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Max-Goodseeker
Reviews
Friday Night Lights: I Can't (2010)
The Episode that Killed a TV Show, and a Baby
This single episode ruined the entire show.
The main characters are completely okay with or outright encourage mutilating and killing babies in the womb.
The characters express their discomfort and unease about going through with it... hm, I wonder why? It's almost as if you are killing an innocent human being for convenience?
This just shows how much Hollywood misrepresents culture that they don't understand for the normalization and advancement of their own degeneracy.
The script does its best to dehumanize the child (as all massacres require), but listening to how nonchalantly they talk about "terminating the pregnancy" is honestly disturbing and off-putting.
Australian Survivor (2016)
(Almost) Better than US Survivor... One Fatal Flaw
(TL;DR below)
Australian Survivor is so much more enjoyable than US Survivor, mostly thanks to the longer run-time. More time lets viewers immerse and connect with the participants more deeply. Plus, conversations and conflicts are fully played-out so that you can easily understand the context and weight of each situation; much unlike its American counterpart where everything is shoddily spliced together with jarring cuts to maximize drama while cramming as much into standard programming time as possible.
The contestants themselves seem to be much more likeable versus those on the American version because they truly demonstrate decency and comradery toward one another throughout the competition. Don't get me wrong, cutthroat subversion and betrayals keep it interesting, but the contestants on this version of the show openly display remorse in having to do those things, and you can tell that they genuinely care for one another. That creates a particularly satisfying payoff toward the end of each season when, as a viewer, you can tell that those remaining have developed an incredible bond through shared experiences.
The music can be a hair over-the-top at times, but the show doesn't rely on bombastic sound effects and heavy edits to artificially enhance the tension. A lot can even be said about the show's cinematography. There are plenty of really stunning and creative shots that artistically remind viewers of nature's beauty (and terror).
HOWEVER.
One major issue is that the producers interfere with the show to an extreme degree. Look at Season 6 as the case and point. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but there are several instances where producers randomly break fundamental rules of Survivor; so much so that it completely detracts from the quality of the show.
Oftentimes, it leaves the audience wondering how permanent any given decision is and has probably made contestants frustrated that, no matter how masterful their strategy may be, it is subject to random producer interference at any moment. The whole point of Survivor is that it emulates the very basics of human society and provides a miniature case study of how people naturally arrange themselves into groups and hierarchies. This concept is fascinating because viewers get to watch as a group of "survivors" essentially reconstruct civilization at micro-scale while fighting for supremacy as the dynamic of power evolves from physical in nature to social. Producers trying to force drama into the show with gimmicks and arbitrary rule changes seem to be out-of-touch with what makes Survivor so gripping in the first place.
This aspect alone brings the show down from a 9/10 star to a 5/10 star... that's how disappointing and egregious the producer interference is.
TL;DR: Australian Survivor is better than American Survivor because it is enjoyably presented as more of a creative documentary following a group of "survivors" attempting to weave through complex social, physical, and psychological dilemmas until only the best remains. Whereas, the American show is just a flashy game show that happens to follow a group of people on an island who are desperately vying for screen time. It needs to work out kinks in the mechanics of the game itself, but once it does, it will be the best version of Survivor on TV.
Suicide Squad (2016)
A Simple Pros & Cons List - No Spoilers - "What's with DC and Instant Friendships?"
*Just like the film, this review is NOT bound or subject to the original Suicide Squad comics. They are different, and that is okay.
CONS:
A "Trailer Movie" - most of the film seems like it was made for the gazillions of trailers that were released. It's never good when 40%-50% of the film feels like something you've already seen in a commercial. Not only that, but it all felt as if it were just a trailer for upcoming solo films/Justice League. Marketing did a phenomenal job with this film.
Run-of-the-Mill Conflict/Story Arc - SOOOOOO yawn-worthy. A completely generic, factory-produced superhero conflict/story arc/antagonist in an already superhero-saturated Hollywood. They really need to start considering more creative angles with this stuff.
Sympathy for psychopaths? - the director definitely was trying to make the audience "feel bad" for Harley Quinn and the Joker. Anyone else find that strangely uncomfortable?
Corny/Immature Script - pretty self-explanatory. Movie lacked any intellectual conversation/humor, seemed like it was written to entertain a group of (PG-)13 year olds.
Diablo - an "eh" character who's actions are totally predictable.
What's with DC and Instant Friendships? - did anyone else notice that the characters had absolutely minimal personal interaction before they started saying dumb stuff like "no one hurts my friends!" (or whatever). Reminds me of another major DC movie that came out earlier this year... *sips tea*
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Reigns Superior - this movie felt like DC's attempt to top GotG, by using 'grittiness' as the competitive factor. Unfortunately (if this were their true intention), only an R rated Suicide Squad would have had the potential to dethrone the group-superhero king.
Serious Pacing Issues - not that the pacing was fast, but it was disorganized. Fast then slow then flashback then action then flashback etc.
PROS:
Harley Quinn's Portrayal, Motives & Background - as expected, Margot Robbie nailed this performance. Not to mention, they actually did a spectacular job depicting Harley Quinn's involvement with the Joker and her true, deepest desires (that scene was SO good & kinda sad).
The Joker - they succeeded in their quest to introduce a new, unique, spectacle of a Joker, and Jared Leto was envelopingly creepy. His new portrayal of being a 'gangster-ish' villain is a nice twist on the character, but they didn't demonstrate enough reasons for why people should actually FEAR him. I'm sure this will be addressed in future films, though.
Batman V Deadshot - okay maybe this is my wildcard, but I thought they set-up this inter-character conflict in a suspenseful, interesting manner. I'm definitely looking forward to future interactions between the two.
Continues More Fluent Universe than Marvel CU - Suicide Squad was very fluent, in that it kept the continuity of the DC Universe more clean and organized than the muddled/permeated Marvel CU.
Good Soundtrack - a great mix of modern music with gritty twists/remixes; some sequences had a "Great Gatsby (2013)" feel to it, which is always a good thing.
OVERALL:
Suicide Squad was a marketing-based film. More effort/creativity went into the advertising rather than the production itself. Regardless, it was fun-to-watch and had its bright moments.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
At Least Worth Watching - "Wonder Woman was Great, BUT!"
It seems as though viewers of Batman v. Superman are split solidly into two camps: completely loving it or totally hating it. As simplistic as this may sound, this is because the movie has MANY elements that are either absolutely amazing or cringe-worthily awful, with very few scenes of true Hollywood neutrality/mediocrity.
Normally I would shy away from doing this, but because of the nature of the film, I believe a hate/love list would do the most justice (ba- dumb tiss).
LOVED:
- The movie tackled some quite sophisticated themes for the modern- day Hollywood, let alone for being a superhero movie. There was a deeper, intellectual debate that made me surprisingly introspective. MORE IMPORTANTLY, the main characters also choose opposing sides on these matters, and Snyder kept the themes prevalent throughout the film.
- Dark nature of the film makes the impossible idea of a superhero- laden universe just a tad more believable. At least, it's a step- away from the relentlessly light-hearted Avengers movies where the most emotional trauma suffered is from that of the death of a very minor side-character.
- The new, "bulky, shock-troop, vengeful" Batman is VERY convincing. I, too, was skeptical of Ben Affleck being cast as the new Dark Knight; however his performance/portrayal will leave you pleasantly surprised (subjective, but I was rooting for him!).
- Hans Zimmer does it again! The soundtrack was characteristically amazing. It's sad to hear that he is mulling retirement.
- For those with a more primal focus (I kid!), the action sequences were very entertaining, despite the fact that some of the CGI was lackluster. My favorite scene was hands-down the (K)nightmare.
HATED:
- I'm trying VERY hard not to give anything away, but the big character-switch of the movie was completely unconvincing. Not only did this character have a long-standing, fervent opinion on certain matters, but they uproot their beliefs on how things should be done and completely switch sides in literally a matter of seconds. A sloppy, lazy character "development" that they tried to justify with a very weak excuse aimed at the character's past.
- Keep your pitchforks in the garage, because Wonder Woman was great, BUT! she stole absolutely imperative screen-time from Superman. The Man of Steel rarely found combative success in the movie and could have used more time in the spotlight (it is Batman vs. Superman after- all).
- Main "villain", a.k.a., the CGI Punching Bag, was such a boring cop-out. My problem with monsters as villains is that they are completely un-empathetic and their actions aren't twistedly justifiable. You'd think that after the Joker's success in the Dark Knight, they'd have figured it out.
- Batman vs. Superman was horribly predictable. If you've seen it, you'll know what part(s) I'm talking about. This may be typical in the superhero-film industry, but come on, get a little risky every once in a while.
Side-Notes:
A) Any (superhero) movie is far better when experienced in theaters, I suggest you check this one out while it's still playing.
B) 2 1/2 hours may seem like a long time, but as long as you have comfortable chairs, a lot of popcorn, and an appreciation for thorough plot-detailing and hidden Easter-eggs, you'll be just fine.
Love it, hate it, or come away having both feelings at the same time, should you choose to see Batman vs. Superman, you'll experience one of the three. It's hard to walk away from this film with the mere feeling of, "Eh, that was okay. Might see it again, who knows?"
The Village (2004)
Only Hated by Horror Movie Lovers (No Spoilers)
If you were expecting to see blood and guts, with horrible monsters that mutilate hopeless victims on screen, don't see this movie.
If you are expecting a masterfully crafted film with a mind-twisting (in a good way) plot, a romance that puts human love in perspective in a way that will move you, and one of the most beautiful soundtracks of all- time, this is the movie for you.
This movie is so disturbingly underrated, it makes me cringe. Who knows what happened back in 2004 with the film's marketing campaign, and who cares? The only bad ratings come from those misled few 12 years ago who thought it was a horror movie. Cast that pre-disposed notion aside, and I cannot see how anyone would not at least appreciate this movie. Do yourself a favor and WATCH THIS BEAUTIFUL FILM.
Far and Away (1992)
Quick Review, No Spoilers
Overall, Far and Away was a good film made beautiful by a stunning soundtrack and gorgeous scenery. Concerning the plot (the most important part of ANY movie), you'll really appreciate the drastic character developments and grande-scale, almost fate-like essence to the story itself.
I've found that some say the movie was lesser due to the sub-par Irish accents, but that is such a petty thing to get upset about. It's not completely convincing, but yes, it resembles an Irish accent just fine, and that is enough for me. Would you rather have some cut-rate actors that can't conjure a fraction of the on-screen chemistry shared by Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, just for the sake of a 'good' Irish accent? I didn't think so. Let it go and enjoy the beauty of this movie.
This is one of those films that isn't the best thing you've ever seen, but will still leave a lump in your throat and have you wanting to watch it over-and-over to relive this empathetic romance.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Fails to Deliver
With all the hype surrounding the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and after viewing the film, one might be lead to believe that almost all of the budget was devoted to the marketing department. Perhaps it's not that simple, but the film itself was, overall, a complete letdown. From unwelcome and distracting humor interjections that fell short of adding a comedic essence, to one of the worst character deliveries in the introduction of new villain Kylo Ren, Star Wars: The Force Awakens left many leaving the theater unsatisfied and skeptical of the series' future. Many also claim the film is just 'lacking' something, which I believe are the result of three major flaws in the film itself:
1) Was this a modernization of Star Wars: Episode IV or what? Read the 'most helpful' review, "It is not a sequel, but a remake"
2) Lack of Star Wars' 'epic' nature: Perhaps it is due to the above issue, but the latest installment of the series lacks the grand- scale-like nature of the first six movies. The movie couldn't even successfully establish any excitement for how the story will continue.
3) Save for Kylo Ren, yawn-worthily weak character backgrounds will anger those who relish a deep character connection: (however, I was very pleased to see the fantastic performance by John Boyega as Finn). I agree with an earlier review, that simply showing Kylo Ren's internal struggles way before they did would have provided at least some empathy/personal connection to the character. Are those two things not what made Darth Vader so unsettlingly adored? Before this drags on too long, I'll only mention that the new protagonist, Rey, has her likability threatened by an exceedingly mediocre background and character development then subsequently doomed by a boring delivery on Daisy Ridley's behalf.
I understand that most viewers are torn between either loving or hating the new film, and that many opinions (including my own) may change after seeing it a time or two more. When all was said and done, I was left entertained, but disappointed. A short-term success for Disney.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
What... Did I Just See...
If I gave a summary of the book, I still wouldn't have to label this as having spoilers.
Even if you haven't read the books, how could someone possibly enjoy this garbage? How is this a 'Trial' at all? This is a boring and horribly predictable escape film. Also. the Cranks weren't zombie-like for the most part. In fact, they were buy and large still sentient people that lived in somewhat civilized communities, depending on the degree of their infection. I'm pretty sure that the only similarity between the book and the movie is that they used the same names of the characters. That's about it.
'Awful' does not do this movie justice, it was repulsive. The only positive reviews probably come from some stunt-double or an intern on set.