potatometer Reviews

Hick (2011)

Great 80s Vibe

[6/10 · 28 January 2023]

This movie wasn't that great, but I think it was better than most of the reviews would suggest. I like films that meander, though. The main character is kind of smart and kind of stupid and has no idea what she's doing. I think that's pretty realistic for a 13 year old runaway. They're not always going to do things that make sense.

I thought the acting was pretty good. I like how it was shot. I like the time period and thought they did a pretty good job depicting rural America in the 80s. How it looked, how it felt. It's little things like the radio that was from the 70s or maybe even the 60s. In lots of period films they stuff the whole thing full of objects from the 80s, but that's not how people live. Particular poor people will have some older stuff around. There were some nice details like that.

Cop Car (2015)

Pretty Good

[6/10 · 15 November 2021]

This film isn't going to change anybody's life, but it's solid entertainment. I do think it could have ended better. It doesn't really end at all. The movie just stops. Movies that a lot to say can have an ambiguous end, but this one doesn't have an important message for you to chew on and think about after it's over. They should have concluded the story.

Still worth watching. People are saying it's slow and boring. Maybe they only watch MCU movies or something. I had no problem with the pacing or anything like that.

What/If (2019)

I guess it's a thriller

[3/10 · 2 June 2019]

It's Fatal Attraction meets Damages. It's not so terrible that it's unwatchable, but a month from now I'll have forgotten it forever.

The 100 (2014–2020)

Exciting series with some gaping plot holes and histrionic scenes

[7/10 · 24 June 2017]

The bad? I don't think the grounders make much sense. In only 97 years I don't think human culture would change this much. While I don't doubt at all that an apocalyptic event would lead to a more tribal society, these people have developed an entirely new religion and language (and yet they still know English).

I'm not a scientist so I could be wrong about this, but if after a nuclear exchange there is any human life at all left, there should also be more technology left, too. The Grounders appear to be living a medieval lifestyle at best, but people who were initial survivors of a late-21st century nuclear war would probably figure out how to live at a 18th or 19th century technological level, at least. I mean there would be some engineers, scientists, teachers, etc., among the survivors. And if humans were able to survive, there would be some books out there.

And then there's the issue of 12 nuclear power plants that just happen to meltdown at the same time. I can't imagine that would happen, and I can't imagine that if it did, it would happen the way it does in the show. A dozen meltdowns probably wouldn't be an extinction-level event.

Nonetheless the show is pretty good. I find it to be exciting and generally well written with some nice twists. Occasionally it's melodramatic.