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Superheroes have existed since 1902, with the creation of Hugo Hercules, the first version of a Superman, even though the concept of hero goes back to the birth of our civilization. In more than a hundred years a lot have changed and today we're experiencing the Cinecomics Golden Era. Once the superheroes where created as a propagandistic tool or as a form of escapism. Once the concept of justice was simple: a villain who wanted to rule the world, like the Nazis, used to represent what's bad and a hero, who's goodness stand as a symbol for all humanity. Unfortunately a lot of different events happened between the World Wars and today. We experienced a Cold War, which created conflict based on infromation, Terrorism, which underlined the fact that we're not really safe, internet, which changed our perception and consupmtion of infromations, another economic crisis, which plunged a lot of people in deep poverty. One thing, which is last but not least, happened: cynicism started to be our common ideal, to counterbalance the cruel reality we live in. Morality and ethics has become blurred. Taking the right choice is hard. Taking the best one is harder.
PLOT
"The first generation of superheroes has kept the world safe for nearly a century. Now their children must live up to their legacy in an epic drama that spans decades and navigates the dynamics of family, power and loyalty" or "Superhero boomers with sons create a lot of trouble"
SCRIPT
The idea behind the show it's interesting but it's hard to keep it interesting in the long run. The decision to have two timelines is both exciting from a storytelling pint of view and detrimental if you're looking for entertainment. This is why the story isn't well paced and the action scenes doesn't seem worth the time. It's easy to say that the show is unfocused because it's trying to be both an origin story and a character study about too many characters. I would've preferred if the show first would've been about the origins of the Union and its members. The storyline about the present and their sons could've been explored in the next seasons, by introducing every character in an organic way. Most of the characters have an unresolved arch and I could count only one character who has an actual growth throughout the series. The villain, which isn't well defined(and for some time is forgotten to introduce more characters), introduced with a plot twist, doesn't work because it has a weak motivation which goes against everything that came before. There're also a lot of cliches and recurrent dialogues which you could hear in every other superhero movie or series. I've appreciated one thing, beside the main concept, which is the light gore and the sense of danger for almost every hero.
Script: 6/10
ACTING
It works but it's mediocre, because the newcomers contrast a bit with the older actors, who are able to do a better job with their characters. Sometimes the line delivery is a bit corny but overall isn't something exceptional.
Acting: 6/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
Some shots are good but most of them are pretty stale and unoriginal. Colors isn't used as a symbolic tool and light doesn't have a meaning. One time colors are instrumental to the plot but, after that, they become just a bunch of pixels on a screen.
Photography: 5/10
EDITING
The fight scene aren't well edited because you're not able to feel the punches and the character's strength. the flight scene felt a bit odd because you're not able to feel the speed. Slow motion, at lower and higher fps, sometimes it's well placed, sometimes is out of nowhere. It's supposed to be used for a dramatic reason, not to make someone cooler. The good thing about this show are the transitions, which are fluid and don't disrupt the series flow. I've expected more from a Netflix production.
Editing: 5/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The cgi is mediocre and sometimes it seems fake. There're scenes where there's only cgi, a bad cgi. It's below average for a Netfix series but the worst thing is the "old man" makeup, which is clunky. The actress who plays Lady Liberty has a grey wig and this is how the producers thought that her ageing would've been believable. I'm disappointed.
Special Effects: 4/10
SOUNDTRACK
It's there but it doesn't add much and function more as background music rather than an accompaniment which sets emotion and goes beyond the simple jingle.
Soundtrack: 5/10
COSTUMES
As I said before, the beards and wigs look a bit fake. The suits are ok but there's nothing remarkable about them. Blackstar makeup, on the other hand, looks fine and it's a good adaptation of the comic book character. Overall is a mixed section.
Costumes: 5/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 6/10
Acting: 6/10
Photography: 5/10
Editing: 5/10
Special Effects: 4/10
Soundtrack: 5/10
Costumes: 5/10
AVERAGE: 5,14
It isn't on the level of The Boys, Invincible or Wandavision, to mention other show of the superhero genre. It's stained by a weak script, which tries to be too many things at the same time. I think that the series explores an interesting idea but it isn't able to adapt it well. It's a shame because this is a waste of Mark Millar's talent and Netflix's money. Sure, if you want to turn off your brain for some time it's okay but after a while, a short while, it becomes boring cause of its lack of good storytelling. It's funny how a show about time isn't able to manage time in a competent way.
RATE THIS REVIEW
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Director: Steven S. DeKnight, Charlotte Brändström
Screenplay: Julia Cooperman
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, Leslie Bibb, Andrew Horton, Elena Kampouris, Mike Wade, Matt Lanter
Soundtrack: Stephanie Economou
Cinematography: Danny Ruhlmann, Nicole Hirsch Whitaker
Running Time: 45 minutes
