martinka12 Reviews

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020–2021)

Why? Why? Why do I keep watching?

[3/10 · 10 November 2021]

I want to like this. I am a forever fan of the TWDU, but this show is insulting. Insulting to the viewer and to the cast (well, most of them). There are some truly excellent actors in this show, but the excessively poor writing makes them look corny, fake and unlikable. We hardly even see Julia Ormond! But we see plenty of Aliyah Royale. Whoever cast her in this role should be fired. She is horrible. Her acting is atrocious. Even if she could act, the "arc" her character is on is one of the most ridiculous concepts ever written into any Walking Dead show. She is not a badass and never will be. It is literally painful to watch. I can't repeat it enough. She is the worst character in the entire universe.

Alexa Mansour isn't much better but I could support the notion that it is the terrible writing impacting her performance. The only character worth caring about is Elton, which Nicholas Cantu brings to life even given the crappy dialogue forced upon him. Jelani Alladin and Nico Tortorello are decent actors but their characters are just not given any depth. Hal Cumpston and Ted Sutherland are doing their best with what they have been given.

This show is one of the reasons people ridicule the TWD. Not only would we have been better off if the show never existed, but so would the entire franchise. Thankfully Jadis showed up! Something interesting after all this agony of viewing with the expectation of improvement.

I didn't really answer my question. Why do I keep watching? Franchise loyalty? Continuity of mythology building? Dreams of crossover characters? I'm not entirely sure but the positive is that I will be out of my self-imposed agony soon.

Cursed (2020)

Disappointment

[3/10 · 12 February 2021]

With the buzz that this show got when first released, along with the cast, I was expecting so much more than what was delivered. I've questioned my processing capacity because at several points I asked myself "What is going on with this show?" It was like I couldn't follow it and the show isn't that deep. Then I realized, too many characters not adding to the plot, too many subplots that didn't really mesh or matter and too great a leap out of common sense. I can suspend belief for a great fantasy show that makes it all seem possible, but this show asks you to suspend good taste and good sense. I love Gustaf Skarsgard and have been impressed with several other cast members, but this should be a show they don't add to their resumes.

NCIS (2003– )

Some things are easy to fix.

[6/10 · 29 April 2020]

I have been a fan of NCIS for years, particularly since they added Cote DePablo. I even managed to find enjoyment with the newer characters in Season 11 and beyond. However, it's lost a bit of its magic. I am writing this to vent about the last couple of seasons, in particular about whoever is responsible for makeup and wardrobe. McGee's long and greasy comb back makes him look like a middle aged predator. Gibbs has enough make -up on to look like a walking corpse; we know he is getting older (We all are!), but there is so much puddy on his face it makes him look absolutely awful. Who is responsible for dressing Bishop and Torres? They look like bums. If a federal agent ever came to me dressed like those two, I would have a difficult time believing they actually worked for a federal agency. Ziva and Tony were dressed decently, actually more than decently, but Bishop and Torres look cheap and unclean. It's so disappointing. At least, Sloan, Vance, Palmer and Ducky are still dressed professionally and Kasie is dressed appropriate to her role. Sloan in fact has a wardrobe worthy of watching each week. Other facets of this show can be discussed - Ziva years vs. Bishop years or DiNozzo years vs. Torres years - but I personally needed to vent about the poor wardrobe and make-up!

The Kitchen (2019)

Disappointing Doesn't Cover It

[1/10 · 29 March 2020]

Given the talents of the cast, one would expect something decently enjoyable. Wrong! Horrible writing, corny and cheesy plot development, and sadly wasted talents and that might be the nicest thing I could say about this movie. Women becoming their deplorable husbands for the sake of money; somewhere in there the message was supposed be about how smart and strong these women were but the message was lost in the middle of their impulsive bloodlust.

October Faction (2020)

Disappointing

[3/10 · 24 January 2020]

I rarely write reviews but felt compelled for a variety of reasons. First, the premise is excellent but so much potential was wasted. This show could have offered the viewer a semi-original experience but instead chose to roll stereotypical and predictable into a boring agony. Casting was the first mistake. Fred Allen and Viv Allen were played by actors too unbelievable for their roles. The actor portraying Fred Allen presented as weak and goofy with zero identifiable characteristics of a "monster hunter", while the actress playing Viv Allen so overplayed an unhappy teenager, you want her whiny, ridiculous self to be taken out by the nearest Presidio team. Second, for two teenagers who discover the secrets that they do, both Viv and Geoff's reactions are utterly difficult to stomach. As a frequent and dedicated follower of many fantastical shows, suspension of reality is expected and often desired, however these two teenagers react to all of the going-ons as if they were watching paint dry. They portray teenagers as selfish, whiny, foolish, ungrateful, and in general incredibly stupid. By the fifth episode, it was near impossible to find anything likable about either of them. Lastly, the writing. Occasionally, there was some humorous banter, but the overwhelming majority of the dialogue was contrived and lacked the ability to further the story or character development. Tedious. Disappointing. I'm more disappointed in myself for continually looking forward to these new releases by Netflix to only be let down by their simplistic attempts that undervalue my viewer loyalty.