siobhanharper16

We've seen it before. In a series of three movies, the second one is more irritating and confusing than the first and not close to as good as the third. But you can't do without it, because it provides necessary background for what happens in the next movie. But "Crimes" really pushes the limits of viewers' patience, tolerance, and interest. So many new characters, and it's hard to tell who's important and who's not. Very murky plot, focused Credence's birth family, but that often gets lost amidst all the other things going on. Any HP fan will be concentrating on the younger versions of characters we've only met in their old age, and on seeing characters that we've only heard mentioned. Figuring out what's going on is like trying to unscramble eggs! However, a third movie is obviously planned, maybe even in production already, and it will probably bring everything together. I fully expect it to be excellent. But, blimey! Could J.K. Rowling not have written books for this series, so we could go back and re-read them to figure out what's going on? I'm giving "Crimes" a 5, based on lovable Newt, the nifflers and the bow- truckles, and a few other fantastic creatures whose names I don't know (another problem).

If only for the sake of Rose Leslie, the beautiful and versatile Scottish actress from Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Leslie brings real acting chops to whatever she does, including this entertaining if not brilliant witch flick. Honestly, I watched it because of the cast, headed by Vin Diesel, who was surprisingly sympathetic, and Elijah Wood (Frodo Forever!). Michael Caine also plays a small but key role and adds just enough tongue-in-cheek gravitas to elevate the movie. The story isn't new or brilliant, but it is fun as far as supernatural good versus evil goes. I gave it a 7, one click above its average, to acknowledge the work of the cast, which proves that good actors can make even middling material into something better than it would be without them.

This show left me asking what an "enlightened" person might really look like. At first, Laura Derm's lead character, Amy, seems to be a caricature of the word, which would have made the whole show a sardonic slap at the long-legged, blonde, New Age Californians that the title calls to mind. But very quickly, Amy and the other characters become genuinely three-dimensional people, all very different from each other but each searching in an authentic way to find their own reasons for hope in a world that's at best average and at worst, cruel. Nobody is all good or all bad, like most of us. The show's impressive cast is a big hint that "Enlightened" isn't just an amateurish attempt to psychoanalyze life. In addition to Laura Dern, we have Diane Ladd, Dermot Mulroney, James Rebhorn, Luke Wilson, and Mike White (also of Survivor Season 37 fame). They all do a great job inhabiting their characters, helped along by some excellent writing. Only two seasons long, the story follows a logical arc, even though I found myself sorry that it ended. I highly recommend it.