bufordbox Reviews

A Man in Full (2024)

much too condensed ....

[16 May 2024]

I read the novel when it came out in the mid '90s and enjoyed it very much. This series took a 700something page book and tried to shoehorn it into six 45minute episodes. The result seems disjointed and basically just incomplete. The first episode opens as if it assumes no character development is needed; that all of the viewers are already aqcuainted with the players and how they came to be who we now see. The novel has several sub-plots that intertwine well throughout, but this Netflix series offers us only two which really seem to have little connection with the other, other than some characters moving back and forth between them. My take is the series was budgeted much to small to spend the time and money to do Tom Wolfe's novel the justice it deserves.

Streets of Laredo (1995)

Gets better ...

[9/10 · 24 May 2020]

....watching it for the 2nd or 3rd time. Have to think of it as a stand-alone, because you'll get frustrated trying to link the characters back to the original LD crew. The story is good as are the acting, production, filming, etc. As to how it might rank in the LD series, I'd say 4th after ...in order ...LD, Return to LD, and Dead Man Walk. I do recommend it as a pretty good western in its own right, however.

Double Jeopardy (1999)

Decent movie based on a ridiculous premise

[13 February 2020]

Their definition of double jeopardy is so wrong that it insults intelligence. DJ protects a person, presumably found innocent the first trial, from being retried for that SAME crime. SAME ...as in same victim, same day, same circumstance. Not SAME victim but DIFFERENT day, circumstance. Using their interpretation of DJ, I could assault someone, be tried and go to prison, get released, and go assault that person again and get off scott free. Maybe a small legal point to most viewers, but I prefer to watch movies that don't make me scoff at the stupidity of the central premise. That said, the action is decent.

Cradle Swapping (2017 TV Movie)

Started out interesting ...

[1 December 2018]

.....but became stupid and stupider as it went along. The couple's decision to do the sleuthing on their own without benefit of police and FBI had no reasonable rationale. And then the newly adoptive mother just hands the baby over on a handshake deal, no talking it over with hubby, no legal proceeding , just "here, take her ....no problem I paid 100,000 dollars to adopt her". Just stupid, stupid, stupid ...prepare to have your intelligence lowered.

Yellowstone (2018– )

like it a lot

[9/10 · 22 June 2018]

The first viewing was quite a bit to take in, and I came away with more questions than answers. So I watched a second time, rewinding occasionally to pick up hushed or muttered conversation, and just to sort out who's who among the characters. There is a lot going on in the plot, at least 4 maybe 5 forces are pitted against another. The only protagonist seems to be the estranged son Kayce, nearly everyone else has an antagonistic agenda toward someone or thing. This second look really helped put it all together. I'm looking forward to the season.