Alex Brisbane

Not perfect, but I’d still say that its the best Transformers film. Admittedly some of Bay’s humor is a bit too much (although the sequels get way worse) and the film could have cut out some subplots so it could flow better. Also, I have a problem with the ending which I’ll get to. But all in all this is a solid summer blockbuster (if thats still a thing). I didn’t mind Sam in this film and anyone complaining about him being a guy who wants to impress a girl and all of that, he’s a teen and most of my friends at that age acted just like that (heck, I even related to him). I also liked Lennox as a likable soldier character, I even liked the hacker characters (especially Antony Anderson). I will even say that Megan Fox wasn’t that bad and her backstory gave her character some sympathy. The film is mostly well paced and this makes the moments when you see the Transformers far more impressive (for 2007 the cgi look really good). However, while the buildup to seeing the Autobots is good, it does take an hour for them to arrive and even then they are not in the film that much. I feel as if this film sorta gets away with it since its the first film and later films could of elaborated more on the Transformers as characters, but alas Michael Bay chose to focus more on Sam (and later on Cade) in his films. The action I didn’t think was as hard to follow as most, but the robots are kinda indistinguishable especially the Decepticons who all look like jagged metal. The Autobots are all differently colored which makes them easier to distinguish, and unlike the sequels have personalities in this film. My problem with the ending is that Sam is the one who killed Megatron. Again, Megatron had a good buildup, but I felt that getting killed by Sam made him look very weak in retrospect. Perhaps if they did the Transformers: Prime thing and establish that Bee’s voicebox was destroyed by Megatron and have him speak for the first time while killing Megatron, that would have been more satisfying. Also, Sam already completed his arc by risking his life and went from selfish to selfless throughout the corse of the film. So in all I still enjoy Transformers despite its issues and I kinda feel as if this film gets roped in with its bad sequels. I enjoyed Bumblebee, but some of my college who said they liked the 2007 film suddenly turned and said that Bumblebee was the first good live action Transformers film. Also, even if you hate the film, it did lead to Transformers Animated and Prime, not to mention the Cybertron games and Peter Cullen back as Optimus, as well as making a dying brand now mainstream. So in all this film definitely did more good for the franchise than bad.

In the early 2000s, there were many new animated shows like Masters of the Universe, TMNT, Pokemon, and Sonic X which were popular with people my age. Transformers Armada was the big revamp that was set to return the franchise to its former glories of the G1 and Beast Wars while introduce the franchise to new viewers. But the show was pretty much panned. It was criticized for its poorly translated dub, poor animation, repetitive plots, and too much focus on human characters. Heck, the other shows I mentioned above were frequently talked about in my elementary school days, but the most I ever heard about Transformers Armada was that some of my other classmates had some of toys. Well I thought that It would be a good time to watch the show from front to back, and honestly it’s not bad at all. Yes, the show has its problems that prevent it from being as good as some of the other TF shows, but its not as bad as some people would make you believe. First off, yes the animation and dub is kinda spotty at times since Cartoon Network wanted the show asap, even if it wasn't finished. But the show isn't as crude as some say. There are animation errors and they were indicative of the show being rushed, but G1 has plenty of errors and looked spotty even for 1980s standards, yet people still enjoy that show to this day, including myself, because the characters and stories carried that show as they do with Armada. Not to mention that, for the most part, the animation actually looks pretty good, especially the transformation scenes and battles. As for the dub, yes there is the occasional moment where a character will refer to another character by the wrong name, but some reviewers make it seem that the show is unintelligible. While these moments are cringe-worthy, they are slightly alleviated since many talented voice actors are featured such as Garry Chalk and David Kaye from Beast Wars as Prime and Megatron. While dubs are usually a bit stilted, these actors actually managed to convey their characters emotion pretty well given the circumstances. The highlight of the series is Michael Dobson as Starscream who not only plays an outstanding iteration of the character (which even those who dislike Armada will agree on), but has a performance that harkens back to the G1 version while allowing for a more sympathetic portrayal. Even Hot Shot wasn't that bad, yes he was a bit bratty, but he does mature like G1 Hot Rod or modern Bumblebee. However, two aspects that prevent Armada from being the best are the earlier episodes and the kids. While I actually think the show picks up when Scavenger and Sideways are introduced a quarter of the way into the show. That said, the first quarter is a generic "find the Minicons" plot repeated for 10+ episodes and I felt the animation and dub were at their worst here. While I didn't hate the kids, the only one I really thought was engaging was Alexis who eventually befriends Starscream. The rest are kinda bland and there only needed to be two or three human characters instead of five. That said, they do get less screen time as the show goes on. The show gets better as it progresses and The Unicron Battles incorperates the main antagonist from the 1986 film and ends the show in a very satisfying way. While Armada may not be Transformers at its best, it certainly doesn't deserve to be forgotten and despite its problems, it's a great show. If a special edition of Armada was released with an improved animation and corrected dub, it might be considered one of the best shows in the franchise. But at this point that's wishful thinking.

Skyfall isn't my favorite Bond film, but it's still a solid outing for Craig's era. My main problem with Skyfall is that there are a lot of conveniences with Silva's escape and the events leading to the finale. Also I feel that Silva, while well played by Javier Bardem, is kind of a mix of Alec from Goldeneye and the Joker from The Dark Knight. That said, I was still able to enjoy the film. I liked the idea of Bond essentially being older and out-of-shape along with his alliance with M being tested. These concepts were touched on in previous entities but not really explored all that much. The direction from Sam Mendes is very solid and makes for probably the best looking film in the series. I liked the cast of Skyfall, Craig acquits himself well in that we see another side to his character with his old home and Kincade in the later parts of the film. Eva Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Ralph Fiennes were nice additions and by the end they fit their roles well. This was also Judi Dench's final appearance in the series and while it was rumored and kinda spoiled before the film came out, I liked the closure to her and Bond's relationship through the reboot films. So in all I enjoy Skyfall, I just wouldn't say that its my personal favorite of the Bond films or even Craig's run. However, its more that satisfactory for the series' fiftieth anniversary.

The original Doctor Who is something of an acquired taste. The effects can look pretty cheap and the acting can be hammy as well. However, the stories and characters are what excel for the most part. Also, the show is so large and has many different eras which people tend to gravitate to certain versions of the show. For many, Tom Baker's Doctor is generally considered to be the best run of the show, especially his first three seasons. On the flip side, Colin Baker's run is considered to be the weakest era of the show although I think that his era's poor quality is somewhat exaggerated. That said, when I was growing up 1980s Doctor Who in general had a bad stigma attached to it which to label an entire decade as a write-off is rather unfair as well. While anyone could just watch a random episode and use that as a jumping on point, I recommend these episodes for introductory stories: An Unearthly Child-Its the first episode of the show and introduces the 1st Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian as well as the TARDIS. Not to mention that the following story, The Daleks, is where the show hit its stride. However, this works as an intro. Tomb of the Cybermen-A fun story where the 2nd Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria as well as a research team and trapped at the Cybermen's base on Telos. Spearhead from Space-Pertwee's first story as the 3rd Doctor and introduces the UNIT formula that was present in most of Pertwee's run. The Ribos Operation-While Tom Baker's era is so large that many would recommend an episode from his first three seasons. However, this was the first classic episode I ever saw and it's still pretty entertaining, especially the witty dialogue between the jewel thieves. This story also introduces the Key To Time arc that this season focuses on, similar to the new series season arcs. The Visitation-The 5th Doctor and company arrive in the 1600s and discover aliens attempting to destroy the Earth. In all its a fun pseudo historical and Davison really had settled into the 5th Doctor by this point. Vengeance on Varos-Even those who dislike the 6th Doctor's era will likely say that this is a solid episode. An entertaining and grim commentary on video nasties (had to be around back when vhs was a thing). Also, Sean Connery's son is in it. Remembrance of the Daleks-The 25th Anniversary episode and where McCoy really found is footing as the 7th Doctor. Its fun action mixed with a subtle message on racism. These are only my recommendations, but hopefully someone will read this and watch the Classic Doctor who, its well worth your time.

While not my favorite film in the series, The Voyage Home is an enjoyable film. The basic premise alone of going back in time to save two whales to prevent a probe from destroying Earth is strange, but the film doesn't take its self too seriously and doesn't dwell too much on the logistics of the premise. Also, unlike some lighthearted films where the jokes feel as if the characters are out of character in order for there to be a joke, the humor here feels natural to the characters. Also, I appreciated that this was a more simple, character centric film and that the series took a break from the action and effects of the previous three films. In all, there isn't much to say about it other that I liked it and that it was a nice film. 7/10

Its not my favorite Bond films, its not even my favorite Moore film, but TSWLM is an entertaining film nonetheless. I might get some flack for being a millennial who needs all movies to go 90 mph but I did feel that the film’s first half was a bit sluggish. Also, the plot is very similar to Lewis Gilbert’s previous Bond film You Only Live Twice. However, I thought Moore and Barbara Bach as Anya or XXX (pre Vin Diesel) had a good chemistry together, and I liked that there was some character growth dealing with the fact that Bond murdered Anya’s boyfriend. While Stromberg was decent as the main antagonist, Jaws is really the most entertaining part of the film and I can see why the filmmakers kept him for Moonraker. The action was entertaining to the point where I didn’t care that this film series was becoming more of the fantastical spy-fantasy rather the more grounded films of Connery or later with Dalton and Craig. Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t say that this is my favorite of Moore’s films (that will probably be Live and Let Die or Octopussy), but I’ve always had a fun time with this film and I wouldn’t mind seeing a return to the more escapist Bond films and take a break from the more serious tone every once and a while.

I don't know if I was just in a really good mood or not, but I actually liked Highlander III when I just caught it on TV. Christopher Lambert was, once again, pretty good as Macleod showing centuries of experience and age. Mario Van Peebles was a lot of fun as Kane. For me, the weak link of the cast was Deborah Unger, not that she's bad, but once again a love story is forced into one of these films and she mostly follows MacLeod or Kane. The sword fights are entertaining, even if it feels as if it takes a while to get there. Lambert and Peebles are entertaining and they carry the film, but I liked that we see more of Connor's life in the past and what he's been up to since the first film (Highlander 2 is no longer canon I guess). The scene with the cops could have been cut out and Kane stealing Connor's son reminded me too much of the Kurgan kidnapping Brenda in the first film. I get that many see this as an inferior copy of the first film, but it was not until this scene that I felt that way about this film. The music and effects are quite good as well, and the direction was fine as well. It's nothing spectacular, but knowing the reputation of the films after the first Highlander, I think that this is the best sequel with Lambert we will ever get.

I would like to say that I do enjoy Terminator 2, but I would not say that it is my favorite of the series. I personally prefer the 1984 original, and as much flack as I might get, but I might like Terminator Salvation more as well (if that's not an unpopular opinion I don't know what is). For the negatives, I do have to admit that early in the film I did not care much for John Connor. While Edward Furlong is a good actor, I found John to be too much of a punk and quite unlikable. However, as the film goes on and his friendship develops with the Terminator I found him to be more likable. Also, when thinking about the continuity with the first film, this film is something of a mess. For a start, why did Skynet send an even more advanced Terminator 13 years after the T800 failed in 1984, why not just send multiple Terminators to one point (i.e. like the opening to 2019's Dark Fate). Not to mention that some of the details like the "no fate" line and when Judgement Day happens were not even mentioned in the 1984 film, as well as the T1000 arriving in the past without having human flesh. TBH, I can let some of this go because the original was designed to be it's own self contained film and they had to make way for sequels, but while other film get flack for this sort of thing, T2 gets a free pass because of its reputation. Lastly, the film is a bigger budget retread of the first film as well. If you line up plot point with the first film, its almost the same barring the protector is now the T800 and the antagonist is the new T1000, and now i's John who is the main target now. The only major deviation with the film's plot is the section dealing with Miles Dyson and stopping Judgement day. However, I do like the film. The action scenes and SFX do still hold up 30 years later with a good mix of practical and CGI, as well as using actual twins for the T1000 doppelganger scenes. I actually think the acting is pretty underrated, Edward Furlong is very convincing for an actor this young and it's a shame he never returned for any of the later films (Dark Fate doesn't count). Linda Hamilton, while being quite stern and stoic, is still likable and Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance in this film is pretty underrated with his character showing more human mannerisms as the film progresses. Also, Robert Patrick, as the T1000, manages to be very intimidating without being as imposing as Schwarzenegger. In all, I do enjoy Terminator 2: Judgment Day. However, I do personally prefer the 1984 original and maybe Salvation more (IDK, its been a while since I've seen that film but I do like it more than most).

Despite the fact that the later Terminator films have bigger budgets, better sfx, and more recognizable actors, this film is still my favorite film in the series. What I like about this film is the foreboding tone, If i'm being honest this film fits nicely with the slasher horror films of the 1980s since the Terminator itself is an unstoppable killer chasing after a seemingly helpless woman. The performances are pretty good, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator is very intimidating and has a presence which the later films rarely managed to replicate. If anything, this film kinda makes me wish Arnold was an antagonist in more films (Batman & Robin doesn't count). Linda Hamilton is very likable as Sarah Connor and by the end of the film I can buy that she has gone from relatively meek to being able to hold her own (which T2 definatly showed). Of the three leads, i'm suprised Michael Biehn never got more notoriety. While he starred in Aliens, The Abyss, and Tombstone, I didn't really see much of him in the later 1990s apart from a breif appearence in The Rock and a deleted scene in T2. Shame really since I really liked him as Reese and wished he had more roles. There are some other notable actors such as Earl Boen as Silverman, as well as Paul Winfield and Lance Henrikson as the two police detectives. The music by Brad Fredel is still a great listen with the tone shifting from eerie to intense with ease. While the use of synthisizers is common in 1980s film scores, it is used to great effect here along with metalic sounds when the Terminator is on screen. In all, for a freshman directoral effort, The Terminator is probably one of the best debut films. James Cameron really showed that he had could hold a film together this early in his career and the film is still impressive today. In all, not only is it my favorite Terminator film, but one of my favorite films in general.

I’ve been watching Stargate SG1 over the past few months and I was surprised how good the show was. However, when it comes to the 1994 film, it seems that the consensus is that it’s very average. Stargate fans seem to think that the 1994 films is a good idea that was better fleshed out in the shows. Even at the time the film was not particularly well-liked, critics didn’t care much for it and (according to those I knew who saw it in theaters) audiences at the end had a “Eh, that was alright” reaction to it. Similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it seems that the shows have outdone the movie. That said, Stargate is a good film on its own merit, but not a great one. Its premise is great and I’m glad it was greatly fleshed out in the shows since a wormhole that takes people to other worlds mixed with ancient aliens was great. For a start, I really enjoyed the two lead performances. While O’Neill and Jackson are archetypes, both actors played them well and honestly the characters are as archetypical as the characters in the 1977 Star Wars. I’m actually suprised that the film dealt with something as serious as grief when it came to O’Neill’s son, while I heard some critics say that Kurt Russell phoned in his performance he was given more serious material to work with. But, by the end the character is more relaxed and similar to how he is in the SG1 show. James Spader did a pretty good job considering he hated the script, I guess it shows that some actors can put in a worthwhile performance even if their doing it for a paycheck. I think that the films weakness is that the beginning and end are great, but the middle drags with the characters interacting with those who live in tue settlement. While it does lend more character growth and furthers the plot, it feels like the characters are just doing nothing. This is a shame since the buildup in the first third to eventually entering the Stargate and the last third where Ra attempts to destroy Earth is really good. Jaye Davison was actually pretty intimidating as Ra since he was a teenage looking man with the power of a god and it’s a shame he quite acting after this film. I will also say that the music and production design is very impressive and lends a sense of grandeur. It’s not perfect, but I don’t think Stargate is a write-off or just a lame movie that the TV shows would better flesh-out. It drags at points but the likable characters, music, design-work, and concept alone make for an entertaining film. 7/10