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sapphiremoon09
Reviews
Schitt$ Creek (2015)
If You Don't Like It, You Don't Get It
Not a fake review.
I rarely write reviews, but was reading the reviews for Schitt's Creek and got tired of all the unnecessary hate. This is a solid show and certainly doesn't deserve the horrible 1 star reviews it is receiving. If you don't like this show it is because you don't get it. It is much deeper than it appears.
Let's start with the name 'Schitt's Creek'. Already you know the show is going to be a bit on the goofy doofy side with a name like that. However, that is not all it is. Sarcasm, wit, talent, and depth permeate this show by way of refreshing jokes and characters.
Have we seen a hundred Roland Schitts before? Yes, but this time he is played by Chris Elliot which makes all the difference. Far smarter than he looks, Chris Elliot's 'Roland' is a gem of a character especially when paired with his adorable wife Jocelyn Schitt played by Jennifer Robertson. Roland and Jocelyn Schitt have real heart. These two nail the small town couple who not only love each other, but love their town as well. (Speaking of love, pay attention because this show's main theme is love if you take the time to notice.)
Stevie Budd. Ah, Stevie. Played by Emily Hampshire, Stevie is your typical "over it" girl. She has seen it all, heard it all and is rather unimpressed with it all. Her personality is deeply dry, sarcastic, and sometimes dark. She is also very capable and is often the voice of wisdom and reason. With all that said, she is tough, but isn't callous. She is caring, giving, and is a wonderful friend. We also get to see peeks of her weak side, the soft center protected by the hard exterior.
Note: While Stevie is a great character, she plays the best off David. I hope the show brings their closeness back as she seems to have been put on a shelf after the Stevie/David hookup thing.
Now, onto the Roses.
Let's start with Johnny Rose played by Eugene Levy. Alright, Levy is comedic gold. Always has been, always will be. Does he serve up the level of talent that we have all grown accustomed to in THIS show? Yes! Yes, he does, however he does so with restraint. What I mean is, there is not supposed to be a main character of the Roses. Each Rose is meant to shine as brightly as the others without the show playing favorites. Now, each viewer will have a favorite (mine is David Rose), but the greatness here with Eugene Levy's character Johnny Rose is that he isn't pushed forward. If Johnny Rose was made to be even a little bit more in the spotlight, he would steal the show for sure! That, thankfully, is not the case here. We get to know each Rose equally.
Johnny Rose is an interesting character. He has the hilarious without-a-clue Dad vibe that Eugene Levy is known for. Always very slightly confused, Johnny is completely loveable. He is by far the kindest and most down to Earth member of his family despite having been the most successful. His "let's make this work" attitude is a breath of fresh air amongst his ever complaining familial companions. He is a good man doing the best he can in a "Schitty" situation. Love him!
Moira Rose. First, I think it is important to state the obvious fact that Catherine O'Hara, who plays Moira Rose, is just as talented as Eugene Levy. These two actors have played alongside each other a few times, and it is always wonderful. The on screen chemistry of Levy and O'Hara is fantastic. I have no doubts as to why O'Hara was chosen to play the wife of Johnny Rose.
Now, with that said I must admit that Moira Rose is my least favorite of the Roses. Ugh, I hate saying that as I truly adore Catherine O'Hara, but because this is an honest review, I have the obligation to be 100% transparent.
Moira Rose was a daytime television star turned rich socialite. She has a slightly inflated sense of self which makes her descent into reality even more entertaining to watch. She is the Rose that has the hardest time adjusting to their new lifestyle. She is a very loving, supportive wife as well. (I do love this aspect of Johnny and Moira as they could have easily been given a bad marriage, which many people have, to showoff the success of the marriage between Roland and Jocelyn Schitt.)
Moira is intelligent, sexy, unpredictable, classy, and emotional. She is a very well rounded character with more heart than might be first guessed. She is a star of a character. My issue with Moira Rose is in the details, specifically her clothing and voice/mannerisms. Her clothing is unrealistic and way off character. It takes away from her class and sophistication. Her with collection is confusing. As for her voice/mannerisms, I find them to be off putting and distracting. I've never heard anyone speak the way Moira speaks, which makes her character feel false. If Moira's lines were delivered with normal conversational inflections, and her wardrobe was brought down a touch, she'd be a far more enjoyable character to watch.
Now onto David Rose. I LOVE David. Played by Eugene Levy's son Daniel Levy, David Rose is one of my favorite characters of all time. I say this with a love for Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances, Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, and Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers. David Rose is hilarious! He could have a show all to himself. He is bold and brave, sweet and shy. A truly dynamic character. His repulsion at so many things never fails to bring a laugh. He plays well off of every single character on the show, and is often the character that is most relatable despite his over the top wardrobe (which, in this case, does work very well) and his confusion with normal life. His facial expressions, mannerisms, voice, and delivery of his lines is spot on. He changes so much through out the seasons in a truly charming way. While there isn't really supposed to be a main character, if I had to pick one I would say it is David. Daniel Levy really has followed in his father's comedic footsteps. I hope to see more of Daniel Levy in the future.
The youngest of the Roses, Alexis Rose, acted by Annie Murphy, is perfection. This character is, sadly, the most realistic of the Rose family. She is like so many "Instagram girls" out there. Selfish, immature, vapid, materialistic. Alexis is a disgusting human being...in the beginning. At first, I could not stand this character and wished she wasn't in the show. However, as the show progresses, she has changed so much while still retaining her personality. We have seen her fall in love. We have seen her heart break. We have seen her work hard to better herself despite her situation. Alexis is perhaps the most simple of the Roses, but is definitely worth paying attention to.
All in all, this is a solid show with characters that are much deeper than they first appear to be. If you don't like this show, it is because you don't understand it.
Jurassic World (2015)
A visually thrilling cinematic adventure lacking depth and plot.
First, let me start by saying that this review contains spoilers so Jurassic World virgins, beware.
This is the perfect movie to see on a boring afternoon or evening. It is fast paced and thrilling almost from the beginning and it doesn't let up until the very end. However, if you are looking for a movie that will challenge you intellectually and create within you a sense of empathy for the characters this is not the movie for you.
The Jurassic Park movies were excellent (excluding, of course, Jurassic Park 3) not only because of the sheer awesomeness of the cinematography and effects, but also because of the superb character development especially in the first and second Jurassic Park movies. The characters were either lovable or hateable and held the viewer's attention even during the slower dialogue scenes. Jurassic World, however, cannot boast the same emotional investment of characters as the other movies can.
I know that many people are Chris Pratt fans, which is understandable, but I do not feel that this role suited him well. Yes, he did do a decent job at acting in this film, however, there was something lacking about the way he portrayed his character. I also feel that the romance and overall interactions between Chris and Bryce were forced and unbelievable. Their overall chemistry left much to be desired.
Beyond Chris and Bryce, there were other main characters that did not quite catch my attention either, specifically the two boys. I'm not sure whether it was the actors who portrayed the two boys or the characters that they were to portray that got on my nerves. Either way, I sincerely disliked those two characters. The younger brother, perhaps, was reasonably palatable, however, his older brother was obnoxious,immature, disinterested, and a basic know it all, loud mouth, troublemaking teenager. I believe you were supposed to feel scared for as well as sorry for them, but all I felt for them was annoyance.
On the plus side, the CGI in this movie is excellent. While I felt that the effects in all of the other Jurassic Park movies were top notch, of course, this movie out shines the effects in the first three. There were scenes where I swear I was gasping from shock and white knuckling my theatre chair, so that says something, right? The dinosaurs, effects, and overall cinematography of this film are captivating and will hold your attention even if the plot does not.
As the title for this review suggests, this movie is entertaining and will demand your attention for the duration of the film as long as you do not put too much thought into the lack of plot as well as the poor character development and attempted creation of empathy for said characters.
This movie is entertaining while viewing it, but is easily forgotten upon leaving the theater. Amazing CGI, but is overshadowed by the sheer lack of other critical film elements.