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Curb Your Enthusiasm: No Lessons Learned (2024)
Appropriate Ending
I've been critical of this show for the past several seasons. I stopped watching after 2011 and recently caught up on the past few seasons preparing for the finale. I didn't think this last season was anything special. The political humor seemed forced and too many guest stars that I thought created a lack of creativity and laziness in the rest of the cast. Seemed like Jeff and Larry were just mailing it in. However, the finale was great with Jerry coming in and wrapping up 'how the show should've ended'. The twist on the Seinfeld finale was great. Plus the flashbacks reminded me why I loved this show in the first place while not having too many flashbacks.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Five-Foot Fence (2021)
Missing that Curb Appeal
Catching up on this show in anticipation of the final season coming out soon and after what I thought was a much improved season in 10, they start out with a lackluster effort in season 11. It doesn't help that it features one of my least favorite actor/comedians in Albert Brooks who I cannot for life of see what has made him such a longtime Hollywood star. I cannot think of a single Brooks movie I have ever seen that I thought was funny (his best appearance was on the Simpsons.
The fake funeral story line and the COVID hoarding was just so not funny/ I am also starting to find Jeff to be an absolutely repulsive character.
Parks and Recreation: One Last Ride (2015)
Not as good the second time around
Finished watching the show in a second go around and I have to say it was not as enjoyable as the first watch. I think a lot of that is because it feels dated now (2023). It doesn't have that timeless appeal that The Office does. You can watch the Office and it doesn't feel dated. P&R with all the political cameos and Obama-era type references just majestic it feel outdated. I do like that the characters generally maintain their same core appeal throughout. They all grow into more interesting people and while I get annoyed by Leslie it was still a growing process for her as well. I felt the show did lose some with Anne a d Chris left though.
Arnold (2023)
Interesting Look at an Interesting Man
I've always been a fan of Arnold, going back to the 80's when I grew up and I starting learning about his career as a bodybuilder in the 70's after watching Pumping Iron. I knew he was a determined guy and always had a bigger than life personality and this series confirms it. The only thing I wish there was more of was in-depth look at how he overcame some of his obstacles. I would like to know more about how her persevered during his early days and overcame. I felt like a lot of that was glanced over and they made it seem like everything just kind of happened for him. The only real obstacle they talked about from his early days was how he lost a Mr. Universe and had to go to California to train. I'd be interest in knowing more about what he did. Seemed like it was just "oh I lost and then decided I wasn't going to lose again." Overall entertaining though.
St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
This is what passed as entertainment in the 80's?
The Brat Pack had some fine films and this was not one of them. None of the characters were relatable, or likable the storyline was weak and aside from the soundtrack there was nothing redeeming about this film.
Ms. Marvel: Generation Why (2022)
Pleasantly surprised
I knew nothing about this character and expected nothing from the first episode but was pleasantly surprised with the characters and presentation. It's definitely a change from the rest of the MCU but it's good to have some variety.
The Neighborhood: Welcome to the Stakeout (2022)
Going Downhill
This show was really funny the first couple of seasons but it has taken a nosedive since the pandemic. Every episode seems like forced humor, and an attempt to add some odd type of storyline each time somehow related to a message of some kind. The whole bit about Gemma going "mystic" just was so unnatural for the show. Can't see this lasting another season.
The Last Dance (2020)
Finally got around to watching after 2 years, it was worth it
I remember when there was massive hype around this doc back in 2020 because it was basically the only sport-related anything going on at the time due to all the COVID suspended sports at the time.
Gotta say it was worth waiting to watch this, as it really provided a lot of insight into so much of what made this era of the NBA so fascinating. I was in high school when all this occurred, and it was great to look back and to get new insights into what made MJ tick, how the team was brought together, the impact on the NBA, our culture, sports in general and really society as a whole that this man and this team had.
I do agree with some of the comments that it was a bit too focused on MJ's perspective. Every story made it seem like his take was the only correct one and that any shortcomings of anyone involved, be it Pippen, Rodman, Doug Collins, Phil, Krause or Reinsdorf, were all things that made MJ that much greater because of everything he had to overcome.
Having said that, you cannot argue with what Jordan accomplished despite all that seemed to stand in his way. He battled through a lot, and still reigned as the greatest of his era, and of all-time if we are being honest.
It still doesn't make sense why the team was torn apart, the explanations offered don't make any sense and even if Krause was still alive I doubt he's be able to jusity it. All-in-all a fantastic documentary and one to watch for any sports fan.
The Last Dance: Episode V (2020)
Jordan Doing His Thing
The best thing about MJ is that he did his things and didn't give a crap what anyone else thought about him. The whole part about people being upset because he didn't endorse that guy running for Senate is awesome because MJ basically showed he wasn't going to cave to the pressure of what everyone "thought" he was supposed to do. He was smart enough to know what getting involved in politics was a dirty enough game and he want no part of it.
Seinfeld: The Dog (1991)
Disappointment Sandwiched Between Several Classics
"The Dog" is one of the weakest entries of Season 3, and one could argue one of the weakest overall. A lot if it doesn't make sense. I enjoyed the dynamic between George and Elaine, but what's odd was that they had some time together before this, mainly "The Revenge." Although you could say they had a purpose there and this time they are just hanging out, thus the awkward conversation.
That was probably the highlight of this installment though, that and Kramers monologue against his girlfriend.
Seinfeld: The Finale (1998)
We All Know it Was a Disappointment
Rewatching this 23 years after it first aired, I'm reminded of how disappointed in the Finale I was.
Yea the ending stunk, but this episode would have been a lot better if it was not essentially a glorified clip show.
I enjoyed all the returning characters but instead of the flashbacks, they could've just had everyone recounting the experiences with the group, it would've been a lot funnier and more of a payoff to the long-time fans who recalled even moment.
Eternals (2021)
Too Long without any Character Development
Bold move putting together a 2 and a half hour movie about a bunch of characters that are brand new to the MCU. I felt like this was an attempt to pack a whole bunch of backstory into this film, but it lacked any sort of character development. Why would we care about these guys? Hopefully this leads to something interesting down the line.
Seinfeld: The Cigar Store Indian (1993)
One of the Highlights of Season 5
Some of the earlier episodes of this season felt like they belonged in season 2 or 3 based on how they looked and the absurdity of the storylines but this was one of the installments that started to move the series forward into a whole new era. Say what you will about whether this type of show could be made today but the end result is a brilliant look at the social ineptness of this group and the impact it has on those around them. The racial storylines are funny and yet they also ring true. Jerry's comment about "I some asks me where Israel is" speaks to both the sometimes absurdity of the PC culture that began in the 90's and has grown 100 fold today, and the somewhat ignorance of the characters.
Really the way the storylines unfold in this episode and just another example of the brilliant writing and storytelling of this show. Might be one of the best episodes of the series.
Chesapeake Shores: What's New? (2021)
Starting to Turn Around
The storylines were starting to get old with Trace and Abby but ever since Evan came onto the show it has provided a fresh dymanic with the family. Abby was too whiny about Trace so while I liked the actor he had to go as it was starting to wear thin.
Ordinary Joe (2021)
Not Even Ordinary
Interesting concept for the show but don't really find any of the characters all that interesting themselves. Not to mention the show jumping all over the place between 3 story lines lends itself to none of the single storylines developing all that well.
Seinfeld: The Couch (1994)
I just got it!
I have probably seen this episode a dozen or so times over the years and I just realized the "pizza" argument was exactly the same as the "abortion argument." My goodness, this show still amazes all these years later. Such brilliant writing.
The Neighborhood: Welcome to the Movement (2020)
Cringe worthy Episode
This felt like one of "very special episode" attempts that we used to see back in the '80's sitcoms. It was just cringe worthy. The attempts to be serious just fell flat. That scene where Gemma is trying to explain everything to Grover was one of the most forced attempts at acting I've seen in a long time.
The Van Halen Story: The Early Years (2003)
Nothing to See Here
This looked like one of those shows that would've aired in the middle of a Saturday afternoon on some random cable channel back in the day. There's virtually nothing in this "documentary" that reveals anything interesting about the band. It's all interviews with former stage hands and childhood friends who talk about how much VH partied back in the day. Not a lot about what went into making the music and the archived "interviews" with the band sound like they were recorded with a tape recorder that was 10 feet away from the person talking.
How Do You Know (2010)
Seriously What Was This Movie?
Witherspoon, Rudd, Wilson, Nicholson, and Brooks should combine for a fantastic film but this was.... awful. Every one of these actors just seemed like they didn't want to be in this movie, and they all were miscast because I didn't believe a single one of them as the characters they were playing. Owen Wilson as a major league pitcher? Reese Witherspoon as a softball player (OK maybe but her character had no appeal). Paul Rudd as a... what was he supposed to be anyway an investor or corporate head? And Nicholson just seemed off... probably why he hasn't done a movie since.
The little attempts at humor which in other James Brooks type films might have been funny just came off as forced. The little boy pushing the girl over in the beginning. The doorman stepping back with Owen Wilson at the door. The scene where Witherspoon is getting ready for her date and she hikes up her pants legs under her skirt. I just didn't understand any of it and none of these characters were relatable. This is probably why this film came our 10 years ago and I just heard about it on Netflix.
About Time (2013)
Love story was great but the rest needed work
Can't believe I didn't ever hear about this one until recently, and since it had a time travel element I of course wanted to check it out.
I thought the performances were all fine, I liked the chemistry of the 2 main characters. The Rachel McAdams role was one I am not used to seeing her play as she was supposed to be this dorky girl introvert who didn't have many friends, so it was a great partner for the guy from Harry Potter.
All the gripes about this one are related to the time travel, and I get it because the rules are not consistent, and there seems to be little to no consequences to their actions. What i think this one lacked was a any real drama with the time travel, where anything got really screwed up because of these characters constantly going back in time to try to fix the most mundane of situations (the one where he kep going back a few minutes to fix his conversation with the Margot Robbie character might've been the most useless).
I thought maybe when he went back in time to help his sister, then came back to losing his daughter that there might be some permanent consequences ... but nope he just went back in time and changed it back. Not a bad movie but I never felt much sympathy or connection to the characters.
The Office: The Farm (2013)
What Might Have Been
I remember watching this episode the first time it aired and thought it was odd then and now looking back upon a rewatch of the entire series it looks even worse than it did at the time. I've read that it's a "Frankenstein Episode" that was pieced together on 2 totally separate plots and it looks clear now this this was the case. Neither storyline serves much of a purpose, and they clearly were just filler. The attempt to make Dwight's farm story into a spinoff probably sounded good at the time but none of the characters in the Schrute family seemed to mesh well together - maybe that was the point? - and the whole "family taking over the form" story seemed forced. Plus didn't Dwight already run his own farm? Anyway its probably good that Dwight didn't get his own show because it might have soured his legacy as one of the all-time great sitcom characters.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Shades of Gray (1989)
I can see why this has been called the worst episode
I've been rewatching the series after not having seen this show in over 20 some years - and missing most of these episodes before. I can see now why this episode has been called the worst of the series. There's really no plot, the actors don't really seem to be into it and the clips serve no purpose.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Nothing Groundbreaking
It moved fast and didn't do a lot to focus on any particular plot point or character development but it also concluded the arc of Rey and Kylo, while giving a proper ending to Leia IMO. This is one of those movies I'll need to watch again since I probably missed something but I walked out of the theater smiling after this one.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
In Retrospect, a Fine Installment of the Skywalker Saga
This is one of those movies that I have changed my opinion on as time has passed and one that I think when taken in context of the entire series serves it's purpose quite well. I think when it first came out, I personally had mixed feelings (as did most fans) because it was so different from the original 3 films. However, I love the story it tells. I think this is definitely a movie to watch with the understanding that its simply the backstory of Vader, Palpatine, even Obi Wan and how all of it came together. If its watched with the mindset of "hey I really want to know how this all started" then its quite enjoyable. You could argue that there was a lot of wasted time here, like the Senate debates etc., but it fits in with the larger story so I think it all matters. I don't rank it as my favorite Star Wars film, but to me it's right in the middle.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Review After 3rd Viewing
Definitely in the camp of people who disliked this movie when it was first released in 2017. This is the first Star Wars movie since Episode 1 that I left the theater feeling disappointed. Every other time I have watched a Star Wars film in theaters (including Solo and Rogue One) I left feeling exciting and generally pleased with what I just saw. As I think back to how I felt when I left after watching TLJ, I just remember feeling empty and questioning whether the film franchise that had essentially served as a major part of my identity for the majority of my life was no longer going to be something that I could look at the same way.
Now, I've gone back and watched TLJ 2 more times since then on Netflix, trying my best to look at it in a new light and from a different perspective after reading various commentaries and now in anticipation of Episode 9.
My general view of this film now is that I place place it in my bottom 3 of the film from the Skywalker saga, but I would probably not place at dead last (which was my opinion 2 years ago). I think what caught me, and a lot of people, off guard was the way Luke was handled, the death of Snoke, the strange attempt at humor throughout the film and lack of answers regarding Rey's origin/parents.
My thoughts now are that Snoke never really mattered much in the first place, and I think the return of Palpatine in EP 9 will like answer all of that. If anything, he was just a pawn being used by Palpatine but that really he was nothing more than that. As we know from Palapatine in the prequels, he is a a master manipulator and can use the Dark Side to control things in a way no other sith (or jedi) could ever imagine.
I still am put off by the portrayal of Luke, but more so the way it was handled and not necessarily the storyline itself. It makes sense that Luke would want to go into hiding after failing everyone in training Kylo, but I think they could have handled his character better (throwing the lightsaber, drinking the blue milk etc. I thought were disrespectful to the character). I would have like to have seen more parallels between Luke's exile and Obi Wan's. Both went into hiding for similar reasons (they both failed their apprentices/padawans) and both were reluctant to rejoin the fight when a messenger was sent to them. Maybe this will come up on EP 9 as we know Luke will be involved somehow as a force ghost.
A lot of people seemed upset over finding out that Rey's parents are nobodies (according to Kylo), but I have 2 responses to this. 1, are we really sure that is the case? It's very likely Kylo is pulling one over on Rey here. 2. Does is really matter who her parents are? It's not like we ever know who a lot of these character's parents are, so I don't really see what the big deal is. I have a feeling Palpatine will be tied to this anyway, either as a Anakin-style birth or as him taking away Rey's family so that she might eventually turn to the dark side... similar to Anakin.
The humor still i thought was not "Star Wars like" but it doesn't bother me as much as it did when I first watched it.
I will say that I still believe the whole Finn/Rose/Codebreaker storyline was a waste of time. I felt this way upon initial viewing and I still feel this way today. i think they didn't know what to do with Finn after the last film, and had to some up with something to fill the time. The fleet not having enough fuel to get away from the First Order... oh but they have "just enough" to stay out of reach of their cannons? Sorry but where did that come from? Since when has a star destroyer not been able to catch up with another ship?
So, hoping that EP 9 can resolve a lot of the questionable things from this film, but I am still just going to keep it 6 starts because i don't think it deserves any better than that.