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Reviews
In Good Company (2004)
Remembrance of things past
I was channel surfing when I caught the start of this movie. I found myself drawn in by Dennis Quaid's character's life situation and kept watching.
Then, we got to the relationship as it developed between Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson Her first love, his second. The scene where they're walking together hand-in-hand and then separate as they get closer to the house really worked for me. Both very believable and sweet together. It really took me back.
The contrast between the long term couple and the new one was well worked.
Overall, a very good movie that should have been better promoted when it was release.
Lost in Space: Stuck (2021)
A major revelation amid the reconnections
I thought this was going to be all about the parents reconnecting with the kids. Ho hum.
However, we then get why the aggressor robots are scanning humans without killing them and the whole episode jumps up a few notches. Dodgy science, but kudos all the same.
Archer: Mission: Difficult (2021)
A beautiful send-off
I wondered how "Archer" would deal with Jessica Walters' death. After all, it's not known for subtelty or being heartfelt.
The way they finished the episode was exceptional and I cameclose to having a tear in my eye. Well done to everyone involved.
Pennyworth: The Lion and Lamb (2021)
Hurried and silly ending with only one saving grace
I suspect that this series will be explained away as being part of the DC multiverse and not part of the Arrowverse.
That said, it's as though the writers felt that this series won't be renewed. So, they decided to wrap things up regardless of how implausible or far removed from reality it all seems. Then, they threw in a twist for good measure with the Wayne's first-born not being Bruce. Let's just say "multiverse" to ourselves a few times.
For instance, Troy goes from being a violent psycho to a hero who saves London and could turn the war around. That he isn't killed outright by the Stormcloud solution he swallows - yes, you read that right - is only out done by him being turned into a walking death machine. It seems that the possibility that he could be shot dead on the battlefield doesn't seem to occur to any strategists. After all, why hold him at the rear crafting canisters of poison that could be rapidly spread far and wide?
Then there's Frances Gaunt who just assumes the leadership of the Ravens without anyone questioning it that we can see. Sure, she's from a noble lineage, but the other aristorcratic members of the Raven Council would probably have their eye on the prize as well.
The saving graces are the touching scenes between Mary and Arthur Pennyworth towards the end of the episode. Arthur gets to go to the grave knowing that she thought he was important and useful and he was loved.
If it turns out that there is a third season, the writers will have a lot of work to do to bring things back to a believable state.
Knock Knock (2015)
Keanu's supposed to be how old?
Seriously. He's 54, but I'm guessing he's supposed to be in his 30s or 40s in this movie which is supposed to be a cautionary tale. (I'm a year older than him, but I can't suspend disbelief enough to imagine that someone his age would be that dumb).
Even so, how do you get to that age and not learn anything?
His hot blonde Hispanic sculptress wife sets the stage by mentioning that he injured his shoulder trying to impress a 25-year-old woman. That's still not enough to prevent it playing out a the start like a Letters to Penthouse story, which I assume is still a thing because I'm pretty sure I saw a copy at a petrol station a while ago.
Aramis is a bit of a crack up. Her outrageous accent seems ripped straight from the Monty Python & the Holy Grail acting class for French soldiers and she acknowledges it when she remarks that the taxi driver's English was worse than her's. She was the other reason I opted to watch this and she didn't disappoint, which is why I went for 7 stars in my review.
Because of a remark made in the shower scene, I had a feeling where this would go. Even if I was wrong, I figured he'd have some problems explaining the scratches, fork wound, etc. to his wife. After that, it gets dodgy and there seems to be no relation to what happens and the two womens' back stories.
In the end, I wondered, "why did they bother?"
Twin Peaks: Beyond Life and Death (1991)
Still disturbing 25+ years later
There are acting moments in this episode that are over-acted or they just don't quite get there. Dr Hayward's scream after he attacks Horne; Windom Earle just before he has his soul ripped out.
However, the story spirals and overcomes these minor shortcomings. Editing does the rest. I still cannot nominate a better attempt at depicting someone's soul being ripped out of their body.
Then, they added the cliff-hangers. What happens with each character building up to the crescendo of Dale Cooper in the bathroom asking/calling about Annie.
All told, this is still one of the most disturbing, engaging, engrossing series I have ever seen.
I got to relive it through the Blu Ray box set, which is one of the greatest pieces of consumer packaging I have ever encountered. I am a self-taught graphic designer. So, I appreciate the love/passion that went into the design. I can only imagine what went through the minds of the printers charged with actually making it real.
The only thing I can equate it in terms packaging technology was when I opened an iPod box for the first time. (20GB, BTW). If Steve Joshed been involved in this, Reckon he would have opened it, worked his way through it, and said "good work".
The Strain: Tainted Love (2017)
Is Zack or the viewers being set up?
Zack is probably one of the most disliked TV teens in recent years.
He's betrayed his father, caused a nuclear detonation in New York and then avoided taking responsibility when his love interest, Abby, tells him how she saw her parents die when the nuke went off.
Then, when Abby places him firmly in the friend zone, he has his pet vamp murder her.
Meanwhile, his dad still has no idea of how far gone his son is. Want to bet that at some moment that when he has to decide whether to kill Zack or not, he hesitates? At a critical moment?
It's hard to say who is being set up worse. Zack, his dad, or the viewers.
Age of Tomorrow (2014)
Why would they do this?
This gets a 2 from me only because people shouldn't search for Picardo and find he was in movie rated a lowly 1. As for the title of my summary - Why would they do this? - let's start with why would you send an Army team into space to destroy an asteroid or anything else? Air Force, NASA, yes. Army? Might as well send some oil rig workers. Anyway, they think it's a natural object, so why is this team armed? Just as well they are because they find aliens inside what is actually a mother ship. The hive queen telepathically joins with one of the characters to reveal its species' motivation. Why would join with (a) a lowly life form (b) a member of a species you're planning to exterminate or subjugate; and c) you're going to kill him anyway? Are your minions/hive drones/whatever so incapable of appreciating your grand plan that you have to get an ego boost from whatever that alien thing is? There's more, but I'd be asking to be flamed if I queried some of the character's reasons for doing what they do. If it's cable late at night an you can't find anything better, this might be worth putting on in the background while you do something else.
The Big Year (2011)
Doing what's right versus what's expected
This was a an unexpected surprise. Steve Martin has been very quiet for some time, while Jack Black is better known for low brow comedy. They both out did themselves in this.
Do you do what's right or do what is expected of you, even when it's something that other people would regard as only a hobby? The cast members each take their own course in life for better or for worse.
However, once the decision is made, they follow through (in most cases). You, as the audience member, is left to consider whether you would have done the same. File this one under "Life Lesson Movies" without being preachy.
Friday Night Lights (2006)
A good mix of sport and drama
There seem to be an awful lot of film students bagging this show because of the camera work. If they could get past this, they would find a good engaging show where the football acts as a nice backdrop to the various issues in the characters' lives.
The acting is at an acceptable standard for the most part. The exceptions being some of the adult actors, strangely enough. They aren't helped by the scriptwriters who don't give the actors much to work with in terms of character development.
The young ensemble members on the other hand, are much more capable, are easy on the eye and have been given characters that are being fleshed out as the series progresses. I'm glad to see it's been picked up for another season.