clark44 Reviews

Almost Human (2013–2014)

An unusually good sci-fi show!

[10/10 · 19 November 2013]

I really wasn't expecting much from "Almost Human". The ads made it look like a stylized action- drama, and recent J.J. Abrams projects haven't always panned out well.

But I'm pleased to report this is the real deal. Gritty, realistic sci-fi action. Yes, it's set in the future, not in a whitewashed Starfleet Federation world, but rather in a civilization where technological development has outpaced ethical considerations. In fact, it shares many similarities to "Fringe", which isn't surprising considering the number of ex-fringe producers, especially J.H. Wyman.

After the first two episodes, it's clear that the title "Almost Human" is more a theme than a name. Karl Urban's character has a synthetic leg, and his partner is an android, a model that was discontinued because of a tendency to have human-like emotional outbursts. Neither completely man nor machine, both characters feel like outsiders to the status quo.

I'm not sure what direction the show is going for the long term, but here's hoping it gets a decent run of a few seasons. Of course, with my luck this will be canceled by Christmas while "Revolution" will run for another 4 seasons....

Ender's Game (2013)

Very enjoyable movie that doesn't do justice to the book

[8/10 · 1 November 2013]

As a fan of the book, I really wasn't sure I wanted to see this movie. Great books hardly ever adapt into good films. But my friend wanted to see it, so I agreed to tag along on opening night.

I have to say, as a movie, it is genuinely enjoyable. The visuals are starkly entrancing without being distracting. The casting is pitch-perfect - Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield, in particular, do a great job. The ending is particularly well done (don't worry - it wasn't really spoiled by the trailer).

The problem is, it's really just a caricature of the book. The drama in Battle School moves too quickly, the characters of Peter and Valentine are almost completely absent, and even Ender's video game is sadly underdone. I'm not usually a fan of splitting books into multiple movies, but this is one where two films would have done it justice. Also, the kids are just too old - there's an ironic moment in the movie where two officers talk about how conscripting kids under 15 "used to be illegal", yet all the actors playing the kids look 15 or older!

Still, it's a fun ride, and if you hadn't read the book these flaws really wouldn't be apparent. Definitely see it in the theater if you can - the battle room scenes are best on a big screen.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Pure Video Game Magic

[10/10 · 15 November 2012]

First, a disclaimer: I consider myself to be a relatively moderate Disney animation fan. Sure, there are the great classics (e.g., "Snow White"), the modern classics ("The Emperor's New Groove") and the occasional underrated film ("The Rescuers Down Under"). But for the last decade or two, Disney movies have been more miss than hit... (three words: "Mars Needs Moms". What?)

Now, let me point out that video game movies have an even worse track record. I mean, let's be honest: nobody waxes eloquent about "Wing Commander" or "Tomb Raider" (daydreams about Lara Croft not included). The best we've gotten was occasional flashes of brilliance followed by intense disappointment... "Tron: Legacy", anyone?

So on the whole, the idea of combining Disney animation with video games seemed fundamentally flawed, if not outright doomed.

And yet, it works. It works really, surprisingly well. The cleverness is obvious: making the film around several "familiar" games that didn't really exist means the directors and screenwriters weren't hampered by the storyline baggage of imitating real game. Obviously, talented screenwriters and animators played a big part. It's such a relief, after this year's travesties like "Prometheus", to see a script that doesn't contain any large plot holes and actually builds on itself to advance the plot instead of relying on characters to bumble around randomly.

And yet the real brilliance of it is even more. Jerry Rees (director of "The Brave Little Toaster", perhaps the saddest children's movie ever made) said in a recent interview that "fables have always been a way to move through our darkest fears to a place of hope". "Wreck-It Ralph" works because the stakes feel both dire and real. That even though we're laughing at the main character and his friends telling stories at a "Bad Guys Anonymous" meeting, we feel his pain at being ostracized by the people he cares about. And we share his desire for a better life. Who wouldn't, after doing the same dead-end job for 30 years?

And unlike "Tron Legacy", which built up an interesting world, but then really didn't do anything with it, "Wreck-It Ralph" feels real because of the way the characters behave and interact. A quick scene in the movie showing Ralph giving some food to a homeless, "unplugged" Q*bert almost brought a tear to my eye. And if you don't consider that to be movie magic, then I'm afraid I can't help you.

Skyfall (2012)

Messy, rambling plot raises more questions than answers

[6/10 · 11 November 2012]

I don't know that I've ever seen a movie where my opinion was more out of sync with the reviews of users and critics. The cinematography was fantastic, the acting superb, but the plot was simply inexcusably lazy. Things happen for no reason. Sure, being shot on a train, falling off a bridge, and going off a waterfall is theoretically survivable. But no answers provided as to how? It's just not believable. In fact, the more details that are revealed about that scene, the less sense it makes. We find out that Bond heard M's order to shoot. (Never mind that simply waiting for the trained agent to finish the fight was probably a better bet all along than taking a risky sniper shot.) So why didn't he just move out of the way? Why didn't Naomie take a second shot?

In the first and second acts, a number of interesting questions are raised. Is there a still a role for a human spy in a completely digital world? Can Bond ever overcome the emotional and physical trauma of being shot on the train? Who has stolen the agent list, and what do they want with it? Who are the moles in MI6? Why does Bond still own his parents' house in Scotland?

Unfortunately, the film provides the answer to none of these questions. The third act actually devolves into a "Home Alone" remake, and not even a particularly good one. It was fun to watch, but it simply didn't make any sense. At one point, the villain tracks back in on our heroes because they were using a flashlight to escape in the dark. A flashlight! Surely MI6 agents know better ways to escape at night?

It's too bad that the plot is such a mess, because this film really could have been excellent. There are one or two monologues that are simply masterful, and the long, single-shot fight scenes are among the best ever filmed. But in the end it's merely average.

The Newsroom (2012–2014)

The Once and Future News Anchor

[9/10 · 29 August 2012]

Many of the reviews posted here are from early in the season, when only an episode or two had aired. That's perfectly fine, but I believe there's some room now for a retrospective review of the first season.

I'm not normally kept awake by rumination over a television program, but last week I lay awake for over two hours after watching the Season 1 finale, reflecting on what I'd just seen. The finale didn't tie up all the hanging plot threads (Season 2 has already been announced, after all), but what it did do is clarify some thematic issues, and perhaps even give a touch of insight into Sorkin's path forward for the next part of the story. Plot events alone can make for an adequate, even decent story, but character development is what drives the best television shows (The Wire, The West Wing, Breaking Bad) to be something that can actually resonate with the audience in a believable way.

In the last episode, Will makes several references to "Camelot" as a source of inspiration (which Mac, predictably, counters with derision). Of course, Arthurian stories draw upon the trials of a man who has risen to a position of power, who is trying to form his personal resolve on how to justly use such power, while also troubleshooting his relationship problems. Sound familiar? Like a knight who is blinded (for better or worse) by his honor and duty, Will is leaving a deep, polarizing impression on everyone he comes in contact with, be it his staff, his supervisors, or his viewers. I expect we're going to see even more conflict (with people more important than the occasional gossip columnist) in the next arc of the story. Could one of them be the heir apparent to News Night, in the event Will falls on his sword?

Now, the show isn't perfect, and some of the scenes are written like a first-draft. In particular, many episodes suffer from what can only be described as overly-dramatic personal relationship issues. (The bus scene with Maggie comes to mind - surely there could have been a more believable way to stage that.) The Newsroom does best when focusing on the news show. Which is why it's clear there's some room for improvement, because this show should not actually be about the news itself (though it's a nice side-show), but the process leading to it. More time is needed with some of the interesting and competent minor characters (e.g., Neal and Sam) and a bit less of the never-ending relationship issues (the monologue from Sloan in particular was a bit odd).

So, here's hoping for a solid Season 2... Aaron: don't shoot and miss.