constelaciondelyra Reviews

Hate Songs (2024)

Shocking and emotional

[7/10 · 28 April 2024]

Except for a couple of things that I find a bit unrealistic, it's a pretty decent movie. The setup is super simple with only three actors for the 99% of the movie time...It is surprising how engaging and absorbing it can be, being a story so simple. The actors are good at conveying emotions, especially the lady who's amazing and very intense. A I found myself at the verge of tears several times during the movie. The topic is super hard and brings us back to the Rwanda genocide. I don't know much details about this dark episode of recent history, but the personal dramas of these characters were enough to make me feel the horror of war and how it dehumanises people. But the movie also brings a bit of light, warmth and humanity aside from all the darkness we go through.

The movie can be a bit surrealistic and poetic at times. The cinematography and sound are outstanding too...very artistic. All in all, it was a good movie, well filmed, the actors doing a good job and it gives food for thought, about horrible things that happened in the past and how people have power to change things for the worse...or the better.

Not the best movie out there, but it was worth the time and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, and cinema lovers that want to enjoy something a bit out of the mainstream formulas.

One Piece (2023– )

Really good and fun

[8/10 · 2 September 2023]

This is from the perspective of someone that never read the manga or watched the anime. I was surprised at how good this adaptation is.

Usually live action versions of famous manga or anime are underwhelming. But not this one. The cast is perfectly chosen, and it is clear that the series is made with enough resources, talented people behind the cameras and writing the script, and there is love for the original manga. And a minor extra point: the action scenes are well choreographed and the actors are good with physical fights. All these ingredients contribute to a final outstanding product.

I totally recommend it for anyone who is into fantasy stories.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022– )

Bland and sad for the most part

[5/10 · 28 July 2023]

I checked this one out because of the promising summer vibes. It's summer and I'm missing the beach now, so yes, I wanted to watch this group of teenagers hanging around and having fun in a beach town. But it's been too much and at the beginning of season 2, I'm dropping it. There are so many problems here. The main leads are unlikeable and I can't sympathise with them. I find Belly and Conrad both equally insufferable and silly. I only like Jeremy a bit more. The adult characters are super-depressive, sad, all the time moping and complaining and angry. Drama everywhere. And by season 2 everyone has reached that moping depressive phase. Also, I don't like that some irresponsible and superficial behaviours are displayed and it's seen as normal by everyone around. Like, no, just because you should be free to do it, it doesn't mean that something is good for you or it will make you happy.

Whatever, this is not for me. Maybe teens will fall for the handsome and pretty actors and enjoy the ride.

Cites (2015–2024)

Quite bad, you are warned

[3/10 · 16 June 2023]

I picked randomly an episode and went into this with low expectations, and still it managed to surprise me for the worse.

The only nice thing here and the reason I give it some points is the beautiful background of Barcelona and its night terraces. The actors are meh, and the script.... Well, lets say that after watching this I have learned nothing about love and relationships and certainly I wasn't moved by any of the characters who didn't feel real at times. Maybe I could relate to some feelings or situations on paper, but the execution was so badly crafted. There is one thing though I learned for sure from this: the scriptwriter has never gone to a Tinder date with someone that cheated them with their picture.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Entertaining and fun, worth the time

[8/10 · 7 May 2023]

This is a fantasy movie that works really well. It's not groundbreaking, nothing I will likely remember in a few years, but it's really good as entertainment. The actors are good and charming, and the plot keeps going for the whole duration of the movie without moments of blandness or boredom. It leans a lot on humour and comedy, you´ll find yourself laughing sometimes. And there is a subtle sweetness to it, with the all the family and love stories set as the background for all the action. And lastly, the sceneries and CGI are top quality. It's a pretty round watch.

Special shout-out to Chris Pine who's awesome and a delight to watch. And Regé-Jean Page that makes his character look so cool.

Poker Face (2023– )

The Dude Lebowski+Columbo

[6/10 · 2 February 2023]

Not as good as I expected. The actors are all fabulous and the leading lady is charismatic and great in her role. But it seems that they try to make her look scattered-minded and clueless sometimes and a moment later she will seem to be super-smart...and the final effect is that she doesn't come across as impulsive or hotheaded, but simply dumb and lacking self-preservation instinct. She's doing dumb things all the time, in a way that doesn't feel funny, but rather will make you pull your hair in desperation.

The cast and productions values are great, but in my opinion the script doesn't do miss Lyonne justice. I've watched a couple of episodes and will not continue.

Wednesday (2022– )

Entertaining, had me hooked

[8/10 · 19 January 2023]

I see other people complaining here about this series being full of tropes and for teenagers...It's clear that it has a target audience, but I don't see why this has to be bad. I think this is very decent and entertaining if you enjoy teen/YA themes. In literature or TV, what makes a great work is not that the topic has to be super-original...most of the times the greatness lies in the execution. And Wednesday is well made. The goth atmosphere is a fresh approach, the actors are great, the cinematography is good... The only thing I didn't like is that the villain is heavily hinted from early in the game, it would have been more fun if they kept us guessing a bit more, the surprise factor was taken from this revelation. Otherwise, I really enjoyed watching and I hope there are more seasons.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

Beautiful animation, not so good script

[6/10 · 8 January 2023]

I'm giving it more points because of the beautiful animation, which is lovely, and the beautiful message. However, the script is weak and lacks cohesion and context. It seems that they wanted to produce a traditional style tale and truffle it with pearls of wisdom. But the problem is that those philosophical quotes that everyone delivers at the first occasion are 90% of the dialogue....and that doesn't allow for a cohesive story.

I get that tales are simple, but the story has to be clear and we need to know why things happen. In this case is all very poetic but vague and confusing and with too many quotes in it...Less cliché sentences and more story would have given a better result in my opinion.

Dark (2017– )

Maybe too mysterious for its own good

[6/10 · 4 December 2022]

The start was promising but when reaching the end of season 1 I'm losing interest. I think it has some elements that are unnecesary, and it withholds too much info from the viewers. The characters make stupid decisions all the time, like why everyone insists in walking alone in the woods knowing the events that are happening?? The best thing I suppose is that they give the clues in a smart way, so you'll experience some moments of revelation, regarding who's who in the complicated family trees of that town. Otherwise, episodes go by and we get no progress or information in what's supposed to be the core of the story. I'm not that interested in the lives of the villagers that I can wait 3 seasons to learn what's going on there.

Bullet Train (2022)

Very fun action movie, worth the cinema ticket

[8/10 · 3 October 2022]

This movie was really fun, the action is non-stop and spectacular from the beginning to the end, and the characters are charming and quirky. The script is good enough and they get you invested and wishing your favourite characters could escape that mess alive. Also, the cinematography is great, the exotic Japanese setup helps a lot with that. It's very colourful and visually attractive.

Apart from that, they have Brad Pitt...he is still in great form and able to provide the eye candy. He gives a great performance and has a very good comedic timing. The rest of the cast are doing great too. And I loved the other stars cameos.

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

Visually stunning but rather insipid

[6/10 · 11 September 2022]

The're going to massacre the books. I think the fans' anger is justified because they used LOTR characters and story as a bait for people that loved and enjoyed books and movies before. If they wanted a new story, be brave and change the names of characters and countries. Don't trick people into watching your TV show with false promises of bringing back beloved characters and stories...maybe the 1st ones to think the show is not good enough are its creators.

It's different for people that haven't read the books I guess. Still, it is difficult to enjoy since there is a lot of nonsense in the plot. All in all, this is a beautiful shell with little substance inside. But maybe good enough popcorn entertainment when you're bored at home.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Pretty decent after all

[7/10 · 2 September 2022]

EDIT.

I was underwhelmed at the beginning but after watching most of it, my opinion has changed.

It's quite entertaining and it keeps GoT atmosphere and flavour. It has interesting characters and some of them are full of charisma.

My main quibble with this show, it's that they are trying to compress years and years of plot in 8 episodes, when for the original GoT it was 8 seasons. Therefore, we had more time to know the characters and get invested. Plus, here the mystery factor that GoT had, is missing. And...why no one has mentioned Winter so far?

Anyway, it's good enough and I don't regret watching.

The Sandman (2022– )

Great aesthetics and concept, too short to capture well the comic's essence

[9/10 · 12 August 2022]

Edit. After watching the surprise episode, I think I like it more. This series would benefit from being longer. Its universe grows with side stories and it'd be nice to spend more time with the main characters so we can get to know them better.

I really like the cinematography and aesthetics here. This is actually a Netflix fantasy show that looks expensive and well done. Also, the concept and the characters are powerful and evocative, and the setup is interesting. The Sandman looks ethereal and mysterious, he's well cast. I really like how he seems to be brooding and on the verge of tears all the time, strangely it fits with the God of Dreams, which are mostly made of longing and emotion.

Then, there are some drawbacks: the narrative is at times weak and meandering...there is not enough tension, maybe because we spend half of the time with side stories and we don't see enough of the main characters in order to care more deeply about them. The meandering narrative that works for a comic running for years might not do it for a 10 episode TV show. The supposed danger for Dream and the human kind is not well conveyed. Plus, with everyone being gay and rich black people in Victorian England...it's difficult to make the juxtaposition between Reality and Dreaming world, because it's rather Fantasy vs. Dreaming which can be detracting from the show's impact. Sure there will be a target audience that will be very happy with this approach. As for me, it makes the show a little less appealing. Still, I don't regret watching and I hope there will be more seasons. It's really good.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

They could have done so much better...

[5/10 · 27 May 2022]

I'm sad for Ewan McGregor that he has to be in this.

The story is meh, some dialogues are cringy and some scenes are just sad to witness. The girl is so annoying every time she's on screen (for this I blame the script). And the villainess just looks like she's constipated, but certainly not scary at all. That lady doesn't have the charisma to fill the screen and appear as a worthy enemy of Obi-Wan.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Entertaining and fun

[7/10 · 27 May 2022]

It's a really nice movie and I love Michelle Yeoh in this. I found it original and entertaining. The only quibble I have is that the pace of the action is so high from the beginning and along the whole movie, with no respite, that I was a bit tired of it by the end.

Bridgerton (2020– )

Intensely romantic and sexy

[9/10 · 2 May 2022]

Bridgerton is not without its flaws. The plot is weak at times, but in general the acting is good, and it is a pleasant entertainment for those looking for a soapy romance story. The highlight is the intensity of the romances, that peaks in season 2 I must say...the increasing romantic and sexual tension between the leads is amazing and I hadn't seen something like this for a very long time. There are scenes that made me weak in the knees... For this alone the series is worth the watch if you are craving for romance and a handsome smitten hero to fantasize with.

Regarding other aspects, I didn't care much about the historical inaccuracies. I take this as a fantasy story, so I'm ok with everything.

The King's Man (2021)

Decent popcorn entertainment

[6/10 · 27 February 2022]

The historical context is quite well done but the film is also very political in everything it shows. It might be annoying at some point for many people... It could have been much more thrilling, but I was entertained enough to watch until the end.

In my view, it's not outstanding but not as bad as some reviews here suggest.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Entertaining satire

[7/10 · 6 January 2022]

I enjoyed watching it quite a lot. It is sad I didn't laugh that much at some plot points, because they seemed too real rather than absurd. So I guess we are really doomed to extinction if a big asteroid comes our way.

The cast is good and charismatic as expected. And the script keeps the tension from beginning to end.

I found the end quite inconsistent with the rest of things that we saw during the movie, so it left me a bit disappointed. But all in all, I'd recommend the movie.

Mixte (2021)

Great French high-school series

[8/10 · 27 December 2021]

It's very entertaining and I was inmediately hooked. The stories of the characters are relatable and touching and soon you're invested. The main topic is also interesting, about the first mixed high-school in France and the struggle they all went through: the girls, the boys, the profs...It's kind of a French "Sex education" but set in the sixties and not so focused on sex. I totally recommend it.

The Hating Game (2021)

Classic romantic plot spoiled by a bad script

[5/10 · 14 December 2021]

I like to watch romantic movies every once in a while. I can stand the typical tropes when done well. And I could have liked this if the script was better...but it's bad. The dialogues and the characters' actions and reactions are totally unrealistic. No one speaks like that, does certain things, or tells their co-workers certain things. In the end, it comes across as if she is overreacting almost all the time when the poor guy is just trying to convey his feelings for her...

The Last Duel (2021)

Good movie, worth the time

[8/10 · 12 December 2021]

This film was a pleasant surprise. It had been a long time since I really enjoyed a movie.

The plot is very simple, but it keeps the suspense from beginning to end and the tension keeps growing until the final climax. Time flew by and I didn't noticed that it was 2,5h long. I was hooked. The trick is simple: you don't know what happened in the past and you also want to know how everything will end. The stakes are high and the storytelling is great. The viewer is kept guessing, curious and also worried about the fate of the characters. The actors are excellent too, although I had the impression that the script doesn't allow their charisma to shine properly. I missed more character development. That could be my only quibble.

Maybe not a masterpiece, but I definitely recommend it.

Arcane (2021– )

Entertaining and very pretty to look at

[8/10 · 5 December 2021]

This series is very good if you like animation and the fantasy themes. The story is good, the visuals are outstanding and the soundtrack is also great.

My only quibble is that I find it a bit too dramatic at times and some developments happen too fast for the viewer to digest and get invested in the story and the characters. I think it should have been a little longer, and spend more time in the characters, not only focusing on the action. Also, some parts look more like a music video and not a series. But all in all, I would recommend it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Forgettable movie

[5/10 · 5 December 2021]

The only saving grace of the movie is perhaps the Eastern flavour that brings to superhero movies. This is otherwise bland, with no memorable story or performances, no strong heros or villains. It's a bit childish, so I might not be the target audience, maybe teenagers will enjoy it more.

In my opinion is not worth the watch unless you're bored.

Hawkeye (2021)

Action packed, charming actors, bad script though

[5/10 · 5 December 2021]

I dropped this on episode 3 so this is not a review on the whole series.

The good stuff: the lead actors are superb and charismatic, the dog is also adorable, the excitement doesn't decay and there is plenty of action scenes, it happens during Christmas so it might be a nice watch for a December day.

The bad side: if you're like me and like consistency and plausibility when watching TV, it might have you pulling your hair at some points. The main plot has weak points, the actions and words of characters make no sense at times. There are also "logical" issues, like for example when it is the "almost-deaf" person in the room who reacts in a certain way at the end of episode 3... There are plenty of other sloppy scenes, just pay attention to the reason he gives at some point for driving backwards, or how the affair with the Russians unfolds...This shows sloppiness and lack of attention in writing. A 10yr old can write a tighter script than what these people have done.

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Amazing start, horrible ending. Watch with that in mind.

[5/10 · 30 August 2021]

I can understand why people are giving GOT such high ratings. But I cannnot give it more than a 5 considering the whole 8 seasons. The first 4 seasons, maybe 5, where amazing. Then it started going down, although until season 7 I would have accepted it as a minor flaw. But season 8 ruined everything for me: characters that we had follow and rooted for during several years where absolutely unrecognizable, not them anymore. One thing is to change a character into a villain/mental patient, etc...and a different thing is to dispossess them of their more basic traits. Plus the plot sucked big time, the little plot that was presented. The result was a disappointment so huge I want to forget I lost so much time watching this. I will never rewatch it or watch any of the spin-offs. This is a warning of what you can expect: do not get too invested in this show or in the end you'll be demanding to get back the precious time that you wasted on this.