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Good Times (2024)
It's comedy! Lighten up... It's good, very good
This is a solid eight with one condition. You have to make it passed the first two episodes. They are simply, put awful to get your head around, just doesn't really make much sense and you're not in the right space yet. Indeed go back and watch the 1st two episodes after finishing the series and they become pretty good actually. That's because now you know where the director is coming from.
The reason why it is not well received is because a "black character heavy" animation has dared to cross the line into, abstract black (as in dark) humour. If you were to cross South Park with Rick and Morty, you'd arrive somewhere around here. South park is to Colorado as this is to Chicago. A wonderfully exaggerated Chicago. Where tenament blocks may well be attacked by a mutated sewer iguana, while the female matriarch protagonist struggles to convince a cabal of white institutionally embedded lizard people, of her innocence in the cases of illegal pangolin false nail smuggling for fentanyl cartel Dons going in the basements of their projects. All the while, managing a home with two teenagers, a toddler and an inept husband.
It is incredibly good. Like others before it. The Simpsons, family guy American dad. They're all the same with their own take, their own flavours and identity. Why on earth this is a reboot I have no idea.
The animation is vibrant and very psychedelic graphic noir. Storylines are of the abstract meet the everyday. Through the lenses of all the characters. It's not for the faint hearted, but if it ever meets it's audience, comicon diehard gamer types. This is gold!
I hope it gets another series.
Tides (2021)
Almost, almost...
You have no choice but to criticize the direction here. This gets so much almost right but misses the opportunities to become a fully blown piece of good exciting cinema. The order of events unfolding leaves nothing to suspense or surprise. The set/scenery gets bland and boring due in part to the flatlining excitement factor. It rather, rests on the laurels that great movies do when "it's a pretty good yarn". This just bores its way along, along on a well worn narrative of sexual reproduction, oppression at the end of days. It's a film that literally goes no where, the courageous aren't convincing, the manaical aren't convincing. Literally and no jokes it's as if everyone is holding back or worse, it's directed to feel like a totally different film. The end doesn't justify the watching.
The Ice Road (2021)
Unthinkably bad
It's unthinkable that this was written by an adult person, read by an adult person and still considered a good idea or pitch for a film, by adul persons. Dialogue in mortal danger, no dialogue in... You get the point. It was almost as if on film the actors are actually looking to eachother like "shouldn't there be a line here" or "is that all you have to say, is it my go now". If you would like a film to laugh at it's ineptitude and billions of shortcomings, go fo it.
It could have been a good movie, poorly directed an even worse script and there you have it. Even Liam Neeson, paired with Lawrence fishburn can't save this. Give it time this will probably be less than 5. Insanely awful.
Sherpa (2015)
A Dive into Greed, Deceit, Manipulation, Honour and Respect for the Family
Where eastern culture meets western culture there is sure to be a story. But this is a story about the haves and the have nots. Greed and shameless duplicity. The entitlement complex, so prevalent in the higher eschlons of western and eastern cultures is on full display in all its raw ugliness. Watch the time lapse-like decay of the spirit of climbing Everest in cooperation to the subjugation and vilification of human beings pushed to their limits in the highest place on earth.
Mr. Robot (2015)
When you run out of steam running up hill...
This starts off great, really amazing actually best thing I'd watched on tv. Hackers, evil corporations, crooks, villains and heroes. Awesome Then it became stilted, slow and written terribly finally and hopefully ending for good, in a weird montage of shocking acting, cheap cliffhangers. But, and it is a big but. It is not short on action, adventure and suspense. I'd not go through it again though. It could have been amazing but for the...long pauses. See if you like it and stop watching when you want though. You won't miss a thing!
Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Perfectly creepily beautiful
A creepy fairy tale for adults. It reveals throughout, a journey to discovery. Beautiful cinematography accompanies, music and colour. Macabre, delicious.
Harriet (2019)
What could have been...
The biggest disappointment. Character development is non existent. No moments of suspense. The pain and suffering has been diluted to a nothingness. References to God is constant and wholly infuriating. It could have been a big and as complex a hit as Shawshank redemption. However what you have is an apologetic and entirely boring biopic. The costumes and music are ok. Apart from that unconvincing and a waste of the talents of very good accomplished actors. Would do better as a documentary with historical fact interdespersed through segments of drudgery would pick this up plenty good. I wanted to like, no love this movie. I wound up regretting every sitting down to it. Awful