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Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Mixed feelings
I just finished the season.
I must say, they've done some things here that were interesting. Production quality is amazing, acting isn't terrible, the writing-- well, it flirts with a modern topic that I feel is extremely significant.
What's wrong with it?
Many other reviewers have alluded to an issue that should be obvious to any long standing fan of the series... Star Trek has historically represented an optimistic view of the future. The old show seemed to communicate that in order for us to make it in to space as a species, we wouldn't just have to be smarter, we would need to be more effectively good to ourselves, and the show depicted a future that was a reward for pulling that off.
This series (along with Discovery), for some reason, resorts to dramatic tropes that detract from the ultimate spirit of Star Trek.
At least in the case of Picard, the writing seems to have opportunities to explore the implications of modern technologies on our future. We live in an era where AI/machine learning technology is seriously misunderstood. While there are many famous personalities that have voiced their concerns about our future in this context, there are many that hold optimistic views about these things.
I really had my hopes up that the series was building up to a positive outcome that reconciled a human existence with that of advanced machine intelligence. I suppose that it is still a possibility, because the ending to the season simply IMPLIED our universe had a super-machine-intelligent-entity that was a destroyer of all things organic. It did not outright confirm it.
In any case, I am getting caught up in the details. I am going to keep watching, but I agree that the noir quality of the show is annoying. We get it, you want young fans that are in to cheap drama, but don't appeal to them at the expense of the fans you already have.
Avenue 5 (2020)
The Dunning-Kruger effect as a satire
If the emptiness of today's marketing-first culture irritates you, this show is for you. If you have ever felt marginalized by people who talk fast and say nothing, this show is for you. If you want proof the world isn't completely populated by clueless apes lining up to be exploited, this show is for you.
If you own an IPhone because other phones "Don't have face-time," chances are, you will hate this show. If you post unverified political memes on Facebook this show is probably not for you. If you think the existence of climate cycles precludes the possibility of a Greenhouse Gas effect, keep walking, because this show will probably give you an aneurysm.
Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It? (2019)
Funny and Refreshing
Aside from the fact that she is hilarious, Whitney delivers her unapologetic humor seemingly without fear of criticism.
Here we have a woman refreshingly toting a brand of feminism in a way that is not automatically dismissive of males.
She took some risks here, which is very respectable. They will no doubt lead to criticism from bigots on both sides of the gender dominance tug-of-war that plagues our society. My hat is off to Whitney on this one.
Social progress agendas aside, watch this. Seriously. It's really funny.
Maniac (2018)
A beautifully written, well acted, perfectly arranged masterpiece
Have you ever stumbled upon what appears to be a modestly appealing story that actually winds up sucking you in completely and ultimately blowing your mind?
Watch this.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
A New Hope, but Not A New Movie
The direction the writers took the plot of this film is... well, safe. It will draw upon the nostalgia of the countless people who have seen the old star wars trilogy and considered them good films, but do not necessarily count themselves as big fans. This movie will continue to sell tickets, and we will continue to hear many moviegoers sing its praises.
****spoiler inside stars***************** Many of us who do consider ourselves loyal fans are met with an underwhelming homage to Episode IV A New Hope. I'll not go into any detail regarding character development, or holes in the plot, but I'm pretty sure if a giant weapon the size of a planet were to absorb the very star it was orbiting, there would be immediate and catastrophic consequences in that solar system. I know this fantasy, but come on........... ******************************************
The film isn't all bad. It had some very cool aerospace combat scenes, and on the whole was visually appealing. I gave this one a 7/10 because despite my disappointment, it's still Star Wars. The film succeeded in the sense that it will make money and keep the franchise alive under its new Disney umbrella, but it fails in even coming close generating the same kind of cult-following-inspiring, magical experience the old films did because it simply takes no risks whatsoever.
Kilimanjaro (2013)
This film manages to capture the crushing nature of reality
I've just finished watching this, and have yet to decide whether I like it or not.
It was written elegantly, which is probably the only reason I can justify giving it seven. The ending, well, it just crushed me.
If you are looking to watch a movie that evokes feelings of sympathy for a well-to-do, nice-guy protagonist that cannot seem to escape the overwhelming, clichéd manipulations of his family and friends-- A dysfunction that he perpetuates with his niceness and accommodating disposition-- only to find that he gives up on the one thing it seems he has found that might give him a true measure of himself, then the next hour and twenty minutes of your life will be a real treat!
In all seriousness, It was so real it could only have been found in fiction. Who knows, maybe the story just felt all too familiar to me.