scarsley's Reviews

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

6/10

5 February 2024

I like this movie. It's nice. It's like a tea on a a rainy day. This is like a modern version of The Big Chill- typical family issues solved through dilemmas and hugs and jocularity. It's people sitting around and laughing at the craziness of it all.

I've seen it all before but it works. The reason it works is its casting. Actors who are grounded and real and you can feel true empathy from them. Actors who always have emotion or depth no matter what the role.

This isn't going to go deep on a psych level or rip apart what the foundations of marriage might be but it does offer a couple nice lemon twists you don't see coming. Overall its a good watch and feels like an afternoon spent with friends.

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Barry: tricky legacies (2023)

Season 4, Episode 5

3/10

Eesh

11 May 2023

Innovative. Tense. Smart. Funny.

None of these apply to this episode.

This show speeds along and hits beats and makes sure to involve you in the world. I have never been so disappointed in a show taking such a left turn and it's a real left turn... not a bad dream sequence.

There are so many obstacles that would have been great to pursue, the prison break, etc

pedalling backstory To see what happened to Hank or Fuchs- is poor storytelling and this show has never been a bad story.

Original story. Original characters. Layers of world building lost. I feel like all the air has been let out of the balloon.

Cross fingers that I'm surprised by next episode. Here's hoping.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

1/10

Marvel a tired and lazy universe

21 February 2023

As the years go by, it's obvious that moviegoers are easily fooled in the thinking what is passing for quality.

Kevin Fiege, who heads up Marvel has now become the grandmaster of smoke and mirrors. Lazy tropes, and emotionless storylines. Tired old stakes and storylines we have seen again, and again.

Marvel appears doomed as it heads into phase 5, as we see the decline and probably the ending of superhero movies over the next 5 to 10 years.

Paul Rudd has never exactly been a superhero type - and never exactly instilled anything but a bland "Im here" presence on the screen. And the fact that the movie he is in is more like a weekly sitcom than an exciting adventure of any kind. Never do you actually feel invested and never do you actually feel as if there is an issue at the heart of the movie.

The decline continues.

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The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)

Season 1, Episode 3

5/10

Diverting like The Walking Dead Season 2

6 February 2023

Warning: Spoilers

So way back when and season two of The Walking Dead, there was an actual issue with money, and the studio who were producing the show. So a majority of the action in Season 2 had to take place in a central location, and the show began to stagnate after having an Incredible season one.

Last of Us is into the third episode and they stop to spend a lifetime with Nick Offerman who is a survivalist who finds love. The story itself is terrific but has no place this early in the show. And to eat up an entire episode. Offerman is such a fantastic actor and I love watching him. But the thing is Mazin and Druckmann have derailed momentum of the show.

And I'm starting to worry that the characters in the video game of the last of us are not staying true to what we are watching. Joel is terrific, stuck in a hardened attitude , but the girl playing Ellie doesn't seem to have much of an emotional range, and nothing seems to affect her. If they turn her into this already formed character, complete with saucy attitude and smarts and doesn't have to learn anything. Then this isn't going to be a very good show. I hope I'm wrong.

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The Last of Us: Infected (2023)

Season 1, Episode 2

9/10

Tension builds

6 February 2023

Warning: Spoilers

Some moments always stick out. When they are world building and you are trying to explain what is going on it is always good to have an outside source to explain it all. When they bring in the scientist and give an explanation of what happened to the victim that the police had to kill. And then the scientist says with absolute certainty that the only way to stop this outbreak is to bomb the city. Then she wants to go home to be with her family because she knows the end is coming. It is so ominous and so well played out the main storyline moves along nicely, and stays true to the video game , so far so good and if this keeps up, then it will be a spectacular show.

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Shotgun Wedding (2022)

3/10

Role reversal

5 February 2023

Warning: Spoilers

Even my wife who likes schlok films rom-com said it was "alarmingly bad"- but the flooding of female empowerment ensured that. It is for women after all and it is appalling how low the bar has gone.

The movie's writing is lazy and stereotypical. What's worse is the feeling that no one is in any real danger. The script is filled with a litany of jokes that fail to land ... and the one remarkable feature is the voice of the men & women have swapped - J. Lo's character is the nervous groom and Josh is the over zealous bride.

It's a shame because they use so many tropes to help sell this film but it comes up empty .

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Mo: Hamoodi (2022)

Season 1, Episode 1

9/10

That Lived-In Look

31 August 2022

I love that when you enter the world of MO it feels like it's been on the air for years. This pilot isn't clunky or jammed with backstory. That background comes out when characters are pushed into a set up and How they react to it's payoff.

Even better are the family dynamics. They look and act like real-life people. Mo's mother is riddled with angst because she loves him so much. She's just in the wrong century. His odd brother and aunts.

What's even better is being set in a red state like Texas and embracing that.

Also the intersection of three languages is used so well to hide information at the right times.

Love this show - moving onto the second episode.

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Atlanta: Tarrare (2022)

Season 3, Episode 10

5/10

Leave 'em laughing

11 August 2022

So .....

Atlanta in Season 3 was bold and came out swinging and these eclectic storylines are great.

But this episode was kind of flat. Too obscure almost. I'd kind of expect it to be an episode 5.

But.... I do love that little tie in at the very end.

This show needs at least 3 more seasons and give Glover whatever he needs.

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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

1/10

Marvel Jumps the Shark.

30 July 2022

"Thor Love and Thunder" should be called "Thor: Marvel Jumps the Shark. Again."

In the mad rush to appease politics the good writing takes a back seat. They want to say they've embraced a gay theme -but are able to remove it for a Chinese movie market that doesn't accept these views. So really- Marvel has not embraced gay culture. It's window dressing.

The writing has become slapstick and unbearable. As if 70's sitcom writers were employed.

Marvel has spiralled for years, riding its own glean instead of improving. Instead of digging more from their characters. So now we have this mess. Even before Endgame - which was a mess too-- Marvel had used up character arcs.

Phase 5 will bring more of this mess. Hoping it can get a pass from viewers who are passionate for a brand name rather than a thoughtful future.

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Atlanta: The Big Payback (2022)

Season 3, Episode 4

8/10

Unfolding

10 July 2022

The key to this episode is making you understand one point of view of history and how it pertains to another point of view of history without it getting jammed down your throat.

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Atlanta: Trini 2 De Bone (2022)

Season 3, Episode 7

9/10

Better and better

10 July 2022

I keep saying this again and again. The show just continually improves each episode.

This again does Glover's vision justice. Written so smartly. And in an episode where we know none of the characters we feel we know everyone.

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Halo (2022– )

1/10

Say what??......

1 July 2022

Thanks writers of halo who didn't actually play the video game.

You've given hope to people who aren't very good at screenwriting.

This trend is remarkable as it continues across many creative products. It is baffling how directors and writers get into the chairs to produce this.

An incredible property made to be this dull and cookie-cutter and go against the Halo character and storylines is disappointing.

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Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

1/10

Funny & Ironic

26 June 2022

When you feel no attachment to characters.

No angst about man v nature.

And it was boring.

With a group of talent in Hollywood.that could do better & should do better now is the time subvert expectations. A new story. A new angle.

Predictably it ends up where they have wanted to be. Dinosaurs roaming the earth.

Funny.

Ironic that this group is trying to send a message about nature when their story doesn't make you feel a thing.

I miss old Spielberg (yes he didn't direct but his hand was in it )

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

1/10

Raimi continues the decline

15 May 2022

Raimi pretty doesn't understand comics. Nor does he understand writing these movies.

The rules of this world are questionable.

It's like the CGI quality from Ghost rider as well as the poor writing quality

Sad part is the first Dr Strange is great

Confusing and poorly executed

The Spider-Man trio was a poor start so they gave him this.

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Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)

1/10

Taking steps backwards.

21 February 2022

The United States - whose racial divide continues to be an issue in 2022 - is a land who needs education and tolerance to find peace with this issue. This show does so much harm

Amanda Seales also accusing people of racism is in itself indicative of a person without a strong case. Citing racism is not an argument. Especially if it's your only argument. Which it is.

Crass. Lazy. Irresponsible.

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The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

7/10

Once more into the breech ...

28 January 2022

And this has been done before. Rags-to-riches to predictable climax. I mean... it's Marty, and Leo. So. Terrific.

But there is nothing new here.

A checklist that is seen in American Made or Blow

Love Jonah Hill turning into a serious actor !!

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Eternals (2021)

3/10

Parting the Red Sea

17 January 2022

An opening crawl should be fun like the original Star Wars. Gives you a quip about the story and sets up the chess pieces in the story.

Eternals long opening crawl is a confusing mess.

Muddled story with forgettable superheroes that do things we have seen before.

This is a movie of the week from a universe that should be gearing down. The days of the superheroes are starting to fade.

It happened with the cowboy genre - pirate films - epic films ... the sun is starting to set and this is a bloated example of poor writing , execution, and casting.

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Being the Ricardos (2021)

6/10

Grab your hand

24 December 2021

I wanted to like it. It started out promising - had a great cast. But it was so exposition heavy and the writing just unwinds like The Ricardos is leading you by your hand.

They're telling you what's happening in the story

They're telling you how they feel.

How communism's a bad thing in America at this time.

The show itself feels like a table read for a show that isn't quite finished being edited.

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The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

3/10

Modern Christmas at best

24 December 2021

It's disheartening to see that Christmas is now Falling victim to the darker tone of screenwriting. The overall sense that Christmas doesn't mean as much as pushing the new world view of Santa. And it ain't pretty. Chainsaw wielding elves. Elves who aren't cute but rather full of ugliness A story that has little merit.

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Aquaman (2018)

1/10

Aquaman gets a 1 because they don't have Zero.

22 December 2018

Quite possibly the worst movie ever. Wooden acting. Horrible dialogue. All Exposition. Depthless characters. Power Ranger costumes. SLO-mo! Really? Sound design is a dubstep song. Mamoa sounds like Puddy from Seinfeld. The DC Universe takes another step back.

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