Change Your Image
thewordman
Reviews
Manhunt (2024)
Like Stepping Back in Time
I am five episodes in and hooked. I have no quibbles with the casting, I think it is excellent. Especially Lincoln. Not the stereotypical choice, which I find refreshing. The cat and mouse between Stanton and the cabal around Booth, plus the shenanigans of Johnson and the Wall Street Crowd are fascinating. The time jumping of scenes is a but off-putting, but I think it serves the story well. There were so many facets to this story that a linear telling would lose a lot of context that helps to illuminate the characters and their motivations. Sets, costumes, and scenery seem authentic. One of the best historical depictions in recent memory.
Justified: City Primeval (2023)
Needs Some Boyd Crowder
I really wanted to like this series. But three episodes in, it feels like our modern-day Matt Dillon has been worm-holed into an alternate universe of lackluster writing, uninteresting supporting characters, and stodgy direction. No Elmore Leonard vibe this time... just the sort of flaccid storytelling more typical of network cop dramas. And, as a dad with three daughters and my fair share of parental challenges, I feel the whole father-daughter thread is unconvincing. Check out Bosch for some really good writing in that vein. Most of all, this new outing needs an intriguing and likable villain. Give me Boyd Crowder!
Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
A season's worth of plot in two hours
As a fan of The Last Kingdom, I anticipated an equally fabulous epilog. After watching it, I deduce that the creative forces responsible for the series had developed a story arc for a concluding season... but sans the luxury of six to eight hours, they shoehorned it into two. The result is a plot that moves so quickly I fell off my horse more than once trying to keep the characters, motivations, and double-dealing straight. I did appreciate the ending-a nice bit of thought-provoking ambiguity-but the rest of the story paled in comparison to the wonderful storytelling of its progenitor. Six stars.
1899 (2022)
It Seemed to Have Such Promise...
My wife was a big fan of "Dark" (I did not see it) and was intrigued by the buzz around this kindred production. So I joined her in watching the first episode. I found it moderately engaging: ominous, atmospheric sets; unusual character types; brooding soundscape. But GAWDAWFULLY plodding in plot development. Okay, maybe things will pick up in episode two. Not to be. Halfway through it I told wifey, "I'm bailing... good luck." She stuck it out, thinking a great payoff was in store. She breezed through the whole series in two days. When I asked her if her patience was rewarded she had decidedly mixed emotions. As she relayed to me the last episode's denouement, which she adjudged preposterous, she also expressed disappointment that season one does not fully complete a story cycle, but leads the viewer to another rabbit hole for the second season. She does not plan to make that leap. And I am so glad I jumped ship when I did.
Gold (2022)
Fool's Gold?
I enjoyed this movie's dystopian imaginings and gritty characters but I was abruptly tossed off the plausibility train before the 30 minute mark. In the desert, miles from nowhere, they find a chunk of gold so big and heavy they can't budge it, not even with rope and truck. So they decide one of them must fetch and excavator while the other stays to guard the gold. Guard it how? And from whom? Dudes, shovel some dirt over the ore! It won't be seen, even on the off chance someone comes loping through this desolate place. I just couldn't buy it.
Most Dangerous Game (2020)
Plot Holes Sink Plausibility
What begins as an intriguing premise careens into total implausibility when it jumps the shark at the confessional. While I enjoy Christopher Waltz's smarmy villainy and Liam Hemsworth's dashing persona, they are not enough to redeem this cat-and-mouse escapade. Don't waste your time.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
Like Getting Last Year's Leftover Candy Dropped In Your Sack
We got about halfway through it and could take no more. Although the film brings a variety if visually engaging Halloween cliches, it all tastes as stale as last year's tootsie rolls. It might be a feel-good outing for the eight-to-twelve-year-old set, but definitely not for anyone who is too old to go trick-or-treating.