Leandra Collier

Loved it. I went into it embracing the mystery and art haus vibe and was well rewarded. Don’t watch it with English dubbing- the languages and the communication or lack thereof lend very well to tone and tension. I very much would love a season 2. As a fan of both period dramas and sci fi, this was a very fun watch. Some are saying it’s slow- really not sure where that comes from. It’s a lush tapestry of sets, character, plot, and originality. I guess if you’re a fan of like, sit coms with a laugh track this isn’t for you. If you like to embrace the filmmaking journey and sit back and be taken on a serious ride, this is awesome. Similar films might be Inception, Interstellar, the tv show Legion, etc.

This adaptation is a delightful summer movie. The scenes are beautiful and the pacing and editing are near perfect. Usually I do not like actors breaking the fourth wall but in this case I think she pulled it off. It is a quirky and modern version that purists of period dramas will most likely hate but I found it fun, beautiful, and a lovely diversion. I loved the cast, and it has some big Bridgerton vibes. I am a HUGE fan of diversified casts in all projects. I also found myself relating to the depth of emotion, loved the humor, found it very easy to follow the plot, and laughed at the wry wit which is true to Anne’s original character. She is supposed to be charming, overlooked, and a hidden gem which this movie more than demonstrates. In a story which could easily have been heavy and dowdy, this version is light and fun. Don’t listen to all the reviews by critics- this movie is perfect for summer viewing.

Silly, cheesy, and hard to follow in the whole picture, this version doesn’t jive well with the previous Spider Man movies or in the universe as a whole. I found Tom Holland’s sloppy “bad at being Spider Man” character annoying and hard to watch. For anyone that had seen the previous ones, it seems redundant to create a new Spider Man from scratch with little backstory and high school drama. The cell phone diary in the beginning was especially dumb and took way too long. There are better ways to recap that don’t also make me nauseated from too many Dutch angles.

If you’re expecting a classic western series, think again. It’s Yellowstone meets Mulholland Drive and it’s an artistic, interesting, crazy ride. It is gritty, surreal, creative, and beautifully acted. Do I think everyone is going to love it? No. Do I think it’s awesome and beautiful and totally worth it? Absolutely. I watched every episode and feel like each one could be a symbolic dissertation on human kind over the ages set in a deeply authentic western town in WY. It is horror, western, sci fi, and surreal. It’s gorgeous. It’s Twin Peaks. It’s beautiful and has a creative soundtrack and sound design. I loved it.

I am a fan of action/crime/drama but was frustrated at this deeply disjointed series. Clearly they had a big budget for talent and production, so it’s even more dumb that it was wasted on this terrible script. The writing is bad, the exposition was terrible, and the season finale was my least favorite episode. As someone who can follow complicated plots easily, I was annoyed that after the credits rolled, I still had questions. A deeply unsatisfactory ending with a ham fisted moral message that smacked of freshman skill. There were also aspects of the drama that left me yelling at the TV because of stupidity- fingerprints on things, people told to change appearance who then do LITERALLY ZERO APPEARANCE CHANGING and walk right by cops numerous times no problem, character arch’s that go nowhere, no deeper learning, no growth, no journey, and stupid crime. It really is a waste. I watched till the end because of commitment but truly, it could handle a complete rewrite and re-edit. Somehow we are expected to side with Tara and Leo who to repay one injustice decide to ruin a bunch of lives, people are killed, and have the nerve in the end to be like “just go with it maybe?” *shrug* :) I still have questions about plot and giant holes in it. But at this point, honestly who cares.

I’ve read the book and watched the 1984 version and I love the cast of the new one, love the expansive feel and of course the special effects. However the extremely slow pacing, lack of exposition, a need for deeper storytelling and plot, made me disappointed. I think that most audiences will be super confused about what is going on and it lacks the storytelling it needs to compel a greater understanding of the details. I watched the film with people not familiar with the book and first film and I had to pause it several times and explain details that had big meaning. It is a rich tapestry of a book. I hope part 2 is stronger. That said, costumes and general art direction is gorgeous. It feels like a high end film. Not cheesy or campy at all. I was confused though, why the Duke and his world resembled Nazi and reich imagery. My impression of them is that they are intellectuals who value nature, are more in tune with humanity and meditation, understand martial arts and civility vs. the Harkonnens who are industrialists that rape and pillage nature for their own gain. They are gluttonous and dark, which I think the film represented well. Pools of oil and sludge, huge machines and no warmth or organic design at all. I wanted Jessica to have red hair and green eyes, and the witches metal teeth. I also wanted to see Feyd, the Emperor, and of course baby Alia. All things we have to wait for in Part 2. This film covers about half of the first book and I wanted it to cover all of the first book. Let part 2 cover the second book, and so on. I would have loved less floaty dreams and more pacing and plot. It felt like this film ended right as the good stuff started happening which was frustrating. It felt less like a cliffhanger and more like a letdown.