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Reviews
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
An instant classic worthy of the name
Top Gun: Maverick is all blockbuster. After decades of the Top Gun series being idle and rumors that a sequel will come one day. It arrived in Top Gun Maverick. Which not only earned it's right to share the name of the original, but it does everything original did, but better.
Better planes, better action set pieces, more fleshed out characters, and beautiful scenery and tension to go with the dogfighting. This is as good as it gets for a movie based on military dogfighting led by Maverick, who still buzzes the tower even when the pattern is full decades later. Must watch for action/war/military movie fans.
How I Caught My Killer (2023)
Awful Narration
The cases themselves were fine and more than interesting. The true crime scene in tv is crowded and the angle this one takes is usually leveraging how that persons use of social media helped lead detectives to solving their case.
What really makes this show bad is the music and narration of this show vary episode to episode and the quality is to outright terrible voice filters to just ok/good. You can skip this show and be fine. It adds nothing new or interesting to a crowded true crime genre. And often times watching it, I felt punished for giving it a try. So overall I recommend to avoid. Many of these cases have been done better elsewhere.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
An Insight into grief and how we all move forward differently
Manchester By The Sea isn't a movie you walk away from all joyous and excited because a tragic character overcomes their flaws and all ends well. This is a beautiful story brought to life by a strong lead, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck). Casey is a janitor who quite literally lives in a basement apartment until one day. He receives a call his brother has gone into cardiac arrest and he needs to get the urgently.
What ensues is a glimpse into Lee's life and what haunts him about the his former life in Manchester as it is surprising to him his brother named him the legal guardian of his 16 year old, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). What follows is a struggle of what the future is for these two as Lee and Patrick have different visions for their situation. And Lee still hasn't moved on from old demons that haunted him of his past life in Manchester especially after a fateful run in with his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams) in what turns into a real tear jerker.
I won't spoil any major plot points. But I still think this movie is a beautiful reflection on grieving and how the process moves along differently for all of us. I still feel a warmness reflecting on this movie because it isn't afraid to let the viewer consume it's story and contemplate how the characters have moved along in the world after dealing with shared tragedies. Still a must watch for me in the drama department.
Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
Great spy movie, heavy handed on Neville Chamberlain sympathy.
I really wanted to give this movie a higher score like a 9 or 10 because it navigates it's tension expertly along with the cast superbly played. Jeremy Irons stands out as Neville Chamberlain in his stoicism and demeanor. George Mackay also is excellent alongside Jannis Niewöhner. The only thing that brings it down is how overly sympathetic it is to Neville Chamberlain in it's presentation of him and his motivations to sign the Munich Agreement. Still worth a watch.
Succession (2018)
An Empire of Quality TV
What you expect after episode of season one to where we are right now at the end of season 3 is a wild ride that keeps you enthralled. I won't post spoilers, but the show does excellent to balance it's characters and nail the tiny details of acting. McFadden and Jeremy Strong are real standouts. You'll see throughout the show how each character acts appropriately within their moral set. Rarely do they violate that expectation except the few breakthroughs that happen. But those breakthroughs are rare. We don't know how much more succession we will get after season 4 which is confirmed, but this is the definition of must watch tv. Each episode you get told a story within these characters lives, and you can't wait to hear and see the next story.
Dexter: New Blood (2021)
A new age for Dexter
Let's face it, after season four of Dexter. The show lost a lot of the charm. It violated it's old code. Clyde Phillips (showrunner seasons 1-4) returns to try and amend an end to a character that even he admits was among the worst in tv. We join Dexter in New York as his son Harrison finds him, but Harrison slowly over the season reveals his dark tendencies. That along with Dexter going to the woods does not bring him the peace and resistance from temptation his solitude hoped to bring him. Slowly over the season the burn gets brighter. Episode 9 of the season "Family business" shows the Dexter universe at its finest. Will update if the finale misses it's landing. But odds are if you enjoyed the original, then you will enjoy this much more grounded season.