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In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
A 4 for its intentions
After watching this with friends, we had a lot to talk about. But probably not the kind of conversation the producers of this film had in mind.
The movie starts off in near supersonic pace, and I'll admit that the first act could have used some rest moments. In fact, after the first act I said "It's as if I have already watched a full movie by now".
But after much intrigue creating a desperate craving to learn more, the pace drops, dramatically. There is not anything wrong with that really, but the tone also changes from peak X-Files to a calmer Twin Peaks episode.
And it's from there the film shows its true colors: a mish-mash of ideas cobbled together, blended with all kinds of woke messages. The sad thing is how the movie often misses the mark of its intended wokeness completely by either completely typecasing certain nationalities or shooting its stronger storylines in the foot near the end of the film.
If I could go back in time to talk with the producers, I would say the following.
1) Do not shoot your entire load of gunpowder in the first act
2) Less is more, filter out bad and mediocre ideas so we can value the good ones more
3) Make your protagonist/antagonist (she's both really) a person we can learn more about gradually.
Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (2019)
I'm just gonna stick with her good, politics-free material. That'll do just fine.
I love Jenny's work in general, and I believe she is very talented on multiple fronts. I was curious to find out what her take on a stand-up special might entail.
What I liked about this was her energy, her versatility with voice and expression, you know, the usual. And of course learning more about her in the documentary parts.
But I'm gonna be frank, a few minutes in she got second chance with me and she wasted it. Usually, whenever somebody uses the word "patriarchy" I take it as a valid excuse to stop listening to somebody. But she got the benefit of the doubt, I decided to try and finish it. Yet, later on, she just had to say something about "white guys saying something against other white guys". It is both terribly racist and sexist, but most of all: it completely missed the mark. It felt as unneeded, but something she desperately wanted to say because well, feminism I guess?
This is probably going to resonate with a lot of people. But I'm just going to try to forget this and act as if I was the fan I used to be.
Big Mouth: Disclosure the Movie: The Musical! (2019)
Big Mouth finally returns to form
I stopped season 3 somewhere in the middle, because I was totally disappointed. It felt as if Big Mouth completely jumped the shark and left the premise, balance and special comedic touch that made it so great during its first two seasons.
But I gave it a second chance. And I gotta say, there was a point in this episode where I was about to quit for good. It wasn't the idea of Disclosure as a musical as a somewhat far-fetched idea for an episode - it's still Big Mouth.
It was the point where I feared this series somehow was going to create "comedy" from sexual abuse between an adult teacher and a student, no matter how relatively "light" the sexual part was (I hate to use the word light here, hopefully you'll just assume I consider any sexual conduct between adults and children wrong, like any sane person should). Fortunately, the writers were well aware of their boundaries as it turned out.
But the best things in this episodes were probably Missy's development and the resulting development in the overarching line between Nick and Andrew. I hope this series will continue to go back to its roots. Big Mouth is about grossness in a lot of ways, but it should be about meaningful grossness, not about vulgar trips to Florida.
Big Mouth (2017)
Good start, going downhill fast
I really loved seasons 1 and 2. It wasn't the first take on coming of age of course - but it was original enough to keep me watching.
But then season 3 came along and it feels as if the writers are having a hard time finding ways to keep the show going without losing its original premise.
Furthermore, the show got political and I don't care pansexual people are out there. I know that. I want to know why Big Mouth bent the knee to the agenda when there are already tons of shows and movies on the barricades.
Seriously, can there be just one show these days that isn't filled with token characters and forced themes? Big Mouth was great. But it should have stopped at its prime, right after season 2.
Arrested Development: Borderline Personalities (2013)
I was warned about season 4...
... and still I gave it a chance. I'm two eps in, and I'm not convinced.
When it comes to pop culture, I am always late to the party it seems. A friend tipped me about this series a year back and I couldn't really get past the pilot. It felt odd, too whacky, not for me. Until I gave it a second chance a few weeks back, and I was hooked. AD was just so fast, it had so much energy, weird callbacks, running gags, dialogue and characters that I did not want it to end.
But at the end of S03 I knew it had to end there. Michael sailing off with his son was perhaps the most striking development in the entire story. Or maybe just Maeby and George Michael.
But now S04 has started and everything is different. The actors have aged visibly - no real problem with that per se, but it feels harder to associate them with the crazy energy and huge momentum they delivered a decade ago.
The kickoff of this season feels like meeting your high school best friend again after 20 years - sure you'll have a lot to talk about, but is there really the same connection? It's tempting to go on like nothing and no-one has changed but you will find out things have. The series has been taken into another direction, in terms of tone and style, but also, something else is missing. I find myself laughing only about the callbacks to previous seasons. And that's telling.
And it's just not enough. AD was well ahead of its time - too much perhaps. It's the kind of show designed for pure binge-watching. It's too bad Netflix wasn't around at the time. Still, there's really no need for exhuming everything that was once great.
GLOW (2017)
So glad I gave this one a chance.
I gave this a 9 only because perfection does not exist.
And I have to admit, I started watching this very reluctantly. What drew me in was Alison Brie, knowing her great voice acting on BoJack Horseman. But I've grown weary of the political trend in Hollywood. And many reviews made me want to skip this, some claiming it was full of acerbic feminism and misandry.
It's not. Instead, it's one of the most powerful dramatic series I've come across recently. All the actors shine, the stellar performances of Brie and Maron in particular. Every character is explored, and no one is outed as being "bad". Instead, you see a lot of development. The characters are surprising and show many faces, often revealing very surprising new sides of themselves - good and bad.
Some people complain it's still a series where the women are ultimately saved by men. It's not. There are no damsels in distress. Instead, the focus is far more on the men knowing they could and should be better to women and finding themselves painfully aware of their shortcomings. In fact, it's very often women saving men.
GLOW is about characters, but very much relationship-driven. Uncompromisingly, it is shown how no one exists in his or herself alone, and how important other people are in our development, particularly in the Ruth-Sam dynamic.
GLOW is simply drama at its best - with a very pleasant amount of comedy. Just watch this and don't be afraid of what the naysayers proclaim about it being merely the next piece of Hollywood propaganda.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Stunning visuals and choreography cannot hide an anemic story and uninteresting characters
There's a lot of fanboys and -girls here in the reviews, apparently. I'm even told that people should not care for a negative opinion, because obviously, if you like something, everybody should.
Alita bored me from the start. There's an entire world behind this story that is not introduced in a compelling way. It seems based off elements you've seen in many franchises before, such as District 9, Elysium, and Blade Runner, but there's no heart in it, because there is no room for such a thing in a 2 hour film. Instead, the story is hopelessly predictable, every plot move is just dull, and even a very talented actor like Christoph Waltz is not allowed to be more than a cardboard father figure.
The only things that save this movie are the visuals and the fighting scenes in particular. I'm a great sci-fi fan, but perhaps this is more for the aforementioned fans of the original anime. Because otherwise, this is just totally forgettable.
If you like truly compelling sci-fi, or something akin of Avatar, let this one slide. If you're happy with forgettable popcorn-entertainment, go.
Narcos: México (2018)
Underwhelming
I'm halfway in and I'm having trouble understanding all the rave reviews about this season. Narcos: Mexico comes across as rather slow, uninspired and playing it safe on the drama part. Perhaps it's gonna accelerate into something interesting soon, I really hope so. But for now, I'm having trouble finishing episodes without getting distracted by more interesting things.
It basically suffers from the same malady most anthology series do: it really doesn't offer anything other than more of the same. The compelling characters from the first three seasons are gone, and I'm having much trouble letting the new ones grow. It seems the series has become lazy, assuming we're gonna be shackled to our screens because... it takes place in Mexico?
Another difference is the sparse use of voice-over. For me, this was one of the most compelling elements of the previous seasons, letting seasons 1 and 2 sometimes border on docudrama, and that really was a good thing. Now, the narrator is just a voice, not an important character as well, while this used to be an outstanding feature of Narcos.
I'm gonna give it a chance until the end, but for now, the fourth season has lost its luster to me.
Life's Too Short (2011)
Some chuckles here and there
Life's Too Short could have been great if it weren't for the fact that it exploits so many previous TV-shows that it's just nothing new. In fact, if you ask yourself the question "What would David Brent be like if he were born a dwarf" you kind of have what this series is about.
It also feels heavily reminiscent of I'm Alan Partridge, and many times it just feels like the same show except with a mockumentary layer around it and a dwarf instead of Steve Coogan. Basically a huge ego that is still in denial about lost glory. And while that can be funny, it just nowhere feels fresh.
Furthermore, Gervais apparently wasn't really sure about which road to pursue. On the one hand, Life's Too Short introduces little people in a more mature, serious fashion, like real actors (for the series itself, not in its universe), but on the other hand, it's short-jokes inbound.
It's an easy and amusing enough series to watch, but don't expect Gervais' next gem.
Trailer Park Boys: Darth Lahey (2017)
This is the crap you get with a Farrelly at the helm
After a rather prolonged lull in quality after S7, I finally found myself laughing out loud more often again in S10 and S11.
But oh my God please, should TPB really get infested with the kind of cheap pop culture references the Farrelly's are known for? Literally copying an entire scene out of Star Wars until it's just sheer idiotic?
By far the worst episode in the series, the result of a weird choice that doesn't do this otherwise good series justice in any way.
The Office (2005)
To assume is to make an ass out of u and me.
I've tried. Twice actually. And I just cannot get myself past season 6. Why this is is still somewhat of a mystery to me.
The only thing I know for sure is that I just got tired of Michael and did not enjoy any parts he was in any longer. It felt as if the writers were assuming I would keep on liking him unconditionally but they failed. Most characters like Dwight, Jim and Pam showed a definite amount of growth, development. Michael on the other hand just keeps on being the pathetic little child he is.
And I *know* that he's supposed to be that way, that's his input. But I felt he was actually just blocking the growth of the characters I really cared for whilst giving no reward of his own.
I have laughed out loud for about 4 seasons. And then it was just fading. The writers took no risks at all with the Jim-Pam relationship, as if they were afraid to displease the audience. Nothing was really happening anymore other than stuff related to Jim and Pam's wedding. I just wanted Michael to quit. His role was over after season 5. And I, being the masochist that I am, spoiled myself only to learn that he would only quit at the end of season 7. A moment that many hardcore US-fans regretted, actually. So something was very off between me and the writers' intent apparently.
In countless interviews, cast members expressed their opinion that a series should not outstay its welcome. And yet they did the exact opposite.
I'm sorry. UK is just better. Well at least they knew when it's enough.
Rick and Morty: Morty's Mind Blowers (2017)
My favorite episode of the season.
At the moment of writing, the season 3 finale has aired and it's finally safe to draw some personal conclusions. And it's a bit counter-intuitive, but this my favorite episode.
Why counter-intuitive? Because I know this was the improv episode of the season, and those usually aren't ranked among the best. But I can't help noticing that if I have to choose an episode to re-watch, it's this one.
To be honest, I was delighted that it wasn't just "IDC 3". IDC 2 was already a lot less funny than part 1, and also felt far-fetched and overdone. This episode is a shining example of the skills of the writing team: presenting a set of highly entertaining mini-stories without spiraling out of control. The overarching story-line was a bit less well-crafted, but this is all very forgivable because of the sheer fun and genius in the short stories. Morty experiencing true level is even among my favorite R&M moments of all time now.
This is why my final verdict is an 8,5. Not a 9 because of the minor flaws in the overall story-line, but more than an 8 because of the well-crafted mini-stories.
Rick and Morty: The Rickchurian Mortydate (2017)
"Unusual"
Well, a 7,5 really.
I've watched this ep two times now and still don't know what to think of it. My gut tells me this isn't the season finale I'd expected, that's for sure.
While the President was a nice character in Get Schwifty, he feels off as a primary antagonist in this episode. And although the dynamic between the US government and Rick makes for some amusing moments, it's not the first time an entire world waged war on Rick. And to be honest, at times the humor was bordering on Family Guy level.
Also, please be modest with the fourth walls will you? It's a fun device, but such top notch writers should know how to preserve its value.
I'm ambivalent about the ending. Although it's pretty obvious Beth and Jerry would somehow get together at some point (Jerry not being a suitable character to keep including in a rogue role IMO), I was somehow disappointed. I felt a bit betrayed by an otherwise good writing team making this move. Beth as a single had so much more potential.
Altogether, the lows of this episode consisted largely of lazy/overused devices and jokes.
I think the quality of this finale will depend on how the show will proceed in season 4. Perhaps the return to the good old Smith family from previous seasons ensures character consistency, a factor so very important for the survival of any series. Perhaps in hindsight this episode will feel more instrumental and its flaws more justifiable.
And that's why I'm looking forward so much to the next season. The Rickchurian Mortydate was not a great episode, but still entertaining, and in many ways promising for the season to come.
Rick and Morty: The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy (2017)
All good things to those who wait.
Finally. After my loyalty was put to the test the past few weeks, Rick and Morty is back. Finally an episode that made you wonder about the the entire season thus far: what took them so long?
But let's quit wailing about the past. This episode brought back everything that makes R&M so great: quirky humor and weird sci-fi adventures with a quality main and subplot and great dialogue.
Also, there is an interesting development here for both Jerry and Morty. Jerry seems to make his first careful moves into becoming less obsessed with being a single father and also, Morty seems to have grown more confident, he even has a few kick-ass dialogue moments confronting both his mother and Ethan. IMO, this episode underlines the great character potential Morty has outside of the familiar Rick-Morty dynamic.
After Pickle Rick, I had become rather cautious of the need for character development in R&M. But this episode (perhaps the best since The Rickshank Redemption) shows that if said development is properly blended into the familiar formula, this series has potential for at least one more season, hopefully more.
Rick and Morty: Pickle Rick (2017)
Another underwhelming episode
I was a little worried after Rickmancing the Stone that R&M had become too heavy-handed now that the female writers are on the team. But I also kept hoping that "Pickle Rick" would be all about good old crazy adventures again, with both a dynamic main and subplot, the crazy stuff that left you almost immediately wanting to re-watch the episode afterwards.
But none of this happened. Instead, Pickle Rick had to fight his way out of the sewer, which was somewhat reminiscent of the familiar adventures from the past. Yet the action had muscle, albeit rat- muscle, but lacked brains. The true reason was that Rick did not want to miss family therapy? Really? The fun of the entire premise was that Rick's self-imposed "challenge" faced him with being being incapable on almost any front. And yet hours later he has developed tiny laser weapons? From what?
The therapy sub-plot was just plain boring. It was not funny, there was no real development, and only served to show what a bitch Beth had become. And this all happened very quickly too IMO. The writers seem to just have jump-started Beth's bitchiness in order to get emotional and heavy-handed, the very thing Rick and Morty just should not be. Summer sniffing glue? Morty wetting himself in class? That was the kind of thing that should have been shown explicitly, not things to be mentioned implicitly in a dull therapy setting.
I know that I as a fan am not entitled to a certain 'kind' of Rick and Morty. But I'm sad (therapy pun intended) to see my favourite series of the moment being ruined by hiring female writers just for the sake of gender-diversity. Again, I do not like politics, but please let female writers write their own shows and we'll see how good they are. Until that time, let's acknowledge that winning teams are not the be changed and unbroken things are not to be fixed.
Please Dan, please Justin, realize how great your show was before it's too late.
Rick and Morty: Rickmancing the Stone (2017)
A decent standalone R&M, yet...
A decent standalone episode of Rick and Morty. That's basically all this long-awaited episode was for me. Rick and Morty has had a few entertaining overarching story lines thus far, but much like South Park, this series shines brightest when it comes in good ol' weird adventures encapsulated in a single episode.
But this episode has also raised some concerns with me about the rest of the oncoming season. I don't want to get all political here, but we all know female writers have been added to the team with the intent of creating more possibilities for character development.
While I am a great fan of Summer and think she deserves a solid role in the oncoming stories, what I fear is that the series will become rather heavy-handed, too much focused on psychological stuff, the divorce, etcetera. And I like Summer and Beth for the fact they're strong personalities in this series.
I just hope the gender diversity of the writing team isn't gonna come at a huge toll, being the very thing that made Rick and Morty so good the past seasons: just plain old sci-fi weirdness. Because in that case, I'd rather have my R&M very 'male', so female writers can excel at other stuff.
Better Call Saul: Fall (2017)
Blood.
We're nearing the finale, and things haven't quite moved as fast as we expected at times. Like any good series, there are promises and rewards for the audience. But what Gilligan manages to do like no other is to turn a reward into a new promise very quickly. And that was exactly what this episode was about.
What was promised to us were advances in the Hector/pill-plot, and in the Chuck/malpractice insurance-plot. Gilligan delivered on both counts, albeit not as thorough on the former. Still, something ultimately has to happen with Hector's condition, and in fact, a stroke in this episode would have felt premature, too soon, nothing like a clever writer like Gilligan. This confronts Nacho with serious consequences for his relationship with his father.
What has been lingering since the start of the season has finally surfaced in full force, being a definite crack in the bond between Chuch and Howard. IMO this is yet another very good promise for further development since all-out courtroom warfare seems to be imminent, and this is a chance to even further exploit the legal drama aspect that has been so prominent this season.
Also, Jimmy is going full-blast to obtain his share from the Sandpiper case and shows off perhaps his most cruel scheme in the entire series. Next to all the increasingly bloodthirsty people, Kim , perhaps my favorite character, has a dramatic encounter with fate. This leaves huge question marks about the Kim/Jimmy-story line, and this is where Gilligan shines: in all your anticipation about when the apple will drop, he quietly lets an entire tree fall behind your back.
So if I had to describe S03E09 in one word, it would be "Blood", in all its different meanings. And I cannot wait till the finale.
Fargo: Who Rules the Land of Denial? (2017)
Season three is really setting itself apart now
The problem with an anthology series is that each season needs to distinguish itself in more ways than just different characters, settings, etc. "Fargo" is a very strong formula, but perhaps the need for distinguishing traits between seasons is even stronger.
And setting itself apart is exactly what this season started doing in this great episode. Not only is it a thrilling, action-laden episode, the magical encounters also display a deep mystical layer interwoven with everything. It almost seems as if a certain spiritual coherence and apparent higher powers at work are what sets this season apart from the chaos and randomness of the first seasons, themes I have greatly appreciated by the way.
Avid Coen-fans will definitely recognize the references and Easter eggs in this episode, but more than just please a familiar audience, these elements point to a very clear direction the third act of this season will be going.
My biggest fear with Fargo has always been that the typical three acts of the original film would start to repeat themselves. After this episode, not only do I yearn for the final episodes, my confidence in a great finale has been restored.