Reviews

This show has a great opportunity, given the delays resulting from the SAG and writers strikes, but something is just off at this point. First, why do we need an NCIS in Sydney? It's not a political hotspot, the 80's era fascination with all things Australia are behind us, and within the script a case was never made very strongly.

The cast is mostly very good and the locations are beautiful to look at, but the writing is uneven at best. For example, Mavournee Hazel Is a talented actress but her lines are terrible and the social anxiety afflicting her character is so poorly constructed that it's eye rolling far more often than it's convincing. Olivia Swann needed better direction from the get go, but seems to be settling into her role without trying to be the female Steve McGarrett ("I always drive the car, even in foreign countries I'm not licensed in!'). As she's allowed to utilize her charm and competence I suspect her character will work better.

I'm giving it another episode or two to get better, but currently I don't see any shame in punching out. Why are we doing NCIS in Sydney again???

The director and editors of this movie seem to have been very aware they were following a tried-and true Hallmark formula, so they met their running time deadline by skipping over incredibly vast pieces of plot and character development. This makes some of the plot and dialogue awkward at best, but overall it works as an enjoyable film.

Jessy Schram carries the show, but the rest of the cast do a nice job as well (particularly Barbara Pollard). The character of Abby was clearly written for a much younger child, but Lilah Fitzgerald does a terrific job with the part despite this challenge.

The cinematography and musical scoring were well done. Together with the warm cast, this leaves the viewer regretfully reflecting on how his film would have benefited from significantly more more script discipline, biting off less and fully developing what they went with. Alternately, I like to think there is footage from a full movie that got left on the cutting room floor, and is waiting to be reassembled into the fully developed film I know it could be.

NOTE: This is a combined review from a 55 yr old dad and his 14 yr old daughter:

I won't say this is a terrible show, but there are just so many flaws that are increasingly difficult to look past. I appreciate the love for Ashoka, as she is a great character who many love (myself included)...there's just something off about it.

Rosario Dawson resembles the character, but brings no life or personality to her portrayal. There are so many established traits for this character that are missing, and "age" is a sufficient explanation for this lifelessness. Adding to the list if key problems with insufficient excuses, the top lekku (head tails) are absurdly flat and short. Worse, the headband and lekku look like plastic.

Sabine is the best cast character on the show thus far. However, she doesn't need to be a Jedi just because she's cool. Mandolorians are extremely cool in their own right, and she doesn't need to be a wannabe Jedi. Despite good casting, Sabine doesn't have the best writing. Too many of her lines have been pointless, weird, and flat out cringey.

The worst offense this show offers is Hera. Despite my best efforts, I keep coming back to the fact that she isn't Hera. There is little to no physical resemblance between actress and character, and her personality doesn't begin to match the bold, brave, liveliness of Hera. Characters can change over time , particularly after having a child and Kanan's tragic death, but a key character should still have a personality.

Character and casting issues aside, I am reluctantly coming around to the common consensus that this show is dull, boring, and a cash grab. I would love to see more of the Ashoka we saw in s8 of clone wars, Rebels, or the Ahsoka novel by E. K. Johnston which I highly recommend. I remain hopeful that Disney's Ashoka will pull out of it's current dive.

Really surprised that so many talented performers signed on to this film...guessing no one saw the script first. The plot meanders and drags to it's obvious conclusion, while the cast tries hard to salvage the film...if only the director and editor had been as committed.

The first line of the film is telling, and the lack of filters throughout ranges from graphic oral sex specifics yelled at a family holiday to a 7-yr-old dropping an F bomb in what's intended to be a poignant moment. If any of these things had served the plot it might have been justified, but all they accomplished was to reduce the audience that this film is appropriate for.

Holidate could have been a cute Christmas movie with a unique story to tell. Instead, it's an uneven, unnecessarily inappropriate slog that wasted a great cast and took too long to matter.

Wondering why a Star Wars series was named after a Star Trek planet, I checked this out. Production quality is impressive, the acting is very good, and the show gives viewers an "under the hood" look at what happens with the actual individuals who carry out the broad strokes of Star Wars plot elements. However, it's hard to make use of all these assets in the absence of a PLOT!

In fairness, there may be a plot in here somewhere, but the narrative plods along so slowly that when the viewer finally happens upon something of significance (to whatever the story is) they no longer care. I will continue watching for now, just to enjoy the Star Wars universe from a different vantage point, and because the visuals and production quality leave me hoping it will get better.

I liked it. Sure, as a fan of the original I wish the direction and production quality were better, but there are elements of greatness here. Caitlin Bennett is superb, and they would do well to have her character switch roles and become the series lead with Mr. Song as her hologram. Ernie Hudson's character is an excellent carryover.

The pilot had the feel of the early days of several iconic shows that found their greatness. A little patience and studio attention will pay off if it comes, much like series ranging from Silk Stalkings to Marvell Agents of SHIELD.

As that happens, it will require better writers and likely jettisoning anyone on the cast not named Bennett or Hudson. For now, though, this pilot leaves me willing to give it a chance and looking forward to what will come.

This is a wonderful throwback to the 80's films that the whole family could enjoy. It's funny, fun, and doesn't try to be more. It's made for adults but accessible to a wider audience, and as a parent who's seen too many rape and torture scenes I am totally cool with that. There are a few parts inappropriate for children that will go right over their heads, the language is pretty tame, and the bad guys aren't completely dehumanized.

There are a few plot holes, and no it's not 100% realistic, but it's a lot of fun. Sandra Bullock is beautiful and on brand, Channing Tatum works in nicely, production quality is very good and overall the movie is well-cast. It is what it is, and there's not nearly enough of these anymore. 9/10.

A great start that fills in some key dimensions to the Star Wars universe... seeing that sarlac from the inside, getting greater understanding of Sandpeople culture, seeing the day-to-day of holding power. My main critiques are that Boba seems to have the wisdom of age that beyond his character in the original (this Boba does not seem like a guy who would casually throw Han and Luke to their deaths), and he looked pretty old and out of shape when you consider when this is supposed to be set. Still, the visuals are stunning (check out the barge wreckage Luke left behind in the background) and the SFX accentuate the story without becoming the story. I can't wait to see what's next!

An interesting film conveyed through a documentary point of view. I suspect the filmmakers made this film on a tight budget and accomplished a lot by running the narrative in this fashion. It leaves the viewer frustrated that we -- like the characters -- don't know more, but also excuses the filmmakers from having to spring for elaborate (and expensive) special effects. The cast is solid and the characters are believable.

The storyline could have benefitted from additional editing so that less time was spent on factors that ultimately didn't contribute to what the story ended up becoming. While this kept this viewer in suspense wondering what was going to develop, the time could have been used to develop much more relevant pieces of the story further while bringing some if the loose ends into relevance.

Some of the ethical questions raised were intriguing, as were the observations that key parts of government tend to work in closely guarded silos, unaware of what other complimentary parts are doing. However, without enough editorial discipline there wasn't enough time to develop these ideas.

Overall, I found this film interesting and appreciated the unexpected outcome of the plot. I doubt i will watch this again, but I'd definitely check out any sequel.

Tired storylines being stretched past their breaking point, Sam's dialog is out of character, Gerald McReany's character is beyond annoying, and the whole thing suddenly has a comic book feel. New and old cast is very talented, which is the only reason this episode was watchable.

My biggest problem with this series is that we have two leads nicely dressed, well groomed, well dressed and living in a nice home...but we're supposed to see them as slackers, tokers and boozaholics. Next, this could adapt well to a Young Sheldon vibe, but there is a lot of sexual "humor" (*cue laugh track*), which brings me to my third point...Now that I've read all the comments about the overactive laugh track, I cant unhear it

I'm not sure how they recruited this talented cast, but if the show keeps improving they may keep them. With a lot of adjustments and better production personnel, I think there is hope for this show.

A strong cast, with several veteran character actors, and good audio quality are the top strengths of this film. Ultimately, they keep the viewer hanging in as the film plods along, reasoning that the eventual payoff will make it all worthwhile. With a fully developed story, better directing, much tighter editing and better cinematography, all of that might have happened. Lacking that, however, a script with too many plot points unfolds at a snail's pace and never get resolved in any sensible way. Making better use of the uber talented Olympia Dukakis, and balancing the screentime between Rachel Brosnahan and Mary Beth Hurt could have bolstered this films key strengths. In the end, a good story editor and more time in development would have definitely served this project well.

A great FAMILY film, which are getting harder and harder to come by. Terrific performances by the entire cast bring real heart to this film, while excellent cinematography and production ensure that nothing distracts from that. Elaine Hendrix gives a particularly memorable performance, romping through this film with gusto, and the chemistry between Quaid and Richardson was positively brilliant. A great film the whole family can enjoy.

Great casting and nice chemistry makes this a pleasant family film you can watch with your kids around Christmas time. The storyline gets pretty uneven in the 3rd quarter of the film, but the performances are so likeable I didnt mind too much. Kudos to the animal wranglers, the voice actors, and the entire cast. My family enjoyed it.

I'm enjoying this enthralling series, which sucks you in and keeps you on edge in almost every episode. Katee Sackhoff does an excellent job as series lead, and the cast of characters are engaging (if unbelievably young). Special effects are movie quality, and kudos to the props dept for attention to detail. Good casting, good production quality, decent scripts, and Sackhoff's strong performance makes this a show I want to come back to.