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manlybrian
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The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
Starts with a bang, ends with a meh
The Cloverfield Paradox is useful in answering some of the questions from the last two movies, but it does little to provide solutions to the big problems in the grand scheme of things. The way the story is constructed feels a bit like 10 Cloverfield Lane, but without the heart, the strong characters, and the claustrophobic suspense that its predecessor had.
The strong points in this movie also have their failures. While there are some strong performances, none of the characters are memorable. While it starts with some exciting mysteries, they are all resolved halfway through. And while it surprised everyone with its Super Bowl Sunday release, it really just comes across as filler content to extend the series.
If I could rate more specifically on IMDB, I would give The Cloverfield Paradox a 6.8/10. It's decent, but decent isn't high praise for a movie in a series that has been great up until now.
The OA (2016)
Frustrating throughout
I just finished all 8 episodes. They were frustrating to watch. Yes, the production value is great, the story is certainly unique, and the acting is fine. The problem is with the writing.
Repeatedly, throughout the show, I found myself wanting characters to do things, and they wouldn't. I would want evil people to get what's coming to them, but instead they would prevail. I would want an underdog character to gain an upper-hand, to have some secret way of getting an advantage, but instead, they only became more helpless. I would want the story to give answers to all the mysteries, but it dragged on slowly and painfully.
In so many ways, the show does not deliver on the promises it makes. It sets the story up like an exciting sci-fi or supernatural thriller, but instead it turns into a cerebral mess. And once you finally accept the fact that it's going to be intellectual rather than action/adventure, it even makes a mess of THAT promise!
Beyond the frustrations of the plot, there are also problems with characterization. Often times, characters would do things (or not do things) that went beyond my suspension of disbelief. I found myself saying time and again, "What? They wouldn't do that. That's not how people are. That's not how they react." So many things characters did were simply to fit into the story, but in real life, it's just not likely.
In the end, this show left me very unsatisfied. I was deceived by the initial IMDb rating of 200+ reviews at an 8.9 rating. I seriously suspect those are phony ratings to give the show a good start. I am giving the show a 6/10. Great production value, but the story doesn't deliver on its promises, and quite frankly, I found it difficult and frustrating to sit through.