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Lovecraft Country (2020)
Sad... and then sad.
A story about which seems to revile and condemn racism by... supporting hatred, violence, vengeance---and ultimately becoming the most racist production in the history of motion picture! That's right, I dont think you will find anything as openly pro-racist as this piece, no matter how hard you look.
Along with this grotesque "message" come elements of horror, adventure and historical social issues, which can at times be mildly engaging. There's something of actual Lovecraft. There is a reminder of racial segregation from the early XXth century US. You could think it deserves at least one or two stars for that.
But not when it has such horrid racist message! The way it was done, it belongs in the trash. I'm surprised it was produced and made available to public. Aren't there laws against it?
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Great series with minor problems.
Script 7/10
Story 7/10 (original books 10/10 for me)
Acting - varies
Locations - 10/10
CGI - 8/10
I was there, from the beginning. The books, and the series. "The Wheel of Time" and "Game of Thrones". And let me explain: "The Wheel of Time" has always been a masterpiece, even when compared to "Song of Ice and Fire" ("Game of Thrones"). Yes, for many readers it is actually better. Objectively, GoT is better with unexpected action twists. WoT is superior for its beautiful set of main characters, who, given time, actually start to feel like dear friends; and also for the vast complexity of its world. Depending on your taste, you may also like GoT better for its pseudohistorical realism, or WoT for its aboundance of magic.
TV adaptation of "Game of Thrones" utilized its strengths wonderfully. Shocking scenes, powerful episode endings, nudity, blood. It worked. For "The Wheel of Time" to make good on its strengths would take a lot of episodes (we have only 8 per season/book), good acting (kind of varies, but its not bad overall) and great script (well, varies again).
Perhaps the biggest problem of TV "Wheel of Time" is that things too many things are squeezed in too short a time, and other issues stem from this. Action seems rushed in one or two episodes. References to Tolkien are too prominent. For those who haven't read the books, first episodes may feel slightly chaotic, with a lot to learn. You will have a pleasure of figuring out who the Dragon Reborn is, although this pleasure comes at the expense of not having one clear main character.
Those who know the books will certainly experience it in a totally different way. You will enjoy this world, the characters and the chemistry between them. It does feel like "The Wheel of Time", despite the rushed info dump and some deviation from the original. You will have sad moments of "I did not imagine it like this". Or "where is that person? ...that place?" A lot of focus is shifted to the female characters. Two Rivers became some weird racial melting pot. Ah, and the ageless, beautiful Aes Sedai are not ageless or beautiful anymore.
Still, the series is worth watching! Beautiful locations, quite fine CGI (not perfect, contrary to some opinions), great story. This is epic, immersive fantasy. With more episodes per book and less concern for being politically incorrect it could have been perfect. But I'm happy this series is being made. We'll see where it all goes.
Fate: The Winx Saga (2021)
It used to be something
Winx. It used to be a popular animated series for children, full of magic, love, friendship and adventures. It was somewhat shallow at times, but hey, it was for kids. Presently, we have a Netflix drama with a bunch of 30-years old "students" fighting a holy war against fictitious patriarchy, every character perfectly focused on their own self.
And so, the girls learn magic and fight evil, which is cool... Except, it's hard to push for a save-the-world type of story with unlikable, so self-centered and arrogant protagonists. Why do writers keep mistaking character development with characters constantly thinking about themselves?
Of course, even though the girls are obviously not teenagers (16? Give me a break...) romances are a must. Unfortunately, the intolerant feministic propaganda seeping through every episode just doesn't go along with romantic subplots. I guess it's going to take some time before producers realise that these two will never mesh well.
Yup, I think I'll be leaving the Hollywood productions for good. It was a process, and 10 years ago I never expected it would happen, but... why bother sticking to it, with so many other options these days. Fare well.
365 dni (2020)
An erotic fantasy
Both 0-2 and 9-10 star reviews are - in a way - correct. It is pretty poor if you look at it as an action thriller. It is fabulous if you look at it as an erotic fantasy. But is it fair to approach an animated children story in the same way you approach a document? Is it fair to rate a karate-action movie as a romantic drama? When you try to see in a movie something that the movie is not trying to be, it is always doomed to fail.
This is an erotic fantasy. And, as such, it is great. If you want something different, yes, it fails. It is just that simple.
Pretty actors, a story that is almost coherent if you don't look too hard, dialogues and acting that is not as bad as some reviews suggest, though not Oscar-winning either. Cliches? Well, at least it's not overly politically correct, which seems to be the worst cliche these days!
L'uomo senza gravità (2019)
The story is coherent but...
I like contrast, but combining "this man can fly!" with "let's try as little action as possible" is like adding sugar to melted cheese. Some things just don't go well together. Also, if you make a drama, you would expect some dialogue? This feels more like a still photo show with a word here and there to make the story coherent. Soo boring.
Maybe, just maybe, it was an attempt at raising the hopes of all those incapacitated people in their wheelchairs, some allegory perhaps, a way to show them that they can still soar in the sky just using the power of their mind.
Very cruel, if so.
No, I was not fond of this movie. I only guess that some people may enjoy such psychology-oriented action-free movies. In recognition of that fact I award this slow boiling soup 4 stars.
The Protector (2018)
If you're bored...
A pretty average show overall.
I enjoyed it mostly because there seem to be very little hidden political-cultural propaganda in it. No homosexual scenes thrown in your face, no pseudo-feminist agenda. It is a sad sign of our times that this kind of neutrality is a merit on its own, but it's true.
Unfortunately, there is a lot on the minus side as well. Starting with an unlikable main character. He's incompetent, whimsy, annoying, and the actor just looks like... he's acting. It may just be a Turkish thing, but it's just over the top. The script he is given is also weak and lazy, not very logical. In the end, we get a supposed hero who behaves like a child throwing tantrums. Ugh.
Other than that, it is watchable. They tend to avoid shooting difficult scenes but I can recommend it, if you are looking for a drama with supernatural, vampire-like elements and you are really bored.
Altered Carbon (2018)
A good one, finally. 9/10.
A great show.
Very clever and thought-out future dystopia, with eye-pleasing visual effects and nail-biting action scenes. It has what it takes. Characters are are brilliant and well played, although weirdly the main character (Takeshi Kovacs) was my favourite for the way he was written and the less favourite for the way he was played (by Joel Kinnaman). On the other hand, Ortega was more or less the opposite. Maybe I just can't help but like pretty girls :) Writing and script - pure joy. That's how it's supposed to be done.
I was particularly happy to find this series reasonably neutral in the ideological sense. It presents an interesting dystopian system, with lots of food for thought, but I believe that political propaganda was mostly absent from the plot, unlike so many recent Hollywood productions.
There is a lot of violence, foul language and nudity in the series. I am quite glad I didn't decide to watch it with my 15-year old son. I don't really mind these things--they fit very well with the storytelling style and the plot in general--but I absolutely despise watching sex scenes on the screen when I am with my children. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the violence is all pretended but nudity is not? Whatever, it's just me.
All in all, a great show. 9/10. I can't wait for the next season. Recommended!
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Ideology-soaked propaganda
Ladies and gentelmen, this review stops being gentelmanly after the first three words, just like the movie.
When did Hollywood became so politically involved? Oh, probably long time ago, really. But this is politics at its worst and lowest. The whole plot and star cast is a sham. It is just an attempt at legitimizing and advertizing drugs. It forces an equality sign between *all* drug abusers and the rest of the society. There is even an allegory to the Trump-Hilton presidential race, with a white, male, weird-haired president being portrayed as the bad guy and a similarly white and weird-haired, but female counterpart as the poor girl who gets treated so very unfairly.
In my opinion, Elton John's appearance highlights the same liberal message.
Well, I don't like such propaganda in movies. I don't like any ideological propaganda anywhere.
But if you do, go ahead and watch it. You've been warned.
Ackley Bridge (2017)
Makes me want to cry
I admit I have watched only half of the first episode. It is still too much. I want to turn off TV and forget it even exists. Maybe that was the point. To show what's wrong with the world today. Well now I know. I also knew before, so nothing's changed there.
English education is dead. English morals are dead. English teenagers are very much alive, but their brains are also dead. Wait, maybe this was about zombies and I didn't notice? The acting, the story - I guess they are not so bad. I don't know, I couldn't really shake of the disgust. Because deep down I believe this is how many - perhaps most - schools look like these days.
I say, if education is to look like this, have the guts to finally make it not obligatory. At least our civilization with die with some dignity.
Zootopia (2016)
Good deliverance, bad idea
One thing has to be said about this Disney piece: it is propaganda. Yes, you read right. This is the right name for when a false idea is presented as 100% truth. In this case, nobody even tries to hide it. It has 'utopia' in its very name.
That said, I have to admit that it is pretty well delivered. Great animation (*), decent story(*), nice dialogue(*) and probably a crazy budget. Everything you need. Hence my 3 stars. If only I wasn't so annoyed after watching it with my kid!
Now, obviously this was made with children in mind, and so the tendency to present the world in pink light is not a bad idea. "Zootopia", however, takes it to the extreme and beyond. It sells a lie. It is, in fact, a metaphor of a liberal, multi-culture mix of society, where everybody should turn the other cheek, be politically correct and accept/tolerate just about everything. Just because tolerance is such a nice word. And because the predators can be tamed. And learn to eat carrots.
Well, reality check. They can't. Both in reality and in metaphor.
So, unless you wish to start brainwashing your children's really early, I suggest you wait and let them choose their political affiliation a little later.