bygeahkburchill Reviews

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

A lazy mess spray-painted gold and covered in sparkles.

[3/10 · 26 February 2016]

No Spoilers.

This film is a weak rehash of everything you have previously seen. If you have seen the previous trilogy you have already seen this film done far better. Poor writing all around. Underdeveloped characters and loads of deus ex machina. Lots of convenient and contrived plot points. Lots of recycling from previous films. This film relies entirely on the nostalgia of its viewers and fails to bring anything new or interesting.

Poor pacing. The film has a lot of action but not much breathing room or build up. You will find yourself wondering why you are supposed to care pretty often. Even when big moments happen they feel rushed and undercut by the need for the filmmakers to keep the train rolling to the next shot. About the only things this film pulls off well are the special effects and music. other than that it is not worth anyone's time.

The Walking Dead: Clear (2013) Season 3, Episode 12

The best episode of the entire series with the best performance period.

[10/10 · 4 March 2013]

This episode starts out with a mystery as we join three unlikely compatriots in the little green wagon. Michonne, Carl and Rick (largely lucid after several episodes of shaky sanity) driving and we're forced to wonder where the rest of the group is. Before the credits we're given insight into just how much Rick has changed as well as a palpable tension with the black sheep, Michonne. Form there the episode doles out information in a satisfying and tantalizing way. The meat of the story comes in the form of the return of Morgan, the man who saved Rick when he was fresh out of the hospital. A three-years-long delivery on a curiosity set up early in the season one. A well paced and thoughtful episode ratchets up when we see how much both men have changed and Lennie James gives the best performance of the series, and one of the greatest performances of the last decade of television, completely captivating the viewer with a riveting account of his life since we last saw him. James pulled off the equivalent of the Alec Baldwin, Glengarry, Glen Ross performance, completely stealing the show and bringing the show plenty of award potential. Even if you dislike zombie movies, hate horror and don't know any of the characters, you HAVE to see THIS episode because this performance is NOT to be missed.

Star Trek: Enterprise: The Forgotten (2004) Season 3, Episode 20

The best episode of the season makes all the terrible ones worth it

[10/10 · 3 March 2013]

(Mild Spoilers) This may be the only 10-out-of-10 episode of the entire series. Well paced, well written, a complex mix of action, tension and quiet. This episode breathed like a living being. The most important thing this episode did was genuinely touch me. This may be the only episode of Star Trek ever, any series, any era, that has ever made me cry. Extremely powerful and layered with a masterful performance by Connor Trinneer that won't be forgotten. Even Jolene Blylock brought levels to her performance not previously seen. John Billingsley, in just a few scenes rounded out his caring doctor with beautiful acting. Randy Oglesby guests as Degra who plays an honorable and conflicted weapons developer who convincingly changes sides when presented with new information. Absolutely every aspect was top notch. The thing is, so much of what is great about this episode hinges on the earlier episodes of the season and so it is very welcome to feel somewhat validated for having slogged through the whole Xindi story arc and finally get to an episode which made all that work worth it. And, hey, it had a cameo from Seth McFarlane, so you got that too. Though this may be the least appreciated Star Trek Series it managed to bring us one of the best episodes the franchise has ever produced.

Star Trek: Enterprise: Anomaly (2003) Season 3, Episode 2

Enterprise tries to be 24

[3/10 · 24 January 2013]

Mild Spoiler ahead: Forget all the progress of humanity, let's torture the prisoner. That'll show the Vulcans. In many ways this was a fun episode. Action packed and fast paced with interesting visual effects. On the other hand we see some of the worst character writing since 'Night in Sickbay' with Archer being both a hothead and a prescription-strength asshat. The writers seem to have decided what American's want from TV in 2003 was more angry punishing of anyone who crossed our paths. In fact the entire season seems to be a weak-tea analogy for 9-11 and The-War-Against-Terror. Certainly Gene Roddenberry would have been appalled by the nihilistic vision this version of Star Trek embodies.

Star Trek: Enterprise: Horizon (2003) Season 2, Episode 20

Not important so give it a 'Miss'

[3/10 · 17 January 2013]

No Spoilers. Probably best to just skip this episode as it adds nearly nothing to the overall plot or development of characters. The basic plot sees Travis Mayweather spending several days visiting the freighter he grew up on and encountering various levels of discontent with his having left for Starfleet. We also see T'pol complaining extra hard for most of the episode about being coerced into fraternizing with the crew for 'Movie Night'.

The main flaws are that the episode is corny, poorly acted, badly written and under-dramatic. What could have been a powerful homecoming with a complex emotional landscape falls flat, at best, and is cringe-worthy at worst. The freighter, Horizon, is populated by less-than-believable family members who treat Travis with a coolness that conveys less that they are shunning him and more that they have simply never seen him before and are forced at gunpoint to pretend they have. The acting is terrible on every level with only Billingsley and Trineer coming out unscathed.

Much of the dramatic plot movements happen off-screen which is bad enough but, worse so does the emotional reaction. When we do see an emotional scene it feels forced and stilted with little warmth or realism. The episode is much like a high school play written by an eighth grader. It references the human condition without having long personal experience with it, leaving the viewer bored and incensed with the waste of their time.