Series Review: "High Score" (2020).

From the producer of 8 Bit Legacy: The Curious History of Video Games comes High Score. This docuseries created by France Costrel. This documseries traces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.

Costrel said that she was inspired to create the documentary as, growing up in France but having American friends, "[video games] are a universal language". She had worked as the showrunner for "8-Bit Legacy", a video game documentary for Great Big Story, but recognized it only covered a portion of the history of the industry. She developed a pitch for Netflix, getting help from her colleagues from the show Dark Net and Melissa Wood. Costrel had wanted to shift focus away from the games themselves as most video game documentaries, and instead to the developers behind the games and players to give insights into the creativity on video game development. Costrel decided not to try to tell a full history of video games but limit it to overarching and cohesive stories of certain periods in the industry. Costrel and Wood said it made sense to start at the onset of arcade and console games to bookend one side of their story, and opted to end with the transition into 3D computer graphics as it "make a natural ending, a new kind of stepping stone in the history of gaming". In researching their stories, Costrel said that most of the video game companies were open to working with them to showcase the case, while some of the creators had left the industry and were also ready to share their stories. While Costrel estimated they had material for about twenty hours of content they had to whittle this to the six episodes and focused more on those stories that would be of interest across all types of game players, not just hardcore gamers. One of the games featured in the series was GayBlade by Ryan Best who had created it in the 1990s. As explained in the show, while moving from Hawaii to California, all his own copies of the game were lost, and could not find any other copies elsewhere, which he had explained to the producers during production. The producers had researched online for the game to find any copies to use for the show; near the end of post-production, they had been contacted by the Schwules Museum in Berlin, who was able to supply them with a copy of the game who then returned the copy to Best. The game was added to the Internet Archive and playable there via emulation after its discovery.

The series is a vivid representation of marketing and audiovisual culture in the nineties. A concise, precise and joyful documentary about a mediatic war that shaped the imagination of millions around the globe. An entertaining history lesson about the conflicts between and the rise and fall of the world's video game giants.

Simon says High Score receives:

Series Review: "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (2013-20).

"Not all heroes are super" in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., and produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television. The series was set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it acknowledges the continuity of the franchise's films and other television series. Agent Phil Coulson from the film "The Avengers" returns to lead a small, highly skilled group of agents into the field.

In 2009, after The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment, they announced that a Marvel Television division was being formed under Jeph Loeb. In July 2012, Marvel Television entered into discussions with ABC to make a new series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In early August, Joss Whedon was announced to be involved in the series' development. Whedon had written and directed the successful MCU film The Avengers (2012). At the same time, Whedon, along with his brother Jed and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen, met with Loeb to pitch him their idea for the series, with meetings in the following days with ABC Studios and ABC network. In late August, ABC ordered a pilot for a series called S.H.I.E.L.D., to be written and directed by Joss Whedon, with Jed Whedon and Tancharoen also writing. Disney CEO Bob Iger greenlit the series after watching the Marvel One-Shot short film Item 47. In April 2013, ABC announced that the series would be titled Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In May 2013, it was officially picked up for a full season of twenty-two episodes. Jed Whedon, Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell served as the series' showrunners. Joss Whedon assisted them before he started work on the sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). In May 2014, the series was renewed for a second season. In May 2015, the series was renewed for a third season. In March 2016, the series was renewed for a fourth season. In September 2016, discussing the eventual end of the series. In May 2017, the series was renewed for a fifth season. The writers intended for the final episode of the fifth season to serve as both a season and series finale, with some elements that could be adjusted based on whether the series was renewed for a sixth season or not. Despite this, in mid May 2018, the series was renewed for a sixth season. In November, the series was renewed for a final seventh season.

The series stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Nick Blood, Adrianne Palicki, Henry Simmons, Luke Mitchell, John Hannah, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Jeff Ward, David Conrad, Ruth Negga, Saffron Burrows, Bill Paxton, Patton Oswalt, Kyle MacLachlan, Dichen Lachman, Edward James Olmos, Spencer Treat Clark, and Powers Boothe. The performances were generally acceptable, and I even warmed a little to the rather obvious and predictable charms of Gregg and company, but there was no spark evident in anything that went on.

Even as the show sounds like other TV shows and movies, it is also utterly strange, its premise literally ridiculous and intriguingly metaphorical.

Simon says Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. receives:

Also, see my review for The Avengers and Agent Carter.

Film Review: "Peninsula" ("반도") (2020).

"Four years after Train to Busan" comes Peninsula (반도). This South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho and written by Yeon and Park Joo-Suk. It is a standalone sequel to Train to Busan (부산행) (2016). Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in Train to Busan comes the next nail-biting second chapter in this post-apocalyptic world. Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best - or worst - of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.

Immediately after the success of Train to Busan, an animated prequel, Seoul Station, also directed by Yeon, was released and a follow-up film was announced. Yeon has stated that, "Peninsula is not a sequel to Train to Busan because it's not a continuation of the story, but it happens in the same universe." The film was selected to be shown at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, however, the festival was eventually cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The film stars Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-jae and Koo Kyo-hwan. Though not as strong as the previous cast, the cast here also come to realize that selfish short-sighted attention is inherently inhuman. Metaphorically, it's what separates us from the zombies. During the harrowing ordeal, you're hunkered down with a likable group of survivors who jump resourcefully from one trap to the next, with the real monsters being the executive types.

The film doesn't blaze any new trails, but it transcends the tricks and tropes of a genre that so often feels it has nothing more to offer. This South Korean thrill-ride doesn't quite feels as fresh -- not because it doesn't do anything new, but because it doesn't greases the wheels of the old machine, and delivers an unending series of emotional-less gut-punches at a tedious pace. In visual terms, the film is mesmerising. The actual horror scenes are not overly gory, and the chase scenes are excellently choreographed and filled with pure adrenaline, however, it leaves you waiting for the film to be over and leave with a tired yawn. The bad stuff can be ignored and the good stuff, if there is any, is good enough. The terror is nuanced and visceral enough, a gut reaction to the scale and speed of the attacks on screen. There is much to enjoy here, but is there ever really any justification for a two-hour long zombie movie? The film argues not. However, the amount of energy that director Yeon Sang-ho is able to infuse into the film is a welcome change from the stop and go nature of recent entries in the genre. Part horror and part satire, this is an exceptional movie that drags you screaming along at bullet-train speed. Extraordinary tension is counterbalanced with eerie calm, as survivors embark and disembark in quiet fear.

Simon says Peninsula (반도) receives:

Also, see my review for Train to Busan (부산행).

Series Review: "Wizards: Tales of Arcadia" (2020).

"From Guillermo del Toro" comes Wizards: Tales of Arcadia. This computer-animated fantasy limited series created by Guillermo del Toro, based on the characters created by del Toro and Daniel Kraus, and produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. It is the third and final installment of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy, following Trollhunters (2016–2018) and 3Below (2018–2019). Merlin’s apprentice joins Arcadia’s heroes on a time-bending adventure in Camelot, where conflict is brewing between the human, troll and magical worlds.

Following the release of Trollhunters and 3Below, it was announced the series would be the third and final series in the Tales of Arcadia trilogy. The series was initially set for a 2019 release date, but was postponed for an August 7, 2020 release date.

The series stars the voice talents of Colin O'Donoghue, David Bradley, Lena Headey, James Faulkner, Steven Yeun, Alfred Molina, John Rhys-Davies, Rupert Penry-Jones, Emile Hirsch, Kelsey Grammer, Mark Hamill, Stephanie Beatriz, Clancy Brown, Diego Luna, Tom Kenny and Brian Blessed. The cleverest thing about the show might be that the fate of the world is in the finicky hands of characters, whose voice talents have terrific performances.

The show probably won't be added to the surprising pantheon of kid's shows with dedicated adult followings, but it's a cute adventure epic with some wonderful lessons and truly gorgeous animation. The show is everything you might expect and then some -- overrun with weird creatures and sprinkled with offbeat humor and trippy action sequences. Though it relies heavily on slapstick and silliness without digging into the tough thematic material it introduces, it's still a fun fish-out-of-water adventure even if it's not quite out-of-this-world. The show is not terribly complicated, and perhaps that is what makes it endearing; it possesses the childlike wonder, and humor, of del Toro, and wears its heart on its sleeve. It's quite wonderful. That expert blend of humor and more serious themes, excitement and adventure, characters you love to spend time with. It stands as testament that even at twenty-six episodes long, the show never feels like it's overstaying its welcome. Del Toro is renowned for his striking visual style and wild imagination that's often on display in his live-action films, but in Netflix's animated series, del Toro's vivid storytelling comes to life in the most colorful way yet. They have made their series with brio and wit, as much majesty as the budget will allow, and enough suspense and mystery to make one invest in subsequent episodes as they arrive. This thoroughly enjoyable unlikely-hero tale is visually spectacular and delivers some familiar -- but always refreshing -- messages about heroism. However, the series never fully shakes off the rigid, by-the-numbers storytelling, or its underdeveloped characters, but the frequent moments of heart and humor elevate what would otherwise be a cold, slick thing of stone. Also, the show seeks to mine a new audience for del Toro's aesthetic, edging into the market of children and so compromises have been made that may not please those who prefer their del Toro productions messier and more obsessive. 

Simon says Wizards: Tales of Arcadia receives:

Also, see my review for 3Below: Tales of Arcadia.

Series Review: "Immigration Nation" (2020).

From the directors of Trophy comes Immigration Nation. This documentary web television miniseries directed by Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz. With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving portraits of immigrants, this docuseries takes a deep look at US immigration today.

On March 1, 2003, the federal law enforcement agency, The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was founded under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. This mission is executed through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes and focuses on immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and goods. ICE has two primary components: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). ICE maintains attachés at major U.S. diplomatic missions overseas. ICE does not patrol American borders; rather, that role is performed by the United States Border Patrol, a unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a sister agency of ICE. The Acting Director is Tae Johnson. Since late January 2017, the agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since Sarah Saldaña stepped down. In recent years, especially under the Trump Administration, the agency has been subject of criticism and several controversies, including allegations of sexual abuse, torture and wrongful arrest of US citizens. The series consists of footage filmed from 2017 to 2020 of ICE's work during the Trump era. Prior to release, the filmmakers were faced with legal threats; ICE sought to delay the release until after the 2020 United States elections.

The series is most effective in its first three episodes. But, as mentioned previously, its greatest strength is in the way that it humanises those individuals that the system seeks to dehumanise. This series is most threatening to the present administration not because it employs a rhetoric too powerful to be ignored, but because it is fair, thorough, and true. The series transports viewers inside detention centers and ICE field offices across the country. But it's the stories of the victims, torn from their children and parents, that prove the most haunting. The series does pull back to show the institutional forces at play here: the farce of our current system of legal immigration, and the ways capitalism incentivizes the dehumanization of undocumented immigrants. Powerful and painful, this documentary digs into the backstory of the Trump administration's massive ICE expansion, the agents on the job, and the immigrants they apprehend, with damning results. A useful parable to enable the layman's understanding of, as human rights attorney Becca Heller eloquently explains, "the brilliance of any bureaucratic system whose net result is fear and trauma." The series offers a more complete picture than anything we've seen before on immigration in the Trump era. The series provides a damning indictment of the labyrinth systems that make ICE so powerful, and a wrenching examination of the human cost its policies have wrought. A searing dissection of Trump administration policies that's even-handed but emotionally devastating in highlighting the pain associated with them.

Simon says Immigration Nation receives:

Also, see my review for Trophy.

Film Review: "The Tax Collector" (2020).

"From the creator of Training Day and End of Watch" comes The Tax Collector. This action crime thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. David and Creeper, are "tax collectors" for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.

In late June 2018, it was announced that Ayer and Shia LaBeouf would collaborate again for a film entitled The Tax Collector. By mid July, George Lopez, Lana Parrilla, Elpidia Carrillo, Jimmy Smits and Bobby Soto rounded out the film's cast. In preparation for the role of Creeper, LaBeouf had his entire chest tattooed. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid August. Filming took place throughout Los Angeles, California.

The film stars LaBeouf, Lopez, Parrilla, Carrillo, Smits and Soto. As a character study it lacks characterization, and it's too predictable to be an effective cautionary tale. It's true that we don't need to like characters for a movie to work. We should, however, at least find them interesting. Creeper is such a psycho and David is such a patsy, we don't care about these guys. We've seen dozens of more interesting head cases in dozens of smarter films. It's an amazing performance, one of the best of the year, with LaBeouf truly making you believe in this over-the-top character. The reason to see the movie is LaBeouf who can play slow-burning psychosis about as well as any actor today and is outstanding again. Though LaBeouf has the presence of a young Pacino, and the same volatile edge, he's being asked here to fill out a role that doesn't ring true on any level.

A crazy little film, modest in its scope but grand in its ambition. It paints it's story in loud primary colors, with intense pressure cooker characterizations. It is a portrait of a male-dominated world and in LaBeouf's fierce performance, Ayer has found the perfect actor. It's just unfortunate that the screenplay feels like a left-over from an era that has passed. If more action propelled this water-treading plot, Ayer might have produced the mean streets classic that the film aspires to be. The movie's amusing moments are counterbalanced by a dark and dreary finale that effectively crushes the film's mood. Endless scenes of the two guys torturing people, venting and cursing and chugging beers play like acting-class exercises, badly written ones at that. Ayer goes back to his roots with this film, which is so relentlessly grim that it occasionally goes over the top and invites derision. It's the rare movie in which audience members will reverently wish for the main character's death from the very beginning. In the end, the film feels overwrought - Ayer holds too many guns to too many heads, and you can only keep viewers in that kind of suspense for so long.

Simon says The Tax Collector receives:

Also, see my review for Bright.

Film Review: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" (2019).

"Bernadette Fox has it all. A loving husband, and a brilliant daughter. But the one thing missing, is her." This is Where'd You Go, Bernadette. This mystery comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater, adapted by Linklater, Holly Gent, and Vince Palmo, and based on the novel of the same name by Maria Semple. Based on the runaway bestseller, this inspiring comedy centres on Bernadette Fox, a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Bernadette's leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery.

In January 2013, Annapurna Pictures and Color Force acquired the film rights to Semple's novel, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber to pen the adaptation. In February 2015, Linklater was announced to direct the adaptation. Linklater was attracted to the story because of the strong mother/daughter relationship, he being the father of three daughters and brother of two older sisters. In April 2016, It was announced that Linklater, Holly Palmo and Vince Palmo had taken over writing duties from Neustadter and Weber. By early July 2017, Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, Laurence Fishburne, James Urbaniak, Troian Bellisario, Steve Zahn, and Megan Mullally. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; British Columbia, Canada; and Greenland. While on location in Greenland, the production was hampered by a hurricane that lasted for thirty-six hours. Rather than wait it out, the crew went ahead and filmed the hurricane and included it in the final cut.

The film stars Blanchett, Crudup, Nelson, Wiig, Greer, Fishburne, Urbaniak, Bellisario, Zahn, and Mullally. It's a spell-binding display of wonderful acting with what looks like occasional skilled improvisation. Linklater allows Blanchett and the cast to give performances of a richness and depth that you won't find in their more obviously crowd-pleasing movies. 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette balances raw drama against refreshing moments of humor in an impeccably cast film that wrestles with questions of patriotism, family, and grief. It's good fun and has a warm heart, but there's nothing of real substance on offer in the film. Blanchett is still immensely watchable, however, in one of his best film roles to date. Linklater can't protect them from all the script's potholes, including sentiment, contrivance and a galling mixed-message ending. But spending time in the company of Blanchett and cast? That truly is a pleasure. It is an uneven film, that succeeds best when it focuses on the spiritual journey of its protagonist. The film may feel like it is meandering at times, but once it gets to its destination it leaves you with a powerful final punch. The film may not be completely smart and challenging, but it contains great performances and writing that may tug hard at the heart. It's gently and marvellously unpacked for our viewing pleasure. It's as funny as it is moving.

Simon says Where'd You Go, Bernadette receives:

Also, see my review for Last Flag Flying.