gusto0o Reviews

NCIS: A Thousand Yards (2024) Season 21, Episode 7

Concluding NCIS?

[29 April 2024]

The usual high stakes threat isolated to DC, reminiscent of a old cases, and the entire NCIS franchise. McGee finally having the chance to shine and he only put on a tie. Missed opportunities.

Are we being prepped for conclusion or are we being reminded of the "good" years and when we were excited about a thousand spin offs? Unlike Sydney. Cancel that thing already.

Including Gibbs, DiNozzo, Kate, Elly, Jack, but what about Ducky and Abby? I know we recently spent a whole episode on Ducky, but that was a farewell to an icon.

I know McG is working on an "untitled NCIS spin off" about Tony and Ziva, but that isn't what NCIS needs. It needs a little more this era characters, story lines and a little less explosives.

Home Again (2017)

I usually like Reese's movies

[13 April 2024]

A reckless 20 odd something guy, a leader of a trio, with big dreams hits on a woman and ends up effing it up. What a surprise!

A push over 40yo woman going through mid-life crisis, with a manipulative ex, messy situationship, abusive boss, if we can call her that.

And two kids.

What could go wrong? Well, no character has a personality, except maybe the dead guy. Every cliché of a romantic comedy drama or whatever else genre they've tried to cover.

Reese's facial expressions are kindergarten level performance in contrast with her usually well put characters. I've seen better Hallmark movies.

Of course, it all turns out the way it was supposed to at the end. I can't remember any part that stood out to spoil it.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Poirot knock off

[7 April 2024]

Murder on the Orient Express is one of Christie's best books, capturing generatuons of audiences since it was first released, to be butchered by this on and off screen cast.

The obvious, the mustache. Who thought of this one? That specific style was not an actual style. Elements of it, but not that broom.

The athletism of Poirot? What is he, 20 and training for a warrior type of contest? Poirot is dandy, delicate, with very gentle energy and def not stepping in a pile of crap, twice and on purpose. He's dramatic, but not emotional. Definitely not about to cry.

And a little less obviously, he would never miss a chance to make a subtle or sarcastic comment, most people wouldn't get. He'd pepper his speech with French words and he'd never directly tell somebody to fix their tie. He would have never addressed his audience at the end with a dramatic speed with anything but a proud French "Mesdames et Messieurs" Overal I've seen better made for TV films than this star studded Poirot knock off.

Drew (2016 TV Movie)

"Too female" for CBS

[9 March 2024]

The network didn't pick up Drew, because the show was "too female" for their schedule in 2016 even after the pilot did very well with audiences. Imagine a book about a little girl detective, turned 30-something law enforcement agent, solving crime in the big city being too female. The network that gave us five NCIS series with one being sort of led by a female lead and Sydney, with the worst female co-led procedural ever, thought that girl detective, who has amassed an international fandom since it was first written, was "too female". Or was it because Nancy Drew was not going to be played by a blue eyed blond/readhead?

Knives Out (2019)

A fun little who done it, kind of.

[2 March 2024]

A movie if I don't marked as watched, I will probably not remember I have. A fine airplane watch.

I absolutely find Craig's character to have been the worst Southern (?) accent ever. I am not sure where he's supposed to be from to have that "Kentucky drawl" but it's so stupid and annoying, I couldn't listen to what he was saying. His terrible accent didn't contribute to the story in any way and I don't understand why he couldn't just speak in his normal accent. His character didn't have any depth beyond being a "great detective" which was not proven either. Any G grade actor could've played that character. Maybe the point flew over my head.

NCIS: Sydney (2023– )

Pushing it

[11 December 2023]

I've watched the NCIS franchise since Gibbs started the first boat, but this is a bit of a stretch. We get it, US Navy is all over the world and they somehow made it to Sydney, too. Agent Mackey is made so unlikable, it spoils the whole show and even the likability of the other characters, though no personality, doesn't help. The interpersonal relationships are non existant, the weirdness of the team and constant "misunderstanding" of local culture are another testament of US Americans' ignorance of other cultures. Three episodes in and I give up. Not even interested to find out why Mackey is so unlikable. Kudos to Oliva Swann.