1sentencereviews

My bar was set relatively low due to the endless spinoffs we've been having. The Penguin was a standout with excellent writing, acting, and production. This show obviously has the money, but the story and, by reflection, its actors suffer-there's a bit of "lipstick on a pig" syndrome here. The overarching theme is interesting, but the story leans into it almost so much so that it has become uninteresting, predictable, and cheesy at times. All the ingredients are here (minus Fimmel, who I can only see as a copy of his Raised By Wolves counterpart) of a great show, but something is holding it back from being so, which I assume is a rushed script in an effort not to lose interest in the Dune films.

The editing could use some work, but not all bad if you give it a minute to get going; for example, the time stamps were unnecessary (and in some cases caused more confusion) when the film essentially took place within a 5-year period with clear visual cues as to where we are in Anna's story.

There has to be a hundred ways to cut this kind of film, but the result, in this case, came out unfortunately choppy and repetitive.

Anna herself is semi-likable, but I don't know that enough was given to her for the audience to care about her outcome. A similar plothole is made in Lucy (and 5th Element) where a "common, beautiful girl" is thrust into purpose and finds herself as the heroine when the viewer is not fully convinced yet.

Some redeeming qualities, but suffers from an unclear, unifying theme and story (as well as embellished motifs left unrealized) leaving the viewer lost and often frustrated.