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tchow
Reviews
The Good Fight (2017)
Leans into the absurd
Season 1 starts the show off as a traditional drama similar to The Good Wife but it morphs into an absurdist comedy that takes real issues and stretches them beyond the limits of credibility. The self awareness that they've gone completely insane akin to Scandal lets them lean hard into it and create something fresh and unique. Looking forward to the crazy things they'll do in season 6.
Halt and Catch Fire (2014)
Underrated
I don't understand the hate for season 4. It's not just about the tech industry but also about the characters. They literally come out and say it in a roundabout way in the final season. If you don't want to see imperfect and slightly over the top characters push and pull against each other then this isn't for you. If you stuck around for 3 seasons then you want to see them evolve, overcome some of their flaws and challenges, and have a reasonable path forward after the show ends. IMO the final season delivers on all of that.
The Gifted (2017)
Too ambitious for its own good
I came to this late well after it was canceled and I can see why it was. The idea is interesting but the execution bombed because it's spread too thin across too many uncompelling characters. It could've been something if they focused more on the core family. Acker and Moyer are legit actors
and should've carried the show. It's also weird for Marvel to have Runaways going at the same time so you've got two teenage powered mutant shows with just slightly different premises.
Invasion (2021)
Where's the invasion?
Look I appreciate good character development as much as anyone but, in a show billed as an alien invasion, you can't skimp on the plot to service that especially when you only have 10 episodes. For a show called Invasion, you really need to have some hot alien action to happen within the first 10 minutes but we just get endless familial drama instead which is not what we signed up for. You also can't get overly ambitious and try to cram in too many parallel storylines in a short season or it drags everything down to a slow crawl. My only hope is that all this setup epically pays off as they season progresses.
La Brea (2021)
Pilot is B movie quality but in prime time
For once, the terrible user reviews are not just hyperbole. LaBrea is like a Sharknado that takes itself seriously There's just no reason to watch this considering we live In a world of seemingly infinite amount of quality shows. Ugh. They're not getting a second episode out of me.
Serenity (2019)
Undercooked
It has some potentially interesting elements of mystery and sci-fi but it's just a glancing blow instead of fully getting its hooks into them. The twist is an interesting idea but doesn't deliver enough impact to carry the movie. I don't think it's a terrible movie but I'm more disappointed than anything that they wasted the potential given three very strong actors.
The Republic of Sarah (2021)
Decent season 1
Take out the one star votes from the angry conservative snowflake brigade and the ten stars from the easily impressed and you've got a 6ish star show which is about right for season 1. It's a CW show so it is what it is. Don't be shocked to discover ridiculousness and interpersonal drama mixed in with plot and character development.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Average mystery/thriller
It's hard to look at that cast list and say no. They do a decent job but it still turns out to be an utterly forgettable movie. I would be harder on this if it was a theater release but there's enough meat on the bones to provide me a reasonable amount of streaming background entertainment. Disclaimer: I haven't read the book so I'm unable to be offended by the adaptation.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
I can't believe that people didn't like this movie
I can't imagine how anyone could not like this movie. There are a few type of people that won't like it: - people who question everything - why water is flourinated, why we still use glass bottles, etc - malcontents - people that can walk outside on a warm, sunny day and honestly say that the weather is bad. - people that analyze everything. You won't like this movie if you think that you can reveal someone's innermost thoughts by examining what they ate for lunch.
Don't expect to find any deep, hidden meaning from this movie. It will not reveal the meaning of life. It will not touch on the philosophical issues of the plot. Watch it to be entertained. Don't analyze the characters to death. Accept what is presented and the plot works out fine.
I'm not saying this film is the best every made, just that it is entertaining and nothing more. This film doesn't fit into any genre. It's mainly comedy and drama but excels at neither and that is the main problem (although irrelevent to the enjoyment of the movie) of this film.
If you want to be entertained, don't let the naysayers scare you away from this movie. If you want to analyze stuff and look for deeper meanings in the plot, go read a good book. Heart of Darkness by Conrad will keep you up for nights.