"Riddick" Review (Spoilers)
Feb. 2nd, 2022 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of The Book Of Boba Fett, Superman & Lois, and Naomi.
Riddick
It was certainly better than Chronicles Of Riddick, but that's a double-edged sword. The fact that Riddick is essentially King in this film for less than two minutes makes the arc of that movie seem even more pointless than it did at the time.
There is a horror aesthetic to this film similar to Pitch Black.
I liked Riddick's friendship with the alien dingo. But I did NOT like the creepy way Riddick treated Dahl. It's very hard to fathom how a character like that has a science fiction franchise based around him. Ultimately, I think Riddick is pretty gross.
For the record, I liked the ending. There is nothing wrong with a happy ending. At all.
The movie is honestly only so-so. But I outright disliked Chronicles Of Riddick, so this movie being SO much better than it probably makes me feel warmer towards it than it really deserves. If THIS was the first follow-up tp Pitch Black I might not have liked it. Since it's the follow up to Chronicles instead it's a lot more solid in comparison. ***1/2.
The Book Of Boba Fett "From The Desert Comes A Stranger"
This show is extremely polarizing and I bet this is the most polarizing episode of all. Before, I was pretty comfortable defending the show. And while I won't go so far as to bash the episode, I will admit I am at a loss as to what to make of it. That is probably the most narratively confusing Star Wars episode or movie I have ever seen. Not because I didn't understand what was happening. But I didn't understand the purpose of why we saw the things we did, especially in the penultimate episode.
I have said before that Temuera Morrison is a very unlikely actor to center a show around. By the beginning of last episode, it is clear the producers agree, and sort of lost interest in his portrayal of Boba Fett. I would argue that's the reason the episode doesn't work, or at least it doesn't work right. This is no longer Boba Fett's show, which is wrong.
But while I can't defend the episode, I can't dismiss it either. Because even if I think centering an entire episode around Luke Skywalker and Grogu is an utter distraction and waste of valuable screentime (and it is) there is something nervy about it occurring in this episode. Is the show better off for it? No. Do the appearances of R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, and Cad Bane add anything to Boba's story? No. So why do it? And I think the answer is not good enough, and at the same time it's all the answer they need: Because they can. Because Mark Hamill said yes. Because longtime Star Wars fans will probably not begrudge this specific detour and update, even if it weakens this specific show. If this show had a more rabid following, I could see them getting pissed. But the entire tone and mindset of the show has been meandering from the get-go, so these side trips really aren't new. The problem is they shouldn't be occurring in the penultimate episode. But they do. Simply because they can.
I hope Grogu chose the armor. I suspect he did because The Mandalorian TV show would be worse off without The Child / Baby Yoda. It felt like a fine ending to season two to put him with Luke, but it also didn't feel like the right ending for the character. Now the big question for me is why they didn't save all this stuff for Mando's own show, and are totally stepping on Boba's toes. I don't know about what behind-the-scenes drama goes on in the filming of this show, but if I were Morrison, I would actually be offended. And yeah, this episode was bad for this show. Was it actually bad? I can't quite go that far.
I thought the opening scene with Vanth was epic. I mean, he kicks over the spice in the sand. The tension at the end with Bane is real, but I don't think it's actually in too much doubt after he did that.
Good for the show for getting Corey Burton back for Bane. He is irreplaceable for that character, just like the guy who voiced Thrawn on Rebels. The cool thing about getting Burton and giving him a main guest star credit is that although Burton is familiar to cartoon fans, he's not actually a name get. The show recast Ahsoka with Rosario Dawson because Dawson has star power, and Ashley Eckstein does not. It's nice they won't be doing that for all the cartoon characters. Some of their voices simply can't stand to be recast. I include Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in this by the way. Ray Park can screw himself, but we'll always need Witwer for Maul.
Was that great? No. Is it sure to cause a fuss / uproar and blow up the internet? Yeah. Definitely. Which is probably all the reason they needed to do it. But I'm wary. Next week could be great or it could suck. What I don't predict is that it will be satisfying. I don't think that after this week this show is capable of that specific thing. ***.
Superman & Lois "The Inverse Method"
Aw crap. That was good. Until it fell apart at the ending. BIG Arrowverse Red Flag. I'm not happy.
The problem with Chrissy going to Allie is simply this: I didn't find the recorded part of Lois's conversation remotely damning. Her opinion that she didn't print her sister's rantings because they were crazy is freaking sound. And it's weird the show is acting like it's a controversy. I would not be happy if Lois did shoddy journalism. But they can't ever convince me this could pass for that.
Sam Lane saving Jordan's bacon was awesome, but the more I think about that scene, the less I like it. How the HELL did Sam Lane happen to be monitoring a random convenience store's security feed at that exact moment? It makes no sense. And it's a damn cute scene, so I was all set to forgive it. Then Sam agrees to train Jordan and makes him promise to keep it a secret. BOTH of those things are entirely out of character. Sam as written properly in season one would NEVER consent to Jordan putting himself in danger. And if he ever did, he wouldn't be keeping it a secret from Lois and Clark. It's, yes, bad and sloppy writing, and the show writing a character out of character.
I am unsurprised Kyle is a philanderer. I don't agree with the show that Kyle actually has redeeming qualities, so I'm unsurprised. What surprises me is that neither he nor Lana ever thought he would be the target of the political smear campaign. It's ridiculous they were worried about Sarah. A politician goes after a suicidal pretty white teenage girl, the public is just going to give her and her parents sympathy. The fact that Lana actually thought Sarah's attempted suicide could be a political liability is another thing to show that Lana is absolutely incompetent at politics and has no idea what she's doing.
This review is a turning point for me, and you'll probably see it. And it also breaks my heart. I am no longer reviewing this show as the special show I loved so much last season. I'm starting to judge it by Arrowverse standards. In fairness, it is still above average by Arrowverse standards. But the show is no longer special or in a class by itself. And I'm pissed about that.
Were there good things? Of course, for some reason, Lois' grudge against Allie in the opening scene feels far realer and ,more personal than Superman's stuff with Morgan Edge / Tal. That should tell you right away what kind of viewer I am. I won't apologize for it. Allie is a pretty loathsome villain, and the Crisis was NOT good for Lucy Lane.
I'm unhappy though. Very. ***.
Naomi "Enigma"
Okay, I've pinpointed the problem with Naomi's parents. They are TOO cool. They want their daughter's acceptance TOO much. I understand immediately upon their profuse apology and begging for forgiveness why Naomi refuses to stay mad at them. But that's unfair of them to put on her. She should be allowed to be mad at them without them guilting her into forgiving them. They are emotionally needy and controlling. What's interesting is that I do agree that they aren't bad, and Naomi should forgive them. The thing is, that is something that needs to be talked about, addressed, explored, and understood before that can happen. It's not just a given. And it shouldn't be. They shouldn't be putting that emotional burden on a teenage girl.
As an adopted kid I found something very not true to life. Naomi says she's spent all her time wondering about her birth parents. That does not describe me at all. And in absolutely fairness to this show, my experience is not that of all adopted kids. But the truth is fiction refuses to show my viewpoint. EVER. And that's the problem. And I had a VERY troubled and problematic relationship with my parents growing up. When my birth parents barely cross my mind ever, how I am supposed to react to someone like Naomi who has the best and most seemingly well-adjusted parents ever for being on the specific end of that spectrum? If anything, it should be the other way around. And the fact that it isn't drives me crazy about fiction. Deep down all writers of fiction believe adopted kids are illegitimate and only want their "real" parents. Every writer of fiction. And as an adopted kid, that moral hurts. And I'm fed up with it and I would like to hear more adopted fanboys and girls talk about how they personally don't find anything missing in their lives in that department. Because fiction loves to tug at the heartstrings with stories of adoption. But every adoption story's moral appears to be that you can't beat the real thing. I find it offensive. I wouldn't if the perspectives were varied (just like all adopted kids feel differently about any given subject) but it's uniform and designed to make us feel less-than. It's not okay.
One last complaint. And this is an Arrowverse complaint, but it's a problem with all genre too, and can even be a problem with procedural drama. But Naomi trying to stretch the moral of honesty over the controversy of candy bars in the snack machines is beyond a stretch and clunky as hell. For some reason, all genre, especially comic book genre, believes the B story must resonate thematically with the A story. If the A story isn't actually teaching Naomi the most virtuous way to run for class President, genre believes it must be adjusted so that it does. And it doesn't work here. And it doesn't work usually. And it's certainly not a good thing to wedge into every given episode (I sneering at you, Lucifer). Sometimes I think all genre would be better off if I ran it. Not wrote it. But ran it. Shows like this need competent story editors in the worst way.
I liked the tension the show found between Dee and the McDuffies. The brilliant thing is that all three of those characters are reasonable, friendly, honest, and want what's best for Naomi. And they found ways to make it beyond awkward anyways. And what's best is those ways were actually completely believable. Most shows in that position with those specific characters would wind up creating false drama out of pure laziness. Every ounce of cringe and concern between those adults felt 100% in character instead which impresses the hell out of me.
So-so week. There were things I liked and things I didn't. ***1/2.
Riddick
It was certainly better than Chronicles Of Riddick, but that's a double-edged sword. The fact that Riddick is essentially King in this film for less than two minutes makes the arc of that movie seem even more pointless than it did at the time.
There is a horror aesthetic to this film similar to Pitch Black.
I liked Riddick's friendship with the alien dingo. But I did NOT like the creepy way Riddick treated Dahl. It's very hard to fathom how a character like that has a science fiction franchise based around him. Ultimately, I think Riddick is pretty gross.
For the record, I liked the ending. There is nothing wrong with a happy ending. At all.
The movie is honestly only so-so. But I outright disliked Chronicles Of Riddick, so this movie being SO much better than it probably makes me feel warmer towards it than it really deserves. If THIS was the first follow-up tp Pitch Black I might not have liked it. Since it's the follow up to Chronicles instead it's a lot more solid in comparison. ***1/2.
The Book Of Boba Fett "From The Desert Comes A Stranger"
This show is extremely polarizing and I bet this is the most polarizing episode of all. Before, I was pretty comfortable defending the show. And while I won't go so far as to bash the episode, I will admit I am at a loss as to what to make of it. That is probably the most narratively confusing Star Wars episode or movie I have ever seen. Not because I didn't understand what was happening. But I didn't understand the purpose of why we saw the things we did, especially in the penultimate episode.
I have said before that Temuera Morrison is a very unlikely actor to center a show around. By the beginning of last episode, it is clear the producers agree, and sort of lost interest in his portrayal of Boba Fett. I would argue that's the reason the episode doesn't work, or at least it doesn't work right. This is no longer Boba Fett's show, which is wrong.
But while I can't defend the episode, I can't dismiss it either. Because even if I think centering an entire episode around Luke Skywalker and Grogu is an utter distraction and waste of valuable screentime (and it is) there is something nervy about it occurring in this episode. Is the show better off for it? No. Do the appearances of R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, and Cad Bane add anything to Boba's story? No. So why do it? And I think the answer is not good enough, and at the same time it's all the answer they need: Because they can. Because Mark Hamill said yes. Because longtime Star Wars fans will probably not begrudge this specific detour and update, even if it weakens this specific show. If this show had a more rabid following, I could see them getting pissed. But the entire tone and mindset of the show has been meandering from the get-go, so these side trips really aren't new. The problem is they shouldn't be occurring in the penultimate episode. But they do. Simply because they can.
I hope Grogu chose the armor. I suspect he did because The Mandalorian TV show would be worse off without The Child / Baby Yoda. It felt like a fine ending to season two to put him with Luke, but it also didn't feel like the right ending for the character. Now the big question for me is why they didn't save all this stuff for Mando's own show, and are totally stepping on Boba's toes. I don't know about what behind-the-scenes drama goes on in the filming of this show, but if I were Morrison, I would actually be offended. And yeah, this episode was bad for this show. Was it actually bad? I can't quite go that far.
I thought the opening scene with Vanth was epic. I mean, he kicks over the spice in the sand. The tension at the end with Bane is real, but I don't think it's actually in too much doubt after he did that.
Good for the show for getting Corey Burton back for Bane. He is irreplaceable for that character, just like the guy who voiced Thrawn on Rebels. The cool thing about getting Burton and giving him a main guest star credit is that although Burton is familiar to cartoon fans, he's not actually a name get. The show recast Ahsoka with Rosario Dawson because Dawson has star power, and Ashley Eckstein does not. It's nice they won't be doing that for all the cartoon characters. Some of their voices simply can't stand to be recast. I include Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in this by the way. Ray Park can screw himself, but we'll always need Witwer for Maul.
Was that great? No. Is it sure to cause a fuss / uproar and blow up the internet? Yeah. Definitely. Which is probably all the reason they needed to do it. But I'm wary. Next week could be great or it could suck. What I don't predict is that it will be satisfying. I don't think that after this week this show is capable of that specific thing. ***.
Superman & Lois "The Inverse Method"
Aw crap. That was good. Until it fell apart at the ending. BIG Arrowverse Red Flag. I'm not happy.
The problem with Chrissy going to Allie is simply this: I didn't find the recorded part of Lois's conversation remotely damning. Her opinion that she didn't print her sister's rantings because they were crazy is freaking sound. And it's weird the show is acting like it's a controversy. I would not be happy if Lois did shoddy journalism. But they can't ever convince me this could pass for that.
Sam Lane saving Jordan's bacon was awesome, but the more I think about that scene, the less I like it. How the HELL did Sam Lane happen to be monitoring a random convenience store's security feed at that exact moment? It makes no sense. And it's a damn cute scene, so I was all set to forgive it. Then Sam agrees to train Jordan and makes him promise to keep it a secret. BOTH of those things are entirely out of character. Sam as written properly in season one would NEVER consent to Jordan putting himself in danger. And if he ever did, he wouldn't be keeping it a secret from Lois and Clark. It's, yes, bad and sloppy writing, and the show writing a character out of character.
I am unsurprised Kyle is a philanderer. I don't agree with the show that Kyle actually has redeeming qualities, so I'm unsurprised. What surprises me is that neither he nor Lana ever thought he would be the target of the political smear campaign. It's ridiculous they were worried about Sarah. A politician goes after a suicidal pretty white teenage girl, the public is just going to give her and her parents sympathy. The fact that Lana actually thought Sarah's attempted suicide could be a political liability is another thing to show that Lana is absolutely incompetent at politics and has no idea what she's doing.
This review is a turning point for me, and you'll probably see it. And it also breaks my heart. I am no longer reviewing this show as the special show I loved so much last season. I'm starting to judge it by Arrowverse standards. In fairness, it is still above average by Arrowverse standards. But the show is no longer special or in a class by itself. And I'm pissed about that.
Were there good things? Of course, for some reason, Lois' grudge against Allie in the opening scene feels far realer and ,more personal than Superman's stuff with Morgan Edge / Tal. That should tell you right away what kind of viewer I am. I won't apologize for it. Allie is a pretty loathsome villain, and the Crisis was NOT good for Lucy Lane.
I'm unhappy though. Very. ***.
Naomi "Enigma"
Okay, I've pinpointed the problem with Naomi's parents. They are TOO cool. They want their daughter's acceptance TOO much. I understand immediately upon their profuse apology and begging for forgiveness why Naomi refuses to stay mad at them. But that's unfair of them to put on her. She should be allowed to be mad at them without them guilting her into forgiving them. They are emotionally needy and controlling. What's interesting is that I do agree that they aren't bad, and Naomi should forgive them. The thing is, that is something that needs to be talked about, addressed, explored, and understood before that can happen. It's not just a given. And it shouldn't be. They shouldn't be putting that emotional burden on a teenage girl.
As an adopted kid I found something very not true to life. Naomi says she's spent all her time wondering about her birth parents. That does not describe me at all. And in absolutely fairness to this show, my experience is not that of all adopted kids. But the truth is fiction refuses to show my viewpoint. EVER. And that's the problem. And I had a VERY troubled and problematic relationship with my parents growing up. When my birth parents barely cross my mind ever, how I am supposed to react to someone like Naomi who has the best and most seemingly well-adjusted parents ever for being on the specific end of that spectrum? If anything, it should be the other way around. And the fact that it isn't drives me crazy about fiction. Deep down all writers of fiction believe adopted kids are illegitimate and only want their "real" parents. Every writer of fiction. And as an adopted kid, that moral hurts. And I'm fed up with it and I would like to hear more adopted fanboys and girls talk about how they personally don't find anything missing in their lives in that department. Because fiction loves to tug at the heartstrings with stories of adoption. But every adoption story's moral appears to be that you can't beat the real thing. I find it offensive. I wouldn't if the perspectives were varied (just like all adopted kids feel differently about any given subject) but it's uniform and designed to make us feel less-than. It's not okay.
One last complaint. And this is an Arrowverse complaint, but it's a problem with all genre too, and can even be a problem with procedural drama. But Naomi trying to stretch the moral of honesty over the controversy of candy bars in the snack machines is beyond a stretch and clunky as hell. For some reason, all genre, especially comic book genre, believes the B story must resonate thematically with the A story. If the A story isn't actually teaching Naomi the most virtuous way to run for class President, genre believes it must be adjusted so that it does. And it doesn't work here. And it doesn't work usually. And it's certainly not a good thing to wedge into every given episode (I sneering at you, Lucifer). Sometimes I think all genre would be better off if I ran it. Not wrote it. But ran it. Shows like this need competent story editors in the worst way.
I liked the tension the show found between Dee and the McDuffies. The brilliant thing is that all three of those characters are reasonable, friendly, honest, and want what's best for Naomi. And they found ways to make it beyond awkward anyways. And what's best is those ways were actually completely believable. Most shows in that position with those specific characters would wind up creating false drama out of pure laziness. Every ounce of cringe and concern between those adults felt 100% in character instead which impresses the hell out of me.
So-so week. There were things I liked and things I didn't. ***1/2.
