Month: April 2024

Fallout season 1 is a breath of irradiated fresh air

Who would have thought that yet ANOTHER series about a post-apocalyptic dystopian hellscape would be a good idea? And not just a another post-apocalyptic dystopian hellscape, but one based on a first-person shooter video game? Ugh, seriously? When will it be enough? Will we ever get post-apocalyptic dystopian hellscape fatigue? Apparently not any time soon. Is that a good or bad thing? I say ye, ’tis the same as any other genre…the proof in the pudding is in the eating.

That’s a bit of a cynical opening to this column, I’ll admit. My head turns when I see a new end of the world show teaser. I’m not sure why they grab our interest so completely. It probably has something to do with how we are all caught up in doom scrolling on our phones. Who knows. As an over-thinker, I should probably put my tired brain-bone to work on it. But not today. Today, I’m going to revel in the quirky, original, amazing Prime Video offering: Fallout season 1.

Good grief, am I that old?

Fallout is based on a popular video game of the same name, which has spawned at least a dozen spinnoffs and sequels. With a popularity like that, and sporting a fresh retrofuturistic (today’s word of the day. Try to use it in conversation!) style, Fallout was destined to be made into an actual movie or series. Frankly, it’s kind of amazing that it has taken this long to happen. The original Fallout was release waaaaay back in 1997. That bakes my melon. Seriously.

The end of the world…the way your gramma made it

As I said, Fallout is a ‘retrofuturistic’ world. Setting aside the obvious dichotomy there, it’s a fantastic artistic style that lives next door to steampunk (think Robocop done with only steam-powered technology). I say fantastic, and I stand by that. We’ve done the clean, smooth, futuristic tech to death (no offense, Star Trek). Retrofuturistic renditions are still pretty novel in comparison. Fallout nails the artistic style and absolutely ups the ante with top-shelf writing that slings a 50’s siloed morality and language smack dab into the aforementioned dystopian hellscape. It is visually enthralling and the characters are easily investable.

Kind of like the British

But when the layers of characterization are slowly peeled back, they reveal a dark underbelly. The one dimensional depictions fall away to reveal hidden motives and avarices. Wholsesome ‘good golly!’ morality evolves in front of our eyes and is replaced by the stark realization of circumstances that forces our characters to grow or die. In short, the character development is on point.

Not to be confused with another female bad@$$

Fallout stars Ella Purnell as Lucy MacLean, a young female adult who has lived her entire life in one of any number of Fallout shelters built to survive the atomic holocaust that our universe has (so far) has avoided. Hearing her name, my eyebrow immediately sprung up Spock-like. Second only to the original Die Hard is Live Free or Die Hard, another annual watch for me. John MacLane’s tough as nails daugher is one Lucy MacLane (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Love it. Whether on purpose or accident, I was on board from the git-go.

What follows is a non-linear tale of present day sheltered life (very literally), post-disaster militias, pre-disaster origin stories and pre-pre origin stories that walks a thin line between necessary and confusing but manages well enough. We are introduced to neo-knight Maximus, a character whose motivations and growth are not yet predictable. We meet THE Ghoul (not to be confused with the garden variety ghouls), played by the always awesome Walton Goggins doing his best Red Skull imitation. Oh, and Dogmeat. Dog-lovers rejoice.

If you are looking for a new earworm…

Fallout seems to take great pride and care in every aspect and nuance of this show. The end credits are presented to the tune ‘Crawl Out Through the Fallout’ by Sheldon Allman (circa 1960). That song has been playing on loop in my head ever since and was THE perfect ending. Each epi has it’s own retro tune to play us back to reality but none can match that slice of perfection. After the credits rolled, I simply turned to Mrs. Average Dude and declared ‘I. Am. A. Fan.’

I truly have nothing bad to say about this series other than to say I hope SO MUCH that they don’t muck it up in subsequent seasons. I still have not forgotten nor recovered from the tragic, meteoric crash of the series ‘Heroes’. I have never seen a great series go south so quickly. It bothered me so much that it tempers all my series expectations. Having said that, I wholeheartedly endorse Fallout season 1 with a jim-dandy rating of 4.75/5. Fallout is swell and I can’t help but be jazzed for season 2. And if I get radiation burned in the end, I’m going to feel it.

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Civil War, your timing is impeccable

There is no movie I’ve seen previews for this year – other than Deadpool 3 of course – that the Average Dude has been more anticipating than Civil War. One wonders how long it has been in the can, awaiting the perfect time to release. Too soon and they lose the boost of current political divisions going into the most important presidential election since the LAST most important presidential election. Too late and they risk either political fatigue (aren’t we all kind of there anyway?) vs possible encitement to conflict. I kind of think Hollywood nailed it. Well played, Hollywood. About time you actually thought things through and made a smart call.

So, even though it competed with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, I was always going to see Civil War opening weekend. And I’m glad I did. While all the political pundits gave their agenda-driven yays or nays, I was able to avoid their influence and watch this movie with anticipation and not expectation.

I say anticipation, but that doesn’t mean without bias. I would love to talk to anyone who truly has no biases on the state of the canyon that exists between conservatives and liberals. I would take them to see Civil War and intently listen to their reaction. Because this Average Dude is fully aware of his own biases. And, in the spirit of seeking the truth in all things, am constantly challenging those biases. That’s the only way I know to seek truth.

The basic premise of Civil War: California and Texas have ceceded from the United States and allied, adopting an American flag with only two stars. There are various other states that have ceceded and created their own coalitions, separate from the Loyalist States. The Loyalist States, led by the current president, have launched an offensive against the Cali/Texas alliance. Since Cali and the Lone Star state have a very large percentage of military bases, it makes sense from a believability standpoint.

They would have needed a maxi-series to tell it all

If Civil War had continued down that road it could have been a exciting, action-packed, possibly even powerful movie. But that would have required it to actually answer one of about a hundred questions that the viewing audience had. What caused the initial division so grievous that it caused the United States to fracture so completely AND cause California and Texas to side together? What did the internal struggle for power within each faction look like? Who is leading the Western Forces coalition? Or the Second Republic of Texas? Or Cali? And why in the world is South Carolina not part of the Florida Alliance? See what I mean? There are a truckload of other stories to tell here.

Thelma and Louise. And a dude. And an older dude.

Civil War didn’t begin from any of those story points, which could have started us on an epic journey. Nope. They made the whole Civil War a backdrop for a road-trip story about 4 journalists rolling through a war-torn America enroute to the White House to interview the sitting president before the cecessionists arrive to remove him from office. With extreme predjudice. Journos. Of all the viewpoints in society that the writers could have chosen to tell this story, could they have chosen one LESS trustworthy? Less identifiable by the bulk of the country? I’m thinking probably not.

So, in fairness to journos, there are probably some journos out there that really do aspire to the higher journo ideals. Tell the truth with impartiality. Show the facts. Unbiased. Even when it comes at great personal risk. Those girls and guys are the closest to secular martyrs we will ever see. But those folks are rare. Like, unicorn rare. They’re the ones who have not been co-opted by money and fame. It’s sad but true.

Food for thought

But Dude…is it any good? The short answer to that is yes. Sure, there’s some good stuff, but mostly it comes as a subtle warning to the watcher. The facade of ‘American moral superiority’ falls away. Slowly, at first. But as the intrepid journos get closer to DC, the brutality grows. In this Average Dude’s opinion, it was way, WAY too soft. It was baby formula when we wanted a T-bone.

If current strife in other areas of the globe have shown us, war on your own doorstep isn’t just uncomfortable or inconvenient. It’s crushing. It’s scarring. It’s often fatal. And in our land of excess, self-absorbsion and entitlement, the carnage would come faster and more brutally than most folks think. Civil War hinted at it, but didn’t take it nearly far enough IMHO.

So…does the Average Dude recommend?

I do. Because most average dudes and dudies have probably wondered on some level what a Civil War in this country would look like. And even getting a taste of it would be worth your time. Civil War straight up did not take sides. To the very best of its ability it walked the partisanship middle line. Would it have been better if it had taken a stand? I think so. For good or ill, it would have gotten more press. Appealing to one side and enraging the other surely would have generated more buzz. But watering it down guarantees a watered down response. And it feels a bit cowardly. That’s just the Average Dude’s opinion.

So, take it for what it’s worth, I suppose… reminder of how quickly people can forget their humanity. A mild reminder, at that. If something like this really did happen, I think it would be so much, much worse. And THAT’s not just an opinion.

There are many examples in our marvelously modern world that back up that claim. In the land of ultimate opportunity and affluence, what do you think would happen if that American priviledge got suddenly yanked away? People who have never once had to fend for themselves would be in utter panic. That’s upwards of 333 million folks (minus the 1%) who would be desperate to get what they ‘need’. Think the covid toilet paper panic times about a skillion. If we lose our sh!t over two-ply, what will it look like if folks can’t get their meds. Or their Hamburger Helper. Or their internet.

In the spirit of educating the purposefully obtuse, I am recommending Civil War. For those of us who spend time thinking ‘what if’, its a curiosity. For those who just don’t want to think about the possibility, I’d call it a must-watch on a grade school level. The Average Dude is giving Civil War a 3.5 out of 5. And God help us all if something like this ever happens.

And not for nothing, but I much preferred this Civil War…

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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is jolly good fun

Holy Cow! When the Average Dude saw a preview for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, I was 100% in! Starring Chief’s fan and GOAT Superman Henry Cavill AND Alan ‘Reacher’ Ritchson, I was geeking out at the prospect of these two mega dudes doing mega-dude things on the same side in the same movie. Crazy awesome. Even Mrs. Average Dude was psyched for this movie. Average Dude does not begrudge her enjoying the eye candy.

 

So, when Average Dude was scoping out the new releases for last week and happened upon an advance screening for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, I knew it was going to be a twofer weekend (Civil War review – coming soon). I love a twofer weekend so much.

Terribly unsporting of you, ol’ chap

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare it the ‘based on a actual events’ story of purported scoundrel Gus March-Phillips and his assembled crew of similar ne’er-do-wells. This merry band of chaos-bringers all possess a variety of ‘very particular skill sets’. Sadly, the oh-so-proper British government could not, in good conscience, bring said skill sets to bear on an enemy that showed no reluctance to use any level of brutality to further its ends. So, Churchill and a small contingent of his war cabinet enlisted March-Phillips to do their dirty work, promising prison (at best) should he and his men be found out.

So began Operation: Postmaster, a coverty operation to take out a German submarine refueling and supply depot on the ‘neutral’ Spanish island of Fernando Po.

God bless you, Guy Ritchie

While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had all the booty (giggety) that Mrs Average Dude could want – a dashing rogue leader (Cavill), an even larger human specimen (Ritchson) AND the Dread Pirate Roberts (okay, it’s a romantic throwback) it was not without a little sumthin-sumthin for the mates. Eiza Gonzalez plays Marjorie Stewart, an actress/singer/socialite turned spy for not-sure-whom and is a very passable clone of Gal Gadot. Thanks, Guy Ritchie. Your service to the Average Dudes is appreciated.

Too much star power

So, with a loaded cast, a classic action movie premise and one of my favorite directors at the helm, how could The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare be anything but a monumental smash? Here’s how…too much of a good thing. We all know Cavill’s movie pedigree. Action movie veteran. And most of us are still high on Alan Ritchson from two seasons of ‘Reacher’. We expected a lot of screen time for both of these fellows. Cavill, as the star of the story, got his. Ritchson, however, was almost an afterthought, which is a shame. And I get it. There was a lot going on in this movie, something had to give. I guess Ritchson is still paying his dues.

Also a small gripe, I have to mention that I have rarely seen so many deaths with so little gore. I mean, these super-commandos killed a LOT of bad guys. And unless I blinked, every single shot made with either a bullet, an arrow or a thown object found its mark unerringly. Apparently, Hollywood never misses.

In spite of the tiny imperfections of this movie, the Average Dude enthusiastically gives The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare a 4 out of 5. Well worth the 2 hrs and corn. We love it when all the WWII baddies get ended (well, ALMOST all of them). You’ll get plenty of it here and it’s always satisfying. Tally ho!

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A Monkey Man among men. And monkeys

When it comes to the average dudes in this world, we will watch John Wick-level violence wherever we find it. Why do we love it so much? Most of us aren’t looking to go fist-to-face with a hoarde of gun/blade/club wielding bad guys. Most of us aren’t looking for a fight of any kind. Without getting into psychologies or societal morrays, we’ll just attribute it to the hard-coded nature of the male of the species. Let’s do that.

So when the trailer came out for Monekey Man, your Average Dude was all in. And not just because of the choreographed Wick-level brawls. I’m a genuine fan of Dev Patel. Slumdog Millionaire is maybe the last Best Picture Oscar that got it right. Lion, great film. Hotel Mumbai, same. And even though I was ‘meh’ on the adaptation of ‘The Green Knight’, bravo for Patel for taking a risk on it.

Dude’s never get sick of Wick

When Wick-lovers go to see a Wickshow, we know what we’re in for. Guns. Lots of guns. Some knives. Brutality on a grand scale. And for all the average dudes out there, that’s enough to get our attention. If there is a complelling story and empathetic or relatable characters, that’s just gravy on the ‘taters. We were already at the table. And if nothing else, Monkey Man promised ultra-violence on Wick levels. And boy, did it deliver.

So, is Monkey Man just another John Wick?

No. No, it’s not.

To get inside the head of Monkey Man, it would help to have watched Slumdog Millionaire. Having some understanding of the way the caste system of India works is really important. Monkey Man, who is known only by the sobriquet ‘Kid’, is one of ‘the least of these’. After the brutal death of his family by the criminal elite, Kid is left to scratch out a living any way that he can. Eventually, Kid becomes an underground cage fighter. He adopts the persona of a monkey mask-wearing villain, who is routinely reviled and beaten bloody for his payday.

And all the while, vengence grows in his bloody heart. He is consumed by it, leaving almost nothing else.

What Monkey Man could have been

Monkey Man could – and maybe should – have been the Batman of India. As the story developed, that’s what I thought we were going to get. And I was excited for it. Batman, if Batman was created from Frank Castle (the Punisher, for you non-comic nerds). Quest for vengence turned into champion of the underclass. And, of course, John Wick-level fight scenes. That’s the powerful combination I was expecting. But it’s not what I got.

Monkey Man is a Hollywood-style action movie without the clear-cut Hollywood ending that this Average Dude was hoping for. Did it work? Ah, yes. Sure. Okay. But was it a let down? Yes, it was, and mostly because it hinted at that oh-so-satisfying Hollywood closure all through the movie. Even so, this movie can stand on it’s own merits. I can even applaud it for them, once I get over the sting of disappointment.

Monkey Man would have been a clear 4.5/5 had it delivered on it’s promises. But going it’s own way, brave though it might be, didn’t do it any favors. So, I can only give it a 3.75 out of 5. And since it’s Holly/Bollywood…there’s always a way to do a Monkey Man 2. Maybe the payoff will be worth the journey. Maybe they’ll deliver on the promise. It’s the movies! And in movies, there’s always hope.

Next week: A TWOFER! I’m reviewing Civil War AND The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, two movies I’ve been super psyched to see!

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Ghostbusters Frozen Empire: Bustin’ for a new generation?

There’s no getting around the fact that the original, beloved Ghostbusters are too old to carry the franchise anymore. So, if Hollywood wants to keep milking this intellectual property, they only have two choices. They either have to do a full reboot and recast all the characters. Which they tried. And failed. Spectacularly. Possibly even historically. I don’t need to rehash that.

The second choice is to ‘pass the torch’, which is what Ghostbusters Frozen Empire and Afterlife are attempting to do. And, in the Average Dude’s opinion, not very well. I’m not proud of saying that because who didn’t love the Ivan Reitman/Harold Ramis/Dan Ackroyd story?

Ghosted by the ghosts

Here’s something that needs to be said about Ghostbusters Frozen Empire…you kinda want to see some ghosts, right? They don’t even have to be scary ones like Viggo (well….).

There were a couple of low-level spooks early on, including a nice throwback to Slimer. But there just wasn’t that much ghost busting going on. And the big bad frozen ghostie? He was almost an afterthought. We barely saw him at all. Yeah, I didn’t feel any real threat from that guy. And that’s kind of a good thing, because this group of Ghostbusters doesn’t seem all that capable. Or smart. Other than Phoebe, the offspring of Egon Spangler. And speaking of our favorite 15 year old proton particle accelerator super-genius…

for the first time…trans-dimensional same sex hookups!

Of all the ghosts that appeared in Ghostbusters Frozen Empire, the one that garnered the most screen time was Melody, a young lady who died in a fire. Recently, judging by her spectral attire. Why did she still look young and pretty while every other ghost looks like sun-baked @$$…no clue. I guess because a trist between a 15 year old and a ghost sewer gator doesn’t have the same appeal.

The character development and screentime disparity between villain and ghost hookup wasn’t even close. Without dropping any spoilers I can say that the writers, quite by accident, showed how an adult can manipulate an angry, lonely and depressed teenager to their own ends. I wonder how many people actually caught that. I did.

So, to ask the obvious question…

No, it’s not who you gonna call? The answer to that is the OG Ghostbusters, clearly. The obvious question: Is Ghostbusters Frozen Empire worth the watch? Answer: Yes, but barely, and with reservations.

The new crew is not capable of carrying the franchise on their own. Not yet. They have the resident super-genius but she’s still a kid, which makes it hard to buy into her character. Paul Rudd, consumate scene-stealer, creates the right balance to ghost-science boss Phoebe as did Bill Murray in the original. Every other character was a throw-away. Except maybe the ‘Firemaster’. Similar to the ‘Keymaster’ or the ‘Gatekeeper’, but okay.  And I may be in the minority, but I still find Kumail Nanjiani’s deadpan schtick funny.

There were plenty of remember-berries (as there were in Afterlife) to tweak our nostalgia. I loved them even though they were obviously forced. But the whole barely adolescent same-sex ‘romance’ was creepy AF, and not in the good way that Ghostbusters is known for. Nope.

That’s what I said…booty trap

And I’m not going to harp on the fact that the kids in Ghosebusters Frozen Empire were basically unparented and at hazard constantly. C’mon. It’s a movie, not a PTA family. Nobody boo-hoo’d about the Goonies. It’s fine, karen. However, if that, then this: the only adult that actually tried to parent was Rudd’s character. I’m not sure if he was actually a step-dad or just a ghostbusting booty call. But the actual mother couch-tatering and phone surfing between spooks was a disturbing writer’s choice. That’s all I’ll say.

With all that in mind, I’m not afraid to give Ghostbusters Frozen Empire the marginal approval of 2.75/5. If you go in knowing that, you should be okay. Sure, there were plot holes big enough to drive a proton powered hearse through. But you still get OG Ghostbusters like mamma used to make. More than in Afterlife, as a matter of fact. And that’s enough for the Average Dude.

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