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Reviews
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Very disappointing- Watch Melancholia instead
Let me start this review with stating that I am a big fan of disaster movies, where ideally the entire world population dies.
Leave The World Behind promises on that, but does not deliver. First of all, it is way too US centric. Note to Netflix: there is a world outside of the United States of America.
Then, I feel it does not properly follow up on the promising eeriness of the situation at the beginning,
Then, because it is 2023, of course we have to have all kinds of commentary on race-relations. And other socially relevant commentary. Boring, boring, boring.
On the Plus side, the cinematography is gorgeous at times. Julia Roberts is good as very annoying Karen. Mahershala Ali was also very impressive.
But overall not that great. Even though the movie is long, it doesnt feel long. It's just that the conclusion isnt that great. If you want to see such a movie done right watch "Melanchoia".
The Contractor (2022)
Not bad, but the storyline doesn't make sense
Reading the other reviews it seems I am one of the few, which liked the beginning of the movie more than the end. The beginning is indeed slow, and you wonder when the action will come. But Chris Pine is also very convincing here in quietly conveying the difficult situation he is in after being discharged from the Special forces, and finally the decision to become a contractor. Cinematically this phase is also solid.
As is the transition to Berlin, which is shown properly here, and not just with some token shots.
After the action starts the story becomes more problematic. The shootout with German police after the job is completely ridiculous, this is not the way German police operates. People being almost dead in the evening and perfectly fine the next morning also doesn't make sense, as well as being on-and-off incapacitated.
The biggest issues, which p*ssed me off quite a bit, are that the reason why the job was conducted was completely unnecessary, there would have been other ways to achieve the intended result. And that going after Chris Pine's character was also completely unnecessary. Just paying him for a job he performed as to be expected would be the obvious, and cheaper, way to go.
So, overall a movie with a promising start, but frustrating end.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Under the Cloak of War (2023)
Best Episode of Strange New Worlds, one of the best in Star Trek
The Enterprise has a Klingon defector, who now is an ambassador of sorts on board. But some members of the crew were on an outpost during the Klingon wwar, where he was the commanding officer on the Klingon side.
This was a *really* intense episode. At least on par with the best of DS9, and in the way Lt. Ortegas, but especially Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga were presented, it was actually even more gripping. Their contempt, even hate for the Klingon was visceral. There were several moments, where I thought "Oh my goodness".
Strange New World is generally an upbeat Series, managing to provide some character depth at the same time.
But this one was very different. Not upbeat in the slightest. But it was absolutely excellent. Amongst the large number of very good episodes in Strange New World to be this episode stands out as the very best. And for people who like their Star Trek to be a bit more "real", I would rate it under the Top 3 of all Star Trek episodes.
Extrapolations (2023)
How many FoxNews viewers have an Apple TV+ subscription?
If the purpose of the show is to inform viewers on the consequences of climate change to daily lifes the show is a success and fail at the same time. The people who accept that climate change is real will like it and be moved by it (but not enough to replace their SUV with a more climate friendly station wagon) and the others who don't will see it as another piece of propaganda by the "Hollywood Elites".
If you want to reach the F-150 drivers of this world, it would pay to make the product more appetizing: The show is a little bit too stylish and of course also more than a little bit too heavy handed. It would also help to not portray most of the men in the show as greedy and/or ridiculous, and not most of the women as wise and almost saint-like.
Finally the premise of at least the first episode is incorrect. It will not be decided in 2037 if we will make the 1.5C target or not, that point will be reached in the next couple of years at the latest. As there is a clear mismatch in what is shown in the show (quite horrible) and what we experience right now (not great, but also not quite horrible), the show can be accused of propaganda, which will not increase the likelihood of people reflecting if they should change their behaviour.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Misandrist Gunk
It's advertised in the trailer that not everything is what it seems in "Don't Worry Darling". The resolution however is so misandrist that it is almost beyond belief, even accounting for the fact that this is pile of gunk ( there is no other word to describe it sufficiently) is directed by Olivia Wilde, a women using her position to engage inappropriately with main actor Harry Styles. Stylistically the movie is not bad, however the scenes with cars departing the homes in a choreographed fashion could have been done better, and the way the movie was shot was not cinematic but the perspectives used made it feel like one of those "made for TV movies". In terms of logic the movie is also extremely poor. In summary a waste of valuable life time which I can never get back.
Star Trek: Picard: The Next Generation (2023)
I lost my will to live while watching
After 2 less than inspiring seasons of Star Trek: Picard, I was not sure what to expect of this last season. The reunion of the TNG crew suggested fan-service to some extent, but also a script closer to late TNG seasons in quality than to Picard Season 1 and 2.
Well, where to start? The tone of the dialogues and the language used is unrealistic. This shows in the interaction between Picard and Riker, but even more so in the way Captain Shaw talks. It is unconceivable that a Captain talks *this* way to an Admiral, retired or not.
The CGI looks cheap, very cheap. The story seems to be quite thin. There.is an event highlighting the threat, but there is not much of a build-up to the event, and so the event itself leaves you a bit surprised, but not very shocked.
So this first episode was...not very good...will I watch another episode? Probably yes, because hope does last and I have a masochist streak. While doing that I will try to keep my will to live alive. I will probably be able to do so, but the fight will be hard.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part V (2022)
The best episode
In an Internet far far away an author raised the theory, that the Episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are following the arc of Star Wars Episodes 1-6. Following that theory this would be the "The Empire Strikes Back" inspired Episode.
It indeed was, and as the original, the inspired version was the best so far.
It was glorious! I was laying in my bed, but I felt a certain need to edge towards the edge of it.
The story had some twists one could see coming from a mile away, but some which came as a real surprise. Overall still an enjoyable experience and the "Empire Strikes Back" of the season.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
The Borefest
Overall a pretty boring movie. The hint to the solution of the problem is provided early on. The story is unlogical and doesn't make sense. If future mankind is not able to defeat the invaders, then what difference are additional heads from a technological inferior past supposed to make?
As mentioned the movie was boring and too long, I fast forwarded through the entire last hour and did not see much to excite me pass by. The end was boring too.