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Reviews
Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021)
It would've been a 10 if it wasn't for Kevin
I loath this guy. I'm 4 episodes in and I can't wait for her to kill him or at least pack her bags and leave. Seriously. I don't ask myself why she stayed with him for all those year. I ask why would she even marry someone like him? His repulsive in every way possible.
On the other hand this is a pretty standard marriage in an American sitcom - a more or less attractive, usually smart woman married to a boorish, selfish man child who, if not an idiot at least behaves like an idiot and lacks self-awareness. And she's putting up with his behaviour. Why?
Just recently, we watched some episodes of "Home Improvement" and it made want to punch the TV much of the time Tim was on screen. Being an idiot over and over again, never learning anything and Jill - despite complaining every now and then - just putting up with it and forgiving him.
I can just hope this isn't a realistic representation of American marriages. In the same way I hope that the representation of kids and teenagers in American TV and movies is not a representation of reality - they're all obnoxious and mean, and extremely infantile in their lack of awareness of what their bullying behaviour does to their victims. Or maybe they just don't care...
Anyway, back to Kevin. The concept is great but those sitcom parts are really hard to sit through. They make me want to jump out of my skin and scream at the TV: just tell him to go eff himself already!
I'm rooting for Allison but I'm not sure she can free herself from this life and Kevin. She continues to do stupid things like appropriating Sam's little drug anecdote as her own. This will come back to bite her, I'm afraid.
I guess part of her problem is fear - most people fear change. They see it as the great scary unknown rather than a chance for something better. Well, I hope she'll get over that fear and finds a way to get what she wants: rid of Kevin and a nice life and people that appreciate her.
I can't remember the name of the other woman, the neighbour, but boy, that one is a tragic character as well... and she knows it and has known it for a long time.
The Continental (2023)
This is great
I am a John Wick fan and am pretty disappointed with the last movie. After the meh 3rd movie I was hoping for some redemption alas - it was not to be. And so I was looking forward to The Continental hoping that this at least will be good. And it is.
Those bad reviews here... well, I'm sorry but how can I take seriously complaints that this is "garbage" because Mel Gibson's character has a black sidekick like Winston? Are you kidding me? You clearly have no idea what you're looking at. What's the sidekicks name? Still nothing?
Another complaint is about Mel Gibson not having much screen time despite being "billed as one of the top actors". I'm no expert, but I imagine his billing is due to him being the most famous one of the cast and has nothing to do with his screen time. I could also imagine that his screen time has something to do with his pay.
Someone is also unhappy with a 20 year jump "without explanation". Seriously? We need an explanation for that? What needs an explanation?
This reviewer also seems to labour under the misapprehension that The Continental is a documentary.
And then there are some who note that it's not like the movies (duh...!) and without Keanu it's not the same (duh!)
It's boring (it isn't) and it's really, really bad (it is just fine), so bad that it makes watching paint dry exciting. Well - have fun.
Oh, and "why do we need this show?" Because John Wick apparently went on for too long and clearly the reviewer tired of it. I'll never understand why people watch stuff they're not interested in. So they can let us know how uninterested they are?
Seriously, this won't make TV history like The Sopranos did or The Wire and a few other series. But it is a perfectly fine addition to the John Wick universe that will - I suspect - tell us who John Wick was. If you just want a bit of easy entertainment with some action and a fair amount of blood and guts (I didn't read all the reviews so it's possible that someone felt there was not enough of that) this is perfect.
John Wick tragics like me will enjoy it. Even if Winston looks nothing like Winston (I'd've appreciated at least contacts to give him those striking McShane eyes). Nor does Charon. Nor do most other characters we know from the movies. Btw - it's fun to realise, oh, this is so-and-so and that's what's-his-name.
Does this deserve 10 stars? No. But neither does it deserve all those 2, 3, 4 star ratings. It's a solid 8.
Patriot (2015)
This is amazing
I can't believe I didn't hear about this series before. It's amazing. Everything about it. The story, the characters, the acting, the way it's shot. It's tense and funny and tragic. It's original. It's weird, at times farcical. Always engaging. Affecting. There is violence, calculated and cold, improvised, very matter-of-fact violence. There is impressive professionalism and ineptitude. Kinks. Nice little backstories. Also - so much hurt. While it's a spy thriller on the surface it has this whole mental health thing going on that keeps you on the edge of your seat because depressed people under enormous pressure - this can only end in a disaster. At times you wonder if the protagonist is fantastically bad at his job, a very, very unlucky guy or on a verge of a nervous breakdown. Sometimes he behaves in inexplicable ways - does he realise, does he care? How will it all end? I don't know, am only 8 episodes in, but man, this is good.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
I really wanted to like it
I felt kind of bad when I didn't really like the first movie. I found it quite boring and so I hoped this one might be better. The first few minutes were great with some mystery and these blue creatures with the weird masks emerging from the ocean looked amazing - quite beautiful and a bit menacing. I had high hopes for them.
And then it just went downhill from there.
Pity, it could have been cool. But the script was weak with lots of silly stuff happening only for the purpose of making other silly stuff possible.
And the movie is way too long for that little bit of story that is there and so then we have action scenes filling the time but as it's often the case they're just too long and therefore it all becomes tiresome. There are some attempts at humour (that genius girl is annoying). There is no real suspense.
The best thing about the movie - the way in which it honours the memory of Chadwick Boseman. It was nicely done and quite touching.
Shotgun Wedding (2022)
It is not good
There are some reviews out there (including by movie critics) that say this is not that bad. No, it is. We did it to ourselves on an evening when we were very tired and unenthusiastic and thought we need something light and silly. So we risked that. Sometimes risk pays off. Sometimes it doesn't. Yes, that was one of those times.
A few funny moments (especially the pool scenes), no surprises. Lenny Kravitz looks great and doesn't seem to age - how does he do that? Duhamel is likeable, Lopez is not a bad actress and Coolidge knows how to do her thing. That's pretty much it. A bit of a waste of time so if you want something funny and a bit romantic just rewatch The Proposal.
No Time to Die (2021)
Ok
After being bored silly by most of Craig's Bonds that was a pleasant surprise - it wasn't as bad as I expected. But I was glad I didn't pay to watch this.
So what is there to say about this?
As most movies nowadays - so, so, so long. Way too long. I'd be fine with the 2h+ running time if it was necessary to tell a story well. But usually it isn't. And so it was this time and the movie could easily have been at least half an hour shorter, probably more.
Beautiful locations, some nice action.
Ben Whishaw is always great to watch - he's simply a wonderful actor, for me one of the very best right now. Waltz is becoming a caricature - would be nice to see someone actually challenge this very accomplished actor with a good part for once. As usual, Seydoux spent most of the time looking sleepy. Rami Malek... sigh... reminds me of Leto - every time you see him he's terrible and you wonder if it can get any worse and the answer is - yes, it can. I know he won an Oscar for impersonating Mercury - that was terrible too.
I guess, it sits somewhere between 6.5 and 7.
Jack Ryan (2018)
It's alright
I haven't read the books but it's clear from this series that Clancy was a believer in the myth of the USA being always the good guy on the right side of history fighting the good fight against the notoriously evil Soviet Union/Russia and the likes. The baddies are caricatures and as usual in this kind of programs can't shoot to save themselves and rarely hit the target. So, yeah...
But if you treat it like the fantasy it is it's a good series with high production values and good acting (John Krasinski is very good and I always enjoy Wendell Pierce). It has some exciting fight and chase scenes and tense moments.
Personally, I prefer grittier and more nuanced TV, things like the British "Slow Horses", but if you enjoy some action - go for it.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Would Tolkien hate it? Not so sure.
In recent years many people seem terribly upset about the 'liberal politics being shoved down their throats'. One wonders what are they talking about? Ah, yes - LGBTQIA+ characters and a cast that is not exclusively white.
And with the arrival of "The Rings of Power" here we go again. Apparently there is 'lack of believability'. Yes, hobbits, dwarfs, orcs, wizards, dragons and talking trees are all fine, perfectly normal and very, very realistic. The line is crossed when they sport different skin colour. I also find it very curious when someone assures you that they're not bigots, racists or homophobes but when they come home from work they turn to TV for a little bit of escapism. I get it, I have nothing against a bit of escapism, engage in it from time to time myself. One wonders what they're trying to escape from, because apparently the inclusion of diverse characters ruins everything and makes the escape impossible.
But of course it's none of those ugly sentiments one might suspect - it's all to do with their wish to stay true to the original and respect the author who wouldn't like any of those progressive ideas and had he lived today he wouldn't include any of that pc nonsense in his work. They're sure of that. I find it a bit of a stretch because Tolkien was clearly a humanist subscribing to humanistic values who believed in peaceful coexistence and cooperation among many very different peoples.
The show looks beautiful and considering the limits posed on the production (not having rights to most of Tolkien's work) I think Amazon has done pretty well. I look forward to seeing how the story will unfurl.
As for my rating - I gave the show 10/10. Not because I think the show is perfect, but because I believe it deserves a fair chance and I don't think it should be dragged down by some people's narrow-minded world view.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
It's a good movie
It's a good movie but sadly not great.
It's beautifully shot and acted - Dunst is fantastic. However, I felt that Cumberbatch was miscast. It's a slow burn, at times tense, although it was immediately obvious to me what Peter was up to.
After the glowing movie critics reviews I was left slightly disappointed.
Still, if you don't mind quiet stories told at a leisurely pace and love sweeping shots of grand landscapes I encourage you to give it a go. Although - if you have never seen Malick's "Days of Heaven"... well, watch that. THAT's a wonderful, stunningly beautiful, exceptionally well acted (Linda Manz - what a talent; Sam Shepard is gorgeous) movie. It's everything I was hoping "Power of the Dog" would be.
Longmire (2012)
What a letdown
There once was a man called Walter Longmire. He was contained and calm, not a man of many words. A man of integrity, a man with a big heart, a smart man, dependable. Sure, he had a bit of a tunnel vision when it came to Nighthorse but all in all he was a likeable man and that calmness and brooding made him kinda sexy. You could understand why Vic fell for that man.
Fast forward to season 5 and Walt Longmire is long gone. His place has been taken by a cranky old man who won't listen to reason. Gone is the restraint - Longmire is flying of the handle at every opportunity. He's stubborn, self-centred, self-righteous and unreasonable. Some of his decisions and actions are just plain stupid. He does what he wants because he wants to, nothing else matters. He's unlikeable and oftentimes infuriating.
And then there is that romantic relationship... oh, boy... So why did he fall for that woman? He dreamt of her and took it as a sign that she's the one he loves. Or something like that, I don't know. Oh, boy... There was nothing in that woman during their 2 very short encounters that would explain why he'd fall for her that quickly. It doesn't help that Walker just isn't very good and is so utterly charmless. On top of that the two have absolutely no chemistry at all.
Sad end to what used to be a pretty good series.
War & Peace (2016)
Did no-one read the book?
It seems that the makers didn't. Nor did those who say it's "amazing" or "perfect" and give it 9 or 10 stars. This might be a nice soap opera with some historical background and high production values but it has nothing to do with Tolstoy's book. Poor Tolstoy. His book was a masterpiece. This TV series is not. It is dumbed down to fit the times where it would seem no-one values or reads classics anymore, where "The da Vinci Code", "Twilight" and "50 Shades of Grey" are bestsellers and people flock to the cinemas to see movie adaptations of them.
Anne (2017)
Disappointing
I only have one thing to say but apparently there is some rule about the minimum length of a review so I'm going to have to waste some words.
I really wanted to see this since I first read about this new adaptation and saw the image of the new Anne looking so much more like Anne than the old Anne.
I know that many people love the 80ies version. I don't. Well, I thought Marilla and Matthew were unrivalled (now even more so), but Anne looked nothing like Anne and Gilbert... ugh...
The new version is disappointing. I admit, it's quite enjoyable as a TV series, but as a TV adaptation of L. M. Montgomery's books - no. I can accept some added details from Anne's previous life or Marilla and Matthew's childhood and I'm fine with Miss Barry loving a woman and that horrible teacher being gay. Miss Stacy riding a motorbike is fine, too. Even Jerry being made quite a major character and Billy Andrews being the school bully is ok. But why do we need aditional characters? Why the significant changes to Matthew? Gilbert an orphan going off to work on a ship? And that silly story about him, a 15 or 16 yo delivering a (breech) baby! Seriously? Made me think of that awful sequel to "Gone With the Wind" and the ridiculous C section scene.
Sure, the books are sweet and innocent and leave out many aspects of life at the time. But they are classics loved by generations of kids. They were not intended to be a factual report or social critique. Why the need to completely alter the character of the story?
And worst of all - it's quite a feat to make Anne unlikable...