Reviews

The crime aspect of this show is pretty good, but not extraordinary. This should NOT be the reason to watch the show. If you're looking for that, look somewhere else.

Watch the show for the charming character portrayed by Kyra Sedgewick, who looks like she's in over her head and a mess, but never really is. You won't like her much at first, then she'll start to grow on you and you can't wait for the next episodes. Watch it for the old Lt. Provenza, who you probably wouldn't mind punching in the face ... then episodes later, he's one of your favorite characters on the show. The characters is what makes this show good, and the crimes only further bring out their own .. uh .. character. The script dialog is also very witty. And the acting is very, very good.

If that's what you're looking for, then great. If you're looking for CSI, watch CSI. :)

The acting is very, very bad ... it's like they're reciting lines or performing ... posing. I don't know if it's because of the actors, the director, or the script. And the characters are cut-and-paste stereotypes that don't stand out from other shows with their own distinguishing traits. Very generic.

The stories are decent enough. But for a cop show with a strong female lead, with much more emphasis on the personalities of the show, as well as their interaction, you're better off watching The Closer. Also formula-ic, but a lot more fun to watch. By the fifth episode, you might catch yourself saying "Thaink yoouuuu". :D

The general theme gives the potential for a whole world of plot possibilities. The characters are very engaging, specially the buddy thing going with Jeremiah and Kurdy (Perry and Warner). Marcus, Mr. Smith, Lee, Erin ... all the characters were interesting. Even the extras, or the bad(?) guys. It's not just about surviving ... it's about moving on, hope, and building a future. Most of the time, it didn't come out too preachy, but JMS shows somehow tend to be that way.

Each season has an underlying plot that connects the episodes together, but each episode has it's own story. It has a powerhouse season ender for the 1st season, and a powerhouse opener for the 2nd season. I liked all the episodes, although the last episode of season 2 (of the series, in general) felt rushed, as the writers knew they had to end the season abruptly.

Acting was pretty good, but sometimes (not often), the dialog seems a bit corny, which makes it tough to act out with credibility, hehehe.

I was real disappointed that this wasn't renewed, while more shows with much less story to tell last pretty long. This is an excellent show that not enough people watched. If it somehow gets a 3rd season, I'd continue watching it. :)

I waited in anticipation of the batman movie. At the time, I used to collect a few comics. This was the era of Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Walt Simonson, and a whole lot of very creative artists and writers trying to push the medium into directions it hadn't gone before. What mostly followed in the 90's were pale imitations compared to these; just re-hacked story arcs and plots, obviously borrowed from this time.

Then Sam Hamm, the one who wrote the script for the upcoming Batman movie, was invited to guest write the Batman comic. He wrote 3 issues, ending in the commemorative 600th issue. "Blind Justice". Great story, great pacing, great characterization, and great climax. The movie should've be great too.

It wasn't. It got "Hollywood"-ized. They dumbed down the script; they had some good aspiring actors and actresses as candidates for each character, but instead went with the famous stars for movie marketability. They were thinking of a younger joker. And Michael Keaton ... he needs the suit just to make himself look more intimidating. If I remember correctly, Hamm wasn't pleased with the finished product either.

But Hollywood got the movie they wanted ... a movie with mass appeal, with a simple story, great effects, big name stars, and all the marketing for toys, etc.

A testament to Hamm's writing skills ... a character he co-created for the Batman comic he wrote in 1989(?), Ducard, is the character played by Liam Neeson in the Batman Begins movie.

Batman Begins ... now that's a Batman movie.

The pacing was fast, so I doubt anyone would get bored. The characterizations, however, were cardboard, and some of the characters seemed to have very little purpose in the film. Watch it for the special effects and action, but not for the people, nor the nuances that happen in the story, as that could be accomplished with a very simple sentence. I like Tom Cruise movies; he brings a certain presence so that there's no doubt who the characters revolve around. I rate this as one of his worst movies, but not because he didn't do a good job. This movie had the budget, the effects, excellent actors, but ultimately, they could've gotten a much better script.

I had mixed feelings when I was about to watch this. On the one hand, Johnny Depp is a great actor ... he really personalizes the characters he plays, and makes them so distinct. On the other hand, I'm not much of a fan of Tim Burton, although I do like some of his movies. Then I also read a bad review of this one, so .....

I was pleasantly surprised that there was enough new stuff in the movie, while still following the general theme. It's different from the Gene Wilder version, but in some ways the same. I laughed quite a few times too.

I guess my only gripe with this is the build-ups to supposedly major scenes didn't pack as much of a punch; it had a very even-keel feel throughout, which I felt that Burton could've done a better job at.

But by all means, go watch it. :)

Alex Garland is an awesome writer. The Beach novel was great; the movie threw away everything good about it, including the essence of the main characters, and predictably sucked. 28 Days was pretty fun. Haven't read the Tesseract book, but this movie's pretty bad. Pacing's bad, acting's bad, script is bad.

Some of the early visual sequences were done really well, but I hate it when directors use visual type camera effects and pulp-fiction or boomtown type chronology as their MAIN arsenal to grab people's attention, to try to make it look hip. Like another reviewer mentioned, it's not like these things weren't already used in several movies. Couldn't finish the movie. I wonder if Garland was happy that his novel was connected to this film?