Say Anything

So I watched the movie because of one scene referenced so many times.  I thought it was going to be your typical John Hughes type 80's rom-com, however it was a little more dramatic than I was expecting.  That's not to say it's bad, I enjoyed it and it was a good way to spend a cold snowy afternoon between night shifts.  Quick synopsis:  High school gal has everything going for her until a "regular guy" sweeps her off her feet and changes everything.  You've heard the story before and can guess how it ends ... you won't be wrong.  I liked it just fine.  Recommend.

Beyond Stranger Things

I was curious about this set of interviews with the cast of Stranger Things, so I watched one and left it a little bummed out, I wanted the characters to stay in character.  I watched another with my wife, then another, the next night another etc. until it had run out.  Essentially this is like a series of podcasts with the cast and directors on the show overall, not episode by episode.  By the time it was over I wished there were more.  Recommend.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton

I wouldn't call myself a Jim Carrey "Fan" but I know him fairly well and have seen the majority of his work.  He's funny, there's no denying that.  Andy Kaufman, I'm not so familiar with so I wasn't sure how much I'd get out of this doc.  Well, I got a lot out of it.  I couldn't stop thinking about it for a few days and found myself recommending it to anyone with a Netflix account. Quick Synopsis:  Jim Carrey gets his dream role of playing Andy Kaufman and after staying in character for 2 years, forgets who he was.  The movie is tale that's been told many times, about how fame and fortune does not equate to happiness, however when it happens to someone you feel you know, or at least thought you knew, someone who seems like a laugh a minute guy, it just hits.  I'd imagine what Jim is going through it similar to what Robin Williams did.  It's a good watch and worth your time.  Recommend.

The Big Sick

My first Amazon Original movie.  I'm happy to report the movie streamed in 1080p just fine and it was a very similar experience to Netflix.  With that out of the way, the movie follows your typical tropes of a rom-com, but it's presented well and I found it generally enjoyable.  It's not officially a Judd Apatow movie, but it sure does feel like it, it has his DNA all over it. Quick synopsis:  A Packistani comedian and his white girlfriend deal with relationship issues/cultural differences as things become serious, girlfriend gets sick and almost dies which brings everyone together.  I liked everyone in it but the female lead.  I can't say "you gotta see it!" but it wasn't a bad way to spend a morning after a night shift.  Recommend.

Stranger Things 2

The sophomore slump, it's a real thing and thankfully it didn't catch Stranger Things.  There were unreasonable expectations for this show, how could it live up to the amazing first season, especially as the kids approach puberty and suddenly aren't as cute anymore?  Well it holds up very well, and the awkward age the kids are going through is embraced as the show takes place almost a year after the original.  This show is fantastic, it hits on multiple nostalgia levels, and is just so spot on with it's references and soundtrack.  It's supposed to be scary, but I just don't get the scares, that's not saying it's bad, it's just....fascinating.  There's a lot more CG in season 2 which I found a little off putting, but that aside it's every bit as good as it's predecessor.  Every episode is good, even "that one" that everyone hates (episode 7) I found had it's merits.  The acting for Wills character is quite unbelievable, that kid has a future in the biz. Highest recommend.

The Confession Tapes

This is not the sequel to "Making a Murderer" despite Netflix wanting you to think it is.  This is a miniseries of 8 different "confessions" people made to murders they may not have committed.  There's evidence that each of these cases could have gone either way, but only a few did I think the accused were innocent.  The series starts really strong with an opening 2 parter and ends with a quality case as well, but there a few real duds in the middle.  I like that I could watch these at my leisure and they were all mostly independent from each other making it something you don't need to binge in any matter.  Recommend.  

Fuller House: Season 3

It's exactly the same as this.

Daddy's Home

Father and son movie night, I expected this to be akin to Daddy Day Care, but it's not.  Will Farell plays Will Farell and Mark Wahlburg also plays himself.  Okay, not literally, but they play the characters they so often play.  Farell plays step dad trying to prove himself to his step kids who's real dad is much cooler.  It was okay.  There were a few parts that had me nervous watching with my 9 year old, but he seemed to like it.  Overall I can't really recommend.  Pass.

Lego Ninjago The Movie

I knew nothing about Ninjago going in, well, other than "Ninja Lego", so perhaps lack of hype lead to my enjoyment of this film.  It's great.  I took my son Cole to the movies on his birthday and it was a gift to myself.  The film explores some deeper family issues, and while the main villain Lord Garmadon is just a re-skinned Lego Batman (different voice), he's equally hilarious.  Jackie Chan plays a great role and has a killer line near the end of the movie, and then there's the Jerry Maguire moment that I still think about on occasion ... ahhh ... what a film.  Having coming off Lego Batman not that long ago, I think I liked this better.  Surprisingly, recommend.

Cape Fear

I've been trying to find some more "classic" movies on Netflix but it's proving to be difficult as their selection isn't as good as it should be.  I did find Cape Fear, a movie often referenced, but one I'd never seen.  This is Robert DeNiro in or near his prime and it's really a shame how far he's fallen.  He's still a good actor, but mostly plays in comedy's now, perhaps they're just easier cash grabs.

Anyways, Cape Fear, what a strange movie.  DeNiro gives a great performance of a man released from prison after 13 years for a crime he "may" have gotten a lesser charge for had his attorney provided all the evidence.  The attorney did not given the horrific nature of the crime, AND NOW HE MUST PAY.  You never really feel sorry for DeNiro's character, he's creepy, sadistic, but that's what makes his performance so memorable. 

I don't know if this holds up in 2017, but I enjoyed it despite taking it only semi-seriously.  Recommend.

1922

Another Netflix Original movie I "took a chance" on, this one is another Stephen King adaptation.  I'll admit I was hooked throughout, the star of the film, Thomas Jane does a remarkable job, the slow pacing of the film is carried by his character.  It's a dark a dramatic tale of a man who kills his wife to keep his farm and his son, but he is haunted afterwards.  Are the ghosts in his mind, or are they real?  I've said before I like Stephen King and that he usually has definitive endings to his stories, sometimes they're unsatisfactory, and unfortunately this one doesn't pay off in the end...that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride, and after looking up how the story ends in the novella, I'm satisfied.  Recommend.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Mockingjay part 2 starts out a little slow, but ramps up and delivers a satisfying ending to the franchise that leaves no cliffhangers and plot lines that are "up to interpretation" which seems to be so popular these days.  Thank goodness.  I've invested quite a bit of time into this franchise over the past few weeks and that last thing I wanted was an open ending.  This final installment delivers in a variety of ways, solid acting, and just a nice wrap to the series.  I enjoyed my time overall with the franchise, and therefor, recommend. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

I'm going to guess Mockingjay was never intended to be split into two parts, but the Hollywood execs decided that 2 movies makes more money than one movie.  At 2 hours, this installment drags quite a bit, I left "Catching Fire" on a bit of a high for the series, but this one just leaves me with "well, I guess I have to see what happens".  It's an interesting enough film and presents you with some neat political perspective, of course I'm going to see how it all ends at this point, in fact, at the time of this writing, I already have!  Whoa!!!!  Recommend, on the basis that I know it at least ends well.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Well, I said I'd watch the sequels, and I did, well the first one anyways.  I liked this movie better than the original, I think it was a little shorter which helps, but you can't walk away feeling a little unsatisfied as this is just a huge setup for the 3rd and 4th films in the franchise.  I'm invested at this point and will catch the sequels sooner than later.  It's a teen dramaction movie, but I'm digging the universe now.  Viva la resistance! 

Gerald's Game

Netflix original films are something I had a hard time wrapping my head around.  Are they "real" movies?  After watching a few of them I gotta say, they're better than a lot of crap that make it to the big screen.  Gerald's game is an adaptation of a Stephen King short, and while I admit I'm a bit of a King fan (heck, I've even read more than a few of his books) it had no bearing on my approval of this movie.  I find King at his best when he's not writing about monsters and spooky things, but trials grounded in reality.  I'd take Delores Claiborne and Shawshank Redemption over Pet Cemetary any day of the week. Gerald's Game stays grounded throughout, actually, well, maybe, okay, let's just say that for sake of spoiling anything...and delivers an ending that wraps things up nicely.  There will be no Gerald's Game 2.  If you liked 127 Hours, I think you'll find something to like here.  Recommend.

Airplane

A classic I'd heard about and seen referenced a thousand times but had never seen.  The movie still holds up and is quite funny.  I remember my parents talking a lot about this movie, it's actually quite crude, I think many of the jokes went over their head (well my moms anyways).  It's worth the 90 minute run time.  Recommend.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 1

After wrapping up Seinfeld I watched the first season of Curb, it's good, different, but really good.  The episodes all seem to have the same theme, Larry says something dumb to someone random, who always pops up later in the episode putting him in an awkward spot  It's genuinely funny and I look forward to more seasons.  Recommend.

Seinfeld: Season 8 & 9

I've written before about how pointless it is to review these season's because they're all good, but I've come this far, I should finish what I started, but I'll combine the last two seasons into one post.  Season 8 and 9 are the two seasons where Jerry took complete control of the series after Larry David's exit.  They are different in tone, but that makes them unique.  The show became a lot "goofier" after David's exit, and while many say the show without David is not as good, there are some real classics here (and a few duds) that prove that Jerry is more than competent in carrying the show.  Notable episodes include: "The Yada Yada", "Muffin Tops", and "The Serenity Now".  A few I really disliked including "The Frogger" and "The Puerto Rican Day", but not enough to stay "pass".  The shows great, I was sad when it ended.  I'll watch is again and again and again yada yada yada, recommond.

The Hunger Games

The runtime of these movies always prevented me from watching them, but on an afternoon between night shifts I decided to give it a shot as it's one of those movies that's referenced so often.  This is a teen version of "The Running Man" and while more serious in tone, it' not necessarily better.  I managed to make it through the film with a few button presses to see how much longer I had to sit through (never a good sign) and while I can't say I hated it, I didn't particularly love it either.  It's just "okay".  The universe is interesting and I'll probably watch the sequels just because they're there.  Overall, pass.

Edit:  After watching the full series of Hunger Games films, I would now recommend this film if you're willing to invest in the franchise as a whole.

Jerry Before Seinfeld

The first Seinfeld standup act to show up on Netflix is a bit of a disappointment.  If you're familiar with Jerry's stand up, this show adds very little new material and is primarily a retelling of his best bits.  Of course if you're only familiar with the TV show, you'll probably find a lot to like here, but again, for those of us who've seen it all before, it's just ... a clip show.

Backcountry

I'm a sucker for films like this, Open Water, Frozen (not THAT Frozen), and now Back Country.  A young goodlooking couple go for a camping trip in northern Ontario to discover they're being tracked by a grizzly bear.  It's suspenseful and executed fairly well, but not as good as the films I mentioned at the start of this review.  At 90 minutes it's worth checking out.  Recommend.

Atypical: Season 1

Having a son with Autism, my wife and I were eagerly anticipating this show, and while it's core focus was on a teen on the spectrum, the rest of it was typical "dramedy" affair.   That's not to say the show is bad, it actually appeals to all, moms, dads, teens etc.  While I enjoyed Sam's perspective on things and the shows attempts to make the watcher more autistically aware, it's focus on the parents were my favorite aspect for obvious reasons.  It's a good show.  Recommend.

San Andreas

The Rock.  Earthquakes.  He's separated from his wife and daughter.  The earthquake brings them back together.  Action sequences.  Disaster sequences.  Stunning visual effects.  Recommend.

Ozark: Season 1

I'd heard many similarities to Breaking Brad (perhaps my favorite show of all time) about this show, skeptical I went in, and can say the only similarity is the fact that we're dealing with a dad, who's in over his head with drug dealers, trying to provide for his family.  This show doesn't have the same sense of humor Breaking Bad did, nor the "Buddy Cop" in reverse scenario, that Walter and Jesse had.  This show's a little creepy in spots, but held my attention and should there be a second season, I'll likely check it out.  The language is bad, there's some nudity, and the violence is pretty rough in spots, I can't recommend it in good conscience.

The Lego Batman Movie

I quite enjoyed the Lego movie, not as much as others, but I found it amusing.  Batman in that movie was fantastic, so why not make a whole movie featuring him?  Well, they did, and it's good.  The movie is very self aware, and the callbacks to older versions of Batman from the 60's to Christopher Nolan's adaptations are fantastic.  It has a nice story for kids about family/friendship and it's incredibly easy to follow.  I heard my son tell his mother the next morning every plot and subplot. He liked it, as did I, perhaps he a little more than me, but that's the target right?  Recommend.

Doctor Strange

I went into this movie with relatively low expectations and while the film surpassed what I expected of it, I can't say I overly enjoyed it.  I struggle with high fantasy films, but can get behind Sci-Fi. Unlike Thor, which I found surprisingly charming, I just couldn't get behind the multiverse in Doctor Strange.  There are some stunning visuals, and I think Benedict Cumberbatch did a really good job playing a really smart person again, but the whole premise just didn't click for me.  Pass.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Funny thing, I remember really liking the original "Rise of" movie in this series, but now looking back, it appears I didn't.  Well, I can say with certainty, that this one is good.  Really good. The CG has come a long way and the apes look photo-realistic.  It's amazing really.  This is not a special effects showcase though, the plot is good and (most of) the characters are really likable. This is a popcorn film at it's finest.  Recommend.

The Founder

I'd heard tales of how McDonald's was founded, but this movie really brought to light how sinister Ray Kroc was in his pursuit of wealth, fame, and self indulgence.  At the start of the movie, you actually find Mr. Kroc and his pursuits quite admirable, but as things get rolling, you realize he's not a snowball slowly gaining steam rolling down a hill, but a wrecking ball stopping at nothing to get what he wants.  The story is well told and translates well to film.  Keaton does a fantastic job as Kroc and the movie clips along at a good pace.  It's as enlightening as it is entertaining.  Recommend.

The Arrival

I'd heard this movie was good.  It is good.  It's not great, but good.  It's a unique spin on your "Aliens come to Earth" narrative, it's slow and methodical but doesn't drag.  It has a unique twist to it that I did not see coming which is always nice.  I like Amy Adams, I feel like she could have played Pam in "The Office" ... and now that I think about it, I do believe she was Jims Girlfriend in one episode.  Alast, this is the Arrival, and it's pretty okay too.  Recommend.

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Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan, known for "thinking man's films" takes this movie in a completely different direction.  There is little plot, most of the dialogue is washed out, and we're left with what?  An action film"?  Kind of.  I can't say I didn't like it, it's a fine film with some great visuals and amazing audio. When the planes fly over (which is a lot) it's like a horror movie, they sound like monsters (for lack of a better term).   Dunkirk didn't change my life, but I'm glad I saw it.  Recommend.

The Discovery

I’ve been tracking this movie since I heard about it shortly after watching “The OA”, and while they share some similarities, they’re actually quite different, for one, this one has a nice tidy ending.  HOORAY!  It’s a fine movie, it has a quite secular view of what the afterlife may consist of, and it all wraps up in a couple hours. No ambiguity, no create your own ending.  It’s not great, but I didn’t feel like I wasted my time.  Recommend.

Pixels

I chose this as I didn’t want to think after coming off a few hours sleep between night shifts.  I chose wisely.  While I originally appreciated it’s respect for old games, the new mantra of [new games] “do whatever you want” was the key to success and ruined everything.  Honestly, there were a few chuckles, and having watched “The King of Kong” I really liked Peter Dinklage’s impression of Billy Mitchell, but outside of that, there’s not much reason to watch this, even if you are a “gamer”.  Pass.

Snowden

Man, I was expecting so much more from this movie.  It was okay, but I was expecting so much more, and I think they could have exposed the NSA much further but ultimately decided they needed to mix in an unnecessarily complex love story for the ... you know ... ladies.  It's  a fine movie, but you can get about just as much info from Snowden's Wikipedia summary.  It's also unnecessarily long.  Pass.

Vacation

The Vacation reboot succeeds in providing laughs, that’s about all you know.  Some of the laughs are “post American-Pie” … what I mean is that American Pie introduced raunch-com, and it seems every movie since then tries to emulate it.  “Nothing is sacred” … but, there are plenty of other funny moments in this film if you can get by the dirty-bits.  Believe it or not, my favorite character is the car.  Watch it if you’re not overly sensitive to sex jokes.

Star Wars: Rogue One

Rogue one, I believe, is a Star Wars movie for Star Wars fans.  As someone who’s seen all of the films, but wouldn’t call themselves a fan as far as Star Wars fans go, this was an “alright” movie.  I can see someone with vast knowledge of the original trilogy, or even just the first movie (IV) really enjoying this one, but me, with limited knowledge of the universe, found myself somewhat confused trying to place characters and times.  One of the primary villains (the emperor?) is completely CGI, but I found it so off-putting, I couldn’t appreciate what they were trying to do with him. There were a few really great sequences and I chuckled more than I have at any previous Star Wars film, the robot protagonist K-2SO really saved this film, he’s the best character by far.  High recommend for Star Wars buffs, otherwise, you’ll probably okay missing this one.

Daddy Day Care

With summertime here and the kids staying up later and later, if I’m going to watch a movie, this is the variety I’m limited to.  Had you asked me if I’d seen it before, I’d say “yes” but upon watching it, I didn’t remember a whole lot about it.  This was the early stages of Eddie Murphy going “clean” and while it has a few memorable bits, at the same time I can completely understand why I’d forgotten it.  It’s fine as far as family movies go, but in general, you’re not missing much.  Pass.

Bloodline: Season 3

I need to stop watching shows I don't like.  It's become a problem.  Thankfully, this show has run it's course and this is the final season.  Season 1 of Bloodline was some compelling TV, I absolutely loved it.  I wish I would have stopped right there.  Some say the show was cancelled well into it's writing process and that's why it ends abruptly, there are other reports that the state of Florida eliminated their tax grants which made the show too costly to produce, I've read that the shows creators envisioned this show with 7 or more seasons in mind, so to wrap it up in 3 would be difficult ...  I don't know, all I know is season 3 is a mess, but is necessary viewing if you've seen season 2.  I'd honestly recommend skipping the show altogether, because if you're like me, you want to see a series through, and one great season at the beginning does not make up for 2 sub par ones with an unsatisfactory ending.  Pass.

House of Cards: Season 5

Like Franks presidency I think I'm done, but I'll probably be back.  This was my least favorite season so far.  It started out so promising but my favorite plot-line involving republican nominee Conway was quickly squashed and written off after the first half.  The writers killed off 2 potential threats in some of the cheapest quickest ways possible, and the show seems to have just reset itself.  Maybe that's what it needs?  I don't know, but my term just may be up.  Pass.

Master of None: Season 2

Master of None picks up right where the last season leaves off and I was a little concerned I'd have difficulty relating to the show in it's new location.  I didn't, and, it didn't last long.  If I found the first season relatable, this season took it to new heights.  Dev falls for a gal who's engaged, I have lived this story so many times in my life I've broken it down to my own self diagnosed psychological disorder.  I like(d) girls who were unavailable because (a) you always want what you can't have (b)  the hunt (c) I felt safe because "they turned me down because they have a boyfriend/it's complicated (d) THE PRIZE (which was always better in my head than in reality).  Anyway, back to the show, it's on par with the first season and I enjoyed all but the Thanksgiving and the Nick Cage movie episode. 10/12 ain't bad, actually, it's great (the hour long episode [11?] was incredibly painful to watch, in a good way though).  Recommend.

Love Season 1&2

There's just something about Judd Apatow that appeals to me, his movies and now his shows.  They all take place in locale's I don't relate to, but when I watch his content, I feel immersed like few other forms of media.  I don't even like these characters per se, but I feel an odd connection to them.  Love is interesting, it really nails the ups and downs of a new relationship.  It goes a little too far at points, and gets too raunchy many times as well.  I can't recommend this show in good confidence.  Pass.

Mad Max: Fury Road

I watched the original Mad Max 5 years ago (to the month), this one's better.  I honestly don't remember a lot about the original, but do remember not really "getting it" ... this one's easy to get ... it's simply an action movie.   That doesn't make this film bad, but it does make it easy to follow.  The plot takes a back seat to the spectacular visuals, the cinematography is (I'm going to hate future self for writing this) fire emoji.  For a compelling story, pass, for a very odd/strange/weird visual feast, recommend.

Deadpool

So much hype, so much excitement, so immature.  I don't want to waste any more time on this than I need to, but Ryan Reynolds may be my least favorite actor in Hollywood right now.  This is two weeks in a row I've watched one of his films and despised them equally.   This movie is so immature, so juvenile, I'm embarrassed I know people who actually liked it. By all means, pass.

The Change Up

I heard this was funny, it's not.  The premise has been done better so many times before.  Pass.

Jim Gaffigan: Cinco

Every Gaffigan special worse than the previous one. It's so disappointing.  This one's completely skippable, he even steals the old Seinfeld bit about not being able to slam the phone down like you could with an old land line phone.  The saving grace was a segment about music, most specifically "Mary had a Little Lamb", it had me laughing out loud.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be to come up with new material, but in my opinion, nothing he ever does will ever top "Beyond the Pale".  Pass.

Metallica: Through the Never

Continuing on my recent trend of Joe Rogan I stumbled upon a podcast with James Hetfield, Metallica front man.  I was a big Metallica fan "back in the day" but as I've slowed down, so has my taste in music.  I still like the classic Metallica, but anything released after The Black Album just doesn't cut it in my opinion.  Anyways, in this podcast James is talking about his "failed" movie, and being a one time kinda big fan, I wanted to check that out.

Through the never is in fact a movie, it's more of a concert movie however.  The majority of the film is a concert performance, but it's intertwined with shots of a young stage-hand who's sent on a mission to retrieve a bag for the band.  Chip leaves the concert and goes on an apocalyptic journey to retrieve the bag.  It's pretty cool and fit's in well with the music.  Metallica music plays throughout, there is very little dialogue.

If you like the music, you'll likely enjoy what's here.  If not, I cannot recommend this movie under any circumstance.

Joe Rogan Live

I've been following Colin Moriarity around the internet as he has recently left his gig at "Kinda Funny" after a fallout from a silly twitter joke.  Colin's appeared on Rubin Report, which I found intriguing, but even more so, the Joe Rogan Experience.  I've been listening to podcasts since their inception, but have stuck primarily to video game ones, it's all changing now.  My horizons seem to be expanding and I'm really enjoying the complexity of the topics discussed on Rubin and Rogan.  I'M GETTING OLD!  (It's about time).  Anyways, what I really like about Rogan is his relaxed approach to interviews, he seems so calm, intelligent, and unbiased.  He's not a yes man, but doesn't put people down.  So I decided to put on one of his stand-up acts to get a little more insight into the man behind the podcast.  Talk about disappointing.  Sex jokes galore, nothing fresh here.  I get it, sex sells, and perhaps Rogan was trying to do whatever he could to gain popularity/traction in Hollywood, but it wasn't the Joe Rogan I've come to appreciate on the experience.  As he's aged, as have I, so I'll take the elder Rogan over young Joe any time. He's settled down, like I have, and as long as his maturity stays where it is, I'll be a fan of the Joe Rogan experience.  As for this special though?  Pass.

50/50

It took some guts to make a comedy about cancer, a subject often not joked about.  I've never had cancer, but I'd have to guess it's actually much worse than the film portrays, but that's okay, the movie is supposed to make us laugh.  Seth Rogen plays Seth Rogen again and Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a fine job as our cancer patient with a 50/50 chance of living (as the title would suggest).  The supporting cast filled out nicely despite some of the predictability of their roles. The shitty girlfriend who's eventually replaced with a much more suitable love interest, and the over-bearing mother.  I also appreciated the dad with Alzheimer's, a subject they didn't make a joke of, but I found it one of the more touching relationships in the movie.  There were quite a few laughs throughout, it's good. Recommend.

The Santa Clarita Diet

I've really slowed in all media consumption since the new Zelda came out, but I did find 10 half hours to get through this over the course of 4-6 weeks.  I didn't really like it but wanted to see it through.  Tim Olyphant shines and the awkward neighbor kid make the show enjoyable, but I've never been a huge Drew Barrymore fan outside of her movies with Adam Sandler.  It's raunchy, gross, and ends poorly assuming there's a second season.  With the reviews it's been getting, this series could be more dead than Drew's character.  Pass.

Ultimate Beastmaster

My son Cole and I were eagerly awaiting this to premier on Netflix and while I was a little underwhelmed after the first episode, the show definitely grew on me and the cast of international hosts really took this show to new heights.  A lot of it sub-titled, it still had a lot of character.  I can think of a number of improvements they could make, but for a first season, the show was entertaining and a sign of things to come.  In the end I think American Ninja Warrior does it better, but this is a nice supplement.  The lack of commercials really makes shows like this so much more enjoyable.  I think this is Netflix's first "reality" show, and while I'm not a fan of the genre typically, I'm eagerly awaiting season 2.  The best thing to come out of this show was finding something my son and I could sit down and watch on our own schedule.  Recommend.