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Behind Enemy Lines (1986)
A ludicrous, by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter war movie mess
Terrible acting and cliched characters, extremely improbable battle scenes and a war movie trope - Vietnam POWs left behind in-country - that has been done before and much better all combine for a war movie that honestly isn't worth your time. Think of all the great, good and even okay POW rescue movies...and this is right at the bottom of the barrel.
David Carradine as Colonel James "Everybody Goes Home" Cooper is mailing it in. I mean, look up the definition in the dictionary and you see a photo of DC in this movie. He's so wooden you could chop him up for firewood and have one that burns all night. When he is acting, it's Cliche Central, or those long constipated stares that are meant to be threatening - I assume - to his Vietnamese enemies. His gun never runs out of bullets and no matter how many bad guys there are out there, he's impervious to them all. And don't even get me started on the America flag scene during the finale.
I never thought I'd see the day when a film came out that makes Chuck's "Braddock" series look like Oscar winners, but here we are.
Watch "Missing in Action" instead. Much better.
Chicago Med: Those Times You Have to Cross the Line (2023)
"Those Times You Have to Cross the Line"
Great, emotional scenes between Dr Archer and his son bookend this strong episode. Though, not one for the squeamish - there is a scene when a young girl is helicoptered into the hospital that's a little off-putting if you've just recently eaten
The janitors/housekeeping staff are on strike and picketing the hospital - Dr Charles is joining them - as the union and hospital board struggle to come to terms. Like the earlier shortage of surgical scrubs, the lack of a proper hygienic cleaning of beds after patients have been discharged has real consequences for patients and Gaffney Chicago Med staff alike, and leads to a strong medical mystery investigation spearheaded by Dr Halstead.
Perhaps the most interesting case that I can remember seeing on Med was of a young man who has stopped eating and drinking because he think he's already dead. A tough one for Dr's Charles and Cuervas to get a handle on.
Chicago Med: On Days Like Today... Silver Linings Become Lifelines (2023)
"On Days Like Today... Silver Linings Become Lifelines"
After the weather-related dramas that plagued Gaffney Chicago Med in the last episode, things are a little less chaotic, though still a busy place with good news and bad for various patients, as is standard.
What wasn't standard, but very welcome was how the writers decided to dedicate a big chunk of "On Days Like Today... Silver Linings Become Lifelines" to dealing with issues and creating storylines that we don't normally see in an ED-based drama: like politicking relating to Gaffney's open board position and the struggle for the hospitals' cleaners and their union with relation to their new employment agreements. Getting to see the entire hospital ecosystem is interesting. More of this in the future.
Chicago Med: It's an Ill Wind That Blows Nobody Good (2023)
"It's an Ill Wind That Blows Nobody Good"
Chicago is under assault by Mother Nature, with an ice storm and strong winds assailing the city, the temperature plummeting. Med's doctors and nurses are tired and on edge - for personal and professional reasons - with personnel (Dr Asher is out in the elements, trying to get to the hospital with the National Guard) and supplies running low, the hospital on backup generator power. Add to that, the fact that a patient has been stabbed, with no clues as to who might have done it: someone still inside Gaffney Chicago Med or someone who has left.
A really tense episode that is amongst the best of the season. Very well written and acted.
Chicago Med: It Is What It Is, Until It Isn't (2023)
"It Is What It Is, Until It Isn't"
An episode notable for an Chicago PD Atwater cameo to help the Med crew dole out a little social justice, and a guest starring role by Hallmark queen Jen Lilley, who definitely plays someone the polar opposite to the roles she takes on those made-for-TV movies.
Kudos to the showrunners for their imagination. There is always a unique accident or situation that brings patients into the orbit of the Chicago Med doctors and nurses and the one in the beginning of "It Is What It Is, Until It Isn't" was certainly one from left-field. On that scene: really liking Ivan Shaw as Dr. Lieu. He has the makings of a great character.
Chicago Med: We All Know What They Say About Assumptions (2023)
"We All Know What They Say About Assumptions"
I'm nearly two years behind on this eighth season of Chicago Med. I watch Chicago Fire and Chicago PD religiously, but sometimes - at least previously - found myself getting bored of Med, due to the medical jargon that is frequently in play.
Not anymore.
I've really enjoyed this season. I think the showrunners have struck a nice balance between ED drama and personal drama, even though there is very little in the way of scenes not taking place at the hospital. Sometimes the scale slides too far in one direction, and is brought back the other way in a future episode. It works well. This episode was a perfect example. Long may it continue.
Also, another great out-of-hospital scene where one of the Med crew was forced to do some emergency medical work in a less-than-ideal situation. Keep these coming.
Chicago Med: A Little Change Might Do You Some Good (2023)
"A Little Change Might Do You Some Good"
Every now and again there is a storyline on one of these Chicago-verse shows - usually a sad one - that really and wholly hits me in the feels. Count "A Little Change Might Do You Some Good" amongst those episodes. Oliver Platt, who is always dependably good as Dr Charles, is really excellent on this occasion, as Charles tries to find a way to help a grandmother's developmentally-disabled grandson because she is dying of cancer and not able to help him any further herself. I think Laura Gardner might be the actress playing the ailing grandmother, and she is just as good as Platt. A sad end to that storyline, but plenty of happier endings, too. Great to see Dr Lieu's past career help Med out in a tight spot. A great episode, if one that is quite depressing at times.
Chicago Med: This Could Be the Start of Something New (2022)
"This Could Be the Start of Something New"
Who doesn't love a good wedding episode? They do those ones very well across Chicago Med, Fire and PD.
I feel like all these kinds of dramas follow a similar script for these wedding episodes: there are a few issues that crop up throughout the first two thirds of the episode that are resolved - nearly always with happy endings because it is a wedding episode - right in time for the wedding, where everyone attends. Then you get the happily ever after for the married couple, sometimes one that has been a very long time coming, and quite often it's the farewell scene for the recently-betrothed. Then, whilst everyone else is basking in the love that's in the air, a a bombshell drops that threatens to change everything.
With "This Could Be the Start of Something New", Chicago Med followed this right to the letter. I don't mean this in a negative fashion - I mean, I did give the episode nine starts, after all. The big revelation certainly sets up an intriguing storyline. Can't wait to see where the show takes us next.
Chicago Med: Everyone's Fighting a Battle You Know Nothing About (2021)
"Everyone's Fighting a Battle You Know Nothing About"
An episode of "Chicago Med" that had a little something for everyone. Especially if you like:
a. One Chicago crossovers (there were two, a friendly face from Firehouse 51 near the start of the episode and one from PD's District 21 at the end).
B. Complex medical mysteries.
C. Good news stories for patients whose prognosis on arriving in Med's ED is not great.
D. Characters (at least a little) in harm's way, leading to them making decisions that might not later be in their best interests.
E. A surprise wedding - well, not a complete surprise, it must be said, and you'll get what I mean when you've seen the episode for yourself - and a welcome one.
Great acting across the board, but particularly this episode from Brian Tee as Dr Choi. He gets some great emotional scenes to sink his teeth into, and boy does he!
Chicago Med: The Clothes Make the Man... Or Do They? (2021)
"The Clothes Make the Man... Or Do They?"
Interesting that one of the reviewers has criticised how the show steps out of the bounds of medical reality to create drama. Clearly, Chicago Med is not a documentary and makes no bones about that fact. I prefer a little drama in my dramas. A little fabrication in a show that is clearly not purporting to be real won't hurt.
Anyway, "The Clothes Make the Man... Or Do They?" is a strong episode, with a focus on Special Guest Star extraordinaire Steven Weber's Dr Archer and the tough situation he is put in when a patient is brought into the ED.
The supply chain issue - one area where Chicago Med imitates the real world - rears it's ugly head again, and this time a shortage has serious consequences for one of Med's doctors.
Chicago Med: Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This (2022)
"Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This"
Chicago Med deftly straddles the line between complex medical issues and human drama at the best of times, and the mix in the sixth episode (whose title has a nice nod to Van Morrison!) of it's eighth season is perfect. This is the show at it's best.
The ninth star is for S. Epatha Merkerson's brilliant and emotional acting. Ms Goodwin gets more hands on than her usual role as hospital administrator allows and Merkerson is top-notch. Any chance for Ms Goodwin and Oliver Platt's Dr Charles to work together is good TV.
It looks like the revolving door that is Gaffney Chicago Medical is turning again with a cast member seemingly headed to the exits. The One Chicago franchise shows are certainly not afraid to farewell characters in order to keep things fresh and interesting. From my point of view, it works.
Chicago Med: Yep, This Is the World We Live In (2021)
"Yep, This Is the World We Live In"
A very strong episode with lots of drama to unpack.
There is an unusual coda to the subway accident storyline involving Dr Marcel from last episode.
Also, a fight in the middle of the ED that leaves Dr Archer - Steven Weber is STILL only listed as a special guest star on the credits! - worse for wear. Glass was breaking, bodies were flying, chaos reigned! The scene where Dr Asher resets Archer's jaw is very funny. (And, yes, I definitely flinched when she did it!)
Halstead and Vanessa find themselves in all sorts of legal jeopardy when their idea from last episode to buy drugs illegally for a patient due to supply chain issues backfires in the worst way possible.
April is back! (again). In a substantial way as compared to her cameo a few episodes back. Nice to see Yaya DaCosta - always liked April's character. Her chemistry with Maggie and Dr Choi, in different ways obviously, has always been top-notch. This guest star role is no different.
Chicago Med: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Teacher (2021)
"The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Teacher"
A rare but welcome episode of "Chicago Med" that largely takes place outside of the hospital. Dr Marcel is in the right place at the right time when a much-ballyhooed subway crashes beneath the city streets and manages to get into the wrecked train to prevent the subway owner and it's conductor from meeting grisly ends. He gets a helping hand from Severide and Hermann as well. (Side note: let's see more of the Med team plausibly responding to medical events outside the four walls of their hospital because this instance of it was fantastic).
Inside Gaffney Chicago Med, things are grim on the supply chain front, forcing Halstead and Vanessa to resort to desperate measures to get a patient life-saving medication. Archer and Asher are having similar issues getting what they need to get results. Elsewhere, Dr Charles ends up back in the hospital when his therapist appears to have a heart attack during one of their sessions.
Chicago Med: Winning the Battle, but Still Losing the War (2021)
"Winning the Battle, but Still Losing the War"
The final scenes of the episode between Ms Goodwin and Dr Halstead signal that the supply chain storyline is going to be around for a while. Why not mirror the real world as much as possible?
Dr Charles rarely gets angry, but he was very unimpressed with his new colleague over the treatment of a patient back for their second go-around. Oliver Platt has given Charles such a steady, calm and almost grandfatherly demeanour so it's weird seeing him upset.
Indeed, there is a lot of angst and tension between colleagues at Med. It certainly spices things up. A well-oiled hospital would be a pretty boring TV show.
Side note: I'm really enjoying Jessy Schram as Dr Hannah Asher. She's been strong in pretty much every story arc since joining the show.
All in all, an interesting episode.
Chicago Med: (Caught Between) The Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly (2021)
"(Caught Between) The Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly"
To describe the events of "(Caught Between) The Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly" in just a few words: supply chain issues and intern problems.
"Chicago Med" sits in the real world for sure, with recent mentions of the COVID-19 pandemic and now Gaffney Chicago Med is dealing with supply chain issues. The doctors are blaming either the war in the Ukraine or COVID. Either way, times are tough, with not nearly enough of everything to go around.
The veteran doctors are also struggling with some of the recent batch of interns. Some are inexperienced and others are cocky. I feel like I've seen this kind of storyline on other medical dramas before.
An entertaining and strong episode. Steven Weber's Dr Archer gets plenty of screen time. That character is warming on me.
Chicago Med: How Do You Begin to Count the Losses (2021)
"How Do You Begin to Count the Losses"
A very strong start to the eighth season of "Chicago Med", which has suffered in recent seasons from the departures of some of the original cast. Another main cast member bids the Windy City, or at least Gaffney Chicago Med farewell at the end of the season premiere. And, speaking of old faces... there's a touching reunion for Doctor Choi at the end of the episode.
Following on from the seventh season finale, the fire at Halstead's apartment building is the main focus of the episode, and it allows Chicago Fire's Hermann and Brett to cameo. It's an explosive pre-title card sequence to kick off the season. Later, in the same story arc, Chicago PD's Burgess appears. The more crossovers the better.
Especially due to the recent cast turnover, it's reassuring to see Dr Charles and Ms Goodwin have their customary chats. Oliver Platt and S. Epatha Merkerson are two of the tentpoles of the show, and you get the feeling they will be around for as long as the show is. Here's hoping, anyway.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
"My friends, we've come home."
The most imaginative "Star Trek" film ever conceived, and - along with "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and "Star Trek: Insurrection", my favourite in the franchise. No matter how many times I've watched it, it's still thoroughly entertaining.
Whoever came up with the idea of sending Kirk and the crew of the now-destroyed USS Enterprise back to earth in 1986 where they have to deal with a world as alien as any other they've explored whilst locating humpback whales to take back to save their earth from an alien probe, is a genius.
The inventive plot allows for some very amusing moments (Kirk and Spock on the bus, the hospital scene, Kirk telling Gillian Spock did too much LDS in the sixties and too many more to count), and probably exposed "Star Trek" to a whole new audience, too, given it was light on science fiction for the most part, instead relying on character-driven drama.
A very strong end to the trilogy of films about Spock's "death" and the Genesis Project. A great shame the franchise was in for a serious downturn with the ill-conceived "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
Fantastic entertainment.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
"I finally came home, to defend the only family I've ever known."
The final filmic chapter for the iconic John Rambo comes in a torrent of blood and guts on a dusty farm in Arizona, a wasteland after a typically violent showdown between Sylvester Stallone's Rambo and the bad guys de jour. (Hint, it isn't the Russians or a cowardly small-town sheriff this time around).
If you thought 2009's "Rambo" was violent, "Rambo: Last Blood" makes it look like a PG film. My goodness, there was violence like I've not seen in a movie before. The last twenty minutes is blood, guts, dismemberment, explosions, fire, decapitation. Just relentless.
I thought the franchise could have ended with Rambo returning to his family farm at the end of "Rambo" in 2009, a nice full circle moment. Thus, right from the get-go, this instalment always felt surplus to requirements.
This 2019 farewell is definitely the weakest of the five made, the first where Rambo isn't truly in a warzone of some kind or another. But, still. There's something about Stallone's hulking, brooding, mumble-talk Rambo that you can't help but admit is cool.
Sniper: Assassin's End (2020)
Pretty entertaining
The "Sniper" franchise is a known commodity now, and although "Sniper: Assassin's End" is a step down from "Sniper: Ultimate Kill" and the others that have come before it, right back to the Billy Zane original, Chad Michael Collins' fifth outing as Brandon Beckett has some good action sequences both with and without rifles and is a chance for Brandon to team up with his somewhat-estranged old man, Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) and do what they do best.
At times, the Beckett's were secondary to the characters of Special Agent Zeke "Zero" Rosenberg and the mysterious assassin Doctor Death - as though the powers-that-be were using "Assassin's End" as a backdoor spin-off. They were both good characters, but give me more of the Beckett's, please!
Enjoyable, nonetheless.
The Acolyte (2024)
Could have been great. Instead, it was mediocre, at best.
The one certainty of "The Acolyte" over the eight episodes it stretched was that the combat scenes were spectacularly conceived and executed. Episode 4 was especially good, and there have been notable moments prior and since.
If only the rest of the series had been as spectacular. Instead, it was a mess of lazy storytelling and poor acting.
There was a chance to make something great but the series, set during the heretofore largely unexplored (in TV terms, anyway) High Republic era and the emergence of the Sith threat, but all we got was a few decent episodes that left us wanting more, and ultimately not getting it.
After the brilliance of "Andor"...this.
Can't believe there are people out there petitioning for a second season. I think we should all be grateful this mess of a show was mercifully cancelled.
The Acolyte: The Acolyte (2024)
" The Acolyte"
The final episode of "The Acolyte" was...okay. Just okay. Which is a shame because it could have been a whole lot better. In a way, that's a truism for the entire series.
Missed opportunities left, right and centre.
There were some memorable scenes and a few surprises along the way in the final episode, and a cameo from a fairly important "Star Wars" universe character right at the end - literally, blink and you'll miss it - but it wasn't enough.
Ultimately the series suffered from lazy storytelling, and wooden, cliche-riddled dialogue. I really wanted the series and this final episode to be good. If only it had been...
The Acolyte: Choice (2024)
"Choice"
As many previous reviewers have pointed out, the similarities between this episode and the third one are numerous: another flashback episode that further fleshes out the backstory of Osha and Mae.
One thing that must be said: there were some spectacular fight scene visuals including one particular lightsaber duel between two combatants I didn't ever think I'd see squaring off - very, very impressive. However, the good scenes in "Choice" were unfortunately few and far between.
I wanted to love "The Acolyte" and I thought I would again after episode 4. Instead, I'm rolling through the end of the series out of stubbornness more than anything else. I want to see how it ends, but it's kind of morbid curiosity at this point.
Three stars for the bulk of the episode. Add two for THAT lightsaber duel.
The Acolyte: Teach/Corrupt (2024)
"Teach/Corrupt"
After the most dramatic episode of "The Acolyte" so far, the follow up is...underwhelming. There are a few twists in the tale here that don't make a lot of sense, with lazy writing at the heart of it. Clunky, awkward dialogue riddled with cliches. Can't Disney do any better?
It's interesting that some people really liked "Teach/Corrupt" and other people didn't like it at all. I'm in the former camp. Couldn't get excited. Some strange choices by certain characters wrecked all the momentum from the last episode. It was interesting that just when something exciting happened at the end of the episode, it faded to black and it's basically, "Come back next episode."
One good thing: the scenery in this episode was brilliant, especially those scenes by the water.
The Acolyte: Night (2024)
"Night"
Easily the best episode so far, "Night" is basically a long battle fought between the Jedi and the mysterious, helmeted warrior with the red lightsaber (who gave me Kylo Ren vibes, the way he talked) whilst Mae Osha continue the cat and mouse thing they've got going on. And it was spectacular. Like the "Star Wars" I know and love. Brilliant choreography, it's quite breathtaking at times. The S-word is used by the menacing newcomer, which probably wasn't a surprise to most of us.
Although the long skirmishes were undeniably spectacular, didn't answer many of the questions I had and still have. But at least I wasn't bored and wishing the episode is over, so that's something. Here's hoping "Night" doesn't waste the potential that it's returned to the series.
The Acolyte: Day (2024)
"Day"
"Day" is much better than "Destiny", though I admit that that isn't saying a whole lot.
Nonetheless, there is more action and intrigue in the episode, and it ends in a semi-satisfactory manner with the sudden - but, it must be said - not entirely unexpected arrival of a stranger wielding a lightsaber blade of, shall we say, dubious colour?
Even so, it all happens at something approaching glacial pace. Cutting out the filler from the last few episodes, and assuming there is similar filler to come in the second half of the eight-episode series, the producers could have made a tight 2 or 2 1/2 hour movie instead of what we have.
(Four stars for the first 98% of the episode, another 2 for the conclusion, which was cool).