290. Web-series Reviews – 123

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Kerala Crime Files – Came out in 2023. A team of six policemen led by Sub-Inspector Manoj is on a chase to solve a murder in a suburban lodge room, with just one clue - a fake address, from the lodge register.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Whenever I watch a Malayalam thriller, i expect some kind of twists and turns that would blow ones mind. Kerala crime files is not one of them sadly.

Kerala crime files is about a murder case where the murderer is smart enough to keep the police guessing and running around for 6 long days (6 episodes). Being an investigation thriller, i expected a twist of some kind at the end but in the end i realised, there was none . It kind of disappointed me . The main reason for this is that the story is too simple and straightforward with no shock value .

Nevertheless, the series is still extremely riveting. The conversations, the clues that the police track and the subsequent roadblocks they face all account for a riveting watch . Not once will you get bored in this series. I felt it was very well paced.

Even with this pace, it manages to capture the characters of the policemen pretty well and how they have to sacrifice their family life to serve the nation. We have an officer who has a baby just born but is unable to give him time due to the case. Short glimpses of their family conversations show their longing to stay back or go on vacations but are constantly pulled back by cases. They heave a sigh and leave for their duty without complaining. There’s a mini interview scene at the end of the series where the characters explain how police life is.

Another problem with the series is that it fails to end properly. The ending is so abrupt that you feel a sudden brake being applied in your mind. The ending actually is a bit hastened. Could have been better here.

Overall, you should give this series a chance. Barring a few flaws it's a smooth engaging ride with no boring moments.

Note : There was a series in Prime named Dahaad that too was very simple with no twists as such but it can't be compared to Kerala crime files as in the former, the criminal was already known it presented the police as well as the criminal side equally , but in Kerala crime files the criminal is kept hidden so i expected a twist in the reveal (Mini spoiler that won't ruin your watch : i thought the father in law of Manoj was the criminal for a moment but he wasn't).

My Take – Worthwhile watch!

 

Arnold – Came out in 2023. Follows the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his days of lifting weights to his successes in Hollywood, his time serving as governor of California, and both the joys and volatility of his family life.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Okay, so now it's a fact: Netflix has actually invested heavily in Arnold Schwarzenegger, more than just producing his new hit show FUBAR, kind of like how they not only bought up everything Monty Python but wound up making about fifty-five documentaries about their series and movies...

The problem is that Arnold was All-American, and worse yet for Netflix, a Republican politician, but that's okay because he winds up blasting Trump for January 6th, so, no problem...

As a three-part documentary, it's pretty well made and very entertaining, even inspiring despite the fact that no one else could have done what Arnold did: a champion in bodybuilding, then acting, then politics...

The first part is the bodybuilding, detailing his early years in Austria and then relying on edited selections from Pumping Iron... an award winning documentary that tells the entire story a lot better...

Episode 2, the movie episode, i.e. How Arnold took over Hollywood, is by far the best, although they skim through the stuff he made after his True Lies post-Last Action Hero comeback with turkeys no one cared about, like Eraser, and especially the dismal Batman and Robin, which basically ruined his career despite making money... Also, it would have been great to have a selection of his cameo in The Long Goodbye, but you can't have everything...

And with the final section about politics, too much a good thing is too much of anything, really, as he really didn't rule politics despite getting ushered in as a Republican on a fluke and then winning re-election as a Democrat through pure politicking...

Then of course the scandal, and the fact he basically did to wife Maria Schiver, a Kennedy, what the celebrated JFK did to Jackie... Arnold became a scumbag, and JFK an endearing cheater...

The padded frame-story of the present-Arnold feeding his mini-mules and skiing or riding his bike around town is done sparsely, and that's a good thing... they show him as filthy rich but from where he came from, and all the work he put in, it's understandable...

A good documentary, another Netflix 3-parter, only this time it made sense to have 3 parts since Arnold had three lives, basically, so there's not too much filler and actually, it could have even been longer.

My Take – A worthwhile watch!

 

Black Mirror (Season 6) – Came out in 2023.  An anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tech multiverse where humanity's greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

I used to think that Black Mirror was my most beloved dystopian Sci-Fi series of the last years.

Until season 6.

Let me explain: all the previous series were about the abuse and exploitation of technology and its possible, undesired side effects. I will remember here "The National Anthem", "Nosedive", "Metalhead" just to name a few.

But now? Apart "Joan Is Awful" and "Beyond the Sea" (this one pretty mediocre, if compared to the one I've mentioned before, no matter the excellent Aaron Paul) I've seen some fantasy flicks!!! Wherevolves and demons! I mean... Seriously? Are those, quoting Wikipedia, "explores technology and its side-effects."?? No, of course. They are not.

I don't know who the production had to please to insert those totally misplaced topics in an otherwise perfect series but the choice was poor. At least IMAO. Very poor, very out-of-context and I haven't been able to find a real meaning for those "harrypotter-esque" episodes. I admit, I've been really irked by those. Science Fiction is a serious genre, a genre that is supposed to make you seriously ponder about your present and about your future and there's nothing wrong in being serious.

Now tell me: how werewolves and a demon dressed up like an Abba member are supposed to make me ponder about my future?

My Take – Still worth a watch! 

Cheers till next time😊!!