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Fallout: The Target (2024)
Rapa Dapa
I was surprised to see a couple of viewers were turned off by the fact that one of the characters was played by Michael Rappaport. Actually, I didn't find that scene off-putting. In fact, I thought it was a pretty good casting choice. After all, we only get to see Knight Titus right before he dies. Rappaport came off as prickly and offensive, which is exactly what that scene called for.
My beef is with the Maximus character. If you didn't know better you'd think that scene and many of them to follow were written by the same people who scripted Amos and Andy. Could that character be any more excruciatingly stereotypical? Nearly every Maximus scene was painful to watch.
I agree with many other commentators: the level of believability was relatively low. But you have to take it all in stride since the heroine, Lucy, is truly clueless.
Actually, the best part of this episode were the character actors, who did a sensational job of selling the premise of Lucy being entirely out of her element. Special Kudos to Dale Dickey who truly stole scenes with her spot on portrayal of the irascible Ma June. That performance alone made the episode worthwhile.
Walton Goggins' character is quite confusing. A bad guy that is not necessarily a bad guy. His performance will be hard to judge until we see him in more episodes.
Moreover, I share the commentator's observations regarding the blatant animal cruelty depicted at the start of this episode. The filmmaker presents it abruptly, without preparing the audience, making it a direct and jarring experience. They could have made the same point in a much more subtle way. So it appears to be an intentional attempt to shock people (probably for ratings).
Overall, this was an uneven episode with scenes that were offensive due to the subject matter or the lack of credibility, combined with portions that contained a couple of stellar performances.
Fallout: The End (2024)
High Production Value
I'm not a gamer and have never heard of Fallout, so my only concern was the entertainment value. The lead character, Lucy, was somewhat interesting.
But I have to agree with the commentator who said Jonathan Nolan seems to have trouble writing pilots. I remember watching the first episode of Westworld and wondering why it got such high ratings. Especially since I had watched the original movie.
I agree with the commentators who said this episode is clunky and somewhat disjointed. The writer's task is to provide a compelling obstacle that needs to be addressed. Johnathan Nolan failed to do that. Yes, we know that Lucy wants to find her dad. But so what? Moreover, the story of Maximus interfered with the flow of events.
Where I WILL give credit is the production values were stellar. The sets were believable and well detailed. A smart move on the producer's part. This is Sci-Fi. If you want us to accept an alternative world, you have to sell it.
Hopefully, this story will get better as we go along.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Blue Carbuncle (1984)
Not a Good Mystery
This is a Christmas story pretending to be a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The positive thing I can say is the production level was impressive. The village scenes especially were designed with care and detail.
However the story itself was hobbled by the restraint of trying to exude a holiday theme. Pretty much all of the characters were of the type you would expect to encounter in a Dickens novel.
The filmmakers decided to keep everything light, so no one is murdered or even injured. Rather, a jewel is stolen and the opening sequence goes out of its way to telegraph who the thieves will turn out to be. Essentially, this is less of a mystery and more along the lines of a treasure hunt.
I found the ending to be quite peculiar. Holmes and Dr Watson sit down to eat. Suddenly they decide to first go to the police station and inform them they have the wrong man behind bars.
Then we cut to the hokey scene of the freed suspect reuniting with his children and wife while Christmas music plays. Everything in this episode took a backseat to Christmas, including the story.
The Family That Preys (2008)
Pretty Good
Up til now I have refused to watch a Tyler Perry movie simply on principle. But this one was recommended by someone I consider trustworthy, so I sat down and watched it.
Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard really make the movie. As several reviewers have stated, this movie is really soap opera material. Combined with Tyler Perry trying to pack in corny humorous gags. Like the baptism of Charlotte Cartwright.
There were exceptional moments like when KaDee Strickland portrayed Jillian Cartwright detecting perfume on her husband's shoulder when they hugged. But overall, outside of Bates and Woodard, the acting and timing of scenes was stiff.
But what makes this movie worthwhile to a segment of viewers is the willingness to address themes that register with them. Such as respect for elders, the importance of marital loyalty and the realization that wealth isn't all it's cracked up to be.
The movie isn't all it could be. Several scenes were gratuitous and could have easily been trimmed. Nevertheless, the wholesome underlying morality play stays true to form and carries this production over the finish line.
Äkta människor: The Lord Shall Be Our Companion (2012)
An Intriguing Premise
I learned about this series from an IMDb review. It's an interesting premise.
So far the granddad has turned out to be a real curmudgeon and liar. And that's what makes this series tick. The question is: What is a human - really? Are they any better than robots?
So far, all of the characters are interesting and the story is well-rounded. We have robots who are renegades. And robots that are dutiful. There are humans who are doing their best to be civilized and others that are fascists against the robots. Meanwhile, this story even includes a female priest who is also a lesbian. Truly, there's something in this series for everybody.
I was impressed enough that I decided to write this review. Only time will tell whether the writers can bring the story forward while maintaining balance of the elements they've set in motion. But so far, so good.
Äkta människor (2012)
First Season - Nearly Perfect
I discovered this series by reading comments for Almost Human and deciding to watch the original Swedish concept. The production values of the first season are stellar. No minor details are overlooked.
The plot is somewhat flashback dependent, which can be annoying at times. Other than that, the story is consistently intriguing and raises deep questions regarding the qualities that make us human.
There are plot twists but none that are strained. Some reviewers have mentioned there are PC elements, a subplot actually. But I didn't find it jarring or offensive. And it only lasted for an episode.
Lisette T. Pagler did an incredible job as Mimi/Anita, the house robot. Her solid acting chops made everyone else look on point. Pia Halvorsen was also excellent in the role of the compassionate (albeit overly liberal) wife of the family.
I found the season ending a little confusing. The filmmakers were tying the bow to a lot of loose ends and some of the final scenes were (in terms of continuity) jarring.
So it wasn't absolutely perfect. BUT it was the best and most original sci-fi that I've seen since Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes, it was THAT good.
The Little Things (2021)
NOT Worth the Wait
This movie hits you with a great twist during the final 52 seconds. HOWEVER, that was NOT worth waiting for.
The Little Things is overly long, boring and dull. Moreover, it's rather piecemeal. The movie starts with what seems to be a thriller opening that gets botched because the filmmakers never firmly connect the initial premise to the rest of the movie.
Read the reviews and you'll see a vast consensus: THIS IS THE WORST DENZEL WASHINGTON MOVIE EVER MADE !!!
Rami Malek did a good job but the filmmakers failed to draw a detailed picture of the motivations behind that character.
If you're crazy enough to watch the entire movie, you'll probably enjoy that twist at the end. But honestly, it's NOT worth the wait.
The Great Debaters (2007)
Formulaic at Best
This movie was tough to watch. It was trite, formulaic and felt like the official, Matrix-authorized version of the story.
Especially trying was Denzel Whitaker's portrayal of James Farmer Jr.. How much simping are we supposed to endure? It's one thing for a character to begin as a simp and over the course of the movie, grow into an alpha male. But in this fabricated movie James Farmer Jr starts off gelded and never becomes a virile thoroughbred.
I also agree with other reviewers who say there were several unnecessary plot points that should have been replaced with more emphasis on debating tactics and practice. For example, what was the point of the gratuitous scene with the pig farmers?
Apparently, this story is a cheat. There was no debate at Harvard. And I agree with the reviewer who said the real story would have been more interesting. But the filmmakers chose a concocted feel-good ending that seemed forced.
The production design of this movie was excellent. Too bad the excellence ended there.
The Company Men (2010)
Excellent
A timeless story that reveals the emptiness of materialism. This movie was released in 2010 and yet it's just as apropos today.
We see the two overarching capitalist philosophies: service oriented vs profit oriented. The main characters (Gene McClary, Phil Woodward, Bobby Walker and Salinger) played respectively by Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck and Graig T. Nelson, built a shipbuilding company from the ground up.
In the beginning their company was service-oriented but over time it shifted to being profit-oriented. Which is where the movie opens. One by one we witness every character being fired until only one remains.
What makes this film important is the reactions of the wives when their lifestyle is undermined. Bobby Walker's wife sticks by him. Moreover, their marriage grows stronger. But not before Bobby learns a lesson in humility.
Kevin Costner does a wonderful job of underplaying his role as Bobby's brother-in-law. Instead of bludgeoning us with heavy drama, the relationship between those two characters is subtle and yet strong.
How this film affects you depends upon your POV. There is redemption in the end and hope for the future. This film has something to say without being preachy.
It's definitely not an action flick. Nor is it intensely dramatic. Nevertheless, this film is morally instructive and that's a refreshing change.
Hollywoodland (2006)
What . . . that's it?
Several reviews complained about seeing microphones in the shot. I watched the whole movie and didn't see one.
Here's where I DO agree with the other reviewers: This movie is actually two movies. One movie is about Adrian Brody's character, a fictional private detective. The other is about George Reeves. Unfortunately, the directorial choice was made to emphasize the fictional character to the detriment of the George Reeves story.
Because of that choice, the relationship between George Reeves and Toni Mannix is not fleshed out to the extent necessary to develop some heat between those characters. The relationship between them is formulaic rather than romantic or dramatic.
As a mystery, this movie truly fails. The director guides the audience through three possible scenarios and then neglects to nail down the one that is most plausible. When the film ended, I actually found myself saying, "What . . . That's it?"
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (2023)
Pretty Good
I laughed out loud several times during Chris's performance.
While many probably tuned in to hear his take on the Will Smith debacle, the special is so much more than that. It is cutting edge, smart, and funny. He talked about the state of PC without being directly offensive.
Moreover, Chris told a particularly poignant story about raising his daughter. And of course he ended with his very vitriolic and funny account of the slap heard round the world. In his monologue he added some aspects that didn't appear in the press.
Chris' routine was tight, funny and thought provoking. I applaud him for his honesty and his sense of humour.
Silent Witness (1996)
Too Much
I have to agree with another reviewer. 100 things going on in each episode. I tried to watch episode 3 of Season 1 and after five minutes, I'm done.
A crime drama is supposed to start off with a crime. Instead, you have a whole bunch of disconnected scenes that are uninteresting and meaningless. Do I even care if the son doesn't want to live where he's living? What's that got to do with the crime?
I stopped watching because the story was developing at a snail's pace. Apparently, the writers are attempting to create a soap opera instead of a crime series.
Really wanted to like this series but they failed to focus in on the crime and the intensive search for the solution.
Outside the Wire (2021)
Unrealistic
There were several things wrong with this movie.
FIRST The notion that a soldier could disobey a direct order AND kill people yet not be immediately put in the brig and court marshalled strained credulity.
SECOND Futuristic war robots would be calibrated to the nth degree. Nearly every shot should have been a kill. Also, that scene where the soldiers are messing with the robot and hitting it with the stock of their rifle wouldn't happen. Because the robot is a military-grade weapon. So it would have a built-in defense mechanism for situations like that.
THIRD I agree with the reviewers who said Damson Idris was not a strong enough actor to pull off that role. Anthony Mackie left him in the dust.
FOURTH The ending was trite. This would have been a MUCH better movie if the nuke launched and a major city in the US was destroyed.
FIFTH This movie needed expository scenes featuring Pilou Asbæk. Without background, Victor Koval is merely a cypher. There was no dramatic tension when Leo and Victor confronted each other.
SUMMATION This movie had great potential but it was tragically executed by people who - ironically - were unable to think "outside the wire."
Foyle's War: War Games (2003)
Propaganda
The writer presented a stereotypical and highly unrealistic story. I agree with the reviewer who described the villains as cardboard. Unlike "They Fought in the Fields" (Season 3, episode 3), the Nazis in this episode were portrayed without nuance. It was a completely simplistic characterization: Nazi = Bad, English=Good. Which was absurd when you consider that by the end of the story the "bad guys" in this episode turned out to be ENGLISH.
As another reviewer pointed out: there was a missed opportunity to focus on uncovering companies that were violating the Trading with the Enemy Act. That would have been an interesting episode.
ALSO at this point in the series, melodrama has become emphasized to the point that absurd events are now being written into the plot. For example, in this episode, little kids conveniently recovered evidence essential to Foyle's case. Which, of course, had nothing to do with Foyle's acumen to solve the mystery.
I enjoy Michael Kitchen's acting so I will stick with this series. But it's becoming less and less enjoyable to watch.
Foyle's War: Enemy Fire (2004)
Melodrama is NOT Mellow
Having produced a superb story last episode, devoid of ethnic propaganda and unnecessary melodrama, the filmmakers turned right around and dumped so many soap opera scenes into this story, for the first time ever, I had to fast-forward through a Foyle's War episode.
Sadly, this is the standard trajectory for crime dramas. Even the acclaimed Borgen suffered from this treatment. In fact, that was what made Bron/Broen SO special. They never went down the melodrama road. It started out as a crime drama and continued as such all the way through.
One reviewer described this episode as "emotionally rich", so apparently some people buy into the melodrama shtick. What was particularly sad was devoid of the melodrama, this was a very good mystery. The revelation of "Pip" at the end was particularly satisfying.
But I'm just NOT interested in Sam being interested in Andrew. Who cares? Other than drinking, have we ever seen them sharing some overarching common interest?
And, of course, there was the lack of realism just to serve the plot. That mechanic would have been court marshalled and thrown in the stockade for dereliction of duty. He might have been murdered. But it would have happened while he was behind bars.
This story had the makings of an excellent mystery but it was ruined by soap opera diversions that drained the story of its power.
Foyle's War: The French Drop (2004)
Finally
After a previous season bloated with excessive melodrama and ethnic propaganda, Foyle's War returns to the central ethos of the series: a mystery solved by Foyle's insightful analysis.
We see that given the opportunity, people will justify anything. One man's evil behavior is another man's "dirty tricks." The most interesting paradigm is that, in the case of Foyle, no good deed goes unpunished.
Foyle is the one who solved the mystery of Sir Giles Messinger's son. But then he had to stand there and endure being reamed out by Sir Giles, ostensibly to protect national security. AND be told that the job he wanted would not be made available to him. Essentially, Foyle is a righteous man surrounded by unrighteousness. But still he perseveres. That's an inspirational character arc worth watching.
This episode was certainly one of the better ones.
Foyle's War: Among the Few (2003)
Melodrama
Before watching this episode I read many of the reviews for the entire series. Several people mentioned Foyle's War is more a melodrama than a mystery series. This episode was an example.
If you begin to pay attention, you'll notice there's a LOT of crying going on during Foyle's War. Added to that was the ridiculous notion that Foyle would allow Sam to go undercover and place her up against a criminal enterprise. We're talking about SAM. A woman who can't keep her mouth shut when she's driving Foyle around. A woman totally untrained in both combat and martial arts.
Then there was the (predictable and trite) scene of her getting locked up with a bomb. BTW: they used this same scenario in the last episode of Season 1 of Spooks. Which was the last episode I was willing to watch of that series.
I will continue to watch Foyle's War because I enjoy watching Michael Kitchen's measured delivery of his lines. And the character arc of Paul Milner is interesting. He's a man who has handled adversity and matured over time.
Originally, I enjoyed the character of Sam Stewart. But having been used like a prop during this episode, my attitude is wait and see.
OH and I agree with another reviewer. When we saw those planes taking off with Rex leading the V formation, we all knew he wasn't coming back. Anyone who has watched old WWII movies understood what was happening.
Foyle's War is a little too melodramatic for my taste. But for the reasons I just mentioned, I'm willing to stick with this series and see where the story takes us.
Strike: Troubled Blood: Part 4 (2022)
Mostly Excellent
The scene with Strike in the pub socking Carl Oakden was against character. First of all, are we to believe that Cormoran was a moron and didn't put it together that Oakden was deliberately luring him to a location close to his father's party? AND THEN for Strike to assault Oakden in public!
Apparently, the writers were more interested in fabricating drama than sticking to the behavioral profiles of the characters.
The fourth season of virtually every BBC TV series includes some sort of PC attribute. Sure enough, during the Fourth Season of Strike that occurred as well.
The performance by Anna Calder-Marshall was extraordinary! On par with Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. She was momentarily passionate and yet overwhelmingly eerily ice cold. That one climatic scene made the whole series.
Although the plot was confusing, I DID know the chocolates Strike received were poisoned before that was revealed. I also knew Janice was going to poison Strike's tea. So I was relieved the screenwriters chose to have Strike discover her attempt rather than him being poisoned.
The Janice and Strike tete a tete was an excellent choice and probably what the filmmakers of Happy Valley were attempting to pull off with Catherine and Tommy during that final episode.
In both scenes the strongest actors were the women. The Strike scene worked because the killer was the strongest actor. In Happy Valley that same device failed because it was the cop who was the strongest actor. In Happy Valley we didn't feel the chills you got watching the confrontation between Janice and Strike.
If there's an onscreen head to head confrontation between "the good guy" and "the bad guy", it only works when the bad guy is the stronger actor (like Jodie Foster vs Anthony Hopkins).
Many reviewers now agree: the "unrequited love" paradigm has become extremely irritating to watch. Having said that, the ending of this series was satisfying and sweet to behold. Even the exit music fit perfectly.
According to BritishTV.com, Strike has been renewed and will return with a new series:The Ink Black Heart. We'll all look forward to that!
Strike: Troubled Blood: Part 2 (2022)
What's wrong with this picture?
Although he seems to wear the same apparel, Strike's beard is now neatly trimmed. He appears to be more handsome.
Meanwhile, Robin continues to tempt fate, initiating her own investigations without consulting with Strike. For a person with her limited experience, that behavior is truly unforgivable. Although she is not pompous, she IS arrogant when you consider how many times she has nearly died during the course of this series.
Although Robin is comely, I find that character particularly difficult to empathize with. She was more fun in the beginning episodes when she had a sense of respect towards Strike and a healthy respect for following the rules of procedure.
In this episode, Robin could have bitten the bullet when she went into the nursing home without backup. The more times Robin miraculously escapes punishment, the harder it becomes to suspend disbelief. NO ONE is as lucky as the writers would have us believe Robin is.
Overall, the story this season is great. Apparently, the writers learned from last season and have realized filling in the backstory is important for the audience to fully understand the characters and comprehend the overall plot.
But watching "Miracle Robin" has become trying. When Strike makes a stupid mistake he usually pays a price. Whereas, Robin usually doesn't. What's wrong with this picture?
Strike: Lethal White: Part 4 (2020)
Should have been longer
Based on the other reviews, I would say the main problem was the book contained a labyrinthine plot and covering that in a mere four episodes required a condensation of the story that was confusing.
Season 3 was overly dependent upon Robin's stupidity. Throughout the episodes we see Robin repeatedly compromising her safety. Walking alone in the dark at night or investigating isolated environs with no backup. So, not surprisingly in this episode the climax is reached by Robin foolishly wandering into danger. Strike offers to go with her BUT NOOOOO, she wanted to go on her own. I found myself yelling at the screen for Raff to kill her. Which, I'm pretty sure, is not what the filmmakers intended.
The interesting part is, the executive writer is J. K. Rowling. You would think she would have developed a female character that is demonstrably smarter than Strike.
What we had in this episode was stereotypical and trite: the unfocused female becomes a damsel in distress. Which leads to a Deus ex Machina ending with Strike charging in to save her.
Overall, the story was somewhat interesting. But there was a constant feeling like elements were missing. Not because of the mystery but because there was not enough backstory.. Two more episodes would have done the trick.
Strike: Lethal White: Part 2 (2020)
More Gimmicks
This episode Billy Knight has been revealed to be just another writer's gimmick. That character is full of chaos, which is used in a formulaic way to generate drama. Essentially, the writers have given themselves a Get out of Jail Free card. Whenever they fail to create a plot that is inherently dramatic, they pull out a fabricated scene with Billy.
I also agree with the other reviewers: How many times are the filmmakers going to chronically pummel us with their "unrequited love" paradigm? It was OK several episodes ago but now the filmmakers are beating a dead horse. It's hard to empathize with central characters who consistently fail to identify their needs and fulfill them.
Strike: Lethal White: Part 1 (2020)
Gimmicky
I agree with the reviewers who said previous episodes were superior to this one. The original series was straight forward crime investigation. But now the writers are trotting out a lot of gimmicks and corrupting the integrity of the series.
Robin is SUDDENLY having panic attacks? They're completely out of character. Why did she panic with the minister? How come we haven't seen her panic with her husband? Or anyone at a party? It's just a writer's disingenuous gimmick. Robin was an interesting character as she was. That character didn't need any "improvement."
How come the filmmakers have Robin and Strike digging AT NIGHT like grave robbers? Why didn't they wait until morning when they could see? That was ANOTHER gimmick and against character. Strike is a practical guy. He would NOT have wandered about at night as was shown. That was the writers attempting to create (unnecessary) suspense.
Then there was the confusing time-travelling back and forth SEVERAL times. Which, judging by the reviews only served to confuse people.
TOO MANY GIMMICKS!
Strike: Career of Evil: Part 2 (2018)
Missed Opportunities
When I read the IMBd reviews I'm always amazed at the divergence of opinions. I have not read the books so I'm only judging the screen presentation.
One way Season 2 is distinctly different from Season 1 is: Robin has become a heck of a LOT dumber. 1) She wanders about at night with NO backup KNOWING a killer is on the loose AND right after she was nearly killed the previous day. 2) She conducts investigations without consulting with Strike. 3) She marries a dweeb, which can only produce problems in the future.
Most of the drama was unnecessary and caused by the sheer stupidity of the characters (mainly Robin).
The ending was a missed opportunity. We find out that the killer was using disguises. But there was no intense mystification regarding the overlap of suspects. Finding out the killer used a multiplicity of identities is meaningless unless we first see Strike and Robin being confounded and confused as a result of the false identities. Without that, there was no "Aha" moment, just a bland revelation of relatively meaningless facts.
This series was more interesting when Robin had brains.
Strike: The Cuckoo's Calling: Part 1 (2017)
What a Pleasant Surprise
I started watching this series right after I finished watching The Capture. What a pleasant surprise to find Holliday Granger was featured in both series.
And what was REALLY interesting is, this episode featured the same set of apartments featured in The Capture. (The lair where Frank Napier operated out of). In fact, the shots of people at the door of the apartment were mirror images of the ones in the other series.
And how about this: FINALLY a series where the main characters are not despicable, bitter decaying liars. That's a refreshing change. OF COURSE, it's early. Let's wait and see if the writers stay optimistic or try to drag the audience down into dark cynicism.
The Capture (2019)
Season One - The Devil Wins?
If there was ANY doubt as to the intention behind this promising story, look no further than the antisocial ending: where the Devil wins.
DCI Rachel Carey starts out (seemingly) as a crime fighter and ends up going over to the dark side. Regarding that, one good scene near the end was when Frank Napier realized he was no different than the targets he was surveilling.
This story is not as far off as many reviewers say it is. But the real problem is the stereotypical casting. Shaun Emery only exhibits two modes: dumb and dumber. He and all of the law enforcement authorities are liars. The intelligence operatives consistently do things the hard way.
There's NO ONE to root for in this story. DS Nadia Latif seemed like a nice person. But then she stabbed Rachel in the back. And at the end Rachel effectively stabs society in the back.
They were ALL devils! This story had SO much promise but ultimately it turned out to be nothing but pro-devil propaganda.