Forest Armstrong

If you like superhero movies, then you probably don't care if the movie is good or not. If superhero movies aren't your thing, then you might find something to enjoy in "Samaritan" but I'm not sure I'd recommend it overall. There are a lot of issues with writing and underdeveloped characters, but it it not wholly incompetent in execution. There is a good twist wasted by the story. You see it coming a mile away, and are more surprised at how long it takes for the reveal, and the reveal itself is rather underwhelming, but the build up is pretty well done. The movie is not entirely without subtext, but it never reaches any logical place; for instance, the title character's backstory and motivations never go beyond surface-level. Why do two characters have the relationship they had? What impact did certain events really have on characters? The movie clearly suffers from a case of trying to cover too much ground; though entertaining, it will leave you feeling like a lot was missing in retrospect.

I love the game and the gameplay loop is quite addicting, especially early on; I just think it can be a little too easy to max some trees out. You are actually encouraged to care for your community; while the game is not strictly difficult, it can be challenging to balance being an effective leader managing your flock with your one-lamb crusade against evil. There is no avoiding the issue that people are going to hate the game simply because it uses religious imagery. However, it is worth acknowledging that imagery itself has no power, it is people and thier beliefs that make icons what they are. The game itself is not evil, in fact it is quite good, but it does address the topics of morality and it gives players the option of committing both good and evil acts. While it does justify evil acts through game mechanics, it is still ultimately your choice to commit them. Recall the tale of Abraham, of whom God had demanded he sacrifice his beloved son Isaac as a test of his faith to his Lord. Is your faith so fragile that you cannot withstand the spiritual challenge of a simple videogame?

It's too early to tell if this is a 5-star series yet, but it has a lot of promise. I also see a lot of hate directed at it concerning various small details. The overall effect of the show is brilliant, so far. Seeing Obi wan after 10 years of hiding suddenly called back into action is a unique experience, but some 1-star reviews would have you believe that order 66 just happened and Obi wan is as fit as he's ever been (he's not, Ewan McGreggor has definitely lost muscle mass since Revenge of the Sith). It is great to see the former Jedi Master become adapted to a life of fear and cowardice in the name of survival. The main villain, Reva, is pretty compelling, she subverts your expectation for a skilled Jedi Hunter, and fills the role of an ambitious sith apprentice, which leaves room for Hayden Christensen's terrifying ball of hate and murderous intent that is Darth Vader when he enters the scene. While I will agree there are some goofy moments that betray logic (that is something of a Star Wars staple even in the original trilogy) the show sticks to reason and keeps what has always made Star Wars work: the emotion. The acting is top notch, and if you have any degree of emotional intelligence you will find the story being told through facial expressions and word choice far exceeds anything you could have ever expected.

In a word: amazing. It manages to deliver on the epic scale hinted at by Jim Henson's original work. Unfortunately, the villains largely outshine the heroes as scenes with the Skeksis are vastly more intriguing than any that explore the actual Resistance. Simon Pegg's Chamberlain character is (still) the greatest character in the series as the self-interested, coniving, manipulative and power-hungry antagonist, and is a phenominal match to Frank Oz's original performance. Perhaps it is simply nostalgia, but the Resistance lacked the depth of the Skeksis, and the heroes felt largely clichéd but not entirely unoriginal. It is a great show, overall, and I hope to see more, but the knowledge that this tragedy will end offers more solace than it probably should.

I feel that "background noise" is the best term to describe this series; the first time I watched it, I only listened to it, with the occassional glance for context. After all was said and done, I watched it again, this time with more focus, and wound up just as bored as before. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the show; I can appreciate the effort that went into it, and if it interests you, go ahead and give it a watch. I will say, however, that the plot often seems rushed, sacrificing momentum just to hit the next plot point. In a plot as convoluted as this, it is not necessarily a good thing. A lot will happen in an episode, which my friend said makes it "exciting", but we have different ideas of good media. I am not interested in a second season, but my friend is. It is not good, and it is not bad, it is just made for different people.

Some hits, some misses, but the general quality is very high. Episodes rarely cease to be interesting; they do what they want, be it mindless action, thought provoking commentary, or dramatic high concept. Have fun with the show, and know each episode is truely unique.

I think it is well written and it does a great job of establishing atmosphere. Unfortunately, it does assume too much of the audience. It is a sad fact of modern media that you can't jump into a series and expect to be up to speed without watching a handful of other movies and shows. The only unique problem is that this show assumes you are in for the long haul and, like Game of Thrones, tries to keep the audience hooked by dangling promised plot points. By the time it all comes to a head, you can't be blamed for either being over-hyped or totally disappointed. Fortunately, the series has a single writer/director behind it, so hopefully that means it will all be cohesive and not a cobbled together mess. But at nearly an hour an episode, they really test your patience with pacing and unresolved plot elements.