Change Your Image
iqbalqasim-23282
Reviews
Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023)
Up there with the best Doctor Who Episodes ever!
Wow! I kind of expected it to be this good because of how RTD has written some of the best episodes of the show but was also worried, because last week's The Star Beast was surprisingly messy. But this episode brought me back to the show in its glory days.
The concept was EXCELLENT, and it was executed BRILLIANTLY! The pacing was perfect in letting the plot sink in, and letting the creepy moments build up! The acting was amazing! This is Tennant and Tate at their BEST! The dialogue, was quick and funny in the right moments, slow and poignant in the right moments. It creeped me out, made me actually feel worried for the characters, and made me excited to see what the mystery was, and the reveal of the mystery was satisfying! I'm so happy that Doctor Who has a recent episode that's this good! And it's not a rehash of something old! It's fresh! The idea does have some similarities to Midnight, a previous RTD episode, but it's also different enough and fresh enough in its own ways that I don't count that as a flaw.
The CGI was the one thing I could take a point off for, but I won't. The green screen did look off at the start, but many of my favourite episodes of the show don't have the best CGI and I never cared because this shows strength is always in its writing and acting. The CGI enemies were also quite wonky looking, but honestly I think it added to the creepiness and the off-putting nature. It was also on the line of being funny and off-putting which I think is actually another plus haha!
What else can I say. I thought the music was great to add to every moment. The emotional moments between The Doctor and Donna were incredible and brings me right back to RTDs character writing at its best, and what's more, it ended with seeing Wilf for the first time since The End of Time. And it ended on one of the best executed cliffhangers of the show!
This is Doctor Who at its best! And probably goes down as one my top 10 best episodes of the show EVER!
House of the Dragon: Driftmark (2022)
First great episode!
This episode was incredibly done. What I expected from this show has only just come to fruition but I believe a lot of the elements of this episode would have worked better if the buildup in previous episodes was handled better. The time skips did not work. A lot of the major moments in this episode revolved around characters that have only had an episode or two of build up. That's because of the time skip. The first five episodes of this season are mostly pointless with things having very little consequence. That time would have been much better spent on developing the current forms of these characters. To build up to the big moments in this episode and future episodes. It's good but it really could have been a lot better.
House of the Dragon: Second of His Name (2022)
I like it but I don't love it.
I feel like I'm the only one who isn't obsessed with this show after really enjoying the first episode. I think maybe some people are so desperate for early GoT that they want this to be that but I really don't think it is.
The good of this episode is obviously the visuals, the action, some of the acting by Paddy Constantine, and the actress who plays Rhaenyra.
For me the dialogue and the story isn't working as well as I'd hoped. The dialogue isn't terrible and there are some good lines but if you go back to the first few episodes of GoT you'll notice the way the dialogue is written there is much more natural and nuanced. Here I feel sometimes they're trying to imitate it but to me it sounds like an above average imitation and nothing more.
The story has its moments. I do think the characters motivations are clear, but for me I just find it silly that some of the things that happen, happen the way they do. The proposal of Rhaenyra to Laenor is such an obvious choice and such an obvious compromise to assuage the conflicts between the two houses that I find it completely unbelievable that it was only suggested 3 years later. It feels so unrealistic and it feels like it's only happening that way so we see the conflicts that arise, arise. Other smaller problems are the battle scene at the end of the episode, it's good but I think it could have been shot better, and I think showing Laenor with his dragon beforehand would have been better. Felt a bit random when he came with his dragon. I also wasn't a fan of Laenor's actor. His delivery seemed quite amateurish compared to the others around him and to be fair we didn't see much, but I think when this show has some really strong acting on display, the less skilled ones stick out more obviously. - Lastly I don't think I'm a fan of the time jump. I understand it's necessary considering this story spans many years but I would have liked to have seen certain things transpire that this episode told us without showing us. I think in particular seeing Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship begin to deteriorate from what it was to what it is would have been nice, and also seeing Rhaenyra's reaction to the birth of her half brother. I think this episode alone could have given us a few time jumps that cover the three years. Also showing us the war efforts of Daemon and the sea snake over the three years. This show just feels like it could be better than it is in my opinion.
It's still good, and I'll probably continue on, but I am a little disappointed considering I wanted this to be as good as GoT used to be and it isn't.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
I actually enjoyed it...
I have a lot of problems but overall I enjoyed watching the show and will most likely watch the rest of the season. My biggest problems are the dialogue and some of the costume designs. The dialogue for the elves especially is horrendous in my opinion. It's extremely over the top to try and sound deep but fails to sound deep at all and sounds more nonsensical. The costumes look expensive but the designs seem very uncreative and don't seem like they have a specific direction. The Elves for example don't look anywhere near as good as they do in the PJ movies. What I do like is everything else about the visuals. The soundtrack and some of the plots that tease exciting stuff to come.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI (2022)
A terrible show...
Surprisingly I liked Reva a lot better this episode. Her acting at the end proved she can act but she just had some terrible dialogue and direction to work with. I also think a future show of her redemption could be interesting... But everything else is just really poor.
The way scenes play out is as if we in the audience aren't supposed to know how things turn out. All the tension is built up on things the creators just have known the audience knows the outcome to. We know both Vader and Obi Wan live and there's not much of a progression from the start of this series up until the original trilogy. We know Luke stays safe. So do his aunt and uncle. We know Leia stays safe... But the shows entire plot is built upon the tension of whether these characters will be safe... It never works. I can't imagine anyone watching this show without having first seen the original trilogy, and funnily enough the show even includes a lot of scenes that require you to know how things turn out to enjoy them. This failed as a prequel, it failed as its own show, I think it fails in every way almost. The prequel trilogy ends in a place we know is coming but what's compelling is getting to see how things got there... There's none of that here. Just a terrible show... A pointless show... And one I'll probably forget even existed. It didn't even have a single scene that sets it apart. It's blandly directed, choreographed, written.... Just... Eh.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
There something really special about this film...
The atmosphere created in this movie really goes to show how talented Lucas is as a filmmaker and how successful some of his direction comes to be. The Phantom Menace introduces a living and breathing world that creates the enchanting effect that the story we're witnessing is just a part of history that we are lucky enough to encounter. His choice to film in such wide and off centre shots makes the movie feel like a documentary of sorts and getting to see characters doing their own things in the backgrounds of these shots (a lot of the time with jar jar) adds to this effect aswell.
This movie has excellent worldbuilding. If you think back, you see how much Lucas actually develops this world and how much information about this world we get to know. There aren't really many exposition scenes but instead Lucas let's the story unfold naturally and he uses familiar cinematic and cultural tropes to make it easy for the audience to cling onto ideas without having to dump information. This way Lucas is also able to spend more time to add story. A lot happens in this movie and it's filled with a huge cast of interesting characters who have a lot of depth. A lot of the time that's thanks to the writing and the acting. I wouldn't necessarily it's the dialogue that does this, but how the story is formed and the characters interactions and conflicts that are imagined that do a lot to bring out character nuances.
The acting is quite strong in this movie, but not always even. Lucas has a very distinct way of writing his dialogue and he also has a distinct method of directing his actors to act a certain way, but I think that can become difficult for all across to do well. Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L Jackson, and Ian McDiarmid all have enough acting chops and charisma to make it work but it doesn't always work and it's clear when some actors have more experience than others, which can become immersion breaking.
The plot of this movie is really interesting in my opinion. The political intrigue is quite interesting and it does a lot to make this world feel real, and also the characters. I think Padme's character shines extremely bright and a lot of her personality and character strengths are given a spotlight. I do think the way the political elements of this movie are portrayed to the audience can become confusing, but the reason for that is because Lucas is trying to write this and film it as if it's actually happening instead of spoonfeeding things to the audience to make it clear for them. It's a hard balance to get right when doing this but I think Lucas's results work for the most part.
The few things I think that bring this movie down are more technical faults than anything else. I think sometimes the dubbing, editing, etc of certain scenes feels quite off and it can take you out of the film. I also think Jar Jar, although not as bad as some may say he is, can get grating to watch. I don't mind the comedy scenes and you'll find C3PO and R2 are used in a very similar way in the other movies, but Jar Jars way of speaking personally gets grating for me. It's not too much of a problem and I actually like his presence in the movie in terms of plot, and I also do like his scenes at the end of the movie during the battle.
An overall great movie that achieves really incredible things thanks to some great direction by George Lucas.
Ms. Marvel: Generation Why (2022)
Bland plot with some dazzling editing.
I've seen this story so many times. Young female who wants to find out who she really is and let's go of cultural traditions to become that. I guess it's new with it being in marvel, but it's not really that interesting so far. The characters aren't unlikeable but Kamala is always kinda bored and lazy. The editing however was really fun and creative. There was clearly a lot of passion put into the visuals of this show and I do appreciate that. Although I don't think I'm really that interested to see a second episode. Eh. It's not bad... But not great.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part IV (2022)
The acting, writing, and directing are all sub par.
This is actually hard to watch. None of the characters are interesting, the plot is so boring because we know exactly how it's going to turn out. They've based the entire plot on whether Obi Wan will be captured and whether Leia will be safely returned home, two things we already know the endings to... There is no tension... The directing is lazy, with no thought or passion in any of it. The acting is cringe. The scenes with Reva and Leia especially are hard to watch. Their acting is so bad and it brings down the quality of the show by so much.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part III (2022)
This show shouldn't have had Darth Vader...
They were making an Obi Wan show with Ewan McGregor and due to fan service felt obligated to have Darth Vader return but I don't think that was the right decisions narratively. The Prequels, love them or hate them, did a good job at setting up Darth Vader and Obi Wan for their final meeting in A New Hope. I actually think this lessens the impact that was made from the Prequels and Original movie. Knowing that Obi Wan hadnt faced Vader since the battle at Mustafaar added to the weight of their final duel, and this show is undoing that by having them face off multiple times. I think this series has a bad concept. It could have been really interesting but the paths they've chosen are lackluster. What this show should have been about was Obi Wan looking out for the twins without ever meeting them... It should have been about him protecting Luke on Tatooine from behind the scenes from various threats. And the same for Leia.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
A mixed bag so far...
Elements of this show did work for me. Ewan is incredible in the role as he always was. Some of the cinematography is excellent and some of the emotional beats work, but overall I left feeling just okay on this show so far. The acting isn't very consistent. The inquisitors and little Leia fall short especially. The Grand Inquisitor seemed to be have been made to be intimidating but his acting was very dull. The line delivery didn't give off any menace at all. Reva was a little better, and in some scenes really gave off terror but sometimes she was over the top and compared to the Grand Inquisitors monotone performance hers seemed irratic and a bit brattish. The storyline with her and the inquisitors is a bit boring and typical. My biggest issue however came from the Obi Wan and Leia storyline. This is the problem with it being a prequel... What tension is there in a chase scene between Siths and Obi wan and Leia when we know that obi wan and Leia survive everything thatll come there way? It's pointless. I'll keep watching but I'm a bit bored of Star wars now... You can only spend so much time In the past and with every star wars project set before events we have already seen, it's... Boring. It's a shame the sequel trilogy was such a failure. It's really put star wars in a bad place...
Cobra Kai: The Rise (2021)
Really great end to the worst season.
This was the worst season for me which doesn't mean it's bad. It's still really really great! Overall the season is an 8.5 or a 9/10 for me. However I feel this time round there were way too many storylines going on. They actually handled each storyline well in my opinion which shows the talent in the writing team but too much is still too much. I think you can feel this with Miguel who's ending didn't have the impact it may have had if he had more time and buildup in the beginning and middle of the story. I think the last season had the perfect amount of characters that it focused on. I think two villains, a new kid, and Danny's son also having major storylines took up time that could've been spent on more major characters. Even though I enjoyed watching the scenes with all new additions.
The Wheel of Time: Leavetaking (2021)
The ending saves it.
First of all... Amazon is the worst service this could've been on. Everytime I watch amazon and there is an action intensive scene the quality drops to a really bad level. No other streaming service has this issue with me. Only Amazon prime and it really got in the way of my enjoyment of this episode.
Non Spoiler Section
I haven't read the book series, but I have had an interest in it and the show. I read the first few pages of the book once and we'll that's my backstory into this world. This first episode dissapointed me for the most of it however, elements of it were so strong that it rose my rating to an 8/10.
Spoilers
I guess I'll start with what dissapointed me. Most of all it was the structure. I don't think the episode starts off where it should've started off at. I think the monologue Morraine has at the start is a really weak introduction to this world, and her monologue at the end was what should've started the show. I don't think this world was introduced in the best way it could've been, which is sad to me because parts of this episode are so great and I hear so many great things about the books that I wish it got more things right.
I also think the dialogue at times is a bit cheesy and a little bit expositiony, where it feels like the characters are only saying certain things because they need to tell the viewers it's a thing. Also when things like "Thank the Light" are said it feels really unnatural and adds to the cheesiness, which I think is mainly because the actors aren't selling it (Especially when Rand says it). I think this issue wasn't as bad because other parts of the dialogue, particular Rand's father's speach and Morraine's final monologue are really great.
I think the acting overall was solid. For me personally Nynaeve stole the show completely. She plays her character with such intensity and strength, but it's also clear there is a vulnerability to her. She's already my favourite character. Rand for me was a bit of a let down, amongst the other characters his backstory seems the most bland, and I think the actor too often speaks in a bit of a whisper and comes across too brooding which I found a little annoying. However, I still hold out my hopes that he will change my mind. Perrin was maybe my least favourite character of the main cast at the start of the episode which was mainly due to the actor. It felt like he tried too hard to come across as brooding and macho, and it didn't work that well for me. HOWEVER!!!!! The scene with him and his wife and the trolloc was so shocking and impactful to his character that I can't wait to see where things go with him. He did pull off the pain of what happened really well. Matt was great. Fun and cheeky, but also the story they gave him with his family added depth to his character. It's a shame this actor won't return because if he makes a big enough impact this season, it'll feel like a real blow next season. Egweyne was fine. It's only the first episode so I'm probably being harsh on these characters but in comparison to Nynaeve, Matt and Perrin, Rand and Egweyne are a little boring so far. Morraine was really cool, and so was Lan, they portrayed the mystery well.
The final scene of all the trollocs attacking the town was fantastic. Perfectly shocking to me as a first time viewer. I gasped in moments. The effects were awesome! They looked so cool. The action was mostly amazing. Fantastic end to the first episode. I'm glad too because I can recommend this show to people and tell them to stay till the end of the first episode and know it will most likely end up hooking them.
Overall an 8/10 because of that ending. If it weren't for the ending however, the majority of this episode played out like a 6.5/10 for me... I hope they get better directors and editors for the show so that each episode can feel on the level of quality of Game of Thrones.
I'm not comparing it to Game of Thrones on a tone level, and I'm glad it isn't like GoT in that way. It's something new and I like it. However... GoT was extremely well crafted from the script, to the direction and the editing. On those terms this isn't as good so far and I hope it gets there soon.
God's Not Dead (2014)
I personally enjoyed it but I wouldn't recommend it to noon Christians.
As a Christian, the story presented of an atheist who hates God more than he believes God doesn't exist coming to Christ moments before his end is emotional and beautiful. - However the movie doesn't have a realistic showing of who Christians are and what the faith itself represents. There's a line where the Muslim turned Christian girl says Jesus died for her sins, but the movie plays out as if the only sinners are those that don't believe in God. The arguments were fun to watch but, the atheist side doesn't get a fair representation, and also the atheist character as much as it works in what his story is, doesn't do justice to what this film may have set out to do which is show an objective debate between professor and student about God's existence. I personally enjoyed it and would recommend it for other Christians but it isn't a movie that I think non Christians would enjoy for an accurate representation of who God is and why Jesus died for us.
A much better take may have been to show the Muslim girls struggle with sin, and how she finds no freedom from sin in her works, or how other Christian characters struggle with their actions in their lives. Maybe focussing on why the student became a Christian and such a lover of God, alongside showing the atheist professor on why he hated God.