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Reviews
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
"Next Generation" is back!!!!
Most people would agree that "The Next Generation" is still one of the best "Star Trek" series. This is kind of a sequel of sorts. After TNG ended, the cast moved to the big screen for four theatrical films. There were plans for a 5th & final TNG film that would also feature characters from DS9 & VOY. Due to the box office bomb that was "Nemesis," that never happened. 18 years later, TNG returns in the form of "Star Trek: Picard," a 10-part serial telling one grand story. We follow an old retired man going back out into space to find and rescue the twin-sister of the woman he failed to help in the opening episode. Along the way are familiar TNG characters, Seven from Voyager, Romulans, the Borg, androids, and new characters. Starfleet sees Picard as an old, retired, and stuck in the past. He asks for a ship, and they tell him to go home. This is Picard, guys. Does he take no for an answer? Naturally, he hires a private ship and a small crew. He's not out to save the galaxy, he's out to rescue one woman. A small ship and crew will get the job done. Along the way, it becomes oh so much more than that, he's old, possibly fatally ill, and in over his head with few resources and no help from Starfleet. This show is incredibly awesome. It honestly feels like a movie stretched out into a 10-part serial.
There is some cussing, smoking, drinking, and some "loser" characters that the audience and reviewers here on IMDB object to. That's part of the charm. Picard isn't on the Enterprise with Starfleet's finest. In the season finale, his age is given as 96, I think. This is an old man who no one takes seriously anymore. He hires a Captain with a little cargo ship and a crew of "nothing better to do" misfits and out into space they go. I really like this theme. All of the characters grow due to the nurturing of Picard leading to a very emotional finale.
This show didn't ruin Star Trek. This is still the bright happy future of TNG. However, the show is about an old man legend and the misfits who fall through the cracks of society.
Give the show 3 episodes to find it's footing. It's in the third episode that everyone is gathered together that you see where the rest of the season is going.
Terminator Genisys (2015)
As Good as T2!
I love all the movies, but I found this film manages to recapture the emotional depth of the first two movies that was missing from the last two. I wanted a sequel at some point to feature additional time travelers including John Connor himself back during the original film. Genisys played up on similar ideas, so I thoroughly enjoyed this film.
How does this fit in with previous movies? Kyle Reese appears to be from the original future as he was in the first movie. Arnold and the T-1000, I theorize that instead of being sent to the 90's for T2, they were sent to the 70's after Sarah Connor. T3&4 are ignored, but a fin idea. What if the embodiment of Skynet was from that timeline or another and kept jumping back until he reached the original future, because... reasons? He assimilates John Connor into the T-3000 and sends the T-1000 after Sarah Connor in the 70's. Next, John Connor T-3000 jumps back to 2015 in a new timeline to create another version of Skynet. Someone sends Pops back, and then the movie plays out. That's how I see it anyway.
Jay Courtney's acting could have shown more emotion, but I really enjoyed this movie. I love how for once, we got a happy ending with all of our heroes alive. There's a tease that Skynet survived, naturally. Given T6 will ignore this movie, I'm happy with how it ended.
People are too hard on movies today. It's entertainment. If it's bad, you don't have to hate it. Just watch something else. Breaking down the movie to explore why it failed, that's always fun though. Anyway...
Fringe (2008)
Brilliant!!!
This is what "The X Files" tried to be. It starts off as a show about the FBI investigating "science gone wrong" or the world being experimented on each week. A lot of people including myself dismissed it as an X-files knock off. For the first season, that's not far off. The show established it's own identity in the second season and hit the ground running from there.
I loved The X Files for what it tried to do, but I hated how cases always went unresolved. On Fringe, we get answers and then more questions. Replace the paranormal with fringe science. Replace aliens and government conspiracies with men beyond time and parallel universes.
There are a lot of characters to root for, a lot of villains who put you on the edge of your seat. The heart of the show is Olivia, Peter, and Walter Bishop. Everyone else is there to support this core trio.
If you like science-fiction and investigative procedural shows, Fringe is the perfect mix!
Stargate Origins (2018)
Undermines the original movie
I give this 5 stars for effort. It's a low budget web series, so let's chill in regards to budget. Yeah, the stargate powered by a car battery was stupid, but hardly ruins the movie, web show, whatever you want to call it. I didn't finish it, because I got spoiled on the ending, which is stupid.
SPOILERS!!!!! Ready???
Katherine, her dad, and Kasuf get amnesia and forget everything. What was the point of this then? Worse, because Tokra or rival Goauld, the 3 main characters get brainwashed into doing things that land them in the positions they were in in the original movie. It's because of alien mind tampering, not because of their own merrit. Tgat, and mass amnesia across 3 people. I had this.
My issue isn't the budget, it's the ending.
Roswell, New Mexico (2019)
Objective Review
The original is among my favorite TV shows. After 17 years, we get a revival in the form of a remake. I was very excited for the show. The trailer looked great. Unfortunately, I gave up after two and a half episodes. The plot moves at glacial speed. Too much focus on a muder mystery from ten years ago, and too much soap opera drama. Everyone's mad, sad, and has secrets. People are too quick to make out and have sex. I thought this was Roswell, with adults? Why do they act like teenagers? Seriously, the high schoolers in the original had greater maturity and were more respectful of each other. The casting is all wrong too. This isn't fun to watch. I kept checking the runtime to see how much longer til it was over, hoping for better next episode.
Try comparing the first three episodes of the original to the first three episodes of the remake. Pay attention to the acting, writing, pacing, and plot versus interpersonal drama.
It's not that the new show is bad, because it's different. It's just badly written. 🤤