Westworld

[Michael*]

 

Westworld

Release Date: October 2, 2016

Director: Jonathan Nolan

 

Synopsis

Westworld isn't your typical amusement park. Intended for rich vacationers, the futuristic park, which is looked after by robotic hosts, allows its visitors to live out their fantasies through artificial consciousness. No matter how illicit the fantasy may be, there are no consequences for the park's guests, allowing for any wish to be indulged. Westworld, which is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name, features an all-star cast that includes Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Golden Globe winner Ed Harris.

 

Cast

Evan Rachel Wood - Dolores Abernathy

Thandie Newton - Maeve Millay

Jeffrey Wright - Bernard Lowe

James Marsden - Teddy Flood

Ed Harris - Man in Black

Anthony Hopkins - Dr. Robert Ford

Luke Hemsworth - Ashley Stubbs

Sidse Babett Knudsen - Theresa Cullen

Angela Sarafyan - Clementine Pennyfeather

Shannon Woodward - Elsie Hughes

Ben Barnes - Logan

Clifton Collins Jr. - Lawrence

Simon Quarterman - Lee Sizemore

Ingrid Bolsø Berdal - Armistice

Rodrigo Santoro - Hector Escaton

Tessa Thompson - Charlotte Hale

[Michael*]

Teaser trailer and full trailer.

 

 

 

[Michael*]

So, I really enjoyed the first episode and will be following the series. The story seems to borrow some of the themes and plot points of both Westworld and Futureworld, presumably with the main focus being on the Corporation running the park and whether or not they have an ulterior motive for what they're doing with the bots. There's also the story of how the bots are becoming self-aware and sentient, which was never explored in the films. The work and production values that have gone into making this is pretty astounding too.

[elfstone]

+1 

The pilot was so epic    But it kinda goes downhill IMO  till we get to episodes 5-6

[elfstone]

Multiple timelines dammit!

[SympathysSilhouette]

Some of the dialogue was dire. This show was very guilty of ignoring the "show, do not tell" rule in the last handful of episodes.

 

The best trait was the structure of the main plot line, but once people had figured out the big twists, there wasn't much left.

[Cult Icon]

I saw episode 1 and 10 so far (2 hrs).  Apparently these are among the best episodes.  I have heard that the ones in the middle are weaker and drawn out due to lack of substance.

 

It's awesome to have so many scenes with Wood, Hopkins and Harris.

[Theoddportrait]

Such a fan of this show. The production quality is top notch along with the acting. Great seeing a lot of familiar background actors also and placing them. The finale was quite the show so glad to have read that there will be multiple seasons coming down the pipeline too !

[Michael*]

Four episodes in now. I have to admit, the fractured narrative is getting a little difficult to engage with, but I remain intrigued enough to stick with it for the time being.

[Cult Icon]

3 hours ago, Michael* said:

Four episodes in now. I have to admit, the fractured narrative is getting a little difficult to engage with, but I remain intrigued enough to stick with it for the time being.

 

I watched some more (just skipped the Maeve and Bernard storyline) and focused on Hopkins, Woods, Harris.  Basically the show is 5 or so storylines at once.  I think they can be watched separately to a majority extent.

 

[Michael*]

On 12/7/2016 at 6:26 PM, Cult Icon said:

I watched some more (just skipped the Maeve and Bernard storyline) and focused on Hopkins, Woods, Harris.  Basically the show is 5 or so storylines at once.  I think they can be watched separately to a majority extent.

 

I'll take as much Anthony Hopkins onscreen as they're willing to give.

 

Everything feels very convoluted at the moment, though. The show seemingly tries to get ahead of you by overwhelming you with unconnected content and non-linear storytelling, but in doing so, perhaps gets too far ahead of itself at times. Still, after re-watching the third episode, I picked up some extra information that I hadn't seen the significance of first time around, which suggests that they at least have an understanding of what they want to do with the story. I'm fairly optimistic that it'll all come together by the end.

[Cult Icon]

This would have made a great 3 hour Nolan movie IMHO

[Cult Icon]

Great quotes:

 

- You needed time. Time to understand your enemy. To become stronger than them. And I'm afraid in order to escape this place, you will need to suffer more. 

 

- An old friend once told me something that gave me great comfort. Something he had read. He said that Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin never died. They simply became music. So, I hope you will enjoy this last piece very much.

 

- Since I was a child I've always loved a good story. I believed that stories helped us to ennoble ourselves, to fix what was broken in us, and to help us become the people we dreamed of being. Lies that told a deeper truth. 

 

- That's enough, Bernard. You mustn't get yourself worked up. [to Theresa] I read a theory once that the human intellect was like peacock feathers. Just an extravagant display intended to attract a mate. All of art, literature, a bit of Mozart, William Shakespeare, Michelangelo, and the Empire State Building... Just an elaborate mating ritual. Maybe it doesn't matter that we have accomplished so much for the basest of reasons. But, of course, the peacock can barely fly. It lives in the dirt, pecking insects out of the muck, consoling itself with its great beauty. I have come to think of so much of consciousness as a burden, a weight, and we have spared them that. Anxiety, self-loathing, guilt. 

 

- Wasn't it Oppenheimer who said any man whose mistakes take 10 years to correct is quite the man? Well, mine took 35.

 

[Cult Icon]

"I'm not crying for myself. I'm crying for you...."

 

 

"... Time undoes even the mightiest of creatures... Just look what it's done to you. One day, you will perish.... you will lie with the rest of your kind in the dirt, your dreams forgotten, your horrors faced. Your bones will turn to sand... "

 

 

[Cult Icon]

Westworld has the same basic themes as Blade Runner (except explored to more depth).

 

Great analysis of the scene and Hopkin's skillz:

 

 

" A greyhound is a racing dog. Spends its life running in circles, chasing a bit of felt made up like a rabbit. One day, we took it to the park. Our dad had warned us how fast that dog was, but we couldn't resist. So, my brother took off the leash, and in that instant, the dog spotted a cat. I imagine it must have looked just like that piece of felt. He ran. Never saw a thing as beautiful as that old dog running. Until, at last, he finally caught it. And to the horror of everyone, he killed that little cat. Tore it to pieces. Then he just sat there, confused. That dog had spent its whole life trying to catch that thing. Now it had no idea what to do. "

[gotportugal]

The show kinda losed itself by the middle but damn if those last 3 episodes weren't awesome. Those 4/5 twists were very well executed

[Michael*]

As fascinating as I found the universe they created and the issues raised within it, there were long stretches where some of the plotlines and characters were either allowed to drift a bit too much, or just weren't that interesting. The payoff that unfolded across the last few episodes made it well worth watching overall, though.

 

Too many shows leave you hanging at the end of each season, and when the payoff finally does arrive, it's quite often hugely disappointing and comes a few seasons too late. This is perhaps the only recent series I can think of where the first season wraps up with a satisfying and well thought-out finale.

[gotportugal]

17 hours ago, Michael* said:

As fascinating as I found the universe they created and the issues raised within it, there were long stretches where some of the plotlines and characters were either allowed to drift a bit too much, or just weren't that interesting. The payoff that unfolded across the last few episodes made it well worth watching overall, though.

 

Too many shows leave you hanging at the end of each season, and when the payoff finally does arrive, it's quite often hugely disappointing and comes a few seasons too late. This is perhaps the only recent series I can think of where the first season wraps up with a satisfying and well thought-out finale.

plus leaves a completely open future for S2 and beyond