Note: Major spoilers for the pilot episode of The Tick. You have been warned.
When I was young, I remember discovering The Tick through the cartoon version of the comic book. It was only on for a few seasons, but to this day there are still some of the one-liners and catchphrases that still stick with me. I also watched the live action version of the show, which was on even less time, and remember being disappointed when the show was canceled and didn't come back on. And so, when I heard that Amazon was making another live action version of The Tick, I was instantly excited and waited around for my opportunity to see if they would be able to recapture the joys I had when I was young, or if it would turn out to be a disappointment. Well, the time has finally come, as I watched the pilot episode over the weekend and having now seen it, I am optimistic for what the future holds.
The episode mainly follows Arthur, a clearly troubled young man, whom is trying to prove that an evil supervillain, The Terror, was not really killed as the world thinks. Soon into the episode, we find out that Arthur truly is a bit crazy, and is on medication for his illness, but he has stopped taking his meds. He tracks a group of bad guys to an abandoned factory by the bay, where he sees some sort of weapons being transported in. He then encounters a large man in a blue suit, who calls himself The Tick. They talk for just a minute or two before the cops show up and Arthur is arrested.
At the station, as they are questioning Arthur, we find out a little more of his backstory. It turns out that when he was young, The Terror killed his father, which explains why he is still trying to track him down if he is still alive. The cops offer him a deal, but they will have to call his sister, which is his guardian. He reluctantly agrees, and she picks him up and lectures him on getting back on his medication and letting The Terror stuff go. He says he will, and she leaves him alone at his apartment.
Meanwhile, The Tick attacks the men at the factory and blows the whole place up. This scene was fantastic, as we get to see The Tick in all his glory, which is to say his over the top bravado, and also we get to see that he is basically indestructible and really strong. I really felt like they captured a lot of my old memories of The Tick in this scene, which is what really gives me hope for the future of the series.
The next day, The Tick goes to visit Arthur and tells him that destiny brought them together, and that he wants Arthur to be his sidekick. Arthur says he is basically nobody, but The Tick is relentless and tells him about the night before. He also gives Arthur a briefcase, which he says is the only thing remaining from the explosion. The Tick tells him that he will be waiting on the rooftop for Arthur when he decides to join him. Arthur puts on the suit as the remaining henchmen from the night before show up to kill Arthur. They bust through the door as Arthur is figuring out the suit, and The Tick is on the rooftop giving a monologue. Arthur hits a button and his wings pop out, making him fully into The Moth, as he will become when he becomes The Tick's sidekick, and the episode goes off there.
The episode was not as big on humor as I thought it would be, and was a lot of setup for Arthur. It really set the table for things to come, and for that, I thought it did well. I would like to have seen more of The Tick in the episode, but we get a nice taste of the character with the promise of way more on the horizon, assuming the show gets picked up for a full season. I truly hope it does, as I think the show has a ton of potential, and would like to see where they are heading. In the meantime, I guess I had better work on my catchphrase...
My rating for the episode is 7.5/10
Monday, August 29, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Movie - Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates
Note: May be some minor spoilers throughout, but will try to keep them to a minimum.
I went into this movie with some low expectations, just based on my thoughts that this movie was thrown together and was never really supposed to be a movie anyway. It is loosely based on actual events, as these two guys did post on Craigslist to find dates to their sister's wedding, but it is my understanding that essentially everything in the movie is completely fabricated. I do like Adam Devine and Anna Kendrick has been fantastic in everything I have seen, but that wasn't enough for me to really go out of my way for this one, but I was in the mood for a comedy and it was the only option that I hadn't already seen, so I decided I would give it a go anyway. It ended up being much better than I expected, and wasn't just some cheap, gross-out comedy, like what I first believed.
As I mentioned above, the premise of the movie is that these two guys, that are known to their family as constant failures and mess-ups, are invited to their sister's wedding, but the family wants them to find actual dates so they aren't just their normal selves. This leads to them having the idea to post an ad on Craigslist because they had found a couch that they both loved on Craigslist and so thought it made the most sense. After a lot of failed dates, they come across two equal failures and mess-ups who have conned themselves into the dates so they can get a free trip to Hawaii. From their on, the movie plays out like any other similar romantic comedy you have seen, with some obvious humor thrown in as we get to the obvious but sensible enough ending to this whole façade.
The performances were pretty well done by everyone, especially the four main leads. I was a little disappointed that Anna Kendrick ended up being the least impressive of the group, as she was a little too restrained instead of given full rein as Aubrey Plaza was given. Adam Devine was easily the funniest of the four, as I would expect, and I thought that Zac Efron actually did a rather good performance, although his timing could have been a little better with some of his more humorous scenes. I just felt that he was better off staying as the straight man to Adam's funny guy routine.
Most of the scenes throughout the movie were on par with typical R rated comedies on the market, with not a lot of scenes that stood out as extremely different from other movies. I also didn't think there were a lot of just weak scenes, as all the scenes worked for the most part and kept the story plodding along to the end. There was one exception to this, and that was a very interesting massage parlor scene that was easily the biggest payoff of the whole movie, which actually comprised of two different scenes happening concurrently. I can honestly say that while not a lot of the movie will stick with me in say a year from now, but that one scene will likely stick with me anytime mentions this movie in the future.
The movie didn't break the mold for romantic comedies, but it is a pretty enjoyable hour and a half if you are just looking for something to laugh at and not have to spend too much time thinking or worrying about the plot. I really didn't think I would enjoy it very much, but I had a better time with it than I thought I would, and so I guess I would say the movie was a success at least from that standpoint. I think the movie maybe could have been marketed a bit better to get the point across that it was a romantic comedy first, and then a typical R rated comedy second, and it may have had some more success. I think they probably could have left out the part about it being loosely based on actual events as well, as I think that made me have some preconceived thoughts about the movie that drew away from the film as opposed to making me more interested in it.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
I went into this movie with some low expectations, just based on my thoughts that this movie was thrown together and was never really supposed to be a movie anyway. It is loosely based on actual events, as these two guys did post on Craigslist to find dates to their sister's wedding, but it is my understanding that essentially everything in the movie is completely fabricated. I do like Adam Devine and Anna Kendrick has been fantastic in everything I have seen, but that wasn't enough for me to really go out of my way for this one, but I was in the mood for a comedy and it was the only option that I hadn't already seen, so I decided I would give it a go anyway. It ended up being much better than I expected, and wasn't just some cheap, gross-out comedy, like what I first believed.
As I mentioned above, the premise of the movie is that these two guys, that are known to their family as constant failures and mess-ups, are invited to their sister's wedding, but the family wants them to find actual dates so they aren't just their normal selves. This leads to them having the idea to post an ad on Craigslist because they had found a couch that they both loved on Craigslist and so thought it made the most sense. After a lot of failed dates, they come across two equal failures and mess-ups who have conned themselves into the dates so they can get a free trip to Hawaii. From their on, the movie plays out like any other similar romantic comedy you have seen, with some obvious humor thrown in as we get to the obvious but sensible enough ending to this whole façade.
The performances were pretty well done by everyone, especially the four main leads. I was a little disappointed that Anna Kendrick ended up being the least impressive of the group, as she was a little too restrained instead of given full rein as Aubrey Plaza was given. Adam Devine was easily the funniest of the four, as I would expect, and I thought that Zac Efron actually did a rather good performance, although his timing could have been a little better with some of his more humorous scenes. I just felt that he was better off staying as the straight man to Adam's funny guy routine.
Most of the scenes throughout the movie were on par with typical R rated comedies on the market, with not a lot of scenes that stood out as extremely different from other movies. I also didn't think there were a lot of just weak scenes, as all the scenes worked for the most part and kept the story plodding along to the end. There was one exception to this, and that was a very interesting massage parlor scene that was easily the biggest payoff of the whole movie, which actually comprised of two different scenes happening concurrently. I can honestly say that while not a lot of the movie will stick with me in say a year from now, but that one scene will likely stick with me anytime mentions this movie in the future.
The movie didn't break the mold for romantic comedies, but it is a pretty enjoyable hour and a half if you are just looking for something to laugh at and not have to spend too much time thinking or worrying about the plot. I really didn't think I would enjoy it very much, but I had a better time with it than I thought I would, and so I guess I would say the movie was a success at least from that standpoint. I think the movie maybe could have been marketed a bit better to get the point across that it was a romantic comedy first, and then a typical R rated comedy second, and it may have had some more success. I think they probably could have left out the part about it being loosely based on actual events as well, as I think that made me have some preconceived thoughts about the movie that drew away from the film as opposed to making me more interested in it.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Movie - Sausage Party
Note: There may be some minor spoilers throughout, but I don't really think that matters so much for this movie.
I don't even really know where to start with this one, as I think that anyone who is even thinking about watching this movie already knows what they are getting themselves into. There is a ton of bad language, sexual innuendo, racism, and ridiculousness, and I don't think that anyone that watches it would have it any other way. If by some odd chance you wander into this without knowing all of the above, to which I say shame on you, then I would not be surprised if you walked out within the first five minutes. All of that said, I enjoyed the movie well enough, but I think maybe I have just gone numb to this type of humor, and so I was just looking for something to set this movie apart from other Seth Rogen movies, and it just wasn't there.
The movie follows Frank, a hot dog that is wanting to get chosen by the "gods" so that he can go to the Great Beyond and have sex with Brenda, the hot dog bun in the package next to his. That's...pretty much it, there isn't a lot of other storyline here other than the fact that we all know when they get chosen, they are going to get eaten. After they get chosen, but before they can leave the store, a jar of honey mustard that has been returned to the store has found out the truth, and tries to explain himself before throwing himself out of the cart to die before he can get eaten. Frank and Brenda try to save him, but they just cause the cart to crash, and get separated from their friends, along with the main protagonist...wait for it...a bottle of douche (I'm not making this up, I promise). So, the bottle of douche wants revenge for not getting to do his job, and spends the rest of the movie trying to hunt down Frank and Brenda, while they try to find the answers that lie on the other side.
I really put down a lot more up there than I thought I would, but I almost felt that more clarification needed added as I kept typing. It just snowballed, I'm sorry. Anyway...the movie doesn't shy away from anything, and I mean that literally. There are things that could not be shown in a normal Seth Rogen movie, such as the douche going down on a juice box to resupply himself after losing he springtime freshness, or a giant food orgy, but overall, the humor is the exact same. They even poke fun at themselves at the end, letting everyone know that they are in on the joke the whole time. While this is all to be expected of sorts, I felt that they didn't try to do anything special to stand out, and by doing a movie in full animation, that might have been something they wanted to do. It felt like a normal Disney or Pixar movie, just with a bunch of extremely R rated content. Maybe that is what they were shooting for, but I guess I was looking for something else, and that may be on me more than it is on the filmmakers.
The voice cast was solid, and there were some truly laugh out loud moments, but mostly I just laughed a little inside as most of the jokes were predictable, but fairly well executed. Nobody ever questioned Seth's timing, it has always been more about taste and just phoning it in, as his stoner vibe puts off, and this one was no different. I watched The Night Before several months back, and I felt that in that movie, they were trying to be more than just a gross out comedy, whereas this one just said, "Nah, who cares."
I did like the movie well enough, but I don't know that I would recommend it to anyone. If you like this type of movie, and are just looking for something funny for an hour and a half, then feel free, but if you want a comedy that you haven't seen before, you probably want to look elsewhere. I wanted to like the movie better than I did, but I just simply couldn't. Other than a handful of truly funny moments, it was just a mediocre Seth Rogen movie, only animated.
My rating for the movie is 6/10
I don't even really know where to start with this one, as I think that anyone who is even thinking about watching this movie already knows what they are getting themselves into. There is a ton of bad language, sexual innuendo, racism, and ridiculousness, and I don't think that anyone that watches it would have it any other way. If by some odd chance you wander into this without knowing all of the above, to which I say shame on you, then I would not be surprised if you walked out within the first five minutes. All of that said, I enjoyed the movie well enough, but I think maybe I have just gone numb to this type of humor, and so I was just looking for something to set this movie apart from other Seth Rogen movies, and it just wasn't there.
The movie follows Frank, a hot dog that is wanting to get chosen by the "gods" so that he can go to the Great Beyond and have sex with Brenda, the hot dog bun in the package next to his. That's...pretty much it, there isn't a lot of other storyline here other than the fact that we all know when they get chosen, they are going to get eaten. After they get chosen, but before they can leave the store, a jar of honey mustard that has been returned to the store has found out the truth, and tries to explain himself before throwing himself out of the cart to die before he can get eaten. Frank and Brenda try to save him, but they just cause the cart to crash, and get separated from their friends, along with the main protagonist...wait for it...a bottle of douche (I'm not making this up, I promise). So, the bottle of douche wants revenge for not getting to do his job, and spends the rest of the movie trying to hunt down Frank and Brenda, while they try to find the answers that lie on the other side.
I really put down a lot more up there than I thought I would, but I almost felt that more clarification needed added as I kept typing. It just snowballed, I'm sorry. Anyway...the movie doesn't shy away from anything, and I mean that literally. There are things that could not be shown in a normal Seth Rogen movie, such as the douche going down on a juice box to resupply himself after losing he springtime freshness, or a giant food orgy, but overall, the humor is the exact same. They even poke fun at themselves at the end, letting everyone know that they are in on the joke the whole time. While this is all to be expected of sorts, I felt that they didn't try to do anything special to stand out, and by doing a movie in full animation, that might have been something they wanted to do. It felt like a normal Disney or Pixar movie, just with a bunch of extremely R rated content. Maybe that is what they were shooting for, but I guess I was looking for something else, and that may be on me more than it is on the filmmakers.
The voice cast was solid, and there were some truly laugh out loud moments, but mostly I just laughed a little inside as most of the jokes were predictable, but fairly well executed. Nobody ever questioned Seth's timing, it has always been more about taste and just phoning it in, as his stoner vibe puts off, and this one was no different. I watched The Night Before several months back, and I felt that in that movie, they were trying to be more than just a gross out comedy, whereas this one just said, "Nah, who cares."
I did like the movie well enough, but I don't know that I would recommend it to anyone. If you like this type of movie, and are just looking for something funny for an hour and a half, then feel free, but if you want a comedy that you haven't seen before, you probably want to look elsewhere. I wanted to like the movie better than I did, but I just simply couldn't. Other than a handful of truly funny moments, it was just a mediocre Seth Rogen movie, only animated.
My rating for the movie is 6/10
TV Show - Mr. Robot - Season 2, Episode 6
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Mr. Robot. You have been warned.
I got around to watching this episode late, thus my late post on the episode, and I think I may have picked the worst episode to have fallen behind on because I think this may have been the best episode of the whole series up to this point. There has been a lot of slow build towards the beginning of the season, and a lot of it gets paid out in this episode. From the masterful opening all the way to the big moment at the end, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
We start with a sequence that looks like something from the early 90's, in an almost Full House sequence, where Elliot and his whole family (Darlene, their mother, and of course, dead father Mr. Robot himself) are all on a road trip, and Elliot is the only one that realizes that everything is out of place. Everyone else is playing along in their twisted version of the "perfect" family roles, but Elliot is confused and trying to figure out what is going on. We even get the laugh track playing over everything, which Elliot even comments on.
As things continue to role, we see Darlene playing a Gameboy, but instead of a game playing on the screen, it is Elliot taking his beating back in the real world. This was when we realize just what is going on. Mr. Robot has created this alternate reality for Elliot so that he doesn't have to go through the pain of what is really happening to him. It was a very beautifully done sequence, which also had the extra meaning to it, and I thought it was superbly done by the show runners. At the end of the sequence, Mr. Robot explains to Elliot everything, and then we flash to a hospital, where Elliot has been taken after his beating.
Ray is there and gives a little speech to Elliot, basically telling him that he got what he deserved for messing in his business, and also that things could have been worse if he had wanted them to be. He also let Elliot know that there were busy days in front of them, meaning that Elliot was still going to be used, and there is no real choice in the matter.
Darlene and the crew are trying to teach Angela how to code, so that she can plant what she needs to plant, but it isn't going very well. There are concerns that she won't be able to do what she needs to do when the time comes, but Angela is determined, and they don't really have much of a choice. The feds are going to be pulling out in the next couple of days, and so they move forward and hope for the best.
Angela gets on to the floor and goes to the women's bathroom to do what she needs to do. She has a complication early, but Darlene walks her through what she needs to do. Having accomplished what she set out to do, Angela goes to leave, but is stopped by an FBI agent. He hits on her, and then threatens her for being where she isn't supposed to be, but she turns it on him and tells him to meet her for lunch, which he agrees to since that was his goal to start with. As she goes to leave again, the wifi isn't working, and Darlene has to talk her into doing a little bit more. This appears to go off without a hitch and she leaves.
Not a whole lot going on with everyone else, other than that we find out Dom is being asked to take some time off after surviving her ordeal from last week. She says this is just what the Dark Army wants, and tries to plead her case to her supervisor, but we don't get clarity on whether or not she will have to take the time off or if he will listen to her.
Now that Elliot has started to heal up a bit, Ray's men take him away from the hospital and leave him in a room by himself. He can barely stand, and Mr. Robot comes to him and says that he was just trying to protect him, like he always said he would before he died. Elliot hugs him and thanks him, which is a shocking moment, especially to Mr. Robot. We get some flashbacks of Elliot's childhood as well, showing him seeing the store his father bought for the first time, and Mr. Robot tells him that he can name it anything he'd like, just the first thing that pops into his head. The episode ends before he says it, but we know that the store was called Mr. Robot, so we can only assume that is what he said.
As I mentioned above, I think this may have been the best overall episode of the series so far. That intro was both hilarious and so well thought out, that I think they could have ended the episode after that sequence and we would have needed nothing else for this week's episode. I loved every second of it, and was a little upset when it was over, but it had run it's course and there was more work to be done, just as Ray mentioned. I also rather enjoyed the Angela sequence, as it was intense and we just kept waiting for something to go wrong. While there may have been something we missed, which will likely come up in the next couple of episodes, it looks like she did what was necessary and maybe isn't as full blown E Corp crony as it has appeared for most of this season.
My rating for the episode is 9.5/10
I got around to watching this episode late, thus my late post on the episode, and I think I may have picked the worst episode to have fallen behind on because I think this may have been the best episode of the whole series up to this point. There has been a lot of slow build towards the beginning of the season, and a lot of it gets paid out in this episode. From the masterful opening all the way to the big moment at the end, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
We start with a sequence that looks like something from the early 90's, in an almost Full House sequence, where Elliot and his whole family (Darlene, their mother, and of course, dead father Mr. Robot himself) are all on a road trip, and Elliot is the only one that realizes that everything is out of place. Everyone else is playing along in their twisted version of the "perfect" family roles, but Elliot is confused and trying to figure out what is going on. We even get the laugh track playing over everything, which Elliot even comments on.
As things continue to role, we see Darlene playing a Gameboy, but instead of a game playing on the screen, it is Elliot taking his beating back in the real world. This was when we realize just what is going on. Mr. Robot has created this alternate reality for Elliot so that he doesn't have to go through the pain of what is really happening to him. It was a very beautifully done sequence, which also had the extra meaning to it, and I thought it was superbly done by the show runners. At the end of the sequence, Mr. Robot explains to Elliot everything, and then we flash to a hospital, where Elliot has been taken after his beating.
Ray is there and gives a little speech to Elliot, basically telling him that he got what he deserved for messing in his business, and also that things could have been worse if he had wanted them to be. He also let Elliot know that there were busy days in front of them, meaning that Elliot was still going to be used, and there is no real choice in the matter.
Darlene and the crew are trying to teach Angela how to code, so that she can plant what she needs to plant, but it isn't going very well. There are concerns that she won't be able to do what she needs to do when the time comes, but Angela is determined, and they don't really have much of a choice. The feds are going to be pulling out in the next couple of days, and so they move forward and hope for the best.
Angela gets on to the floor and goes to the women's bathroom to do what she needs to do. She has a complication early, but Darlene walks her through what she needs to do. Having accomplished what she set out to do, Angela goes to leave, but is stopped by an FBI agent. He hits on her, and then threatens her for being where she isn't supposed to be, but she turns it on him and tells him to meet her for lunch, which he agrees to since that was his goal to start with. As she goes to leave again, the wifi isn't working, and Darlene has to talk her into doing a little bit more. This appears to go off without a hitch and she leaves.
Not a whole lot going on with everyone else, other than that we find out Dom is being asked to take some time off after surviving her ordeal from last week. She says this is just what the Dark Army wants, and tries to plead her case to her supervisor, but we don't get clarity on whether or not she will have to take the time off or if he will listen to her.
Now that Elliot has started to heal up a bit, Ray's men take him away from the hospital and leave him in a room by himself. He can barely stand, and Mr. Robot comes to him and says that he was just trying to protect him, like he always said he would before he died. Elliot hugs him and thanks him, which is a shocking moment, especially to Mr. Robot. We get some flashbacks of Elliot's childhood as well, showing him seeing the store his father bought for the first time, and Mr. Robot tells him that he can name it anything he'd like, just the first thing that pops into his head. The episode ends before he says it, but we know that the store was called Mr. Robot, so we can only assume that is what he said.
As I mentioned above, I think this may have been the best overall episode of the series so far. That intro was both hilarious and so well thought out, that I think they could have ended the episode after that sequence and we would have needed nothing else for this week's episode. I loved every second of it, and was a little upset when it was over, but it had run it's course and there was more work to be done, just as Ray mentioned. I also rather enjoyed the Angela sequence, as it was intense and we just kept waiting for something to go wrong. While there may have been something we missed, which will likely come up in the next couple of episodes, it looks like she did what was necessary and maybe isn't as full blown E Corp crony as it has appeared for most of this season.
My rating for the episode is 9.5/10
Monday, August 8, 2016
Movie - Suicide Squad
Note: There may be some spoilers throughout, but I will try to limit them to only what is necessary.
I had some high hopes for Suicide Squad, and for anyone that has been reading my posts since March, you know that I actually did like Batman V. Superman. With that said, I also had my expectations at a reasonable level for this movie, knowing that there was a very strong possibility that it would not be as good as I was hoping, but would be better than what the early critics were saying. As it turns out, all of the above ended up being true, as I left the movie satisfied, but feeling like there was a lot of potential that just wasn't quite met.
Let's start with the story. While it was fine, it was nothing spectacular. Based on the trailers, I thought that the Joker was going to end up being the main bad guy, and that the Suicide Squad was going to be deployed to stop him. It turns out I was wrong about that, and I think that maybe the movie suffered some because of it. The main bad guy ended up being a little obscure to the mainstream audience, and I think that really takes away from the film. Having the Joker as the main bad guy would have really given some strong mainstream recognition, and I think would have gone a long way to giving the movie some extra legs that I think it will need to be truly successful.
As far as the setup for all the characters in the movie, they did pretty good with most of them, especially the two main characters of Deadshot and Harley Quinn. It was very evident early on that they would be the main focal points of the film, and both characters were executed and developed appropriately. The other characters were also given their backstories, but they really took a backseat to the main characters, and that is fine with me. I think each character got the time and focus they deserved, and it allowed the movie to flow a lot better and make more sense than a lot of critics are giving credit for.
The performances were pretty well done by the actors playing each character as well. I was especially impressed with Margot Robbie and Will Smith in their respective roles, which is to be expected from these two solid actors. I was a little hesitant with the casting of Will Smith at first, but I think he did the character justice. I also thought that Joel Kinnaman was good with the role he was given, but I do think he could have been given a little more to do, since he was technically the leader of the group.
Lastly, Jared Leto as the Joker. I thought he was fine, but I think we all knew that he could never live up to the performance given by Heath Ledger before his untimely passing. Leto definitely took the Joker in a different direction, and for that I give him a lot of credit. There have been several very good versions of the Joker, so he knew that he had to go with a different take to make it stand out, and he did that well enough. My biggest complaint, I think, is that he really wasn't in the movie that much. I thought he would play a much bigger role, but it turned out that he was really just there to help further develop Harley as opposed to standing on his own so much, so I would need to see more from him to be able to fully tell what my thoughts on his version of the character are.
As the credits rolled, I thought to myself that it was a solid movie, but that it wouldn't really resonate with me for a long period of time. It ended up being a typical summer blockbuster type movie, and while it did that well, it is supposed to be a jumping off point for where the DC universe is headed next, and in that regard, I don't think that the movie felt big enough. Much like how BvS was a lot of setup for things to come, this one felt like just a bridge in between that movie and where it is headed next. As I mentioned above, I was satisfied with the movie as a whole, but I think that there was a lot more potential that wasn't realized fully in the movie, and I just hope that the potential can carry into the next couple of movies and really lead somewhere as opposed to just spinning it's wheels in one place.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
I had some high hopes for Suicide Squad, and for anyone that has been reading my posts since March, you know that I actually did like Batman V. Superman. With that said, I also had my expectations at a reasonable level for this movie, knowing that there was a very strong possibility that it would not be as good as I was hoping, but would be better than what the early critics were saying. As it turns out, all of the above ended up being true, as I left the movie satisfied, but feeling like there was a lot of potential that just wasn't quite met.
Let's start with the story. While it was fine, it was nothing spectacular. Based on the trailers, I thought that the Joker was going to end up being the main bad guy, and that the Suicide Squad was going to be deployed to stop him. It turns out I was wrong about that, and I think that maybe the movie suffered some because of it. The main bad guy ended up being a little obscure to the mainstream audience, and I think that really takes away from the film. Having the Joker as the main bad guy would have really given some strong mainstream recognition, and I think would have gone a long way to giving the movie some extra legs that I think it will need to be truly successful.
As far as the setup for all the characters in the movie, they did pretty good with most of them, especially the two main characters of Deadshot and Harley Quinn. It was very evident early on that they would be the main focal points of the film, and both characters were executed and developed appropriately. The other characters were also given their backstories, but they really took a backseat to the main characters, and that is fine with me. I think each character got the time and focus they deserved, and it allowed the movie to flow a lot better and make more sense than a lot of critics are giving credit for.
The performances were pretty well done by the actors playing each character as well. I was especially impressed with Margot Robbie and Will Smith in their respective roles, which is to be expected from these two solid actors. I was a little hesitant with the casting of Will Smith at first, but I think he did the character justice. I also thought that Joel Kinnaman was good with the role he was given, but I do think he could have been given a little more to do, since he was technically the leader of the group.
Lastly, Jared Leto as the Joker. I thought he was fine, but I think we all knew that he could never live up to the performance given by Heath Ledger before his untimely passing. Leto definitely took the Joker in a different direction, and for that I give him a lot of credit. There have been several very good versions of the Joker, so he knew that he had to go with a different take to make it stand out, and he did that well enough. My biggest complaint, I think, is that he really wasn't in the movie that much. I thought he would play a much bigger role, but it turned out that he was really just there to help further develop Harley as opposed to standing on his own so much, so I would need to see more from him to be able to fully tell what my thoughts on his version of the character are.
As the credits rolled, I thought to myself that it was a solid movie, but that it wouldn't really resonate with me for a long period of time. It ended up being a typical summer blockbuster type movie, and while it did that well, it is supposed to be a jumping off point for where the DC universe is headed next, and in that regard, I don't think that the movie felt big enough. Much like how BvS was a lot of setup for things to come, this one felt like just a bridge in between that movie and where it is headed next. As I mentioned above, I was satisfied with the movie as a whole, but I think that there was a lot more potential that wasn't realized fully in the movie, and I just hope that the potential can carry into the next couple of movies and really lead somewhere as opposed to just spinning it's wheels in one place.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
Sunday, August 7, 2016
TV Show - Mr. Robot - Season 2, Episode 5
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Mr. Robot, you have been warned.
I felt like this week's episode just flew by, as it was over before it had hardly even began for me. There wasn't a whole lot that happened, but each moment just felt bigger as it is all leading to something bigger. We got at least one big moment at the end, or so I think (more on that later), but I feel that there is a lot more coming on the horizon. Another solid episode in what I feel is probably the most consistent show on television, if not the best show currently on television.
We start with Elliot still hacking into the FBI, and letting Darlene know that everything is going to plan. After Elliot realizes that the whole night is gone and the sun has come up, he tells the man that has been "watching" him to make sure he does what he is supposed to that he will need to talk to the IT guy from before. The man tells Elliot that he will talk to Ray.
Darlene goes to talk to Angela and tells her that she needs Angela to drop something off on the FBI floor at the E Corp. building, but Angela says she will just take her chances. Darlene says she hopes nobody else knows about the CD, so Angela meets with her ex-boyfriend to see if he is going to say anything. Shortly into their conversation, Angela realizes that he is recording their conversation and finds out that he has been talking to the FBI. She gets up and leaves.
Darlene goes to Elliot to tell her, and he gets mad that Angela has been involved. He says that Darlene has to find a way without getting Angela involved. Later, Angela reaches out to Elliot and says that she needs to do it, so they can wipe out whatever the FBI has on them, and Elliot agrees. She asks why he has distanced himself from her, and he says that he wanted to talk to her again when Mr. Robot was gone. He then says that his dead father is standing behind her, and she offers him help anyway she can. The last we see of Angela in this episode is her arriving at Darlene's place after making sure she isn't followed, and the rest of the original crew is there, we assume to hook her up with the device she needs to plant.
Dom is still looking through evidence when her and a team of agents are pulled away to China to discuss the hack. Upon arrival, we see Whiterose, only in his actual persona, which is the Minister of Security for China. In their meeting, she says that they want all the intel on the Dark Army, which causes a lot of tension in the room, but then Whiterose says they will give over everything they have. At a party that evening, they have a very interesting conversation where he is trying to get to know her better, and also divulges a bit about himself that I thought was a bit much. He shows her his dresses and says they are his sister's. The next day, Dom finds out that he doesn't have a sister, and then at breakfast, two armed men come in and start killing everyone. Dom takes out one of the men, but we are left not knowing what happens with the other one, as she is pinned down and we don't see what happens after that.
We see Tyrell's wife talking to the man she has been protecting. He says he wants it all to end, and tells her that he thinks someone is following him. She tells him not to worry about it and everything will be okay. She then has her bodyguard kill the man and make it look like a burglary. Later, she gets a rattle in the mail, and we assume it is from Tyrell, which she gives to the baby. Near the end of the episode, she gets a phone call and she asks if it is Tyrell. We then hear a siren in the phone, and then she hears the same siren outside the house. She runs outside, but no one is there.
Elliot meets with the old IT guy, and they communicate back and forth secretively about what is going on. The man tells Elliot to leave it alone, and wonders if Elliot knows what is on the website that Ray is running. Elliot says no, and the guy brings up a website with all the log in information, leaving Elliot to decide if he wants to see or not. Elliot hits enter, and sees that the website is some sort of black market for all sorts of terrible things, such as drugs, weapons, and even selling off slaves. That night, Elliot is woken up by two large men, who drag him outside. Ray comes out of his car and says, "I told you not to look," and it is revealed that the did something to the IT guy to find out that he had told Elliot about the website. The episode ends with the two large men beating the crap out of Elliot.
My big question is, is the final scene all in Elliot's head or did it really happen? We have had similar things already happen, with the concrete scene a few episodes back, so it is definitely possible, but I feel like they may be going to the well too many times if that is the case. If the sequence turns out to be real, then I think they will do something similar to what they did to the previous IT guy, where they beat him up, but then continued to get his help. They will get Elliot to agree to continue doing what they need, but then Elliot will be more cautious the next time. And then he will take them down when it is safe to do so.
I thought the episode was pretty good, as I mentioned above, and continues to strengthen a pretty strong sophomore season for the show. We are almost halfway through, and there is a lot of things going on, with no real resolution in site. I like the slow burn effect that the show has going on, as I feel that it adds to the paranoia factor that the show has going on. Each little thing could mean nothing, or it could mean everything, and so you have to pay attention to every scene and try not to miss something. Otherwise, we may end up like Elliot and get caught unawares, and then we are getting beat up on the street. Okay, so maybe not like that, but you get the point.
My rating for the episode is 8/10
I felt like this week's episode just flew by, as it was over before it had hardly even began for me. There wasn't a whole lot that happened, but each moment just felt bigger as it is all leading to something bigger. We got at least one big moment at the end, or so I think (more on that later), but I feel that there is a lot more coming on the horizon. Another solid episode in what I feel is probably the most consistent show on television, if not the best show currently on television.
We start with Elliot still hacking into the FBI, and letting Darlene know that everything is going to plan. After Elliot realizes that the whole night is gone and the sun has come up, he tells the man that has been "watching" him to make sure he does what he is supposed to that he will need to talk to the IT guy from before. The man tells Elliot that he will talk to Ray.
Darlene goes to talk to Angela and tells her that she needs Angela to drop something off on the FBI floor at the E Corp. building, but Angela says she will just take her chances. Darlene says she hopes nobody else knows about the CD, so Angela meets with her ex-boyfriend to see if he is going to say anything. Shortly into their conversation, Angela realizes that he is recording their conversation and finds out that he has been talking to the FBI. She gets up and leaves.
Darlene goes to Elliot to tell her, and he gets mad that Angela has been involved. He says that Darlene has to find a way without getting Angela involved. Later, Angela reaches out to Elliot and says that she needs to do it, so they can wipe out whatever the FBI has on them, and Elliot agrees. She asks why he has distanced himself from her, and he says that he wanted to talk to her again when Mr. Robot was gone. He then says that his dead father is standing behind her, and she offers him help anyway she can. The last we see of Angela in this episode is her arriving at Darlene's place after making sure she isn't followed, and the rest of the original crew is there, we assume to hook her up with the device she needs to plant.
Dom is still looking through evidence when her and a team of agents are pulled away to China to discuss the hack. Upon arrival, we see Whiterose, only in his actual persona, which is the Minister of Security for China. In their meeting, she says that they want all the intel on the Dark Army, which causes a lot of tension in the room, but then Whiterose says they will give over everything they have. At a party that evening, they have a very interesting conversation where he is trying to get to know her better, and also divulges a bit about himself that I thought was a bit much. He shows her his dresses and says they are his sister's. The next day, Dom finds out that he doesn't have a sister, and then at breakfast, two armed men come in and start killing everyone. Dom takes out one of the men, but we are left not knowing what happens with the other one, as she is pinned down and we don't see what happens after that.
We see Tyrell's wife talking to the man she has been protecting. He says he wants it all to end, and tells her that he thinks someone is following him. She tells him not to worry about it and everything will be okay. She then has her bodyguard kill the man and make it look like a burglary. Later, she gets a rattle in the mail, and we assume it is from Tyrell, which she gives to the baby. Near the end of the episode, she gets a phone call and she asks if it is Tyrell. We then hear a siren in the phone, and then she hears the same siren outside the house. She runs outside, but no one is there.
Elliot meets with the old IT guy, and they communicate back and forth secretively about what is going on. The man tells Elliot to leave it alone, and wonders if Elliot knows what is on the website that Ray is running. Elliot says no, and the guy brings up a website with all the log in information, leaving Elliot to decide if he wants to see or not. Elliot hits enter, and sees that the website is some sort of black market for all sorts of terrible things, such as drugs, weapons, and even selling off slaves. That night, Elliot is woken up by two large men, who drag him outside. Ray comes out of his car and says, "I told you not to look," and it is revealed that the did something to the IT guy to find out that he had told Elliot about the website. The episode ends with the two large men beating the crap out of Elliot.
My big question is, is the final scene all in Elliot's head or did it really happen? We have had similar things already happen, with the concrete scene a few episodes back, so it is definitely possible, but I feel like they may be going to the well too many times if that is the case. If the sequence turns out to be real, then I think they will do something similar to what they did to the previous IT guy, where they beat him up, but then continued to get his help. They will get Elliot to agree to continue doing what they need, but then Elliot will be more cautious the next time. And then he will take them down when it is safe to do so.
I thought the episode was pretty good, as I mentioned above, and continues to strengthen a pretty strong sophomore season for the show. We are almost halfway through, and there is a lot of things going on, with no real resolution in site. I like the slow burn effect that the show has going on, as I feel that it adds to the paranoia factor that the show has going on. Each little thing could mean nothing, or it could mean everything, and so you have to pay attention to every scene and try not to miss something. Otherwise, we may end up like Elliot and get caught unawares, and then we are getting beat up on the street. Okay, so maybe not like that, but you get the point.
My rating for the episode is 8/10
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