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symphonyjade
Reviews
Half Sisters (2023)
2 Really bad wigs. 2 leads overacting
Where do I begin? The premise of the story had so much hope. One could almost overlook the two hideous wigs on the two lead characters. One could overlook the thin storyline. One could overlook, possibly, that tremendous amount of overacting. One however could not overlook all of the above.
One character spends most of the movie with facial contortions of either anguish or distress and then they're crying then they're shouting then they're screaming and crying. The other one spends more time just throwing f-bombs and then doing her facial contortions and a lot of overacting. In the end even the supporting characters were so weak. Save yourself the hassle of watching this and just find something else.
Suits (2011)
Addictive and entertaining
I can't recall the last time I watched a series where I was glad to just binge watch episode after episode and keep looking forward to the next episode.
Gabriel Macht is SOOO dreamy. Patrick J. Adams is adorable and all of the cast are perfect in their roles.
I'm glad Netflix now has the show on, so I can watch a few a day after a long day at work. It's engaging and relaxing and none of the characters get on my nerves. Not even Lewis Litt! Lol!
As for IMDB, I understand character limits for reviews, but the requirement of 600 characters just to say I really enjoy something is a bit much. I LOVE SUITS!!!
Father Brown (2013)
I miss Mrs McCarthy, Bunty and Sid
Sid has been gone awhile, but it's always so delightful when he has a guest appearance. I rather liked him as a regular back in the early seasons. Then there's Bunty who I thoroughly enjoyed in every subsequent season. Mrs McCarthy on the other hand has been my all-time favorite and having her gone is just absolutely not doing it for me. I'm not entirely sure if the new person is going to win me over, but as of now the big shoes that she has to fill are proving a little more challenging than possibly the actress can manage. Nevertheless, I'm delighted to have Tom Chambers back in the role of Inspector Sullivan and I'm even more delighted to be rid of Mallory. Inspector Mallory was always such a caricature. The overacting, the exaggerated expressions, the never-ending rudeness that just didn't seem to always fit the scene. I'll miss none of that, but I am very very pleased to see Tom Chambers and he's dashing self back onscreen.
A character that many love, but I cannot stand is Flambeau. Smug, self-assured and a cad. His guest spots I easily skip.
Ghosts (2021)
Thor needs to go to "Overactors Anonymous"
I love the original UK version. Absolutely LOVE IT! I was skeptical about a U. S. remake, but gave this a shot lest I rob myself of double Ghosts entertainment.
I'm glad I did!
Pete, Trevor, Jay, Flower, Heddy, Isaac, Alberta and Sassapi are great! They seem to have forgotten about the headless ghost, so no talking head in this one like the UK's Humphrey.
Pete and Jay's relationship is adorable despite Jay not being able to hear or see Pete.
Samantha is a bit challenging to listen to. All her lines are delivered in a sing-song way that says, "I'm acting".
Now, the weakest link, Thor. The actor growls most of his lines and goes up in volume on every other last syllable of a line. He does this winding arms motion with every other line delivery. There is zero nuance to his performance and he is beyond painful to listen to. It's time for the directors to work with this actor and help him shape his performance or let Thor move on to Valhalla. I actively cringe when he talks. Go to the light, Thor.
PLEASE.
Safe (2018)
No need to find Jenny
I'm giving this a six because it kept me around (frustratingly so) long enough to want to see how it ends.
Plus, I like Michael C. Hall. As Dexter, he will forever be my favourite fictitious serial killer. As Dr. Delaney, I'm going to need him to NEVER DO A "BRIDDISH" ACCENT AGAIN!😟
How do so many people with a wide range of careers afford to live in a posh, gated community?
As for Jenny, she is a ridiculous character whose motivations are ALL stupid and irrational. No one should bother looking for her if she goes missing. NO ONE!!
Also, the girl who threw the party is beyond insufferable.
Hemlock Grove (2013)
So much potential squandered
This series is entertaining enough and there are numerous unexpected moments.
Peter and Roman had an interesting relationship and the writers failed to flesh it out. Regrettably, too much time was spent on introducing a MULTITUDE of pointless characters throughout the series.
Numerous characters that made sense in season 1 were ruined by season 3. Shelley, Destiny and Olivia come to mind.
What the deuce was Famke's season 1 abomination of an accent?!
Non-verbal Shelley was compelling. Talking Shelley cures insomnia.
Then there's the random, creepy French girl. Wasted opportunities abound.
Stargate SG-1: The Fifth Race (1998)
The Fifth Race - Brilliant!!
One of the very best Stargate-SG-1 episodes!
I have watched it several times and still enjoy the journey with Jack O'Neill as Daniel and others endeavour to help him.
Stargate SG-1: Resurrection (2004)
One of the weaker episodes
Stargate SG-1 remains, after all this time, a perennial favourite with me.
Binge watching means one can more easily enjoy the greatness of this marvelous show.
It also means the few weaker moments stand out.
Resurrection is a weak episode. Stilted dialogue. Overacting in some moments. A weak performance from the actress playing the goa'uld/human hybrid.
An almost cartoon-like bad guy.
Too many things made this a throwaway episode.
I can rewatch Fifth Race many times over before watching this again.
Also, no Jack O'Neill in this one. A bad thing when there's no Jack, but in this instance, his character was spared.
Britannia (2017)
A lot to like. A LOT to complain about, ESPECIALLY the music
Some of the characters are really interesting. Some, like Amena, are cardboard cutouts of the ambitious, unscrupulous shrew.
The dialogue varies between modern jargon and proper English.
Do NOT look for historical accuracy or authenticity in this production. This is not the place to learn about the Druids.
Some viewers complain about people of colour in the Roman legions, forgetting that Romans took slaves and prisoners from everywhere they invaded. Descendents of some of those integrated into Roman society as anything from slaves, prostitutes and house servants to soldiers. It's not a "woke" thing for political correctness.
WORST ASPECT - The GHASTLY opening and closing themes of 70s rock. That is my biggest peeve. After the opening scene, that music takes me right out of the story again. Very poor choice. Regrettably, more of this ghastly music scores the series in season 2. Watching Roman soldiers march to stoner music creates such a disconnect that I gave up on the whole thing. Too bad. They almost had something here.
This series struggles with trying to be too many things at once.
Rome (2005)
Entertaining with some casting missteps
I enjoyed this series and binge watched it over 3 days.
Ray Stevenson and Kevin MacKidd were wonderfully cast as Pullo and Veronus. They portrayed a brothers-in-arms relationship we watched evolve from a conflicted meeting to a life-long friendship underscored by deep caring.
The cinematography was acceptable, but inconsistent and I'd hazard a guess this can be attributed to the slew of different directors of different episodes.
Roman society demonstrates in this EXACTLY why they need Jesus. The debauchery and immorality is full frontal in this. I've not seen so many naughty bits in a series....ever. Our understanding of the Roman lifestyle (use of slaves, arena executions, political intrigue, scheming high society women, etc.) are all depicted here with great effect.
Now the weak bits: Casting missteps. I'll just name the character as I can't be bothered to learn the actors' names.
CICERO - The actor playing CICERO was hard to watch with the strange head movements he'd make in between delivering lines.
OCTAVIA - Her dialogue was often delivered like someone in a school play.
SERVILLIA - A renowned actress, yet she did not seem able to emote no matter what the scene called for, except when someone was slapping or torturing her. Even then, not much happening.
WORST OF ALL, CLEOPATRA - The casting was just wrong. The character was badly written and poorly portrayed. The actress lacked gravitas and failed to convince me I was watching an historical figure come to life. Some scenes with her and Marc Antony were EXCRUCIATING to watch. Every syllable. Every action, too painful. Her introduction and subsequent appearances toward the end of the series diminished my enjoyment tremendously. A different actress might have done better if the character was written better as well.
All in all, a good series, but don't expect excellent dialogue and try not to see Agrippa as Tom Branson, the chauffeur from Downton Abbey, once again, social climbing.
The Equalizer (2021)
The teen daughter drags this show down
This show has potential and a built-in audience.
The focus on Robyn's family life and her bratty teenage daughter constantly impacts the pacing of every episode and not in a good way. The writers need to write an "off to a prestigious boarding school" or "went overseas with Dad and step mom to experience a new culture", storyline for her. Whatever. Just get that character off-screen and keep this a solid action show.
Chris Noth is under-utilized, as is Adam Goldberg, a great talent.
Opportunities are being wasted here and if the corrections are not soon made, this renewal will be its only renewal. We're already suspending disbelief on critical aspects of the show, dealing with tedious teen angst is NOT helping the lead build gravitas.
Jupiter's Legacy (2021)
Chloe is AWFUL.
I'm on episode 2 and HAD to come here just to talk about Chloe and how insufferable she was in episode one.
So far, Sheldon's sanctimoniousness gets quite tedious, but I like the character. He needs to be nicer to Brandon. I'm not just saying this because Brandon's hot.
I like the concept of a league of superheroes working together. I'm a huge Marvel fan, but this is different, yet also enjoyable.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
EDIT:
Well, I watched the whole 1st season. CHLOE NEEDS TO DIE. THAT IS ALL.
I found the hallucinations and Sheldon acting unhinged as he engaged with his vision of his father far too drawn out. It got to be tedious and disorienting. I liked George and I want to see where he is in season 2.
Leslie Bibb and Josh Duhamel have no chemistry, but if there's enough action I can overlook that. The show would benefit from less cliched, whiny spoiled brat tropes.
Did I mention that CHLOE MUST DIE?
Any sympathy one might have for her disappears when you remember that just because she doesn't want to use her powers to help people doesn't mean she has to use her annoying personality to traumatize people. She cares nothing for her mother and brother and only focuses on upsetting her father. She's a promiscuous crackhead and extremely gross.
Scrubs (2001)
Great show minus season 9
Everything about the characters and how they mesh was perfect from season 1 through season 8.
Season 9 suffered from weaker storylines, less likable characters, with the exception of the old guard, and a most annoying "female JD" named Lucy.
Her performances were grating and cringe worthy. It was painful to see someone struggle with their role so badly and she managed to just be whiny throughout.
Without Ted, Janitor, Doug and even the somewhat annoying Carla, this new cast just didn't gel.
To reiterate, seasons 1 through 8 were perfection! Eminently re-watchable.
Ghosts (2019)
Very funny, even on second viewing
Clever writing. No vulgarities, just fun humour. Likable characters. Good acting. This show MUST be given more episodes.
It draws one in from the start and then keeps one wanting more!
Stath Lets Flats (2018)
I gave it a fair shake
I watched several episodes with the hopes that it would find its stride and improve. No such luck.
The only likable character is Al. Everyone else is over the top, ranging from vaguely irritating to unbearably annoying. Stath and his sister need to be medicated....for different reasons. Who goes to college and is unaware of the need to complete course work in order to be graded and graduate?
Too much of the dialogue feels ad libbed and what could have been a funny show is poorly served by bad directing, a bad script and a lead who fails to get the audience on his side. Painfully unfunny and downright tragic. On occasion, one can't help but wonder if they're mocking the mentally ill. The 2 rating is for Tom Stourton and Al Roberts, both of whom do well with better scripts.
Inferno (2016)
I have questions
Was I supposed to suspect Sienna from the outset, because I did?
Should I need Dramamine to endure the needless shaky camera scenes?
Why call it an adaptation when it is, at best, inspired by the Dan Brown book?
How come Hollywood movies love to show images of Mecca in these "humans are the threat to Earth's survival" type plots?
The pacing is all over the place.
I'm giving it a 3 rating strictly for Tom Hanks (who must promise to never do this again) and for the glorious locations. That is all. Felicity Jones' vacant performance just makes me cross.
Behind Her Eyes (2021)
What an ending!!
The whole series was intriguing and engaging. I can honestly say I did NOT expect THAT ending. Brilliant!! I will say that I had to let go of my sympathies for Louise when she did way too many stupid things. Oh, and Tom Bateman is all kinds of delicious.
Early Edition (1996)
Terrific Show! Great Premise!!
This show is still entertaining after all these years. The hero is a good guy with a heart of gold and an "aw shucks" charm. The
The ONE criticism I have of the show is that Gary never got smarter after years of receiving the paper. He never learned to be craftier in framing his efforts to impart urgencies or even had any established excuse for how he knows things when pressed. The stuttering explanations got tedious and him letting EVERYONE talk over him in critical moments become frustrating, especially when binge-watching.
Kyle Chandler is great in the lead. I can't picture anyone else playing the role so endearingly.
MacGyver (2016)
No more Desi and Russ, PLEASE!!!
I came to this series with an open mind. I saw the incredibly flawed writing and reminded myself NOT to compare it to the original and give it a fair shot. Then they kicked me in the teeth!
They made Thornton a female traitor. MacGyver has NONE of aversions to guns and alcohol as the original. MacGyver has NONE of the humility, charm and strong moral compass of the original and he's basically a secondary cast member now over the two latest additions to the show. Desi replaces Jack Dalton and gets into a disturbingly toxic relationship with MacGyver devoid of any warmth, affection or logic and he's happy to be her whipping boy as she barks, snarks and demands apologies from him for absolute rubbish.
Russ is Mr. Moneybags, owns the Phoenix Foundation now and is shifty as heck. Desi and Russ get loads of tedious screen time. Meanwhile, Riley and Bozer get shafted. Riley is especially abused by the writers. The writers are hopeless at character development and know NOTHING about what made the original world famous and beloved. They took the beloved name, MacGyver, and exploited it to tragic results. We thought we were getting a MacGyver prequel action show. We got a soap opera with the Awful Desi Show.
To save this show, Desi and Russ need to go. Jack Dalton needs to return and this group of writers MUST be replaced with smarter writers who will honour the character they've ruined with the tripe they've been writing geared toward 12 year-old girls who think Twilight is a masterpiece.