Reviews

Gareth Edwards' "The Creator" isn't a paint by numbers sci-fi flick; it's a trip into a mind-bending and emotional alternate future - with battle between two philosophies that cannot coexist. One side of humanity seeks harmony between AI and humans; the other side fights to win the "Humans versus AI" conflict, believing that loss = extinction. It's like trying to choose between a digital utopia and an Armageddon nightmare. Gareth Edwards pulls it off with style.

The movie juxtaposes between these two contrasting worldviews using visually stunning "uniforms." One team is represented by "Zen" like New Asian "harmony" vibe that values all life; while the other team uses a military industrial complex motif, dark corridors, heartless soldiers. At the same time, you have a group of researchers attempting to create/raise an electronic savior figure that will rescue the oppressed AI - a futuristic "Moses." It's done well.

The film's visuals are nothing short of spectacular. Gareth Edwards, despite reportedly raiding the piggy bank for his budget, manages to weave magic with the camera. (It has to be...right?!? I mean look at the price!) The scenes are a visual feast, and you find yourself forgiving any budget constraints because the cinematography is on point.

The special effects - they're downright incredible. Every frame is a testament to Edwards' visual genius. He filmed this all on location, without "Green Screens" and then had the effects' studios work within the palette he and his cinematographer created. Mr. Edwards has pioneered a way to make a low-budget blockbuster without sacrificing an ounce of the sci-fi wow factor. This movie (and Godzilla Minus One) is going to re-invent how studios spend their money.

"The Creator" was a roller-coaster of emotions and ideas, wrapped up nicely for my holiday season. Gareth Edwards manages to juggle the complexities of his AI vision while treating our eyes to a cinematic smorgasbord of awe-inspiring scenery and mind-blowing special effects. It doesn't matter if you're into the whole "Can humans and AI be friends?" debate or whether or not the U. S. MIC is bad, etc. "The Creator" is a sci-fi gem that does what "Sci-Fi" is supposed to do.

I loved it - 9/10. (Btw, I couldn't get my kids to watch this for some reason. They heard that it was "too slow" and for the "over forty crowd!?!")

Jim Jefferies' "This Is Me Now" is a story-filled, entertaining comedy special, filmed in England that currently appears on Netflix. Mr. Jeffries comes to us via Australia, which gives him a rather strange accent. In spite of being a foreigner, he has earned a place in our household. :p

We've been entertained by his other specials...so, I didn't hesitate to watch this. I'm glad I did. Using a cooking analogy, I'd say that this program warmed us up quickly, establishing a pleasant simmer the entire show. Continuing the analogy, I can honestly say that It was a satisfying meal.

Throughout, Jefferies relates stories that could happen to anybody. But his point of view, via his special prism, interprets things in such a way that makes him unique. His jokes are always witty, clever, and often politically incorrect. (In fact, he frequently talks about hot-button issues.) You might disagree with him philosophically, but he's never mean spirited (part of his Australian charm - similar to that of a well-intentioned, but shortsighted friend?!?).

In short, I'm always drawn to a Jim Jeffries show. He takes chances with his stories, and he paces his shows like a professional boxer - nailing the finish. Overall, I would highly recommend "This Is Me Now" to anyone looking for a good laugh. I'd give it a solid 9/10!

What a change it is to go to the movies to be entertained. I liked this much more than Thor (we watched both on the same day). "Nope" was original, interesting, and fun. It isn't a "masterpiece." Yet, "Nope" is one of the best movies of the year (I understand, this year at the movies hasn't been that good). I hope that Mr. Peele continues to grow and make such fine movies. I hope that you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Sorry, I couldn't get into it. It's like picking thru the mind of an elderly Asian woman and learning why she hates her life, why she can't figure out her lesbian daughter, then blames her dad for it all. That's it in a nutshell. If you got the time to sit down and go thru their philosophy, this is your thing. I've heard people mention "nihilism". Nah...it's "absurdism" all the way. People walked out, not to come back, just to walk out.... I cheered them on. It was an experience..that, ultimately, wasn't my thing. I'm not glad I saw this.

I loved Depp, Green, Pfifer and the rest in this. I saw the IMDB rating and I was turned off for a bit...but it did have some well known stars and Mr. Burton did direct it. So, I gave it a shot.

I'm glad I did. Leave the old baggage of an almost forgotten TV series behind. Then, go back if you must and see the other series. I have, and I enjoyed the humor here more so than the gothic gloom of the original.

This movie is not high art, and you shouldn't hold it to those standards. It is just as good, if not better, than many Batman movies, James Bond movies, anime movies, I can go on.

It does what many movies fail to do, engage the audience and entertain. This is why it is so high on movie streaming channels. It entertains as it beckons you into its story.

Does the movie inspire/change people? Is it Oscar worthy? Does it move its audience to tears. No, all it does is make you consume more popcorn while you root for the hero of the story.

This deserved sequels. Amazon/Netflix should find a qualified director, take this up and give us the vampire/werewolf/Frankenstein's monster that we could enjoy just like when Bela Lugosi was around.

I won't lie to you, there are some pretty stupid plot holes and translations that don't make any sense. Also, it's difficult to put up with a certain character after a while. However, the series has plenty of scenes that will pull at your heart. I have a lovely family and if something happened to them, I'd be lost too.

So, I put up with the dross in order to find the gems. The gems are worth it. Not quite as good as the Korean police drama, "The Good Detective" or some of the others. It is still very much enjoyable.

The ending was "Clue"-like and its execution was passable. I'm glad I finished it. I hope that there isn't a season 2.

Rarely do you see such a well-produced, well-written and well-acted animated adventure. I do not call it an anime or cartoon, since I believe that it transcends the majority of works out there. It stand up well with the very best of entertainment. The creators held nothing back and gave it their all.

Did they know that they were creating something special? I don't know...but this is/was incredible. Try not to read to much about this series. Sadly, once watched you can never go back to the 1st time ....such sweet remorse. Here's hoping for a quickly arriving season 3!!!!

He-Man Masters of the Universe Revelations is really about the sidekicks, Teela and Evillyn, but that's okay. There are some incredible lines in this series. I am not a fanboi of He-Man. I thought it sucked while I was growing up. Yet, my friends and little brothers loved it. So, I suffered through every single stupid episode.

This was better...way better.

At the beginning it had a story, character development, an interesting plot.

The last two seasons were paint by the number tropes and fights that last long past their due date. There wasn't anything to engage the viewer. I felt bad for all the other fans that stuck with the anime until the end...sad.

Hopefully, my other favorite animes: Overlord, How to Pick Up a Girl in a Dungeon, Rising of a Shield Hero, etc. Aren't as predictable.

A great show all the way around. Great setting, great characters, great acting and great cinematography. The directors purposely tried to tug your heartstrings. It's all about choices. I'm glad that I made the choice to watch it...now I'll have to drag my wife to see it with me :)

IMHO I've enjoyed the entire run of "Lost in Space." You can't please people. This has been a fine series. Changes had to be made. Do you make Dr. Smith campy/serious. Do you make Mrs/Dr. Robinson just a decoration like she was in the 60's? How many times do you want Dr. Smith to take apart the robot and rebuild him? This is/was an incredible re-imaging of the 60's show. I like the characters, even the enigmatic robot. If you didn't come into the show with baggage and you hated it, fine. I grew up dreaming about space...from Star Trek and Lost in Space...even the old black and white Flash Gordon episodes. Battle Star Galactica/Buck Rogers came later (I didn't like Buck that much). I'm glad I got to see somebody take another stab at it.

In fact, as I was thinking it thru...the original was very much a kid's show. Will Robinson was the main character. Furthermore, I will state for the record that this show is better than the original in every way.

The show highlights the lengths that families will go to in order to save each others' lives. It's a beautiful/lovely show.

I have BluRay/DVD of this anime. I've watched the episodes over and over. I put Cowboy Bebop up there with Samurai Champloo, Ghost in the Machine, Dororo, Akira, the list goes on. I only watched the live action show to make fun of Netflix's effort...and boy I did - at the beginning.

I disliked the wooden acting, the telegraphed choreography, the character changes (I dislike pandering...why not follow the vision of the original creator?), etc. However, things came together soon enough and, by episode 5, I recognized that this was an awesome creation in and of itself.

Even a couple of my teenagers decided to watch it with me. They weren't going to, but they saw me laughing and decided to see what all the hubbub was about. Still, it's hard to watch a show when you know where it ends up.

It's a melancholic exercise. Don't give up on this, folks. Consider it as an alternate universe of the original...a re-imagining... with some different characters/story-lines to keep things interesting for the old-schoolers...sometimes very different.

Artwork: great Music: okay Voice acting: great Voice Over Dubbing: okay Story: A to B and no inbetween...unengaging.

A very linear story that is only slightly different than the original Netflix film "Bright." I suspect that this doesn't follow the original mythology either. When did the dark one come and give a poor reputation to all the orcs?

Uninteresting script that alienates a major portion of the audience, acting talents wasted with plodding pace, I'm more than halfway thru it...I'll finish it because I wanna support DC. This wasn't too horrible per se, but far beyond what DC needed to keep people's interest.

Fight starts, exposition, fight ebbs and flows, more exposition, fight is too close to call, even more exposition. Fight over.

Rating: meh.

So many poorly written scenes:

People walk unarmed into a situation knowing that they're gonna meet a serial killer - thereby risking themselves and their entire family?

Girl needs to buy a fake positive pregnancy test, looks for an offer online to purchase one and the seller ends up being her wicked, maniacal father? The guy she just escaped from?!? B. S.

I'll follow just to see if they change back to their "original" forms.

----Below are my feelings after having watched the entire season---

Watched entire series. It was a mish-mash of the worst soap opera tropes. Entire storylines were completely nonsensical. Sure, the acting was okay, but the story was horrible. I had to skip so many parts. I had the idea that this story was only created as a vehicle to showcase certain stars, leaving the plot as a distant, bothersome, consideration.

My family watched this tonight. We enjoyed it immensely.

The characters seem much more down to earth and relatable. Then, there are the usual tropes but they are executed in a more intimate manner than many of the DC/Marvel/et al stories.

I am hoping this becomes a series that Netflix helps to develop.

I would recommend it - especially on a boring, late, Thursday night.

Simply stated, this is one of the best police dramas I have ever seen - regardless of its language. I am a 54 year old high school language teacher. I have plenty of experience with daytime soaps and prime time programming here in the United States. We don't leave the house. However, I still feel as if I've traveled to Korea. This was an incredible way of spending our Covid lockdown and I state sincerely that I have enjoyed each and every single one of the 16 episodes - compare it to Hill Street Blues - Korean Style.

"The Good Detective" was very well directed, very well scripted and very well-acted. There was an incredible tension between the protagonists and the villains!!! I cared about the people and I would scream out loud so often that my family forced me to watch in my bedroom.

So many of the episodes ran me through an emotional gamut - the acting/direction was top notch. The plot twists and engaging characters drew me in and kept me watching. I would say that I liked this even more than "El gran hotel" - which, if you have seen it, is very high praise. (I've watched "Gran Hotel" more times that I will admit - I teach languages :) )

I hope for a second season. Nevertheless, this season was perfect. You never want to say good-bye to friends. And, if this is all we get from these characters, I understand. At least I can watch it over and over again on Netflix when I need to see them again.

Acting good...script poorly done. Too many cooks in the pot. Dracula Untold was a better story for this franchise.

Tom is as good as always. Russell Crowe was over the top - in a good way.

Sofia was a very good mummy.

Sadly, the story wasn't enough to interest me or the boys.

I took my wife and three boys to see the movie tonight. My boys gave the movie a ranking of 8-9 on a 10 pt scale; while my wife and I gave it a 7.

I felt that the story was okay: okay character development, an okay story arc and better than average acting from Spidey and the Vulture.

Now,again, understand that my children didn't grow up with comic books. They haven't seen all three different versions of Spider-Man brought to the big screen. My boys liked this movie a great deal and so will most adolescents. However, if you are older and have had more than a passing interest in the original story, lower your expectations.

Honestly, there was nothing bad here - but there was nothing better than what I've seen before. Each previous actor: Toby McGuire, Andrew Garfield and now this new young man - brought something different.

The first two Spidey movies had great action suquences, they were very good and Toby did a great job. Then, came Andrew Garfield's movies and there was chemistry galore between Spidey and Gwen.

The third time's the charm right? To succeed as a new reboot you can't retread what the other two versions covered. So, this new movie focuses more on the anxiety of being a very young web-slinger. Furthermore, to modernize this movie, the director added/changed a great deal of the supporting details that I thought I knew.

I understand the move...they want this to be accessible to a wider audience. The director made an effort to make this movie more politically correct. Coming from an older comic fan's perspective, this challenged my preconception of the world that Spider-man used to inhabit. Things are always changing - right?

However, if Marvel wants change things why keep the old Spidey/Peter Parker story line and not go with their Mexican-American version with Miles Morales? Why not make Ned an overweight Spider-Man? Why can't the main characters find a love interest that is a normal, smart, average looking person, you know...that type you find in every high school? Wanna shake things up? Under the suit Iron-Man could be Pepper Potts - right? The power comes from the money and the electronics. Let's be blunt, even Marvel said that the new Thor was going to be female.

Maybe, after all I've written, I'm tired after viewing too many Marvel formulaic adventures. The movie is somewhere between okay and good.

This is rant - so don't expect too much.

You know, seeing all these reviews about Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship and all the people slamming those who were struck by it appears odd (Hey, snobbery is good and alive I guess). It appears that 50,000 plus people were affected by this movie enough to write about it. Oh I know, the masses are all wrong and I am enlightened because I can analyze plots, acting, direction, music score, lighting, etc.(Which always makes me wonder about who is enlightened about the enlightened people?)

I will quote one of my favorite professor's of poetry - Prof. Moon. It is not what a poem says that is important but how it makes you feel. I believe this applies to films too. Sure to many LOTR is over-rated. So is the Jabberwocky, but it makes me feel good. It is a great movie that takes you somewhere else. So this then, is a top notch film, and if it makes number one then so be it. (Actually, I enjoyed it more than The Godfather.)

Now the review of certain elements ;)

Ok, now that I have read the book again, I still love the movie. This is coming from a person that helped his brothers paint their room with a HOBBIT mural - all without permission from mom of course. My family, from my mother on down to the youngest of us were enraptured in 1974 with Tolkein and his works. Middle-earth has been a favorite character of ours - like a welcome neighbor that pops his head in every once in a while. And when Mr. Jackson decided to come out with a movie version with actual actors on a screen, I cringed. How can a movie match a child's imagination. (It does rather well, but you must remember that it is an adaptation!)

The story has a simple premise, good vs. evil. But how fearful the evil!! All creatures, small and great, tremble at the mention of MORDOR - think of a fallen angel and you'll have a good idea of his history. And the movie gives us many a good suggestion of his might. But the power of evil and Mordor lies in its focus - it wants one thing and it consumes all in its path. The world has changed and many powerful allies have disappeared. Good's former strength is diminished.

The story then is about how good regroups to form new leadership, alliances and powerbases while evil has no such problems. It is the story of the changing of the guard, from one age of wonder to a different and more pragmatic one. If this interests you then these three movies will grab you. If you read the book(s) though understand this: Mr. Jackson changed parts here and there.

Things that could have been changed:

I would have included the trip to the Lady Galadriel. Sorry Mr. Jackson but it would have given us an idea of what the world was like before Mordor stained and tired it.

The representation of the elves. To me they come across as cold and not that important. This story is their swan song. They are passing out of the world of magic into the world as we know it. I expected to see more warmth, wisdom and a sadness from having seen too much evil.

Things that I enjoyed:

The Shire - In the movie the Shire is well... the Shire!! The Hobbits are good people all around if you spend the time to get to know them.

Gandalf, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins - Okay, you know they did a good job when you read a book and you see Ian Mckellen there instead of the wizard you imagined before. IMO this is far far better than a silly Oscar.

Even though many lines are changed I still enjoyed the characterizations of Sam Gamgee, Merry and Pippin. They should be in their 50's as hobbits, but hey - it's Hollywood. Nevertheless, they really are Hobbits.

Arwen - She did not need to take Glorfindel's role to be introduced earlier on but it works and she is great. Really she plays a much more important role later in the trilogy.

The dark riders, Moria, the Balrog - Mr. Jackson understands how to communicate evil - brrrrr - it really is that good. The Balrog is primal and epic in stature!

I didn't write this to convince the naysayers but to interest those fans of Middle-earth that are standing on the lines. It is a great film, see it and if it is good - it will entertain you. It did me. You did notice that I did not say it was the best film of all time - I am reserving judgement until my eighties when I can snort at all you young whipper snappers out there and give authority to the phrase, "I remember when I was a young man..." (Or until they make a film with Marisa Tomei, Winona Ryder and...never mind 8-)