Nothing much is going on, as usual it's the "build-up episode" which gives clues and prepares build-up for future episodes. TWD always has episodes like this (Wolves, Terminus). So don't get so fed up, I guess.
The only thing that bothers me is: why the heck don't they kill those walkers one by one like they did back in Prison?
This installment fell short for me, and I didn't particularly enjoy Fallout either, so it's not a matter of comparing campy action movies from the 1990s vs the stylish Nolan-esque action in the 2010s, as Jordy mentioned in another comment.
My biggest issue lies in the film feeling like a setup for Cruise's Ethan Hunt's sendoff in Part 2 and the rebuilding of the IMF team for future films. As a sendoff preparation, it tries hard to tie back to the first MIssion Impossible, bringing back Kittridge and connecting the main antagonist, Gabriel, and the righteous agent, Briggs, to Ethan's past. As a setup for sequels, it incorporates all the MCU-esque sequel-building elements: character pep talks, recruiting new team members, bonding moments, and hints of seemingly dead characters but not-that-dead. It only lacks the typical post-credits scene.
The film, unfortunately, tends to drag in certain sequences to accomplish these two points. Scenes with Luther and Benji at the airport, proclaiming their friendship and teamwork, or the aftermath scene with Ilsa as Grace is about to join the team, feel overly explicit in driving home the theme of being alone vs being with friends. The dialogues come across as unnaturally flowing, as if the characters were reciting lines to evoke emotions, humor, or impact. Dialogue, indeed, is not the film's strongest suit, especially when compared to Ghost Protocol.
The convoluted AI plot is another drawback. While I don't mind a yet-another-Skynet storyline or campy 90s action, the long musings on AI's world domination during the party scene with Vanessa Kirby's White Widow/Alana are cringe-worthy. The stakes seem unclear, and the repeated lines about fates being written and rewritten become tiresome, especially given the dialogue-heavy sequences. There are too many expositions on how the AI is threatening yet we barely see it does anything except that one sequence where it pretends to be Benji. The film's dialogue, once again, hinders the enjoyment of these scenes.
To its credit, Dead Reckoning Part 1 does have impressive stunts (Cruise's mountain jump and train sequences need not another applause) and enjoyable choreography. When the action delivers, it truly shines. The film also starts on a strong note, with the submarine opening instilling a sense of lurking danger of a potential mysterious enemy despite ended up falling into typical Skynet tropes. The portrayal of Gabriel almost reminds me of Chigurh from No Country for Old Men, if Gabriel was given better writing. Still, the action suffers from tonally inconsistent pacing and certain action sequences that drag, such as the car chase in Italy or the awkward fight with the charming la femme Pom Klementieff's Paris in the alleyway.
To conclude, if you have ample spare time, perhaps it's still worth giving the movie a shot. Although not the best MIssion Impossible in the recent years, the setups presented in the film leave me hopeful for a promising payoff in Part 2.
Good pilot with good world-building. Portrays the oppressiveness of poverty and the ads-drenched life in a cyberpunk city much better than the game. Plot is a bit cliche though but the episode spreads enough clue for build up in future episodes. Really like the visual cues they use to evoke character's emotion, such as the shot on David's shaking legs when he's anxious.
The difficulty in watching classics is to judge them fairly in the time they were released.
The positive side is, while I have limited knowledge of 1980s animation, it is not too hard to see how the Akira excels in the animation quality, even today, particularly in the very first sequences with Kaneda's Capsule gang driving though the city night lights, and the climax with Tetsuo's blowing up to a gigantic mass and the extradimensional inflection with the ESPs.
The excellent animation is used masterfully for conveying the atmospheric world-building: the sky-high lives of Neo Tokyo with a drab scummy lives of its citizens, brutal police forces, and economic insecurities painting the world bleak. Perhaps the strongest aspect of this film that I wished they could've took us a walk a little bit further like the politician Nezu took us in a stroll around the city. And like Blade Runner, watching through the film I recognised how the plot points and the themes raised in this film would later be used very familiarly in many other science-fiction films, thus setting up the cyberpunk genre in the years to come.
However, speaking of plot and story, I would say that perhaps writing is not the aspect this film shines on. Characters leave much to be desired. They feel like devices for the plot to move forward, even with our main characters Kaneda and Tetsuo, and even the McGuffin Akira.
While I appreciate the film doesn't blurt out everything and treat the audience as smart, some genuine questionable plot points left me wondering: why did the ESPs lure a certain character? What was really the reason of the rebellion? What's the point of the last sequences with politician Nezu and the opposition Ryu? The film seems to save some points for a future setups (that seem to be never realized) and the awkward fade to blacks between scenes and unexplained sequences made me feel like I'm missing out something and have to check Wikipedia - something that I realize later that I have to find out in the source material (manga).
As the credit rolled, my mind wander, not unlike Tetsuo's, the possibility of remake (even a live action one) that could amplify the excellence of this film and connect the half-painted tods. That being said, Akira is still a masterful cornerstone of science fiction/cyberpunk material that deserves at least a watch in a lifetime.
Another entry in MCU lineup of fanservices.
Script is written like the characters are actors talking to audience instead of something that would make sense to the characters in their world, e.g. what's with all Peters knowing about multiverses out of nowhere. Even the dialogues between the superheroes and villains all serve as nothing but nostalgia factor, assuming viewers immediately get the references. The brief dialogue between Electro and Garfield's Peter about "black Spider-Man" could've been a good commentary but it ends up as the kind of "yeah you know we're going to bring another cool Spidey in the future" plot device typical of MCU.
The whole Peter ganging up together is a lot of missed opportunity; they just instantly bonded out of nowhere. Saying they're like 'brothers' is overselling it.
Tenet is Christopher Nolan's attempt at utilizing similar timeslip mechanics as Primer, and should not be confusing at all to anyone who has ever watched that film. In fact, the moment that we are introduced to turnstile, it should be immediately clear how the film ties its loose ends, connecting the ending with the first minutes of the film.
The interesting take is how, and I think Nolan does much better job than the film I mentioned.
The point of the film, I think, is that there is no multiple realities. The future is already set in stone. "What happened's happened" means basically the world has been like that since the movie start. “Ignorance is the Tenet team’s ammunition” only because they don’t know how or what happens in the future, they do what they do to save the world. Basically everything in this film has already happened and no one is in control.
And I think that's the beauty, and the sad deterministic view of the film. "What about free will?" the Protagonist asks very early in the film. There is none; only fate.
So unlike what others have claimed, Tenet does have a plot, albeit a deterministic one. As a film, Tenet does not trouble itself by laying out vague scientific jargons or trying to explain the time mechanics to the audience. Nolan takes a straight point, focusing on the heist/mission like he did with Inception.
Some might say that the characters are soulless, unlike Inception. I think it might be the consequence of fast-moving scenes cut/edited with high efficiency. Especially in the first half of the film; at times I had to pause the film a few times to understand what's going on. But character's relationship leaves a better impression as we get to the ending. Although I have to admit that the villain's motivation was not at all convincing/interesting; they serve more like as a background to the whole mission.
I also see Tenet as Nolan's further experiments with sound design/ambient music, after what he did with Dunkirk: in certain scenes, like the inverted car chase scene, Nolan contrasts a seemingly linear/flat cinematography with shepard tonal music that makes the scene getting more intense and pressured only through repeating the pitch (see Vox's video/article on this subject).
Tenet might not be Nolan's masterpiece, but it's a very interesting experiments that does things well and really streamlined in the timeslip/time travel genre.
This initially teases an Alien vibe, but it ends up quite hilarious. The real lesson: don't leave things in the fridge!
It's like watching three pseudo-intellectuals following a script written by a Redditor, which speaks for its low quality writing and dialogue. Epitome of tired internet humor.
The difference between a more mature anime with those less mature is the way they portray their villains. I love the way they portray Asimov's girlfriend as a person with hope and desire to get a better life, shown simply through a short, humane conversation between her and Spike. At the same time, it shows death and violence only the most necessary: despite a lot of shootouts, you can count the casualties, even among the goons - most who survive are saved by cartoony knockouts/running away - making death has more impact when it does happen.
Other than that, this episode has slick animation especially on the action, and the plot moves tight, establishing our main characters rather quickly. The ending also defines this show right from the start: a bittersweet, tragic life of those who has to deal with the underworld.
Great pilot.
Clues have been laid out throughout the story. The plot knits seamlessly little by little. There is always moments of suspense through the use of silence and character shot. And what makes this movie powerful is terrific performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gylenhaal. The ending was bittersweet and left me with feeling of uneasiness. Moral of the story: never take action into your own hand.
Kyoto Inferno's strongest suite, like its predecessor, is in its choreography. It's able to invent moves that makes anime sword fight - with somersaults and slide running - looks convincing. Both in duel and large scale battle Kyoto Inferno succeed in imagining how swordsmen with super human abilities would cross their swords to each other. They even manage the tricky part with Himura vs Soujiro, a battle that relies heavily on speed. The film also has a very good casting choice, especially with Soujiro, which is a feat in itself if we're speaking of anime adaptation.
However, also just like its predecessor, the film is weak in its plot department. The pacing is a bit inconsistent and some scenes feel like rushed plot points. Same thing can be said with character development. There are so many characters introduced who lack enough time to grasp viewer's attention. Combine this two, and you get the Shinomori Aoshi subplot. His subplot sticks like a sore thumb especially so during the last 15 minutes of the film, with his arrival disturbing the whole tone.
It is unfortunate that, compared to the first film, Kyoto Inferno seems to opt with delving into the story and character's decision a little bit more. The story attempts to explore Himura's resolve of "not killing" - it plays big part in the course of the film - but because of its inconsistent pacing and rushed plot points, the dilemma of "what could've made Himura pushed the boundaries of killing" cannot be developed to its maximum potential.
Were the film focused more on the fights, where it excels the most, Kyoto Inferno could've easily been one of the most enjoyable action anime adaptation out there.
Rogue One was okay. Definitely better than The Force(d) Awakens. But it doesn't have the necessary kick it should have had. 2/3 of the film is just Jyn Erso wandering around. The real film starts at the last 1/3 part of the film.
Despite having the Rogue One team as the center of the film, there is no Rogue One team. There is only a bunch of ragtags with a noble mission.
Let's start with Jyn Erso. Jyn, the reluctant heroine, was initially uninterested in being involved with the whole Rebellion vs Empire conflict. But after a life-changing event involving her father, only there she started to be engaged. The problem is: this happened too early. Just a moment after her newfound spirit, there is another moment that should have kickstarted Jyn. Something involving her mentor, Saw Gerrera. But instead having that point as the driving force, the writer chose to uplift the mood too early. Leaving us with spirited Jyn, dispirited Jyn, and then spirited again.
Also, the trademark quip you see in the trailer, "I rebel," actually got cut off in the final release. So the rebellious Jyn presented in the trailer is actually not that rebellious in the film. This is one of the problem with character development in the film: we don't get to see how Jyn react with her surrounding. We don't get to know who she actually was, her relationship with her mentor. There is implied that something serious is going on between the two but we don't get to see why she should be emotionally attached to him (or her father, even).
The problem with this character development also happen for the long duration of the film: how the characters bond with each other. Yeah, in the long course of the adventures of Rogue One, we don't actually see them working as a team. There are only Jyn and Cassian and K-2SO, the Force fanboys duo Chirrut and Baze, and the unfortunate ex-Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook stuck in this ragtag group. Oh and a few of Cassian's men, who we hardly knew. Despite having them wandering around together for 85 minutes, the film doesn't give them enough screen time to work as a team. Instead we only see Cassian working with K-2SO as a part of rebellion, Jyn acting as reluctant heroine, Chirrut and Baze as remnants of the ancient Force order, and Bodhi who has no choice but to chauffeur them to their desired places. And a bunch of Cassian's men joining the bandwagon at later times.
So, unlike the solid team we see in Star Wars The Force Unleashed (the game), or maybe other Disney-published film Guardians of the Galaxy, we see here a dysfunctional team who just happen to band together. They are willing to die for a cause, but it's unclear how willing they are to protect each other's back. Yes - because in the course of the movie they only act for the friends they already know. Baze only for Chirrut (and vice-versa), Jyn for Cassain/K-2SO (and vice-versa), and poor guy Bodhi being a lackey because he has no one he knows. When anything goes bad in the team, we don't see them losing as a team - only as individuals.
Speaking of characters, the film also has some unnecessary drama and characters taking dumb decision. The film starts with a really unnecessary death which can be prevented. The same goes with Saw Gerrera. This potential character, derived from the older Expanded Universe saga, is not utilized in full effect. Despite portrayed as important, he remained in the background almost in the whole time, with no air of mystery at all. We hardly knew him.
Felicity Jones acting as Jyn Erso is a bit jarring. She is a better written character compared to Rei in Force(d) Awakens, but Jones don't seem to act her properly. In some sequences she seem to behave awkwardly, like being uncomfortable at the scene. Then just a moment later, she became high and mighty.
In universe, the film also has several weird take on the Star Wars canon. First is Chirrut's constant praying to the Force. No one prayed to the Force before. Force is not Jesus, you don't pray to Him. Lucas' inspiration of the Force was Eastern esoteric religion - it's some sort of energy that surrounds us. Having someone praying to the Force is a very monotheistic approach to the concept of religion.
Another weirdness is the jumping to the hyperspace plot device. Like in The Force(d) Awakens, jumping to hyperspace is utilized as a too convenient deus ex machina: it can be done while in atmosphere. In Star Wars canon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) you can only jump while in the orbit. The lack of security in Imperial-occupied planets also look very jarring. How can rebel ships slip into the planets that easily?
Despite all that, the last 1/3 part of the film is exciting, albeit using some cliched plot device (romance, main goal being sidelined by petty challenges). The space battle is fine. X-Wing and Y-Wing are utilized properly as fighter and bomber (not otherwise). The tactic with Hammerhead-class cruiser is, while ridiculous, still more satisfying than the one-fighter-destroy-one-SSD-by-crashing in Eps IV. Also the cameo of characters like Tarkin is pleasing to EU fans. The only weird part is the directors and governor addressing Vader as "Lord"--didn't they see them as a peer in Eps IV, by calling him simply as "Darth"?
All in all, not bad, but not that good either. As for the weird tone in first 2/3 of the film, I suspect there is Disney's part in here. Them ordering reshoot to make it more "fun and light-hearted".
The movie has an interesting premise, but the execution didn't turn out so well. The difference between surrogate and real humans is clear-cut (technical limitation, I guess). The character appears out of nowhere, didn't have much time to be developed. And the plot... it's the typical one-big-villain-involved-in-all-things. Still a decent watch though.
Layer Cake is a stylish British crime drama with a keen eye for cinematography. Daniel Craig's performance as a savvy amateur crook already gets mentioned frequently, but I'd like to highlight Matthew Vaughn's slick directing, crafting some of the slickest transitions and interesting camera work depicting deaths and pivotal moments in the film. You can almost glimpse the blueprint of his future projects like First Class and Kingsmen.
The script might not break new grounds; it offers the expected crime film twists and turns, but enough to keep you glued to your seat and enjoying the ride--as long as you get your eyes fixated on the screen and not on your phone like most Netflix goers nowadays. The film veers into a Fargo-esque vibe as events spiral out of control as the characters straddling through the chaos. As with Fargo, there is no real focus on making them "interesting" and just a depiction of how they navigate through the haywire they got themselves into. In the end, everything is artfully resolved.
It's tense and gory in the usual The Boys fashion, although I feel like they just sped up everything in the beginning and previous episode so that they can have this "wreak havoc" all out in this episode.
As a season finale though... it feels like this IP is starting to show a similar symptoms to MCU: each ending has to be a setup for another season/series/film. It's a huge cliffhanger. It doesn't really settle the story with Marie and co, albeit they did close the arc and begin a new one. What happened to the school? What happened after the laser? Why the Guardians of Godolkin twist at the end - and how is it possible, with everyone there clearly witnessing who the villains were? It just raises more questions and feels like not making sense.
Additionally, some of the characters made some really terrible decisions with their hero syndrome, but I guess I can suspend the disbelief because they're still teenagers after all.
The first half is your usual bonding between the main characters. It's fine but nothing to write home about. Just showing David developing his skills and relating to other characters - which is a very typical "calm before the storm" scene indicating someone will die in an episode or two. There's some sexual tension between David and Lucy. The editing between the scenes is kinda unique but feels like Instagram or MTV reels that don't let us connect to the characters - just like the game's strange V and Jackie bonding scene.
The second half is all over the place. First we have Pilar's demise, as expected given the build up in the first half. Then after all that chaos we get back straight to David and Lucy. Very strange pacing, as if nothing happened in the first second half, especially given the build up in the whole first half. The ending with David and Lucy feels like it just to keep the romance and plot going, which, again, feels like a cliched calm before the storm scene before some terrible things to happen in next episodes.
Up until this episode The Boys Season 3 has been solid with only a few dents, but this episode the dents are getting bigger and they're kinda showing.
First of all, everything doesn't seem to be too well-paced here.
Butcher and Hughie just had a convo in previous episode about not showing him taking Tempo V, but then in the lab he just outright stormed the bullets and showing off to the others about his newfound power. And same with Hughie, who somehow got a dose too. Worse thing the lab situation doesn't seem to be even that bad. They don't seem to be outnumbered nor outgunned, and they've seen worse before. Facing Gunpowder, it's understandable why they'd need a V; but this? Seems kinda forced to me as if the writers need to just waste those Vs already.
Still on the lab: The Soldier Boy reveal seems to be a bit hurried. Butcher suddenly randomly opening up stuff while in fact they realize they're onto something dangerous which may or may not have Soldier Boy in the lab is not just reckless (we know Butcher is) but dumb. Aren't they there to find a superweapon? When Soldier Boy escaped, they just ended up stopping the search and went back home. Granted there's the situation with the team, but the whole thing about this supposedly mysterious Soldier Boy and the search for superweapon just feels really anticlimactic.
Then, the thing with Vicky and Stan Edgar. The way she outted Edgar is a surprising twist, and I kinda like that Homelander Magneto-esque speech about choosing their own kind. But it seemed to be paced oddly interspersed between fillers and actions going on with The Boys.
There are a few death flags as well (though hopefully it's just false ones): either KImiko or Frenchie or both with their "one last run" convo; MM with the "you're natural-born leader" convo; and of course Alex/Supersonic with the "I'm gonna help you cause it's the right thing to do." That's just a straight death flag and it's proven true by the end of the episode - which again, is kinda odd paced, seemingly coming out of nowhere.
To note that this isn't a bad episode at all, but it feels like things are kinda jumbled here and there, making watching especially the second half a bit tedious. Not to mention that the first half isn't as packed and well-structured as prev episodes (it's the moment they started playing the "3 seconds still shot" too much that I felt that it's a bit too filler-y). The A-Train Pepsi parody is well done though - The Boys is always the best at parody but I hope they can do more than that.
Hopefully it will get better.
This could've been Episode 2 as this is where things finally start to get going. Pace has been much better - if in the first two episodes I felt the need of fast-forwarding, at least in this episode I didn't feel any of that.
Show has been relying banters, irony, and sex jokes for its comedy but this episode shows some physical humor as well. Action is there but not as fleshed. Don't seem like the Peacemaker we saw in The Suicide Squad, but I guess it's supposed to be a character development.
It's easy to compare James Gunn's Suicide Squad to 2016 Suicide Squad, but I would say that it's closer to Deadpool or Deadpool 2, minus the fourth wall breaking, plus the stylish visuals. The film is R-rated due to excessive blood, gore, and death - and just like Deadpool's X-Force, expect lots of deaths in this film, sometimes even (or perhaps especially) for comedic effects. So don't hold too dearly to those characters and casts.
In spite of the violence and comedic galore, at times the film still manages to put some stake in between the action/violent/comedic sequences. Nothing too serious, but enough for a action blockbuster that would make the tense rises up a little bit. The films also tries to bond the characters a little bit well in some banters, and the pacing works well between comedic and character moments (unlike the 2016 film).
James Gunn was right when he said superhero movies have been too formulaic (looking at you, MCU) so it's quite nice he managed to pull this off. However, considering the Deadpool-ish similarities, I hope Gunn is not in the process of setting up a new formula himself.
I usually always have many good things to say about The Expanse, and it saddens me that I don't have lots of good to say about this episode. It feels almost like filler episode. Like in the first episode, the scene with the girl and the animals took way too much time (more than 5 minutes) - it almost feels like a Walking Dead filler episode.
The action scene is nice, but the scene with Clarissa/Peaches on steroid have been very weirdly directed in the last 2 seasons. What happened to the fast-paced tiger brawl like when she was first introduced? The effect is really poorly done - they could've learned a thing or two from how Dennis Villeneuve directed Bene Gesserit's The Voice to evoke something that is visually strong.
The only redeeming point here is Drummer's crew interaction with the old guy, which makes a good dynamic and illustrate what's been going on since Marco's uprising. This is particularly important considering the world building has been very lackluster since Season 5, which is a disappointment. Considering in this final season they only have 6 episodes. I was expecting it to be more dense given the limited episode. Alas, this is what we got.
"You seem to think that time really had stopped here. That's a story from a long time ago. I've forgotten about it."
Kinda captures the moment when you think you can get back to your ex and reconcile. Life goes on. And eventually we have to accept it and move on even when we don't get to see it ends the way we wanted, just like when Jet in the end throws away the watch.
This is practically an episode 1 after the midseason finale. It establishes new characters, some serve to drive plot points forward, some others to show how things have since changed since the last finale. My favorite part is on the racer's personal quest: the part where he is shown bored as hell and just want to make a name for himself amidst the development of the Ring that fascinated many people and moved the factions to one singular direction. It makes The Expanse feels grounded: for ordinary men, this is just another thing that passed in their daily lives. The part with Roci's crew documentary is also great, showing how they deal with life after their heroic chapter.
A science fiction show, part noir and part political suspense, set in interplanetary scale. The show depicts a possible future of space colonization: the life as ordinary persons in the midst of tense cold war and resource exploitation. The show puts class struggle in front and center, as humans living in Asteroid Belts (Belters) trying to survive as the work blue-collar jobs serving the elites in Earth and Mars. The Earthers and Martians, meanwhile, are playing dangerous political games in a race of claiming the riches of the asteroids. We follow the story of a hard-boiled detective, a crew of haulers, and an Earther politician, whose lives are entangled in the emerging conflict that ensues.
The series is not a cyberpunk one, but as we get to traverse the marginalized lives of the Belters, I can't shake the feeling cyberpunk films usually gives me. Thematically it deals with issues of class/discrimination - though sometimes a bit on the face - corruption, and corporate control. Our hard-boiled detective pieces the puzzle slowly. Visually, the neon lights of the Belts, the slums and sewers, and even the food stalls where people eat noodles, seem like paying homage to cyberpunk genres.
For science fiction fans, The Expanse puts the science back in science fiction. Earthers, Martians, and Belters have different physiological forms because of years living in different gravity. Once a while the show takes on a more gimmicky sci-fi like coriolis gravity effect when pouring water, at other times it becomes a plot device that turns the story upside-down. The smaller scale of the setting - interplanetary instead of intergalactic in the vein of sci-fi e.g. Star Wars / Star Trek - makes me appreciate the more realistic touch on sci-fi side much better. There is no jump drive, no hyperspace travel. Ships are propelled with rockets. Space battles don't have that bombastic lasers and explosion, but still intense and perhaps, in effect, much more gripping and consequential. For a TV series, The Expanse has the convincing visuals and excellent set design theatrical films usually have, though like most sci-fi it still excuses itself on having sounds reverberate in a vacuum.
The show spends most of its early episodes (Eps. 1-3) to world-building. The pace is a bit slow and the piecing of the puzzles may make the story feel a bit convoluted. Characters are introduced, but most don't really make a strong impression, except for perhaps Detective Miller (played by Thomas Jane), who despite the cliched trope, manage to be a leading figure in driving the plot forward, thanks perhaps to the impressive acting by Jane.
However, unlike most shows nowadays that get a strong start but becoming weaker as it end on season finale, The Expanse becomes much better exactly in the second half. The pace gets steady, character gets more developed as they interact more like persons, and in a couple of episodes it hits the suspense notes just perfect. Eps. 4 has one of the better shootout and political suspense I've seen in series. Eps. 8 has a brooding pressure Alien series gives as the crew investigates the mysteries. The season ends with all pieces of puzzle being pulled together, but still asks more questions further for the next season.
The Expanse Season 1 is one of the most satisfying show I've watched this recent years. Binged-watched it only in 2 days. I'm eagerly waiting for the chance to watch the next season.
The great thing about The Expanse so far is the way knit the details spread across the episodes. The Belter sidestory might raise some question at first glance, but when you realize it's the same person Detective Miller shooed away in previous episodes and how it tacks to socioeconomic commentary made by other characters (both in this episode and previous) regarding rockhoppers, the addition made sense, and adds to the impressive world-building The Expanse has managed to do very well. The lower class trying to survive, the elites with their power games, and everything that happens to be entangled within.
Sure, the pace has been relatively slow, as we are nearing the end of the season, but things have started to developed and dots have started to be connected. If the last two episodes are any indication, I expect it to be unfolded intensely in the finale.
Not the strongest episode. Starlight's speeches had all the opportunity to play out as culmination of the things Starlight had been through, especially with the backdrop of religious event that she grew up with. But it focused too much on the contrast between Homelander and Starlight, that it ended up a bit dull. I mean, the contrast was drawn in prior episode(s), but it would have been more engaging if they focused only on Starlight. Perhaps I also lacked the context of growing up in religious America.
There is enough tense and revelation, and surely the dynamics between Frenchie and the Female is interesting. Really liked the part towards the end where "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" plays stylistically, like most scenes in The Boys have been so far. But we've seen the other stuff before (in prior episodes), so it kinda feels like a bit repetitive, if not a filler.
Fantastic pilot that sets up the tone for the rest of the season. Effectively shows how superheroes would work in real world: dominated by public relation, backed by billion dollar companies and corporate lobbyists, while everyone adores them from afar. Really liked the brief part where they show the plan of superheroes' role in privatizing security. In this day and age, this couldn't be more relevant.
A very fresh and needed take since Watchmen, especially considering we are very saturated in a superheroes world now. Both in terms of fictional characters (MCU with Disney monopolizing the entertainment industry) and of celebrity politicians (Indonesia's Jokowi, Philippines' Duterte, Russia's Putin, US's Trump/Obama, all are backed with media conglomerates and billionaires).
For a movie about Solo, a lot of its issues come exactly from its titular character.
Considering the film takes up a smuggler, criminal-esque take, there's too much Disney-esque good and evil morality. Solo was too much of a good guy. This is supposed to be Han Solo at his grimiest as a smuggler running drugs for the Hutts, and they went to far out of their way to make him a good guy. With the questionable background they gave to Solo, they could've made him with shades of grey, like an antihero Solo. But they took the easy Disney route and went with another Luke Skywalker.
The way Alden Ehrenreich performs Han Solo doesn't help either - if not making it worse. The performance looks weak and unconvincing, like a completely different person portrayed by Harrison Ford years earlier. There is no gruff, nor James Dean-like bad boy charisma coming from Ehrenreich. He looks like someone that's been living on a well-off family instead of street urchin from the lowest depth of the world.
The visual itself is below than average. There is too much darkness it's hard to follow the scenes. When it does look good, it's decent. The plot plays too safe and completely forgettable. Yet the movie wasn't a complete let down. It's just shallow. Unless you have too much time to spare, there is little reason to watch Solo.
Very stylish action film, with the character and sequences mostly choreographed to the music. Killer beats, flashing character design, and a funky character background (Baby's past and how he got into it). There is not much character building in the movie, and the last 30 minutes that lead to the eventual climax only make little sense plot-wise and character-wise (especially with the way Baby seems to have been reluctant to kill since the start, but the unusual way the plot ended--despite the cliches that come along with it--kinda satisfying.
For an action flick this one gets the job done, props for the stylish presentation.
I still like the world building. I like the part where Kovacs take Ortega to the hospital. Patients have to wait in long lines unless you're filthy rich. Doctor keeps talking like a telemarketer while doing surgery, constantly asking you for new products. It's a classic play on neoliberal patients-as-consumers/doctors-as-producers where everything is measured by money. I like the tension between the police officers and the meth; also the meth lawyer and the actual meth elites. Private power vs public power. It's the good cyberpunk classic trope.
The episode spends less time on world building however, and starts to move the plot a bit faster. This can be either good or bad. The good side is a lot of things happen in a couple of minutes. The complex web of interplay of power (Dimitri's, Carnage's, Leung's, Hemingway) is seen. Kovacs and Ortega move fast from hospital to Bancroft estate to arena.
The bad side... the storywriting starts to show its weaker points. This is especially true with the cliffhanger of sister ex machina in the end of the episode. She appears from nowhere - no build-up, no character introduction save for a few flashbacks. Cliffhanger could be interesting and pose a lot of questions, but this one doesn't. Not to mention the cheesy entrance. The ninja swordplay action is a bit off with high tech as its background, and I'd guess this serve not much other than playing the classic cyberpunk ninja trope. Which, since the character hasn't been handled well enough, doesn't look really good. Same thing with Dimitri's entrance in Kovacs' original body which seems to serve the Rule of Cool.
The scenes in hospital is a bit forced. Kovacs pulled a Sherlock to the police sergeant Tanaka. I understand Envoys are meant to be highly perceptive, but the scenes don't show it well. It relies too much on the exposition - of "telling", instead of "showing". They could've handled it better. Vernon Elliot's character is also handled a bit too poorly; only sitting there watching operation and interupting it with no clear reason, waiting for Kovacs to activate his sidekick plotline.
Outlandish episode especially for a pilot. I like that the premise rests on a real life event, the so-called Piggate of David Cameron, which is a rumor of him getting intimate with a dead pig. The tense is well made. The way the reveal is done is also surprisingly nice. There's a few noticeable plot hole but nothing too distracting.
My only complain about this episode is the message it's trying to come across: a rather tired cliche of government surrendering to the demands of social media. It overestimates the so-called "power of social media". The dynamics as the story goes on is interesting - there is constant ping pongs between the government and the people (social media), the play between the media and the government, and the government getting live feedback through a soldier camera during the raid.
However the notion that government can submit to social media is a tired cliche that have been proven wrong for quite some time after Arab Spring. As we can see from Russia, China, Indonesia, Philippine, heck even USA, government always has the most deployable resource to influence information in social media. From political influencers and bots, to memes. I don't think the "slow, bureaucratic government" trope still fits well in this information age. As we adjust to the speed of information, so does the government.
So while the technical aspect is nice, the message is a tired cliche, which strikes me as the weakest.
