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m_oleyar
Reviews
What If...?: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? (2023)
Fantastic!
That MARVEL is creating new characters based on indigenous peoples from North America is so heartwarming. Native American culture should be celebrated by all. Being of indigenous descent I am so glad to see Native Americans making an impact on popular culture. The story was one of courage in the face of adversity, apathy, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. That MARVEL collaborated with indigenous groups and cultural institutions in the making of this episode is a good thing to see. That MARVEL hired indigenous actors and used their language to create this was refreshing. Yes people, you will have to read the subtitles. Now let's see a major motion picture based on these characters.
Der Greif (2023)
OK
So this had a really good music soundtrack. It had a really rubbish voice dub. I think I personally would rather read the subtitles than listen to a crappy voiceover. I dislike subtitles, but I dislike bad voice acting much more than subtitles. So for those in the industry who want to bring foreign cinema, television, and film to English speaking audiences leave the subtitles and ditch the bad voice actors and overdubbing. You are just ruining the work of the original actors. If you absolutely feel you must use overdubs, than you better get damn fine voice actors to do the job, not someone who has no skill at all, as if the case heretofore.
Blue Beetle (2023)
Not so hot
Not so super. If it wasn't for the Rudy and Nana characters I don't know if I would have made it through the whole two+ hours. I like gritty superheroes. That was not the case with this. Most of the acting was over the top and annoying. The comic relief was cause for painful grimacing. I think DC should just stop making movies, because frankly, they suck at it. Only Aquaman & Wonder Woman had any depth and angst and protagonists that made me care. That's the crux of it all isn't it? Investing and caring about the characters. If you can't pull that off then why bother making the movies because they will just be hollow.
Transfusion (2023)
Angst ridden
Sam Worthington did an awesome job as a veteran trying to hold the broken pieces of his family together. The two young actors who played the protagonist's son did a great job. His friend did him no favours nor did the system. The music did suck and take away from the film. This was a heavyweight drama telling a serious story about a struggling small family, not an action thriller.
I don't believe it deserved the bad reviews it received. If serious drama is not you thing watch something else as this will not be you cup of tea. I really hope this movie doesn't get lost amongst most of the trash movies that are conveyor belted out from Hollywood.
Mayfair Witches (2023)
Not even close
If you are going to adapt a book to screen al least try to follow the novel and the main characters. This series totally deletes Michael Curry from the story and replaces with the character "Sip." This series is so far off the mark compared to book 1, "The Witching Hour," it is supposed to represent that it saddens, frustrates, and angers me all in one go. Aaron Lightner is British and his character would never do what they have him doing in this screen adaptation. Rowan is depicted as almost fragile and quite needy in the on screen version which couldn't be farther from the book's reality. So very disappointing.
Black Sails: XIII. (2015)
Know no shame.
This was an eloquent, brilliantly written, beautifully heartfelt episode, despite all the testosterone and blood flying or maybe in spite of it. I had a bit of a suspicion since season 1 and this episode confirmed it. Know no shame. Words to live by in the entirety of Black Sails. Those who are disappointed with this episode, too bad for you to not get it. Those who are bigoted about the content of this episode and it's message should feel shame for their intolerance. Kudos to the whole cast, crew, writers, and anyone else associated with this episode for your courage in taking on and supporting this constant struggle for a community who should KNOW NO SHAME.
The Shannara Chronicles (2016)
Just don't waste your time.
****Contains Possible Spoilers**** Read the books. They are fantastic! I started reading this series as a teen in the very early 1980's. I love the serious nature of them. The life and death. The magic. The rich history and world building. These books are what true high fantasy novels are all about. These novels are so close to my heart that when a crucial character dies, Allanon, I cried like a baby and stopped reading the books for a time because I felt so betrayed and need time to mourn the tragic loss. When a writer can do that to you, you know you have found a keeper, for life. You know that you will buy the next book and the next, sight unseen. Eschewing any and all reviews.
The television adaptation of the Shannara books is another type of betrayal. This television series veers so far off the rails from what Terry Brooks has written that it makes me want to weep. No, really. This television series is nothing, nothing like the books. This television catastrophe has killed the books in a brutal, bloody way that breaks my heart. Characters and plot lines that don't exist in the books. They didn't even start with the first book in the series! Why would you start with the second book? Why? MTV and Spike have taken one of the greatest, epic, high fantasy series in the world and made it into a pale shade of itself. They dumbed it down, added dialogue that would never be written in a high fantasy novel, like the term "sloppy seconds" (yes, they really used it in the dialogue) and totally re-wrote the story and characters to level for giddy pre-teens. It is now in the realm of the "Twilight" series. The only thing missing are the sparkles. High Fantasy Be Damned.