Change Your Image
exphilesphan
Reviews
Underdogs (2013)
Good Heart, Bad Acting
This movie takes place in my hometown. It was exciting to see some of the places I visit on the big screen. That being said, the movie is low budget all the way. Especially the acting. Terrible through and through. And, it always is a shock to see recruiting at the high school football level. Everything about the movie is cliché: from the ragtag losing football team at the beginning (no one seems to do anything right), to the champions at the end (way too over the top). I guess Americans are suckers for the underdog story, but how many times do we have to see the same thing portrayed on screen. Two minutes into the movie, anyone in the theater could have accurately written the ending. No surprises. And, the parallel storyline with the quarterback's father was a little too convenient. Couple items of note, there are no palm trees in stark county, Ohio (except maybe indoors), and the Underdog team didn't seem to have enough players to field both offense and defense.
Crisis (2014)
Decent Idea Gone Bad.
We often look to TV and movies for escapism. Escape to a land where anything is possible: people are larger than life, circumstances are at the fringe of the impossible. But Crisis is just nonsense. The children of our most powerful and richest citizens have been kidnapped, not for ransom, but to have leverage over their parents. The kidnappers proceed to utilize the parents for their own bidding. The purpose seems to be revenge for something the government sanctioned years ago. As horrible things happen to the parents, FBI, CIA and Secret Service, the children are held captive in a mansion, playing out some version of Peyton Place, seemingly unaware that they have been kidnapped and their lives are in danger. None of these children seem very frightened. It's just more of the petty garbage you'd expect in the halls of their over-privileged high school. As for the parents and the government agents: not a one does anything according to plan. They all seem to think they have to take matters into their own hands. The lead FBI and CIA agents are now working with the kidnappers, unbeknownst to their superiors. And the female kidnapper at the computer seems to have an enormous amount of access to everything. The original premise was interesting, although an obvious attempt to capitalize of the success of similar (and far superior shows). The journey the show is taking as a result of the pilot has swayed far beyond the limits of believable. That is the real crisis.
Friends with Better Lives (2014)
Exceeding My Expectations!
When I saw the ads for this show, I though for sure that it was just a cheap Friends knockoff. Well, color me wrong. This show is much. much. much worse than anything I could ever had imagined. Ha, Ha, the single woman has the dirtiest mouth and is the most promiscuous. Ha, Ha, the single guy is a well-educated doofus who lives with his friend. Ha, Ha, all anyone ever talks about is sex. Ha, Ha, they are constantly meeting in the married couple's living room. Ha, ha, there are three men and three women who are constantly taking pot shots at one another. Ha, Ha, none of the shows have any theme, they are just about being as dirty-minded as possible. Ha, Ha, the show has disappeared.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
One of these Things is not like the Other
This is a good show and getting better. A little cheesy at times, but it's TV and the resources are limited. The main problem as far as I'm concerned it the show's (and the character's) obsession with Skye. Why Skye would even be considered to be part of this elite group is a mystery. Why she keeps advancing from episode to episode is an even bigger mystery since she has no concept of following orders or doing what's needed (or know what's needed) in the situation. She has caused more problems than solved. The only truly uncomfortable situations so far have been when she is front and center in the scene. Unfortunately, now all the other characters have rallied around Skye (and not just the creepy obsession of Coulson). They producers need to prune this dying branch and let the rest of tree flourish.
Mixology (2013)
Hipster Chic?
When you dip your toe into the Mixology pool, you hit concrete before the water reaches your nail. Not to say that those who work or have worked in a hipster bar, or picked up women or guys in bars wouldn't love this show. The depth to concrete for this hipster set is probably the same. Shallow people attract shallow people. And, I guess there is a market for those shallow individuals who can put the time and date together, and tune in the television with enough accuracy to watch. But, probably not enough to keep this on the air any longer than a hipster long-term relationship.
However, that being said, this program could be a Friends-sized hit with a couple small changes:
1) Hire an entirely new cast;
2) Hire an entirely new writing staff;
3) Hire new directors, producers, assistants, etc.; and
4) Change the name and setting of the program.
There, just a few small changes to make this program watchable. Oh, and publish the names of those so called critics who named this the best new program of 2014. I bet they are all "John Smith."
Helix (2014)
Double Helix
Send a sample of this show to the lab and the results will show the DNA of many much better shows all over it. Helix isn't horrible, it just suffers from the same disease many other shows do: every character has to be Superman (they all insist on saving the day, yet no one accomplishes anything other than increasing the danger to everyone else). This infestation has slowly spread throughout every character and every storyline. It diminishes any drama built up to that point. Also and unfortunately, I have been rooting for some characters to contract the virus so I wouldn't have to listen to them anymore (it could use some characters that are not always angry, arguing, or unreasonable). Since this is a TV show, it is excusable that situations and circumstances are somewhat implausible, but, in this case, none of the scientists have much credibility. Also, someone or something spent a lot of money to build the arctic research facility, yet, couldn't prevent the CDC from taking over because of a "crisis." I am still unclear as to how all the people and all their roles came together in the first place. It is clear that the station is not within the U.S. (probably in Canada?).
A couple items I thought were funny: in the first few episodes, whenever we can see out the window from the director's office it is sunny, then cut to anyone outside and it is whiteout conditions; and the theme music makes it sound like you're watching an episode of Hotel Babylon.