bobthebuilder's Reviews
They Don't Make Em Like They Used Too
Gregory House is the most lovable ass-hole I've ever seen on television. Whenever I want a cleanse from all the current political-correctness, this is my go to. The jokes are unapologetic. The truths this man lets out are simply staggering. There is *zero* chance this would ever get funded nowadays, so you know it's going to be good!
The last few seasons do taper off, but overall it's well worth it. I never watch "medical shows", so I wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying this gem. Cherish the fact that this was ever produced, those days are over.
Created: 12-10-2023
My Favorite Scifi Serial
The Wokeness
Lets touch on this since it'll be interesting to dive into it through the lens of a 1990s show. You will be greeted with some "girl power" moments in the first few episodes, so you may think this is an angle that will play out often in the series. It is not, and when it is, it is tasteful.
Stargate comes from a time when women were preaching equality, not equity. In that vein, Captain Samantha Carter will play the role of a female integrating into a mostly men-dominated world. The show will touch on it at times. However, get prepared for a different narrative and a different message than you are used too.
SG1 preaches comradery, understanding, trust and bonding between sexes. It also makes fun of Carter at times, exposing a few of her own biases. It's such a refreshing take, yet watching this I feel so sad about how things have turned for the worst.
In a panel she did a long time ago, actress Amanda Tapping also shared some heartwarming thoughts about "strong female characters". When asked about her role, from a modern angry female, she responded along the lines of "You must remember that it is men like Brad Wright who stuck out their necks to help forward our cause". The days when men weren't evil and women didn't hate men, what a throwback.
The Story
SG1 is bar-none the single best scifi serial. Just watch it. Screw Star Trek or Star Wars, this is where it's at ;)
Created: 12-10-2023
Very hit or miss, high highs, low lows.
This one is going to take a few words to unpack, so bear with me. First off, wokeness.
The Wokeness
The show shovels feminist garbage down your throat every time it can. The main character is truly unlikeable, since in the feminists' 10 commandments, a women shall not be nice. Silo is filled with gender-reversal and so on. Men take a backseat to "strong independent women" etc.
*However*, there is an attempt here to steer off the mary-sue trope. Sometimes it succeeds. The main character has flaws and is once or twice, helped by a man. Heresy! the feminists cry, eyes filled with bitch-tears.
There is a single mention of a gay couple during the show, and crazy enough, I wished they delved deeper. Analyzing how a siloed culture would react to same-sex couples. For ex, on the one hand you might want to encourage making kids... But on the other, limited mouths to feed... Anyhow, a non-propagandist exploration of that topic would've been interesting, if done right.
If you are sensitive to wokeness, this will be too much for you. But it isn't as bad as other shows, there was a visible attempt to tone it down. Pulling it back 1 or 2 notches more would've been perfect for me, allowing me to get immersed and forget that at its core, this is a feminist propaganda piece, not art.
The Show
Silo is at times brilliant, with good acting and twists, but more often than not quite dull and sluggish. I've already talked about the main character being hard to like, others aren't much better either. I'd say you have to really push through the mid-section, to enjoy a superb last 2-3 episodes.
In case you want to suffer through it, the show raises many questions and it *does* answer them. You'll get a great payoff at the end, leaving you satisfied and interested for more. Whether I can survive the wokeness of another season remains to be seen.
In terms of the setting, everything is very surface level. The world and culture remains vastly unexplored, or simply identical to modern life. The show breaks its own internal logic at times, pulling you out of it. Silly scenes also lower the impact of the overall drama.
Visually, the silo is too clean, looks unlived in and artificial. The decors are repetitive copy-past CGI and only serve as a facade. I understand budget constraints, but this show would've done well with more "practical stuff" thrown around on sets. Shadows and darkness aren't utilized well. You never get that sense of mystery, triggering your imagination to dream about how it would be like to live in a silo, or what lies in the hidden spots of this vast underground city.
Overall, this is a toss up. Flip a coin, watch a few episodes and see if it's your jam. You WILL be rewarded by a great ending, but you'll probably hate the main character (by design).
Created: 12-10-2023
Created: 09-08-2023
Epic, Violent, Twisted
The original Berserk is probably my favorite anime of all time. It tells the story of Guts, the antiest of anti-heroes, in his early years. It is the story of a deeply flawed character and his relentless, never ending push forward. You'll meet his endearing mercenary band and enjoy some truly complex depictions throughout.
If you've never enjoyed anime, I'd start here.
The Wokeness
Japanese TV has always been comfortable with competent female characters and its no different here. However, no mary sue, no belittling, no pandering, no woke.
Created: 09-08-2023
Banger
An absolute must watch series. The concept is brilliant and the acting is good. It brings up rarely posed questions in TV and will challenge you a little. John Turturro is brilliant.
The Wokeness
I didn't find it particularly woke, if at all. No lecturing, no on-the-nose characters, no mary-sues. Considering it's modern TV, this is as good as it'll get woke-wise (and it's definitely worth the watch!)
Created: 09-08-2023
Beauty and Brutality
OK so, how to describe this movie... It is the single most violent and disturbing thing I've ever watched. Yet, the visual composition and live-performance framing making it so unique.
This is a play, a painting, the dream of a mad director. You've never seen anything like it and probably never will again. If you can stomach it, this is an experience you wont forget. For those sick of politically-correct movies, this is your salvation.
Created: 05-23-2022
Classic Must Watch
Just one of those classics you deserve to watch. A no frills investigation story set in the ancient times. Also Ron Perlman.
Wokeness didn't exist in those days, so you're gucci on that front.
Did I mention Ron Perlman?
Created: 05-23-2022
Barely above average
The Movie
Hotel Artemis has an amazing premise, with some very notable highs and great ideas. But the acting is dodgy and the movie lacks gravitas.
The Wokeness
The woke propaganda just makes everything worst. This is your typical woke cocktail of anti-white-man, anti-rich, anti-establishment. Every good or cool character is POC or female. The white dude is a squeamy little b*tch. We've all seen it before, it's tiring.
Created: 05-23-2022
Surprisingly good
The movie.
I found it interesting with a fresh plot, some great characters and good acting. It lingers at times, but overall it's a thumbs up from me.
The wokeness.
The main character is gay and so is her friend, but it doesn't come through as typical wokeness. In fact, there isn't much dwelling on their orientation. They're just gay, that's all. It was handled perfectly, adding to the backstory without feeling fake or enforced by a wokifying department. I was quite impressed, well done movie.
Created: 05-23-2022
