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News of the World (2020)
A great emotional lift at the end of rough year.
My wife and I watched this New Year's Eve and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a perfect way to end 2020. I can't remember us talking about another film as much as we did on the way home.
We found it a uplifting leisurely ride where we watch the two lead characters save each other from from the darkness in which each living when they first meet and from near disasters along the way.
It is excellent vehicle for Hanks, is wonderful in a role well suited to his strengths. Few actors can do so much with so little dialog, but Helena Zengel's outstanding performance makes this movie and should be recognized come awards season.
We found bond of trust and respect and more that develops between their characters and the unspoken teamwork that saves them in so many situations with a so little common language were maybe the most important part of the film for us.
The pace is leisurely, but we never found it slow. We were immersed for the entirety. The cinematography and score are wonderful and there are plenty of suspenseful points where we weren't sure how things would turn out. Especially towards the end of the movie.
We really appreciated on how the Kiowa Nation was respected and involved in making of this film. It pays attention to one detail that many other westerns tend to look over. That detail is the authenticity of the Native Americans in the film. Helena spent weeks learning the Kiowa language, history and customs by an elder of the Kiowa nation. The Kiowa were played on screen by members of the Kiowa Nation.
The Legend of Korra (2012)
My favorite. It is not really a sequal to the Last Airbeder. It is it's own story set in the Avatar world.
After binging Avatar: The Last Airbender and loved it. I found about Korra and binged it in two days. It wasn't quite what I expected with the 20's, Steampunk tech, but once I adjusted to the new settings life was good. I've always liked strong female characters, which was one of the reasons I liked Last Airbender so much. I consider Katara the heart of that show and her character grew the most of core group followed by Toph. Sokka was little more than comic relief most of the time, save for being the "idea guy".
It's clear that Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino made a conscious decision not to make a sequel to The Last Airbender, but tell a fresh story with new characters and unbound by ATLA by setting it 70 years in the future. There are many connections, but clearly meant to stand on it's own and produced for an older audience than ATLA with it's focus on the the growth of a strong willed teen girl into young adulthood and explored many deeper subjects than ATLA.
ATLA was a quest following a destiny that Ang and his young friends that had been foretold before they were born. It followed a three season arc and once the prophecy was fulfilled and key story lines settled, the story was complete.
My understanding is that the Legend of Korra was conceived as a 12 episode limited series. The decision to produce additional seasons came late. Because of this each season has it's own story arc and conclusion. There is no real defined goal in each season other than resolving the major conflict and defeating the villain. That left Korra opened ended in it's storytelling in a way that ATLA was not.
The Legend of Korra is character driven; focusing on the life of Korra and the challenges she faces finding her way to being at peace with herself and her place in the world during the most difficult time of life. It's about her relationships with the extended family she finds along the way. She's usually fighting herself as much or more than "the bad guys". She is definitely one of my most favorite fictional characters.
I was satisfied that she finally seemed to find balance at the end of the fourth season, but wanted more and felt that it could have continued many seasons more if it had not been on Nickelodeon. Nick really didn't know what to do with it during it's run and definitely not ready for the direction it was taking at the end of season four. It was too early for Netflix to pick it up so one has to be satisfied with the two graphic novel trilogies that were published to see where her story goes.
Tales from the Loop (2020)
Shiny, but not in the Firefly way
I was really excited this show and truly disappointed. At 60 years of age and high functioning on the autism spectrum, I've a high attention span if there is anything to keep my attention. Most of the time, this show didn't. I found it beautiful to the eye, but lacking in substance in the execution of most episodes.
Some of episodes feel like two hours when the story could have been told better in 30 minutes.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
The best Christmas special ever!
The Grinch has always been my favorite since I was a child. I remember being in the hospital on my birthday for a tonsillectomy and the only thing I was concerned about was missing the Grinch. Chuck Jones does a wonderful job to bringing the book to life.
The Rookie (2018)
Wasn't sure about this, but it works
My wife and I just finished watching the first episode and were impressed. Went from "let's see" beforehand, to "we're recording the series" after. The series hits the ground running. Rare for a cast to gel like this in a pilot. If the producers and writers can keep it up, we've got something to look forward to on Tuesday nights.