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Reviews
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Star trek, the soap
That moment where Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner) says to Sarek "I don't live under your authority, I'm your wife, and I'm your partner. Try again, hisband". Perfection. To whomever wrote that exchange, you saved a whole series from dismissal for me. Before that I was a tolerant viewer putting up with the irritating and migraine inducing JJ Abrams style camera flare BS and overall mediocre soap opera type staging that erased any quality the writing might have offered. Frakes contributions to Star Trek have always been an issue, as my least liked performance style of his character fully transferred to his directorial choices. Douchy posturing ken doll does not an enjoyable ensemble protagonist make. Did we seriously need to see everyone on the bridge individually look at each other meaningfully during every (meant to be) tense moment? Must everything be loudly whispered? No, mis amigos, no. Plus the utter ruination of Klingon cannon and a creative visual restyling that was a value loss rather than add. At this point Strange New Worlds is keeping the whole hot mess Star Trek is drifting into from fully sinking.
Stowaway (2021)
A Solid Film
Without giving a synopsis of the film, it is good to watch a high production value film without over the top characters who would never pass a thirty second pych evaluation lose their minds in space films. Astronauts are some of the most highly vetted people in any field...and we have, in fact, gotten through space disasters without the need for hyperbole and meltdowns. Good to see this represented in a borderline realistic storyline. Even more fantastical plots could use a dose of this style, high school drama club fights aliens in space gets really old after the first 1000 films. This is why we actually liked Alien enough to make half a dozen increasingly bad sequels...it had a lot of personality types, but all of them behaved believably. For some background, I liked the Martian, didn't care for Gravity, and think 2001 and sequels make decent live wallpapers, great visuals and a plotline right up there with 'Thunderstorm sounds for sleep'.
Devil's Revenge (2019)
Cringe
If anyone tries to argue that William Shatner's overacting as Captain Kirk was an artistic choice, this is the film to show them. The best part of the film are the sets and creature work, which would make really spectacular house of horror venues for a fall fair.
Painkillers (2015)
Close, but Meh
Could have been good if the screenwriters had finished any of the plotlines or character development. Agree with another reviewer, feels like a low budget pilot to what could have been a good series, but crippled by the format and budget. Writing would need to be a lot tighter to wrap story in a film time frame. Good starting point if anyone wants to write and fund a good version.
7 gwanggu (2011)
Good Visuals
Film has some good visuals, but is weak on character development. While there is a loose backstory, the plot is nearly non-existent, and what there is ended with me squarely on the side of the hideously abused and maimed 'monster'. The script leaves everything to be desired, as what lines there are translate poorly (one hopes).
Alphas (2011)
limited average stories
I love Sci-Fi, want more, and am always happy to see a new show come out. That being said, 'Alphas' is a little trite and conventional. No innovative or particularly clever/engrossing writing here, just a regular us/them drama that has yet to expand the story into any of the possible 'big idea' categories. X-men comics do a better job of exploring alpha/mutant to human conflicts. Characters aren't particularly appealing, even in a love-to-hate way. This show has what I believe to be the kiss of death for any episodic TV program: blandness. I hope the writers get bolder for the 2nd season, every time a Sci-Fi program fails I cringe thinking fewer will be offered in the future.