Reviews

Cancelling a show THIS excellent should be thought of as TV Executive malpractice of some kind. They assembled a KILLER cast, each of whom was doing some of their best-ever work, and gave them a unique premise and great writing to work with. This show deserved a LOT more time.

Even though it's gone, I would recommend it to anyone who's on the fence about it. NOT that I want to support HULU, but just to support the creative team that did such good work here.

The characters are all written and acted well, from top to bottom. Keegan Micheal-Key finally got a role worthy of his comedic talents, Rachel Bloom was perfect and funny, as always, and special praise goes to Johnny Knoxville who can -- ACT? Who knew?

Overall, demise of this brilliant show can only be seen as a major failure by whoever is in charge at Hulu. But at least we got one short season, which is better than nothing.

High concept that goes nowhere. There were a few plusses: Nick Cage as a trained killer is always fun. The little girl was suitably cute. The script featured good grammar and complete sentences.

Otherwise, the by-the-numbers script was unrelentingly pointless, predictable, and dull. The direction was about the level I'd expect from an average episode of "the A-Team", plus the stupid "introduce each character with a freeze-frame and their name in text", which became old and tiresome long before the little-girl hostage was born.

What really pisses me off about this one is that Ron Perlman was giving it his all, I mean, he really rose above the horrible script, until he couldn't anymore, and was let down by a stupid ending that didn't pay off anything it was building to.

In fact, I could say that about the whole movie, except none of the actors really put much into it. Ashley Greene could easily have been replaced by a block of balsa wood, Grace Byers should have been given a mustache to twirl, and Real-Acting-People Jackie Earle Haley and Ernie Hudson could have been played by an A. I. trained by their previous roles. No one else had a discernible personality.

Recommended if you are high, have some junk food handy, and want to waste 103 minutes of your evening without using your brain.

There are a lot of really good MCU series. In fact, far more good ones than bad ones all things considered. But one problem they've mostly had has been unsatisfying season/series endings.

Until now.

Loki Season 1 had an ending that didn't really land well. It spent too much time setting up King the Conqueror as the major villain of the MCU going forward, and broke the cardinal rule of telling, not showing. After an excellent season of buildup, that S1 final episode really let us down.

But not this time! Season 2 had not only the perfect ending for Loki, but the perfect ending for this whole King arc. They couldn't have lucked into a better situation, because, let's be real, they can't go forward with Jonathan Majors at this point anyway. But who cares, because they actually stuck the landing for a change.

Great work, Marvel writers, you finally did it. Loki started good, took just the right amount of episodes, and finished with a triumph. Thank you.

I don't have to go back to check... This is the worst episode of the entire series, absolutely, without a doubt.

IMDB is making me write a full 600 characters about this garbage, but it doesn't even deserve 10.

I'm truly perplexed as to how the creators of such a formerly great show could spew out such awful, rank, garbage. Have they grown to hate their loyal audience? The "A" plot - maybe? - was stupid, sexist, predictable, and absolutely not funny. The many "B" plots were all entirely bereft of humor, cleverness, or any charm whatsoever.

This could not have been a greater misfire. I'm sad.

Here's one that really uses the "puzzle box" story type to good effect. No spoilers, but unlike some of these films where you are guessing and learning along with the main character about what's happening all the way through, this one DOES give answers. Not every detail, but enough to satisfy me, at least.

The direction is effective, and builds up suspense well in several places, with characters doing clever things at times that made real sense. (And other characters being so stupid you wanted to yell at the screen, but that's par for the course in this sort of film..) I wouldn't say it's "horror" in any way, but there was some very creepy stuff going on, and it was definitely edge-of-your-seat through much of the story.

The acting was OK, nothing stuck out as bad. Diego Klattenhoff is generally a one-note actor, but here, he managed at least one and a half, so that's a win.

Anyhow, it sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, but I truly felt entertained for the entire runtime. So if a mysterious sci-fi-ish thriller with a pretty big (but NOT gory) body count appeals to you, this might be your thing.

Star Trek, as a franchise, has a history of doing "funny" episodes, starting way back as early as the first TOS season. Some have been less than successful, but most have been an excellent counterpoint to the more serious stories. Even the movie series had "The Voyage Home", a very funny film.

But now, I believe we have been treated to Trek's very best "comedy" episode. A lot of the SNW actors have proven they have comedic chops in previous episodes, but this time they all got to stretch in new directions, crossing over with the animated "Lower Decks", and its two lead characters, Mariner and Boimler. (Played hilariously by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid).

It's a testament to both the writing and the deft direction by Jonathan Frakes that this episode is both funny AND touching, and also doesn't forget to more along some of the overall character arcs of the series. Oh, and special kudos to whoever decided to have fairly long animated sequences at the beginning and end (along with an animated version of the opening credits), to let us see as much of the "Lower Decks" world as possible.

Brilliant installment of an excellent series. I'd give this one 11/10 if I could!

I liked the first installment of this series well enough. A fun romp through a Victorian London that's somehow overlaid with a modern POV, and a delightful protagonist surrounded by sometimes-interesting secondary characters.

But I have to say this second outing is much more satisfying than the first. For one thing, there is hardly any setup, which slowed the first movie considerably (as is often the case with first episodes). But the most enjoyable difference was the extended time for Enola and Sherlock to share the screen and solve the mystery together. They have fantastic chemistry as brother and sister, mentor and student, ward and guardian.

I guess I need to stop being surprised at Henry Cavill nailing iconic roles. He's not just a handsome face and a set of muscles. He really brings something interesting to every role he plays, and Sherlock is no different. Millie Bobby Brown is a joy to watch, bringing subtle and sophisticated humor along with a flair for broad comedy. Together, they are wonderful.

Also worth mentioning is David Thewlis, who's fast becoming the go-to guy for slimy villains. There's something to be said for an actor who leans into his strengths, and he does it well.

The mystery is (or mysteries are!) a bit perfunctory, but I've certainly seen worse. I found the humor to be excellent in places, especially when Brown has to sell a punch line with a subtle expression. She's good at that! Overall, if you liked the first one at all I think you'll enjoy this second outing.

Sorry, but I hated this movie. It had so much potential: I love the cast, I like the concept, and some of the action scenes are quite good. But aside from the overly complicated plot, which was distracting but not a deal-breaker, I just hated the soundtrack.

First, let's just get this out of the way: the music is terrible. It's like the worst of the Tangerine Dream scores from the 70s and 80s on steroids. That style of score ruined so many otherwise good movies from that era that I believe it constitutes a blight on cinema, but this is even worse. Completely obtrusive, overpowering, and unlistenable.

And then, to make matters worse, the "music" was mixed so high that it constantly overpowered the dialogue. There were several places where I had no idea what people were saying because the score was MUCH louder than the voices.

I'll say that the plot, while convoluted and based on ideas that were logically flawed, would probably be better up on a second viewing. But the first viewing was so unpleasant and painful that I'll never give it that second watch that the filmmakers were obviously hoping I'd give it.

Three stars only for the good characters and interesting dialogue - what little of it I could hear, that is.

Wow, everything I could have hoped for in a Raimi-directed Dr. Strange was here and more. The beautiful visuals, the suspense, the way he directs actors, it all came together to make an experience that is unique in the Marvel universe.

Every scene had me wondering where they could go next, and it surprised me at every turn. Adding a big dose of horror to the world of Strange certainly was a great idea, too.

The writing was simply great, and unlike many Marvel films the action pieces were well integrated into the overall plot, often contributing to the character's arcs instead of just being excuses for punching and zapping, as can often happen in a film of this genre.

To say this exceeded what I hoped for is an understatement. Very highly recommended.

If your show is a "slow burn", there has to be something burning. This show has one interesting aspect that they reveal at the very beginning: there's a hole. After that, boring, shallow, unlikeable characters do random things very, very slowly. Roughly one interesting thing happens per episode.

One star for the initial premise, 3 for Brolin, 2 for Poots. And I'm being very generous here. (I should have knocked off another star for the constant singing alone). More a "no burn" than a "slow burn".

While there have been a number of "Holmes in the current day" attempts, some better than others, this one is the best version of that concept. It's even a stealth adaptation of one of the classic stories. Led by Bill Pullman, the acting is outstanding, even Stiller, who doesn't usually do it for me, and O'Neal, who seems to be trying to phone it in but can't quite bring himself to do it.

Highly recommended for fans of quirky humor, good mysteries, and Holmes pastiche.

I've enjoyed the "Poorly Drawn Lines" web comic for a few years now, and I was a little worried about how it would translate into animation. How would the simple line art translate, could the humor survive intact, and mostly: would the voices be too jarring after hearing them in my head for so long?

Well I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything worked beyond all expectations! The animators have used the art style from the comics perfectly, and the humor has thrived in the longer environment (thanks to the writing from original webcomic creator Reza Farazmand). And the voice work is AMAZING, from both the main cast and the guests. I now read the comic with the voice of Ron Funches in my head as Kevin.

It's loveable, weird, unpredictable, and strangely off-kilter. Definitely written for adults to appreciate. You may enjoy it - I sure did!

Everything paid off very well, from the multiple betrayals to the use for the finger-flicking skill, to the great scene with Clint and Yelena. And as always, D'Onofrio was spectacular as the Kingpin - even getting a bit of a power-up to more closely match his physical menace from the comics.

Nothing more to say except that I'm excited for a second season.

I can't see any reason why DC Hamilton and Brinna Kelly aren't household names yet. Both of the films I've seen that they've worked on together - this and "The Fare" - are outstanding in both writing and low-budget directing. I'm sold; they are both the real deal. This is an excellent little crime drama with a cool, unusual hook to it.

Hamilton knows how to get good performances out of actors, which is not as easy as it seems. And the art of making a tiny budget look great on screen is pretty rare too. This film definitely pulls that off.

Finally, let's especially hope that Brinna Kelly gets a lot more writing work before she's pulled in to full-time acting. She's obviously good at that, with a glamorous look and compelling personality, but she's an even better writer. Original story ideas combined with compelling characters - that's a rare thing to come by these days. This is highly recommended.

If you're a fan of Black Mirror, or the Twilight Zone, or Inner Sanctum Mysteries, or any sort of weird-yet-intelligent fiction, this will probably appeal to you on some level. But for me, the acting by the two leads, and their wonderful on-screen chemistry, absolutely elevated this clever Fantasy/Drama to something special.

Also, the fact that the writer was also one of the leads probably makes it that much more interesting. I don't expect everyone to connect with it the same way I did, but I think you'll find it at least worth the ride, so to speak. And unlike most films in the "puzzle box" realm, I think this one actually gives us a satisfying ending.

There have been a lot of excellent animated superhero shows over the years, (and yes, a lot of dreck). But I think the art in this one is as good as anything I've seen.

The writing was good - you have to stuff a lot of world-building into a half-hour to get this premise to work. If you've ever read the Marvel comic book this series is based on, it has the same issue. It can be a strength or a weakness, but the fact is that you already need to be up to speed on the characters so they can cut corners with introductions and motivations, unless they veer wildly from the original stories.

That said, I think the story was as good or better than any of those classic comics. They did a fine job giving us an alternate history that made sense given the set-up, and it was very entertainingly done.

Also, extra points for all the actors voicing their roles from the films! Other than Chris Evans, I think all the main, and even minor, characters were done by the original actors. That's going to be really fun going forward too.

This was an awful action movie. Nothing about it made any sense, the characters were all uninteresting, and even the action was boring and stupid. Dave Bautista is turning into a very good action star, no lie, but when he's BY FAR the best actor in your movie? I mean, by a LOT? Then you've got problems that even bad and distracting cinematography can't solve.

If you're gonna watch it, you're gonna watch it. I did, even though I was warned. All I can say is: go into this knowing that your brain will be assaulted with moronic writing in ways you never knew were possible. It's OK; we'll get through this together.

Compared to most other stylish action movies, this would be a 10. Loved the plot, the acting, and the fight scenes. In fact, there was nothing to dislike. A very believable and visceral action hero, with a fun backstory and a real (and amusing) reason for her rampage. Favorably comparable to John Wick. Highly recommended!

The incredible performance rescues this episode from an extremely unsatisfying and contrived ending. I loved the dialogue and the way it was brought to life by the actress (whom I'd somehow never seen before, and yes I looked at her IMDB page to make sure!), so despite the somewhat dull plot and lackluster end, I can't dislike it as a creative piece.

Horrible. That doesn't come close to describing this mess. I only give it one extra star for Ryan Reynolds being fairly personable. The may be the worst action movie I've ever seen.

If you liked Deadpool, Kick-ass, or Shoot 'Em Up, you'll love this one too. Lots of non-stop action and humor with excellent lead actors. Don't take it seriously, just enjoy the ride. Radcliff is rapidly becoming one of my favorite off-beat humor stars between this, The Young Doctor's Notebook, and his role in Kimmy Schmidt.

When you get a little over half way through a movie and start to get exasperated because it hasn't ended yet, you know something's wrong. The big-time action movie I'd compare this to is "Last Action Hero", because that too had a good premise, interesting visuals, good actors, and just didn't know when to stop.

Another problem was all the 1980s references! I get that the world's creator would have been into 20th-century pop culture, but why are all the kids from the future into it too? I mean that would be like a world where our pop culture references were all from the 1950s. That just seemed lazy to me.

Good action sequences, a few interesting characters performed with skill, and some scintillating visuals raised it a bit above a 5 to a scant 6 for me. But I'd only recommend this if you are getting it for free (like I did on Prime). Don't bother paying extra for it.

I'm not sure where all the hate is coming from in the reviews. I had a great time with this low-budget Science Fiction romp. I loved the high concept, and the dialog had a light touch that fit the overall tone well.

The direction of the actors themselves could have been better, and there were parts in the cave where some more creative cameral angles and lighting would have been welcome. But the plot kept us moving, and guessing, and I thought it payed off perfectly. Also, while the acting was uneven, I've seen MUCH worse in similarly-budgeted films. Both Andrew Wilson and Brianne Howey particularly stood out. The cave men... Not so much. But I was willing to overlook a few clunky bits while enjoying the overall whole.

I saw Time Trap on Netflix, so if you get the chance to see it without paying extra I'd say it's well worth your time.

I've always thought Lynch works best doing humor - at least, HIS idea of humor - and this brilliant short film is a perfect example. Disorienting, funny, and oddly unsettling, it works on all levels and, at 17 minutes, doesn't overstay its welcome.

The entire film is a conversation between a detective and a monkey with a disturbing Clutch Cargo mouth. Some of their dialog sounds like a Turing test, with an A.I. being interrogated to see if it's a real person or not. Random questions, random answers, but always a thread leading us towards an absurdist mystery. This technique makes us feel a sense of surreal disassociation, but it provides a lot of laughs too.

When it was over I said "what the hell was that?" out loud. Two or three times. But I said it in a satisfied and thoroughly entertained way.