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The Kid Detective Movie Review

2023-12-22T02:00:00.092-05:00

The Kid Detective (2020)

Rent The Kid Detective on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Evan Morgan
Directed by: Evan Morgan
Starring: Adam Brody, Sophie Nélisse, Tzi Ma, Wendy Crewson, Sarah Sutherland
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A once-celebrated kid detective, now thirty-two, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case; find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Verdict
It's different take on the detective genre, starting with the inspiring kid detective and looking at him twenty years later where he's no longer all that cute while solving the case of the missing cat. This has such a dark sense of humor but ends with such a harrowing thought. Before the final scene, it felt like the movie didn't quite have enough. The last moment is a reminder of stark realities.
Watch it.

Review
It's a different perspectibve on the detective genre, and in that regard it reminds me of Brick. I love the premise of this. How many books involve a precocious kid detective that solves outlandish crimes. This looks at what happens when that kid grows up. Abe Applebaum (Adam Brody) is having a rough go of it, and this cuts back to his ridiculous stint as a successful kid detective, his future bright. Abe was revered as a kid but he's now scorned as an adult. Failure will do that.

Adam Brody plays Abe Applebaum

What's cute as a kid wore off as he got older. That and he had a real case for which he wasn't suited. This script is fun with Abe as a has been detective that isn't very old. Abe takes on a murder case from Caroline (Sophie Nélisse) to prove everyone wrong. He reveals this to his father triumphantly, but his dad counters that Abe has no experience and he isn't a real detective.

I like the humor in this. Abe can be quite petty. When a kid won't answer his questions and insults him, Abe reveals a secret about the kid's father.

Adam Brody, Sophie Nélisse play Abe, Caroline

Abe works a real case, but he does seem inept. His skills were honed in elementary school cases. He doesn't have any experience. He's still living his childhood dreams. Abe's not equipped for the real world, and this exploits all the usual tropes of the kid sleuth genre. We see Abe use the old hide in the closet routine a few times before reality sets in and the police catch him.

This is childhood fantasy meets reality. Abe faces the hard truth that he's someone who used to be famous. Despite that he somehow stumbles into a lead. While the pieces are there, how did he put them together? Abe takes a huge leap, but he may just be desperate. This gets way darker than I expected. It's a neat idea, but it can't quite sustain it. The way this ends, we think Abe has solved the case. He's gained respect and everyone believes him, but it was a difficult case. He wasn't prepared for the impact it would have. The movie leaves us with that bit of reality. Tracking these cases affects you, and it isn't easy. It's a sobering thought for a movie that has a twisted sense of humor.

Yellowstone Series Review

2023-12-21T02:00:00.334-05:00

Yellowstone (2018-)

Season 1 - 9 episodes (2018)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2019)
Season 3 - 10 episodes (2020)
Season 4 - 10 episodes (2022)
Season 5.1 - 8 episodes (2023)
Season 5.2 - 6 episodes (2024)
Rent Yellowstone on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Taylor Sheridan & John Linson
Starring: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Danny Huston, Jefferson White, Josh Holloway, Piper Perabo
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
The Duttons fight to defend their ranch and way of life from an Indian reservation and land developers as medical issues, political aspirations, and deep secrets strain the family.

Verdict
The show is a lot of fun despite it often feeling scripted for maximum drama. It's a soap opera and it is a very good one, but that comes at the cost of feeling forced. I can forgive the show all that. It entertains, and that's the bottom line. It's the world of cowboys in Montana, and there aren't many shows with that setting. That provides a lot of beautiful landscapes as the Dutton ranch will do anything to come out on top. Even with the faults, I couldn't stop watching. Those faults are what force some of those wow moments. Unfortunately the second half of season five is not as good as the rest of the show. I'm not sure it's worth watching.
Watch It.

Review
John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is an institution in Montana. He runs one of the largest ranches, and throughout the show someone is always after his land. John runs this town, so he has an easy time removing obstacles in his way. Rules and laws just don't apply to the Duttons.

Three is the wildest season. It has so many big moments. It's season two on steroids. Season four feels tame compared to three. I'd like season one more if Tom Rainwater's plans for a casino weren't soft rebooted in season two with new land developers, but the first season does establish the characters. While season four has plenty of family drama, it feels like we're waiting for something to happen. Since we only have half of season five, it's all setup with John's downfall looking imminent as he's not upholding his oath of office.

Kevin Costner plays John Dutton

This show is a soap opera. I enjoy it, but the Yellowstone play is to introduce a character at the beginning of the episode or an episode prior so they can play a pivotal role at the end of the episode or next episode. Watching the seasons back to back make this very apparent. With every episode, the show wants to extract the maximum amount of drama.

Season 1
In the first season Tom Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) goes to war with John, wanting to build a casino to help his people. John also fights developer Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston). Both projects could affect John's ranch.

John's daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly) is an asset manager while Jamie (Wes Bentley) is the family lawyer. Kayce (Luke Grimes) is the youngest son, and the one for which John has the highest hopes. Beth and Jamie don't get along, and that culminates in John wanting Beth to run for senate instead of Jaime.

Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes play John, Kayce Dutton

This show is wild and intense. The very first scene sets the stage and this show always has some kind of drama. Kayce leaves a trail of bodies behind him to the point I don't understand how no one has caught him. At one point he leaves his kid in a storm drain, and the show uses that for maximum drama as we wonder what will happen to the kid.

The drone shots of the scenery are amazing. John's log cabin is downright impressive. The setting for this show does a lot. It makes cowboys and ranches fun. I want to be a cowboy and get a ranch. But this show leans into the ridiculousness. How can so many things happen to this one family? What these characters do and go through is just wild. Beth is always the loose cannon. Normal people just don't act like people in this show, especially Beth, but that makes it more entertaining. Everything is always taken to eleven. This show nearly lives in the state of, what's the craziest thing that could happen right now.

The season ends with John assaulted on all sides by enemies and family. Even John's political connections aren't panning out.

Season 2
Season two kicks off with John and Jamie squaring off. The first episode has cowboys operating on John and his ulcer. This show likes to get graphic with surgeries.

This show is a soap opera, but I don't mind. It's a fun show that shows the worst and craziest of people. John wants Kayce to run the cowboys and demotes Rip (Cole Hauser) for it. That's a hard pill to swallow, but Rip is a company man. He'll do anything for John.

Beth has it out for Jamie, and not without good reason. I wondered about the root of their ill will. At this point it just seems like drama for the show, but the show creates a reason in later seasons. Jamie creates plenty of trouble for John. That seems to be his role.

Cole Hauser, Kevin Costner play Rip Wheeler, John Dutton

Jimmy (Jefferson White) is comic relief. He's an addict that's forced to be a cowboy. Characters are often frustrated with him due to his dumb mistakes, but he finds his skill in bronco riding.

This season has the Beck brothers come in to take land and replace Jenkins. They take this war up a notch. With this show that often leads to murder. Later in the season we witness a beating that would kill a normal person, but with Yellowstone people survive the craziest things. John is out to kill the Becks and even teams up with Dan Jenkins.

Season two takes bigger swings. It's a lot going on and it's a similar story line to the first season. It's just as good, if not a bit better.

With season three we get yet another developer after John's land. Every season has someone wanting to turn the natural landscape into a moneymaking scheme. They want to capitalize on the landscape, but if they had their way, they'd pave right over everything.

Season 3
Season three explains why Beth hates Jamie. I doubt the show had this plot point from the beginning. It feels like the show created the hatred and figured out a backstory later. This season has big revelations for Jamie. If you weren't sure this show was a soap opera before, this subplot may change your mind. John's hopes for Kayce seem to be unfolding. Kayce becomes the livestock commissioner, taking John's place. I don't know how it works in reality, but in this show being livestock police means you're basically a full fledged cop.

It seems like a requirement for this show is that every season a character must fall perfectly on a rock and die. Jamie's past just gets crazier. Jamie's feelings about the Dutton family are absurd. This season more than any other has been a wild ride with the show making stuff up. It's always been fast and loose.

This season's ending is absolutely wild. It leans into the soap opera and we're left hanging in a big way with all of the Dutton family encountering a direct assault with no confirmation on who survives.

Season 4
Season four picks up right at the end of season three. The first episode of the season is just bonkers. Super heroes don't face this much damage. In season three Roarke (Josh Holloway) and his company decide to murder the Dutton family in one fell swoop. It appears they thought no one would notice or put it together. The first episode made it seem like this season could be the wildest yet.

The hospital told Beth John may never wake up, and I'm surprised the show didn't play that up for more drama. It jump cuts over his coma and now he's back home and doing everything the hospital told him not to. It's the equivalent of John rubbing dirt into his wound and walking it off. John kills the guy that set up the attack in the most baller way. It's basically a shoot out, but of course John wins.

Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley play Beth, Jaime Dutton

Beth takes a job with the enemy, the company that wants the ranch. Is anyone under any illusion that keeping the ranch in the Dutton name isn't Beth's top priority despite what she told the company?

John is looking at being governor just to keep Jamie out. The look on Jamie's face when John pulls the rug out from under him is fun. This season sets up Jamie as a villain. It's an easy option.

This season feels a bit slower compared to previous seasons. Jamie is scheming and planning as always. John befriends an environmentalist, Summer (Piper Perabo). He ends up taking her home to his cabin, because this is John Dutton after all. This season isn't as crazy as three which is absolutely wild. I expected a bigger run to the final episode. There is plenty in play, but we don't have the huge moments of season three. The best moment of the season might be Jimmy returning to the ranch as a real cowboy. Jimmy has come a long way since season one. He has the most character development of anyone in the show. Just as I think this season won't give us a big revelation, we discover who ordered the hit on the family.

Season 5
This is the final season, though it's split into two parts. While I think shows should just make it a new season, for some reason networks like splitting seasons. It's the final season as Costner wants to depart for his own projects. Costner and creator Sheridan have been snipping at each other in the news. Part two is expected in November 2024.

John is the reluctant governor. He doesn't like it, but has to put up with it so he can pass laws that benefit himself and the ranch. He fires all of his advisors after one of them can't see the logic that a solar panel farm that removes sagebrush would disrupt the habitat of the Sage Grouse. We get his point, but his actions are a bit silly.

In true Yellowstone fashion, the show sets up a car crash involving Kayce's wife Monica. It cuts between Monica in pain while driving and a distracted driver. Who's at fault? You think it's going to be one of the two, but a buffalo appears in the road and they both crash.

This season really seems like the one where Beth and Jaime may kill each other. He comes awfully close, and it's only television magic that Beth steps out of the way at the last second. Jaime seems to be a pawn in the game Market Equities is playing him. It's a surprise he can't see it. How many times has he been played at this point? It's not a shock that John no longer considers Jamie a son. Trying to get your family killed has that effect. Then Jamie tries to impeach John. It's too easy to make Jaime a villain.

Beth is a caricature. No person would act like that, and if they did they wouldn't be out of prison long. Summer reappears, and she overcomes her convictions by spending a day on John's ranch. After one fight she gives up being vegan. Summer is a straw man just to attack environmentalists.

The half season ends with half the cowboys taking the cattle to Texas due to a disease. The ranch can't afford it, but John's doing it anyway.

I enjoyed this show immensely. I couldn't stop watching precisely because it is so ridiculous. While some of these dramatic moments feel forced, they do keep you on the edge of your seat. I wish this show felt like it planned ahead for story lines more, that's what could make a good show great. This is very good and entertaining, always over the top.

UPDATE:

I finally finished the second half of the season. While season five was going to be Costner's last, he left the show between the two parts which affects the plot of part two. Costner claimed part two wasn't in his contract. This half of the season opens with a tragedy then cuts back to six weeks earlier. While that trope usually annoys me, in this case it's best to address that Costner isn't in this season and why from a story standpoint.

Beth confronts Jamie, knowing he was involved. When Jamie can't look her in the eye it's confirmed. Sarah tells Jamie he's won, but we know Beth isn't going to let this go. Kaycee gets the police to re-examine what happened, and it's determined the crime was staged.

Episode 11 kicks it up a notch with Sarah assassinated and Jamie in the crosshairs. Beth knows Jamie will spill the family secrets to save himself if his part of the crime is discovered.

I really enjoyed this series, but this half of the season is a step down. I wondered if I was just riding the high from the binge of the season, but this part is a rush to wrap up the show. This series has always treated the landscape like a character. Previous seasons made me want to move to Montana, but this season doesn't generate that feeling. This season lacks drive. It would be one thing if characters were trying to figure out what happened, but they all know. It's just a matter of when or who will reveal it as the show delays the finale.

Horse trainer Travis is played by creator Taylor Sheridan, and his appearances always feel like an ego trip. Beth has to request his help as the ranch needs money to square debts. There's an inheritance tax plot this season that is manufactured drama. Kaycee has an idea inspired by a car sale, how if you sell a car for one dollar you pay taxes on that one dollar, not the value of the car. That is outright false in most states. The DMV will tax the vehicle based on assessed value if the sale price is one dollar.

This season isn't just that Costner is gone. The plot lacks a definitive goal. The family deals with a tragedy while also trying to avoid taxes in an overly convoluted way just to give this season some kind of plot. I wondered how this season didn't end at the funeral. Then I wondered how it didn't end with the Jamie and Beth fight. It just keeps going, and it's clear this season is trying to finish the series. It's not a fan service victory lap. It's not a big adventure to cap the series. It's just a mad dash to the exit.

The Walking Dead Season 1 Review

2023-12-20T02:00:00.067-05:00

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

Season 1 - 6 Episodes (2010)
Buy The Walking Dead Season 1 (paid link) // Buy the comic (paid link)
Created by: Frank Darabont, based on the comic by Robert Kirkman
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Michael Rooker
Rating: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.

Verdict
The first season captured how a zombie outbreak would feel. We see characters scared, hopeful, and somewhere in between. It helps this season is short. Characters argue to be heard and the question of what's best and what's right is constant. While I've watched the entire show, no season matched the first in focus and authenticity. It was full of potential that the show never could recapture.
Watch It.

Review
I've watched the entire The Walking Dead series but wanted to revisit the first season which is my favorite.

This opens with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in a shootout with him later waking up in hospital bed in a sequence that's a lot like 28 Days Later that released eight years earlier. The hospital is deserted and Rick is left wondering what happened. It's an effective sequence as he sees destruction and plenty of bodies. It looks like a war occurred. The first episode is great as it effectively builds this world and captures the feeling of desolation. You feel Rick's fear and unease.

Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey DeMunn, Andrew Lincoln play Shane, Dale, Rick Grimes

Rick heads to Atlanta for answers and encounters a group of survivors that eventually lead him to discover his family and friend Shane (Jon Bernthal) are still alive. Unfinished business forces Rick to head back to Atlanta to save a guy that's not very nice all because it's the right thing to do even if it is detrimental. That's Rick, though that feeling only grew stronger once Daryl (Norma Reedus) mentioned it.

The trip back to Atlanta runs into a few issues. Rick and crew return to camp in time to help out, but not in time to stop an attack. That's part of what made the first season engrossing. No character seemed safe. In later seasons, certain characters seemed to have quite a bit of plot armor.

The conclusion to season one is Rick convincing the group to head to the CDC. Unfortunately, the CDC isn't the great savior they hoped. The first season was bleak. Every time they have hope, it seems to be in vain. They just want to survive, but in later seasons that became increasingly more convoluted.

The Gilded Age Season 2 Review

2023-12-19T02:00:00.076-05:00

The Gilded Age (2022-)

Season 2 - 8 episodes (2023)
Rent The Gilded Age on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, Thomas Cocquerel, Simon Jones, Jack Gilpin, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young woman entering 1882 New York City's rigid social scene is drawn into the daily conflicts surrounding the new money Russell family and the established van Rhijn-Brook family, who are neighbors across 61st Street near Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Verdict
The time period is interesting and there's enough characters and dramas to keep this just interesting enough. It's a cross of Downton Abbey and Succession, but I don't enjoy it as much. This is a show where if it ended at any point, even mid episode, I wouldn't be concerned wondering what might happen. I'm not invested in these characters. Their motivations are to be and look rich. Having a deeper motivation would certainly help. I just don't care about opera wars, marriage, and the illusion of looking rich.
It depends.

Review
The first season was a show where nearly everyone wants to be rich, and if they can't be rich, appear rich. Various cliques bicker over who can be in the club. It's all nearly pointless drama, but that doesn't make the quarreling any less fun. Everyone is angling for something. Fellowes is also the creator of Downton Abbey, and this treads a lot of the same ground, broadening this to a city instead of just a house. I enjoyed the first season of Downton Abbey but quit watching around the fourth season as the plot lines became increasingly emotionally manipulative. This hasn't reached the same peaks as none of the characters are as engrossing.

This show revolves around being or looking rich, especially richer than your neighbor. Bertha Russell's (Carrie Coon) goal this year is to build the Met opera house since she can't get into the Academy opera house. Building her own gives her the best seat. Bertha ruffles feathers as she's new money, and the old money need a reason to disparage her. The ironic thing is that old money Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) is striving not to appear poor as she's running out of money. It's all a facade. Everyone is so eager to seem important.

Taissa Farmiga, Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon play Gladys, George, Bertha Russell

Bertha could be an interesting character if this delves into why she's so controlling and why she's so desperate to be the richest person on the block. Without that, her motives are flat. She's competitive and conniving, but it seems like it's just so this show has plenty of drama. Her husband George (Morgan Spector) might be the least interesting character. He only gets richer and always wins with very few obstacles.

Agnes's sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) begins dating a minister. Agnes is all vinegar about that as she is with everything, but it's due to her fear of being alone. She and her sisters were spinsters, and now Agnes faces being alone. Instead of talking about it, she's hateful. One of the better moments this season is when Agnes supports her sister despite her insecurities.

Louisa Jacobson, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon play Marian, Agnes, Ada

A subplot is Ms. Turner who was a maid for the Russell's in season one and married up between seasons. She's now in the same social class as Bertha, which Bertha is eager to cut Ms. Turner down at any chance.

Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), Agnes and Ada's niece is a teacher, which illicits many snide remarks from Agnes. In a plot just to show us how backwards these times were, a cousin proposes to Marian despite never discussing it with her or even going on a date. Marian agrees because he's rich. Money is freedom.

The two most annoying plot lines might be the ones that also conclude so quickly. The swiftness makes them feel manipulative. Ada gets married and her husband goes from fine to bed ridden in the same day. It's too quick, and it could have built to it and developed characters along the way. That ties in to another annoying subplot where Agnes's nephew Oscar van Rhijn loses the families money on a scam, but the show happily rectifies the situation. It's too easy, and it only seems to prove this show has no real stakes.

This season is about marriage and an opera war. The opera war comes to a close with Bertha winning which isn't a surprise. The only lingering question is how. It seems she may have promised her daughter in marriage, but that's only speculation as we don't get a definitive answer. Agnes and Ada go from rich to poor to rich again in the span of a couple episodes. The only twist is that now Ada is running the house instead of Agnes. After an entire season not much has changed, and that's part of my issue with the show. There isn't any development.

Master Gardener Movie Review

2023-12-15T02:00:00.138-05:00

Master Gardener (2022)

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Written by: Paul Schrader
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell, Esai Morales
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A meticulous horticulturist is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate and pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager.

Verdict
This is a well made movie. While the story is small, there's so much happening between the lines. This is the type of movie that you like more after it ends when you begin thinking about what it did and meant. Edgerton does an impressive job as a man that has reformed his life and thrown himself into gardening. His deliberateness and passion for his craft is reflected in how this movie frames the story and places characters in each shot.
Watch It.

Review
Schrader's last three releaesed movies seem to have a pattern. They focus on a character who's carefully planned world is upended. This movie fits that description as does The Card Counter and First Reformed.

This starts with Narvel (Joel Edgerton) talking about the concepts of a formal garden. I initially thought this was a period piece based on Narvel's look, occupation, and the dowager, but this is present day. Narvel takes this job very seriously. At one point he walks through the garden barefoot as he's really into being one with the Earth. This garden is odd and expensive entertainment, but I guess it's a folly for the rich dowager Norma (Sigourney Weaver).

Norma asks Narvel to take on her grand niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as an apprentice. I assumed this would be a situation where Maya is disinterested in the job but begins to appreciate it and Narvel's commitment the craft. Norma seems completely disinterested in even meeting Maya. It certainly looks like bigotry.

Sigourney Weaver, Joel Edgerton play Norma, Narvel

This movie provides a surprise. There's a reason Narvel always wears a turtleneck. He used to be part of a militant group. He seems reformed, and his interactions with Maya seem okay. How did he end up in this garden, and does Norma know about his past? While Narvel and Norma seem very comfortable with each other, the class divide is always apparent. Norma seems just a bit classist, which makes you wonder how much she knows about Narvel.

Maya is escaping a past, and Narvel understands that all too well. That growing closeness causes jealousy in Norma. Though it seems she views Narvel more as an object, something like her garden that exists for her entertainment and to show off. I imagine it has to be difficult for Narvel to let people in with his past.

An attack on the garden requires Narvel to rush a repair in time for a garden party. This has to be a metaphor with Narvel and the garden. While the destroyed garden looks bad, plants are resilient. They grow and can still contribute. Just as Narvel has been deliberate with the garden, he's been diligent in changing his life and views. There's also a parallel with Narvel and Norma. His past represents the extreme line of Norma's views. Norma has contempt, and while it's not hate, it has repercussions.

Sigorney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell play Norma, Maya

This is a well made movie with an interesting story. Everything about this movie is deliberate, from the characters to how this frames the characters with distance between them that implies a lot. Narvel and Maya become close which is an unlikely thing. While Narvel understands her past, his past views make it difficult for her to trust him.

The easy comparison is American History X since both main characters are reformed racists, but the movies are after very different things. American History X is about society and how an idea propagates and engulfs. Master Gardener focuses on a specific character's journey. The scars of his past are both internal and external, but he found a way to redirect his hate into passion for gardening, realizing his mistakes.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Movie Review

2023-12-14T02:00:00.011-05:00

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Rent Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold (written by), George Lucas and
Philip Kaufman (based on characters created by)
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Mads Mikkelsen
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.

Verdict
It's better than the last Indiana Jones movie, but it has many issues. This is too long, too focused on action instead of discovery, and the ending is completely underwhelming. It's claimed to be the final installment of the character, and because of that it's difficult not to want to watch this. The series has built a lot of good will due to the first three movies. I hoped this would be better than the fourth, and it is better despite the outlandishness of time travel. I guess that's better than aliens.
It depends.

Review
Nineteen years after The Last Crusade, we got the sequel Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was excited for that movie right up until I started watching it. I didn't have high hopes for this movie, and then I read that Ford was injured and the movie was rewritten to remove him from many scenes.

This movie doesn't dig deep for villains. It's Nazi's again, and the first scene shows off impressive de-aging technology as Harrison Ford is a good thirty to forty years younger than he should look. It's a fun opening sequence with Indy getting into and out of trouble as he tries to liberate a spear. This opening adventure is outlandish, but the franchise always tries for a fun start. I don't know if this sequence is to show off the technology or introduce the dial of destiny. The object at the center of this movie is the antikythera, an ancient Greek object that did exist and tracked cycles of the sun, moon, and planets. I don't think the movie ever calls it the "dial of destiny," but that's easier to say than antikythera (an-ti-ki-theer-uh).

The dial of destiny, or as it's referred to in the movie the antikythera

Indy teams up with his god-daughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). She's out to make some money on the object, while Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) wants to utilize it's potential power. This movie is a lot of chase scenes which only add to an already long movie. The chases seem like they are filling time. I wish this would do some real investigative work.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Harrison Ford play Helena, Indiana Jones

This stretches credibility often, especially with time travel later in the movie. Indy and Helena find the key to find the other half of the dial in a Roman boat. I don't know how it wasn't found sooner since the boat was so close to the ocean's surface. The search for Archimedes tomb feels the most like an Indiana Jones movie. It's a rare break in action chase scenes. How has nobody found the secondary cave that contains Archimedes tomb when it's so easy to find? The main cave is a big tourist attract.

Mads Mikkelsen plays Dr. Voller

This movie feels like a tribute at times, with at least a few callbacks to older movies, but I wish it were more creative and more to the point. This wants to be a big budget action movie, but not a good Indiana Jones movie. The final sequences of this movie are a bit ridiculous. Voller's plan is to time travel and help his party win with his knowledge of events. It sounds silly because it is.

Instead of a satisfying conclusion we jump cut to a healing Indy and Karen Allen appears because why not. I expected more from the ending. Instead the movie decides to just cut it and leave.

Four Christmases Movie Review

2023-12-13T02:00:00.013-05:00

Four Christmases (2008)

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Written by: Matt Allen & Caleb Wilson and Jon Lucas &Scott Moore (screenplay), Matt Allen & Caleb Wilson (story)
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristen Chenoweth, Katy Mixon
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas.

Verdict
It's easy to relate to the stresses of family over the holidays. This takes the tension to another level. It's typical Vince Vaughn, sarcastic and fast talking. This certainly has its moments as this is often over the top and ridiculous as a couple visits four sets of parents that they'd rather avoid. The setup is solid, but the problem often with comedies is landing the conclusion. The parts in this case are stronger than the whole. This movie has a great scenario, but doesn't know how to end or get out of it, and it's just not funny enough to overcome that.
It depends.

Review
Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) are a couple with no interest in marriage, kids, or their families. They've managed to lie to their families to avoid visiting on the holidays, but a flight delay ends that streak. Now they feel compelled to visit their divorced parents, which means four houses and four different holidays.

Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn play Kate, Brad

It's clear to see why Brad and Kate didn't visit their families. They were avoiding their embarrassing pasts. Everything that can go wrong does. Brad is bullied by his macho brothers and then manages to embarrass himself and destroy his dad's house while installing a satellite dish.

Everything that can go wrong does, but Brad and Kate learn about each other, discovering secrets they didn't know. This has its moments and can be quite funny. Brad's mom's boyfriend was in Brad's grade, and there is no end to how uncomfortable that makes Brad.

As you might predict this strain of the day creates issues for Brad and Kate's relationship that they must confront. Through the movie Brad and Kate are forced to reflect on their past. I think this could easily be a movie that gets better on repeat viewings. It's got some great moments that will just get better, but the opening is rough and the ending isn't compelling. If the comedy were just a bit better, it could prevail over those issues.

Comedies have a difficult time closing the loop. They often try for something emotional or compelling, changing the tone from the rest of the movie. This ends well enough, if not a bit too predictable.

Asteroid City Movie Review

2023-12-12T02:00:00.077-05:00

Asteroid City (2023)

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Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (story by), Wes Anderson (screenplay by)
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Liev Schreiber, Sophia Lillis, Scarlett Johansson, Matt Dillon, Steve Carrell, Tony Revolori, Bob Balaban, Fisher Stevens, Tilda Swinton, jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Rita Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
The annual 1955 Junior Stargazer competition in Asteroid City is spectacularly upended by world-changing events.

Verdict
Anderson's movies are quirky and this even takes that up a notch. I've never really liked the style. While the visuals are engaging the characters in this never connect since dialog is so stilted. This plays with the narrative of a play in a narrative, and I'm not sure what we gain with the complication. This is a movie about isolation, and it takes a quite the journey in exploring that.
Skip it.

Review
This is a Wes Anderson movie cranked up to eleven. The story is a documentary about the creation of a stage play, 'Asteroid City.' We actually see the play the documentary is about. It's overly involved, and I'm not sure how seeing a movie that's a play that's part of a documentary benefits the viewer. It would seem watching this play instead of setting it as a story within a story would be easier.

Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks play Augie Steenbeck, Stanley Zak

Anderson's movies always feel stylized and outside of reality. They share a unique look, and while I appreciate the art and artifice to it, it's never improved the story. Like all of Anderson's movies, it's unnecessarily obtuse. These characters speak in such a stilted fashion. It's supposed to invoke the idea it's a play, but it's just a layer of confusion.

Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody play

We see the play and how it was created. The documentary shows the actors and provides insight into their characters. This is a play about loneliness and isolation due to grief, fame, and even an alien quarantine. It's roundabout way to get there. Quirky is the word for Anderson, and this film is definitely quirky. There's an art to it, and I can appreciate the craft. This play and by extension this movie contains rigorously crafted sets. Maybe that's a commentary on extensive CGI is movies. The alien that appears clearly isn't computer generated. The alien might be the best part. I respect the craft, but I just don't care for Anderson's movies. There's no mistaking his movies, but they just aren't for me.

Upload Season 3 Review

2023-12-08T02:00:00.097-05:00

Upload (2020-)

Season 3 - 8 episodes (2023)
Rent Upload on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Greg Daniels
Starring: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley, Owen Daniels
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
Nathan can choose his own afterlife after his untimely death by having his consciousness uploaded into a virtual world. As he gets used to his new life and befriends his angel (real world handler), questions about his death arise.
At the end of season two a voter suppression effort was revealed that involved Nathan's code for a free upload program that would entice people to upload so they can't vote.

Verdict
This show is part comedy and part murder mystery. With trying to do both it does neither successfully. While the mystery gives this show a purpose, the more silly comedic bits feel out of place when dealing with crimes and coverups in the next scene. This season introduces voter suppression scheme through a digital afterlife, and having just finished the season I'm not sure what the underlying motive for that is. This show needs to focus on the quirks of a digital life.
It depends.

Review
Season one started as a humorous look at a digital afterlife as Nathan (Robbie Amell) explores this new digital world Lakeview. This afterlife is a similar question Black Mirror explored. Nathan's new life seems perfect as all his wants are fulfilled, but this soon becomes part murder mystery and part romance. The tone of this show is all over the place. The comedy doesn't match well with the stakes of murder.

Season two pushes the murder and conspiracy plots even further. This isn't the quirky comedy about a surreal world I expected when season one started.

My biggest issue with this show is tone. I want a thoughtful, quirky comedy that explores what a digital afterlife is like. How do people still living interact with avatars? Murder mystery shows are prevalent. While the conspiratorial aspects of this keep the plot moving, those bleak elements combined with silly comedy don't mesh. The mystery is a weight the show can't escape. Season three explores the real world and capitalism on top of all the other plot threads. Nathan and Nora's (Andy Allo) relationship is tested, as is Nathan's relationship with Ingrid (Allegra Edwards).

This show isn't as funny as it wants to be. I feel like it wants to be like The Good Place, exploring ethical issues but since it doesn't have a goal it introduces the murder plot for excitement. While we finally discover what happened to Nathan, in this bleak world the company that committed the wrongs pays a fine and moves on. The root issue isn't addressed. That's how capitalism often works, but that's rather jaded for a show that has a character wear a hug suit in a bathtub so she can explore Lakeview without being dead. Season three ends with a teaser idea for a next season, are uploads people that deserve rights? Season four has yet to be confirmed.

The Natural Movie Review

2023-12-07T02:00:00.135-05:00

The Natural (1984)

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Written by: Bernard Malamud (novel), Roger Towne and Phil Dusenberry (screenplay)
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Michael Madsen
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A middle-aged unknown comes seemingly out of nowhere to become a legendary baseball player with almost supernatural talent.

Verdict
The game winning hit is an absolutely iconic scene, and it's only with baseball that you can build the suspense this does in that scene. It's the culmination of a redemption arc for the hero, but what needs to be redeemed is the question. The event that starts the redemption arc is less clear, and the reason for that is that the movie is afraid to make Roy anything less than heroic. Making his tragedy more his fault would crystalize his motives. It's unclear what past mistake he must overcome.
Watch It.

Review
A much lauded storybook ending for the movie, but the conclusion differs from the book in which Roy strikes out and his backstory revealed in the papers amid accusations that he threw the game. They're very different properties with different focuses.

Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is scouted for the New York Knights. He's a thirty-five year old rookie and the manager considers him over the hill. Roy was a kid with a lot of talent, and his dad impressed upon him to work hard and not rely on talent alone. With a bat he forged from a lightning struck tree, Roy seemed destined for stardom.

Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs

Roy encounters the Whammer, the best baseball player alive that seems to be based on Babe Ruth. A woman is interested in the Whammer until Roy unseats him as the best. Then she's interested in Roy. She's some kind of ego check for Roy that kicks off the plot. This part of the story makes sense that the woman is after the Whammer. He's skilled and a loudmouth. If Roy was arrogant, you'd get her motives against him. That sets up a redemption arc though what's being redeemed is unclear. With this movie, Roy was a hopeful kid with a tragic accident. As a note, Redford does not play a convincing eighteen year old.

We don't get much information on Roy's intervening years. It's unclear if he gave up or has struggled for twenty years to play in the bigs. Why does he want to prove himself now? Roy impressed the manager in batting practice and manages to get into the game. He immediately changes the tides for the team. He throws one pitch in batting practice which causes him to clutch his side. He was a pitcher before his accident, so did it take him this long to become a hitter? Then again, he created his bat as a kid. Who knows.

Roy meets a girl and starts playing terribly. You'd think he'd learn his lesson from earlier in the movie. As good as he was, now he's bad which is an echo to an encounter he had with a girl before that derailed his entire career. This is a redemption arc, but Roy's confidence wasn't portrayed as a flaw. He wasn't arrogant, he backed up his claims. His future was condemned out of malice, and the plot would work better if Roy was overcoming a personal flaw and not just a random act of violence. I can understand the motive against the arrogant Whammer but not Roy. If Roy had been arrogant, his arc makes sense. We see an older hero now humbled by time and being passed over, trying to make a comeback. Roy had a chance to be great, if only for a moment.

Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs

In a conversation, Roy talks about mistakes you never stop paying for and he should have seen it coming, but he couldn't have. No one could have. What does he see as the issue? His injury was required for the plot. The movie, Redford, or both didn't want to make his character anything less than heroic. This could set up his comeback as trying to prove he can do it, doing it for his dad, or overcoming his mistake (which there wasn't one, but it could have been arrogance).

The ending is a nod to Casey at the Bat with a happy ending instead. The reason this movie is so highly regarded is the climax. We get Roy battling an injury in the big game. Only in baseball can you draw out the suspense with a foul ball, a big miss, and then his special bat breaking. It's incredible suspense. Roy's hit and the iconic music is an incredible moment. In other sports, a goal is a goal. In baseball you can have a home run that is absolutely demolished that makes it more than just a simple home run. This scene is so great that it helps overcome the issues in the movie.

Love Actually Movie Review

2023-12-06T02:00:00.122-05:00

Love Actually (2003)

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Written by: Richard Curtis
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightley
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Verdict
I like this movie despite it being some kind of fantasy rom-com that borders on satire. We follow various characters as they try to find love during Christmas, but this is looking at various permutations of love. It can be unrequited, unresolved, or a mistake. This is a movie that excels more on what we expect and want rather than what actually happens. It's a checklist of classic rom-com tropes. Does it have problems? Lots of them. You could attribute it to the idiom that love isn't perfect, but that's a bit easy and I don't think we see anyone actually in love. There's just a lot of infatuation and desire, but the ensemble cast and quick pacing combined with the thought that this is romantic goes a long way.
Watch It.

Review
This is the first movie Curtis directed, having written such movies as Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

From the beginning we get a near character overload as we're introduced to the various stories. There are all kinds of couples including, newly wed, recently ended, potential, and long term. All of these stories are interconnected through the characters, and that's what can be confusing, ow each character relates to the other. It helps that I've seen this movie before. The bevy of characters does keep the pacing quick.

Martine McCutcheon, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson play Natalie, the Prime Minister, Karen

Bill Nighy's character is an aging rock star past his prime. His radio interview is surprisingly honest and sad. He's trying to wring a few bucks out of his once famous song. Another story presents a kid infatuated. Can an eleven year old really feel the agony of love? It's a send up, but that's okay.

The movie works in the context of juxtaposing sex and love. Martin Freeman's character is a lighting stand in for a porno movie and remarks about how shy he is. It's funny in the moment, but it doesn't stand up under scrutiny. This movie tries to equate love with desire. As with many movies, the lack of communication creates issues. Andrew Lincoln's character is infatuated with his best friend's wife. That culminates in a cute reveal of his feelings, except when you realize his best friend married that woman yesterday! What if his friend answered the door? This movie gets a little too cute at times.

Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln play Juliet, Peter, Mark

Colin Firth's character connects with a woman despite them never having a conversation. It's a nice fantasy, if a bit ridiculous. This movie is infatuation built on the improbable and I'm happy to give it a pass. It's fantasy and fun. You want these romances to work, well some of them. This is built on our desire to believe in love no matter how improbable and with the case of this movie despite many of these characters never having a real conversation. Many of the characters go big, and movie magic helps that, but this is a movie where we want that magic ending and it delivers.

The Virgin Suicides Movie Review

2023-12-05T02:00:00.135-05:00

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

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Written by: Jeffrey Eugenides (novel), Sofia Coppola (written by)
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Jonathan Tucker, Scott Glenn, Danny DeVito
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.

Verdict
It's haunting. We see this event from a children's perspective; their memories, their insights. This is also about the tragedy that befell the girls, and their parents who hold a lot of responsibility. The events grip their classmates who want answers, but the adults of the neighborhood try to ignore it as the root cause is overly strict parents. It's dreamlike as this skips a lot of detail, but that's attributed to this memory the kids' have as adults.
Watch It.

Review
At the center of the movie are the five Lisbon sisters. The youngest one attempts suicide to start the movie and everyone has a theory about what happened with some blaming the strict parents. The narration starts with a character looking back at this event, and it suggests this is a tragedy that remained a part of the neighborhood. How do you cope with something tragic like that? It's understandable the parents might become even more protective.

The family experiences even more tragedy, but they carry on like nothing happened. Tim (Jonathan Tucker) and the neighborhood boys are bewildered at that. This is a movie about psychology, both the Lisbon family and the neighborhood.

AJ Cook, Kirsten Dunst, Leslie Hayman, Chelse Swain play Mary, Lux, Therese, Bonnie

The boys of the neighborhood look for clues to answer why something like this happened. It seems like it's in part due to the girls' over protective parents. It's clear the girls haven't socialized with boys by how much Lux (Kirsten Dunst) flirts with the first one invited to her house. Interspersed with that are interviews from future Trip. He talks about how he loved Lux, but he ditched her the night of prom. That plays into how the characters view the past. It's clear future Trip is having a rough time in life. He probably views the past with a different angle, imagining how great things were then which contrasts with his now. That's a big part of this movie, how characters see these events of the past, altered by the experience of life.

Lux's prom night adventures lead to all the girls being removed from school to limit outside contact and destroying rock music records. Lux acts out in response which isn't a surprise. The neighborhood boys call the girls, but it's strange the parents let the girls use the phone with how strict they are about everything else. Eventually the girls only communication is through lights in the windows and cards they hide outside. It feels like there should be more to this. How did the kids set up these systems?

Jonathan Tucker plays Tim Weiner

The boys hatch a plan to save the girls and drive them to safety. It's a reasonable childhood thought, but reality is in stark contrast. It's a tough ending, and this whole movie feels dreamlike. It's like it's being told as a memory. That helps explain the gaps in plot details. This is a fascination shaped by the narrator. The adults move on and the kids are left to wonder. They never get an answer, so they never stop wondering. They talk about how they loved the girls, but they didn't. They were fascinated, maybe even obsessed. It wasn't love. Their memories in hindsight feel like that, or they want them to feel like that. Love would explain their fascination.

The final scene seems like a comment on the movie. It's a school age dance, a remembrance that is visually foggy and obscured. That seems like an apt commentary, as there's so much we don't see. This movie is told through a narrator's perspective after the fact. Memories can fade and change.

Major League Movie Review

2023-12-04T02:00:00.070-05:00

Major League (1989)

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Written by: David S. Ward
Directed by: David S. Ward
Starring: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert, Bob Uecker
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. When the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.

Verdict
I've seen this before, and it's a fun baseball movie though it's not as good as I remember. Nostalgia is strong with this one. It's one of the better baseball comedies, but doesn't shine as bright ranked against movies at large. While the story feels basic, the characters and comedy definitely help. As a baseball fan, this is a must see. This movie knows baseball.
It depends.

Review
The slumping Cleveland team has gone a long time without a championship win. The owner wants the team to fail so she can move them to Miami for a new stadium. She puts together a roster of the worst players she can find. That sounds a lot like what has happened to the real life 2022 Oakland A's and owner John Fisher who had the lowest team salary and is moving the team to Las Vegas after spurning Oakland's offers to stay.

Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen play Jake Taylor, Ricky Vaughn

We get a variety of players the team has recruited, from over the hill veterans to unknown hopefuls. That includes a catcher with bad knees, Jake (Tom Berenger), a slugger that can't hit breaking balls, Pedro (Dennis Haysbert), a third baseman who can't take ground balls, Roger (Corbin Bernsen), a pitcher from the penal league with a lot of power and no control Ricky (Charlie Sheen), and a speedster who can't hit Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes).

Dennis Haysbert plays Pedro Cerrano

Their first game, as expected, doesn't go well. When the manager discovers the owner's plan he rallies the team to win just to spite her. When they start winning she takes away amenities to crush their morale.

Their play results in a one game playoff against the Yankees and their intimidating first baseman Heywood played by Pete Vuckovich who was a starting pitcher that won the Cy Young for the Brewers in 1982. I appreciate that the final game of the movie isn't the game that wins it all but a game just to get in the playoffs.

As ridiculous as this movie has seemed for years, it came true with Oakland. The stakes aren't very high in the movie, but it is realistic for this team. This is from people that understand baseball, many of these characters tap into baseball stereotypes. If you're not into baseball, there's just no way you would appreciate this movie for what it does.

Flashdance Movie Review

2023-12-01T02:00:00.009-05:00

Flashdance (1983)

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Written by: Thomas Hedley Jr. and Joe Eszterhas (screenplay), Thomas Hedley Jr. (story)
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Starring: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A Pittsburgh woman with two jobs as a welder and an exotic dancer wants to get into ballet school.

Verdict
I want more out of the story. I thought this would follow the structure of a sports movie where Alex fails, must train to overcome, and then win in the end. Then I thought there might be a parallel with Alex and her ice skating friend who fails, but that doesn't go anywhere. Alex dates her boss, who's nearly twice her age. The moral of the story seems to be date your rich boss and hope he has connections. This could be something if we ever saw Alex dance before the final scene, but our only preview is her running in place.
Skip it.

Review
I've never seen this movie, but the music is very familiar. This is one of those 80s touchstones. I'm sure the story line of overcoming hardship to achieve your dream felt more fresh when this released. This has a music video style to it with some very stylistic shots paired to the soundtrack.

Alex (Jennifer Beals) is a welder and a dancer. I always thought welders did quite well. Is it just her dream to dance? Where did she train to become a welder and how did she get fully trained at such a young age?

Jennifer Beals plays Alex

Alex goes to apply for dance school, but she's embarrassed that she's working class. She's wearing work clothes and boots while the other dancers are wearing ballet slippers just to apply for the school. She runs out before completing the application.

I began to wonder what this movie is about. Alex begins a relationship with the boss of her company after he saw her stripping. When this movie released Beals was twenty and Nouri was thirty-eight. It's a power imbalance.

I assume there would be a lot of sexual harassment on the job since Alex is a young female welder in a male dominated field. Surprisingly we don't see any of that. There is a lot of sexual harassment in this everywhere else that goes unchecked, but even ignoring that which isn't easy, what is this about? We don't even know if Alex is a good dancer. All we see is her sprinting in place in her loft. There seems to be a parallel between Alex and her ice skating friend who isn't very good and ends up quitting on ice skating.

It seems like the moral of the story is to get a rich boyfriend to help pave your way. Even that's improper with a boss dating an employee half his age. I assumed this would be structured more like a sports movie where Alex is struggling, has an early failure, and must then overcome at the end to win. There just isn't much here.

The parallel with Alex's ice skater friend who becomes a stripper doesn't seem like anything. Alex is mad her boyfriend got her an interview at the dance company, but she's not pursuing the dream anyway. Why not take advantage of the relationship. The final scene where we finally see Alex dance for the school feels like a parody. She's dancing to modern music in front of this stuffy, old board who actually dig the song. That's probably more me than the movie as I've seen that type of scene many times in newer movies. This is underwhelming. I wanted some kind of moral to the story, at least more than date your boss and hope he has a connection. Alex never really struggles with her goal. If she applied and was denied because she wasn't good enough and then trained hard to improve, that's one thing. With this movie, she doesn't even apply. Without any prior training, her chances seem slim, but I still want something more out of this

Fast X Movie Review

2023-11-30T02:00:00.198-05:00

Fast X [Fast & Furious 10] (2023)

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Written by: Dan Mazeau & Justin Lin (screenplay by), Dan Mazeau & Justin Lin and Zach Dean (story by), Gary Scott Thompson (based on characters created by)
Directed by: Louis Leterrier, Justin Lin (began filming, was replaced, uncredited)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Scott Eastwood, Jason Momoa
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Dom Toretto and his family are targeted by the vengeful son of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes.

Verdict
It's amazing that a movie this long has so little plot or character development. There are so many returning and new characters, and none of them get enough time. Momoa is easily the most fun character, but again, we see too little of him. The action sequences are so long and bombastic I lost interest at some point in all of them. This movie is a synthesis of the prior movies without doing anything new or exciting other than forcing every character we've seen in this franchise into one movie. On top of all that, this is only part one so we don't even get a satisfying conclusion. It ends mid scene.
Skip it.

Review
Vin Diesel stated this is part one of a two part finale to the franchise. The first Fast and the Furious will always be my favorite as it's a movie that really loved cars. The sequels quickly became bloated action movies that happen to include cars. Each new entry tries to outdo the previous.

A week after filming began, director Justin Lin left the film, walking away from roughly fifteen million in pay due to "creative differences." Reports alleged that Lin clashed with Diesel, who was rumored to have arrived out of shape, was often late, and did not remember his lines. Lin was also upset with rewrites to his screenplay.

This starts with a scene ten years ago to write Dante (Jason Momoa) into the universe. This is a call back to Fast Five where the crew dragged a safe through the streets Rio de Janeiro. We see a lot of footage from the movie, though I'm not sure we need to.

Jason Momoa plays Dante

In the present Dom (Vin Diesel) is drifting with his eight year old son Little B. The kid is impressive for his age. I wonder how he even reaches the pedals. From there Dom has lunch with his ever expanding crew. If you're like me and forgot how the movies brought Han back for F9, this revised history with Han faking his death in Tokyo Drift. Cipher (Charlize Theron) brings an ominous message to Dom. We last saw her in the eighth movie, Fate of the Furious. This movie has multiple plot lines just twenty five minutes in.

Dante wants to bring down Dom's crew for the events ten years ago that killed his father. Dante is a cartoon villain. If you isolated just his scenes, this movie would seem like some kind of comedy. He's over the top, and I don't mind that as he's a near perfect foil for Dom and quite funny. There's certainly a better way to write and explore the character, but it's a good start. Unfortunately the movie makes Dante flamboyant and leaves it at that. In one scene Dante is painting dead men's toenails and having a conversation with them to prove how crazy he is. Subtlety isn't the movie's strong suit.

Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Tyrese Gibson,Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Sung Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel play Tej, Roman, Dom, Letty, Han, Ramsey

This franchise just has too much money. It replaces what should be plot and character development with explosions. In an attempt to kill Dom's crew Dante has an involved plan with a remote controlled truck and giant rolling bomb. I don't know how this bomb keeps rolling. Despite cars hitting it and simple inertia it just doesn't stop, wreaking havoc in Rome. The action is ridiculous, but it's a boring ridiculousness where I'm just waiting for the action scene to end. This movie is mindless nonsense. Dante is a villain as over the top as Dom is masculine with car stunts that are equally ridiculous, and none of the stunts are as creative as F9's Fiero in space or Furious 7's building jumping.

As many characters as this franchise already has, why does this introduce new ones? Why are there so many different locations? It's unnecessary. This movie is a series of car stunts interspersed by Jason Momoa chewing the scenery. Then it ends without a conclusion. Everything about this movie is absurd. In one of the final scenes, a character jumps between two cars drifting down the road. After everything, this leaves us on the edge of our seats. We don't know the fate of the crew or Dom. Really, I wouldn't be upset if I never found out. How can this movie be so long and have so little plot?

Five Nights at Freddy's Movie Review

2023-11-29T02:00:00.133-05:00

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

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Written by: Scott Cawthon (based on the video game series "Five Nights at Freddy's" by), Scott Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback & Emma Tammi (screenplay by), Scott Cawthon and Chris Lee Hill & Tyler MacIntyre (screen story by)
Directed by: Emma Tammi
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won't be so easy. Soon he will discover what actually happened at Freddy's.

Verdict
The foundation for this movie is shaky at best. So little of it makes sense. With many scenes I thought, this is just not how a human would react in this situation. It doesn't do horror all that well either. Any set up and payoff is very telegraphed. It captures the essence of the games, but it doesn't do well at translating it to film.
Skip it.

Review
While I'm sure Willy's Wonderland was inspired by the video game Five Nights at Freddy's, it also does a better job adapting the content to cinema.

This movie nearly follows a horror movie checklist. The first scene is a terrified security guard entrapped by an unseen entity. Then we skip to Mike (Josh Hutcherson) raising his sister Abby (Piper Rubio), though we get pretty far into the movie before this explains that's his sister. I assumed it was his daughter, and it seems easier to make her his daughter. Mike can't keep a job, and his last option is a night security guard at an abandoned pizza place.

Josh Hutcherson plays Mike

The pizza place is more horror than abandoned restaurant. It's creepy, and the job placement guy seems rather suspicious. It seems like a setup. What kind of abandoned pizza place even needs security? Why does the place only need security at night? Why would this place need security at all even when it was running? It's a pizza place. Is the proprietary animatronic technology that valuable? You can't ask too many questions in this movie, because none of it makes sense.

The animatronic characters: Bonnie, Freddy, Chica

Mike's brother was abducted when they were kids, and he's also dealing with a potential custody battle. He has a baby sitter willing to work all hours of the day. I wondered why she worked for free, but that's answered just as you're asking that question.

One of the craziest things is that when Mike realizes the animatronic animals seem real and are possessed by ghosts, he decides to help them build a fort to make Abby happy. It makes no sense. Since his sister can communicate with ghosts, Mike's cool with it hoping that his sister can communicate with his abducted brother through the ghosts at this restaurant.

Mike also runs into a cop that visits him while he guards this place. At no point did she seem like a cop as she spends way too much time at Freddy's. It's clear from the beginning she knows more than she's letting on.

This movie takes giant leaps in logic. We get a bunch of reveals at the end. I hesitate to call them big, because by that point, who really cares. This throws a lot at you, tripping over a bunch of horror tropes. I was checking to see how much time was left and I checked often.

Oblivion Movie Review

2023-11-27T02:00:00.097-05:00

Oblivion (2013)

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Written by: Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt (screenplay), Joseph Kosinski (graphic novel original story)
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, Zoë Bell
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources in 2077 begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.

Verdict
This is a fun sci-fi movie that does a great job at building the world and the mystery. Early on you realize something's not right, and this does a great job of leading into and revealing it. The production design does a great job of feeling like a realistic future, and the soundtrack is great.
Watch It.

Review
The graphic novel inspiration for this followed an idea Kosinski had during a writers strike, so he turned it into a graphic novel so he could continue developing the story

In a post apocalyptic Earth ravaged by aliens, Jack (Tom Cruise) is on the tail end of a mission that culminates with him leaving Earth and heading to a colony on a Saturn moon. While the humans won, the cost was Earth. This has a lot of fun visuals of a war torn Earth with plenty of well known landmarks.

Tom Cruise plays Jack

Questions arise early as Jack has to maintain some kind of link for some kind of reason that's unclear. Jack and his partner Vika (Andrea Riseborough) are concerned about defense droids, but with so little time left what does it matter? Is it just bureaucracy and following rules at work? The radiation zone keeps them secluded.

Jack is curious about this world and the past. He has a collection of old world items, but he has to hide them as Vika is by the book all the way. With the amount of stuff Jack has, it seems like he's been on this job for a long time. With that and the dreams he has of the old world, the mind wipe he mentioned generates some questions.

Jack's base and the destroyed moon

Everything goes off the rails when a ship crashes to Earth and Jack is insistent he must investigate. That eventually leads to Jack questioning everything. While we suspected something was going on, the truth will likely surprise you.

I enjoyed this more than I remember from the first time I watched. This does a lot right. While we know something is coming, we don't know what that will be. The production design is excellent and does a great job of making the world. The soundtrack is great, composed by M83 which is fitting.

Love Jones Movie Review

2023-11-24T02:00:00.071-05:00

Love Jones (1997)

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Written by: Theodore Witcher
Directed by: Theodore Witcher
Starring: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friends, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

Verdict
This follows a would be romance in those first few moments where infatuation is strong. After that, the couple is afraid to admit their feelings and the relationship falters. This isn't the typical romantic movie. The goal isn't to get the couple together. This movie wants to be realistic and look at the pitfalls. Relationships don't always work out, even when the people do like each other. It's that realism that makes this notable.
It depends.

Review
Nina (Nia Long) has sworn off love and of course meets a poet Darius (Larenz Tate) at a club where they have a connection. He presses her to go out, and while she rebuffs him, she eventually relents. Watching this today, Darius's eagerness is a bit much as he crosses a line after being told more than once.

Nia Long, Larenz Tate play Nina, Darius

Nina and Darius like each other, but they try to downplay being in love wondering if maybe it's a fling. Neither want to admit to the other how they feel due to their own insecurities and fears.With how short they've known each other, it's infatuation but it could be develop to be more. Since this is a movie, the timeline is truncated.

Nina still has feelings for her ex and with neither of them willing to admit how they feel about each other, they minimize the relationship. When Nina goes back to her ex, Darius is hurt and reacts by dating someone new. That results in Nina upset because of course she happens to see Darius with someone else. Frustrations and trust are how relationships fail. Their lack of communication is the downfall of what could have been.

Nia Long plays Nina

The is a rumination on relationships and how they go bad. We want Nina and Darius to admit to each other how they feel, but instead they react. How they approach this relationship feels authentic. People rarely make the perfect decision that leads to a fairy tale romance. That only happens in movies. This ends similarly to how it opens, and that's the way these things go. Sometimes you must start over.

A Haunting in Venice Movie Review

2023-11-23T02:00:00.104-05:00

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

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Written by: Michael Green (screenplay by), Agatha Christie (based upon the novel "Hallowe'en Party" by)
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, retired and living in exile, reluctantly attends a seance. When one of the guests is murdered, the former detective must once again uncover the killer.

Verdict
This is a mystery movie with no suspense. Despite the setting of a haunted house, I was bored. We know the mystery will have a complicated answer that can't be guessed, but this provides no characters to root for or against to balance that. The most interesting character is Poirot's mustache which doesn't do anything other than twitch.
Skip it.

Review
The previous two movies were disappointing, so I'm not sure why I'm watching this one. This one is better than Death on the Nile, but not quite as good as Murder on the Orient Express.

Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is in Venice, and he doesn't want to do any detective work despite many offers. His old friend Ariadne (Tina Fey) convinces him to attend and debunk a seance. Poirot, to no surprise of the viewer, is quite slick and easily deduces the medium's (Michelle Yeoh) ruse. Then the medium ups the ante and the murders start. Murder seems to follow Poirot.

Kenneth Branagh plays Hercule Poirot

The Poirot movies lean heavily on setting, and this haunted house provide a great foundation. Unfortunately Poirot's mustache is the most interesting character. The plot is stale. I watch this, and I just don't care. There isn't much suspense. While we get a few jump scares and twists, a lot of this movie is waiting for something to happen. With the Poirot mysteries, we're under no illusion that we can solve the mystery. It's an impossible puzzle, and that robs this of what's fun in a mystery; guessing the answer.

Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey play Hercule Poirot, Joyce, Ariadne

To overcome the lack of suspense, this needs engrossing characters. Knives Out did this well. It gave us characters we didn't like, that we wanted to be the killer just so we had an excuse to condemn them. That movie is everything this isn't. In this movie, Poirot plods through the plot. This story is awfully convenient with Poirot finding a door to a basement that somehow no one had seen even though it wasn't hidden. When Poirot finally reveals the answers, I had long stopped caring.

No Hard Feelings Movie Review

2023-11-22T02:00:00.085-05:00

No Hard Feelings (2023)

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Written by: Gene Stupnitsky & John Phillips
Directed by: Gene Stupnitsky
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Matthew Broderick, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Hasan Minhaj
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.

Verdict
This has its moments, but it's predictable and generic. It starts of well enough. The movie isn't trying to create anything new, but it seemed like a solid entry in the sex comedy genre. This embraces the ridiculously awkward which becomes funny past a certain point. Despite the start, the lack of aspiration and middling conclusion caused my interest to wane.
Skip it.

Review
In the first scene Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is getting her car repossessed and hustling her old boyfriend who happens to be the two truck driver. Maddie needs a job and a car. That's when she finds an ad to date a teenager and get a Buick Regal. She quickly decides she needs a car now. Percy's (Andrew Barth Feldman) parents are concerned about his introversion and lack of worldly knowledge, hoping Maddie will be the answer.

Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman play Maddie, Percy

Maddie tries her best to get Percy's attention but he's oblivious. This is going to be a lot more work than she anticipated. Not long after their first interaction he thinks she is kidnapping him. Despite her best efforts to flirt, it's not working. These situations are so silly and awkward it becomes funny. It's clear where this is going. She'll be won over by him, they'll becomes friend, and make each other better in the process. That's not necessarily a bad thing if the movie can make those moments resonate emotionally.

The piano scene in the restaurant is impressive. It's a callback that finally provides that connection between them. It's also that moment that Percy overcomes his reservedness. Maddie instantly becomes jealous that other people have taken an interest in Percy.

With such a predictable formula I was hoping this would do something more with the conclusion. It doesn't have to upturn the plot, but this starts well enough and the lack of aspiration became more apparent and my interest began to wane. The comedy disappears once they have an emotional connection, and I really hoped the movie could balance emotion and drama.

Goosebumps Season 1 Review

2023-11-21T02:00:00.082-05:00

Goosebumps (2023-)

Season 1 - 10 episodes
Watch Goosebumps on Hulu // Buy the books (paid link)
Created by: Rob Letterman & Nicholas Stoller
Based on: Goosebumps by R. L. Stine
Starring: Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Miles McKenna, Ana Yi Puig, Will Price, Rachael Harris, Justin Long, Robe Huebel
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A group of five high schoolers unleash supernatural forces upon their town and now must work together in order to save it.

Verdict
This takes the Goosebumps name from the books, but it isn't the same. The book series provided compact stories that always had a twist ending. This series opts for a serialized story that just doesn't end. This includes certain aspects from the book, mainly titles and monsters, but it completely misses the spirit of the books. Even when this season feels like it's over, it finds a way to add two more episodes. It's two sides to a coin. By invoking the Goosebumps name I gave this a chance where I wouldn't otherwise, but because of that I had expectations that weren't, and were never intended to be met. The only reason I watched this through was to warn anyone else.
Skip it.

Review
I remember the books, at least the general format. This isn't the books. It's a name grab.

The first episode jumps right into trying to be weird without establishing anything like a plot or who this kid is. We get a lot of book references. The characters are stereotypical and not all that interesting. It's cheesy, but the books were never great, they were entertaining for kids. The first episode is disjointed because we don't know what's going on and this is headed in so many different directions. Based on the title of the episode I expected a plot that followed the book. It doesn't. None of the episodes have a proper introduction or opening. I expected each episode would be based on the respective book, the books are used as Easter eggs. Even if I didn't know the books, the first episode would be disappointing. I hoped for just okay and this is worse.

This series would be better if it were episodic. The overarching story exists only to tie the books loosely together. I expected episodic until the first episode had no conclusion whatsoever. Each episode feels incomplete as they don't end, they just lead into the next episode. We get the promise of a payoff down the line for each episode.

While this season touches upon the most famous monsters from the books, what made the Goosebumps books so popular were the short digestible stories and the twist endings. This is an overarching Freddy Krueger type story with a shout out to the books. The overarching narrative hurts this because that story is flimsy. Putting all of the supernatural elements from the books into not just one world, but in one house stretches credibility.

Episode eight seemingly resolves the season as we finally get a bit of a twist ending, and yet this has two more episodes. Even this season can't provide a satisfactory conclusion as it drags us along for two additional and completely unnecessary episodes

Scavengers Reign Series Review

2023-11-20T02:00:00.101-05:00

Scavengers Reign (2023)

Season 1 - 12 episodes
Rent Scavengers Reign on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Joseph Bennett, Charles Huettner
Starring: Sunita Mani, Wunmi Mosaku, Alia Shawkat, Bob Stephenson
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
The animated series follows the crew of a damaged deep space freighter stranded on a beautiful but dangerous planet.

Verdict
This kept getting better with each episode. This world is mesmerizing and deadly as we follow three separate groups. Each group has a unique experience in this world, and none of them are good. We see them struggle to survive, but this planet is too much. The final episode ties everything together very well. This was a very good show and the ending makes it even better. While I wish the animation was more detailed, this does a great job of building the world and creating a compelling narrative.
Watch It.

Review
Based on a 2016 short film, production took over two years. The series starts at some point after they crash land on this strange planet. We can tell they've been there a while as some have managed to utilize local plants and start growing crops. It's a wild place with all of these creative yet dangerous creatures. We get the sense that this crew is doomed. Kamen is entranced by this telepathic creature, and that journey through this season is absolutely wild.

Kamen

The entire plight feels so desperate and bleak. While it's fascinating to see how the creatures works every human seems on their way to death. Kamen is being tricked to get the creature food. His plight is sad, but the more we see of his past the less sympathy we feel.

Azi

Azi and her robot Levi try to grow food, but it's no surprise when that goes sideways. Levi's plot is a roller coaster. This world is changing him. Sam and Ursala try to reach their ship, and that is a trek. Each creature with which they cross paths provides a new obstacle.

Sam, Ursala

Throughout the season we realize that there are years if not decades of this planet killing people. A scavenger crew comes to pick apart the ship, but they have no idea what they've gotten into.

This show is how you tell a story. It's a great narrative, and the final episode is strong. This season ends this so well that it elevates an already great season. I do wish the animation were more rich and detailed, but the plot more than makes up for that.

Torchwood Series Review

2023-11-17T02:00:00.087-05:00

Torchwood (2006-2011)

Season 1 - 13 episodes (2006-07)
Season 2 - 13 episodes (2008)
Season 3 - 5 episodes (2009)
Season 4 - 10 episodes (2011)
Rent Torchwood on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Russell T. Davies
Starring: John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Kai Owen, Gareth David-Lloyd, Naoko Mori, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Bill Pullman, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Capaldi
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
The members of the Torchwood Institute, a secret organization founded by the British Crown, fight to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats.

Verdict
The first couple of seasons feel like a copy of Doctor Who as this has the same creator. It's an episodic sci-fi mystery that explores more adult topics. The third season eschews the episodic format for a serialized season, and that season is the peak of the show. The core question of that and the fourth season is gripping as there's no good answer.
It depends.

Review
This is a spin off from the 2005 Doctor Who revival. Torchwood investigates the paranormal with a host of sci-fi tools. Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) is the invincible leader of the group, his super natural abilities derived from the Doctor. Like Doctor Who, this invites someone more normal, Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) to act as an audience surrogate. It's the sensibilities of Doctor Who with a similar tone, but this explores relationships and sexuality to a greater degree.

John Barrowman plays Captain Jack Harkness

In season two the show finds its stride. The episodes are often emotional and sometimes wild. This season leans into Jack's past and his immortality. The back half of the season was really good, and season three is even better.

Season three drops the episodic format and goes serialized with a much shorter season. It works quite well. Aliens are invading and demand a sacrifice. It's a great question. Would you doom a fraction of the population to save the rest or protect the few at the cost of everyone? In the short season, there's still plenty of time to delve into the characters and plots. The government looks into Jack's immortality, testing the limits.

Eve Myles plays Gwen Cooper

Season four maintains the serialized style. It's a great premise where all of a sudden people can't die and Jack can. Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) is the first case, becoming a spokesman for people that can't die despite his criminal past. This season pulls pharmaceutical companies into the mix, but the question remains. Why aren't people dying? It's causing a strain on the infrastructure. The season explores how the cities are becoming overcrowded and disease is increasing. Hospitals now work to clear beds as there's no rush to treat the critically injured. Time isn't an issue. This season also delves into Jack's backstory. While it deepens the character and ties into the plot, it felt like a way to pad the episode count as we abandon the main plot. This season gets just a bit long despite the fun premise.

Season three is easily my favorite season due to the focus and story line. That's followed by the second season as the second half has a lot of really strong episodes. The fourth season has a great premise, but is just a bit too long. The first season struggles to find it's stride.

Filth Movie Review

2023-11-16T02:00:00.048-05:00

Filth (2013)

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Written by: Jon S. Baird (written by), Irvine Welsh (based on the novel by)
Directed by: Jon S. Baird
Starring: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, Jim Broadbent
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A corrupt, junkie cop with bipolar disorder attempts to manipulate his way through a promotion in order to win back his wife and daughter while also fighting his own inner demons.

Verdict
This is one of those movies that you wonder, what is this? The title certainly does double duty. You could call this movie filth with how perverse Bruce (James McAvoy) is and multiple times this equates him to a pig which is interesting as he's also a cop. This isn't making a statement on cops, just the particular cop that is Bruce. He's a piece of work. There's a lot going on in this movie, and even more than we realize when it's all revealed at the end.
It depends.

Review
From the very first scene this is an odd movie. Bruce (James McAvoy) isn't very nice as his introduction to the viewer is taking a kid's balloon and letting it fly. He's needlessly cruel, and he enjoys it. He likes to mess with people by turning their lives upside down.

His drive is a promotion to chief inspector to help his strained relationship with his wife. He attempts to manipulate everyone around him to ensure he gets the job.

James McAvoy plays Bruce

On one hand, I don't know what this is. On the other, I wonder about Bruce's goal. He's an agent of chaos that seemingly wants to destroy everyone. Why? Why does he like causing trouble for everyone by embarrassing, undermining, or demeaning them? It seems like Bruce is miserable and his way of getting back at the world is to take it out on everyone else. He doesn't like people or maybe just himself.

Throughout the movie Bruce gets worse and more inebriated, spiraling throughout as his hallucinations increase. You've got to give McAvoy credit, this is quite the performance. What's really going on is even more bewildering than what I guessed. It is true that Bruce wants to make everyone miserable because he's miserable. Few movies pull everything together at the end quite like this does after being so bewildering. This generated big questions throughout as I wondered what's going on. We get answers, and the answer is not something I would have imagined.

Gen V Season 1 Review

2023-11-14T02:00:00.004-05:00

Gen V (2023-2025)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2023)
Watch Gen V on Amazon Prime Video (paid link)
Created by: Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, Craig Rosenberg
Starring: Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Shelley Conn
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
From the world of The Boys, this explores the first generation of superheroes to know that their super powers are from Compound V. These heroes put their physical and moral boundaries to the test competing for the school's top ranking.

Verdict
This is just as edgy as The Boys, but where that show felt like a response to the prevalence of super hero movies and an apt criticism, this doesn't feel all that different from edgy teen drama other than the super hero angle. There are conspiracies, testing, and plenty of drama both between teens and parents. This doesn't have something to say about heroes like The Boys. It exists because The Boys is popular. The issues it does explore through the characters feels forced.
It depends.

Review
The main character is Marie (Jaz Sinclair), a hero that can control blood. She's not as well off as many of the students, and she keeps her past to herself. She's desperate to make a name for herself. Since this school ranks all the students, that creates plenty of friction among students.

The impetus of the plot is the school wanting Marie to take the fall for Andre's (Chance Perdomo) mistake when Marie only tried to fix it. Why can't the school cover it up like everything else like we've seen in The Boys? Vought easily covers up everything for their main super heroes. I'd think their reach would extend to the school they run. This is all in the first episode and we even get a big surprise to end the episode.

Jaz Sinclair, Derek Luh, Chance Perdomo play Marie, Jordan, Andre

Marie's expulsion is reversed when she appears to be a hero in a random event. Her popularity numbers are good so now the school wants to make her the face of a new program. Marie wants to get ahead and doesn't want to lose this opportunity so she's more than happy to go along.

The most mistreated character is Emma (Lizze Broadway). This ties her power to an eating disorder, and it's clear she just wants to be accepted. When we meet her mother in episode three, it's clear where most of her issues derive.

Andre also has issues with his father, a former super hero who pushes his son. Andre begins looking into clues that point towards the school testing on students. It's a full blow conspiracy.

The Boys felt like a response to the influx of super hero movies. It provided the grimy behind the scenes of what super heroes might be if they were morally gray. Homelander represented the worst of them, image conscious and depraved. Gen V feels more like a generic young adult mystery that's trying to be edgy. The Boys certainly went for edgy, but it fit that show better. This show never feels like the subject had to be super heroes. It's a send up of colleges and college athletes, but it doesn't have the bite of the original series.

Asa Germann, Lizze Broadway play Sam, Emma

Episode six reveals everything, or at least most everything. We discover who is behind it all.

In episode eight supes run amuck causing destruction. There was a concern about supes being too powerful, and this all but proves that. I get some of those supes were imprisoned and tortured, but two wrongs don't make a right when supes are killing innocents.

This season ends a chapter, but there's certainly more to this story. Vought will cover up what happened, finding a way to spin this to their benefit yet again. With Marie and Andre cast as villains instead of heroes for revealing what was going on, what will they do?