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anthonyvetaas
Sci Fi my preferred genre, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, and Quentin Tarantino some of my favorite directors. But in the end I enjoy almost anything that tells a good story, with a good execution.
Annus Dominis 1966, male, UN veteran with a fracked (to use a Battlestar Galactica therm) up mind, attitude, and sometimes with signs of both humor and intelligence.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Started so well, but in 2024...
....its become a young teenagers (mostly girls) transition from the usual Disney productions for 10-12 year olds.
1st, the characters. Could they be more unbelievable? A captain that is all buddy buddy and feelings, and the acting itself is terrible as she cycles trough face expressions like angry, compassionate, sad, and happy. And all in 12 seconds were not of the expressions seems real. I will be surprised if she will ever be mentioned at the oscars and similar.
I could go on with the cast, but I believe she as the main role says it all as the terrible acting tickles down on them all.
2nd, the dialogues.... Wow, what are they trying to express I wonder? Filled with interpersonal meaningless dialogues that will only satisfy a 13 year old girl, or a scorned wife in the midst of a divorce while she is finishing the 1 ltr bottle of vodka (thank something the children is at the fathers house which he shares with his formal secretary t his night.
But here is the thing, its not only this show, its most shows. Resident Alien, Spiderman, you name it and there it is, cliche dialogues that seem to be there to dictate and imprint on how we all should think and behave. Or maybe the writers are just teenage girls and there are no mystery behind the drop in TV writing? Maybe its the same AI writing them all?
I dont know, but its garbage!
And its all a shame, it started so promising, even though the start was maybe more "Star Wars" than "Star Trek"? Shopuld have been a warning, but many of us fell for it..
Renegade Nell (2024)
Historical whitewhash
I managed to watch the first half of the first episode before I gave up in pretty much an anger state.
This review isnt about the acting, nor the writing, Im sure its up to par, and that series will be a great show for those willing to ignore a couple of important things.
I fume when I see our ancestors struggles and harsh reality being portrayed to the younger ones that dont fully grasp our history as a fabulous time where a "peasant" could beat up their landlords, children played happily in the streets, and their parent worked 9-5 jobs having energy to be caring and loving parents to their children.
So again, its not about the acting, the writing, the directing etc, its about how we for a long time have taken historically eras and presenting them as something they are not. As if a woman had liberties as we see in this show (well, the half episode I saw for my count), just how the peasants talked to a "nobleman is disturbing.
And dont get me wrong, I gave "The completely made up adventures of Dick Turpin" an 8 (which for me is high, but low when I see how people in general vote. 5 is average, just saying folks..), and in historically accuracy its even worse. But nobody will take it for anything else than what it is, comedy and parody!
So please parents watching this with their kids, please inform them that this is complete fantasy with no root in reality. Many will grow up, with a number of shows like this, that our past was easy, and it wasnt and isnt for most of us!
Whats next? Oliver Twist as a fat happy boy? Or maybe as a girl? Anything goes it seems!
I wonder when our species will ever learn? This is truly dangerous in the long run.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022)
I applaude....
....those who managed to give it more than 5 stars, no, more than 3 stars actually.
You must be some wonderful positive people. And that was it for the positivity
Pure garbage! Id rather watch the bold and beautiful, and that to me is close to the bottom of TV shows.
Resident Alien (2021)
Love it!
But a warning to the writers, drop the girlie interpersonal talks among the girls. If we wanted the Bold & Beautiful we would watch that garbage wouldnt we?
Said that, season 1 was great, 2nd still very good (ignoring the drama/lifelesson "talks" that is an irritating trend in most shows. Take The Flash, now a show for 12 year old girls with romantic illusions...)
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
Watchable, but oh so dissapointing
Trying to ride on the original, but lacks pretty much everything Vikings had. Actors with personality, music score, credibility, writing, special effects, it was lacking on every aspect.
If anything it seems a rushed product that could have been so much more.
Not to be avoided, but dont expect much, a weak 5.
Bank Balance (2021)
Big fan of Ramsay
Sadly I doubt this show will make it to end of season
I admire him for wanting to try different things, and so far he pretty much nailed it. But this is garbage..., and he is clearly not a game show host! So many of his harsh words in previous shows that would accurate describe this "dish".
Rex Viduus
The Crew (2021)
Terrible
And not only terrible, but its clear Kevin James himself thinks its terrible.
It seems they try to ride on old successes, problem is they were of the 80s and 90s, and that format is dead and buried decades ago.
A sad thing to witness really, even though there will be those blinded by nostalgia that will perhaps enjoy this farce of a comedy
WandaVision (2021)
Finally I can review it as it should
So, finally we have seen where it brought us, from a strange and confusing start we found a gem that developed slowly into quite a story.
I have to admit, I didnt like it much in the start, probably because I didnt know the story at all, and with those eyes it was just strange, confusing, and over the top regarding the television techs they used (50s/60s/70s etc). Now it all makes so much sense. So I hanged in there, and from episode 4 it all started to change, the story, and my opinion.
Great acting, great storyline, great effects. Clearly a must see for superhero/sci-fi fans.
My advice? If you are like me, dont know the story and arent to familiar with these superheroes, you will probably not like it much in the start, but hang in there, it will be slowly worth it!
Now Ill enjoy the season finale, and await an hopefully equally good season 2 afterwards.
Ill leave my original comment below.
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2 episodes and they throw 10 around as if they were on sale.
2 episodes that clearly is just a slow intro to something that may, or not be a flop or success.
Get real folks, you are killing the voting system.
I will revue it seriously after the season, based on the whole season, but so far its just a meh of a 5 that keeps med interested to see where we are heading
UFO Witness (2021)
Im not saying its aliens, but....
(Based on 2 first episodes)
Thank something that there are actually some UFO docuseries that have an actual investigative approach.
Very interesting the people interviewed, most of them credible eyewitnesses, ex officials, and ex US military personnel. The host himself also presents himself as serious, and investigative, even though he clearly believes.
Also interesting to hear about some of the actual cases fictionalized in TV series "Project Blue Book".
The negative? The usual sensation/dramatic commentary, and sound/music effects that follows most ("reality")shows coming from the US/Canada.
Barbarians (2020)
Big plus for the latin dialogue
But from that positive, the rest has to be a negative vote.
As many has expressed, the acting, the historical inaccuracies, and the writing shames a story that is truly fascinating in itself. I just dont get why they had to change the story as they did.
Why make him the son of the general as an example? Wasnt the historical Arminius interesting enough?
Again, plus for the dialogues in Latin, and worth the watch because of them, but if that isnt "your" thing, you wont miss much if you drop it.
Star Trek: First Frontier (2020)
I get it
They wanted to revive the spirit of the 60s and TOS. I somewhat appreciate that, as I appreciate the effort by probable fans that wrote it.
Unfortunately they fail so hard its bad even by the standards of the 60s
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
Great entertainment
Great cast, great characters, great music, superheroes, humor, blood & gore, "End of the world", "Time travel" etc etc, what more could one possible want?
Season 1 was great, season 2 just as much, hopefully a season 3 will be so too.
Best of the superhero groups shows imo, even though not the best under some aspects, but overall the best.
The Last Man on Earth (2015)
Potentially a classic if "discovered" by world wide TV stations
Im that kind of guy that rarely laughs, and express amusement with a half smile. But this show kept me laughing and laughing, and is up there with casts and productions like "Friends, "Seinfeld", "The Big Bang Theory" and other major appraised comedies.
The cast outstanding, the writers genius, the story line and characters hilarious!
Shame it ended the way it did, cliffhangers arent as amusing as the show itself.
Enterprise (2001)
The best of the Star Trek series
Even though Picard, and TNG is my youth, and the show I love, I rate this one higher.
A great cast, great episodes, great story line that follows the enterprise in way to few seasons. A shame it never got the credit it truly deserved, great Sci Fi!
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
My Star Trek,
However it has its weaknesses, and the biggest one 2 of the main characters.
If it wasnt for Riker and Troy, which are both unsupportable, bad actors, and in general terrible characters I would have given TNG a 9 for the moments of joy it gave me. But then I remember some of the episodes were they had the lead in the story, and it crashes to a 8...... Obviously I could have added Wesley to the negative, but his presence is limited, and I manage to see past his terrible character, and his mediocre acting
The positive? Well, I just need to mention Picard, and its all worth the suffering caused by the above mentioned characters. Then you have Q, and quite a few other interesting characters that will surely entertain.
Just had to get it out, and off my chest as Ive just started to see it from start yet another time, and they both continue to irritate me, and still surprise me negatively for the 50th time (yes, I did exaggerate there).
Deadline Gallipoli (2015)
The essence of war told in a sober and just way
A film every young man suffering of the thrill of COD should see, maybe they wouldn't enlist as easily.
A sober description of the terrors of wars, personal and collectively. And also a decent story on how a man is easily sacrificed without being noticed, without being considered as a human being, just a number in the even bigger number of casualties.
Every war, before and after the 1st WW was, and is just marginally different, the rich will sit in safety eagerly sacrificing generations of young men and women while nipping to their tea, then cheering for their victory as if they stood in the trenches sacrificing their life and sanity.
Terrifying, wonderful, and heartbreaking to sum it up, regards a veteran
Miracle Workers (2019)
I gave season 1 a 7.....
.....but what the heck happened here. From genius to garbage, what did they think would happen changing the concept? That the cast was enough to keep the fans happy?
Season 2 got a 4 from me, so Ive given it a total of 5 (for now), what a disappointment!
Avenue 5 (2020)
Its all there...
Great cast, good directing, good plot, in other words its all good.
But you know how it is, sometimes you find series that lacks all of the above mentioned, but has a soul, and you will simply love it for life. Avenue 5 is the opposite, it lacks its soul, its glue, it just doesnt get you there, and stands still to my surprise. Will it entertain? Sure. Will it make you laugh? Maybe, but a half smile or short giggle is more probable.
A bit like the "The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy", or even some of the later Star Wars movies, a great foundation, great story, good cast, and it crash-lands as it is missing something essential that I cant put my finger on.
Hopefully the announced season 2 will find its glue, it deserves it
To Catch a Smuggler (2012)
In the land of the free......
....., where you are supposedly innocent to proven guilty the rules doesnt apply to travelers, visitors and tourists.
The arrogance f the customs officers seems to have no limits! The HSI at least seem to act professionally, but the custom officers are quite something, if I lived in the 30s I would have bet money they were trained by the German Gestapo.
Glad I have no wish to visit the land of the free and brave, that live knee deep in their own hypocrisy! Quite shocked tbh! Respect must be an absent word in their vocabulary!
Said all that, its worth the watch, if not for anything else, then to get confirmed any decision of going to NZ, Australia or Canada instead!
The Mandalorian (2019)
The magical atmosphere of Star Wars is finally back
Ive been waiting so long, Ive been disappointed so many times, but here we are, a worthy Star Wars series, and not like the garbage we have been presented for years after the first 3 films.
It catches the spirit of the original Star Wars films, and at times goes beyond the genius of those. Lets hope they manage to keep it so, and that we avoid them watering it down in future seasons.
The Boys (2019)
I like it a lot, but then again I dont like it that much....
What I do like is the idea, the story, the effects (and then some not so much, a bit 90s over them), the costumes.... And obviously one of the most beautiful women on earth Elisabeth Shue (who can forget her, or Cage for that matter in the excellent Leaving Las Vegas) who performs wonderful in her role.
Unfortunately she is the highlight of the cast, and that to me is the weak point. The rest, except of Dominique McElligott, and a couple of others in B roles is disappointing to me. Are they overdoing it? Is the director confused mixing credible roles with overacted ones? Is it maybe supposed to be so? Am I just not getting it?
To be clear, Im not saying its bad acting, but it isnt good as I perceive it.
Anyway, Ill continue to watch as it is entertaining, and with some serious undertones (ironically especially today) about the US empire and its true dreams (subjective and personal view). Hopefully the cast will have set itself for a season 2, and I can vote it up to a 7 or 8
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Will probably be the shortest review I will ever write!
Pure art, in every detail! Music, filming, colors, directing, story, acting, in other words everything! Pure perfection
Messiah (2020)
Deep, on so man levels.....
First of all, Im an atheist, and even a philosophical anarchist (Read Errico Malatesta!), but before becoming one I was a xtian, and very much so. Before losing god I read most holy text there were, searching for a sign that he was out there. But thats another story...
I lost god serving for my country in Lebanon, and that is yet another story....
This to clarify that I may have a certain view on the world itself as it functions, and that I at the same time have some kind of experience in life.
Its a wonderful tale, just like the bible, and thats what it is in the end. A tale, a Re-Fi (religious fiction, did I just invent a therm?). But it is so deep on so many levels, how man so want to believe, needs to believe to keep their sanity in certain ways.
And even though most dialogues are short, they are at the same time interesting, revealing, and something that shows the human nature in its primitive real self.
The acting excellent from 95% of the cast (at least), the main character superb and believable in his interpretation of the role/part.
Cutting just, direction and filming perfect for the story!
It also shows a glimpse of the ugly truth of geopolitics and state of affair of our civilization, but you have extreme right, or left wing, democrat or republican, or just even "american" you will probably not recognize the truth of it.
(Sry for mispellings, and general errors if any, english not my language. And Ive put no on spoilers as I at least dont think there are any)