Change Your Image
bronzino07
Reviews
Asteroid City (2023)
Charming
Either you like Wes Anderson movies or you do not. They embrace artifice. If you do not like Wes Anderson movies you will not like this one either. If you like Bill Murray you will like many Wes Anderson movies, as he is in many. However, he is not in this one. Start with Moonrise Kingdom, which does have a Bill Murray appearance if you must see Bill Murray. I personally like Wes Anderson movies, and this is one of his best. It is very succinct, unless you also prefer a plot. I don't like musicals, and this had one very brief and unnecessary musical scene, so I will remove one star. This was not written by AI.
Mars (2016)
Apparently they said something to offend
We live in a polarized society where either you watch only Fox news and RT, or you are allowed to think for yourself. It seems something in season 2 offended Putin and his army of Russian cyber-warriors enough to spam the review section with endless duplicate reviews threatening a"left wing" armageddon of a show that will melt your brain, your morals, and turn you into a Socialist. (Shame on you Amazon, first, for your lazy supervision of reviews.)
Armageddon is interesting. As for the show, it's okay. The 2033+ plot line is meh--solid 7 point stuff. The retro 2016+ interviews comes off as docudrama filler. While global warming may be the issue for our times, we may care more about why docudramas exist at all.
In the Dark (2019)
Loving family comedy, not a "dark"crime drama
Yes, episode 1 demonstrates the lead has deep intimacy issues on top/because of of her disabilities. Her only friend dies, and she has to solve his murder. Netflix describes as "ominous." Sounds good? Well, the show evolves into a caring family show by episode four where lead Murphy, gradually learns to let all of the people desperately trying to help her (and there are a lot of them) in just a little bit as she completes her quest. Meanwhile, get ready for serial-situational-bittersweet-humor in which a pretty "blind" girl can get into sight-gags that ultimately lead us all learning a little more about ourselves...and each other's feelings.
Revolver (2005)
Philosophy 120: Intro to Deepak Chopra
It's fun to think about using an action film as the departure for a metaphysical query, but it's a fundamental misunderstanding of the genre: I watch action films to rest my brain cells, not destroy them with trite preachings via non-stop voice-over assault. A whipped Richie channels Madonna channels Deepak Chopra. I wonder: did Oprah endorse this movie? Does the ends justify the means? "I thought the use of the bald rogue hit-man represented the battle in us all against the tyranny of the Ego--- and Rogiane." Thanks Oprah, can we now let Jean-Claude Van Damme lead us in prayer? The Matrix was equally problematic at times, especially in the second installment, when it strove to be much more than it was. An "Alice in Wonderland" tale or deus ex machnia resolution is fine, as long as it doesn't pretend to be more than it is---entertainment. Television wrestling is fun. It's deep; it's archetypal good versus evil, but we don't need a philosophy lesson. Guy: let the big boys keep to the Art and spare us your mishmash interpretations of profundity. I will say, however, it's cool to see Stratham wearing a rug.
Jericho (2006)
I can't believe people bought into this...
An amazingly predicable pile of television schlock, with third-rate casting and even poorer writing. Lacking the fun of most post apocalyptic camp, and certainly the zombies, this show takes itself all too seriously. In contrast, the first episode of its popular predecessor "Lost" opens with chaos mediated by a broken hearted hero, but with comic sidelines such as a panicked character looking for a pen to perform an unneeded tracheotomy. Two years later, CBS spins its own version of a small town stranded with its own love wounded hero preforming a genuine tracheotomy on a little girl on a bus load of stranded school children. Gone here is the humor, back are all the old television clichés in mind-numbing earnest. In all fairness, I've only watched three episodes on DVD and it must get better? I fear for the worst, and find myself longing to rent "Red Dawn" again just to hear Patrick Swayze coach me to "let it turn, let it turn...." Go Wolverines! Ho hum Jericho.
Æon Flux (2005)
The animation was better
How buddy was this sci-fi? Very. Somewhat reminiscent of Barbarella, but less visionary and far less sexy--if you can imagine that. The only plus over the original is Charlize's very womanly physique on film, with which the animation's skeletal imaginations are revealed for all of their---shortcomings. By no lack of Lycra,the ball was dropped by the director and the producers, who had little vision, (and perhaps by the editors) who paced the film like a documentary and gave another future world that looks like half-assed computer supplemented studio. MTV--please stay out of the movies! Other than that, it was fair for sci-fi fare. Entertaining beyond watching Theron and Csokas'pretty faces, a bit lame on the action end. Often the art direction is out-right laughable. At least in this version of the future everyone isn't bald or wearing all white cotton or all black leather.