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Reviews
Succession: With Open Eyes (2023)
An Apt Send-off
I have been watching year-to-year since the second season. Where this show excels for me is in the characters' antagonism, the scene dynamics, and the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ironies. But where it separates itself from other shows is its constant, anchored archetypes. Remember how Dexter kept breaking the sociopath mold? In contrast, Succession tactfully succeeded in maintaining our usurped expectations despite the utter predictability of their characters' quirks.
It has been a culturally-grounded dark comedy with dashes of tragedy, a much needed experience (and commentary) in a world of superheroes and dragons (and, believe me, I love those things). Its relentless inspection into the entitled and arrogant breeds of affluent narcissists is an apt and vital endeavor regardless of where the viewer aligns politically. As a liberal or conservative, one can see and appreciate how power and lust for money corrupts in a modern way.
This finale episode embodies all of what I have loved about the show, and it leaned into its strengths in a way other cinematic shows should aspire to. It teased us with hope, then threatened us with violence, then left us with an unraveling of a person's core illusions of their identity.
This might be the best series finale I've seen, better than Breaking Bad. Perhaps better than Six Feet Under. I rarely give out 10s. This was a 10 in every sense of the word. Special shout out to the sticker on the forehead moment.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Keep mild expectations and you'll enjoy it
The critics have fair points when they talk about the excess cgi, but it's the quantum realm - what are we expecting here? The Godfather? Is Avatar the only franchise allowed to barf cgi at us with a mediocre script? Come on...
Majors was great, the script was passable, and I laughed a ton. It was on par with Guardians 2, a fun flick with little depth but a great night out at the movies.
It would have been nice to see a little more justice done to Kang's character, but I suppose this is just the beginning.
Looking forward to Kang Dynasty and Loki S2. Curious to see how the timeline develops!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
A Trip! Sam Raimi Was Perfect for This
This is another MCU film that blended genres. In this case with horror. And it works. The character journeys were well respected despite the blend, which must have been tricky writing wise. There were campy moments but at this point if you don't want camp, why are you watching a movie with a sorcerer and a witch? A fun movie, worth the watch in theaters especially.
The Batman (2022)
Very good. Almost great. But...
The first two acts of this film were what you would hope for out of a superhero-noir. The third act was a bit of a flop. I almost wonder if WB stepped in and tinkered with things as they've been known to do. Pattinson is a great Batman. The cast in general is fantastic. One of the better Batman adaptations in a long time and I'm happy to have seen it. Hopefully there will be a more cohesive director's cut with a better third act..
The King's Man (2021)
An Almost Good Movie
This had the right elements. Rasputin and the other historical figures were fun to see in a Kingsman movie. Fiennes of course was a strong point as well. That said, the plot is pretty disjointed. The crisis of the film that sparked the last act (which was the best act) should have come much earlier. For an origin story, we don't get much development of the organization itself. It almost feels beside the point. Then again, I'm not sure if there even was a point. Fun action flick but not much else going for it.
Succession: All the Bells Say (2021)
Brilliant
This is a case of not much happening meets everything happening in one episode. The siblings coming together only to be thwarted by Logan and...... Tom. Come on. So good. He's learning how the game is played and he's taking Greg the Egg with him. Knowing Armstrong, the fourth season will take us in unpredictable directions with much of the same power dynamics. What a way to end the season. #TeamTom.
Doctor Who: Rosa (2018)
Yikes..
The laziest episode I've seen yet. Somehow. Despite the important subject matter. Nothing is compelling. Poor execution, worse writing. An insult to the complexity and gravity of the civil rights movement and its roots.
Cruella (2021)
Watchable - Otherwise Meh
There's a lot to like about this. The cinematography. Costume design (of course). The supporting cast is pretty great. Those elements aside, it's pretty dull and goes on far too long. I'm a fan of Emma Stone but I don't think she was right for this role.
Also.. The character comes off more like someone with dissociative identity than someone who "transformed" out of necessity. Except, it's portrayed comically. Which is a bit annoying.
I felt like the movie was trying to sell me on zippy editing style and pop rock montages in an attempt to distract me from the sub par characterization.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The Right Ingredients, Poor Execution
This had most of what you'd hope for if you are a fan of the first two films. But it's.. clunky. Lorraine is not the same character as she was in the first two. She's one dimensional and, frankly, much of what the Warrens do in this movie makes little sense.
Some decent set design and theatrics but that's about what you'd expect from a thriller with a halfway decent budget. All in all, I felt disappointed albeit happy to have gotten another film on the Warrens - despite the factual inaccuracies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Flawless
This is the perfect film. I'd go so far as to say it's even prophetic. We're not far from ooze-influenced mutations running rampant.
The jokes are perfectly timed. The pizza deserved an Oscar.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Uh... am I missing something?
No amount of Snyder can make this movie more watchable. He's an artist, certainly. But all he did here was prolong the pain and essentially dupe us all.
Surely this is as subjective a statement as it gets, but I can't get on board with any of these characters no matter how hard I try. They are flat, boring, and I feel awkward watching them exist in their universe.
DC needs to take a long vacation and then circle back with another approach in four or five years.
WandaVision: The Series Finale (2021)
Well.. that was.. something
This felt like a wasted opportunity to bring home an otherwise brilliant show. It needed two more episodes, more time spent on Vision's arc, more reason to justify Wanda's inner change, and less irrelevant theatrics.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Better Than the Current Rating
Supremely underrated. The only Pirates movie with Jack at the center. No Turner drama. Indiana Jones style pirate adventure with a good cast and evil mermaids. I honestly can't think of a better premise.
Carnival Row (2019)
Good. Could Be Great.
What begins as two narratives quickly divides into several, some of which are much less engaging than others.
Overall, this is a beautiful show, aesthetically speaking, and it is a fun world to watch. Some of the "other" oppression could be less heavy handed. Instead, I would would like to see characters struggle with varying issues in light of that oppression. And it would do the characters greater justice to give us other forms of conflict in general.
Speaking of which, do they know what they're doing with Vignette? Wonderful first few episodes for the character. But her narrative sort of patters out into lamenting, random violence, and floundering about with no apparent direction.
That said, the show is definitely worth trying and, as far as fantasy dramas go, it's of the top tier options currently available. Hats off to the costume and design folk. Great work.