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Reviews
Accidental Family (2021)
I have no words....
This was so bad that I had to write a review. From the opening scene it felt amateurish. The inner dialogue of the female lead in that opening scene came across forced and disproportional - "over the top" is a great way to characterize that scene.
...and we're off...
The plot line was very similar to "While you were Sleeping." In fact, some of the dialogue was close to identical. The acting was stilted and there was no chemistry between the two leads which for a romance is the kiss of death.
Finally, they could have put in just a bit of effort to get age-appropriate actors for the flash-back, flash-forward scenes.
Eureka: The Honeymooners (2012)
More Annoying than Enjoyable
I found this episode really annoying across all of the storylines.
The writers and director had an opportunity to add a little elevated drama and tension with the discovery of the cold case. Instead, it's being handled in a sophomoric manner. Jo should know better, given her experience and training.
The whole honeymoon plot was just stupid. I found it stigmatizing for males and females. Jack as the myopic, unromantic husband and Ally as the whiney wife. Almost as if they channeled a 1950's TV show.
I know this show is more fantasy than drama, but it feels like they phoned it in. Maybe the new the end was near and have stopped trying. I have been binge watching this and it's been a struggle to complete this final season.
Southland (2009)
Original, Gritty, Entertaining
I often cringe at the manner in which many of the criminal justice shows depict cops. I understand it's about entertainment, and it's not meant to be a documentary. As a former cop, I understand the working environment, the unique relationships formed with other officers, the dark humor, and the stress associated with the job.
I find that SoutLAnd paints one of the most realistic portrayals of the life of street policing that I seen on TV, since the days of Hill Street Blues. There are subtleties in the show that may get lost on viewers who are not be familiar with patrol duties.
This is a dramatic series and so there are a few liberties being taken, but those are easily overlooked in favor of an excellent drama. The characters are all relatable, and their struggles quite real.
Moonfall (2022)
Kinda Ridiculous
This is my first ever review on a movie on IMDB. The trailers for Moonfall had me quite intrigued, and I was excited to see the movie in it's full. The premise is interesting, but it didn't take very long for the the movie itself to become a tad ridiculous. I would imagine that some inventive college student could develop a drinking game around the identification of plot holes in the movie. There are quite a few. Never mind the rather ludicrous science of it all.
I know, I know. It's just a movie, it's not a documentary, no one expects it to be factual. My problem with Moonfall is that it's so outlandish that it was not all that entertaining for me. It feels like the producers didn't even really try. They just relied on special effects to wow the audience. It may be one of those type of movies that actors do simply for a paycheck.
On a positive note, the special effects are quite amazing.
The Bystander Theory (2013)
Surprisingly good for a low-budget movie....
I ran across this when browsing through the "you might also like..." movies list on Amazon Prime. Since I like historical movies, I can see why this popped up. I watched the trailer and decided to pass on it.
A few days later I decided "what the heck." and gave the movie a spin. I'm glad I did. The movie was produced out of the Austin Texas film community. It's definitely low budget, but I think they did a good job.
The main plot of the movie is related to whether or not a particular individual may have been involved in the assassination of JFK. There's a couple interesting, but minor subplots. I think it's worth that viewers stay all the way to the last 10 minutes of the movie, which for me made the whole experience worthwhile.
The movie is actually suitable for young teens and up. I don't think I heard any swear words, and while there is some 'violence," it's relatively mild. The film could actually be used to discuss as a family about how things are not always what they seem.
The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
"The Night Manager" set a high bar...
I loved "The Night Manager" and was anxious to finally see the next installment of a John le CarrƩ novel. I found this a bit disappointing. Maybe I was spoiled by the first installment, but I struggled through this.
The pace of the movie was painfully slow and the dialog between Charlie and Joseph was frustrating at times because you couldn't tell who Joseph was channeling. I personally thought that Alexander Skarsgard's performance was a little wooden. But I thought that the performance of Florence Pugh as Charlie was excellent.