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Reviews
The Karate Kid (1984)
An uplifting and feel-good coming-of-age story.
"The Karate Kid" is not a complicated movie.
It doesn't try to talk about any "issues" or cover vast and complicated themes. Most of the key plot elements take place in a handful of locations with a handful of main characters. Yet its action scenes are more powerful than any amount of CGI could add.
Pat Morita (I'm embarrassed I had to Google his name) does an intense and wonderful job as the sage karate master Mr. Miyagi. The scene with the sake, his wife's picture, and his bittersweet tales of wartime triumph is among my favorite scenes in any movie.
(I saw this in July 2017.)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
A unsatisfying, forgettable, but mildly entertaining movie.
I enjoyed the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie. I really did. Its humor and authenticity made for a wonderful film, as did its feel-good warmth.
However, its sequel lacks that human touch and replaces it with a grab- bag of Hollywood tropes. Every action that anyone takes is driven by desire for "family" which they insist on explaining on screen in length. Showing and not telling has apparently been forgotten since the first "Guardians" movie.
Ego's complicated motivations for destroying all life in the universe are given way too much screen time given how confusing they are, and the subplot about the Ravagers that culminates in the final fight is ham- fisted, though it is the most amusing part of the movie. That clumsiness is shared with that of Gamora, whose role in the movie is eminently forgettable.
The movie isn't totally boring, and the 80s flashbacks are fun as always. I had expected better though from both Marvel and the "Guardians" franchise. Hopefully the next movie will be more like the first than the second.
(I saw this on a plane on September 17, 2017.)
Breaking Bad (2008)
The epic of our time.
This is a powerful and evocative story of resentment, ambition, greed, and despair.
I have little more to say on this show that has been so well-reviewed in so many places over the past several years. It is the rare combination of being both an ambitious and artistically successful story and also an entertaining adventure that pulls no punches.
Both mundane and terrifying, "Breaking Bad" is the triumphant icon of our golden age of television.
Enjoy it. I know I have.
(I have seen this many times, most recently binging it in September 2017)
The Shining (1980)
Beautifully shot and iconic.
I was weirdly unimpressed by this movie.
It is admittedly beautifully shot, though that's probably not all that difficult to do in the visual splendor of the Rockies. Many of the scenes and lines from this movie have become iconic pieces of film history, much mocked and admired since its release.
However, I just didn't enjoy this movie very much. The pacing was slow at the beginning, and then suddenly too fast at the end. The transformation of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) into a psychotic murderer felt rushed, though the typewriter scene was magnificent.
"The Shining" is certainly worth a watch, but I won't rush to see it again.
(I watched this on August 25, 2017.)
White Gold (2017)
Raunchy, weirdly endearing humor.
I binged this over the course of a long lazy night, and it was a lot of fun. Window sales in Essex, with the deft hand and raunchy mouth of "White Gold", is transformed into the background for a hilarious, if often cringeworthy series.
Like many British comedies, few characters come away from the end of the season looking good, though the level of depravity and stupidity that they each sink too varies. From dubiously legal "photoshoots" to gay hookups in a parking lot, "White Gold" pokes fun at its characters and itself repeatedly.
Fun and weirdly endearing, "White Gold" is a surprising good deal.
(I watched this entire season on August 22/23 2017.)
Icarus (2017)
A well-done exposé.
As many of the other reviews have mentioned, this is essentially two documentaries.
The first is an interesting, if a bit simplistic, depiction of doping in cycling and sport in general. It comes to the persuasive conclusion that doping is absolutely endemic in modern international competitions like the Olympics and the Tour de France and that no technological screening can be sophisticated enough to beat it. Bryan Fogel, the documentary's star and central driver, successfully dopes for an amateur cycling race, though the cheating doesn't seem to make a big difference in his performance.
The second part is the very personal story of a emigré Russian scientist and the massive fraud he successively administered and then revealed. It is intimate and exciting, even though most of us know the "end" of the story.
Though as Icarus reminds us, it isn't really over until someone crashes into the ocean.
Chicago (2002)
A wonderful, lurid tale of violence, fame, and dreams.
This is an exceptionally good movie.
It is visually stunning, with color and set designs being twisted and turned with strong primary colors of music and dreams being combined with the somber tones of reality. The contrast when the Hungarian woman was hanged was brilliant and striking. The music is consistently fun and unique, though I don't watch enough musicals to have much insight into it. The movie's cuts between the central narrative and the musical stage were well-done too.
The acting is phenomenal, particularly from leading light Renée Zellweger, but also from everyone else.
The plot rips along, and while the characters are caricatures, they are fun caricatures.
Great. 10/10.
(I watched this for the first time on August 28, 2017.)
Wild China (2008)
Beautiful documentary series.
I've seen this documentary series several times on Netflix, and it has become one of my favorites to watch when I feel worried about the state of the world!
Most of the current events part of this series are no longer current at all but that doesn't diminish its quality.
I don't know as much as I would like about China, and Wild China does a wonderful job of showing its many beauties, both natural and built by humans. From long-settled fishing villages on China's increasingly prosperous eastern coast to the icy reaches of Manchuria to the sunbaked deserts of Xinjiang, this series shows off a beautiful and wild China.
(I have watched this series several times, mostly recently on August 25 2017)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
A Woody Allen love letter to Paris and love itself, if the two can be separated.
This movie is a fanciful romp through time and space in the City of Lights, with a screenwriter-turned-aspiring-novelist (Owen Wilson as Gil Pender) as the protagonist. Its central conflict is about love, creativity, and that funny feeling of nostalgia for periods which you personally have never seen, for Gil the 1920s and for Adriana the 1890s. It is wry, fanciful, and that sort of chuckle-funny that Woody Allen excels at. It is rarely funny enough to laugh, and the series of inexplicably attractive women that surround the creative types of the movie is wish fulfillment at its worst.
Woody Allen's unmistakable touches cover this movie, and it is richer for it. The clichéd image of romantic Paris is mocked, extended, and even reinvigorated by his irreverent touch. Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams both do fine jobs, and Wilson's character dominates the movie, but the real star to me is Marion Cotillard's wonderful portrayal of Adriana. She is an effervescent and artistic delight.
This movie is well worth a watch, and I enjoyed it a great deal.
(I have seen this before, but I last watched it on August 13, 2017)
Ozark (2017)
A fun and busy mish-mash.
This is a show that would not exist without Breaking Bad. It hews closely, perhaps too closely to the plots already well-traveled by that extraordinary show. The strait-laced man who cares just a bit too much about "providing for his family" for his or their own good. This show's "innovations" has full frontal nudity and liberal use of the f-bomb don't really count. It does move much more quickly than Breaking Bad does which is probably an advantage.
Ozark is certainly a fun ride, and the lurid twists and turns of the first season led me to watch it in a weekend. I'm not going to spoil the fun of the surprises, but there are several, several delightful. Its lack of originality and wild untelegraphed plot swings definitely weaken the show though. For one signal to me of quality, despite having very much enjoyed the show, I have no interest in rewatching it. It is nice to see a TV show set outside of the usual suspects of New York, LA, or Chicago, even if many of the central characters are transplants.
On a side note, whoever films these Netflix originals seems inordinately obsessed with blue tinting. Almost every scene, particularly inside during the day, is stained a cold and lifeless blue. It makes for an interesting effect, but once noticed, it gets tedious.
This show feels like someone mixed together some of the best reviewed TV shows of the 2010s into a blender and made a drink out of it. It's certainly fun to watch but nothing more.
Which is just fine by me.
(I binged this in July 2017)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Long, but worth it.
To be blunt, it is difficult to keep anyone's attention span for more than four hours, particularly given the fact that the film spends hours covering the trek of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum across the volcanic wasteland of Mordor.
However, every minute of the film bristles with artistry. It is a beautiful movie, and the vistas between Minas Tirith and the Black Gates of Mordor are visually stunning. The soundtrack seems like a character as well, and it adds a much appreciated richness to the film.
I have a standard set of complaints about this movie, and its less-skilled imitators. The battle scenes go on for far too long, some characters (Gimli particularly) can often devolve into caricatures of themselves as the plot moves forward, and plot elements (like the eagles to fight the Nazgûl) seem to drop into the plot out of thin air.
Despite those flaws, "The Return of the King" is well-done from start and finish and deserved every one of its prizes and accolades.
Note: I watched the Extended Edition, and it was an absolute delight. I haven't seen the shorter version in several years, but if you can spare the time, I would recommend the longer one.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The atmospheric beginning.
From the bucolic Englishness of the Shire to the ethereal otherworldly beauty of Galadriel's elven forest to the underground horrors of Moria, this film excels in creating settings that are not merely evocative but totally immersive. The characters are well-done, the plot swims along, but the locations created by JRR Tolkein and brought to life by Peter Jackson are the highest point of this movie. The wild landscapes of New Zealand are transformed with aplomb into a variety of settings throughout Middle Earth. Sean Bean does a particularly great job as the tragic and conflicted heir of Gondor, Boromir.
More than 15 years after the release date of this movie and decades after the book was published, I feel there is little I can say in terms of the actual content of "The Fellowship." I can however say that while some of the CGI-driven special effects may seem a tad dated in 2017, they are used well throughout.
Note: I watched the Extended Edition, and it was an absolute delight. I haven't seen the shorter version in several years, but if you can spare the time, I would recommend the longer one.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The masterful middle.
It is hard to tell the middle of a story. I've always thought that middles lack the novelty of beginnings or the satisfaction of endings. However, "The Two Towers" does a wonderful job of continuing the various plot threads of Middle Earth without starting or ending them. From the psychologically raw tale of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum to the heroic epic of Rohan to the Blakean ecological tragedy of the ents, Tolkein and Peter Jackson a vast story in this incarnation of his saga.
Gollum is a disturbing treasure, and any scene involving him is indisputably well-done. That's not to say that his mere presence doesn't disgust, but his role is indispensable. In terms of the smaller details, the design work done in Rohan is magnificent. Low-key and fitting with their lack of worldly sophistication, it is nevertheless done with pride. It would have been a great movie without the little details like that one, but it wouldn't have been as good as it is.
The film certainly has its flaws, many of which have since become clichés. Legolas's pre-modern AK-47 in the form of a bow and arrow is both silly and unnecessary. Many of the extended fight scenes feel redundant, and after you see the first several orcs getting decapitated, what's the added value in seeing ten more? Clearly greater than zero, at least according to Peter Jackson.
Note: I watched the Extended Edition, and it was an absolute delight. I haven't seen the shorter version in several years, but if you can spare the time, I would recommend the longer one.
Black Mirror: San Junipero (2016)
Achingly beautiful.
Black Mirror is a dark show, often to the point of excess. However, San Junipero makes the heart ache with a powerful take on love, loss, and life itself. Every scene was atmospheric, from the 80's dance clubs to San Junipero's degenerate side to the near-future nursing home. I have very little to say on this movie that it cannot say for itself. It is inspiring, disturbing, and above all beautiful. If you watch nothing else from Black Mirror, watch this.
(I saw this on June 26, 2017, for the nth time)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
A fairly entertaining blockbuster.
This movie technically begins by depicting the squalid life of the film's villain, but it soon speeds on to the movie's primary subject - Tony Stark's insatiable ego. Stark acts like some comic book caricature of John Galt, and many of his lines could be verbatim quotes, as far as I can tell. He says lines like "Because I'm your nuclear deterrent. It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property? You can't have it. But I did you a big favor." In other words, he begins the movie as a charming egotist, Shrekli if he had a soul.
The movie (and my perception of Tony Stark himself) get much better as it goes on. Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer does a solid job and manages to be even easier to hate than Robert Downey Jr. Watching either of them prance around on stage is cringe-worthy but both performances are well done.
The movie's long camera shots of various attractive women and its reverence for gee-whiz technology feels a bit overdone at times, but I guess that that is what the people making the movies thinks its audience wants that. They know better than me.
Iron Man 2 is wish fulfillment and not at its best. It is, however, not at its worst either, and it is an entertaining movie that is at its best when Tony is being bashed, or slightly worse, bashing someone else.
(I saw this on July 15, 2017)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
A globe-trotting rip-roaring adventure.
This movie deserves its status as an modern classic, and its many iconic scenes deserve all of their homages and parodies. Harrison Ford does a tremendous job as the suave archaeologist Indiana Jones, and the special effects are both real and well-done. As of course, are the ever-present glorious gore. The comic relief relieves tension and is hilarious. The creeping shadows in the wall, whether Nazi or Indie, are a particularly well-used cinematographic device as well.
This movie may be at the root of many of America's misconceptions about the Third Reich and its relationship with the occult, but it is a fun ride. It is difficult to make treasure-hunting through ancient temples seem more romantic than it already is, but Indiana sure manages it.
(I saw this on July 10, 2017.)
Hidden Figures (2016)
Solid, if not out of the world (except literally) entertainment
Hidden Figures is a movie about three NASA workers, mathematical prodigies, who play vital roles in different ways in the American space program. I don't know enough about the specific history of NASA to comment on that point, but the exposition was integrated well. They are all African American women, and they face all the bigotries that one would expect in the mostly intolerant environment of Virginia in the 1960s. They all start as "computers" to perform mathematics manually but soon move into roles ranging from computing orbital mechanics to programming their technological replacements.
Hidden Figures tries to do a lot, and it does much of it well. It is, at times, a touching movie that pulls on the heart-strings. Yet despite its grand ambitions, I do not think that it is a great movie. Its message, while noble, is made ham-fistedly. Jim Parsons as villain was a nice touch, and the three main actors did a marvelous job. Taraji Henson did a particularly striking job. However, the film's ambitions of covering three different character arcs perhaps weakened its execution of all of them. John Glenn's character in particular seems more like 21st century wish-fulfillment than a realistic take on a character, and the physical smashing of the segregated bathroom signs was also a bit too obvious a metaphor.
It is not a bad movie, and it is certainly an uplifting one, if not exactly a great one.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The terrifying ur-thriller.
I don't normally watch horror movies. They're not normally my thing. However, on the suggestion of a friend, I recently watched "The Silence of the Lambs" and very much enjoyed it. It was a terrifying movie, but it was good for far more than just some jump scares. The terrifying sophisticated psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter was played wonderfully by Anthony Hopkins, and Jodie Foster also did an intense Academy Award winning performance as FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling.
A gripping movie from beginning to end that left me with more questions than answers, "The Silence of the Lambs" is a very good movie that deserves all the praise it has earned.
(I saw this on June 29, 2017.)
The IT Crowd (2006)
Hilarious satire of... everyone.
"The IT Crowd" is not a complicated show. There are a few main characters, none of who I had heard of before watching it, relatively few big set designs, and a generally sparse style. Yet with so little, the show is one of the funniest that has come out of Britain in recent years. It poke fun at both the foibles of big business and "normal" people while simultaneously skewering the quirks of "nerds."
Yet despite its attempts at being topical, the show is at its best when it is just silly. One of my favorite episodes involves the IT department's hapless relationship manager, Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson), being told she's giving a speech at the end of the week. The IT workers, Roy (Chris O'Down) and Moss (Richard Ayoade), decide to play a prank on her by giving her a box "containing" the Internet, straight from Big Ben. They assume that she will be mocked at her big presentation. Instead, when the box is destroyed due to the intervention of the episode's B-plot, the assembled middle management of Reynholm Industries descends into hysterical violence.
It is not a serious show, but it is a very funny one that transcends social status, social skills, and culture to bring a message of silly humor and general mockery.
(I watched this show in its entirety most recently in April 2017.)
Futurama (1999)
Hilarious and way ahead of its time.
Here in the year 2017, just eighteen years into Fry's long-term freeze, it's hard to imagine what will happen over the next several centuries. There will be alien invasions, more alien invasions, and yet more alien immigration, and emigration. Us Earthicans will have a number of world governments, ultimately culminating in the wonderful talents of Earth President Richard Milhouse Nixon.
Yet through it all, we will have Futurama to keep us company. It will tell our futures, yes, but it will also make us laugh, as it has for nearly twenty years now.
At its most basic, Futurama is a hilarious show. Its consistent high- quality in both humor and heart is good to see, as is its originality in storytelling. It sometimes leans too much into the show's own universe of inside jokes, but it never stays there too long to be very boring. There are also a fair number of much more serious episodes. One about Fry's long suffering dog comes to mind.
For a show set more than nine hundred years in the future, Futurama is astonishingly ahead of its time. A true comedic masterpiece.
(I have seen this show many, many times over the past several years.)
How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
Who knew murder could be so fun?
If you're looking for a realistic take on law school, the criminal justice system, or anything linked to objective physical reality, look elsewhere.
But, if you're looking for soapy fun, outrageous escapades, and some regular murder, this is your show. It is frequently absurd, often inexplicable, but never, never boring. The plot got a bit muddled in the second season, but it straightened out soon enough. Viola Davis as Annalise Keating is the complete star of the series, and her emotive style makes any scene with her, especially in court, wonderful. The ensemble of students does a solid job as well, particularly Alfred Enoch as Wes Gibbons.
This is not a legal documentary. It is, however, a great drama and a hell of a lot of fun.
(I have seen this show several times, most recently in June 2017.)
Better Call Saul (2015)
Exciting low-end law? Who knew?
Elder law. It sounds like two of the most boring words in the English language smacked together, but "Better Call Saul" kept me on the edge of my seat as Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) figured out another way to represent his clients and make a little bit of money at the same time. I won't spoil the details but rest assured that Jimmy manages to make elder law look like the greatest show on Earth.
As a whole, the show is a wonderful drama. From the very first scene, we know Jimmy's eventual fate, as explained in Breaking Bad. Yet despite his our knowledge inevitable destination, watching the path he takes there is a delight. The interweaving between the various characters, particularly Jonathan Banks's Mike Ehrmantraut, adds a lot to the series.
This series tries to be suspenseful which is a risk given that we already know where it ends, if not how. It is a risk that was worth taking, and "Better Call Saul" is a delight.
(I have seen this before, but I have most recently seen in it in March 2017.)
Sense8 (2015)
Diverse and beautiful sci-fi drama.
Imagine that you begin to hear voices. Imagine that you begin to see flashes of other people's lives. Imagine you are connected to a group of people all over the world who you have never met before. Imagine you are closer to perfect strangers than you are to anyone you have ever known or loved. Imagine if your brain was no longer your own.
Sense8 builds on those ideas to create a show built around a group of psychically connected people from all over the world. While some would undoubtedly mock Sense8's premise as New Age hocus pocus, Sense8 explores that idea of ecstatic human connection and takes that idea to its natural conclusion. Most of the plot follows the standard cinematic model that vague sinister forces, in this case mostly represented by a single evil British man named Whispers, are trying to purge the mutants to preserve the larger body of "regular" people. There are many twists and turns along that plot, alongside the more mundane issues of Mexican homophobia, Berlin gang wars, and Indian marital problems.
Yet the focus on shared humanity is never really lost, and our cast of central characters continually revisits the shared-ness of their lives and its implications for humanity as a whole. At times the show's fixation on sex can go on for a bit too long, but as a bisexual man, I value the show's inclusion of diversity in all its forms. One particularly beautiful scene can be found in the first season in a shared sing-a-long where each of them discovers themselves in each other.
(I started this show before but binged it in May 2017.)
Arrested Development (2003)
Hilarious and well-executed show.
This is, without a doubt, the greatest TV comedy in capturing the 2000s. It mocks the paranoia surrounding the Iraq War, the 24-hour news cycle, the housing boom and bust, and the cult of reality television without missing a beat.
It does all of that without ever seeming preachy or losing its charming sense of humor. There is no scene in the series that lacks the self- referential humor that characterizes the show, and almost every episode builds on the quirks of either one of the main characters or one of the many background characters of Orange County. Jason Bateman (Michael) does a solid job, but the real stars are the other members of the family. Michael Cera (George Michael), David Cross (Tobias Fünke), and Jessica Walter (Lucille) are particularly memorable.
I will never look at a seal, model homes, or Southern California itself without thinking about the wonderfully dysfunctional Bluths and the time that I spent watching them on "Arrested Development."
(I have seen this show several times over the years, but I have mostly recently watched in its entirety in June 2017)
Master of None (2015)
A very millennial comedy.
This is a funny show. And a heart-warming one about love. And one that talks about serious issues about race and immigration. It tells a story of love, companionship, and the lack of identity that plagues people in their twenties. It does a good job in each of those areas.
Aziz Ansari (Dev) does a fine job, as one would expect, but the real stand-out to me was Shoukath Ansari (Ramesh), Aziz's real-life father who plays Dev's father in the show. He does a great job, and I thought so even before I realized that he wasn't an actor at all. The sets are tastefully done, if a bit too forced with the millennial-Brooklyn chic thing.
However, the series lacks the sort of oomph that I would have expected from it, particularly in the second season. The most damning thing about Master of None, for me at least, is the fact that I have no interest in watching it again. I doubt I am alone in that assessment.
(I saw this show's first season in April 2017.)