Avaliações de johnspringer-95440

The premise of the series is apparently that twitchy Claire Danes, reeling from the death of her son, gets drawn into the machinations of her new neighbor who's a charismatic psychopath played by Matthew Rhys. The problem is that Rhys's character isn't written as charismatic; he's immediately a pugnacious, boorish bully. Anyone with a modicum of social intelligence would avoid him assiduously, but Danes succumbs her own morbid curiosity, "bloodlust," and self-destructive tendencies. Despite the traumatic justification for Danes' irrational decision-making, her character is neither relatable nor sympathetic. So are we supposed to care what happens to her next? I didn't.

If you know the premise of the movie then you already know what's going to happen, and in broad terms the plot doesn't provide any surprises. This is nevertheless unexpectedly enjoyable thanks to the director's deft touch, which allows the story to explore weighty themes without becoming maudlin and to deliver a heartwarming message without becoming cloying. It's simultaneously a tale of the main character's self-discovery and an endorsement of the positive effect a well-meaning person can have on the cynics around him; and it's infused with humor and the charm of an affable cast. Overall it's very enjoyable.

The Marksman is a bit of a departure from the revenge action thrillers for which Liam Neeson has become known. Neeson plays a down-on-his luck old hardcase who becomes the reluctant protector of a young kid menaced by cartel baddies. So the setup and premise are on brand, but the execution is different. This is more of a road trip movie about the unlikely bond that develops between Neeson and the kid than the typical 90 minutes of Neeson mowing down disposable henchmen. I'm all for a change of pace if it's done well, and unfortunately this one isn't. The story is predictable, the villains are uninspired and Neeson doesn't start off grizzled enough to make his inevitable arc resonate. Think Gran Turino but without the compelling characters, dark humor and satisfying finale.

The Crystal Cuckoo is a Spanish noir mystery that unfolds across two timelines in a remote town. The acting is decent and the atmosphere is fitting. In the first couple episodes there are compelling hints that dark secrets bubble just under the surface of the town's bucolic geniality. Constant shifts between the two timelines are annoying but the show's not difficult to follow. Instead, the main problem is that the mystery simply isn't very mysterious or interesting. The series is apparently based on a novel and there was a sense that the plot, structure and pacing would have worked in a book but weren't suited for the format of a show.

There's nothing wrong with Fantastic Four First Steps per se. The retro-futuristic setting is cool and some of the action effects look nice.

The plot is coherent, direction is competent and performances are adequate.

I just didn't care about any of it. It might have been that the story felt inconsequential because problems were resolved relatively easily as soon as they were introduced; it might have been that the characters were safe, flat and formulaic; it might have been that the MCU multiverse makes everything impermanent and devoid of stakes. But whatever the specific reason(s), it seems that the Marvel magic is gone. What would have been an enjoyably entertaining mid-tier MCU entry 10 years ago now felt like a joyless slog, and the end-credits teaser for Avengers Doomsday only engendered apathy.

The series is a grim mystery set in the mid-19th century northern Sweden. The cinematography nicely evokes the harsh period environment. (Although, as virtually every other reviewer has noted, the decision to cake every character's face in dirt at all times was distracting and bizarre.)

A new pastor and his family arrive in a rural village concomitant with a violent attack on a young woman. The pastor and his adoptive son, Useless, investigate the attack against a backdrop of local corruption, distrust and secrecy. It's part noirish procedural, part family drama and part rumination on religious faith and dogma.

The main problem is that it tries to be all three at once. The pace and plot are too slow and deliberate for the series to work as ScandiNoir. The family drama elements are mostly consigned to the interactions between the pastor and Useless, and unfortunately Useless is a frustratingly dumb and/or introverted character. The religious elements aren't developed enough to resonate. The result is a show that looks compelling but feels hollow.

Fatman finds a disillusioned Santa as the target of a ruthless hitman hired by a precocious brat as payback for coal under the tree. Santa's also beset by financial problems that force him to turn his operation into a clandestine military contractor. Performances from Mel Gibson as Santa and Walton Goggins as the hitman are good, and there are a few moments of dark levity, but the movie can't decide what it wants to be. The military contract subplot ultimately feels like surplusage. The main plot is too slow and sparse to qualify as the kind of comedic romp that was Violent Night, and too simplistic to provide surprises or engaging character development. The mechanics of Santa's operation are unique, but they aren't explored in interesting ways. Overall it's a somewhat interesting premise that's undone by a lack of focus and depth.

The Wrath of Becky is marketed as a revenge action comedy but it only partially lives up to its billing. There are a couple of comically hyperbolic deaths and a few funny lines, but overall they're not enough to make up for its sparse, rote plot and its flailing attempts at dark humor. The movie feels small in both its scope and its stakes. It despises its bumbling antagonists too much to make them a credible threat; Becky sleepwalks through the predictable proceedings. Sean William Scott delivers a solid performance but otherwise the cast doesn't have enough charisma to engender much investment.

The Elixir is a straightforward zombie flick that mercifully doesn't try to make a socio-political point or get bogged down in pathos. It's mostly just a bunch of zombies running amok while some unprepared survivors try to navigate the carnage, and as such it's pretty well done. There's a good deal of understated humor amid the gore. The survivors do make some stupid decisions, but they're not unrealistically inept. The pace moves briskly, the action is well-staged and the effects are generally good. Overall it's a fun watch, even though it isn't doing anything original.

The Monster of Florence killings are one of the 20th century's most infamous unsolved series of murders, made more tragic by police and prosecutorial corruption and ineptitude that resulted in false arrests, planted evidence and questionable convictions. This series bins most of that potentially-compelling stuff to dramatize divergent and unreliable versions of the prelude to the first attack via extended flashbacks, which derails any narrative momentum from the frame story of the subsequent investigation. Aside from a (probably unintentional) LOL moment in the third episode, the tone is ponderously dour. The period recreation is effective and the cinematography nice, but otherwise this is an underwhelming disappointment.

Weapons won't be for everyone, but it's worth a watch for anyone looking for something other than this year's 500th sequel, remake and/or reboot. For the majority of its runtime it recounts a series of intersecting events from different perspectives, which isn't unique but which is pretty well-done in this instance. There's enough intrigue and suspense through the first two acts, and enough humor throughout, to sustain interest. The characters are not particularly sympathetic, but they're generally relatable. One ham-fisted allegorical reference to its title aside, this is a well-crafted movie that defies easy categorization and effectively combines elements from disparate genres.

In the waning days of WWII, a raging band of Allied soldiers are menaced by enemy troops, werewolves and ulterior motives. It's a decent enough setup that goes nowhere thanks to lackluster writing, ponderous direction and mediocre performances. Most of the characters are underdeveloped, there's no camaraderie among the team, too much time is devoted to an extraneous subplot, the action is poorly staged and the story is scattershot. Despite decent production values (considering the probable budget) and use of mostly practical effects, this is one that even werewolf enthusiasts will want to skip.

The only surprise here is that a script this incompetent got greenlit, filmed and released. The climax is one big plot hole, and the screenwriters screwed up a lot of rudimentary details in the build-up too. Almost everything about the story is frustratingly illogical and inane.

In addition, the premise is the kind of lazy soft reboot that had already worn out its welcome by the mid 2010s. Legacy characters get abused worse than in the average Lucasfilm production, and their replacements are a bunch of repellent identitarian millennial brats. What a waste.

Crackoon is a low-budget attempt at a so-bad-it's-good comedy splatterfest that misses the mark. Despite a campy racoon puppet doing nasty things, intentionally horrible acting, goofy gratuitous nudity and hyperbolic gallons of fake blood, the movie barely elicits a single laugh. The characters are mostly undeveloped meatbags queuing up to be mauled, rinse and repeat. The attempts at funny dialogue are forced and cringeworthy. As a result the amateurism of the production is annoying rather than endearing.

The latest Superman is vulnerable, self-doubting and emotional. He's more like a well-intentioned dude who happens to have superpowers than classic Superman. David Korensweat has the look and charm, but none of the gravitas, of the classic character. Lex Luthor is likewise a lightweight tech bro rather than a genuine threat with a menacing - or even coherent - plan. In keeping with the characterizations the tone of the movie is mostly affable but insubstantial. There are no surprises or moments of pulse-pounding action. The script's strength is the supporting cast, and it seems James Gunn is more adept at ensemble comedy than earnest superhero thrills. I don't know if there's a "right" way to adapt Superman for the big screen, but this isn't it.

The idea of a murderous zombified kangaroo is inherently funny, and the effects department understood the assignment. The way the titular antagonist screeched and hopped around was appropriately ridiculous. Unfortunately the script and direction didn't lean far enough into the potential for trashy b-movie camp, and a lot of the trite dialogue seemed like a genuine attempt at "serious" horror drama. The result is a frustratingly inert movie that does not appear to understand its own premise.

It's another limited series from the creator of Mare of Easttown and the similarities are significant, including crisp writing and pacing, a focus on family trauma and drama, and strong local Delco flavor. Through three episodes this one isn't so much a whodunit, or even a whydunit, it's more of a straightforward drama about the parallel lives of cops and criminals. If there's a downside to the season at this point it's that the show may be too "realistic" in how it frames its characters' decisionmaking, which is often foolish, convenient and/or self-defeating. The average real criminal is probably pretty dumb and the average real cop is probably prone to simple oversights, but that doesn't make for compelling television.

Screamboat is gleefully tasteless and unapologetically trashy. It's part of the trend of turning wholesome Disney characters into bloodthirsty maniacs now that the copyrights have lapsed (see also Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, etc.) This one is probably the best of the lot thanks to comparatively (emphasis on comparatively) good performances and production values, and a comically sadistic little antagonist who has more in common with Leprechaun or Critters than he does the typical masked slasher. The movie's certainly not good by any objective measure, but it's a decent bit of b-movie fun regardless.

Season 2 started slowly, and the third and fourth episodes were downright lackluster. This episode is where the season finally finds its footing, delivering the right mix of humor, intrigue, inventiveness and heart. It sets things on the right track for a satisfying final two episodes that redeem the season. The performance of Jenna Ortega in this episode is particularly praiseworthy, displaying wit and charisma while playing against type.