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Reviews
Captain Marvel (2019)
Worst Marvel Movie Ever Made
I should start by saying that I wanted to like this movie. Captain Marvel is an amazing comic character. But this re-imagining of the Captain Marvel character is ill conceived. These are the Things I liked about the movie: The ferkel was hilarious, and Samuel Jackson played a decent although bumbling Nick Fury. Jude Law played a good role and so did Annette Bening. I also loved the first mid credits scene and the trailer for Avengers Endgame. These are the only redeeming attributes to the film.
There are too many problems with the film to list them all. I could write a novella on the numerous problems. The biggest problem was Brie Larson's performance. I don't understand how people can believe that a character who is arrogant, ignorant, and utterly lacking in emotional depth can be called a strong character. These are character flaws not strengths. Brie Larson strutted through the film as if she were on a runaway with the expectation that people were taking pictures of her. She acted as if she were posing for a camera. She was arrogant, rude, insensitive, indifferent, and utterly lacking in emotional depth. Her character was flat, almost vacant. I think I would rather have had Melissa McCarthy in the role as Captain Marvel than Brie Larson given her inability to connect with the most basic sense of human emotion. Her character was also overpowered at the end. The villains were setup as place mats to be easily defeated and disposed of for no other reason than to make her character seem relevant and interesting. Her origin story was a cliche of a cliche. There was nothing redeemable about her character. I can't elaborate without spoiling the few moments worth watching. The entire film was essentially anti-male in every conceivable way. I don't object to infusing agenda driven notions into a film unless it detracts from the overall quality of the movie. In this case, Captain Marvel is the last person in the universe I would contact for help, particularly if I was a man. This is hands down the worst performance of a marvel character I have ever seen, and I am including all of those horrid depictions of superheros in the 1930's and 40's. In fact, I wonder if Brie Larson hadn't engorged herself on tv shows from this period in order to prepare for her role. This film is only watchable if you take a couple of no doze to stay awake and don't mind being besieged by bad acting and bad writing. My suggestion would be to save yourself the money at the theater and simply wait for it to come out on video and then rent it for a dollar through Redbook, providing you don't mind wasting a dollar on this tripe masquerading as a Marvel film. I would recommend watching the mid credits scene and the trailer for Avengers Endgame on youtube instead. If you must know what happens in this film than reads someone's spoilers on it instead of watching it. It's a waste of two hours of time. I shudder to think how they are going to incorporate this pathetic rendering of Captain Marvel into the movie Avengers Endgame. If she ends up being the primary character of Avengers Endgame, I fear the movie will be ruined by her hollow excuse for a performance. I would hate to think that I have spend all these years watching Marvel films which contribute to the resolution of the infinity stone story line just to see it destroyed by bad acting from one character. Please tell me this isn't so, otherwise, I swear I will never pay full price at a movie theater to watch another Marvel film again.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
One of Cruise's Best
This movie managed to avoid the problems manifest in movies dealing with time. The plot is exceptional and the main characters deliver outstanding performances. The movie is not only dynamic but it is intelligent (unlike Oblivion where the creature is so easily duped). I dislike movies that appear to perpetuate the theme of "save the world" and they end up being more of the "save your girlfriend." This film didn't sacrifice the theme to honor some angst-driven patriarchal notion (it helps that Emily Blunt's character is a harcore badass). I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes well drawn action films where the characters actually make smart decisions.
Episodes (2011)
A clever fish-out-of-water story
This TV show is one of the best comedies on TV because it manages to be funny while maintaining a satirical edge. This is a fish-out-of-water story for the British writers are out of their element and forced to adapt to the surreal community of Hollywood which is filled with double-dealing snakes. I can't say I ever liked Matt LeBlanc until this show. In some respects, this show is much like Altman's arena-style of film making, for the show is fueled by the clever interactions of well-drawn characters. There are only two major issues with the show. One, the title is horrible. It's one of the worst titles I have ever encountered. A good title touches on a poignant level the theme of a show. This title does the show a major injustice. The second problem has to do with the characters who are the writers of the "Pucks" show. Their dialogue is often spot on but they fail to realize that their pilot is a fish-out-of-water story so it limits their ability to sell it and write it. Their show also deals with issues of class but they fail to address these points. In truth, their show "Pucks" has the potential to be a much greater show than "Lyman's Boys" simply because its theme is far more relevant than a show about unrequited love. Ironically, the show "Pucks" has the same theme as the show "Episodes." Regardless, the show is a gem and should be savored.
Good Intentions (2010)
Entertainment all around
I love films about southern living. This film is filled with clever humor and wonderful performances by Elaine Hendrix (AKA Etta which is also the name of my grandmother who is from Arkansas ha ha), Leann Rimes, Luke Perry, and The Sheriff (I always forget his name.) Believe me when I say that it is much better than a 4.7. It's not a critics kind of movie. This is a fun, light-hearted film about a small town with quirky characters. Be warned there is a little bit of sexual content, so I wouldn't recommend it for kids unless it has been edited. For an independent film, it is extremely well done. Compared to some of the other romantic comedies at the box office this is worth watching.