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Up until this episode The Boys Season 3 has been solid with only a few dents, but this episode the dents are getting bigger and they're kinda showing.
First of all, everything doesn't seem to be too well-paced here.
Butcher and Hughie just had a convo in previous episode about not showing him taking Tempo V, but then in the lab he just outright stormed the bullets and showing off to the others about his newfound power. And same with Hughie, who somehow got a dose too. Worse thing the lab situation doesn't seem to be even that bad. They don't seem to be outnumbered nor outgunned, and they've seen worse before. Facing Gunpowder, it's understandable why they'd need a V; but this? Seems kinda forced to me as if the writers need to just waste those Vs already.
Still on the lab: The Soldier Boy reveal seems to be a bit hurried. Butcher suddenly randomly opening up stuff while in fact they realize they're onto something dangerous which may or may not have Soldier Boy in the lab is not just reckless (we know Butcher is) but dumb. Aren't they there to find a superweapon? When Soldier Boy escaped, they just ended up stopping the search and went back home. Granted there's the situation with the team, but the whole thing about this supposedly mysterious Soldier Boy and the search for superweapon just feels really anticlimactic.
Then, the thing with Vicky and Stan Edgar. The way she outted Edgar is a surprising twist, and I kinda like that Homelander Magneto-esque speech about choosing their own kind. But it seemed to be paced oddly interspersed between fillers and actions going on with The Boys.
There are a few death flags as well (though hopefully it's just false ones): either KImiko or Frenchie or both with their "one last run" convo; MM with the "you're natural-born leader" convo; and of course Alex/Supersonic with the "I'm gonna help you cause it's the right thing to do." That's just a straight death flag and it's proven true by the end of the episode - which again, is kinda odd paced, seemingly coming out of nowhere.
To note that this isn't a bad episode at all, but it feels like things are kinda jumbled here and there, making watching especially the second half a bit tedious. Not to mention that the first half isn't as packed and well-structured as prev episodes (it's the moment they started playing the "3 seconds still shot" too much that I felt that it's a bit too filler-y). The A-Train Pepsi parody is well done though - The Boys is always the best at parody but I hope they can do more than that.
Hopefully it will get better.
This show is all hype and no substance. Any show should draw you in and connect you to a main character, any main character, and this show doesn't do that. You just cannot like anyone in this, they are all just the most unlikable people.
House of the Dragon is certainly much more diverse than GOT was, introducing a whole noble group of white haired dark skinned people -but they really blew it because what could have been a cool addition to the show all come off as just more unlikable characters.
That's the root of my distaste for this show, I don't like anyone in it. You can take so many shows with terrible people, Dexter for example, where the acts of the person may repulse you but you can't help but to like the person and their motivation - even if the actions don't appeal. Nobody like that exists in this show except for a few guards here and there that you wish had a bigger role.
This is 100% about power-hungry ladder climbers with almost no redeemable qualities that would cause you to root for them.
The best part of this show are the dragons, which dwindle from episode to episode (as of now at least) so that it just all boils down to watching people you don't like do things that you don't really root for in a kingdom not worth cheering for. Where is our Ned Stark?
After all the mediocre user feedback, HBO said they were listening to the audience and trying to make it more appealing. As far as I can see, nothing has changed, nobody is likable and it's really not worth watching. A brief nod to the wall is as close as we get to finding someone interesting - and it's a Stark of course.
A well-intentioned project by a stuntman himself spreading his passion for stunts and giving us a look into this undervalued job. The meta and behind the scenes aspect of the movie is interesting and it has a few impressive stunts that looked pretty hard to accomplish but not nearly enough and nothing that beats any records or anything. I expected an action movie based on the trailers and it's not really an action movie until the third act. It's more about "getting back with her" and if you're not on board with that being the only narrative, it's one hell of a boring watch. Not much of a story really, although it felt good when we finally introduce a villain in the second half.
My biggest criticism is the comedy, it's straight out flat! Ryan Gosling's charm drives every second of this movie (without him this movie is nothing), he's great with the slapstick humor and his timing is excellent but any dialogue that's meant as a joke is so flat. Emily Blunt was ordinary, any actress could have done the role. Great chemistry with Gosling though. The needle drops are all songs everybody loves so it deserves an applaude I guess, a real crowd pleaser. Also, never interrupt Emily Blunt singing again, the woman can sing! The third act redeems it a little with the action but I found it underwhelming overall. Definitely too long.
I'm exhausted. This tension, the politics, the intrigue, even to the last second. So much is happening in this episode. So much concealed under such elegant garments.
In one way I look forward to the finale next week, however I'm not sure how they are going to fit what I was anticipating to be in this episode into the last, unless it is a 3hr episode, but I think it won't be such.
The other way I'm looking forward to the finale, is I no longer will need to invest all my emotion and attention in this concentration of spectacle and the craft of each Actor performing to perfection their role, and appreciating each word, glance, and interaction with their counterparts in such a magnificent, stunning location.
I'll be ready for this finale but until then I'll be soaking in what I've watched today. What a pleasure it is to witness what the Arts can deliver if given a proper opportunity.
Thank you to the Creators, Actors, Crew, and Those That have painstakingly brought this masterpiece to us.
The conundrum has set in... I desperately want to see the last episode now, but I don't want it to be the last show. 10/10
A small-scale imposter / con man, making the rounds in 1950s New York, gets caught up in something much greater than his usual scam and decides to let it ride, if just to see where he winds up. In this case the answer is Italy, gorgeous vestige of the old world with just a few hints of the modern one, where he's tasked with convincing a flippant trust funder to return from a perpetual, fortune-draining holiday. That mission quickly goes by the wayside, just as soon as he realizes how much easier life is in the lap of luxury, and he merely exacerbates said money-letting as the wealthy playboy's new wingman. When things take a turn for the messy, though, his welcome worn thin and nothing to show for it but bittersweet memories, a panicked string of responses sends the entire comfortable lifestyle into a tailspin.
At its root, Ripley is an example of how fear and rejection can press a normally smart, affable person over the brink into monstrosity, a surprise considering the playful tone of the first act. Matt Damon, still fresh from his breakout in 1997's Good Will Hunting, shows great versatility in the leading role (essential for such a complicated character), smoothly masking that twitch in his eye from all but the viewing audience. It's one of those films where you'll feel wrong about your rooting interest, knowing all along that the guy absolutely does not deserve a happy ending, with the final moments serving as your comeuppance.
First off, the technicals. I have no trepidation in saying this is the technically most impressive movie of 2023. The visuals are sumptuous, some stills are painting worthy. The fisheye lens, the discordant score, the absurdist and beautifully detailed environments...everything is operating at an extremely high level. Special shoutout to the title cards that split up each section of the movie. In particular, that last one will live rent free in my head. The settings are just perfection. From the very first shot of the movie, you know you are in for an audiovisual feast. Secondly, the performances. Really, this movie starts and ends with Emma Stone. In the most competitive year for Best Actress that I can remember, she is the winner. She puts everything into this character, not just from a physicality point of view but also the way that her facial expressions and speech patterns transform throughout Bella's journey. It's definitely centered around her, but the supporting cast does an admirable job (Mark Ruffalo specifically) in tandem with her. Third, the plot. I think, if I were to criticize the movie, this might be the one area. The movie is 2.5 hours long, and it does drag a bit in a few sections. I thought one or two of them could have been slightly tighter to keep the pacing brisk. I am doing this just to nitpick though because the other sections were brilliant, and I absolutely loved them. Finally, themes. This is a movie about liberation, and it tackles it across a variety of different avenues. Seeing Bella's journey of self-discovery was fascinating, and it was equally fascinating to see how often certain elements tried to contain it. Utilizing this madcap version of the world to really accentuate those competing forces worked. This is the best movie of 2023. Just FYI, this is not a movie you see with family. At all. It is explicit. Extremely explicit. And weird. And absurd. And so good.
i'm still a bit confused by a lot of it
if it was all a simulation, then how exactly did their bodies survive in the real world? were they hooked up to some kind of feeding tubes?
how could frank not know where these people were physically? wouldn't it be an insane risk not to find that out just in case?
why did the cover story for the men's jobs have to be so mysterious as to arouse curiosity? wouldn't it have been easier to come up with a more mundane lie to explain what they do for a living and why it's dangerous to go there? like, i dunno, radiation or something?
why did they make it so easy to exit the simulation? one just had to be curious enough to wander into the forbidden zone and touch this building - why didn't they put it further away from the town or hide it in a cave or at least build a fence around it?
what was the deal with the airplane? why did alice see it?
why did they care whether she took her pills in the simulation, when jack could just inject her with anything in real life?
It was undoubtedly very longggggg and pretty boring at times but surprisingly, I was mostly captivated. It is such a horrible tragic true story that is worth knowing and therefore I say take your shot and suffer through it…
The characters actions and reactions are often so stupid and unrealistic that if it were not (supposedly) very close to what really happened, I would say that the writing is terrible and that audiences would never play along. A perfect example of how true stories can be so whacked that they would not fly as fiction.
Mostly good acting and sometimes great but it took me a while to get used to DiCaprio making a constant and incredibly sever frown with his mouth. He and Lily elegantly portray village idiots with depth and finesse. DeNiro plays himself perfectly as a total megalo a-hole. Frazer is scary as heck. Someone needs to cast him as the monster in a new horror franchise.
Anyone know what McDouffus was adding to the insulin? Was Mr. Cob a white dude and did he end up with the headrights? They should have taken a lil fat off the three hours and put it towards meat on the tail end…
This has everyone involved play to their strengths. It's another tale of Scorsese deconstructing the myth of the American dream, but with a thematic approach I found quite refreshing for him. The way that the film tackles racism, and how it's tied to issues of money, power, greed, trust and systemic injustice, feels authentic and well constructed. It's a movie that's unsettling and will leave a mark on your brain emotionally, you should know that going in. De Niro has a lot of fun playing a sinister crime boss with a wholesome facade, it's a performance that could be compared to Giancarlo Esposito in Breaking Bad. DiCaprio is always at his best when playing a pathetic dumbass, and he also shines here. It almost feels like he's in Tarantino mode, it's not similar to any of the previous work he's done with Scorsese. Yet, despite both of Scorsese's go-to actors having prominent roles here, it's actually Lily Gladstone who ends up delivering the most emotional, subtle performance. Technically the movie is pretty much flawless. The production design, lighting, cinematography and score are all immaculate, and despite the long running time, Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing kept me engaged for the entire runtime. However, the pacing is still somewhat of an issue. As Scorsese has matured as a filmmaker, the choices he's making are becoming more and more understated. The tracking shots and montages are still here, but they're less energetic and he's relying more on pauses instead. There's nothing wrong with that, given that the substance carries the movie, but with a movie this long I want a little more pop. There's one scene involving fire that'll stay with me, as well as another couple of haunting moments, but besides that he's not turning up the intensity too much. It would've been nice if the movie ended with an extended courtroom scene where all the actors get to really show off with some incredible dialogue, for example. This movie still ends in a pretty weird way, having some creative use of what are essentially ending title cards, but it involves a major tonal shift that didn't work for me. Finally, I thought Brendan Fraser's performance was flat out bad, showing up for a small part and overacting every line. All in all, while I do recommend this movie, I don't think it's a masterpiece. Martin 'this is cinema' Scorsese would probably hate me for saying this, but given the pacing issues, there's an argument to be made it would've worked better as a miniseries.
7/10
Sam Esmail, take a bow. The style, pace, punch and composition of this contemporary cyber thriller is top notch, a film that feels no where near it's 141 minute runtime. Harrowing, darkly humorous and while also being a poignant, cautionary tale, Leave The World Behind is dripping in Sam Esmails signature style while telling an equally depressing, all-too-real story that touches on many themes surrounding the human condition in the modern day, as well as environmentalism and technology reliance. Fantastic movie, I can't wait to watch this one again.
-- Spoiler-filled ramblings below --
I really love the topics that Sam Esmail tackles, and the lens with which he frames them. It's an interesting look at the destabilization of a country after a, worryingly plausible, large scale cyberattack. The movie critiques our over reliance on digital conveniences and champions older, more analogue technologies as a more reliable, persistent alternative. The virtues of physical media, maps, books, vinyls and even candles are pushed to the forefront here, reminding us that our devices are all useless without the power of the network behind them. It also critiques our inability to trust our fellow man due to the digital echo chambers we've built ourselves, and the prejudices these spaces create within us without ever meeting the people it warns us about. Additionally, it shows the younger generations, unheard and toothless (heh) in their protests while being actively ignored by the elders, resorting to over consumption of food, material possessions and media to escape and block out the incoming end of the world. There's also commentary on the environment and pollution, with plastic haphazardly buried under the sand on the beech, and the wildlife encroaching back onto the land we've built our overtly large accommodations on. Still trying to put my finger on why all the rooms in the movie are overly blue, it was garish how much blue was in the first apartment shot and the beach front home that G.H. owned. Great movie, I guess I should buy and read the book now.
I can say straight up this will not be a movie for everyone, but it really clicked for me. I would also say a blind watch is preferable in movies like this, I went in knowing almost nothing and if possible I think that's the way to watch the movie if possible.
For me it was incredibly immersive once established, with incredible sound design and score. The slow build of tension, unease and dread as things unfold. I'll admit, I've always been a fan of mediums that give the viewer the same amount of knowledge of whats going on as the characters have, and this nails that.
The premise has a whole has been done many times before, including this years Knock at the Cabin, but I've not seen that or read the book it was based on. But in relation to the other similar films, this takes the top spot for me.
While the ending itself is probably the weakest part of the movie for me personally because it answers just slightly too many questions a little bit too easily, the journey to get there was still worth the time and I think the ending might still work for others.
Frankly, this episode took not necessarily a nose-dive, but pretty close to that for me. Investment-wise, I mean. To me, given that there are three episodes left, this episode seemed like the calm before the storm: one last episode with setting up and building up stuff; I understand that. But it's a bit much at this point. I'm growing tired of it.
Of course, this show/first season continues the tradition of making sure something more worthwhile on a surface level happens at the end of each episode, making you come back for more, although more reluctantly now; that "trick" has grown old. Yet, of course, although reluctantly, I admit the ending was interesting, and hopefully, it means this first season will get somewhere now; come to a head.
Still, I can't shake the feeling that the writers are starting to lose their grasp on what's happening or getting ahead of themselves. I can't help but think of what some people have said, I believe, about how this first season starts "getting worse," so to speak, after the third episode. Granted, I thought the fourth episode was pretty decent: the best episode yet. With this episode, though, that sentiment's beginning to somewhat ring true for me.
With three episodes left, I have a sneaking suspicion that the ending of this episode does not mean that the next episode will "get somewhere." Five episodes in now, I'm wary. I have a feeling that'll happen in/with the penultimate episode, or maybe just the finale. At the very least, I hope the final three episodes, one or two of them, or all of them, are more exciting than this one was.
The fight sequence with Jack against Kliner Jr. and his cousin, Dawson, and that other guy was great. It was, without a doubt, better than the one in the previous episode against the South American guy. Maybe a different person/team choreographed this fight sequence or more time was available to do it: or it was somehow easier to do than the one in the previous episode. I'd say it was even better than the prison one against those four or five guys.
I don't get why the writers are insistent on having Roscoe continually shoot down Jack's speculation about the animal feed. Comedic relief? Or planting doubts in the minds of the audience; for them to think it's a red herring, that Jack's wrong? Maybe because most people would think that he's right, and he'll end up being right; so, they're trying to make people second-guess themselves. Because to me, it seems like Jack's on to something. It can't be (just) animal feed.
You just got to love that scene with Roscoe and Jasper. The part of enhancing the image THAT much was great, right? I guess Jasper or whoever took the photo didn't think to take a closer picture/pictures; closer pictures of something like a severe contusion. But Jasper mentioned, "Would you like me to go through these for you?" There was no need to look at those, though, because convenience was on their side.
If I were a police officer and went to talk to a CI regarding something that's a part of an overall, widespread conspiracy/operation: not to mention doing so behind the back of the police department I work for, I would use my police car, and drive to a STRIP CLUB, AND wear my police uniform. Yes. 100% yes. To Protect and to Serve, baby. Hell yeah!
I like how Finlay parked right outside Kliner Industries, in his car, a car that everyone in Margrave probably knows he has, right before breaking the law by trespassing and doing an illegal search, all while knowing that the people they're up against are dangerous and powerful. And that's on top of knowing that they know you're on to them/aren't going to let it go. You'd think being a little more or rather a lot more discreet and having some forethought would be crystal clear essential; I don't know.
The performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Malcolm Goodwin in this episode were worthy of slight commend. Roscoe, when she said, "He left me daisies." And when she was yelling at Teale as Finlay was pulling her away. Finlay, when he was reprimanding her in the car afterward, although it came across as slightly comedic to me: but it was still decent acting. Their performances weren't top-shelf Emmy-worthy performances or anything like that, of course. But they seemed the most comfortable in their roles in this episode compared to the previous episodes. They seem to be coming into their own now with these characters.
The mystery/puzzle is still flowing and piecing together. More pieces continue being revealed, except the overall picture is still unclear. But this was the most important episode yet. I think the ending was as decisive as it gets, as well as the final nail in the coffin: so to speak. Next episode onward, things should start escalating fast.
Efforts were being made against our main characters already. The ending was like adding gasoline to the fire, more so than approaching Kliner Sr. and giving him more reason to want them gone. They're continuing to investigate, on top of having their eyes set on Kliner Industries now, and he's aware of both; they know the association and connection between the second victim and Spivey with Kliner Industries: he knows they know.
So, it seems like, even if that ending didn't happen, other aspects of this episode still did enough, I'd imagine, for efforts to ramp up even further. But since that ending did happen, that's even worse. Those two hired muscle, military guys, who've been the go-to guys for doing the dirty work, have bit off more than they could chew by working for Kliner Industries, presumably; they're dead now: shouldn't have crossed Jack Reacher, baby.
I'd be surprised if things don't start hitting the fan, starting next episode and never letting up. It seems like a lot of back-and-forths are about to happen. All that's left is to unravel the mystery and piece every piece together during all of that happening.
The acting by Lara Jean Chorostecki (who plays Molly Beth Gordon) after finding out that Joe is dead was pretty decent. I looked her up and found out that she played a character in Hannibal, one that I'm assuming was a somewhat relevant character. And she played a character in a Canadian show, 'X Company.' Maybe a few people know and recognize her from that show. I'm sure a lot of people were pleasantly surprised to see her.
I swear I've seen the actor who played Zacarias Perez, Paulino Nunes, before. Maybe even more than once, not just one role. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Kurt Fuller came to mind: the coroner guy in Psych. But Paulino Nunes and Kurt Fuller don't look that similar, so I must've seen the former himself in something else. I can't recall what it was, though. His interaction with Jack was pretty hilarious, though.
So far, all of the interactions revolving around our three central characters are super likable. The relationship between Jack and Roscoe already developed a bit in the previous episode, and now, Finlay's starting to flow well with Jack. All three of them are developing closer together in this episode; as a team, which I thought was great.
I think this was the best episode so far. The progression of everything is beginning to reach a significant point, so the mystery aspect of it all has more investment value behind it. Everything else on a lower-surface level is more entertaining as well. I hope this show/first season doesn't start dropping off the deep end in the next episode or two. I think some people have expressed that happens after the third episode, that the first three episodes were the best, and it goes "downhill" from there, and that closer to the end is the worst. I'll have to see for myself.
Honestly? This is one of the best entries in the Saw saga... and that is saying A LOT, considering the mess that the Saw saga has been.
First, it's a story that follows John Kramer's storyline in it's entirety, focused on his devilish game against a group of con artists that truly deserve what happens to them. (And you can't even try to like these a-holes.)
Tobin Bell proves that the notorious Jigsaw killer has more tricks up his sleeve and shows us his most personal game in the franchise. Amanda Young's return and her dialogues with John are a perfect relief to the grotesque imagery that we have come to recognize in the Saw films, but this time, the effects are better and bloodier. With clever twists, a vicious set of new traps, a surprising antagonist in Synnøve Macody Lund's character and the glorious return of the Zepp theme taken into new hights courtesy of Charlie Clouser's score... Saw X may be a prequel to all the messy sequels that followed the original classic, but Is a promising return to form that has given the saga a new chance to keep the game going.
Also, I feel weird by not feeling bad about ANY of the other characters and their fates in the movie, like, they all could choke for trying to mess with good old' John... but to involve a child in their buffoonery? Electric chair, to all of them. PERIOD.
Barbenheimer: Part 1 of 2
This is the kind of film I really don’t want to criticize, because we don’t get nearly enough other stuff like it. However, mr. Nolan has been in need of an intervention for a while now, and unfortunately all of the issues that have been plaguing his films since The Dark Knight Rises show up to some degree here. Visually it might just be his best film, and there’s some tremendous acting in here, particularly by Murphy and RDJ. However, it makes the common biopic mistake of treating its subject matter like a Wikipedia entry, thereby not focussing enough on character and perspective. As a whole, the film feels more like a long extended montage, I don’t think there are many scenes that go on for longer than 60 seconds. There’s a strong ‘and then this happened, and then this happened’ feel to it, which definitely keeps up the pace, but it refuses to stop and let an emotion or idea simmer for a while. There are moments where you get a look into Oppenheimer’s mind, but because the film wants to cover too much ground, it’s (like everything else) reduced to quick snippets. It’s the kind of approach that’d work for a 6 hour long miniseries where you can spend more time with the characters, not for a 3 hour film. I can already tell that I won’t retain much from this, in fact a lot of it is starting to blur together in my mind. There are also issues with some of the dialogue and exposition, such as moments where characters who are experts in their field talk in a way that feels dumbed down for the audience, or just straight up inauthentic. Einstein is given a couple of cheesy lines, college professors and students interact in a way that would never happen, Oppenheimer gives a lecture in what’s (according to the movie) supposed to be Dutch when it’s really German; you have to be way more careful with that when you’re making a serious drama. Finally, there are once again major issues with the sound mixing. I actually really loved the score, but occasionally it’s blaring at such a volume where it drowns out important dialogue in the mix. I’m lucky enough to have subtitles, but Nolan desperately needs to get his ears checked, or maybe he should’ve asked some advice from Benny Safdie since he’s pretty great with experimental sound mixing. My overall feelings are almost identical to the ones I had regarding Tenet; Nolan needs to rethink his approach to writing, editing and mixing. This film as a whole doesn’t work, but there are still more than a few admirable qualities to it.
Edit: I rewatched this at home to see whether my feeling would change. I still stand by what I wrote in July, though the sound mix seems to have been improved for the home media release. It sounds more balanced and I didn’t miss one line of dialogue this time around. I’m slightly raising my score because of that, but besides that I still think it’s unfocused, overedited, awkwardly staged and scripted etc.
5.5/10
This is so bland and inessential, they might’ve as well put it directly on Disney Plus. Why are we investing 300 million dollars in an action/adventure flick starring an 80 year old grandpa? Look I have a lot of respect for Harrison Ford, but everything that’s wrong with this movie is connected to the larger issue of him and the franchise being way past their expiration date, so this never should’ve been greenlit in the first place. Nothing is offensively bad here, but it’s more a case of wrong decisions piling onto each other.
I understand Lucasfilm’s decision to hire a director who just delivered two crowdpleasers in a row, both of which were acclaimed by normies and snobs alike. Mangold understands what makes the world and character work, but he doesn’t get the soul. Right from the opening scene, the movie looks drab, underlit and generic. There’s almost no imagination to the set pieces, and some of the more impressive stuntwork is undone by poor effects work. Take the Tuctuc chase. Ford’s stunt double puts in the work for the wide shots, but when you cut to a close-up of characters in front of a green screen, you’re not exactly selling the sequence. It’s not going to stick on my brain, it’s too unremarkable. Again, what’s the point of making an Indiana Jones movie if there’s no viscera or imagination to the action?
Then there’s the story, which is also very by the numbers and low on risk. It feels like wheel spinning, which in theory could be fine (the Bond franchise got away with that for decades) but there’s nothing to hold my interest. Some of the new mechanics introduced during the third act I found to be underwhelming, and this is coming from someone who didn’t mind the inclusion of aliens in the last film. All of the new characters are boring and underdeveloped (especially the villain), despite the actors putting in decent performances. It’s quite funny how this suffers from the same problem as Furious 7, where villains will show up on the same location as our heroes despite there being no story reason for it. Occasionally there’s a brief fun interaction, or a fun set, or a good visual idea (like the final shot, for example), but that’s not enough to fill its bloated runtime.
4/10
A decent outing as far as the MCU shows go, but man they just need to move away from these 6 episode series. Most of them have been not up to par and it's getting tiring. The show started off very promising for me and I quite enjoyed the more serious and grounded tone that felt like there were real stakes, but it falls into the classic MCU series issue of rushing a finale and throwing in a big fight at the end that doesn't need to be there. Nick Fury was very enjoyable but his arc just falls flat in the end. Gravik was actually a pretty good villain as well, but his end also is incredibly anticlimactic despite the big fight. The direction and cinematography is also a mixed bag. It felt great at the start and at the end of the series but in the middle everything looked pretty stale. I've always been a sucker for the MCU but even I am starting to feel the fatigue. Mediocre show after mediocre show is just getting way too old. I did enjoy a lot of my time with this at the start, but looking back it doesn't feel particularly memorable and its intriguing premise falls flat.
6.0/10 -- Decent
2023 TV Shows Ranked --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2023-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
OK I GET it. A "slow burn" show like this isn't everyone's cup o' tea. However, IMO, in the case of "Invasion", it worked well, in that it made you "feel" for the characters, (love OR hate them), while intercutting between stories, all the while avoiding hitting you over the head with monster jump scares, but still teasing you enough to keep you intrigued. A fine line to walk, and, they didn't always do it well. But all in all, a pretty good series, which, especially after the seemingly "easy, tied with a ribbon" NOT ending, and the "we ALL saw that coming" reveal at the NOT end, I am glad is getting a second chance "at bat".
Yes, some of the characters were predictable and annoying, and yet, the one person I wanted dead murked at the start, actually partially redeemed himself, and a couple of the others may, or may not have shed their mortal coils, at least on THIS plane. It will be interesting to see if they can take this beyond the "they came here for our resources" (or our brains) trope, and actually come up with something new(ish). Especially intriguing is the thought that Caspar (and his epileptic visions) could somehow partly be the CAUSE ("they came here for ME") as well as the effect of the arrival, especially with the astronauts Father making an appearance in his dream(?) after (brain) death(?). (Vdub Fringe's "digital back ups?") (but why was the father there?) Trevante Coles BEARD gets an honorable mention as an additional character, as well as Aneesha Malik for actually being a good Mom and not pitting her kids against the Dad by withholding a critical piece of information from them, even (or especially) after his possibly assuming room temperature. (no body, then, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps?)
Yeah, OK, maybe they spent too much time on these character development parts of the plot, but, as I stated earlier, they got me invested in the characters, for better or for worse, and, I look forward to seeing how the "rest of the story" plays out.
If Michael Bay made Invasion, it would be filled with paper thin caricatures. Invasion is more in the vein of Cloverfield, both of which invest heavily into developing characters. In both, alien invasion is a backdrop that accelerates unfolding human drama.
Aneesha (United States): Arguably the main principle character, I find her struggle to protect her kids while letting her cheating husband Ahmed "help" for the time being interesting. Ahmed has been a one-dimensional villain, but their dynamic is complex and boiling up into a spectacular burn.
Caspar (United Kingdom): By far the most sympathetic character and his relationship with a school bully Monty is realistic. Billy Barratt delivers very nuanced performance.
Mitsuki (Japan): Her lesbian angle reminds me of Hilary Swank's cliched sci-fi Away, but her role is thankfully pivoting into a scientist in charge of solving the mystery.
Trevante (Afghanistan): Estranged boyfriend-PTSD soldier angle creates a surprisingly poignant backdrop for his newly developing relationship with an Afghan migrant Kuchi (fantastically played by Aziz Capkurt).
The first 3 episode devotes well over 90% of the screen time developing these 4 characters, with "cameo" appearances by veteran actors Sam Neill and Rinko Kikuchi. Like Cloverfield, their conflicts are brought to front and center as their survival instincts kick into higher gear.
For the most part, I think these storylines work because the performances are so strong across the board. But I hope something bigger happens soon.
This was a neat film that had me chuckling to myself at several points throughout. Although I haven't read the novel this movie was based on, I heard that it clarified a few things that were not made explicit in the movie. I'll list the big ones here (spoilers):
First off, the "Aunt" in the movie is actually the main protagonist . That's why she knows so much about time leaps and talks about her senior high crush.
The painting is so important to Chiaki because it contains the formula for time travel or is essential to the ultimate discovery of time travel.
The career path that Makato planned to take was either art restoration, so she could preserve and protect the painting, or maybe she went into the sciences to discover the secret to time travel herself.
The second idea seems more likely as the film tried to differentiate her from the Aunt. Instead of sitting around waiting, she would "come running."
Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the story but I still think it could have tried to be slightly more explicit in the revelations they were trying to get the audience to perceive. The film was unfortunately designed in a way that makes things more difficult to understand if you were not already aware of the 1967 novel that started the many eventual adaptations. It's worth a look and if you're confused by the end of it, come take a look back here and you might appreciate some of the details of the film a little better.
The sex comedy genre, which dominated cinemas in the early 2000s, has unfortunately mostly disappeared from the big screen in recent years. With "No Hard Feelings", it now celebrates a small comeback, and I have to admit that I missed it a bit. Even though the plot isn't surprising at any point, for the most part, this movie worked pretty well for me, primarily due to lead actress Jennifer Lawrence. She's proven time and again in the past that she's an excellent actress in the dramatic realm, but with "Don't Look Up" and now "No Hard Feelings", she also demonstrated her very good comedic timing.
And Lawrence really gives it her all in this film, whether it's through sharp dialogue or full-on physical comedy. I actually laughed numerous times, even if not every joke worked. Also, it should be clear to everyone that the film would not work at all if gender roles were reversed. As it is, however, this comedy is highly entertaining and funny throughout. Lawrence's chemistry with her co-star, Andrew Barth Feldman, is also strong, which is important given their numerous scenes together. Meanwhile, the plot is predictable, but the script thankfully avoids a few clichés.
"No Hard Feelings" is certainly not a masterpiece, but not every film has to be. Just being good should be enough sometimes. I would certainly be happy to see more films of this genre in theaters again in the future.
Every episode is a documentary of a mess. It's a small world up there and I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it. The world below is rioting, Rava has left and Jess is leaving too. The people outside the bubble can't handle it. The people in the bubble can't be people. Roman shows his humanity when he fucks up and it ruins everything for Waystar. Goes to show that humanity doesn't exist up there. In such a delicate turn, all power falls back on to Kendall and he slowly rounds up the posse to take control of the company just like he was going to in Season 1. Kendall is the real successor, through all his fuck ups and his clashes with Dad, he knows exactly what to do in a business battlefield. And here's the thing, so does Shiv, but not as much as Ken does. She's doing a great job playing Matsson around and landing her spot. In the end Roman is the loser sibling and even though he tried to prove that he can be powerful, in the wake of his father and his siblings, he's still nothing.
Some nice moments where the wives and sides banding together, Tom expressing his genuine concern and Shiv being there with him, and Ewan's speech. I'm am always grateful for the performances the main cast gives and likewise irritated with how unwell these characters are to be working with such responsibilities.
The future of a country boiled down to petty little tyrants with daddy issues. Kendall destroying democracy because his little sister lied to him is crazy is peak Roy children.
I wish I hadn’t thought this would be the “most shocking episode” so I could have enjoyed it more. The whole time I was transfixed from start to finish, but I kept waiting for something more shocking than episode 3. A populist won, we’ve literally all seen it before.
Shiv asking her cousin if he finds her attractive. :shushing_face:I think if Shiv had actually tried to talk to the Jimenez camp about killing the GoJo deal she could've gotten something. But she didn't. She’s as complicit as her siblings. She still wants the GoJo deal going through, and was willing to risk America for it. This episode showed that she would betray everything she professes if it means she gets ahead.
It’d be real funny if Tom actually ends up in jail after his previous jail scare.
“Couldn’t I get a sniff of even a little guy? Organize a little coup, down in old Peru? Put me in a van to Tajikistan? Couldn’t I just be our fun guy in Uruguay?”
A tumultuous episode. Each Roy has shown that they can be the next Logan but in this episode we are clearly seeing how Kendall and Shiv are not capable of being him, in a good way. Like when people say they are practicing empathy and becoming centrist or left as a result, we see how Ken thinks about his kids in Menken's America and is heavily conflicted. Shiv was already the left most of the siblings but she also has stake in the election with her being married and her connection with Matsson. It's very much that Roman is the new Logan, has no connections, no dependents, no attachments - can think only about the business and whatever needs to be done to get that to happen. His jokes too, he's always said some unhinged stuff but everyone knew he's just fucking around. But in this episode no is reacting to his jokes like they are jokes, they come off as real hateful and insensitive remarks that only one other character in Succession could say.
Honestly, I need Greg to be a whistleblower and just end them all. I also need the writers to know how unhinged yet appropriate Tom's "Is that even true" line was; he's absolutely desensitized to Shiv and can't even tell if she's being real or not anymore.
Ending sequence of Tom sending it and everyone just very hesitant felt like everyone but the top brass at ATN were thinking about what their life is going to be like - and actually, that's kinda what a lot of us felt like too when Trump got elected.
The siblings are back at their bullshits. Logan was right. They are not serious person. Everything about this episode felt so manic, really drove home how incompetent the kids are at running the company.
Was anyone else convinced that the clip of Logan calling his children idiots would somehow find itself playing in front of the entire investors meeting?
Kendall gave me major We Work Adam Neumann CEO vibes. Overpriced real estate trying to pass off as tech.
Playing 'bitey' in the middle of a party is insane. Interactions between Tom and Shiv this season is so well written. The chemistry is :fire:. I like how they both are being totally, brutally honest about who they are with each other. Tom admitting his love for money and power was so fascinating to finally see. Getting divorced is exactly what that couple needed.
-“I need you to believe that I am as good as my dad. Can you do that?” - “Say it or believe it?” - Ouch. The interaction with Gerri and the director both really showed Roman can't handle pressure at all. And the moment where Roman just wants to hear his dad insult him again is sad.
Does Mattsson really respect Shiv as an ally or is he fucking around with the siblings the way Logan did?
Karl’s moment with Kendall right before he went out on stage was jaw dropping.
Best quote of the episode, “How am I supposed to follow this? He just promised them eternal life.”
Wtf happened at the end there, what is Shiv's angle? :thinking: They are all making moves without each other: Ken lied to Roman and Shiv about telling Hugo to badmouth their dad in the press, Roman froze out Ken when he went off on Matsson on the cliff, and Shiv is now developing her own relationship with Mattson. These siblings can't work together, can they?
I like how the episode opened with a mirroring scene to Kendall’s original intro in the pilot. When Ken is rocking in the town car to rap, you know he’s back on his bullshit.
“Already rich.”
The Tom/Shiv stuff is so unhealthy.
I think Matsson was lying to Shiv about the blood bricks. He's playing her for sure. He was sounding Shiv out, I think the fact that he plays to her ego right afterwards by commenting how she is cool and like her father indicates some manipulation on Matsson's part.
I thought Toms little speech before that about how America has its own Paris and if that burned down they’d just build another was really good as well, such a perfect summation of a particularly American arrogance.
“I metabolise fast because I’m dynamic.”
“2 meters of nepotism.” is such a brutal insult to Greg. I think the Tom and Greg thing has slipped into self-parody at this point and it’s not really working anymore. Greg has become a pointless character.
“Sweden or Norway they all descend from the same rapists.”
This episode was insane, so much happened! I can't believe it's the 8th episode, and finally something happened this season. The focus of season 3 being more on the company, not on the family is a minus for me because we know the Roys can’t lose the company, otherwise the show would be over.
Best episode of this season. I don't even know where to begin:
"Happiest Man/Bullet Proof Candidate" - How Connor proposed to Willa at his siblings' mother's wedding, and then pretending Willa accepted the marriage proposal. So much cringe.
"I may not love you, but I do love you" - The real tea is that Shiv meant every single word she said to Tom during their ‘dirty talking'.
"Your father never saw anything he loved that he didn’t wanna kick it just to see if it would still come back." - Shiv and her mom scene was amazing. So much hatred and hurt being shown.
The Kendall/Logan dinner scene! Logan used his grandson as a royal taste tester, he's truly a monster.
Shiv trying to get both Roman and Geri out the way by weaponizing the harassment against Gerri is a next level snake move. She is the most awful girlboss feminist ever.
I'm not interested in any Greg storyline. It seems to me the writers don't know what to do with him so they just put him in this random dull side plot that nobody cares about.
Why do people think Kendall died? As if the show would go there and lose one of their stars. That's actually my biggest problem with season 3 - the show just seems afraid to walk through any of the doors it opens. It doesn't want to disappoint fans with the direction it takes, do anything interesting, or follow through.
I can't believe we only have 1 episodes left and everyone is basically still on the sides we started out at. This season was promoted like there would be a split in the group, a war, like characters would be stabbing each other in the back, but nobody ended up joining Kendall, they're really turning him into a caricature this season, he has been taking Ls for the past like 7 episodes. Season 3 is definitely not nearly as good as season 2, what is basically a perfect season of television.
It was quite a good episode, rather tense, suspenseful and full of intrigues. It seems to me that Tom is definitely using Greg and not treating him fair, though it looked like Greg has copied some of the incriminating documents he was meant to destroy. He seems a bit naive and it may get into huge trouble if he makes a mistake. Tom himself is not happy about pre-nup with Shiv, I got the impression that it is implied in the pre-nup she can cheat on him but he cannot so he is used by her in turn. Kendall is concerned about his dad not being in his right senses and possibly destroying the company, so he tries to find allies to support the vote of no confidence against Logan, however, it backfires after his talk with Logan's estranged brother Ewan. Ewan himself if quite an interesting character, the details of the feud between the brothers is not explained but it seems that Ewan is very principled and loyal, even to his brother as he does not want to support the non-confidence vote. The quarrel between the brothers was a great scene. Logan also gets aggressive as he hits one of Kendall's kids when he loses the eponymous "I went to market" game. Marcia looks rather positive, caring for Logan and playing the peacemaker in the family, but I still don't know what her endgame is. I guess these are all of the highlights of the episode. I was in a bit of doubt about the show, but this was a good one.
what i find truly beautiful about this movie is the way every single character shares the same exact view of themselves.
all of them believe that they are broken people, and there is no way of fixing themselves, that they are "past redemption"
yet, each and everyone of them expresses it in a different way through their actions and emotions
the protagonist is the most obvious, he feels that he is a monster, he doesn't want to go the hospital because he did all of this on purpose. he doesn't want redemption because he is trying to literally self destruct.
the daughter has no friends, and growing up in a broken family made her think that she is not good enough to even care.
the missionary believes that his stealing and smoking has put him past redemption, so he runs away from home desperately trying to find something that will excuse his actions.
the nurse was labeled as "the black sheep of the family", and eventually accepted this label as a true part of her persona
the mother never recovered from a broken marriage and ended up mistreating her daughter, being ashamed of how she grew up to be.
all this people really are the same, they just chose different way to cope with this ideology.
some chose to eat, some drank, some started looking outward for another person to "save", and so on.
But in end the message is all the same, you shouldn't give up on yourself because you are wrong, you do matter and it's not too late.
yes, you abandoned your child when she was just a child, and yet she still loves you deep down and wants you to be part of her family.
yes you have no friends and your family wasn't the best but that doesn't mean that you will never be worth anything, someone will love you.
yes, you stole and disappointed your father, but stealing a couple grand doesn't matter. Your family cares about you more that they care about a mistake.
I could go on but i think i got the point across. this is just a beautiful beautiful movie, it's really sad and honestly tough to watch at times because it hits hard, but it's definitely an experience that we should all have.
