Narcos: Season 1 - Snapshot

 

As part of my regular TV serial research I came across Narcos, but didn’t pay much attention to it, as it failed to grab my interest based on the synopsis. A month later a friend suggested I watch it and gave it to me on a flash drive. Not very sure on what to expect, and keeping a fairly open mind, I fired it up. Episode 1 of Season 1 felt almost like a history lesson, with a narrator going over past events to do with the South American Drug Cartels, and the efforts of the American DEA in the 60’s. The style was humorous, and the characters were slowly introduced. Over the next few episodes the characters developed, and what started out like a documentary, took shape in more crime drama sorta form. The plot revolves around the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug lord who is recorded as the wealthiest criminal in history. As the season plays out, it captures and portrays Pablo Escobar in wonderful detail. As much as he’s a criminal, his strong family values, and his incredible street smart and savvy business ways become evident; making for a very human and relatable character. His vision, being what separated him for the rest of the two-bit cut throat criminals. Wagner Moura who plays Escobar is brilliant; to the extent that just from his expressions you can tell what he is feeling and thinking, even in moments of complete silence. Overall the show makes for an interesting watch, being a balanced mix of entertainment and world history based on true events. Needless to say it’s a unique theme of interest, and does have its bits of graphic violence; so it certainly isn’t for all. There are a few funny moments woven into narrative, which help keep things light. Worth noting though is that the show is from the American Perspective. It would perhaps be interesting to understand how an actual Colombian or Narco would see it.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A Netflix crime drama based on true events surrounding Pablo Escobar)

Argo - Snapshot

 

Argo is a movie that requires little introduction thanks to its 3 Oscars, and several other wins and nominations. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, the 2012 release is based on true events of the US hostage crisis of 1980 in Iran. The plot follows the creative solution devised by lead character Tony Mendez, to rescue 6 Americans under the guise of a fake movie production. In my honest opinion, the movie was nice, but was a far cry from being stellar. I do enjoy good dramas, so I won’t attribute it to my fondness for blockbuster action movies. The recreation of the 1980’s was meticulous, and it did have a strong period feel to it. Ben Affleck’s performance as the CIA operative Tony Mendez was excellent, coming across as passionate, intelligent, and driven. Supporting performances from John Goodman and Alan Arkin were also superb, bringing in some humor through their performances. I wasn’t aware of the 1980 hostage crisis, and Argo served as a remarkable retelling of that story, keeping the reality of the incident, the turmoil, and the human element intact. If you’re into movies based on historical events, Argo is worth the watch. Otherwise there is a fair chance you’ll find the movie a tad boring. I watched this one on DVD, and believe that the content wasn’t of the highest grade. Picture was pretty decent, but nothing special. It did have a dated look to it though, which I’m guessing was intentional.

My Recommendation: Watch It – (An interesting drama based on true events)

Lockout - Snapshot

Every now and then there are movies that aren’t promoted in a big way, owing to which you only learn of them later, often by accident. For specifically this purpose, I make it a point to research movies, director’s portfolios, and actor/actress filmographies, to hopefully identify such rare treasures. Lockout to me was one such discovery. The plot sounded interesting, as did the sci-fi premise, and the future prison in outer space. Guy Pearce plays a CIA operative who is given the seemingly impossible mission of infiltrating the space station and rescuing the president’s daughter, after the inmates break-free and chaos reigns supreme. The plot is about okay, though quite predictable, it fulfills its needs by sufficiently supporting the sci-fi action formula. Though the movie’s runtime is just 95 minutes, there were times when I felt it was dragging; needless to say beyond the superficial premise, and the silly-macho dialogs, it was lacking in the depth department. Also, a lot of the action sequences were crazy fast and very obviously CGI, taking away from the seriousness of the events. Guy Pearce’s performance as Snow is quite impressive though. I felt his character reminded me of Duke Nukem, who was in your face macho, to the point of it being comedic. Similarly, Peter Stormare (of Prison Break fame), who played CIA top dog Scott Langral, was convincing in his role as the government suit. Maggie Grace (of Lost fame), was about okay, nothing special but decent; she did justice to her character, the president’s daughter Emilie Warnock, who develops a love hate relationship with Snow. At the end of the day, Lockout is pretty forgettable, and perhaps therein lies the reason that it never became popular. So unless you’re a really big sci-fi action movie fan, you’re probably gonna find this movie sitting comfortably in the silly entertainment department.

My Recommendation: Dicey (Good for a casual watch and a lighter moment at best)  

Ant-Man - Snapshot

 

 

After the mammoth release that was Avengers - Age of Ultron, earlier this year, it seemed as if Ant-Man was a rather miniscule follow-up (pun intended), in the ongoing Marvel universe; so much so that I was even debating whether it deserved to be watched in the theatre. With the inclusion of Paul Rudd, it has the expected comedy feel, and was unlike any of the other blockbuster superhero movies in the Marvel lineup. As the narrative got rolling, the drama elements of the movie took center stage; with Ant-Man having more in common with the Spiderman movies, wherein a very normal and unexpected hero is born; one who has to battle with himself, as he learns to deal with his changes. That said, while I’m not a fan of the pacing of some of the Spiderman movies, Ant-Man holds audience interest throughout, and eventually settles in well into the Avengers ensemble; the usual Marvel style post end credits sequence, doing its bit. Perhaps the most notable component of the movie was the masterfully planned storyboard/scenes, made keeping in mind the special abilities of the Ant-Man character, truly showcasing his ‘shrinking’ prowess. The special effects employed in the action sequences are very impressive, with the intermittently changing scale contributing both to intense action and laughs a plenty. The cast also included Evangeline Lily of Lost fame; it was nice to see her in a role that had more emotion, in addition to her usual tough as nails persona.  It was a great reprisal for Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, the scientist behind the Ant-Man suit and abilities. Michael Peña is hilarious, adding some laughs by means of his snappy dialog. Judy Greer was remarkable as always in her supporting role, playing a mature character, in keeping with her aging visage. Should you watch Ant-Man? Hell yeah! It’s an unexpected gem, which will appeal to a wide range of audiences.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A drama feature, in an otherwise action Marvel lineup)