kenstallings-65346 Reviews

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Weak mishmash

[4/10 · 11 April 2024]

Little more than an avenue for additional revenue, Kung Fu Panda 4 misses far more than it hits, and the misses dominate the movie to the exclusion of the paltry few successful scenes.

Ultimately, without the core characters, the movie struggles greatly to find a resonating theme, and spends the first hour meandering from one pointless fight scene to another, taking elements already worn thin from the previous three movies.

When the filler finally exhausts itself, what we are left with are about twenty minutes of worthy script that reveals a degree of originality, but even then is based more on contrivance than substance.

The issue for the producers isn't the lack of production quality. Indeed, Dreamworks has all their chops in fine form throughout. But, no degree of production value can overcome a weak script that only offers ten percent value on the run time.

This remake lacks the emotional depth and intrigue needed to carry through a 90 minute presentation. In the end, this void is too much to overcome.

Masters of the Air: Part Nine (2024) Season 1, Episode 9

A good ending

[9/10 · 19 March 2024]

The series had skipped a few beats with episodes seven and eight, but the coda episode nine wrapped things up in a satisfying manner.

The second half of the series focused heavily on the POW scenes, and frankly were the best vignettes of the last four episodes, and that truth was doubly the case in the series finale, as the liberation scenes are inspirational. Drawn tightly on the actual liberation of the camp, where the POW's are juxtaposed with the extreme emotions of pending liberation, with the very real risk of being shot dead by guards wanting to go down in a blaze of glory, the scenes are mesmerizing.

All that was missing from the true story was the special chow line that was set up shortly after the POW's were safe, that served them steaks and mashed potatoes.

In terms of the bomber missions, which thankfully the series returned to showing, we see where the 100th BG, and the 8th Air Force, did become the true masters of the air. In their final mission on Berlin, the group performed highly successfully, and we see the harrowing details of Rosenthal's final combat mission.

However, the pinnacle of the episode was the highly accurate representation of Operation Chowhound, where the 100th's final mission delivered food to Holland, to relieve mass starvation. Flown under a ceasefire truce with the Germans, the crews in real life had more enthusiasm to fly these missions than any other. The mission had more positive impact on the morale and moral compass of the bomber crews than several weeks of psychological treatment could have achieved.

The final scene is literally soaring, as the crews fly home. One cannot help but to admire their accomplishments, and this series helped to bring the reality of their heroism to light. That's the final lesson of this series, and why it needed to be made. It brought the books much closer to life.

Masters of the Air: Part Eight (2024) Season 1, Episode 8

Too many storylines

[6/10 · 11 March 2024]

Given a single episode of this series lasts under one hour, the producers tried to splice together far too many stories in this eighth episode, and the result is a disjointed effort that suffers from too many sharp breaks in the narrative.

The result is an episode that fails to satisfactorily explore any of the new material, and with only one more episode remaining in the series, one must wonder, if this is the sole exploration of the Tuskegee Airmen, then it seems too rushed to have made it worth the veer from the core subject.

The actors in the Tuskegee scenes appear too wooden, such as trying to portray a pilot snapping to attention while at the bar in the O-Club, something that would not happen as it was decorum in the Army Air Force that salutes are not given while in the bar.

Again, the POW scenes are the best in the movie and are the only sufficiently explored theme. Yet, the negativity of two of the characters coming to a fight in the yard, followed by no post-fight discussion, was not only out of place, but was not a good fit.

Simply put, the handful of field grade officers in a POW camp would have been far too aware of their role in keeping unit morale up, especially in captivity. So far, none of my research show these two close friends ever engaged in a fist fight, but even if they did, I cannot imagine it happened in the manner this episode portrayed.

The other issue is that episodes seven and eight lacked any significant presentation of the bombing missions, and that's supposed to be the main theme of the series. Taking one episode of nine off might be tolerable, but taking two off back-to-back diminishes the quality of the series.

While episode eight featured two aerial sequences involving the Tuskegee Airmen, what seems strange is that neither of them chose the more appropriate and obvious choice, which was to show the 99th providing bomber escort, something they were particularly valued for doing.

Another historical truth that would have made this natural plotline effective and accurate, is that Benjamin Davis ordered his pilots to remain with the bombers, vice chase after Luftwaffe fighters and leave the bombers unprotected.

This would have set up a nice series of scenes where you could splice an air battle from the perspective of the bomber crews combined with the perspective of the fighter pilots. This potentially satisfying presentation was not tried, and one is left to ask why that was.

There are a number of plot lines left to tie up the package, and with the final episode lasting only about 75 minutes, there is a lot left to finish in little air time to do it in. One hopes the producers can make it happen.

If they do, then good enough. If they fail, then one is forced to look back at the way episodes seven and eight were produced and call the producers' efforts into question.

Masters of the Air: Part Seven (2024) Season 1, Episode 7

Mixed bag

[6/10 · 3 March 2024]

This episode was the weakest of the seven so far released, which is sad because some of the scenes are among the best of the series.

The POW scenes are excellent at capturing the raw sense of fear and boredom, as you realize you live at pretty much the whim of mostly poorly trained camp guards, many of whom concluded that if they shot a prisoner, the odds of them suffering any disciplinary action for it were very low.

This stands in sharp contrast to the producers' inexplicable decision to depict Harry Crosby in a very negative light, which is entirely fictional, as it relates to his relationship in country with the same British officer he met at the Oxford University conference.

This negative character development operates in sharp contrast to Crosby's book, where he makes it clear his relationship with this British officer was platonic. This platonic relationship was quite well produced in episode six. So, for the producers to go down a fictional path in this episode seems cringingly out of place.

There were plenty of other characters in this series to choose from to make this sort of romantic depiction, and considering most of the aircrew were not married, if the series wished to focus on the reality of American airmen and British women hooking up, then that's how it should have been portrayed.

The other reason is that Crosby, for his part in his autobiography, was unflinching in criticizing himself. Prior episodes focused on his poor navigational performance flying his bomber from Greenland to Nazi occupied France, in a gross navigational error, as well has his chronic airsickness. These events were documented in detail in Crosby's book, and very well depicted in this series.

So, if someone like Crosby was willing to document his warts in so many ways, it seems uncalled for to sully his memory without a credible source to back up the negative portrayal.

The other glaring error in this episode is that the first operational flights of the B-17G models were in mid August of 1943. In this episode, the action takes place in early March of 1944, nearly seven months later.

By this point of the ETO air war, there were not any more B-17F models operating in ETO frontline service. Bombers in this theater simply didn't last long, due to combat damage and rapid engine overhaul requirements. It was easier to simply replace worn out bombers with the many new arrivals, vice waste precious maintenance time on reclamation projects.

This was especially true given the B-17G corrected the one major defensive flaw in the Flying Fortress -- lack of forward firing guns to defend against the level and slightly low attacks from 12 O'clock.

To fix this flaw, the B-17G's featured a twin 50 cal turret at the bottom of the bombardier's nose glazing. This would have been the right episode to show that update in use. The series teasers have shown the G model in use, but for some strange reason the producers chose not to show it at its proper time in this episode.

Proof this was the correct episode to debut the G model is an iconic oil painting by Nicholas Trudgian depicting the 6 March 1944 mission flown against Berlin by the 100th BG -- the first mission shown in this episode. That painting correctly showed all the 100th BG aircraft as B-17G's in their initial olive drab and grey paint schemes.

In fact, the 100th BG started to receive B-17G's as early as they could be shipped to England, again in August 1943. The unit did fly mixed formations for the remainder of 1943 using the those F models that remained airworthy, but those older bombers were gone long before March 1944.

Keep in mind, the B-17G was produced in by far the highest numbers, and so by this point of the air war, new bomber arrivals allowed the 8th Air Force to more than keep up with combat losses in planes.

In sum, the POW scenes are the highlights of this episode and are quite well done. It's unfortunate other unforced errors dulled the overall presentation.

Masters of the Air: Part Six (2024) Season 1, Episode 6

Episode that reflects the situation

[8/10 · 23 February 2024]

This review is as much about some of the truly ridiculous reviews others have made, as it is about this latest episode.

First, many allied airmen captured were executed enroute to their POW camps. This included when they were captured by a small group of German soldiers, who were often undisciplined and poorly trained rear guard troops, precisely as shown in this episode. For one reviewer to claim this portrayal in the episode is unrealistic enough to warrant calling the series "bad," is asinine.

No, the scenes shown with the character John Egan are not based on his actual experiences upon being captured. But, a number of people after the war were brought up on war crimes for executing allied airmen who were captured.

Many others have castigated the series for the scenes involving tribulation between American and British military personnel. Well, those events also happened more often than many are willing to admit to. And yet, this series has been quite evenhanded in that portrayal, showing far more scenes of harmony between the allies, vice the occasional Brit officer who seems fit to unleash his animosities.

The American bomber crews saw this animosity more than other US service members in Great Britain because their entire tour of duty was based in Great Britain. For two scenes to show this conflict, in six episodes, each lasting just a few minutes, seems an entirely appropriate character development, is a fair representation for what happened in real life.

Other reviewers have called the aerial combat scenes unrealistic, and while quite minor issues are present, these items are so trivial as no one but those who've conducted detailed research would notice the issues, and these people all appreciate the vastly more important things the series worked very hard to get entirely correct.

Frankly, enough is enough! People are free to write the reviews as they wish, but they would do well to to at least root their complaints in truth, vice twist what really happened to suit their narrow and frequently faulty criticisms of this series.

This episode was considerably more tranquil overall, as it was intended to be, given it devoted time to the rest and recreation centers many crews were sent to when things became particularly tough for them.

The scenes of Egan trying to evade capture and his experiences upon capture, while not reflective of his actual experiences, were nevertheless an opportunity for artistic license for the producers to bluntly tell narrations that actually did take place. These scenes provide the conflict in the episode, but more importantly, tell a part of the strategic reality that deserved telling. Many bombers crews survived being shot down, only to be captured and executed.

The episode was a nice change of pace that accurately reflected the lifestyle these bomber crews tried to live through, and most often did not.

Masters of the Air: Part Five (2024) Season 1, Episode 5

Psychological limits

[10/10 · 16 February 2024]

This episode goes deep into the psychological challenges faced by the bomber crews. The stark mathematical odds of survival stacked against them, with the juxtaposition of extreme danger followed by relative luxury, an existence which will last only as long as they remain alive, get captured, or hit the lottery and complete their 25 missions.

The interpersonal is examined and, when combined with the additional aerial scenes, powers this episode into the stratosphere. It hits the highest of marks because it uses the previous episodes to build to this emotional destination.

We are seeing the wholesale destruction of lives, and how the few who are still alive try to come to grips with how they have survived so far, while so many others they considered as good or better are either dead or captured.

The episode's coda is most powerful, not merely for this series, but for any television or movie presentation. It is entirely real, as it uses a precise narrative from Harry Crosby's autobiography.

The unflinching look into how these men battled, and tried to endure and survive, can be read in books, but those are incomplete experiences. This series is helping to fill in the missing pieces by showing us how it played out in full color action.

Missing still is the raw guttural instincts of experiencing the risk of death and maiming, but no series can achieve that. We can only go so far as seeing the characters play out the scenes of what took place in a real time and place where the extraordinary became routine.

By use of outstanding special effects production with engrossing characters, based very strongly on real people who tried and often failed to live through this madness, this series is getting us as close as possible to appreciating what these bomber crews experienced.

That is the moral lesson, and only the very foolish would fail to appreciate it.

Masters of the Air: Part Three (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

Outstanding history in the episode

[10/10 · 3 February 2024]

This series is sweating the details and getting them right. Want to know how real it is portrayed? Ask pilots and they will tell you. It's real enough to be visceral. You feel the situation as it's played out.

The entire episode is devoted to the most historic mission the 100th Bomb Group flew during the war, as they launched from England, flew over all of Germany, and then continued on to North Africa.

The only way the mission was deemed to have any chance of success was if it was part of three air wings coordinated to carry out three attacks simultaneously. As so often happened in the ETO air war, events conspired to ruin the plan.

This is the mission that earned the 100th their name, "The Bloody 100th." Their part of the mission is the only one that flew as planned, and they bore the brunt of the German response in a most brutal manner.

What is being done here is history played out on screen for all of us to see. Moreover, since it is more than a documentary, it opens up a look into the psyches of the men who flew it.

Exact dialog in the episode is verbatim of what the actual aviators in the war said, and how they said it. It's raw and unnerving, and this series deserves high marks for turning outstanding production values into far more than a simple mini-series.

What is being done is for the first time, our modern era is being taken back to a time where even the men who participated are challenged to try to put into words the scope of what took place, even as their inner selves would like to bury it deep so they don't have to think about it.

It takes all aspects to combine to reach the true sense of what these men experienced. This series is achieving that combination, and we would do well to carefully consider its stark reality.

Migration (I) (2023)

A fun family movie

[7/10 · 1 February 2024]

At the start, it's filled with great laughs, and while it cannot keep that momentum going the entire film, the overall result is a very funny and pleasant popcorn movie that the entire family can enjoy together.

The delightful antics of the two ducklings in the family are the scene stealers, and the single funniest part of the movie is when the daughter Gwen gets to experience the "thrill" of having to "go." The details of the scene are hilarious.

The movie does bog down a bit in the middle, but is able to recapture the combination of fun and visually stunning production qualities at the end.

Overall, it is a refreshing film that just wants to be family fun, and that's the best part of the effort, one that pleases.

Masters of the Air (2024)

Excellent and unflinching

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

The first two episodes of this mini-series offered an excellent and unflinching view into the world of the bomber crews operating in the first full year of America's contribution to the ETO strategic bombing campaign.

In capturing the scope of the air battles, the only ways to hit the mark was to use period video stock from the actual war (like 12 O'Clock High did), or leverage today's computer graphic wizardry, which this series did in a most realistic manner. It's adds tremendously to the fidelity of the effort and the producers deserve high marks for ensuring that the results remain authentic in almost every respect.

Yes, actual people who flew these mission can find thing to quibble over, but these items are minor. What's important is the shock of the carnage, and how quickly things can go from normal to disaster.

The effort is unflinching because it shows that despite what was unparalleled time spent in training, that many of our bomber crews simply were not ready for the trials they would face, and that those trials often came in situations far removed from combat, such as trying to land with a 50 knot crosswind, or on a training mission over England where turning the airplane -- done improperly -- can turn a situation from normal to death in seconds.

Another human element well captured is how things go from "all the comforts of home" at base, to utter physical suffering even if one isn't killed or even seriously wounded. The juxtaposition remains among the most stark situations any group of warriors have ever faced.

For an hour or so, you face monumental risk of death in among the most violent situations ever seen, and then for the rest of your day you have your feet propped up enjoying the best amenities that a nation at war can provide its troops.

It was a psychological roller coaster ride that only a series like this one can bring to life. Perhaps that role is the best outcome this production can achieve, and if the first two episodes are any clue, it would seem that outcome will be achieved in spectacular effect.

Ahsoka: Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch and the Warlord (2023) Season 1, Episode 8

Outstanding coda to season one

[9/10 · 4 October 2023]

This was a very well produced eight episode season one. The coda was particularly strong, featuring action from beginning to end, with a nice cliffhanger portending to season two, and a satisfying send off for a final scene.

Though, with the ending, and the subsequent death of co-star Ray Stevenson, one wonders how that character in season two will flesh out. No spoilers here, so one will have to watch the episode to determine the details.

However, the final scene is emotional and quite uplifting, which is what the producers were hoping for no doubt. Combined with a picture perfect performance by Lars Mikkelson as Thrawn, and one sees that character in full development as a pure warrior who values strategy but combines it with a total lack of morality.

We finally get to see a long series of light saber action, from all three characters, as they work well in their efforts against overwhelming odds. These efforts underpin the episode and add great promise to future efforts to come.

Ahsoka: Part Six: Far, Far Away (2023) Season 1, Episode 6

All creatures great and small

[8/10 · 21 September 2023]

This episode may appear relatively laid back in comparison, but it sets up the ultimate conflict that no doubt will resonate in the last two episodes of season one.

The theme is all creatures great and small. In a hostile world where there are a few who amass power, and others who desperately predate to survive, there are still others who use guile and wisdom to endure.

A great many other strategic questions are answered, including how the Purrgils would know to jump to this galaxy and for what purpose. Turns out, one person's purgatory may well be another's reverent sanctuary.

There is also sadly, at work here, a cabal of people who deliberately write reviews designed with prejudice to denigrate. It would be nice if such people would find a life more productive.

Ahsoka: Part Five: Shadow Warrior (2023) Season 1, Episode 5

Strong episode that sets up for an exciting conclusion

[9/10 · 14 September 2023]

Dave Filoni is crafting another masterpiece in live action. This episode pulled together many plot lines and builds great excitement for the final three episodes of season one.

The World Between World stage was perhaps the strongest device used in the last season of the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. By tying it directly into this episode the live action series wove a complex plot that added dimension to the characters and to the narrative.

Half dream and half fourth dimension experience, the scenes between Ahsoka and Anakin Skywalker form the basis of this episode. Completion of training is the justification, but in most respects, it is a self-discovery on the part of Ahsoka, as she learns to reconcile her past and that of her master's.

Ahsoka Tano, a person not quite ready to accept the full mantle of being a Jedi Knight, may have finally accepted all of that obligation, plus improved her concept of tactical decision making.

Hayden Christensen plays a remarkable performance, effortlessly mingling a rare combination of good and evil coincidentally. It was a hard character to perform, but it provided the high point of this episode.

With a renewed foundation, the principle character now embarks upon the final journey to seek out the long lost Ezra Bridger, and perhaps avert an immediate renewal of the war. How she determined her method is left for the viewer to discover, even as that method itself also blends Rebels into this series, rendering the two almost co-productions.

It should be a very entertaining final three episode ride.

Ahsoka (2023– )

Another Dave Filoni winner

[9/10 · 23 August 2023]

It seems that Dave Filoni has hatched another big winner in his interpretations of Star Wars lore. The introductory two-episode start to Ahsoka appears to set in motion a strong addition to the franchise.

A good blend of established characters mixed with some new ones combine to create both an interesting and informative start. The brief background to the final scene from Star Wars: Rebels is the basic plot of the first two episodes and it portends to reveal the arc of season one of this new series.

Along the way, we see again that the end of The Return of the Jedi for all it's celebration did not really end evil in the galaxy, and that there seems always to be people looking to fill a vacuum of power with their own efforts.

Barnaby Jones: A Ransom in Diamonds (1978) Season 6, Episode 16

One of the more enjoyable episodes of season six

[8/10 · 18 July 2023]

This episode had a lot of plot twists and featured good acting from supporting guest stars. It was clearly a spin-off episode and the planned new series never developed. Kind of shame in that the banter between the two guest stars was enjoyable.

It was refreshing to see guest stars given a positive role as in most prior episodes they are either victims or criminals. What you see instead are two younger men struggling to find their way starting in a joint legal and private investigator partnership forged by their friendship in the Vietnam War.

In this regard, many have made the point that this concept pre-dated the Magnum PI plotline by several years. The comparison is valid. It also points to the frailties and hit and miss nature of Hollywood, where most TV pilots never see the light of day and remain interesting "what if" stories about stars that never were and characters that might have been popular.

In this episode, the two younger men form an eventual tacit partnership with the two Jones's, and it's a fun ride to watch unfold.

Sound of Freedom (2023)

Vital movie

[10/10 · 13 July 2023]

Some movies have a message that is more important than the movie itself. This is one of those movies. Human trafficking has become among the most evil of world crimes present in today's society. There is huge money in it, and the association of groups around the world engaging in the crime form nexus of evil, terrorists, drug traffickers, and shady businesses looking to simply profit from being part of the transfer operations.

Children kidnapped are not held for ransom. Instead, they are treated as commodities, taken to other parts of the world alien to them, using transportation options operating outside of official view.

Once gone, they are mostly sold into prostitution rings as well as slave labor syndicates. This movie documents the true story of one heroic US Department of Homeland Security agent who worked at great odds to expose the depth of the criminality and horror of the global criminal enterprise.

The power of the film is undeniable, and the producers earn great credit for their courage in bringing it to the public.

Fury (2014)

Excellent movie

[10/10 · 8 July 2023]

The movie's highest merit is in showing a typical tank crews' lives during the ETO. The reality was as the movie script introduced. Our tanks were technically inferior in every way except reliability, numbers, and speed during the last 12 months of the war to most of what the German military fielded.

Consequently, things were quite dangerous for American and British tank crews, and no tank was introduced during the war to significantly alter than reality. Once in the movie early, a tank NCO says that with their losses, it was hard to believe the Allies were winning the war.

Truth is, the allies were winning the war despite losing nearly all tank on tank battles, until fuel shortages and reliability issues turned German tank units into paper units.

The ending as many have pointed out was a bit fantastical, but my personal view is it was plausible given the situation. The NCO tank commander was given the situation that if that German unit advance past the road intersection, that it would be able to flank attack the supply lines for the entire division.

Given this, making the decision to risk certain death to attrite as much of the German unit as possible is a militarily rational decision, but clearly heroic.

A German unit well trained and equipped would have not allowed itself to be so chewed up as shown in the final scenes. But, keep in mind that even so-called elite units of the German military were, by April 1945, filled by poorly trained and grossly inexperienced troops. So, getting the men to know how to flank a tank would have been a challenge.

The movie did an outstanding job of showing how American tank crews coordinated their actions with fellow tank crews as well as supporting infantry.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Good ending to an interesting series

[7/10 · 25 May 2023]

There is no subtitle for chapter four, but if there was one, it would be "Death Becomes Him." Ultimately, the list of victims grow and along the way the allegories emerge clear.

From large groups of people remaining sublimely unaware of their surroundings, to a numbing list of people willing to sell their souls for money, the core message becomes quite clear.

There are things more important than money. When you sell your soul to other men for their money, you end up being trapped in a circle of evil. Life, such as it is, in such a situation, erodes ones humanity.

Throughout the series, there is a constant refrain, "Rules. Without them we live with the animals." Uttered first to imply a lowering of human standards when one breaks the rules, the series chugs along until the reality sets in firm in this episode coda.

If animals are the ones living free, and the humans are living as slaves by the rules, then the rules lower the humans. The rules represent a great tyranny and must be ended. Arise the agent of retribution, his name is John Wick!

Where the movie bogs down is in the volume of the retributions, which seem repetitive despite great efforts to find original ways to slaughter people. It's all for a movie's purpose, to further the lesson through metaphor that man is meant to live free!

In the end, whatever time one has to live free, it is worth the effort, given how living at the whims of others isn't living at all.

Mr. Baseball (1992)

Overall, a nice film

[7/10 · 18 May 2023]

It's not the best of the baseball movies, but in some respects it provides the most realistic clubhouse look at the game. There are times when the Selleck character is a bit too immature. But, then the films achieves some nice high marks for the way it comes together at the end.

Best part of the film by far are the scenes on the baseball field. The film has by far the most realistic sounds of the game on the field. Other films never captured the sound of a 98 mph pitch, much less the sound of the batted ball whizzing over the infielders heads at up to 110 mph. This film did.

Aya Takanashi and Ken Takakura both do the film great service, and are constant sources of excellent chemistry and interactions. Had Selleck's character been written a bit less of an immature prick, then the end result would have been much better.

Still, the love story that Takanashi and Selleck play is nice, and the clubhouse interactions are magnificently funny and quite true to life.

Another good part of the film is how the Selleck and Takakura characters end up going from one-way contempt to mutual respect, soon as the one learns to get past his immaturity issues.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Uneven, but overall well produced

[8/10 · 25 April 2023]

Star Trek: Enterprise is often regarded as the red-headed step child of the Star Trek pantheon. However, at its best, it produced some of the finest Star Trek episodes ever released. The issue is that the writing was uneven, and so at its worst, a few episodes simply should never had been produced, and often served as distraction more than carrying forward the narrative.

The irony is season four is widely considered nearly flawless, with many outstanding episodes. The fourth season explored many concepts as back story that helped fill gaps in the narration told by previous Star Trek series.

But prior seasons also produced outstanding episodes, with Similitude widely considered one of the finest Star Trek episodes ever produced. Writer Manny Coto leveraged this remarkable episode into becoming the executive producer in seasons three and four.

Ultimately, the damage in ratings from below par season one and two episodes doomed the series to ending at four years vice the planned fifth. It was revealed that the fifth season would have focused on the Romulan War, which remains an unfulfilled portion of the Star Trek canon.

Had season four episodes led the series off, it is likely Enterprise would have enjoyed a far more successful run. It didn't help that the series was the cornerstone of the fledgling United Paramount Network, and so suffered from uneven network support in the first few years.

Overall, Enterprise produced a string of outstanding narratives deserving of wide praise. The acting was overall excellent, and when those actors were given quality scripts to work from, the results were often some of the best Star Trek ever released.

Gotti (2018)

Honest telling

[8/10 · 17 April 2023]

Some movies are controversial because they tell a narrative accurately. People just cannot accept a movie where a mobster is not portrayed as a sadistic madman.

However, real life isn't that simple. There is nuance. This movie isn't afraid to tell the nuance.

In many ways the narrative clearly shows the criminal behavior of the principle characters, including the acts of murder. There is nothing sugar coated.

On the other hand, the movie may have been a few years ahead of an ideal release because it also shows the feds in a less than flattering light. Subsequent events seemed to confirm what is documented in this movie, which is a federal legal system that obsessed on convicting one man and then his son, and failed multiple times in the effort.

The reality is that the feds finally had to publicly announce they would make no further effort to prosecute the son, and that's a matter of public record, just as the movie shows.

Yet, people attack the movie.

The public isn't ready to see notorious crime bosses portrayed realistically. It seems many would prefer to see them as over-the-top characters, such as Al Pacino's effort in Scarface. It's entertaining, but it isn't at all realistic.

It's funny, that an almost cartoonish portrayal of a drug kingpin is lauded by the critics, while this portrayal that is far more realistic is widely panned.

Over a million people who lived in NYC will still have nothing but good things to say about John Gotti, and to a lesser extent about his son John A. Gotti.

One can surmise it's because people are foolish, or perhaps they can take a more objective look. This movie tried to take that more objective look. People can watch and decide for themselves what they like or don't like about it.

But, the record is pretty clear. The two John Gotti's were murderous mob bosses, but also human beings with more nuances than many may be comfortable accepting. That discomfort doesn't diminish the accuracy one bit.

Devotion (II) (2022)

A bit plodding, but overall good

[8/10 · 31 January 2023]

The movie takes a bit too long to get to the most important parts of the narrative, but when they finally get there, the film strikes a high mark.

The story of Ensign Jessie Brown is too little known, so it was very nice to see this portion of the Korean War given an airing. Unfortunately, the movie's slow opening likely harmed the overall attraction, and may have diminished the gate.

The best moments of the film are the interactions of the pilots in VF-32. They were a tight knit squadron during the war and well led, and that reality shows in the film.

For CG efforts the flying scenes were very well produced and that's important for any aviation themed movie. So, high marks to the producers for that fact. It should be noted that the film's director is J. D. Dillard, who is the son of a naval aviator, and there is little doubt he intended this film to be a honorific for his father's service, as well as to honor the memories of the pilots who served in Korea.

One of the more insightful and fun parts of the film is the details of the pilots' interactions during their shore leave in Cannes, France. That moment, based on truth, is truly wonderful in how it's presented.

Overall, a very enjoyable movie for all, and a must see for anyone who's part of aviation.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

A masterpiece

[10/10 · 31 December 2022]

Whether it is The Searchers or Once Upon a Time in the West, critics often debate which is the best western movie ever made. Leone might give credit to John Ford and John Ford probably would have given credit to himself!

Regardless, there is one point that isn't really up to much debate. Ennio Morricone's haunting, soaring, and beautiful scores drive this movie to a very special place. His score for this movie is rightly considered his masterpiece.

Visually and stylistically, the movie reaches a high water mark for minimalist approach, and the opening scenes are considered among the finest ever presented. Normal musical scoring is initially absent, noticeably so, but Leone uses objective sounds of wind and inanimate objects to project scoring into the scenes. And so when finally Morricone's signature title song starts, given the emotion of the opening scenes, it achieves a unique emotional reaction in the audience.

It just works!

The story is also a beautiful homage to the perseverance to build the American west, overcoming great odds to turn great dreams into reality, even if initially at least, those on the journey cannot see themselves succeeding.

Since this film was released, many directors have tried to emulate the style, and while some have been successful, none have captured the feel to the degree that this very special motion picture achieved.

The cast was excellent, with many first rate actors rendering roles defining their careers. Sometimes, a movie just becomes the sum of all its parts, and when that happens something magical is the outcome.

Casablanca (1942)

Iconic

[10/10 · 8 December 2022]

It's a movie so good that it's really impossible to review adequately. Everything is pitch perfect. It's a timeless classic for all the reasons. For the period, all the production values were top shelf. The acting transcends all generations.

With the same actors, the same script, and all else the same except to film in high definition color, the movie could be released for the first time tomorrow and it would wind up a sweeper of the Academy Awards.

The emotion of the period heightened the power of the movie. It was 1942. When the movie was first in production, America was not yet at war, but everyone knew it was coming, then it did, and so the scenes were as poignant for Americans as for the rest of the world still able to see the film at the time.

For those who could not, their survival to see it later must have represented an epiphany as much as a catharsis.

Some movies become engulfed by their legend. A few remain immortal on their own merits and manage to even surmount their legend. This is that rare iconic movie that throughout it all, remains simply a first class movie.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022– )

Six very well produced shorts

[8/10 · 9 November 2022]

Not of a lot of fanfare was made for this release, which is too bad, as the production was quite excellent. Dave Filoni has already established himself as an outstanding producer and director of Star Wars animation, and this effort is only going to add to his career luster.

Essentially, each short explores a nice adjunct to previous efforts both in the nine movies, plus also the numerous Jedi-themed animation series. Small gaps in the previous renderings are told and each in a very interesting and satisfying manner.

Fans of the previous movies and animation series will without doubt enjoy these efforts, and people new to the genre will find each production individually pleasing.

Mosquito Squadron (1969)

Poorly made, with tremendous missed opportunity

[3/10 · 4 November 2022]

The movie borrowed very heavily from scenes lifted unedited from the movie 633 Squadron, which was produced five years prior to this film. While those who had never seen the earlier movie would not have noticed, for anyone who did, the way those scenes were lifted were lazy, and entirely needless.

The story was a mixed bag. Some aspects of the storyline were quite excellent, based somewhat on an actual, and quite famous Mosquito mission. In hindsight, the producers should have simply centered the mission plot entirely and faithfully on that actual mission, vice take from it a central theme but warp it into something else.

While not wishing to divulge basic plot spoilers, the way in which the story was written was simply over the top in terms of portraying RAF senior commanders as heartless, to the point of being draconian. The idea that an RAF Air Vice-Marshall would show such utter disregard for the lives of their aircrew was a great disservice to those actual commanders.

By the year 1969, when this movie was made, it was no longer in vogue to portray nearly all German officers as monsters, and yet this movie did exactly that. One can also quibble with the portrayal of SS officers commanding RAF POW's, when it was a strict rule, even within Nazi Germany, that the Luftwaffe ran POW camps with Allied airmen as prisoners.

For a movie that got this reality entirely correct, compare The Great Escape to this movie, and one will appreciate the great difference.

Again, an entirely faithful telling of the actual Mosquito bombing mission, named Operation Jericho, which this movie was strongly based upon, would have actually fit the movie's plot much better. It seems the producers were compelled to introduce another moral play into the film, and in doing so, the film lost its way. Ironically, nearly the same sort of special mission was flown by actual RAF Mosquito crews in Denmark at the end of the war. That mission would have also been an excellent plot focus for this film. But, sadly, the producers went a different way, and in doing so, harmed the movie greatly.

The special effects and aerial scenes were well produced and were the highpoint of the movie. Had the scenes from the previous 633 Squadron not been clumsily spliced in, the overall effort for the flight segments would have been top notch.