Short Attention Span Review - Westworld (Seasons 1 and 2)

Short Attention Span Review - Westworld (Seasons 1 and 2)

Apparently, one of the silver linings of my injury and my recovery has been a steady diet of high-quality science fiction.  Westworld might be the best example of that yet, and anyone who hasn't made time for this series from HBO is truly missing out.  The original movie was a fun little adventure written and directed by Michael Crichton.  The idea behind that venture was rock solid, but the picture itself was pretty basic in a lot of ways--particularly if one compares it to Crichton's later efforts.  The series is an extremely complex and equally provocative affair with a stellar cast and magnificent special effects.  It will return with a third season sometime in 2020, but the first two seasons tell a striking tale that is a remarkable accomplishment in and of itself.  While some characters will return, I believe the program will see something akin to a new beginning.  One can only hope that this renewal will prove as compelling and daring as the foundation that has been laid.  There are powerful ideas in play here, and rich characters who are seldom good or bad, but some volatile combination of both.  The nature of the storytelling is just as inventive, with time shifts, dramatic twists, and shocking revelations allowing the talent involved to weave a visionary web.  I was damn near mesmerized by this one, and it continually raised the bar and caught me off-guard.  The marriage of awesome technology, killer effects, and profound ideas to a wild west setting is a stellar juxtaposition that gives all of this complexity an entertaining sheen.  I could single a lot of performers out here, as Westworld essentially litters the screen with dazzling performances.  I will limit myself to a handful in the interest of brevity.  Anthony Hopkins is as on as he has been in a great many years.  Jeffrey Wright has never been better, and the same could be said of Evan Rachel Wood.  Ed Harris is phenomenal, dude is like a force of nature, and he has been given the most audacious part in a show filled with them.  Westworld is unbelievably good, and anyone looking for riveting sci-fi will find something to treasure with this dangerous spectacle.  

Final Grade: A+

Ed Harris is absolutely legendary in Westworld, a true blue science fiction epic. 

Don't Blame Vince for True Detective's Woes

Full Disclosure: I'm a big Vince Vaughn fan.  I believe he has serious chops in addition to his obvious gift for comedy.  I thought he was really good in both The Cell and Return to Paradise and I definitely have a lot of love for Clay Pigeons.  When it comes to the comedy, I probably dig this dude more than anyone else in the laugh business these days, but that's another story.  All of this brings me to the second season of True Detective on HBO, which has been a moderately entertaining disappointment thus far--and we're skating downhill at this point.  Now, I saw this coming, so I'm not as distraught as some of the show's biggest critics.  Did anyone really think there was anything they could do to top last year's kooky Bayou blitz?  I sure as hell didn't.  That plot was golden and we got Woody Harrelson at his steady best getting absolutely blown away by Matthew McConaughey as he hit new levels of creepy cool.  There was no way that Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch were going to match that shit.  Now, Farrell has been awesome as a slimy cop on the take, McAdams has excelled with her sex-obsessed hothead detective, and Kitsch isn't necessarily mucking things up as a gay homophobe with a death wish (if you don't like my description of the character, please give me a better one).  Yet at their very best, none of these cats stood a chance of going toe to toe with Mad McConaughey. 

Anyway, the show hasn't lived up to expectations and I've read a lot of bad press regarding Vince Vaughn as the heavy.  Some seem to think that he is largely to blame for the fact that this season is a far cry from the glory of that marvelous first season, one of the best seasons of television ever produced.  Look, whatever shortcomings the show has, it isn't on Vince.  Some of his dialogue has been a bit overwrought (his basement monologue was certainly uneven in spots), but I think he's killing it.  There's definitely a The Long Good Friday vibe to his mobster who wanted to go legit only to get forced back into the game in a big way, but the role remains fresh and I think his arc is the best thing about this season of True Detective.  I like the cops, but I would watch this show if it was strictly centered on Vaughn's character.  Frank Semyon is a manipulative bastard who is fully capable of getting his hands dirty, but he's mostly successful at masking his destructive prowess, and at his best he is actually a warm and charismatic human being.  As his best laid plans continue to unravel, I find myself rooting for the guy even though he deserves exactly what's coming to him. 

In closing, the second season of True Detective isn't as good as the first one.  It isn't really all that close, but shame on those who thought that wouldn't be the case.  Regardless, it's a solid show and the talent is delivering the goods, particularly Vince Vaughn, who is stealing the show in a rare non-comedic role.  Dude is money.  That's my take, anyway.  Let me know if you disagree.