DMZ

This is not a 1 score, neither is it a 10 score. Its just a lazy, badly put together, forgetable trudge through a DMZ that is unrecognizable from the original comic. I gave up after the 2nd episode because I had absolutely no interest in seeing anymore or it.

There has been a second American Civil War and Manhattan is declared a demilitarized zone. Alma Ortego (Rosario Dawson) is a medic desperately searching for her missing son. She gets into the crosshairs of warlord Parco Delgado (Benjamin Bratt).

The pilot holds some intrigue as it reveals this world. I was hoping for more but it still promises certain things. When she escapes into the DMZ, the pursuing soldiers claim that she wouldn't survive long. It suggests a scary dystopian world of unimaginable horrors. What it turns out to be is a mix of The Warriors and Gotham without Batman. Episode three ends with the comic book charge by two sides in a melee. It's all very poor comic book and it does not surprise me to find that this is based on a comic book series. This is no Escape from New York. This show has a promising start and then it evaporates. I can't even finish the fourth episode.

The characters are so cringeworthy with their decisions and choices and just general demeanor. The story crawls at a snails pace and is filled with SO MUCH melodrama. Most of it isn't earned or built up to begin with to leave any impact. The editing and direction makes me want to vomit, there are so many cuts in a scene...cut to face, cut to other face, cut to handshake, cut to face again, cut to other face in like 10 seconds...It's extremely annoying. There is one big action scene in the 3rd episode that could have actually been cool, all the elements were there to make it cool, but you definitely could tell the person never shot action before and it was LAME. I'm being generous with a 5 because the actors all do fine work and are really giving it a 100% effort, the set pieces and world building were pretty cool as well. Disappointing.

For being a DMZ kill zone, buildings destroyed and no running water everyone is dressed to the nines with $500 sunglasses that aren't even scratched , fresh makeup and food trucks. None of it fits the premise of this story and not realistic at all. Not even close. Another flop by HBO.

Despite some interesting visuals and good acting, this show is just not compelling! :-( The first episode could barely keep my interest :-( What a waste of Rosario Dawson's talent :-(