"Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile"

Absolutely adorable crocodile and cute kid.  Interesting element with a creepy Javier Bardem character.  But the storytelling is weak.  There is decent background but then the story kind of plows into nothing.  The build, and resolution, come out of nowhere.  It's like it was going to be a layered, thoughtful tale but turned into a kid's film.  Which is sad, because there was clearly potential here.  Short and sweet, it's watchable but I couldn't help but think it could have been so much more.  I hate wasted potential.

"Black Adam"

This one will thrill the superhero fans who like action.  It's nothing but.  One battle after another battle after another battle.  There's a minor point about underserved communities and minor character development.  Wouldn't say I'm looking forward to a sequel (which it was obviously teeing up for).  In any case, all signs point to this franchise being dead on arrival.  I don't disagree.

"See How They Run"

Maybe it was watching it at, like, 3am on an overnight flight.  Or not.  It's got a terrific cast.  But this murder-mystery lite doesn't really hit the mark.  Set in the past, it doesn't have the panache the setting would indicate.  The solutions come a little too easily and the whole thing seems have been edited to a fault.  One of the few movies which could have been longer.  Steps are skipped to get to the end.  Best parts come from Saoirse Ronan outsmarting Sam Rockwell ... a lot.  Didn't leave much of an impression.

"Ticket to Paradise"

It's got Julia Roberts and George Clooney and manages to avoid a cliche or two.  It's entertaining and sometimes fun.  It's fast-paced and short.  All that being said, it's forgettable.  Good airplane popcorn.

"Bros"

Travel has allowed a lot of viewing and reading.  Top of the list was "Bros".  This so-called romantic comedy is ... really different.  It's supposed to be.  In a meta moment, the film opens with the lead character explaining to a network exec that a rom-com with two guys can't be all Hallmark because two men are not the same as a guy and a gal.  The film proceeds to make the point.  It's not G-rated and the sexual exploits, language, and behavior are far rougher than you might expect for this genre.  But it works.  It doesn't look anything like a TV version of these things.  It looks significantly more real.  Genuine.  Even though the essential elements ... meet-cute, attraction, obstacle and reconciliation ... are there.  It's just in a different -- a very different -- package.  Pun intended.  And that's the point.

"True Lies"

Still on the fence with this one.  There is a ton of action and the familial bickering between the two leads brings a terrific level of "fun" to this spy drama.  But I'm not sold on the cast.  Steve Howey has grown up a lot since his "Reba" days and let's hear it for casting older actors like Bevery D'Angelo, who brings a gravitas simply by walking into a room.  Love Omar Benson Miller in, well, anything and everything.  He brings a great energy to every project.  But the other characters are ... a bit generic.  And I'm not buying the highly-trained covert operator who is always freaking out in the truck when things don't go as planned.  Will give this a few more tries to see if it takes.  

"The Company You Keep"

A top winner for new shows.  It's not deep, and it requires a level of "suspension of disbelief" which is impressive.  But who cares?  An energic cast of strong actors makes this very watchable.  It's sexy, action-packed and fun.  It's got the good con and has overtones of "The Thomas Crown Affair".  Bottom line, it completely takes me away for 45 minutes a week.  Worth it.

Say Goodbye

In terms of mid-season shows there are some hits and some misses.  As the DVR fills up, I make it a habit to analyze whether I really want to keep watching the shows which are always on the bottom of the viewing list.  These didn't make the cut.

"Animal Control".  I mistakenly thought this would be a soft and fuzzy sitcom, not unlike "Call Me Kat".  It is, as noted by the title, a show which should feature a lot of furry friends.  It didn't live up to expectations.  It's a dumb workplace comedy which looks a lot like every other workplace comedy (with a weird fixation on food ...).  The animal scenes are stupid, with stuffed animals and unrealistic animatronic creatures.  Think "coked out bunnies".  This was a fast NO.

Also on FOX, there is "Accused".  I tried.  I really did.  I like a good legal drama and the guest stars are ... amazing.  The style of bringing in viewers without much of the information was unique.  But here's the thing ... I don't think people are essentially evil.  I mean, people aren't born evil, in my humble opinion.  I would say that evil exists, certainly, but it is far more rare than certain TV networks (and so-called "news" stations) would have us believe.  I think most people get caught up in the criminal justice system for a lot of complicated reasons.  Poverty, poor education, addiction, trauma, abuse.  All of it leads to impulsive behavior and bad decision-making.  And people end up in prison.  Shows like this, which highlight the rare and the perverse, are not my cup of tea.  I'm far more interested in the complexity of how people come to commit crimes than being a voyeur of the dark and disturbed.  Again, I have to say "Columbo" remains a favorite.  He never judged.  And the perpetrators were not always awful.  They were just human.  

Not new but glad to say "bye" -- "La Brea".  Maybe, with age, comes a certain lack of patience.  I always try to support Sci Fi shows, because they don't get the backing I think they should.  But of all the sci fi out there ... why this one?  There are plot holes, in every episode, big enough for Mack Trucks.  I kind of had it.  "Alert:  Missing Persons Unit" has similar issues, but I like the cast more.  For now, anyway.  We'll see.  In any case, watched to the end of season two for "La Brea" and took a breath of release when I cleared it from my DVR queue.

"Mayfair Witches"

I usually give new shows at least three episodes before ditching them.  In this case, I gave it four.  It didn't help.  The violence and gore are plentiful but the plot is confused and meandering.  Capable actor Alexandra Daddario floats through looking lost.  The dialog doesn't have a hint of the lyric poetry in the other AMC/Anne Rice production, "Interview with the Vampire".  In many ways, this show looks weaker by comparison.  None of the brilliance of the former is present here.  It's just dark and dull and moves slower than a daytime drama.  And so, after episode #4, I said goodbye.