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Reviews
Barbie (2023)
Conversation-starter
This movie is like an interesting conversation you strike up with a stranger, touching on all sorts of things but never really going deep into anything. I guess you can see it a trigger to discuss gender roles and existentialism with your friends after watching it. Unlike the Barbies though, most people tend to not form a life outlook after one powertalk.
The cast and the art direction are immaculate, with Ryan Gosling shining bright as a scene-stealer.
The plot doesn't flow though. The main issue is that the movie lacks balance between contrived and raw storytelling, so the whole endeavour seems clanky at times.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Please don't ruin it!
Up until season four, it's a gem! Thought-provoking when it comes to character-building, unapologetically referencial without veering on nostalgia melodrama, and laugh-out-loud funny. In a word, badass!
Then, season five comes along. The episodes become longer, continuity gets sloppy (which is the kiss of death for any action-based project), and the characters begin to seem cartoonish. The storylines and stakes aren't that believable or relatable anymore.
Dear production team, please, don't ruin this! Just stop and wrap it up, if it has become too big to handle. Cobra Kai deserves a great legacy!
Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020)
Reverence, compassion and a worth ethic that echo through the ages!
Go on an inspirational journey among the Egyptian dunes, and witness everyday people make extraordinary discoveries, using their insticts and the most basic of tools!
Although what they find along the way will surely captivate your imagination, the most fascinating discovery you will make by watching this documentary has to do with the values and lifestyle of those involved, all of which seem to permeate through the centuries.
The Kill Team (2019)
The blurred red line
If you like war films, this is a good one. The story is not original, no one is reinventing the wheel here. A rookie enlists in the army with dreams of finding a calling and a purpose, only to end up finding instead violence and cynicism. The actors do a great job, the production is solid, a few moments of suspence. No need to overthink who was right and who was wrong in Bush's war. After all, the main point here is that in times of war, the thin red line gets blurred.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Movie horror magic is gone. Greed made them do it!
Disappointment is the word. After so much anticipation for a decent horror film, this one is sub-par, even by The Nun spin-off standards. No scares at all, no continuity, no story development. Over 90 minutes it manages to drag on more than both previous Conjuring films, which were actually over two hours long!
We don't like The Conjuring because of the Warren love story. They are the narrators who frame each case. The protagonists are the characters that make up the stories, but in this film we never really get to know them Instead, we are treated to ludicrous, over-the-top special effects, even though the allure of these stories is based on subtlety and "what if" moments. This is a travesty that even great turns by Farmiga and Wislon cannot save.
Why did James Wan produce this and let all fans down?
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing (2021)
SVU engaging again!
This episode could have easily been named "Partners". When Olivia raised an eyebrow to Stabler, fans could see two decades of television moments flicker between them. The culmination of a season that has picked up the pieces of what makes a team work, to (re)create a palpable bond between all current characters. We've had tension building up in stories over the past seasons, but now we actually have engagement with the cast. And as choir boy Carisi sweeps away bad gal Amanda, somewhere in the TV universe Jack McCoy and Claire Kincaid are smiling warmly...
Criminal Minds: The Lesson (2012)
Harrowing
This is what i consider a truly worthwhile episode in terms that not only did it touch on different arcs of the show but it also managed to deliver a compelling story. Watching it, i felt entrapped in its haunting atmosphere, a style that becomes Matthew Gray Gubler, as seen in his previous directorial efforts. Acting was excellent, especially Brad Dourif who is a master of disturbing portrayals. But what really makes the episode a stand-out in my opinion is the fact that it tells an ultra violent story without any gory bloodbaths or even a menacing villain. This is an emotionally eerie tale that sends shivers straight to the heart. The spine. And all ligaments indeed.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Spooked (2009)
Fast-paced and filled with tension!
I absolutely loved this episode! First we get the reappearance of agent Porter who shares great chemistry with Benson. That leads to a nuanced performance by Meloni, as Stabler is getting territorial with both his job and his partner. The plot was simply amazing with lots of twists and believable subplots that kept me on the edge of my seat. The whole episode is like an espionage inspired film noir. It is always refreshing when we get to see an episode that doesn't only focus on a typical special victims case such as rape or molestation but also enhances it by bringing further criminal acts into the story. Of course, the most brilliant part was that Benson ended up being a special victim herself all because of her personal hero...
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Solitary (2009)
Sad
I swear i felt like Stabler did when he was in the hole and thought that a whole week had gone by, not just three days. I felt this episode just went on for hours and every minute that went by just left me feeling even more bitter than before. Rhea's and Meloni's performances along with an interesting plot line were the best things about the episode. The worst were the new DA character who just keeps on getting more irrelevant by the episode and the whole tone that the story set. Lahti is obviously a good actress but her character is so one-sided that it turns her into a nasty cartoon. This is the third consecutive episode of this season that ends with justice not being really done to the true victims. That's a very bad pattern that is turning Benson and Stabler into the DA's puppets making one careless choice after another. As a big fan of the show, i am saddened.