skay_baltimore

I had no real expectations when I started watching this film. I'd never heard of it before and just decided to watch it because it was free on YouTube and got decent ratings. One thing is unequivocal -- Anne Bancroft is a world class actress. She can say more with her facial expression(s) than most actresses can say with 1k words.

As for the rest of the film and the cast -- I'd say "okay/better than expected". Kimberlee Peterson.was solid and everybody else was decent enough. Normally I stay away from films with a lot of child actors because it rarely works out well. This film is the exception.

All in all I liked the story, the character development, and the pacing. It had just enough energy and warmth and truth to tick off the important boxes. R. I. P. Ms. Bancroft.

It was nice to see Jennifer Aniston in a role much different than "Rachel from Friends". I also always enjoy Isla Fisher, and she definitely didn't disappoint in this film. And maybe it was me, but every time I looked at John Hawkes all I could see was Harvey Keitel. But I digress. The plot was quirky, a little reminiscent of "Jackie Brown", but not quite as edgy and complex. Still, for what it is, it's entertaining and enjoyable. Clearly, Mark Boone Junior's role was over the top, but in a way that gave the film just enough weirdness to make it all come together. The little "twist" at the end left me kind of cold, but other than that I'd say this was a good watch.

The Good Place is a classic example of an interesting concept that, unfortunately, is poorly executed. The Good Place suffers from the same malady that sometimes affects other shows -- there are simply no characters worth caring about/liking. So while the premise is good, The Good Place is most definitely not a good show. It's juvenile in many ways, most likely geared to elicit some cheap laughs. But that just adds to the overall irritation of the characters, writing, and direction (or lack thereof). And while Danson still has some chops, Kristen Bell feels like a fish out of water who gets old quite quickly and really, really starts to stink. She's one of the biggest reasons that this series fails (despite the bloated IMDb rating). After the first show or two I just wanted to turn her off. And I did.

Season 1 quality has been up and down, and this episode isn't rated that highly, but compared to other X-File episodes this is definitely one of the better ones. It exposed the dangers of AI and "Smart Homes" LONG before the rest of us knew what was going on in this/these areas.

As such it's one of the most realistic, relevant episodes in the entire series. And make no mistake about it: the whole "Smart Cities" PR blitz is just a smokescreen for the real intent, which is "Smart PRISONS". The truth is right here...in this episode.

There really isn't anything more that NEEDS to be said, but since I apparently can't post this until I've reached 600 characters...I'll just reiterate: The truth is right here...in this episode.

What else is there to really say? Well...for one thing...Westworld showed the difference between a world class actor like Anthony Hopkins, and...the rest of the cast.

Second...and maybe more importantly...there's a critical lesson to be learned here: Folks, be warned, this is what happens when you hand over the keys to the Ferrari to Helen Keller. Sure, it's a hoot at first, watching her drive all around, banging into stuff like some bump and go toy car, only at a much higher rate of speed. But when it comes to actually trying to GO SOMEWHERE, it's just a never ending crash and burn nightmare.

Thanks, Sir Anthony, for the first 2 seasons. And if there actually IS a serious message hidden somewhere in this mess, it would have to be: "Women bad...men worse". I hope the creators of this debauchery never create another show for the rest of their lives. Clearly...these violent delights have horrible, horrible, trite, cliched, psychobabble endings.

It's a given that X-Files shows tend to be all over the place. But in most of them there's at least one thread that tends to hold everything together. In this episode, however, the threads are all over the place and the jumps don't fit/connect at all; nothing really comes together. At least not for me. It's just not believable that for decades the Jersey Devil can't be found then as soon as Mulder appears they manage to locate it in a matter of days. It's just a bad episode.

A nightmare on PCP. Watching this crud makes me really wonder what kind of mind(s) conjure it all up. In a way it's a reflection of the Handmaid's Tale world in which we now find ourselves, at least in this country. Reason has given rise to insanity, and hordes can't seem to celebrate it enough.

I began watching this with zero expectations. And for the first 20 minutes or so I was non-plussed. But two things turned that around for me: 1. Some of the lines/scenes made me laugh harder than I'd laughed in a long while. And 2. Seeing Melissa McCarthy kick some serious butt was great.

Additionally, there were some decent plot twists and the performance by Rose Byrne, while all over the place, was refreshing. So was the against type role for Statham. (I'd also give a nod to Miranda Hart's performance.)

All in all, if you need a good laugh, and don't take this film too seriously, it's worth a look. Just my 2 cents.

Previously I'd given this episode a slightly higher rating but having just watched it again I realized how fake sentimentality was being pushed for real emotion and drama, and it felt like a rip off. I saw through the facade and it destroyed the magic for me. It felt cheesy and false, and even though other episodes felt that way as well, this time, since this is the next to the last episode, it just seemed worse.

One thing felt real, though: when Yvonne Strahovski turns on the charm she's goddess-like. But when she turns cold it's almost demonic. She's an excellent actress.

As the third to the final episode of the series this had the potential to be great. It was not. Why? Because while some elements WERE great, the rest was a hot mess that included elements that were so ridiculous (i.e. A guy hanging onto the underside of a bullet train) they were laughable. But not in a funny way. And that's how most of seasons 3, 4 & 5 have gone. Another example of 1 step forward, 2 steps back. (In this instance, it was more like 3 steps back.)

It's sad. In the right hands this could (and should) have been a really great series. As it turns out, in the end, it's just another example of wasted potential.

The thing about humor is this: when it works, it works. (And when it doesn't, it tanks.) In this episode the humor clicks. (Especially the scenes with Jeffster and the vultures.)

Add in Bo Derek as a spy and some X-13 gas and you've got a recipe for a fun episode.

As the series winds down it's definitely sink or swim time. I, for one, liked the way it worked out in the final episodes. Others, however, hated the ending. So let's all just enjoy this rare episode and roll with the punches.

Too much improbability. Too much whining and hand wringing from Chuck (so what else is new?). Too much nonsense. Too little continuity. Too little genuine intrigue. Too little creativity.

Just more of the "1 step forward, 2 steps back" from the writers/directors/show runners.

And worst of all...Yvonne's hairstyle, the one saving grace for 4+ seasons, looks like crap.

This episode definitely has its moments. Among the highlights are any scenes with Carrie-Ann Moss. You can see what an accomplished, seasoned actor brings to the table. (Similarly, scenes with Scott Bakula and Linda Hamilton always shine. And to a lesser extent the same could be said about scenes involving John Larroquette.)

Also, we got the resolution with Decker that we've been waiting for.

And FINALLY we got to see Chuck do what he does best -- computer expertise -- with no Intersect, AND NO WHINING! (In fact, it was so obvious that it even inspired HIM to suggest to Sarah that they should consider switching Carmichael Industries to a computer tech firm instead of a spy firm.)

Still, this episode, like so many others, has its share of silly filler material. They just don't seem to learn that stupid silliness is NOT the same as humor and wit. Oh well. It is what it is. But at least this episode had some shining moments.

This episode is tough to review because it's got some great elements but one has to sift through an inordinate amount of nonsensical silt before actually finding the gold. Unfortunately, that's been the rule, rather than the exception, for everything beyond seasons one and two. However...it is what it is. (I found that fast forwarding through the irrelevant and unnecessary sections helps somewhat.)

I understand the reason that Morgan inadvertently got the Intersect instead of Chuck, but the silliness of so many episodes, like this one, is just unbearable. As others have stated it seems as if the writers are juveniles because the content is so sophomoric. This is a perfect example. When "Chuck" connects it hits it out of the ball park. But when "Chuck" misses it lands in a black hole. It's gotten old, and exhausting. I thought after the end of Season 4 it had finally found its way. But I was wrong. It's like 1 step forward, and 2 steps back.

Aside from the fact that Mrs. Winterbottom is da bomb (literally and figuratively), this episode has the usual mind numbing "off the reservation" hijinks. But more importantly, it FINALLY ties everything together. Major props for doing that; a few points deducted for the absurdity of most of the rest of the episode.

The stage is now set for where and how it all goes from here. The bar so far this season has been set pretty low, so it shouldn't be a great feat to end on a high note. We'll see.

Another "off the reservation" episode but, not unlike "Chuck Versus Phase Three", it somehow manages to work. Interestingly, Gary Cole, who plays Sarah's con man father, adds some much needed grounding to this series and especially this season.

In a parallel story arc to Chuck and Ellie's parents, he's an absentee father who does his best to love and help his daughter grow and face the challenges of this world. And the final scene really drives that point home. Not really a great episode, but better than a lot of the truly lousy episodes of season 4.

OK. This episode is off the reservation but in its own way it kind of works. From Devon bartering his medical services for computer tech support to Casey and Sarah kidnapping a Thai diplomat in a rug to Sarah the "big blonde she-male" fighting her way across Thailand to Morgan serving as the "lost tourist magnet", Chuck Versus Phase Three has a lot going for it.

And, in line with the entire series, in the final analysis it's all about Chuck's love for Sarah and Sarah's love for Chuck. Heck, even General Beckman is tolerable and the cameo from an evil Richard Chamberlain was a nice touch.

I have disliked more episodes this season than I've liked, and the last time I watched this episode (2021) I gave it 1 star. But upon re-watching it I've boosted the rating to 6 out of 10 stars. It just seemed more enjoyable this time around. (Also, there's something priceless about the look on Casey's face when he delivers the line: "What's up with the she-male thing"?)

It took 18 episodes but "Chuck" finally got back on track. This show has a ton to unpack, and I'm not going to divulge any spoilers. All I can say is that if you liked seasons 1 & 2 you'll really like Chuck vs the Subway. It has everything and more -- it's just a shame there was so much filler for the better part of Season 3. This doesn't make up for all of that, but it's about as good as it gets. I can't wait to see the season finale.

Contrived. Not the worst episode of S3 but clearly nowhere near as good as seasons 1 & 2. This season, contrary to another reviewer, has NOT hit its stride. Not by a long shot. I will say that Jeffster's rendition of "Leaving On A Jet Plane" was nice, and it's tough to beat Nina Simone's "Feeling Good". Still, this isn't a music video, and introducing Morgan as the current Jerry Lewis fumbling/bumbling idiot is weak, as is the rest of the episode. (The one exception was Morgan's ability to track Chuck & Sarah. The show needs more of that kind of energy, and a lot less of the junior high school idiot kind of energy.)

This episode, like most of Season 3, is garbage. There is no creativity when it comes to the writing (i.e. How many times can Chuck walk in on Sarah and see her kissing someone else?), no logic to any of the plot arcs, substituting melodrama for real drama (this wouldn't even make a halfway decent soap opera it's that bad), and no point in continuing to watch this nonsense any longer. The worst thing that can happen to a TV show is when it attempts to be a parody and ends up being a cliche laughing stock of itself.

Usually I can just mute Chuck's fumbling/bumbling Jerry Lewis antics, but this episode is so bad that muting and even fast forwarding didn't work. Add in the total crap fest with JeffSter and Casey and The Final Exam was The Last Straw for me.

Lots of series tank when they try to build a romantic relationship between the 2 leads. It's one thing for Chuck to be somewhat naive when it comes to all things CIA/NSA. It's the thing that attracts Sarah to him. But it's quite another to have him meld into a babbling moron who would be out of place in junior high school. For a Stanford grad with 3 years of experience with Sarah and Casey under his belt his incessant imbecilic, whining, insecure behavior around Sarah is nothing short of criminal. This show has become unwatchable because of Chuck.

This episode was bad, and for the most part, most of the entire season has been bad. Why? Because, as Shaw himself stated: "Sometimes Chuck looks and acts like a "real spy", and other times he's like Jerry Lewis". (slightly paraphrased) And therein lies the rub: other characters have made at least a modicum of progress since the show began. But Chuck, if anything, has regressed. (Yes...I know...at the end he showed some "progress", but it doesn't begin to offset all the ridiculous stupidity he exhibits over and over and over, for no discernible reason. It's not funny, or charming, or necessary.)

It's one thing to act intimidated and disoriented when it comes to all things CIA/NSA. But to act like a junior high school kid when interacting outside that realm is simply inexcusable. And it's beyond annoying. I find myself muting/fast forwarding through any scene with Chuck that shows him acting the fool. And there are WAY too many instances in which he does exactly that.

This show had great potential. And seasons 1 and 2 showed glimpses of that potential. So far however, in this season, they've totally lost the concept(s) of what made this show really good. (Intrigue, surprises, humor, warmth, and lots of Sarah Walker getting dressed/plus kicking the crap out of people.) ;-)

One of the best lines in the Chuck universe!! (That, and Casey's "Chuck me".) And this episode is one of the best in the entire series. I love the Steven Bartowski arc(s), and I was even able to stomach the Woodcombs (Sr) and Jeffster. Ellie looked gorgeous and got the wedding she'd wanted all along. And in the end Sarah made the right choice. A great cliffhanger leading into S3E1.

I don't know what happens with writers of good shows who, almost like clockwork, decide it's time to lower the level of their shows to utter idiocy. It's one thing to interject the intermittent quip now and then, but this show has just gotten ridiculous. It's NOT funny. It's NOT enjoyable. And it's NOT acceptable.