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Reviews
Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
Somewhat of a weak premise but a great final farewell
It's very clear that the writers needed certain things to happen for the characters to come together for ending. That being said a lot of what happens for the first 1/2 or so of the movie seems very out of character for many of them. Maybe it's the spend up timeframe due to a movie vs a tv season but its still hard to accept things unfolding like they do given the history these characters have shared. Years of trust in each other are once again seemingly just tossed aside instantly for plot convenience. Characters who are now very experienced in politics, double crosses and other "treachery " again keep making stupid decisions for plot. Finally there are again "out of character" moments that seem to have been just thrown in for shock value. Wonder if these were the same writers or were writers inspired by s8 of GoT??? Lucky being a short movie doesn't completely destroy the rewatchability of the show like it did for GoT
All that being said, why the such high rating. Well the actors/actresses are great and despite writing/plot issues they do a great job of making you care about these characters. The visuals are great and production value didn't seem to have been sacrificed for a show that was ending. In many ways they ended on a high note and the final ending makes up for a lot of frustrations leading up to it. I loved the s5 ending which seemed to wrap things up for the character but they ended up creating an even better epilogue giving the show and especially the main character a really great goodbye.
I will very much miss this show, maybe like vikings it will find a new life in a few years with a spinoff, following the descendants during the Norman conquest.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Big let down, who was this movie for???
I had such high hopes for this movie. Great director, great cast & a concept (suicide squad) with tons of potential. Yet like so many recent movies, it seems like the writing was done by amateurs. Many of the jokes were elementary school level humor yet the violence and gore were adult. So i ask, just who was this movie meant for???
After watching this, the first suicide squad movie looks like a masterpiece. It at least had character development and by the end you could actually care about a few of them. It also had a more coherent, mature and entertaining story. This movie didn't have any of that. It could have still been goofy without being dull if it was written better.
Overall a huge disappointment, all i can say is that i'm happy it was on HBOMax because i would have been angry had i paid movie theater prices to go see this garbage.
The Last Ship: Warriors (2018)
One of the best episodes of the series
I cannot for the life of me understand all the hate/low scores this episode has received. Yes the time jumping takes so getting used to. The whole episode is shot/has a different feel for the rest of the series and im sure that was very intentional.
The point of this episode was to show the physical and emotional costs of the soldiers after war. I think the time jumps are trying to give the audience a sense of PTSD, trying to visualize that idea of "you can't know if you weren't there" talked about in the episode. It touches on the idea of soldiers who don't know of they can reintegrate back into civilization society, soldiers dealing with the physical wounds & finally the family toll of being away for long periods and missing your children growing up/not being able to be there for them.
The fundraiser was certainly an odd inclusion but i think that was inline with the whole revisiting WW2 season plot line. The music here and at the end further enforces that plot line. In a way i think it was meant as a tribute, not only to those that served but for those who came back injured (again both physically and emotionally) and yet continued to serve by being paraded around to raise war bonds. It of course was also used as a way to show that emotional line between a civilian and a combat soldier.
Finally the ending shows that Band of Brothers level of connection between those who fought together, while again hinting at the emotional tolls bubbling just below the service.
While this episode (like the entire series) has many flaws, i think it was an honest attempt to do/show something different and more meaningful then the new weekly threat that must be defeated the show is known for. As somewhat of a "bottle episode" i think it did pretty decent as well, since those can be notoriously bland. Overall it's one of my favorites from the series, not necessarily one i would rewatch again and again, but one episode that would certainly stick with me more that almost any other in the series.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020)
Was shocked at how good it was.
I waited months before watching Lower Decks mainly because the trailer looked like a bad ripoff of the beloved shows. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. This is a love letter to TOS, TNG, DS9 & VOY with plenty of sprinkles of all the other shows & movies included. It is a fun show made by fans for fans and could really only be pulled off through animation. Despite it being a comedic show, it's the classic trek style fans have been begging for ever since Nemesis left theaters. It was much more TNG than the Picard series, which while an ok reimagining - was very much a letdown in bringing back more of that TNG nostalgia we all crave. Well folks, finally there is a show that has scratched that itch at least a bit. Filled with easter eggs and references, my only real complaint was the episode count. Once I was hooked it was over in a day. Hopefully a second season will include more than just 10.
Deadwood (2019)
Glad to see more but ultimately a letdown for such a good series.
This should have been a great wrap up to a great series. The villain comes back to town for one last showoff with our aged heroes. But most of it was filled with flashbacks & revisiting old fan favorite character traits. Unlike some other reviewers i liked the idea of revisiting aged characters who have lost some of their younger edge. However it seemed like too much time was spent reintroducing characters and where they have been. This could have been done much quicker and more organically so the final plot could take center stage. I feel like this caused the plot to suffer since there wasn't much time devoted to building things up to a grand final showdown. Instead the tension felt more on a simmer with even major developments not quite boiling like they did in the original series. On top of that they ending had very little closure. It felt like there was still more to tell. Will there another movie? Doubt it, so why not really finalize more of the character's stories?
In the end the movie is better than no movie at all. It does explore and or hint at some of the character's final stories. But if i was to sum up my feelings on the movie as the finale of a great HBO series it would be: "the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper"
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
Boring
Perfect movie to watch when you having trouble sleeping at night. Badly paced, horrible writing and an insult to comics. Don't waste your time or money.