Denis Villeneuve is the man!
There’s only one word that came into my mind after watching it: finally.
Finally, a blockbuster that isn’t afraid to be primarily driven by drama and tension, and doesn’t undercut its own tone by throwing in a joke every 30 seconds.
Finally, a blockbuster that puts actual effort in its cinematography, and doesn’t have a bland or calculated colour palette.
Finally, a blockbuster with a story that has actual substance and themes, and doesn’t rely on intertextual references or nostalgia to create a fake sheen of depth.
Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t pander to China by having big, loud and overblown action sequences, but relies on practical and grounded spectacle instead (it has big sand worms, you really don’t need to throw anything at the screen besides that).
Finally, a blockbuster that actually feels big, because it isn’t primarily shot in close ups, or on a sound stage.
And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow.
(Yeah, I know Tenet did those things as well, but I couldn’t get into that because the characters were so flat and uninteresting).
This just checks all the boxes. An engaging story with subtext, very well set up characters, great acting (like James Gunn, Villeneuve's great at accentuating the strengths of limited actors like Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa), spectecular visuals and art design (desaturated but not in an ugly washed out way), pacing (slow but it never drags), directing, one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores: it’s all here.
I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half.
It can occasionally hold your hand by referencing things that have already been established previously, and some scenes of characters explaining stuff to each other could’ve been conveyed more visually.
Other than that, it’s easily one of the best films of the year.
I’ve seen some people critiquing it for being incomplete, which is true, but this isn’t just a set up for a future film.
It feels like a whole meal, there are pay offs in this, and the characters progress (even if, yes, their arcs are still incomplete).
8.5/10
THEY PROMISED ME ZOMBIES AND ALL I HAVE NOW IS DEPRESSION
What a beautiful episode, I don't remember an episode like this for years, very well done, just perfect.
Which version do you prefer? The Game or the Show? I will have to go with the show, its more happy, kinda.
Tatiana Maslany is so underrated, what a brilliant actress.
The story is captivating and doesn't shy away from violence and more adult themes.
The animation is gorgeous.
The character development is on point. The characters are deep, relatable and they each have their struggles and growth.
Don't worry if you know nothing about League of Legends. Solid character development and world-building make Arcane an enjoyable watch regardless of having no background knowledge of the universe.
This show is a masterpiece.
The way they picked an episode title that would make absolutely no one suspect anything…
One of the best movies that Disney has made. The visuals and animation is incomparable to any studio (except Disney itself with Pixar) and the story is so well balanced, with (meta-)comedy and drama/suspense mixed so well together. The voice actors really makes you believe in a world where animals can be anthropomorphic and live in a society. A must-watch for children but also anyone who appreciate the beauty of animated storytelling.
120 minutes of jokes, pop culture references and free violence. This could be 120 minutes Deadpool standup.
I feel like an extra 25 or 30 minutes would have been better to draw out the drama a little more. Still, pretty good and I can't wait for season 2!
The clicker scene was masterfully translated from video game to live action, the tension was insane! Incredible episode.
am I the only one who thought in the beginning that Logan dying was a ploy to somehow fuck over the kids again :sweat_smile::upside_down:
……nah it was just me & maybe I ended up caring for the bastard in the end (help)
Justin Long using the rape dungeon as an opportunity to boost his listing square footage is the most realistic portrayal of an AirBnB host I’ve ever seen.
This show is filling the Orphan Black shaped hole in my heart. Thanks, BBC America!
It's more a movie than an episode due to its length and it's just awesome. I loved this episode and the whole show in general.
Black Mirror has this power, that relies in every detail, of showing off the raw human nature: its photography, the concept behind the plots, the actors that are very good to let us feel the obsession of the characters, even the soundtrack... everything take a huge part to the whole experience that the writers want us to feel.
Very good job!
Hold up… this episode was fantastic! Can anyone deny this season is better than the first?
I enjoyed this, way better than I had been led to believe
My feelings about Serena are so drastically contradictory. On the one hand, I love her. She's a strong, smart, confident woman and I cheer when she stands up for herself. On the other hand, she's helping promote these horrible ideals and standards that belittle women and keep them oppressed (herself included) Girl, what are you doing?
Also, people do such horrible, monstrous things in the name of God and religion. And not only in fiction, but in reality too. Such savages. And such hypocrites. Making up any sort of excuses to justify all their wrongdoings and suit their own needs and interests.
But I loved that Canada is depicted as the place where people are rational and kind, in opposition to the crazies that have control of the US. I wonder if the writers did that on purpose or if it's like that in the book . Maybe the author of the book had some kind of premonition LOL
What was the moral of this story? That there is no moral in Hollywood? Also the grown-ups are even worse than the kids. Seriously. Eli Roth goes from being so annoyed with their performances to being super enthusiastic. Like wtf?! Joslyn thrusting all over Eli Roth was a cringe fest. Why was this drama with Joslyn's ex introduced at all? And then she says Tedros is the love of her life? What in the actual hell? Why did we all watch this? Why was this made? This is not serious.
Another nice episode.
I really liked the idea of it (getting blackmailed and not knowing what your blackmailer actually wants) and the plot twist at the end was great! I honestly didn't expect that. By now I'm used to paying attention and I usually have a lot of theories and try to find subtle clues, but somehow I didn't see that one coming. I was so naive and thought the main character was really just masturbating. I just started to get skeptical when he even agreed to rob a bank, but I still couldn't figure out what's exactly going on.
By the way, if you rewatch the beginning you might notice the scene with the little girl which seems creepy in retrospect. But at that point I really thought it was to show that he's just a nice young guy.
Well done. Another plot twist I haven't seen coming like that. And of course the acting was incredible again :)
I did NOT expect to get emotional watching this show. But here we are lol. It was all actually really sweet.
Also, kudos to James Marsden for signing up for something like this. If I wasn’t already a fan…
Man I feel bad for Ruby she deserves better than Otis. Also, the Adam scene where he was smiling on a horse. YES!!!! Otis and Aimee are such a likable duo that I also wished they used more in the previous seasons.
"I'm gonna do something for my uncle"
When I was a little girl my mother used to dress me up like a little doll. And, I was always a little doll, waiting for someone to play with me. You know, when you’re empty inside, and you have no direction you’ll end up in some crazy places, right? But you’ll still be lost.
The most endearing moment of the entire series may when Avon agrees to pay for Cutty's boxing equipment. An insignificant but very sincere moment. It also highlights the underlying difference between Barksdale and Bell: Avon is putting money back into the community, Stringer is only focused on getting it out. Not that Avon's motives are completely altruistic but maybe he was the better dude.
David Fincher found retired in his home.
Legitimately A-tier Black Mirror - it's been a while. Maybe even top 5 episodes for me. It has the feeling of the first two seasons, British pseudo-cynicism and the darkest modern TV has to offer, while also being something the show has never attempted before.
It felt like Charlie Brooker wrote this one from a dark place, especially with that digustingly evil ending.
FOR YOUR FILM,
MOM
Seven episodes in and nothing is happening based on trailers and episode 1 opening scene.
In one way it’s like Lost, all about a single shock & awe each episode to get people hocked. I’m sure they will introduce The Others & some dark force that don’t want the people to leave.
There’s some good character development but most of the show is filled with slow dialog. Feels like it’s dragging.
Anyway I’m watching just to see if something happens. However I doubt anything special will happen and they’ll make us wait for season 2. At which point they’ll throw in more shocks which will open more questions. And push to season 3.
So glad this is back and that we didn't have to wait 2+ years for it, like most shows now, miss this chaotic blessing of a show
