Kaka

Pretty decent romance from Costner, as an actor has shown that he can still handle the more subtle scenes – once a bodyguard, always a bodyguard – and as his character in Yellowstone proves that he's not just a grumpy old grouch, but a flesh and blood man who can take off his armor and at least occasionally function "normally". It will also be interesting to follow the new players on the scene.

This episode brings that moment when you are no longer very much looking forward to what will happen next, but then you see your favourite characters trying to get out of a major predicament. Apparently that's the key to what elevates a good series to a unique one.

Rip and his past are the main domain of this season, his character is very well written and brilliantly acted. It's also interesting to watch Beth, whose schemes seem believable and realistic within limits, which is a nice change from most of the others. And to make matters worse, the son and father have a little squabble. All the character work is top-notch, it's just that the accidents and killing are maybe too much in the context of the nature of the series.

A balanced episode that doesn't look like the last one, probably because it wasn't planned to be the last one from the beginning. Everything is relatively calm heading into the finale, which remains open and ready for the second season. Rip is once again the darling of the crowds and the cowboy vibe permeates this episode all around.

A surprising maneuver by the worst-acted character in the series so far. Jamie is an interesting figure full of wrongs and inner turmoil, but Wes Bentley doesn't have the range to play this character the way it demands. Anyway, given the development of the story and the pace, it's still a great show.

Too many technical gimmicks and various improvements at the expense of plot density and genuine entertainment. The action in Japan may have benefited Bond, it truly feels fresh and unconventional, but they are trying something technically that doesn't work too well. The mass scenes, the megalomaniacal action with rockets, among others, it all feels cluttered and, with a distance of years, even laughable, and no matter what, Bond should have a timeless impact. Not just as a persona, but also in terms of themes and visual aesthetics. That is not the case here, not even by accident.

Meticulous production design and great actors in a sometimes slightly bizarre reminiscence of a bygone youth. Searching for answers to old questions, asking new ones, coming to terms with the fact that time is bliss and everyone has to leave one day. Of course, there are some family injustices and a slightly troubled past, but Sorrentino handles the thematic impulses with grace and, at times, with a light dose of cynicism and irony, which suits the two ace actors, and as a result the viewer is spared unnecessarily hyped emotions or theatrical performances. But I can't avoid the feeling that this slightly ambient Swiss beauty could have been told a bit more deftly and better by the Americans.

A similar "special edition" of the functional and mainstream-oriented classic Taken, as Maryland countered the classic The Bodyguard a few years ago with its intimate, European approach. Though that one was more understandable and more audience friendly, it also offered and approach and application of elements that were either missing in the classic with Costner or were handled in a different way. Here the filmmakers are looking for the same as the main character, an otherwise excellent Phoenix, but everything surrounding him is a hypnotic mashup without a single, downright climactic scene, with awkwardly experimental camerawork and no raw violence.

Although sincere and without unnecessary plot diversions, it still remains mostly detached from reality. Five well-worn stories that won't grab your heart, but will occasionally make you laugh – maybe – sometimes unintentionally, sometimes intentionally. In the end, I might prefer the more cinematic aspects, because when I see mini-stories like in Kill Bill (but at night, in Chinese, and backwards), the romantic anecdotes around are them quite nice in other cases, and occasionally they have something to offer.

Snyder can check off the final box, his League is better overall than the original, but it certainly won't be for everyone. It's more layered, more plot-driven, with more emphasis on all the main characters. It portrays them better, it focuses on their motivations and values better, so the overall emotional impact is stronger, and the same is true for the villains, especially Steppenwolf. But I can't shake the feeling that while the film is a patchwork of beautiful, sometimes darkly gothic, sometimes Sin City-like overstyled scenes, with plain cool shots here and there, that works with good story material, but it's ultimately merely an adaptation of a concept that didn't work then and still doesn’t fully work after the facelift. At times, the whole thing feels too artificial and over-artistic, and I couldn't shake the feeling that Superman was just like a sore thumb and he wasn't the Superman from Man of Steel anymore, as if Cavill wasn't Cavill anymore. And ironically, the most memorable and emotionally powerful scenes are those when Affleck climbs mountains to an impressive musical score, or when Zimmer's Man of Steel theme plays. 3.5 stars at most.