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Civil War (2024)
A Missed Opportunity...
This is a very 'disjointed' movie. Is it about the ordeals that press photographers have to endure during times of war? Is it about the violent succession of the combined forces of California and Texas from the rest of the Union? The film tries to do both themes at the same time, but fails. I just cannot recommend that you see this one, despite all the hype.
The first half is strangely boring, with poor dialogue and bland acting interspersed with sudden flashes of bloody fighting. (Lots of bad music, smoking, drinking and cursing too.) We are never told how long the civil war has been going on, or even what caused it! All we know is that the goal of the insurrectionists is the capture of Washington DC and the 'deposing' of the President. The other 48 states oddly appear not to be actively involved with either side of the struggle.
The second half of the movie mercifully gets somewhat better. The attack on DC is dramatically staged. Also, the many scenes throughout the film of cities eerily abandoned, buildings burning and destroyed, piles of dead bodies, wrecked cars on clogged roads, etc. Were quite shocking and remarkable.
Bottom line: A missed opportunity of what could have been an interesting premise or a lesson to be learned - especially given our country's current divided state of affairs.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Really Good!
This was surprisingly satisfying, and a worthy finale to the series! The third best of the five, in my order: Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Last Crusade; Dial of Destiny; Temple of Doom; and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Runnng time is 2.5 hours. Exotic locales, great cast, well-crafted.
Amazing action sequences, lots of realistic connections to history(particularly with the ancient Greek genius Archimedes), and a wonderfully awesome - and totally unexpected - last thirty minutes! Unanswered threads of Indy's life are revealed. Harrison Ford does a terrific job. A great summer blockbuster entertainment adventure!
Vikings (2013)
Powerful, outstanding, unforgettable...
Just finished the last of a whopping 89 episodes over six seasons of this amazing series, "Vikings"! You can still view it all on Amazon Prime, and on the History Channel, or simply borrow the DVDs from your local library.
I really got into the characters, the history, the wonderful dialogue-script by Michael Hirst, the high production values, the stunning sweep of its action sequences, the sensitive music, the awesome sets, the authentic costumes, and more. Most of the outstanding actors were either Scandinavians or Canadians. I actually enjoyed this series more than Game of Thrones (74 episodes), and the Lord of the Rings movies. If you remember the heyday in the 1980s of epic TV miniseries such as "Shogun," "Centennial," Marco Polo," and "Peter the Great," then you know what I mean.
The programs take you back and forth from Norway to England to France to Spain to Ukraine to Iceland to Greenland, and finally to North America, over the course of about fifty years.
The main effect on me was the underlying series themes on religion and faith - the old Norse gods vs. Emerging Christianity, the belief in an afterlife or not. Why are we here and what is our purpose? What gives our lives lasting meaning? Of course, being a historical drama, the expected battles, invasions, betrayals, illegitimate sons, spousal infidelities, family member murders, treachery, etc. Are present. Yet I was pleased by the subdued display of excessive blood and nudity. (I earlier read that the Canadian distributors edited a lot of that out for the sake of American audiences.)
A new series called "Vikings - Valhalla" begins on February 25 on Netflix. Kind of a sequel, it will take place 100 years later, but with an all-new cast. Three seasons are in the offering, with 24 total episodes thus far. I hope it as good as this original "Vikings"...
The Tree of Life (2011)
Dreamy...Hypnotic...Awe-Inspiring...
This brilliant movie -- which I have watched three times so far -- offers us a beautifully filmed and emotional personal experience of memory, love, and family. Very unique, in a touching and haunting way. The pacing as it unfolds, the editing, the music, the acting, the lighting & colors, and the sounds of nature force us to stop and reflect on the true miracle of existence. This special movie is like music, like living painting. It will elevate you to a higher realm of consciousness if you but sweetly surrender to its magic...Terrence Malick both wrote and directed this masterpiece, and you can sense that he really put his heart and soul into sharing it with all of us.
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (2013)
Brings Back Fond Memories...
This was very well done! The photography, the six main people followed, the music, the mood -- all were well-edited, directed, and produced. It shows the full range of the Camino experience: the internal thoughts, the spiritual insights, the physical strains, the solace of nature, the weather, the new friends made, and the sharing with others of all ages and from all countries. In many aspects, I enjoyed this documentary a little bit more than the commendable Camino film "The Way." (I did the last 200 mile portion to Santiago with my two best friends in 2005, and heartily encourage everyone to give it a try...) This film will truly inspire you. Buen Camino!