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jordanpthaler
Reviews
The Open House (2018)
You WILL feel robbed...
...of entertainment, of resolution, of an hour and a half of your life. As a parent of a young child, I value my free time very much. I want to cry realizing that I sunk so many of those precious minutes into a film that should have never been released. Please do not watch it. Those responsible need to learn their lesson.
The Catch (2016)
Tries too hard without showing any true effort
Poorly cast, poorly scripted, run-of-the-mill prime time nonsense. It is too predictable and it's clear from the get-go that character development and originality are completely absent from this show.
Casting... Mireille Enos seems very uncomfortable in her role. The scene where she's trying on her wedding dress and her fiancée walks in, I couldn't suppress a small laugh. It was an awkward scene with an awkward actress. Peter Krause just bores me. Obviously a reflection of my personal preference, but still.
The last thing I'll say, because I'm still trying to make it through this disaster of a pilot, is that the premise is just absurd. Supposedly the best PI's in the city and they get scammed by their boss's fiancée? She never noticed that she didn't have any photos of his face? She gave this guy ALL of her life savings? Sounds like the next episode should be the series finale where their firm gets shut down due to incompetence.
The Shannara Chronicles (2016)
Pleasantly surprised, rarely disappointed!
As someone who has read almost every book in the Shannara series multiple times, I can understand why there is such an uproar about this show being picked up by MTV. However, after last night's two hour premiere I found myself very excited about this series. Now for a quick breakdown of what I liked and disliked:
The Bad: As this is an MTV series, it is VERY geared toward the young adult audience. This much is apparent right off the bat. Now while this is a slight "con" for me as I am no longer a young adult, it could certainly be conceived as a "pro" for those young adults who strive to watch more on their favorite TV channel than pregnant teens and gyrating pop stars. That being said, there were some very cheesy conversations and "Twilight-y" moments, but not enough to be overwhelming.
The Good: The Shannara Chronicles is chock-full of spectacle. The sets are detailed and immense, the characters are intriguing, and the CGI is magnificent without being overbearing. The two standouts for me are Allanon and the Dagda Mor. Manu Bennett conveys just the right amount of power and mystery. The Dagda Mor could be one of the coolest villains I've seen in quite a while, and that's just based on what little we've seen of him so far. Another surprising treat is the music. Hard to explain, but to me it just feels like a perfect fit so far.
I hold a lot of hope for this series. Even though it's been noticeably MTV'd, there is plenty there for fans of the books and discerning viewers looking for something original and entertaining. So give it a solid chance, go in with no expectations or preconceived notions, and I think you too will find yourself pleasantly surprised.