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Deadpool (2016)
Marvel gets better every year, for me, this is the best one ever. My only 10 rating.
I think this is the best Marvel film yet, and that's saying something. I can see why Ryan left DC, because nobody could have pulled off this character better than he, and though he'll be missed as Green Lantern, he breathed life into a character that may not have otherwise lived. The repartee between he and Morena is magical, she is among the most beautiful women in the world, and her quirky sense of humor and slanted smile is nearly enough to make me weep (ever since Firefly). I knew 5 seconds into the credits that I would love this, and really did. The Marvel Universe keeps expanding, while DC seems to be spread out, yet convoluted and inconsistent. I knew nothing of Deadpool before this movie, except that I often got it confused with Deathlock, and Deathstroke, and Deadshot... but will never again make that mistake, I have a new favorite and cannot wait for the sequel, chickachickaaa.
It Follows (2014)
I rarely like horror movies, but this one is so very much more.
The horror in this movie is secondary to the sheer brilliance of the cinematography and direction. I rarely like horror, as it seems to be the haven for low-budget films, most of the violence is gratuitous, as the nudity and screams. Most horror is like popcorn, and as forgettable as is most movie snacks. Not so with this one, every shot communicated more than most of the dialog in any movie, visually stunning and unforgettable. The premise was creative the actors fell right into their roles and were captured beautifully. I've never recommended a horror movie in my life, but have passed on several recommendations to friends because they need to see what *can* be done, as opposed to what is usually done. The ending makes me think that there is an opening for a sequel, which I pray is able to compare to what It Follows.
Archer (2009)
The most brilliant, creative and funny animated adventure comedies ever produced.
Somehow I missed this show until well into Season 2, as I'd somehow confused it with a Jada Pinkett Smith project called Hawthorne.
Upon discovering Archer, it became an immediate favorite. Nearly every scene segues brilliantly to the next, questions asked of one character to another are answered by a different character, to a different question, asked by a different character. The writing is nothing short of brilliant.
I'm fairly sure that this is my favorite animated show of all time, and I have seen a LOT of them.
H. John Benjamin, also of hit animation Bob's Burgers, who has absolutely no physical resemblance to Sterling Archer, codename Duchess, and IMO, not much of a vocal range, has created a character who has garnered affection unlike any I've had for a cartoon character.
The dialogue and much of the comedy is aimed at those of us who grew up in the 80s, when Burt Reynolds (a constant topic of discussion and one time cameo in episode 304) was in his hay day.
It's important to note that more than a few of the episodes were broadcast out of order, no doubt due to some marketing genius:
103 Killing Utne 104 Diversity Hire
The reasons are subtle but Carol/Cheryl/Carine/Crystahl are proof. Other eps are out of order, but I will get back to you on that when I get a chance.
Suffice to say, if you don't watch Archer, you are missing out. Put down what you're doing right this second and go watch it!
Defendor (2009)
I laughed, I cheered and I cried
Not your typical superhero movie, Defendor is rooted in the average guy who just won't take it anymore, Arthur Poppington knows what's wrong and what's right... which in today's society is rare. Notable similar projects include Kick Ass, Badass and Super, none of which should be missed.
This may be my favorite role that Woody ever played. Peter Stebbings, a brilliant Canadian actor some may remember from Jeremiah in 2002, has written little, but this effort makes me hope that he does more, he even played a brief cameo as a doctor.
The final moments of any movie nearly always determine my ratings of a movie, and this one was truly moving.
The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (1986)
I played my VHS copies of this until they shredded
Such fun this show was, after a long hard day in college learning electrical engineering principals, I would run home and tune in to the galaxy rangers. Brilliant for it's time, solid plots. Aliens that need our help come to us and offer us the tech to get us into the battle for the galaxy... but then you have a huge bunch of earth based morons out there causing havoc... so what do you do, you create THE GALAXY RANGERS to keep things in check. The super-soldier, Shane Guzman who can alter his density and makeup, the leader (who's name I forget) with his energy weapon cyber arm, his wife Niko, the psychic hottie and doc (read Token), and his three little computer AI friends come to save the day every time.
The only problem I had with the show was the lame comic-relief they felt the need to create, but so did George Lucas, to similarly degrade a great scifi universe.
Space Battleship Yamato (1979)
Original concept, interestingish, but... why not fire the wave motion gun first?
I loved this show as a child, coming home from school and diving in front of the boob tube (when it still had a tube) and enjoying the adventures of the big eyed characters (speed racerlike) trying to save the world in the largest ship ever built... turned space ship.
In every single episode they battle and battle, and just before the ship is about to be destroyed somebody decides it's time to fire the ultimate weapon, the WAVE MOTION GUN (do listen to the Marcy Playground song sometime) and they win the day.
As an adult I just can't help but ask, why not fire the wave motion gun first, but I guess it would have made the show pretty short.
I just noticed there seems to be an actual live action version of this, which led me to this review. Fun for kids of all ages, albeit a little silly.
The Marine 4: Moving Target (2015)
Kinda fun and action packed, but nothing groundbreaking or really interesting.
I can't tell you how many movies have made me scream into the screen, "Pick up the damned gun that guy dropped you idiot" and watch the foolish person continue on with a handgun which is probably almost empty. This time I didn't have to yell that, because our stars were smart enough to grab nearly every gun that fell.
Bad guys dropped like flies, as one would expect when fighting against our hero, however it seemed that in the final stages that twice as many men were killed as were even involved in the endeavor.
Mildly believable, bloody and violent, but not really "a keeper". Fun enough if you're drinking with your buddies, no *obviously* stupid moves and gladly, they didn't pull the standard "cuz she's a girl" tragic mistake that nearly all action films employ.
Agent Carter (2015)
Keep the spin-offs coming Marvel
Marvelous show, from Captain American to a Marvel One-Shot, to her own Series, the sexy and buxom Haley Atwell is very easy to love. Marvel continues to turn the unbelievable into the very watchable. The entire Marvel universe has been expanding wonderfully since 2008 and the Hulk's first good reboot since Lou Ferrigno dawned the green makeup.
Not once has this show ended without leaving a smile on my face, or a tear in my eye. Fun and entertaining from start to finish as they've all been, including Jessica Jones, Lucky Man, and I'm sure, the incoming unbreakable man we'll see shortly. When that bright red screen opens up a show, I know that the brilliance is not just in the colors.
Thanks to you all, the casting of all the Marvel shows and movies has been amazing, I can't imagine a single actor that could pull off these roles any better than the ones cast, and I'm sure that they've all enjoyed these roles more than any dramatic characters they've played.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Like many people, the word Buffy kept me from embracing this show initially
I only discovered this show in 1998, and in an instant, I was hooked. The show took a fantasy, and brought it into reality for us all. If vampires existed, sure, I guess it could go like that, sez me.
Taking a slight turn from the movie, this show dragged viewers through the ringer (no pun), again and again. And just when you thought it couldn't get any more realistic, sure, Buffy's been in a mental hospital dreaming this all up for 6 years.
I've never enjoyed any show in my long life than this one (perhaps Firefly), and I was never a 13 year old girl, as most people would assume the viewing audience was comprised of.
Romance, adventure, theater, vampires, demons, gods and monsters... it all just made sense in the words of Joss Whedon. The show gives the audience everything they could want from entertainment, including what most shows never do, a good clear ending, which I really wished they'd done in Angel as well, but seemingly there was too much on their plate at that point to give us that.
If you have ever thought of watching this show, DO SO NOW. I've had a tough time turning my friends on to this, and it's nearly always the title that throws them. I've laughed, screamed, and cried, again and again... and when she died (the second time, that is), I nearly fell apart, and literally threw my television out the window. The hardest thing in life, truly is living it. Thanks Joss, SMG and you all for one of the most enjoyable hours of my TV viewing life.
Angel (1999)
A shaky start, but once it got running, a brilliant show
Most of the initial early problems of this show were solved by the second season, the attention of Joss was probably not enough until Buffy ended, but by season 5 the show was going full speed and became as compelling as Buffy ever was. The crossover eps with Buffy were gripping, tears were shed, brow wet with sweat.
Cordelia Chase finding a place in the show helped with familiarity, though sadly, she's had little luck other than cameos since, but I was glad to finally see her special side in Bound recently. Spike/James Marsden stole BOTH shows, and the hearts of every 13 year old girl in the country I'd bet, but if vampires don't breathe, how the heck did he smoke so much?
Problems occurred only when the two shows moved to separate networks, as I'd hoped for far more crossovers, because their love was eternal and magical. Season 5 substituted the back of a blond girl as a weak substitute for SMG herself, but still stood out as the best of all with the wildly creative turns.
Fun from beginning to end, if you've ever considered it, it's all worth a watch.
DB, you'll always be Angel to me, even after 10 years as Booth on Bones.
Arrow (2012)
High hopes and expectations, big let down
I have tried and tried to love this show, as I was a long time DC fan, but boy does the writing leave a lot to be desired. Great cast, I don't blame them. The star is impressive, super beefcakey for the girls I guess, really impressive climbing pull ups... the overview is good... vigilante story turning a corner.
Silly is the only word I can use to describe the direction that it did turn down. Groups attacking a city to that degree and the National Guard doesn't get a chance to help. Surely a few costumed archers can save the day though. Earthquake machines, secret islands, the Lazarus pit seems the least of the oddities, but sure, it can bring life to the dead with only minor PTSD.
The recent fight scene with Raz Al Gul was so incredibly disappointing and unrealistic, I nearly barfed. I far more enjoyed the batman cartoon's version of the league of assassins, who, initially were more than any one of our Arrow heroes could deal with, but now they seem to be able to knock them down like bowling pins.
I know that this stuff is fantasy, but silly is what it's turning out as. As in the Flash, the actors are NOT the problem, the writers are just sub-par. The show is feeling far too formulaic, and the actions of most of the characters are just unrealistic. "if you let me out of this prison cell, I'll give you this rock I'm holding in my hand through the bars".
Please try to write something slightly not lame... I really want to enjoy the DC universe as much as I am Marvel.
Legends of Tomorrow (2016)
DC continues to fall short on TV
I really want to love this show, but I am having a heck of a time. I can't even count how many times the freeze and fire guns have been shot, yet I haven't seen anything freeze or burn yet. Dominic and Wentworth are hugely entertaining, I'd even go so far as to say they're the best thing this show has to offer, and damned glad Dom got clear of the cliché bad guy movies he was stuck in for a while, in this, he is fun. These guys have been an item since Prison Break, and I'm thrilled to see them in this.
As I write this review, on either side of the screen are BatBen and SuperHenry, reminding me that DC does have some real creativity to offer, though only Henry has any business being in that position IMO.
The animation of the past decade, even back to the WB Batman/Superman cartoons, were brilliant, fun and compelling, almost even "believable" as far as that can go.
You are missing the boat DC, figure it out fast, or Marvel will just continue to leave you in the dust. It's just not fun when you make glaringly stupid moves after a long, well-planned story-line comes to fruition. I hope it gets better, but since Arrow and Flash seem to continue, I'll bet this does too. There's far worse stuff on TV, and this is still kinda fun. PLEASE TRY HARDER!!!
The Flash (2014)
Marvel continues to kick your butt DC
As a child I loved all DC comics and shunned Marvel, because they just seemed silly, and continuing into the cartoon world, I have LOVED DC, I've seen all the Justice League incarnations, and the epitome of it all, Young Justice, were all brilliant.
Then it happened, LIVE ACTION! I was thrilled when Arrow started, and even Flash (and the gorgeous new Supergirl), but somehow, it suddenly became SUPER silly. The plots are so full of holes you could drive trucks through them. Often times things are going great and then, duh, some stupid unrealistic move makes it all fall apart.
The incredible inconsistencies continue, and IMO, Flash is falling apart as it goes on. The recent foray into "Earth 2" was completely ludicrous.
The actors are doing their job, the writers need to try to pull their own weight. Almost every ep ends the same way in my head, "that was dumb".
I expected far far more from you DC, but congrats, you've made me a die hard Marvel fan now, though I will hope and pray that you get the message and clean up your act.
The Revenant (2015)
Compelling, but a bit unrealistic
I'm NOT a big LDC fan, although I do have to admit he's skilled. Gripping movie to the last, though a bit unrealistic surviving that bear attack. Infection alone would have taken him, and he would have never used either hand again. A bear that large pouncing on a man again and again... and returning for more, would have shattered his entire rib cage, and burst all of his organs, and I'd think it would have taken at least one bite out of him, and/or finished mauling him while her cubs were within shouting distance. I guess a little mud and some native American chanting, and of course a little peyote was enough to give him the constitution of Superman. Second best bear attack on film, see the best one, Backcountry, and you'll have nightmares for years.
Brutal attacks of
Keep working Leo, someday I'll be a fan.
Love (2015)
Actors or Prostitutes, you decide.
I often joke with friends about the fact that if you film it, it's not prostitution, and this film is exactly that. I guess it is creative, but boy, a money shot within the first moments of a "film"? We Americans are often considered prudish vs our European counterparts, but this film has more in common with porn than with an art film. How much does an actress get paid to swallow on camera?
Compared to Irreversible in the description, in which a BRUTAL rape sequence that goes on and on, makes me wonder what people won't do on film.
Surely there are redeeming qualities to the camera work and lighting, but where does the line get drawn? Snuff films??
I'd never be one to stifle creativity, but this just seems tasteless, though I'm not sure that's what she said.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
Brilliant, Compelling and Delightful to watch, on the edge of my seat every ep.
Thank you Stan Lee for making a comic book universe feel right at home in our reality. The consistency of all the movies and shows tying together is both amazing and surprising. Your cameos in all the movies never ceases to amuse. I hope you're living the Hef life you deserve.
As a child I shunned the entire Marvel universe, as I was a huge Batfan, but the tables have turned when film/TV got a chance to be the canvas.
I've laughed, cried and held my breath so many times. After every episode until the last one of 2015, I was left in awe. The final 2015 ep had just far too many holes in it, which I won't go into... but that one ep forced me to say "that was really stupid". Please fix that directional error, we take so much on faith with sci-fi, but some things are just hard to believe. No way no how Ward would have made it back to earth, but whatever, I'm sure there'll be a good explanation.
Baskets (2016)
Terrible Terrible And then Awful
How can such things as this even be financed. It's not funny, nor sad, nor original, just awful. An incredibly heatable character, surrounded by sad pathetic characters. The characters in the show can barely believe how stupid this is.
For a brief moment in Ep 1, I thought there might be some originality and perhaps a few chuckles, but it just continues to get worse and worse.
It amazes me that every year another wonderful, creative and original show gets canceled, and then trash like this comes in to fill the empty spots. I pity the production crew having to watch this weekly TV apocalypse.
I expected far more from Louis CK, his first two shows were brilliant until he became a little too comfortable with his fame. This, and Horace et al, are both just sad.
Please write something funny again Louie!