chrismireya Reviews

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

So historically inaccurate, it's not worth $1.50 to rent on Redbox!

[1/10 · 2 March 2019]

I was eagerly awaiting this film's release. I was disappointed when it didn't play many places in the Silicon Valley; so, I decided to wait to rent it (streaming) or by Redbox.

I began watching this film approximately an hour ago. I actually turned it off with the last 45 minutes remaining.

Why?

This film is so grossly inaccurate that it is cringe-worthy in its pretense of being a historical period drama.

I understand that Hollywood and other movie studios take certain liberties in presenting a story. However, this is little more than a "politically correct" rewriting of history.

From the "inclusive" cast to peculiar modern sexual subplots, this film completely hurts the underlying story. Apparently, the director thought that it would be prudent to change a primarily English and Scottish characters in the story and make them more "diverse."

I suspect that the director must have felt that it was quite "inclusive" to have black, Hispanic and Asian actors to replace the English and Scottish historical figures. In addition, the director must have felt that it was important to rewrite historical heterosexual characters as LGBT characters in an apparent attempt to insinuate "normalcy" for them at that time (which cannot be further from the truth).

This movie is a gross injustice to the story of Mary the Queen of Scots and the very racial, ethnic and orientation groups that they attempt to "help."

This movie wasn't worth renting.

The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019)

Fantastic 1st season. Decent 2nd season. Cliched 3rd season.

[6/10 · 15 October 2018]

This show was very interesting right out of the gate in the first season. It continued this through the second season -- despite feeling a bit slow and weighty in terms of plot direction.

I would give the first two seasons a 7.5 out of 10.

The third season is something of an enigma. The underlying plot outline is very interesting. The qualify of visual effects and filming is very good. Yet, some of the acting and subplots are a bit annoying.

I would give the third season a 3 out of 10.

The third season picks up shortly after the end of the second. A major subplot involves how American Nazi John Smith's son turns himself in because of his genetic defect. This makes him a Nazi hero -- someone who places the party ideology over self and even family.

This happens just as John Smith is enjoying the repercussions of his acts at the end of Season 2. Meanwhile, Mrs. Smith is trying to come to grip with her deep sorrow of having her son do something that, deep inside, she probably feels was unnecessary.

The West Coast subplot involves Juliana's discovery of her "sister" -- alive and well -- at the very end of Season 2. The West Coast seems to drag on the longest as it seems like a slow-burn rehash of the first season but without the suspense.

The other characters -- new and old -- suffer from meandering in subplot purgatory. So, some characters are stuffed with tired and somewhat ridiculous cliches. For instance, the third season offers two different over-the-top gay subplots that just feel...forced.

Other characters are introduced simply to be killed off within a few episodes. Some subplots are so over-the-top that they seem straight out of an old soap opera.

I feel a bit let down by Season 3. Whereas there are some fantastic story elements in this third season, the unnecessary elements and drawn-out subplots seem to muddy the overall feel of the third season.

The science fiction aspect is probably the best part of the third season -- but it isn't fully amalgamated into the series as cleanly as it should be. It is perplexing when people see the inter-dimensional "traveler" subplot only to quickly (and mostly) go on with life as usual.

There was a lot of missed opportunity in the third season. The acting isn't really the problem. It is the writing that makes this feel a bit long and drawn out with little (or no) payoff.

Rufus Sewell is fantastic as John Smith. Joel De La Fuente is very good in his role as the leader of the Japanese Kempeitai in San Francisco. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is also very good as the Japanese Trade Minister who comes to know the interdimensional "travel" himself. Brennan Brown (as antique dealer Robert Childan) is a standout in every scene.

In the end, however, I am not left cheering for anyone on the show. None of the characters have caused me to feel any sympathy for them (which was a novel part of the first season and, to a lesser extent, the second season). I suppose that the only guy that you come to really sympathize with is poor antique dealer Robert Childan (played by Brennan Brown).

The show certainly sets up a fourth season. I just hope that they learn from their mistakes in writing from this third season. Otherwise, I just don't know who will want to keep watching.

Anne with an E (2017–2019)

Season 1 was great! Season 2 turned into preachy SJW television.

[1/10 · 12 July 2018]

First of all, I am a big fan of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES collection of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I have read all eight of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series of books. I also read the last anthology collection that was finally published until 2009.

I adored the first season of this show. Although there were several changes from book to this series, Season 1 of ANNE WITH AN E (including story, setting and characters) was largely faithful to much of the story and the "feel" of the books.

My issue with Season 2 of ANNE WITH AN E is that it represents a major deviation from stories, plot, characters and settings of the source material. The setting, time period and characters just seem "off." It's like the show stopped being Anne of Green Gables and changed for the second season in order to inject some divisive 21st Century notions about sociopolitical issues as major or underlying plot devices.

Among the many departures from the book series that are found in Season 2, homosexuality is never touched upon in those books. Obviously, homosexuality obviously existed throughout human history. However, at the time of Anne with an E, it was largely rejected by even people who were sympathetic to such individuals.

Homosexuality was -- until more recently -- viewed by scientists, psychologists and health professionals as a mental disorder and social abnormality. Homosexuals were seen as abnormal mental or sexual deviants. It was even against the law in Canada and Prince Edward Island at the time. Few -- if any -- people (including homosexuals) debated that someone was "born this way" (something that is still up for debate today).

I am not saying that a book or TV show shouldn't depict homosexuality from that time period. I am also not saying that TV shows shouldn't sympathize with the plights of such individuals. However, this is not ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. The subject of homosexuality isn't covered in any of Lucy Montgomery's books. Yet, even if it is going to be covered, it should be covered as a realistic depiction of those times. It obviously shouldn't be covered through the lens and whims of 21st Century writers.

This underlines my problem with most of the second season. The showrunners seem to ignore the wealth of great stories in the source material (a total of nine books) in favor of inserting some of the TV show's producers views on social justice and morality. If they wanted to do that, they should have made a completely different show based upon completely different set of characters. It certainly isn't reflective of the Anne Shirley from the books.

What's next?

Will we see a new version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE which includes Elizabeth Bennett's desire to see women break the glass ceiling and win "paycheck equality?" Will we see Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn lament unhealthy lunches in school lunchrooms? Will we see Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester debate "bathroom inclusion" for transgender individuals?

I just wish that a show as great as ANNE WITH AN EA could have avoided the temptation to run down that same old SJW path that so many other shows are taking. It just isn't necessary.

The old ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (with Megan Follows as Anne) was taken almost word-for-word from the first book in the series. The only thing that was left out was Anne's religious exploration (as the minister's wife played a great deal in her character development -- just as was true of author Lucy Maud Montgomery) and some of the darker backstory of what Anne endured as an orphan prior to Matthew, Murilla and Green Gables. That show is just as relevant today as it was when it was released.

Unfortunately, I feel that a third season of ANNE WITH AN E will likely delve into other 21st Century sociopolitical issues. It's a shame, really. I was a cheerleader for the first season. I encouraged many people to watch it. I just don't really feel much for the second. If the third season does the same, I might actually encourage people to ignore it.

The Middle: The Final Final (2017) Season 8, Episode 22

Good episode...until the song-and-dance sequence.

[6/10 · 16 May 2017]

This episode was actually good. The part of the episode that focused on Axl missing his last final exam before graduation was hilarious. However, the Sue and Brad song and dance routine was ridiculously over- the-top for an episode of The Middle.

I kept waiting for Sue to wake up from her La La Land dream (complete with dozens of dancers); yet, it was supposed to be "real." It was weirdly disconnected from the setting of this show.

I would give this show 8 out of 10 -- but that final song-and-dance routine made me drop a couple of stars. In fact, I came close to dropping two more stars, but the rest of the episode was still pretty good.