This is an honest, spoiler-free review coming from your average fan (not a critic):
I just saw this new marvel film, and I have to say... it's no where near as bad as the critics make it out to be.
Yes there is a lot of dialogue. But it gives the characters a chance to shine and for scenes to breathe.
People call this film dense. I would disagree. Yes there is a fair bit of plot and history told, however I would say that other mcu films have simply much simpler plotlines most of the time.
There are moments when things are just about to become exciting, and then it is interrupted with more dialogue which instantly kills the suspension.
There are a number of plot twists in this film, and some unexpected things happen that I wouldn't have seen coming.
This film has a slow burn, but sometimes that's a good thing. Would I have liked more action? Yes. Was I unhappy with the action we do get? No.
I will admit, going into this film I was expecting a masterpiece, and while I wouldn't quite call it that, its definitely a well-made film, marvel or not.
Oh. And expect to have to do some reading at the very beginning. Kinda reminds me of a classic Star Wars opening crawl.
If this film is a cake, then it’s got the best possible frosting you could wish for. The cake itself, however, isn’t great.
I’ve always had a strange relationship with these films. I don’t really care for the Raimi films (I think they’re overly cheesy, poorly acted and dated, though don’t expect anyone from around my age to admit that), the Webb films are fine (really like the first one, second one’s a mess) and I’ve really liked the 2 recent ones (not as much as Into the Spiderverse, but still good in their own right).
Compared to the previous 2, this one pretty much ditches the John Hughes aesthetic as it goes along, and it goes into full on, operatic superhero mode.
Unfortunately, it is another one of those project that puts nostalgia and fan pandering over story and character, the kind of blockbuster we’re seeing over and over again in a post Force Awakens world.
This story is completely hacked together, consisting of so many contrivances, conveniences and established characters acting out of character that it becomes a bit of a shitshow ( Doctor Strange, a genius, is being tricked by teenagers; Peter not knowing about the consequences of the spell is a very forced way to set the plot in motion; Ned being able to open portals is quite ridiculous when the Doctor Strange movie made a point about how hard that is to learn; why is Venom in the universe given how they set up the rules of the multiverse, and the list goes on ). The problem is that they needed to take that bullet in order to make the film they wanted to make here (or rather, the film fans wanted to see), but that doesn’t make it the right choice by any means, because it leads to a nonsensical film with a rushed pace.
Look, you can nitpick this film to death ( why would a university publicly admit that MJ and Ned are rejected because of their connection to Peter? ), but that’s not even my point. It’s heightened and not meant to be taken that seriously, I get that, but you at least need some form of internal logic, you cannot just do these unearned things because the plot demands it.
It’s not all bad though, Holland’s Spider-man still has a very good arc with some great emotional beats in it, and they make some very bold choices towards the end that I hope they stick with. It’s very similar to the first Fantastic Beasts, so I hope they don’t pull a Crimes of Grindelwald by retconning everything .
The acting is great, Holland and Zendaya give their best and most mature performances yet, and the villains are all good. I really like that they toned Dafoe down a little bit.
It looks fine. It has some of the best cinematography out of the trilogy, but some of the action looks very animated (again, stop touching up the suit, just let it wrinkle ffs) and unfinished, which is probably because this thing was rushed out, as we know.
For instance, there are some really wonky shots in the scene where Spider-Man fights Doctor Strange, the close-ups with Benedict Cumberbatch look like a weather forecast on television.
The references to the previous incarnations are a bit of a mixed bag. I like that they progressed some stuff and did interesting things with the things they referenced ( for example, you really feel like time has passed with Tobey and Andrew, they’re not giving a copy of their original performances, which is also a great excuse to tone down the awkwardness and lack of personality in Tobey’s version. Also, the banter between them is very nice, of course ), but most of it plays like a pandering greatest hits compilation. I don't need Dafoe to say you know, I'm something of a scientist myself again, it is nothing but a cheap attempt to trigger my nostalgia button.
Finally, it also has some of the worst tonal balance and comedy out of the trilogy, especially with some of the lines that are given to Benedict Cumberbatch.
5/10
In summary/TLDR: great idea for Sony’s bank account, but the seeds for this needed to be planted much earlier in order to make it a good film.
What a phenomenal show! Being a Marvel production, I fully expected something of quality, but my expectations were blown entirely out of the water. Daredevil has easily taken its place among my favorite shows currently on air and far surpasses the current lineup of comic book-based television properties (including Marvel's own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).
The cast is great. Charlie Cox brings emotional weight to Matt Murdock and an intimidating presence to his vigilante alter ego. Supporting players Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Rosario Dawson, all make their respective roles feel critical, never distracting or annoying. But it's Vincent D'Onofrio that really steals the spotlight as Wilson Fisk, bringing to life a villain who is not only vicious and truly terrifying, but also heartbreakingly pitiful.
Daredevil's writing separates it from the current crop of superhero television. The progression of the plot is well organized and dialog rarely (if ever) crosses that line into comic book corniness. You really get the sense that the show runners had a clear vision for where they wanted this freshman season to go, while still laying groundwork for future seasons. Never does it feel like you're just being strung along for bigger and better things to come next season. And the show doesn't constantly try to remind you of the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, as any references to it are (usually) subtle.
But perhaps Daredevil's greatest strength is its cinematography. Fight sequences are expertly choreographed and coherent (not to mention brutally gritty), even rivaling those of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The production value is top notch, probably thanks to the refreshingly limited reliance on CGI. But what impressed me the most was the brave willingness to let the camera linger or even meander occasionally. Ending episode 2 with a minutes-long single take fight sequence had me speechless, and is a testament to the level of quality brought to the show.
Daredevil is a strong addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I think Marvel's partnership with Netflix could prove to be one of their best decisions regarding their television properties and I look forward to future shows like A.K.A. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
Something like this comment was originally a reply to @Pedro, but I thought I'd put it here.
This show starts a little slow. It does that thing where the first few episodes are your typical boring cop procedural to show the network they know how to paint by numbers. Then it picks up.
It starts actually exploring the morals of mass surveillance, and (minor spoilers) it turns out the Machine is an AI, and they deal with all the interesting ramifications of living in a world secretly run by a benevolent(?) AI. One of the nice aspects of this show is the only fictional element of the Machine is software. Makes for a very grounded science fiction.
The characters start to deal with total corruption of the police system and attempt to take it down, meanwhile learning and redeeming themselves from their dubious past.
They also deal with taking down organised crime, and what to do when someone tries to consolidate power within the families, even though the new boss is less violent.
They get caught up in vast government conspiracies waging massive secret intelligence wars, and must stop innocent people from getting killed while remaining hidden from powerful people.
Heartbreak, romance, homoerotic sexual tension, SciFi, shooting people, explosions!
They stop making another cop show and start making some really compelling television.
Preliminary review, my final review for Season 1 is in another comment (I didn't want to just edit over this, especially with the likes on it). Very light spoilers for the first few episodes ahead.
I wanted to throw my hat in the ring and give a genuine review of the series as far as I've watched so far (I'll review it properly when I'm done with the season).
So, let's start with the Baphomet in the room (haha), and note that there is some very overt feminism in this series. As I hear, it tapers off as the series goes on, and I look forward to that, because while it is absolutely not pervasive to every corner of the series, it's a cringey part of the early episodes. I wholly support progressive movements, I am happy to see a non-binary character on the show, and Sabrina's attempts to defend said character. I wholly support Sabrina being a sassy, empowered female character who 'sticks it to the man'.
That said, constantly pointing to a plot element and going: 'This is women standing up to the patriarchy!' is unnecessary. As I said before, it's cringey. Let the work speak for itself.
That said, the series, while not a masterpiece, is interesting so far. I appreciate its willingness to broach Satanism (with all its LaVeyan trappings) and all the horror, gore, and sexuality that comes with it. When it just moves forward with the plot, and doesn't spend its time pointing out its progressiveness, it's a solid supernatural drama.
I do find Roz to be tedious. I think Harvey and Sabrina's relationship is unearned (they are way too lovey for 16 year olds with so many secrets between them, and Sabrina, so far, has been rather self-centered, while Harvey plays the devoted and doting boyfriend; feels very much like the criticisms feminists often have about the roles women play in their relationships with men in other stories). I hope that this gets approached with some maturity, instead of devolving into a mess of drama, but sadly, I feel it could easily go either way.
Ambrose is a great addition to the cast, fulfilling the morally ambiguous role that Salem played in the original (but also being properly morally ambiguous, in keeping with the dramatic tone, rather than comically so).
I'll make a proper review when I've finished with the season, but I just felt like this comment section could use a genuine review rather than the 'feminism is ruining everything!' reviews that it has mostly seen so far.
I stopped watching halfway through episode 9 of season 7, and the show was one of my top 5 favorite shows on TV still airing, so it is really as bad as you say. This is mainly the fault of Eric Wallace, who is the worst showrunner ever, worse than Guggenheim (Arrow's showrunner).
Season 1: 9/10 (Amazing, one of the best seasons of the entire show)
Season 2: 9/10 (As good as Season 1)
Season 3: 8/10 (Great season but the villain is less cool and there are less good episodes)
Season 4: 7/10 (Good season overall but mediocre ending)
Season 5: 6/10 (Decent first half with Cicada, Terrible second half with Cicada II)
Season 6: 5/10 (Decent first half with Bloodwork, Mediocre second half with Mirror Monarch)
Season 7: 4/10 (The entire season sucks)
If you look at the showrunner per season, it's easy to see the reason why the show got worse over time.
Season 1 was led by Andrew Kreisberg
Season 2 was led by Andrew Kreisberg, Gabrielle Stanton, Aaron Helbing, and Todd Helbing
Season 3 was led by Andrew Kreisberg, Aaron and Todd Helbing
Season 4 was led by Andrew Kreisberg and Todd Helbing
And then Andrew Kreisberg was fired by the production team of The Flash because of sexual harassment accusations, there were even men who accused him, so he was a bisexual predator. I'm not saying that they should have kept Andrew Kreisberg, but they should have at least replaced him with someone who was able to provide the same level of quality as before.
So then, Season 5 was led by Todd Helbing. It was still pretty decent in my opinion, except for the part with Cicada II, but still there were some great parts with the Reverse Flash, which was my favorite character on the show, which Tom Cavanagh played so well.
But then, Todd Helbing had to leave because he felt like the show was preventing him from spending time with his family, he had children and wanted more time to spend with them and his wife, so he quit.
So, for Season 6 and Season 7, the CW chose Eric Wallace, and of course, they had no way of knowing what he would do with the show and it ended in disaster. And now, because of him, the ratings are worse than they have ever been. And there are only some fanboys/fangirls on Reddit who are blinded by fandom so much that they praise him, because most people hate what Eric Wallace has done with the show.
The main problem that the CW has is that it hires bad showrunners sometimes and instead of firing them, they let them stay, no matter how bad the ratings get. I have nothing against gender diversity, sexual diversity, or ethnic diversity, but it should never be seen as a replacement for good writing and a good cast of actors. The best actors of this show are mainly Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash), Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells/Reverse Flash) and Jesse L Martin (Joe West).
Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon) and Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow) were also pretty good but their characters are being removed in order to be replaced by worse characters.
And the worst thing is that it doesn't take a genius to write good episodes of The Flash. Eric Wallace could have just given to the fans what they wanted instead of sacrificing quality for SJW politics and everyone would have been happy and the ratings would have been great. With the CGI that they have access to, it doesn't take much to make a fun show that lots of people will want to see.
The main things that are missing this season are (from most important to less important):
1) A good main villain (like Reverse Flash, Zoom and Devoe)
2) Good side villains (like Captain Cold, King Shark, Grodd, The Trickster, Pied Piper, Abra Kadabra, Vandal Savage)
3) A good cast of actors (The original main cast from season 1)
4) Enough episodes that focus on the story, and filler episodes should be at least more entertaining than those that focus on the story. Supernatural did this very well with episodes like "Mystery Spot", "Changing Channels", "The French Mistake", "Scoobynatural", "LARP and The Real Girl", "Ghostfacers", "Fan Fiction", "Yellow Fever", "The Real Ghostbusters", "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Time After Time".
5) Lots of action and only a bit of drama, but not too much so that it doesn't become a soap opera
6) Some progression of the characters, especially The Flash's powers and his speed should be getting better each season like how Clark's speed in Smallville kept getting better and better from season 1 to season 10. And if they are going to give lots of screen time to Allegra, then we should be seeing her using her powers a lot more, she almost never uses them. This show has great CGI that it almost never uses, and it's not like it costs too much because once you have the equipment for the CGI, it doesn't cost more money to add more since it is made from the computer, so they are just being lazy because the showrunner Eric Wallace is lazy.
7) More surprising plot twists throughout the season
8) Less useless dialogue and less cringey dialogue (with 45 minutes of runtime per episode, they should be able to do a lot more, even with their limited budget)
9) More screen time for the characters that people want to see (especially The Flash) and less screen time for side characters
10) More crossover events than just 1 per year. Crossovers are what people want to see, and since all the shows are filmed in the same studio, it shouldn't be very difficult to do it.
My prediction is that if the CW doesn't fire Eric Wallace, they will keep the show running until they start losing money, because although the ratings are bad, if they are still letting him run the show, it must be because they are satisfied with the profits, because the production of TV shows is always about making money, not necessarily pleasing the consumers, unlike in other industries, where public opinion would matter more.
Many people are so picky about the shows that they choose to watch that they will say that everything that the CW has ever made is bad, but the truth is that although it cannot match the level of quality of HBO or AMC shows, the CW is still able to make great TV shows on some occasions when they have a good enough showrunner. People often use Arrow and The Flash as examples to mock the CW but they forget that it's the same network which also made Smallville and Supernatural, both of which were extremely successful, so it's not the network that is to blame, it's the showrunners that the network picked. But even big studios like Warner Bros make that mistake a lot by hiring people like Zack Snyder or Joss Whedon to direct their movies, which makes them end up with bad ratings. I think that is because it is impossible to predict how well a showrunner will be, because even if you look at their history, it doesn't guarantee that their future work will be as good as what they made in the past since there are only a few directors who are able to maintain the same level of quality over many decades (guys like Quentin Tarantino).
I really wish the show either gets fixed or cancelled so that everyone can finally get what they want or just move on. And I am especially curious as to what will be Grant Gustin's next acting job after The Flash because he has a really good level of acting talent and he has a great singing voice too.
Amazing,Unpredictable! Watching it was a roller coaster of emotions,sometimes the movie is a dark comedy , after that a romantic comedy, the next minute a revenge thriller, It's tonal shifts made me laught,cry,angry,fearful,happy and eventually made me think a lot about the ending , i think it's going to be devisive between people.But for me it worked and when i play the movie in my head and what this character has been dealing with in her life i think it fits perfectly.I felt satisfied
The subject matter we're dealing with here is very challenging to adress in a movie and Emerald Fennell(writer and first time director) is not afraid of exposing all the parties involved when something like that happen and how everyone involved could deal with it , she knocked it out of the park.
Carey Mulligan gives what i think migt be the best performance of her career , i really hope she could snag an Oscar nomination
She killed it as Cassandra this young woman with a tragic past who's on a journey of her own trying avenge what happened to her , perfectly casted here and i wouldn't imagine someone else taking that role.
You don't really know how to feel about her like sometimes she's likable and funny , the next minute she goes dark and very serious and frightening , those shift personnalities were well executed! The cast was great too , everyone nailed their part really !
The movie does not answer eveything that happened , there a times you wonder what happened to that guy and what happened to that woman because they don't show you so you make your own image of the events or you trust Cassandra's word's which i very much liked, it leaves you making you own assumption for some parts.
Overall, the movie is well directed , the writing is so strong here and a screenplay oscar nomination is very plausible and it's just very a beautiful movie to watch , the colours the cinematography, the sets, it's like you're in a candy world , the soundtarck is great and the use of music was on point .
This movie is ambitious and important and i don't think it will be forgotten by people , it just needs time to grow .
Very imaginative and with a very conscious message of what humanity is capable of, interpreting that through different meanings.
Snowpiercer is a film based on a French graphic novel called Le Transperceneige, and in this we follow the story of mankind, who lives aboard a large train, after a serious ecological problem that froze Planet Earth forever. Almost everyone in the world died frozen least the ones who boarded on the train, and past 18 years still travels a worldwide route and according to its inventor, Wilford, an engineer who predicted the fatal events, the train will never stop. If any of the passengers tries to leave, will freeze to death. The train is divided into several sections and social levels which can not mix with each other. In the last car of the train lives the lowest social class that sick of living in extreme poverty, found a plan to try to bring down Wilford's field who lives commanding everything that happens in the first train carriage. The main goal of the rebels is to reach Wilford and end inequality among all human beings.
Despite is unreal story this turns out to be a film with immense significance and to be able to appreciate the importance of the messages it wants to deliver we have to know first of all to analyze the meaning of all the moments that we think are out of place. For what at first sight may be out of context or not seems to make sense (due to the condition of the world and the people of the train) will make much sense anyway if we look beyond what we see.
The main reason why this film manages to be successful it may be the direction of the Korean Bong Joon-ho, who with this film makes his directorial debut in English language. Despite the language and the amount of known actors, we feel anyway the Asian cinema style very present throughout the film and that is very interesting.
The set design is absolutely magnificent! The way the carriages were designed are great, but when it comes to the image of the outside world leaves much to be desired. The CGI is very poor and all the frozen world seems very unreal.
Is full of bizarre characters and moments that break a little of the dark atmosphere in the story and this is great because it gives us spontaneous laughs from time to time, relieving its tension.
Chris Evans surprised me a lot! His performance is very emotional and managed to convince me of their intentions and feelings. His figure in the past few years is very attached to Captain America and during this film he made me forget about that. My favorite character is without a doubt Tilda Swinton's, extremely bizarre and unique, something she knows how to make and very good! The rest of the cast, with names such as John Hurt, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer and Koreans Song Kang-ho and Ko Ah-sung were also good.
I believe this is the kind of film that grows on us after consecutive views. Is biggest problem may be is long duration. Although is quite entertaining for most of the time, because of its length, the final act ends up losing a little magic not having so much intensity and impact as it should have been.
Flaws aside, it's very good to see a different style in Hollywood and I am sure that this film will be the subject of constant analysis over the years, not only for is unique style but also for the messages it wants to pass.
Snowpiercer is a film that perfectly projects the type of stigma in society in general, the problem that has always existed and unfortunately still exists today between the different social classes.
You know how I said the season 5 finale was kind of lame? This was better, but far from totally satisfying. I know a few decades is nothing when you have an eternity to look forward to, but it still sucks that Chloe had to be a single mother. It's not fair to her. I cried so much when Deckerstar were saying goodbye (a really messy, snotty cry). All the little callbacks like Chloe playing that simple melody on the piano were so sweet and Lauren and Tom really did a breathtaking job. But still, it didn't have to be this way. I think it would've been much better if Lucifer had chosen to commute to Hell and still be in Rory's life, and that moment had created an alternate timeline - so that Rory from the original timeline still arrived to fullfil her purpose, but everything from that point on was different. IMO that would've been much better than the time loop idea. When it comes to time travel, you can pretty much get away with any bullshit explanation anyway. Everyone else ended up in a really good place, so at least that was nice. Maze and Eve kicking ass and taking names together, Charlie sprouting wings... I liked all of that. Also they really got Tricia Helfer to come back without giving her any dialogue lmao.
I will miss this show. Even though I feel like it had run its course and there weren't any stories left to tell, I'm still a little sad to see it go. It wasn't a perfect show, but it had some great moments, especially when it rose above the case of the week stuff and focused more on the celestial side of things and the relationships between the characters. It had such an interesting, diverse and lovable bunch of characters who all changed and grew in organic ways. The humor was always top notch, but the show also had some genuine emotion and a lot of heart. All in all, I will remember Lucifer fondly.
EDIT: After giving myself some time to fully digest this season and this final episode, I realized that there is something deeply messed up about a show that has always been about free will - Lucifer choosing to stay on Earth, Amenadiel choosing humanity, Chloe choosing to love Lucifer (remember how big of a deal the "does she only have feelings for me because she's a gift from God?" debacle was?), Maze choosing to develop human emotions and form connections with people, Eve choosing her own path after literally being made for someone else - not giving its leads any choice in the end and forcing them to follow a predetermined path. Again, the alternate timeline idea was right there and it would've reaffirmed the show's message that you make your own fate.
Starts very well, the way they handle the death of Boseman is very tastefully done (so many well executed emotional beats) and I like the new conflict that they set up, which is a little more grey and intelligent than the usual blockbuster, like the first movie. The new villain is an interesting character, and I quite liked the creativity that went into the design of his powers and world, but for the love of god, never show me those goofy wing boots again. From the second act onwards, the movie starts to get bogged down by the Marvel machine, i.e. the movie slips out of Coogler’s hands. It’s unfortunately forced to function as a backdoor pilot for Disney + shows and used to drive the corporate machine forward, instead of focussing on the development of its own premise and character arcs. The way it rushes through the arcs of Okoye, Shuri and Namor leaves a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, cutting/writing out Riri, Martin Freeman and Julia Louis Dreyfus would improve the overall cohesion and pacing a lot. What doesn’t help either is that the action and visual effects get increasingly worse and worse as the movie goes on, to the point where we again have an ugly third act on our hands, which includes some of the most hideous looking costumes the MCU has ever put out. Moreover, the soundtrack is kinda bland this time around. It’s not like Kendrick et al. were putting out their best material for the first film, but the music here is just so vanilla and forgettable. Finally, I’m not enitrely sure what the script is trying to communicate on a deeper level, besides being a general statement in favour of diplomacy. If it’s meant to be just that, I don’t think this is anywhere as bold as the first movie. Not that it needs that in order to be good, but it’s another layer stripped away from what made the first movie special. What saves the film ultimately is a lot of its craft: the directing, worldbuilding, acting, score, cinematography, costume and set design (underwater world looked great, much better than Aquaman IMO) are all very well handled and stand out in the blockbuster field. It has those strong foundations in place that make it hard to produce a flat out bad Black Panther film, but man does this movie also show that Marvel is its own worst enemy at this point.
5.5/10
.
So I have some theories about this movie, and I understand they may be controversial to many. Firstly, (not a theory) I had a phenomenal time with this movie. Like genuinely, I really liked it. But I also don’t want to spoil anything, so I will refrain in that regard. But secondly, I think this movie is getting wildly mixed reviews because of the audience it is hitting. In many aspects, this feels like an A24 film. A smidge experimental, a little vague, conceptual with its messages. A24 has never thrived because it’s forced to the mainstream. It hits an audience that is interested in what A24 is. By casting Harry Styles, a One Direction member, as the lead, and the crazy amount of ads for this movie, it’s drawing an audience wildly different than what it is. Thirdly, people are upset because it has plot holes…I don’t think it actually has plot holes. It had intentional ambiguity in a world left to explore. We could see a prequel. We could see a sequel. We could get documentaries about it. There’s so much here that is left for interpretation, but it’s not unanswered. It’s open ended the way many books are. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this one. Go in knowing nothing and experience it for yourself!
Rating: 4.5/5 - 9/10 - Highly Recommend
Okay, so apparently this episode aired a day early in Canada? Thank you, Canada. You rock.
That being said, my mind is filled with incomprehensible yelling, and my hands are shaking, so I'll keep this one brief.
Have we just watched Shaw's Winter Soldier origin story?
Sarah Shahi was on fire, hot damn. What an amazing performance.
I was sure that Shaw's escape wasn't real the moment I saw that random-ass boat. Way too convenient. Then the episode made me doubt a few times whether it was a simulation or reality, but in the end it turned out to be exactly what I'd suspected from the beginning.
I'd been waiting to see my baby Shaw again for so long, but I wasn't prepared for that. God, I can't deal with my emotions. It's too much.
I just really want them to kill Greer, all right? Slowly and painfully. Hell, I'd kill that asshole myself if I could.
If the simulation was in Shaw's head, why wasn't it from her point of view? And have those creeps watched Shoot bang every time they've run it?
This episode was unbelievably sad, and I'll probably still be crying about it next week, but Sarah Shahi tearing apart Amy Acker's shirt might just be the greatest thing I've ever witnessed with my own two eyes. Is there any chance we'll get some more of that when Root and Shaw are finally reunited in the real world?
Shaw has chosen to put a bullet in her head 6,741 times instead of killing Root. I'm bawling. Ultimate OTP goals right there.
What an exquisite episode. It struck the perfect balance between heartbreaking and awesome. Easily one of the best they've ever done and definitely in my top 3.
I'll be on the floor sobbing uncontrollably if anyone would like to join me.
Weird season finale. After all the build up, everything feels anticlimactic. Right down from A-Train--the reason all this mess started--to Homelander.
Before we get to that, let's talk a bit about how weird the whole prison sequences play out. The joke, the attempted rescue, the shootout, all feel really weak especially compared to well-directed sequences in prior episodes. First of all there is really no need for some jocular banter that went for about two minutes or more. Not to mention the pauses. It feels dragging. This includes the attempted rescue which continues the joke.
Second, the shootout looks really weird. We've seen Frenchie did his weird stuff when it comes to the Female/Kimiko, but this doesn't seem logical. He is a professional killer, why the hell he keeps on showing up his head to look at Kimiko when getting shot at? Is he looking to die? Not to mention he got shot prior, on the stomach, how the hell he can walk and help Kimiko walk that easily? Hughie getting to shoot randomly while saying "I'm sorry! I'm sorry" and miraculously hit trained soldiers is even worse. Even the Starlight rescue looks like a cheap deus ex machina for the plot to goes forward.
The Boys had been attempting to mock the quip-ridden superhero genre--that is, the Marvel Cinematic Universe--but the whole prison sequences makes The Boys looks exactly like an MCU episode.
Now we get to the supes.
The Deep. His subplot has been standing on its for quite a while now. There seems to be no direct connection with the bigger plot that has been going on. And this episode his subplot stays that way, while still giving him enough screen time to focus on his emotion. I'm not sure if that is something we wanted to see for a finale. It feels like something to be saved for future seasons. Even if that doesn't mean it's bad, they could have cut it way shorter than what they did.
Then the thing with A-Train feels very anticlimactic. He just popped up there out of nowhere. We were previously shown his desire, his post-power syndrome, his attempt to be relevant. Then in the supposedly final showdown, we finally see Hughie vs A-Train head on. But we don't see A-Train. We see an injured A-Train, a traumatic supe in his mental and physical breakdown. Now this still could be an interesting, emotional confrontation between our protagonist with the one who murdered his sweetheart. Not to mention, the presence of Starlight could make this dynamic interesting--is Hughie done for, how would he cope between his past and present emotion? What we get instead, however, is a slow motion capture with very minuscule combat and almost none of emotional engagement. Then A-Train just went, just like that.
I feel like they are saving him for future episodes, but this being the finale--the culmination of all emotion that has been built up so far--makes this confrontation very lacking. It feels like we are still on Eps 5 or 6, but with worse pacing.
Now Homelander. He is our another main driver of the plot. Everything that has happened so far always leads us back to him. His dynamics with Madelyn the CEO has been a bizarre Oedipus complex-like situation, What happened between them in this episode is actually very unexpected, though one may sense that it would eventually came to this point through the clues scattered so far. This result should have provided a surprising reveal. However, as it turns out, there seems to be something hollow in the encounter. Given the interesting portrayal of their faux-mother-son-sexual-relationship in the first half of the episode, the second half seems to speed up the climax. As if they were being chased by some deadline, that they have to cut it short, while at the same time giving enough spaces for Homelander to give his, in Maeve's words in previous episodes, "boring speeches."
It feels climactic and inconclusive at the same time. And I guess the same can be said with many encounters in this episode. Starlight with Meave. Billy with the CIA. Hughie with Starlight at the church. It feels like they have to speed it up--to shove in the dialogues--for the sake of putting the plot forward. It's shaky and unreliable.
Now, the end of the episode leads us to a quite intriguing reveal. It's not the direction we--or at least, I--expected to take in the season. However, with such really weak build up throughout the episode, the ending feels like forced. As if they have prepared them to be this way, but still unsure how they would bring it up to this moment. As such, while the scene itself is (should be?) surprising, there is not much surprise when I watch the event unfolds. It's less of a "wow, so this is it?" than a "oh okay, so this happens, and then?"
Credits where it's due: Anthony Starr as Homelander and Karl Urban as Billy Butcher display terrific performances in this episode. Especially Homelander with his extremely erratic, unpredictable behavior. But that alone is not enough to pardon the sloppiness of this episode.
Perhaps because they, like MCU and other superhero movies, seem to busy themselves to prepare for the upcoming season instead of trying to give audience a closure of the plot. And that exact reason is what makes superhero movies went boring for these past years. They are focusing to build an universe, instead of writing a good narrative. Unfortunately, this episode robs the fresh air that The Boys has breathe for quite some time. While I hope for the continuation of the series, I am less excited.
Brilliant! Simply brilliant! It hit me right in the feels and I swear I felt dizzy for like a minute. Those last 10 minutes were astonishing. They had me at the edge of my seat. Poor Charlotte. She had me in tears. And Amenadiel getting his wings back was also nice. However, the scene that hit me the most was watching Amenadiel crying, taking Charlotte's soul into Heaven by simply saying: "Let's go home". These things hit me when I least expect it.
Lucifer finally realizing what he needs to do without anyone telling him was great as well. That scene in the penthouse was lovely and heartwarming. I would've liked him to show Chloe his wings, but hey, nobody's perfect. About the kiss, well, I've got to say it, I'd love Chloe to really know he's the devil but I don't want to see them as a couple. I don't know why, I think it's just me the one who sees them as nothing more than partners. I just hope Pierce suffers a slow and painful death at the hands of whoever they want to. I don't care as long as he suffers and he goes to hell.
I loved Maze with everything I've got. I hated her character this season due to pure manufactured drama, but I do hope that Amenadiel's words had a positive effect on her, and judging from the synopsis for next episode, they do.
Delivery guy: Are you Dan Espinosa?"
Lucifer: "How dare you?!"
I laughed about loud at that part.
Overall, amazing episode. Really sold it for me. And the finale next week promises to be great. I'm gonna miss Charlotte, hell, I'm gonna miss Trivia Helfer. I hated Mom last season, but Charlotte grew on me with some great scenes and great acting from Tricia. I do hope she comes back somehow, even if it's just her life in Heaven.
The Boys does its job best when they jab at mockery of how the show biz operates. The first thing Vought does then they know that Queen Maeve is bi is to capitalize it: make her sexuality as a performance in their newest movie. But not only that; they need to make Maeve not just a bi, but a lesbian, and her partner - Elena - has to be made to wear men's fashion. Because "lesbian is a bit more easy to sell" and "Americans are more accepting of gay when they are in clear-cut gender role relationship". Companies like Vought, like its real-life counterpart (Disney), cares much more about how something sells than the nuance behind it. This parody is even funnier considering that they have a Jon Favreau look-a-like and a guy named Joss (Whedon?) who handle the Dawn of Seven movie production.
Aside from that, the episode continues the tense relationship between Starlight and Stormfront, and we start to see how Stormfront attempts to pull strings to maintain her position in The Seven.
Two things I notice though: the part where Homelander murdered a bunch of civilian in the public, that turns out to be an imagination feels a bit like cop-out, however it is interesting that it parallels Hughie's frustration when he lost Robin back in the first eps. of Season 1. The way Noir and Butcher confrontation is handled also feels a bit too easy, especially after the big build up about them being Vought most wanted in earlier episode.
Legends: break the first rule of time travel, meet their past selves, fuck up all of time to the point where there are fucking dinosaurs running around present-day LA
Barry, watching from the sidelines: throws his hands up in disbelief, shakes his head, walks away muttering curse words under his breath
Yup, the level of hypocrisy is staggering. On the other hand, if I had to choose between living in Doomworld and risking the possibility of ending up with a T-rex in my backyard, I wouldn't even hesitate.
Eobard got fucked! Yes! That was so satisfying.
Is Rip gone for good? My guess is that he'll pop up every now and then in season 3. I'm glad he won't be around all the time, though. He said it himself: "This team has functioned far better in my absence than it ever did under my leadership". Preach. Sara makes a really great captain. And the team we've got now is so well-balanced. Everyone contributes something and has their own stories, struggles and character development. That's one of the things that made season 2 so much better than season 1 and honestly, Rip's absence helped with that.
The scene between Sara and Laurel was so emotional and tear-jerking. I'm so proud of Sara for being able to overcome her personal desires and do the right thing.
I can't believe how fun this season was. I had a blast watching each new episode. I'm very excited for season 3. I guess we have 6 months of waiting ahead of us now, huh?
Recently, I read this interview with Kevin Feige where he said that the Academy Awards have a bias against Marvel movies.
If you ever wonder why that is, look no further than the first 20 minutes of this episode.
You get this long 10 minute scene between Pugh and Steinfeld which hits a lot of important emotional beats for the plot, and the writing is actually not too bad.
Sure you have Pugh doing that awful Russian accent again, and Hailee Steinfeld’s making weird faces as if she’s Kate McKinnon in an SNL skit, but that’s besides the point.
Look specifically at how they shoot it.
Besides the bland looking apartment, you cannot shoot such an important and lengthy scene doing nothing besides shots and reverse shots and then expect to get an Oscar (or in this case Emmy) for it.
It is literally the laziest and most uninspired way to approach a scene like that.
So, what do they do to mask the poor filmmaking and weak story choices (because let’s face it, Marvel has once again put out something with a messy and unfocussed plot)?
Just take a quick look at some of the other comments, and you’ll get the idea.
It’s like they’re dangling a ball in front of a cat, and it’s kinda embarrassing to see how effective that is.
Ok, feels like it started scared of its own hugeness, with rushed and didascalic conversations to then slowly build up its identity. Hopefully they will dig deeper into the more philosophical aspects that they introduced in the last third of episode!
Disclaimer: I've only read the Six of Crows duology and loved it.
I really liked this series. It melds the Shadow and Bone book series with the Six of Crows, both written by Leigh Bardugo and taking place in the Grishaverse universe.
It manages to make its own identity through good story line, fast pathing, interesting characters and settings and beautiful sceneries.
I thought the first half of the season flowed exceptionally well, but some of the later episodes were a bit disappointing for me.
Pros:
- Visually stunning. Costumes, scenery and special effects are delightful.
- Cast is on point. Really loved Kit Young as Jesper and Jessie Mei Li as Alina.
- The world is well thought and fleshed out.
In between:
- Pathing is very fast, not many moments were you can pause and think about what's happening.
- Story is original, but nothing never seen before.
- Matthias and Nina storyline feels rushed and unnecessary for this first season. Actually, most of the Six of Crows storylines have little to no impact on the overall scheme of things in season 1, and just acting as a stepping stone for season 2.
Cons:
- Some scenes are VERY dark and it's difficult to see what's happening.
- Some plot points could have had more explaining, mainly the Morozova's beasts storyline, which I thought were kind of a deus ex machina.
All in all a very enjoyable watch, extremely bingeable and satisfying.
I recommend to all fantasy fans.
8/10
You know what the sad thing is? I didn't appreciate Laurel enough when she was on the show. This episode only reminded me what a big hole she left when she died. And damn, it made me emotional.
I actually love the "characters are in a simulation and start to realize that something's not right" storyline. This was really well-done.
I wondered where the newbies were during last night's episode. I'm not that fond of them, but I'm glad they included them here, if only for the sake of continuity.
Kara and Barry's high five in the middle of a fight was just the cutest thing ever. This is one of my favorite relationships in the Arrowverse. They are absolutely adorable together.
Holy cow, that spaceship looked freaking amazing. And I'm happy that the Waverider and Nate made an appearance. I guess we'll see everyone in the Legends part of the crossover. Maybe we'll finally get some actual alien ass-kicking.
Oh, and how could I forget? This is the 100th episode of Arrow! Congrats! It hasn't always been smooth sailing, but I'm still happy for the show. It was great to see all the characters we've lost along the way and remember how much Arrow has changed since the pilot. Some of the changes have been for the better. Some for the worse. But all in all, I still enjoy the show and episodes like this remind me why I fell in love with it in the first place.
I totally called the double wedding thing! And I actually loved it. Everyone's vows were really sweet. And I also think that closing the will-they-won't-they part of Oliver and Felicity's relationship will be good for both the show and the shippers. Less stupid drama.
I had to pause the episode for a few minutes when the Professor died because I was bawling too hard. It was so devastating. And Jax letting him go was so painful... I couldn't stop crying. Rest in peace, Martin. I do hope they will bring Victor Garber back eventually, but this was a beautiful send-off for his character.
I wish Barry had killed Eobard. I'm sick of him. But it was a fun contrast to see Oliver just shoot his doppelganger straight in the chest without hesitation. Get wrecked, Nazi. Same goes for Overgirl. Good fucking riddance.
I was happy to see Ray, Nate, Amaya and Zari. I was afraid they wouldn't use them at all in this crossover, which would've been a waste. Oh, and I'm glad Dig showed up too.
This crossover ended too quickly. It was so much fun! I hope they keep this 4-hour, 2-night format next year. It worked extremely well here.
ET gets a remake! What a great episode! Definitely one of the best ones I've seen! So much cuteness in just 42 minutes and now I have alien goo in my eyes!
"Isn't that adorable!" Ray "cinnamon roll" Palmer is just simply adorable. The more I know about his childhood the more I fall in love with his character. Gumball was simply lovely! That cute little baby dominator! That head-bobbing while watching Singing in the Rain. Gold. I was looking forward for some insight into Ray's childhood and backstory and here it is.
It was surprisingly emotional. I connect with little Ray in every way possible. His words really pierced my heart. Props for the actor who plays young Ray. He made me laugh, he made me cry and he definitely won my heart.
Zari's character development was perfect. She was great. She being supportive of little Ray was cool. She's so much fun and her dynamic with the team was great as well. She's a great addition to the team.
I really loved Stein's interactions with Jax and calling him family, especially know that we know Victor Garber is leaving the show. And he named his grandson Ronnie! Cute.
I love the writers of this show and the big nerds they are. So many E.T. references. This touched my heart. So many emotions. I loved the flying bicycle scene. That was breathtaking.
MiB agents randomly start singing. This is the show! It was a WTF scene but boy, did I enjoy it! I lost it the minute they said "good morning". This just proves that the show can do whatever they want even if that doesn't make any sense. They don't hold anything.
The Mommynator scenes with Nate were just golden. "I'm gonna brush my teeth forever", lol. Nate was great. His Biff Tannen outfit while waxing the DeLorean was perfect. I love BTTF and I hope they do an episode inspired on it.
That scenes with all of them suited-up was awesome. Zari's suit is amazing. I love that it's loosely based on Isis. I loved Rory robbing candy from those bullies. This show is just awesome!
[7.2/10] This was fine. I’m not very versed in Matt Fraction’s run on the Hawkeye comic, which this show is supposed to be at least partly based on, so some of the nods and bits of foreshadowing are lost on me. But it does what it needs to do as a first episode, even if it’s closer to a single than a homerun.
This is mostly an introduction to Kate Bishop who, spoiler alert I guess, will almost certainly become the new Hawkeye. Her backstory here is fine. I like the idea that she lost her father in the Battle of New York, but inherited his sense of protectiveness in general, and for her mother in particular. Her seeing Clint Barton’s heroism during the fight with the Chituri is some nice clockwork plotting amid the cinematic universe to explain why she’d choose to take up archery along the way. It’s all a bit tidy, as such character introductions tend to be, but it’s all sound enough.
I also appreciate her as a bit of a troublemaker, and a resourceful one at that. Her bell-ringing/tower-destroying stunt is amusing enough as to how she’s clever but can still get in trouble. And the way she manages to infiltrate a secret rich guy auction for illicit goods shows some of her chops as a budding hero.
I’m not enamored with the actual character work, though. Her relationship with her mom and putative stepdad starts out as boilerplate. There’s some class issues at play, which I can appreciate, but the show only gestures toward them here in the beginning. Maybe we’ll get more on why she feels out of place in the world of the wealthy (and why her mom feels so comfortable there despite seemingly putting up some resistance to it in the cold open flashback). But it’s hard to invest in any of these generic relationships and tensions in the early going.
All that said, I found myself surprisingly compelled by Clint Barton here, who’s never the Avenger I’m most invested in. I appreciate the way he’s still grieving Black Widow, not skimping on the emotional impact of the human costs of Endgame. By the same token, I appreciate his discomfort at the way he and his colleagues have been valorized by the world. The idea that after you’ve been through something hellish and at times life-destroying -- seeing the way it’s been gussied up and turned into a Broadway musical, or how people want selfies, or how well-meaning restaurateurs treat you more like a paragon of virtue than a person -- would be a lot for you to take. The distance between the popular image and the reality would be mentally taxing, and I like the show exploring that idea.
I also like the setup that Kate might be, if not a replacement for Natasha, then someone who fills the same space in Clint’s eyes (and the audience’s). She’s another badass normal, one who uses conman schemes to get past surly wait staff managers and sneaky parkour to get into places she’s not supposed to be. There’s a setup that Clint training her is as much about him processing Natasha’s death and seeing her legacy carried on as it is Clint possibly filling in the role of a father figure that Kate does not want filled with her cruddy-seeming soon-to-be stepdad.
THere’s potential in all of this, the execution is just a little off-the-shelf. Visually, the episode is surprisingly bland despite the “Xmas in NYC” setting. The fight scenes are indifferent and over-edited, leaving Kate’s coming out party as an ass-kicker seeming murky and dull. The only real excitement despite a heists, showdown, and wine bottle skirmish, comes from what we don’t see. Clint kicking some random thieves’ behinds on top of a car, where we just see the aftermath, sells the butt-whupping prowess better than any of the actual fight scenes we get to see, which isn’t ideal.
I’m likewise not especially invested in the murder mystery, even if Armond Duquesne was the most entertaining performance in this episode. So much of these initial episodes has to be setup, and the plot machinery being moved around didn’t do much for me.
Still, again, this was fine. It doesn’t set the world on fire, but it does what it needs to do in terms of introducing the characters, the character conflicts, and something plotty for our heroes to concern themselves with over the course of the show. Hopefully with that throat-clearing out of the way, there’ll be better things to come, but this is a series premiere that gets on the board more than it hits right on target.
Person of Interest has finally returned from war! And as sad as I am that this season is the last one, it's always better for a TV show to end after 5 seasons and be remembered as spectacular than to drag on for 10 seasons and become an unrecognisable, unwatchable caricature of itself. It seems that they want to go out with a bang, and they're bringing out the big guns this season - literally and figuratively. This episode was fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Harold's moral dilemma and his interactions with The Machine made me emotional. Who knew I'd get so attached to an AI? And he called her "she"!
Once again, Root defied the dead lesbian trope and survived being shot at not once, not twice, but three freaking times! With LGBT characters dropping like flies on other shows (which is insane, by the way, and needs to stop immediately), I'm extremely happy that my favorite perky psycho is still alive. That could change, of course, with stakes being higher than ever this season, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that she's made it this far. The writers have always treated the characters with respect and I trust them to do Root justice, whether she survives this season or not.
"You can just call me Root, bitch."
I love her so much. So much.
Also, Root and John working together was a nice thing. She has built such amazing relationships with Harold and Shaw in the last few years, but she hasn't interacted with John all that much, which is a shame because they're so similar in many ways, and they make a good team. I really hope we'll see more of that.
I didn't pay that much attention to Fusco's storyline, but it's obvious he won't let go, and he'll probably find himself way over his head. Well, won't be the first time. We shall see where his investigation leads him.
Looking forward to next week. I have a strong feeling that this may just be the best season of all.
Considering the build up to the plot, I really think it was only okay.
Lucifer becoming God was like the most obvious stance that the show was heading in, but the way they built up the episode in the beginning, it had one of the perfect setups to make it so that Lucifer chooses Chloe to be the God(ess) and the decision to let Lucifer back into heaven could have been Chloe's...
The plot for Charlie becoming God is put to bed, but that could have been another potentially uncommon ending.
Maze finally accepting Eve was a good change of pace from the usual 'you don't deserve me' or 'I need space/time' theme that's been going on for quite a while on the show.
I think with all the angels showing up, and so much of Ella's dilemma this season related to her faith, I think the writers missed a perfect opportunity to bring back Azreal a little earlier into the season to have conversations with Ella.
So Michael can kill humans, because God left and his restrictions are no longer applicable, but Lucifer can not go into heaven without burning? What a waste of Lilith's invulnerability. And also, Michael doesn't become God after winning the votes because it's not unanimous, but Lucifer returns from heaven as God even without the unanimous votes? That makes zero sense.
God's role was really crappy throughout the season, just lame. Michael was absolutely awesome in the first half, but he's such a disappointing character in the second half of the season.
We don't deserve this show. This is so good. I'm addicted to this nonsensical shit. It's a drug.
A Sherlock-like theme was one thing I've been waiting for a long time.
I was so excited to have Rip back with his ex-girlfriend but he's a dick. He fucked up so hard. Rip hates every organization he's been in. He needs to create the Rip Hunter's Bureau, where he's in charge. He just does whqt he wants. I hope he learns his lesson and comes back, this time for good.
Sara has grown so much as a character. She's right. Rip begged for help and then betrayed them. Idiot move. I'm sure he'll prove to be right despite his dickness. "How to be a cold son of a bitch", that was straight up savage and so Quentin-like, Sara. He should've dropped that notebook so that Sara could use it. On the other hand, Rip wouldn't be Rip if he actually gave a fuck about anything.
Mallus' voice was so freaking creepy. It spooked me. Eleanor aka Darhk's daughter was a great addition.
"The Phantom Mollusk. An evil shellfish" lol. Nate killed me. Comparing Ray's holding hands suggestion with Toy Story 3, lol.
Mick reading gives me life. Those glasses were a nice touch. Let him finish his book, dammit! Everyone panicking and he's just "Everyone shut up, I've got one page left!" lol. He's my spirit animal. The best. This is probably the only book he's read from cover to cover. Let's face it. I feel like I need to read Dracula again.
Damn, I missed Darhk so much and he's got his mojo back! "Who stole my watch?" lmao. This is why I love this show. The transition from a dark scene to a comedic one. This show never fails at making me laugh like a maniac.
"Return of the Mack" starts playing and I lost my shit. Never have I thought it would fit as the perfect music for a fighting scene. Tears in my eyes. Best fight scene ever! It looked like Darhk's music video, casually slaughtering agents while drinking and dancing to music. I lost it. That man has style. Neal McDonough is a gift. He's just too good
Another great episode. Probably one of my favourites of the entire show, to be honest.
I couldn't stop cracking up for the first 5 minutes. The scene with The Machine experiencing a facial recognition error was shown at New York Comic Con last October. I watched it on YouTube months ago, and I thought it was pure gold, but I was sure it was just a fun, little bonus. I never expected it to be an actual scene from an actual episode, but I'm so glad it is. The cast's impressions of each other were hilarious. Amy Acker's Reese and Finch were particularly on point. We also got Root in bunny slippers and her and Finch redecorating the subway. It was nice to have some happy stuff before things got serious again.
The Machine going crazy was really sad for me, especially when Harold realised that she was suffering, reliving her deaths over and over. His speech about things not being black and white and about people doing their best really touched me. Harold was a different man when he created The Machine, and since then he's had to learn that good and bad aren't always mutually exclusive, which is exactly what The Machine needed to understand in this episode. I love how they draw parallels between The Machine and her human agents.
How great is the relationship between Root and Harold? They've come so far. She kidnapped him when they first met, and now they're working together, fighting against Samaritan together, living together, and he's willing to sacrifice The Machine if he has to choose between her and Root? I'm in tears. And Bear likes Root too!
Of course that random guy we saw in the middle of the episode wasn't random. I really should've seen it coming.
The ending was amazing as well. Team Machine on a picnic? That's some fanfiction shit right there, and I love it. I know it won't last, but they deserve some peace and quiet every once in a while.
Favorite part of the episode is seeing the Razorback in action. That sequences of the UN ship racing after Bobbie and Dapper in the Julie's raceship, and then having Holden's crew come in to save them. This was intense on so many levels. Reminds me of high speed car chases in space. Kinda like the awesome chase sequences in the Fast/Furious movies. On a character basis, watching Bobbie and Avasarala bond in high adrenaline situations, with Bobbie in her home territory (space) just makes me love both even more. Awesome women protecting and supporting each other. Major kudos to the production design time in their vision of the Razorback... that is one beautiful ship, both inside and outside. Also how awesome are the mechanics of the inside. Also kudos to the SFX team for some movie level work, something i'd expect from a major motion picture.
I'd also need to mention the sequence with Amos and the botanist, when he tools come loose during their mission to save the Razorback. One of the most badass sequences ever, inside the ship and outside of it.
Also, it's nice to have Amos have a friend. His developing relationship with the Botanist is a welcomed change for Amos, who is all about fighting and destorying, as we have seen. But with the botanist, he can create things to help the ship stay alive.
So Elizabeth MItchell is now on this cast for S3 and I'm ecstatic about this. Though she plays a reverned, she isn't holding back. In our intro to her, she commands military guards who are beating on protesters to make sure the man he injured gets proper medical treatment after the very same guard mistankenly hit her too, then she heads to the Sec Gen to tell him he's full of shit. I couldn't have imagined a better intro for Mitchell. Also interesting choice in making the Rev a gay woman.
Can I say my new dream is to have Avasarala and the Rev meet.
So they are using the kids to control the protomolecule, cause their illness makes them immune to it... I hope the show gets deeper into how some of this works... but at least we know the botanist's daughter is still alive and being kept safe... for now.
I like that this show doesn't let us forget that Holden is a startegical genius, this is what he spent his life training to do... to lead in battle and out play the enemy... for the good of the people.
And finally Holden and Avasarala meet.... I've been waiting for this since season 1. Also, it's going to be interesting to see Holden interact with Bobbie.
[7.8/10] Now that’s more like it! To be frank, this one is a little tidy, with the show jumping back and forth between the past and the present to show how some event in Shirley’s history informed her actions in the here and now. But you know what? It works.
Part of that is just the performance of Elizabeth Reaser, who finds so many layers to Shirley, how she is both loving and unforgiving, gentle but firm, rational but also marked by emotional experiences. She sells a lot of character work that might seem hacky in other hands through sheer force of will.
This episode also benefits from focusing on one character and her particular journey. It uses Shirley as a conduit to explore things in other characters at times -- whether its her parents debating how to do introduce her to death, or the difficulties of treatment with her brother Luke, or the tension with Steven over his career as a writer -- but for the most part it centers on Shirley and that gives the episode a clarity that was missing from the last one.
Again, the metaphors and parallels are pretty on the nose, but I honestly like the continuing vignette about her finding a collection of five kittens, having to see them perish, and exploring the way that framed her view of dying. Despite it being a little overly tidy, I like the juxtaposition of a mortician helping her cope with her own mother’s death and her being impressed at how he “fixed her,” and the way that translates to her doing the same for the little boy whose grandmother died in the present day. And I like the show doing the opposite as well -- showing how upset she was when her mom lied to her about death and what it means, and so resolving to be more honest with her own kid.
At the same time, Shirley’s absorbed a lot of her mother’s lessons, whether it’s her mom decorating the kitten shoebox casket to make it meaningful which connects with Shirley telling her own son to decorate his Halloween mask rather than buying it at the store, or accepting her mom’s reassurance that eulogies and how we lay someone to rest create stories that help preserve them and let them live on, teaching her the importance of how we mourn and memorialize that makes her inclined and sentimental about her business. Again, much of the “this is what makes Shirley tick” material is very neat, but it’s also effective, and I appreciate the well-considered psychology of it even if the jumps back and forth in time could be accused of being too direct.
That said, two episodes in and the horror elements are still pretty underwhelming. Granted, it’s hard to complain about a TV budget, but details like the demon cat or the bugs crawling out of cats’/humans’ mouths were conspicuous CGI that took me out of the moment. And even bits like the banging on the wall or the corpse situp at the end of the episode feel like pretty stock scares that haven’t done much to move me one way or another. I’m not one of those “the horror movie is no good if it doesn't actually scare you” people, but it feels like The Haunting of Hill House is trying to be scary in certain scenes and failing, when it’s surprisingly better off as more of a straight family drama in the early going.
I do like the sense of regret and shock and mourning that pervades the episode. The splicing of Shirley putting makeup on Nellie on her wedding day and at her funeral is an affecting one, and it feels like an understandable moment of Shirley trying to protect her sister at one point in time, and regretting it at another. That’s the best thing about this one -- the way it draws contrasts between the past and present while making both feel comprehensible.
Overall, this one is a serious improvement on the pilot episode, and hopefully portends more individual-focused, character developing installments to come.
The reaction to this movie has been a “love it” or “hate it” outcry. I think the dividing line of responses is whether or not it fits the Marvel mega-action template and if that is okay or not. Just to deal with that question out of the gate, this does not fit the Marvel cookie cutter. There are a variety of differences. It is diverse in both casting and subject matter. The cast is international, multinational and multi-ethnic. We have our first openly gay superhero. We have our first hero who is deaf. We have our first hero to struggles with their mental health. All artfully and beautifully presented, in my opinion. This is not a single character’s origin story. It is 10 characters’ origin story spanning over 7,000 years, plus the introduction of 3 distinct and new species: Celestials, Eternals and Deviants. It also acknowledges superheroes from other universes, like the potshots at DC’s Superman. There are also some Marvel staple components, humour, brilliant CGI, fight scenes and world weaving. This film is also beautiful, in its casting, cinematography, graphics and music. The story is rich and the immense timeline is artfully woven into small bites. There is also a deeper treatment of relationships and some mature but tasteful scenes. The draw for me was Marvel and the stellar cast, especially Gemma Chan, whose career I’ve been following for a long time, now (do yourself a favour and binge her filmography). I have to confess that when I left the theatre I wasn’t sure how I felt about the movie. Then, I heard Rotten Tomatoes gave it the lowest of all ratings for a Marvel movie (49%) and the critics who saw early releases were brutal. But, I also read the positive reviews by ordinary theatre goers and in writing this, I’ve decided to give this film an 8 (great) out of 10 and, personally, I look forward to seeing it again. [Superhero Action Adventure]
