Daviteo Reviews

Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby (2019 TV Special)

Surprised me

[8/10 · 28 January 2024]

I've never known too much about Seth himself outside of him being on SNL and having his own late-night show. But he brought an A-Game to this comedy special in a personal and often touching way.

You can tell he loves his kids and his wife and deals with those issues in a self-deprecating way. He's especially good at tying everything up together and sticking the landing at the end in a way that few comics are able to do.

I'd suggest anyone who enjoys stand-up, especially longer-form one-hour specials instead of just YouTube clips, check this out. Was pleasantly surprised by the entirety of the show and laughed pretty hard a few times (he's good at outlandish metaphors).

History of the World: Part II (2023)

Some good moments

[6/10 · 14 July 2023]

This show misses more than it hits, but some of the bits land well. I did laugh at quite a few moments and some of the sketches are ingenious and inventive. The problem is that the show runs too long and many ideas get stretched thin.

Most of the actors do well with the material given, and it's fun to see bit players pop up that you've seen from other shows. Unfortunately, as others have said, it appears that Mel Brooks is attached to this show in name only.

Overall, it's mediocre, which hurts to say since there are some great ideas presented and it's packaged as sequel to a fantastic Brooks' legacy film, but the show overstays its welcome relatively quickly and tries to knit two sweaters from enough yarn to just make one. 6/10.

Rennervations (2023– )

Fun and wholesome

[8/10 · 18 June 2023]

Renner is charming and his BFF Rory is...well...Rory. The fabrication process is enjoyable to watch and the "new build per episode" creates some good insights into the fabrication and construction process of these vehicles.

Some people have said "why is this necessary? Why not just give some money to charity?" My response is that an item like this, a vehicle tailored to each charity, is 100x more impactful than just throwing some money at a charity. Let's put it another way, would you rather just have someone give you a check for a hundred bucks, or would you like to have your favorite basketball player take a ball off the court and sign it, which would also hypothetically be worth a hundred bucks. You'd spend the cash but probably cherish the ball.

It's the same with this show. The people whose lives are impacted by these vehicles and the good that they bring will forever remember meeting Renner and the crew and having this awesome portable playground, be it music, recreation, etc. Renner and co. Are forging memories for these kids, and that's worth more than just dumping some money into an organization.

Genuinely lovely show.

Tár (2022)

It's absolutely brilliant ONCE you know how the film "works."

[8/10 · 27 February 2023]

Initially I was put off by Tár-it's cryptic, drab, and sluggish. Until I realized what the filmmakers were actually accomplishing. No spoilers in this review, but to enjoy the film you have to know certain things:

1. Yes, Cate Blanchett is fantastic and rightfully deserves the accolades.

2. The film is the slowest of slow burns.

3. The film does not hold your hand.

4. The film's narrative cuts out key elements of scenes that other filmmakers would have highlighted. This was the sticking point for me-it didn't dawn on me until halfway through the film what was happening. If you know this going in, I believe you'll have a better experience with the film. The film purposefully *doesn't* show you the "important" elements of scenes or relationships between characters. You have to figure that out yourself, just like putting together the puzzle of who Lydia Tár actually is. Here's a quick non-related example:

Bill stared at the smoke in the frying pan.

Bill rubbed his nose five times and took a call from Ernest while sipping coffee at Station 271.

If those two sentences above were in a book, it would be leaving out major plot points that other authors would have filled in. First, there was a fire in Bill's kitchen. He called the fire department. He had to evacuate, so the fire may have been bad. And who is Ernest, if we have not been introduced to that character before? Why is bill rubbing his nose so much? Is it a tick or OCD or nervous habit?

That's what Tár is like. It presents to you all the items "between the lines" and lets you solve for X for yourself. Once I understood that that was the dominant cinematic approach in this film, it became immensely more enjoyable...and challenging. Very much worth your time if you put in the effort.

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

Not every movie has to be "gritty."

[7/10 · 18 February 2023]

Lovely little dessert of a movie about two estranged formerly-married parents who convene in Bali in an attempted wedding coup when their daughter falls for a local way too fast-felt like a wonderful little mini-vacation. Not every movie has to be gritty and full of conflict and tense moral situations. This movie felt more like a wonderful little getaway that you spend with some friends. So while the story itself was "okay" and it's not some pinnacle of dramatic Oscar-worthy storytelling, it's not afraid to be what it wants to be: a gentle, sun-washed rom com with real heart. It's the cinematic equivalent of comfort food or a nice hike on a warm day (albeit after the first twenty minutes or so).

Willow (2022–2023)

This show is so frustrating!

[5/10 · 28 December 2022]

This show is so incredibly frustrating because it sometimes sets up pretty neat magic tricks but then fails to pull them off and accidentally shows what's up its sleeve.

First, the original film Willow isn't some massive bastion of fantasy filmmaking, but it's definitely a really fun movie. It's a great, extremely enjoyable adventure by George Lucas and Ron Howard. I've seen it a few times and am always entertained.

This show, however, has hints of the fun and enjoyment of the original (and Warwick Davis is fantastic, as always). But then it manages to pratfall right onto its face.

I could overlook the Mary Sue princess. I could overlook that many of the main characters speak with American accents. And I could overlook that we don't get to see Willow for a while. When we do get to see him, the show starts to take off.

But then the show fumbles just some ridiculously basic tasks that could be easily, easily fixed in post-production. In the first episode, the main character is ad-lib soliloquy-izing and talks like an L. A. High Schooler, with dialogue that's pretty much on par with, "So you're, like, telling me that we, like, have to rescue Elora?" In the third episode, one character tells another (and I quote from the subtitles since I'm writing this review as I watch): "You know, your generation has, like, zero attention span for-for epic tales."

In the second episode, there's a scene around a campfire where some of the green screen work is all but showing the green lines around the characters.

My wife just mentioned (as we were watching the second episode) that the show runners completely ripped off the show Britania (which came out before Willow) with the way the end credits and music are exactly the same as the latter's opening credits. My wife recoiled and said, "Oh my god, they ripped off Britania!"

I think this illustrates that the show runners are careless-they're not catching simple things that most shows will fix before a show airs, and that makes this show so frustrating. My wife and I *want* the show to do well. We're rooting for it as we liked the original film, and the show runners keep fumbling simple things.

My wife and I will keep watching for now, but we know the show could easily be a "7" if there weren't so many boneheaded blunders, many of which could be fixed before it goes on Disney+.

Good Night Oppy (2022)

What a great documentary!

[8/10 · 19 December 2022]

First, this felt more like a fiction-focused movie than a documentary. The effects were by ILM and they look fantastic. You really get the sense that Opportunity and Spirt are actual living, breathing characters and creatures. You also get a sense of how important these voters were to the science teams that built and operated them.

Also, don't watch this if you don't want to tear up. It really tugs at your heartstrings when the inevitable, titular events happen.

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in STEM and this should be required viewing in all high schools nation-wide. Such a fantastic documentary and I'd recommend it to everyone.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Pretty good!

[7/10 · 6 December 2022]

Rings of Power isn't a slam dunk, but it has a lot of positive traits. To get the bad out of the way, a lot of the dialogue is "typical fantasy" writing and the story is (according to my nerdy friends) a condensed version of 1,000+ years of LotR lore. Also, I haven't seen the final two episodes, so I can't comment on them yet.

With that out of the way, some of the great things about the show:

• Some of the cinematography is amazing, particularly anything dealing with elves' homeland
• The acting is solid
• Some of the plot threads are intriguing (but not all, unfortunately)
• The action is solid
• Music is "close" to the LotR movies without stepping into copyright territory
• It's incredibly fun to connect the dots with characters and events we've seen in the LotR film openings with how they played out here

All in all, the show seems to be a promising start and I look forward to future seasons.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Best Phase 4 MCU film!

[8/10 · 22 August 2022]

My "gut feeling" score is a 7.5, but I've rounded up since this site doesn't have half stars.

Shang-Chi is the best Phase 4 MCU film by a long shot. First, the bad: like other MCU films and TV shows, it suffers from CG-Itis. The final act is one big green screen show.

Aside from that one complaint, this movie has heart! It's a buddy adventure movie (Awkwafina is fantastic, as always) that doesn't fall back on the Marvel patented "quipping" and shallowness that so many other MCU films starting around Phase 3 seemed to fall prey to. It reminded me a lot of the heart that Black Panther had. These are both movies where you really care about the characters instead of just "laughing at their antics."

And the stakes seem higher too, unlike other MCU films where the story seems predictable from beginning to end.

The MCU is a mixed bag these days, with some some content being sub-par, most being average at best, and some standing out. Shang-Chi absolutely falls into the latter camp and stands as one of the best MCU films to date.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: A Normal Amount of Rage (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

Unfairly maligned

[7/10 · 19 August 2022]

This show is being railroaded by people who don't want to see it succeed. It's fun, at least in this first episode, and a lot of the criticism that men are treated unfairly is inaccurate-women *do* have to face what Jennifer faces, especially being a lawyer.

The other complaint is the CGI. Yeah, it's still kind of iffy, but that's the direction the MCU's been going for a while, so that's kind of par for the course now.

But the show's premiere episode was surprisingly well-written and brought some novel concepts to it. And this is coming from someone who was spelling doom and gloom for the show ever since I saw the first YouTube trailer.

Is it the "oMg gReaTeSt ShOw eVeR mAdE"? No. (That's Breaking Bad, in my opinion). But it's fun, entertaining, and well written, and I'll keep watching it to see where the story goes.

Scream (I) (2022)

It was OK

[7/10 · 15 July 2022]

One of the most frustrating things about this movie is that it was just OK, which is the average of how I felt. On the one side, some of the dialogue was terrible. On the other side, some of the fake outs were brilliant. The script kept oscillating between amateurish and incredibly clever. And that's how the rest of the film felt: cinematography, music, everything. There were moments of brilliance punctuated (heh, stabbed) with boneheaded decisions.

So I'm torn and frustratingly decided to give the movie a 7 because it wasn't "as bad" as people say but it also didn't realize the potential of what it could be. If the same team comes back for S6, I hope that they up their game and go for something incredibly solid.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Loved it so much

[8/10 · 17 June 2022]

So to preface, I'm actually kind of super-heroed-out at the moment. There were too many shows and series coming out in the last few years that I got burnt out. I got Disney+ for some Star Wars content instead and started TFatWS on a whim, playing it in the background, but over time I started noticing how much I was drawn into the series.

This is well-written and touches on subjects that are top of mind in the cultural zeitgeist. From Falcon not being able to secure a loan (I disagree with other user reviews: it's very easy for celebrities to still have money problems) to what it means for a black man to use the shield to the absolute fantastic bromance between Sam and Bucky, I was not expecting such a touching show. 8/10 would recommend.

Ozark: A Hard Way to Go (2022) Season 4, Episode 14

Astounding.

[9/10 · 12 May 2022]

First, this review will contain spoilers. Second, I was very impressed by the ending because the writers took chances that we usually don't see in tv dramas.

(Spoilers begin here.)

I was floored that the bad guys win. All of them (perhaps Omar). Even in Scarface or The Sopranos or Breaking Bad the main character gets killed (it's heavily implied in Sopranos and BB does it outright). I took film classes in college and especially in America we're conditioned that the bad guys in movies either die or get jailed (which isn't as impactful). The show runners of Ozark set up foreshadowing that at least the kids would be in mortal peril, if not the entire family. We're lead to believe we'll get the catharsis of one or all of the Byrde's biting the dust or being jailed or both.

...And it doesn't happen. The Bad Guys win. They get away with their crimes. All of them. And Ruth, the only reoccurring g character that has some morality left, gets shot and killed. And if that's not a gigantic risky move I don't know what is. It's a hell of a risky move and why the reviews on here are so mixed. But I thought the ending was brilliant because I never, ever expected that to happen.

The Bubble (2022)

Should be a 4 but gets 2 more points based on satire

[6/10 · 1 April 2022]

On movie merits alone, this is about a four out of ten, but the self-referential aspects of the movie-making process add two points, bringing the total to six. It does have some insightful and skewing anecdotes about the process of making a movie, particularly one that seems destined to be straight-to-Netflix (ironically). With the satire aside, though, it's kind of a meandering mess that relies too heavily on "isn't the pandemic situation funny" than actual character motivations.

Burning (2018)

The antidote to Hollywood in-your-face thrillers

[8/10 · 28 September 2021]

First, you should know this is a SLOW burn (pun intended). It takes its time, it deals in wide shots and contemplative views of scenery. It lets you make up your own mind and decisions about many plot points. And in that, it's ravishingly beautiful.

This is not a shaky hand-held closeup Hollywood thriller that guides you from point A to B to C, assuming you're an idiot that can't follow a plot. Instead, it sets its scene and characters, lets them unfold and open up for you throughout the corse of the film, and then hands judgement off to you, the viewer.

You will be thinking about this movie for days after watching.

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Surprisingly good direct sequel to The Shining

[8/10 · 30 August 2021]

Let's get some negatives out of the way first: some of the cinematography and style seemed like a mini-series and with some padding could have been a 3-6 episode one. Also, it wasn't frightening or horrific, really, at least compared to modern horror classics. But that's totally ok! Like, the scares are on par with something like True Blood or an HBO mini-series. But again, that's totally okay; not everything has to be crazy terrifying.

Now onto the good: the acting is great, especially from McGreggor, and Ferguson holds her own and is a layered and complex bad guy. They did great. But the biggest surprise was how good of a direct sequel to The Shining this was. Now, right off the bat, you NEED to see The Shining before this (if you haven't) for it to make sense. These two movies are glued together, especially this one. You won't see catch the brilliance if you haven't seen the original Kubrick film. Helps if you've read the book, but that's not necessary. Like or hate The Force Awakens, that movie was its own story but intricately linked to its predecessors. This is the same way. If you can see both back-to-back, that would be the best way to enjoy this series.

Succession (2018–2023)

Only gets stars because of the acting-what a trainwreck

[4/10 · 23 August 2021]

The solid acting by all involved is why I'm rating this as high as I am (and a few of the lines are decent). With that pro out of the way, let's look at the cons (and ignore all the 10-star reviews on here, those are probably HBO shills):

• Every single character is despicable. Hope you don't like shows with someone to root for, because this isn't it. Not even anti-hero territory. They're all rich, spoiled, obnoxious, sociopathic, entitled idiots who make not only poor choices but brain-dead ones for the sake of "plot."

• Speaking of plot, there's very little. Backstabbing, yes, but actual story threads aside from "central characters mess up again," no.

• The father is a downright psychopath. While sometimes fun to watch Cox steal a scene, it also gets old very, very quickly. Yes, he's going to be horrible to his kids. And if he treats his kids that way, just imagine how he'd treat literally anyone else.

• Worst of all, I don't think this is any sort of deep examination of how power corrupts or some thesis on class warfare; although they touch on those issues, it feels more like the creators actually want you, in some way, to *empathize" with these sycophantic sociopathic screwups.

Basically, I think HBO is past its prime and is just cranking out mean-spirited shows for the sake of being mean and "edgy" trying to recapture the lightning they had in the early 2000s. The Wire this is not.

But don't take my word for it. Try it out, see if you like spending twenty hours with a fully un-sympathetic cadre of emotionally stunted walking anti-social personality disorders who only have fun when it's at other people's expense.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Pushed too far.

[2/10 · 8 August 2021]

The Suicide Squad finally did it for me. Congratulations, Hollywood. You pushed too far. I'm a middle-aged man that's not squeamish. I've seen my share of horror movies, many of which will stand the test of time as actually good works of cinema (and many that aren't). I don't get rattled by much. But The Suicide Squad pushed too far, and it wasn't necessarily because of the brutality or the violence or the absolutely disgusting show the filmmakers put on but the fact that they want to strip empathy from viewers.

As I've grown up, I've read and learned about the absolute cesspool LA is. I've heard all the horror stories about newbies going out and entering a city of sharks, people who don't give up their morals get eaten and spit out. I've heard that that city is "fun on the outside and absolutely cutthroat on the inside." It preys on the weak and ensconces those morals on viewers. I had pushed this notion away as long as I could, but The Suicide Squad did me in. It pushed too far. It finally let me see the man behind the curtain and that man wants to peddle violence and brutality and sociopath and a revelry of cruelty. This movie encompasses all of that. It's the first film in a long time that I didn't feel right watching, possibly like watching someone kick a dog to death while trying to get you to play along.

The film gets 1 star for technical competency (cinematography, stunts, etc.) and 1 star for solid acting and that's it. But in a way, I kind of thank this movie. I thank it for finally bringing to light what I've felt of the entertainment machine that is Hollywood: it's a garbage city that makes garbage products and peddles garbage ideals. Because of this movie I'm backing off from that nonsense and voting with my wallet. Life's too short to fill with this kind of junk.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

What a great new take

[8/10 · 4 August 2021]

Wow! This film felt epic. Let's get the two main cons out of the way first: the film slogs a teeny bit in some places and some of the CGI still looks wonky. Outside of that, we have a film that focuses on heart instead of quips and guffaws. It also centers the story solidly on the "team" instead of just the two titular heroes from Batman V Superman.

There are so many minute changes, additions, tonal shifts that add up to a more solid, cohesive film. Whedon basically took an axe to the original and turned it into a near-campy mess. Snyder's brooding, troubled, heartfelt idea of what a superhero film should be.

Some other pros: gone is the sexualization of Wonder Woman, which the original Wonder Woman film tried so hard to dismantle. Whedon basically made a juvenile attempt to pander her to horny teen guys in his cut. Also back is the fantastic backstory and life of Cyborg, which in the Whedon cut was basically, "Eh, here's a dude who's Robocop." Whedon also tried to keep Cyborg's cartoon catch phrase "Booyah!" which has absolutely no place in this movie. And finally, all members of the team ultimately earn respect through their actions, something that Whedon seemed to avoid in lieu of saying, "They're super heroes! Of *course* they're good guys." There are many more sub-surface demons the heroes fight in the Snyder cut.

In short: Whedon wanted to sell toys through cheesy one-liners; Snyder wanted to make an epic.

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

Station!

[7/10 · 23 July 2021]

First, this is a B-movie, but it's a really fun B-movie; second, it ties up everything from the first two films beautifully; and third, that ending was most excellent and I absolutely loved it.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Sooooo close to something really good

[7/10 · 17 July 2021]

Uggggghh, I so wanted to like this movie, and it would've been a better film if not for the last twenty minutes; aside from hokey dialogue, the first act setup was intriguing and the second act was action-packed, but it totally lost the plot on the third act-it actually had too many plot holes and went off the rails from the "right" way to handle the situation. I give it a 6.5, but since IMDB doesn't have half stars, I rounded up. However, in my opinion, the 6.6 score it currently holds is absolutely right on the mark.

I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)

Enjoyable way to spend an evening

[7/10 · 24 June 2021]

Okay, after reading these comments you'd think this movie was one of the worst ever made. But in reality, it's a really charming way to spend an evening, sort of like hanging out with old friends. Not every family-centered dramedy has to be Kramer vs Kramer or Marriage Story.

The biggest complaint is that there's "no plot," but what I actually think is that people mean there's "no tension." People in this movie are pretty nice to each other and mostly understanding. That's something you don't see often. So, no, there's no big mystery or drama, and no there's not any massive fights or altercations. But what you do get is just a chill time with some down-to-earth people. It's kinda like reading a good book with some champaign on a heated patio during the winter. Had a similar vibe as, say, Eat Pray Love.

Just cozy up to this one and don't expect a lot of drama or tension, just some chill, pleasant vibes.

The Office (2001–2003)

Had to re-start 3 times, but when I finally got into it: WOW!

[9/10 · 6 May 2021]

I had been a fan of the US The Office for a while, having seen most of that before I started the UK one. First and foremost, I could not STAND David Brent and it took me three tries to get through the first episode. But I'm so thankful I kept going. This show is absolutely brilliant. If the US Office is Malcolm Gladwell, an affable and frizzy haired intellectual, the UK Office is Stephen Hawking, absolute genius.

The UK Office is borderline dystopian-from its grungy neighborhoods during the opening titles to the nearly SS Officer in Gareth-and showcases the absolute worst that work culture has to offer, much more so than the US counterpart. And in doing so, achieves a seeming truth that few shows could ever aspire to reach. Yes, the US version is a bit sillier, goofier, happier because it aims for laughs, even if subdued, the UK Office just lets the characters be themselves without a safety net: they're allowed to fail much more miserably than the US characters ever did, and in that, we find sharper humor and more vicious bite.

The closest the two shows ever came was arguably seasons 2 and 3 of the American version, where those characters were operating at their peak and the humor was witty and clever, but even still, the UK version, while missing some of the heart, pushes the envelope of allowing characters to be the worst versions of themselves much more than the US show. And it's in that where the best humor lies.

The Tax Collector (2020)

NOT an action movie

[8/10 · 6 February 2021]

I'm rating it a little higher than I might as it feels like about a 7.5 or 7.6 to be, but I wanted to offset the negative reviews. First, this is NOT an action movie, it's a crime drama. I'd say it's a smaller version of something like HEAT.

Yes, there are a few moments that feel awkward but by and large it's a solid movie that will stay with you. If you're into that genre and are okay with a slower-paced film, I give it two thumbs up. And applause to the two main leads-they carry the film effectively, solidly.

WandaVision (2021)

I think this show is some kind of genius.

[8/10 · 19 January 2021]

Don't get me wrong, this show is bat**** insane in its idea and execution, but it's also kind of genius. It's both an actual sitcom AND traps the viewer in some kind of Truman Show / Shutter Island parallel narrative that we're only partially privy to. I was super skeptical about it and I've honestly been a little super-heroed out recently, but I absolutely love this show.