thejefflewis-92228 Reviews

The Bear (2022– )

Stressful to watch

[4/10 · 4 June 2024]

There is a lot of screaming and f-bombs in this show. It is actually stressful to watch. I can't think of a good reason to introduce optional stress in my life. At first, I thought "The Bear" was great. It showed people trying to create something better; trying to tame the chaos in their lives. But then I saw the episode where Richie put his medication in the punch at a children's party. This is where "The Bear" does not get comedy tone correct. It tries to be realistic, but then you see there are no consequences to what Richie does. In real life, Richie would have been fired at the very minimum. So "The Bear" tries to feel like it is realistic, but something is off about it. People cannot yell at each other non-stop and still work together. Something has to give. If "The Bear" does not have people yelling, then it is quite boring. There is not a compelling plot and it shows people doing very mundane activities. I quit after 4 episodes of season 2.

The War of the Worlds (2019)

To love is even more selfish

[10/10 · 3 June 2024]

So, before you watch this three-hour miniseries, have the Men in Black zap all your memories of anything you have read or viewed regarding "The War of the Worlds". This edition is different, but that does not make it bad.

First, the performance by Eleanor Tomlinson is really good. You feel her love, grief, and despair. She carries the weight of the show. Second, this version of "The War of the Worlds" is sad, but there are strong messages/themes about love, religion, hard choices to survive, and the value of being alive.

Amy says to George "To live is selfish. To love is even more selfish." That was said in such a way that it made me think the theme was centered around this concept, and how raising a child expands romantic love into something even greater.

Outer Range (2022– )

Reminds me of Fringe

[4/10 · 3 May 2024]

If you saw Fringe, you understand how these types of shows work. There is an unfolding mystery that never stops unfolding. After opening one door, there are two more doors behind it. So, after watching season one, I've decided to quit. Weirdness and shock are used to keep things interesting but starts to feel pointless after a while. "Outer Range" also gets marked down just for poor lighting. Many scenes you cannot not tell who is who because everything is black. That is just plain bad! I did love the scenery and slow pacing. Slow pacing feels more real to me. I did not like how the characters start to go mad near the end of season one. I could not understand their motivations.

The UFO Movie They Don't Want You to See (2023)

Closed minded and biased

[2/10 · 14 April 2024]

You cannot go faster than the speed of light means aliens can't get to us. That seems to be the setup as to why all evidence UFO related can't be aliens. That mindset leads to cherry picking data and using the psychological explanation that people just want to believe and overlook the most common misinterpretation of UFOs. Well, these astrophysicists should have told Dunning about worm holes. It is theoretically possible to bend space. So theoretically, aliens could get to us using worm holes. If it is possible to get here, and given the vast amount of life in our universe (per Dunning), and the interesting nature of Earth (per Dunning), then it is likely we are being visited.

In the 2021 UAP report, there are 144 cases. 143 are unexplained. That means 143 could not be explained by the most common mistakes Dunning keeps listing. Of those 143, I think like 60 exhibit flight characteristics humans do not possess. Of the 144, many have multiple mediums of evidence (e.g. Eyewitness, video, radar, etc.). Dunning states that photos, videos, and eyewitnesses cannot be accepted as evidence. That is really closed minded. And with that high bar of evidence, leaving only a spectacular craft as evidence, then there is nothing left to research about UFOs. It makes you wonder why the government created multiple programs to investigate the UFO/UAP data. They must have reason to believe there is the possibility of arial threat.

When Dunning is debunking the "Gimble" video, he is also making assumptions. He clearly overlooks the audio going on. The pilot has visual of the gimble craft. Dunning assumes the craft looks like it does because hot spots can blind the infrared camera of the overall shape. Well, listen to the audio of the pilot looking right at the craft. He is not looking at the rear of a jet. He would know the difference. Also, Dunning assumes the rotation of the "Gimble" is caused by how the IR camera works. This is a great example of how scientists like Dunning are so biased, it impacts their ability to think clearly. The clouds would have rotated with the gimble if this was a camera viewpoint effect. The clouds are stationary as the gimble rotates.

The sad thing here is what if Dunning saw a spectacular craft right over his head? He would then have to claim we are being visited. But, his testimony could not be considered evidence of sufficient quality since it would just be an eyewitness account, so his claim to his experience is irrelevant (per Dunning's own words). In the 1997 Phoenix Lights incident, many people did claim to see a spectacular craft fly right over their house. We should listen to these people and not close our minds.

As a final point, Dunning makes assumptions about what people think UFOs are. UFO stands for unidentified flying objects. Unidentified means we don't know what it is. And it is likely there will never be any new information from a siting event to make an identification. Unidentified means all the common misinterpretation have been considered and ruled out. An open-minded person would say we don't know what this UFO is. It could be aliens, but we don't know. Dunning is basically saying a UFO is not aliens. That proves he is closed minded, because that is a biased assumption. There is no way of coming to that conclusion given the information available on UFO sitings. The truth is, we just don't know, and Dunning arrogantly thinks he does know.

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Haven't decided if this is brilliant or stupid

[5/10 · 31 March 2024]

There are aspects of the "3 Body Problem" story that potentially make it quite bad. But I haven't decided if these aspects of the story are used to convey a deep theme about humanity's failings. For example, the solution Thomas Wade comes up with to get the hard drive storing recordings of conversations with the aliens. That is the dumbest solution ever: slice the ship up killing everyone on board! Could they not just wait for them to resupply at a port and then get a search warrant. But maybe "3 Body Problem" is brilliant, and this is an illustration of how humans can justify killing people. Also, in this day in age, alien invasion stories don't make sense. We now know there are millions of planets like Earth. There is no reason to invade an occupied planet. But, again, this could just be used to contrast humanity with a much more advanced species so to illustrate our failings. Finally, the mission to intercept the aliens on their path to Earth is just so dumb. What do they expect to accomplish by sending a frozen brain to them? It feels almost like a live version of "Rick and Morty". So, I don't know. Is "3 Body Problem" brilliant or stupid. I will continue to watch season 2 to find out.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Visually stunning, but emotionally flat

[7/10 · 16 March 2024]

I saw Dune 2 on an XD screen and sound system. Visually, Dune 2 was jaw dropping. The sound was intense, and at times, too loud and droning. If you are interested in seeing this movie, it is worth seeing on a big screen.

Though I was fully engaged for its 2 hour and 46 minute run time, I would not call Dune 2 a masterpiece. Most characters acted emotionally flat. I also felt the romance between Paul and Chani was not convincing. When the story was reaching its climax, I did not care about the characters. I also think the movie should have spent a little time on setup about the Fremen. I get that they are oppressed by the Harkonnen, but their sacrifices and lost freedom should be shown to the viewer so we understand the emotional motivation to do a full assault on the Harkonnen.

Austin Butler was so intense in the movie. It illustrates his acting range. I hope he is recognized for his performance.

And here are some little nit-picky criticisms. They don't address how the Fremen eat. In terms of world building, these sort of details are necessary to make the world believable. I'm not convinced humans could survive on Arrakis. There is no way you could grow crops and raise animals. Did they eat synthetic food? The planet also couldn't sustain gigantic worms. These huge beasts would have to consume millions of calories a day, which is not available. Showing the details of a sustainable life on such a dry planet would help with believability. And the voice control thing done by the Bene Gesserit is sort of dumb. I know this is from the book, but that part of the book doesn't hold up over time.

The OA (2016–2019)

The story is unfinished

[4/10 · 19 February 2024]

"The OA" season 2 ends in a cliffhanger. The audience is left with a lot unresolved and a new plot twist in the final episode. It is good to know this going into the series before investing 16 hours of your time. "The OA" is written in a style that is suspenseful. You want to know what is going to happen to the characters. This keeps you watching episode after episode. Unfortunately, a satisfying resolution does not happen.

Since "The OA" is essentially unfinished, I cannot recommend it. There are many episodes that are hard to get through, but you keep watching because you want to know what is going to happen. The middle episodes of season 1 was tough to get through.

To say the least, "The OA" is hard to classify. It addressed the topic of dimensional travel accessible through these secret moves. That sort of puts it in the fantasy category, but "The OA" does not feel like a fantasy type of show. At times, it feels like a slow drama.

The Creator (2023)

Movie's concept of AI is humans with holes in their head

[3/10 · 23 December 2023]

The AI characters in "The Creator" act JUST like humans. The only way you can tell they are AI entities is that they have a hole in their head. That is soooooo dumb. I try not to have expectations when coming into a movie, but I admit, I thought "The Creator" was going to bring some important conversation to the table about use of AI. It does not because "The Creator" depiction of AI makes no sense. I want something more intelligently written. Something that makes us think about what AI is good for and what AI is not good for. Asking the question if artificial life is life has been addressed so many times like in "Star Trek the Next Generation", and quite frankly is a question that I cannot relate to. It is kind of an academic extracted question that has little practical value. "The Creator" does have incredible battle scenes though.

The Last Tycoon (2016–2017)

Put your phone away and let yourself get absorbed

[10/10 · 29 November 2023]

"The Last Tycoon" is a product of great writing and great acting. The characters feel completely real. It plays out like a novel you cannot put down because you want to know what is going to happen to the characters. "The Last Tycoon" takes place almost entirely on the fictional Brady-American film studio. There is no action, and music is used only during scene transitions. "The Last Tycoon" is largely just people talking indoors. But I totally loved it! I tend to prefer far more stimulating TV. I was glued and didn't want any distractions so I could savor the drama. Put your phone away, and if you have kids, wait for them to go to bed so you can get absorbed into this Golden Age of Hollywood world.

Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010)

It's so bad, it's bad

[2/10 · 26 November 2023]

"Tales of an Ancient Empire" is so bad, it's unwatchable. I couldn't finish it. I only kept watching as far as I did because of Melissa Ordway who plays Princess Tanis. She is really beautiful. I would have given the movie a 1, but Melissa boosted it to a 2.

To start with, "Tales of an Ancient Empire" has the stupidest beginning credits. It last for like 15 minutes where the story setting is explained with animation, narration, and live action that is blended with the animation. I kept saying "let's get the movie going!" Enough!

"Tales of an Ancient Empire" has the weirdest color treatment. Some scenes are saturated in blue. Others are saturated in red. It's distracting. The music is soooo bad. It is this annoying rock guitar that blares on and on. The editing is also super bad. It feels discontinuous. And then there are scenes that are a very obvious use of a green screen. The depth of field is completely off between actors and green screen. The acting is also laughable. I cannot comment on the story because I didn't finish it.

You have been warned. Stay away!

The Santa Summit (2023 TV Movie)

Breaks the Hallmark Romantic Holiday Mold

[9/10 · 25 November 2023]

This was the first 2023 Christmas movie I watched, and it was a great way to kick off the Christmas movie season. "The Santa Summit" is about three women that work together deciding to go to the Santa Summit with the hopes of just having fun and leaving things to serendipity. The Santa Summit is an event where you dress like Santa, and move together to scheduled destinations.

Though "The Santa Summit" was completely predictable, it was a lot of fun seeing how the serendipity plays out. It was also nice seeing strangers being kind to each other and how that becomes the start of more. "The Santa Summit" is a refreshing offering from Hallmark that is different from your typical two people falling in love at Christmas movie.

The Magic Flute (2022)

A large part of this movie is an opera

[4/10 · 8 October 2023]

I watched the trailer to this movie and was thinking this would be a fun fantasy, adventure, romance movie. It is, but it is also an opera. I would estimate about a third of the movie is Mozart's "The Magic Flute" opera, sung in English. Totally missed this was a musical, and more specifically, a classical opera. I think viewers should know that going in so you are not surprised. When Tim entered the fantasy world of "The Magic Flute", I was wondering, when are they going to stop singing opera? I would recommend turning on subtitles if you are not used to listening to opera. The lyrics can be hard to follow. Because so much time is spent doing a classical opera, the real-world plot does not have enough time to be fully developed.

Encounters (2023)

Just testimonial interviews of witnesses

[3/10 · 30 September 2023]

Encounters is a major disappointment; and this is coming from a UFO buff.

Documentaries have different styles. Options available to convey information are the following: use a narrator; use expert interviews; use testimonial interviews; use supporting graphics; and show footage of evidence. "Encounters" is almost exclusively use of testimonial interviews. And a lot of what they talk about are the emotions of the event, and the emotions of processing the event. There is very, very little UFO footage shown.

This style of documentary to me is hard to stay engaged. It feels like they interviewed a lot of people and then edited together the footage without a clear view of how to tell the story. It feels random.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Could not get back into season 2

[4/10 · 25 September 2023]

My family watched all of season one and thought it was ok. When season two arrived, we could barely remember what happened in season one. Prime Video, you need to turn around a season in a year or less, otherwise people lose interest. It has been almost two years since season one.

When we started season two's episode one, we were lost. These characters were just babbling and babbling, on and on about stuff in the fake world which we couldn't understand. The second episode was pretty much the same where characters just babble and babble. Talk, talk, talk about a fake world and nothing happening.

Fantasy for the screen has different rules than for print. Storytelling needs to focus on character motivations which everyone can understand without really knowing everything about the fantasy world. And the story needs to be told through action. "The Wheel of Time" spends too much time with characters talking about the world and not a lot happening. The average audience just won't care. We quit after episode two.

The Rising Hawk (2019)

Way better than I expected

[10/10 · 23 July 2023]

"The Rising Hawk" has a lot going for it and deserves more recognition. "The Rising Hawk" has romance, heroism, and touches on themes of fighting for freedom. As a period piece set in the 13th century, it does a good job of showing life in a small mountain village. There is a lot of fighting in the movie. The most graphic the violence gets though is showing throats getting slit. I think Poppy Drayton did a great job with her fighting scenes. She is a real bad ass in the movie, but at the same time she is pure of heart and beautiful. You really root for the hero Maksim to save his village and get the girl.

Andor (2022– )

Too many slow episodes and dark

[5/10 · 16 July 2023]

Andor suffers from pacing during the middle episodes. It is really quite slow with not a whole lot happening. I feel the entire prison segment could have been eliminated and it would have zero impact on the overall story. And there are a lot of scenes of people talking about made up political context that is boring and I thought hard to follow. And my main complaint is Andor is very dark. I like dark dramas when the subject matter warrants dark. Is this what we want from Star Wars? Dark and political? Andor does tell a human story of fighting against oppression, and it is brilliant in that area, but I would rather get that from a historical drama, not Star Wars.

The Lost World (2001)

Couldn't believe how much I loved this

[10/10 · 8 July 2023]

I was not expecting anything from this movie. I ended up getting pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this adventure. Originally this was a two part mini-series, but I watched it as a 2.5 hours movie on Prime Video. At two and a half hours, the pacing is perfect where the story does not drag in any spot and the action scenes are balanced throughout the movie. The story also spends time on the characters and less on the dinosaurs, which makes for a better story. There is even some romance thrown in there. I think I enjoyed this movie so much because this type of adventure story telling seems to have been lost in modern adventures. Modern adventures leave nothing to the imagination and are extremely violent. "The Lost World" seems innocent in comparison.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Was actually depressing instead of fun

[6/10 · 1 July 2023]

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is on my top 10 list of all-time favorite movie. I did not feel that "Dial of Destiny" gave a proper send off to the francise. It seemed like the first half of the movie is nothing but over the top chase scenes about trying to get possession of the Dial. That first half does not invest time to plant motivation so the viewer will even care about the Dial and who gets possession of it. Also, the Helena character is pretty unlikeable. Her passion is in the wrong place. Indiana is at odds with Helena for most of the movie. They do not make a good team. And then Indiana is a deflated version of Indiana that is kind of depressing. And to top it all off, there is no sense of fun and comedy in the movie. I hope writers have not forgotten how to write a good adventure story. "Dial of Destiny" misses the mark on many levels. And it kind of bothered me how much unnecessary killing there was in the movie. That is not family friendly. I wanted to really like "Dial of Destiny", but as the movie was progressing, I had to admit the movie was just not working.

The Vast of Night (2019)

Weird stylistic choices and uneventful story

[4/10 · 11 June 2023]

"The Vast of Night" starts like you are viewing a Twighlight Zone like show on a late 50's tiny TV. The viewer is then taken into the TV. Unfortunately, "The Vast of Night" makes stylistic choices where it does not feel like a Twighlight Zone episode. It is something much less watchable. There are scenes where the camera is just following the characters from behind while they ramble about nothing. There are scenes where we have to listen to someone tell a story for way too long and the camera does not move at all without a single edit. There are scenes where the screen goes blank for no apparent reason. And then at times, it goes back to watching from the tiny TV. This is inconsiderate to the viewer because it makes it hard to stay engaged. These director and cinematography choices are just weird, but not in a good way. The story is also lame. It is anti-climatic with zero character development. It is like we are a fly on the wall, taken back in time for this one night. There is one thing I liked about the movie. It seemed to portray the social manners and bonding of a small New Mexico late fifties town in a natural way. It reminded me that something is lost in our screen addicted modern society.

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

Artistic view of the struggles of women

[9/10 · 10 June 2023]

"Shadow in the Cloud" is a different kind of movie, so you should clear any expectations before viewing. SITC, in my opinion, is an artistic representation of how women navigate sexism, get things done, and still manage to be loving mothers. The first part of the movie takes place exclusively in the B-17 gun turret. The voices of the B-17 crew over the plane's intercom assault Maude with sexist comments. She fraudulently is posing as a carrier for classified documents. The B-17 is attacked by enemy planes and what seems to be a live gremlin. Maude proves to be a hero in intentionally unrealistic action. Major spoiler alert here, so if you haven't seen the movie, stop reading. The package is her baby. Maude is just trying to escape an abusive husband. After totally kicking ass by killing the gremlin bare handed, the movie ends with Maude breast feeding her baby. SITC artistically shows how much crap women put up with in life, and still manage to selflessly and lovingly be there for their baby. I loved it. Totally unique. Stay for the credits because real life women contributing to the WWII effort are shown. I think SITC is brilliant and free of a preachy presentation like you will get in "Marvelous Mrs. Masel". Chloë Grace Moretz performance is top notch. To top it all off, the soundtrack is awesome. I'm sad that art like this is not recognized.

The Recruit (2022– )

So unrealistic, it's stupid

[4/10 · 28 May 2023]

So I only watched two episodes, but that was enough for me to realize I was annoyed by this show. "The Recruit" makes the CIA look ridiculous. And the main character Owen has like a death wish that is unrealistic. It almost seems like Chat GPT wrote the script because "The Recruit" is a complete miss on realistic human behavior. The CIA coworkers are a farce in how they behave, and Owen behaves like the stupidest person in the world. After watching "The Night Agent" by Netflix, I was looking forward to "The Recruit". It is surprising how polarized the quality of shows Netflix has. I do highly recommend "The Night Agent".

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

Tries to be clever, but achieves incredible boredom

[3/10 · 28 May 2023]

I only watched two episodes, but it was enough to conclude this show was not for me. The show starts out with a bang (literally), but then it turns into pure drivel. The show consists of people talking in buildings about the lunacy of bureaucracy. I don't care! And I can't stand it when writers try to make a show seem realistic by creating "natural" dialog of "clever" people in the know. That means they don't have to explain things to the viewer because the viewer is expected to also be "clever". Well, it just sounds like total drivel to me. Talk about something that moves the plot forward that people who are not bureaucrats can understand.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

A fresh and fun fantasy ride

[9/10 · 1 April 2023]

I really enjoyed "Dungeons & Dragons" and I hope there is a sequel and/or more fun fantasy movies are made in the style of "Dungeons & Dragons". D&D is a quest adventure that pushes the party to their limits, which causes them to grow as a family. All the characters of the party were distinct and likeable. I've probably seen hundreds of adventure movies, but somehow D&D felt fresh, engaging, and entertaining. There is a lot of humor in the movie, and from what I can tell by the reaction from the audience, most of the jokes landed. I laughed out loud many times myself. There may be a bit too much humor where it can spoil the feel of danger. My favorite character was Doric. She was sweet, brave, and honorable. The sword fighting scenes are really well choreographed. Super fast with creative moves. D&D also has a lot of heart. The heart is what made me love the story and characters.

65 (2023)

Simple Movie

[6/10 · 12 March 2023]

"65" is built on a very simple plot with only four characters. Two of the characters are minor, so most of the movie is portrayed with only two characters. And these two characters do not speak the same language, so there is not a whole lot of dialog. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire screen play fit on a few pages of paper. The simple plot involves the two characters traveling 15 kilometers to get to the escape pod part of their crashed ship. And to add to all that, "65" is short; about an hour and a half.

If you know that going in, "65" can still be an enjoyable ride as a suspenseful dinosaur movie. I recommend a good sound system because low bass effects are used a lot; particularly with the rifle. I loved the rifle and how Mills uses controlled single shots to take out oncoming monsters. In nearly every other dinosaur movie, characters will wildly shoot from the hip in full automatic, screaming at the top of their lungs, and then there is zero effect from all that fire power. That always frustrated me.

So, if you just want to be entertained with some dinosaur action, get some popcorn and have a good time.

First Contact: An Alien Encounter (2022 TV Movie)

Waste of time

[4/10 · 8 January 2023]

"First Contact" is a fictionalized account of an encounter with aliens. It is interleaved with actual interviews with scientists and factual accounts that took place in the past. The fictionalized part is kind of a joke. I say that because the level of evidence presented for this fictional alien encounter is a level of evidence we have already seen in reality. And in reality, the reaction from media and public are nothing like what was fictionalized. The level of evidence found in the 2017 encounter with the 1/2 mile long cylinder under some form of propulsion, and then the UAP report in 2021 actually exceed the level of evidence fictionalized in "First Contact". In real life, scientists do not come to any conclusion. In real life, these stories barely rise above the noise in media. In "First Contact", scientists conclude what they are observing are aliens. In "First Contact", the media and public go bonkers over this event. I'm not sure there was a need to do a fictionalized part to this show. Just showing what we have so far as evidence would be more interesting.