speedcanary Reviews

Station 19 (2018–2024)

Was looking forward to this for Jaina.

[2/10 · 31 March 2018]

The draw for me watching this show was Jaina Lee Ortiz. She is a fantastic actor, as seen in Rosewood and Shooter (TV). I like the idea of female empowerment and seeing women in predominately male careers, but this show is beneath her talent. The writing is abysmal! I don't care to see a sophomoric soap dramedy. There is also too much going on with no background or character building of the rest of the ensemble cast. I, simply put, don't like or care about any of the characters except the one we know already from Grey's Anatomy, which, by the way, I haven't watched steadily in years because of the poor writing and soap opera-y elements. Jaina deserves stronger roles and better than this. Switch over to Chicago Fire, which I binged after watching 2.5 episodes of this show. Sorry Jaina- you're a STAR and I want to see you succeed on better television or in film.

The Good Doctor (2017–2024)

Strong start, but lost interest.

[7/10 · 31 March 2018]

When the show began, the focus was on Shaun and how he navigating through life and his residency. It had/has a great supporting cast. I think the acting is strong. But once you added doctors Park and Reznick, and started a storyline involving Dr. Andrews, it took away from the original storyline of interest. And it started to feel like a soap opera. I have stopped watching, as of this week. Freddie deserves a better show.

The Incredibles (2004)

I want superpowers!

[9/10 · 21 February 2018]

This movie has everything a great movie needs. It's a family film classic. Superb story telling and voice acting. What a great way to escape!

I can't wait for the follow-up film. You bet I will go to the theater for it!

The Light Between Oceans (2016)

Morose

[7/10 · 7 January 2018]

A touching story from the beginning, it had me connecting for quite a while. The tragedies suffered by the couple were sad and could be relatable to people trying to start families. The moral questions that this movie raises are controversial. Desperate times, desperate measures, and karma, forgiveness....all these are in there. I found the acting powerful from both Fassbender and Vikander...but I feel the slow pace of the film and the melodramatic second half caused the movie to suffer.

Arrival (II) (2016)

Half way decent

[5/10 · 6 January 2018]

Not at all what I expected based on previews. I actually would have skipped it if I had read these reviews beforehand. That being said, I don't like to prejudge. While watching I thought her daughter had died at the beginning and then the aliens arrived. We tend to interpret movies and stories in a linear fashion. I thought she was seeing her daughter in flashbacks. In one where she told her daughter 'for science ask your father,' I had an inkling that she was referring to Renner's character. It felt like the filmmaker was messing with time, just like when writer's in stories utilize flashbacks and flashforwards in fiction. I dislike when writers mess with their readers. For this reason, I could not believe and trust what the filmmaker was trying to push on me. It is not believable that she would be able to see the future.

The Infiltrator (2016)

Cranston shines

[9/10 · 6 January 2018]

This deeply affecting undercover operation hooked me from the start. The cast is exceptional as a whole, and Cranston shines. I really enjoyed the injections of humor from the supporting characters. There was authenticity and a sense of realism that I appreciate. Fascinating film that is definitely underrated.

Miss Sloane (2016)

Bad writing

[3/10 · 6 January 2018]

Watching this movie was torture. Half of the time you cannot figure out why Miss Sloane is talking so much and is so unlikable. There was a lack of credibility and it seemed unrealistic. The pacing is painfully slow. Both my father and myself gave up on it because it was so horribly written.

The Comedian (III) (2016)

Funny

[7/10 · 2 January 2018]

Yes it is funny. Yes the humor is often crude. That's comedy!! The well rounded cast, great storylines, and true to real life conflicts made it interesting and satisfying to watch.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Cool spectacle

[8/10 · 2 January 2018]

So many superheroes, so little time. The cast, as always, is great. The story is heavy with conflict. Its a solid Marvel film. The fight scenes are spectacles. If there are too many superheroes fighting, it's a tad difficult to focus. There were so many moments of action- a lot of plot to cover in 2.5 hours, but it's a solid good Cap and Iron Man film.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Youth at its realest

[9/10 · 2 January 2018]

This movie is a little masterpiece. It accurately depicts what it feels like growing up as an outcast. Its a story of loss, coping, and acceptance. I feel that older viewers that have lived through similar life challenges will understand this film the most. Hailee is fantastic, funny, and honest.

Hulk (2003)

My favorite Hulk

[9/10 · 31 December 2017]

This is the best Hulk movie of them all. Bana is fantastic as scientist turned green bulky anger machine. The whole cast is great, as is the writing and effects. This shows the human side of Hulk better than the newer avenger movies.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

A modern take on a true classic

[8/10 · 31 December 2017]

This is a fresh version of King Arthur that is rich in depth and really fun to watch. Sure the fight scenes are jumpy at times, and slowed down other times, but that's the only flaw. Great talented cast and an edgy tone. I think this film deserves more credit for making something old and tired brand new again.

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

FUN and funny

[9/10 · 30 December 2017]

I can watch this over and over again. It's just believable enough...and still ridiculous, but I don't care, I love it. Hiddleston and Larson steal the show in every shot they share together. The fantastic effects are a joy to watch. I enjoy the humor too.

Big Little Lies (2017–2019)

Overrated snoozefest

[3/10 · 30 December 2017]

I'm sorry to the great cast whom I admire, but I hate everything about the characters, storyline, and writing. The only thing I kind of liked was seeing the ocean scenery. I'm not understanding the high ratings and raving. The series is melodrama at best, and the characters are unrelatable, and a little bit dumb. I cannot really respect the main three. I expected more of the series, and cannot imagine why a second season would be needed.

Knightfall (2017–2019)

I'm addicted!!!!

[10/10 · 30 December 2017]

Kudos to the cast, crew, producers, writers and everyone involved. This is great storytelling! There is everything you could want: drama, mystery, intrigue, action, scandal...it has it all. I'm obsessed with this series and look forward to it every week.

Gunpowder (2017)

Interesting and informative

[7/10 · 30 December 2017]

For historical purposes, I found this to be instructional to a degree. I have more questions now about the King, his court, and all the characters featured. The most exciting part of the series for me was Tom Cullen's appearances. It would have helped to be given more details about each character on all sides of the conflict. That would have required more parts than a mere three, but I would have stuck with it if we were given more fleshed out and developed characters, as it did feel rushed.

The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)

An empathetic view

[8/10 · 30 December 2017]

Chastain leads a talented cast in this real life story. Her emotional performance carries the film brilliantly. As an animal lover, there were a few hard parts to watch. As a human, it reminds us we are all only human and must be treated with dignity, respect, care, and empathy. The film kept me riveted, but I did struggle to understand some of the dialogue.

Christmas Getaway (2017 TV Movie)

Smart and cute holiday getaway

[9/10 · 30 December 2017]

I truly needed something to fill THE LAST SHIP void and this did the trick. Stars Regan and Van Winkle are easily the most versatile actors and it was a true joy seeing them on something lighter, whimsical and smart. Can I get more of this dynamic duo please????

The Hollars (2016)

Quirky and endearing

[8/10 · 23 November 2017]

I adored this movie! It enriched my evening last night. I didn't have any expectations going into it. I figured I'd like it because of the great cast--and that is a small part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much.

I enjoyed how the characters never took themselves too seriously-- and the message behind this movie for me is you really shouldn't take yourself and life too seriously because then it's too heavy to carry around all the time.

The movie was endearing to me because Sally and Don remind me so much of my grandparents whom I admire greatly. Don calling Sally "chief," is much like one of several nicknames my grandaddy called my mama (What I've always referred to them as). Their playful and joking personalities are similar to my grandparents too, so I really felt like I was with both of them again.

This is great family viewing for the reasons I've mentioned. I think adults and kids will both get some enjoyment out of this film. Plus, Charlie Day is Charlie Day in it--and everything you'd expect from John Krasinski is delivered. Watch it please!!!

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

A Different Thor

[6/10 · 16 November 2017]

I had a difficult time even rating this film. I have a special affinity for Thor in general, especially because the first Thor film is the movie that brought me into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I really love that film. I had to check my star rating and I rated it an 8. The follow-up to that film, Thor: The Dark World was good, but not as good as the first one and I rated it 7 stars. So because this one, while a decent adventure film, is my least favorite of the 3 Thor movies, I had to rate it 6 stars.

Tonally, I feel comedy was overused and there were many instances where you could tell they were trying too hard to be silly, and it fell flat. While being sold as a buddy comedy of sorts, I don't think it even meets my expectations for a buddy comedy. I giggled maybe a few times, but there were no laugh out loud moments.

The talent in the film was underutilized. Cate Blanchett certainly came off as serious and dramatic, but against the flippant comedy of the characters, her performance was made comical. The tone of the film did not work for me at all. Compare it to the first Thor, that was excellently acted and dramatic, yet had funny moments. It was a more serious work definitely. Even Thor: The Dark World had excellent writing and serious acting and tone, and injections of humor. The first two Thor movies had a great balance of humor and drama. This one lacked drama and tension. The conflict, while present, was not one of tension and suspense because of the petty behavior of the characters.

The film was fun to watch though. The soundtrack was pretty good. I wish the tone of the film could have lived up to the rocker edge the music gave the movie and Hela. My initial thoughts while viewing Thor: Ragnarok were it felt like I was in an early 90's video game and that it was campy like watching a mid-80's coming of age film about misfit boys.

Into the Storm (2014)

A survival story presented as documentary...

[8/10 · 24 October 2017]

I had only "heard" of this film from my times reviewing IMDb to see what films Alycia and Sarah had been in and noticed they were both in this one, so it was must watch because I am a fan of both actors.

I did not expect to like the film as much as I did! I am a hardcore fan of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton's Twister and can watch it anytime I see it on television, so a movie about stormchasing I thought would have the same feel as Twister, but this one felt like fresh storytelling.

This had drama, action, suspense, horror (imagine having a building collapse on you and water filling up the spaces so high that you are floating underwater, hanging on for dear life so you don't die while being suffocated)...my only criticism is I wish it hadn't ended so abruptly after the storm had passed. I would have like the story to continue on and wrap up in some way when it came to Allison and Gary's chemistry.

La La Land (2016)

Creative and heartbreaking

[8/10 · 24 October 2017]

I am quite late to the party, but I finally saw La La Land today. It's hard to give a numerical rating to a nontraditional film like this one, and I have to say I am so fresh from watching it and the feelings are percolating still, but here goes.

I am not usually a fan of musicals, and I must say I found the storytelling at first to be more goofy and comical than serious and dramatic. It took me a while to "get into" it, so to speak, but I finally became interested in Mia and Sebastian's story when Mia requested a certain song from the band at the party that Sebastian happened to be playing in.

Once I got involved in the characters and their coinciding story lines, I got invested in their successes, failures, and relationship. At the point in which Sebastian returns home to their shared apartment, his place originally, and prepares Mia a surprise meal, then she walks in and they begin talking--checking in with where they are both at in their lives, that's when the disappointment set in.

I was hoping it would play out differently. Sure they both succeeded in their "dreams," but they did not succeed together...and to show a "faux flashback" where it shows them together, succeeding, with children...all while he's playing their song, it was manipulative. It showed me what I had wanted for them, and possibly what they had both wanted, yet.....it didn't happen. So the ending was sad and it made me frustrated and a bit angry.

Of course, I see why this film is a top rated and Oscar winning film. I cannot argue that. The music was lovely, and their song was catchy. Emma and Ryan were perfect in their roles....8 out of 10 stars, merely because it had a bittersweet, sad ending, and because it still seemed to lack the intensity I like to see in films.

The Blacklist: Redemption (2017)

Ryan Eggold is awesome

[7/10 · 18 May 2017]

I rate the show a 7 out of 10 because it had great potential. I loved the edgy tone of the show and the high paced plots. The team was great and intense. It felt fresh to me, and intriguing.

Admittedly, I've never watched The Blacklist, the show this spun off from. Perhaps that one is better, But I don't know. I really liked this show. The writers wrote this show in a way that only made it last one season too, so perhaps they knew it was just going to be a limited run.

Glad to be introduced to Ryan Eggold. He is a STAR.

Rosewood (2015–2017)

Jaina Lee Ortiz is destined for greatness

[8/10 · 18 May 2017]

I rate the show overall an 8 out of 10. Season 1 was awesome. I thought FOX had a hit on their hands. The writing that season was good and I loved to see the relationship between Rosey and Villa progress. There was a great balance of cop show and human drama. The supporting cast is excellent.

As for season 2, the writing took a turn, and I'm not sure it was for the best. I was bummed Villa's mom was virtually dropped from the show. I was bummed Ira was demoted and Slade took over as Captain. I didn't like him at first, but he actually grew on me. They at least developed his character in a great way. I was also disappointed TMI and Pippy suddenly had relationship problems and then out of nowhere in the finale they eloped? Their relationship wasn't written well. I think once FOX moved the show off it's original night and put it on Thursdays, I think it was, I had a feeling it was headed for cancellation.

The finale was really disappointing too. I think the silver lining out of this show is Jaina Lee Ortiz. She is a STAR. She should have her own show where she is the LEAD because she is absolute MAGIC!

Good Behavior (2016–2017)

My Guilty Obsession

[10/10 · 18 March 2017]

I rate this 10 stars, but wish it could be even higher. I am obsessed with this series and the leads. The hiatus is literally killing me because I'm not getting my weekly shot of Letty and Javier!

This series is fresh and I love that it is very adult oriented. We are presented with flawed, complex characters and I love how REAL they are with each other and with themselves.

The entire cast is excellent and the writing is superior. I feel like I'm watching theatre--it's that intimate, raw, spontaneous, gritty, funny. I just love it. Cannot recommend it enough!