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The Maze Runner (2014)
Well done
I'm going to start this review out by saying that I walked into this movie no knowledge of the book series, so all I know is what friends of mine told me happens in the book; which I learned after the movie ended. From what I was told, they did leave out certain aspects of the book, and slightly altered the ending, and I believe that these book aspects were unnecessary anyway, as they made a film which told an exciting story anyway, regardless of the story the book told.
My criticisms of the movie are that the ending wasn't very original. Knowing nothing of the books, I was surprised because I didn't know that there would be a series out of this, and it wasn't just a stand alone film. This definitely helped me appreciate the ending more than others, but now that I know, I can look back and realize that the set up for the sequel was just awful. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that they could easily have made it more subtle, and it would have improved it quite significantly. My other concern is that it predicable to a certain degree, and when they find out why they are in the maze, it seems like a situation that is being overused these days.
Having said all that however, the film did manage to excite me for the sequel, which I didn't even know was going to happen. The CGI was pretty good, there were some iffy moments, but overall I was impressed. The story also managed to remain interesting while setting up for the climax, with incredible action sequences, and one really tough to watch scene about how they deal with a deadly infection. This scene was emotional, and hard to watch, but it brilliantly illustrated how desperate and helpless the boys in the movie are.
The films highlight was the acting. There was not a single moment where the acting was bland, which was a nice surprise to me, considering the youth in the cast. Kaya Scodelario did have a few moments where you could tell she was struggling to fight her British accent, but her acting was still well done. The three highlights of the cast were Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Will Poulter especially, who was fantastic. These three actors more than anyone were great in every scene they were in.
Overall, I give The Maze Runner an 8/10, because the story, effects, and acting were great, while the ending could have been better
Freaks and Geeks: Chokin' and Tokin' (2000)
Chokin and Tokin
In my opinion, this is the best episode of F&G. It may not be the funniest episode all around, and unfortunately it didn't have a lot of Franco, Philips, Rogen, or Segel. However, two great main stories following Lindsey's drug trip, and Bill's allergic reaction provided for some great television.
Lindsey's story was the funnier one, but it still had the perfect mix of serious and light moments. Linda Cardellini and Sarah Hagan had great on screen chemistry, it's a shame that Millie is a minor character, rather than main cast. The way that they can be hilarious at one moment, and then turn on a dime and be serious was great. Each actress was perfect in every scene. The best scene was when a very high Lindsey started freaking out about how she thought the whole world took place in a dog's dream, and Millie hilariously went along with it and then the entire scene turned when she woke up the dog, and the conversation turned into Millie preaching to Lindsey. This was a great scene because it totally empowered Millie, and showed that she actually wasn't as dumb as we thought, knowing that Lindsey had moved on from her. Overall, this story line had great dramatic elements, and was hilarious at the same time.
The geek's story was all about Bill this episode, which was great because who doesn't love Bill? Well, I guess Alan doesn't. After sending him to the hospital in what was the most despicable act by the most despicable character, hate for this guy was at an all-time high. However, his monologue did shed some light on this guy. It wasn't the best monologue, but it was pretty decent, and well acted. The end of the episode surprisingly made you feel for Alan's character, which is really saying something for someone who's only had about one minute of redeeming screen time. I also really loved the emotional back story of Bill's mother, and how Jean supported her with a story (or lie?) about how she once dropped Sam. I like to think that she was lying here, because it would just make her that much better of a person. While Bill easily could have ruined Alan's life by tearing him apart for, you know, almost killing him, Bill showed compassion by extending an invite to the scifi convention that the geeks were going to. I also loved how Sam and Neal handled the situation. After knowing that their best friend was okay, they instantly learned how to take advantage of the situation by using it to get girls. Also, about time we see Maureen again.
Overall, this was the best dramatic episode of the series, and no one could complain about a lack of humour, because the funny moments were higher quality, although lower quantity than usual. Also, Leslie Mann and Alex Gould (the kid who voiced Nemo) were in this episode, which is awesome
The Walking Dead: The Grove (2014)
Best Episode Yet
Honestly, the second half of the fourth season hasn't been the best. For sure there have been some great moments, but it has seemed like the road to Terminus is all just a big set up for the finale. This episode is the first since the mid season finale that seems to be living in the moment rather than hyping us up for later.
As a comic reader, this episode was even more satisfying, as Lizzie and Mika were perfectly similar to Billy and Ben in the comics. I remember watching, and it wasn't until Lizzie humanized the walkers that I realized where this episode was going. This story is one of my absolute favourite moments in the comics, and since the show doesn't have the characters of Billy and Ben, and it has also strayed far away from the source material, it was a nice surprise to see a comic story acted out on screen.
The changes they made were all fantastic, and really added to all four characters in the episode. The character of Tyreese has been slightly disappointing, and this episode really showed that he was more than just the new token African-American cast member, as the scene where he forgives Carol for what happened at the prison added so much to his character.
My favourite change to the comic version is that it was Carol who took over Carl's duty in the books. Honestly, if it was Carl who killed Lizzie at this point in the show, everyone would be calling him a psychopath, especially after the season 3 finale. After everything Carol has gone through with Sophia, watching her tell Lizzie to look at the flowers was so perfectly heartbreaking. Carol has one of the best story arcs on the show so far, and has come so far from being the abused wife, then the mother who lost her daughter, and was completely defeated, into this incredible, ass- kicking mother figure in the group.
Stale acting is something that TWD has struggled with since the first season, and an episode featuring an eleven year old actress in the leading role was doomed to have some rough acting, but I was blown away by the performance that Brighton Sharbino gave. I was actually pretty disappointed that she couldn't have been around for any longer, since great child actors are hard to come by. Kyla Kennedy also did a good job as Mika, and although he didn't have too many scenes, Chad Coleman did great, specifically in this scene with Melissa McBride, who proved that she was one of the strongest performers on the show.
Character development has also been hit and miss, and for Carol and Tyreese heading into the future, this was a definite hit. 10/10