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EShawn
Reviews
After the Verdict (2022)
A very generous 5. Could've been better.
I'm giving this a 5, because it has potential. I normally I give series up to the 4th episode, before I bail on it, or continue. I had to struggle through 2 episodes. One of the main things that keep me interested, or like a show or movie, is the characters. Especially the protagonist. Unfortunately, the protagonist, Clara, has got to be one of the most annoying characters I've seen on screen. Now I don't know if it's the way the character was written, or it's Michelle Lim Davidson and her acting. She's like stand up comic (who isn't that good to begin with) who's trying too hard to act serious in a serious show. It just doesn't work for me. I just can't bring myself to watching another episode. Watching her is like listening to nails scratching a chalkboard. Every other character is ok. Even the real estate dude. His character is meant to be annoying, and the actor plays him off well. I get the correct response towards "Ollie". I don't think the Clara character is supposed to be annoying. Sometimes I think the character is supposed to be funny, but just comes off like a bad joke. And over acting. All the other characters don't trigger me. With the things going on in her life, you'd feel sorry for her. But the only thing that keeps popping into my head is, she brings it upon herself. Then plays like the victim.
It's too bad, the show has potential. Just can't get pass the Clara character. Maybe if she was played by a different actor, or the writers didn't make her so much of an insecure, lonely person, that pulls everyone into her world, without thinking how it would affect them. And then acts like she's the victim when schit happens to her. Just so that she fills that "void" in her. Could've made a character like this, but a lot less annoying.
Hopefully, others don't find her annoying like I do. If it weren't for Clara, I'd probably give this 6.5-7 (in the direction it was going).
The Watch (2020)
Pleasantly surprised
I've never read the books, and don't have any idea what this was about. The trailer got me interested, but all the very low ratings and reviews kinda put me off the show. But decided to give it a go anyway. I usually give new shows the first three episodes. If it doesn't strike me by the third, I just give up on it. After the first 2 episodes, I was tongue in cheek. Characters were a little annoying at first. Felt like b-listers disguised under special effects and CGI. I was ready to give up on it. But then the third episode changed gears for me. Characters didn't seem that bad. I actually started liking the Vimes character. Sure it's a rip off of Jack Sparrow. But he did it fairly well. The storyline got better, and each episode after #3, kept me interested enough to see the next episode. Characters grew on me. And it had chuckle moments through out the series.
Is this a great series? No. Is it a terrible series like many are reviewing? For me, that's a no as well. It's definitely not a series I'm going to go out of my way to watch (after the second episode, I waited almost 3 weeks to get to the third), or even recommend. But if you have nothing to do for a few hours, and wanted to see something different, it's not the worse thing on TV to watch. I'm glad I stuck it out till the end.
Hereditary (2018)
A little disappointed
I finally got around to watching this. Especially after some friends kept raving about it. I'm a fan of "Horror" movies. I love getting those tingles in the back of the neck. I thought this one would give me chills like, The Haunting of Hill House or The Enfield Haunting. To name a couple. It was more like a chilly breeze here and there that died down pretty quickly. I got the movie, but it still made me go, "WTF just happened". lol The lead up to the climax was ok. But then the last half just started deflating for me. It's like they tried to cram everything else that's important into a smaller window. Do I recommend? Sure...if you have nothing better to watch, and feel like watching a Thriller (this wasn't Horror to me). It's a Filler movie. But I will give props to Toni Collette. I think she's a brilliant actor. She kept this film going for me.
Baekdusan (2019)
Meh...but if there's nothing else to watch
I read the reviews here before watching this movie. Some were a little harsh, others were way too kind. This movie was all over the place. The editing has much less to be desired. As someone else mentioned, it's like they skipped about 15 minutes between some cuts. Making you wonder, "How did they get there?" And, "Where did those people come from?" And they were inconsistent. If you are like me, and notice (whether you want to or not) little things, this might bother you. Eg. Injury on one side of the head at first, then cut to another scene, and the injury is on the opposite side. Cut to another scene, and the injury is back on the original side. The CG was pretty good. But it doesn't carry the story. Storyline had potential, but the way they cut it, diminished it for me. So, if you have nothing else to watch, are fan of Korean action movies, and want to see something to help you go to sleep (not that this is a boring movie), why not. I didn't fall asleep, and it didn't make me regret watching it. I call these "Filler" movies. And if you can watch it with english dub, do so. Some foreign movies are better when watching with original language, and subtitles. This one doesn't make a difference. It would probably be easier to watch in english. So you can at least hear what's being said, while grabbing some munchies, make coffee, or check email. No need to pause. lol
See (2019)
Inconsistencies lessened the experience for me
This is a decent series. I do like the concept of the story. Fight scenes are pretty good. Characters do a decent job of playing blind. But there are times when it did look like they could see (like the actors forgot they are playing a blind person). Another inconsistency I didn't like, is that other than the twins and Tamacti Jun, no one seems to have aged 20 years (or more). Even if these people were 20 years old at the first episode, 20 years later they should look considerably older. But other than those three mentioned, they look exactly the same age. Lol. I'm not a fan of blatant inconsistencies. Otherwise, I'd have given this a 7.5. And as much of a fan I am of Momoa. Every character he's played, all I see is Khal Drogo. Aquaman...Drogo that can breath under water. Frontier...Drogo if he lived in the 1700's. And this one...blind Drogo. Lol. If you can look pass these, it's a decent binge watching series. Not great, but entertaining enough.
The Wind (2018)
Better than I thought it would be
I couldn't get into The Witch, and I haven't seen Hereditary yet. So I went into watching this movie with no expectations. It is, as some say, a slow burn. But for me, they threw in scenes that broke the monotony. So I wasn't bored, or irritated. Never really got me to that point. It does have some pretty good creep moments. I think Gerard did a pretty good job with her Lizzy character. One of the things I did like, which many movies of this genre don't do, is that the lead character Lizzy did the things many of us would have in her position, in most of her situations. Which left me thinking, "Ya! That's right! Glad you did that Lizzy!". lol
I wasn't too keen on the ending though. Not a fan of the, "You take away what you will from it, and make your own decision" mentality. It could go either way or both. And that's what's annoying for me. No closure. Had they made a better definitive ending, I'd have given this a at least a 7. But instead, it gets a generous 6.
Stray (2019)
It had potential
I'm giving this a generous 5. Wasn't bad enough for me to want to stop watching. But wasn't that great that it left something to the imagination. The biggest issue I had with this movie, was that it had no flow. Too much character development (2/3 of it was), and not enough of the plot. When it finally got around to the guts of the film, it was pretty much nearing the end of the movie. It's like they cut out a big chunk in the middle. Kinda like going to a fancy restaurant ordering a meal for $80, and all you got was a little piece of steak, and bunch of garnish around it to make it look pretty. That you upon leaving the restaurant, you go to a burger joint to get something actually filling. lol
This is one of those movies, that if you absolutely have nothing else to watch, and need some background noise, and visual distraction from working from home.
Melancholia (2011)
Decent ending, but doesn't make up for the slow and convoluted beginning
I had high hopes for this movie after reading some of the reviews. It was a very slow start. Character development was very weak. You get the gist of each person, but not enough to relate to them or them in the movie itself. Some characters you'd think would be there for much of the movie, end up leaving, with no defining reason. Or whatever path the writer decided them to take was so vague, you wonder what the point was for them to be in there in the first place. Other than filling in voids. You start to get the feeling that they contribute to the main characters, but by the time they are gone, you realize they didn't. That's just the secondary characters. The main character was extremely annoying for the first two thirds of the movie. Her depressed state became yours. I literally was getting depressed just watching her. Don't know if that was the point, but she made no sense to the story line. The only time she made any relevance was near the end. A little too late. The remaining characters till the end seemed like they were just trying to hold the movie until Dunst's character came into her own. Characters play a huge part for me in movies. Sutherland was OK, but the rest...I felt like bitch slapping all of them to common sense. They were like a family reunion that you didn't get along with, all sauced up on booze, and you were the only sane sober person. Nothing and no one made sense till closer to the end. Don't waste your time watching this, unless you are a glutton for punishment, that you are willing to brave it till the last 20-30 min.