I stopped watching halfway through episode 9 of season 7, and the show was one of my top 5 favorite shows on TV still airing, so it is really as bad as you say. This is mainly the fault of Eric Wallace, who is the worst showrunner ever, worse than Guggenheim (Arrow's showrunner).
Season 1: 9/10 (Amazing, one of the best seasons of the entire show)
Season 2: 9/10 (As good as Season 1)
Season 3: 8/10 (Great season but the villain is less cool and there are less good episodes)
Season 4: 7/10 (Good season overall but mediocre ending)
Season 5: 6/10 (Decent first half with Cicada, Terrible second half with Cicada II)
Season 6: 5/10 (Decent first half with Bloodwork, Mediocre second half with Mirror Monarch)
Season 7: 4/10 (The entire season sucks)
If you look at the showrunner per season, it's easy to see the reason why the show got worse over time.
Season 1 was led by Andrew Kreisberg
Season 2 was led by Andrew Kreisberg, Gabrielle Stanton, Aaron Helbing, and Todd Helbing
Season 3 was led by Andrew Kreisberg, Aaron and Todd Helbing
Season 4 was led by Andrew Kreisberg and Todd Helbing
And then Andrew Kreisberg was fired by the production team of The Flash because of sexual harassment accusations, there were even men who accused him, so he was a bisexual predator. I'm not saying that they should have kept Andrew Kreisberg, but they should have at least replaced him with someone who was able to provide the same level of quality as before.
So then, Season 5 was led by Todd Helbing. It was still pretty decent in my opinion, except for the part with Cicada II, but still there were some great parts with the Reverse Flash, which was my favorite character on the show, which Tom Cavanagh played so well.
But then, Todd Helbing had to leave because he felt like the show was preventing him from spending time with his family, he had children and wanted more time to spend with them and his wife, so he quit.
So, for Season 6 and Season 7, the CW chose Eric Wallace, and of course, they had no way of knowing what he would do with the show and it ended in disaster. And now, because of him, the ratings are worse than they have ever been. And there are only some fanboys/fangirls on Reddit who are blinded by fandom so much that they praise him, because most people hate what Eric Wallace has done with the show.
The main problem that the CW has is that it hires bad showrunners sometimes and instead of firing them, they let them stay, no matter how bad the ratings get. I have nothing against gender diversity, sexual diversity, or ethnic diversity, but it should never be seen as a replacement for good writing and a good cast of actors. The best actors of this show are mainly Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash), Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells/Reverse Flash) and Jesse L Martin (Joe West).
Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon) and Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow) were also pretty good but their characters are being removed in order to be replaced by worse characters.
And the worst thing is that it doesn't take a genius to write good episodes of The Flash. Eric Wallace could have just given to the fans what they wanted instead of sacrificing quality for SJW politics and everyone would have been happy and the ratings would have been great. With the CGI that they have access to, it doesn't take much to make a fun show that lots of people will want to see.
The main things that are missing this season are (from most important to less important):
1) A good main villain (like Reverse Flash, Zoom and Devoe)
2) Good side villains (like Captain Cold, King Shark, Grodd, The Trickster, Pied Piper, Abra Kadabra, Vandal Savage)
3) A good cast of actors (The original main cast from season 1)
4) Enough episodes that focus on the story, and filler episodes should be at least more entertaining than those that focus on the story. Supernatural did this very well with episodes like "Mystery Spot", "Changing Channels", "The French Mistake", "Scoobynatural", "LARP and The Real Girl", "Ghostfacers", "Fan Fiction", "Yellow Fever", "The Real Ghostbusters", "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Time After Time".
5) Lots of action and only a bit of drama, but not too much so that it doesn't become a soap opera
6) Some progression of the characters, especially The Flash's powers and his speed should be getting better each season like how Clark's speed in Smallville kept getting better and better from season 1 to season 10. And if they are going to give lots of screen time to Allegra, then we should be seeing her using her powers a lot more, she almost never uses them. This show has great CGI that it almost never uses, and it's not like it costs too much because once you have the equipment for the CGI, it doesn't cost more money to add more since it is made from the computer, so they are just being lazy because the showrunner Eric Wallace is lazy.
7) More surprising plot twists throughout the season
8) Less useless dialogue and less cringey dialogue (with 45 minutes of runtime per episode, they should be able to do a lot more, even with their limited budget)
9) More screen time for the characters that people want to see (especially The Flash) and less screen time for side characters
10) More crossover events than just 1 per year. Crossovers are what people want to see, and since all the shows are filmed in the same studio, it shouldn't be very difficult to do it.
My prediction is that if the CW doesn't fire Eric Wallace, they will keep the show running until they start losing money, because although the ratings are bad, if they are still letting him run the show, it must be because they are satisfied with the profits, because the production of TV shows is always about making money, not necessarily pleasing the consumers, unlike in other industries, where public opinion would matter more.
Many people are so picky about the shows that they choose to watch that they will say that everything that the CW has ever made is bad, but the truth is that although it cannot match the level of quality of HBO or AMC shows, the CW is still able to make great TV shows on some occasions when they have a good enough showrunner. People often use Arrow and The Flash as examples to mock the CW but they forget that it's the same network which also made Smallville and Supernatural, both of which were extremely successful, so it's not the network that is to blame, it's the showrunners that the network picked. But even big studios like Warner Bros make that mistake a lot by hiring people like Zack Snyder or Joss Whedon to direct their movies, which makes them end up with bad ratings. I think that is because it is impossible to predict how well a showrunner will be, because even if you look at their history, it doesn't guarantee that their future work will be as good as what they made in the past since there are only a few directors who are able to maintain the same level of quality over many decades (guys like Quentin Tarantino).
I really wish the show either gets fixed or cancelled so that everyone can finally get what they want or just move on. And I am especially curious as to what will be Grant Gustin's next acting job after The Flash because he has a really good level of acting talent and he has a great singing voice too.
Disney’s 2019 version of Aladdin provides us with pleasant surprises and a few hiccups along the ride on the magic carpet. Agrabah looks amazing, you totally feel the Arabian vibe and still is a city with more depth then in the original animated movie with more cultures mixed into one. Jasmine has a well written storyline which is not only fitting for the time we live in now, it’s also very in depth and gives her even more of an edge. She truly outshines the animated Jasmine. Mena’s performance is almost identical to the original. Great acting and good looks. Although I was more anticipated for the Genie’s performance, it was Jafar who surprised me, but not always in a good way. I liked this style and Jafar being younger and more appealing. Marwan showed us great acting by letting us feel Jafar truly is dangerous. What I missed though are iconic moments the animated movie showed us like turning into a snake, make genie lift up the castle and being the old poor man who tricks Aladdin into the cave of wonders, which wasn’t all that wonderous to me at all. The feeling of the cave popping up from the sand was something I really missed, the interior though is flawless and well put together. Aladdin started of stronger then it ended but overall, this new adaptation left me ‘Speechless’ thanks to its wonderful cast, set design and refreshing plots.
So this movie premiered in Poland today and I just got home from the theater. I have two things to say: this is hands down the best installment in the Thor trilogy and it also definitely ranks somewhere in the top 5 MCU movies for me.
This movie was a wild ride from start to finish. The story was a ton of fun and so many things happened along the way, keeping you engaged at all times. While I do love slow movies that allow their scenes to breathe, the crazy pace of this one worked in its favor. There wasn't as much action as I had expected, but we did get some cool fights and general destruction. In the typical Marvel fashion, there were a lot of jokes and most of them were really, really hilarious. Some of the MCU movies try way too hard to be funny and I end up feeling annoyed at how many quips they cram in there, but in Ragnarok, the humor definitely worked. My personal favorites were the "Get help" scene, Thor's story about Loki turning into a snake and Bruce falling onto the Rainbow Bridge (especially Fenrir's reaction). Those had me laughing uncontrollably. And on the other end of the spectrum, there was quite a lot of emotional weight to both Odin's demise and the fall of Asgard. The movie struck a good balance between the two, keeping things exciting and light-hearted most of the time, but not being afraid to go a little deeper when the situation called for it.
As for the acting, Chris Hemsworth seemed to be really enjoying himself and while I'd often found Thor to be the blandest Avenger in the past, he had a lot more personality and charisma to him here. He was extremely likable and funny, but he was also the hero you rooted for throughout the movie. Cate Blanchett didn't get to do much as Hela, to my disappointment. She looked incredible and she did the best she could with what she was given, but in the end, the Goddess of Death didn't do much in terms of breaking the tradition of one-dimensional, evil-for-the-sake-of-it MCU villains. But she did at least seem to relish and enjoy her evilness. Tessa Thompson stole the movie for me. She was amazing as Valkyrie. She had wonderful chemistry with Thor and I like the idea of the two of them together, she's a much better love interest for him than Jane, but she was by no means reduced to that role here (thankfully!). She was a fully-fledged character with her own arc and personality. She was brash, badass and absolutely deadly in a fight while still having a more vulnerable, softer side and dealing with horrible trauma. She reminded me of Jessica Jones in that way. Watching her go from a drunken scavenger back to a mighty warrior ready to fight for her home and her king was a pleasure. I absolutely loved her and I hope to see more of her in the future MCU movies. Tom Hiddleston delivered as always, Mark Ruffalo was a great addition and Bruce's partnership with Thor was fantastic, and the supporting cast was also very good.
The soundtrack. Man, the soundtrack. 11/10, totally buying it. One of the best I've heard in a while.
The cinematography was gorgeous. So many colors, so many beautiful shots (the one with the Valkyries bathed in light riding towards Hela who was surrounded by darker colors? Holy shit, that looked like a baroque painting. Absolutely stunning). It was a pleasure to watch. The special effects were simply outstanding as well. Fenris/Fenrir was magnificent and let's just say I want ten angry, giant wolves immediately.
I had high hopes for this movie. The first Thor was pretty good, the second was meh (perfectly adequate, but painfully forgettable), but there was a lot of hype around this one and I really wanted it to be great. And it was! I had a blast watching it and I'd definitely see it again. Every standalone hero trilogy in the MCU so far has had at least one fantastic installment. Iron Man had the first one. Captain America had The Winter Soldier. Now, Ragnarok joins the circle. I'm very happy that it turned out as well as it did.
Is Marvel just going to keep increasing the comedy value?
How much is enough?
Thor Ragnarok is a comedy action movie, or simply put ->
https://i.imgur.com/OqUYCJX.png
| FIRST THOUGHT |
Take Thor, mix it with Hulk.
Put your hand on the "comedy" button, press it and never release it.
It's this movie.
And it doesn't actually stop, throughout the entire time. You can't quite figure out how much it takes itself seriously. And it's so goddamn good.
Before you go on about and watch it, you need to put yourself in a spectrum where you're going to enjoy senseless beating and constant, crispy comedy.
It is definitely worth watching. It is worth your time, your money and putting on clothes to get out of your home. (Or just do it like me, I never put on clothes.)
| STORY & ACTORS |
Well, what can be said about the story on a Marvel movie?
However you want to put it, it's actually nothing so special, there's obviously no level of "deepness" to it. It's very linear, of course, with a happy ending - Although I have to admit, very enjoyable.
It's structured for the sole purpose of starting what is going to be the actual, gigantic movie: Infinity War - while closing down the history and settling the character of Thor for good. (Much better than what they did with Iron Man)
I think Marvel, with this one, truly captured the perfect combination of "comedy" and "action" to it's MCU. Sorting out everything that lacked in the second installment of "Guardians of Galaxy".
The comedy was throughout really enjoyable, it was predictable, but we can't pretend much of it - it's classical "Thor & Hulk" memes.
The story also doesn't hold to a very interesting villain. It's really unfortunate because of Hela's position in the comics, but at the same time I can understand what the movie wanted to speak about, so I really cannot be as frustrated as I did with other movies. cough*Wonder Woman*cough
It does, at the same time, bring up new, fun characters (To the MCU). Korg (voice acted by also director Taika Waititi) was an absolute blast and pure enjoyment at everything he said. It can come out as pathetic or annoying, but that just means that you shouldn't watch superhero movies.
I can't talk enough about comedy without entering the realm of "acting", and in doing so, eventually to the actors.
/I will only "in-depth note" some of the actors\
I'll say this, and it took me SIX movies to finally agree and accept it: Chris Hemsworth brought Thor to a level as high as Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman did with both Iron-Man and Wolverine. I can't "unsee" a Thor that isn't Chris Hemsworth, and this movie put on that thought the final stone.
He showed passion to a character that ended up developing itself positively in barely 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Mark Ruffalo, boy, they finally made him lose that terrifying, horrible gloomy attitude of the Avengers movie. He finally embraced his nature, and so Mark had more room to depict a promising version of Bruce Banner.
Cate Blanchett was disintegrated by the flatness of how they shaped Hela. The villain was disregarded and had no soul. It was just big talk, terrible powers, besides being a Charlie's Angel and ultimately she didn't show anything positive for the movie, except some stuff you will need to see.
Tessa Thompson was a FANTASTIC Brunnhilde. She portrayed that character to a point where the seconds passed and I loved her more and more. I can really say nothing more or add to it, just watch her.
I won't talk about how the Hulk acted because you need to see it first-hand. He's the big star here, remember, this is Hulkhor: Ragnasmask.
Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster is fucking weird, man... Weirdly good?
| CINEMATOGRAPHY |
Here's where it gets interesting.
There's a load of color combinations that I found soothing, very soothing and that is perfect because it brings out from the screen the variety and SATURATION of what this movie actually is. The palettes were perfect.
I found the CGI, in some of the action/fighting scenes to be lacking a little bit, especially in very fast-paced shots it looked very unrealistic. And the same can be said about everything, to the brittle of walls getting destroyed, to some of the weapons portrayed.
I don't actually know what happened there, maybe I was too focused on it and eventually could see past the CGI (which is a big mistake to make), but unless you are actively trying to do so it's really minor.
Choreographies, I was actually impressed. The past "Thor" movies were just a bunch of "tank & spank" moves. Fortunately, this wasn't entirely the case, near the end, it lacked a bit, but it's not very noticeable considering everything that's going on.
Music, there was distinct moment where it went from a more classical route to then being mixed out with a more electronic feel, it was a really hearing stimulating oxymoron, so to speak.
I will never get tired of The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.
| FINAL THOUGHT |
All things considered, if we're about to take this logically...
The pros definitely beat the cons in this one.
It is, on that thought, WORTH A WATCH.
And I'll add something that might stir up some grunt:
My official "favorite MCU movie" has changed.
Movie: 8/10
Hulk: 11/10
Note that all of this is driven by my personal opinion. If I wasn't objective in some of the parts of what I've written, you're welcome to make me notice where.
Leave a comment to agree or disagree.
Show some love if you enjoyed my review, it makes me really happy.
On Twitter I review the entire world → @WiseMMO
Peace.
If you ever needed a lesson in not listening to reviewers and making your own mind up about a movie, this is it. The Suicide Squad is brought to life by David Ayer in this summer blockbuster. It is 2+ hours of hard hitting FUN, with incredible portrayals of comic book favourites. Will Smith IS Deadshot, Margot Robbie IS Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje IS Killer Croc, Jai Courtney IS Captain Boomerang... and The Joker??? I WANTED MORE!!! Well the biggest compliment I can pay to Jared Leto is that I didn't think about Heath Ledger once, it was a completely different yet interesting portrayal.
In this fun action flick, the bad guys are sent to take down a greater evil. Critics of the big bad in this movie seem to have completely missed the point. The big bad in this movie is merely a plot device, to help us get to see our protagonists form as a team. If anything the real villain of the piece is the one who forms this team of misfits. Amanda Waller is portrayed DIABOLICALLY by the incredible Viola Davis and the part where she turns on and guns down her own employees is SHOCKING . Complaining about the villain in a movie where the protagonists are bad guys is akin to complaining about the villain in Deadpool... THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THE MOVIE!
This movie leaves you with a thirst for more of these characters, and some shots such as when Will Smith is stood on top of a car and gunning down henchman after henchman after henchman look like they have just been ripped out of a comic book and put on screen by the wonderfully talented David Ayer.
If you are a comic book fan, or a DC movies fan, heck even if you are just an average movie watcher... watch this movie! It is SO MUCH FUN!!!
UPDATE: Just seen the Extended Edition and I really enjoyed the new scenes. This extended version doesn't change the nature of the movie in the way the Ultimate Cut did for BvS but I found it let's the movie breathe a little and solves some of the editing problems people complained about. I still love the theatrical release but my recommendation is to watch the extended version of this movie!
Well, I do not even know where to start! The Grand Budapest Hotel was one of my most anticipated films this year. My expectations were very high and I can say it exceeded everything I was expecting.
Wes Anderson is a very peculiar and original director, there is no one like him and his style is unmistakable. With an interesting filmography is great to see his improvement over the years. This film is a good example of that. All his usual filming techniques, color palette, the history, quirky characters and scenarios always full of details keep getting better with each film. I would like to give the main highlight for the set design that will get you literally gaping!
Wes Anderson wrote this film based on the books of a writer named Stefan Zweig and the entire universe that he created around this story is absolutely fabulous! The Grand Budapest Hotel is a famous hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka in the European Alps. In it we follow the adventures of the important concierge Gustave H. and his recent apprentice Zero Moustafa, who go far beyond the Grand Budapest. Gustave H. has the particularity to like seducing older and wealthy hotel guests. After years of involvement with one of these ladies, she is murdered and Gustave is the prime suspect of her murder. Then it starts all this great, crazy and hilarious mess!
Ralph Fiennes shines in this film, his performance is magnificent as the concierge Gustave H. In each scene he enters he steals the show! His performance is the one with the most spotlight but he is always supported by a whole cast that play their roles genially. The young and recent actor Tony Revolori is also very good and all the scenes between him and Ralph Fiennes are wonderful, the two had a great chemistry and that is transmited beyond the screen. Big names like F. Murray Abraham, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson and many others are all excellent in their small roles and sometimes we wished to see this talented names have a little more time on screen but each one has its importance in history.
Fun, colorful, with great dialogues and hilarious scenes, also leaving an important message about loyalty and friendship. Wes Anderson now elevates the bar very high, after this brilliant The Grand Budapest Hotel we are waiting to see what this great and unique filmmaker will do next. I think I can say that this happens to be my favorite film of him, because I think it is definitely his best and will also certainly be one of my favorites this year.
