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Reviews
The Listener: A Voice in the Dark (2009)
One of the best in this great series
This episode is riveting in several different ways, and the concluding scenes are intense. The final conversation with Oz provides some comic relief however.
Mannix: The Gang's All Here (1973)
Shockingly Terrible
There's absolutely nothing good to say about this episode, and I couldn''t say enough bad about it, so I'd better not start. Every scene, at least as many as I culd get through, is an insult to the audience.
The Chase (2021)
Grotesque except for James and Ken, though I give Brad a pass.
I hated this from the start, but I watched every episode, and the one that aired on Mar. 4 was easily the worst. Sure the host is terrible, but even a great host wouldn't make this watchable. The questions are overwhelmingly about pop culture, and it's easy to see why - the contestants know little about anything prior to 1980.
The concept itself is fatally flawed since there's little or no suspense, and even though I want the chasers to prevail, there's little enjoyment when they do. And the final chase is utterly devoid of excitement - just long and boring. And why should the contestants get extra points based on the number of them who made it to the end?
This show is even worse than The Weakest Link, and as if to dramatize that, no contestant made it to the final chase in last night's installment. As a result, the show was left with fifteen minutes to fill. You could just picture everyone scrambling for something to do and the result was completely anti-climactic.
Frankie Drake Mysteries (2017)
I Admit I'm Biased
I love Lauren Lee Smith.
I see people have criticized every aspect of this series and all of that criticism misses the mark. The whole series is an anachronism. No, you wouldn't see and hear many of the things in this series if you lived in the twenties, most specifically, the women themselves. It's a fantasy, a pleasing, one that never fails to bring a smile to my face, and whenever Wendy Crewson makes an appearance, the series exceeds it's already delightful celebration of what women would have been if they'd been liberated sooner.
As for Ms.Smith, If you've seen her in The Listener, it's impossible not to like her forever. For some reason, they seem to have actually chosen to de-glamorize her as Frankie Drake... but they failed. She still shines.
A broader question: why are Canadian series generally much better produced and so much more intelligent than what's produced in America?
The Listener (2009)
As good as the genre gets.
This show should have run for 200 episodes... terrific cast and character with a Solid plot line, and many outstanding individual episodes, although Oz was a fool for pursuing Sandy instead of the fabulous kid who thought he was the bees knees. It would seem it's not too late for a reboot and if ever a series warranted it, The listener is it. h. Oh, and if the miracle happens, bring back Charly. Say she'd been working undercover. She deserves a better fate.
Murdoch Mysteries: Sir. Sir? Sir!!! (2018)
The Episode That Should Not Exist
While watching this episode, I speculated that it had been a Halloween entry. As such, I can excuse the blatant ripoff of (your horror movie here). But even as a parody, it was, shall we say, terrible, and I gave it two stars instead of the single star it deserved simply because I love all the characters and the actors themselves who should have been ashamed to the point of refusing to appear in it. Now that it exists, someone should have mercy on it and the audience and make it disappear.
Bizarre Murders (2018)
Don't know whether it deserves one star or nine
A number of reviewers appear to have missed the disclaimer at the end - "inspired by a true story." What that means is that it's possible that literally nothing is actually true. If that doesn't make a difference to you and you just like a good story, many of the episodes are fascinating and amusing.
When I saw that it wasn't necessarily true, that spoiled it for me because the format so closely resembles other shows of it's type that actually are true and pack a lot of facts into each installment. And the biggest problem for me was the FACT that the former FBI guy plays a prominent role in narrating both this fiction and other factual shows.
Funny You Should Ask (2017)
The Funniest Show Ever
Some people likely think this is a small-time game show. They couldn't be more wrong. The game show format is just a pretense for some of the funniest people around to showcase their own talent and that of the show's writers.
Quite simply, Funny You Should Ask is laugh-out-loud funny on almost every question and the punch lines will, more often than not, make your jaw drop. - this show isn't concerned with being politically correct. Even better, there are more such punch lines than on any show you've ever seen.
Host, John Kelly. i's a magnificent straight man, the perfect complement to the wonderfully funny people he plays host to, and he shamelessly promotes "the big money, five THOUSAND dollars, five grand!" I laugh every time if for no other reason than for such a small payoff, the chances of a contestant winning it are maybe 1 in 5 at best because getting the final "big money" question.correct is usually sheer luck. But you probably won't notice because you'll be laughing too hard at the last punchline.
Funny You Should Ask has one purpose - to make us laugh, and those laughs can hardly get any bigger. Thanks to the wonderful writers whose lines are spectacularly delivered, Funny You Should Ask is joyously hilarious.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
A surprising waste
I normally shy away from writing a negative review, but...
The TV listings rated this move three stars out of four, so I had to see what the film buffs on IMDb thought. My motivation was that I'd seen this movie when it was released and found it unfunny and ponderously slow.
Well, to my surprise, the vast majority here seem to think that Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a gem despite the fact that this is the only movie that ever caused me to fall asleep while watching it... in the theater.
Michael Caine plays a dull Michael Caine, while Steve Martin plays an incredibly subdued version of Steve Martin, you know, the one you see in his standup act. He also does, if you can imagine this, an over-the-top version of an already over-the-top Jerry Lewis character
So to see if I'd misread this movie, I began rewatching it as I write, and I shall be turning it off the moment I finish. At the first commercial, 19 minutes in, there has yet to be a single laugh. I don't know what so many gushing reviewers saw, but if you rely on their reviews, you've fallen victim to a dirty rotten trick.
Back from Commercial, Martin s in jail and I'm watching it all the exact same way Woody Allen watched the Bogart movie in the beginning of Play It Again Sam... but with much different thoughts about what I'm watching.
It's now 29 minutes in minus the commercials and still not so much as a chuckle. Luckily, writing this kept me awake.
Flashpoint: One Wrong Move (2009)
Tense and heartwrenching throughout
This episode of Flashpoint is one of the two most moving dramatic episodes ever on television, and the other one occurred two episodes earlier on this same series.
In One Wrong Move, the team has to deal with several of bombs, but one in particular presents a situation that could not have been anticipated, and it has everyone frantically looking for a solution. Tense and terrifying, you'll wonder the whole way how this story could possibly end well as the team considers the alternatives. Coming so soon after the Flashpoint episode, Let's Dance, that'll bring a flood of tears to anyone with feelings, One Wrong Move leaves you completely drained as you live the situation along with the SRU team.
Flashpoint (2008)
There's never been a better cop show.
Flashpoint is a drama, not a mindless action series, and being set in Toronto, American viewers may be surprised that average people are refined there... and intelligent... and you can reason with them. So the SRU team has a motto: "Connect, Respect, Protect," and it applies to the bad guys as well, so the team does things a lot of Americans might not be able to fathom, such as treating even very bad people as if they were human, and not firing unless there is absolutely no other choice. This is not to disparage American cops who have to deal with many more depraved criminals who have no respect for life.
So the emphasis on Flashpoint is on the story, not on smashing down doors and shooting up places, and Flashpoint has at least a half dozen episodes that are as riveting and touching and suspenseful as you will ever see. In fact, if you don't watch them on Flashpoint, you will likely never see anything as good... for starters, S1.E1 (more on that is a sec.), and S1.E2. There is also something that's exceedingly rare on TV - a satisfying finale that almost rips your heart out before it ends.
About that first episode... I was watching when it was first aired, and I turned it off in mere minutes. Not only did I think I was watching a typical cop show, but I was shocked to see Enrico Colantoni, whom I'd regarded as a second-tier actor on some two-bit comedies, now playing "the boss" of a special weapons and tactics unit.
So how did I get from there to saying this is the best cop show of all time? Simple, I got there by way of Person of interest where Colantoni played an incredibly believable mafia type, and one day, I saw that ION TV was broadcasting the second episode that featured one of the leads in Desperate Housewives, and I had nothing else to do. I found it to be marvelous, and I felt the same about Mr. Colantoni's performance - believable, empathetic, and above all, real... not American real, perhaps, but so real on a human to human basis.
I was hooked. And I still am. In fact, as I write, I'm watching another of my favorite episodes - S4.E6, the Valentine's Day episode... truly amazing. Watching from episode 2 on, I couldn't wait to see episode one in it's entirety now that I had a new perspective on Enrico Colantoni and Flashpoint itself. I wasn't disappointed. I loved every minute of it, so taut and heart-wrenching.
Many terms and lines in the show have become part of our lexicon, my wife's and mine. Like "I have the solution," "Scorpio," "No joy," or "Do it NOW!" Every time we hear the "solution" line uttered, our emotions go into overdrive, and knuckles get white. And when the shooting starts, as it sometimes does, it's often stunning. Flashpoint is truly a police drama like no other, more British in approach, but with a more American accent. Oh, and the Toronto skyline is not only gorgeously shot, but you actually see snow on the ground in some episodes.
iZombie: Cape Town (2015)
The iZombie episode that transcends
iZombie, a show that is brilliant in concept, brilliant in casting, and brilliant in execution, did the seemingly impossible with Cape Town - it went from brilliant to sheer, unbridled genius.
In this installment, we get up close and personal with a number of the members of its marvelous cast as it takes us on an hilarious and heart wrenching journey that leaves the viewer emotionally drained after its stunning conclusion.
Already the best show on TV, Cape Town launches iZombie into contention for the title: Best Show Ever. If you disagree, perhaps you haven't been following the story progression from the beginning, so you're missing the subtleties, the references, the deadpan humor, The complexities, and the shows greatest achievement - making fiction seem real - making a preposterous occurrence into an ultra-rare disease that causes its victims such shame and fear that they become both prisoners of the disease itself and pawns of any unscrupulous characters intent on exploiting them.
Only Liv has been somewhat in control of her environment, but in this episode, it all unravels. This despite our being presented with some of the biggest laughs to date.
And iZombie is so perfect that you not only appreciate the villains, you find yourself hoping that nothing too serious happens to them. Blaine and Vaughn have to be among the most delightful bad guys in history (that's right, I said "delightful"), but then along comes Mr. Boss who's so spectacular that we marvel at his ominous presence which belies his seemingly harmless physical appearance. And his portrayal of Santa Claus is the new standard for bad Santas.
There's so much more to be said about Cape Town because even the lesser characters have riveting stories, but I recommend you just do what I did and watch it a dozen times... and counting.
Clive: How can you not get this? It doesn't matter what you saw. You work for the police department. You can't storm into a place without a warrant.
Liv: That's why I wore a mask.
Oh, and did you catch the Star Trek reference?
iZombie: Even Cowgirls Get the Black and Blues (2015)
Is there anything this girl can't do?
This week Ms. McIver sings like an angel, though her first attempt is also hilarious, and that's not even the best part. Ties are re-woven, Ravi strongly asserts himself, it looks like Clive might have a budding love interest, and then there's the dog whose new name is a loud howl.
iZombie is a series like no other. To say it's brilliantly written is to do it a disservice. There are big laughs (as usual) in Even Cowgirls Get the Black and Blues, and they're juxtaposed with scenes that tear your heart out even as the evil Blaine explores new depths. If the first scene with Peyton and the last with Major don't bring a tear to your eye, "well... butter my butt and call it a biscuit."
I can't remember a show that showcased the enormous talents of one woman the way iZombie does, and one might assume that the rest of the cast would be mostly background, but iZombie has no equal. Each actor is compelling in his or her own right, and each more than holds their own opposite Rose McIver. What a pleasure it is to watch their development, even the bad guys, and realize that there are virtually no limits to where this show can go since Liv is a different person every week.
Me, I feel that each episode to date has been better than the last, but then maybe I'm just thoroughly mesmerized by Ms. McIver's stunning presence right down to her flawless American accent. Well... almost flawless. Our miles-beyond-lovely New Zealander (beats kilometers, right?) provided an ever so subtle hint to her land of origin in this episode, but if you have to "ask" when, you missed it. Better have another look... or ten.
iZombie (2015)
What a pleasant surprise
I had no expectations for iZombie, but I've already watched the pilot three times. The story was good, the cast was great, and Rose McIver was stellar! My wife likened her to Buffy. I replied that she was kind of a zombie version of The Listener (another great show, btw), and a funny one at that! Malcolm Goodwin and Rahul Kohli were also instantly likable. Their characters each held up his end extremely well against the riveting presence of McIver/Moore And what a great idea to have Liv gain her insights by eating the brains of the deceased - her instant command of Romanian was hilarious. I look forward to seeing what other quirks the writers come up with for her.
This show apparently played to a decent sized audience, but it deserves so much more, and perhaps the reviews here will lead people to check this one out. I think when they do, they'll be hooked.
Benched (2014)
In the Spirit of Reno 911, but funnier and more realistic
I had no idea who Eliza Coupe was, but when I saw "Oscar" from The Office and Jones from Reno 911 my expectations soared... and have been met.
This is the funniest new comedy in many a year and could have been titled The (Public Defenders) Office. Coupe is clearly and deservedly the star, and what a pleasure she is to watch. Her timing, delivery, gestures and facial expressions are reminiscent of the best comediennes from the past. But everyone else gels perfectly as well, though I'd like to see "Jonesee's roll expanded (I'll never forget his reaction to "Let's play 'Good cop, black cop'" in Reno 911).
I'm writing this as I'm watching the two episode season finale, and I feel they're the best yet. True human feelings and reactions have fleshed out the series beautifully, and this now has promise of becoming Friends 911!
Best Christmas Party Ever (2014)
As far as Christmas movies go, this is as good as they get.
Here's what I really liked about Best Christmas Party Ever - everybody looked great, and I mean everybody, there were no "bad guy" caricatures, and the plot was coherent, reasonably believable, and the ending made it all a satisfying fairytale.
The only Christmas movie I can recall liking better than this is Crazy For Christmas starring the magnificent Andrea Roth, but I could easily come to regard this one as an equal and Torrey DeVitto as magnificent as well.
If you think It's A Wonderful Life rates a 10, Best Christmas Party Ever is at least a 20.
The Cisco Kid (1950)
I didn't know it then, but this is my favorite western
As a kid, I watched every half hour western there was, but I only caught the tail end of The Cisco Kid's run. Nevertheless, I found it more memorable than even The Lone Ranger or Roy Rogers, and I can't tell you how much I loved those two shows.
I've only recently been reintroduced to Cisco and Pancho thanks to a local over-the-air station, and while the gunfights and fight scenes are often preposterous, I do believe that the show's introduction describes what gives it it's distinct charm... "Here's adventure, here's romance!" And that has nothing to do with women whose hearts were won by Cisco and Pancho. In fact, there was scarcely any of that. Instead the romance is about Spanish-Mexican culture and the pageantry of the Old West. I've come to believe this show was my first introduction to the pervasive Mexican influence that provides much of the west's lure and mystique to this day.
And there was one thing in particular that so grabbed my attention as a kid that I've used it again and again. It's Pancho's many variations of, "Hey Cisco, let's went." I've said it to friends, girlfriends and even to my wife, and I have no idea if they understood the reference at first, but it always tickled me to remember and pay homage to Leo Carillo and this wonderful show.
Sherlock: The Sign of Three (2014)
Preposterous bordering on surreal
How could a Sherlock episode be even worse that the opening installment of season three I find myself wondering as I sit here watching episode two unfold... make that, unravel.
That may not be entirely fair since things could hardly get worse after the opening scene, but it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of all those connected with this mess.
I suggest skipping the first half hour completely if you haven't yet seen it, although you may miss the park bench scene in which Martin Freeman bears a striking resemblance to Stan Laurel. Picture Cumberbatch fifty pounds heavier, and though there's still an hour or so remaining, I believe you've got a rather complete image of how this will play out.
Well, we're now into the second hour, and it has gone from slapstick to insulting. I'm recalling Max von Sydow in Hannah and Her Sisters asking rhetorically, "Can you imagine the kind of mind that watches wrestling?" Were the movie to be remade, that line would most certainly become, "Can you imagine the kind of mind that enjoyed Sherlock: The Sign of Three?"
It's too horrifying to contemplate, I must take my leave...
Sherlock: The Empty Hearse (2014)
Not just bad, but insultingly so
Upfront, I'll say that I regard Johnny Lee Miller to be the definitive Sherlock Holmes for the twenty-first century. I don't dislike Ben Whatshisname, but he's like 19th century Sherlock in modern garb.
As I was watching The Empty Hearse I was thinking, "We waited for this?" Afterward, my feelings had changed some - I felt it was too bad the hearse was empty.
So over-the-top and preposterous was this installment that it was an insult not only to the Holmes character, but to Conan Doyle himself, and any viewer who thinks otherwise likely governed more by emotional fondness than Holmes-style deduction.
What made this episode all but unwatchable for me happened right at the outset in two outrageous scenes: the faked suicide redux and the restaurant reunion.
Holmes later says the jump was meticulously planned so nothing could go wrong. In fact, a number of things could have gone "terribly wrong" starting with a novice stuntman, Holmes, missing the airbag. And Watson might have chosen to run in the other direction, rendering the bicyclist who was supposed to "detain" him useless. And what certainty was there that the cyclist himself would have perfect timing? Even if he did, how could he be sure to leave Watson momentarily (Goldilocks-style just right) unconscious?
Then there was the restaurant. Even before Holmes pulled his unimaginably juvenile stunt, I was already yelling for the woman to punch Watson in the face and run out. Why are men, especially intelligent ones, so often portrayed as indecisive when it comes to proposing marriage, and then when they do, they become mealymouthed? Why would a respectable woman say "Yes" if Watson did get the words out?
Holmes actually played several stunts on Watson in the hour and a tedious half, thus becoming nothing more than an aging schoolboy. Ironically, Johnny Lee Miller may have been convincing at everything Cumberbatch failed so miserably in doing, simply because Miller's Holmes is manic and he has an edgy relationship with his beautiful Watson. He's often doing things to test not only her alertness and awareness, but her progress in putting the pieces of an event together.
And perhaps more ironically, Lucy Liu's Watson could easily be expected to have seen the staged suicide for what it was, if not immediately, then soon thereafter as things began not to add up. Then there'd be a scene where she's counting down the days until Holmes (Miller)decides to let her in on the game.
House of Secrets (2014)
Would be unbelievably terrible if it weren't a Lifetime movie
I'm a big fan of "Get the Bitch" movies - where the woman finally does something so amazingly stupid that you start rooting for the maniac, so films in this "genre" have to be extra stupid before I complain.
That said, this one has to get serious consideration as one of the worst movies ever. I know it has enormous competition, but the reasons favoring this one are many. Here are a few that come to mind, enough in themselves for this picture to merit the honor, I feel:
1) She lives in an enormous newer house that has no security system.
2) When she hears strange (and loud) noises, she doesn't get out of the house or call 911, she goes exploring... on more than one occasion.
3) When she discovers a guy dead in the attic whom we know has been there for some time (and apparently didn't smell), she calls a detective working on the case. When he doesn't answer, she... resumes her exploration.
4) When she discovers who's been watching her, she attempts to commit manslaughter. He lives so that she can kill him better, and more justifiably, later.
If that's not bad enough, the ending has two people supposedly in love, but totally lacking in chemistry, merely mouthing lines... and each other.
Update: there are presently two reviews, both negative, and our total rating stars = 4. Seven others have voted, and the overall rating is currently 6.9. That means those other voters have given this stinker an average 8.3 rating for something that, to be charitable, sucks the "life" out of "Lifetime."
A Woman Betrayed (2013)
Quite well done until the very end
This movie is a delightful addition to my favorite Lifetime category which I lovingly call "Get The Bitch." It's when the lead actress finally does something so stupid that you're compelled to start rooting for the villain. This time it's when our lonely lovely is distraught enough to confront her bad-beau at his church - an idea so terrible that she then deserves everything that happens afterward - as well as before.
To be clear, this movie was quite enjoyable overall as a good many of the movies in the "genre" are. A woman with a young boy becomes a damsel in slight distress and is befriended by a a man who, quite naturally, becomes her boyfriend. Of course, nothing is what it seems to her, even though we know exactly what's happening.
If the title itself doesn't offer enough of a clue, "The Preacher's Mistress" is soon over her head with enough problems to last a lifetime - possibly quite literally.
But while her naiveté and stupidity are actually very believable, the ending isn't, and as a viewer, that's distressing because the final scene of endangerment could have easily been done, say, as an attempt to stage suicide, with our poor mistress being saved in a nick of time by the private investigator her mother had hired to follow the no-good boyfriend.
Instead, we got a preposterous denouement in which the investigator had to be idiotic enough, not to mention close enough, to allow it all to happen before our drugged heroine saves both herself and P.I. guy. Then, throw in an instant romance and roll credits.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
What a tragedy
The Sarah Connor Chronicles began as the best entry in the entire Terminator saga. Summer Glau is nothing short of spectacular, and the rest of the cast amply fleshed out their respective characters, the exception being the woman who played John Connor's girlfriend who would have been better suited as a member of the team pulling the Budweiser Wagon.
Unfortunately, the title points to the very reason the series eventually failed - it's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, not "The Cameron Chronicles." Whenever Summer Glau was on screen, it was impossible to take your eyes off of her, not just because of her beauty, but because she was both menacing and innocent at once. Her curiosity and her take on various aspects of life we humans never think about was the real heart of the show. That she could then turn right around and coldly shoot three guys dead for merely practical reasons left the viewer awestruck - you want to know her, but you'd be afraid to at the same time... still, you'd take the risk.
But since this show's real story was about the lives of Sarah and John and involved mushy side stories involving less interesting characters whose relevance seemed forced, Cameron was only on screen about ten percent of the time. Ironically, the drama of the other ninety percent might have been enough to sustain the show if Cameron wasn't there at all, but since she was, and she was enormously more compelling than anyone else, the many minutes when she's not front and center feel like hours.
In other words, if someone had the good sense to bring this series back it would be easy overlook the shortcomings of the 31 previous episodes if far more screen time was given to Summer Glau. It wouldn't even be necessary for her to say or do that much more, her presence alone would guarantee the viewer was locked while each person's imagination was flooded with wonderment at the prospect of what she might be thinking and planning, and what she might do. How could the producers not have seen this before if virtually everyone who wrote a review here did?
Grease 2 (1982)
Writing this review made me relive the horror!
I don't write negative reviews. That's a big reason why I couldn't be a movie critic: I write about movies I like. I can't stand watching movies I loathe, much less writing about them. Grease 2 is the exception. No one should have to view that blind, although people who are actually blind have a big advantage over those unfortunate enough to have all five senses when it comes sitting through Grease 2
I didn't see this impersonation of a movie for twenty-seven years after its release... and I could have waited a lifetime longer. You know how they say it's so bad, it's good? Well, this is so terrible, it's really, really terrible. And I wouldn't do it justice if I stopped there. It's awful, dreadful, rotten, hideous,abominable, grotesque, horrific, atrocious, deplorable, revolting, abhorrent, ghastly, grim, not all that good, and even rather unpleasant! Not only that, it stinks.
And I don't mean that figuratively, you can actually smell it! Usually a movie has some redeeming value.
The only redeeming value in Grease 2 is that it ends.
At least I hope it does - I didn't wait around to find out!
If Grease 2 doesn't make the case for adding negative numbers to the rating system, I don't know what does?!?
Chuck (2007)
Big laughs, intelligent scripts, gripping intrigue, and great action!
With Chuck, everything old is new again - and better! Written for an smart audience, it should also play very well to those who crave mindless action (though I wouldn't know, ha-ha).
The casting couldn't be better...
Zachary Levi is so good (and generous) as the lead that you'd hardly know he was one, but he can be both hilarious and sincere, geeky yet brave, and always believable. Chuck Bartowski is truly a geek's geek and the kind of guy you'd love to have as a friend.
Yvonne Strahovski may be the most alluring woman alive today, and in one of the funniest scenes in the series, Chuck acknowledges her as such when Sarah approaches his service desk for the first time. He's talking on the phone and going through a manual, but when he looks up and sees the stunning Sarah, the phone and manual fall like dead weight as the phone customer becomes something less than insignificant. But Strahovski can act too. And she makes action scenes look, as David Schwimmer said in Friends, like "dance karate... it's a deadly but beautiful sport." So is "Weiner Girl." Adam Baldwin is a guy who takes the killer elite to a new -comedic- level. He's literally seething in his every waking moment, and who wouldn't be if you're used to offing people for fun and profit, and you suddenly find yourself working as a stock boy and protecting a nerd? But Baldwin as John Casey also gives credit where it's due and he acquires a certain respect for Chuck that only a licensed to kill NSA agent could have.
Joshua Gomez plays Morgan, and you've seen his sort dozens of times, but never like this. He's a dork's dork. that is to say, he may be the only TV dope in history who's not irritating. Barney Fife could be hilarious, but he could also be infuriating. Morgan is totally human. His idiocy is touchingly funny, and you find yourself not only pulling for him but wishing you could be there for him when Chuck is off "on assignment." Sarah Lancaster is Chuck's (and every guy's) dream big sister - pretty, nurturing, expressive and warm. She's a wonderful diversion from the main plot, and she's what keeps Chuck focused on the real when he's not engaged in the surreal life of an intelligence agent. Even her name, Ellie, makes you want to have her hold you and tell you a bedtime story... even if you're at work! Finally, there's Ryan McPartlin as Devon... or Captain Awesome as he's better known. He's Ellie's love interest, and your first impression is that he's your standard jock. Not so. I mean would Ellie love such a guy? Devon is a jock all right - with a heart and a mind. He teaches Chuck how to dance, for God's sake! Dare I say he's a jock's jock? OK, I apologize for that, but the point is, none of the characters are stereotypes. They're all human, even if Casey hasn't realized his humanity yet. But he will, because he's already shown some.
I'd like to elaborate on some of the other cast members because they're perfect in their roles as well, but I'm more tired of writing than you are of reading. Suffice it to say that I think Chuck is one of the best shows ever produced, and even if you don't, I dare you not to get involved with each character and each episode. If you don't, I'll buy you a hot dog!?!
Enough (2002)
More than enough suspense to overcome any minor flaws
I've only seen one other Jennifer Lopez movie; it was Selena, and it was back when it was in theaters. The reason: I'm not a fan. But I nevertheless decided to watch Enough - twice in the past 24 hours on TNT.
I watched it the first time because of a bit of trivia I read here that Lopez used Krav Maga fighting techniques in the movie, and I am a big fan of this form of martial arts.
Then I watched the movie again half a day later because it was so realistic and suspenseful.
I was motivated to write this review however, not because the movie is so riveting (which it is), but because over 25% of the reviewers here panned the film, and in reading the negative reviews, I felt they had several things in common - they missed the point, they were nit-picking, they were looking for some how-to manual for abused women, and/or they had no understanding of Krav Maga.
Let's take the last one first I saw it repeated several times Slim could not have learned her fighting techniques in a month - she could. In fact, the History Channel has a show in which two guys learn various fighting techniques, and in the end, employ what they learned against real experts. And one of the episodes happened to be about Krav Maga which they learned in about a week and then had to defend against a half dozen soldiers in the Israeli army - all at once.
The guy chosen to do the fighting held his own very well.
Then there were many complaints about what Slim should have done at each point and how time and circumstances wouldn't allow her to do some things she actually did do. To those people, I'd ask you to watch again and pay closer attention because it mostly all fits. Just one example: She did go to the police, she just didn't like the officer's advice.
Granted there is a huge problem regarding an alarm, but if that spoiled your fun, you did it to yourself. On the other hand, I'm often furious when movies have people breaking into houses that SHOULD HAVE alarms. Here's a movie where the house has one and the intruder isn't stopped
Another big gripe is about the acting. The problem here is that people who find themselves in such situations in real life are not typically your Olivier-Hepburn types. They are usually poor to middle class people who have a hard enough time getting through, and their limited abilities and resources are further taxed by the incredible abuse to which they find themselves subjected.
So the cast does a decent job of playing average people and I realize full well that at least some may not be acting at all. But that hardly matters since this is a movie about people muddling through.
Finally, there was a lot of grumbling about Lopez taking the law into her own hands, but I think these people fail to see that this isn't a film about wife abuse, it's a film about a psychopath who wants what he wants because he wants it, and he's willing to go to any length to force people to conform to his reality, and that, in itself, answers a lot of questions posed by the negative reviewers.
So Slim can't follow the normal, civilized path. If she did, sooner or later she'd likely wind up dead. She simply has to force his capitulation. Are all the "T"s crossed and "I"s dotted? No. Might a real-life version of what she did turn out differently? I'd say the chances are 50-50.
However, the movie does present one credible version of a woman who does her best to prevail. She relies on men because she has to, and the real question is: would real life men be as helpful to a woman in her position as those who asst her in the movie?
So watch this movie for what it is, a gritty and tense bit of fiction that, once things start to happen, will grab your attention and keep you entertained. Although I was just thinking... perhaps this movie's better for people like me who aren't too familiar with Jennifer Lopez?
And I would agree with those who think that the child is terrible, but that's some adult's fault, isn't it?