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Reviews
Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (2023)
just... why
I used to love the tartakovsky touch. The weird humor, the fantastic visuals. The overarching mysteries. But even samurai jack could feel drawn out, one fight after another. But that used to be the exception. In this show, it is the norm.
The visuals are great. And i love the betty boop style. But it's at odds with the show's tone. I appreciate the experiment, but as i see from a lot of reviews it doesn't really mesh with others either.
Let's face it, the story is a failure as well. Generic. There are some cool ideas... but... I've got as far as 4 episodes, and almost nothing happens but superhero level fights. It's too much and too little at the same time. And i can't take it anymore.
Sorry. This is a total misfire and 4 episodes are more than enough for me. 4 seasons of this? Are you kidding me?!
Beacon 23 (2023)
It's a slow start, but it's worth it
At least so far. Five episodes in, I'm more than ready to forgive the first episode, which was not even a little bit of a mess. Maybe the in medias res attitude was necessary -- and looking back, even warranted -- but it sure did not make it easy to get hooked.
The show gets its footing by episode 3, and is not quickly becoming a very low-key but high-concept thing. And it's not even cheating, as a scifi mystery show does not need huge set pieces, just something to make you think about things.
The well-contained setting of an interstellar lighthouse might seem dire or uninteresting, but the characters here, their stories and their choices make this thing worth the while.
My suggestion: keep watching (survive EP1, I guarantee things get better as soon as EP2) at least until EP5, if you're still not convinced, then OK, this show is not for you. As for me, I'm hooked.
Bodies (2023)
Ok, so obviously well-produced and acted, but...
Read this only when you've watched the whole series.
...But. The story is riddled with inconsistencies.
Why does a naturally occurring phenomenon tatto a person's wrist? If Dafoe was projected into three distinct time periods backwards (and at least one forward, but following on the logical assumption he would be also projected farther and at least one more time farther in the future as well), why was Mannix only projected to 1889? Wasn't there another Mannix projection into 1940 and 2022 respectively? Why is Iris in the final 2023 shot, wasn't she supposed to disappear with the rest of the gang? And why did the loop kick in in the first place, if young Elias disappeared so easily once the loop was broken?
These being said, it was worth a watch, but if you want mindbending time travel that actually has logical coherence, Dark is still the go-to series.
Invasion (2021)
This is for season 1
Ok, so this has to be one of the best hard SF shows right now. Hard, as in grounded in reality, not concerned with whiz-bang resolutions and cliffhangers. It's pretty much like Contagion, if it was told over 10 hours, and it's not a virus, but aliens. But the rest... is probably how it would happen.
Fantastic acting (especially the kids!), great cinematography (even if swallowed up a little in the teal/amber duotones as a lot of modern shows are wont to) and a story that takes its sweet time ratcheting up the tension. But when it does... oo boy. (Don't watch Home Invasion if you are skittish.) I found myself almost unable to break away from it -- god bless that I did not have to wait a week to get to the next chapter. I would have gone mad.
I'd say this is one of the reasons I had to subscribe to Apple tv+ and why I keep my subscription. Excited for season 2.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
A proper, heartfelt and fun sendoff
I was a bit wary because of all the negative reviews, but I shouldn't have been. This is a solid, entertaining movie, oldschool in a very good way, with a very likeable new co-star. PWB kills it -- hopefully they are considering a new line of movies or a TV series with her as the character is fun, shady and crazy enough to warrant a lot of great adventures.
Indy is... tired, disillusioned a little bit, but still up for the adventure. How else would be a divorcee pensioner? But he is still Indiana Jones, so don't worry. Nice cameos, great visuals, a good soundtrack, and Mads is a proper baddie.
This is no revolution (apart from the de-aging in the opening sequence, which is unbelievably good), it's nice last hurrah for Dr Jones.
Black Adam (2022)
no excuse for being this bad
This... film?, let's call it that, commits the worst offence: it's boring. It's anti-entertainment. You don't get involved as all characters are bland and there is zero chance at feeling anything is seriously at stake. All that remains is a yawn worthy series of bad cgi scenes, faux grand scale, offensively juvenile humor, and...
... okay, there is a saving grace, the electrician uncle is fun. He is the one star from the two i gave this film.
So the rock's superpower is that he looks incredibly pumped up but he offsets it with a kind of charisma of having a sense of humor that is self-aware. Now, this is missing from this film completely.
Aldis hodge... sorry, he just does not cut it as a superhero. He doesn't have the gravitas, and his smarm and smirk that usually works in his favor just falls flat here.
Piece brosnan... besides the paycheck, what was he thinking?!
And that's it. Let's forget this film exists, it will be best for everyone.
Blockbuster (2022)
Don't believe the rating bombers
Sure, it's not the next sliced bread. Sure, it's not realistic. But it's fun, heartfelt, quirky, feel-good mostly in the vein of superstore, with a good cast playing good characters.
Don't get me wrong, it's not great. It's not as precise in its jokes as reboot or original as Kim's convenience, or hilarious as b99. But it's good, harmless fun, with enough chemistry to make me want to see the next episode.
Does it have an LGBT character? Sure, it's a Netflix show, so don't be surprised by the review bombs. Does it matter, though? No, and his bisexuality is used to good comedic effect.
And it has jb smoove! You can't get enough jb smoove, that's a fact. Here's hoping for a season 2.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Hamfisted is putting it mildly
This could have been a such better movie had Adam McKay actually sat down and thought about things and spent a little time analyzing realpolitik... but no, he had a message, and spends most of his time hammering it in.
Sorry, i still prefer Armando Ianucci's approach to political satire as he still respects the viewer's intelligence, of they have any.
In the end, quite probably China or India would have saved the world.
Knives Out (2019)
It is no masterpiece, but it is solid fun
So, this is nowhere near as complex a mystery as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, not as much fun as Murder By Death, but it is a solid outing and Daniel Craig revels in his role. Solid cast, story and direction, and refreshingly old school as a whole.
But let's talk about the hype surrounding it, shall we? Before the aughts, this film would have been considered "good, not great" in relation to the mainstream films. The fact that it is hailed as a masterpiece speaks volumes not about this film, but the desolate landscape that today's mainstream cinema has become.
So I guess we have to welcome this film as a refreshing outlier - too sad that films like this should be the norm, not the outlier...
Star Trek: Picard: Stardust City Rag (2020)
Never really liked voyager, but...
I can't deny it was good seeing 7 again. on the other hand, poor Icheb.
nevertheless, this episode was fun. i don't get the whiners: one says, all Star Trek values are upon, others say it's too slow... nonsense. the utopia is still alive where the Federation still exists, but seriously, guys, have you never seen DS9? the maquis? the fun starts where the Federation ends... there are still frontiers, and there is lawlessness, and this story happens to happen on the fringe. what did you expect, recital of prime directive and a constant flow of tea, earl grey, hot? grow up.
as for the pacing... i get that people are more used to classic Trek which was always more story-driven, than character-first. but ST:P is a character piece, and much like it's titular hero, it likes (and needs to) take its time to become a fully immersive piece.
as the only negative aspect, Agnes, my dear, what the eitch?! i knew something was up but to go ahead and murder someone, especially Bruce, is not becoming for a scientist.