Paul Harms

My review ~ I believe this attempt to portray a panorama of attitudes, personalities, cultural malaise, personal courage, mindless puppets, in short, a strife riddled societal Gordian Knot, proves to be a breath taking act of courage. A thoughtful read of the other reviews will show that your own personal perspective is the only "review" that has any significance & will be a reflection of your own temperament "tempered" by "your" own unique life & all it's perspectives. It "IS" a dark, brooding & sometimes tragic contemplation of humankind's incredible complexity in it's struggle with societal reaction to imposed expectations for "sorting out" STATUS. It is a rather thorough, perhaps risky attempt to deal with humankind's foiables. It's deliberatness "might" get tedious for some but I found the tedium easy to bypass. You decide. The complaints that others have pointed out, (diverse writers / directors prompt "uneveness") while sometimes dimly legitimate, Should Not detract from the thought provoking contemplations that seem to be the goal of this Ambitious effort. Humankind's imperfections ARE soul wrenching. Again- YOU decide. GOOD LUCK!

I would agree that the writing deteriorated for the 2nd half when it came to plot & dialog. It was "ok" if a bit simplistic & rather predictable. How to evaluate the "predictability" is up to the viewer. I found it OK. The river rapids sequences are rather Breath Taking & worth the time spent watching some good actors making an inconsistant plot work. At some point - I suspect I'll watch it again. No profundity here. Just some good family entertainment that will keep you on the edge of your seats.

THIS Could have been a great movie. The beginning is frankly fabulous. It is a "good" movie with an OK ending but the writing for the middle (good ideas there) gets uneven which is disappointing. The music is perhaps the best feature along with a good idea whose promise is left only partially fulfilled. I liked most of the acting. When innocence meets absolute msddness we approach a horror movie that we didn't anticipate.

Half way through episode 3, I chose to look at the reviews. They confirmed what I had suspected - "this" is agenda projecting rather than a clarification of history. It might easily be described as propoganda. You decide We are now and always have been at the mercy of storytellers. Reading several reviews found here will provide details which I will not repeat. I have no quibble with personal "axe grinding" but at age 84 I recognize craftiness when I see it. Stars are required to make a post so "1" will suffice. I "will" finish the series in search of redeeming features

I often like to take notes or make observations on what I watch. Sometimes I don't as I merely want to be entertained & not make what I'm watching a "Study / Source" of social or psychological input. About 15 minutes into Voyagers I grabbed my laptop & typed: " It seems to me that this show is about regular self-discovery with different, albeit abnormal, obstacles and challenges. The psychology of humankind's individual personality is not to be denied. Apparently the designers of this trip had hoped to control that psychology ". 20 minutes into the show I decided to read some reviews. They are a worthwhile read & may suggest you spend your time elsewhere. I stopped reading the reviews after Roger Ebert. As I did not go beyond 22 minutes I feel my 3 stars are not meaningful.

Since there are some thoughtful & comprehensive reviews found here (Roger Ebert comes to mind) I will limit myself to just two observations. First, Peter Jackson's fantasy reimagining of the 1933 Classic rises to the challenge in wonderful fashion but is a bit too long in the reimagining. The "fantasy" seems deeper, however, than one might normally anticiate. The "connection" (bond?) bridging the vast devide between species seems a Peter Jackson message that we fall short or even sabatage the possibility of bridging our dissimilarities in a deeply poignant manner. "THAT" is the Real Fantasy. That we would evolve - connect, perhaps even bond. ((Sigh!))

5 Stars (*****), However, It is said that we have Paleolithic emotions; Medieval institutions & god-like Technology; -> Meaning our primive selves are being managed by barbaric customs enabled by technology that delivers our primitive predispositions to one another at warp speed. Ugliness reigns supreme here regardless of really incredible acting, directing & production values. Despite all the Well Deserved Accolades accorded to this movie (It is among the best!) it still represents "Teststerone Run Amok" wheather by bad guys or the heroic father. The accompanying reviews will testify to a great movie but its greatness should not distract that civilization is in a state of chaotic mismanagement. Human Trafficking is beyond ugly & fighting that ugliness here just might be just as ugly as the perpetrators in spite of perceived justification. "Taken" will almost assuredly be worth the time spent in viewing it. The plot is a bit preposterous but there are messages here that should be heeded. Please forgive the "grim" tone of this report but reality doesn't notice mine or your feelings.

Clancy's meticulously & carefully crafted storyline is really too tough to capture. It appears that this "offering" is a weak attempt to hitchhike on Clancy's notoriety & Jordan's popularity. Any resemblance to the Clancy yarn is tentative, disjointed & awkward. Trying to rewrite Clancy is a monumental undertaking and this one misses the mark.

If you haven't seen this before & your the father of a 10 or 11 year old daughter ~ you "might" want a box of tissue nearby. Had this one preceded Olypus Has Fallen I wonder about the ratings ratio. The overall concept, while a bit extreme & a bit "cluttered" does not overextend the imagination too much & WILL keep your focus as well as emotional engagement. Those professing professional detachment may quibble with it but it is definitely worth a lazy aftetnoon's attention. Enjoy!

Stand By Me! ~ R & R (Review & Remember!!) WHAT A JOLT! I was “stunned” at the end of the movie which I just saw for only the 2nd time. The first time was back in 1986 in a movie theater. I enjoyed it then but had no idea that it would jolt me into tears here in 2022. I leaked tears all over. Why? You will find several well written and generally “Spot On”reviews brimming with accolades. I didn’t read them all but agree with all those that I read. I was born in 1939 & graduated High School in 1958. THE 1950s WAS MY DECADE! I’m something of a world traveler, have a couple of degrees, have sung opera, raised more than one family, speak a 2nd language and still read voraciously. I have taught every grade level from the Primary grades through College / University & am “Extremely” fond of my High School teaching experience. Wonderful! I’m now 82 & we are raising an adopted 11 year old we have had since infancy. IT HAS BEEN A VERY RICH LIFE! I was therefore quite startled when I found myself weeping towards the end of the movie. The very last words you can see on the screen clear up the mystery. Read the reviews and see the movie. It is “Time Travel” at its best! Addendum ~ It seems to me that the 50s was the last decade of honest authenticity. Even the unoplogetic bigotry was authentic as UGLY as THAT was. (I knew it well enough as I crossed the color line and reaped a whilrwind.) THE DIRECT AND UNFILTERED EXPERIENCE OF ADOLESCENT FRIENDSHIP COMING OF AGE is gone forever. i cherish the struggles. The loss of those times gives rise to an ache that I cannot describe or communicate. I’m not sure that the movie does “that” either BU IT SURE DOES TRY! It “IS” worth your time!