mnjonman Reviews

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Good show, overall

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

It was fun to get the old crew back together again, despite their cracking bones and breaking voices. This series had some outstanding storylines.

The downside was the holes. Ryker and Troi went from having a cute as heck teenage daughter to a deceased son, Alison Pill became the new Borg Queen and then disappeared and changed philosophy when the Borg queen reappeared in season three, Dr. Crusher had another son, from Picard , the dirty old fart, while Wesley had a two minute part, hijacking Data's daughter to a different timeline, etc.

There was more action in season three, but I really enjoyed all three seasons. The humor involved in Worf's dialogue was a riot.

The Abyss (2023)

Good movie

[9/10 · 1 April 2024]

I've seen a couple of reviews for this movie that slams it.

Ignore them. If you want to be entertained, this is the movie for you.

Really outstanding casting, direction, sound effects, and acting with enough range between action, disaster, heartache and just plain feel good moments.

No political statements. No drawn out scenes. Hollywood obviously didn't touch this movie. The soundtrack actually fit the scenes, which is refreshing in today's society.

The one drawback IMHO was the editing. There were a couple scenes that appeared out of place.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. You won't regret it.

FBI: Most Wanted (2020– )

Least fun to watch of the three

[6/10 · 25 March 2024]

The FBI's all have good premise and story lines and for the most part, good acting. I have always been a fan of Davalos, but I don't think the writers did her any favors and I'm not surprised she's gone. VanSanten is a good replacement, though. Castle-Hughes and Hodge rock the show, but you can send Sternberg packing and it won't bother me a bit.

This show, however, leaves a lot to be desired. McMahan was bad, but McDermot is worse. Be a professional, dude. Calm thyself.

All-in-all, the FBI's are good entertainment and in my opinion, the original and International are must watch and most wanted if you have nothing else to do. (Maybe a book?) The acting and an atrocious soundtrack leave this show with a six instead of a ten.

FBI: International (2021– )

good show

[8/10 · 25 March 2024]

All the FBI's are good shows and this one is probably the best as far as acting and direction. I was a a little leery about the new cast members and I was right to be with Hovanessian as he was way too angry all the time, but Wolfe rocks.

The reason I didn't give the show a ten and never will until they fix the problem is the despicable soundtrack that blares even during the dialogue. Are these shows about the FBI or your music director? It's pretty much the same on all three shows. Spend a couple bucks and hire a real music director.

Of the three FBI shows I would rate this show about even with the original. I very much like the international aspect and the story lines that include either cooperation or conflict with other agencies.

FBI (2018– )

good show

[8/10 · 25 March 2024]

It's as close to accurate as any Hollywood show can be, but ugh... that miserable soundtrack that doesn't even fit the show, much less the individual scenes and blares on even during the dialogue. Sheesh, hire a music coordinator that isn't all about loud racket.

Cudos to a great cast that works their parts well. There is a little overacting, but nothing serious. Missy Peregrym is delightful. The overacting from actors which I won't name is due mainly to voices being raised to co-workers. The FBI is a little more professional than that.

I wish I could give this show a ten, but that soundtrack is horrid.

The Orville (2017–2022)

change of plans

[8/10 · 2 March 2024]

What started out as a Star Trek spoof, switched mid-season to a rom-com, then a dramedy and ended up as a drama and a good one. There are a few similarities between Star Trek and Orville, but not many. It is an entertaining series.

The one drawback for this viewer was the unyielding focus on the doctor. "Space Doctor" would have been a better title for the series, when in fact common sense would tell you when space travel becomes a thing, the ship's doctor wouldn't play much of a part. Indeed, a doctor would not be the one to go on "Away" missions. That would be medics or techs. It may be a business decision, I don't know. In the old days actors would require so much screen time to accept the part and that may or may not have been the case here. I, personally, would rather have seen other aspects of the ship and crew.

That was the only reason I couldn't give it a ten. I very much enjoyed the series and highly reccommend it.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Not horrible

[8/10 · 28 December 2021]

I read all of the Jordan books dealing with this series. I will say at the start that there will never be a time when a movie or series production will be as good as the book. It's actually impossible. The show would be way too long. It is why so many readers will give up on the show so quickly. However, this show is reasonably close, unlike Shannara that was absolutely demolished by the brilliant (Not really) minds of producers and directors.

I will give the casting department a 1 out of ten and the only reason they even get a 1 is because of Pike, Rutherford and Henney . Even Pike would have been better playing the part of Nynaeve. This looked like casting was set up in an unemployment line. I like Robins, but she was horrid in this. Actors can't be matched to characters, anymore. The consensus is any actor can play any part and that's just not true. Casting is all about industry standards today. We either accept it or we watch storage wars.

The cinematography is a ten. Near perfection.

The writing needs to vamp up and fall more in line with the novels. I'll give it a six.

Shadow and Bone (2021–2023)

Wowzers

[10/10 · 8 May 2021]

What an outstanding fantasy series. Great writing, storylines and acting. The show had a little of everything.

Women of the Night (2019–2020)

Ehh!

[3/10 · 8 May 2021]

Not real sure what this show was trying to say. There was a murder, but what little police scenes there were seemed to be all about drugs and prostitution. It was mostly about the escorts, I guess. Good luck, if you check it out. Maybe you can enjoy it.

The Serpent (2021)

Surprisingly good

[10/10 · 8 May 2021]

This was not really my type of show, but it did keep me interested throughout. There were good performances throughout, especially Rahim (The man was so good you couldn't help but dislike him) and Warnier. The wardrobe department in this one was top notch. Thought for sure I was back in the seventies. I highly recommend this limited series.

Monk (2002–2009)

What a charming and hilarious show

[10/10 · 25 April 2021]

Casting: 10/10; How refreshing. Every single character bought into their part and the selection process was top notch. No one was forced into a role they weren't comfortable with to satisfy diversity standards. Everyone looked like they belonged.

Direction: 10/10; Not one episode was boring, without laughter or criminal investigation. Extremely well done.

Cinematography: 9/10; This series was filmed for the most part in San Francisco. I, personally, would have liked to see more of the city view, but that's just me.

Sound: 10/10; Well done. The soundtrack was kept away from the dialogue and you could actually hear the lines.

Entertainment value: 10/10; I was glued. Every episode. And at times, I laughed so hard, I snorted.

Writing: 10/10; Somehow, through all theses seasons, the writers found a way not to repeat or steal story lines.

Highly recommend this series.

The Chalet (2017–2018)

Great story

[10/10 · 2 April 2021]

Casting: 10/10; How refreshing. This was outstanding acting with every actor fitting their part instead of being forced into it to satisfy diversity standards. Every actor bought into their character and did it well.

Direction and production: 9/10; the time and effort was made to refine all aspects of the program and make it intense and suspenseful. Had one question arise in episode 4, but it was menial.

Cinematography: 10/10; Great shots and filming, catching the items that would make the show real and relatable.

Soundtrack and editing: 10/10; It really brought you into the scenes.

Entertainment value: 10/10; this show was not for someone to watch while multitasking. It was hard to look away.

Writing: 10/10; every episode was better than the previous episode and you cant hope for better than that. The mystery kept being a mystery until the finale.

Highly recommend.

The Irregulars (2021)

Uggh

[4/10 · 27 March 2021]

Casting: 1/10; Not sure what was going through the minds of the casting department, other than forced diversity which made the show seem bigoted. The only person I thought was properly cast for the role was McKell David. The young man that played Spike. Shaw was decent, but still didn't seem to fit well with Graham. Direction: 4/10; Once again it seemed forced as it appeared too much effort was put forth getting everyone screen time. Cinematography: 10/10; The sets had the look of the era. Sound effects and soundtrack: 7/10; seemed to me to be catering to an certain age group. Bad judgement. Entertainment value: 1/10; Just couldn't get past the character casting long enough to be entertained. Writing: 0/10; "My bad"? Seriously? Those words were spoken never in that era. I cannot, in all honesty, recommend this production. 3.8 out of 10.

Invisible City (2021–2023)

Well done

[10/10 · 25 March 2021]

Casting: 10/10; You could tell this show wasn't made in Hollywood. Every actor was cast in the part that suited them and they acted it out well. No one was forced into the part to satisfy diversity. Direction: 9/10; One question came to mind in episode three, otherwise it was put together well. Cinematography: 10/10; Once again, perfectly done. Sound effects and soundtrack: 10/10; No elevator music. It was a suspense story and the soundtrack followed well. Entertainment value: 10/10; I was unable to hit pause to grab a snack. Had me hooked from opening to closing of each episode. Writing: 10/10; Excellent research was done here and the writing reflected the folklore of the Brazilian culture. Highly recommend.

The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015–2017)

Not a monster program.

[8/10 · 19 March 2021]

Oh, the costume design in this show. Awesome. The sound editing was great. The cinematography was well done. Just an excellent show. The depiction of Mary Shelley was fun to watch. That said, this was NOT a Frankenstein monster show. I have always been a fan of Sean Bean and I wasn't disappointed this time, either. If I had a question, it would be in the casting of many male characters. There wasn't enough difference in facial features and I could see some getting characters mixed up. Other than that, Kudos on the show.

Gidseltagningen (2017–2019)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 15 March 2021]

I can only think of one word to describe this show. Intense. The show was believable. There were errors made on both sides. It wasn't the perfect solution to a bad situation. There was no pushing of political agenda. No single hero. Just pure entertainment. So refreshing. Highly recommend it.

Paradox (2009–2010)

Not a keeper

[1/10 · 15 March 2021]

I think the concept was a good one, but whoever was the big cheese in this, showed his or her colors. It isn't well directed. It isn't well acted. The sound editing is bad. The soundtrack has been used on at least one other show. The cinematography was bad. The writing was bad. I'm sure you get the idea. People want to be entertained. If you can't do that, don't try. We're not interested in financial issues, your political beliefs, what religion you are. Just entertain us, or choose another profession. This was not art.

Tell Me Your Secrets (I) (2021)

Good start

[1/10 · 13 March 2021]

What a great start to this program. Then BOOM! Once again, the entertainment industry had to delve in an area they have no business being in. The political arena. not to mention a lack of originality. Please! Somebody, be different.

Swamp Thing (2019)

where?

[4/10 · 14 December 2020]

I tried really hard to like this show, but episode after episode really went nowhere. I think this show was destined for the ten to thirteen year old group. It didn't appeal to me at all.

Harrow (2018–2021)

A tale of two seasons

[5/10 · 3 December 2020]

Season one was a ten. Everything worked. An all around great show. Season two, however, I shut down half way through the first episode, as I do every show I watch that insults my everyday common sense.

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

No words

[10/10 · 3 December 2020]

One of the best acting performances I have seen in some time. Everything about this show is top notch. Taylor-Joy and Johnston rocked this show.

Undercover (2019–2022)

A tale of two seasons

[6/10 · 22 November 2020]

Watched both seasons of this show. Season 1 was a ten. Everything seemed to work. Good acting, direction, sound editing, soundtrack matching the show. The only good things I could find about season two was the soundtrack matching the show and the acting of the male lead. Everything else fell off. I found every episode boring from three to nine. Episode 1 and 2 were good and episode ten was a thrill ride. For some reason the female lead changed after episode two and the show went downhill, like they were trying emergency re-writes. Plus there was a lot of visible ink in season 2 and I think it changed my expectations. This is one viewers opinion. Try it and judge yourself.

Bloom (2019–2020)

A Tale of two seasons

[5/10 · 21 November 2020]

First season: Great plot, acting, directing, writing, sound editing. Just a ten star program. Season 2: Watched half way through the first episode and wanted to barf. No hook to get me coming back for more. Bad acting, directing, casting, writing. Sad that so many changes were made to a winner of a program. Changes looked to be politically motivated. Do this or you don't get a second season type thing.

Ultraviolet (2017– )

great show

[9/10 · 15 November 2020]

I loved this show. I really enjoyed the job done by Nieradkiewics. How Hollywood hasn't snatched her up and destroyed her career yet, boggles the mind. This is a subtitled show, which is okay, because if you tried to multitask, you would miss something important, anyway. Kudos to Wendy West on this one.

Castle Rock (2018–2019)

Best actor for me.

[9/10 · 3 November 2020]

Steven King can tell a story. That's not a secret. This is an outstanding story. An edge of your seat type tale. Production, direction, sound. Generally everything was done extremely well. If I had one criticism, it would be a few of the casting choices, hence the nine instead of ten. Lizzie Caplan, however, is not one to criticize. I witnessed the best acting I have seen in some time. She played a bipolar woman and had me convinced she was bipolar. You will be convinced this is award winning stuff. It won't be, of course, because professional critics are paid for their words, and award shows are all about politics, but this is a can't miss series. Watch it. Judge for yourself.