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Reviews
Painkiller (2023)
Meh.....
It's tough to treat this miniseries as its own considering there is so much material out there on the Purdue Pharma lawsuits concerning OxyContin. I watched this immediately after watching "Dopesick" and to be honest, it doesn't even begin to compare to how good Dopesick was.
The miniseries does cover what happened in a nutshell, but failed to include a lot of vital information which would have left a much better understanding and resulted in a much more intriguing story of the Purdue Pharma scandal.
Painkillers is also plagued with bad character development for most of it's characters. This is largely due to failing to properly introduce them to the audience. I honestly only cared about Taylor Kitch's character when it was all said and done who put on the best performance of the series with the help of Carolina Bartczak. Matthew Broderick delivers a respectable performance as Richard Sadler and West Duchovny turns in some bright moments nearing the end of the series. I suppose I should mention Uzo Aduba as well as she would be considered the main protagonist. She does ok, but her character is incredibly bland at times and is taken out of key parts of the series which makes her appear as an after thought.
I really wanted to like this miniseries as the story is so compelling and something that any person in their right mind would get highly upset about, but I found myself disengaged and watching it just to complete it, rather than actually enjoying it. Lack of quality character development and key parts to the story resulting in a lackluster experience for the viewer gives this series a 6/10 for me. If you somewhat enjoyed this series I highly recommend checking out "Dopesick" on Hulu.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)
For fans who were watching 30 years ago....it is what you thought it would be.
I grew up with the power rangers. I remember going to school and arguing with other kids about which ranger we were going to be at recess. My first crush was Amy Jo Johnson....as she was for a lot of boys during that time. I say all that to say that this first and 2nd group of rangers that the special is about, holds a special place to me, as it will for the bulk of people who are excited to see it, they are the target audience of this film. The people that were watching 30 years ago when the power rangers became big will greatly enjoy this special.
I'm going to avoid listing any spoilers, but going into this I was a bit disappointed after seeing that this special was only 1 hour in length. I had so many questions and had a hard time believing that all of them were going to be answered in a span of 1 hour. Admittedly, the special started out and I was confused as to why it was starting in the manner that it did and began having serious concerns about the plot of the special. However, in time, all of my questions were answered and a nice dose of nostalgia was delivered.
Overall, it's what the fan from 30 years ago would have wanted it to be. It was still a bit cheesy, not as cheesy as the original. The special effects were better, the acting was better, fight scenes captured that same feel, same arrogant Rita Repulsa, this special had it all. My biggest complaint would be the megazord, it definitely wasn't done justice.
Pro's
-All of the original rangers were acknowledged, even if it was only through the use of old voice lines.
-Simple, but good story that was believable for fans
-Answered all questions that an original fan would have
-Nostalgic fight scenes
-Captured the overall feel of the original show
-Kept it to the core group of rangers (first and second group of rangers)
Con's
-Zord scene could have definitely been better
-Too short, they managed to make it work, but it definitely could have benefited from another 30 minutes of film to keep it from feeling a bit rushed.
-Unable to see all of the original cast
In conclusion, "Once and Always" delivers to original fans of the show. It was a nice trip down memory lane, and more than likely a trip I will take again. The writers definitely were able to capture the original feel of the show and make your inner child smile from ear to ear, even if it was for only a hour.