Review of the TV Series-“The Walking Dead”

 Even if you are uninitiated to the whole zombie-pop culture, you must have heard of the TV series “The Walking Dead.” But, is it worthy of a watch? While all the “The Walking Dead” fans would let you know that it is good enough to be called the best zombie-based show on the planet, some may disagree. Let us parse into it.

There is no perfect genre to describe “The Walking Dead.” The TV series spans many genres, including horror, crime, action, gore, and visceral visuals. The graphic imagery sometimes churns your stomach almost to the breaking point, and in addition to that, there are enough guns, blood, and zombies to capture your imagination. You cannot watch it with your children, though, as there are some uncensored and freehold-swearing along with love and crime scenes, which makes it pretty awkward family viewing, if not impossible. Many viewers have rated the series as 16+, but there are often references to pregnancy, birth control, coercion, and other things. So, if you want to make your kid a geeky, intellectual, or angelic kind of person, then “The Walking Dead” should not really be your cup of tea.

However, if you are watching with friends and you are looking for some epic fighting scene, cowboy-themed dialogues, and some zombies for horror, then there is no better TV series than “The Walking Dead” to make you laugh, cry, and cheer at the same time. In the initial seasons, humans fight zombies as the zombie apocalypse takes over Earth, but as the seasons go by, humans’ evil instincts take over, and the series shows them as eviller than the zombies.

The heroic humans suddenly turn into a horde of evil monsters that can perform almost any crime. They can humiliate anyone, shot, stab, and throw children away, and their crimes come with impunity because there is no law and order, or government, or even a god to take care of the sins.

The central premise of the whole saga deals with a group of survivors fighting off an army of zombies as they travel across the country to find a safe abode. Andrew Lincoln plays the leading role in the company of Lennie James, Adrian Kali Turner, Sarah Wayne Callies, and Chandler Riggs. The series is based on a graphic novel series penned by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. Jon Bernthal also joins the cast in the successive seasons in the role of Shane Walsh, who is one of the most iconic characters of the whole “The Walking Dead” saga.

The first season primarily puts focus on the group of survivors and the characters played by Lincoln, James, and Turner as they run for their lives and find his missing wife (played by Sarah Wayne Callies) and a boy (played by Chandler Riggs). They lead a group of survivors to a safe place and end up building a shaky and tremulous civilization. The humans struggle to live together as the dark instincts take over.

Now, if you are wondering whether to give it a watch, then you would be glad to know that this AMC horror-drama has been heavily ranked as one of the best horror series created in the last decade and is continued to be binge-watched by zombie lovers. However, zombies are not everybody’s cup of tea, and most people hate it when fans of the show compare the series to shows like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad. However, if nothing else, you can watch the show for Andrew Lincoln (you probably know him for his lovely portrayal of a Romeo character in Love Actually). Other fan-favorite characters of the show include Shane Walsh, Daryl (played by Norman Reedus), and Michonne (played by Danai Gurira). As you proceed to binge-watch season by season, you will be pulled into the series more as you take a dip into personal trauma, moral conflict, and agendas of the characters.

Source : Review of the TV Series-“The Walking Dead”

Review of the TV Series-“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

 The highly anticipated Disney+ series has stood up for what it had promised. Hard-hitting dialogues and breathtaking violence. And, it is going decently…so far.

If you are planning to get yourself in front of a laptop over the weekend to watch some entertaining show, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is the one you should go for. If you are already a fan of Marvel Cinematic Universe, then the TV series would be a bonus for you because you already know what to expect. 

For viewers with the vein for series like Netflix’s Daredevil and The Punisher, it is pretty much to their liking. The series is violent, created with all the necessary blocks required for an entertaining crime series deeply rooted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and embedded in the offcuts left by the Avengers: Endgame.

The TV series is banking on a plethora of action sequences filled with intriguing stunts and combat styles powered by adequate special effects that provide all the reminiscences of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. For men who have gotten used to films like John Wick, TV series like “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” should be no big deal; however, the first four episodes certainly are a bit different from what we normally see in a toned-down MCU movie. All the characters engage in physical fights, and the ensuing bloodshed can even put some of the Netflix series to shame.

All the viewers will see a lot of combat and destructive weapons, which surges the stakes a little; there is Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo to rake up old wounds and inflict the new ones. We see the use of a lot of guns, knives, and missiles, and of course Captain America’s shield, but despite the use of violence, the creators were careful not to show any repelling gore, excessive bloodshed, and graphic imagery. Like The Punisher, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also bring PTSD to the front, and apart from that, there is a little grieving and reminiscences about deceased family members, and of course, a little shout-out to the events relayed by the last two Avengers films.

There are parents who have complained that there is sporadic use of cuss words, but I see no infringement of trust since the TV series did not have to care about the limitations of theater censorship, and we are talking about soldiers, not the angels. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” indeed, cannot be recommended to small children by a sane mind; however, if you are above thirteen years old, you are good to watch it. The first four episodes deserve a PG-13 rating, at the very least.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan play their respective roles of Sam Wilson (Falcon) and  Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) and understandably take center stage. The two characters were sort of in the shadows of Captain America in the entirety of MCU Phase 3, but now they have taken the forefront, and we know about those two in a bit more detail. The series is built on the past events of MCU, and expands the story arcs relayed in the previous films, and also expertly builds its own narrative coherent with the chronology of the whole franchise. Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo is the main villain as he lurks in the shadows hoping to carry out his new agenda after failing on his previous mission in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War. For some moments, the series does feel like we are watching an expanded version of a Captain America film, but the episodic model of storytelling did give writers a lot of time and freedom to explore each character and their personal lives in a bit more detail.

Marvel fans have starved for an MCU film since Spiderman: Far from Home, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, much like WandaVision, are like a delicious pie that just takes forever in the oven. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as the name suggests, is all about Marvel and where it is headed after Avengers: Endgame. Apart from intriguing violence, the TV series offers plenty of fun-filled humor and dialogue that can make any Marvel fan smile. The heart, humor, and violence form the basis of the two protagonists and the entire premise of the whole saga. While no one can tell you what to watch, the essence of everything can only be comprehended once you give it a watch. And as far as every Marvel fan is concerned, they are way past asking for validation.

The Russo Brothers did their job with Avengers, and now while focusing on other things, they must let off the string and let the new generation walk into oblivion with a heartful hope that one day they will create something even better.

Source : Review of the TV Series-“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

Review of the Film-“Zack Snyder’s Justice League”

 If we put the film in juxtaposition with the critically battered 2017 film, then it is definitely several folds notched up. However, if we put things in the neutral perspective, then four hours is a slight drag as far as fan service is concerned. Regardless of that, several critics believe that context is the key if we want to dissect Zack Snyder’s version of the Justice League, and some of the facets that left us clueless in the 2017 film make some sense now.

It cannot be denied that “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” does have its artistic flaws and does look out of sorts sometimes, yet the moment you put this 4-hour long tedious (and I am not saying this lightly) journey into the context of preceding DCEU films, every parsed element of the film plays its syntactic part. With his sincere effort, Zack Snyder had tried to put the impetus on the fact that despite the flaws and extremely deep controversies, DCEU deserved a chance.

In short words, Zack Snyder is definitely a better artist than Joss Whedon. And, obviously, it was his vision from the very beginning.

It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to realize that it is a unique moment in pop culture where fans rallied together to bring back a director who had left the film because of the tragic death of his daughter. For him, the decision to return to conclude what he had started was not only a professional nightmare amidst the controversies surrounding the whole franchise, but it was also a profound personal decision.

Nevertheless, it is imperative to point out that DCEU’s kaleidoscopic method of world-building and character development is still jejune and insipid if we are speaking in terms of MCU proportions. The actors certainly haven’t delivered performances of their lives, which is understandable, the subplots really needed a second thought, and somewhere deep down, all the cast and crew have shown desire to compete with Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it has to be one of the most significant flaws of the film. Just glance at the previous successful films of DC, and you would know what I am talking about. Joker, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam. While MCU is, in itself, a roller coaster ride, the DC Extended Universe thrives in its uniqueness.

Now, one must also point out the fact that, unlike the 2017 version, Zack Snyder’s film is logically consistent and coheres with all the foreshadowing. The film is coruscating with sporadic intriguing plot elements that have Snyder’s stamp of approval marked all over it. The dark theme, the exaltation of Superman, familiar visual conceits, and Darkseid’s persona lurking in the backdrop make the film at least a one-time watch, if not anything. 

Like all superhero films, the fight sequences look ostensible and have been pushed towards a wall of facile, shallow, and inept vanity. Zack Snyder played all his cards, and the movie alluded to the fact that he reached his breaking point in making the wheel move; however, there was something wrong and something missing with the whole fabric of it.

The changes from the 2017 film are visible. The scenes do not look rushed, and the editing looks professional; the shunned-out actor Ray Fisher takes center stage with his Cyborg character, the CGI looks properly used (to say the least), and most importantly, it looks like there was a plan in place. Zack Snyder knew what he was doing.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League ” does not pretend to be anything more than it really is. A comic book story in its culmination of fan service. Fans got what they wanted for the months of labor they put in for the “ReleaseTheSnyderCut” movement, and it is improbable they would be disappointed with what they have seen.

Snyder cleverly sneaked in the anti-life equation to add another layer to the storytelling, but he desperately lacked what many critics think was the primary absence in the whole action flick. An intriguing villain.

Steppenwolf was all-powerful and tried extravagantly hard to turn all of humanity into zombie slaves but looked imbecile and lackluster. It was almost as if, amidst the controversies and passion for reviving the Justice League, everyone forgot about Steppenwolf in his entirety.

In precis, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a celebration of familiar superheroes, a revival of the good old franchise with blowing trumpets, and a friendly reminder that nobody really dies in a superhero film. It is a cathartic feeling that comes after years of fights and turbulence. It is a sign that things are falling into place. It is a unique moment in pop culture, whether you like it or not, and has been tailor-made for millennials, for whom customization is a part of their lives: you either care, or you walk away.

And as far as DC fans are concerned, it is what it is. A befitting climax to a long story or perhaps, a promise for a suitable future.

Source : Review of the Film-“Zack Snyder’s Justice League”