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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Slow death menagarie
Rated by:
Score: Mediocre and mismatched distracting from scenes more often than not. And the closing, final credits continuing music extends pain , increasing agony from watching the worst slow death performances ever in the history of movie history.
Acting: With too many actors vying for attention(I know, they had to do it because that's what they get paid for) I have to wonder how many cried for not getting enough credit for good acting. I have to say I enjoyed only the performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans and Elizabeth Olsen.
Dialogue: For the most part "very bland", stiff and uninspiring.
Humor: Seldom effective but the good humor did make several appearances. But it too often seemed forced.
Action: It gave me a headache. With too many people in too many locations fighting too many people using too many techniques I found it too much to take.
Special FX: Great special effects when given time to appreciate the art.
Worst parts: Everything. I miss the simpler superhero movies when they used ingenuity and strength and morality to enhance their presence among humanity. I totally disliked Thanos coming across like Sandman in Spiderman 3 as the misunderstood crowned clown villain.
I still found enough satisfaction to give it a 5/10
Outlander: The Bakra (2017)
If not the best, it is one of the three best this year
What a bewitching hour! Ghosts and all! Linger not long where evil shall live or where the devil lived. Ohh what a blood bath and yet no death.
The Bakra was a great episode and reminiscent of the original earlier episodes. All of the main characters that appeared were fantastic. Jamie was somewhat more subdued but, in the final analysis, he was still as important as ever.
Geillis has returned in a huge way, though only known by Claire and Jamie as Geillis. I would have said she made the best impression except for Mr Willoughby, who to me appears only temporarily repressed. I get this feeling he will definitely be a more important and illustrious character. Claire was definitely the Claire we all love with her expressions and her charm.
As I said, this was a bewitching hour. It moved so fast that it seemed only as long as a trailer. It was bewitching, bejeweled and beguiling.
If any episode this year deserved a 10 more than any other, it is this one. Don't miss it.
Outlander: Surrender (2017)
Surrender is an opportunity for hope
Outlander is definitely one of a kind when it comes to romantic drama. "Surrender" keeps that alive with Claire and Frank getting a feel for each others' predicament in dealing with the present and the past. Even though getting on with life is necessary, we can see both mixing desire with caution. Now the question is, 'does desire win out over caution?".
Claire not only has to deal with her personal feelings. It's gone beyond love and survival. Now she has to deal with current day dreams of success. Adapting to life in the 1700's, she must have thought life in 18th century Scotland was backward as she had to fight to get respect and then explain how she had so much knowledge even beyond that of men of those days. Now, in the mid 1900's,even when she knew she had done more than most men of that day, she finds herself having to deal with prejudice and ignorance that may not have been so noticeable prior to traveling to the past. "Surrender" kind of proves that Claire isn't going to be a part of that thought process. She obviously will have to regain strength that she found in the 18th century.
Jamie, a recluse of sorts now, is lost without Claire. Just as bad, he seems to be losing his place in the hearts of his sister and her family. In the meantime, someone appears to be working her way into his life. Could she help him, hmmm? His arc in this episode is lacking(perhaps simmering is a better term) in heartfelt matters. It feels like we are being led to believe he becomes more wily and cunning. It was mostly apparent with the closing of his part in this episode.
I did appreciate the characters, Jenny and Fergus more than anytime prior to this season. Both had to experience gains and losses. What God hath given, the British Soldiers took. I felt more sorry for Frank although there was more hope for him now than in Battle Joined.
Things are going to change for everyone throughout this season I am sure. What will likely not change is my love for Outlander. Once again we get great contributions from all involved.
9 of 10
Mother! (2017)
Mother! You had me but I never had you.
From the start of the movie I had to make an effort to keep from thinking I am going to be watching a newer version of Rosemary's Baby. Even before that I got sidetracked by the Marquee which, for some reason, made me think of John Lennon's song, "Mother". Moving on back to the movie, the eeriness was immediate. Waking up was eerie. Glancing around the room, looking for her husband was eerie. Walking out the door, still searching, almost mechanically, the entire sequence was eerie.
So, off to a good start. Even better, halfway through the movie I realized I was still asking myself questions in order to get to the bottom of the mysteries that still were not clear cut. I am sure that Aronofsky was succeeding of keeping the story moving along so wonderfully. I found myself suspicious of characters and activities. That's all I wanted for now.
While Mother (J-Law) was obviously the main focus in the middle of all the characters, everyone else kept her and me moving through our strained paces. Little things like background noises and unfamiliar images were enough to keep our attention and me on the edge of my seat. I soon started to hate interruptions by new nerve rattling characters. Small gatherings moved in and out as did the characters. Brazen, brash characters driving her over the edge and me glaring at them with a deadly stare that I had to distract myself from.
Jennifer owned this. She was magnificent and yet, I felt so bad for her personally because her investment in Mother was obviously heavy. I saw an interview with her and Aronofsky in which they both described how much of a strain this movie was having on her. She had to break away from scenes to read books (or portions of) that helped bring her back to reality. I am glad she stuck with it but for her own sanity, I hope she doesn't do another Aronofsky movie or any other that requires so much from her. If you remember how Heath Ledger may have lost his life due to his in depth characterization of The Joker, you get an idea of my reference.
Aronofsky definitely got his money's worth from all the actors and the props. Nothing was wasted in this movie. Otherwise slight, background noises, character developments, shadows and lights figured in to make this a great scare-affair.
Getting back to my earlier reference of Lennon's Mother, there were a couple other songs that came to mind. A very raucous scene not long before the finale reminded me of Revolution #9 because of its mysterious incantations and mental images. And for a finale, take it as you will, the closer was wrong in my opinion and should have been Joplin's Piece Of My Heart. But no harm...magnificent movie.
Since I rarely go to horror movies, giving this an 8 is about as good as I can give it, and that's a great thing.
Outlander: The Battle Joined (2017)
Season 3 is already better than season 2
Outlander 3-01 review
After strongly, deeply enjoying the final episode of season 2, albeit sadly(I was not a fan of the French episodes, though), I longed for the next Outlander adventure. I hated the separation of Claire and Jamie so I needed to see them together again. Kudos to everyone involved in that episode whether in front of or behind the camera. It was mostly very beautiful.
Surely there is no need to fear losing the dynamics between Claire, Jamie and Frank. We will see new dark characters like Dougal and Black Jack Randall, right? Gotta have it. There are a few things that I am concerned about but, I hope needlessly.
1. I miss the playful antics of Rupert and Angus and pray we will never miss the loyal and dedicated Murtaugh. 2. I really love hearing the music on Outlander, so please keep that up. 3. I am sorry to say I have to see an improvement in Brianna if and when she returns. I was surprised they didn't ensure better voice and character development for Brianna.
OK, so nobody and nothing is perfect, right? Well, try to convince yourself of that after watching Outlander, The Battle Joined.
When silence has as much an effect on the viewer as screaming, crying, gunshots, cannon fire or maybe even shattered vases, you know you got something wonderful. I was hooked and in awe from the opening scene. The battle scenes were magnificent, bloody but that meant nothing compared to the one-on-one battle between Jamie and the low-down dirty, evil Black Jack Randall. Knowing what he put Jamie through, you have got to understand how meaningful this personal battle was and how much hatred each must have felt for the other. I have never seen a better match between two angry, hate-driven men. Trust me, it had nothing to do with how many times skin was broken by knives and swords. It was all about fear, hate, anger and determination. There was even a time I wondered how Jamie could make it. I think "EPIC" well describes the battle.
While flashbacks and scene jumping can be overdone sometimes, Battle Joined made good use of those tactics. To me, no matter what was happening with Jamie or Claire individually, their future together was at the top of my mind. Now, I have never had a problem with Frank. I always admired this loving dedicated husband. But there is this Jamie and Claire thing, right? So let's get on with the story and maybe everyone will be happy.
Claire and Frank are trying really, really hard to live life normally, but seriously, how do people affected by time travel live normally? Caitriona plays Claire so perfectly. As Claire tries to adapt to the new American stove, she belts out that great line, "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ" and heads for the refrigerator. Feeling the frustration that she feels, as soon as she pulls out the bottle of milk, I knew it was gonna be a problem too. Sure enough, it was stinky spoiled. Maybe the same can be said of her life with Frank. We shall see. Despite the strain, Claire and Frank try hard to succeed but seem to be constantly reminded that life is a chore. How much strain can one marriage take? Hmmmmm?
Look, despite my earlier concerns, I have no doubt that season 3 is going to be great. Claire, Jamie, Frank, love, life, mystery, music, tempered mysticism and Scotland...I love it.
Battle Joined is as close to a 10 as can be.