Movie Review: A Quite Place Part II

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Definitely a direct continuation of the first film rather than a sequel featuring the new adventures of the same characters, this movie uses the same tricks as Part 1 to create tense moments as the Abbott family attempts to survive a dangerous post-apocalyptic landscape. Things open strong, as we see the day the aliens came to Earth and how fast the carnage ensued. (Anyone hoping on an explanation of the aliens origins will be disappointed because we get little new information about their arrival.) It’s a good sequence, but we quickly jump forward to immediately after where the last movie ended. Things are a little boring for a while, because there’s really no clue what direction the story will take. And while the first film was entertaining even without any conflict, it was because there was a lot of interesting material as we watched how this family survived a unique type of danger. Here, the novelty wears off a bit, and there are a lot more loopholes in the “no sound” gimmick. Couple that with a device that allows them to kill the aliens, there’s a lot less tension this time around. Eventually, the story ramps up the intensity, mostly propelled by characters making really dumb decisions. Aside from a few blatant jump scares, the story is structured to where you’re fairly convinced the main characters will survive to at least the final act. The finale isn’t as nail-biting as they intended, and the ending feels pretty abrupt. But, strong acting and some likable characters keep you engaged, while the ramped up action adds some excitement.

*** out of *****

TV Review: Black Lightning (Season 4)

***This review may contain minor spoilers***

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

“Black Lightning” entered its final season in better shape than some of the other Arrowverse shows, but a departing main cast member and another uneven season almost derails the show’s swan song.

Season four pits the heroes against Tobias Whale once and for all, which unfortunately, struggles to keep things fresh after dealing with his menace since that start of season one. Tobias’ master plan takes just a bit too long to materialize, and initially feels like more of the same. Luckily, once he shows his hand late in the season, he has the good-guys on the ropes in a way we haven’t seen before. Meanwhile, while Tobias is getting the ball rolling on his diabolical scheme, most of the early episodes deal with the fallout from last season. Although things seemed to end on a positive note, we spend the first half of the season with our lead characters struggling with guilt and baggage, which results in a lot of infighting. While that keeps things interesting, it’s a bit of a downer watching it. The show also spends a lot of time dealing with the curveball that China Anne McClain, who plays Jennifer Pierce/Lightning, decided to leave the show a few episodes in. While they came up with a clever workaround, the final resolution felt rushed and out of place.

As usual, the acting is top-notch. They have always done a great job of making these characters feel like a real family. Too bad most of the main cast spend a lot of time spinning their wheels instead of advancing their story arcs. They all take a step back at the beginning of the season, and really don’t change all that much by the finale. And even thought the Jennifer/JJ stuff had a lot of potential, it quickly got put on the backburner.(At least until the head-scratching conclusion.) Possibly the most interesting character arc belongs to Painkiller, but a lot of that had to do with them setting up a potential spinoff. He had some interesting story beats and some of the best fight sequences.

“Black Lightning” ends its run with a bit of a whimper, as the anticlimactic ending and lack of character growth keep the show from breaking much new ground. The series once again suffers from from some odd pacing and uninspired fight scenes. But, great acting and some good writing have made these characters feel like a real family, despite all the craziness going on.

**1/2 out of *****