Change Your Image
ann-sophie-76672
Reviews
Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)
Still wonderfull
I can't recall how often I watched this as a child. On rewatch last year (over a decade later) I still remembered about 90 percent of it - even the narration!
Childhood memories aside, this "documentary" still looks amazing thanks to the practical effects and models in closer shots.
The Flash: Duet (2017)
Why?
I gave up on this show around episode 7 of season 3. But I like musical and after hearing there is a musical episode, I gave it a try... and I'm plain disappointed. I then stumbled over an article whose writer hold the view that "Duet" was the best musical episode ever - including the (explicitly mentioned) "Once more with feeling" from Buffy. Wow, do I disagree.
Okay, first of all: What should a good musical episode achieve? - cause characters to express feelings and thoughts they were hiding - let characters learn something about themselves or there relationships - by doing so change the relationships between the characters - entertain the audience with great songs, dance numbers and emotions
As far as I'm aware neither Barry nor Supergirl are withdrawn or incommunicative. They always talk about their problems. Therefore there is no need for expressing themselves in songs - and so there are no songs about there feelings. Using the support cast in different roles doesn't help either: It undermines the emotional weight. Nothing that happens affects the characters you spend your time with for the rest of the show. First aspect: Fail!
Well, they do learn their obligatorily lesson by talking to the dads of the couple and addressing exactly the same issues they have in there own relationships - but that's the point: They don't sing, they talk! They could have done this in every other episode as well. Again: Fail!
Yes, the relationships of the MAIN characters and their lovers change - and yet again: not through the musical. The "lessons" Barry and Kara learn originate from regular human interaction. The remaining characters are not affected at all!
At least the songs are well performed and the choreographies are entertaining. There's definitively talent and expertise. I just wished there'd been more. Only 5 songs - that's sparse. And two aren't even original compositions! For comparison: Buffy's "OMWF" has 15 songs (all exclusively written for that episode), all of wish either drive the story forward or provide an insight into the characters souls and relationships - sometimes both. The songs stand for themselves AND have an impact on the series as a whole.
Furthermore the story itself was uninspired and boring, the message right into the face (a little more subtlety might have helped) and the assumed "villain" - Music Meister - downright annoying. Also, his actions don't make any sense: Why does he demolish that building? Don't tell me because he tries to teach the rest of the team something - they learn nothing.
Apart from this it was nice to see John Barrowman and Victor Garber. The two of them were my personal highlights. Some of the jokes were fine.
Conclusion: Unnecessary.
What lasts is the bitter taste of disappointment. They did it simply because they could and that's written all over it. A weak message in not-so-shiny wrapper. And yet: With all the talent in front of the camera this could have been great.