tim_s_wiley Reviews

The Affair (2014–2019)

Breaking Bad Brilliant If you ignore season 3 thru 5.

[8/10 · 16 August 2024]

It really is Breaking Bad quality writing/story telling applied to nuances, complexities and stresses of long term relationship and family dynamics. This applies to seasons 1 and 2. Acting on all fronts is fantastic with incredibly insightly storytelling.

Season 3 and beyond take a very noticeable nose-dive and feels disjointed and jagged. It really feels like the writers had to sacrifice quality of story telling to support actor schedules/availability dynamics. It just really takes off in a different direction. There are glimmers of goodness in season 3 and beyond but it never comes close to returning to its first 2 season intensity. I would say season 3 and beyond deserve a 6 to 6.5 rating.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Sigh. It's a frail, tired and unoriginal attempt at original magic.

[5/10 · 22 July 2024]

RIP Harold Ramis (You were/are a legend).

The above said is why i'm going to be very blunt on this review. Harold Ramis deserved a much much better followup to his baby.

I hate the word cliche. I truly do... I get tired of folks who critique films using the word cliche... The word sounds judgemental and pompous by default. So this movie and some others caught me on a downward spiral and i had no choice.

Its a medicre script with a mixed cast and some buttered up FX and for the one millionth time forcefully anchored to some teenagers acting like 40 year olds that just falls flat in so many places and topped off with a some of the legendary original cast playing extremely weak versions of the ir original characters in order to prop up the teenager.

How many movies now days anchor their roots to some overly bitter teens/twenty year olds who somehow have the intelligence and widom of 40 year olds who are all incrediblly clever, resourceful and brilliant and on point, and comically laughing at the possibility of death at 15 years old.

It would be nice seeing kids written as kids again with a script that truly knows how to use them. (Writers: Please rewatch the Goonies or Stranger Things, or Super 8 to get an idea of how writing for kids is done.)

But this move is just grounded in ridiculousness from the start.

Not to say the original wasn't ridiculous, but the original had several comedic geniuses writing and staring in the movie that knew how to make and sell ridiculous originally and as fun within the script regardless of the visual fx. On top of that the concept/writing was entirely new at that time.

The cast is all very solid acting wise in this... But if you want to cement your position in the Cheese hall of fame... well you cast Paul Rudd. I mean nothing against the guy.. he just brings the same exact character to every movie, and they just give him a different name... And in some movies it works really really well like (I Love you man)... but in others its just eye rolling because you know who the guy is going to be and what he's going to add to the film before he even speaks

I loved the original ghostbusters... but i'm tired of weak sell out remakes of incredibly iconic movies that don't take the time or discipline to do it right like for example Top Gun Maverick. Or Cobra Kai.

It was bland from start to finish and i've already forgotten most of it... but I can still remember almost every detail of the original... that isn't bias... it just wasn't very good.

Man Vs. (2015)

Not bad really... Probably better to watch in the dark.

[6/10 · 13 July 2024]

I watched during the day and honestly i had a bit of fun with this one. I definitely think it would have been more fun watching in the dark. It definitely gets you on edge even if the methods are copy cat.

A few tweaks and a bit more money this could have been a solid 7/8. The formula is a mesh of Bear Gryls meets Predator meets Signs place.

I think it could have sold itself a bit more if it didn't rob so much from Predator. I mean the similarities had me cringing at times but the acting and baseline premise was very intriguing and kept me from turning away.

It was very well executed and acted until the endeding and threaded well with an interesting setting concept. Although i personally could not immediately come up with anything better in the area of the antagonist, i do wish it had just a bit more tweak in originality and didn't feel so cloned.

After the cabin tv reveal towards the end, it felt extremely rushed to conclude and i thought it could have used just 5 or 10 more minutes to close out in a less cheezy fashion that probably would have saved them money. We didn't need the stereotypical cheezy one last breath from the antagonist...

Maybe one other slight that just didn't make sense was the chess playing from the antagonist. It didn't fit when you consider what the antagonist was doing at the other basecamp. I think the chess playing angle could have better taken this movie into an entirely different direction to where maybe more of a ET relationship was being formed by a crash landed alien learning from the human sharing the area. But i digress.

The conclusion leaves the movie far too open without resolution. I mean sure he beat the main antagonist but based on what we learn from the TV reveal it doesn't even come close to feeling like a conclusion at all. And honestly requires a sequel that's probably never going to happen to feel closure.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

The BEST Sci-Fi I've Seen In a Long While!! Bitter SW fans posting bad reviews.

[8/10 · 11 July 2024]

This review will counts for part 1 and 2 as i just finished both. First of all i had no idea about either of these movies... Just saw them floating around on netflix and part 1 pulled me in like a magnet.

The character and story development were superb. One quickly cares for these characters deeply and their cause which to me is supremely important. The balance of the characters and the actors behind them just complete the palette for an amazing experience.

And finally after they got all that stuff right, the visuals, music and action sequences were STUNNING! Other Disni-fied movies go all visuals without story and this leaves them in the dust. Movies without great character development and story lose my interest regardless of visuals.

Zach Snyder hit this out of the PARK!!! I mean i'm trying to think of another Sci-Fi mini that reaches this level and as i'm writing i'm coming up empty.

I cannot understand 5 start here on rating other than there is starting to be some severe gaming of ratings here...

The Acolyte (2024)

Promised Carrie Moss - Delivers disney teenish drama.

[4/10 · 20 June 2024]

Im only a casual star wars fan, but even I know what things are sacred in the star wars universe and this show broke several without any compelling reason to do so.

Playing with JEDI origin history to suit twin teenish drama while wasting a talent like Carrie Moss? I wish someone paid me millions to understand the obvious.

Lee Jung and CAM deserves their own series instead of being anchored down to babysitting angry teenish/twenty women.

I bailed after episode 2, it's just a cheesy bridge to far when the story isn't strong nor convincing enough to sell it.

I understand Disney's heavy hand in steering things to younger audience, but you better cater to the folks paying the bills aka the true SW fan base...

Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)

Starts off w great organic vibe, but sadly doesn't stay there long.

[6/10 · 16 June 2024]

I was hooked in the first 1.5 episodes even w some slights, but the train ran too far off the tracks somewhere towards the end of episode... and episodes 2 and 3 are firmly off reservation and forgetful.

Where it goes wrong:

1. Who is behind all the writing for these kids today? The main characters daughter is like 13/14 or so... but again somehow they feel these kids need to cycle between angry bitter 30 year old women or 3 year old tantrum throwers for just one kid. I have 7 kids and its truly eye rolling to see this writing play out on screen.

2. Who leaves murderers unguarded by police at the hospital? Hollywood does... that's who.

3. Secondly so much starts happening with Erin it's just too much too fast and it starts to feel much less organic and letting suspense marinade a bit and more of effort to charm viewers with quick action candy... And sadly it has the same effect as eating a bunch of sugar really quickly.. stomach ache and no nutritional value.

4. Considering #3 above it just makes the supporting case look like mindless airheads... Especially her husband... I mean how many times does she have to come home with cuts and bruises before her husband gets a clue?

5. The main actress is a great actor but she's like 90 lbs... and while the action sequences are tight enough most of the time to help her squeak by... there are some shots like where she could barely lift the tricycle to throw at an attacker that and other minor slights that definitely hurt the believability factor.

Dangerous (III) (2021)

Great potential plagued by B movie execution.

[5/10 · 4 June 2024]

As i watched this I really wanted this to be better than it is, because it felt like w a few adjustments it could have been a great movie. The beginning grabs you and keeps your interest, but weak supporting cast, a harsh script and some choppy scene execution cements B movie status.

The main actors were solid except as much as i beyond love Clint Eastwood, Scott was solid, but the depth of acting that this character required just wasn't there...

I liken this roll to another one in the movie "The Accountant" but Affleck does a truly convincing job of selling the socially challenged action character. Eastwood just can't really sell it convincingly and it really comes off very odd in his "old self" attempts.

I also thought most all of the house cast was about as B acting as it gets, and could have used some of the heavy hitters like MG, TG and FAMKE, but to me they chose to limit them to far less insignificant rolls.

Seems like the director on site perhaps could have pushed for some more out of the actors and scene execution. That said Kevin Durand who plays the main villain feels right.. I think he deserved a better script but definitely an intriguing villain.

I think I'm really writing this review because I felt like this could have been a solid movie, and honestly given the same raw materials the product should have turned out better.

The Cleaning Lady (2022– )

Great S1 but end of S2 n all of S3 (off the rails)

[6/10 · 25 April 2024]

First off BIG Respect and and condolences to Adam Canto and his family... Too young and a shocking loss. I really thought he was going to be like the next Bond, Bourne or truly independent action/suspense actor. And of course i didn't know him personally he still came off as a really likeable charismatic guy personally. Long live your memory.

Now to the facts of the series. I loved Season 1 and i thought that combined chemistry of everyone and the script was OUTSTANDING... Adam Canto was incredible... A very unique and intriguing take on a action/hero portrayal.

However towards the end of the second season and pretty much all of the 3rd season the script just wants to have too much going on all the time to the point beyond eye rolling and very far fetched.... The show started to settle in on one setting... Constant Chaos with no change in dynamics starts to create massive viewer fatigue. It became exhausting and eye rolling to watch and more importantly far less believable.

Thony is a great character that is basically becoming a Heizenberg from breaking bad... She continously does far more harm than good and she can't seem to understand that... But the big difference between Breaking Bad and this show is pace and dynamic changes and realism. Breaking bad was never in a rush to throw everything in at once to see what sticks or just tryin to hard to keep continous tension when it isn't really needed.

Arctic (2018)

Outstanding Gritty, Organic and Un-Hollywooded Survival Story!

[9/10 · 23 April 2024]

I've watched this movie about 4 times now over the last 3 to 4 years. There are just some of those movies you get in the mood for on occasion and this one found its way into that bunch for me.

On the very simplistic surface it's Castaway in the Arctic, but the story telling about the human spirit and our individual motivators is told NO BETTER than this movie via MM's portrayal.

As far as reviews here I'm shocked actually. I think this film is more for folks who enjoy a great story, seriously great acting and reading between the lines rather than the need for explicit dialog. I also think the entire nature of the movie is organic and un-hollywooded and that might seem a bit to slow/quiet for some but i assure you its not.

I'm a huge MM fan, and I could easily argue that this was his best movie. There is very little dialog but MM is able to convey the beauty and depth of the human spirit under tremendous circumstances

It also peels allot back regarding our most basic needs and motivations. It subtlely articulates how love for others is stronger than personal fear.

I 100% believe MM brought more realism, intensity and depth to a survival story than I've ever seen before.

Road House (2024)

Campy take of the orig... And no Sam Elliot role?

[6/10 · 22 March 2024]

First off the original Road House would be hitting an 8 on IMDb today for sure... This new take was fun to watch, but Im not interested in seeing it again which is sad.

I watch the original probably once every 2 or 3 years because it's unique and Swayze, Elliot bring a flavor with that different script that is missing in this one The older version w Swayze was a far more complete and mature story and its script just carried more depth and character mystery...

JG and CM were great... Matter of fact Cm was fun as a villain and look fwd to his villain take on more serious roles as he definitely has the charisma and intrigue. JG was very solid but Swayze was able to add a complexity/depth w his script that is missing in this one..

I thought the new script not including a real Sam Elliot equivalent role was a MASSIVE mistake which short changed Dalton's character development and did the same the to the story potential.

Some of the side roles had cheezy acting... so did the original but honestly this one bordered more on bad acting on some of those side roles vs just cheezy.

Combine all of these issues w so many beautiful sunny day settings near the beach and it made it real hard to sell it the same way the original did. It was nice to see it once but honestly it doesn't come close to the original for me.

The Creator (2023)

Prioritizing visuals over character development. (AGAIN)...

[6/10 · 25 January 2024]

For me its plain and simple. The movie is strongly implying/requiring we should feel empathy towards the characters but it really doesn't earn this as it significantly lacks character development in the beginning.

Begins immediately in this strange new world in immediate crisis with excessive visuals and action sequences that are visually amazing, but I think viewers are struggling to just get their bearings due to too much too fast. Honestly I think the movie needs an extended cut with an addition 10 to 15 minutes of character setup/depth development to pull us in as humans.

Nearly an hour in it starts to piece a bit of care and character development but its not consistent and up to then it feels like a collection of sequenced scenes that are super cool but don't have an organic flow.

I think the side effect of all this is the movie leaves me knowing i should be feeling a certain way but i'm not. Ironic it just doesn' have enough human feel.

This is at least the second big budget sci-fi movie I've seen recently that has this issue. And amazingly i was impressed by the sound track on both and even more so in this movie. The acting by the way is also outstanding. There is allot of "Avatarish" concepts in the story/plot.

I think a lower budget version of this movie that shifts the 70/30% visual/story focus to 40/60% and it would have been a OUTSTANDING.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

So So M. Night/Hcock knockoff w Terrible Ending

[6/10 · 11 December 2023]

The show sets up very well and gets you intrigued right away. And all the actors are very solid of course. But along the way there are some things thrown in to create more suspense, and tension but they just come off jagged and weird and don't fit the flow of the movie but perhaps might get resolved in a tbd brilliant ending.. NOT.

The ending has to be the most abrupt and un-natural endings I've ever seen. I mean there is no way that scene looks or feels at all like an ending and nor is the movie itself ready for and ending according to what's happening... BIZARRE

The ending felt like an out of money fire sale that left many parts of the movie pointless..

It seems like the movie folks thought the core part of the story was not enough and in an attempt to enhance, aspects of Hitchcock and M Night Shymalon were very carelessly employed that ended up feeling like very cheap and unnecessary parlor tricks.

Further as a dad to 4 daughters. The little girl in that entire situation made no sense whatsoever... She was at least 5 years too old to be doing the things she did.

This has allot of potential but was ruined by unneeded parlor tricks and a truly AWFUL and bewildering ending.

The Killer (2023)

Once again Less Is More.

[8/10 · 11 November 2023]

If you want explosions, mega-stunt chases with sexy clothes and cars, well skip it... If you don't like reading btw the lines with less dialog ...skip it... If you like substance keep on... While the story line here has been rehashed a zillion times, there are only a handful of movies in this genre that do it well and a few that do it very well. This is close to the top of that list.

It just goes to show once again that a tight story, along with very well acted interesting characters capable of conveying volumes between the lines remains a successful formula.

And the sound track had just the right amount of flavor that reinforced the subtle nature of the flick. Fassbender was absolutely outstanding. He creates a unique and ambigiously conflicted character that you just can't put a finger on. All of the supporting cast were fantastic well purposed touches.

The plot is incredibly simple yet intricate in execution and detail. I will put this right up there with another favorite of mine ... The American w George Clooney. Well done.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Incredibly clever way to hold a BIG mirror up to Organized Religion.

[8/10 · 23 October 2023]

First of all the movie was very well balanced across several genres, but while horror was definitely in context the story was so good and had so many other facets to it, that I would frequently forget the horror part of it.

It's really a diverse series that explores so many different facets of life, redemption, pain, suffering along with a horror element. It was a very unique experience... so much so that i'm not sure how to approach this review... So instead I will instead without spoilers highlight the main messaging themes I interpreted.

This series really dives deep into how the rudders of organized religion can and do frequenltly veer off course severely into the areas of pre-judgment, arrogance and how that can turn ugly fast by accidentally/purposefully exploiting people during their weakest moments and in smaller areas where less information is available and less contrasting opinions.

It highlights the people that selfishly want so badly to think God's has a more favorable relationship with them alone simply because they attened Church more than others or checked all the good-boy boxes in Church... Then they selfishly and misguidely use these god-favorit dilllusions to taint and distort the religious delivery experience and bring others down with them. The series really highlights the penalties for choosing a false profit even if by mistake.

Overall its a refreshing take on how many people see Organized religion now... and probably why Church has lost so much attendance recently.

Unfortunately I was heavily involved with religion when I was younger and I stopped entirely as i became an adult honestly due to the exact things highlighted in this movie... (Of course outside the horror element)

Halloween Ends (2022)

Waited a yr to watch... I LOVED IT.... Fantastic Conclusion (I'm shocked)

[8/10 · 21 October 2023]

I was so upset by the reviews last year I did not watch H Ends until now..... I mean if the rumors/reviews were right i was worried it would spoil the series for me which i loved... Finally a year later sitting around free on Prime and bored i turned it on.

Honestly I thought it was Very Good shockingly. I think it required some reading btw the lines to really see past the surface which is why some of the events were butchered alive in the reviews.

This was honestly the most explanatory, intellectual and darwinistic version of all of the Halloweens w LS and MM... and since it was the conclusion of the series I really appreciated what was revealed here with all the subtleties.... It let us into the how's and why's more deeply without going so deep it destroyed the mystique of MM/The Shape and Good/Evil.

I'm embarrassed to say i let the reviews and publicity delay my viewing on the finale.

So let me walk thru my interpretation.

Since this one concludes the series I agree that MM and LS didn't have quite enough screen time... but i understood reading btw the lines that while this one was a conclusion for LS and MM... It was also showing good/evil truly never dies and mildly hinting at how it started or could start again... And in doing that it was unvealing the curtain just a bit into who/what MM/The Shape was... And the nature of good/evil.

People complained about Michael being too in this one, but again reading btw the lines it made sense to me... The evil in MM knew that body was failing due to obvious trauma and age... It was desperate to find a new potential host to "carry the torch"... and saw a bit of possiblity in Corey which is why the Shape didn't kill Corey. Even deeper with some symbolism the town had become much more hateful, less tolerent over the years and the damage MM inflicted not only had its impact but it grew exponentially... and I think this actually weakened MM and/or the need for him because the evil/negative energy got diluted which would also explain why he laid dormant for 4 years.

It did show that Michaels strength/resilence increases as he kills and of course the addition of the Halloween event itself helps him reach peak potential. So honestly i thought it really added up and actually started to explain/hint at the mythology of what was behind MM/The Shape more so than any of the others. Clearly allot was unveiled when MM read Corey's eyes... That part of it alone CLEARLY 100% reveals MM is not JUST a man. Matter of fact the more i think about this conclusion the more i really like how the subtleties add up and tie together not just this movie but who MM was and why he existed and the darwinism of good/evil and how that battle will never go away... it just changes form.

Lastly for those of us who've been around since the first Halloween and watched all of these, it felt like solid soulful closure to me... I'm sure some of that is nostalgia... I've known LS and MM characters since I was kid... and now ALL OF US are older and unfortunately things come to close. As is life. Allot like one of a kind roller coaster you rode when young and got your kids to ride later and finally its last day has past and its closed down/dismanted and gone... and replaced by a newere one for a newer generation. (Sigh).

LS came full circle and finally ended and overcame the one thing that dreadfully consumed her entire life and so many around her.... And for MM/The Shape... It's bittersweet... Part of the mystique of this guy was that he just was unstoppable yet believable and it gave the movies the fear by his power. But alas in this conclusion times have changed and he is weaker and that is because he did his job... the town had more hate... less tolerance... less understanding and more of his energy was absorbed by others in the town which weakened him along with his age and injuries. But further LS was the symbolism of good beating evil finally yet painfully... I think MM/The Shape needed to kill LS because she had beaten him over and over and had he killed her strength/luck/resilence would have transferred to him thus making him more powerful... She became the one gate that kept him from evolving further. And her survival was the one thing that gave the town hope and dimished MM/The Shapes impact.

Finally... and I mean FINALLY... This horror movie does the one thing that none in its likeness ever do and leave all of us screaming at the movie at how stupid the characters are because they don't...

They actually REALLY REALLY guarantee the finality of MM... There was no hollering at the screen saying shoot him again... shoot him again... It closed without the cliche which i think was some genius poetic justice as this the first REAL conclusion of a legendary horror series spanning 40 years which truly kickstarted this genre entirely... and that little touch was like a final stage bow out indicating it was really done and they started something different and ended it different as well.

Vesper (2022)

Melancholy + Dystopia have a child named Gloomy

[4/10 · 18 October 2023]

The visuals are crazy good. I really wanted to like it and it felt like was going to be one of these under the radar blockbusters but it just never goes ANYWHERE. You feel like there is a cool concept here somewhere but it just never pans out.

The movie starts in first gear... and stays in first gear the whole way thru. Sadly there are just a few problems but they are big problems.

#1. You don't care about the characters. There is just not enough background to start to care or feel for the characters. Which is also related to the next problem.

#2. No dynamics EVER... The movie starts off buried in Dystopian gloom and melancholy and never leaves. Its so much gloom and doom... You feel like your hungover on a gloomy Sunday afternoon and everything feels off.

#3. Because of missing dynamics and missing empathy for characters... the movie is entirely left to its visuals so many sci-fi tech nuances that are probably really well thought out but I don't care to understand them.

The Soundtrack was great but I never felt the story/character development lived up to the soundtrack or the concept.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Outstanding Offspring of Orig and Next Gen---> Wow

[9/10 · 13 September 2023]

Seriously blown away... Long long time coming.

Baseline, I was a big fan of the Orig and Next Gen... Since then I haven't been impressed although i have watched or tried to watch all the spin-offs. I think the Chris Pine movies were solid as well and definitely revived things but clearly they weren't in it for the long haul sadly. Picard for me sadly was a massive dissapointment except for season 3.

This series seems to wisely prop itself up on the legs/foundations formed in the Original, Next Gen, and a bit of the newer pine movies and combine those elements into one AMAZING series.

Further they add their own spice which is WORKING. They go deeper into the human experience of it all. Deeper into the challenges regarding morality, pain and loss... etc... And somehow they also pull off just the right amount of light-hearted comedy in very touching ways. I don't think i've ever seen a show like this fit comedy in without coming off as in your face cheezy.

I think new Trek watchers will love this show, and previous Trek fans will be blown away. Matter of fact i'm not certain why i'm not giving this series a 10 except for the fact i'm truly hoping folks take the review seriously.

The Blackwell Ghost (2017 Video)

Not a documentary(Its fake)... Tricking people with that designation.

[4/10 · 20 August 2023]

If it were an amateur short with a mystery/thriller/horror so be it and honestly it wouldn't be too bad considering but would land around the same 4 rating... But bs load is cleverly/irresponsibly highlighted as a historic documentary and played off this way, which makes you look at the film coming in differently that if were classified truthfully.

It's amazing how much a genre can shape your interpretation going in and they definitely sell their souls for fame on this to play with that misconception.

There are just countless things about it that are left unexplained purposefully and the wife's "acting"/"behavior" gave it up right away and you know immediately this is a fraud... No normal person does what she does in this knock-off... and the guy is convincing as just an genuine guy who's initial take on paranormal is prove it and until then its bs... which is great but as soon as the details start rolling... you quickly realize he's really not who he says he is at all... And tons of other eye rolling stuff to the point where wheels come off the wagon as it attempts to leap for a trademark Paranormal Activity ending.

This is just a another notch in the belt of folks willing to sell their souls for fame/money by playing not just loosely with documentary status but basically destroying the whole meaning in order to get hits/views/buzz... It's sad to see and i know i couldn't look myself in the mirror if this is how i accomplished but hey allot of people just truly don't care.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Great Stunts/Cinematography but missing Craig's Bond heart/soul

[6/10 · 23 July 2023]

I still end up comparing these all to the Bourne Series and now most recently Craigs Bond Series. MI just always falls far short for me and despite my very high hopes this last one does as well...

It's very big on eye candy (stunts, cinematography, gadgets) but its always light on story/arch and meaningful character development outside of Ethan.

The complimentary side kicks in MI always remain just that and nothing more. The roles/scope they are limited to don't allow them to develop any sense of depth or meaning even though they've been in all 7 of these now.

I hate to say it but i truly believe Cruise monopolizes too much of the show, and this sabotages any other character development.

I'll be honest I forgot i watched it 10 minutes after i left the theater, unlike No Time To Die... i couldn't wait to see it again in Imax and then couldn't wait to own the Blueray.

I'm a big Cruise fan but i can but this is just eye candy without substance and I just never got into it even though i really tried.

FUBAR (2023– )

Give it 2 episodes. I wrote a review after 1 and was 100% wrong.

[8/10 · 27 May 2023]

This is a corrective review. I initially gave this a 5 and after episode 2 I was 1000% wrong. First off I 100% love Arnold S... I think he's an inspirational person of rare nature and I'm clearly biased. But i did initially give this a 5 star review after watching episode 1. I decided bored and sitting around to push to episode 2 and i can't believe how much the show evolved and got its bearings and started hitting all the spots i was hoping it would hit. Anyways bottom line is i was wrong. The show starts to touch all the things that True Lies left open... and when Arnold hits the zone about how he feels in a father daughter dynamic well its super touching... kinda nostalgia lie Cobra Kai.

Anyhow I'm happy to see my old man Arnold involved with something that has allot of potential. I feel terrible for my pre-judgement and have re-learned an old lesson.

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

"Theranos Voice" mainstream political power flick aimed at women.

[6/10 · 23 May 2023]

Hey it's about time that women dominating a poltically themed show, but as a older male with 3 grown daughters, you can definitely feel the heavy handed gender steering and the series needs to take some notes from other shows that have done this in a much more organic and genuine way.

Several episodes are basically high-powered men acting like kids and screwing things ups and its up to a bunch of behind the scenes women soap operishly having to cleanup after them. In addition there is a bit of "theranos voice" in this which really sad i thiink.

I'm an audio guy and i can't help but notice auditory patterns... if you watch a few episodes of this show you will hear the men by far have far more dynamics in their voices throughout the show during normal conversations and/or heated ones... but the women have far far less dynamic frequency changes throughout the series and its very clear efforts are in place to purposely limit femininity in the voices... Frequently the during dialog the women have deeper voices than the men in multiple scenes.

It has the bones of good show but its definitely over coaxing to get its point across and again could learn allot from other shows that have done this far more organically by just being real.

The Mother (2023)

Takes a special woman to pull off action. J-Lo is NOT one of them.

[4/10 · 14 May 2023]

I always like finding good off beat action movies starring women. I think Noomi is probably the leader in this area currently.

Anyhow Netflix did a great job propping this up, but this thing just falls apart and feels flat within the first 5 minutes and stays there the rest of the movie.

Plot is weak to start and there's just not enough grit, complexity or intensity to J-Lo's character to get past the glam. Its more like diet-action. There just isn't enough working to make her a believable action star. I like J-Lo in other stuff but this just didn't fit. Quite a ways to reach Noomi, Milla, Beckinsale etc...

Its a movie you forget as soon as you see it.

Designated Survivor (2016–2019)

Late to the party - agree w other starts strong n fizzles eye rollingly

[5/10 · 6 April 2023]

Premise is great, first 8 to 10 episodes are GREAT... but after that it quickly degrades into an un-reallistic eye rolling mess... Actors are great... but for a serious series people expect better and more realistic writing... The writing around hacking (as a computer software engineer)... is eye rolling ridiculous from the Space Agencies flight software to power grid, cell phone battery fire... I mean garbage...

The president appoints one all powerful FBI agent w basically unlimited resources to pursue the biggest threat in the country and repeatedly she goes at it alone gun in first w zero communication as to what she's doing risking more harm than the good she does...

Final straw was the power outage in DC and then the whitehouse only have 8 hrs of backup generator... RIDICULOUS...

Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2023)

After TWD gave this a hopeful 2 season go... (Writing just bad)

[22 January 2023]

I recently finished TWD and yes its not perfect but overall I loved it and was desperate to continue the adventure... so we tried this out... It was ok and held our interest, but little things started to add up. The acting was really good/solid across the show but the writing just wasn't there especially for the kids.

#1. The Barber happened to be secret former torturous bad guy... What are the odds? But ok...

#2. The cheesy Sales Guy in lockup who seemingly owns the house/yacht they get away in... I mean really this guy was just over the top and too much to swallow... eye rolling...

#3. But the worst thing was the forced attempts to add the kids drama in the mix in they most typical eye rolling ways possible. I've seen so many recent shows forcefully trying to engage all ages like Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, Queens Gambit etc.. and fail horribly as does this one.

First off it starts off with all kind of typical very exaggerated teen hate going on against the step spouses of divorced parents(Unrealistically hateful), and the kids that are way old enough to know better, keep going off and doing the dumbest stuff possible jeopardizing everyone and totally un-affected by the gravity of recent world events. It just became so bad in this area it was eye rolling...

The trip to scavenge supplies from a plane crash on the beach was the last straw. People are dying and their family is fighting for survival, they promise to be serious when they go to the beach to scout for supplies and return asap... but they get there within 5 minutes start shopping like they are at the mall, 2 decide to sneak off on their own and eventually have a huge herd of zombies after them and one falls into a pit standing on the sandy edge... It was just a eye rolling scooby doo cheese fest at that point... And it lost me... Cheap and very bad/forced parlor tricks to add drama to the show where it really wasn't needed.

In the TWD it was very very refreshing how they used children in the show. It was a far more realistic take on Darwinism and how the serious nature of death/love would have on any decent kid also trying to survive and help their family do so. In TWD they learned they had to step up at a young age and that doing something stupid was going to cost them... and they were far younger than the kids on Fear TWD.

TWD had its cheesy issues too but the formula was just better on the better on realism, and you really respected the good guys so much more because the writing respected them more so.

Black Summer (2019–2021)

Starts great (Hot/Cold) but goes off rails in1.25 episodes...

[5/10 · 10 December 2022]

So many shows trying to do to much rather than just keep it simple and focus on quality vs quantity. Its really a super hot or super cold show... Really promising/good and then terrible... rinse and repeat.

The premise we all know... weeks into a zombie apocalypse people are scrambling to survive which is fine and military is still engaged to evacuate people.... But quickly the show turns into an elaborate home-away style human to human sabotage show...

Meaning even though people are fighting for life and death, food, water, shelter... yet far too strangely there are pockets of people that have developed these overly elaborate schemes to trap, sabotage people and it goes off non-sensical (Especially the school scene where an elite group of warped kids and teenagers have turned their school into a mouse trap game (Not for the zombies but for people)...

None of the main characters can stay focused on their original plans and easily and repeatedly get distracted by nonsense that has nothing to do with the plans... which is to get to safety, family, etc...

Would be a solid show if they stuck to the meat and potatoes and limit the side show sabotage stuff that makes ZERO sense.