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Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
Oh My !
I didn't watch the series when Game of Thrones was popular. It was only after my great nephew suggested watching GOT that I decided to give it a shot. He thought the ending was satisfactory, but I have to disagree. The critics of the final season were spot on, and I share their opinions.
My first criticism is the excessive amount of nudity. In my opinion, Game of Thrones was essentially soft porn with an interesting storyline used to connect the sex scenes.
The real sticking point for me was the war sequence in Season 8. Daenerys Targaryen suffers a surprise attack, with all the attacking boats moving in one direction. Yet, she fails to take advantage of this, circle around behind them, and burn the ships to a crisp. This failure is especially baffling when she easily burns up all the ships in the next battle.
I also agree with the critics who said Daenerys Targaryen's descent into "the mad queen" happened far too quickly. And Bran becoming king seems more like an intellectual's aspiration rather than something plausible in real life.
As many have written: Seasons 1 through 6 are quality television. Season 7 marks the beginning of the decline, and Season 8 is a superficial clean-up campaign. The classic mythical ending is: "And they lived happily ever after." The filmmakers turned that on its head. Although they didn't state it outright, the underlying message was: "And they all lived unhappily ever after."
Game of Thrones: The Door (2016)
Difficult to Watch
I was so disturbed by this episode, I felt the need to come to IMDB, read the comments and write a review.
Even though the basic story is a fantasy, this episode strains credulity. To echo what another commentator said: THE STARK FAMILY SUCKS.
First of all there's Sansa. This female makes more bad decisions than is humanly possible. Instead of learning from her mistakes, she doubles down on them. We can't feel empathy for Sansa because anyone who watches this show can foresee the negative repercussions WAY before they happen.
Then there's Bran the spoiled brat, willing to sacrifice the lives of everyone around him to satisfy his momentary predilections. It's never a good sign when you start rooting for the bad guys because the "good" guys are so narcissistic.
There are many more things to say but other commentators have already covered them. The show is great but this is NOT one of the best episodes, no matter what the ratings say.
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Highly Overrated
I had heard about this film for years, so I finally watched it. What a mistake. Could only make it to the part where Ashton Kutcher entered the story before bailing out.
First of all, this is a teen flick pretending to be a thriller. Act 1 of the movie fails to delineate an underlying motivation for the lead character. IOW: The movie fails to establish "the hero's journey". So we are just left with a bunch of exaggerated personalities doing dumb stuff on the screen.
Some commentators said the acting was bad. I'm not sure if that's actually true but this story portrays characters that only a teenager could love. This film is HIGHLY overrated.
Big Little Lies (2017)
Severely Overrated - Season One
I read several reviews before watching this and decided to watch only the first season. I will have no problem stopping here.
We've seen all of these characters before in other dramas. The underlying schtick is: wealthy people are miserable. There's nothing new here except for the names and living environments of the characters.
The only compelling element of this story are the flagship actors and actresses who run a tight ship. What's truly appalling is the atrocious novice level of screenwriting. The filmmakers have a penchant for trying to plug the holes in their plot with artsy cutaways and montages that contribute nothing to the story.
I won't be watching anymore of this. When you hire cheap writers, you may save money but it also cheapens the quality of the show.
Autómata (2014)
Oblivion II
This movie suffers from the same flaw as Oblivion - an incredibly lousy script.
This could have really been a groundbreaking movie. But there isn't a central underlying quest that the hero pursues, other than getting to the beach. Which, btw, is a clone of the hero in Oblivion wanting to reach his bucolic hideaway from the world.
All of the characters - including the robots - are merely symbolic cardboard cutouts. We arrive at the end of the movie not knowing who these characters were or why they behaved as they did.
Some commentators criticized Antonio Banderas' acting. But the guy didn't have a lot to work with. The writers failed to produce meaningful dialogues.
Just like the film, Oblivion - we are promised a thought-provoking critique on society. Only to discover we're watching a movie which has as much depth as a bird bath.
Oblivion (2013)
Disappointing
I was hoping this was gonna be a taut thriller or perhaps a compelling mystery. Instead, what we got was a situation where the producers were given WAY too much money and proceeded to fill the screen with every last SFX that money can buy.
I agree with the commentator who recommended you watch Moon instead. That movie had a real plot. Oblivion lacked a driving unifying narrative. It was more like a series of problems occurred and the hero of the story addresses them one at a time. But what was the point?
We see Cruise's character desires to live in some sort of bucolic hideaway from the rest of the world. But what's that got to do with all of the explosions we're forced to watch on the screen? With a better team of writers this story could have been SO much better.
In a Valley of Violence (2016)
Completely Watchable
This film could rightly be called a neo-spaghetti western. An obvious homage to Clint Eastwood's classic "High Plains Drifter", director Ti West rolls out the opening credits using a Sergio Leone-esque style that anyone who watched the "Dollar" series would be familiar with.
Unfortunately, the plot construction is not as dynamic as the foundational westerns upon which this film is based. That's due in part by Ethan Hawke's character being more emotionally driven than the cool Eastwood archetype.
Really, the best part of this movie is John Travolta. At critical moments he manages to punctuate the plot and imbue his character with authenticity without ever overplaying his role. Essentially, he walks the razor's edge and goes right up to the line without ever crossing it.
And that's another difference between this version and the archetype: There are several scenes In a Valley of Violence that are just plain funny. The downside is, the viewer cannot take this story entirely seriously, which undermines the overall tension.
In a Valley of Violence is not a masterpiece but it will be fun for anyone who enjoyed those old Eastwood western classics. It may not be perfection, but it's completely watchable.
The Abyss (1989)
Two In A Row
I recently reviewed Blade Runner 2049. That movie suffers from the same malady as this one: Several hours of eye candy devoid of a compelling plot. It's almost as if the people in Hollywood began a campaign to out-do one another regarding who could produce the artsiest film. They budgeted heavily for design and effects instead of investing in a talented writing staff. I was especially disappointed because I expected this film to be a thriller when it's actually more of a drama/quasi-romance flick.
The screenwriter is heavy handed with his architypes. For example, the military personnel are not merely dedicated soldiers. Instead they're portrayed as ticking time bomb psychopaths.
The romance angle is as trite as an old Pat Boone movie. Girl rejects boy. Danger develops. Danger is overcome. Girl marries boy.
The movie is acted as well as can be expected under the onus of a ridiculously ephemeral plot. Those who gave wooden performances didn't have much to work with. Just like Blade Runner 2049, this movie is highly overrated. The title of the film, "The Abyss" is a foreshadow of how you're gonna feel at the end of watching nearly three hours of this drivel.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Highly Overrated
I agree with most of the commentators who rated this film a "1".
There is no plot to speak of. No sense of urgency and no underlying character motivation. It's really a running sight gag. The filmmakers seem to be repeatedly saying "look at this great artsy concept." Some of the scene designs were seemingly unique. But if one is looking for graphic art, you go to a museum. Films are for storytelling and this film failed miserably in that department.
Harrison Ford appears quite late in the film and I began to wonder if I had misread the poster. Gosling doesn't possess the gravitas necessary to carry the first part of the movie. So the movie floats without legs until Ford enters the picture . . . We're talkin' LATE.
I'm willing to be a little more gracious and rate this film as a "4". But it's really got NOTHING going for it except eye candy. And candy makes for a nice snack but a terrible meal.
Reptile (2023)
So Shoot Me
What can I say? I enjoyed this movie - so shoot me.
The casting was great. No wooden performances. The complainers say this movie is slow. If you're one of those "action" junkies, then this movie is not for you. The viewer is required to have patience as this story unfolds.
Imho, as Act 3 begins to percolate the viewer is rewarded with a plot where several disparate threads begin to coalesce. And the moral choices are deliciously nebulous.
Admittedly this is not a great movie and many commentators have mentioned that the screenwriters never really addressed their title. Who WAS the reptile? Why was the victim stabbed so viciously? The deep backstory is completely missing.
Nevertheless, this movie is worth a watch as it subtly critiques the banality of materialism.
Mr. Robot (2015)
Watch Season One Only
The first season was truly groundbreaking. A hacker story with interesting characters and engaging plot twists. Unfortunately, the filmmakers decided to produce additional seasons and the story proceeded to jump the shark.
Second season, imho the writer overused the split personality angle to the point that instead of being an interesting character feature, it was heavy-handedly used to propel the plot. Immediately the story was thrown out of balance. What was originally a story about a hacker became a story about a mentally disturbed individual.
I was hoping the third season would improve but it actually became boring and I had to fast-forward through scenes.
The fourth season was somewhat of a payoff for me. You see, the only reason why I watched Mr. Robot was because I was intrigued by character actress, Ashlie Atkinson, whom I had seen in The Gilded Age. She finally appeared as Janice in season four. I liked her performance, but after that character died, the story lost a lot of tension. The rest of season four was quite dull.
Before starting the series, I read reviews praising seasons 3 and 4. However, having watched the entire show, I recommend enjoying season 1 and then stopping. 😊
Mr. Robot: eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc (2017)
LAZY WRITING
I have downloaded and watched every episode of this series. But I am truly appalled at this one. The gimmick of a character with multiple personality syndrome is fine, so long as you don't use it to generate plot.
The problem with this gimmick (and that's what it is): the writers are now substituting substantial plot development with time shifts generated via the secondary personality.
Whereas in other episodes, Elliot's battle with his shadow self was a feature of the plot. In this episode the majority of the action is reliant upon this overdone gimmick.
It's LAZY WRITING. Essentially, you can take the plot ANYWHERE and tie it into the gimmick being the cause of the non-sequential transitioning.
What was once an interesting feature of the story has morphed into the overarching motivation of the plot. Yikes !!!
THIS WAS A HORRIBLE EPISODE !!!!!!!!!!
Civil War (2024)
Disappointing
The title is "Civil War" but that's the closest you're gonna get to an actual Civil War during this movie.
This is sort of a low rent version of Apocalypse Now. The characters are going on a mission to reach the White House. And along the way they wind up in several violent misadventures.
But Apocalypse Now fleshed out the target - Colonel Kurtz. In this story, we have no idea who the President is psychologically and why others want to kill him. So the underlying motivation driving the protagonist is completely lacking.
Moreover, during the course of what is supposedly a war, some of the characters engage in teenage antics that undermine the seriousness of their plight.
As many other commentators have stated - this movie is disjointed. If you're expecting to see a Civil War, DON'T watch this movie. There ain't one in there.
Black Earth Rising (2018)
I thought my nephew loved me
I watched this because my nephew recommended it. Gee, I thought my nephew loved me but now I have my doubts. LOL
Main points . . .
1) Unsympathetic Lead Character -
Kate Ashby is a classic antisocial personality. She's rude, demanding, insensitive, overly aggressive and a pain to watch.
2) Lack of Excitement -
Despite being labeled a "thriller", this story turned out to be a sleeper. Numerous reviewers deemed the series dull, and I share their sentiment.
3) Poorly Crafted Screenplay -
The screenplay frequently falls into a fundamental error warned against in basic screenwriting: it relies on protracted dialogues to develop characters, rather than demonstrating their nature through their actions. Given that film is inherently a visual medium, the failure to communicate through action contradicts the essence of cinematic storytelling.
4) Ambiguous Relationships -
The screenwriter portrays the characters as mere props rather than fully realized individuals. Bibi and Alice are presented as if they are sisters, yet they are not, which leads to confusion. Similarly, the nature of Kate and Michael's relationship is also ambiguous.
5) Convincing Performances -
John Goodman, as expected, delivers his performance with great skill. Michaela Coel appears to be a talented actress, capable of intense performances. However, her character is so unappealing that it becomes difficult to support her. The remainder of the cast also gave convincing performances.
6) Fabulous Settings -
The one consistently wonderful feature of this production were the inspiring locations and resplendent environments.
7) Reverse Roller Coaster -
Several episodes played out like a roller coaster in reverse, starting with a major thrill and gradually becoming more and more mundane until the credits rolled.
I would only suggest this series if you're aiming to settle a score with someone. Imho, It's not worth watching on your own.
Black Earth Rising: The Forgiving Earth (2018)
Too Little, Too Late
In my previous review of the last episode, I said the filmmaker should have given us scenes where the two sisters, Bibi and Alice, establish their relationship for the audience.
Sure enough, that's what occurred this episode. Which inspired the title "Too Little, Too Late." This story unfolds chronologically and I don't know if it would have helped to edit the story using flashbacks or if there needed to be scenes of those two at a younger age.
However, it's clear from having watched this entire story, the plot was severely hampered by allowing those two characters to remain relationally undefined until this final episode.
The filmmaker finishes off by tidying up and not allowing any loose ends. But as the story ends you're left with the gnawing feeling this could have been so much more than what it turned out to be.
Black Earth Rising: Double Bogey on the Ninth (2018)
Starts Well, Ends Slow
The opening of this episode delivers the promise of thriller that ends unrequited.
There was an odd scene with Kate and Michael that really didn't make any sense. Moreover, there's a sequence with Kate sculling by herself, which is the setup for the odd scene. And it all turns out to be a lot of something over nothing.
Michaela Coel offers some acting chops but who cares if Kate is crying? When she's not crying, she's biting someone's head off.
A lot of screen time is wasted and should have been used to flesh out the two sisters (or are they just acquaintances?) Bibi and Alice.
There IS a sense of cloak and dagger during this episode. But the lines are not clear cut. We have a sense there's a lot of backstabbing going on. However, without a firm central narrative and at least one character we can depend on and believe in, the would-be tension is nonexistent. Mysterious occurrences come across as performative plot points.
At this point, I'm genuinely confused about who is doing what. I'm aware that some terrible events have occurred. It appears that some characters are attempting to make amends for the past. There's also an apparent, yet unclear, tension among some of the characters. However, it all seems incoherent to me.
Black Earth Rising: The Game's True Nature (2018)
Extremely Tedious
I'm watching this series because it was recommended by my nephew. At this point, that's the ONLY reason I'm viewing it. Otherwise, I would have stopped watching two episodes ago.
Before I started, I read some of the non-spoiler general reviews. Several of them mentioned there was an abundance of vomit scenes. With this episode, I have reached my limit. The critics were correct. There are WAY too many vomit scenes in this story. Don't the filmmakers realize many people are eating while watching movies?
The screenwriter continues to make the mistake of trying to carry this story forward by means of extended dialogues, instead of revelatory action.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention one scene used an American song during a would-be traumatic scene. Which was totally out of place considering the scene took place in Africa.
The locations continue to be inspiring and awesome. That's the one consistent highlight of this series.
The heroine of this story is a character I loathe. She has horrible manners and exhibits all of the traits of an antisocial personality. When you write a screenplay, either it has to possess compelling action or contain characters that you deeply care about. This story has neither.
Black Earth Rising: The Eyes of the Devil (2018)
Slow Again
Purely on technical terms, there is a great acting scene in this episode between Michaela Coel and Tyrone Huggins. I won't spoil it for you. But as far as drama goes, that's it.
This series suffers from characters that are difficult to identify with. Kate Ashby is a screwed up young woman who indulges in being as antisocial and profoundly self-righteous as she possibly can.
Someone died during this episode and there was really no tension because we all wanted to see that person to die. As a result, the death scene was performative rather than suspenseful.
This series consistently delivers the screenplay within remarkably stunning settings. However, atmospheric elements cannot compensate for a narrative which lacks the essential tension necessary to propel the story forward.
We can only hope the next episode will rise to the heights of the third one.
Black Earth Rising: A Bowl of Cornflakes (2018)
Slooow
This episode is heavy with dialogue. Which works better in plays than in film. There is one dramatic event but it happens to a minor character, so the impact on the story is moot.
Also this episode is an older man's fantasy. Out of the blue two major female characters develop the hots for John Goodman's character, Michael. Imho, there hasn't been enough lead up to these intrigues and it feels somewhat forced and out of character. Fortunately for the audience, Michael is infirmed and puts the kibosh on both potential romantic encounters.
During this episode, a few plot points are moved forward. However, there are very few scenes with any drive. The one exception is when Kate confronts lawyer, Blake Gaines. Who is deftly played by the screenwriter/director, Hugo Blick.
This episode was a let down from the last one. Hopefully the next episode will be more engaging.
Black Earth Rising: A Ghost in Name (2018)
That's More Like It
This episode unfolded with the same mastery as an episode of Bron/Broen, captivating and full of dynamism. The only slight misstep was an excessive dependence on the "blocked communication" trope.
In this episode the heroine, Kate Ashby becomes self-righteously aggressive and steps over the boundaries of decorum. Which places the viewer in a state of anxiety. How are we supposed to empathize with this character when she's clearly placing herself and others in danger?
Of course, this dilemma is resolved by the end of the episode but not before several tense scenes play out. I don't know what those commentators who said this series was "boring" were talking about. This episode certainly wasn't.
We also learn Kate's family and associates have been hiding substantial secrets from her. I suspect many more secrets will be revealed as this story unfolds.
Looking forward to watching the next episode.
Black Earth Rising: Looking at the Past (2018)
The First Ten Minutes
The first ten minutes of this episode are riveting. I'm not going to narrate the story, so just enjoy the ride. After that, the tension dips until the last five minutes.
After that first 10 minutes, the context of the story completely changes. Episode 1 was a straight morality play. Episode 2 transforms into a mystery drama with potential tragedies looming ahead.
The production company spared no expense on locations which take the viewer on a journey through evocative settings. Even so, the middle of this episode teetered on the verge of boring. However, the ending was suspenseful and we realize the mystery we're about to embark on has several levels of danger.
This episode was better than the opener. It was certainly far more believable. However, Black Earth Rising is a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix. Which means it follows the usual pacing of BBC productions, i.e. It's slow. Either you like that sort of thing or you don't. Commentators who have rated the whole story have said it grows slower and slower. However, I found this episode to be quite watchable.
Thus far, the filmmakers have skillfully avoided the common pitfall of unnecessarily complicating the story. We haven't been taken down a series of extraneous rabbit holes just to burn up screen time. I'm looking forward to episode 3.
Black Earth Rising: In Other News (2018)
Past Its Prime
This series was recommended to me by my nephew so I took a look.
The episode soundtrack starts off with "You Want It Darker" by Leonard Cohen, a song that I actually own. The first time I heard it was on the series "Billions", season 3, episodes 3 & 4. I was so impressed with how that song fit into the story, I purchased it.
So as this episode began to unfold, there was an underlying sense of familiarity. The opening dialogue was extremely well written. No wasted words. Every sentence was expository and simultaneously drove the story forward. Something that only the best screenwriters achieve.
However, this story has not aged well. The series was produced in 2018 before the most recent revelations concerning the ICJ and the ICC came to light on the world stage, reducing the reputation of those institutions to a shadow of what they used to be.
Consequently, as the story continued to unfold my suspension of disbelief dissolved. It became more and more obvious that what I was watching - was absolute fiction.
Some commentators have criticized the acting but I thought the cast was superb. However, neither the fine acting nor the adept direction could solve the dilemma of a story jarringly out of touch with the prevailing consciousness of the world at large.
At this point in the series it has become crystal clear that we're watching a drawn out morality play. The only compelling drama that remains is: who will the filmmakers say are the good guys and the bad guys when this series concludes?
As is the case in an obvious morality play, the action is somewhat stilted and performative. For example, in this episode we see a self-righteous soldier who winds up causing an innocent person to be killed. MORAL: Don't be self-righteous - got it.
But as that scene was playing out there was a truck full of troops wearing blue helmets. And that ruined the premise for me. Because sentient beings know in real life there are no UN troops protecting anyone. So, once again, I was reminded that I was watching fiction.
No doubt, just a couple of years ago I would have rated this episode much higher. However, due to the subject matter, this series has not aged well. I will continue to watch. But imho, this story is past its prime.
Fallout: The Head (2024)
Disgusting and Stupid
How in the world did this series get rated 8.6 ???
First of all: to create a good drama, there has to be some sort of compelling challenge that propels the hero's (in this case heroine's) journey. THAT'S completely missing.
In this episode, the filmmakers distastefully introduce a character who describes his prior job in a way that you had better not be eating when that scene occurs. The Hollywood fascination with inserting bathroom bodily functions into the script is beyond me. Call me old fashioned.
I don't like ANY of these characters. So this will be the last episode I watch. The heroine is saccharine beyond belief. The cowboy is not a bad guy but he goes out of his way to be mean. It comes off as a strain. The vault dwellers are freakishly politically correct. The fake Knight is emotionally immature. The only character that's honest is a coward. I TRULY HATE ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS.
Some of the acting was pretty good. But the guy playing the knight is terrible. Unlike the previous episode, there were no veteran character actors to infuse the story with depth and credibility.
Based on the ratings, I kept waiting for this series to take off. But it hasn't. So I'm outta here.
Fallout: The Target (2024)
Rapa Dapa
I was surprised to see a couple of viewers were turned off by the fact that one of the characters was played by Michael Rappaport. Actually, I didn't find that scene off-putting. In fact, I thought it was a pretty good casting choice. After all, we only get to see Knight Titus right before he dies. Rappaport came off as prickly and offensive, which is exactly what that scene called for.
My beef is with the Maximus character. If you didn't know better you'd think that scene and many of them to follow were written by the same people who scripted Amos and Andy. Could that character be any more excruciatingly stereotypical? Nearly every Maximus scene was painful to watch.
I agree with many other commentators: the level of believability was relatively low. But you have to take it all in stride since the heroine, Lucy, is truly clueless.
Actually, the best part of this episode were the character actors, who did a sensational job of selling the premise of Lucy being entirely out of her element. Special Kudos to Dale Dickey who truly stole scenes with her spot on portrayal of the irascible Ma June. That performance alone made the episode worthwhile.
Walton Goggins' character is quite confusing. A bad guy that is not necessarily a bad guy. His performance will be hard to judge until we see him in more episodes.
Moreover, I share the commentator's observations regarding the blatant animal cruelty depicted at the start of this episode. The filmmaker presents it abruptly, without preparing the audience, making it a direct and jarring experience. They could have made the same point in a much more subtle way. So it appears to be an intentional attempt to shock people (probably for ratings).
Overall, this was an uneven episode with scenes that were offensive due to the subject matter or the lack of credibility, combined with portions that contained a couple of stellar performances.
Fallout: The End (2024)
High Production Value
I'm not a gamer and have never heard of Fallout, so my only concern was the entertainment value. The lead character, Lucy, was somewhat interesting.
But I have to agree with the commentator who said Jonathan Nolan seems to have trouble writing pilots. I remember watching the first episode of Westworld and wondering why it got such high ratings. Especially since I had watched the original movie.
I agree with the commentators who said this episode is clunky and somewhat disjointed. The writer's task is to provide a compelling obstacle that needs to be addressed. Johnathan Nolan failed to do that. Yes, we know that Lucy wants to find her dad. But so what? Moreover, the story of Maximus interfered with the flow of events.
Where I WILL give credit is the production values were stellar. The sets were believable and well detailed. A smart move on the producer's part. This is Sci-Fi. If you want us to accept an alternative world, you have to sell it.
Hopefully, this story will get better as we go along.