Aside From The Cast, I Found Little Appeal From "Parks And Recreation"

Parks & Recreation  (2009)

TV-PG

Starring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones

Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Shur

The Story:

Take a behind the scenes look at the local politics and backstabbing that take place at the Parks and Recreation office in a small Indiana town.

No, I did not watch this show when it aired.

It's now streaming on Netflix, so I decided to take a gander and see what I thought.

Much like Firefly, meh, it didn't really seem that great.

It's a wonderful cast, and from the actors that I saw (Poehler, Plaza, Pratt, Jones) I've loved them in many other things that I've watched them in.

With this show, I've watched 2 episodes...

And I just can't see myself wanting or having to see the remaining 123 episodes.

It was amusing in spots, but nothing gut-bustingly funny nor compelling enough that I have to see it.

I know, it just doesn't seem fair.

How can I judge a series after only 2 episodes?

And yet, we do it all the time.

The networks parade a wide variety of shows each and every season...some stick, some don't.

If you can't grab me by the first episode, what are the odds I will come back next week?

Looking back at what I watched last year, and even going back farther, perhaps I lean towards the hour long shows (42 minute runtime on Netflix!) as it gives the show a chance to flesh itself out in the pilot and grow on me twice as fast.

So with the daunting task of facing 45+ more hours of Parks and Recreation, or going about my business of watching just about anything else...

Yep, I'm aiming for other offerings for my time.

Final Grade-  C

Time To Spice Up Your Salsa... "Cuban Fury"

Cuban Fury (2014)

Rated R for language

Starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd, Ian McShane

Directed by James Griffiths

The Story:

Ben Radcliffe (Frost) is a young teen who loves to Salsa Dance.  His competitive dance skills are blossoming under the tutelage of teacher Ron Parfitt (McShane) but on the night of the finals, Ben is bullied, beaten and leaves his passion behind.  Decades later, an out-of-shape Ben has all but forgotten Salsa dancing, but when he meets his new boss, Julia (Jones), Ben is in love.  Of course, he is pushed aside by Drew (O'Dowd) his co-worker who has designs on Julia himself.  However, when Ben learns that Julia loves to Salsa, he begins to get back into dancing shape.

Based on a true story.

Because apparently one day Nick Frost thought of this story, and one screenplay later, here it is.

It's a little slow, perhaps deliberate, I'm still not certain, on the build-up to the story.  Then it gets going and about the mid-way point, there are changes towards the absurd .

Basically the funniest, and weirdest scene in the entire movie is the parking garage dance-off between Frost and O'Dowd.

Seriously.

Hilariously weird stuff.

I give them credit for trying some odd stuff.  Some of it works, some of it doesn't.

But it's all original, and the cast is more than willing to throw themselves into the material.

Frost is especially convincing as poor Ben who you root for to succeed as the ultimate underdog.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Too crude to be an engaging romantic comedy, too odd to be a perennial classic.  Silly, but otherwise forgettable.

Forever? That's a Mighty Long Time... "Celeste and Jesse Forever"

The word 'forever' is so misunderstood...

The Story:

Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) were high school sweethearts, best friends, and married.  Now they are in the middle of a divorce, but still trying to remain best friends.  He lives out back in the studio, and the two remain close.  Friends doubt the friendship will last, but when Jesse does something that alters their lives forever, where do the two go from here?

This movie was cute.

Sadly, nothing more, nothing less.

The laughs aren't big enough... the heartache not deep enough.

It tries to be a 21st Century reinvention of the romantic comedy, but ultimately, it's just there.

No character is written to get sympathy or to take a vested interest to root for or against.  They are all simply nice people, and as their lives change, you feel 'aw, that's too bad, you'll get over it', or 'aw, that's great, congratulations'.

I suppose when it comes down to it, both people made wrong choices, each at different moments in their relationship.

Those choices have consequences and those consequences can come back to haunt you if/when you might have a change of heart later... sometimes later is simply that: too late.

Not a bad movie, but could have been much better.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Potential: Nope, sorry.