Jessica Jones: Season 1 (2015)

What I liked:

• The opening credits were pretty cool.
• Kilgrave. While I feel he has been immensely overhyped, he is the best thing about this show, without a doubt. David Tennant did a great job here, when he was finally allowed to play with the character.

What I didn’t like:

• Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. I don’t know, she came across as super forced, wasn’t hardcore or scary or cool or anything. If anything, she was annoying, which is a pity.
• How preachy the show got about race at times. It was unnecessary.
• The gratuitous sex all over the show. Really, like the third episode featured Jessica banging Luke four times. Four. In one damn episode. And it doesn’t contribute to the plot whatsoever, so it was totally uncalled for and awkward and useless.
• The build up to actually seeing Kilgrave was way better than the payoff. The whole thing was just meh.
• The characters. They are flat and uninteresting. I am really not a fan of any of them.
• How magnificently everything just so happens to line up. Events, coincidences, etc. Not feeling right.
• Kilgrave’s whole mission? He’s in love with Jessica. Really. After all that, it was some pussyfooting around that the show settled on.

Rating:
I started this hoping I was going to get another Daredevil. I should have known better. I don’t even know why I got my hopes up – just seeing Krysten Ritter should have been enough for me, but there were rave reviews, and I got hopeful. I mean, private investigator? Dark, gritty, violent? Check. Well, ouch. I really feel that the plot for this show is incredibly messy and all over the show, and introduces absolutely no characters to give a crap about, so it is an exceptionally hollow experience watching continually and not caring. It feels like I was investing my valuable time for no payoff, and that is not a feeling I wish to revisit again. This show is way too overhyped, and so is Kilgrave. While he is, undoubtedly, the best thing about this show, his introduction was sloppy, and his potential was never actually realised. I kept waiting for the really big bad to break out and make an appearance, which never happened. Krysten Ritter, too, is an actress that irrationally annoys the shit out of me (Abbi, you really should copyright that term). She brought nothing to the table, nothing to the character. She always came across as though she was trying too hard and uncomfortable, and not in a sense where you feel that from the character. Heck, she never believably became the character. Another thing I took major issue with is the gratuitous sex all over the show. I really don’t mind sex scenes, I would prefer them to contribute to the story, but we cannot all be so lucky. However, when there is just sex thrown in (four times in one episode!) because you have no plot to work with, things are no longer alright. It was over the top and gross, seriously, I know I sound like a prude but come off it. It contributed nothing. I honestly found Jessica Jones to be a bland affair that was a real chore to get through and brought nothing original to the table. There was potential, but poor casting decisions, storytelling and plot ruined it all completely. I cannot say that I wish to be watching more, and I am really not looking forward to seeing this join up with the vastly superior Daredevil.

Sporadic Scene: The Matrix (1999) – Lobby Shootout

This is one of those scenes that just never gets old, no matter how many times you see it. Trinity and Neo marching in to save Morpheus was one of those things that was a stroke of sheer brilliance. They were on a mission, they were prepared, they were ruthless, merciless, and wrecked that lobby to achieve their objective, and it is thrilling to watch them go for it. The implementation of this scene is flawless – the choreography, the music, the visuals? Awesome.

If you have a scene that you would like featured, drop me a mail at sporadiczoe@hotmail.com with a link to the scene and an explanation as to why.

Rapid Review: The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

“Why, Mr. Anderson? Why, why? Why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you’re fighting… for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose.” 
Agent Smith

SYNOPSIS: The human city of Zion defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo fights to end the war at another front while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith. – via IMDB

So many complaints about this movie. So many. Now, neither of these sequels reached the heights of the original film, let’s not deny that, but they were alright. However, you all know what complaints I had with Reloaded, and there were many. As for Revolutions? I thought it was actually really entertaining, and a pretty good way to end the trilogy, even though there were some loose ends. I liked the fighting scenes in here more (they didn’t look as “soft”), I enjoyed the story more (there actually was more of a point to what was going on), and I liked the fact that there wasn’t such a massive sexual component in here (it was so unnecessary in Reloaded). The story also seemed tighter and flowed better. I wish that this final movie had been more of an equal to the original one, but I honestly do not think for one second that it deserves the hate that is spouted at it. It was entertaining, shot well, looked good, had Keanu Reeves in it, some wicked outfits and decent effects, so it had everything an action movie needed. It is not good as a standalone film, as I intensely doubt that anyone could have made heads of tails out of what was going on without the backing of the previous two films, and that is fine. That final fight between Agent Smith and Neo was simply fantastic, and I really loved the look when they were fighting each other with that green backdrop of windows. I could not find a gif of it anywhere, but it really looked good. The score was still a little too techno, but less in your face as the last one. I honestly loved Trinity and Neo together, and I still lament the fact that more time was not spent developing their relationship more to give it more bite than it has. I was riveted by the story, and it had ups and downs, of course, but it was concluding one hell of a story, and I think that the Wachowskis handled it relatively well. If you haven’t watched the Matrix movies in a while, I would highly recommend taking the time and doing a marathon of them!

Rapid Review: The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

“Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without.” 
– Merovingian

SYNOPSIS: Neo and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,000 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants. During this, Neo must decide how he can save Trinity from a dark fate in his dreams. – via IMDB

I get that this is regarded as the better of the two sequels, but I am not so sure about that, to be honest. For one… there is just so much CGI. And not like a lot of movies, where there is CGI and you can forgive it, this is just in excess and in your face all the time. Reloaded just looks so fake in so many places, and that is highly disappointing. Especially after the last phenomenal piece of cinema we got, this is just a step down. I was not a fan of the heavy techno soundtrack, and there was just far too large a sexual component to this movie than there needed to be. Also, there were many scenes laced throughout here that were unnecessary and time consuming. A complaint my fiancé had was that the fight scenes all looked “soft” – nobody seemed to be getting into a real fight, things were too gentle and relied on a lot of low gravity and nothing really happening, but fists constantly being swung, you get what he means? What I did like though were those two creepy white albino twin things. They were interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way they fought and morphed and moved. Something I have always wished about the Matrix movies is that they had focused just a little more on the relationship between Neo and Trinity, making it more real and understandable for us. Instead, their love story is something that just happened, no real introduction, no real fleshing out of it, always making it feel slightly less important than it needs to be. I really liked the keymaker, too. The storyline with Agent Smith is actually really cool, and there is so much that can happen from there. Also, the Seraph was incredibly entertaining, definitely a character that I thoroughly enjoy. I need to mention, you know my cape fetish? I have a thing for jackets, too (think my Peter Bishop jacket obsessions). Well, Neo only just has the most badass jackets when he goes into the Matrix. I mean wow. Long, flowy, amazing… yes. I love it. I do. Alright, alright. Moving back to the movie, Reloaded is well worth the watch, continues to tell us more about the story and what is happening since Neo has come to save them all, and is pretty good, though it falls far short of its predecessor, something you cannot but compare it to.

Rapid Review: The Matrix (1999)

“What is real? How do you define ‘real’? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”
– Morpheus

SYNOPSIS: During the year 1999, a man named Thomas Anderson (also known as Neo), lives an ordinary life. A software techie by day and a computer hacker by night, he sits alone at home by his monitor, waiting for a sign, a signal – from what or whom he doesn’t know – until one night, a mysterious woman named Trinity seeks him out and introduces him to that faceless character he has been waiting for: Morpheus. A messiah of sorts, Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him for so long. – via IMDB

I’ve actually been itching to rewatch these for a while now, and there was no better time to do it than when the trilogy went on sale recently from my favourite online retailer. Whoop! It was time. I talked my fiancé into it (surprisingly easy) and we were off on our adventure. Wow! This movie is great! Totally understandable why it is so loved. It is just plain down super cool. The effects are amazing, especially if you are looking at the release date, the actors all worked together to pull of something different, unique, awesome, and they did it properly. This is one of those instances where Keanu Reeves just nailed it. You all know I am a fan, through the good times and the bad. His portrayal of Neo was just perfect – he didn’t believe too fast, he went along with it in a sense (as Morpheus cleverly likened it to a man accepting what he sees because he believes he is in a dream) and watching how he changed was well worth it. His interactions with Fisburne’s Morpheus and Moss’s Trinity were so good. He grew attached to these people, to their hopes and dreams, he took them on. Let’s not even forget about Hugo Weaving and his wickedly strange and creepy Agent Smith. He fitted that role and worked it fantastically. The Matrix is famous for some of the most revolutionary action sequences of all time (we have all seen that bullet time back bend dodge of Neo and jump up slow motion kick of Trinity in so many places since, and it is the one thing we all remember about the movie years later, even if the other details have faded). There is humour to the film, but it is dark and used sparingly, making it all the more effective. I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack (Zombie and Manson??? Heaven I tell you!) and I think it all worked very well. I am a big fan of the story and how it was implemented – slowly but surely you are given all the information, it isn’t all dumped on you at once, though there is still a lot of information to process. The Matrix is shot well, and it is easy to get sucked in and lost in the story that you are given. The Wachowskis created a gem when they gave us this film, and even after all these years it’s a great, innovative watch. Highly recommended for sure!

Review: Memento (2000)

“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can’t remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world’s still there. Do I believe the world’s still there?”
– Leonard Shelby

Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) has a problem. He has anterograde amnesia. He cannot create new short term memories, which serves to be an issue seeing as he is on an important mission. He is researching something, he is working something out, something big and important, and is being helped along by his friend (as far as he knows) named Teddy (Joe Pantoliano). Leonard’s condition is due to an attack he and his wife suffered, and that he was unsuccessful in preventing – his home was broken into and his wife (Jorja Fox) was raped and murdered by a man he believes to be called John G.

“You don’t want the truth. You make up your own truth.” – Teddy

Teddy is helping Leonard track down John G, to exact justice for the atrocities that his wife suffered. Leonard has a system to keep on top of things. Notes are jotted down, his body is tattooed with clues and facts he knows to be vital to the case. He has Polaroid photographs of all the people around him as well as notes to himself about them as well as where he stays and what not. The most important story he tells himself to remind him about what is wrong with him is the story of Sammy Jankis (Stephen Tobolowsky), a man who suffered from the same type of amnesia, and a claim that Leonard was supposed to look into when he was still an insurance investigator. Leonard was unsure as to whether Sammy’s condition was true or not, though his wife (Harriet Sansom Harris) tested the theory and had her husband overdose her on her insulin.

“Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They’re just an interpretation, they’re not a record, and they’re irrelevant if you have the facts.” – Leonard Shelby

Another woman assisting Leonard in his vengeance plan is Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who will help him out of pity because she, too, lost someone. She also happens to be his lover, though he does not always remember this. Leonard is staying at a motel, and every day he has reminders for himself as well as little bits of a mission he is working on. Teddy is assisting Leonard as much as he can, retracing Leonard’s footsteps as well as helping to work through the case files that were originally involved with the attach on Leonard and his wife. Something is not right, but Leonard cannot put his finger on it, and is likely to forget it when he does if he does not document it.

Leonard believes that Teddy is the one that raped and murdered his wife, and is set on killing the man for what he did. His investigation and notes lead him to suspect this. Teddy’s real name is John Edward Gammell, and his car’s licence plate matches up with the one that Leonard knows to belong to John G. But is Teddy truly guilty? Why is Natalie so intent on helping Leonard out? Can they ever have a regular relationship due to his condition? Is Leonard’s condition a physical one or a mental one? Will he be able to overcome it? What exactly happened with his wife in the attack, however long ago that was?

“But even if you get revenge you’re not gonna remember it. You’re not even going to know that it happened.” – Natalie

I really enjoyed this movie. Once again, Christopher Nolan demonstrates his prowess with another solid film that progresses in such a way that you are hooked but never lost, though forever asking questions. Memento also had a really unique way of presenting the story, and it was fresh and new, unlike most films. The performances from the cast were great, and Guy Pearce shone in his role of Leonard, giving the character far more credibility than you could think. There was some humour throughout the film, but it was not overbearing or anything to take away from the subject of the film. A lot of it stems from Leonard’s condition, and how it can put him in a lot of danger, but also let a lot of people take advantage of him. The way the story was told was completely compelling, and doesn’t have a single boring moment to it. The score worked for it, too, and it was just overall a really good film that was highly enjoyable. A fine film to find yourself watching, kitted out with a fantastic cast and an exceptionally interesting plot, Memento offers a unique presentation that will keep you on your toes for the duration of it.