setheisenberg Reviews

Tracker (2024– )

Derivative, predictable and formulaic mediocrity

[5/10 · 20 February 2024]

I SO much wanted to like this series. I really did. But the pilot was just borderline, so I optimistically waited for S1E2. Unfortunately, it further confirmed my initial reaction: this is Déjà vu TV and not in a good way. So far everything has been done before--and better.

Older viewers can probably remember shows that have used this same formula: protagonist with baggage in his past works with a somewhat nerdy guy/gal who does the tech behind the scenes, and is supported by handlers that behave like office managers. The story lines have been superficial, the action sequences forced and illogical.

There's also some very amateurish editing. For example, in S1E2 at approximately 11 minutes, it's raining and his truck is wet, windows dotted with drops. The very next scene right afterwards the truck is not only dry and detailed spotless, but the passenger window is rolled down. Seconds ago it was a downpour. Really? Most scenes are not filmed contiguously, but since these shots occur sequentially, it was quite an obvious gaffe.

I know we live in a world of remakes, re-issues, re-mixes and sequels to the max. It's a sign of no originality and lack of writing talent. Yes, this show *might* survive past S1 as we've seen that quality does not correlate with success (and the opposite is also true). Intelligent shows have suffered premature deaths while drivel like could potentially live on. Perhaps Paramount will put it out of its misery sooner than later.

No, it's not the worst show on TV, but I'm going to pass on the remaining episodes.

Better Than Us (2018–2019)

Worth watching for several reasons

[8/10 · 16 February 2024]

Late to the party, so to speak, but finally got to watch seasons 1 & 2 and am left wanting more.

While BTU doesn't break alot of new ground in the robot genre, it is unique first based on its Russian origins. In many respects, this could have originated in any country. Watching it in the English dubbed version (with the ridiculously inaccurate English subtitles), the dialogue is mostly spot-on, although the voice acting is sometimes second-rate.

The plot is layered and *usually* the pieces are woven together nicely. This is not simply a story about a unique robot (exceptionally well acted). The main protagonists are generally likable, although our doctor is a bit more aloof than I'd prefer (though to be honest, I've met many surgeons who were like him).

The sets are minimalistic but effective, although the choice of automobiles seems a bit random and anachronistic given the year this is supposed to take place.

One weakness, which I have seen in so many series of late--particularly those originating from Canada--is that there are too few extras. Streets are virtually empty. Office buildings and hospitals have the same 5 or 10 extras. If we didn't know better, we'd think this takes place in a very small town--but we know it does not. Even most of the shots on the main roads are far too lite on traffic and people.

But then there is Arisa herself, who is both compelling and frightening at the same time. The writers play a bit loose as to what her capabilities truly are, but that helps keep it interesting.

Overall, not a 10 but in my book, it rates an 8 and I'm looking forward to the next season--when it should appear.

Tracker: Klamath Falls (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

A rocky start to an interesting premise

[6/10 · 15 February 2024]

I always give the pilot episode more slack than subsequent episodes. After all, the writers are laying a foundation, providing (sometimes too much) back-story, working in plot angles that may or may not bear fruit in future episodes. And we the viewers, are trying to get a feel for the main character(s) and the supporting ones.

My cut-ott point (where I refuse to watch subsequent episodes) is a 6, which is the rating I gave this epiosde. There is potential here, although I'm not a fan of main character (yet) and am not impressed with the actor portraying him. It's a bit like Reacher only without the dry humor and massive physique. His back-story is interesting, if a bit weird, but it helps explain his current vocation. The rescues in the pilot seem a bit vanilla bland, and I'm not necessarily buying into the scene with the pickup truck and waterfall. But this is Hollywood.

Not sure why we needed to have the gay handler couple; perhaps it's just a requirement in 2024. So far that relationship has added little to the back-story but hey, maybe it will be a pivotal plot point in Ep 4. Who knows?

Will give this one more week and see where it goes.

FBI: Heroes (2023) Season 5, Episode 11

Good but did not live up to potential

[7/10 · 19 January 2023]

If only...

If only the writers had paid a bit more attention to the details and avoided some of the hackneyed plot points this would have been an excellent, highly-suspenseful episode focusing on a "new", relatively minor character.

My Issues: (in no particular order):

Toward the end, when Marco Salazar steps outside the door with a hostage, ANY of the snipers who weren't asleep could have taken him out especially the one right across the street.

Why is there ALWAYS some yahoo with no experience (in this case the bank manager) trying to be a hero? Saw the same nonsense in another bank robbery episode of a different show this week.

Why send Sisto, who knows NOTHING about tech and not send Analyst Ian Lim (James Chen)? At least he could have faked his way though the tech more convincingly. Sisto looked like a plumber trying to repair the International Space Station using a pipe wrench.

Sisto gets hit hard enough to knock his communicator out of his ear, and yet I don't recall seeing his face look any worse for the wear.

Twice Sisto was told to plug the laptop into the USB port in the vault, and yet a closeup showed it was an ethernet cable. Even writers should know the difference.

As for proof of the daughter being "alive", why the heck didn't the paramedics put her on a cardiac monitor and then they could have videoed her showing she was alive but sedated? In fact, she probably should have been on a monitor even before transport due to how "dangerously sedated" she apparently was.

And last, the choice of handguns for the two bank robbers was absurd. Back when Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Was doing the "old" FBI series, bank robbers were using revolvers. At least no one in the bank was listening to their Walkman.

Spirited (2022)

Much better than expected

[8/10 · 24 November 2022]

Ok. Let's be clear. The bar here may be relatively low, and no one is expecting this to be an instant Spielberg classic. But what we have is a modern, entertaining take on the classic Dickens story. There's a lot to enjoy here--if you 1) like this genre, 2) like modern musicals, and 3) don't take it too seriously. Considering what is going on in the world, whip cream with a few nuts (Reynolds & Farrell) might not be a bad thing.

The story, while somewhat predictable at times, also had some fun twists. Clearly, unless you've spent your life in a cocoon, you already know the classic Christmas Carol plotline. And to stray too far from that would have been a problem in and of itself. Similarly, this type of movie isn't about deep character development, which would have lead to a languid, humorless story. So the plot--such as it is--warrants a B.

However, this was a musical, which requires songs. And here's where I was pleasantly surprised. As a musician and songwriter, I tend to be highly critical of movie musicals. Not even going to mention La La Land and some of the recent Disney films here. But I found the songs well-constructed, interesting, catchy and often lyrically funny. While. Miranda may have nothing to worry about, the songs exceeded expectations. Music grade: A-

Full admission, I am NOT a Will Farrell fan. Yet I thoroughly liked him here. At times, he seemed to channel inspiration from the ghost of a 55 year old Steve Martin. Ryan Reynolds performance was somewhat disappointingly under played, but perhaps I was excepting more Dead Pool and less Simply Dead. The supporting cast fit in perfectly, with. Patrick Page (Marley) doing a wonderful Patrick Stewart--intentional or not. Acting overall: B.

So for all of the negative reviews, lighten up, find your best girl (or guy) and enjoy the whip cream!

FBI: Most Wanted: Iron Pipeline (2022) Season 4, Episode 1

Well, that agenda was pretty blatant

[1/10 · 22 September 2022]

I was trying to ignore the general anti-gun overtones of this episode because the plot was about illegal gun trafficking. However, I had to stop watching when the local cop gets shot at the gas station by a fully automatic weapon while the perp praises the second amendment. It is almost impossible to obtain a fully automatic weapon from a gun store as they have been strictly regulated for almost 100 years. We are led to believe that this particular gun was one of the ones sold at the gun store. That would be impossible for either of the two women. The second amendment does not guarantee the right to purchase fully automatic firearms.

If this is an example of the writing for the current season, I will no longer be watching.

The Rookie: Mother's Day (2022) Season 4, Episode 21

Maybe there's hope

[8/10 · 10 May 2022]

Perhaps they hired a detective to locate better writers for this episode. As this was a good rebound from the past 2 stinkers. A bit closer to S1 and S2. I do dislike the ways they keep manufacturing obstacles to hinder Nolan's success. Should be interesting with Wesley changing teams but the subplot with the up-charging DA stretched credibility. Wish there was a bit more grit to these episodes to offset the amount of silliness and add some realism.

FBI: Face Off (2022) Season 4, Episode 19

Weak, weak, and weak

[5/10 · 4 May 2022]

More lazy writing and predictable plotting. I am now thoroughly convinced that all of the good writers are gone. And why does it seem that there needs to be an agenda in all of these episodes in all of these shows? How about a story with intelligence?

The Rookie: Enervo (2022) Season 4, Episode 20

The End is Near

[5/10 · 3 May 2022]

More of the same from last week's part one episode, and unfortunately it didn't get any better. Rather than continue to complain about these two episodes, the bigger problem here is the lack of writing skills and a taste for some realism in real life. There are too many agendas being put forward here, and it's going to spell the end for this show.

Reacher (2022– )

Sharp writing with a likable (and quirky) protagonist

[9/10 · 12 February 2022]

Rather than summarize the plot, I'll get right to the point:

This was extremely entertaining, largely due to great casting and stellar writing. The latter cannot be over-emphasized, as sloppy, lazy writing has been a (non-virus-based) plague infecting most network and many cable shows of late. (Yes, Dexter New Blood, I'm talking to you...) Kudos to the production staff. My only reason for not giving it a 10, is I wish the "season" had more episodes (without the expense of dragging out the plot arc). Now comes the long wait for Season 2.

Runaway (1984)

I bet Tom won't talk about this one

[1/10 · 29 August 2021]

With dialogue sounding like a bad parody of the early 1960s and awful directing, I can't believe who wrote this. Not worth the time.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Note to producers: spend less on CGI and more on hiring a writer

[5/10 · 31 July 2021]

What do you get if you borrow plot segments from Terminator, Independence Day, Alien(s), and The Thing? A mutant storyline written for 10 year old viewers who won't notice plot holes the size of the moon.

What a waste of acting talent and a premise that *could* have been developed more logically.

No one intentionally sets out to spend millions of dollars on a stupid movie so I have to assume they just didn't notice (or didn't care) that the CGI budget left no room for hiring a good sci-fi writer.

That's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back.

Rated 5 only because I'm giving extra points for actors being able to do anything with this horrible screen play, and for the CGI effects.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: What Can Happen in the Dark (2021) Season 22, Episode 15

This episode is proof

[9/10 · 30 May 2021]

Your can create a compelling episode without being woke. This felt more like SVU from 20 years ago. And that's a good thing.

Clarice (2021)

Not getting better. Quit now!

[3/10 · 3 April 2021]

The pilot was a bit weak, but I was hoping that it would improve with additional episodes. The second episode was a little better, but it's been downhill since then. I'm good with character development, assuming there is some type of coherent plot to move the episode along. But S1E.5 was about all I could take.

Goodbye, Clarise!

Absentia (2017–2020)

Lots of potential with lots of flaws

[6/10 · 21 July 2020]

Followed Stana from Castle during the time when our "normal" programs were on hiatus. This show, while mostly entertaining, is also regularly infuriating.

Small gripes: As with some other independent series, the budget is apparent. Filmed in Europe, it doesn't look anything like Boston, especially minus the hordes of people and thousands of cars in the city. Not enough money in the budget for extras I suppose. Sound editing is sub-par, with the music often getting so loud it requires turning down the volume, only to be too soft to hear the dialogue. They do teach this in college, right?

All of these little annoyances could be ignored if the big gripes weren't so big.

Big gripes: If you love characters who say and do things because it's going to get the plot where the writers want it to go (as opposed to what makes actual sense for the character to say or do), then you'll love this. The characters are mostly drawn in two dimensions and constantly put themselves into ridiculous situations that their training should keep them out of. Bring a gun? Maybe, maybe not. Bring an extra magazine for the gun? No, of course not. Wait for backup? Nah. Leave something laying around? Yup.

The episodes do have a degree of mystery (and confusion) to them, but they also do too much foreshadowing. Be sure we mention that abandoned well (which should have been covered up decades ago, by the way) because you just KNOW it will come back to bite someone later. Oh, and we'll teach the kid to use a bow and arrow (because you know he'll use it later in the episode.)

Like many other modern shows, this one plays like a mini-series that's gone on too long--a victim of having a single (somewhat contrived) plot arc that gets played for 10 full episodes. Better to have multiple plot arcs so that it doesn't feel like (as another reviewer points out) it's drawn out. Much of the plot seems derived from the Jason Borne movies--which were superbly crafted in writing and directing. Borrowing from the big screen isn't new, but the plot doesn't seem terribly fresh or original.

The end of season 3 felt sorely anti-climatic to say the least. They could have just ended it with the fire--and we'd be waiting until next season to see who was killed.

There's a lot of talent being wasted here. Not sure if I'll be waiting for season 4.

How to Get Away with Murder: Live. Live. Live. (2017) Season 4, Episode 8

Suspension of belief

[5/10 · 16 June 2020]

Four seasons of implausibly comes to a head here. Why don't these writers have legal and medical consultants on staff? Give me a break.

The Kominsky Method (2018–2021)

8 and a half

[8/10 · 2 June 2020]

Finally, a show that caters to the silent demographic. Great performances by the two stars, and a boatload of guest appearances working with a script that is usually poignant and funny. However, occasionally the writers lapse into cliched excess, which keeps this from being a 9 or 10. Still, I'm waiting for the next season to come out.

The Rookie: Under the Gun (2020) Season 2, Episode 18

Another great episode

[9/10 · 28 April 2020]

Would have been a 10 except for 2 items. I felt manipulated by the ending which is likely fodder for the will they or won't they plot-line. The second was unusual technical gaff when she ordered 5mg of lorazepam. That's almost 3 times the normal dose and potentially lethal. But still love the series.

Stumptown (2019–2020)

A bit quirky, and that's a good thing

[9/10 · 15 October 2019]

In some respects Stumptown is like a Portland microbrew. It won't appeal to everyone's palate--and it isn't intended to.

While the pilot was good (but not stellar), character development and plot thickening has made this show a joy to watch. Yes, sometimes it's a little out there, but that's part of the gritty charm.

Don't judge it by the pilot. Like a good Portland area stout, you might need to sip on this awhile before its appeal becomes apparent. Then you'll be waiting for the next one!

Memento (2000)

Mediocre story saved by cinematographic contrivance

[6/10 · 17 November 2001]

Perhaps because this movie was rated SO HIGHLY, my viewing was tainted by unrealistically bolstered expectations. Maybe...

There was a strange twist of irony at work here: the more I watched this film the less I liked it. What began as a wonderfully, refreshing look at (reverse) story-telling, became less entertaining and more tedious with each passing (and re-passing) flash-back (or is that flash-forward?)

Part of this film played like an old Twilight Zone episode I recall seeing many years ago. And that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed piecing together the "why" of the plot, since we already knew the "what." However, generally uninteresting and unappealing characters mar the performances, and while our hero may be unaware of time, as a viewer I was painfully aware of how his film seemed to drag, lacking a good sense of timing. As for the ending, it too could have been given the same delicious touches as the beginning sequence, but alas, it does nothing to reward the viewer for having endured the bulk of the film.

One reviewer commented how well this HIGHLY RATED film will hold up in another few years when compared to the classics. Others have asked how on earth it could have rated so high to begin with. The former will be answered on its own, and I believe time will not be too kind. The answer to the latter is akin to the McDonald's Syndrome: Those who grew up eating Big Macs on a regular basis erroneously come to believe it's actually good food. Perhaps compared to what Hollywood is offering these days, Memento is indeed gourmet fare. To me, it's still just a hamburger. (6 out of 10).

Serendipity (2001)

A Good Dessert Movie

[8/10 · 7 October 2001]

Ok. Let's make one thing clear from the top: this movie is like lemon meringue--tasty but certainly not nutritious or filling. But then again, it's not supposed to be. Those in search of a well-crafted dramatic theatrical feast, should crank up their surround-sound systems and rent `The Matrix.'

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie-plot-holes and all. I find it easier to accept such holes in romantic comedies than in dramas like `Don't Say A Word,' a film with enough perforations to make it the culinary equivalent of Swiss Cheese.

A number of things worked well in this film, and yes, a number did not. In the beginning of the movie as the plot is being set up, Beckinsale's Sara is a bit quick to shove the wheels of fate into motion. Missing is any substantial display of guilt, particularly since she and Cusack's Jonathan had already crossed the line by going out for dessert even though both were in committed relationships. The book, the $5 bill, and the gloves were all obvious plot devices, destined to return later in the third reel. However, the elevator sequence was just plain silly, seemingly stolen from a second-class sit-com. Still, if Cusack and Beckinsale had followed their hearts (and logic), the movie would have ended within the first ten minutes.

Other reviewers have complained about the seeming lack of chemistry between the main characters. However, the inherent nature of the plot handicaps them because they spend the bulk of the movie APART. Their scenes together, the opening sequence and then the closing moments, are just that-moments. There's more on-screen bonding between Cusack and his best friend, played by Jeremy Piven, than between our star-crossed lovers. But that doesn't matter. `Sleepless in Seattle' and `You've Got Mail' also suffered from this trap, and it's difficult to resolve when the plot keeps (or pushes) the leads apart.

I also had some difficulty with: (1) the amount of time each of them were able to take off from work, (2) the absence of any indication that these two people have a life outside of their soul mate pursuit, (something nicely written into Hugh Grant's character in `Notting Hill,'), (3) the lack of chemistry between Cusack and Bridget Moynahan, his fiancé, (4) Jon Corbett's Kenny G-like character (is this a New Age stereotype or just a week parody?) (5) Eugene Levy's flagrant disregard for invasion of privacy issues (The commission from Cusack's purchases wouldn't have even covered the retainer for Levy's attorney), (6) why oh why New York again? There are a dozen other cities aching to provide a backdrop for a romantic comedy, and (7) the movie could have ended quite satisfyingly on the ice skating rink without resorting to more of Levy's Bloomingdale shtick.

In spite of those nitpicks, I very much enjoyed the romantic escapism of the film. I was so relieved that the plot did not require the lovers to sleep together in order to ignite their passion. In addition, I found the writing to be witty and funny without being obnoxiously cute, and without hurling unrealistic `people never really say that' sit-com one-liners at us.

If it seems as if this review contains more nitpicks than accolades, it is only because it is easy to quantify the miscues by applying logic to a plot. But suspension of disbelief in this genre requires a bit more tolerance than in `real-life dramas.' Romantic comedies don't attempt to imitate life. They attempt to capitalize on our hopes, our fantasies, our need to believe in love and being loved. Real life seldom contains all of those ingredients-at least in sufficient quantities to sustain a 90 minute movie or make a 5-course meal. Taken for what this film sets out to accomplish, it is as satisfying as any dessert should be. (8 out of 10)