J Riley Cain

One of the most tedious movies to watch. Wishing something would happen in the plot but it's a string of little disjointed vignettes. A terrific cast trying to polish a turd. It took me three days to watch it because it was so boring. I kept wonering why we're supposed to care about any of these people.

The first season was fun. But this is a blatant Star Trek Next Generation rip off. From characters, to plots, even the theme music. It is a high quality production, but it seems Seth McFarland doesn't really have his own original ideas. Just as Family Guy is a rip off of The Simpson's, but still really funny, The Orville is a rip off of Star Trek yet pretty entertaining. McFarland takes the ideas of others and puts his own little spin them. Basically every plot is some unknown alien monster chasing them, almost winning, then they make up some lame fake scientific thing that saves them in the last 30 seconds. Very predictable.

People who aren't in the music biz or show biz probably won't get the extra layers of meaning that this movie shows. Movie audiences currently seem to be more into super hero movies and flix with lots of explosions and gore. La La Land is, after all, a show biz movie about show biz. But the story is deeper than two young people trying to make it big. It's about life and love and following your heart. This movie is really really good. Technically it is first rate; cinematography, editing, music, choreography. It is a fantasy musical romp, a bitter sweet love story and an artistic statement, The opening scene is a masterpiece in film making history. The acting, from the stars to the smallest bit part, is extraordinary. Everyone in it has serious theater arts chops. The song "Audition ( The Fools Who Dream )" that Emma Stone sings is the heart of the story.

"A" list cast of skillful actors hamming it up. Topnotch cinematography. Terrific music score. But really poor story telling. Many pointless unresolved scenes that do nothing to move the story forward. Maybe because there is no story? Basically...no plot line. Usually a movie has a story to tell and a point to make. This movie rambled on and on and in the end...nothing happened.