Wow. I was unable to watch ten minutes of the first episode. The thumbnail on Amazon Prime looked really interesting. It waa the typical post-apocalyptic ravaged city backdrop.
My hopes were high for a visually stunning, bleak PA world full of difficult survival choices.
The pilot episode starts with some of the worst blue screens (that I have ever seen) and footage filmed with a home camcorder. The cgi was awful too. The static between the "president" and the other guy became irritating after the second time. It did not help tell the story.
Queue the title screen. I was apprehensive. What I had just seen looked like a high school film project. The credits sequence were shots of old playground equipment, rural roads and a garage where a guy took a smoke break off screen.
The show opens with a guy in military fatigues (that look brand new) attaching a leg holster and holstering a pistol in a Sam Raimi close up style. It doesn't make any sense. The man is outside on patrol. Why would he be gearing up? Did he carry the stuff all the way from his guard shack / barracks? He should have already done that.
I gave up during the next scene. A leader type delivers his lines in the most awkward way possible. It doesn't sound organic.
Making a film is extremely hard work. It takes time, talent and being highly motivated. All of the actors and crew probably did a lot to make "Beginnings" a reality. This production has some serious flaws. I admit i did not watch the entire episode. I could not... it was that bad. It reminded me of a local film guild that made a movie. I was invited to the screening. I still have PTSD about that film. What amazed me was how proud the guild was of their work. It was so blind that they would not admit how awful it was.
I think that the makers of this film have a lot to learn about movie making. I salute their effort and commitment.
I am in no way a film critic or expert. Try watching this and draw your own conclusions.
