Next in the Queue: Chernobyl, Dark Phoenix, Good Omens

Chernobyl (HBO):

Wikipedia.com

• Rating - A+...this is one of the best shows TV has had to offer in years. Absolutely must be next in your queue!!!
• "What is the cost of lies?" This is the theme of HBO's spectacular new mini-series Chernobyl. Created by Craig Mazin, this 5-part retelling of the Soviet nuclear disaster does a near perfect job of conveying both the horrors and drama resulting from the explosion, creating the poster-child for the Age of Peak TV that we're in. Before going deeper into the greatness, the only negative I could think of is the decision to go full British accents for the cast; after a bit, it did not bother me anymore, but hearing Russian names and "comrade" in English can turn people off. Mazin backs his decision saying, "the actors [in auditions] we're acting the accent, not the characters" which is easy to understand as the Russian accent can very easily become a joke and you want the best performance from your cast. That being said, transitioning into the excellent cast led by Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, and Emily Watson, expect each one of these names to pop-up come Emmy season, especially Harris who is a shoe-in for the win at this point. Director Johan Renck does an excellent job bringing to life how horrific the actual event was from the get-go; the first episode depicts the night of the explosion and for me it's difficult to watch men being sent to death's door every time they're ordered to get near the reactor. If you can get through episode three, then you can finish the series, as Renck holds no punches by focusing many scenes on victims experiencing full radiation burns (it's not pretty) and a through-line between a married couple that breaks your heart on multiple levels. From what I have read, "Chernobyl" seems to be an impressively accurate depiction of the event, but Hollywood never does true stories 100% as expected. A final shout out to composer Hildur Guonadottir, whose score elevates the haunting environment of Pripyat, Ukraine, blending into the background of every scene like a phantom character - it is always there, you may not notice it, but the music is elevating the tension. Both this and Netflix's "When They See Us" should be the heavy-weight fight of TV awards season in the mini-series categories. HBO has a new must-watch series on their hands BUT I warn you to take your time watching, do not binge this, it is too difficult of a watch for a weekend binge. I also recommend "The Chernobyl Podcast" where Mazin and host breakdown each episode and watching videos on puppies after. 

Dark Phoenix:

thewrap.com

• Rating: D-...unless you're a massive X-man fan, I do not recommend this flick. 
• You see the score, and all due respect to the cast,
• ut this movie SUCKS. Long-time writer/producer and first-time director, Simon Kinberg, is at the helm of the final (kinda) Fox X-Men movie and you can tell it's his first. Kinberg was also the writer on the widely-panned "X-Men: The Last Stand" and he vowed to do the beloved "Phoenix" comic storyline justice this time, spoiler alert - he didn't. Getting into my positives first, the "First Class" cast of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult are still very good (especially Fassbender!) and "Apocalypse" next-class members Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Kodie Smitt-McPhee, and Alexandra Shipp are really coming into their own. Sophie Turner proves she's so much more than Sansa Stark and deserves to continue to lead movies. Plus, Hans Zimmer score adds to the movie as a rock-opera of sorts, as expected. End of positives. The script tries its best to try to make these actors look bad, which is really hard given the talent of the First Class actors, and quite frankly is insulting as a huge fan of them. New addition and villain played by Jessica Chastain is WASTED! Chastain is one of the worlds best actresses and she does nothing but whisper in this film, which is beyond frustrating. Plus her name is mentioned maybe once, maybe; her and her alien race are never explained to the point where I talked to people outside the theater and none of us knew who they were. The biggest cardinal-sin of this film is that no major character choice is really earned at all, even background characters. It seems like Professor Xavier is written against what he's been built up to and it makes the audience feel like none of the previous movies mattered at all. This is not worthy to be in the same franchise as "Logan," "Deadpool," and "Days of Future Past," but more on the level of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Marvel owns these character now so there's hope for the future. 

Good Omens (Amazon Prime):

amazon.com

• Rating: B...Add it to your queue, a ton of fun. 
• The quirky dark-comedy based of off Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name is a ton of fun and one of the best shows put out by Amazon so far. The combination of Michael Sheen and David Tennant, playing Angel Aziraphel and Demon Cowwley respectively, is why you come for this show. They have so much chemistry and so dynamic together! For those of you who haven't heard about "Good Omens," this is about an Angel and a Demon who are both responsible for raising the Anti-Christ yet want to stop the Apocalypse simultaneously. Combine this plot with these two leads and quirky British comedy and you have one batshit crazy show. Only 6 episodes to binge through, I highly recommend, especially if you're into biblical storytelling like I am (big "Supernatural" fan here). Episode three is the major highlight of the series as we see our characters' influence on major historical events and it's hilarious. If nothing else, take advantage of your Prime membership and discover "Good Omens" along with a couple other excellent shows.