ssr788 Reviews

Capone (2020)

A grossly misunderstood movie

[10/10 · 15 May 2020]

A grossly misunderstood movie

The reviews and comments I see on here are so premature, almost petulant - I would go as far to say this is a top gangster movie.

This isn't a Scarface. If you were expecting something like it; exciting and daunting don't go on a diatribe. This movie pays homage to departure of the gangster. We all too often see them in their glory without reverence for their pedestrian downfall. This movie delivers on this.

Those saying it's a snooze fest, it's not. The gestured symbolism drives the plot and delivered a fantastic rendition of the last year of Capone.

I can all but assume the audience is was not anticipating nor is cultured to digest this deep allegory. If you can't hear what he's saying, turn on the subtitles or better yet, release your conventional expectations.

City on a Hill (2019–2022)

Luster lacking depth

[7/10 · 15 June 2019]

The directing of ep. 1 was bizarre. The constant trailing shot, everywhere Bacon goes we go lost me. The key photographic elements in the show contradict themselves -- lost in script that lacks character depth. Characters felt as if they were inserted for the sake of a quota, and no TRUE internal mechanism of the characters were shown; entirely surface.

My reasoning for the 7/10 is simple -- the story is good, but in a pilot that failed to deliver in-depth characters and only a peek of story, the show will have to give me a good reason to stick around.

The First (2018)

Enter with no expectation...

[9/10 · 15 September 2018]

I agree with one reviewer, the advertising is almost deceptive. But in time, through immersion, you see exactly what the show is trying to communicate.

Hollywood in its current capacity expresses the unknown, space, in its context -- while never exploring the conscious human element. Episode one does not solidify anything but offer a basis for the viewer to work from. Throughout the series it becomes apparent what kind of animal this is. The layman of story viewing will find themselves unintentionally digesting the show through the scope of its conventional peers and predecessors of Syfy. This is where the show will grab you, if given the chance.

The delivery of something so thought provoking, it offers a chance for deep conscious analyzation without the fluff Hollywood inundates. A thought provoking series on a scale unmeasurable.

The show reminds us of the message within us all. We spend our lives looking outward instead of looking inward.

Bravo, Beau Willimon.

Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

Jack Ryan hijacked

[5/10 · 1 September 2018]

I started this series with high expectations, so I can say that this review hinges on some bias....

I grew up with Jack Ryan and an affection for this character. This character was utilized beautifully in the past, a platform that lived through Clancy to breathe issues with-in our intelligence community in a intellectual manner. On episode 3, this is not what I see.

The show exploits the 'terrorist, CIA, cat and mouse chase' we've seen time and again. The entirety of the three hours I've been thrusted into a cat and mouse chase, superficial on the surface, strictly following bank accounts and phone call signals with no developments in sight. The show portrays a new "bin laden" in our misted to justify a presence in Yemen. Experienced terrorists going so far to utilize phone encryption (even though they are somehow found consistently) and are plotting something 'big' demonstrated through their extraordinary measures they take to preserve their lives and the "plan".

I refer to "Clear and Present Danger" where the movie gave the opportunity to analyze the CIA's illegal involvement in Columbia and their role in working the Columbian Drug Cartels. I do no speak for Tom Clancy from his grave, but this is how I remembered Jack Ryan -- not through the subtext deliverance of American terror propaganda. This show practically drips with it.

Unlike it's predecessors, the show fails to account for the serious foreign policy issues today and instead justifies it through the story of impending doom and terror. This is not Jack Ryan, it's Jack Ryan hijacked.

My review is purely selfish, and all opinions are not to be taken as truth. I understand people have put their lives into creating this, but I also understand and see when a great platform Tom Clancy used to communicate problems with our military apparatus, country, in a truly altruistic manner being abused as a vehicle for propaganda.

This show does live his legacy.

Entourage (2015)

From a fan of the series

[3/10 · 5 October 2015]

This movie is so wealth-centric its disgusting. If you want to watch near two hours of private jets, nice houses, and humorless cameo's this is your movie. The Characters are completely detached and misplaced to make up for the obnoxious guest stars and moronic writing.

I was absolutely stoked for this movie, but left the theater in complete disappointment. Now I hear that they want to make ANOTHER movie!? According to Doug Ellin (showrunner) mark wahlberg personally guaranteed another movie. Are these two people so delusional that they think any studio is going to fund a movie with the entourage name attached with it's abysmal box office numbers? I wouldn't be insulting the movie with it's numbers if I thought it had some sort of literary value, but it doesn't, its a mess.

Unless your one of those mindless fans who have absolutely no appetite for good writing and just have a lust for the wealth centric image this movie thrives on, save your time. All this movie will do is skew your perception of these once likable characters.

True Detective (2014– )

Something New

[8/10 · 24 January 2014]

True Detectives choreography is different than most traditional television shows. To be honest we need this kind of creativity in the television department, television is getting WAY too cliché these days. So here, we have true detective. A mix of a narrative and a period drama. So far its been alright, to say the most episode one did not have me yet. I enjoyed episode two knowing the characters and their lives, made me more interested. We need more this creative TV and I'm glad to see it here, especially with Woody and Matthew. There's some hope for the television drama and this is a sign. Disappointed its a 8 episode series, but I think it will be worth our time watching in the long run.

Mob City (2013)

Mob City is a hit

[7/10 · 15 December 2013]

TNT's newest edition to an already great television line up is Mob City, a TV Miniseries that has an ensemble cast that absolutely kills it & I'll get into why.

Plot Line: Mob City takes place in late 1940's Mob soaked Los Angeles. The show revolves around a LAPD detective who has acquaintances in the Mob. I will not go into much detail because I would be giving away most of the core story. As the story follows the LAPD detective it also follows the Mob, specifically Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen (who you see very little of) and the mystery woman (which I can not go into detail on without spoiling it) threatening and brushing shoulders. The series mostly follows on the LAPD and Bugsy's crew clashing, but recently in eps. 4 followed a rival gang trying to take over Bugsy's operations. There are some holes in the story, but the whole finished product does not fail.

Cast: Let me start of with Frank Darabont. Frank of course took over The Walking Dead after its first season, which in my opinion has dumbed down the show ever since. Ever since Frank took over The Walking Dead for season 2 ongoing I slowly stopped watching. The Walking Dead just became dull and just flat out boring. That is to say I am not a Walking Dead fan, so I could see my hesitation when TNT started advertising a 1940's mob show using Frank's work as a promotion. Looking at the ad's I think, how is a zombie guy create a noir? Frank brought Jon Bernthal (Walking Dead's Shane Walsh) and Jeffrey DeMunn (Walking Dead's Dale Horvath) back who were both killed off of The Walking Dead. Personally I did not like Jon Bernthal in The Walking Dead, but seeing him here on Mob City made me appreciate him a little more. Jeffrey DeMunn was also my one of my favorites on the show and here he is even better. The Walking Dead's resurrected cast helps boost the show, and I love to see others returning to the screen such as Michael McGrady (Southland, L.A. Noire), Neal McDonough (Justified), and Gregory Itzin (24) who make it feel more at home for me. I absolutely love that Edward Burns is playing Bugsy Siegel he is all around a great actor with a lot of potential and portrays him greatly. I do have a problem with casting Jeremy Luke as Mickey Cohen. He makes the show feel awkward and just does not portray Mickey the way I would like. The casting is great overall, and I do enjoy it very much as they defiantly add to the noir feel of the show.

Conclusion: Mob City is a great miniseries, with a cast that makes it and screenplay that kills. Mob City has a lot of potential as a straight up television series. As it is a miniseries they traditionally do not get renewed nor have more that one season, so It will be upsetting to see it go. Frank impressed me when I thought he could not. If Mob City is becoming renewed or brought to a series it cannot be dumbed down, I can already see the money they've spent with the sets, props, and costumes and cutting budget it will make me a lost viewer. I applaud Frank and TNT for making a piece that is my favorite this year. I recommend to anyone though, not the typical Walking Dead fan because I just do not think they would enjoy it. Some background knowledge of the LA mob is good to get the story. A mob enthusiast like me will be just at home. See you at the series and/or season finale? 7/10

Hell on Wheels (2011–2016)

Hell On Wheels Season 3 BEST

[8/10 · 19 August 2013]

Season 3 starts out pretty impressive with stunning visuals and devious actions. I think Hell on Wheels has finally gotten to a point in its run in which it wanted to be. Hell on Wheels writing has improved greatly along with the likeness of the characters; although some I find boring and dislike. Common's character has seemed to get a lot of leeway working for the not fictional railroad, and which often the story revolves around this characters life as he completely involved with himself thinking he has all the privileges of a white man. I feel like Hell On Wheels in season 3 has done a tremendous job with showing the struggles of the union pacific railroad which very greatly could have happened, but Commons character does not make absolutely any sense in the context of a 1867 western drama, it just doesn't. Acting is fantastic and has characters which you develop a relationship with. Episode two was great and the series has gotten really hard-hitting for the viewer. I am disappointed that it has such a low critic score on meta, but as I will say I recommend this show to anyone and that it is one of the best western dramas ever to hit television. A must watch for the television enthusiast. My review: 8/10 for meta and IMDb

End of Watch (2012)

Can the writer(s) add another f**k to the script!?

[3/10 · 8 May 2013]

End of Watch is about two LAPD street patrolmen in the gritty gang overrun streets of Los Angeles. The only problem is that the movie sucks. Most movies could do well in this setting if the right people were selected to produce, direct, and create one (talking Clint Eastwood anyone? the recent gangster squad?) these people obviously watched to much fast and furious and mission impossible. The writing to this movie is god awful along with the swearing as I cited in my summary above; but trust me I like swearing in TV/movies when it calls for merit to the situation the characters are in, THE SWEARING IS SO OBNOXUIS. Honest to god I had considered more than a dozen times to shut off the movie, GOOD WRITING MAKES A GOOD MOVIE, NOT SWEARING. And I know what people would say, "oh this is how gangsters really talk & cops blah blah" well this is a movie and if the wanted to make it realistic they should have not show 2 cops dodging 5 AK-47 shooting straight at them. I cant bear even thinking about this movie anymore.

As the writers would say, this movie is now on my sh*t list.

Would not recommend to anyone.

Justified (2010–2015)

One of the best dramas

[9/10 · 14 February 2013]

Old-school U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timmy Olyphant- Damages) comes back to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky. While battling out his past with Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins - The Shield) and his other associates. At the beginning of the start of the show you catch Raylan in a situation where he has illegally shot a known suspect in Miami Beach, as the Marshal Service try to justify this incident,they end up reassigning him to Kentucky.

As for the shows plot line, Its great with broad characters and many episodes to find out who they really are and what their capable of. Boyd and Rayland often get in fuss together as both try to conduct their business one of the law and the other of a criminal enterprise, which also makes the show interesting but often dull. But as you find out about both characters pasts together it becomes a lot more intriguing. Other criminals come into harlan county to start a stir (dixe mafia, etc) and follows specifically Raylan and Boyds interactions with the present situation. Most seasons start and end with a new character being killed off for whatever mess they got into but Boyd and Raylan still prevail.

Bottom line I completely recommend this show, has fantastic writing and I absolutely love all of the characters. Episodes are sometimes dull but when the time comes when something major in the series surfaces it becomes really intense. Definitely on my top 10 favorites.

The Chicago Code (2011)

The Chicago Code

[10/10 · 14 February 2013]

One of the best cop shows sense Shawn Ryan left his hit series "The Shield". Lets be honest here, there have been many cop shows out their like Miami vice, the wire, and of course the shield (which all of them i have seen) come nothing close to the producing and the directing of the series. Everything from the cop chases to the transition scenes with some music that we have all heard of. Although I did feel that the writing in the beginning episodes retaining to the story was shaken, but Over all this show is defiantly one of my favorites and I would have loved to see the second season if it not been cancelled. Defiantly one of Shawn Ryans great achievements and the story telling is great. Recommend it to anyone.

The Walking Dead (2010–2022)

Okay, But definitely AMC's worst series.

[5/10 · 22 January 2013]

Definitely AMC's worst series. So over hyped with below average writing which makes the show even worse. Season one was okay until AMC decided to get rid of the original creator for apparently over budgeting "zombies" in the show. sense then the show has gone down hill and has turned rubbish. Lets be honest, the only reason this show is doing so well in views is because of young kids are obsessed with zombies and that is the majority of there audience, which gives the show a MAJOR advantage compared to the other beloved shows on TV. Some would find this show intriguing but as a major television show enthusiast this is a pass. Please check out some of AMC's other shows instead like Hell on wheels or breaking bad, even madmen. Don't waste your time with this show.