "No, thanks!" or something. So, those are two major strikes here: ignoring canon and thinking they are better narrative providers than Tolkien. Unreal, that kind of hubris. What is left over is solid: production values, most of the actors, and some of the familiar. But it's not enough to save this train wreck. Not even close, which is a shame, because the cast really does have some serious potential. You may find yourself halfway through this first season wondering "Why am I still watching this?" That hope you cling to is normal and natural, but in the end, we're all going to want this time back for something more enjoyable, sadly.

Bullet Train (2022)

Slow starter but great finishing movements

[8/10 · 14 August 2022]

The first half of the film moves very slowly, to the point the audience just has no reaction to it emotionally; then, it gets more entertaining and fun as the circles close in on the main characters in the second half of the film. That's where the major payoffs are for the audience. The action scenes are quick and fun, rather than long, drawn-out sequences that numb the brain. The acting is pretty good, too, especially with Zoey King and Hiroyuki Sanada. Of course, Brad Pitt is pretty good, too, in a role you wouldn't normally imagine him performing. All in all, much more entertaining than the teasers/trailers suggest, although again, it takes the first half to get warmed up for the second half.

Elvis (2022)

Tom Hanks is the worst part of this great film!

[9/10 · 9 July 2022]

Yes, it's true. Totally miscast there. Otherwise, the film is very good, in terms of acting, cinematography, music, and storyline. It runs a bit too long, although it's hard to determine just where the screenplay could have been streamlined. The emphasis on African-American influences is necessary, and the screenplay glossed over the 1960s pretty readily, so perhaps there was too much emphasis on the Vegas years. Either way, it's a small flaw in a very good film. Austin Butler really does a great job nailing Elvis here; hopefully, this becomes the definitive portrayal, and we never need to see anyone else take a crack at this role. In terms of Hanks ... well, the constant voiceovers from the character are the worst parts of the film, and Hanks is generally unable to pull off the smarmy nature his role demands. Wish there was a director's cut without the voiceover, you know?

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Fun, fun, fun ... what else did people expect? Fun!

[9/10 · 24 June 2022]

It's not a perfect film; it doesn't need to be. It is a fun movie; and that's what it needed to be. There are laughs; there are emotional moments; and yes, there are even scary moments. The cast is great, made up of favorites (except for Justice Smith, who need not have bothered). This is about willing suspension of disbelief, and any rational audience member/viewer willing to buy a ticket to this movie should love it! What else is there to be said? The worst thing was sitting through NINE previews to get to the movie itself, not in order: Avatar 2 (bleh), Fall (?), Black Adam (bleh), Bullet Train (bleh), Minions & Gru (bleh), Paws of Fury (bleh), Nope (bleh), Thor (!), and one other forgettable one (Beast).

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Feels like 30-45 minutes of this film got left on cutting room floor?

[7/10 · 19 June 2022]

What there is of this film is good; it just makes you wonder if there was more of it somewhere waiting to be re-cut into a better, deeper version of it. Maybe a long intro with more detail on Hannah's backstory, perhaps. Maybe more character development for Jake Weber's character. Maybe more background on the Tyler Perry character. Maybe more examination of the survival-school couple's pathway. Maybe the conclusion needed more substance. You get the point; the film is good, but it would have been so much better with more depth and development. It's like the studio required a 90-minute run time, and the filmmakers reached that minimum and just stopped filming. Add 5 minutes of screen time to flesh out the proposed developments above, and this is is still just a 2-hour film-but it's a much better version of it. So, thumbs down on the screenplay, perhaps, although the acting is pretty good. Thumbs down on the editing, too, if those extra scenes exist somewhere. Just remember this: what there is here is good, but it will leave you wanting more and wondering why you didn't get it from this usually excellent director/writer.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Despite the ridiculous plot, it is a very entertaining movie

[8/10 · 2 June 2022]

Okay, preface this with the belief here in this corner that multiverse stories are just dumb. That out of the way, this was an enjoyable MCU movie that really highlighted the acting talent of Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Oh, and Xochitl Gomez is great, too, in truth. The scenes with "alternate" Avengers in the one universe was really cool, too; so awesome to see Patrick Stewart, among others. Either way, the screenplay is solid enough to provide laughs and even tears, in truth. The MCU does have excellent acting and writing to keep it propped up, even when some of the plot lines start becoming a little too much for many viewers. After all, not all of us like comics, or even have ever bothered to read one. So, in that sense, the writing streamlines otherwise complicated, never-ending plot twists. Looking forward to Thor's next movie now ... on with Phase Four!

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

This movie is great fun, so don't overthink it

[8/10 · 27 April 2022]

What a great action/sci-fi movie, really! Yes, there are plot flaws; yes, some of the acting is campy and over-the-top mediocre. But it's FUN to watch ... Considering at the time, too, that it had been 14 years since a Predator had graced the big screen, this was the perfect way to bring it back -- fighting Xenomorphs, as teased in the end of "Predator 2" back in 1990. Sanaa Lathan is great in this, too, so at least the lead actor delivered, and who doesn't like to see Lance Henriksen here? Come on, that was genius casting. The SFX are awesome, and the story actually is pretty cool, too, minus the few obvious plot flaws that are so obvious we don't need to discuss here. This is just a fun movie, and if you don't overthink it -- after all, it's not a standalone "Alien" film -- you will enjoy it. One piece of advice, though? Don't watch AVP2. It is pure garbage.