AmplifiedLife Reviews

Fear the Walking Dead: Remember What They Took from You (2023) Season 8, Episode 1

Embarrassed to be honest.

[16 May 2023]

If the FWD series was ever good, this episode would be a low point, and quite possibly the nadir of all the WD television content in totality (so far).

This episode features glaringly bad everything. Bad casting (wow, the kids really, honestly sucked). Bad acting by capable actors. Bad directing. Bad editing. Bad story. Bad writing. Bad stunts. Bad sets. Bad props. Etc.

And that's saying something. I'm used to seeing bad content. But it's rare to feel actively embarrassed that you watched something. It's amusing of course to reflect that an episode of television was so atrocious, that it has clearly driven viewers here to proactively warn others about it. And to vent our frustration.

Oh well.

Fight the Power How Hip Hop Changed the World (2023– )

Unfocused. Overly long.

[28 February 2023]

Episode one was solid. But the rest is just not good. I expected more. Very uneven. It feels like a mishmash of YouTube clips. Meandering narrative threads. Wack interviews. Little off topic stories jarringly shoehorned in at weird edit points. Needed more artist interviews, or less artist interviews. And more relevant artists. Lots of cringe. More academics or less. But not this. I can't make a documentary so don't listen to me. Watch it for yourself. You may enjoy it. I found it severely lacking based on the Chuck D co-sign. IMDb is telling me the review is too short? So they just want me to say more than is needed? That's the problem with the documentary I'm reviewing. You really don't want me saying more than necessary.

Mediocrity abounds. The doc. IMDb. Me. Everywhere. SMH.

M3GAN (2022)

Dumbed down for dummies

[25 February 2023]

Saw unrated version. Ronnie Chieng is funny. I recommend watching as much of this as you can stand and then looking at the reviews. You won't believe the discrepancy between quality & criticism. Low brow low class technologically absurd waste of time. And the lead actor, a "brilliant" scientist has like one facial expression. Embarrassing. What is happening?

Saw unrated version. Ronnie Chieng is funny. I recommend watching as much of this as you can stand and then looking at the reviews. You won't believe the discrepancy between quality & criticism. Low brow low class technologically absurd waste of time. And the lead actor, a "brilliant" scientist has like one facial expression. Embarrassing. What is happening?

Andor: The Axe Forgets (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Great show. Small gripe: I'm frustrated by the episodic pacing.

[5 October 2022]

Solid show. Great episode. Fascinating characters and locations etc. The ONLY thing I'm not enjoying is the well crafted tension & suspense, being relieved prematurely, due to the weekly distribution schedule. If you haven't seen the show yet, and can avoid spoilers, I'd recommend this show be binged. Or watched in increments of your preference.

At the end of the last episode, it felt as though it was building to "something" all episode. Something big. And what I mean by that is, for me, the energy of the episode evoked a feeling... that something significant was coming, and coming very soon. But then it ended rather abruptly, and although I enjoyed it, I was also slightly disappointed.

So ok, I figured, it'll happen next week (this episode). But then, when this episode began I thought, again... that "something big", whatever that is, is now definitely happening soon, and probably near the end of this episode. Hopefully. They recreated the same suspenseful vibes, etc. But again, nothing "big". Yet.

The episode was exceptional, but I'm still not "in to" the episodic release schedule of certain shows. It works fine for some. But I'm not enjoying it for Andor. I think in the future, I may stop watching week to week, and just wait for the season to end before binging. Granted, it's only a personal preference, but I felt compelled to say it... for the record.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022)

Release Schedule Hurt Show

[27 May 2022]

The marketing, release schedule & roll out of this show sucked, and it probably hurt viewership. Otherwise it's a solid show.

Effects have been very well rendered so far. It doesn't look cheap. Acting is solid but I can imagine it being grating, if you don't acknowledge that character's inevitable development, which is hinted at immediately.

Injustice (2021)

Newk-yular

[6 February 2022]

I stopped watching after a mere background newsperson mispronounced nuclear as: nook-yuhler / nuk ya lir, etc. It's a cartoon yes, but no. Can't do it. Won't do it.

Invasion: First Day (2021) Season 1, Episode 10

Meandering & Unfocused

[10 December 2021]

Hopefully season 2 answers some questions. Or process some concrete questions to be answered. For the audience and writers both.

Hopefully a Season 2 means they can't take the apple "money & run" and will have to deliver an actual story. Not just the promise of a story to come.

Season 1 felt like a pitch or an outline. Because all we got this season was the skeleton of a show. Broad brushstrokes and texture etc.

People will want to feel smart and label it cerebral, but they'd be overlooking all that what was absent. As for what we got, it was beautiful, but bewildering (and at least for me, not in a good way). I like thinking peoples' television. But instead of "filling me up", this one just left me feeling empty & frustrated.

I won't be recommending this show to friends & family like I did for Foundation. For Invasion, it's probably going to be one of those series where you're better off waiting for the entire series to end/and or for the story to REALLY hit its stride, before diving in, or recommending it to others. Oh well.

Invasion: Hope (2021) Season 1, Episode 7

Slow Burn? No burn.

[19 November 2021]

The unsatisfying & frustrating endings to episodes make this show impossible to recommend for others to check out.

Maybe after the season ends, I'll change my mind, but currently, as is, I don't recommend watching yet. Wait to binge if it improves, or skip it.

This episode was the least worst yet. It great. Just less bad than the others. So far.

Midnight Mass: Book II: Psalms (2021) Season 1, Episode 2

Great Dolby Atmos Mix

[15 November 2021]

The great use of Dolby Atmos height channels in this episode caught my attention during a casual "checking out" of this show. Not really a horror fan, but now, I'm going to start the show over and pay closer attention to the Atmos mix. Then I'm going to check out this creative team's other work, particularly the director and sound crew.

Netflix - more of this please. Creatives - use the height channels better.

Invasion: Home Invasion (2021) Season 1, Episode 6

Nails on a chalkboard. Frustrating episode.

[12 November 2021]

IDK why this show compels me to write reviews. I almost never do this.

When the opening shot makes the conspiracy theory characters appear smarter than the lead character because she forgot she had kids. Kids, who are her main motivation in other episodes? Silly.

When a tea kettle is audible from outside. When the lead character walks around screaming at a pitch that gives you a headache. But at least now you've been primed to understand sound will be central to survival in this episode. Kinda.

Now.... Be quiet! While I whisper! No you be quiet while I shout. Lol... no you be quiet while my kid starts crying. But not as loud as the Karen is screaming, just quieter than I whimper. But louder than a thunderstorm.

Quiet characters are left alone, and long as they're quiet, while noisy characters are attacked, so everyone inevitability flees quiet places to make noise. Dumb.

"Best military in the universe!" was a solid retort, granted it came from the mouth of the show's most pathetic character. So intelligence does exist in the show's universe. Can we get more of it?

When the character spends most of episode focused on being quiet, then risks her stupid kids lives (sorry but the show does not make them sympathetic), by mindlessly revving her engine as the immobilized car makes a ton of noise. Because there's only one alien? Then she just backs in to a wall. So far I find myself rooting for the intelligent life, the aliens, to prevail on this show.

When the CG is so dark you have to pause the show to adjust your settings? Remember that one Game of Thrones episode that was criticized for being too dark? It's like that, but not as bad because most Apple displays have HDR now. It looked okay on my OLED iPhone and even better on my iPad Pro, but still, it was almost impossible to see any detail on that basement window shot. Likely intentional. The car scene looked pretty good.

Frustration abounds. But I'll keep watching bcos I pay for AppleTV+.

Invasion: The King Is Dead (2021) Season 1, Episode 4

Decent acting. Dreadful pacing. (U)

[29 October 2021]

Update: per the comparisons to foundation... imho it took 7 (!) entire episodes of that show, to arrive at a "point", or to click (only for me personally I'm saying) and make me say "ohhhhh...I get it now" out loud, like an idiot. But I didn't write a single review of foundation because it was mostly good. I came here to write a review, of this episode only, because I was so bored watching it and because of my disdain for stupid characters/motivations. The other reviewers pointed out the marketing vs the actual show. Well said. Go watch the trailers and come back here and tell me they match the content. The other reviewers pointed out the highway stop scene also. Well said. Wasn't that the stupidest thing you're ever seen? For the record, the woman portraying the Japanese space agency character is one of the better actors on the show. I was invested in her emotionally.

Original: Took 48 minutes to get interesting. I'm writing this during the episode. That should tell you how entertaining I found it.

Some lame characters do some dumb things. Questionable motivations abound. Actress on the poster is good when she isn't whining about her doofus husband or screaming & crying. Given dialog, she's clearly a solid actor. My point is, the on-screen talent isn't the problem.

A kid gets knocked to the ground at one point. And it takes them what feels like 30 seconds to get back up. The pacing forced me to check my watch. I want to like the show. Stayed up to watch it. But almost fell asleep this episode.

I remain skeptical of this show. I dont like shows about dumb characters doing dumb things.

Titans: Nightwing (2019) Season 2, Episode 13

Good show. Bad episode.

[15 August 2021]

This episode was just so jarringly stilted & rushed, it prompted a review. What happened? I can no longer recommend Titans after seeing it because I'd be embarrassed. That said, I hope the show continues and whomever is responsible for this episode gets fired.

This episode and content like it, is where positive, hard earned, organic, word-of-mouth marketing goes to die (I'm sure they cut the budget or something). Now they'll just have to spend more on marketing. Smh...

Esai Morales did an excellent job the whole season. The daughter character & her mask were wack. Fwiw, the transitions between seasons have been unpleasant also.

Patriot (2015–2018)

Genre Defying, Thinking-Person's Content 🎭

[12 August 2021]

Currently the show is at 8.3 stars. This seems appropriately high. It's not for everybody and I don't mean "if you don't like it you're dumb", but if you need constant action, or spoon fed genre tropes, you may not enjoy this. If you want to be challenged by a show, then you will dig it. You'll at least respect it.

It doesn't fit in to a genre classification easily but it deftly navigates many of them, so the entertainment value is high. To me, the simultaneous laughter and pain of the songs for example, best encompass the show's "vibe". So if you get to some music and think it's ridiculously stupid, hang in there and watch 1-2 more episodes. If you still thinks it's absurd, then you can check out and won't miss a thing.

Personally I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but I found it supremely rewarding to complete the series. The ensemble is great. Such good acting. Dennis is the man. John's dancing really was as his brother described. Leslie was a hard SOB. And the HR dude was hilarious. The detective was interesting, as was the wife, but that little girl actor was great.

Amazon reviews seem to skew low for smart/artful content and skew higher for popcorn movies and dare I say dumbed down entertainment. So I've learned to completely ignore reviews on Prime Video and instead, if I really can't help myself from checking reviews, look here at IMDB. Who cares what people think anyway right? Find out for yourself. Peace.

Fear the Walking Dead: In Dreams (2021) Season 6, Episode 12

Good Will Squandered

[10 May 2021]

Dear people making TWD universe. Thanks for the good content. But now it's just getting tedious. TWD content on amc feels like it's going downhill, GoT season 8 style: Audience taken for granted. Creatives getting complacent. QC coming long after profit motives. Etc etc.

I've stopped watching shows mid season for the first time recently. Such that, I just stopped caring what happened, and realized it was a wise decision because I got my valuable time back (to spend elsewhere). Don't make me add TWD to that list. Y'all are one more lame episode away. COVID isn't a sufficient excuse either. Either do, or don't. Peace.

The Handmaid's Tale (2017– )

No 5.1 sound mix in 2021?

[3 May 2021]

Out of 10 stars, they get 1 star for sound, 1 star for lack of HDR and 8 stars for show. It's solid.

Wait for the show to end though, and maybe by then, Hulu will finally offer it in HDR & 5.1 (or better) audio. Until then, it's like watching a good movie, but with cheap $20 earbuds in. Isn't somebody in the creative chain embarrassed by this?

I just watched dumb Kong v Godzilla in Dolby Vision + Atmos, so it's possible.

Cherry (I) (2021)

Watch it yourself. It's worth the time.

[12 March 2021]

I thought the film was excellent and creatively done. The actors were great, especially Holland, and the Russo Bros... I mean cmon, it the Russos. I think they've earned the benefit of the doubt. So I'll just reiterate... ignore the reviews, mine included, and watch it for yourself. Pay close attention to name tags, paperwork, & business names/building titles etc. The attention to detail is entertaining and just cool.

Capone (2020)

Amazon Prime = No English Subtitles

[13 August 2020]

On Amazon Prime, the two optional subtitles listed are English and Spanish. When you choose English you get Spanish and when you choose Spanish you get a different Spanish. There are No English Subtitles. The auto subtitle option does nothing. When Capone speak Italian that appears in a yellow font, in English, as part of the movie. You can't change that one (it's "burned in"). Obviously.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Missing Something(s)

[24 March 2020]

This show is barely above average for "network television" but totally subpar in comparison to the majority of other content on premium cable & streaming services.

I'm going to stop watching tonight. I'll check back to see if this show lasts. Maybe after a few more seasons it'll be fleshed out and be worth revisiting. Meaning, I'm done watching it for now. Maybe in a few years, I'll go back and watch it all on Netflix. But it's not good enough to warrant any further proactive investment of my time.

For the record, I watched it via DVR, all the way up to S2 E11... and then about 15 minutes in to that episode, I literally paused it, and began asking myself why I was committing any more time to watching this show? I tried but I'm bored. The show drags. The concepts feel dumbed down. The actors are inconsistent at best.

It always felt half baked... like the creators knew they could drag it out, make it up as they went, and still get paid, while people with nothing better to do to would keep tuning in. Not me. Sorry. Tried to like it. Do better.