averagedeveloper Reviews

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Nolan didn't leave a single famous male actor in Hollywood uncast

[9/10 · 7 June 2024]

In my opinion, the film has a really weak opening sequence. It fluctuates between too many time periods, making it difficult to get into the film. When this settles down and the film starts moving between more meaningful intervals and moments, it flows amazingly well.

It's delightful that the film takes place entirely in an intellectual world. Although American film culture has long tried to sell us the idea of the American Dream and that everyone is special, high-quality biographical stories like this reveal the truth. The ones who truly make significant contributions to human history and advance us are a special, educated, and intelligent minority. And it's quite common and disheartening in human history for these individuals to be sacrificed for political and economic gain, just like we see in this film.

The portrayal of the Trinity sequence on screen is very successful and breathtaking. But in a time when the industry is filled with visually stunning yet nonsensical films, the real value of this movie lies not in its cinematography but in the story it tells and the character it portrays. I don't know how historically accurate the film is. After all, it's an adaptation, but I think it takes a very successful approach to Oppenheimer.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024– )

You want to tell the story of unrecognized independence heroes, and you have a massive budget, but you're using the worst script imaginable for the job

[6/10 · 19 May 2024]

It made me realize how tired I am of works that expect praise for touching on societal or historical topics deserving of appreciation, while using the best visuals money can buy, yet employing terrible scripts and meaningless story elements. I can't deny it, I've been fooled by such works, and to avoid being unfair, I haven't criticized them as much as I should have. But enough is enough now.

In the last two episodes, you've tried to deceive us by pretending to portray the unknown heroism of the courtesans. I say "deceive" because apart from one character, you haven't shown any courtesan as genuinely patriotic. You've spent episodes telling us nonsensical storylines that lead nowhere, only to push them aside and expect us to believe that you're telling a patriotic story.

Such a concept and backstory could have been utilized in a much more creative way, but instead of letting the story evolve organically, you've relied on stereotypical shallow characters and forced them into nonsensical, illogical, even downright foolish decisions. It's a shame, to say the least.

I should have given a much lower score, but despite everything, I keep falling into the same trap. As a citizen of a country that has suffered greatly from colonialism, I can't bring myself to give a very low score to a film that, even if superficially, criticizes it.

Annihilation (I) (2018)

A beautiful science fiction, a meaningless couple drama

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

I don't like how they juxtapose truly good science fiction concepts with incompatible human dramas. Instead of focusing on the coherence and significance of the story, it feels like they prioritize the interpretations that will come afterwards. The first time I consciously felt this was with the series 'Nightflyers,' which came out the same year. Even though I watched the film years later, it evoked the same feeling in me.

I think it's a good film in terms of exploring how alien the alien concept can be to us. It's quite refreshing to see aliens approached differently from the usual clichés, like invading our planet with a spaceship. Exploring how different they could be, the impossibility of understanding and communicating with them, and the fact that we may not share the same perception of reality is fascinating.

I found it unnecessary to try to tie it into a troubled marriage. Initially, I thought it was trying to add meaning by offering a perspective on why they risked their lives and their motivations. But as the film progressed and it began to spread a depressive tone that made me think all the characters were more of a reflection of the author's mindset rather than actual individuals, my opinion changed. I felt that scenes and plot points were added solely to garner more praise for the film.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Sneaking into a futuristic city in the midst of a wasteland in a dystopian world? Count me in

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

As I'll mention for the third time in the third film, young adult dystopias are entirely about enjoying high-budget dystopian worlds for me, and this film series has definitely been the one where I've enjoyed that the most. The last city in the world, from its walls to its skyscrapers, even its surrounding ghettos, created a very enjoyable atmosphere.

The pacing of the film was quite good. While the action choreography wasn't exceptional, it was never boring. I'm particularly pleased with the casting choices, as always. Unlike similar films like The Hunger Games, none of the characters with reasonable screen time stand out awkwardly in their roles. Ahem, Jennifer Lawrence, ahem.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

Your enjoyment of watching depends entirely on what you want to see on screen

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

Again, if your focus isn't on characters, dialogue, or events, but rather on enjoying the world-building and settings, then watch it. You've already understood your inclination from the first film.

After the final of the first film, there isn't much left in terms of mystery in the series. By the middle of this film, you pretty much understand the rules and structure of the world. The film has a few plot twists that maintain the pace, but they're not mind-blowing.

We transition from the labyrinth walls to a futuristic military compound and from there to a dystopian wasteland. All of it is visually satisfying and immersive enough, which I believe is the biggest promise of this film. Of course, there's a bit of teenage romance, but they've done it without making it too obvious, without focusing on it or overdramatizing it.

I loved how the young characters were portrayed with simplicity and without exaggeration, seamlessly flowing from one scene to another.

The Maze Runner (2014)

For me, what adds value to this genre are not characters or events, but settings and world-building

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

I really enjoy the genre of young adult dystopian fiction. I'm aware of all the flaws in these books and films. I know that the characters can be a bit shallow, lacking powerful scenes or dialogue. I'm also aware of the clichés and monotony often present in the plot. But none of that bothers me.

This movie gives me the opportunity to watch a high-budget dystopian derivative of 'Lord of the Flies'. Our young ones are trapped within a labyrinth. It's made me curious about where this is going, how it will unfold, and why.

The actors are playing their roles very tastefully, in my opinion. I'm particularly pleased that the screen time isn't stolen by teenage romance.

If you're someone who enjoys vastly different world-building from conventional reality and finds joy in seeing these brought to life on screen with a good budget, then you should definitely give it a chance.

Mortal World 2 (2023)

No comedy movie can hit the right buttons for a person as much as those from their own culture

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

It won't embarrass someone who loves the first movie and will definitely keep them engaged. The movie is an absurd comedy, so there isn't much analysis to be done. You can simply say whether it makes you laugh or not.

In the age of the internet, I believe I've consumed a sufficient amount of comedy content. From world-famous movies, stand-up comedians or video content, some make me smile here and there, while others miss me completely. Yet, this one particular film, I found myself laughing out loud, with my breath taken away by laughter in a couple of instances. But on the other hand, I don't expect the same impact on someone who isn't Turkish, because even though the jokes may be witty and well-executed, they originate from deep within Turkish culture. I don't anticipate them resonating fully with someone who hasn't grown up immersed in and living with these cultural nuances.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

Look where human greed has brought a brand; madness, sheer madness

[6/10 · 12 May 2024]

Every point I give is solely for the film's impeccable scene design, costumes, and aesthetics that money can buy, and for the nostalgia of hearing Harry Potter-esque music. I would rate the plot and narrative as zero, but it's not even zero because there's none. There is absolutely no plot and narrative. Things just happen in the film, simply because something needs to happen for the film to progress. Almost nothing on the screen has any meaning. I already anticipated that the film wouldn't be very meaningful within the trilogy, but it's even senseless within itself.

The mere thought of Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen as Dumbledore and Grindelwald should have been exhilarating. How such a talented cast was subjected to such a poor screenplay is beyond comprehension.

There is only way this film could be deemed successful. If the producers and business people behind the brands understand that movies are not machines which you push money in from one end and have more money come out from the other end. Like cash-dispensing ATMs. But rather recognizing movies as an art form.

Alias Grace (2017)

When women's rights or feminism is approached correctly

[9/10 · 12 May 2024]

This series turned out to be a real surprise for me. I had expected to get bored. However, it was definitely a valuable piece with strong script elements and subtext, meticulously woven plot, engaging the audience, making them think.

Although the series may appear to be a crime thriller, mystery, and detective story, it's anything but. These are merely costumes and masks worn by the true narrative.

In one way or another, there isn't a single woman in the series who is completely happy and peaceful. They all experience some form of oppression or persecution from men and society. I believe that feminism and the empowerment of women are often misunderstood and diluted in today's society. In my opinion, the true essence of feminism should be to understand exactly what women are up against, what they experience, and what they have had to normalize.

Alongside that, the second most powerful aspect of the narrative is its focus on reality and interpersonal dynamics. In fact, the series is essentially about two people talking, one narrating her story, and both reflecting upon it. While watching, you can't simply accept anything said at face value; you're constantly compelled to question the purpose behind it.

Besides the storyline, the performances, stage designs, and ambiance of the era are, in my opinion, already topics that don't even need further discussion. In these aspects as well, I believe no viewer would have any complaints.

Invincible (2021– )

The biggest problem of the series is its lack of management.

[9/10 · 5 May 2024]

This series is so poorly managed by amazon that I am speechless. Why is Amazon, which pours a lot of money into producing terrible products for famous brands, so reluctant to pour money and resources into this series that people like? The lack of resources and cheapness of the series is so obvious that they included a sequence in which the 4th wall is broken, explaining how they are trying to cover up the inadequate resources in the series. This is the same reason why the second season was divided into two parts and released with such a long interval. If I were the head of Amazon, I would directly fire the managers who squandered it, ignored it, and did not allocate resources after releasing a valuable product.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

Lazy writing

[7/10 · 5 May 2024]

The series constantly creates drama with misunderstandings between characters in order to move the story forward. I don't really like this concept anyway, but I can accept it happening once or twice in a good story as a plot catalyst. But the series throws one after another at you. Watching the dramas of unnecessary, meaningless misunderstandings unravel over and over made me so faint that I couldn't continue watching the series.

The part of the movie that I liked is that the main character tries to get out of his bad situation in life with effort and effort. Learning from his mistakes and then improving his behavior. Questioning what happened to him and what he did. Trying to come to peace with his past enemies and personal demons. If the series had focused only on this, I would have watched it with my mouth watering.

Fallout (2024– )

Amazon has finally found a brand that they have chemistry with and that they can adapt successfully.

[9/10 · 5 May 2024]

Apparently, the budget was generous. I loved the stage designs, costumes, and visual creation of the world. I think the creators of the series have the right hearts, and I am convinced that they care about the world in the games, become familiar with it, and bring it to the screen. I also felt like the actors absorbed the characters.

The most likely criticism that I guess people will bring to the series, especially from fans of the first two games and New Vegas, is that the series is made too comedic, the seriousness is reduced, and the serious concepts in the source material are lacking. I strongly disagree. Fallout was always a bit of a post-apocalyptic world parody. The intensity of this increased in the third game. In the 4th game, this became the dominant atmosphere in the story. As someone who hasn't played 76, the series continues from where the 4th game left off the brand, so it didn't bother me at all. Moreover, I find it quite shallow those who believe that a work becomes valuable only with serious topics and philosophical depth.

The Grimm Variations (2024– )

Only the first is truly a variation

[6/10 · 26 April 2024]

The first episode is perfect bait to keep you watching. A new perspective on the original story and characters. It's a representation of what this series should be. All the remaining chapters use almost only the names of the stories and characters. In them, it seems like they did it not to produce a variation, but to push the concept as much as they could from the original. And the places they bring the stories just feel forced.

'Cinderella' is so good. 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Elves and the Shoemaker' had good ideas for the subtext in which they wanted to shift the focus of the story, but they could not implement it very well. In the remaining three, they simply threw story ideas at the audience that they thought would look cool, without giving them any serious thought.

I think they handled a child abuse element very wrongly in the last story, and that bothered me most.

The Hunger Games (2012)

One casting to ruin them all

[7/10 · 25 April 2024]

It was truly a wrong decision to cast Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. The lack of chemistry and compatibility with the role was so glaringly obvious to me while watching.

People might think that looking older than a young girl is not an issue, but I believe it's quite problematic. After all, the age of the main character has significant implications for many plot mechanics. If the main character appears too mature in appearance, it could make it much harder for the audience to buy into the drama of the story, which revolves around a teenager trying to fill the role of her mother.

The real issue is indeed the complete lack of compatibility between Lawrence's acting and the character. She plays the character with an incredible emotional constipation. It's clear they wanted her to portray a character who struggles to express her emotions, but I can't think of a word better than "cringe" to describe how she translates that onto the screen. The character's intended pride, strength, and personality all got crushed and vanished due to Lawrence's attempt to sell her shyness through an edgy, forced role.

The strong concept, storyline, and world-building are undermined with Lawrence's acting. The main material of this film indeed has a truly solid. The screenplay does have plot convenient events happening, but these could have been seamlessly integrated into the film with good acting. However, the mismatched casting of the main character makes it glaringly obvious.

Interstellar (2014)

They said it was one of the most scientific space movies. Was it really?

[8/10 · 25 April 2024]

We can say that the film is truly the most realistic film about relativity and the flow of time. These already constitute a very serious part of the movie. I think the movie also taught people that they need to think in three dimensions when imagining a wormhole or black hole. I applaud this too. The limits of the film's scientific nature are drawn here.

The rest is the drama of the time difference that relativity creates between family members. If you were to ask whether the film is more drama-focused or science-heavy, it's definitely overwhelmingly drama-focused. At one point, the film almost says it in its own words: drama over science. The time travel part was specifically designed to serve drama, not science fiction. I find the portrayal of time travel as a loop in movies very cheap, clichéd, and unnecessary, so that part always deducts a lot of points from the movie for me.

Of course, none of these comments mean that the movie is bad. A film with high visual and emotional value. The science and space part is imagination nourishing. But marketing or referring to it as hard science can be a mislabeling.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

A movie that can even be said to surpass the main trilogy

[8/10 · 25 April 2024]

Very good decisions were made both while writing the source material of this film and during its production.

Let me start with the source material first. I hadn't read the book yet when I watched this movie. Readers say that the film is faithful to the main material almost word for word. That's why I will write everything I liked about the plot as plus points for the book.

As a prequel, I loved where the story positioned itself regarding the hunger games. I loved that the anger and pain of war were still alive here, while it was an established culture and entertainment in the main trilogy. I loved that games were not a cultural acceptance, but an innovation that people still question morally. I loved that they were making games so amateurishly and simply because they were decades behind from the main story in technology and experience. I loved that Snow, as a villain, was a real character stuck between what life had thrown at him, the system, and his loved ones. For a youth literature work, I greatly appreciated both its fiction and characters.

In terms of the decisions taken during the shooting of the film, I loved their aesthetic choices. Considering the futuristic atmosphere of the original series, I liked the atmosphere of the 80s and 90s America in this story, which takes place almost 70 years in the past. Casting was perhaps the biggest problem in the main trilogy. Here, the harmony of the cast with the roles was very successful.

In conclusion, I think this movie is not appreciated as much as it deserves.

The Office (2005–2013)

Was there really a need for the last few seasons?

[9/10 · 23 April 2024]

I started the series with prejudice. Humor through cringe is not a genre I prefer. My sense of shame for someone else is very strong and makes me very uncomfortable. That's why I didn't think I could really warm up to this series. I was so wrong. Dwight, in particular, is an exceptionally written character and brought to life on screen with great talent. Towards the middle of the series, I was completely absorbed.

With Michael's departure, the series is already in decline. But I don't know if they ran out of ideas or the writers changed, Dwight and Andy's character changes completely and they are thrown somewhere far from their original ones. Dwight and Micheal are the pillars that carry the series, and when one of them leaves and the other becomes unrecognizable, the series loses its solidity. I don't prefer romance in sitcoms, so Pam and Jim were always the weak point of the series for me. Andy might not have been that much of a problem, but since the character has turned into a despicable one that goes beyond cringe, it reduces the pleasure of watching.

Maybe it would have been better if they left the series while it was at its peak.

Friends (1994–2004)

Friends, lovers, spouses

[8/10 · 23 April 2024]

It was a really nice journey. But I am one of those who say the less romance and love in my sitcoms, the better. Even though the name of the series is Friends, there is only 1 person out of 5 who has not been romantically involved with anyone other in group. Interestingly, that character is the only one which I didnt like in the series and would never be friends with in real life.

It's hard not to like Joey and Chandler in particular. The bromance scenes between them gave me more pleasure than all the other flirting scenes in the series. Not just them, all these characters, written beautifully and equipped with unique personality traits, are brought to the screen with good acting.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

I don't get it

[4/10 · 23 April 2024]

It's never happened to me before that a movie's sense of humor didn't resonate with me at all. There were some works whose sense of humor I did not like, and there were some that I liked but did not appeal to me. But there was never a one that I couldn't understand. 'Is this a comedy element?' and 'I think I should laugh' were the things that came to my mind more. I didn't experience the same thing with Life of Brian, I appreciated and laughed that one.

Still, I didn't want to give a lower score, I generally prefer to give lower scores to productions that have created some negative feelings or repulsiveness in me due to their subject or the way they were made.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

The feel-good romance and family movie that just perfectly works

[8/10 · 22 April 2024]

A very refreshing movie. There are no cartoonish villains, no overly dramatic scenes, no artificial suffering created by unnecessary misunderstandings. There is a group of people who are just humans. There are children, adolescents, adults and middle-aged people who are trying to cope with themselves, their situations and their relationships. They want to be happy, they chase what they want. When you say it like that, it sounds very serious or deep. That's not it, it deals with a wide variety of relationships with very good humor. I think it's impressive that it managed to handle such a wide range of relationships, from the ex-wife to the platonic older girl in the next door, by doing justice to all of them and making the audience laugh.

Joker (I) (2019)

The fact that the audience is so inclined to connect with Arthur sends negative messages about their perceptions.

[7/10 · 22 April 2024]

I'm behind new interpretations of the characters and stories as long as they don't embarrass the original.

They wanted to tell a joker origin story whose mental distress got out of control and pushed to extreme behavior due to society and the system. I found 'The Killing Joke' more compelling as it delved into the swift and intricate changes in human mental health and psychology , fragility of sanity. The plot that Joker was already a disturbed person and started killing people when he couldn't get what he wanted from life and his medicines didn't impress me to the same extent. I didn't like that the audience was so enthusiastic about such a drama. Arthur is too much of a victim, too weak, to be a villain or anti-hero that I can appreciate.

Also, there is a cliché in this movie that some of the plot or characters are not real and are only in the mind, and I am one of those who find this form of storytelling meaningless.

Of course, it is very successful in terms of cinematography and acting. With such a qualified team, no one expected anything else. I was able to appreciate the movie in this sense.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

The film was made so carelessly and just for the sake of making it that it is pointless to even criticize it.

[1/10 · 22 April 2024]

It's obvious that something really went wrong behind the scenes, but as a viewer just looking at the final product, I don't care about the details.

No matter how cheesy, popcorn or even fanservice it was, the series was consistent within itself until the end of the 5th movie, and each episode was following the path opened by the previous one. The direction that the finale of the 5th film drew for the 6th film showed that we would say goodbye to the series with a good finale. Then, behind the scenes, the consistency and continuity of the series was completely thrown away. Plot convienence reaches such an absurd level that no argument such as I want and get the brainless action can be defended anymore.

For me, I would be happier if they didn't even attempt to close the curtain with such a lack of effort, hitting rock bottom in indifference, but instead left the series unfinished, allowing people who enjoy it to speculate with their imagination about what could happen next.

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer (2024)

Jokes toned down on offensiveness compared to previous

[7/10 · 22 April 2024]

I am someone who follows foreign standups almost only on Netflix. Jimmy Carr has his own offensive humor. When I searched for something similar, I couldn't find it, at least not on Netflix. There was no one who gave me the feeling of "You couldn't have really said that" as much as this man. In this show, I don't know if it was Netflix, Carr's advancing age, or the current structure of society, I felt like he wasn't using his punches fully and was holding back. There were a few positive messages squeezed in that you sometimes come across in standups. I wonder if this was a Netflix commission or the artist's own choice. It made me laugh out loud in a few places, but I'd like to see a Jimmy Carr getting filthy beyond comprehension.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

If you so disliked the first movie, why did you rush to watch the second movie as soon as it came out?

[8/10 · 22 April 2024]

The crew that spewed hatred for the first movie, then watched the second movie in one breath as soon as it was released, and then ran all the way here to complain about it. I swear, I really can not understand this behaviour. The lynching frenzy in the first movie still continues.

This movie is not a masterpiece. It's not as bad as people make a fuss about it. It's a movie that has enjoyable aspects, cheesy aspects, cheap aspects and good/bad aspects. You might even call it a popcorn space opera film. I think there is progress after the first movie. The first movie was more messy. The fact that the movie takes place in a single location this time is also a factor in this.

Seriously, the guy who made this movie loves slow motion, I understand a lot of people don't enjoy it that much. Frankly, it appeals to me because, when you are someone who consumes a lot of movies, too much rushing around the screen can tire you out. That's why this movie felt soothing to me.

The Last Hangover (2018)

When satire is made on religion, I prefer it to be based on a sharp intelligence and not just crude.

[6/10 · 14 April 2024]

Making fun of religion is something I greatly appreciate. Especially on the illogicalities and contradictions in the nature and content of religion. I think parodies of religious characters are also a great thing. But this movie just makes me feel like a group of weed lovers who think they are smarter than they are, made a skit about what it would be like if religious figures were like them. People who like to party, are fond of women and getting high, and have a crude sense of humor. Perhaps, the fact that they portray the evil figure in religion as a sane ordinary person may be evidence of how superior they subconsciously see themselves to decent people. It's not particularly bad, but on the other hand, it doesn't have much to praise about. One inevitably compares it to Life of Brian, which stands out in this field, and this work is inferior to that film.