Series Review

Film Info:
A web-series that follows the exploits
of several Army Rangers during WWII.

Written By: Justin Buckner
Directed By: Justin Buckner
Genre: Action
- Minutes

IndyRed.com

RANGER

  By the end of episode 1 of Justin Buckner's series "Ranger" I must admit I was a little underwhelmed. The premise of this series is a fascinating one, it generated a lot of expectations within me and, as I wrote above... failed to deliver. Episode 1 consisted of a lot of walking, and not much else; resulting in a less than stellar showing. Then things began to change. Although "Ranger" is not an action series, as it's genre specifies, the show begins to get a foot-hold and slowly grows on you. The slow, seemingly deliberate pacing eventually makes you tune in to the next episode as things get better and better. My only fear for "Ranger" is that not a lot of viewers may get past the initial episode, and that would be a shame.
  Technically, "Ranger" has a lot to offer but also has a tendency to flip-flop. Some of the lensing in the series is simply stunning, reminding you why you are still watching. Then, and this is just a personal peeve, the camera work changes to some shaky, Blair Witch styled filming. I totally get it. The motion is meant to induce excitement and it can work. Just not always the case here. However, when the imagery is great... it's really great! For the most part, "Ranger" is a pleasure to watch and I was glad I stuck through it. Much of the same can be said of the audio and post production work. Really well done especially for a web series. The coloring was spot on and the slow styled edit completely compliments what's happening onscreen.
The final aspect of the series is the acting itself. Although maybe not Oscar-worthy, at times, it's pretty damn good and never really comes across as cheap or scripted. Excellent job all around to the cast! Awesome work guys.
  "Ranger" is a series that demands you watch more than the initial episode, if you want to get anything out of it. Once you do however, a great series exists. I can't help but wonder if all 5 current episodes were condensed, and made into a short film, how much better this could be. Maybe trim down some of the bloat and possibly have a wrap-around segment to tie it all together neatly. I feel with the visuals, the acting, and the general idea... a short film would have really been something to see. As it sits right now, if you're in it for the long haul (Around 20 minutes) you should really give "Ranger" some serious sit-down time. It will grow on you, as it did on me.
-JT

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