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Reviews
Young Sheldon (2017)
This series could stand well on its own
"Young Sheldon", which chronicles the life of Sheldon Cooper from "The Big Bang Theory", is a fresh look at the character of Sheldon. Iain Armitage believably portrays Sheldon as a 9-year-old thrust into high school life. His family is portrayed more realistically than they're described in TBBT, notably that his father isn't a crass redneck, but a man who's not quite sure how to raise his little genius. Annie Potts, as Memaw Connie, is hilarious, imparting her wisdom on the whole family. You need not be a fan of TBBT to enjoy "Young Sheldon".
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Painful
This has to be the lamest movie I've ever seen. Scenes that were supposed to be funny were just plain sad or painful. The characters were not at all sympathetic, just lame. And the plot development was slower than a glacier.
The plot meanders quite a bit, basically just showing scenes of just how pitifully outcast Napoleon is. He drags an action figure behind his school bus for no apparent reason. He tries to feed his grandmother's pet llama leftover casserole by flinging the food over the fence. His brother spends the entire day chatting with women in Internet chat rooms. His uncle (who takes over guardianship when Grandma is injured on a date) is a former high school second-string quarterback who keeps dwelling on his potential glory if he'd been put into play a crucial game 20 years ago. The whole town is full of such dull stereotypes. If I were the state of Idaho (where this is supposedly set), I'd sue.
I had to stop watching this movie because of an overall sense that I was wasting 2 hours of my life that I could've used watching paint dry. The latter would've been more exciting, funny, and dramatically compelling.
I saw this movie at home, not at a theatre. But I can't imagine that even a theatre full of people would laugh at anything in this stagnant movie. I'd demand my rental money back, but I checked it out for free at the public library. Maybe I'll burn my library card instead.
Hell's Kitchen (2005)
You want to look away, but you can't!
Two teams compete for an ultimate prize, but this isn't "Survivor" or "The Apprentice".
The prize is a restaurant for the winner to operate. And Chef Ramsay isn't a mere host like Jeff Probst, nor a hands-off boss like Donald Trump. He's with the contestants all evening, as they attempt to operate their restaurant, "Hell's Kitchen". He serves as the order co-coordinator, with final say on whether dishes are presentable. And if one dish in an order isn't acceptable, back the whole order goes. He grating and foul-mouthed, and almost brings the contestants to tears. He's more drill instructor than chef at times, berating those who aren't performing well. Customers aren't immune to Ramsay's temper; he'll yell and curse at patrons who dare to "speak to the chef".
You feel so bad for those getting the brunt of Ramsay's wrath; you want to look away, but you can't. It's an interesting twist to the elimination-style "reality" show.