Strong start, and I say that acknowledging that Asimovian truism is obvs not their goal. I legit love where they’re taking the whole “prophecy” narrative, since that aspect of the OG story would be hard to convey as a TV show..
Making it a battle of rebellious, savant-tier genius vs a technologically elite Empire of forgotten dreams—whose ruler is a clone controlled by an actual robot—really makes it feel relevant to our experience: moneyed royalty building an algorithmically-powered, AI driven—chatGPT, Google Bard, etc)—but potentially distopian future… Pretty excellent.
A great movie that reduces the Zemeckis version to a minor footnote. Setting it in fascist Italy adds a whole new layer of depth to this story, but I also noticed Del Toro’s pulling some ideas from his own work here, The Devil’s Backbone in particular. Voice acting’s great, I love that he cast the greatest working actress as a non-speaking monkey. Visually it’s perfect, that’s almost to be expected from this director. However, this film in particular has a stop motion animation style I’ve never seen on film before, the textures are unique and beautiful. My only real complaint comes with the songs, not only because they’re generally poorly written and performed (I’m very clearly hearing the pitch correction, which isn’t intentional), but they also felt more sentimental and Disney-ish than what the rest of the film seemed to be going for. Thankfully, most of them were quite short.
8/10
Tom: "Do you want a deal with the devil?"
Greg: "Well...what am I gonna do with a soul anyways?"
Succession season 3 finale proved once again the importance of a satisfying ending because a reader/viewer's most long-lasting memory of your story will be its ending, thus making them to forget how the rest was bland. Succession's Red Wedding episode was amazing. It's obvious in hindsight that everything that happened this episode was going to happen, they have been setting Tom up for this since the beginning of the series, so I don't think it was shocking at all. It's brilliant but not shocking.
The devil works hard, but Logan Roy works harder. The man doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself. What's so ironic is Logan claimed he wants to see killer instinct in his children but the second they try to make boss moves he cuts them off at the legs. This should have been the moment he was waiting for - his kids finally realizing they're stronger together. But at the end of the day Logan doesn't want anyone to succeed him. He is also such a big hypocrite – while, yes his kids should've tried to succeed and made their own money, they can't because all of their lives Logan keeps them emotionally dependent on him. For all three seasons, he had them thinking they could finally win his approval, as long as they did everything he said, only to learn that it will never be enough. He was using his own children, only to throw them away once he saw the best deal for himself.
Can you really change the terms of the divorce that happened twenty years ago?
The scene with Kendall coming clean to his siblings was the catharsis he desperately needed. And the way it took all of Roman's strength to stand up to his dad, but then boom, Logan fucks them all as usual.
Connor repeating that he's the eldest son was funny. I sometimes forget there's a fourth Roy kid.
Tom stabbing Shiv in the back makes perfect sense after all the shit he put up with her. She was all shocked pikachu face because she is so unbelievably unaware and lacks any self-awareness. She kept underestimating how awful her relationship with Tom has become. The look in Shiv's eyes at the end was brutal - the anger and hatred of it all. I hope we are getting Gone Girl next year! Tom is probably the worst character on the show - the Roys were brought up by their terrible father and mother to be cruel and horrible, they don't know any better. But Tom worked to get here. Yes, he loves Shiv, but I do not think he would've kept swallowing her treatment of him if it wasn't for her rich family that gave him job, money, and status.
Roman looked so broken, practically in tears, when he asked Gerri for help but she betrayed him as well. I'm glad the writers didn't play into the shippers with them (they still went a little over the board this season) and actually gave us an interesting story there.
Season 3 was rather drowsy in comparison to previous ones, especially season 2, which is basically flawless. Not a lot really happened outside of the demise of Kendall (again). Season 3 never quite lived up to the plot it promised and the hype from the previous seasons. Season 2 ended so strong, set the expectation Kendall would become a 'killer', only to make him seem extremely incompetent and far from being ready to take down his dad. The whole thing has been as anticlimactic as they come. Jeremy Strong plays it well but at some point it's becoming tedious.
Season 3 has become so redundant. Every episode started to mirror the previous, and it was very obvious that the writers kept dragging the story, wanting to make the little progress in the final episode. All this build up and no execution. The senate hearing and Tom going to jail becomes ... nothing. The fed investigation - nothing. The search for new CEO - nothing. Search for the next president becomes...? Nothing there as well. During the whole season, they tee up these huge points constantly and then get cold feet approaching anything momentous.
I hope we see a more fast paced Season 4. This one was too much of a slow burn. I hope the creators do something with the plotlines they create next season, not just writing them off at the start of episodes in 10 minutes scenes. And most importantly, I hope they force the characters into highly unfamiliar territory.
Listen up, folks! I gotta confess something here. This show has got me hooked like a fish on a line. And let me tell you, the lead character is the bee's knees of 2023 television.
Signed,
Manly Bachelor heterosexual man in his early 50s
Just as brutal as the game, well done. Only downside is it felt short and rushed. Would have been nice for a little more time in the hospital with strategy from Joel instead of him going all terminator.
A bizarre, suspenseful, twisted, darkly comic, elegantly crafted horror thriller. This film is aimed to satire upper-class snobs and pretentious critics without coming across as obnoxious. And let's be honest, making fun of snobs will never not be funny. Not only this film nails what it aims for, it offers some nice surprises as well. The suspense continues to just build and build and build. Ralph Fiennes performance in the role of the Chef is simply outstanding. There's something so intimidating about his presence and I really was the edge of my seat the whole time. I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I'm glad that I went in knowing very little about it. Definitely going into my top 2022 horror list.
Be careful of claiming you are burdened with glorious purpose... You just may end up being so. What a great character arc. Series stands so far above much of the rest of the drek Marvel/Disney is churning out.
Would have been perfect, if it wasn't for breakneck pacing. Bertholdt's dream and Annie's meeting suffered the most.
I don't understand why they skipped Annie's part in taking the Wall... Different viewpoint should have brought additional info on the table. I mean it's not important, they still show Colossal Titan exhausted and on it knees nice juxtaposition to the iconic moment and also explanation for weird footprints from season 1 and Dina walking by thanks Annie It just odd and felt more impactful in the manga.
If anyone interested in the panels with Annie's part in the plan:
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-016.png
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-017.png
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-018.png
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-019.png
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-020.png
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-021.png
Also kinda surprised that they didn't emphasized on trio first and changed focus to warriors here:
https://official-complete-2.eorzea.us/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0096-033.png
But oh well. At least Mappa didn't f**ed up anything important, yet. Unlike the whole Uprising Arc... so I'm happy as hell. Great episode.
- We are going to fight those dirty mexican as if they were dirty iraky.
- How are we going to do that, Chef?
- We are going to find the most bad ass contractor that isn't afraid of being dirty (read torturing people for gaining information) and unleash him on unsuspecting mexican cartel family while paying him handsomely. But we are still going to tell him off if there are any cops killed while the undercover super secret operation is in progress. We are not complete barbarian, after all.
..... Much action and much suspense music later: End Credit
A disappointment. Not the follow up of the first installment that I was hoping for.
"What's the worst thing you've ever experienced?"
Wow! What a great surprise I wasn't prepared for something so good and refreshing. This is a dark and gloomy crime mystery thriller with a touch of horror and sci-fi. It brings an array of interesting characters, well-built suspence and some highly emotional moments. I cried twice watching this which is a lot for me. The acting is great and so is the soundtrack that eerie music is simple but yet so effective. Brillant intro music and visuals also. The mystery is very engaging and makes the 6 episodes go by so fast. The last episode is pure acting masterclass!
The characters are so interesting and by far what I loved the most about the show. Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi are at their best and every conversation their characters have together is almost poetic, stellar dialogue. Capaldi wasn't in the show as much as I wanted but his limited appearance makes you enjoy him all the more when he's there. Anytime he talks it's pure poetry, you just can't look away. Every good mystery show needs a cool detective character and we certainly get that Nikesh Patel as Det. Dhillon was truly great, the impersonnation of a good man I believe. My personal favorite is Isaac (Benjamin Chivers) the creepy kid. While child acting is always tricky to judge, every time he's on-screen I just can't look away. He doesn't show much facial expression but his look remains haunting and mysterious.
I would absolutely call this the best limited series of the year if Black Bird didn't also come out in the same year.
This film is a masterpiece. Every few years I look to see if there is any new Anime out there of equal scope and quality, and am completely disappointed.
To the haters who watch Akira and didn't "get" it, you shouldn't mistake your own lack of comprehension for a lack of meaning. One needs to watch Akira a few times to really piece together what is happening.
This is not a Hollywood film. It will not spoon feed you a convenient plot with happy endings. But if you put a little effort into it, this movie will deliver.
Pro-tip: Don't watch the English overdub, do subtitles. The Japanese voice actors deliver powerful performances. Also the subtitles make a lot more sense than the English overdub, as by necessity, the writers must hack on a script quite a bit to make the voice over fit into the pace and rhythm of the film. This is why overdubs almost always lose meaning, in addition to making the lips look silly.
Didn't love it, didn't hate it, it was alright. Saltburn tries to do too much (subplots, themes, genres...) which leads to it not focusing on anything, enough. The end result feels messy but I appreciate how ambitious it is. It has some original shocking moments i've never seen before but the story itself is nothing original. The themes felt convoluted to me and the pacing isn't very good.
I really enjoyed the first act, it offers an intriguing mystery and interesting characters. The introduction to the Saltburn mansion was the strongest part of the movie. The story got a little boring for me after that but what kept me engaged was the characters. Then you get to the third act and it's a complete cringe fest of sillyness. They spoon feed you with a montage (the same ones they do in the Saw franchise once the twist is revealed). It's a good twist but I totally predicted it. After that our main character does some illogical decision making that'll get him arrested for sure. Everything is suddenly rushed and we get an immature last scene that means nothing really. The movie should have ended just before the montage... now nothing is left to interpretation.
A stellar cast, stunning set, shot extremely well, perfect needle drops, the boxed in aspect ratio gives the characters more proximity and the dark comedy was my favorite aspect of the movie. Barry Keoghan's character is one of the most interesting i've seen in a while and an Oscar worthy performance from him. Rosamund Pike was hilarious here, couldn't get enough of her. Archie Madekwe surprised me. Also, thank god for subtitles!
I would have given a higher score but Chris didn't punch any boulder during the movie, which is quite unrealistic.
So is it just me or is the Doctor's mother CLEARLY a younger actress made to look old. It's as obvious as 'old' Pruitt clearly being Hamish Linklater last ep.
They're also pulling the pin on all this very early. Esp having Riley be attacked as well.
My end game prediction is that his dream is a prophecy of him sitting waiting for the sun as it will kill him. And I thought that even before he got bit. Was expecting it much later.
I hope it all isn't this predictable. Really wanted to be creeped out not watch an average vampire tale.
I always loved the monologues in Hill House and Bly Manor but I find myself so bored in this one!
Na who cares about murder and shit, but shouting at sally like that is an absolute no
As someone who hasn’t read the books nor knew anything about this story, I consider this to be a solid show.
However I think it lacks depth and an emotional anchor. Who’s the main character? Eiza? Benedict? Jin? Like I get that the show revolves around a friend group but someone’s perspective has to stand out. I personally would’ve liked for Benedict to be the center of the show, but I get that would’ve made it more of a detective show, so I wanted more out of Eiza and Jin.
Also I feel like the show was missing something visually, if you were to choose 4 screenshots to represent the vibe of the show which ones would be? I think when Vera jumps inside that golden room, when her mom and tatiana are watching the sunset in china, when saul and that other guy are in the beach house and that’s it?
There was way more to exploit out of this show, more character develop needed, more world building.
Imagine if this was an HBO show! I can think of the Leftovers, that most of it was set in the suburbs, it didn’t need crazy settings or crazy effects but you could feel the show.
I’ve read some comments about how adapting the book can be challenging, but I feel like this was extremely digested for us, and everything was solved within the same episode, by episode 4-5 there wasn’t any mystery left.
All this aside, it’s an interesting and solid watch, hopefully we don’t have to wait 2+ years for a second season.
Funny how now the Empire Remnant has a secret underground resistance against the New Republic. How the tables have turned.
This episode was way better in terms of storytelling but it left me very frustrated. I know that the Mandalorians are not likely to win if they want to keep the mythology. But just for once I'd like to see them come out on top. Gideon has become a bit ridicolous. He's the archetype of a bad guy. He was more interesting when he wasn't flying around as a Vader look-alike. I hate to see Vizla die but I should've seen that one coming because I really grew to like him. Grogu inside IG ? Come-on, he's a Force user. Despite the fact he choose not to train with Luke he still has the ability, no ? And we still must have a monster, doesn't we ?
Now, those are personal and, yes, biased points on my behalf. Like I said it was a great episode as such. In the end I see it as a win for the author if he invokes those reactions from me. There were also moments that gave me serious goosebumps. Like when Bo told them what happened between her and Gideon and subsequent how Din told her why he's following her. The talk about Thrawn didn't surprise me. I expected that pretty much from episode one forward.
Only one episode left and I hope there'll be some silver lining.
