Westworld

The skeptical half of me seethes with rage at the memory that during the first half, the personal validator highlights so many glitches that would get the average programmer kicked out of school during their first exam. The second half, however, is a reminder that the whole time it's been loading up on a pack of spectacular revelations in which you sense Abrams' classic "everything is different" but appreciate Nolan's "let me pour it into your head in a whole new way." Even if you find something out, guess something differently, and something really surprises you in the end, after the initial indignation you will eventually reach a slight sense of satisfaction. Anyway, rather than a weekly allotment, I'd appreciate Westworld in a unified "Netflix whole." The way that it is, the initial slowness is more annoying than interesting. (2016-12-06)

Once again, HBO took on an incredibly interesting story and so they’ve recruited Nolan’s brother, signed a contract with A-class actors such as Anthony Hopkins or Ed Harris and had the title track prepared by the composer of The Game of Thrones’ soundtrack. It is a shame that they tell the whole story very complicatedly, coldly and without emotions. There are indisputable qualities in a number of scenes, but on the other hand, you have to look hard for a reason to keep watching. However, the idea of Westworld was so strong that I lasted until the very end and I was duly rewarded.Despite the absence of emotions that is preventing this show from being perfect, the creators have prepared such a flawless ending that it is impossible not to look forward to the second series. And I sincerely doubt that they will disappoint us. (2018-04-05)

Watching Westworld is like spending a protracted and monotonous ten hours putting together a jigsaw puzzle; there are times you get bored and feel like quitting, but after all the pieces have fallen into their place you can say “hey, that’s a pretty nice picture!”. Yet, I feel that this picture in particular isn’t much of a masterpiece, and that the journey there was pretty annoying at times and full of useless side trips. Overall, the first season didn’t enchant as much as I was expecting, I think the concept has more potential. Straddling three and four stars. (2016-12-07)

Truly excellent material that clearly called for a series adaptation to fully utilize its potential. I haven’t seen the original by Crichton, but I might make time for it after this experience. From the start, you can immediately see the massive financial backing behind it. But of course, it's not just about how it looks; the script also has to succeed for us to call it successful. The younger Nolan brother has repeatedly shown his skill in this area, so why not give it a try, right? Besides the well-crafted script, which throws one twist after another at you and keeps you glued to the screen with meticulously crafted dialogues and a touch of philosophical depth, I enjoyed the harsh, gritty Western environment, which over time delivered such a dose of pessimism that you wouldn't believe it. The story is high quality, and the central idea around which everything revolves is breathtaking at times, showcasing the high creative level of those who created it. I have few complaints about the actors; the Man in Black, aka Harris, is undoubtedly the most interesting character, and I hope he gets more screen time in his storyline in the second season. Even Hopkins, with his slow speech, somewhat reminded me of Hannibal; he's a wonderful storyteller. The ending is quite action-packed. I’m leaving room for improvement, as it’s possible, and we’ll see if the quality standard is maintained. The first season gets 87%. (2018-05-21)

A very satisfying first season. Badly written, western scenery absolutely beautiful, contrasting with Harris as the killer. Hopkins is wonderful. The diagnostics in the finale, or Talking About God and Shakespeare with Dad is chilling. More and heavier… 1: A huge, thoughtful metaphor for the life that we live today. Narratives written by big corporations, puppets living in a loop of going work and awakened people trying to escape from the grips of manipulation. Nolan and his wife have revived the sci-fi classic from 1973 with such sensitivity that the result is fresh, while also traditional. The awakening of artificial intelligence is a classic topic set in the ritual of regular lives, the loop turning the androids into human beings. The Matrix back to front, where machines suffer under the domination of people. Abrams’ supervision helps the mysterious atmosphere and huge scale, because, despite all the breathtaking action scenes and opulent apparitions, it remains primarily a thoughtful conversational drama, playing heavily with the perception of time. The star-studded casting isn’t just for show. Ed Harris is diabolical, Evan Rachel Wood pretty as a picture. The scenes where Anthony Hopkins appears have the viewer’s eyes glued to the screen. Clever dialogs, conversations with a reason and a story about the importance of the story and the truth lying within. Dosage of information, the timing and the final bait to make you look keen for the potential next season are all performed with the utmost care. At times it didn’t look like it, but Westworld is the event of the year and you’ll want to watch it again. 2: Incredibly pumped series, full of unexpected twists, just the conclusion is maybe unnecessarily too elaborate. We are still on a search of human psyche and what we see is not exactly flattering. All characters have lines able to bring the best out of them (great transformation of Teddy) and the narration through flashbacks is mastered fantastically. The glance at the Dark Tower and the original Westworld at the end is just the icing on the cake. I hope that the third series will retain the high quality and that we will be finally able to see the three remaining parks. 3: The robot rebellion moves from the park to the city and completes the dramatic arc – bad for the bad, good for the good. Nolan subtly uses the topic of the ability to calculate the future and arranges them on the central theme of life in loops. He elegantly presents heroes as villainous and villains as heroic. Dolores looks great in the real world; the visual world is visually enchanting and beautifully clean. The finale of course leaves room for another season, but the main story has been told. This year, I liked Devs much more. P.S. A couple of episodes are very weirdly directed and draw attention away from the story. (2016-12-11)