Just to preface this, I thought A Force Awakens was emotionless trash that undermined the entire purpose of the original three films.
Rogue One was the opposite.
The best thing about this movie was the emotional impact. It underlined the sacrifices made to make the original trilogy possible. Some people have called it long, but that helped build up characters that you actually felt for, and who weren't carbon copy ripoffs (cough cough A Force Awakens). The final scenes as the two main characters face their fate, recognizing that it was worth it, gave such a high emotional payoff. Each major death scene actually made you feel something.
The second best thing was K-2SO. Very funny, and much needed comedic (but not goofy) relief.
The CGI for landscapes and the world creation was outstanding. When I see a movie like Star Wars I want to be amazed and see things that I haven't seen done before. I want to be impressed and drawn into new, beautifully crafted worlds. In this respect, the movie just kept delivering over and over.
The cinematography was great during the action sequences. The sequences looked epic, and the violence and sacrifice felt meaningful. The Vader fight sequence was intense.
It also had interesting ties to current events with its commentary on terrorism/rebellion/weapons of mass destruction. By the way, the science genius character realizing that he isn't priceless in developing some major device is fantastic. All of the movies with "only so-and-so can figure this out" are very disappointing.
The moral message of the movie was also very clear and well delivered.
I really enjoyed the movie overall and thought that it was a big step in the right direction. It was adventurous again, it was sometimes shocking, original, and most of all meaningful. A Force Awakens failed on all of those points. It's good to see a franchise movie that's taking a bit more risk than average. AFA was just like the new Star Trek films, shiny bling low-impact action movies that just happen to be set in space. Rogue One pushes far beyond to show the what drives the Rebellion in a world we know and love.
Despite the fact that I really liked the movie, it had some flaws:
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the acting in the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the cuts were really weird and the pacing felt off for portions of the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Forest Whittaker just deciding to die instead of trying to escape.
- Tarkin face CGI
- A few unbelievable plot lines (thankfully most were minor). Like Cassian being sent to kill Galen for almost no reason, and then deciding not to for no reason, and then Jyn forgiving him surprisingly easily. How did she even know that he was trying to kill her father?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Does every Star Wars movie need to have a father character die? Why didn't Cass follow orders when he heartlessly killed someone else in his first scene?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Heavy handed political messaging.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Said "hope" too many times.
- Tarkin face CGI
- You can just push Star Destroyers that easily?
- Tarkin face CGI
- The word "Stardust"
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too many random worlds introduced that you don't have the time to get invested in.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too much awkward fan service.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Darth Vader's voice sounded off.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the dialogue was really terrible.
- Tarkin face CGI
Best episode ever!!! Damn..there were some downright dramatic shots and editing straight out of a 1940's detective drama..and then the humor hits you when you 's least expect it..very very nice
This is in my top two episodes of this show. it was so nice to see a different style of episode. more of a bottle episode but a great example of how they should be done. I was always eager to see what happened next.
Oh Damn.
Oh Damn.
Oh Damn.
this eisode deserves an award
We all forgive you Jack. It's gonna be okay.
This was pretty good. They could have done way more with the extra Dean Sam though. I graded on the high side because this is one of my favorite shows. Really this was a 7.5 episode.
Criticisms: I'm not all in on the Jack plan. They overplayed him looking like a little kid with the gum and white bread peanut butter sandwich. Then we had Cass enacting a suicidal plan again (what's new.)
The part with the empty was cute. I wasn't totally sold on the believability of Ruby helping though.
The plot each episode gets weirder and weirder up to the point of saying "what the actual fuck". I still remain unsure of what's going on with Chuck and what route they're going for.
SPN has never shied away from darkness, depression, loss of hope and a general feeling of emptiness but this episode, and the season in general, is giving me very depressing vibes. Maybe it has to do with the whole "God's evil". That's a very dark path to go.
Enough babbling. Let's get down to business. Despite its plot holes, the episode managed to be pivotal in terms of character development (probably the only good thing to come out). Some scenes were really amazing and others left me utterly confused.
I have more questions than answers. For instance, why didn't Chuck even flinch when Eileen was torturing Sam if they're wound connected and we've seen it previously? Was he just putting on a brave face? Was it just a big-ass plot hole?
Why would Leviathans have a giant angel trap in Purgatory when angels never go there? Unless, of course, Chuck told them. Also, why did Cas just walk into a visible trap? And why wasn't Dean's first reaction to just mess it so Cas could escape? Like I said, lots of questions.
The whole gunshot wound vanishing because Sam lost hope seems kinda far-fetched. I don't believe it was Sam losing hope, but Sam beginning to have doubts. Still unsure how lost hope can cure the wound, though. I get Sam's reasoning behind saving Chuck, too rushed, yes, but sort of believable. To be honest, I'd do the same. Whether you like it or not, Chuck's the balance between good an evil so without him to bring the light, the world basically turns to shit. I've gotta say that I, for once, believe that the visions he showed Sam are true.
Now, purgatory. Was anyone else bothered by the coloring? It was way too off. It's supposed to be a very dark, black-and-white-ish place and now it felt so damn bright. It's also supposed to be full of monsters and yet, just a couple leviathans. That part could've been so much more fleshed out. Literally all the action happened off-screen and it was resolved by seemingless explanation. The only way I'll accept it is if there's a later reveal that Cas isn't really Cas. I feel like the purgatory plot was nothing but a pretext to get Dean to admit he was wrong.
Another thing I hated was the name drop. You CANNOT drop names and pretend like nothing's happened. We were robbed of an Eve appearance. And what a depressing ending for Benny. Being torn apart by vamps. I would've loved to see him. But then again, if seeing him meant watching him die, pass. I'm getting PTSD just by thinking about it.
If there's one thing I love this season is Cas. I love how he calls Dean on his bullshit, is able to stand up for himself and is starting to become the baddass angel he once was. "Dean, stop being stupid" or "I left but you didn't stop me" were amazing quotes.
Jensen never ceases to amaze me. That prayer-confession was outstanding. He has some of the most beautiful tears in the world. Somehow, his acting always manages to be the highlight of any episode to me. Also, he standing down to Chuck was pretty badass.
So, Chuck can't be killed or locked up... They're clearly setting it for Jack to be the one to replace him, which is an idea that I'm not sold on, tbh. But I do love my sweet Jack making an appearance, even if it's for 5 seconds of confusing looks.
I loved Sam saying "The Dean who raised me" but it shocked me how in a rush he went from that to not be able to stop God. Speaking of, Rob Benedict is amazing at playing evil, although I miss how excited I was when I knew he was in an episode. Now, I'm just pissed at him and that excitement is sort of vanishing away.
All in all, a very strange and somehow weak episode at parts. I love Sam and Chuck's but purgatory felt like a cheap excuse to get Dean to apologize. There was a lot to unpack, and I think it would've benefited from a second part. I feel like it would've been better overall if there was more time given to explore purgatory.
I was just out of high school when this came out, pretty sure I saw this in the theater. It was funny seeing the kids go through some of the same logic I did seeing it the first time: "wait... isn't he her brother?" (yes, but not by blood... so still kinda problematic). Also, laughing about sagging and how HS boys still do it. Unfortunately this movie failed an important "does this hold up" test my kids have with older movies (god, this is an "older" movie): are the main love interests actually cute given style/taste changes... Paul Rudd: yup, but he's the brother (ew!). Christian and Elton? NO. Young Turk? YEAH! but not a love interest in the movie... SMH
"God Was Never On Your Side"
I love this show so damn much. It's gonna physically hurt when it ends.
ARGHFARGHHHH! Is there a better word than abso-bloody-lutely? 'Cause if it exists that's what I'm going with.
Epic. Awesome. Wacky. Insane. Unexpected. Mind-blowing. The ending was fucking incredible. But you know what the best part was? That song at the end. Perfection. 14 years and the show still has it. The last scene gave me the chills. It's one of my favourite songs and I got teary eyes as I listened to it.
I still don't know how to process this character change. Chuck acted so differently in season 11. Why Chuck? Why?! You're supposed to be nice, cute and awkward and yet you've turned up to be such a dick!
The idea of Chuck as a villain is gonna take me a while to adapt to. I sort of feel betrayed. He's a character that I adore (I still have fond memories of "Don't Call Me Shurley") and seeing him become a villain was unexpected and weird. How does one of the most loved characters turn into a baddie? Well, I guess that no longer having control over your own characters, makes you go mad. But then again, he invented free will.
I might be calling him Chucky from this episode onwards. However, I don't think I'll watch any scene that episode or any other with Chuck in the same way.
Rob Benedit killed it, both metaphorically and literally. And so did Jared and Jensen. I always get emotional when Chuck's in the room. That argument in the cemetery...the writing was perfect. I gasped when Dean said "this is not a story, it's our lives. So God or not, you can go to Hell!"
He just undid 14 seasons of work with a snap of his fingers. The Woman in White, evil Clown, Bloody Mary... I cried tears of joy, except for the clown. I hate clowns. I guess it's time for a season 1 rewatch.
Poor Jack! He broke my heart into a milliom pieces. He can't be any more adorable. I don't care if it's by an allegiance of the Unholy Trinity of Lucifer, the Empty and Death, but I want my baby back! Also, Cas is such a dad!
The opening shot of the episode was sick. Loved the cinematography. The episode started off real wacky, the wackiest season finale of the whole series.
Quote of the week: random dude shouting "I hate everyone". Well, that and the "stapler queen" lady. The whole scene was golden. A dude who really loves his yoghourt, Sam and Celine Dion, girl just wants to be loved, Trump made a deal with Crowley (damn, I miss my King!), Lizard people are real, and there's an earth where we're all squirrels, lol.
The meta references were strong. Las time an episode was this meta I was watching "The Monster at the End of This Book". I love how the writers were aware of how weak the BMoL plot was. And about Death, "I like the old Death better".
The same goes for the gun. I'm pretty sure the writers knew how absurd that gun was. Also, if it doesn't shoot bullets, why did it have a magazine?
As a Spaniard, I love when they use my language in a show, but that Spanish was awful, lol. Also, I was digging Chuck's jacket so damn much.
"Story's over. Welcome to the end". It makes me really sad to think that the show only has 20 episodes left. It's literally changed my life and it's gonna be hard to let it go. I just hope the season finale lives up to the expectations and gives both the characters and the audience a great send-off. I'm looking forward to ir and to see how the boys get away from that zombie apocalypse. If only they remembered they have a Lucille...
Holy shit. Well, that was quite the episode, arguably the best thing Supernatural has put out in a couple of seasons...
No one wears Shakespeare like an old pair of comfortable shoes like Kenneth Branagh. He has adopted 5 Shakespeare's plays into films. Even his failures (Love's Labour's Lost and As You Like It) offer his intimate understanding of the source material and his willingness to make bold interpretation.
Branagh is at his top form on Much Ado About Nothing. A story is as light and fluffy as clouds in the film and just about everyone looks to be having way too much fun. Perhaps that's why Keanu Reeves was so stiff?
The film is a technical marvel, with amazing long shots that open and close the film. It is like watching a perfectly choreographed and storied play. And Patrick Doyle's music is just so joyous that it should be played in heaven.
Roger Ebert once ended his review of A Room With a View that "[the film] moved slowly, it seemed, for the same reason you try to make ice cream last: because it's so good." If I were to criticize Much Ado About Nothing beyond unfitting characterization of Dogberry (Michael Keaton), it is that the film is too efficient for its own good. I wanted more, even if it meant sitting through more of nonsensical antics of Dogberry.
Whew, Samuel sure knows how to ace the art of awkward tension. Talk about feeling uncomfortable 90% of the film. I wish I could just have an entire movie just of Chris and Lisa's lives together - they were too cute.
Patrick Wilson can fuck me sideways.
So much more than a love story in space (lazy critics), this is a visually beautiful space epic. Its Gravity meets Titanic meets Silent Running. Recommended.
What do you call a movie in which fantastic beasts have 15 minutes of screentime, and a character named Grindelwald commits 1 or 2 crimes? Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald? That’d be weird, right?
Pros:
- JK’s imagination. Even when a movie messes up as much as this one does, it’s still one of the most charming and imaginative universes put to screen.
- Pretty well directed with great performances
- Newt (gets more development here) and Jacob
- Queenie’s storyline (if you pay close attention, I think it all adds up)
- The beasts, who are reduced to tools for Newt here, are a fun and creative addition
- The climax, Grindelwald’s speech and motivation
- Visuals, score and CGI (this was especially improved after the first film)
- Action scenes (opening scene and bookstairs chase)
Cons:
- Incredibly incoherent (they really should’ve scrapped a lot of characters and their storylines, in my opinion: Leta, Nagini, the black wizard, and even Dumbledore, as they don’t contribute a lot to this particular story).
—> Also, a lot of scenes are pointless (like the underwater creature)
- Two characters are still incredibly annoying (in my opinion those are Credence and Tina), although I’m not sure it’s the writing or acting that makes me hate them so much
- The ending feels like bad fan fiction; good twists should have subtle hints, JK should know this above anyone else
- Too much exposition
- A few scenes are underlit, or too dark
- Some continuity errors (and no, I’m not just talking about the one that has already been reported everywhere)
- The CGI on those cat creatures wasn’t that great
4/10
I don't know how i feel about this movie... Tbh Alex was a total jerk at some moments.
I wished the story would have been about him discovering his bisexuality instead. Some parts seems to hint at that but then no? I think there's some inconsistance in the story-line about that
I totally wonder if this was written by someone straight because that whole thing about "why don't just come out? my cousin of 16 has come out" and other lines from that type are just... so straight. They really seems to think lgbt people not coming out is a matter of will...
But generally it's a cute movie as long as you can handle the awkwardness of the main character
Also the guy playing Elliot plays in The Gay and Wondrous life of Caleb Gallo, a queer serie on youtube that i totally recommend!
Charming movie but felt the ending was a little rushed. Would of loved to have seen the characters a little more developed and more of Elliot. But it's still a fun little movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I cannot unsee that Madeline resembles Gal Gadot a LOT in this movie, with that hairstyles.
Needed more scenes between Alex and Elliot. Elliot was so charming!
Glen Powell and the endlessly charming Zoey Deutch have great chemistry in a cute, funny but in the end fairly by-the-numbers romcom. Set it Up doesn't do anything particularly new or innovative, but it didn't need to.
It mainly works, it's comfortable, and it's a Netflix watch that you won't regret.
Cue the complaints as people can't seem to enjoy something the way it is, the way it ends up being, all because they'd rather it be the way they want it to be. I'm sure most of it stems from the strong, majority-populated dislike of Steven Moffat. Hatred or a strong dislike is like poison, deadly and hard to get rid of, no matter what. Once it originates, once it starts spreading, it is practically impossible to rid yourself of it. At this point, people will hate anything that he's involved in even when, especially when, it is utterly ridiculous. As far as the finale is concerned, a bit lackluster, yes, but a decent conclusion. Taking it a step further, an apparent conclusion. There could be more, another season, maybe more: a continuation. I'd love that. This has been an enthralling experience to watch. I want more. I need more.
For a Romance/Comedy, it was unusually good!
Predictable as hell, but yet, I love it despite that.
The personal assistant characters are solid and work well together. The bosses are horrible caricatures, but they even have their moments.
Some really funny bits are worked in that don't feel like they take away from the story of the main characters.
This was great. The first two episodes were exceptional, and so was the finale, just in a different light. It had a proper horror-like feel to it, a level of disturbing, a decent amount of instances that showcased that, as far as seeing is concerned. The story was quite simple but perhaps too much, and easy for one to follow along with, and with a hint of intricacy, I guess? I'm not entirely sure. That could very well have been a different, dormant feeling. There were a few moments that caught my attention but unlike most people, I don't consider them to be a big deal. The only issue I can think of that I had is that it was too short. At least, that's how it felt. Three episodes, all long, yet even then, it still felt short. Progress was barely made and felt nonexistent. Like it was a prologue to something bigger, something more exciting. Disappointment, a strong poison of dislike towards Steven Moffat, whatever, go ahead and feel very differently about this show. I'm expecting a lot of people to do just that. Most people probably have already. That's completely fine. Have at it. Personally, I don't understand it. It all seems pointless and drivel to me. I must be immune to the poison that is disliking someone or something so strongly that anything from that moment of origin onward that has the involvement of that someone or something, is automatically hated. People are too wishful, too particular, and not in a good way. Well, that's too bad. I feel sorry for those infected. Anyway, back on track, this was very entertaining. I liked it very much. Hate it, love it, be disappointed at it, perhaps only regarding certain aspects, that's cool. Go mad with your desires. Just don't go too far.
No joke, this single episode is the best Star Wars I've seen since the throne room sequence in Return of the Jedi. I can't think of anything else that comes close except maybe the ending of Rogue One.
Lol I don’t know what everyone’s complaining about. This show is rad! Very adult take on Star Wars, lots of unexpected actors portraying niche rolls, baby Yoda, seeing the badassery of Mandalorian. Can’t wait to see how it ends next week!
Star Wars is my favourite thing ever. The announcement of this show came with a lot of promises and built up expectations on my part. It's so nice to be able to say that the show lived up to and surpassed all of them.
This first season of The Mandalorian feels mostly like an introduction, setting up the world and the characters and making use of a storytelling technique that falls somewhere in between episodic and serialised. It works. The main plot follows the rescue and protection of a small creature that appears to belong to Yoda's species, and this story flows through all the episodes even though it sometimes takes a backseat. Even when Mando is dealing with a side issue, we continue to learn more about Baby Yoda (for want of a better name) and the relationship between the two characters develops.
It's such a satisfying and easy thing to watch. Opting to use more puppetry over CGI for Baby Yoda was a smart move, and he/she is such a cute and adorable creation that it's impossible not to find yourself deeply caring about what happens to him/her. The episodes which deal with more self-contained stories are surprisingly welcome, giving us a slice-of-life in the Star Wars universe feel and allowing the show to deal introduce different genres and styles. While the show often presents a slightly more violent and darker angle than we're used to in Star Wars, it's also the funniest thing produced for the franchise yet (although the X-Wing novels from the 1990s are close in the running).
Visually the show is incredible. A new technology referred to as Stagecraft has been used extensively. It's essentially an evolved form of blue screen/green screen which allows the actors to actually see the environment they're in and reacts in real time to camera movements to allow the background to dynamically adjust. The results are impressive and lend the show an epic quality. Not to mention the fantastic set and costume design which fits in very nicely with the world set up in the original trilogy. If was to criticise then I would say some of the alien make-up fell flat (notably in the prison ship episode), but not to a distracting degree.
The music is also a highlight, diverting sharply from what we would consider standard Star Wars music but really working within the style of the show. It took a couple of episodes to get used to but now feels like an integral part.
Most of all, the show has a real emotional impact. Baby Yoda contributes to a big part of that, but Pedro Pascal in the lead role of the Mandalorian manages to do a lot while being behind a mask. His body language and voice performance are simply fantastic. Other characters leave an impression too and we feel like we get to know them even with a fairly small amount of screen time. They are all well written. The deaths of IG-11 and Kuill had an impact, the reveal of Cara Dune being from Alderaan gave us a sudden clear insight into her character. And the moment when Mando finally took off his helmet was brilliantly executed, with a genuine build up and then the reveal of a battered man who seemed slightly frightened that he may be about to die humanised him a lot.
The ending set up a very clear and exciting direction for season 2, plus we had the Dark Saber reveal, which ties into the Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows. It's clearly made by people who understand and love Star Wars. Finishing each episode of this left me in such a good mood and there's no other show this year that has brought me so much joy. Honestly, I can't wait for more.
