Mid90s was really beautiful and did well in terms of fitting in different subjects. The film made me laugh, shocked me, disturbed me, made me sad, made me relate, made me feel REAL. Made me feel like I am not alone in terms of dealing with shit, we all go through shit and Mid90s really demonstrated that subject. "A lotta the time we feel our lives are the worst. But I think if you look in anyone else's closet, you wouldn't trade their shit for your shit." It really made me think about and appreciate what I have in my life and who I have in my life. The characters really were memorable in every way and actors in general just had good chemistry which made the movie the most enjoyable. Additionally the cinematography was amazing and couldn't have been any better. It really felt like it was the 1990s.
The ending was pretty bad in my opinion. It's not that I thought the scene was bad, however, more that I just did not expect it to end in that way and it just lead me to wondering what the fuck was the point and plot of the movie? Jonah seemed to lack in understanding what he wanted to prove or present. We get that it is a skateboarding film and that it is a connection and reminiscing film to skater individuals who grew up in the 1990s, but what was the plot? It seem to lead nowhere.
Otherwise, still very enjoyable and definitely would recommend and watch again myself. 8/10.
So this movie premiered in Poland today and I just got home from the theater. I have two things to say: this is hands down the best installment in the Thor trilogy and it also definitely ranks somewhere in the top 5 MCU movies for me.
This movie was a wild ride from start to finish. The story was a ton of fun and so many things happened along the way, keeping you engaged at all times. While I do love slow movies that allow their scenes to breathe, the crazy pace of this one worked in its favor. There wasn't as much action as I had expected, but we did get some cool fights and general destruction. In the typical Marvel fashion, there were a lot of jokes and most of them were really, really hilarious. Some of the MCU movies try way too hard to be funny and I end up feeling annoyed at how many quips they cram in there, but in Ragnarok, the humor definitely worked. My personal favorites were the "Get help" scene, Thor's story about Loki turning into a snake and Bruce falling onto the Rainbow Bridge (especially Fenrir's reaction). Those had me laughing uncontrollably. And on the other end of the spectrum, there was quite a lot of emotional weight to both Odin's demise and the fall of Asgard. The movie struck a good balance between the two, keeping things exciting and light-hearted most of the time, but not being afraid to go a little deeper when the situation called for it.
As for the acting, Chris Hemsworth seemed to be really enjoying himself and while I'd often found Thor to be the blandest Avenger in the past, he had a lot more personality and charisma to him here. He was extremely likable and funny, but he was also the hero you rooted for throughout the movie. Cate Blanchett didn't get to do much as Hela, to my disappointment. She looked incredible and she did the best she could with what she was given, but in the end, the Goddess of Death didn't do much in terms of breaking the tradition of one-dimensional, evil-for-the-sake-of-it MCU villains. But she did at least seem to relish and enjoy her evilness. Tessa Thompson stole the movie for me. She was amazing as Valkyrie. She had wonderful chemistry with Thor and I like the idea of the two of them together, she's a much better love interest for him than Jane, but she was by no means reduced to that role here (thankfully!). She was a fully-fledged character with her own arc and personality. She was brash, badass and absolutely deadly in a fight while still having a more vulnerable, softer side and dealing with horrible trauma. She reminded me of Jessica Jones in that way. Watching her go from a drunken scavenger back to a mighty warrior ready to fight for her home and her king was a pleasure. I absolutely loved her and I hope to see more of her in the future MCU movies. Tom Hiddleston delivered as always, Mark Ruffalo was a great addition and Bruce's partnership with Thor was fantastic, and the supporting cast was also very good.
The soundtrack. Man, the soundtrack. 11/10, totally buying it. One of the best I've heard in a while.
The cinematography was gorgeous. So many colors, so many beautiful shots (the one with the Valkyries bathed in light riding towards Hela who was surrounded by darker colors? Holy shit, that looked like a baroque painting. Absolutely stunning). It was a pleasure to watch. The special effects were simply outstanding as well. Fenris/Fenrir was magnificent and let's just say I want ten angry, giant wolves immediately.
I had high hopes for this movie. The first Thor was pretty good, the second was meh (perfectly adequate, but painfully forgettable), but there was a lot of hype around this one and I really wanted it to be great. And it was! I had a blast watching it and I'd definitely see it again. Every standalone hero trilogy in the MCU so far has had at least one fantastic installment. Iron Man had the first one. Captain America had The Winter Soldier. Now, Ragnarok joins the circle. I'm very happy that it turned out as well as it did.
It's sad how the fact that there are loopholes in the system for squatters like him and they know it, yet nothing is done to change the law. This is just proof of 1 guy, only 1 guy, who cheated and changed so many people's lives. Can you imagine how many more are out there doing the same things to terrorize more people? How can there be nothing done in this situation?
Secondly, Harry brought upon his own death too. Not being an a** about it but people need to learn blood don't mean family. Jamison clearly has major problems that he was willing to overlook and bail out twice in a row (as if those weren't any red flags that something bad wrong is up with Jamison) I would've never bailed him out at all. If one person claimed something bout my brother if might just be that one person but if there's soooo many out there where you can basically google him? Another red flag. It's just sad that, that one person who genuinely wanted to help Jamison was actually murdered by the exact same person.
Lastly, Jamison actually found a perfect place he could squat for free but sadly, it seems like he preferred to have someone living with him that he could manipulate so he feels good about himself or something. Guess he can't handle being alone and not doing damage in anyone else's life. But he did take the easy way out, after ruining so many people's lives, he still chose to end his life in his own terms, just like how that lady said it. It's kinda tragic but it was a path he chose.
This season I've thought more and more about what makes a television series become part of the fabric of frequent conversations. Why do some which become a part of the zeitgeist fail to work for me? And why do some series that hit for me not get noticed by SAG-AFTRA.
I’m talking about the series Reservation Dogs on FX. Many in entertainment acknowledged the excellence of this series, just not the SAG-AFTRA nominating committee. The show captured my heart, my imagination, had me bent over laughing, and awash with tears.
Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the series centers around four indigenous teens who are living on a Reservation in Oklahoma - Elora (Devery Jacobs), Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Cheese (Lane Factor), and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis). We follow the kids as they face adversaries and attempt to save money for their exodus to California. The audience quickly realizes these teens are confounded by the grief from the death of a friend.
Illustration of an image still of Reservation Dogs on FX. Four indigenous teens walking in suits.
Illustration by Andrea Izzy Anthony of an image still of Reservation Dogs on FX. Four indigenous teens walking in suits.
In star-turns, each of these actors breathes heart, authenticity, and comedy into their roles. The episodes explore group dynamics and individual challenges, giving the performers the opportunity to showcase their skills in nuanced storytelling.
Notable for many reasons, Reservation Dogs is the first series entirely filmed in Oklahoma. The hour-long dramedy boasts a creative team of all indigenous writers and directors, and an almost all Indigenous North American cast and crew.
The exceptional acting carries through to the series and supporting cast with memorable performances from prolific actors like Gary Farmer and Zahn McClarnon. The comedic chops on Dallas Goldtooth as Spirit have infiltrated my psyche. (Gary Farmer and Jana Schmiedling can also be seen on Peacock’s Rutherford Falls.)
Bouts of fantasy heighten the comedy in the series, but with each adventure, the audience comes to feel the weight and challenges of the choices in front of these characters.
How Reservations Dogs on FX could fail mention at the SAG-AFTRA Awards remains a frustration to me. Ensemble award! Let's chant it here! Ensemble award.
Perhaps the “dramedy” genre confused the nominating committee or the length? Should it have competed against the one-hour dramas? Should it have competed against the mostly half-hour comedies? Well, The Great, snuck in a nomination, clocking in at over fifty minutes an episode, so, it can't be about the length. Looking at the list of nominees, I can certainly find room for Reservations Dogs in either category.
The supreme excellence of all the work, the writers, the directors, the cast, the crew, makes me, a television fanatic, demand we give it all the awards. I'm not alone in believing this production deserves. Read at the bottom the awards this debut season amassed. But SAG-AFTRA missed the mark.
Confession, I feel this way after seeing any movie by Taika Waititi, too. But it really seems a perfect fit for Sterlin Harjo to team up with Taika Waititi. Like Harjo’s Reservation Dogs, Waititi's most moving work examines the edge of adolescence, barreling into a teenage loss of innocence, without losing that sense of awe.
I can’t give it any awards except an illustration of adoration. But this series deserved two. Can’t leave Dallas Goldtooth’s Spirit out of the fun.
Illustration by Andrea Izzy Anthony of Dallas Goldtooth on horseback as Spirit on Reservation Dogs on FX.
AFI Awards, USA
Won, AFI Award
TV Program of the Year
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Nominated, Critics Choice Award
Best Comedy Series
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Won, Independent Spirit Award
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Funny Bone, Lil Mike, Lane Factor, Sarah Podemski, Paulina Alexis
Nominated, Independent Spirit Award
Best New Scripted Series
Sterlin Harjo, Garrett Basch, Taika Waititi
2022
Golden Globes, USA
Nominated, Golden Globe
Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
2022
Writers Guild of America, USA
Nominated, WGA Award (TV)
New Series
Sterlin Harjo, Tazbah Chavez, Migizi Pensoneau, Bobby Wilson, Sydney Freeland, Tommy Pico, Taika Waititi
Nominated, WGA Award (TV)
Episodic Comedy
Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi
For episode "F*ckin' Rez Dogs (2021)".
2021
Gotham Awards
Nominated, Gotham Independent Film Award
Outstanding Performance in a New Series
Devery Jacobs
Won, Gotham Independent Film Award
Breakthrough Series - Shortform
Sterlin Harjo, Garrett Basch, Taika Waititi
#ReservationDogs, #FX, #DallasGoldtooth, #DeveryJacobs, #Sterlin Harjo, #TaikaWaititi, #D'PharoaohWoon-A-Tai, #LaneFactor, #PaulinaAlexis, #GaryFarmer, #ZahnMcClarnon, #JanaSchmiedling, #SAG-AFTRA, #dramedy, #comedy, #Television, #TV Series, #CharacterStudy, #entertainmentindustry
Original post: https://aweinmotion.com/blog/2022/1/26/character-study-reservation-dogs-fx-dallas-goldtooth-devery-jacobs-dphaorah-woon-a-tai-lane-factor-paulina-alexis-and-the-whole-darned-cast-crew-and-creative-team
The characters in "Jungle Cruise" are one-dimensional, lacking depth and complexity. Emily Blunt's character, Lily Houghton, is a strong-willed and determined scientist, but her arc feels forced and her motivations are not fully fleshed out. Dwayne Johnson's character, Frank, is a charming and charismatic riverboat captain, but his backstory and relationship with Lily feel rushed and underdeveloped. The supporting characters, such as Frank's crew and Lily's rival, are also underutilized and fail to add any real value to the story.
The action sequences in "Jungle Cruise" are also underwhelming. The film relies heavily on CGI, which detracts from the realism and immersion of the film. The action scenes are also overly choreographed, and lack the sense of danger and excitement that one would expect from an adventure film.
In terms of pacing, "Jungle Cruise" suffers from a slow start and a rushed ending. The first act of the film feels like it drags on, with too much time spent on set up and not enough on character development. The final act of the film, however, feels rushed and rushed, with the climax feeling underwhelming and unsatisfying.
Overall, "Jungle Cruise" is a disappointment. Despite the star power of its lead actors, the film fails to live up to the adventure and excitement that it promises. The pacing is slow, the characters are one-dimensional, and the action sequences are underwhelming. It is a forgettable addition to Disney's catalogue and fails to live up to the legacy of its source material.
Los personajes de "Jungle Cruise" son unidimensionales, carecen de profundidad y complejidad. El personaje de Emily Blunt, Lily Houghton, es una científica decidida y de voluntad fuerte, pero su arco se siente forzado y sus motivaciones no se desarrollan por completo. El personaje de Dwayne Johnson, Frank, es un capitán de barco encantador y carismático, pero su historia de fondo y su relación con Lily se sienten apresuradas y subdesarrolladas. Los personajes secundarios, como el equipo de Frank y el rival de Lily, también están infrautilizados y no agregan ningún valor real a la historia.
Las secuencias de acción en "Jungle Cruise" también son decepcionantes. La película se basa en gran medida en CGI, lo que resta valor al realismo y la inmersión de la película. Las escenas de acción también están demasiado coreografiadas y carecen de la sensación de peligro y emoción que uno esperaría de una película de aventuras.
En términos de ritmo, "Jungle Cruise" sufre de un comienzo lento y un final apresurado. El primer acto de la película se siente como si se prolongara, con demasiado tiempo dedicado a la preparación y no lo suficiente al desarrollo del personaje. El acto final de la película, sin embargo, se siente apurado y apurado, y el clímax se siente decepcionante e insatisfactorio.
En general, "Jungle Cruise" es una decepción. A pesar del poder estelar de sus actores principales, la película no está a la altura de la aventura y la emoción que promete. El ritmo es lento, los personajes son unidimensionales y las secuencias de acción son decepcionantes. Es una adición olvidable al catálogo de Disney y no está a la altura del legado de su material original.
I listened to Motley Crue for years. I know all their songs and all the main parts of their history. I watched their gigs in full, I read Nikki Sixx' Heroin Diaries, listened to Vince Neil's solo stuff, as well as everything by Sixx AM.
This movie had been in the works for many years, then it was suddenly around the corner, at a time when I had listened to Crue songs so many times that they were not on my playlist anymore.
I knew the actor behind Vince Neil from The Punisher where he played a mentally disturbed soldier, nothing like Vince, so I didn't think he'd do well. I haven't watched a single episode of Game of Thrones but I knew the actor behind Mick Mars from Inhumans, so I had no idea what to expect from him.
Now that the above is out of the way, I can say that the movie did a great job at being true to the band's history and everything about Motley Crue. The looks of the band members were accurate and their personalities were recognizable. Even the small details like Nikki's Thunderbird at the band's practice, or Tommy's constant use of words like "babe" and "dude" were there as well. Mick's endless grumpiness was also perfectly displayed by the actor.
The movie was a total blast of joy from the start to about the middle of it. I'd rate it 9 or 10 for that. Then the pacing changed completely, as if it were from an absolutely different director. The turning point was the death of Razzle, which sadly felt disrespectful to the real person because of his brief appearance in the movie, making his death almost feel like nothing rather than the actual loss of a unique individual and musician whose life was taken by the actions a careless drunk. The following events weren't given enough attention either. It's like the people behind the movie excel at projecting the moods of fun and debauchery, but they fall short of projecting the weight of sadness or desperation, because the second part involved so much loss but it could not be felt - what we got then was a number of almost boring and uneventful scenes. The ending was great but extremely short.
Den of Thieves is like the male reproductive organ: exciting at each end but long and boring in the middle.
It's a trap most films of this genre fall into. An action scene at the beginning to grab our attention and one at the end for a climax, but in the middle nothing but cliches. And with the European version clocking in at TWO HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES (WTF!?) there's a lot of room for cliches.
The renegade police squad as bent as the criminal gang they're pursuing is a cliche we've come to expect, but too much time is wasted demonstrating how '3-dimensional' and 'fleshed out' these men are. To be sure, there's enough beefcake here to choke the deepest of throats (Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber and 50 Cent are so cut their shirts keep falling off), so they're 3D and fleshed out all right, but family men? We're meant to believe they consider family important, yet the only proof of that we're given is they feel guilty every time they treat their families like shite.
It's a shame, really. Christian Gudegast does a competent job directing the action and suspense, but he should've stuck to that rather than drawing so heavily on the source material (a 1992 non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize winning author James B. Stewart).
No, Den of Thieves is not the epic cops and robbers film it thinks it is. It's simply a giant fake boob: over-inflated, self-aggrandizing and not as unique as it thinks it is.
i can't really say i enjoyed this film, because it was really uncomfortable. like, the feeling of dread about how things were developing was hard to set aside, even knowing this was a piece of fiction. i finished high school long after columbine but well before the age of school shootings happening every week, or more, and the most traumatic thing that happened at my school was a lockdown because an armed gunman from a nearby robbery cut through our campus in an attempted escape. and that time we had a bomb threat, that was kind of scary.
anyway, even being pretty removed compared to the generation after me, this was hard to be able to find comedic value in. there are funny moments, but it's not a funny film. the high schoolers are believable, and so are the teachers. i'm glad owen was able to come out of his shell, i guess? and matt is a truly convincing character—in that he's kind of a shell of a person, whose personality is wholly constructed around the movies that he enjoys. i love kevin smith and he doesn't usually steer me wrong but idk i could've lived my life easily without ever seeing this.
This is THE DEFINITIVE Superman movie. With truly spectacular cinematography, a heartwarming coming of age story, enthralling action and perhaps the best superhero movie soundtrack ever from Hans Zimmer, this movie hits every beat for Superman fans new and old.
As a DC comics fan growing up, the critical response to this movie prevented me going to watch it at the theatre. I mean who wants one of their favourite superheroes being "humourless", "too violent", and "not epic enough"??? Well, I can truly sit here now having said "lesson learned". Never again will I allow critical response to prevent me from experiencing something I had waited a lifetime for. I will never get to see Man of Steel in the theatre, and this movie was shot for the big screen. Some of the shots are truly beautiful, especially when he wakes up in the ocean with whales, and when he learns to fly in the snowy mountains.
The story is often criticised for not having the kookiness of the original four movies with Christopher Reeve - and don't misunderstand this for hating on the first few iterations, I have nothing but fond memories of growing up with those films - but I challenge anyone to watch those movies now and claim that they still hold up. A truly great movie as well as standing the test of time, has rewatch value, and Man of Steel is one of the few superhero movies that I have watched time and time again. This requires a great story.
The story of this movie focuses on a boys relationship with his fathers, and his coming of age through those guises. His cautious and protective Earth father who tought him the morality and goodness we expect from our Superman, who sacrificed himself in order to keep his sons secret; and his Kryptonian father who encouraged him to embrace his difference and be the man Earth needs him to be.
A bonus is that the relationship between Lois and Clark doesn't seem forced. You get to see how she is a great investigative reporter and through her reporting she discovers Superman's true identity. By protecting it, you can see Clark's appreciation and the weight of not being able to talk about it to anyone - something that bothers him throughout the great flashback scenes as wonderfully portrayed by Dylan Sprayberry and Cooper Timberline - being lifted.
The character development of the antagonist, General Zod is done in a way other superhero movies can only be envious of. The message that this character, like all other Kryptonians are born with a specific purpose, in this case to protect Krypton at all costs, comes across well. From his perspective he is the superhero of his own story, trying to save his planet and his people, and that is the truest of tests for supervillain development.
And this brings me to the epic and controversial (for some reason) third act. As mentioned earlier, Superman has a strong moral code instilled in him by Jonathan Kent, which is shown throughout the flashbacks. Any observer who doesn't see that Snyders portrayal of Superman has the most morality of any Superman in cinematic history is simply not paying attention. He doesn't spin the Earth backwards to rewind time just to save his girlfriend like in the original, and he doesnt go back to Smallville and hook up with Lana because the love of his life Lois is ignoring him a little bit like in Superman III. That Superman, despite all of his displayed morality (e.g. where he refrains from fighting the bullies) feels he must kill General Zod is one of the most powerful moments in superhero movie history. He repeatedly begs Zod to give up his quest to destroy Earth and humans now that his quest to return Krypton has failed. Zod makes it clear as day that he will NEVER give up, and that he will destroy humanity at all costs as an act of revenge. What was Clark supposed to do? He was left with no choice! Add to this the fact that Zod's laser beams were inches away from killing a whole family, Superman reluctantly had to break his neck. Yet unlike other superheroes he did not gloat in victory, the pain and anguish in that scream that follows is filled with the heartbreak of breaking both his moral code and killing one of the few other fellow Kryptonians in the universe.
Overall, this movie gets better every single time I watch it. If you haven't watched it since it came out and had mixed feelings the first time, please give this movie another try without the immediate negative reviews that were extensively covered in the media at the time of release. It truly deserves it. Man of Steel is THE DEFINITIVE Superman movie.
When my filmmaker friend told me this movie was the best thing he’d seen this year, I knew it had to be good. But wow, did it exceed my expectations. I agree - this is absolutely the best film I have seen this year.
From the top, you’re hit with the 1970s pastiche all over this movie and there’s an immediate coziness to it that never goes away. Whether we’re isolated at a New England boarding school with four characters over winter break or in the middle of Boston, there seems to be a sense of lived-in belonging that you just want to be a part of. (Perhaps part of that, for me, comes from a massive amount of nostalgia for a New England holiday season.)
All of the characters, for all of their flaws and quirks, are immediately likable - you want to know more about them, and the movie gives you that in the best, most natural way: through conversation, and sometimes, quiet moments alone. The three leads - Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph - bring such truth and humanity to their roles that you don’t want to separate from them.
The plot moves slowly, but the atmosphere and characters are the real draw here. Don’t get me wrong - this movie is FUNNY. Dry, yes, but I laughed a lot. I also cried a lot. This movie touches on abandonment, depression, loss, and the deprivation of potential - but also the power of conviction, connection, found family, and the power in the unknown laid out before you.
It's cool that they were able to get the band back together for this sequel, but is this really the best they could do with the opportunity? Like the second Austin Powers movie, this is a sequel that doesn't even fight to escape from the shadow of its predecessor. Rather than pressing on with new gags in the same spirit as the original, it simply revisits the spots that worked last time and expects us to react the same way. That feels fake to me, forced and empty and criminally over-scripted.
Half the fun of the first Anchorman came from appreciating the improv brilliance of its players, riffing on each other and going above and beyond in an effort to make their buddies break character. That's completely lost this time around, giving way to winks and nods and lame attempts to capture lightning in a bottle by striking the same poses all over again. The magic's gone, and though a few firm laughs do rear their head from time to time, they're nowhere near as powerful nor as free-form as the team's first rodeo.
Even the production values seem third-rate, with a big chunk of the second act looking like it was shot on a sound stage somewhere in TV-land. An ultra-transparent slam against Fox News that, while well-deserved, feels far too easy and largely superficial. What happened, Ron Burgundy? What happened to you?
The latest reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, Spider-Man: Homecoming, skips over the origin story of Peter Parker and instead picks up after his involvement with the Avengers in the Battle of New York. The film follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as he juggles high school and the possibility of being called on by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at any moment. The main conflict of the movie is Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), who, after being tasked with cleaning up the city after the battle, and his team created their own superweapons with alien technology and are now attempting to profit from them. Parker, as Spider-Man, is determined to stop them. The film also explores Parker's relationship with his crush, Liz (Laura Harrier), and his best friend Ned (Jason Batalon) and his aunt May (Marisa Tomei). The film received mixed reviews, with praise for Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker and Keaton's portrayal of the Vulture, but criticism for its heavy ties to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe and the lack of charm and iconic moments compared to the previous films.
El último reinicio de la franquicia de Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming, se salta la historia de origen de Peter Parker y, en cambio, continúa después de su participación con los Vengadores en la Batalla de Nueva York. La película sigue a Peter Parker (Tom Holland) mientras hace malabares con la escuela secundaria y la posibilidad de que Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) lo llame en cualquier momento. El conflicto principal de la película es Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), quien, después de encargarse de limpiar la ciudad después de la batalla, y su equipo crearon sus propias superarmas con tecnología alienígena y ahora intentan sacar provecho de ellas. Parker, como Spider-Man, está decidido a detenerlos. La película también explora la relación de Parker con su enamorada, Liz (Laura Harrier), y su mejor amigo Ned (Jason Batalon) y su tía May (Marisa Tomei). La película recibió críticas mixtas, con elogios por la interpretación de Peter Parker de Holland y la interpretación del Buitre de Keaton, pero críticas por sus fuertes vínculos con el Universo Cinematográfico de Marvel más grande y la falta de encanto y momentos icónicos en comparación con las películas anteriores.
My other half wanted to compare and contrast the remake and the original film, so here we are.
This film is definitely closer to the source material than the 1971 version in terms of plot and dialogue. In spite of this, it’s surely a stretch to think that Roald Dahl would have endorsed Burton’s work (having already rejected the 1971 film).
The main issue lies with Wonka himself. Depp finds no real soul in the character, and any sort of depth gets artificially enhanced by a weak side-plot about his father. The sense of mystery and danger are gone - Wonka is essentially a man-child now. It’s hard to see what they were going for.
The music has also lost a lot of its charm, with beautiful numbers like ‘Pure Imagination’ being replaced by a Danny Elfman™ score.
There are some pretty swanky special effects though. Deep Roy plays every single Oompa Loompa, a feat which cannot have been easy to pull off. Many of the sets are impressive too, especially when they lay off the CGI.
Like Wonka’s personality this film is colourful but sterile. It’s a shame that so much time, money and effort went into making something so unremarkable.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2016/09/04/charlieandthechocolatefactory/
For me, this is the first noticeable step down for the series after the great first couple of seasons. I just wasn't feeling the show for much of this season and even considered at one point that maybe it's just not the show for me anymore about halfway through, a big surprise after I really loved the first season and quite enjoyed the second season as well. I just don't think much of the comedy worked nearly as well this season, and the overall mystery was not as engaging as before. Paul Rudd being cast felt like false promises as well, given that he feels like such a perfect fit for the show but was barely in this. Maybe that's on me though, I didn't really look into whether or not he would have a substantial role and just got excited when I heard he would be in here. The trio being separated and the severe lack of an actual podcast also held this back for me quite a bit. I get that the show needs to evolve and introduce new character dynamics, but the charm of the show for me has always been our three leads together doing their thing, and this season there just wasn't enough of it. When those moments did happen, the show got so much better so quickly. I will say that they brought things around a bit by the end, though. The mystery was a bit predictable, but I thought the twists were pretty decent nonetheless and that incredibly balanced and enthralling tone finally found itself again in the final couple of episodes. There were standout episodes and moments for sure, and it's still a very well-made show, but this is pretty easily my least favorite season thus far.
6.4/10 -- Decent
2023 TV Shows Ranked --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2023-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
Based on some reviews I wasn't sure what to expect, but Happytime Murders was actually much better than I thought it would be! The humor was on point and Melissa McCarthy was fantastic! You would never know she was working with a puppet partner if it weren't for him being, well, a puppet!
I would love to see more of these films be produced as they have a certain nostalgia attached to them. The puppets grew up with us. We don't make the same jokes we did when we were kids. Neither should they! For adults this is a great film that let's you feel that mischeviois inner humor, kind of like when you heard dirty jokes as a teenager. I loved pretty much every moment of this and the creativity behind it. The cast and crew did an amazing job with camera angles and dialogue, as well as managed to impart an absolutely hysterical story line. Not to mention, it was produced by Brian Henson, the son of Jim Henson!!
I personally found Happytime Murders to be a highlight in comedy that has been missing for some time. It broke the mold of the same old as we've seen recently in many lackluster comedies. The creativity and the cast and crew made this film a standout in the comedy genre and truly provided one of the most unique and hysterical comedies I've seen in a very long time!
Well, they actually managed to make a decent The Flash movie, and without Grant Gustin too. Ezra Miller is back again as Barry Allen despite the controversies that surround them, but I hope you can forget or ignore that fact for about 2,5 hours (it's hard), because this movie is super fun. Now for the pluses and minuses:
2.5 hours is pretty long, but while watching it, I forgot that. The story unfolds with good pace and (almost) never a dull moment.
I love both Affleck and Keaton's performance as the caped crusader. Especially Keaton, he still got it! I felt the same joy as back then when I was a kid watching Tim Burton's Batman.
Sasha Calle rocks! While she only appeared in the last half of the movie, her Supergirl is much, much better than I expected.
Cameos. and a lot of them. Yes this can be seen as fan service as their appearance don't really affect the story much, but boy I was super excited and screaming internally watching that one particular scene. Good thing I avoided all the spoilers in the internet.
Still a better multiverse movie than the latest Dr.Strange
Billy Crudup doesn't return as Henry Allen. It's a shame since he did a good job back in JL movie.
There're some "wut" and "aw come on!" scenes, still fun and interesting though.
The soundtrack is just okay. I still love Zack Snyder's JL more. So many epic moments elevated by the majestic score, but I don't feel the same when watching The Flash.
My final rating : 7.5/10
Troy: "Just a reminder you gotta live your life to the fullest. By the time Pierce was my age, he had already been fired from 15 jobs. I've only seen two Police Academies. The last two."
Mr Stone: "My name is Mr Stone."
Chang: "Benjamin Franklin Chang, ready to deal out the truth. Nothing to hide. Let's do this."
Mr Stone: "Have you ever masturbated in the study room?"
[Chang puts down the polygraph and leaves.]
Mr Stone: "Do you and Troy still actively use Jeff's Netflix account without his permission?"
Jeff: "Wait, what?!"
Troy: "You told Pierce that?"
Abed: "You logged in our place and never logged out, so we use it."
Jeff: "Is that why my review of The Grey is constantly changing?"
Abed: "Yes, stop giving it four stars."Jeff: "I think we can all agree that the gross thing here is that Pierce is snooping through my stuff."
Troy: "Not really, Abed and I go through your stuff all the time. Why do you keep bread in the freezer?"
Abed: "And why does your bathroom mirror say, "You're special," when you fog it up?"Mr Stone: "Mr Barnes, did you invent that handshake?"
Troy: "Yes."
Woman: "Lie."
Mr Stone: "Mr Barnes, are you a subscriber to the video blog 'Fun for Friends'?"
Troy: "No."
Woman: "Lie."
Troy: "SILENCE, WENCH!"
[Abed looking at phone]
Kyle: "Hi, I'm Kevin, this is Kyle, and here's a fun handshake you can do with your best friend." [Does the handshake.] "All right! Thanks for watching, guys. Don't forget to rate us, comment, and subscribe."
Abed: [Putting phone away.] "Can't look at you right now."
Troy: "Then you should know I'm crying."Chang: "Everywhere!"
Jeff: "Let's empty our tanks of lies once and for all."
The movie is about redemption and how redemption sometimes just passes by due to circumstances outside our control. It is Bad News Bears-esque from the white guy character Reeves plays. But this is also about inner city kids, project kids with no real hope once they get to a certain age. It shows how quickly something wonderful for that part of America can get flipped upside down in a moment.
I gave it a 10 because the kids are fantastic, Reeves is fantastic and the script is great. It's a tear jerker and a happy story at the same time, much like the lives it's trying to get the viewer to see from a new angle.
Side Note to my fellow Cine reviewers. It's really sad a great movie like this gets only a 6 average, but we all know it's because it's a "black" movie. You look at every score average in Cinetrac and our own biases and racism shine through over and over where black movies consistently get lower scores even when they are clearly better acting, better scripts, and better directing. This movie is that exact example of a 9/10 being underrated by people who don't see themselves, missing the point it's supposed to get us to see others.
This is probably one of the worst episodes of the show. Pierce is an awful character, and while the show labels him a racist and homophobe they are also using him as an excuse to make racist and homophobic jokes. This episode starts with Shirley (who is very much problematic as well) standing up for herself against Pierce's racism and sexual harassment, and would have been a good way for the show to say "Hey! It's not cool for people to make offensive jokes!" and either write Pierce's character out of the show or reform his character, but the show does neither. Instead they for some incomprehensible reason make Shirley and Pierce friends without him having apologised for his behaviour. (He uses a bullshit excuse that basically boils down to "sexual harassment is a compliment because you're a strong woman and I like you.") Therefore sending the message that you should respect your oppressors instead of standing up to them, because "peace" is better than change, and because you need to be the better person.
The side plot of Jeff and Britta acting like teenagers in some sort of weird competition with actual teenagers is just a waste of screen time and not funny at all. The only purpose that plot has is to establish that they are insecure, but this could've been done a lot better.
We already know that the market for romantic comedies in Hollywood is somewhat saturated, but when it comes to independent romantic comedies there is something that still manages to captivate me about them. Perhaps the fact that they are smaller productions make them more honest and that "indie feeling" in the air seems to make them more realistic. What If is one of those cases.
Wallace just come out of a relationship completely heartbroken. It is not on his intention to fall in love quickly, but at a party he knows the cousin of his best friend, a girl called Chantry and they immediately create a bound between them. The chemistry between the two was absolutely spontaneous but at the end of the night Chantry says that she has a boyfriend.
Although the formula has been used countless times, and the more predictable that the story may be, the plot is well structured, the characters are quite nice and the humor is very intelligent with a lot of charm to the mix. The use of visual animation on the film is very interesting considering that Chantry works in animation, we see all different figures that illustrate the situations in which the characters are in that specific time of the film. The use of indie rock soundtrack goes really well and fits perfectly the atmosphere.
Daniel Radcliffe is increasingly moving away from the role of the famous wizard, Harry Potter. When the saga ended I had my doubts, such a remarkable role in the career of an actor can be something worrying, but what is certain is that Radcliffe has proven to be a good actor and can do other styles. Here in the lead role, he is able to make us believe every attitude and feeling of his character. For his first romcom he did very well. Zoe Kazan is absolutely lovely, a very cute and awkward performance that touches the heart. The chemistry existing between the two actors is remarkable. The supporting cast, Adam Driver, just to name one, were also pretty great.
Despite all the predictability that the story may have, when What If comes to the end it will leave you with a huge smile on your face. Delightful.
"I'd forgotten that lesson, which I had learned on every story I ever did. It was that there are no real villains in life, not really. There are no real heroes, either. Everyone is great and everyone is terrible and everyone is flawed, and there are no exceptions to that."
This episode was incredible. The show is amazing in showing the complexities of trauma and how ill-equipped we are to navigate it for ourselves and others. What a build up. What a climax! So good and so well done. Very well acted, amazing performance by Claire Danes.
Finally we see things from Rachel's pov! What really stood out to me is that she didn't paint Toby in a negative light in her mind. Unlike him. I really enjoy stories where you think you have all the information, then a new perspective flips things on their head. Everyone, and I really mean it, everyone failed Rachel, it was example after example of the people meant to be there for you emotionally too caught up in their own things to stop and listen. But the comment Toby says to her, "But you are not taking the kids, okay? Honestly, t-they wouldn't even notice if you were gone." caused her to spiral and go against her better judgment. That was so cruel. Imagine hearing that when you're already struggling and barely holding on. At the end, she has a breakdown, which is understandable. She even forgot her relationship with Sam was strictly an affair and she emotionally tried to open up to him.
It really bothered me when Toby said, "there's my wife" when Rachel smiled after her support group meeting. Like, she's still your wife even when she's depressed. Seeing Rachel's perspective makes Toby look like a real asshole.
While I sympathize with her hospital experience (what that doctor did to her would literally traumatize me to my core) and subsequent postpartum depression, I still find her lacking in values or moral compass because she is part of an extramarital affair. The idea is that both Toby and Rachel are extremely flawed characters but not monsters. All of us are "wonderful and terrible, no one is truly good or evil," as Libby said. One of the main themes of the show is that nobody is a hero or a villain. We are all just flawed people. If you need to like the characters to like a show, this one is not for you.
Why did the writers feel the need to give Mon Mothma (one of a total of two ongoing characters that are likable, along with Adria Arjona's) some kind of 'middle aged feckless, incompetent weeb' husband-boy? Like, what is the point? Do they have any idea what they are attempting, or are they just making a mess of things because they don't have a real story to tell?
And why the hell is he just fully adorned in Japanese clothing and accoutrement? It's not even mythologized. The Jedi robes are a take on samurai robes, but it's just inspired by that, not taken-- in this case, literally --from whole cloth. Again, someone(s) doesn't understand Star Wars world building, or fantasy world building in general. It would be funny to see yet another Caucasian man in full-on traditional Japanese attire if it wasn't so distracting.
And then we have the "Rebels". The Tie fighters could have strafed their entire camp, killing everyone, including Cassian, and it would have elicited no more than a shrug from me. Never have I seen such a boring, uncharasmatic, and passively unlikable set of characters in a Star Wars property. I at least actively disliked the 'Resistance'. And I know I like Diego Luna. I loved him in Rogue One. I saw him in a trailer where, with a single reaction and look he showed how charming he is, and there's not a bit of that life in the Cassian of his, supposedly, own show.
I think I'm done. I know Andy Serkis shows up later this season, but I just don't care now. And I don't trust anyone who hasn't been conflicted with the show up until now. It's just the sequels and Mando all over again, but with every bit of charm squeezed out of the lead in a tryhard attempt to be "gritty". Yeah, that's what RO was supposed to be. Maybe Edwards accomplished it, maybe not, we'll probably never know. But this isn't the way to go about it.
Call me if they pull another "Kylo kills Han Solo" moment. I could finally use a laugh to release the pent up disappointment.
Went into this thinking that the discourse online and similar think pieces HAD to be overblown and had to admit, they had good gripes.
If this were almost any other director this film would be such a bigger issue and is that right? Every "cinephile" adores PTA so he gets a pass from people?
Some other thoughts:
- Wanted to leave the film thinking everyone is overhyping Alana Haim, and jokes fucking on me because she slays
- Should a 25 yr old female and 15 yr old male romcom be celebrated?
- Regardless of if they spend the rest of their lives together or not, does that negate the fact that the relationship is being celebrated?
- Should it just be swept under the rug of "welp, this was what the 70s was like"?
- Why does the Asian bit play for laughs?!? Why include it at all when it serves no purpose to the plot and is only a low hanging fruit chuckle from the crowd?
- I love Benny Safdie, but should he have been cast in this role as a closeted individual when there is otherwise so much pressure to accurately cast actors for those roles?
Theme- 8/10
Rewatchibility- 4/10
Acting- 7/10
Kinematography- 8.5/10
Time- 6/10
Total - 33.5/5 = 6.7
That not so last season. The realization that this show is being carried on too long is prevalent in this season. With Topher Grace no longer wanting to be on the show, building up his departure and Kutcher soon to follow suit, it's apparent the show should have just built to a series ending rather than try to continue to an eighth. I don't know if Fox had ordered season 7 & 8 together and Casey-Werner were put in an awkward position between Fox's order and Ashton/Topher's ambitions to continue a gutted show or everyone was simply looking for an easy meal ticket but the show has reached the point of unnecessity. They create a character, Charlie, to replace Eric. While Charlie is a likeable character, They simply bulrush him into that spot at the latter half of the season, which in hindsight, not a great investment in time. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this season because everybody performs their roles well enough to accommodate the time spent watching it. But that doesn't mean I can't see the flaws of a once better show.
Top 3 Episodes:
1. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
2. 2120 So. Michigan Ave.
3. Till the Next Goodbye
Not bad, but definitely a step-down from the original. The humor is still more hit than miss, though the ratio is down from the first. The story is serviceable. I was actually pretty happy with things until the last act when the CGI budget spiked and my interest cratered. It makes the classic sequel mistake of assuming bigger equals better. Unfortunately, much of the increased scope ends up feeling half baked and/or obligatory. For example, the movie really lost me with the random mythological creatures getting birthed from the tree. It feels like the movie just needed a lower level threat for non-super powered characters to face off against so that they have something to do. It's completely superfluous and I would have preferred to just not see those characters for a while. Black Adam did something very similar in its finale, with zombies/skeletons randomly popping out of the ground. Not sure which is worse. In this case, the issue culminates in the unicorn sequence, which got a big fat eye roll from me. I'd also criticize the pacing of the finale, as certain sequences seemed to drag way longer than necessary (e.g. waiting for the lightning staff to blow up). All in all, way better than Ant-Man Quantummania.
[7.8/10] Another winner. Death seems to be a fact of life where the Rez Dogs come from. Elora lost her friend and probable crush Daniel. Coach Bobson seems to be on the path of losing his daughter. Both of them lost Elora’s mom, as a friend or as a parent. It’s a consequence of living in a place where prospects dwindle quickly, hope trickles slowly, and escapes are both plentiful and dangerous. That doesn’t make it easier.
The friendship that emerges between Elora and her old basketball coach is all kinds of endearing. The ridiculousness of an ill-fated driving test that turns into a shoot-out at a seedy motel that turns into yet another visit to the meth heads’ salvage (nee scrap) yard is amusing in that wry way Reservation Dogs pulls off so well.
But the main event here is recollections of loss. We get more of the story on Daniel, and holy hell, is Elora stumbling on his suicide in their hangout a jolt of cold water to the heart. We get glimpses at Daniel’s problems, from a difficult homelife that makes it so he “can’t go home,” to behavioral issues that leave him easily fixated on things like opening cars or fast dancing to slow music. We see more closely just how attached Elora was to him, and more of why our heroes internalized his dream of going to California.
It’s sad stuff. Being a teenager is already so hard. Being a teenager with no home life to fall back on, with apparent mental health issues makes it even harder. Your heart goes out to Daniel, not just because we get a picture of him through brief glimpses and his friends’ remembrances, but because he stands in for so many real young men and women, struggling with the hardships of life at a time where it’s so easy to be overwhelmed.
Despite that, there’s a real undercurrent of sweetness to this one, of Elora finding solace in an unlikely place, of she and Coach Bobson bonding over fond recollections of Elora’s mom, of him giving her a passing grade on her driving test despite (or because of) their questionable escapades, of finding out that the indigenous word he thought meant “white warrior” actually meant “toilet” in a reveal that’s both amusing and a sign of trust. There are silver linings to the bad things in life, people we can bond with or show compassion to. This episode is a lovely tribute to that idea, even as it delivers one of the series’ most heartbreaking scenes yet.
I would always watch this show... but only because people said it was "sooooo good"! In all honesty, How I Met Your Mother is a tv show that I would always put on but get easily distracted because of it's mild comedy and boring, unexciting plots of episodes. HIMYM is simply a rip off of Friends, and really poorly made. If you do not want to believe it is a copy of Friends, here are some similarities for you:
- The tv show takes place in Manhattan, New York City, where a group of friends hang out at their regular everyday spot (McLaren's and Central Perk).
- Even though all of them seem to have jobs, they're all always seen hanging out at their regular spots or outside of work.
Not to mention that the characters are low-key copies from Friends:
- Ted is a geeky guy in his 20s who in the first episode falls for a girl named Robin who is wayy out of his league (Ted and Robin/Ross and Rachel).
- Both tv shows seem to have womanizers. A guy that goes out of his way to try and spend as much time possible getting girls. Additionally, a guy who is probably one of the most comical characters on the show (Barney and Joey).
- Lastly, the extremely put together couple - the ones who are already headed for marriage and starting to go out into a whole new stage of the world (Lily and Marshall/Monica and Chandler).
What I hate the most about this and kills it for me is the idea that the whole plot revolves around one of the most boring and annoying characters; Ted. He has a good fucking life! A great life! Who wouldn't want a life where they have the most caring and supportive friends and a decent job in a great city at such a young age? He is only in his twenties and in the first season, the plot revolves so much about his desperate want for finding the "perfect one". Who the fuck wants to find the love of their life at such a young age? Most people at this stage want to explore the world and continue to live it up, trying new things before life gets boring and actually consider responsibilities. However, even though Ted has all of this, he throws it away by simply constantly complaining and whining to his friends on how sucky his life is because he hasn't found the love of his life yet.
I never got to the end of the show - nearly did. However, I read spoilers and I'm gonna let you know that another reason why this show lacks success on having a good plot is because HIMYM takes their fans through 9 seasons only to find out that the one Ted ends up meeting and is supposedly the "mother", is killed off the show and dies of an illness that isn't even mention on the show. Ted then ends up going back to Robin, AGAIN.
So, there you have it! The tv show severely lacks success and is simply a poorly written rip off of Friends.
This show represents something of a milestone in my life. It was the first time I ever paid any attention to the quality of writing in TV or film. Unfortunately, when that switch turned on I realized I do not care for How I Met Your Mother. It’s frequently preachy and sentimental, but legitimately never earns that status from its audience. Why should I be taking these lessons from these people? They’re not doing well. Most of them are annoying humans.
Ted’s search for a wife is the epitome of the “just a nice guy” stereotype. He presents himself as sweet and caring, but in reality comes off as borderline sociopathic with how conniving and twisted it all becomes. It’s all consuming: his only purpose is to find love. But rather than actually be some hopeless romantic, he ends up doing some awful things. But moreover: he’s not even that good of a person. It’s just like the type you meet in real life. Ted wants you to believe he’s the good guy, but how often does he play into Barney’s awful schemes?
Speaking of, Barney as a character is frighteningly close to aging like fine wine, but that would only be true if there were a closer examination of his misogynistic behavior that resulted in a deeper exploration of his trauma of childhood. This does not exist in any meaningful way. Hinted at, sure, but then we are also meant to be fully on board with his conquest of lust until the show decides he’s changed like the flick of a switch. There isn’t too much of a shift, it’s more like a three step stoop if that stoop started in China and ended in Mexico. Character development, as you might have gathered, is a struggle frequently as though these characters were never meant to have any sense of self. Most of the cast’s personality changes per episode to suit whatever best fits the platitude the writers are shoving down your throat.
Which brings me to the biggest elephant in the room: Robin. How I Met Your Mother hinges on one character and it’s her. Yeah, it’s extremely weird. There is an intense amount of heavy lifting placed on Smulders to be the romantic interest for two characters (although it genuinely never feels like a love triangle which is even weirder). But the unfortunate part is, Robin is a very weak character. She’s all business forward. She can’t settle down for no man. Except she can and will frequently, as she’s barely single throughout the entire show. Her choices are never “I’m choosing myself instead of Ted” it’s “I’m choosing literally any other man”. And I don’t say this from the standpoint of Ted being a nice guy and deserving Robin (see above). I say this in terms of this show having the gall to act like they’ve created an independent woman. They haven’t.
The only characters on the show I like are the ones I’ve not mentioned: Marshall and Lilly. They likable and the performances by Segal and Hannigan are top-notch sitcom performances. They actually deal with relatable struggles and seem to wrestle in a realistic way. This makes everything mentioned above all the more frustrating because it becomes clear that the onus isn’t on the inability of the writers, it’s on a shaky grasp or understanding of what counts for good character development.
Clearly the attempt by the writers is to create Friends for the next generation. It’s about a group of twenty-somethings living in New York learning how to be adults while figuring out love and friendship as they mature. Hell, there are even multiple plot points ripped directly from the original show, barely even altered. Now, I’m a bit biased because Friends is genuinely one of my favorite shows of all time, but in How I Met Your Mother it’s almost laughable how inorganic and simplified everything they ripped from the former show actually is. There’s very little sense that these characters should be friends. They just feel like drinking buddies. Their version of support for each other is showing up when things are at their worst. Mostly, they’re just extremely cruel to each other. There are attempts (sometimes even good ones) to create bits among them, but they all pale in comparison to the more grounded approach taken by Friends. How I Met Your Mother is very gimmicky. It’s told through a plot device that becomes increasingly more contrived the longer the show drags. The majority of the jokes are very broad and don’t exist to expand our sense of character. Compare this to the 90s mega-hit: the show is usually extremely dialogue based. There’s more of a sense of banter and camaraderie. The humor comes from clever dialogue rather than the heavy concept-driven set ups of the latter series. In other words, one of them feels like a sitcom striving for more while the other feels like a hangout movie that just so happens to be a sitcom. I’m mot going to tell you that Friends does not result in similar sitcom tropes, but the emphasis on character and subtle development greatly bolsters the show as a whole.
I could compare the two further. It would likely require more time and effort but people have already done that ad nauseam. I won’t do that any longer here. I’ll suffice it to say that I found this show frequently frustrating in terms of how it wants me to empathize with characters that do not feel real or likable. Ah well, maybe it’s just not for me.
5.5./10 This is Ted at his most ridiculous and awful. Going to hit on a girl he knows is in a relationship and hamfistedly drop things he learned from stealing a copy of her online dating profile is bad enough, but then continuing to do so once he knows she's engaged, and then trying to talk her out of the marriage and telling her to call him if it doesn't work out is just insane. Sure, there's a certain sitcom tone that allows for ridiculous things that would be way more terrible if they happened in real life, but still, this whole thing was a bridge too far.
Apart from that, Cameron Manheim didn't necessarily have the right energy for the show. Ted trying to reassure her that he'll find someone was a cute little flip, but her performance was a little broad, even for a show that can get pretty broad itself. Plus the whole "a computer can't tell you who to love," while well-meaning as a message, feels mildly Luddite and tone deaf given the number of folks who do use dating services in this day and age.
And while the cock-a-mouse is one of those goofy talismans for the show's fans, I have to admit that the subplot never really did much for me. Marshall is the best part of it, and it's the start of his fascination and appreciation for mythical creatures on the show. His chalkboard explanation in particular, and the solemnity with which they discussed its habits was funny. But the cock-a-mouse itself and Robin's skepticism of it felt a little too slight.
A crappy A-story that makes me want to say "you're a bad person," and a streaky-at-best B-story means this is far from the best the show had to offer.
Verdict: Better than Season 4! If not by much. Definitely not good enough to justify the constant self-referential jokes about Season 4 being bad when there's still a lot of episodes that aren't much better than Season 4 (I hate it when shows make jokes about their past seasons without being good seasons themselves so this automatically causes it to lose points). Season 5a was a lot stronger than Season 5b - and I felt like this show lost a LOT when Donald Glover left, and it's going to lose a lot next season with no more Jonathan Banks and John Oliver too. Feels like it's a show that gets worse the more self-indulgent it becomes and it's very much a case of Dan Harmon being caught up in his own hype.
I talked about Pierce and Troy's farewell episodes a few days ago - and they're the high-point of the series I think for me. It handles Troy's farewell brilliantly and manages to get Pierce perfectly even in an episode without Chevy Chase ever actually being there at all, Walton Goggins showing up was hilarious and Troy's send off in a mostly Britta-centric episode worked well and made the best use of a LeVar Burton cameo. Also, this is probably due to the fact that I'm watching this much later after the app-rating parody trend seems to have passed - but App Development and Condiments just felt there to me; other shows have tackled a similiar subject so much better. And there's yet another trap that the show falls into of tackling high-concept episodes - they're fine in their isolation but there's just too many of them and they just feel like once again, the show's doing them just because they can and hasn't really learned anything. They keep repeating concepts without trying something new, and even the season's best episode - Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, which I liked - isn't as good as the Law & Order parody that came before it.
I'm fine with the odd one or two concept episode but they're still really overbearing - the Dungeons & Dragons episode felt a bit too repetitive and just a weaker retread of what had come before; and the G.I. Joe episode just felt like a weaker version of the Christmas animated episode and it felt really hollow as a result (especially given the lazy copout of the It was all a dream ending, which feels like a direct retread of the Season 4 finale). And even given the choice as much as I loved Geothermal Escapism, I'd take the paintball episodes over it. Community used to be a show that was able to balance emotional stuff with the concept episodes and although it does it with Troy's departure, that's probably the only time it manages this season as even Jeff and Britta's on/off marriage proposal/breakup just feels flat and forced like they needed to get two characters together and - yes, they called out on the trope but they didn't do anything with it. Also: Abed realising that he's on a show... didn't work for me, as much as I love Abed's character.
The characters don't feel anywhere near close to what they were in the past especially by the end - in part due to how plot-driven the finale is, there's a few quiet moments but mostly they just feel there to react to the news that there's buried treasure and that's all we get. Most of the time they're all pretty much interchangable now to the point they all feel like shadows of their former selves. Also: Chang just becoming part of the group still feels odd especially given everything that happened in Season 3 - did they really forget about him essentially TRYING TO KILL THEM?, but I did like some of the material that Chang had this season. Even Season 4 had a better ending than Season 5 - at least they actually tried to give Jeff a character arc.
If anything - Season 5 feels like The Rise of Skywalker (although that's not to compare Season 4 to The Last Jedi because I loved TLJ and didn't click with Season 4). It feels very much like a course-correction, over-reactionary, safe and ambitionless when Community previously was daring, risk-taking and always trying out new things. And what's arguably made it worse is that this time it feels self-indulgent and self-righteous (see back to the constant gags about Season 4 being a 'blip'). When I started Season 3 I was worried it would go full Sherlock and jump the shark completely - and it looks like it has done. Now it's just - aside from the odd exception - stale and lifeless. Still: one more season to go! (If I ever do rewatches, unless Season 6 salvages it I'm sticking with Seasons 1-2).
Favourite episodes from the season:
Cooperative Polygraphy
Geothermal Escapism
Basic Intergluteal Numismatics
