hansjs Reviews

Death to 2021 (2021 TV Special)

With so much sourced material, chooses a side

[3/10 · 30 December 2021]

There's some sharp witted comedy here; However they clearly approached this from a left view. I have no problem skewering the right with parodies of Judge. Jeanine or the "Typical Republican Mom". I mean that level craziness should be parodied. The weakness is there is no attempt to similarly skewer the left with parodies, even with so much available material. There are some left aimed shots to be sure, but they were few.

Some good some good shots at Jan 6th and right on with the George Floyd. With an obvious chance to nail some left failures, they embarrassingly downplayed Afghanistan and then quickly pivoted to equivocation to Texas.

So If you enjoyed SNL over the past few years, I'm sure you'll enjoy this. Otherwise, the actors playing journalists, especially the one in the bar were the best part of the whole thing.

Dexter: New Blood: Cold Snap (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

A good start but settled into predictable

[6/10 · 9 November 2021]

I liked the pace and slow build the episode started with. I thought the "voice" of Deb in his ear was appropriate. The settings were really well set up. Chasing the deer, knowing everyone in town....the familiar bring donuts to the "office". The law enforcement girl friend. The fringe elements like knife sharpening for the butcher. Subtle nods. This set up alone is why I gave it a 6, and not lower for the rest.

But then it just jumped head first back into Dexter the Killer land too fast. The way Dexter found out about the protagonist was stupid (jealous friend doing rails and venting to Dexter about deep dark, never mentioned secrets? Stupid. The whole protagonist angle was just not enough to me to bring Dexter back from 10 years of not killing and into this unplanned, poorly managed (the blood still not he snow) kill.

The Harrison angle will be interesting, but would have been better felt over a couple episodes and a better reason to have started to kill again. I expect this will improve now that they got the lazy story telling out of the way all at once, but I wanted a better, more clever re-entry into that world.

The Expanse (2015–2022)

Best Sci-fi out right now

[10/10 · 3 January 2021]

Easily the best sci-fi going right now. Great character development. Great storytelling. Great acting.

Ava (IV) (2020)

How did so many good actors make this?

[2/10 · 19 December 2020]

So bad. Honestly I can handle how cliche it is. I enjoy a mindless action flick that relies on the old troupes. But there is just (please excuse the pun) some un-Common-ly bad acting in this movie. I guess there must be a market for these movies. Hardly the first B movie Malkovich or Farrell have done I guess but a little surprised to see Chastain in this. Awful script. Mostly bad acting. I guess ok fight scenes for a second star.

The Walking Dead: Wrath (2018) Season 8, Episode 16

2 Seasons of Saviors for that?

[1/10 · 23 April 2018]

There was so much promise to this storyline. You had the obvious survivors vs saviors, but also the under current of, which group was really the evil one given all that they had done. But that ending? That quick? No real casualties from the regulars. The stupid backfiring bullet thing that you could see was happening from the second Gabriel made that one bad bullet.....and that was the key to the whole battle? I can live with plot holes in a show about a zombie apocalypse, but obvious storylines you can see from a mile away, that i can't handle. And the big battle between Rick and Negan....how many times is Rick going to shoot at this guy, miss, and then run out of bullets? All that buildup for that pathetic end? By far and away the worst episode yet.

I scrolled through and saw almost all 1/10 to 3/10 ratings...yet somehow this episode is over 7?

Roseanne (1988–2018)

Timely topics and refreshingly dated format

[9/10 · 29 March 2018]

The show has a very similar feel to the old show. The acting was never the draw, and it still isn't. The show is all about tackling topics most shows won't in a funny and sharp one-liner style in between live audience laughs. The political disputes are right of real life without every really taking a side. I thought the grandson story line was also handled in a very real way, much like any family might struggle through a similar situation. My guess is there will be more storylines with the grandaughter (both Darlene's kids) given Emma Kenney is fairly well known to anyone who has ever watched Shameless.

I like the setup to the where the family is when you land back with this family 20 years later. I think they can sharpen some of the writing up a bit, which is the only reason it's not a 10. It remains to be seen if the show catches while staying firmly in the original format, but if the 1st 2 show ratings (10 million viewers in the U.S.) are an indication, I think the timeliness and lack of shows like this make it perfectly timed.

The Gifted (I) (2017–2019)

It has its moments, but too few of them

[6/10 · 7 January 2018]

There is a good Marvel story trying to get out of this family drama. It's just the family drama holding it back. There are just too many "we need to talk about this son" moments, and too many "over-bearing when it makes no sense" mom moments too. They really seem to have built a lot of the show on the premise of, "what if a regular family had a couple mutant kids in a very anti-mutant world"?, and that part isn't all that interesting. The attempts at back-story for the other mutants is shallow and does little to strengthen the story. So where might you ask is that good Marvel story waiting to get out? There is a plot twist that kind of ties some characters found in Marvel comics to some main characters. Several of the mutants have pretty unique abilities, and some of minor plot lines have nothing to do with the boring family drama plot that drags every episode it touches down. It's been picked up for another season, so hopefully there's enough feedback to steer this show in the right direction. I'd be OK with several episodes digging into backstory more. Clearly I want less family drama and more mutant story lines. There are endless Marvel story lines to draw from, which is really the only thing separating this show from something like Heroes.

The Punisher (2017–2019)

Excellent, Finally a good Marvel season on Netflix again

[9/10 · 2 January 2018]

It took me a couple months to finally watch this because of some bad reviews I read. I was also pretty disappointing with the Iron Fist and Defenders series, so I was pretty much ready to check out of the Netflix Marvel franchise altogether. Turns out, this was a great series. They did a good job of telling a story, while also repeatedly reminding you why Castle becomes who he does. Easily the most violence in a Netflix Marvel series so far, but a level of storytelling more on par with Season 1 of Daredevil or Jessica Jones.

Minor spoiler.....I was thrilled that they didn't shoehorn Rosario Dawson into this series.

Bright (I) (2017)

Tries to be too many things, Isn't good at any of them

[5/10 · 2 January 2018]

The concept seemed like a cool idea. I wanted to like the movie. Unfortunately, it's really just a clunky attempt combining social commentary with about 10 different other movies. With that, had the dialogue not been so God awful, I would have been able to enjoy this as a decent attempt genre combining action flick. It's not. The dialogue is terrible. The plot is super paint by numbers. The occasional nudity, which certainly doesn't offend me, serves zero purpose to the story line. So why even give 5 stars? The main Orc character, Nick was pretty good. The overall idea (fantasy characters like Orcs, Elves, and magic overlayed on today's society), while not particularly well pulled, is still a good idea. This has the feel of a TV pilot that could be made into a series still, even with all it's shortcomings.I would Keep the main Orc character and make him the main character in a TV series and move on from Will Smith, who is wasted as the stereotypical jaded cop.

F Is for Family (2015–2021)

Fantastic and Hilarious Glimpse of the 70's

[10/10 · 4 June 2017]

If you grew up in the 70's, you probably knew a family something like the Murphys. Clearly this is an over top, outrageous representation, but at the core, this show absolutely captures the 70's. The unbelievable racist things that were so commonplace and the sexism that was so accepted.....but it's still funny. I can see people who didn't live during the 70's thinking this is all shock value, but it's actually not all that far off from what the 70's were like. It's just cleverly woven into a family dramedy. There is so much more than what I have mentioned...including great characters and genius writing. Highly recommended.

Iron Fist (2017–2018)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 26 April 2017]

I wanted to like this show, but it just progressively got worse as it progressed. The main character is a whiny, not entirely bright, unfinished warrior. I am sure the intent was to show him very much the child he left New York as 15 years prior...but it is the whiny emotional decision making of the Iron Fist that makes the story line bog down. Another problem is the forced insertion of Rosario Dawson into the story line (as she has been in all of the Marvel show). Nothing about her character feels authentic in this story, and is obviously forced in to tie all the Marvel shows together. The "bad guys" part of the story line wasn't bad (unlike Luke Cage), and is really the only the only reason I give it 5 stars, and not less. The 2 different "factions" were an interesting twist, and Harold Meachem was a good character....at least until the last episode or 2 (the last episode was awful). The final scene....with the another whiny warrior who feels betrayed is such a poor reasoning for becoming an enemy it reeks of the awful Luke Cage's bother nemesis (who had an equally poor reason for wanting him dead). Daredevil season 1 and Jessica Jones are the class of the Marvel shows on Netflix, and nothing has really come close since. I sure hope the writing for The Defenders is better than this.

Office Christmas Party (2016)

Credit Outtakes were the only time I laughed

[1/10 · 10 March 2017]

How can anyone take this cast and make a movie that does not have one, single laugh out loud moment? Never mind laugh out loud, I did not even chuckle once until the outtakes during the credits. There is not one surprise. Not one clever gag you didn't see coming from the start. Literally a complete and utter waste of time. Terribly written and mailed in acting.

Goliath (2016–2021)

Poorly written, completely unrealistic

[4/10 · 21 October 2016]

Stop me if you've heard this before...Billy Bob Thornton as a washed up, alcoholic .....fill in the blank...lawyer in this case. The case to redeem him, the daughter who inspires him to get it together, and a ragtag bunch of misfits helping him as he goes. OK, so it's very formulaic. I could live with that.....some of my favorite action movies stick to a formula. Here's where the show loses me. The case makes no sense. Not the story line part of the case...but the actual in court part of the case.

******Stop reading here if you want to avoid spoilers.******

He gives the jury nothing. I mean, he just gets his butt kicked in court....but a rambling closing statement about we gotta hold these corporations responsible, and they not only win, but get awarded millions.

I have no clue how this show could be rated as an 8.5 as I am writing this review. I gave a 4, which I think is generous because the production was decent, and I like a couple of the actors. Other than that, the story is crap, Thornton sleep walks through most of it, and the ending is silly. But hey....I got through all 8 episodes, so it gets at least a 4.

Ray Donovan: Rattus Rattus (2016) Season 4, Episode 12

By far the worst season finale

[2/10 · 23 September 2016]

Spoilers follow, please stop if you have not watched this episode.

There was potential here. Mickey's seeming redemption chief among them. But the finale falls apart in it's neat and tidy, and ridiculously simplistic ending. Mickey walks the streets to sell a painting ans stumbles on a drug ring. The Russian mob boss seems to have a staffing issue, as it take the Donovan family a couple guns and some bumps of coke to take down the entire Russian mafia. This has been the weakest season overall. Overly simplistic overall story lines and uninvestigated compelling story lines. Ray Donovan is basically outclassed for 11 episodes, but pulls it all together in the end and whoops the mafia.

Z Nation (2014–2018)

It's like watching a Zombie video game

[5/10 · 12 June 2016]

I'll preface this by saying there is a decent story line buried in the show. There is some pretty funny, tongue in cheek humor throughout. The show has some decent characters, and through flashbacks has built some depth to the characters.Also, while the effects are generally pretty cheesy, there is more gore in some of the zombie killings than you'll see elsewhere.

The problem is, the whole thing is laid out like a video game. You have the "controller" type character in Citizen Z, which most video games use to guide players. You have poor, stilted dialogue that is really just there to tell you about the upcoming task. Several episodes are basically just video game missions.

The primary story line takes some original turns and is compelling enough to watch. The overall writing is poor in the lazy video game architecture, sprinkled with momentary bouts of clever or funny bits and pieces. Acting reflects the writing, not great but they do what they can with the poor dialogue. Basically, if you're out of stuff to watch, this isn't a terrible show and may pull you in if you can make it to S1E6 where the story line becomes more interesting. This is nothing like TWD, so don't watch this looking for your TWD fix. TWD deals with deep character development and true good vs. evil story telling......Z Nation is a video game with one overall mission broken up into many sub-missions.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022)

Just Awful

[3/10 · 29 January 2016]

Spoilers, don't read if you haven't watched unless you are OK with plot spoilers.

If you are looking for DC's answer to all the great Marvel programming out there, this is not it....or even worse...I guess it is. It's the same CW teen-fest hero show, but much worse. The acting is terrible (I'm looking at you former Prison Break brothers, though they are hardly the only guilty ones). The writing is cheesy and childish in it's simplistic stereotype play to each character.. Never mind that DC characters just aren't all that interesting (an Ant Man knockoff played by the former one-off Superman, a pair of criminal brothers with heat and cold ray gun?). The only 2 with an interesting story....are just lame....Hawnkgirl and Hawkman? And the villain is really the only good overall character....which is OK if he is just the best of the group...but he is the only good one on the show.

Even the reason they are all together isn't all that compelling. A time traveler on a revenge trip that lies to everyone....but they stick around for episode 2 anyway? The team predictably ignores is warnings about time at every turn. And finally...the CGI.....you get the picture. Just don't waste your time on this one unless you're a super fan of the other CW superhero shows.

Bullet to the Head (2012)

Classic video game script made into an action movie

[6/10 · 24 May 2013]

This movie plays out exactly like a video game, complete with a Blackberry that feeds objectives and information. The bad guys give up info way too easy. Sung Gang is wooden and completely cliché for the good cop role.

That said, if you can live with the video game flow, its a decent action flick with plenty of violence that warrants the title of the film. Stallone is, well he's Stallone, nothing surprising there. Jason Momoa is decent as the killer. To be honest, he's actually a better actor than the script he is given. You don't (or shouldn't) watch these movies for great acting anyway. It delivers on the action mostly and violence totally. They even threw in a couple nude scenes with no point to the story line just to give it that earlier 80's action movie feel before they all started going PG and PG-13.

I give it a 6 because it was only slightly worse than I expected. Classic action movie that seemed like it might have been scripted for a game before it was scripted for movie.

Taken (I) (2008)

Pretty good, but not great movie

[8/10 · 27 July 2008]

I saw the trailer for this movie and really thought it would be great. It was pretty good, but fell into a few movie cliché's and suffered from poor acting from most everyone but Neelson. This was especially true from all the scenes in Paris.

The acting and occasional plot hole aside, this was a good action flick. Several reviews have pointed to the Bourne movies, and it does have that spy character who is ready for any situation. Unfortunately this movie doesn't get nearly as deep or even pretend to build characters. Instead, this movie focuses on a father who just happens to, as the trailer notes, have a particular skill set that enables him to track down and deal with people.

There is some exposure to sex trafficking, but that only goes as deep as it needs to find his daughter. I recommend this movie, just don't pay $12.00 to see it. Check out a matinée or rent it.