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darth-godwin
Reviews
Jurassic World (2015)
Predictable
I watched this on an airline flight. After 30 minutes I fell asleep. On the return flight I forced myself to watch the rest. Within 40 minutes of the start of the film I knew who was going to die and who wasn't, how the story was going to resolve (if you can call it that) and the fact that I didn't care about ANY of the characters. I also couldn't name a single one of them. There was more character development in the Flintstones. People did the same stupid things that NO ONE would actually do in real life (yelling when there's a big killer dinosaur looking for them, standing up on high ground etc.) The story was so thin it was probably written on a cocktail napkin. Special effects guys did the usual amazing job, and Pratt tried REALLY hard, but that doesn't make it a good movie. I was grateful when the turbulence hit my plane and the pilot interrupted it. I cannot believe that this utter pile of garbage took in a billion dollars. Please...no more sequels, take the billion and use it for some good, instead of torturing people.
Universe (1960)
Major Influence
This film was one of a series of films made by the CNFB. However, there is no doubt that it had a huge impact when it allowed Stanley Kubrick to imagine making 2001 A Space Odyssey. Largely uncredited are the special effects of Wally Gentleman who went to England to work with Kubrick on 2001. Also the other reviewers complaints about the narration are somewhat amusing since the voice is Douglas Rains, the same Canadian actor who was the voice of HAL 9000 and perhaps one of the most famous movie voices in history! Worth seeing and if you want to hear more of Rains check out the CNFB films on major religions of the world. Hear HAL 9000 talk about Buddhism!
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
Very well done
Would it be too ironic to say "thank God" for this? Neil Tyson is the natural heir to the great Sagan. I own the original on DVD and still watch it every once in a while. With over 30 years of hindsight it still stands up. I like how the new show doesn't try to just retell Carl's old stories. I think he'd like that too. I've already learned new stuff from this new version and I've got the original memorized. I kind of like the animation approach too. I hope this is the beginning of a trend in Hollywood. Apparently the National Science Foundation have opened an office out there to help them make more accurate shows and movies. Keep up the good work and for Carl's sake (!) don't dumb it down for anyone. Great job.
America Unearthed (2012)
Execrable
Spotted this show on the HISTORY channel and thought it sounded interesting. This should be in breach of some kind of law against false advertising. The episode I started to watch was about (get this) Egyptians in Illinois, and I don't mean the kind fleeing from Tahrir Square. I'm talking from BC. Apparently the dimwit hosting this show thinks that Cleopatra's son came to America 2000 years ago and decided to move into an inaccessible cave half way up the side of the Grand Canyon in a spot where you can't even get to today. Why not Jimmy Hoffa has an apartment in there? Or maybe Elvis is running a health clinic in there. This stuff is an insult to the people who really made History. Next thing this guy will be telling us is that he found all the impact marks from Wile E Coyote down by the river.