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Das letzte Land (2019)
Slow, no real plot, diappointing ending
I love slow-burner films. I sat through this film enjoying most of it. But I have to fully agree with another reviewer, so much so I'm going to quote:
"BUT, where this film drastically failed, was in the long dragged out and convoluted story (especially the lame ending), the slow pacing that made the already too-long 113 min runtime feel like 3+ hours, and the constant long camera shots that felt like someone paused the film."
This is spot-on. The acting in this was good. The spaceship was good... except no one is ever going to believe this pile of junk is going to actually fly through deep space. Shall we discuss the concept of distance and no evidence of a warp drive on this ship?
So let's throw the science out the window. That's okay. But that leaves the primary plot and story, and what this boils down to is pretty monotonous and pointless conversation between two men of very diverse opinions. And that's it.
The ending just... ends. No point, no summation, no goal or story line. While the "mysteries" presented are enough to hold attention, the glitchy directing (see above quote) along with no actual perceivable purpose or goal to this film will undoubtedly leave people disappointed.
I don't rate a movie "good" because some guy produced it on a ridiculously low budget in his garage. While the ship and limited effects are impressive, a movie starts with a script and a purpose. "Let's spend 2 hours watching a couple of guys talking about nothing and the chop the ending" does not make an art film. It makes a film that falls short.
Mini-spoiler (but not much of one): They hinted (barely) there was an infestation aboard the ship, which is why it was marooned. That infestation never manifested. There was no explanation of the lunacy of one man while the other remained sane. There was no explanation of the mysterious space helmet, zero reason given that wearing that helmet would produce odd effects. We as viewers don't have to have reasons for everything, nor everything monotonously explained. But it would be nice to have SOMETHING explained. This film totally failed on that count.
One of my favorite films is the Russian "Stalker", so I certainly appreciate slow-burner films. But every story is supposed to have a beginning, a climax and an ending. This has a beginning, maybe a mini-climax (the debris scene yawn), but no ending. For those who loved the film, glad you enjoyed it. For those who gave it 10 stars and called it the "best film ever"... you have got to be kidding. The average viewer is very likely going to call this one a dud.
Grand Star (2007)
Ugh
I have been a sci fi fan all my life and I've seen some pretty great stuff and pretty bad stuff. This falls into the pretty bad pool. The characters and script are poorly developed. The directing and acting is abysmal.
This strikes me as a "made for Saturday morning television" series, but younger viewers won't identify with the YA characters and YA's will find them too ridiculous. The plot is simplistic. Its only redeeming factor is that each episode is only 24 minutes long... so the viewer doesn't suffer through the standard 45 minutes.
I usually like to give low-budget series a break because sometimes they're brilliant in their absurdity. This one is merely absurd. (I don't think I'm "spoiling" anything major here to mention that in the first episode one of the characters is hit by a beam of sunlight and becomes telekinetic. Seriously?)
I'm glad some people found it enjoyable. That's good for them. But I also understand the reality that most people won't like this at all. This is definitely not for prime time... and unless you have an unusual sense of low-expectations, it's probably not worth your time.
RWBY (2012)
Hate to rate this- split feelings
Has no other reviewer here noted that RWBY dropped the series on the VERY LAST SEASON? Ten stars for quitting?
RWBY started out great. It was adventurous, had great characters, and had a "feel good" air about it. It was about budding heroes who fought against evil, forged friendships, and faced the grief of loss.
Then it started getting darker, and darker, and darker. Then the very final season the animation team just gave up, and while they told everyone how the series was going to end, it wasn't the same as actually finishing out one. Last. Season.
Has anyone here noticed the huge number of reviews that state seasons 1-3 are great... and then it goes downhill from there. That many reviews saying the same exact thing should be noted.
I'm glad some people liked the series enough to give it 10 stars. But at the same time, it's obvious a whole lot of those 10-star reviews were very premature, before the series progressed to its dark and then fizzle stages.
Yes, I enjoyed RWBY... a lot during the first 3 seasons. Then it got somewhat... less enjoyable. I still watched every episode and yes, still enjoyed it. Just not as much. Then came the last season and their disaster decision.
Did they even try to finish out that last season? Did they ask for CROWDFUNDING, or a venture investment? Why did they just suddenly drop the most popular series in their playbook? What ever happened to the concept of "never say die"? Can they honestly say they exhausted every concept of finishing out that one final season? Nine seasons, then so sorry, bye bye!
That huge disappointment spoiled things for me, and dropped the series to 4 stars (and those are for the first excellent seasons of the unfinished series). The last half of the series was so constantly dark and morbid with everyone at each other's throats and even the supposed "good guys" turning into villains, it just wasn't fun any more. Then to totally drop the last season? Inexcusable. Were they losing their audience by that time?
When it was good it was really good. Then they just quit.
Previously Saved Version (2024)
Interesting premise, poor plot execution
Unfortunately one can't really discuss this film in depth without hitting spoilers, and I prefer to avoid spoilers. Except at the very end of this review... and I'll give plenty of warning.
What can be said is that this is an interestingly-conceived basic plot that slowly reveals throughout the movie. The actual reveal is done well and we learn more and more about the characters with each segment.
However, the film is a significant letdown in the last 15 or 20 minutes as everything is brought to an unsatisfying ending. While no questions are left unanswered, no loose strings, there are surely better ways this could have ended. Some may call the ending "artistic"; I call it lazy writing.
The CGI is excellent but really, these days that is taken for granted. The acting is good, the directing is good. But overall the movie really has very little to say... and there are so many ways it could have employed a more fulfilling end. As it is it just thuds to a stop.
It's not a total waste nor a "bad" film. It's just not all that well written overall. I can think of about three ways it could have ended at least satisfactorily. As it is, the ending comes pretty close to pointless... and that's a shame for a movie that had such potential.
SPOILER FOLLOWS:
One very disappointing plot aspect is that after tall that happens, she just goes off by herself and leaves her "sisters" and the bot who saved all of them to burn up as the ship degrades orbit into the atmosphere. How unfeeling and uncaring can a person be? Doesn't seem to put her ethics much above her husband.
Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023)
Excellent Korean Series
Basic premise: a nurse joins a psychiatric ward and learns the pros and cons of working with mentally unstable patients. Much more to it than that but... no spoilers! ;D
This show is heartwarming but pulls the heartstrings at the same time. Parts of it are uplifting while other parts can be difficult viewing, as it deals with very real subjects. This is perhaps its greatest strength; it doesn't pull any punches plot-wise. Even when the subjects are unpleasant, it presses on.
One thing it tackles very well is the stigma against psychiatric illness. We don't blame someone for having a heart attack. The brain is also a bodily organ and it can suffer both organic and traumatic illness. As a psyche major in college some (mumblety mumble) years ago, I can state this show presents very accurately the field of psychiatry, its patients, psychiatric workers and the people they deal with other than the patients.
Of course there is drama, but the show presents a balanced view of all characters (both good and bad), which I really appreciated. This is one of my favorite series of the year. Highly recommended.
Oh, must mention, the directing and acting is excellent. And I love Lee Jeong-eun as the head nurse. She's a middle-aged actress who never disappoints in her many and varied roles.
Kidô senshi Gandamu: Fukushû no Requiem (2024)
Great graphics, messed up story
As someone totally unacquainted with Gundam, I'm not bringing any pre-conceived notions or bias into this review. Graphics wise this was excellent, but these days that's kind of a given. Anyone who can't produce good CGI needs to get out of the business. So their CGI is (taken for granted) good.
There are MANY reviews here that pan the CGI as "PS2 era", "non-realistic" etc etc. 'Scuse me... but when did anyone declare that ANIMATION is supposed to be photo-realistic? Yes, when I first started watching it I thought, "This looks like cut-scenes from a game"... and I was totally okay with that. I *like* cut-scenes (not necessarily made into a movie though). But the animation didn't bother me at all. The "heavy" feel of the battle tanks fighting, the movement of the mobile units, the well-done explosions were all spot-on. Who cares if the skin textures aren't photo-perfect?
As far as imperfect lip-syncing... when was the last time anyone saw a Japanamerica anime that had any kind of lip-syncing at all? Usually we see the mouth move a zillion miles a second only to utter a few words. Bad lip syncing is kind of a GIVEN in these films. However I can say that personally, at no time during the film did lip syncing even occur to me as an issue... so it can't have been as bad as some negative reviews paint it to be here. (And mind you, this is a negative review. If it really was bad lip-syncing, I'd say so.) Lip syncing is nit-picking ESPECIALLY in an anime-based movie, and the least of this flick's significant problems.
The CGI was good for this type of film, but CGI doesn't make a story, and that's where this falls so flat. This is basically a cookie-cutter war film. Heroes live. Heroes die. There are no "good guys" or "bad guys" here; it is two political factions under the delusion that war and killing is the path to peace. Throw in a few non-essential F-bombs to make it all "adult" and we have a formulaic war film. Yawwwn. Fine for adrenaline addicts; not so fine for those of us looking for a bit of thought put into the plot. (Ouch... that ending.)
There are of course the individual stories (which they never delve in to deeply enough to make them deeply moving). It's basically oooohhh.. giant robot vs giant robot wowie wow. Six episodes that are basically identical in plot. Fight. Run. Fight again. Run again. Attack after attack. Death of close friend after close friend etc etc etc. And will someone please kill off hyper-cliche Major English Alcoholic and put a believable character in his place? PLEAASEE??? (Admittedly, this character was mildly interesting because he's a guy that had obviously seen too much war and was on the verge of PTSD... but still a lame and annoyingly cliche presentation.)
THE DEAL BREAKER. The most disappointing thing in this film is the ending. I can't go in to it without extreme spoilers; suffice to say it makes one really question the sanity of the major. Senseless to the point of stupid would be a pretty spot-on description. Here is a character that war has changed beyond hope or sensible thought. Aside from that, it's a "plot twist" that seems just totally ridiculous in this setting. Summary: "What is she thinking?"
I note several other reviews here make the same observation. The writing team really blew it on this one, and failed to salvage any potential in this film by bombing the ending.
I suspect that flipping the "good guy / bad guy" roles of the two factions may appeal to fans from that perspective, but it does nothing for those unacquainted with prior stories. It's a weak plot twist at best and with no preliminaries, falls flat as a story contrivance. It does serve to point out that no matter which side of a war someone is on, they're still people. Had it been reversed, the Gundam unit that is presented as an "evil executioner figure" here could easily be turned into the nigh-unbeatable hero (and I expect that was the case in the earlier anime). Role reversal has been done before, and better.
Overall it was six episodes of rather pointless war film. For those into battle games or Gundam fanboys it may be an ooh-ahh kind of thing, but even with that set, at this point with well over 1,000 votes it didn't even score 7 stars. As a neutral viewer, I rate it on how well it was done as a series... and that comes down to three things: story, character, CGI. The CGI is a given and IS JUST FINE considering the context. The character personalities are just barely beyond flat with the typical YES SIR! Soldier mentality, with the plot is flatter than their personalities. Some stars for turning an anime into a presentable 3D CGI with good physics... and that's about it (especially considering that godawful lame ending. Really.)
11.11 (2022)
Wanted to like it but... nah
The first half hour of this movie was so convoluted, repetitious and boring that I almost shut it off. But I decided to keep watching, because I have watched slow sleeper movies before that turned out to be excellent (the Russian film Stalker being one of them). So I hung in there.
Well, it did get better, and then it didn't. It built up three life stories-- very repetitively... repetitively... repetitively-- showing the same scenes over and over, each time adding one more piece of the puzzle... until we get to the very end of the film and find the puzzle is missing the most important piece: a conclusion to the plot.
The ending is so senseless and pointless that it ruins any chance this show had of pulling itself out of the gutter. The constantly repetitive scenes were tedious, but the show had potential to work out in the end. But then in the end they just leave everything hanging with no resolution, no actual point made, fade to black.
I give it 2 stars because I reserve 1 star for the worst movies ever made, and this isn't quite that bad. Quite. Quite. Quite...
Missing: Geudeuli Itseodda (2020)
Have the tissues ready
This is an awesome series in 12 neatly-written and directed episodes.
The number and diversity of characters was unusually large and their development fully fleshed-out. No 2-D characters here. The actors all did a fine job of presentation.
Has the plot been done before. Kind of, kind of not. There are very few totally original concepts these days. I don't judge a movie by concept, but by execution.
That said the one issue I had with the show was the core premise: that the dead could not "move on" because their bodies had not been found. That's a little hard to swallow, even if one believes in an afterlife. That odd premise remained a sore-thumb that for me affected the entire series.
Beyond that, be prepared for repeated tear-jerkers, emotional moments, subtle and enjoyable humor, and an overall well-done series.
Breaking Infinity (2023)
Decent basic time travel film
With the current 4.8 rating here, I'm becoming increasingly disappointed with overall IMDB user reviews, which are showing an entire generation that is becoming so immersed in fast-action, CGI-heavy films that they can no longer appreciate a good, basic story line. This film isn't the best ever made, but it deserves better than the low score we see here.
It is difficult to review this film without spoilers, so what can be safely reviewed is the cinematography (quite beautiful), the sets (done well enough for a sci fi film), the acting (decent on the part of all actors), the music score (which fits well with the story), and the story-line itself... which holds together from the beginning to the end. That story may be a bit over the head of some viewers (quantum entanglement, light / time relationship and universal harmonics), so perhaps that's why some didn't like it. But this is science fiction-- and one should expect a bit of science.
In all the entire film holds together, tells the story, end of show. If there is any flaw in the show it is the paradox of complex concepts mixed with a film that overall is not fleshed out well enough (thus my rating of 7 rather than higher). They really needed to provide a bit more closure in the last 20 minutes, needed to end it tighter, needed to tie a few strings together (even if they're unnecessary to the overall plot).
The relationship between the two main scientists needed to be better-developed, and the romantic relationship better evolved so the viewer can relate better to the two main characters. All films have their flaws.
But despite those flaws the story is decent, the time-travel theme is neither boring nor ridiculous (as we see in so many such films), and the movie has an actual ending rather than just leaving the audience up in the air. These days, that alone deserves a few stars. ;D.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
It's just simply the best
I have always hesitated (as I do now) to say a movie is "the best" of anything, but I can say this is the best animated movie I have ever seen.
That doesn't mean there aren't other "the bests" out there. I'm sure there are equally good animated movies. But this one touched my heart in so many ways.
I understand there are diverse tastes and people have different opinions, but how this Pixar film doesn't have solid 10-stars straight across the board is beyond me. One person wrote, "It's just not funny." Not all animation is intended to be funny, by any means. I still laughed at parts of this, but this intended to tell the story of the changes that occur during formative years, not be a laugh riot. Another person wrote, "It's just like the first movie!" But we all know if it hadn't been, they'd have been complaining about it being totally different from the first film. Right? A third parson wrote, "Anxiety is more important and takes over Joy?" If you've ever had a panic attack, or been depressed or worse... you'd understand exactly how that can happen-- especially during inexperienced teen years. People don't have nervous breakdowns or even take their own lives because Joy rules everything.
No need address similar negative comments, but I will mention that a movie isn't made to cater to individual whims or personal thoughts of what the plot SHOULD be. When we watch a movie it's good to open our minds to what's being presented and the purpose behind it, not try to shove our personal bias into the storyline-- 'cos that's just not going to work. Some of the low-star reviews indicate simply that the reviewer needs to switch their viewing choices. (One just has to wonder how some viewers think.)
Perhaps some have never gone through the anxieties of teen years and just sailed through. I knew a man once who had never been depressed in his entire life, and just took it for granted it was a real thing. Perhaps those people would have difficulty identifying with this movie. But at the same time, the majority of us identify with the main character all too well.
The animation is great, of course (it's Pixar). The character development is terrific-- even though they were dealing with LOTS of characters. (If that all seems jumbled at times... welcome to the world of human emotions. I have to believe that was intentional.) The main plot and story line is absolutely awesome from beginning to the post-credits end. But seriously, how can anyone not identify with the main character? Have any of us not gone through the trauma of teen years and the changes they bring in our life? If not, you were extremely lucky. Or maybe some didn't learn early lessons that are greatly needed in later life.
There are so many good lessons and observations in this film, but I'm taking the "no spoilers" route here. I'm just going to say Pixar hit it out of the ballpark with this one, several times. This is one of the best flicks I've ever seen, with great messages for children, teens and adults alike. I don't see any way they could have done better.
P. S: I really loved the "sarcasm". Saying nothing more... but what a brilliant idea. ;D.
Suki demo kirai na amanojaku (2024)
Disappointingly pointless story
This movie started with promise and held interest until the last 20 minutes or so. At that point very strange things started happening with no rational explanation or relation to the plot (such as people suddenly falling through the air for no reason... and without dying, as a start). There was such an extreme amount in this movie that is totally left unexplained:
Why the mother left in the first place.
What are Oni? (The girl and her village definitely doesn't fit traditional explanation.)
What are the Snow Gods and why are they attacking Oni?
I would go on with several more items but that would get into spoilers... if it's possible to spoil a movie with no actual plot.
There are so very many strings left dangling at the end of this movie, and it is so disappointing after a promising start. I don't really understand why anyone would like this movie, nor why anyone would think it has exceptional animation, because the animation is merely average.
I would have to call the concept uninspired, the story-line unfulfilling and lazy, and the overall movie a waste of viewer time. I will never understand how scripts like this ever make it to production. Evidently the writers/director had something they saw in their mind and just took it for granted the audience would "get it". But there's not enough substance to this movie to even call it a story. It's pointless and without satisfying explanation of mysteries presented throughout-- with the audience left hanging at the end.
Madame Web (2024)
So many self-indulgant haters
Reviewers here are becoming so jaded and opinionated they can't take a break and just enjoy a super-hero movie. One reviewer wrote in his bold-faced title, "I am filled with hatred, it can't get any worse." IT'S A MOVIE. Some people have seriously lost touch with reality.
You don't go into a "comic book" movie expecting award-winning material. This is simply an origin story based on a polar opposite of Spider-Man, with a little bit of Birds of Prey forecast as well. This is obviously a VERY alternate universe... and thus should not be judged by any pre-conceived notion of what the story should or shouldn't be.
Since it's basically a super hero film, no one should be looking for cerebral drama. This is action-adventure, and a fairly decent story. Yes, some will find it a little slow because they're so hyped on adrenaline they never come down from the rush, and there's just not enough CGI and huge robot battles in this to satisfy their limited tastes.
This is just an interesting tale of yet another super hero... and if anyone expects anything more out of such films they really need to get a clue. We've all seen what Marvel and DC has been coming out with lately. If a person doesn't like that kind of thing, why put yourself through the torment of watching more? Serious Duh.
The movie is well-written, decently-acted, well-directed and filmed. The music is appropriate and the story sensible (for a super hero film). Those who gave this 1 & 2 stars need to move on to another genre.
Haters. Can't please them. I enjoyed the film. Best film ever made? No. A reasonably-crafted super hero movie? That's all anyone should have been expecting. If you didn't like it... seriously might wanna stop watching super hero movies.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
A lot of the reviews seem to be missing the point
As I read the reviews here I see quite a bit of negativity. Most of that seems to be based on the same droll complaint: "It isn't what I wanted it to be." People were looking for an explanation of why the aliens attacked, one guy mentioned wanting a tank battle (hey, go watch Transformers), others were upset that they didn't delve into the agenda of the aliens. Basically, these reviewers wanted an origin story... and were disappointed that's not what they got. While I can understand their complaint... they didn't write the story, make the movie, and weren't in charge of the plot line. If they had been, we'd have all missed what this movie really presented.
This is not an origin story, nor was it intended to be. It wasn't created to fulfill personal whims. They don't explain why the aliens invaded or their agenda BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT. That's the bottom line of that issue. Maybe the next in the series will tell more about the aliens but frankly, that's not really necessary. All three of these movies have been about ordinary people dealing with the unknown as best they can. That's the premise, en total. The imagined origin of the aliens has never been the main point of these movies. The aliens appeared outta nowhere, attacked for unknown reason, are very dangerous but not invulnerable. People learn how to cope. That's it. The origin of the aliens is completely irrelevant to the plot of all three movies.
Every one of the negative reviews seem to be missing a very vital point in this movie: it is about a very ill woman dying of a disease (likely cancer) with evidently little time left... while at the same time dealing with a deadly alien invasion. This paradox is the entire crux of this movie, and is very important to the overall plot. Imagine yourself in this situation... facing death no matter what... and what would be the most important thing on your mind? Most of the reviews reveal this: pizza. Her "last wish" so to speak. Last wishes are something we all totally understand. This strong desire was established very early in the movie, and that remains the fulcrum throughout the film. The movie even explains the reason... and it's a very good one.
This isn't a deep probe into alien psyche. It's about two people who have just met, trying to deal with one very drastic day as best they can. They don't have time to plan. They aren't "die hard" samurai warriors. They're just regular people with their own problems: one has cancer and the other is evidently suffering from PTSD and doesn't know how to cope by himself. There's no telling what he'd already seen that day, what he'd had to deal with. So now... how are they going to cope with this situation?
This film catches the viewer's attention from the start and holds it to the very end. No, it's not the best movie ever... but it's very good and far above the jaded 1 & 2 star ratings we see here. The scene is set, the characters are presented, and the director proceeds to take us on two people's journey that single day... from the primary viewpoint of those two characters. They hold true to this premise throughout the film.
This is primarily action / adventure... but a step above as they reveal more about the characters themselves (which for once are very well developed and acted). Whether one "likes" how this resolves or not, the resolution is realistic and understandable. This is basically a slice-of-life sci-fi about the very first day of this alien invasion, no explanations other than "Here they are, now what do we do?". From that standpoint, it works.
Burakku Kurôbâ: Mahôtei no Ken (2023)
Yet more of the same
If you've seen the series, you've seen this movie. Absurdly powered villains. The main character yelling and screaming all the way through. Loudly broadcasting every move before they make it.
This is nothing but one huge boss fight after another, with both sides wielding unbelievable powers and getting up from death-blows and shaking them off like they were nothing.
We see a ridiculous number of 10-star ratings here, but don't be fooled; this is far from being the best of the best in anime. As Wikipedia states: "Shonen targets an audience of adolescent boys." That's exactly the definition of this movie. But for those who like a little more than basic slash and hack, save yourself the time and damaged brain cells.
This is a film that appeals strictly to adrenaline / action junkies. It's all flash-bang and almost no substance. This is the pro-wrestling version of anime, but with less story content.
If you feel like spending a couple of hours letting your brain cells be blasted with bright colors, sounds and flashy pretty lights... this movie is for you. If you prefer anime that has substance and makes a point, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Black Clover (2017)
Typical boss fight anime
As I've grown older I find I'm becoming more discerning about the quality of "entertainment" and what I'm feeding my brain. But one must realize this is Shonen, and as Wikipedia states, "Shonen targets an audience of adolescent boys." One should not expect more than that.
If you like hard-core action repeated in over 150 episodes, this may be your cuppa tea.
* Numerous quirky, over-the-top characters bordering on psychotic (or way over that line). Check.
* Almost constant "boss fights" and adrenaline-pushing action scenes to the point one's brain begins to vegetate. Check.
* Scenes moving so quickly it's difficult to tell what's going on. Double-check.
* Tedious lengthy monologues... especially right in the middle of said boss fights... while the bad guy obligingly and patiently just stands by and lets them finish what they're saying. Check.
* Numerous flashbacks just to take up screen time and lower production costs. Check.
* Characters broadcasting loudly to the enemy exactly what they're going to do before they do it. Check.
* Trapping an uber-powerful magic character with the delusion that binding is going to hold. Check.
* Avoiding killing a bad guy who has just murdered dozens of people in cold blooded evil. Check.
* Deux ex Machina rescues. Triple check, repeatedly.
* Way beyond the limits of believable uber-fights that would instantly kill anyone... yet the heroes just get back up and keep fighting. Check.
* Both guys and girls who are terrified of admitting their feelings for one another (even to themselves). Check.
* Characters having totally unrealistic viewpoints of relationships and romance (such as an obsession with marrying a nun). Check. Check. Check ad nauseam.
* Memes, cliches, and tropes galore. Quadruple check. Interestingly, that's likely the best part of the series.
There are some good elements of this show. "Never give up". Interesting characters. Occasional decent writing (but rare). But there's only so many boss fights I can handle before it becomes tedious. These days I demand more than overly-large swords and ridiculously-powered villains. But then, I'm not an adolescent.
Black Clover is heads above a lot of the gory, over-sexed, demented anime we see so prevalent on the market today. But I found myself wishing they would tone down a bit on the constant boss fights and add a little more story substance to the plot line. This show quickly becomes a one-trick pony ("I'm gonna be the WIZARD KING!")... repeated among different characters. For anyone who is actually past their pre-teens, that kind of thing can get tiring pretty quick. For older viewers who give this ten stars... well, humans are diverse creatures. To each his own. Just don't think people are wrong in giving this 1-5 stars. Such reviewers have matured and now require more than repetitive flash-bang, in-your-face anime.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Long live the FIGHTERS?
With over 2k reviews another is probably not even needed. Nevertheless...
While some folks will enjoy this movie for the cinematography alone, I require a bit more. Like a decent script and directing.
Likely most of us have read the books. Why then, isn't the fact that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach much featured at all in this film? And him getting stabbed in the fight with Feyd? His premonition would have told him every move Feyd would make before he made it. Failing to establish this was failure to establish the entire concept of Dune.
And then we have "LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!"... instead of "LONG LIVE THE BITERS!" ??? There was a reason for the original words in the book, but this movie didn't provide that foundation so lost that entire concept. That is the dominant flaw of both of these movies: not enough foundation and explanation. For a two-part, lengthy pair of movies, that's unacceptable. Directorial stupidity.
Then there is that incredibly lame ending of Chani's "dirty look" and "Okay folks! That's a wrap!" Seriously, couldn't they come up with a better ending than that? How about the actual ending in the book?
This movie just felt so... emotionally empty. There was none of the fascination of the original book, so very much left out and unexplained. So much was not explained that was fully detailed in the book (and included in the 1984 version)-- which they surely could have covered in two lengthy movies if they weren't so filled with pointless, lengthy monologue. What a sad excuse of story-telling, especially from such a story-rich source as the book.
I greatly preferred the portrayal of the sandworms in the1984 film. In truth, while I found the 1984 film pretentious, gratuitously gross and contained really terrible acting, it at least told the basic story better than this one and did a far better job of stirring the emotions. This movie had better acting, but the story seemed to leave out the real heart of Dune.
One could list issue after issue of this lengthy two-movie attempt at re-creating DUNE, but in all honestly people are either going to love it, hate it, or have mixed feelings. Those who could see past the glitter and glam of yet-another-DUNE-movie are already aware of the storytelling short-comings in this one.
This was a huge disappointment for me. I promised myself to never watch the 1984 version again (gross, gross)... this film actually made me want to re-watch the prior film as a brain-cleanser for this very bad job of directing and story-telling. How could they leave so very, very much out of two movies of this length?
San ti (2023)
Incredible premise, but oh, so slow
After watching all 30 episodes, I am both intrigued by the premise, but appalled that it was 30 episodes long. Just wow. I give it 2 stars not because it's a "bad" series, but because it takes so extremely long to get where it's going. Seriously, they don't even establish what's really going on until episode 21... then it's 9 more episodes until they DON'T resolve the story. Yes, this is another "You figure out what's going to happen at the end" series. And while they don't do a bad job of it... this is a very long road to get to such an open-ended conclusion.
This has the slowest moving plot of any sci fi I have ever seen. You'll get sick of hearing about turkeys. The characters are 2-dimensional; the viewer doesn't really care about them, doesn't identify with them, and with the sole exception of the detective and "ten-people"... the acting isn't all that great.
The first 11 or 12 episodes are just extremely vague and pointless. Truly, the story in these episodes could have easily been condensed to 1 or 2 episodes at most. Around episode 12 or 13 it starts to get somewhat interesting, especially as we get into "the game". But even then it continues to plod along, taking several episodes to establish that this isn't just a game.
But the real problem is the core premise of the show. Physics isn't real? That concept is never really established, is it? If a man tears down a house, that doesn't mean the house wasn't real. What is that even supposed to mean? By the end of the tenth episode we still don't know. And while it may be true that humans are a bunch of clueless turkeys (they'll not get any argument from me in that regard)... it's a poor premise for a TV series that runs on way too long and doesn't explain anything that is going on until very late in the series.
Many people will find the science complex. Many will turn it off in frustration, unable to understand the fast-moving and quick scientific discussions that are way over the head of the average person.
I love slow-burning stories... if they're done well. I can't say this was done poorly; they just took far too long to get where they were going. What a waste of viewer time. I could have watched three good shows in the time it took to watch this single mediocre one. I was still yawning at the beginning of episode 13. Only then did their writing and characters become more interesting.
I really do not know how this has a 7.6 rating (as of this writing). Usually people won't tolerate a series like this long enough to see if it gets better. Having just ended episode 30 I can say it does get better... but only just. I won't spoil the ending, but it will surely leave many people sitting with their mouths open that someone has the audacity to take 30 episodes to make such a lame point.
Testament: The Story of Moses (2024)
Yet another botching of the story
One can't properly discuss this 3-part series without discussing scriptural accuracy and Biblical concepts.
The story of Moses and the exodus from Egypt is one of the most basic, clear-cut, black and white accounts in the Bible. So one may rightly wonder how "learned" professors, religious leaders and "Bible scholars" can't get it right, can't answer the most basic questions, and that film makers seem mentally incompetent to get the account correct-- especially in a self-proclaimed "documentary".
This is supposedly a docu-drama, part presentation and part oration by educated authorities. So it's reasonable to wonder why one guy says, "Why did God kill innocents in Egypt? We don't have a good answer to that." Seriously?
While the documentary lightly touched on this, is this authority unaware that just 80 years prior the Egyptians showed no mercy in slaughtering babies of the Israelites for at least several months (perhaps years)? Is he unaware of the scriptural law of "An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, life for life"? So how is it that this "scholar" says we don't really have an answer for God's decisions in these things? The Israelite babies were "innocents" too. "Whatever you sow, this you will also reap." Universal judgement and consequence does not alter and deviate according to individual human whims, opinions and perceptions.
The Egyptians could have spread blood on their doorposts and been spared as well. They were surely aware of what the Israelites were doing. News travels fast; all of the Israelites knew these things-- and they vastly outnumbered the Egyptians. But the Egyptians showed no respect for God's authority (even after 9 plagues had already happened), and so paid the price of their stubborn arrogance.
How did that supposed Bible scholar not understand any of these things? Pharaoh and indeed all of Egypt were taught a lesson that would reverberate throughout history, even thousands of years later: don't mess with God.
That is just one fallacy of this "documentary"... and there are many similar issues.
This poorly-conceived series presents Moses as someone who is clueless, who is at times very haughty and who regularly "argues" with and denies God. That is not what the Bible presents. Yes, Moses is presented in scripture as having a temper and at times erred, even seriously, as we all do. It also states that he followed God's directions to the letter, that he was the greatest prophet in the history of Israel, and calls Jesus himself the "greater Moses". This is not a title that would be given if Moses were haughty, rebellious and clueless.
People can choose to agree with the Bible or not, believe it or not... but if one is going to make a supposed documentary of a prominent Bible figure, they should get it right, according to the Biblical account.
They state that Moses "never reached the Promised Land", which is true. But they left out what lay ahead for him in the resurrection that is spoken of all through the Bible. From Moses' standpoint, he closed his eyes in death and immediately reopens them in a "Promised Land" far superior to that of the ancient Israelites. Yet all those religious authorities and the documentary itself totally omitted that significantly important point. It made it look like Moses' life was useless, that his death was the end for him, and only his offspring benefited from his faithfulness. What a pitiful account.
They talk about the Egyptian Army and Pharaoh-- who were stupidly charging through the Red Sea, totally determined to wipe out the Israelites. Then someone's daughter asks, "Weren't they God's children too?" and her father says, "What an amazingly astute observation." His failure to reply and explain the matter to her was not so astute.
Were these "God's children too?" No! They were Israel's enemy, bent on genocide even after personally witnessing the ten plagues. They worshiped false gods and were intent on wiping out God's chosen people to the last man, woman and child. How more ungodly could that army have been? That is the answer he should have given his daughter.
It seems these authorities were too busy focusing on the meanings of Hebrew words to understand the basic principles of Biblical justice and the simple concepts of good and evil.
The filming of this was rather nice, and it was refreshing to see actual miracles for once (rather than attempted "scientific explanations"). But this 3-part series is just as inaccurate and senseless as any Hollywood presentation to date. Although claiming to be a documentary, it doesn't accurately stick to the Biblical account and seems quite oblivious to concepts of faith and divine justice. They present Moses as an unfaithful, incompetent bungler who was just stumbling along. In reality he was the person who God used to bring the Israelites out of bondage from the most powerful nation on Earth, and is considered Israel's most prominent prophet in history.
They just never get it right. Frankly, if all you want is a fictional rendition of this account, I'd stick with Charlton Heston. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is shorter and more entertaining. ;D.
Night Court (2023)
Sorry, but it's kinda lame
If you're looking for a reprisal of the original Night Court with its wit, twists, slapstick humor and genuinely funny lines... might want to look elsewhere.
I don't like to compare shows, but in this case comparisons with the original are predictable and nigh unavoidable. Neither the cast nor the scripts they have to work with come close to the original Night Court.
The scripts seems like they're written by 5th graders. As has been noted by many other reviewers, the forced laugh track is phony to the point of being obnoxious. The actors aren't given good lines to work with (not even Dan Fielding), and their characters are so 2 dimensional that they'd ordinarily be a Saturday morning cartoon.
I had high hopes for this series, but having seen 12 episodes I'm ready to turn it off. Its only saving grace is that it's just 23 minutes long. I really would like to compliment this series... but it needs better writers, better directing, and more fleshed-out characters with actual personalities. The prosecuting attorney isn't funny, Dan Fielding seems almost restricted in his role, and the supporting cast are just that. The bailiff is one of the more enjoyable characters, but even her character development is somewhat stilted.
Overall a disappointing series that will likely leave original Night Court fans cringing.
Sight Unseen (2024)
Let's write goofy reviews
I have to really wonder why anyone would come to a show that is advertised as a blind detective solving cases, and then rate it one star because it's about a blind detective solving cases. Seriously.
First of all, this is television. It is supposed to be entertaining, not uber-realistic. This is a story about an unusually intelligent and observant detective who uses a third party to be her "eyes" and tell her what is going on. Agreed that is a stretch. Perhaps more than a stretch. But that is also what it's advertised to be, so what was everyone expecting?
Kudos to those who had the sensibility to rate this 7+ stars. This has good acting, good directing, an interesting plot and story line, and while yes, at times it may jump the (very small) shark, it holds together pretty well. The characters work well together and the story is FICTIONALLY plausible. (You 1-star people do realize this is fiction, right?)
Overall an entertaining and enjoyable show for those who are not so jaded they've forgotten how to enjoy a good TV show. One thing I do wish: I wish they had hired actually blind actors to play the parts and make them more convincing. The show is still enjoyable.
I recognize this series isn't perfect, which is why I give it 8 stars. People giving it 1 star isn't indicative of a bad show; it's indicative of a bad review. On the plus side, I notice such negative reviews themselves received negative reviews. Justice is served. ;D.
Pantheon (2022)
Good until the last episode
I saw this as a 16-episode (45 minutes each) series. It starts off slow, almost boring, then becomes very interesting very fast. It carries the plot and story all the way through, having numerous twists and turns as the story unfolds. This is one of those series that actually needs to be 16 episodes long to tell the entire story. Everything in the series held up well, was well-written and excellently produced.
But then we get down to the very final, 16th episode... and the storyline becomes very complex and convoluted. It's not impossible to follow what's going on, but it just seems way out of sync with the rest of the series. Things start moving very quickly (literally), too much happens all at once, and normal characters very suddenly become very not-normal characters.
The result is a show that many will proclaim to be brilliant cerebral science fiction, but for me simply tried to cram far too much into the last episode and thereby somewhat derailed the series. I found the final episode contrived and disappointing, bombarding the viewer with too much too fast and expecting the viewer to simply ride the roller coaster. The final part of the ride is too full of itself. They needed to slow the roller coaster down quite a bit and deliver a less-uber-existential conclusion.
The Exodite (2022)
Well-crafted but dumber than Asylum
This is a graphically well-crafted show with somewhat interesting characters. What is totally lacking is plot of any kind... even within the WH40K universe. The script is droll, the plot pointless, and a rational ending non-existent.
Warhammer 40K started out as a fun and even humorous game, but as the years have passed it has become darker and more horrid in concept. While that is likely more "realistic" within the concept of the WH40k universe, it makes for really horrid stories and videos. There are no heroes; even the humans are fanatical psychopaths.
I'm sure a lot of fans will rate this video highly just because it's WH40K... but that fact doesn't make it good video. This was basically nonsense, an exercise in video graphics without plot, purpose or conclusion.
La Brea (2021)
Too many drivel sub-plots, ends abruptly
Sub plots are fine if done well. This has enough sub-plots to make five television series, all of them uber-dire, and none of them developed well enough to carry the series.
The basic character design and actors are fine. They all do a very good job and the characters themselves are interesting. There is just too much going on all the time and none of it focused on for any length of time. There is constant jumping back and forth between one subplot and anther, and story lines constantly interrupted by other story lines.
Then they just sort of mash it all together by having a very abrupt and unexpected one-episode ending on Season 3 episode 6. It's very obvious the studio decided to shut things down and "graciously" gave them one episode to do it. All of the string ends were tied, albeit far too quickly as if someone was standing off-stage with a big sign that said "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!".
It all boils down to a series with good actors and potential, but thrown together like a poorly planned stew and seasoned badly. The disappointing hyper-ending where everything is going on in bam bam bam fashion did nothing more than emphasize the overall failure.
It wasn't 1-star terrible nor the "worst sci fi ever made" (seriously people, how many "worst ever" can there be?), but it's a 3- to 5-star mediocre. However, those who are into constant action and binge watching might find it moderately entertaining... if they can stomach the "everything thrown in a pot" final episode.
Orion and the Dark (2024)
Kind of okay but...
This was a kind of okay movie but... this is not a movie for children.
First, the story is a bit convoluted and can be difficult for younger ones to understand. As other reviewers have noted, it contains psychological concepts far too complex for children to understand and enjoy.
For a movie designed to help kids not be afraid of the dark, the support characters were actually somewhat spooky. "Strange Sounds" and "Insomnia" are definitely not the best of what night has to offer... and there were even worse characters (no spoilers but... pillow, hammer-- seriously?). Not. For. Children.
It was an interesting concept for a film, but it needed a better overall plot and storytelling. It definitely needed better and less-scary main characters. The ending was rather neat but overall, they really didn't pull this one off as well as they should have. This movie is supposed to help children be less afraid of the dark, not more afraid of it.
Timescape (1991)
Focuses on good story-telling
This film succeeds in that it goes where it goes and doesn't take itself too seriously science-wise. It doesn't try to figure things out, doesn't try to explain paradoxes, doesn't attempt to fit all the pieces together. It just takes us where the story-teller wants it to go... and I'm fine with that.
We've seen soooo many time travel films, and the majority of them share the same issue: logic problems. The real problem though is that they try to make an illogical subject logical, so when they stumble all over the plot with time paradoxes and other drivel, it spoils the film. This show doesn't do that. It just shoves paradoxes to the side and dismisses them... and gets on with the storytelling. Kudos.
It's a simple rule of science fiction: accept the fiction part. Don't try to answer unanswerable questions; just tell the story.
I found this "scientifically opaque" film rather refreshing, because of the very fact they didn't try to explain everything. They just kept it interesting. It was a fun watch. Good for them.