theunshackledmind Reviews

Little Fires Everywhere (2020)

Good but Missing Something

[7/10 · 25 June 2021]

Fantastic performances, but also some flat performances. Reese in particular, delivers. But dialogue sometimes seems a little flat and unconvincing. Acting from secondary characters mostly, is occasionally pretty awful.

No one is overly likeable, which I presume is kind of the point. But, it's difficult to immerse yourself into a story that makes itself so difficult to identify with. By the end of the show, you're disappointed in almost all of the characters equally.

The conclusion is powerful but not satisfying.

This is one of the most accurate portrayals of the 90's. The music. The style. It's very subtle, but very true to the period. While watching, I remember thinking, "I remember that T-shirt." Or, "Yes. Everyone had that haircut."

Light of My Life (I) (2019)

You've Seen a Better Version of this Movie Before

[5/10 · 14 March 2021]

The film is obviously inspired by The Road. It's just not as good.

Mom and dad have a child just as the modern world ends. Dad and child must survive in a new and harsh reality. Dad and child travel around in hopes of somehow improving their situation.

Only, in this movie the child is a girl. Nothing truly eventful happens. The suspense is artificial. Neither character develops. The ending is weak.

The entire film is a kind of commentary on gender and how the world preys upon the devoping sexuality of young girls, with a post apocalyptic setting. Which would be an interesting premise in a better movie.

The acting is good. The writing is weak. The plot is boring.

Nothing really happens.

Rewind (III) (2019)

Haunting

[8/10 · 22 August 2020]

This isn't easy to watch. It's real, and it is haunting. But, the story is also empowering and optimistic.

This is a story of the cycle of sexual abuse. It's the story of family, and influence. Of silence, and courage.

This isn't easy to watch, but you should.

Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)

Just not as good as people say

[6/10 · 17 August 2020]

For years this series was recommended by friends and family, but I never got around to actually watching the show. Currently at the end of season 2, I have decided to give up.

You expect the show to be a gritty and dark real-world reflection of biker culture. Like the Sopranos was for the Mafia, or like the Wire was for law enforcement. What you actually get is a poorly written soap opera geared toward men, with a few mindless action sequences.

It seems that each episode tries to outdo the previous one. As the series progresses, events become more and more unbelievable-- and the players act more and more against the character that the show has spent a lot of effort trying to sell you.

Story arcs, acting, the emotional pull, and general believability are all inconsistent. The acting is as phenomenal as it is unconvincing. Some scenes are raw and emotional -- while others are overacted and fall flat. Some episodes unravel slowly. In others, so many things occur in a single day that you're taken out of the pull of the show altogether.

There is a feeling of amateurishness. From the openeing credits, to the transitions, to the delivery stunts or lines. It's not always bad, but it's also not always good.

Generally, the show tries too hard. Too hard to be compelling. Too hard to draw you in. Too hard to be dramatic. Yet, never quite hard enough to be believable.

Poseidon (2006)

Watch the Original, Instead

[5/10 · 26 July 2020]

This movie forgot what made the original Poseidon decent film.

The suspense of the original has been replaced by mindless action scenes and explosions.

Where the original film featured an honest tension between characters, and a few quiet and relflective moments -- the acting in this remake is not convincing enough for the few dramatic moments that do exist, to feel meaningful, relatable, or real.

This film will work, if you need a few hours of mindless entertainment or if you need some background noise.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Entertaining but rushed.

[7/10 · 19 June 2020]

The entire movie, as entertaining as it is, seems as though everyone involved was ready to be done with it all.

The plot is unfulfilling. The inclusion of several characters seems forced.

The action is satisfying, and everyone will find someone to cheer for.

We're meant at the end, to weep for the grand conclusion. I weep for what could have been.

The Purge (2018–2019)

The night that never ends.

[6/10 · 30 November 2019]

There's only about 1 month of things that happen, all in 12 hours?

It's entertaining but the show requires too big of a commitment to the willful suspension of disbelief. Characters go to dozens of different locations, make time for long monologues, are captured, free themselves, get captured again, meet new people, and narrowly escape. Then, it all happens again. And again.

This could have been a more interesting show if it followed more relatable, more interesting characters. It wouldn't have needed to rely on the same cycle of drama every episode.