J-bot6

While not as strong as Legend of the Galactic heroes, this is certainly a good watch. It borrows from LOTGH while also managing to include clear nods to Star Trek II (bits of the theme are mighty close to James Horner's score and the main character is very similar to Lt. Saavik. Even the key situation for the first episode is similar).

Production quality is good, although sound design could have used a bit more work. Animation style is nice as well.

One fault would be that this series is just too short. It really could use more time. Fortunately there's a second part, although I didn't find the second installment to be as strong.

For the person who checks this review, it's worth noting that this is mis-named on IMDB. This is not part II; it's part one. The series listed on IMDB as part III is actually part II.

Quick. Witty. Great intro. Funny characters (the aliens, anyway).

Great voice-acting. I guess that's to be expected, considering the people working on this.

The pacing for the alien family segments is really good. However, the entire 'World inside the Wall' side-story kind of drags and is not nearly as interesting as the core characters.

I enjoy the smart and original aspects of the show, as well as the character interactions and sci-fi stuff.

This would have received a higher rating from me had it not been for the excessive gross-out butt-sex jokes. That seems to be a trend these days, one that's infected other shows like Robot Chicken and Rick & Morty. It's too bad writers have to keep reaching for the low-hanging fruit.

Looks like a certain studio finally got serious about assigning people to the task with sufficient attention to detail and understanding of the Star Wars source material.

The people behind the production management, art direction, cinematography, lighting, costumes, and music are all clearly adept at their jobs. Even the writing is good (a rarity these days).

It's a real treat to look at the screen and see custom hardware designed to match the look, feel, and scale of the outstanding 1977 and 1980 feature films. Very much appreciated. Computer consoles, displays, building designs, ornate 1930s costumes, lavish sets, ship designs (both interior and exterior), quirky droids, ... all are present and accounted for.

Adding to this is that the actors are chewing up the screen. They seem to appreciate the material and we -- the audience -- appreciate their efforts.

Solid modern interpretations of the Star Wars universe are a rarity. This series does not disappoint.

Bravo.

First off, this entire 2D game series is amazing. I say 2D since the 3D games are something completely different. Worms games excel in 2D format and this installment is no exception.

The positives regarding Worms W. M. D include the excellent background art and the polished animation. Also appreciated are that the general game-play experience is very similar to the exceptional Worms Armageddon.

Negatives include an A. I. that's not as smart as either the Dreamcast or 360 version of Worms Armageddon, the lack of some weapons -- including Ferrets and Termites, camera issues, silly voice-acting, the nearly-useless default Ninja Rope, and the shoe-horned crafting system.

First, the camera: It was a mistake to have the camera snap back to the worm that launched the attack; it takes the view away from the result (and the result is what players are watching for).

Voice-acting is hit-and-miss and certainly no match for the excellent voice acting featured in Worms 2: Armageddon. For comparison, the Cheese voices in W. M. D are a pale version of the superb Full Fat voice pack of Worms 2: Armageddon. Considering the sheer amount of blank space on the DVD, it's a mystery as to why the voice packs from Worms 2:Armageddon weren't included on Worms W. M. D. Thankfully, Worms W. M. D doesn't suffer from the strange sample playback issues of Worms Armageddon and Worms 2: Armageddon in which both games play samples at incorrect times (in particular the air strike and concrete donkey samples sound at times when those weapons aren't even active). Looks like someone (thankfully) stamped that bug out in W. M. D.

While the background art is great, there really aren't that many different worlds offered. It would be nice to see legacy maps included -- just as they were in Worms 2: Armageddon. Most missed are some of the background designs from the Dreamcast version of Worms Armageddon.

The default Ninja Rope (which appears to be the only off-line choice available) is too short and has terrible control compared to past games). It's sad to see one of the best utilities reduced to something so feeble.

As for the crafting system, it just doesn't suit this format of game-play and is better left out.

New weapons like helicopters, tanks, and mechs are interesting -- yet not essential. Any new weapon choices are always welcome though.

The Super Sheep weapon's rotation speed is much too fast. This was an obvious and easy-to-spot oversight (all the devs had to do was spend a bit of time studying their past releases and compare). The timer on the Super Sheep is also too short for the sheer amount of real-estate it needs to traverse.

I'm pleased to see that there aren't too many bugs in W. M. D, especially the annoying issue in Worms Armageddon where a grenade would hit an already-destroyed bridge. Having said that, there appears to be a bug in W. M. D in which sheep will not detonate even at a height of three worms above sea level when over open water.

An additional comment is that some of the excellent sound effects of previous games are absent here -- in particular the satisfying "blorp" sound of a worm plunging into the ocean that was utilized in Worms 2: Armageddon.

In summary, it seems that every installment in the Worms series suffers from issues that could have been spotted in the play-testing phase of development. And, as with previous versions, the menu interface is clunky. I'd have to say that Worms 2: Armageddon on the 360 likely has the best menu system of the series thus far and should be the minimum standard.

Despite these issues, the 2D Worms games are so fun to play that these problems can be set aside, for the most part.

The level of replay value for the Worms series is excellent and I hope to see more 2D Worms installments in the future.

The art, design, and audio mix for this anime is some of the best ever put to screen. The story is fairly simple -- which is characteristic of this format of short film. However, all of the elements are finely-tuned to give the viewer an amazing escape into a world of ultra-cool sci-fi.

From 1985 to 1995, Japan was on top of the world. It seemed that anime budgets were "sky's the limit" and this is a great example. Along with this are gems like Dangaio, Gun Buster, and Macross: Do you remember love?

If only anime could return to the ultra-high level of quality that these classics represent. If only....

I noticed that this film received a lot of negative reviews -- largely due to the material being difficult for general audiences to understand.

However, for those familiar with the source material that this film draws from, it's a fascinating watch. There's no question that this movie deals with some pretty dark topics.

The cinematography is good and the sound track is even better. The actors do a good job and are compelling.

I'd read about much of what this film is talking about, but to actually see parts of it depicted on screen is pretty disturbing.

For those wanting some background on what's happening in this film here's a bit of useful information:

Since just after World War II, a number of governments started looking into ways of improving their ability to spy on each other (as well as carry out assassinations). To this end, they researched things like hypnosis, the unconscious mind, and brainwashing. Some of the researchers were a bit more optimistic and looked at this as a chance to push human evolution forward -- to improve the mind and perhaps make a better world. LSD and other mind-expanding drugs were used. However, those wanting to 'program' people added in things like hypnotic suggestion (both auditory and visual) along with triggers (think Manchurian Candidate).

Anyway, the crappy thing is, this film is based on reality. If you want to know more about it, try searching the web for more information on these topics. It's not pretty, but it is a part of our history.

The more positive components of this research are available as part of the Freedom of Information act under the topic of The Gateway Process.

One thing that shocked me as much as others who have reviewed this film is how it portrayed the supposed 'good guys' as being as bad or worse than the 'bad guys'. It seems that both sides were willing to carry out terrible actions in order to get what they wanted.

I should also mention that the scenes in which the same person was displaying multiple personalities was a byproduct of the brainwashing process. In order to get a subject to do something they wouldn't normally do, a technique was used of splitting their personality into independent personalities that were unaware of one-another. Then one or more of those alternate personalities would be instructed to carry out a task (like assassination). For more information on that topic, search MK Ultra.

An intelligent and daring series, both for its time and for today.

The Prisoner is the kind of brilliance you get when someone is actually given creative control. Of course, Pat McGoohan had to fight for it. It certainly was well worth the fight though.

When I first watched this series, I thought that it was all fiction. However, I was later to discover that there are little details in the show that are based on actual fact -- fact that was, at the time, still classified information (like MK Ultra-esque brain-washing techniques). How he knew of this back then, I'm really not sure.

The Prisoner is packed full of brain-twisting puzzles and word-play.

And for those that find it to be just too damn confusing, here's a spoiler that will make things much easier to follow.

* * * * * * * The title of this review gives away the secret of the series. Just look at it for a while and the answer will be obvious. Nothing quite like hiding something in plain sight. Kudos to the people handling the line delivery for this show. One wrong take and the gig would be up.

Seasons 1 through 3 were truly inspired. Plenty of cool ideas executed well. Quick editing, snappy dialog, and great voice acting.

However, upon watching season 4, I ended up lowering my rating for this show a notch. The clever ideas, tight editing, and great voice acting were still there. However, it was starting to fall victim to the same thing that so many comedy shows suffer from. That is, the increasing insecurity of some of the writers and their coping strategy of relying more and more on gross-out toilet humor because they somehow think they're just not funny enough without it.

I suspect the need to be overly crude will be what eventually kills the popularity of this series. It's always sad to see such smart ideas and great imagination cheapened by sick one-liners that seem to be cooked up by demented three-year-olds. It makes for uneven viewing.

Having said that, there is still a lot of great stuff happening in this show. The clever still outweighs the cheap-shots, and that's why I've resisted dropping this below a 7 star rating.

In summary, it's a shame that the creative staff don't realize that this show can stand on its own two feet (and is actually stronger) without the excessive potty humor and incest jokes.

I don't often give out scores higher than a 7.

This series is phenomenal. Every studio really brought their A-game to this. Is it possible that the Japanese understand Star Wars better than most of the commissioned present-day North American writers? I suppose it shouldn't be a huge surprise, considering that much of the Star Wars 'style' is rooted in the works of Akira Kurosawa.

And so it was that the first episode turned out to be a treat for fans of both Lucas and Kurosawa. After watching all of the episodes, the first is the one that I rank the highest. With episodes 5, 7, and 8 close on its heels.

Offering contracts to a variety of anime houses was a great idea and the result is a body of work that is a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe.

Excellent work by the Japanese voice-actors. And exceptionally good music in episode 6.

Well worth a look.

The attention to detail in this production is second-to-none. Even the musical score and set dressing in the night club scene is accurate to the film that it pays tribute to. How is it that a super low-budget independent production like this was able to accurately capture the style of the 1982 Blade Runner film effects and sets while every multi-million dollar Hollywood attempt to do something like Blade Runner has failed miserably?

People who see Slice of Life owe it to themselves to also check out the behind the scenes videos that outline the research that went into this production and the process that the film-makers used for creating the shots. It's like handing someone sticks, stones, a few pieces of string, and a $20.00 bill while telling them to make something with scenes that stand up to the cyberpunk world of Blade Runner. Impossible? Apparently not.

Kudos to the patience and raw talent displayed in this work of art. The major studios would be insane not to hire these people.

Let's start with what's good about the 2021 film: The vehicles and the sense of scale. Both are well done.

And now for the weaker points....

This film features no emperor, no Feyd, no Guild Navigator, almost no intrigue, and no sense of impending doom. Mentats and the Guild were played down to almost being non-existent.

The big bad Sardaukar army in this new version of Dune are wimpy compared to their portrayal in the 1984 film. The taking of house Atreides is over in a flash and the battle scenes throughout the film are weak (unless you count the one big explosion during the siege).

Despite the Baron's homage to Colonel Kurtz, the Harkonnens are like pussycats compared to the debased psychos from Lynch's 1984 film. As a result, they don't present nearly the level of threat or stress to the heroes. The sense of terror, disgust, despair, and intimidation that existed in the 1984 film is missing here. Adding to this are that most of the actors seemed to be sleep-walking through their roles in this 2021 film. It appears that only Jason Momoa and the warrior that Paul kills near the end of the film were really trying.

The 'hand in the box' sequence failed to really convey the dire situation that Paul was in. Compare this to the horror and intensity of that same scene in the 1984 film. Other details like the personal (Holtzman) shield were more effectively conveyed in the 1984 film. Something halfway between what was shown in the two films might have been more appropriate.

Casting: Well, there's just no comparison for the most part. The casting in the 1984 film eclipses that of the new movie (especially for characters like Gurney Halleck, Dr. Kynes, Chani, and IMHO, the Baron). I prefer Kyle MacLachlan's portrayal of Paul, but I understand that Chamalet is closer to the age of the character in the book, so I guess that evens out. As for the Duke, both actors did a good job, but if I had to choose, I'd say Jürgen Prochnow for the win.

The musical score for the 2021 film is forgettable whereas the 1984 score is epic and features numerous strong hooks and a lot of variety. Sound design in the 1984 film is also stronger. It's a mystery as to why so many 80s films have stronger sound design than recent films, considering that we can now work with digital tracks, rather than cutting and splicing tape.

Editing for this new film is slow and plodding (and also much less complex than the 1984 film). Edits in Lynch's theatrical cut are all there for a specific reason (to convey necessary information to the audience -- much of it visual). The 2021 film has a number of scenes that could have been cut since they're not essential to the plot and they don't convey enough atmosphere to really contribute to the sense of world-building.

Pacing: Again, the 1984 theatrical cut of Lynch's Dune wins again. Pacing in the 2021 film is slow and plodding (and this is coming from someone who likes a good, slow, atmospheric film). The three-quarter mark is so uninteresting that I actually started to look at the clock.

I would also give the 1984 film the advantage of having a proper resolution, but I understand that this new movie is just a segment of an arc. So I'll leave that be.

Hopefully, the actors for these new films turn out to be a bit more endearing so that the audience can become more invested in them. That would certainly help the scenes that are to come.

Again, there's no doubt that this new film is a great effort. It just feels a bit flat and suffers from some issues with conveying important information about characters and motives.

So, ultimately, this 2021 film is worth a look, closer to the book, and features some nice ground and air vehicle designs. Just don't expect to get emotionally involved in it to any significant degree.

Ergo Proxy owes quite a bit to the 1960s series The Prisoner. This becomes apparent near the end of the series. It also utilizes elements of Ghost in the Shell, Logan's Run, and Blade Runner.

The art style is excellent and so is the music. Pacing's good, characters are interesting, and the sense of atmosphere helps to create an immersive world for the viewer to dwell in.

Lots of references to mythological and historical figures, along with some notable philosophers and thinkers. They even visually explain (near the end) why Daedalus has the name he has as his creation flies 'too close to the sun.'

For people who enjoyed Ghost in the Shell and the atmosphere of manga/anime like Blame!, I think you'll also enjoy this one too.

Both the Japanese and English versions are good. However, if you want a darker experience, try watching it in Japanese with English subtitles.

A neat idea having the freedom to set a theme for each episode and then fit the characters to the theme. I also enjoy the cameos from the director and the inclusion of "The will of the Universe" character that steps in to right things when they go horribly sideways. The brainstorming sessions for the writers of this show must have been pretty epic. I also like that they allowed the editors to comment on how tough it is to do season finale recap episodes (very true!)

Of all the characters, I'd say Hyatt is my favorite. Despite her weak alien immune system, she still tries really hard to do a good job.

The animation style is good, despite the obvious corners that were cut here and there (mainly for crowd scenes) in order to keep the budget under control.

I watched the English dubbed version and was initially critical of the American voice actors. But I soon realized that the style they were using actually fits the zany sense of humor of the material on screen. That and the voice actor doing Excel's voice really went for it; she certainly worked for her money. Bravo!

Fun show and worth a watch if you're a fan of pop culture.

I don't know what's wrong with people. This installment has the lowest rating of the five films. Personally, I loved it. It's very well shot, lighting's great, lots of cheesecake supermodels, mannequins everywhere, a cool story idea, and a really well-acted villain.

With over 2300 viewed films under my belt and having worked in the film and television industry, I think I know a good movie when I see one.

So to those who were thinking of passing this one up, think again.

Pretty good show. Characters are interesting, cinematography and lighting are nicely done, and the soundtrack is good too (of course, Clint Mansell is involved with the musical score, so that's probably why).

CGI is a bit weak in a few areas (manly the animation relating to motion capture). Stilted animation aside, the effects are quite good.

A few things are a bit unclear (like why Grayson is so angry at Bruce Wayne). His angst seems to be more than what you'd expect from someone adopted and trained by Batman -- regardless of how tough a regimen.

It's nice to see a character derived from Superman, and another character that is aware of Kryptonians and their language.

People who are interested in the DC universe owe it to themselves to read the early Detective Comics Batman issues and also check out at least the first half hour of the 1978 Superman movie.

What happens when you remove the brains from Gundam and wrap it in Dragonball packaging? This.

If you're looking for plot, intrigue, political commentary, a thought-provoking story, or complex character relationships, you're much better off checking out the original Gundam movies that started it all (or perhaps Gundam : Stardust Memories).

You won't find anything in Mobile Fighter G Gundam that even approaches the territory of Legend of Galactic Heroes or even it's spiritual predecessor, Space Battleship Yamato in this video-game arcade fighter-esque installment with the name Gundam somehow attached to it. However, if you just want some excitement without the content that defines Gundam, then I suppose this might entertain you.

The animation quality is so-so; the English dub is pretty awful. However, the voicing seems to maintain the attitude of the show. The first antagonist is almost like listening to Starscream beak off long enough to have you reaching for the down button on the volume control.

Clearly, this is just marketed towards selling toys. No longer is real thought put into the process of entertaining (except perhaps coming up with a variety of mech designs). Again though -- that serves the purpose of selling product.

It would have been better if the people who thought up this series had just made an entirely new series instead of appropriating the name "Gundam" for it. Yes, you can have your amped-up Street Fighter battles. Just leave Gundam out of it.

I'm a huge fan of the bold and wild imaginative worlds presented by pulp sci-fi. And I'm also a big fan of anime, having watched shows like Yamato/Star Blazers, Galaxy Express 1999, Macross, and a ton of other notable animated epics.

I'd seen the 90-minute U.S. cut of this film a long time ago and thought it was good, but not great. Recently though, I watched the 135-minute Japanese-language version twice in one week (yep, over four hours of viewing). My opinion on this movie has just jumped up a few notches. The more I watch this, the more I appreciate it. The design work is phenomenal and the soundtrack is excellent. In fact, I'm noticing a resurgence in interest in the band Loudness and the album that features songs from this film.

For me, I want a sci-fi film to take me places and this one certainly does. For a movie that has over a 2-hour running time, this one speeds along from location to location. In fact, it could use another hour. Regardless, the quick pace is fine with me, since that's a hallmark of the earlier days of science fiction (with 2001: A Space Odyssey being the exception).

This feature has many many influences, and pretty much every title I've mentioned in this review are among them. I noticed in the FAQ that people criticized this film for treading a similar path to Space Battleship Yamato. However, I don't see people saying the same about Legend of the Galactic Heroes or a few other features that also owe a great deal to Yamato. I'd go as far as to say that Odin actually improves on Yamato in a number of ways while adding in welcome elements like concepts from Fred Saberhagen's Berserker novels.

This movie stays on course and maintains a consistent tone. I can't say enough about the latter, since so very many sci-fi features go off the rails or insert silly characters or scenes for seemingly no reason. Odin, however, keeps things consistent and even manages to end the film on a very emotional and epic note.

I salute the people who made this film possible and all the thought and hard work that they put into it. Bravo!

Thanks also to neo1024. You've done a man's job sir!

Not the best episode of the series, but still a good one. Well shot and edited.

This entire series was really ambitious, and -- clearly -- the studio didn't really understand it. That seems strange to me since this is the same studio that brought us hits like "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Bionic Woman", "Battlestar Galactica", and "V".

I think the only real fault I can give this episode is the rough treatment of the brown rabbit. Either the wrangler or the director for the sequence near the end (at approximately the 39 minute mark) are at fault here and this should be used as an example of how not to treat an animal on set (yes, I do hold a union card).

I've seen a ton of anime over the last 40 years and this is one of the best.

What really surprises me is that I didn't see this before now.

The art direction is great (borrowing from Blade Runner, Aliens, and Return of the Jedi). Mech designs are excellent. I suspect that the designer of these is likely the same person who later designed the mechs for Evangelion. Of course, this pre-dates Neon Genesis by many years.

The story is a simple one with an important message. It's a theme that appears in a lot of anime. Today's viewers should put this into context and realize that many famous anime have borrowed from this series. And for the message that it conveys, Detonator Orgun succeeds where Harmageddon failed.

Top all of this cool presentation off with a soundtrack that features a vocalist that sounds like a Japanese version of Ultravox. Awesomeness abounds.

Excellent art direction is one of the hallmarks of this series. Combine that with great writing, exceptional voice acting, compelling score, and a ton of interesting characters and plot twists, and you have a winner.

Plenty of call-backs to both TRON films show that the writers and designers are unafraid to apply their formidable attention to detail. This is a project to be proud of.

Once-again though, Disney has shot themselves in the foot by canceling this series. Yet another critical mistake by Disney management in the last few years.

After The Last Jedi and Solo, I actually quit Star Wars. I'd had it.

Then my friends went to see The Rise of Skywalker and they were saying quite a few positive things about it. So I decided to finally go and see it.

It seems that Abrams and his writing crew managed to salvage what seemed unsalvageable. Certainly, this film threw a few too many things into the mix (everything but the kitchen sink, as the saying goes). I could do with a little less 'cute creature' stuff and less line re-use. Aside from that -- and some over-the-top scenes featuring a charge on 'horseback' -- this film actually works.

Those who have been following Star Wars since the beginning will notice references to the original concept art as well as scenes (like the end sequence) framed much like a Kurosawa film. Couple this with scenes that repair the damage done by Ruin and his crew and we have what represents a real effort to make up for lost time. Tight editing and a real effort by all the actors and this film actually takes on an epic feel.

There are some familiar faces in this installment. When I saw the trailers, I figured they were just there as a last ditch effort to save the franchise. After seeing the film though, I see that they're more than just cameos and play a pivotal part in the plot. I really enjoyed seeing them in this series again (you know who I'm talking about).

So a big thanks to everyone who worked on this and for finally giving the original fans something much more akin to episodes IV, V, and VI.

This is a different (and much superior) movie in Japanese. The English audio version feels like it was written by a 5-year-old and is filled with re-used juvenile catch-phrases. After watching it in English, I was about to review this and give it a 6. But I decided to watch it again in Japanese and upped it a point to a 7 out of 10.

Seriously, it's like watching another film entirely. Even the pacing seems different (giving the viewer time to absorb what's going on). I feel sorry for the original creators that the intended tone of this production was literally lost in the audio translation.

As for the style, it's pretty cool. I kept thinking of how it put me in mind of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (to have my suspicions confirmed when I saw the interview with the Japanese staff).

One tip when watching this is to not over analyze it. There's some crazy stuff that happens at the end that is off the scale. All in good entertainment though.

The first time I tried watching this show, I gave up after the first episode. My impression was that it was yet another Sci-Fi series featuring cookie-cutter 'chip-on-their-shoulder' characters trying to be cool. Sometime later, I was looking around for an alternative to the abysmal Discovery, and figured I'd give this series another chance. I'm glad I did.

Dark Matter turned out to be a pleasant surprise as events and characters developed. The situations are interesting, putting me in mind of the RPG Traveller, wrapped up in the excellent visual sensibility of EVE Online. And although many people have compared this series to Firefly, it actually reminds me of another legendary series from the past: Blake's 7. Counting the android, it even has seven crew members. Additionally, the situations they find themselves in are reminiscent of Blake and his team (although in this series, there's less of a leader figure). One could argue that Blake had a tenuous grip on leadership of his own crew as well.

Also of note are the solid visual effects and the effort to present plenty of noteworthy locations to the audience (including space stations and derelict starships). And worthy of mention is the very cool soundtrack which includes some of the best basslines I've ever heard in sci-fi since Michael Boddicker's score for the mining colony bar in Outland.

Clearly, those who created and carried out this series know a thing or two about science fiction. A sincere thanks to everyone involved.

While watching this film, I couldn't help but feel that it was more like a television show than a motion picture. It doesn't really strike me as a Star Wars movie. Instead, it's something different.

Although the cast members did a really good job with what they had to work with, this came off as yet another prequel that lifts idea after idea from the movies that preceded it. For example:

• 'Got to get off of this planet'.
• 'I've got your money'.
• Thermal detonator.
• 'Watch this' followed by turning the ship sideways.
• The 'Fed to the beast in the pit' scene.
• 'I don't have it here, now'.
• Homing beacon attached to the Falcon.
• Interrupted kiss.
• The 'envoy with slaves' routine.

As for the elements of the story that actually were somewhat original... those too were problematic. In particular, the liberties that were taken with the character of Lando. Despite this, Donald Glover did a great job of duplicating Billy Dee Williams' line delivery and mannerisms. Too bad the script and its interpretation of his character didn't rise to the same level.

There are a number of twists in the story that are a bit too pat. And relationships that clearly took a long time to develop only took mere hours or a few days to develop in this film's interpretation of Han. Chewie, and Lando's earlier years. Too many things just seemed a bit off -- enough so that I can't accept this as canon.

Finally, there's the score. Pretty much everything that wasn't composed by John Williams just didn't fit. It put me in mind of Back to the Future. Don't get me wrong.... I like Back to the Future. But if that's what I wanted to see, I would have just played that film instead.

I don't envy Ron Howard for the task of trying to patch this movie up and complete the project. Clearly, he and the actors did the best they could with what they were provided. However, it just does what so many of the recent films have done to this saga. And that is, they've made it a smaller and less awe-inspiring universe with changes to characters that go a long way to demystify something that should never be demystified.

I'm happy to report that the writing improves as you progress through season 1. In particular, episode 3 is where it really takes gets its footing. And the finale for the first season is pretty phenomenal. Excellent performances by Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, and pretty much the entire cast. I was concerned at first when I saw Abrams' name attached to this that it might end up being a bit 'fluffy'. However, it stayed on an even keel and the maintained a thoughtful tone throughout. And when dealing with existential material in the same vein as The Creation of the Humanoids (1962) and Blade Runner (1982), it's imperative to present material in such a way that the viewer can remain thoughtful and make connections.

When watching these episodes, many ideas come to mind, including simulation theory, consciousness, the evolution of (and potential replacement of humanity by) A.I., free will vs. control, perception as it relates to memories, personality as a function of traumatic life events, sentience, morality, the value of compassion, reincarnation, the human condition, and much more.

From a technical standpoint, the series is scored, shot, lit, and edited well. Nice use of set design and lighting. Special (practical) and visual effects are very nicely done. Most surprising to me is that it actually retains a bit of the feel of the Westworld (1973) and Future World (1976) movies. Usually, modern takes on 1970s material end up being almost indistinguishable from their source material. However, some of the 'feel' of the original is here. In particular, the intrigue and mystery of the originals is retained.

I've seen most of the first season of Altered Carbon. And, in my humble opinion, I think Westworld does a better job of tackling similar themes.

As a final comment, I'll say that I certainly appreciated the little details -- like the various modern-era songs on the player piano (e.g. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden and "A Forest" by The Cure.

This is a show worth watching.