Friday, September 11, 2020

Entertainment Round-Up—Survival, Laughter, and Yawns

Alone (Season 5)—Not bad. Mongolia is simply beautiful! This one was a bit more anti-

She's all business!

climactic. Also, I was VERY annoyed at the contestants who didn’t put a roof on their shelter. Maybe I’m just not that knowledgeable about survival and physics and whatnot. Still, seems like a solid, insulated roof would go some distance to keeping the warmth in your shelter. (Hulu)

Cobra Kai (Season 2)—Is good. A solid follow-up to Season 1 and a good lead in to Season 3. It’s pretty clear where the writers are taking us throughout, and at a few points it’s frustrating how slowly they’re taking us there. There are some REALLY smart moments but a few REALLY dumb ones. That’s people in the real world, too. (Netflix)

Star Trek: Lower Decks—Doesn’t suck. I wasn’t fully sold on this animated sideshow, but some/most of the story arcs would be cost prohibitive. There’s nothing overly serious about this one, which makes for some laugh-out-loud and some aww moments. (CBS All Access)

Away—Is a struggle. With Hilary Swank and Josh Charles along with the supporting cast, there’s some incredible acting going on. I just wish they had a better vehicle. A three-year round trip to Mars should be awesome. Most of the drama is conjured and forced into place with a hydraulic press. The writers ignore the practicalities/realities of pretty much any situational obstacles that come up, and break then shatter then stomp on the shards of willing suspension of disbelief. It makes it hard for me to enjoy something that otherwise checks all the boxes. (Netflix)

Mulan (2020 Live Action)—Doesn’t suck. It doesn’t rule either. As a Disney conversation to live action, this one diverges the most from its animated release, pulling a bit more from “The Ballad of Mulan”. That makes the movie better than a retelling of a Disney story which is a good thing. Really good wuxia, solid acting, and beautiful visuals. (Disney+)

Did I get it right? Wrong? What would you like me to review next?

Tell me in the comments below! 

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