Abbie y Leila son dos amigas adolescentes cuya conducta escandaliza a los profesores y a los padres de Abbie, incluso creen que Leila es una mala influencia para ella, así que en determinado momento los padres de Abbie deciden enviarla a un instituto llamado "Tall Pines" el cuál asegura que se encarga de corregir las malas actitudes de los adolescentes, aunque en realidad usan métodos poco ortodoxos. Cuando Leila llega al rescate de su amiga Abbie queda atrapada en ese lugar y descubre que todo funciona como una gran secta en la que Evelyn Wade controla todo y a todos. Por otra parte una pareja conformada por una chica embarazada y un policía trasguero llegan a la ciudad de Tall Pines en busca de una vida libre de prejuicios, sin embargo a medida que Alex (el policía) va investigando comienza a descubrir cosas muy turbias que tienen que ver con el instituto y el pueblo en general, cosas que además involucran a su esposa.

Los giros argumentales que mantiene la serie son muy interesantes, en especial al final, la atmósfera que se crea en torno a la institución es de verdad muy inquietante, sobre todo por los planos de cámara, los rituales extraños y desde luego la actitud pasivo agresiva de Evelyn, aparentemente tan apacible pero en realidad tan aterradora, sin embargo creo que hay algunos agujeros de guion que me han dejado un tanto confundida y no so sé si sepan como resolver eso en futuras posibles temporadas. Hay episodios que son muy dinámicos, con muchísima acción y otros cuya trama es más bien floja, pero en términos generales me pareció una serie muy atractiva.

Por último solo me queda añadir que lo que me llamó más la atención de esta serie es que nos muestra un enfoque totalmente realista, ya que a pesar de que Evelyn parece ser la única villana, realmente el enemigo en todo esto es el control y la injusticia, los cuales son como parásitos que cambian de huésped, al final del día no importa quién esté al mando, si es una persona con sed de control el resultado será el mismo.

Espero que les haya gustado mi review, les dejo esta serie como recomendación por si están buscando algo que ver durante el finde semana o en ratos libres 😉

Imagen diseñada por mi en el editor de Canva.

Our Gang (S01E02)

Airdate: March 19th 2002

Written by: Shawn Ryan Directed by: Gary Fleder

Running Time: 45 minutes

Shawn Ryan’s audacious crime drama The Shield barely allowed its audience to catch its breath following the seismic shock of its pilot episode. Our Gang, the second instalment, plunges viewers directly into the suffocating aftermath of Detective Terry Crowley’s execution-style murder. It opens with the chilling audio of Vic Mackey’s strained voice on a 911 call, meticulously detailing the fabricated narrative of Crowley’s demise – a rookie caught unawares by a dealer during a botched drug bust. This auditory prelude masterfully sets the stage for the emotional devastation that follows: the near-total congregation of the Farmington precinct ("The Barn") outside the hospital, a grim vigil punctuated by the palpable dread of the inevitable. When Captain David Aceveda emerges to deliver the crushing news of Crowley’s death, Vic’s immediate, public declaration – "I’m responsible" – lands with Ryan’s signature, devastating irony. In that raw moment, the entire grieving unit interprets it as profound, albeit misplaced, remorse; the veteran cop burdened by the tragic loss of the inexperienced partner he led into danger. The audience, privy to the pilot’s truth, recognises the horrifying duality – Vic is responsible, not through negligence, but through cold-blooded, premeditated murder.

This duality forms the episode’s corrosive core. Aceveda, acutely aware of the sinister truth behind Vic’s words, finds his path to justice obstructed at every turn. The Internal Affairs Division, under the watchful eye of Assistant Chief Ben Gilroy (John Diehl), conducts a perfunctory investigation that swiftly exonerates Mackey and the Strike Team. Aceveda’s frustration mounts as his own detectives display institutional reluctance to pursue their colleagues, compounded by the Department of Justice’s abrupt disinterest following the loss of a key witness. Yet, Aceveda’s sharp instincts identify the Strike Team’s critical vulnerability: Detective Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins). As the sole Strike Team member present during the shooting, Vendrell is visibly burdened by guilt. His raw anguish during Crowley’s funeral, culminating in a heated, accusatory confrontation with Vic that Aceveda observes from afar, marks him as the potential fracture point in Vic’s carefully constructed wall of lies.

Aceveda seizes this opportunity, initiating an informal interrogation assisted by the deeply uncomfortable Dutch Wagenbach. Predictably, Vic, a master manipulator with his defences permanently raised, denies any wrongdoing with plausible deniability. However, Aceveda’s tactical shift proves shrewder: catching Vic and the team mid-deployment, he isolates the rattled Vendrell. In a tense, claustrophobic scene, Aceveda confronts Shane directly, revealing knowledge of the Strike Team’s collusion with drug dealer Ronnie Rondrell, exposing a lie, and dangling the prospect of absolution in exchange for Vic’s head. Goggins portrays Shane’s agonised near-collapse with visceral authenticity – the moment where he seems seconds from breaking is one of the episode’s most compelling. Vic’s explosive re-entry into the station, abruptly terminating the proceedings, underscores his dominance but also his profound vulnerability to Aceveda’s pressure. The subsequent revelation that Gilroy himself was the source warning Vic about Crowley’s informant status deepens the institutional rot, painting Gilroy not just as a protector, but as a compromised figure anxiously monitoring whether Vic’s actions have jeopardised his own position.

Amidst this high-stakes internal warfare, the relentless grind of policing continues, providing a crucial thematic counterpoint. Officers Sofer and Lowe stumble upon a critically wounded churro vendor, José, whose son reveals the shooting stemmed from José’s refusal to pay protection money to local Black gangster Marlon Demeral (Guy Torry). The subsequent investigation, leading to Demeral’s arrest and the apprehension of members of the encroaching Hispanic gang "Los Magnificos" during a joint raid, reveals the brutal reality of street-level crime. The case hinges on the manipulation of Olman (Pablo Santos), a young initiate who carried out the shooting. Claudette Wyms’ ethically dubious tactic – falsely claiming Demeral took credit for the killing to extract Olman’s confession – brilliantly mirrors the Strike Team’s own moral compromises, blurring the lines between police procedure and gangland tactics. Meanwhile, rookie Julien Lowe’s coerced participation in the degrading "B&B" initiation ritual (beer and sexual favours from Betty, played by Dianna Miranda), reluctantly facilitated by Sofer, starkly illustrates the insidious, gang-like culture within The Barn itself. Michael Jace powerfully conveys Julien’s internal conflict, the devout churchgoer stripped of his moral compass by the pressure to conform.

Ryan’s script excels in this dual-layered character exposition. Far from the invincible unit presented initially, the Strike Team is revealed as deeply fractured. While Vic and Shane are bound by the terrible secret of Crowley’s murder, Ronnie Gardocki (David Rees Snell) and Curtis "Lem" Lemansky (Kevin Johnston) operate under the official narrative. Lem’s genuine, explosive grief – shattering glass in a bar upon hearing the news – is a poignant reminder of the human cost Vic’s actions inflict on those who believe the lie. The episode meticulously establishes Aceveda as a man consumed by his singular mission to bring Vic down, a focus so intense it drives him to bend protocols and alienate his own detectives, positioning him as a potentially tragic figure whose righteous crusade risks mirroring the corruption he fights.

The title "Our Gang" proves profoundly apt, weaving a central, unsettling theme: the parallel structures of loyalty, secrecy, and initiation rituals binding both street gangs and The Barn. The episode relentlessly draws comparisons between the codes governing the police and the criminals they pursue. However, Gary Fleder’s direction occasionally stumbles into heavy-handedness. The parallel editing of Crowley’s police funeral with the gang funeral for his alleged killer, Tee Tee – both sequences of mourners paying respects – feels overly schematic and pretentious, straining for "artistic" weight it doesn’t earn. Similarly, the inclusion of unnecessary flashbacks to the shooting and lingering scenes of Crowley awkwardly trying to bond with the Strike Team prior to his death feel like redundant exposition, diluting the narrative tension rather than enhancing it.

Ultimately, Our Gang succeeds in sustaining narrative momentum and deepening thematic complexity after a staggering premiere. It expertly leverages the fallout of Vic’s act to expose the fragile, often hypocritical, bonds of loyalty within the police force, presenting a world where the line between protector and predator is terrifyingly thin. While Fleder’s direction occasionally overreaches, the strength of Ryan’s writing, the uniformly exceptional performances – particularly Goggins’ haunted Vendrell and Jace’s conflicted Julien – and the unflinching exploration of institutional corruption cement this episode as a vital, morally complex cornerstone of The Shield’s enduring power.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35521922/

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The Ensigns of Command (S03E02)

Airdate: October 1st 1989

Written by: Melinda M. Snodgrass Directed by: Cliff Bole

Running Time: 45 minutes

The relentless churn of contemporary geopolitics, where headlines are dominated by the human cost of arbitrary borders drawn in distant eras, finds a poignant echo in the science fiction realm. Countless conflicts, displacements, and humanitarian crises stem directly from treaties, colonial legacies, or historical accidents that stranded populations on the "wrong" side of a line on a map. It is precisely this enduring and profoundly relevant dilemma – the collision between inflexible historical agreements and the lived reality of displaced communities – that forms the compelling, morally complex foundation of Star Trek: The Next Generation's third-season episode, The Ensigns of Command. Far from being mere space opera, the episode utilises its futuristic setting to dissect timeless questions of sovereignty, sacrifice, and the human cost of bureaucratic indifference.

The narrative thrust emerges with unsettling urgency: Captain Picard receives an abrupt communication from the Sheliak Corporate, a reclusive and immensely powerful alien entity with whom the Federation has had minimal contact for decades. The planet Tau Cygna V, ceded to the Sheliak under the obscure Treaty of Armens ninety-two years prior, is now required for their colonisation. Having detected an anomalous human presence, the Sheliak issue a stark ultimatum: the inhabitants must evacuate within four days, or be summarily "eliminated." The Enterprise-D’s arrival confirms the Sheliak’s observation, though the planet’s hyperonic radiation field renders standard technology – transporters and phasers – useless, necessitating a perilous shuttlecraft descent. Data, uniquely impervious to the radiation, discovers not a desperate remnant but a thriving colony of fifteen thousand souls. These are the descendants of survivors from the long-lost colony ship Artemis, whose catastrophic crash decades earlier severed all contact with the Federation. Through generations of immense hardship, suffering, and sacrifice, they have forged a sophisticated agrarian society, complete with impressive infrastructure like a vital aqueduct, and possess a deep, hard-won pride in their achievements and autonomy. This very pride becomes the crux of the tragedy when Data delivers the evacuation order. Leader Gosheven (Grainger Haines), embodying the colonists' profound connection to their reclaimed home, refuses to abandon the legacy of his ancestors. Faced with annihilation, he opts for futile, suicidal resistance against the technologically superior Sheliak. Data, despite coaching from the empathetic Ar'drian Mackenzie (Eileen Seeley) on the emotional weight of the colonists' plight, proves incapable of bridging the chasm between cold logic and human attachment to homeland. His eventual, devastating solution – using his phaser to destroy the aqueduct – is a moment of profound ethical ambiguity, showcasing the brutal pragmatism sometimes demanded by impossible choices.

Simultaneously, Picard confronts his own Sisyphean task: evacuating thousands within an impossibly short timeframe. His diplomatic overtures to the Sheliak, demanding reasonable extension, are met with unyielding insistence on the treaty deadline. With Sheliak vessels arriving to enforce their edict, Picard appears cornered. Yet, his meticulous examination of the Treaty of Armens reveals a crucial clause mandating third-party arbitration for disputes. Seizing this legal lifeline, he nominates the Grizellas, an alien species notorious for hibernation cycles measured in month. The prospect of a six-month delay to their colonisation schedule forces the Sheliak to concede, granting the Federation four weeks for an orderly evacuation – a pyrrhic victory achieved through procedural cunning rather than moral persuasion.

Produced as the first episode of Season 3 (though aired second, likely to maximise the impact of Dr. Crusher’s return in Evolution), The Ensigns of Command benefited from the promising combination of writer Melinda Snodgrass and director Cliff Bole. More significantly, it stands as a strong indicator of TNG’s maturation. While some colony sets were recycled from the pilot Encounter at Farpoint, their integration with exceptionally well-executed matte paintings created one of the series’ most convincing and visually distinct alien worlds, a marked improvement over earlier, often flatter backdrops. Snodgrass’s script is largely efficient and thematically rich, adeptly intercutting the two parallel diplomatic crises. Both Data’s struggle with the colonists and Picard’s with the Sheliak initially fail due to inflexibility – human emotional investment versus alien legalistic rigidity – before finding resolution. However, Picard’s solution, while clever, leans uncomfortably close to a deus ex machina, a legalistic trick that feels somewhat contrived compared to the organic, character-driven resolutions TNG would later favour. A minor, yet distracting, flaw is the underdeveloped suggestion of a romantic connection between Data and Ar'drian; it feels less like meaningful character exploration and more like fan-service wish fulfilment, momentarily undermining the episode’s otherwise serious tone.

Further diminishing the impact is the unfortunate handling of Grainger Haines’ performance as Gosheven. Reportedly, production was dissatisfied with his natural vocal delivery, deeming it "too much like John Wayne’s," leading to his lines being completely redubbed by another actor. Haines, understandably, requested and received anonymity in the credits – a jarring dissonance that subtly undermines the authenticity of the colony leader’s pivotal defiance.

Despite these flaws, Snodgrass deserves credit for embedding the narrative with enduring relevance. The episode thoughtfully engages with issues resonant across centuries: the rights of indigenous or displaced populations, the painful tension between preserving cultural heritage and embracing necessary change, and the fundamental question of whether clinging to a hard-won past justifies sacrificing any future at all.

Perhaps the most unexpectedly fascinating layer, however, lies in the visual storytelling. The colonists’ deliberately ragged, practical costumes and the Sheliak’s imposing, almost robotic envoy (encased in distinctive environmental suits) have led many fans to interpret the episode as a subtle, respectful homage to the original *Battlestar Galactica*. This aesthetic choice, consciously or not, reinforces the themes of displacement and survival against overwhelming odds, grounding the TNG crew’s sleek 24th-century reality in a more visceral, frontier-like struggle. "The Ensigns of Command" may not be TNG’s absolute pinnacle, hampered by a slightly convenient resolution and production missteps, but its potent exploration of border conflicts born of historical neglect, its morally challenging choices, and its surprisingly textured visual world-building ensure it remains a deeply relevant and compelling chapter in the series’ evolution.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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Hello! 💙

Una película que trata sobre un jugador de fútbol americano y satanismo, sé que lo que acabo de decir puede sonar bastante extraño y sí la película es bastante extraña, ya que es una de esas películas de terror que no es para todo el mundo porque está cargada de mucho simbolismos, básicamente la película lo que quiere representar esta idolatría excesiva que se le hace a muchos deportistas especialmente en el fútbol americano con todos los violento que es el deporte y como incluso se les van a gloriar de manera tan fuerte que casi que termina siendo una religión, cuál de estos elementos van componiendo la película y claro como no puede ser otros una película de terror.

A film about an American football player and Satanism. I know what I just said may sound quite strange, and yes, the film is quite strange, as it is one of those horror films that is not for everyone because it is loaded with symbolism. Basically, the film seeks to represent the excessive idolatry that many athletes receive, especially in American football, with all the violence that the sport entails, and how they are glorified to such an extent that it almost ends up being a religion. These elements make up the film and, of course, it couldn't be anything other than a horror film.

Fuente de imagen

Es verdad que si no estás muy familiarizado con el fútbol americano o no entiendes muy bien a sus fanáticos o has tenido algún amigo algún familiar que le guste este deporte puede que te sientas un poco desconectado en un inicio pero la película también se encargue que vayas empatizando con los personajes la estructura social el Por qué están haciendo lo que están haciendo y todo esto se vuelve interesante de ver porque descubrimos los extremos que pueden llegar algunos deportistas a esta representación de las inyecciones está la representación de todo el consumo que muchos deportistas hacen para poder llegar al rendimiento que, es una película que es muy interesante de ver, pero si recargo no es una película de terror que todo el mundo vaya a aguantar es una película muy representativa cargada de mucho simbolismo que no va directamente al grano.

It's true that if you're not very familiar with American football or don't really understand its fans, or if you've had a friend or family member who likes this sport, you might feel a little disconnected at first, but the film also makes sure that you empathize with the characters, the social structure, why they're doing what they're doing, and all of this becomes interesting to watch because we discover the extremes that some athletes can go to in this representation of injections, there is the representation of all the consumption that many athletes do in order to achieve the performance that is required. It is a very interesting film to watch, but I must emphasize that it is not a horror film that everyone will be able to stomach. It is a very representative film loaded with a lot of symbolism that does not get straight to the point.

Fuente de imagen

De hecho lo más impactante en cuestión de terror de violencia de gore es directamente en el clímax final donde el protagonista hasta cierto. Decía romper con este ciclo nocivo de idolatría de cuestión y es que sí la película tiene elementos muy interesantes recomiendo verlas y son fanáticos al cine si han tenido experiencia con este tipo de películas de terror más simbólica porque puede que sea de su agrado.

In fact, the most shocking aspect in terms of gory violence is directly in the final climax, where the protagonist, to a certain extent, breaks with this harmful cycle of idolization. The film does have some very interesting elements, so I recommend watching it if you are a movie fan and have experience with this type of more symbolic horror film, because you might like it.

The strategy of fear

Batman Begins

Bruce Wayne, having witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents, begins a journey through Asia, where he is trained by a dangerous ninja leader. Returning to Gotham City, he discovers that the city and his father’s company are in the hands of organized crime, so he creates a new persona—the Batman—to intervene.

Batman Begins presents a more grounded and darker side of the masked hero, something I really liked.

Well-balanced action scenes with suspense and the kind of spectacle you expect from a superhero film, a multi-layered portrayal of Batman, an amazing cast with incredible on-screen chemistry (a prime example being Freeman and Caine), and Christian Bale—perfect for this new version of Batman. The only element that didn’t quite work for me was the presence of Katie Holmes 🤷‍♂️. Everyone else I mentioned, along with Gary Oldman and Liam Neeson, gives their absolute best.

I’m a fan of Nolan, so once again he fully confirms my expectations, delivering excellent work in both the directing and the film’s finale.

The visual effects are decent, though nothing extraordinary—but that’s something Nolan never intended to heavily invest in anyway.

The Dark Knight

Working together with Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon and the dynamic district attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has managed to restrict the activities of Gotham City’s criminal gangs. However, the Joker appears—a new, dangerous criminal whose actions no one can predict.

A major reason for this is the character of the Joker, portrayed by the late Heath Ledger. His performance as the Joker is exceptional, with many considering it one of the greatest in the history of cinema. A restrained madness that inspires awe, with the scene of him unleashing chaos on the city being truly monumental.

Nolan once again does an outstanding job with the direction, delivering to the viewer a modern comic-book adventure filled with suspense, tension, and adrenaline at its peak.

The film lasts 2.5 hours, and although there are small segments where the pace drops a bit, the overall result is captivating. The character development is quite strong, the action unfolds within a more realistic framework—which I personally like—and the script is carefully crafted, with multiple layers of analysis and depth: bold, ominous, and at times brutal.

The Dark Knight Rises

The appearance of Bane, a terrorist who spreads chaos throughout Gotham City, forces Batman—who has been retired from action for years—to step back into the fight one more time.

In 2012, Nolan’s trilogy about the Dark Knight comes to a close, this time with Batman facing Bane as the main villain.

Tom Hardy is excellent and unrecognizable as Bane; he manages to be terrifying and menacing, both in his physical presence and in his performance.

At certain points, I noticed pacing issues, although they never overshadow the overall result. The film also proved to be more ambitious than it could ultimately handle—meaning it has both shortcomings and excesses.

Despite the intense violence, the film shows very little blood—understandable to an extent given its PG-13 rating, but it also makes the film less realistic, something that may “stand out” to some viewers.

I also don’t consider the soundtrack to be one of the best. And while the film has quite a few negatives, especially compared to its two predecessors, Nolan has built a world so dark and bleak that these issues fall into the background. It has its big, spectacular scenes, which compensate the viewer (the plane hijacking, the stadium collapse, the police officers trapped in Gotham’s underground).

I also liked that Nolan “plays” with two fundamental societal factors—security and economic instability. I found that excellent.

United States has spent decades meddling in the internal affairs of numerous other countries, with such interventions often resulting in things like mass bloodshed, wars, and genocide. However, Hollywood has, for understandable reasons, shied away from addressing these topics except when doing so could yield domestic political points or signal its armchair socialist virtues to the rest of the world. One of the rare productions that attempted to seriously address the darker aspects of American cross-border adventures was Sicario, the acclaimed 2015 thriller, which in 2018 received a sequel titled Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Like its predecessor, Day of the Soldado deals with the War on Drugs—that is, the decades-long, endless, costly, often bloody, and largely unsuccessful efforts of the American government to stem the flow of drugs crossing the border into American streets. The new film additionally incorporates the War on Terror, which similarly drives the American government to expend endless blood and treasure without tangible results. The plot begins with an event that, at least in the eyes of Washington bureaucrats and politicians, links these two campaigns: a group of Islamist terrorists detonate bombs inside an American shopping mall, causing a massacre among innocent women and children. Subsequent investigations suggest that the terrorists entered the United States from abroad—specifically across the Mexican border—with the assistance of local narco cartels, using the same smuggling operations through which they supply the American market with drugs. For the US government, this is the final straw, prompting the decision to launch a covert operation aimed at destroying the Mexican cartels. The operation is placed under the command of the experienced operative Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), who devises a plan for his team to kidnap Isabela Reyes (Isabela Moner), the underage daughter of Carlos Reyes, one of Mexico’s leading drug lords. This crime would be attributed to a rival cartel, thereby triggering a war that would either wipe the cartels out or weaken them sufficiently so that the US government need not dirty its hands excessively. For the operation, Graver re-engages his old Mexican associate, Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro), a top-tier professional assassin and former lawyer who has a personal stake in the matter, given that Reyes had massacred his family. The operation proceeds smoothly until, as usual, things go catastrophically awry, leaving Alejandro and Isabela stranded alone in the desert. There, Alejandro must make some unpleasant decisions regarding the girl’s fate, partly considering his American superiors, who are keen to cover up the entire affair as quickly and “elegantly” as possible.

Compared to the first film, Day of the Soldado has replaced much of the cast and crew, with the most noticeable absence being that of the now highly acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve. Replacing him is Stefano Sollima, an Italian director whose body of work—dominated by acclaimed crime films and television series dedicated to the mafia underbelly of his homeland (such as Suburra)—makes him a rather solid choice. The praised composers of music and cinematography have also been replaced, though screenwriter Taylor Sheridan remains. His work on the new film can be said to be, despite an ostensibly more complex plot unfolding across far more countries and continents, much more compact and focused than the previous Sicario. The main reason for this is that events are no longer followed from the perspective of the naïve idealistic FBI agent portrayed by Emily Blunt in the earlier film; instead, Graver and Alejandro are already established characters, allowing the creators of Day of the Soldado to focus far more on the “how” and “why” rather than the “what”. Sollima, who had already established himself as a master of action sequences, lends his own authorial stamp to the film but also adds an unexpected humanistic dimension, primarily by portraying the entire tragic and bloody affair from the perspective of children—be they victims of the terrorist massacre or border youths whom cartels, promising them pie in the sky, turn into their own janissaries. The relatively unknown Elijah Rodriguez, who plays one such character, delivers a brilliant performance, far surpassing that of teenage star Isabela Moner as the spoilt mafia princess.

Unlike its predecessor, Day of the Soldado has not generated much enthusiasm among critics. The reason for this lies less in its screenplay shortcomings, particularly the extremely violent finale whose melodramatic elements momentarily disrupt the film’s overall realistic tone and character. Rather, the plot—though not so different from the previous film—has far more irked armchair socialist bien-pensants because, by coincidence, it lends propaganda points to the policies of today’s deeply unpopular American president, at least regarding the construction of the controversial wall on the Mexican border. On the other hand, Day of the Soldado is equally critical of US policy, at least that shaped by Washington mandarins like the characters portrayed by Matthew Modine and Catherine Keener, who, as in the case of the Iraq adventure, enthusiastically embark on cowboy escapades violating international law, only to display an unusual tendency to wash their hands of the entire affair when things become too bloody and complicated, leaving their personnel, allies, and innocent populations high and dry. For this reason, Day of the Soldado will compel many to serious reflection, which, in the context of today’s events, is a matter of mental hygiene for every viewer.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version was posted here.)

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There was a ton of media hype about this film with Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock" finally doing a role that isn't just muscular action guy with occasional comedy bits. People were excited to see if Dwayne actually has it in him to do some actual acting.

This isn't really his first time doing something like this as he was pretty darn good in Pain and Gain starring alongside Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Mackie. Although a bit on the comedic side, that film was more serious than the Rock's usual slapstick crap or a semi-serious action film.

Getting back to The Smashing Machine though, while the Rock does a good job with the serious acting and the prosthetic stuff that they had to put on him or makeup or whatever, will almost certainly get someone nominated for awards.

They do a lot of things right in this film including dating the clothing properly and the sets and what not all look real. The fights don't look fake and I really don't have anything negative to say about it except for one really big thing.

The big thing that is wrong with this movie is that it simply isn't very interesting. The story, while I am sure that the real life Mark Kerr would disagree, just isn't traumatic enough to warrant an epic film to be made about it.

Maybe it is just because I don't really know a great deal about MMA but I don't think that a fighter having a bit of an issue with PED's and overdosing once as well as having a toxic relationship is necessarily movie-worthy.

Mark starts to lose fights because of his addiction issues, then he cleans up and starts to win, then his relationship kind of derails his progression in his career. Then he enters a tournament in Japan and the people love him there. That's basically the movie.

[src](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MCDSMMA_EC007.jpg?w=1000&h=667&crop=1)

We are shown an MMA fighter's intense training regimen and its amazing to me that whatever they had to put on The Rock's face to change his appearance didn't fall off of him. That must be some really good materials!

There is already some talk about putting Dwayne Johnson up for nomination for an Oscar and that honestly doesn't surprise me seeing as how he is a darling of Hollywood. Sure, he is good in this, but portraying an MMA fighter isn't really that much of a departure from his actual life. I'm not saying Johnson's acting is bad but is he the best and worth of an Oscar nod? I would say absolutely not.

There was a standing ovation at some film festival that went on for entirely too long - 15 minutes from what I hear - and then Dwayne Johnson cried. That's perfectly acceptable but then when the film was released basically nobody went to go and see it.

I think critics feel obligated to sing the praises of this film even though it clearly wasn't good enough to get people to actually go and see it despite a massive advertising campaign. But then again, the Academy loves to nominate films that the general public didn't care for and often gives awards to film that 90% of the general public has never even heard of. I think it's all kind of rigged.

This isn't a terrible film by any means, but it just isn't very entertaining and well, that is kind of the point of a film isn't it? The story isn't compelling enough, Kerr's situation isn't traumatic enough, and the only really entertaining stuff that happens is Emily Blunt's portrayal of a completely unreasonable and toxic girlfriend and how her gigantic boyfriend who definitely can kick the crap out of her, doesn't. If anyone should be nominated for something it should be her but again, this film isn't good enough to be nominated for anything although I am sure it will be because Hollywood operates in ways that us plebs will never understand.

Should I watch it?

Man, I don't want to crap on the Rock for trying something besides just being big guy with grey shirt on beating people up, I really don't; but the fact of the matter is that I think most people are going to find this really boring. A friend of mine is a massive MMA fan and he informed me that he too turned it off halfway through because the film just failed to hold his attention.

Many viewers found "the first hour to be particularly tedious." The first HOUR? That's another problem I have with this: It's too long! It seems as though every time there is going to be an awards push for a film they make it 2 hours long and that's exactly what they did with this one.

It is slated to lose around $80 million before going to streaming and honestly, I think it deserves to.

I think it is worth seeing if you don't have pay for it. Remote in hand, so you can just see the "good parts" and also see that the Rock is capable of good acting. I hope that this film, although I don't think it is anything special, will pave the way for Johnson to try other things.

MMA enthusiasts might find it good. I don't know.

Pilot (S01E01)

Airdate: March 12th 2002

Written by: Shawn Ryan Directed by: Clark Johnson

Running Time: 45 minutes

Whilst HBO cemented its reputation as the undisputed bastion of sophisticated, boundary-pushing American television at the dawn of the twenty-first century, other cable networks swiftly recognised the potential of the medium’s relative freedom. FX emerged as a particularly audacious contender, strategically adopting HBO’s commitment to complex storytelling and mature themes, yet forging its own distinct identity. Mere months before the premiere of HBO’s seminal The Wire, FX launched The Shield, a police drama that, whilst sharing the former’s unflinching gaze upon institutional decay and urban strife, carved a uniquely brutal niche. In many respects, Shawn Ryan’s creation functions as a companion piece to David Simon’s Baltimore epic, shifting the focus from systemic failure to the corrosive pragmatism festering within the very heart of law enforcement itself.

The first episode, known simply as the Pilot, plunges the viewer immediately into the fictional, crime-ravaged Los Angeles district of Farmington, policed from the newly constructed precinct building known colloquially as "The Barn." Commanding this volatile domain is Captain David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), a politically astute officer recently elevated to the role, his promotion undeniably influenced by his Hispanic heritage in a department striving for representation. Aceveda’s command, however, is immediately revealed as precarious, overshadowed by the entrenched power structures within his own ranks. His subordinates form a compelling ensemble: uniformed officers Danny Sofer (Catherine Dent) and Julien Lowe (Michael Jace); detectives Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach (Jay Karnes), the cerebral profiler, and his pragmatic, morally anchored partner Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder). Yet, dominating the precinct’s atmosphere is Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), the ruthless leader of the four-man "Strike Team," an elite plainclothes unit ostensibly dedicated to suppressing gang violence through any means necessary.

The episode masterfully interweaves multiple narrative threads, one adhering superficially to police procedural conventions: the murder of Nancy Reborg and the abduction of her eight-year-old daughter, Jenny. The investigation leads detectives to the victim’s crack-addicted husband, Lonnie (Denis Forest), whose arrest yields a horrifying admission – he killed Nancy and sold Jenny to a paedophile, George Sawyer (Brian Boone), for $200. Sawyer, in turn, claims he traded the traumatised girl to another predator, Dr. Bernard Grady (Jim Ortlieb), who maintains a smug denial despite the precinct’s collective certainty of his guilt. Faced with a ticking clock and bureaucratic inertia, a deeply reluctant Aceveda sanctions Mackey’s entry into the interrogation room. What follows is brutal torture, a morally reprehensible act that nonetheless achieves its immediate objective: extracting Jenny’s location, allowing Aceveda, Wagenbach, and Wyms to rescue the terrified, starving child.

Mackey’s approach to policing is not an anomaly but the operational reality of the Strike Team, whose reputation for suppressing crime in Farmington is built on a foundation of beatings, intimidation, and the systematic coercion of victims to withdraw brutality complaints. Crucially, Mackey operates with near-impunity, facilitated by a symbiotic, corrupt relationship with local drug kingpin Rondell Robinson (Walter Jones). In exchange for protection and the elimination of rivals, Robinson feeds Mackey information and ensures a stable, affordable drug supply, paradoxically aiding Mackey’s goal of reducing overt crime. Aceveda, acutely aware of this arrangement and Mackey’s powerful protectors within the LAPD hierarchy, is rendered impotent, forced to endure Mackey’s open insubordination and simmering resentment. Yet, the Captain has devised a counter-strategy: Terry Crowley (Reed Diamond), a detective positioned as a potential Strike Team recruit, is in fact Aceveda’s mole, poised to deliver evidence for a federal corruption probe in exchange for a Department of Justice position. Mackey, seemingly oblivious to Crowley’s true allegiance, integrates him into the team for a high-stakes raid on "Two-Time" (Jalil Jay Lynch), a dealer who is Robinson's rival. The raid turns deadly when Two-Time fires, killing him, but the true shock comes moments later: Mackey coldly picks up Two-Time’s weapon and executes Crowley in cold blood, eliminating Aceveda’s weapon and setting the series’ central conflict ablaze.

Shawn Ryan, previously known for lighter fare like Nash Bridges, deliberately crafted The Shield as a counterpoint – a police procedural embracing unflinching darkness, moral ambiguity, and gritty realism that broadcast television could not accommodate. FX’s cable platform, with its looser content standards, proved the ideal crucible. The Pilot wastes no time exploiting this freedom. The semi-nude presentation of Nancy Reborg, with camera angles emphasising her ample breasts and eliciting crude commentary from detectives, immediately signals the show’s rejection of sanitised portrayals. Later, a scene where Wagenbach attempts to console the inconsolable sister, Janet (Andrea Marcellus), who collapses in a manner suggesting fellatio, becomes fodder for brutal locker-room humour amongst officers. This unvarnished portrayal, shocking for its time, became emblematic of the series’ commitment to uncomfortable truths.

The Shield was, in many ways, inspired by Homicide: Life on the Street, another pioneering police procedural set in a gritty urban environment populated by morally ambiguous characters. In a fitting piece of television lineage, the Pilot was directed by Clark Johnson, the actor who portrayed Detective Meldrick Lewis in Homicide. Furthermore, some alumni from that earlier series appear in the Pilot in front of the camera. Max Perlich, who played the street-wise informant Brodie, has a small role as Ponnyboy Harris, a fence connected to Lonnie Reborg.

More notable, however, is the presence of Reed Diamond.In Homicide, Diamond had played Lewis's partner, Mike Kellerman, a character whose story arc became one of the most memorable in that series, revolving around a controversial police shooting in a drug dealer's den that was one of the most shocking moments of 1990s television. Here, in a brilliant reversal of fortune, Diamond plays the victim of the shooting, one that would also become a defining, shocking event for the rest of The Shield's run. Ryan, who had conceived this plot twist after watching Donnie Brasco and contemplating the consequences if protagonist's undercover role had been exposed, makes the moment even more staggering by having Diamond listed as a regular cast member in the opening credits. This means nothing, as his character meets his demise in the very first episode. By breaking such established television rules, the Pilot paved the way for other grand shows of the Golden Age of Television, such as Game of Thrones and its own unexpected killing of a seemingly central character, Ned Stark.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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