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sebastianmitton
Reviews
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
A farewell to Jesse Pinkman
El Camino was to Jesse, what Felina was to Walt.
I was fine with how Breaking Bad ended, and was fine with how they left Jesse's character driving off into the night. But over the last few episodes of Breaking Bad, the show focused more on Walt and very little on his off sider.
El Camino was the farewell to Mr Pinkman that we didn't quite get from Breaking Bad.
Before the movie came out I had asked the question " is this going to be a story worth telling?"
My answer? Yes, El Camino was a story worth being told.
Warcraft (2016)
Had potential to be better than average.
Warcraft - The Beginning
To put it simply, the film serves well to fans of the already established franchise. That is, if you are familiar with the Warcraft universe you have a much higher chance of enjoying this than someone who is not familiar at all.
I liked the film, seeing the characters and locations I know and love up there on the screen is what made it for me. But, that is all the film has going for it.
Where this film fails as an actual film, is in its pacing. There were moments where within a 5 minute window, 3 scenes would have already passed. Some scenes so short they consisted of only 4 lines of dialogue before being thrown into the next scene. Leaving you with the sense of either wanting more or asking 'was that scene really necessary?'
The CGI to me felt lacking, too stylized for my tastes, there were moments where it looked really great and then there were moments where it looked like I was watching a game cut scene. otherwise the world the CGI department created was beautiful.
All in all, the film was a bit better than I had anticipated, its score was true to home, feeling very Warcraft-esque, the characters felt relateable and they way 'magic' was portrayed was fun to watch. It just needed better work on its editing/pacing, the script itself (Bad dialogue and character decisions) and some of its CGI.
I rate it a 5/10 (5 is average - a lot of people seem to forget that, you find a lot of people using 7 as an average these days)
Dexter: Make Your Own Kind of Music (2013)
Not the final season I was looking for
Sadly this season has been on average, quite terrible. As have the previous 4 seasons. Trinity was the last good thing that existed in the universe that is Dexter.
I don't know why the writers decided to segregate the seasons by making three to four subplots take over instead of an over arcing storyline like Trinity, or the Ice Truck Killer. It's tacky and it feels like you are being jerked around.
Besides the fact I think the show has gone beyond its prime, I think last season should have been it. The whole Lugerta knowing Dexter etc was the strongest and most threatening story line that really had huge potential.
The final season, in my opinion should involve Dexter being discovered one or two episodes in. Thus forcing him to be on the run/trying to clean up his mess etc for the rest of the season. This whole love sick puppy nonsense is boring and WAY out of Character for Dexter. 'I'm Dexter, I have feelings now because the story demands it' Yes I know he's gone through the motions with feelings in all the season past but he has never really developed as a character. Season to season he has the same morals. The same vision. Even though multiple times he has specifically said that he is a new man ... he doesn't change.
We should lose the Dexter we once knew. Lose the morally ground character he is. Make him go a little crazy and not be able to go back. make the final season worth something.
The whole Hannah and Dex thing is Either setting up for a happy ending for him or they'll kill them all in the last episode. Either way I am sure they wont be able to pull it off.
Of course I'll be watching it but my expectations will be low.
Breaking Bad: Confessions (2013)
Season 5B - Incredible - and an even more incredible episode at that.
Beaking Bad ... There have been a few times I have been left in such awe from this show and tonight's episode has once again done just that. Season 5 episode 10 - Confessions has proved once again that this show is the pinnacle of drama and there is nothing out there that comes anywhere near surpassing it.
To re-cap - The episode starts off with a little showing of what's to come; with Todd giving Walt a phone message telling him there's been a little change in the way things are being done. Todd doesn't think Walt would really care and in my opinion I don't think he'd care either. Todd then talks with his uncle (the Nazi guys) who then continue their road trip back into New Mexico. It's a little unclear where this storyline is going to go but time will tell.
Meanwhile Hank tries to get Jesse to confess and give up Walter, Jesse is reluctant and Saul interrupts their interview. Hank realises that he is rapidly losing his case against Walt and needs someone to confess for it to be solid. The scene where the two of them are talking is well done from all aspects but notably the cinematography. The lighting, the dark room, black walls really showcases the dark abyss both these characters find themselves in.
The scene with them all at the Mexican outdoor restaurant couldn't help but make me smile as the contrast between what was going on at the table, the tension as opposed to what was going on in the background. Bright colours, loud music and people all sitting around having a great time. This self contained tension worked remarkably.
Then came the scene that had be clutching my hair and mouthing 'oh my god' - speechlessly. When Walt gives Hank his 'confession' tape only to find that it wasn't as much of a confession as it was an attempt to warn Hank off by threatening him. By stating in the tape that Hank made me do it. Your move Hank.
Walt tries to manipulate Jesse into leaving for good by making it seem like a great idea for Jesse to do so, however Jesse has had it with Walt's 'playing him' and demands Walt just tell him the truth. Tension is high as Walt slowly walks up to Jesse only to give him a hug. Despite that speech, Jesse still goes to skip town as his old cooking partner suggested. But when he realises the dope was pick pocketed just moments before he left, he connects the dots that Huel could have just as likely lifted the ricen from his jacket back in season 4.
Jesse looses it. Aaron Paul once again proves how great of an actor he really is; the raw emotions you see of his face when he's holding that gun to Sual Goodman's head is just impeccable. Saul then tells Jesse it was Walt who put him up to it and Jesse leaves. Sual calls Walt, forcing Walt to grab a gun he had been hiding, obviously from Skylar. However Skylar doesn't pick up on his unusual behaviour as she would assume he is on edge from the whole Hank ordeal.
Cut to: Jesse tearing into the White's driveway and pulling out a bottle of petrol. He then kicks down the door and starts to pour it everywhere screaming with fury.
The following has spoilers from the preview for next week:
Even though we didn't see Walt Jr's car out front, I think he will either be home as Jesse is doing this; or he comes home. The reason I say this is because we see the White's house intact. So Jesse obviously doesn't burn it down. My prediction is (Although this show is very unpredictably) Jesse will tell Walt Jr what a monster his father is and leave for another day.
All in all an amazing episode, a good 35 minutes of non-stop heart racing tension. And that ending literally had me yelling in my house for a good 15 minutes, not wanting to accept that the episode had finished.
9/10
The Office: The Farm (2013)
Different feel.
The Farm was an episode that had a different feeling about it than the rest of the season .. and even the entire show for that matter. The camera angles for starters was different and didn't give the feel that there was actually a camera crew there filming a documentary. The interviews had a cleaner look to them also. and then the final scene with Dwight and his siblings looking at the farm was odd ... then music started playing in the background. The Office has never done that before. Sure they've had the odd musical number in the background of a scene but that's only because there's been another scene playing parallel where some of the characters are actually singing/ making the music themselves.
With out reading any other information about this episode, my initial thought after it finishing was that it felt like a pilot to a new series. Well, according to the other reviewer above me (or below me) this episode was actually meant to be a pilot or something to a spin off series which to me makes sense now. I actually thought it was a good episode regardless of all the different styles it used. The only complaint I had about this episode was when Dwight shot the dead lady. It was just very weirdly out of place for ... well anything. It was funny yes but very weird.
Anyway, in the end I rate this episode a 7.5.
Dexter: Surprise, Motherf**ker! (2012)
I always knew there was something funny about you Morgan.
The 12th and final episode of the penultimate season of Dexter ended with a predictable bang.
After watching this episode I was netiher left excited nor disappointed. it left me satisfied. This season has had a weird way of introducing subplots that either vanish convineitnly go away or they themselves become the main plot of the season. The whole Issak and the Koshka brother hood plot was interesting to me but I did not like how it was concluded. Same goes for the resurrection of the bay Harbor butcher case storyline. i have never liked Cpt maria Laguerta, I have never appriciated er acting or her characters story lines. They are always depressing and boring. For her to suddenly, irrationally arrest Dexter seemed a little far fetched, regardless of how much she wanted to catch Dexter.
Regardless of that, the rest of the episode was alight, I really though Hannah would make more of an appearance then i thought she would. i honestly thought she would be a major part of this finale and ultimately bring Dexter down, forcing next season to be less formulaic with dexter on the run. Anyway, I was surprised to see she survived the season and escaped. I am assuming she will be back but time will tell.
I also felt the season was either building up to the death of Angel or Deb. But instead it was a nice surprise when they both survived.
The final (well, second to last scene) in the shipping container when Deb walks in had me fearing that it would be an almost repeat of last seasons great cliff-hanger. I honestly couldn't tell what Deb was going to do, she could have even killed herself in that moment, or at least have the cliff hanger to suggest she may have. Instead, for some reason, she shoots the Captain, instead of, you know ... just walking out and leaving Dexter to do it. She'd feel guilty but not as horrible as she's going to be feeling now that SHE is the one who killed her. i felt that to be a pretty lame 'twist' but hey, I didn't see it coming though did I?
P.S - it was interesting seeing the baby sitter talking in a very ... dirty and yet some how sexy fashion. Interesting.
Homeland: The Choice (2012)
Interesting
I felt this season so far has had its ups and downs with it evidently not really moving along fast enough. I felt the story stayed quite stationary up until the last three episodes when suddenly Nazir appears ... only to be killed off in a very anticlimactic fashion.
Regardless of that, we start off this episode with Quinn watching Brody and Carrie and my initial thought was that it was going to be an episode of cat and mouse as Quinn hunted Brody down. However, that sub-plot was short lived when Quinn tells David Estes that he won't do it any more. We then never see him again, I hope he returns next season.
At around the 30 minute mark I thought to myself "This does not feel like a season finale at all, rather just and ordinary episode to fill up the season." But then the last 15 minutes or so finally turned things around.
A bomb goes off at the late Vice Presidents funeral killing David Estes, the Vice Presidents family and along with 200 or so more people in the room. A major blow to America as a nation. However, Brody happened to be else where at that moment despite being invited to the funeral. he was with Carrie, and only moments before the bomb is detonated Brody notices his car is not where he originally parked it. The bomb is in Brody's car and after a bit of back and forth between Carrie and Brody debating whether or not it was Brody's doing, the world soon learns that ex- Congressmen Nicholas Brody is a terrorist and that it was his car that blew up.
The season wraps up with the main characters in crisis. Brody, with the help of Carrie is smuggled out of the country. She then returns to base where Sual is happy to see her after she is presumed dead.
All in all, a rather boring start to a fulfilling episode, it only got good towards the end and I for one am glad it happened. The show needed to take a step forward and if this season had ended on a happy all is well note I would be considering not returning to see season 3.
I'm never good with predictions when it comes to shows but I am sure Sual will question where Carrie had been for the hours that followed the explosion.
I gave it an 8/10
Breaking Bad: Hazard Pay (2012)
Just because you shot Jesse James, don't make you Jesse James
Hazard Pay was the best of the three we've seen so far, it had a direct and engaging story arc, and it moved along at a reasonably fast pace.
We've got a glimpse of what is to come for the three stooges and it's going to get messy. Already you can feel the tension and drama rising between the three.
Once again Walter drives his bony fingers into every hole he can and this time it was between Jesse and his girlfriend.
Walter is not happy with how much money is being divided to people he has never even met, and challenges Mike on this which leads to a tension filled scene with the three of them dividing their money. It ends with Walt 'warning' about flying too close to the sun. Is he threatening Jesse? Or is he trying to make an example to Jesse about Mike?
All in all, a good episode can't wait until next week.
Breaking Bad: Madrigal (2012)
Getting better.
This season, like all others has started off a tad slow, and that is of course to be expected after such a climactic build up and ending to season 4.
I'm not going to lie, I was a little let down the the premier of this season but this episode has made me feel a little bit better. It's good to see Mike back in action and being his old cranky self. However like always he really is the smartest character in the series. Challenging Walt on his plans and begging Jessie to get out while he can. My prediction is, it's not going to end well for the old man, he'll see a demise soon enough.
We start off in once again and unfamiliar setting with a very depressed looking man who appears to be the manager of a fast food chain similar to Gus. The scene went a little long in my opinion but then he got up and killed himself which was both predictable but still unsettling. What does this mean going forward? Who is this guy and how will this now effect the show? All to be seen...
Walt and Jesse are looking for the Ricen(?) ... the poison in the cigarette because Jessie is losing it at the thought of some random kid picking it up and getting poisoned. There's a montage that reminds me of the previous season which finally made me settled and start to enjoy the episode. The nostalgia of it all I guess.
We're introduced to a new character? A skittish female who seems to be extremely anal and paranoid about most things. Exactly what we needed .. another annoying female character because the show was totally lacking in that department .. I kid i kid :) She seems like an interesting character, and you feel for her when Mike has his gun about to kill her but then she has something to offer and did it save her life? My guess is yes.
Basically, my prediction is the 'bad guy' of the season is going to be Walt himself, self destructing and taking everything down with him whether it's intentional or not.
The audio and visuals were also good like always with the show.
I give it an 8/10 Looking more and more promising.
Breaking Bad: Live Free or Die (2012)
Interesting start
The first episode of Breaking Bad's 5th and final season starts off in an unfamiliar situation. It adds a mystery that I look forward to seeing.
The rest of the episode however I found was a little slow. It was 'oddly' paced. Each scene didn't seem to flow so well with the last. The most tense moment was one we saw in the trailer which was a bit of a let down. But all in all it was a good start to the season, the acting was superb like always. The drama was good. Skylar is reasonably hot again, lol. I would have liked to see a bit more of 'Jesse'however. He was in the episode but he never really had a moment which was a tad disappointing.
I rate it a 8.5/10