vanvance

This episode marks the beginning of the end of Fargo. Want a story about RACE, RACE and RACE? This is it! It's full of false claims about history (suggesting African Americans invented credit/credit cards), ultra-competent women (especially the women of color), lesbianism portrayed heroically, and even a 'native' American pompously (and unrealistically) offering a few brief words of pseudo-wisdom, before existing stage-left.

The supernatural elements pop up less often than in previous seasons and are even more half-baked than they were previously.

The lead actor for this dog's breakfast is Chris Rock, a man who can tell jokes, but NOT a man who can act. His lightweight performance is at all times unconvincing.

I finished 8 episodes of season four, but couldn't bring myself to endure more of the inferior writing and directing, that doesn't come close to Fargo's best season, number two.

I'll be skipping season five. Disney destroys everything it touches.

The Creator is painfully lacking in creativity. The plot is riddled with holes, the characters are empty questions, and the story moves along without ever reaching a satisfying destination.

What went right?

The movie doesn't look cheap, and in certain scenes you can enjoy appealing set design and cinematography.

What went wrong?

I learned this watching Tenet, and it was proved a second time here: Just because a man has a father who can act, doesn't mean HE can act. John David Washington brings nothing memorable to the role of the protagonist. A bland, one-note performance, lacking energy or visceral emotion, renders the role forgettable.

The plot and story. We've seen this before, and in these older movies both were handled better, with more emotion, gravitas and coherence.

The pacing: Too long, too repetitive, The Creator drags. Unnecessary, oddly placed flashbacks, are distracting as opposed to adding depth. The whole thing spins it's wheel... a lot.

The special F/X and sound effects: Both, while decent, feel like they were simply lifted from Star Wars, reskinned and dropped into The Creator.

The direction: What's important here? The story, the relationships, the plot, the action...? None of it felt important, it all seemed rote.

I'm not sure why this script got a green light. Perhaps it had something to do with satisfying DEI requirements. Certainly the film is successful in that. Just not much else.

Watching the first season of The Bear, I was mildly intrigued by the concept. The execution was poor, with childish direction and confusing editing, but there did appear to be an overarching plot that was being played (slowly) out.

Unfortunately the first season ended with a deux ex twist that was hard to take. When the second season appeared, I put it on and persevered for four punishing episodes.

The same poor direction was on display, though the 'creatives' seem to have doubled down on the extreme close ups. The dialogue all sounded like it came from the same voice, regardless of the actors in the roles, and the story became meandering and lacking in focus.

In retrospect, the show is poorly structured, weakly cast, and the characters don't ring true to their environment.

I'll give it three stars for a relatively fresh concept stymied by poor realization.