Tss5078 Reviews

Timeless (2016–2018)

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[10/10 · 7 February 2022]

Timeless is one of those shows that was so ahead of it's time, that it was largely unappreciated for just how good it was. A devoted cult following managed to keep it alive for a second season and wrap up movie, but with all it had to offer, this show should have gone far beyond that.

With the help of a mysterious donor, tech genius, Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph), has developed a time machine. His goal is to explore where we came from, so hopefully we won't make the mistakes and learn where we're going. His mysterious donors however, have other more nefarious plans for the machine. Learning of these plans, an NSA whistle blower, with nothing to lose, Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) steals the machine. Flynn plans to stop this donor from succeeding with their evil plans, by erasing them from time. This could of course do irreparable damage to the timeline, leaving us all in a world we wouldn't recognize. In response, with the help of Homeland Security, and the small original prototype of the machine, Mason puts together a team with the goal of stopping Flynn and protecting history at all costs.

The team that goes after Flynn is made up of a soldier, a historian, and another tech genius. During the first few episodes, it's difficult to see how such a strange trio would work well together. As time goes on, the chemistry is clear, as it's their differences that brings them together, and makes them such an effective team. Each episode is a trip to another era of American history, that is both exciting and educational. I majored in History, with a focus on American History, and this show has even taught me a thing or two. Timeless combines two of my favorite aspects of Science Fiction, Time Travel and Alternate History into a stunning adventure that can literally take you from one dramatically different time period to another, in the blink of an eye. It is an adrenaline fueled chase through history with everyone and everything on the line, so why didn't it work?

Timeless failed for two reasons, that were easily correctable had the network not rushed it to air without considering all the possibilities, something NBC is unfortunately notorious for doing. First of all, this was a very expensive show to make, with all the sets, costumes, and special effects, meaning it needed to get big ratings in order to survive, so where is the big name star? Timeless had no one of name attached to it, which makes a big difference! Some of these top stars cost a fortune, but they have hundreds of millions of followers across social media, you think some of them might tune in to watch their favorite stars new show? Next the producers seemed to have no concept of demographics. This is an historical science-fiction adventure, your key demographic is going to be men between 18-45, so where are all the woman? I know there aren't a lot of woman across American history, but they could have done something to appeal more to their demographic and improve the ratings.

Timeless is one of the most original shows I've seen come across network television in a very long time. It is well written, exciting, educational, and just fun to watch. You never know where you're going or who you're going to meet. I loved every second of this show, but the networks bottom line is profit, and without ratings, there is no profit, and another amazing show is dead before it even got started.

Kids in America (2005)

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[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

Kids In America is more than just another teen movie, it's has a message to spread and came together in a very unique way. Principal Weller (Julie Bowen) is running for state superintendent and she wants her school to be perfect. All the troublemakers have been expelled and every little infraction means a long suspension. No one is happy about it, particularly the students, so they do the only thing they can, fight back! This film is based on a culmination of news stories from around the county, that feature students who were suspended for doing nothing more than expressing their first amendment rights. These stories are incorporated into the film and make up the basis for Weller's suspensions. As for the students, their ring leader is Holden Donovan (Gregory Smith), an honor student, and the last person you'd expect to be leading a student rebellion. I've long been a fan of Gregory Smith and this role was a detour from his normal routine. Smith always plays the sweet, lovable characters like Efram in Everwood or Dove in Rookie Blue, he's not known for comedy or for being the rebel. It was an interesting diversion that he pulls off quite well. The film is further supported by Julie Bowen and Nicole Ritchie, who are also playing roles that are out of their comfort zone. Kids In America is unique in that it's a comedy for teens that actually has a positive message. It also features a cast that is playing characters that they don't usually play, making for an even more enjoyable watch. Don't get me wrong I love comedies like Super Bad and 21 & Over, but it was a nice change of pace to see these kids acting out and getting into trouble for a cause, especially one that's near and dear to my heart.

Savages (I) (2012)

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[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

We've all seen our share of epic films that are based on the Italian Mafia, but few have done one that is based on the Mexican cartels. Additionally, this story is told from the prospected of a group outside the organization, bullied into working with the cartel. It's no secret that Ben & Chon (Kitsch/Taylor-Johnson) make the best weed in California. Everyone knows that their stuff is the stuff you want, including the Baja Cartel. The cartel go to the pair and make them a very profitable offer, but weary of getting into business with the ruthless organization, Ben & Chon turn them down, but when has the Cartel ever taken no for an answer? I very much dislike Oliver Stone. His films, especially his historical ones, are filled with conspiracy theory and inaccuracies, that people take as fact, and contribute to the ignorance of society. I gave Savages a shot however, because it is based on a novel, and we all know that films that were originally books are the best. Savages is every bit as ruthless and action packed as you'd expect it to be and beyond that it is loaded with star power. As for the story, it is what you'd come to expect from an Oliver Stone film, filled with unexpected twists and turns, but finally in a way that doesn't confuse the audience! Typically Stone's films go over the top and back around again, until no one knows what's going on, but this time, (perhaps the novels influence) the story is never hard to follow, just unpredictable, which is what you want! The filmmakers also so how manage to avoid the problem of too many cooks in the kitchen, despite the enormous cast, something I very much appreciated. The bottom line, Savages isn't Goodfellas or Casino, it isn't even close, but is a rare look inside the business of the cartels. I love how it's told from an outside perspective and that the main star power actually takes a step back for newcomers like Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Some parts of this film are brutal and it is quite long, especially the unrated version, but in my opinion, well worth your time.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

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[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

Do you have to completely understand a film to completely enjoy it? It is a question I had to ask myself after watching Tron: Legacy. Despite being released twenty-eight years after the first film, the sequel only offers a brief recap of the original film, and doesn't really provide enough information for those of us who haven't seen the first movie. That being said, what I gathered was that Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) created the most popular video game of it's time, which launched a billion dollar company, but it was more than just a game. There was also a virtual world where life and death battles took place and control of the real world was at stake. Somehow Flynn was trapped by his alter-ego, Clu, and stuck there, until his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), receives a message all these years later, and discovers his fathers secret world and also becomes trapped inside. Granted I don't really understand why this world was created in the first place, how "the bad guys" were created, or even who Tron actually is. Never the less, I still enjoyed the action the film has to offer, as well as the incredible special effects. The truth is that for a PG Disney movie, this was an incredibly complicated story, and the real appeal here was the special effects, which were revolutionary ten years ago. As for the cast, I really liked Garrett Hedlund, I thought he had a big future ahead of him, after Four Brothers, but for some reason he doesn't do many films like this and I don't run into him too often. Jeff Bridges on the other hand seemed very disinterested in reprising his role, almost as if he was doing it for a big pay day. Not to mention, the digitized younger alter-ego, Clu, was more than somewhat creepy. Overall, I really didn't get the point of the film, but it was entertaining enough and it killed a few hours, exactly what I was in the mood for at the time I watched it.

The School (2018)

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[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

Lord of The Flies meets The House On Haunted Hill in the Australian psychological horror thriller, The School. Dr. Amy Wintercraig (Megan Drury) works in a hospital, on the spot where a hundred years ago a school once stood. The school however was burnt down by a trouble child and a lot of people died. As she cares for her comatose son, Dr. Wintercraig dreams of the school and the dead that walk it's decaying hallways, but is she dreaming or is she traveling through purgatory itself? This is one of those indie horror flicks that I felt could have gone either way. The beginning was kind of confusing and the hospital scenes were painfully slow. Things really don't get going until you meet Zac (Will McDonald), who literally makes this movie! McDonald is devilishly good as the charismatic lead of the "bad" kids and really puts on an unbelievable performance. Once Zac and his minions go after the adult intruder, the film becomes a chase through one scary area of the school after another, with surprises and secrets around every corner. A lot of writers would have settled for the secrets of this mysterious haunted school or for the warring groups of children, but the culmination of the two make for a unique paradigm, that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The School definitely takes a while to get going, but once it does, it is one thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

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[10/10 · 7 February 2022]

When we think of iconic action heroes, the names that come to mind are John McLain, Rambo, or Jack Bauer, but what about Mike Banning? For a third time, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) has proven himself to be the only thing standing between the U. S. President and assassination, only this time, he's also a target. In the third installment of the fallen series, Mike Banning saves the president from a drone attack, only to wake up in the hospital to find himself under arrest, accused of planning the whole thing. Now Banning must escape and find out who set him up, before they get to him and finish the job they tried to pin on him. Unlike most trilogies, every single one of these films is terrific, and despite different writers and directors, it has never lost it's edge. In choosing a favorite however, I picked this one, because it was so much different than the rest. Not only is Banning on the other side and in the position of trying to save himself as well as the President, but they bring his family into the story. We finally meet his estranged father, played masterfully by Nick Nolte. A paranoid former veteran living in the woods, the elder Banning is an absolute riot and brings much needed levity to a series that already given us so much. People will look at this and say it's just another action movie, just another attempt by Hollywood to continue to cash in on a successful movie, and normally I'd agree, but not this time. Angel Has Fallen not only features the new face of action films, but it also offers edge of your seat action, a compelling and dramatic story, as well as a little bit of humor, all things that you're normally hard pressed to find in just another action film. That's why we're labeling this one a must see movie!

Freaks (2018)

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[4/10 · 7 February 2022]

In the not so distant future, human evolution takes the next step. Certain people start to develop superhero like powers and are referred to as freaks. They are easy to spot, as often times, after using their powers, they bleed from the eyes. As with anything they don't understand, the government sees these people as a threat and has started to hunt them down. One such family, having recently lost a wife/mother has gone on lock down in a suburban neighborhood, this is their story. After seeing the trailer for this movie I was intrigued, until I realized it was just a rip-off of the X-Men, without the special effects. Basically they promote this thing like it's the next big thing in Science Fiction, when it's just a very old idea that's been done to death. As for the film itself, it takes forever to get going and even longer for you to realize just what the hell is going on. This crazed father is babbling on making no sense and keeping this little girl locked in this house. All she seems to care about is ice cream, more so than the life of her father or her personal safety, the whole thing was just so bizarre. As for the cast, there really wasn't any chemistry, Emile Hirsch was just awful, playing this paranoid babbling idiot. He's paired with Bruce Dern, who is far too old to really do much of anything, and then there's Chole (Lexy Kolker), the little girl stuck in the middle of all it. The bottom line, Freaks is an idea that has been done and done again, with a cast that so vastly different, that really doesn't click on any level. Worst of all it takes so long to get going and explain what's going on. By the time you finally get it, you've really stopped caring. Freaks looked cooled and has a trailer that will suck you in, but ultimately it's a disappointment.

Cop Car (2015)

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[8/10 · 7 February 2022]

Now days, superheroes and remakes are all the rage, while finding something original and worth your time, takes some doing! Jon Watts however did just that, in-between making Spider-Man movies of course. Cop Car is an edge of your seat thriller that is as funny as it is exciting, and easily one of the biggest surprises I've had in a while. If we're being honest here, after reading the description of this movie, I almost passed on it, if it wasn't for Kevin Bacon, I may have, but I decided to give it a shot, and I'm sure glad I did. Cop Car is the story of two naive and unhappy children, who run away from home. On their travels, they come across every ten year olds dream, a seemingly abandoned police car, unlocked, with the keys inside. Of course the kids take it for a joyride, what kid wouldn't, but as it turns out, the cop who it belongs to is not amused. On the surface this films seems like it's pretty straight forward, and at first it is. The kids, played by newcomers James Feedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford are absolutely hilarious. I really appreciate the fact that the filmmakers used actual kids to play these roles. A lot of times, because of language or content they opt to use older teens instead, and it's just not as real. The fact that these kids are around the age of their characters, just adds to the realness of the film. On the other side of the coin, you have the police officer played by Kevin Bacon. His character was kind of a tough guy, and even though he doesn't know it was kids who took his car, he doesn't want to report it, he wants to get it back himself and is willing to go to extreme lengths to do so. Cop Car has a lot of great action scenes, funny and surprising moments, and even a pretty interesting side story going on. You have newcomers performing along side veteran performers, making an interesting dynamic, and of course you have an original story that is most definitely worth your time!

Clarice (2021)

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[8/10 · 31 January 2022]

Clarice is or rather was a mind-bending thriller that told the tale of Special Agent Clarice Starling's life in between the events of Silence of The Lambs and Hannibal. It was only on the air for a short time, because you didn't watch it! Why didn't people watch it, three reasons. One, it doesn't feature Hannibal Lechter in any way (input collective groan here). Two, it was continuous, rather than episonic, meaning the season followed a single story, rather than having Clarice do battle with a different psychopath every week. And Three, the producers of the film did a series about Hannibal Lechter a few years back, that was weird, confusing, and basically awful, but they weren't the ones behind Clarice. Clarice was the brain child of Star Trek producer, Alex Kurtzman, and for all intense and purposes, it was Silence of The Lambs. Everything from the location headers to the music and lighting were exactly the same. The story literally takes place weeks after the incident with Buffalo Bill, and had it been successful, would have finished with the events leading up to Hannibal.

The story begins with Clarice (Rebecca Breeds) being assigned to join a new task force, created by now Attorney General, Ruth Martin. Many believe that the young agent isn't ready to be part of such a high profile task force, and she's only there because she saved the A. G.'s daughter. Their first case is to investigate the discovery of three woman found brutally murdered and dumped in a local river. The lead agent of the task force, Paul Krendler (Michael Cudlitz) sees the case as straight forward, there is another psychopath on the loose, but Clarice disagrees and goes off on her own to investigate.

This show has serious Silence of The Lambs vibes. The producers have gone to great lengths to make everything specific to the time period and film, even Rebecca Breeds, the actress who plays Clarice, looks like Jodie Foster and has a similar accent. As for the story, it obviously had to be toned down somewhat for network television, but it is every bit as chilling, mind-bending, and creepy as the film was. At first, I had my doubts, because after all wasn't this series completely about Hannibal? One would think so, until seeing this show. Similar to the Netflix series, Mindhunter, the focus of Clarice is on the profilers and the people who hunt serial killers, the only difference being, that they are actively hunting killers.

I loved this series, from character development to a story that turned out to be much more complex that it originally looked. In my opinion Clarice was a better sequel to Silence of The Lambs than Hannibal was. Odd when you consider the fact that Hannibal Lechter plays no part in it. Rebecca Breeds leaves her soap opera life behind and has a career defining role. It's too bad she was only a kid when Hannibal was made, because I'd take her over Julianne Moore in a heartbeat. The story was great, the cast was excellent, I really would have loved to see where the series went, and learned more about how Clarice went from being the wide eye naive agent to the jaded woman she became in the sequel, but as is often the case with network television, I guess I'll never know.

Smart House (1999 TV Movie)

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[4/10 · 31 January 2022]

When you watch a G rated movie on the Disney Channel, you pretty much know what you're going to get, so why bother? For me, it's less about the film and more about seeing how the actors/actress I like got their start, in this case Ryan Merriman. While you might not recognize the name, he has had roles in 42, Final Destination, and Pretty Little Liars just to name a few. While he is a versatile actor, who takes on varying roles, his talent was not immediately evident from the start. Smart House features a boy who copes with the loss of my mother by signing up for every contest under the sun, with the hopes of striking it rich, in order to help his father. He never actually believed he'd win anything, but surprisingly he does! Ben's family wins a state of the art Smart House (by 1999 standards) which at first is a dream come true, until the house comes to life and tries to become a member of the family and control their lives. Even by kid standards this isn't a good movie. You'd expect their to be some kind of juvenile humor or pre-teen side story, such a bullying, young love, something, but there is none of that. This film is pretty much focused on this house, what it can do (which really isn't all that remarkable, even for the time), and the family that is living in it. Katey Sagal stars as "the house", but much like her character, she was very robotic and doesn't really do anything to help the movie along. Smart House is a movie that could have gone a lot of ways, with Disney's money, the technology and special effects could have been remarkable. The story could have had some humor, some character development, something to make it more than it was, a straight forward dull movie for kids, that even they probably won't be able to sit through.