The Pitt- Season 1

Grade: A+

This new show on Max follows the medical staff of “The Pitt,” the emergency section of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center over the span of fifteen hours in real time (basically it's hospital 24).

The Pitt is a compelling 15 hours. (Nice to see a streaming show that is over ten episodes. I think it may be partially due to this being more network budget without a lot of known faces outside Noah Wylie). The idea of doing one long connected story instead of the traditional medical case of the day stories really pays off. One can feel the burn of working the long shift. You really feel like you’re in the emergency section with things happening naturally with some cases concluding within an episode or two and others stretching out over the show. The chaotic nature makes the The Pitt feel real. (There are the occasional TV moments where things are forced for the sake of the plot, but they feel surprisingly few.)

Excellent casing in this. Wylie is the lead as senior attending Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinovitch. One may feel it repetitive that Wylie is playing another ER doctor (this was supposed to be an ER spinoff, but Michael Creighton’s estate wouldn’t give the okay), but he helps make the show. The guy gives an Emmy worthy performance. Wylie plays a good man who is very competent and the right sort to lead an ER but is also three-dimensional and you can see stress and regret getting at him. 

The show does a remarkable job of balancing a ton of characters, but there are a couple recurring ones who feel like they sorta disappear unceremoniously. There is a bit of conflict between doctors Trinity Santos (Picard/ Goosebumps’ Isa Briones) and Victoria Javadi (Shabana AzeAzeez) at the beginning, but then it suddenly disappears.

The squeamish should know that the show really tries to be accurate in regards to medical injuries and conditions and that this is the most uncensored medical show I’ve ever seen. The gore can get gnarly at moments. There are also the occasional boobs and penises in this. However, none of the violence or nudity is sensationalized.

Highly recommended. This is just peak TV and so very watchable.

A Minecraft Movie

Grade: A

In A Minecraft Movie, a small group of townsfolk become trapped in the fantastical world of Minecraft. Now they have to find a way out.

Fans of the popular video game will be pleased to know that they managed to adapt the game pretty well. They managed to take a world made out of block shapes and made it presentable in movie form. Lots of items and rules from the game are in this, while making things clear enough for newcomers to get. (Although, I think some of the enemy types with less screen time could’ve gotten a little more explanation.)

Given that this is based on a game where people build things, the movie provides a decent message about creativity. (Message isn’t as strongly delivered as say The Lego Movie or Barbie, but it ain’t half bad.)

The movie decided to go for the humorous route, and is pretty funny and silly. There are a fair amount of jokes adults may like that are a little cynical without being too cynical for a kids’ film.

What really makes this work is the comedy duo of Jack Black as Steve, a human who’s been living in Minecraft for a while and serves as the others’ guide, and Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a former arcade champ fallen on bad times. Both being funny guys, they work great together and are on the same wave length. Black is surprisingly the straight man, but for him that means doing competent stuff in an enthusiastic manner. Momoa might be doing an expected “has-been fallen on hard times who has to learn a lesson” journey, but his performance and dialogue make this not an issue. (Honestly, Momoa  has great chemistry with everyone.)

Sebastian Hansen also does a good job as Henry, who is an additional team member alongside Black and Momoa. He’s kinda the main lead with backstory that works well enough for the film. It is unfortunate that the attention is given a lot more to the guys than the gals. Wednesday’s Emma Myers as Henry’s older sister Natalie and Orange is the New Back/Peacemaker’s Danielle Brooks as real estate agent Dawn do a decent job, but just aren’t given enough screen time to let them shine.

The intro is one of those like the beginning of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in that they rush through a lot of exposition, and it’s a bit much. 

Jennifer Coolidge has a subplot as Henry’s vice-principal. Fans of the actress will be pleased to know that she gives peak Coolidge, but her story is a one-note joke that is really drawn out. 

Natalie is 23, but it’s hard to see her as an adult with a job in this, because she is just so young looking. 

Highly recommended. Not saying A Minecraft Movie is the most original film, but it’s having a good time.

Hell of a Summer

Grade: C+

In the new horror comedy, a group of  camp counselors, including Jason Hochberg (played by Gladiator 2/Kraven the Hunter’s Fred Hechinger), a 24-year old counselor who doesn’t want to let go of the camp experience, are being murdered by an unknown killer. 

I’m not saying this is the funniest movie ever, but the jokes are consistent and silly. Characters are distinctive enough, and the cast are having a good time. 

For a movie that’s high on comedy, the masked killer moments are taken rather seriously. They are shot in a rather creepy and disconcerting manner. The reveal of the killer is rather satisfactory. 

Weirdly, the movie is rated R, but there is a lot of cutaways when violence happens (this is clearly a low budget movie, and this might be to cut down on effects and makeup.)

However, the movie’s biggest flaw is its emphasis on Jason, who may’ve faired better as a supporting player than the lead. His awkward socially stunted bit is stretched way too long. (Not to besmirch Hechinger’s performance. The guy is clearly an actor on the rise, and he has fully developed Jason’s mannerisms.) Doesn’t help that the “man who learns to grow up” story has been done a lot and this doesn’t do anything to break the mold. Oddly, the movie never gives any backstory for him and why he is this way other than he’s always had fond memories camp. 

There is one person at camp who likes Jason: counselor Claire (Knock at the Cabin’s Abby Quinn). Thing is that they make the mistake of not saying her age. Given that Jason’s the oldest one there, and that Abby looks young and more around the other counselors’ age, it feels sorta uncomfortable. Now, one can assume that there aren’t too many years between the two and that she is over 18, because it’s shown that the two of them attended camp together as kids. Just wished they clarified it.

This is something you might want to catch if it’s already on your streaming subscription. Thing is that the humor in this will save it for a lot of people. However, Jason will be a dealbreaker for a lot of people as well.