OT: TV and Movies (with spoilers)

[glenn]

There is a single reality in movie reviews: When a major release has an embargo on reviews it is because it SUUuuuuccckkks.

This is not true; most major tentpole movies have embargo dates. A studio knows a film is terrible when they don't screen it for critics.

The movie opens tomorrow and not a single review has been written. Not even the whores who will sell the praises of a steaming pile for the privilege of getting a swag bag and getting to watch the movie a few days ahead of time.

I follow plenty of critics on social media and most of them attended screenings today and will have reviews out tomorrow (due to the embargo you mentioned). A lot of the critics that I trust the most, many of them old school AV Club and Dissolve contributers, have indicated that they didn't like it, for what it's worth.

But TLJ was a travesty. It decimated the franchise.

I've given up arguing for TLJ based on its merits, since no one really listens, but these are movies about space wizards and puppets. Maybe it's time to get over it.

[truly]

Don't care about Star wars at all anymore but really looking forward to the witcher series.Heard that its action scenes are great.The only thing that is putting me off is the ballsack niflgaardian armor(who tf designed that thing )

[Ill-yasova]

Hot take:

I’ve still never seen a single Star Wars movie because every movie that comes out is DESPISED by exactly 50% of people who consider themselves Star Wars fans.

[crkone]

First reactions to The Rise of Skywalker hit social media after the premiere last night. No actual spoilers or detailed reviews yet, just general impressions but I put them in the spoiler tag anyway. I can't help but look forward to seeing it on Friday because it's **** Star Wars!

Spoiler:

A lot of positive reactions, which is always encouraging but relatively normal (has been the case for both TFA and TLJ). Sounds like one of the criticisms is that it felt like JJ had to stuff two movies worth of plot/exposition into one movie to get where he wanted to go after not being closely involved with TLJ. I saw one quote that "it feels like an apology for The Last Jedi" which is either a tremendous compliment or a huge disappointment depending on your opinion of that movie.

They really **** up having two people with wildly different visions of where this was going direct the first two movies in this new trilogy so for better or worse, seems we're getting a drastic course correction in this final movie.

There is a single reality in movie reviews: When a major release has an embargo on reviews it is because it SUUuuuuccckkks.

The movie opens tomorrow and not a single review has been written. Not even the whores who will sell the praises of a steaming pile for the privilege of getting a swag bag and getting to watch the movie a few days ahead of time.

I mean I have a ticket but still...

But TLJ was a travesty. It decimated the franchise.

Yeah the reviews are coming in and it looks

Spoiler:

like a forgettable blockbuster movie.

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-wars-episode-ix---the-rise-of-skywalker?ref=hp

[ReasonablySober]

Sounds like the people who hated TLJ will get their wish for TRoS. Enjoy!

[paulpressey25]

The Star Wars franchise peaked with Empire Strikes Back. The first two movies were about great characters, great good v. evil storyline, and had special effects that at the time were new and striking.

Then came Return of the Jedi. You still had the same set of great characters, but George Lucas introduced the Ewoks. Now the Ewoks were cool, don't get me wrong, but they really were there to launch a commercial enterprise of toys.

Then you had the three middle films (1-3) that were completely ruined by casting terrible actors (Hayden Christiansen and Natalie Portmann)

The Force Awakens was pretty cool, but again it was because they brought back the original 1977 crew (Han, Chewie, Leia). But then the follow-up was a terrible script, and no Han Solo.

I'll see this new one, but expecting it to be a mess.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Rogue One is the best of the reboots. Don't @ me.

[ReasonablySober]

My interest after season 2 fell off a cliff and I never went back, but with a shortage of stuff to watch over the next few weeks I think I'm gonna jump back in.

Maybe this is the way to do it. Tank a season so hard that everyone loves the ending, unlike GoT.

S2 just felt like it was going nowhere even though it was still beautifully shot as they all have been in Mr. Robot. I kinda stuck with it because I'm bad at quitting shows and I'm glad I did.

Btw I want to see you finish this thing in 5 days to watch the finale with the rest of us.

Challenge accepted. I'm gonna have to go nuts the next three nights with The Last Jedi and The Witcher this weekend.

Okay so it turns out I've watched at least the first three episodes of season three when the show was going on back then and I'd just forgotten about it. I don't know how much more I've seen of that season but regardless, I'm just gonna watch a recap of the whole season and jump into season four.

ETA: Okay so I watched a recap and it turns out I watched maybe all but three episodes.

[Kerb Hohl]

Maybe this is the way to do it. Tank a season so hard that everyone loves the ending, unlike GoT.

S2 just felt like it was going nowhere even though it was still beautifully shot as they all have been in Mr. Robot. I kinda stuck with it because I'm bad at quitting shows and I'm glad I did.

Btw I want to see you finish this thing in 5 days to watch the finale with the rest of us.

Challenge accepted. I'm gonna have to go nuts the next three nights with The Last Jedi and The Witcher this weekend.

Okay so it turns out I've watched at least the first three episodes of season three when the show was going on back then and I'd just forgotten about it. I don't know how much more I've seen of that season but regardless, I'm just gonna watch a recap of the whole season and jump into season four.

ETA: Okay so I watched a recap and it turns out I watched maybe all but three episodes.

TBH that's about all that you need.

There are plenty of key plot points I'm sure but I've read that Esmail originally wrote this as a movie. It seems like basically S1 would've been the first act of the movie, then basically only a small part of S2/S3 would be plot points but were dragged out for TV, and then S4 would be the 2nd and 3rd act of the movie. S4 has been great but there's a ton left for the final ep (don't think that's a spoiler by any means).

[ReasonablySober]

Challenge accepted. I'm gonna have to go nuts the next three nights with The Last Jedi and The Witcher this weekend.

Okay so it turns out I've watched at least the first three episodes of season three when the show was going on back then and I'd just forgotten about it. I don't know how much more I've seen of that season but regardless, I'm just gonna watch a recap of the whole season and jump into season four.

ETA: Okay so I watched a recap and it turns out I watched maybe all but three episodes.

TBH that's about all that you need.

There are plenty of key plot points I'm sure but I've read that Esmail originally wrote this as a movie. It seems like basically S1 would've been the first act of the movie, then basically only a small part of S2/S3 would be plot points but were dragged out for TV, and then S4 would be the 2nd and 3rd act of the movie. S4 has been great but there's a ton left for the final ep (don't think that's a spoiler by any means).

I'm looking forward to binging. I don't know any of the plot details but I have seen a lot of positive buzz.

[Kerb Hohl]

Okay so it turns out I've watched at least the first three episodes of season three when the show was going on back then and I'd just forgotten about it. I don't know how much more I've seen of that season but regardless, I'm just gonna watch a recap of the whole season and jump into season four.

ETA: Okay so I watched a recap and it turns out I watched maybe all but three episodes.

TBH that's about all that you need.

There are plenty of key plot points I'm sure but I've read that Esmail originally wrote this as a movie. It seems like basically S1 would've been the first act of the movie, then basically only a small part of S2/S3 would be plot points but were dragged out for TV, and then S4 would be the 2nd and 3rd act of the movie. S4 has been great but there's a ton left for the final ep (don't think that's a spoiler by any means).

I'm looking forward to binging. I don't know any of the plot details but I have seen a lot of positive buzz.

Try to binge before like Saturday so you can have the fun of reading reddit for 24 hours before the finale on Sunday.

I am like 6 months behind on finishing GoT and while that is a bit less of a Lost/Breaking Bad "let's come up with a bunch of thoeries" type of thing, I do think that is missed here that I can't go and spend a bunch of time mindlessly debating how the show will move along in the next season or end.

[buckboy]

Can one of you guys give a simple synopsis of that show. Kind of, if you liked ________ you'll like this show type of deal. I am desperate for a series to watch.

TIA

[Kerb Hohl]

Can one of you guys give a simple synopsis of that show. Kind of, if you liked ________ you'll like this show type of deal. I am desperate for a series to watch.

TIA

Breaking Bad but he's a hoodie-wearing hacker instead of manufacturing drugs. Equally well-shot by a good director but this one does have a bit more confusion thrown into it because it's more of a psychological thriller.

I guess it has taken some turns since I initially dubbed it "Breaking Bad but a hacker," but that is the initial premise that will get you into it.

There's a movie that the first season largely resembles but that would kinda spoil it.

His psych issues leave you guessing for most of the show.

[ReasonablySober]

Can one of you guys give a simple synopsis of that show. Kind of, if you liked ________ you'll like this show type of deal. I am desperate for a series to watch.

TIA

I can't really think of another show like Mr. Robot. It's about an unusual dude with serious mental health issues that happens to be a genius hacker. Season one revolved around him and a small collective of like minded individuals trying to take down a mega-conglomerate and generally collapse the world's economy.

If you're looking for a series and haven't seen The Expanse, that's the one I'd recommend. Based on a series of novels. Part sci-fi, part detective story, almost all political-thriller. Season four just landed on Prime and I binged it all in about two days. Couldn't see myself waiting for season five to know what happens so I picked up the 5th book from the library and I'm already just about done with that.

[crkone]

Can one of you guys give a simple synopsis of that show. Kind of, if you liked ________ you'll like this show type of deal. I am desperate for a series to watch.

TIA

Breaking Bad but he's a hoodie-wearing hacker instead of manufacturing drugs. Equally well-shot by a good director but this one does have a bit more confusion thrown into it because it's more of a psychological thriller.

I guess it has taken some turns since I initially dubbed it "Breaking Bad but a hacker," but that is the initial premise that will get you into it.

There's a movie that the first season largely resembles but that would kinda spoil it.

His psych issues leave you guessing for most of the show.

Takes the unreliable narrator trope to the extreme.

[machu46]

Watch on YouTube

Avoiding trailers after this. I couldn't be more in.

[jakecronus8]

Sounds like the people who hated TLJ will get their wish for TRoS. Enjoy!

This is pretty much true. This last one was also a mess, but with tons of fan service. I thought it was meh, but I get it. They really didn’t have a choice.

Besides TLJ being awful for the universe they were trying to create, the biggest issue is that pretty much nothing happened in it. So now you have this third movie that is supposed to wrap up the story and connect any loose ends but in reality it’s trying to tell the story of at least two films while bringing back the alienated fans that Johnson pissed off.

The results are not great but JJ did what he had to do. Now they can finally put that series to rest and focus on the limitless opportunities they have. Mando has been terrific so hopefully that trend continues.

[Turk Nowitzki]

TRoS made TLJ look like an Oscar contender and I wasn't even a huge fan of TLJ.

[ReasonablySober]

I've got a ticket for the movie tonight and I'm not even gonna use it.

[TroyD92]

Yikes. Hopefully they decide to do something fun with Star Wars going forward