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SpokaneMan
Reviews
The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)
Great story...that desperately needs a reboot!
I'm in a weird position with this movie. I watched it when it first came out, when my boys were still quite young, and remember liking it immensely. Now, all these years later, I saw it on Neflix Instant and thought it would be fun to watch with my eleven year old stepson. Wow, what a difference 20 years makes! I could hardly stand to watch this show through (Actually, I didn't. I got a call part way through and used it as an excuse to miss a large part of it!). I have to second what others have said about the god-awful acting by everyone in this film. It just all grated on me...the moralizing speeches by the father, the rants of the coach, and, to the greatest extent, the horrible performance by the lead. Another reviewer mentioned the whispering narrator. Listening to him made the hair on my neck bristle! In this era of Hollywood "rebooting" movies (i.e. The Hulk, Spiderman, etc.), this is a story worthy of a new -- and much more refined -- look. Pistol Pete's story is inspirational and I'd love for someone to put it in a movie that doesn't make me want to run an ice pick through my right temple.
Side Note: My stepson actually seemed to like the movie. Perhaps one of the reasons I appreciated it all those years ago was because it was so squeaky clean and, as a parent, I didn't have to cringe my way through any of the subject matter.
Sherlock (2010)
A great, big, YES!
I have only seen the first episode so far, so this review will be limited. I, like many other reviewers, have been a huge Sherlock fan. My infatuation started as a child, watching the old Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce episodes with my sister(which, really, were nothing as close to accurate as the current series, modernization aside). And then, of course, the Jeremy Brett series. One of the irksome things to me in renditions of SH have been the portrayal of Watson as a bumbling buffoon (i.e. Nigel Bruce's turn). In the books, Watson is an extremely intelligent and competent companion whom Holmes solidly relied on. It's just that, compared to Holmes, almost everyone looks kind of oafish! I have read through all of Doyle's stories 2-3 times (I typically wait until time has erased much of the plot from my memory, and hopefully some of the endings, then re-read them). It has been a while since I've read through them, so I'm sure I'm missing some of the subtle nods to the original stories that several views have caught. I think my favorite, though, in the first episode were the nicotine patches! Hilarious! I imagine if this were an HBO series they would have stuck with the heroin...
My wife and I do not always have the same taste in shows (myself, as an American weened on a wide variety of British shows, I love them. Her, not so much). However, after watching the first 20 minutes or so of the first episode I stopped it (thank you Netflix - please put up all the episode for instant play!) and pitched it to her as Criminal Minds meets the Mentalist (two shows she loves). So, we watched the entire first episode together and she loved it! Now, I just need to keep my insider comments to myself...
Hawthorne (2009)
Over Acting Defined
I will probably sound like a hater in this review, but please understand that I have really, REALLY tried to like this show. I also understand that reviews are simply one person's opinion - even though I may have strong feelings, I don't discount the enjoyment others may get out of this show. My wife likes it, and so I have continued to watch it with her. Please consider this my vent about my feeling on this show that I can't say to her! Also, I seem to remember liking the first season a lot more than the current season. OK, my gripes: 1. OVER/BAD ACTING - Seriously, the acting is just horrible. I think the actors are probably good, so perhaps it's direction? Regardless, it just seems over the top and cheesy most of the time. I could start pulling out examples, but really, any segment between commercials will bear this out.
2. DISJOINTED STORY LINES - The plot is all over the place, with situations coming and going without any cohesion. I saw another reviewer call this out with examples, so I won't reinvent that wheel. However, last night's episode, with the creepy guy with the beard and the ring showing up at the hospital and the funeral. It's like these people are dogs or babies; the moment something/someone leaves their purview it's like it doesn't exist for them anymore.
3. WTF Christina?? - I am just not getting the whole cheating on her husband thing. The time line is disjointed, so I can't get a bead on how long she and her new husband have actually been married. However, I have lost respect for her character over that. I know, I know, it's fiction, but still, you're actually supposed to like the protagonist in a story. Horrible acting aside, any validity her character had just went down the drain for me.
4. AN ENTIRE SEASON OF HAWTHORNE NOT BEING AN RN - I thought the HawthoRNe was the entire point of the series, and yet the writers have effectively kept her out of the hospital (as a staff person) for an entire season. And the fact that her boss dismissed her for the most ridiculous of reasons (because she was attacked on their property??) and this doesn't become a major plot line is beyond me. These people could be working in a brokerage firm for the amount of actual patient care they were shown doing this season.
Okay, I'll stop. Again, this is the pent up frustration of watching this show for nearly the entire second season hoping/praying it will get better, only to be disappointed more each episode. I typically look forward to season finales, but not usually just so the pain will end.