Dredd aims low, gets the job done
Dredd is a well-executed, if unexceptional, standard action movie. There are obvious similarities to The Raid, but Die Hard is an equally valid touchpoint. Dredd and his psychic partner alternate running, hiding, and shooting in a series of solid but uninspiring action sequences.
What car commercials can teach us about bicycles
A bicycle, some argue, is merely a tool for getting from Point A to Point B, and anything else - equipment, type of bike, clothing - is entirely beside the point. We shouldn't call people cyclists, because no one should be identified by their mode of transportation. I can appreciate idea of this utilitarianism, but I am nagged by this thought: Have these people never seen a car commercial?
Game of Thrones 2.4: Bad Boys
Is there any question, at this point, that Joffrey Baratheon is a horrible person?
The Office solves a problem no one had
Finally, The Office got around to answering the question that was on everyone's minds after Andy's reunion with Erin: What's going to happen to Jessica?
Game of Thrones’ Women Troubles
If you set your story in a medieval-style world, are you obligated to treat your female characters like crap?
Parks and Recreation 4-14: Operation Ann
Parks & Recreation defines its characters extremely well. Everyone has a role in the dynamic of the show, and the show always knows what its characters are about.
Except for Ann Perkins.
Except for Ann Perkins.
Battlestar Galactica 1-11: Colonial Day
Colonial Day is a dull, perfunctory episode. It does one important thing - make Gaius Baltar the new Vice President - and throws in some meaningless conspiracies and a couple of fistfights. It squanders the opportunity to develop the political backdrop of the series.
The Wisdom and Impact of Before Watchmen
There was a time when I would have been genuinely offended that DC is publishing new Watchmen comics.Publishing prequels or sequels seems inherently wrong, a line that everyone knows you shouldn't cross lest you risk being struck down by the vengeful gods Alan Moore might talk to.
But the more I think about it, the less it bothers me.
Midnight in Paris and the terrible power of nostalgia
Midnight in Paris marks a return to form for Woody Allen, but only partially. It has many of the hallmarks of a great Woody Allen film, but also the flaws of a filmmaker who didn't bother to fully develop his ideas. Why is it receiving so much praise in spite of its significant flaws?
Parks & Recreation 4-11: The Comeback Kid
The Comeback Kid is a fairly simple episode with an obvious goal. When the show broke for Christmas, it left with a new status quo: Leslie was still going to run for city council, but with the help of her friends and co-workers instead of the professional political consultants; and Ben was unemployed after his resignation and subsequent refusal to take a safe, boring accounting job.