a_sad_cow Reviews

Reacher (2022– )

Alan Ritchson is on track to be the greatest action star

[8/10 · 5 April 2024]

Before watching my first episode, based on the way people were talking, I thought Alan Ritchson was hired for his size alone. While that is impressive, he brought so much personality to the series, and that should be the real highlight. After watching the second season, I noticed in the trivia that he read all 24 books and you know, that just follows.

Season one was a solid 9 while season two was about a 6 or 7 - more attitude, less tactics, and the attitude wasn't always deserved. Torture and executions are things the villains do, not the heroes.

Also, what's with charging in the open with a pistol? It's like we've suddenly regressed to 80s action movie standards.

Supporting cast was solid and fun, playing their respective roles appropriately. You could tell they played off each other in many scenes.

While they are two distinctly different characters, I hope Reacher serves as an appropriate audition for Batman.

X-Men '97 (2024– )

Rewrite, but not terrible

[5/10 · 1 April 2024]

Didn't finish the first episode, as I was hoping for a continuation but realized this is just what the creator wished the 90s version had been. Cyclops is featured front and center, and we even get the cheesy exposition "I'm the hero".

Wolverine is handled clumsily, and almost assuredly won't get the precision and care that made us fall in love with Wolverine in the 90s. He does have claws and an accent, but is clearly not the charismatic love interest for Jean Grey, nor the moral center of the team.

Morph is back, which was my first hint this was a rewrite. At least Storm is still awesome. That's something they got right in both animated versions, but fell short in most live action.

Also, Professor X is dead? Hopefully it's a fake death, for a dramatic introduction later, but I'm not so eager to get there. Think I'll just rewatch the 90s version.

Young Sheldon (2017–2024)

Even better than The Big Bang Theory

[10/10 · 31 March 2024]

This show is just so loveable, and should be watched by anyone who enjoyed at least half an episode of The Big Bang Theory. The writers clearly learned their lessons and wrote an outstanding ensemble cast. Every character, down through the extras, could be the star of their own spin-off. They play off each other - it's obvious - I love it - and it's amazing.

And to top it all off, the actors are clearly enjoying themselves doing it. I don't think an episode goes by where we didn't get at least a half-second reaction from the non-joke-telling cast member, who either couldn't contain themselves in the moment, or didn't even know the following line. I would watch a documentary following that, with vignettes on their favorites, especially when the lines are ad-libbed.

Whether you are smart, think you're smart, know smart people, or even just want to know smart people, this show is for you. Watch it with your kids, your parents, or even a first date. Only if you're bold.

Station Eleven (2021–2022)

Don't bother if you don't adore Shakespeare

[4/10 · 28 February 2024]

Since it was written and began filming before COVID and wrapped after, I was really hoping it'd have some insights, either into what actually happened or what might have happened. However, the whole thing is really just a foil to do more Shakespeare, in a very meta light. They have actors playing actors, and all the drama that might go one between them behind the scenes.

Tactically it was terrible, which could only be written by someone with no love of tactics and all the love of Shakespeare. Why does she keep throwing her knife again? At shadows no less.

With 20 years of jumping back and forth, we really shouldn't have had 3 similarly bearded characters in play. I kept squinting for the fine details. Jeevan became pretty obvious, but being as she both stabbed and befriended Tyler, I was scratching my head to the very end.

The cult of exploding children could've been interesting, albeit morbid. However the whole thing fizzles with an anti-climactic dialogue.

We really needed more scenes with Alexandra. She was the most interesting character, and somehow got the sideline for nearly the entire season.

Silo (2023– )

Masterful but slow

[9/10 · 20 February 2024]

Some characters are more than they seem while others, after thorough investigation, are precisely what they seem. Even the "villains" are the hero of their own story. I was second guessing myself until the very end of the first season.

In retrospect, there's a lot more foreshadowing than I originally thought, and will probably have to rewatch it knowing what I know now. Even though this is sci-fi, I'm fairly certain everything that happens could happen with today's technology.

Only complaint is that the story isn't complete. So much more to do that I'm guessing will take at least three seasons. I might just blitz the novel to get all the answers.

Avengers Assemble: U-Foes (2016) Season 3, Episode 20

An insult to pinochle

[4/10 · 9 February 2024]

I know it's an old game, but when you show people's hands and they contain cards less than 9, it's obvious you aren't playing pinochle or even euchre. Somehow we can't even manage a few frames of believable pinochle for our under-informed audience.

Ian Fleming managed to weave the intricacies of bridge into his novels, as that was the game of the times. He walked us through the most critical hands and how they could be beat with a stacked deck (which Bond did).

Seriously, card games are most analogous to superhero battles, as you only have so many cards to play, and timeliness matters. You make decisions which sometimes involve risk, and sometimes involve calculated certain. Respect is in order.

Uncharted (2022)

Great Chemistry

[7/10 · 6 January 2024]

For as thin as the plot was, it's basically a 4, but I have to plus it up 3 stars for 3 reasons:

1. Absolutely incredible CGI. Ridiculous things I know can't be done in real life, but so hard to pin exactly how it was shot. Some real genius at work with these stunts, and just shot so brilliantly.

2. Tom Holland. I'm beginning to think he can't make a bad movie, which is something I haven't said for someone so young. It seems he invites chemistry in all that he does.

3. Mark Wahlberg. He managed to play the mentor without stealing the spotlight, yet just shined so wonderfully when he was around. I've got to wonder if he's serving as a mentor in real life, which would make me so happy.

Actually looking forward to Uncharted 2, which I really didn't expect to say for a video-game movie.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Misleading

[5/10 · 31 December 2023]

Based on what little teasers they give you beforehand, you might think this is about a journey of rediscovering how to live without so many modern conveniences, but it's actually a lot stranger than that with no real conclusion.

To combat the lack of actual action, the dialogue drops a fair amount of f-bombs. Done right and I might not notice, like that time I showed my youth minister Boondock Saints thinking they only swore a few times. However, they raised the tension so often when nothing was actually happening that it got annoying.

It might be a sign of just how out-of-touch Hollywood is, but whether things are strange or not, when a couple with two kids comes across a couple without kids, would they ever exchange spouses and go separate directions for the sake of generating dialogue? If this were based on a book, I'd bet the necessary steps were glossed over for the sake of time, but from a movie-only perspective, it came off as lazy.

They do ask some interesting questions, and if you're really bored, go for it, but don't expect this film to really help you answer those questions.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Surprisingly Good

[9/10 · 16 November 2023]

From someone who hates Discovery, this is actually worthwhile. The major pieces are all present - the danger/possibility of space, the idealism of the federation, and the caliber of individuals who aspire to be StarFleet.

Captain Pike is a compelling addition to the line of captains - charismatic, idealistic, confident, and oddly pleasant.

Young Spock continues to advance the development of Vulcans we saw brilliantly revealed in Enterprise, and with his pre-Kolinahr mindset, fits perfectly in the niche of a Vulcan that aspires to be StarFleet. I can see some TOS fans not appreciating this, but I believe Leonard Nimoy would be quite proud.

Nurse Chapel actually has personality, and it's quite fun to see. Again, I can see some TOS fans who prefer a boring Chapel, but they can just go rewatch TOS. Her interest in Spock is present but happily not overplayed.

Una Chin-Riley's exploration of the politics and philosophy of genetic engineering was rather compelling. Not a terrible first officer, and the enterprise bingo episode was fun. Just really wish they'd stop reusing Picard's pet name for Riker as some kind of official position. Was reusing the term "number one" something forced by upper management? It feels forced.

Uhura gets actual character development, and it's well delivered. It seems the writers learned appropriately from the slower Enterprise episodes and adjusted accordingly.

M'Benga has a really compelling arc the writers tragically cut short. The idealism of Star Trek should've shown us finding a cure at some point rather than rationalizing letting her go. I can only hope this rationalization is tied to a real life case where idealism did not prevail.

And why, oh why, did we have to let Hemmer go? He might've been my favorite character, and his death seemed quite unnecessary. It's not like the Gorn are completely fleshed out anyway, so this feels quite contrived. How can the Gorn be so primal in person, yet also out-engineering us in space? This gap can be closed, but it's going to take significant effort, and really needs to be answered in season three.

Young Kirk is overall a positive addition. Needs a little tighter writing though, as he grew up in space, but instinctively knows what a hot dog stand is. It is fun to see him play off his brother, who also has a bit of a military personality.

Time travel is still dumb, and I'm really hoping Captain Pike's vision is some Section 31 conspiracy rather than actual time travel. We did get some needed character development for Noonien-Singh though, so, it's not all bad.

The singing episode was fun, just hoping we don't have to have one every season. Minor detraction from major themes, but well executed, and really let the talent stretch their legs.

Really hoping this keeps going. Looking forward to season seven.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part Two (2023 Video)

They seriously learned from Part One

[9/10 · 23 October 2023]

The most annoying part of Part One was all the teenage animation which was magically gone in Part Two! I'm not usually one to buy prints, but this artwork was quite impressive, and I'll be searching for something to commemorate that.

We finally get to see some fresh character development, both for the protagonists, and finally the antagonists, and it's actually quite interesting. No spoilers, but it's way better than "the multiverse is collapsing, and we can stabilize it by doing this contrived thing".

No wasted shots so far...really hoping we get more than just Part Three, but wouldn't want them to start wasting time either. This has been great, and would really like to see all of this as canon in RWBY Volume 10, to include this caliber of art. Keep drawing them as adults - no one really aspires to be a teenager anyway.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One (2023 Video)

Clumsy but fun

[6/10 · 23 October 2023]

As a huge fan of both franchises, I was super psyched that their was enough mutual respect to collaborate. Sadly we rehashed a bunch of introductions in a rather clunky fashion, with some reimagined teenage versions of the Justice League with alternate powers for some reason. Clearly they were having fun experimenting with different styles, camera angles, etc. Very little character development, even for the protagonists, and the antagonist is still much of a mystery.

If you don't like RWBY, this isn't for you. If you've never tried RWBY, knock out at least the first few seasons first, as this isn't RWBY at its best either. If you've only seen RWBY and not the Justice League, what rock have you been living under?

Overall fun and worth my time as a fan.

Pennyworth (2019–2022)

The trend continues - no bad Alfred has ever been cast

[9/10 · 18 October 2023]

Just finished season one and overall quite happy. Jack Bannon nails it consistently in every scene - competent, charming, reserved, experienced, and just generally someone I would like to have a pint with. If you enjoyed the Bond books (not the movies) by Ian Fleming, this series is perfect for you.

My only gripe with the series is the potential to dive into the supernatural, which as of yet has only been hinted at. Barring the supernatural, all of these events are plausible and connected in logical sequence. This could've happened in the 60s, for all I know, and it's fun to entertain the idea. Is this really what British politics were like in that time?

Also rather love that they manage to portray strong women without creating weak or incompetent men. People make mistakes because they are characters, not because they're contrived for some idealistic campaign.

Looking forward to season two and hopefully won't have to adjust this review.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Why

[1/10 · 18 October 2023]

We've already had a fantastic Blue Beetle in the Young Justice series with so much character development and world development, neither of which were present in this film. What we did get as a lot of fancy CGI, lazy writing, and what should be an offensive quantity of stereotypes.

One of the things that made Blue Beetle so interesting in Young Justice was both how overpowered/lethal the scarab was, and how fundamentally peaceful Jaime was. It's a fine line that this film thoroughly muddled at every opportunity. Cutting a bus in half that just so happens to result in no casualties before this dynamic is even set up? A "systems check" that needlessly endangers the host, just because it's fun to film? Magically rubber weapon to knock down soldiers at rocket speed? Mass effect weapons that happen to be completely non-lethal? A scarab that internalizes the importance of non-lethality just in time to stop Jaime from making a good kill?

While there's nothing wrong with including cultural elements, it was blatantly obvious they were not only jam packing as many tropes as they could, but forcing them where they don't fit. For instance, it's perfectly reasonable to accidentally mispronounce "Jaime" when it's written, but does anyone ever repeat back "Jamie" when they're hearing the name for the first time? Does anyone in a suit ever get dismissed as a delivery driver for the color of their skin?

How was Jaime becoming Blue Beetle something so crazy and foreign in one scene, and then cut to the lore of the previous Blue Beetle? Might we have introduced this backstory some other way than lazy dialogue walking through a room of old props?

This movie is a complete waste of time and should not be watched by anyone for any reason. Feel free to reboot Blue Beetle immediately.

Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023 Video)

Where's the character development?

[1/10 · 15 October 2023]

Watching this was like having an engine turn over but refuse to start - every time they set up an opportunity for character development they either introduced another character or some supernatural element. Some of these characters we should recognize from other series, but since we're rewriting so much lore, are we even making the right assumptions about these characters? This was like an overly rushed origin story for a series I don't want to watch. At least it was over with quickly.

You might think that skipping character development would mean established traits would shine through, but then you'd be wrong. The ultimate detective...refuses to deduce anything, and instead adopts some pseudo-spiritual nonsense. Not that all supernatural things are bad, but at least don't negate Batman's core identity.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Very pretty and pretty stupid

[1/10 · 9 October 2023]

Hats off to the visual effects team. Every frame was perfect, such that you could pick one at random to print and frame, then hang it in an aquarium or island-themed restaurant.

This movie would've been almost as good muted or watched in a language you don't understand, as the dialogue brought nothing to the story, and what you guess might be more interesting. I suppose the music wasn't wrong, but not noteworthy either.

So many plot holes and unresolved arcs:

• Who are these water people? Their importance probably should've been established before Jake and his family head their way.

• How does Jake know which tribe to bring his family to? The flight appeared deliberate, but we don't get any foreshadowing of the other tribes or why they'd be worth taking a chance on.

• How does Jake know the Sky People's intelligence network so intricately that he can lead them to the water without his original tribe getting steamrolled? Wouldn't the evil sky people kill them all anyway ? This reasoning is so contrived that it just screams "let me do some fish CGI already".

• What happened with Spider's arc? So many opportunities for character development, yet he's just sort of there for most of it. Gets bullied a bit, but then never confronts his bullies. Gets tortured a bit but then never confronts his torturers. His alignment gets called into question a bit when he coaches his dad on pairing with an animal, but how did he know where to bring his dad's search party such that he had anything to apologize for? He was taken before the flight to the islands. Choosing to save his father was a nice parting shot, but there's so much more that could be done with this character. His vulnerable mask is never exploited. His human size/strength is never exploited. His spiritual journey doesn't start. I suppose he'll get development in Avatar 3, but being as no one else got development in Avatar 2, postponing this seems silly.

• Did Neytiri learn anything about humans, or just regress to a state before Avatar 1? She kind of threatens a kid, but then the whole thing is just forgotten? Is this another bit of character development we're just going to kick down the road a few movies, because of course they're all greenlit already?

• So many missed opportunities within the Sky People ensemble. We see enough from the military to know they're the bad guys, but not enough to inspire character development within their ranks, to include from the scientists. If this is an attempted statement by James Cameron, that people don't step forward with a conscience in real life, then I can respect it, but at the moment it feels very lazy.

I had my doubts after the lazy writing of Avatar 1, following Pocahontas, Fern Gully, etc, but had really hoped that with so much time lapsed between that and this that maybe a day or two had been spent improving the writing. Sadly that does not seem to be the case.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Mediocre. Does not do the franchise justice. Somehow not terrible though.

[4/10 · 23 August 2023]

As a long time lurker of the DnD community, I was really hoping this would be an epic story that combines all the best elements of DnD like 8-Bit Theater. Sadly, this is somewhere in the middle, not wrong or terrible, but not especially exciting either.

Michelle Rodriguez was a pleasant surprise. After the Fast series, I didn't think she could be fun, but was happily mistaken. The highlights of this film all contain her in some form or another, and I'm kind of surprised she's not the lead.

Chris Pine was also fun. A dual-classed rogue-bard provides the most opportunities for fun, and he capitalizes well. However, for an experienced player, it's kind of been done before. Good show for those who don't know DnD, but not especially impressive for those who do.

We missed so many fun DnD tropes, and never even touched on basic DnD philosophy. For every action, there is a both a 5% chance that you succeed brilliantly or fail spectacularly. This film doesn't even touch on it, and it's the core DnD mechanic. Now, granted, that's only 5% in either direction, so you could retroactively apply that to scenes from the viewer's perspective, but still, it feels neglected.

The Flash (I) (2023)

Plenty of highs and lows

[5/10 · 22 August 2023]

All said and done, I really wish to see what Zack Snyder would have done with this potential. A lot of good happened here, but a lot of missed opportunities too. Conveniently they let you know it's a comedy early on, so, really you're just watching everything as bonus scenes to what you're already familiar with.

For what little we saw of them, it was great to see Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot reprising their roles in character, (as well as Jason Momoa in post-credits).

Ezra Miller extends both the positives and the negatives of Grant Gustin's Flash, which was thoroughly amplified by the double that doesn't get it. This wound up being a negative for the film.

Pleasant surprise number one was Michael Keaton, as I didn't really like the original Batman films, but he absolutely killed it here. He was everything Batman was meant to be. He personified it excellently, both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. Hopefully this is enough endorsement to earn his role in a Batman Beyond film.

Pleasant surprise number two was Sasha Calle as Kara. This is the best Supergirl we've seen, significantly for both intensity and temperament. Absolutely loved that she could be be both overwhelmed (in captivity and on the battlefield) but overwhelming (nurturing Barry or confronting Zod). Thoroughly balanced and captivating character for so little screen time. Would love to see more.

This could have been a drama without nearly so much time travel nonsense. We've already seen a better version of Barry dealing with his mother's death in Grant Gustin's version of The Flash. Yes, time travel is essential to the character, but going back so far through thoroughly hashed territory was boring. We've seen a better Iris West love story. We've seen a better Henry Allen.

Start with Barry barely saving one vs Zod's scenario. That was a great scene and would've been a great intro. The rewind mechanism should maybe be used once, if at all, to show that a lesson was learned.

To say that saving a mother's life is not worth it, while saving a dozen baby's lives is? Really? I know that there is value in accepting things that can't be changed, but this breaches into refusing to change future trauma, as that might create future superheroes. We're losing our focus in grounding experiences.

The whole point of being a superhero is taking action when you have the opportunity to do what's right or at least negate wrong, and this film refutes it. Give me a film where two loving and responsible parents still inspire a highly motivated criminal investigator that just might be in a lab anyway on a stormy night.

RWBY: Ice Queendom (2022)

Watch the original first

[7/10 · 2 August 2023]

Unnecessary reboot that adds little and leaves out a lot. The art and voice-acting was on point - indistinguishable at most parts and arguably better at some. The original music was rather iconic and didn't need to be replaced.

The original writing was as rich and complex as anything out there. This version has been simplified to either the high school or grade school level of understanding. We don't need exposition like "you're our leader *wink*". We don't need a single complex character to be completely unraveled via a few episodes of dream exposition. And with all that they're skipping, even the phrase "best friends" rings a little hollow.

However, if you simply see this as bonus scenes with a slightly different style, it's a nice little filler before rewatching the original - which I am doing presently.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Did not need another origin movie

[4/10 · 11 June 2023]

What they did well was chain together a few decades of Mario tropes in interesting ways. On more than one occasion they reduced a 3d problem to 2d platforming and captured the core Mario mechanics rather brilliantly. If they couldn't work a powerup somehow into the scheme, it got some kind of placement in passing like the SMW capes, which were part of their "real life" advertising campaign.

What was frustrating is that Mario is already thoroughly established and does not need an origin reboot. When I play Mario, I don't aspire to be one who aspires, I aspire to be the "invincible" plumber that does amazing things, Ryukahr style. One comical flub somewhere in the movie would've been appropriate. So many so often was like getting kicked personally.

The whole "as long as we're together" bit was frustrating too. Its importance is set up just in time for it to be broken, then it doesn't matter for most of the movie, only to be celebrated at the end? The writers really should've spent some time defining the ideals these characters inspire, and focus the story appropriately. Instead we got a montage of brilliant shots with no real character development.

Voice-acting was on point. Really thought we'd see more Jack Black. What I thought would be a 3-5 minute ballad turned out to be roughly 30 seconds. Taking down the penguins was entertaining. Could've used a few more shots really driving home Bowser's nature. Would've been so much better if he never took a sweet turn, and the flowers were just ironic.

Slow Horses (2022– )

Not quite drama, not quite comedy

[5/10 · 10 May 2023]

While most series follow "what should be" or at least "what I would like to be" this series is possibly "what was". There's drama and comedy that don't make sense for the first two cases, but actually follow "what was". Based on the cell phones and hard case files, this might've been a real scenario in...2007?

Only done season one and can't care enough about the characters to go for season two. The opening scene was compelling, but then it's all a ruse? Then we have a real case with a psychopath, but we're making joke about agents running the wrong way?

And really, our psychopath never really completes his line. He's essentially revealed as a player in the spook world in episode three, but then played as a psychopath until the end? Each play should've furthered either an alternate agenda or a criminally deranged mind, but we have to infer the latter.

There's a few parting shots interspersed throughout the series about the relative station of the Slough Houses (aka Slow Horses), but not enough to care either way. You're not really rooting for them, but not really against them either, so...meh?

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Start with Season Three

[6/10 · 25 April 2023]

Each season stands alone, just like TNG tried to make each episodes stand alone, with few exceptions. Season two is miserable and season one isn't much better.

If you're coming to the show to see what happened to the TNG crew, just start with Season Three. The season finale for Season Three is better than many of the movies and should keep you going.

If you really really like it, then go one and two, and temper your expectations. There's a lot of dumb, interspersed with a few brilliant scenes. The pilot opener comes to mind, as well as a full episode of brilliance in season two before the writers threw away the brilliance brought by Brent Spiner.

There's a lot of exposition throughout the series that gets quite annoying. How did Ro Laren go from stark enemy off the Federation to trusted confidant? Exposition. How did Dr. Crusher go from generic doctor to smuggler/tactician? Exposition. Who is Raffi and why do we care? Exposition. So much more is just wished away via exposition.

I wish Brent Spiner had been consulted earlier and granted creative authority in more sweeping fashion. His scenes managed to capture actual growth, and I can only imagine that happened as a function of his direct influence. I can only imagine how much better the series would've been had he been a producer or director.

If this isn't your first Star Trek, start with TNG season 3, then DS9 from start to finish. You'll have enough opinion from there to fully explore the Star Trek universe.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Solid potential, please don't fizzle

[4/10 · 30 January 2023]

For those who thought Game of Thrones went astray, or never quite lived up to its potential, this is a chance at redemption. Many more subtleties, many more dragons, much more infighting. So much subtlety that I'm not quite sure who all the characters are, where they stand, or what they thought happened at certain points. If you are a detail-oriented hardcore fan, this is a plus. If you're more casual, like me, it's a bit annoying. I gave up on subtleties after all the unresolved lines in GoT, and I'm still bitter about it.

Acting, casting, worldbuilding, special effects...all top notch. Wouldn't surprise me if many of GoT major players behind the scenes are working their magic again.

Time jumps are annoying. I struggled to track which adult characters translated to which child character after the jump, especially since their names are similar...their looks are similar...their personalities are similar...almost like family.

After the finale, which was quite good, I kind of get the time jumps. If they truly took their time with it, they'd lose everyone in seasons of backstory before the real action in season 5. Now we should see real action in season 2, and I'm looking forward to it.

This series has a lot of potential, just like Game of Thrones did. I intend to revisit this review after each season and add a star if it's living up to its potential.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022)

Solid intro, then downhill

[4/10 · 16 November 2022]

Best John Stewart we've seen - veteran sniper with PTSD. It's an origin story, which is a little annoying, but we don't waste too much time on the denial and disbelief.

Hawk Girl was annoying. Kill...everything? How is she left alone with the technical means to traverse planets?

Also, when did John learn anything about not killing? Sure, the ring required it, but are we really going to change a fundamental alignment so frivolously?

If you're going to mess with theoretical physics, please don't blatantly disregard known physics. Transport a planet? Ok, I guess, but how does it establish an orbit in another solar system? If they're so close, how do they not tear themselves apart?

There's a stark contrast between an all-knowing lantern force that knows the character of individuals on distant planets, and being so oblivious/indifferent to corruption in their ranks. The lantern can't be the bedrock of morality that teaches John not to kill, and then completely fungible when the plot needs it later.

The Batman (2022)

Swing and a miss, but might set up a good sequel

[4/10 · 7 May 2022]

If the sequel features Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Pattinson might be the best counterpart. Batman and Joker have to be similar in too many ways - intensely dissatisfied with the world, dramatically altered appearance, drastic steps to compensate, yet different final solutions. This Batman focuses on the psychological aspect, which has the potential for a compelling sequel.

Sadly, however, this Batman lacks in so many categories. The fights were neither realistic, nor particularly interesting. The detective work was fundamentally lacking - throwing some tech and reading the next page in the script is not detective work. The romantic component was just sort of, there, without illuminating any significant component of either character, nor advancing their arcs in any meaningful fashion. And what was his motivation again? I am...fear? Darkness? Vengeance? Why does he want to embody an emotion again? While I haven't seen the Twilight series, if Batman starts to sparkle in the sequel, I'm shutting off the movie and not finishing it.

This was the best Riddler we've seen - brutal, deliberate, and sharing a compelling similar backstory to our hero. Still lacking a bit in overall development, as we don't know how/why he learned violence was the answer to his problems. Additionally, we can only surmise why he blames society at large, hence the targeting in the finale.

Additionally, the tactics were laughably miserable. Batman is bulletproof? So long as it hits the right spot? And he calculates these tanks how? What about the magic ramp in the fire car chase? Sounds more like luck than tactical brilliance. Wasn't the traditional Batman known for his planning?

And what in the world were they thinking introducing Catwoman last second in the final fight? When seconds matter, she's got minutes to change into costume, scale high above the fight, and swoop in at the perfect angle to catch the shotgun guy who just so happens to want to relish his shot against an otherwise tactically brilliant target they couldn't hit when they weren't relishing their shot. So incredibly dumb as to pull you out of the experience entirely.

There's some serious potential for exploring a dive into madness, and deliberately solving your way out. I have a feeling they'll do it with a montage and soundtrack instead, but would really like to see useful grounding psychological techniques for escaping madness.

The Blacklist (2013–2023)

James Spader is the only redeeming part

[4/10 · 21 March 2022]

8 seasons down now, hoping for it to get better, but it's just steadily gotten worse. Hook after hook after meaningless hook. I'll admit my wife filled me in on the episodes I missed, but still, so much time wasted.

James Spader is rather fantastic, both in his manner to present a character in the moment, and to give hope for an overarching satisfying conclusion. It's a compelling redemption arc, the master criminal/spy burning his network out of disgust for what it's become. 8 seasons down and they're still milking it for everything it's worth. If you could just write another compelling arc, perhaps you could keep the show going.

Elizabeth Keen goes from mediocre to abysmal, somewhere around season 5. For some godforsaken reason she decides "it's badass" to trick a potential bad guy into eating glass. Judge, jury, executioner...egomaniac, all in one fell swoop. It's not in character with her "toe the line" FBI agent, and it's too premeditated for anyone but a psychopath. What was anyone thinking writing this in? I get that her character has been missing analytical insight, tactical brilliance, and self-less devotion to others, but these could have been written incrementally, to give us something to aspire to.

This show could've been so much more. It's great to see truly twisted individuals face justice. It's great to see those who've escaped the law face an internal sense of morality, and act on it. It seems this show sells its greatness incrementally to perpetuate the television enterprise, rather than advance any cause worth aspiring to.