So, um, I guess they didn't decide to cut back on the gratuitous blood and gore in season two...
Wow. This is...not good. Way too long and way too stupid. Seriously, who approved the final script for this one? Other than the occasional bit of humor, it is an absolute mess. How can you be entirely derivative and still screw it up this badly?
A nearly perfect movie of the sort that most writers, directors and the like seem to have abandoned these days in favor of pretty much the exact opposite in terms of characters, motivations and plot. I'm incredibly glad that Team Cruise reject that mindset here. My only question -- which might get answered when I rewatch it at some point (and I WILL be rewatching this one) -- is why they didn't just use a synchronized missile strike on the target instead of using it on the airfield and runway located elsewhere. Sure, that would negate the need for Maverick's team to do their thing, but you'd think that the writers could have come up with SOME legitimate reason for why the human element was required here. It's possible that I just missed something that explained this, but I thought that I was paying pretty close attention...
Wow. A Marvel movie that attempts to do more than just rehash the same old plot elements for the 1,843rd time. And it succeeds at it far more often than it fails. Color me impressed. I wasn't expecting much from this one at all, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
I liked this one WAY more than I was expecting to like it.
The story: A-
The atmosphere and mood: A+
The supporting casting: B-
Pattinson and his approach to moping/brooding: D-
I've been enjoying this season quite a bit, and it's due largely to Mobius and OB.
This is a terrific season opener. The pacing is great, the humor is nearly perfect, and the team of Loki and Mobius and OB is awesome. I haven't had this much fun watching a TV episode in a LONG time!
Late in the episode: "Project Idabel, it's not some half-abandoned way station like it is here. That's Ground Zero."
Three minutes later: One of our heroes easily overpowers ONE GUARD and breaches "Ground Zero."
Classic. I mean, okay, I'm liking this show well enough at this point, but stuff like this is just beyond stupid.
Sabine and Ezra's reunion here is... underwhelming, at best. But then again, the lack of emotion is pretty consistent with everything that has come before. Overall, this is not a bad episode, but there's so much wasted potential. And really, it would have been next to impossible for it to not be a letdown after last week's terrific outing.
This is the best episode of the season so far, and the return of the awesome detective is just the cherry on top of the sundae. Good stuff all around.
Birn deserves every acting award that might be coming her way after this one -- just an incredible performance on her part. But really, pretty much all of the primary actors in this one were impressive and brought their A-games to the party.
The story, too, moved forward at a decent pace and offered several characters some truly decent exits.
Overall, I have no complaints about this one.
Just put Filoni in charge of All Things Star Wars and be done with it. If Kennedy HAS to stick around, then let her fetch coffee and sandwiches, or something.
As for the episode itself, it clicks in almost every way possible with two notable exceptions. One is the way that Carson is made to be tedious and annoying in this one, and the other is the way that Dawson continues to do the exact opposite of chewing scenery.
This show has managed to make lightsabers boring. And would someone please get Ahsoka a strong cup of coffee or something comparable to perk her up a bit?
We FINALLY get some plot movement and something more than just nonstop bickering and dysfunction. Hopefully this is a turning point for the show as a whole.
Behind every great man is a...forever empress?
Meanwhile, Dawn is getting the best of the entire deal by far. At least in the short term.
Well, the use of f-word variations is up to 42 in this one. Incredible. Beyond that, is anyone ever going to have a normal conversation from start to finish on this show? It's just another way that the writers pad the script and drag things out even more without giving any answers to any of the mysteries that they've thrown out there.
All in all, it's getting very, very frustrating. On the bright side, Kristi's breasts make an unexpected appearance, so there's that. And Sara is still appealing in a broken psycho sort of way.
Major pacing issues -- a common problem in the first season -- are back with a vengeance in this one. I genuinely like the major players in both of this week's plot lines, but there is once again no thrill in this thriller.
If you want about two minutes of plot advancement in a 35-minute outing, then this is the episode for you. And if you want a good amount of jaw-dropping stupidity as part of the filler, then this is DEFINITELY the episode for you.
The sequence with Ahsoka outside the ship, for example, is especially bad. A pilot gets taken out by her lightsaber? Wow. That's a whole new level of stupid. If those attackers have the firepower to destroy Ahsoka's ship, then ignore her and destroy the damn ship. And if they don't have the firepower, then what's the point of Ahsoka running from them in the first place? This show needs to do better.
The writers are in a hole and they just keep digging. This is LOST 2.0, and I will be absolutely SHOCKED if the writers here ultimately prove to have a master game plan. Until we start getting some answers to go along with the new mysteries that keep piling up, I will continue to ding this show hard on the ratings front.
More and more, this show seems like something that was pitched as a miniseries until a few producers showed some interest and asked, "Okay, but can you stretch it out for 20 or 30 episodes?"
A solid return here, but I absolutely HATE the constant foul language. According to a search of a subtles file, there are 36 instances of variations on the f word, and that's just for starters. Is this really necessary, writers? Can you not sustain the drama and suspense without such a ridiculous amount of vulgarity? It doesn't give me a lot of confidence in your abilities...
Too much soap opera and not enough advancement of the skiffy stuff. On the bright side, Sara continues to be incredibly adorkable.
This episode is better than most feature films in pretty much every possible way. Amazing stuff.
The concept here is decent enough, but it's badly executed.
This is why you don't put your life in the hands of a bunch of baked and half-baked idiots.
As someone who hasn't been a fan of musical episodes since even BEFORE they seemed to become a rite of passage, this one...wasn't horrible. I still find the whole idea to be annoying and unoriginal at this point, but this example of it is mostly tolerable.
WAY too much soap opera and very little plot advancement here. That is...not ideal.
Apparently the show doesn't want us to take it seriously anymore -- or at least no more seriously than we take Star Wars.
Another impressive outing. M'Benga is fast becoming a favorite of mine. His multidimensional development is easily the best of any character on the show, and the actor is up to the task. And his relationship with Chapel is right up there, too. My only beef, as in other episodes, is the way that Ortegas and Uhura continue to be included in things that should be handled by their veteran counterparts. A 22-year-old ensign at a diplomatic dinner like the one here? Give me a break. Find a way to involve these characters that isn't ridiculous.
