Jalapeno_Fro Reviews

12 Monkeys (2015–2018)

Pandemic premise, but gets boring fast. Skip!

[5/10 · 7 April 2020]

This show should have stopped after the first three episodes, or condensed the four seasons into just one. I watched it because I saw the original 12 Monkeys movie a long time ago and remembered enjoying it. I also figured if COVID-19 is out there killing people, this might be interesting to watch. However, there is so much soap opera filler in this series, I can't recommend watching it. What starts as a suspense thriller devolves into melodrama and bad dialogue and super drawn out plots that have very little to do with the supposed purpose of the show. It becomes predictable and I hate to say boring after the first few episodes and it doesn't get much better. Don't waste your time. There is a lot of great science fiction out there right now with good writing and effects: Legion, Devs, Mr. Robot, Picard, and much more.

I'm not sure what show some of these reviewers watched. What honest person would give this an 8, much less a 9 or 10? (Other than someone paid to do so, or families of the producers...) It's nowhere near that at all. Trust me. They are lying to you. I believed them until I watched it myself.

I don't like to write bad reviews, but I just feel robbed of my time and hope I can save someone else from making the same mistake.

12 Monkeys: Atari (2015) Season 1, Episode 4

Filler Episode- SKIP it

[5/10 · 7 April 2020]

This episode is total filler and is typical of shows that don't have enough material to fill out the number of episodes the network ordered. Honestly, skip it. They don't even reference any of it in the opening recap for episode 5. Good show up until this point. Skip it and save yourself 45 minutes.

Mitt (2014)

A safe and positive portrayal of Mitt Romney (for better or for worse)

[7/10 · 2 February 2014]

I watched this movie because I love politics. I'm especially a fan of the documentary 'War Room' about Clinton's 1992 campaign. It gave a behind the scenes look at the running of a presidential campaign- warts and all. Getting that much access was a first and 'War Room' is still considered one of the best political documentaries out there. Interestingly, Bill Clinton was not the star of the film. It was really about the advisers and political operation that are the staple of every modern presidential campaign.

The film 'Mitt' is the total opposite of 'War Room'. This is not so much a political documentary as it is a video diary of his family meetings while running for President in 2008 and 2012. It offers a glimpse into moments of the Romney family's life, which can at times be interesting and almost endearing as it tries to humanize the man behind the pressed suit and tie, but it offers little insight into the campaign itself. So if you are a political junkie hoping to see what it's like to be a part of one of the biggest high-wire acts in all of politics, you might be disappointed.

However, 'Mitt' is interesting for the fact that it clearly shows Romney how he would like to be remembered. He wants to be viewed as a kind, smart, successful family man. And maybe that's what he's really like, but because the film shows him in such a positive light, it's not hard to imagine that Romney and his family had final edit or that the filmmaker became a friend over the course of filming. Whether or not that's a bad thing is up to you. If you voted for Romney in 2012, you might come away seeing a good family man who should have shown more of his personality on the campaign- he might have won if he had. If you voted for Obama, you just might see a different side of the man and leave the experience with some sympathy for him. Nonetheless, this film is also a vehicle to settle some scores and present Romney's version of history for historians, much like a memoir would.

Mitt Romney seems to be a man from a different era. A wealthy, educated, polite and well-dressed businessman who says "heck" and "gosh" around his family. He'd fit right into a black and white movie from the 40's or a 50's sitcom. What also comes across is a man who is analytical, fastidiousness and risk averse. The way he speaks, the decisions he made in the campaign and even the way he walks all suggest a man who is trying very hard to do things correctly and efficiently. This inability to let himself loose and take big risks is what many political reporters and observers believe hurt his campaign. This film is perhaps guilty of the same problem- it is too safe and controlled and it offers few real insights into the man or his campaign, instead preferring to show highlights of him when he's with his family. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just isn't particularly revealing or interesting as a political documentary. In the end, this is likely a film that Mitt Romney would be happy to have share a name with him.

6.5/10

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

One of the best Television Series ever.

[10/10 · 16 July 2000]

Star Trek TNG was a show that had a tough act to follow. Although the original was great, I must say, TNG was better. It had amazing writing, very creative. They tackled tough real-life issues such as terrorist violence, racism, drug use, homosexuality, and cults. This show does not only have great special effects, writing, and acting, very entertaining and just plain cool, but it sends a good message. If you want an amazing show to watch, check your local listings, it's in syndication in most major cities.