Change Your Image
jillie_beene
Reviews
Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)
Good show -- just not He-Man
I'm not angry that this is a female-led show. I really like the Sorceress and Teela (more the Sorceress, to be fair). It ultimately focuses on an alliance between Teela and Evil Lyn (and two new characters who are pretty much non-entities) who are the show's leads.
However, if I went to see a Wonder Woman movie, and ended up spending 3/4 of the movie with Steve Trevor, I'd be annoyed too.
Basically, they should have taken the He-Man name off of this, and called it something like Eternia: Revelation. That way, I knew what to expect -- which isn't what we got.
The acting, animation, and music are excellent. The story and dialog are more "just watchable". There's a weird thing where the quips that are reminiscent of the 80's version of the show are both called out as silly and then used by the character who called it silly.
So, the higher rating I would give it is reduced because it's nothing like what its creators hyped or advertised. It was a disingenuous way to cheaply gain viewers.
Younger (2015)
Started Well, Ended Meh
I loved this show when it came out. It spoke to me, as a 40+ year old woman in a field that increasingly values younger employees. Understanding the hyperbole of a comedy, it was still very relatable.
I love Sutton Foster and Debi Mazar. Wow -- those two are such a great pair! I want a best friend relationship like that. Hilary Duff is fine, a highly charismatic actress, although I had many issues with Kelsey. Nico, Peter, and Miriam -- all wonderful.
The problem that I had with this show is when it went from a 40-something woman trying to survive in an ageist world into a simple love triangle. The business drama in later seasons served only to fuel the relationship drama. It's hard to take any of that seriously.
I recommend watching the first few seasons. It's worth the watch. After that -- if you are looking for a simple soap opera, continue watching by all means. The cast is still fantastic. The plotlines... not so much.
The Landing (2017)
Excellent Indie Movie
Generally, I'm not a big fan of indie movies -- they are very hit or miss. This one is definitely a hit. It's mislabeled as a documentary when it's a documentary-style work of fiction. But -- it's a brilliant work of fiction.
It's presented in such a way that when you leave, you want to look up what happened to the Apollo 18 mission and how could a scandal like this have been swept under the rug. Even knowing that it was fiction, it was easy to suspend disbelief and just go with it.
This movie tells the story of why 2 (of 3) astronauts died after returning from a trip to the moon after their pod crashed in a desert, rather than in the Pacific. There were conflicting theories on what happened, and both sides are presented in this movie, allowing the viewer to decide which they believe.
I really hope that The Landing becomes available on a streaming service or on DVD. It would be a great shame to have a quality movie like this be relegated to a few festivals and then obscurity.
Revenge: Grief (2012)
Cried like a little girl in this Ep
Overall, I like the show. I think that it ran about as long as it should have -- perhaps a bit longer in some cases. Episode spoilers below.
However, this episode was one of the most hard-hitting for me. (Until the final season) this episode marks the end of Emily's childhood with the death of her dog, Sammy. Considering the body count of this series, it seems silly that the dog dying was so sad, but he was both so happy to see her again and symbolized the last time she was happy with her father. His death was a gut punch.
Easily one of the most memorable episodes of the first 3 seasons. Well done.
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009)
Hit just about every bad movie milestone
Let's see, what can I say about this movie? Considering the talent and experience of the cast, I was pleasantly surprised by the acting, which was the best part of the movie. That isn't saying much. From my mental checklist:
Bad script/dialog - oh, yeah, but expected Bad special effects - definitely, but also expected. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a shark with a zipper
Preachy, yet cheesy, environment message - you bet, it's all our fault!
Less-than-2-dimensional characters - maybe just a little
Reinforced stereotypes of said 2-D characters - yee-haw, gung-ho military guy!
Implausible "AHA!" moment of how to solve the problem - ... can't even think of a witty comment to add
I do have to give props to the jet that gets eaten by the the MEGA SHARK. That's what let this be 1 out of 10, as opposed to 0 out of ten.
If you must see it, play the "Bad movie cliché" drinking game. At least then you can have fun with it.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Fantastic Movie (Spoilers)
I get annoyed when I read how simplistic this movie is-- that it is a merely a Pinocchio-style fairy tale. It seems to me more of a tale of self-identity.
While at times, this movie is slow and some of the humor falls flat, its depth of vision into the human psyche is very satisfying. Granted, I was somewhat lukewarm on the movie when I first saw it in the theater... but after some time to think about it and a second viewing makes this a movie that I will keep in my DVD collection.
Some memorable parts: (SPOILERS) When Andrew and 'Sir' are in the robot factory office the second time and wants the "expression update" so he can show his emotions. The robotics employee (CEO?) wishes to charge an exorbitant amount of money, which is Andrew's monthly salary. The response of "Not bad for a...what did you call him? A household appliance?"
And the best line: The first time Andrew addresses the court about being declared a human and is rejected. His response of "One is glad to be of service" is so poignant.
I give it an 8 of 10