Tom Fisher

What NOT to expect: 1) Blunt doing an impersonation of Andrews's Poppins; she does her own interpretation (and her own - dare I say sexy? - alto voice)... 2) the carefree whimsey of the first movie; gone are the days of financially prosperous London, ca. 1910. This is a depression-era movie, with a depression-era feel... So, if you tend to curse Disney for "ruining" Luke Skywalker, you'll likely curse them for "ruining" Mary Poppins. Just stay home, and keep your grumbling to yourselves. What TO expect: 1) Brilliantly performed songs - many fun and uplifting (though with more purpose than Burt and Mary's holiday stroll of yesteryear; they are on house-saving duty from the get-go)... Some wonderfully heartbreaking. All well done. 2) A visual treat. You will be transported back to the first time you saw the original. The set feels like they picked up months, rather than decades, after the original. 3) A proper homage to the original without copying it.

I thought TS3 was the perfect ending to the Toy Story saga... Till I saw this one. Woody's Odyssey is complete, and he's finally home. Well done.

Weird flick. Weird pacing. But... It was incredibly tense at times, occasdionally terrifying, frequently witty. Great cast. Unique baddie. Definitely worth at least one watch (on as big a screen as possible for the real star: THOSE SKIES!!!). While I beg J.P. to avoid falling into the M. Night S. trap of always trying for a shocking surprise (look: no one will be surprised by Halloween Ends, but it's going to be terrifying!) and ending up working everything around it as the build up to it - a cheap stunt and occassionally unwatchable (I'm talking to you, The Happening!), his (Jordan P's) saving grace is his aense of humor. Even at the darkest moments, the strories are very human, and end up making us chuckle, smirk or laugh.

A few observations: Despite the increasingly inexplicable presence of running water, electricity and cell reception and the ridiculous amounts of booty calls NONE of us needed to see (thank you, fast-forward)... ...this is actually one heck of surprisingly good show. The mythology - at first seemingly tired and rehashed - packs some good twists. The complexities these kids face (with often laughable, occasionally tragic, ineptitude... and often with dignity and valor) never get boring. The show is well-written (F-bombs notwithstanding), balancing drama and humor. And several of the actors are quite excellent.

I, a lifelong Tolkien devotee, saw it with my doubting wife (a lifelong tolerator of her nerdy husband's ravings about Hobbits). We both came away glad we had seen the movie. Having read much about our beloved Professor Tolkien, I haven't learned much about this era of his life. So (acknowledging the unavoidable fictionalizations that cone with every biopic) I was delighted to learn about the friends he lost before he met the Inklings. In the end, I think this understated movie treated the life, love, intellectual pursuits, friendships and (to a lesser extent) faith of J.R.R. Tolkien with respect and honor.

Designated Survivor! Exciting political intrigue! A great ensemble! A president you wish was real! And now, thanks to Netflix... All that, plus F bombs galore and graphic sex scenes. Dial it back, Netflix. The show was great before you came along.

I was an absolute devotee of the original show (in rerun form) as a child. I would watch and rewatch it as often as it ran. You'd think that would make me nitpicky about the Netflix version. But no: the family ... The robot ... Don ... Even the generally detestable Dr Smith ... They're so authentic, so believable, so easy to love, that this series has completely won me over.