brownjoea Reviews

The Orville (2017–2022)

Better Than Modern Star Trek and Star Wars

[10/10 · 27 January 2024]

Mainstream sci-fi and space fantasy has faltered in recent years due to poor corporate management of famous brands. Nothing illustrates that better than the devastating decline of the once revered Star Trek and Star Wars. Disappointment after disappointment with very little respite has been hard to watch. Thankfully, this is where "The Orville" comes in to provide a little water to the dry desert that is mainstream Hollywood sci-fi productions. I say little because this show is only 36 episodes, but I'm the kind of person who would rather have higher quality over a shorter time span than a bunch of dull filler interspersed with some mediocre content and occasional high points over a longer period of time.

"The Orville" started back in 2017 with the second season coming in very late 2018 into 2019 and the third and final season subtitled "New Horizons" released in 2022. So it clearly had production delays between seasons. That may have hurt its viewership to some degree but now that it can be watched in its entirety without that delay, the strength of the show's characters and world building gets to shine brighter than ever.

Admittedly, the first season almost seems like a parody of classic Star Trek at times by leaning a bit too much into goofy humor. Still, season one is great overall. Then season two found a better balance between serious drama and humor and the show really hit its stride with season three ramping up the length and scope of the episodes to achieve a very satisfying conclusion of the series. Granted, it can be pleasant to get more of a good thing, but if there is never a season four then what we got is wrapped up into a nice bow of an ending.

I've watched the entire series twice, once during it's original run with the delays and once a few years after the fact as more of binging experience, and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is among the most fun experiences I've ever had watching a show.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

I don't understand the extremely negative reviews

[8/10 · 6 December 2023]

I acknowledge that Kenneth's version of Poirot isn't exactly the most accurate portrayal of the book character, so I can kind of understand why some people don't approve. However, as a longtime reader of numerous Agatha Christie books, I'm glad to see her works are still being made into movies despite the modern versions being significantly different for better and for worse.

This movie is based on Hallowe'en Party, a book I haven't read, so my experience with this movie is different compared to Branagh's other Christie movies because I had read those books. With that caveat, I very much enjoyed this movie for what it is, though I did have some accurate suspicions on the solution of the case before it was all revealed. One of the things I liked about it is that it's just spooky enough without constant jump scares like so many other modern horror movies. I was especially intrigued by the setting and the backstory of where the movie took place.

Ultimately, this is not what I would call a masterpiece but is on par with the other modern Agatha adaptations that Kenneth has undertaken. At the very least he is helping to keep alive the legacy of The Queen of Crime in his own way for younger generations. However flawed it may be, it's a fun thriller to watch on a cool Autumn night.

The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

[10/10 · 24 September 2023]

What more can be said that hasn't already been said about this enduring classic that hasn't been off the air since it originally aired in the 1960s? Not much, but I want to talk about it anyway.

The "Andy Griffith Show" is a unique show. It's one of those shows that somehow feels like a real place with real people instead of a scripted sitcom. The best word to describe it is "heartwarming." It's like good comfort food that never goes out of style. It's in the category of sitcom but never feels like anyone is cracking one-liners just for the sake of trying to make the audience laugh at throwaway jokes. Instead, the comedy is derived from the distinct personalities of all of the characters. Though I'm not a writer, I suspect it's far more difficult to write a show like this than a goofy sitcom with constant quips. That said, this show has such natural sounding dialog being delivered by skilled actors and actresses that don't even seem like they're acting, particularly when it comes to the expertly crafted dynamic between Andy and Barney, the unarguable heart of the show.

If you aren't accustomed to watching older shows, don't be put off by the black and white picture, as it actually benefits the show and setting better than color does, which becomes clear when watching the later seasons that are in color starting with season six. Speaking of which, the color episodes are a sharp decline in quality for numerous reasons with the most obvious reason being the departure of Don Knotts in his most famous and awarded role as Barney Fife, but that's not the only reason the early seasons are far better. So in my opinion, skipping the color episodes altogether is no great loss. Fortunately, seasons one through five are top notch television for all ages.

Given the popularity of this show over so many decades, the odds are that if you are reading this, you've already seen it many times over, but if you haven't, don't hesitate to give it a watch, and make the town of Mayberry your TV home for a while. You'll be glad you did.

Windfall (2022)

It All Falls Apart in the End

[6/10 · 5 September 2023]

I was so disappointed by this movie. It has one of those setups that I typically enjoy, a small cast of characters interacting with each other in one location where character development seems like it would be the centerpiece of the drama. And it is, to some extent but it never quite reaches the level of intrigue that it attempts to reach.

There is one particular scene that was so bizarre that I was confused as to exactly how it happened. Turns out there was one specific reason to have that scene but it could have been handled so much better. I was still enjoying the movie up until that point, but then it just went downhill after that with a conclusion that is nonsensical and barely makes any sense at all. It's like the premise had possibilities but they didn't ultimately know where to take the story to make a satisfying impact. Some good acting, dialog, cinematography, and music help it along quite a bit, but it turns out to be more style than substance that falls flat into mediocrity.

Black Mirror (2011– )

Doesn't Feel Quite Like Black Mirror Anymore

[8/10 · 17 June 2023]

I've been a longtime fan of Black Mirror. It had always felt like a modern Twilight Zone with a focus on the potential downsides of future technologies. With season 6 it feels like they threw the premise out the window and went with an anything goes approach to storytelling, including the supernatural. In addition, the overall quality of the writing has declined in seasons 5 and 6. The first 4 seasons of the show is among my favorite TV shows ever, but they seem to have mostly lost their touch.

It's not that the most recent seasons are irredeemable because there are some pretty good episodes, but they are nowhere near the high bar that was set by the early seasons. Don't believe me? Go watch from the beginning and it will become obvious how much the show has changed. None of the newer episodes are remotely close to the quality of "The Entire History of You", "White Bear", and "White Christmas." Even the weaker episodes of seasons 1-4 are significantly better than most of seasons 5 and 6.

I suppose it's nice to get some new episodes of Black Mirror even if it isn't what it used to be, but I was hoping for much better. Despite my misgivings about the last two seasons, I hope there ends up being a season 7 because I am a big fan of the anthology series format. Overall, I still think the show deserves a solid 8 when considering the entirety of the series to this point.

The White Lotus (2021–2025)

Season Two is Far Better than Season One

[9/10 · 25 February 2023]

This is an anthology series, meaning that each season is a separate storyline with different characters, save for one main character that is in both seasons, and a different setting for each season. After watching season one, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue onto Season Two. It was pretty good overall but nothing extraordinary. However, I ended up seeing a review online from a source I trust where the reviewer talked about how much he enjoyed season two. So I decided to watch it and was pleasantly surprised at the significant improvement in the storyline for this season.

Both seasons are focused on wealthy guests who stay at an international luxury resort brand called "The White Lotus," hence the title of the show. The show features a lot of character development and plenty of intrigue as the lives of all of the characters unfold over 7 episodes in each season. Both episodes start with an unknown dead body and then flashback to show what led up to the death. There are some surprises along the way in getting back to that opening scene. On a technical level, it's a beautifully shot show with plenty of great scenery and engaging cinematography. The characters are also well written and performed, so it's easy to get invested in the outcome. I also really like the limited series format so that the show doesn't drag on for too long but is long enough to tell the story effectively.

I give season one a 7/10 and season two a 10/10. It's a really entertaining show overall. Season one could be skipped and it would not negatively impact the enjoyment of the superior season two in any meaningful way, but if you plan on watching both seasons, then definitely start with season one first because it would be a letdown to watch it after season two.

Nope (2022)

At Least It's Not Another Generic Superhero Movie

[7/10 · 6 January 2023]

I finally got around to watching this on streaming. This is a weird movie, for better and for worse. Jordan Peele deserves credit for trying something different than the typical Hollywood blockbuster. There are numerous things that are implied without being explicitly explained, which I appreciate as someone who likes thought provoking movies.

There are definitely moments that don't make sense. In fact, the entire movie feels off somehow. It's difficult to explain but it's strangely unsettling and peculiar. One example is how the tie-in with the chimp incident is especially bizarre but does have an effect on the way that one character relates to the main antagonist.

I enjoyed watching this movie overall, mostly because it was so unusual. That said, I can't ever imagine ever rewatching it. I think Jordan Peele has a vision that is atypical for modern Hollywood. He's making stuff that doesn't feel like an assembly line corporate product and that alone is valuable in the mainstream movie industry. He still has a long way to go before being considered a legendary director, but I am looking forward to seeing what his next movie idea produces.

Pepsi, Where's My Jet? (2022)

Don't be stupid. Take the money.

[7/10 · 28 November 2022]

I generally despise big corporation shenanigans, but to me this was clearly a joke offer, and I never would have taken it seriously. I have to respect John Leonard for going all of the way, but when a company of that size offers you significant guaranteed money to let it go, then you should.

Pepsi has tremendous resources to fight this case, so the odds of John winning such an absurd prize was slim to begin with, and the money would have been far more practical for him than a jet.

It's a decent documentary overall. Nothing spectacular but definitely serves its purpose in conveying the story in a fun way. It's worth a watch.

The Mole (2022– )

The Mole Has Returned With A Vengeance

[9/10 · 22 October 2022]

Back in the day of roughly 20 years ago, two of my favorite shows on US TV were The Amazing Race and The Mole. While The Amazing Race has continued to have tremendous success for the past two decades, The Mole was sadly cancelled after only a few seasons. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it pop up on Netflix recently after not knowing ahead of time that it would be returning.

So how did it turn out? Overall I'm happy to say that it had plenty of intrigue and fun challenges. The contestants were hit and miss in terms of entertaining to watch, but that is true of all reality and game shows. There were some nice surprises along the way as well. Of course, nothing is perfect. The identity of The Mole became undeniably clear to me with about 3 episodes to go, and there were too many obviously scripted interviews with the contestants during each episode, particularly with contestants making mole accusations. I would have liked to have seen more natural interaction among the contestants in between challenges instead.

That said, it's hard to complain too much about what we got. Even with its flaws, this is still a far superior reality show compared to much of the trash reality shows that are on modern TV. It's not quite up to The Amazing Race standards, but then again that's not a realistic expectation. It's a quality season one reboot, and I'm hoping for another season with a few adjustments in the right direction to make season two even better.

Stowaway (I) (2021)

A Waste of Time

[2/10 · 10 May 2021]

I noticed that the writer is also the director. It seems like he may have decent directing skills, but his writing is abysmal.

So many things are unexplained and illogical. I kept waiting for something to happen. I kept thinking that Michael was going to betray the others for some unknown nefarious reason and that he was manipulating Zoe with his tale about being his sister's guardian and making a statement about being burned in a fire. It seemed like it was leading up to him making her feel sorry for him, but it ultimately led to nothing.

Only a handful of scenes carry any intrigue at all in a nearly 2 hour movie. It drags something awful and has no satisfying conclusion.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

What happened? Disappointing Sequel

[6/10 · 16 June 2018]

I have always been a big fan of the original. In fact, I consider it to be one of Pixar's best. Maybe that's part of the problem. It's difficult to follow up the excellent original.

The Good: 1. The opening is a nice setup for a plot line that plays well throughout the movie and has an amusing conclusion.

2. The opening and ending action sequences are excellent. Nice teamwork sequences.

3. The Jack-Jack bits are fun and fleshes out his character significantly.

The Bad:

1. Far too much time is spent on Elastagirl. I thought this was supposed to be a movie about the entire family. Why is she doing pretty much all of the interesting superhero stuff while the dad and kids do mostly nothing for vast stretches of the movie (save for the aforementioned Jack-Jack bits)? I mean, I get that that's part of the plot, but it seems like a weird direction to go with the story in the first place.

2. The identity of the villain is obvious from the beginning. I realize it's a movie for kids, but Pixar is usually smarter with their writing. I understand it's hard to top Syndrome, but this villain is uninteresting for the most part.

3. The middle of the movie drags. It's far too long. At one point during the middle, I just wanted it to end. It was dull for too long. It would have benefitted from tighter editing and a shorter run time.

The Ugly:

1. Curse words and swearing in a Pixar movie. Really, Disney? There is no excuse for this. I should be able to take my kids to a movie like this without concerning myself with the language.

2. Political nonsense. Elastagirl is made to looks like a nearly perfect superhero while Mr. Incredible is made to look like an inept parent. Of course, feminism and SJW trash seems to be slipped into just about everything coming out of Hollywood these days. We hear this stuff in the media all of the time. Is it too much to ask to leave it out of entertainment made for kids?

3. Lack of humor. Maybe it's just me, but this movie doesn't seem to contain hardly any of the clever humor of the original. There are one or two scenes that are somewhat funny, but part of the charm of the original was the way the comedy was integrated. This one, for the most part, falls flat in that department as far as I am concerned.

To be fair, I really didn't have any interest in seeing this movie despite my fondness for the original because the trailer was uninspiring. Perhaps the story and execution would have been much better if they hadn't waited 14 years between the original and the sequel.