LorenBieg

I watched the entire Star Wars: Rebels series in preparation for episode one, finishing season four the day of the premier. It's great fun seeing the Easter eggs and how the story seems ready to pay off the last episode of Rebels right from the start.

The Star Wars audience is always in good hands with Dave Filoni. But something about the direction or editing here seems strangely low-energy and slow. Perhaps I'm just over-used to the kinetic energy of th animated series. But it seems like there is a lot of staring and pausing and walking, etc. The characters earned a strong connection to each other I don't feel here yet. Otherwise visually beautiful and a great start to a series focused on one of Star Wars' most interesting characters. Can't wait to see how they bring back Ezra!

If you're looking for hard sci fi, you've come to the wrong movie. Most of the negative reviews here seem rounded in this misunderstanding of the film. It's a fantasy that places a romance in a fanciful and original sci-fantasy premise with stunning visuals, characters I care about, and an enchanting film score that remains tragically unpublished to this day (2023). The opening Sage Mountains scene keeps me coming back to this film on its own. The whole thing is fun, well acted, achingly sweet, and Kirsten Dunst makes me fall in love all over again.

Watch it on Peacock for yourself and forget the haters!

The most unprofessional astronauts imaginable embark on a melodramatic journey to Mars replete with bad science and buckets of tears, a la Hallmark Tv special. The ship breaks every episode. The Russian guy is a dick. The Chinese scientist is no better. These stereotypes seem to play to today's low-frequency political discourse while introducing nothing about the most interesting aspect of the premise: the first manned mission to Mars. I'm five eps in and yawning through *so much crying*. Then there was the weightless dance scene over Joni Mitchell's "River" at the end of ep five. Good god.

*Vomit*

I really wanted Apollo 13, only Mars. Instead, Its all about astronauts family issues and badly designed equipment, My advice is skip this slow moving barge of a "sci-fi" soap opera, watch The Martian, and pretend this didn't happen.

I started watching Tiger King because Joe Exotic and his ex husband Brian were neighbors of my brother. I used to hold my (then) toddler over the fence to see the kangaroos in the backyard. My brother helped Joe and Brian chase down an escaped kanga once. "Over the top" I thought at the time. But that wasn't even close.

Once we started watching we couldn't stop! Through one insane twist, then another this story twists towards its conclusion. My gf said "the story is crazy af anyway, then you remember 'omg there's Tigers!'"

As good a shockumentary as is out there!

Season three is really good. Episode one just takes too long to get to the story. A subplot about Dustin's girlfriend Suzie goes nowhere. Eleven and Mike's kissing scenes are awkward and too long. Another subplot with Billy at the pool is also over played. Is this still an action horror sci fi series? Some comedy at the local newspaper is a highlight, but only the first and last few minutes feel on genre.

Fight through it. The season takes off from here.

I don't get the high reviews for this one. The characters are flat and for the most part dicks to each other. The premise, while somewhat interesting, lacks emotional resonance. I'm two episodes in and I just don't care how it turns out, ironic since it deals with the end of the world. Pacing is slow and dialog is decent overall but awful in a few places. Production quality is high. But I don't really like any of the characters, other than feeling sympathetic for Ellen Page whom everyone just constantly s***s on. It's not enough to keep me watching. And wtf with the chimpanzee butler? It just doesn't work. Plot holes abound and the rules of the universe are so loose it comes off as sloppy. The gunfight at the end of episode 2 is inexcusably ludicrous. Definitely should have worked more on the script. *snoorreee*

We were riveted by season one of Tin Star. The writing, the premise, the location, and great acting held us from start to the gripping cliffhanger ending. But, season two is one long, plodding, wallowing quagmire of harshness and sadness. Scene after scene of illogical actions, flat dialog and just NOTHING happening. It's like a ten episode prologue for another story that never occurs. Without inspiration or payoff.

The great Tim Roth and the rest of the very strong cast do their best but it's just not a salvageable script. Very disappointing as we enjoyed the first season so much.

We started the series, hoping for a thriller I could enjoy with some character work that she could enjoy. Both of us were blown away by the strength, intrigue, complexity, and nonstop twists and turns in this new series from Amazon prime. The leads, Esme Creed-Miles and Joel Kinnaman, are mesmerizing with a masterfully restrained performance from Mirielle Enos.

I felt that the first episode took a little while to really pull me in, but once it did I was hooked. Acting and writing are very strong, although there were a few moments when certain situations seemed a bit contrived for the purpose of building tension and prolonging the lives of certain characters as they battled each other. But, that's the series' only weak point. I personally would have enjoyed a few more scenes to showcase Hanna's badassery. But, the anticipation building towards the action scenes was enough to hold my interest as we binged the show in two sittings.

Looking forward to a second season!

I'm an easy sell on an interesting Sci-Fi premise. But, an attempt to capitlize on the greatness of George RR Martin in a Sci Fi horror piece falls unfortunately flat. NightFlyers just didn't work for me for several reasons.

First, the positives. The design of the ship was a nod to some classic Arthur C Clarke and other 60s/70s sci-fi greats like Silent Running. The memory tech was interesting. And, perhaps the most intriguing element of the story was the mystery sustained, perhaps too far and too squarely in the periphery, regarding the intent and nature of the Volcryn. Some twists were interesting (I won't spoil), but most I found uninteresting. On to the issues...

Problem #1: What was the story? Was it a miniseries, or an episodic adventure? The most interesting element was human race's desperate need to reach out the Volcryn, an alien race (we think?) passing within a reachable distance of the solar system. But, the story deviated too far and too frequently from it's premise into "why does this matter?" territory. And, there's so little background given on this discovery of the Volcryn that I never really felt connected to the plight of humanity and why their connection to the Volcryn was so important.

Problem #2: Annoying, undisciplined, immature. unprofessional astronauts and scientists. The behavior of the characters was intolerably petty and short sighted, to the point of stretching believability farther than the sci-fi premise itself. As a viewer, I don't need Starfleet-level military discipline in every space flight scenario. But this isn't "Alien" or some mercenary ship. It's presented as legit, seasoned space-farers. And they just decompose into silliness nearly immediately. Another subplot involving a murderous rampage seemed to be a deviation in genre into horror b-flick territory. Then, without explanation, the guy's ok again, shaking hands with everyone. Wtf?

Problem #3: Unforgivably implausible plot points. The most glaring was the encounter between the Nightflyer and a presumed-lost earth vessel named the Eagle, in which the Eagle randomly appears within spitting distance of the Nightlfyer in deep space. Seriously. The subplot involving Cynthia Eris that just went on and onnn with a very predictable outcome. A high-ranking crewman's loyalty to her, to the point of disabling the ship, committing murder, and risking suicide is ridiculous.

If you've read this far, I may have talked you out of it already. My last comment is I found the ending too vague to be satisfying. It may have been an attempt to leave the story open for an additional season. Honestly I might be tempted to tune in to see if they do something interesting with Volcryn on the other side. But, it will be against my instincts.

Exploding on to the screen this week was Project Deadalus, one of the very best episodes of Star Trek Discovery yet, and in my opinion, deserving Grammy attention for its punchy dialogue, emotional intelligence, rap and character development, pathos, and the tightly written, layered plot full of subtlety and intrigue.

Star Trek: Discovery continues to outdo itself. We *never* re-watch an episode of television. But, we could not resist coming back to this one a second time because we still found ourselves talking about it two days after the first viewing. The dialogue and character work are fantastic throughout, But perhaps most compelling were the explosive collisions between Spock and Michael Burnham, showcased at their finest during a game of trilevel chess, a call back to the earliest of Trek.

The mystery and backstory of commander Ariam were handled with a deft sense of humanity, as was her connection to the rest of the crew. We have been curious about her for sometime, and found the explanation of her backstory both heartbreaking and beautiful.

The story wraps with an emotional climax, rather than a plot driven one, bringing all the character threads together in a single moment. And in the end I realized that the writer was exploring Burnham's inability to let go And what that has cost her. The message resonated. Beautifully done and highly recommended!

...which I never do. And I really like Jason Mamoa. But this is just the most generic, inane, over-CGI'd under-written recycle of other superhero movies. So much exposition about tridents and politics and next to nothing about the characters. Except the first ten minutes about Aquaman's mom and dad, an awkwardly youthified waste of Nicole Kidman and Jango Fett. And dude, Amber Heard (aka poison ivy) is smoookiingg hot and wtf with Aquaman's indifference to her and zero explanation of how they know each other.

The coolest thing about Aquaman is his connection with fish, which is completely overlooked in an opening sequence involving a machine gun fight. The only interesting scene in the first 30 minutes takes place in an aquarium when Aquatyke is being bullied.

The underwater talking and flying and armpit sniffing was unbearable. And I'm just getting going here. I can't beleive the script made it to screen.

Seems like the reviews are either 9s & 10s from viewers like me who are loving Star Trek Discovery, or 1s from old guard haters who aren't willing to let the Trek Universe track some new ground.

I've been a track fan since discovering the classic series in reruns. I've watched all seasons of all series, and recognize that this show is taking some liberties while capturing the essence of what I love most about Star Trek, and doing so in a highly entertaining way.

As for this episode, we finally find Spock, sort of, a plot element that has drug in a bit long for me. But it's exciting nonetheless. The climate and ancient-ness of Vulcan are further developed. Tyler and Pike have some conflict that is fun and resolves nicely. Pike is quickly becoming one of my favorite starship captains in the franchise. And, I about fell out of my chair when Talos IV came up!

The one consistently annoying device that is over usd is the techspeak problem solving sessions that just sound like "blah blah whatever" when Tilly and Stamets are saving the ship. Character drama is much more interesting. TNG used to do the same thing and it causes me to disconnect from the story. But eh, the rest is so good I'm hooked anyway!

Banana Slug! That's my review. Watch this show. That is all.

I, a trek fan since the 70s, and she, a complete newcomer to the universe, are both anticipating new episodes of season 2 every week! This story is not the strongest of the season for sure. But we are both at a point where we enjoy the characters and the universe do much that we give the weaker eps a bit of a pass cuz it's enjoyable to see our crew in action.

On the downside, the mycelial network plan feels made up and contrived. And the use of Hugh here is a play to sentimentality that makes bringing Tasha yard daughter back seem like a reasonable plot point. Tilly is the weakest of this season. And section 31? Idk.

Butttt, Pike is the strongest addition to season 2. The best of all starfleet captains rolled into a single character. Effects are top quality as always. And editing and dialog pop and move the characters and emotion forward with a pathos that provides depth, playing against the history established in season one.

Diggin' it!

Ive been a Trek fan since I was a kid and understand the objections from the true trekkers. But gotta say that even with the sloppy science, Burnham burnout, and canon inconsistencies I can't not love this show for the pure entertainment value.

Alien fun is higher in this episode. And Tilley is used to great effect. I'm also enjoying they way the crew is used as an ensemble this season. The way the characters "interpret" starfleet regulations is reminiscent of classic trek. And Pike continues to grow on me.

My one complaint is the Klingons are just SO predictable and boring I can't wait for the scenes to be over. Annoying beyond excuse. The fact that Next Generation did Klingons so well makes it that much more of a fail. Just the most tired old familiar shallow Klingon sub plots with no emotion and lispy, marbles-in-their-mouths slow talk. Taking a couple stars back for that.

What makes the new spin on the time-loop, do-over story always a win? Maybe because its something we constantly think about: "If I had that to do over, I'd do it differently." From Groundhog Day to Edge of Tomorrow to Before I Fall, the device has been used to explore death, life, and what would matter most if we had to answer the question of what we do if we had to repeat the same hours over and over again.

Enter Russian Doll, starring the great Natasha Lyonne (Nicky from Orange Is The New Black) and a cast of mostly newcomers who bring a Rom-Com rompy energy to the underground world of New York City where Nadia finds herself dying over and over and has to figure out why.

The writing and acting are strong throughout, providing many laugh out loud moments of comedy, punctuated with striking descents into drama and backstory. The characters are engaging and likable. Lyonne's Nadia has to face her own selfishness and as such is a catalyst for change in others. The story has twists and turns and a strong ending. The world of Russian Doll is full of colorful, lovable people. It was fun to visit for the few hours it took to stroll. I recommend it highly!

I wanted to learn and feel new things about the Rwandan Genocide, and definitely did. But, despite some excellent acting and intelligent writing, I just couldn't follow all the dots in this detailed drama that wraps a human story that's too difficult to follow to do justice to the horror of what happened in 1994.

In the first episode, a wonderful and compelling argument is drawn along the lines of whether Africans should create their own solutions for their problems, or whether white Europe has a role. This theme was abandoned as quickly as the subplot of a Canadian officer who believes he's identified a genocide criminal in a local hospital. The rest of the series feels like it's trying to engage with a drama while it also explores the complexities of the events that led up to the genocide and their subsequent historical interpretation. Twists and turns proliferate, but I struggled to keep up.

Relative newcomer Micheala Coen is stellar as Kate Ashby, a struggling Rwandan who was adopted by an English prosecutor after her parents were killed by Hutus. John Goodman is a solid set piece, but does not sizzle like Coen.

And what's with ALL THE VOMITING. It's as if the writers insisted on one graphic vomiting scene of a varying color per episode. I'm not even joking.

IO may have a few scientific issues, but delivers thought-provoking drama based on an interesting premise and solid film-making.

Sam, the daughter of a prominent scientist, is performing scientific research from an Enclave on the hills above an abandoned city that lays in a toxic cloud resulting from an environmental catastrophe that his driven the population of Earth to Jupiter's moon IO. The last exodus shuttle for IO is leaving soon when Micah, another of Earth's very few remaining inhabitants, arrives at the Enclave. The result is a character drama in which secrets are told, agendas are revealed, and well-drawn characters struggle with the pain of leaving our home planet forever and what it means to them.

I loved this film. But, I understand why it may not be for everyone. If you like films like Another Earth, I Origins, Predestination, or any indie Sci Fi film with a small cast and a high concept, you will be able to enjoy this movie. It doesn't deliver a fast plot with high tech or action. But, the people are believable and the situation compelling.

The universe of IO is bleak and dreamy. When Sam explores the toxic city performing research, the deadly environment has a spooky quality that still exudes the humanity of its creators. The dialog explores some deep questions anchored in mythology and philosophy that provides food for conversation afterwards. Acting and directing are solid in a script that presents some storytelling challenges because of the smallness of the cast and the need to establish several backstories. The score is sparse, but appropriately brooding with some standout moments of striking beauty. Anthony Mackie is as strong as ever. But, the soul of the film is Margaret Qualley and her smart, capable, introspective portrayal of Sam.

Overlook the negative reviews here, try to open your mind, let IO unfold at its own pace and I think you will not be disappointed.

Once in a while, an original premise comes together with a great cast, writers and production team and out comes WOW.

Sex Education played really well in the trailer for me. A couple of English high school students called Otis and Maeve cook up a sex therapy practice on their campus to make money. Otis is the smart, lovable, nerdy virgin with neuroses and a gift for talking people through sexual issues because his mom (played with delightful and scandalous finesse by Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist. Maeve is the smart, sexy, streetwise girl from the trailer park who's developed notably over the summer. They're an odd and lovable pair, surrounded by a host of odd and lovable characters that are expertly knit together in a web that delivers transcendent scenes of comedy, drama, and some memorable hashtag moments. Included are Eric, Otis's gay bff, Adam the hooligan with feelings, Aimee who fakes everything, and many others.

It's teen drama with just enough weight to work for adults. The nod to "10 Things I hate About You" is undeniable. But, Sex Education is very much about stuff we all think and feel about sex. Despite the high school setting, the subtext is applicable to all ages. Few stones go unturned, and in the end the universe in which everyone simply talks about their sexual hangups, fears, and questions, feels like a better one.

Also of note is the soundtrack, which is not only spot on, but riddled with classic and new greatness. It's one of the most Spotify-able TV soundtracks in recent memory.

Some negative reviews focus on an unrealistic portrayal of English High School which, as an American, I know nothing about. From that possibly ignorant state, I completely bought the premise of series, to my complete enjoyment. I would suggest suspending the need for this comedy to be "accurate" in that sense and let it create a universe of it's own to tell an entertaining story in. I think you'll be glad you did.

If it doesn't hook you right away, I recommend hanging with Sex Education at least through the end of the party scene in Episode 2 before you decide. The only weak point for me was the heaviness of a non-necessary sequence in Episode 3 that seemed only to serve a political point. But, if you'll ride along to the "It's My Vagina" scene in Episode 5, you may experience some one-of-a-kind television.

If you're undecided about this series, you need to at least watch through the end of the party scene. Sex Exucation achieves a series of comedic moments that are a payoff of expertly laid character groundwork resulting in a machine gun series of laugh out loud moments that had us rollong on the floor.

Bananas, barf, and the bully. It's all I'm gonna say. Watch to discover.

We just finished Ep1.1 and are hooked! Smart and funny writing, great acting, and a universe in which everyone can just get over themselves and talk about sex as easily as they talk about school, work, the weather, whatever. If only we lived in this universe!

Gillian Anderson is effortless in her role as "mom the sex therapist". Adam the thug reminds us that even hooligans with enormous penises have feelings. And Otis is the high school virgin who draws the attention of the hot girl and doesn't want it. The character interplay is expertly drawn. Every scene proves it.

Watch and love!

I'm an easy sell on an intriguing Sci-Fi premise and Mute has one. A man without speech in a futuristic murder mystery? So much potential. Unfortunately, that potential is wasted in this failed script, despite some really enjoyable acting.

I have several rants about this film. First, there is no reason whatsoever for this story to take place in the future. There's nothing sci-fi about it except that it happens to take place in a time where futuristic cars and food vending machines exist. Other than that, it could take place in 1925, or 1975, or now. Why put it in the future if nothing about the story requires it. I'm no executive producer, but it seems like a waste of effects budget when present day locations would work just fine.

There is no significance to the muteness of the protagonist in Mute. This one is almost criminal. What a great and compelling idea to have a hero who can't speak! Besides some nods to non-verbal communication, and the few times that challenges faced by someone without speech would face in a world moving towards voice-command tech were explored, olmost nothing was done with this aspect of the main character. I need to mention here that Alexander Skarsgård does a fantastic job of conveying emotion without words in several key scenes. But, this is a credit to acting, not the film itself. Which brings me to...

Final rant is that some really, really great acting is wasted on this mediocre script. All three leads are strong, but Paul Rudd deserves special mention as a thief of scene after scene in his misogynistic, narcissistic, scary portrayal of an AWOL medic working to get a new identity for himself and his daughter. Alexander Skarsgård and Justin Theroux also keep the level of acting high. If only they'd had a script that met them at their level.

Why, why, why? Why did Mute make it to final cut in this state? Full of plot holes, almost-great-scenes, wtf moments and some gore that was just Eewwwwww (less gurgling puh-LEEZE!). If you want to see Paul Rudd killin' it despite the script, check this one out. Otherwise, just...no.

Aubrey Plaza is *always* fun to watch. It seems as if she can pull off any role thrown at her. The trailer for Ingrid Goes West looks like a comedy, but this film is deep.

In a genius writing move, Ingrid is given almost no backstory, because it doesn't matter. She's as much a force as she is a person. Calculating, manipulative, expertly building an Instagram brand by leeching off a popular grammer, she represents all that is obsessive and voyeuristic about social media, taken to a toxic, narcissistic extreme. And, everyone is to blame except the lovable Dan, who is perhaps the most sympathetic character of all.

The film is engaging all the way through as Ingrid rises, then falls, then explodes, then rises again, all of it fueled by her desperate need for validation by association. The story plays like a long metaphor, a morality play examining the social media phenomenon from several angles with power and a deftness that lands it's blows softly and unexpectedly.

I highly recommend this film!

Absentia Very well done if you like this genre. For me, I think I need to care about the characters more than I did for these. Not that they weren't well-acted. All the pieces are here in this series and well executed. I just didn't like Nick, or really feel much for Emily. The hardest part to watch involved their son getting caught up with the same psychopathic game played by Emily's perpetrator. But, as addicting and adrenaline-filled as the plot was, I just didn't feel the people, which had to be on the writers. Rather than humanize them, create sympathy or a connection, there was jeopardy, action, twists, and lots of good things that were fun, but didn't really make me excited for a season 2.

So, if you like plot-driven psycho-thrillers, I highly recommend Absentia. If you want to care, this one will frustrate you.

My +1 doesn't normally get into this type of story but is addicted to Absentia. Her statement to me was "I had to know wtf happened!" Comeback introduces us to Emily Byrne, a federal agent who has been presumed dead for 6 years, then returns to find her husband has remarried, her son barely remembers her and calls dad's new wife "mom", her memory is spotty, and a lot of unanswered questions about her disappearance, where she has been, and who was responsible for it. If you've seen Blindspot you will note similarities, though I found the tattoo/conspiracy angle in that series more interesting.

I love and hate this kind of story, where the tension is super high and the characters are 1) so stressed out they repeatedly do stupid things that incriminate themselves and 2) more details are revealed that seem to spread blame across an ever increasing web of those involved 3) many characters are who are not who they appear to be. At the middle of all of it is Nick, Emily's former husband who has *understandably* moved on after six years, but who is continuously freaking out, withholding information from his new wife (who's great) and putting up with Emily's constant "moved-on" shaming. He comes off to me as incompetent and weak. Emily is competent and one step ahead of everyone in clearing herself, but I didn't feel that much sympathy for her.

So from me, high marks for a tightly written script, strong acting, and an appropriately dark and intense tone. But, in the end I was watching to find the answer to the mystery, not because I cared that much about the characters or what happened to them, cuz I honestly didn't, for which I take marks away. I stayed engaged in this one the way I stay engaged with a season of 24, except that I actually root for Jack Bauer. Sadly, Absentia really didn't put me in the cheering sectoin for any of it's characters.