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Cast: Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Riley Keough, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and ensemble.
Creator: David DiGilio
Director: Frederick E.O Toye, Sylvain White, MJ Bassett, Antoine Fuqua, Tucker Gates, and Ellen Kuras.
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Runtime: 8 Episodes Around 1 Hour Each.
The Terminal List Review: What’s It About:
James Reece, a very acclaimed defense officer is one day sent for an operation that ends up turning into a nightmare. Soon enough the nightmare multiplies and his friends from the battalion are killed by an unknown enemy. In no time his wife and daughter fall prey to the same monster and begin Reece’s journey to realisation that he is up against the system.
The Terminal List Review: What Works:
Hollywood, the Hindi industry and many across the world have almost juiced out the last drop of content there was in the “Man Against The System” trajectory. The plot that is genre in itself has given the west some of its most lucrative and followed franchises. Chris Pratt aka Star Lord from the Marvel Cinematic Universe now joins the bandwagon and brings his on-screen adaptation of Jack Cart’s celebrated novel by the same name.
The show manages to collect some of the most sought after stars in Hollywood at this moment. Be it Constance Wu who gets to play the most interesting part of all, or Jeanne Tripplehorn. But does hiring an illustrious cast means you don’t give them a world intriguing enough and expect them to do all the work? About that later.
What works in the favour of The Terminal List is how it decided to soft launch the antagonist. For a very big chunk of the show, no one knows who the bad guy is. Chris Pratt is almost fighting with the air with no aim in sight. It is a journey from being completely clueless to knowing the biggest truth and that is the only thing that keeps one hooked on the show. But is that enough to invest 8 long hours? Ask yourself.
The action is quite researched and adds to it the cinematography that demands attention, it becomes a visual treat every time Reece is in the warzone.
The Terminal List Review: Star Performance:
Chris Pratt gives a quite composed performance her. Of course, he is a member of a special task force and his undercover nature has made him more robotic than ever. But the makers fail to make him realise that he can be free while he in love and having those adorable moments with his wife. The actor has trained himself enough to Ace stunts and he does manage to impress every time he is in combat.
Constance Wu as Katie Buranek is the best character with almost no flaws around how she is shaped. The actor plays it with the confidence an actor like her could pull off. There is no moment you can separate her reel and real selves and that does add a lot to the show. So does Jeanne Tripplehorn’s presence who plays Madam Secretary. She is a fireball and has every single movement in control. Her character see a transformation throughout the show and she makes sure you see it.
The Terminal List Review: What Doesn’t Work:
However, that’s the thing. Apart from Jeanne, no one shows any transformation, at least it isn’t visually visible. Everyone stays on the same note without much-changing about them even with some big reveals. Take Chris Pratt‘s Reece for example. I understand he is a defense officer and his mannerisms are restrained as compared to a civilian. But if the death of the closed ones, a life-altering condition, and the gest to stand against an entire system is not doing anything to his face or his body language?
Top of all if your writing only gives one job each to every prolific actor on board and does not let them venture out to tell their respective stories, how does it help. What is the point of having these amazing actors come together? You have 8 hours and some actors who can move mountains with their talent. Why restrain them to one-tone characters.
Also, the fact that the antagonist is set so amazingly and revealed most haphazardly irks me. There is no one kingpin to this scam here. It’s the entire system that is corrupt and insane and monstrous. Imagine the effect it should have on the audience when it’s revealed. It had none on me. I might be in minority, but this still is bothering.
Can’t talk much about the show without giving out spoilers but one should be informed that this isn’t a show you go in with too much experience into.
The Terminal List Review: Last Words:
Chris Pratt does suffer to make sense of the show he is given to pull off. He is also the executive producer on the same, which means he is also to be blamed as much as the creators. A show that could have been many good things ends up being a half-baked product.
Yet to watch Netflix’s costume drama? Read our Bridgerton 2 Review here.
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