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True Detective (2014)

Season Four is undeserving of a True Detective moniker.

THE 4 OUT OF 10 IS JUST FOR THE FIRST 4 EPISODES OF SEASON 4.

Just not the best acting or choice of character directions. Ancillary characters are mediocre, and the lead actors are flat in my opinion. Only four episodes in and I'm struggling to find a reason to keep watching it..,but hey, If it does turn around I'll revisit this review....but I'm not holding my breath.

Btw IMDB should separate seasons of this show and it's scores, since they are all essentially differen, it's just hack for this data base.

Season one is almost a 10 out of 10 as you can get... absolutely loved it. Highly recommend that season, the others ...at your own risk.

The Brothers Sun (2024)

Recast Bruce and I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10

Starts off with a pop and a good hook, but struggles with it's own identity as a series, mostly with Bruce's story arc and how poorly his acting dulls the possible funny moments and absolutely cannot take seriously in the somber moments.

Also feels a little like a cultural banner film noir, which it doesn't need to be if it's story telling is realistic and the culture is naturally presented as the story naturally progresses. Probably doesn't need to be said, and seems like shades of xenophobic rhetoric, but it's something that writers of these series, or anything, should be aware of in my tiny opinion.

Good production, mostly decent acting and good balance of humor and action. Recommended watch if you're bored.

Skull Island (2023)

Haven't even seen King Kong yet and I'm hoping they don't make it.

Wow.... They had it all set up like bowling pins. Animation,Skull island, mysterious waters, cut throat mercenaries, mad scientist (because you'd have to be mad to bring your teenage son on a mission to uncharted waters), and creatures...all the creatures you can imagine. And of course King Kong.

All you had to do is write and draw characters that have natural reactions to their surroundings and some dialogue that's reasonable to their situation.

Did they do that?

Sigh.

Half way through episode 2, I can confidently say, they did not.

Don't get me started on the Dad... walking around calling everything beautiful on the most dangerous island in the world, after watching his crew get eaten by a Kraken and losing his son on said island(Not really a spoiler).

Not going to go down a rabbit hole on this one, but don't expect to much.

Turn off your brain if you're older than 8 years old and enjoy.

Hopefully King Kong saves this animated series, but it's gonna have to be epic to make me forget about these cringe-characters and their awful decision making and corny dialogue.

Good luck!

Would put 5 out of 10 for production value...gave this 6 out of 10 because I'm hopeful....but not holding my breath.

Cidade Invisível (2021)

The Brazil's worst detective is also a pretty bad Dad too...great cinematography though!

Pretty much summed it up in my title. The characters are interesting and offer a window into South American mythology, that we don't get to see too often in film. However, the father is not the best detective in the room, nor does he really come across as being there for his daughter, as much as I'd like a parent to console a daughter after trauma.

But maybe that's just me.

I can never figure out with some of Netflix's foreign offerings( many are superb); I'm not sure if it's bad script or bad acting or both, that is off putting for me, when it comes to basic human reaction or natural progression of a scene, or just because of my own cultural ignorance.

I digress, good premise, fairly good actors,...I think, and solid cinematography and editing.

Season 2 echoes the first season and uses the same tropes and hooks.

Probably a 6.5 out of 10....but you will most likely still binge watch it.

Locke & Key (2020)

Trying to make season 3 a musical? Seriously?

Sigh...still a great concept series. Good production, solid characters(besides the youngest spoty acting) , but really didn't need the sudden after school special about drinking or the pop up musical in a seemingly dark story. A story that should be more exploited than the questionable character developments and their unrealistic choices, most of which don't impact the story arc in the least. But as I said this still has some magic to it, with a great old creepy/lovely house as the back drop.

Beastars (2019)

What did I just watch? Could have been so much better.

I give this 5 stars on Animation alone, but the story is an Anime soap opera fluff job at it's worst. Cliches abound, starting with the strong lead, who really hides his strength, because...well, because stupid. Unrequited love is a favorite Anime/Asian theme, but come on! It's so over thought and these characters are so human, but with animal traits, as if the animators hint at Hentai or humans acting like beast in the sexual arena. Not necessary. It had a murder mystery, some rough background stories that are good enough for a school setting and excellent animation...but then they tried to mainstream a very subversive animal anime hentai culture. Come on Netflix, do your homework. And for the original Asian studio: get away from your personal infatuation with social Taboos and put more time in story and movement of the plot. Audiences are smart, it only takes a few subtles nuances to make us realize; he's shy, she's promiscuous, he's afraid of his own strength, she's afraid of not being truly seen, or whatever. Don't rabbit hole over one emotion...sheesh. Other than that, it could have been a 7 or 8.

Lost in Space (2018)

Horses in Space? seriously?

Soooooo...you had a producer or a writer that loves horses eh? Some writers who have been smoking of that medical good good, and like, "Hey, you know what we can use for a framing in the plot of the new Lost in Space!? Days of Our Lives!!" "Genius." "Also....Horses! Yeah, horses on some weird planet...cuz... they're like, settlers man, like the old west, man!" "Genius."

• actual excerpt from Hollywood.

Oh....you want to know if it's a good series? Well, I binge watched it, like the coddled masses of streaming sheep, talking to the screen, as if Netflix/the Director, can hear me, asking them, "why...why on Earth would you do that!?" So.... that's fun, but yeah 1st season thumbs up....second season...soapy, but watchable...wine helps.

Zone blanche (2017)

Solid Show, but with some really poorly trained Detectives.

I'm not sure they understand how to protect anyone, especially themselves. However, they are great at following the clues, most of the time. It does have a great supernatural back drop that succeeds in not swallowing up the actual crimes and character development. But again, wow, do they make some dumb fn decisions. lol " Hey lets go over into this massive creepy fn forest, where people are dropping like flies and poke around with no back up....Should I bring my gun, I don't know...maybe, maybe not." -not actual quote.