Reviews

Yes, there are lots of little plot lines, yes there are multiple tv tropes at play and yes it is a tearjerker most episodes. It's also well written dialogue, and has characters that you can root for quickly, and the story lines are fast. It's not full of filler and unnecessary garbage. I think this is a show designed for today's smart tv viewer who doesn't have to have everything spelled out for them, and who isn't afraid to cry over characters in a tv show. And not for nothing, if you let it, this show can lead into some thoughtful discussions about some potentially tough subjects, like the best episodes of "This is Us".

This splendid musical is filmed right from the stage and I mean filmed RIGHT. The camera catches the amazing dance moves and swoops in for close ups that speak volumes. I think you get a better view than you would in the live audience. This is a dance show. I would guess that more than 80% of the show is choreographed. The subtle use of the team of backup dancers to show us the weight of the men who didn't make it home that they guys carry with them is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Every scene change is another mini dance number. It is a joy to experience this musical. I saw this in a movie theater as part of Fathom events and have been searching for it ever since. Broadway on Demand made it available for Memorial Day and it was the perfect date to see it again. The cast is uniformly amazing. I was gobsmacked at the preview feature that showed that most of the guys in the band were not primarily actors. The guys in the band are all playing their own instruments on stage. Fun trivia: When Donnie and Julia sing into the period microphones, they are actually using those mics, not their wig mics. The story is a young returning vet, Donnie Novitsky, who puts together a band of other vets to win a radio contest. His best buddy, who didn't make it back, asked him to look out for his widow Julia. Donnie discovers her amazing voice and she joins the band. The band, with a lot of help from the good folks of Cleveland, make it to the big contest. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I will warn you to have tissues handy. And honestly, if the Cleveland city fathers don't make the song about Cleveland their city anthem, they deserve to have the Cuyahoga catch on fire again. (Just kiddin').

I don't consider myself a Tarantino fan but I'm rethinking that now. I realize my distrust stems from the level of violence in some of his movies. I approached this a bit warily as I am well studied in the historical events of the time. About half way through I remembered that I really liked Inglorious Bastards. I spent the bulk of the movie dreading the ending until the last 20 minutes. This is both a love letter to an era that is long gone and a wish for a better ending for a sad period in our history. Other reviewers have adequately described the genius of Pitt and DiCaprio in this movie and I wholeheartedly agree. The casting, makeup, set decoration and the soundtrack-OMG The Soundtrack! All are perfection.

I am so glad that the ending was a surprise.

I have never seen such conservative reviews in my life. Yes there is a trans firefighter and a muslim. It's a formula show and the formula is bring a bunch of diverse characters with a common goal. It's a pleasant way to spend an hour and as the show progresses characters are fleshed out and made more interesting. Is it Downton Abbey? No. Is it just a fun little action show? Yes.

I am very tired of movies that I can play "spot-the-formula" while watching. You know, at some point after the half way mark, a conflict that you can see a mile away due to some seriously heavy handed foreshadowing, rears its ugly head and the tension begins. The hero has to deal with something he never expected and yadda yadda yadda it's resolved 10 minutes before the closing credits roll with the leads kissing. This lively little movie doesn't input fake conflict and lets us cheer for a really moral and talented lead. The performances are true and the plotline is delicious. We laughed and cried and adored how the movie ended. Once again, Kate McKinnon picks up every single scene she's in, puts it in her pocket and strolls away with it. She is briliant.

I enjoy this show. I can't say that about a lot of shows these days. It's fun and exciting and not a scientific treatise on the minutiae of emergency services. The responders are old fashioned heroes and the situations are over the top and unrealistic a lot of the time and I don't care. Why? Because this show is fun. The banter, the excitement, the interaction between characters, the special effects...it's fun. If I wanted realism, there are plenty of documentary style shows that show what really happens. I want a fun ride with characters I can enjoy and root for. I don't think the Avengers are real and I know that a lot of people don't spontaneously burst into song (although I have lots of friends who do, but that's another story for another time.) I enjoy the action and the spectacle and the fun. I didn't give it a ten because some of the acting is so woefully bad. But there's enough other good points to compensate.

Is this a great film? No. Is this a significant piece of art? No. Is this a good time? Yes!

It's cheesy and raunchy and fun and messy and tacky...just like the era and the music. Tom Cruise does another "I can't believe he's playing this role" turn as Stacee Jax and his voice is just right for an aging rock star who is lost and looking for a sound. I wanted to smack the crap out of Paul Giamatti and that's how I was supppsed to feel.

There is some good stuff in this movie and the cameos from actual rockers make for a great drinking game. It is a musical so if people randomly bursting into song pisses you off, don't watch this. Stay in your sad little bubble.

There are few good things to being laid up but finding and binging TV shows I've missed makes it bearable. I started watching Madam Secretary at first because I had a serious crush on Tim Daly from the "Wings" days. It's a delightful show. The characters are richly written and well rounded. Each character has a fully developed arc. The teenage children were your standard obnoxious teens and we see them grow, develop, fall and succeed and become interesting people. My favorite arc is watching the amazing Zelcjo Ivanik (sp?) as Russel. If you watched "Heroes" his character was a one-note villain. At the beginning of the series he seemed like just a creep, but little by little by little we see the crusty shell start to crack. In the hands of a less talented actor, this would be a joke. I'm glad that it had expanded to discuss real issues. We don't live in a vacuum an³d it is a delightful change to hear a president...even a fake one, speak intelligently and with dignity. I'm still not crazy about being unable to go.out and run around but I'm enjoying this show enough to quit complaining to the family.

I watched the first episode and cried and felt wonderful when it was over. I believe that is the definition of a "feel-good" story. I watched the second one and now I want to take some time and think about what I've seen and how great the performances are and I want to call my adult daughters and tell them about it and have them watch so we can fan-girl about it. I want to curl up on a cozy couch with a fluffy blanket and cup of tea and box of tissues on a cold afternoon and watch the next episode. It's unexpected, it doesn't follow the path you expect and best of all, it's a master class in subtle, nuanced acting.

It's not a teenage detective, it's not a law school grad defending her old boyfriend and dealing with old high school enemies. It's a mature Veronica who still loves her Dad and Logan and Wallace and her dog. It has the relationship with Keith as it makes sense. Veronica is seeing her Dad demonstrate some frailties and doesn't want to accept the possibilities that he might have issues. Logan wants a stable future and Veronica has (justifiable) commitment issues. I loved it. I watched with my hubby and my 28 year old daughter. Old friends showing up made us happy, the banter made us laugh, we were as invested in Veronica and her relationship with Weevil as her relationship with Logan. Leo's new job makes perfect sense and the mystery is more real and riveting. There are flaws. A bedroom scene in episode 7 was screaming "Not on Network TV anymore" unnecessarily. A few characters are missing that I'd like to have seen (Where are you Mac?) But Cliff is with us once again, and Veronica has a big dog with a goofy name. Yes, I figured out the bad guy early on, but was given enough viable alternatives and rational explanations to enjoy Keith and Veronica search for answers. Keith and Veronica still have the best father/daughter relationship since Luke and Rory. Neptune can't get a decent sheriff for love or money and they still surprise us. Do not step away from the last episode early!

I had never heard of this charming little movie but I'm certainly glad I gave it a chance. Perfectly cast, it takes a pretty standard story and makes it fresh. After watching the documentary about Hedy Lamarr and her inventions, I've been eager to see more of her work. She had great comic timing, and could express more with a shrug than a lot of actresses could do with a monologue. It's a lovely little movie, and it references the 1941 situation in Europe with taste. I can see teens of the time seeing this and asking their parents what happened to the father in Austria.

I am thrilled to have an exciting show that has characters I can care about, but if I miss a few episodes I can watch an episode as a stand alone show. I love documentaries and this is not a documentary, nor does it pretend to be. What it is is an exciting, creatively written and well-acted, beautifully photographed show.

We enjoyed "Chuck" when it first aired, but dance classes and life got in the way of seeing it every week. We started watching it again on Prime and it's delightful. The cast is everything. From Chuck to his family to his coworkers the casting is consistently excellent. The dialogue is quick and there are lots of soft jokes that I misses the first time around. It's really a family show, even though it's about spies. No gratuitous violence or blood, no foul language and middle school kids and up who.can follow video games can enjoy the plots' many twists and turns.