Cobra Kai- Season 4

(NOTE: Review may slightly spoil how last season ended.) 

9/10

In the fourth season, Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) join forces in order to beat Cobra Kai in an upcoming tournament.

Four seasons in and this show still manages to deliver what everyone likes about it: karate soap opera dramedy. Though the ten episode length does make the show feel dragged out at moments, overall this season is pretty tight. A lot of character stuff happens. Yeah, the Johnny and Daniel arguing with each other routine has been done to death and there's a lot of this here. However, it's fun to see them actually try to work together. Plus, Zabka and Macchio both do a great job of both being frustratingly stubborn while also making you see where they're coming from. (Yeah, Daniel does get a  little high and mighty in this at times, but everyone in this is ready to step in and disagree with him.) Zabka continues to do an excellent job of making you feel for him during the emotional moments.

The big tournament finale is worth the wait. This may be the most satisfactory of Cobra Kai finales as a lot happens and things get pretty interesting. The karate fighting is really on point this season.

I'm happy to say that Robby's switch to Cobra Kai doesn't just have him replay Hawk's shift to the dark side in previous seasons. Robby (Tanner Buchanan) hasn't completely drunk the punch like some of the other students of antagonist John Kreese (Martin Kover) and it's interesting seeing him be more interested in winning rather than being completely enveloped in the whole karate rivalry situation. It's also nice to see Cobra Kai member Tory Nichols' storyline matured. She has a sympathetic lousy situation, taking care of her dying mother, that explains her angry behavior. But, there's been a lot, lot more focus on her poor decisions and borderline psychoticness in the show. A lot more focus is put on the human side of her character here. 

After feeling like an afterthought in the first three seasons (I don't think he was even in season 2), the writers actually do something with Daniel's son Anthony (Griffin Santopietro). He's still a totally unlikable, spoiled kid (even more so now), but they do do something interesting with him. There's a new kid Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young), and you might say there are already too many cast members already, but he does have an interesting story line.

Of course, the biggest thing about this season is the return of villain Terry Silver (Michael Ian Griffin, who was kind enough to come out of a fourteen-year acting retirement). Karate Kid 3 is generally considered the weakest of the first three films, but the one element most people generally liked was Terry, the over-the-top, crazed rich guy and sensei. Since he was a co-founder of Cobra Kai, for years fans of the show have speculated on whether he'd make an appearance, and finally we get him. And he's here all season, no guest appearance for this guy. It's no longer the eighties, so they had to tone him down (plus Griffin may not be able to copy quite the energy he had decades ago.) However, the writers and the actor understand the assignment. He's still got the charisma and is able to see the bigger picture and understand the ways of the world far more than Kreese, who's stuck in his ways. Yet, you get flashes of Silver's trademark sinister smile, the old Terry peeking from beneath the surface, bringing chills down your spine. The show does a surprisingly good job of explaining his previously cartoonish behavior and where he is at now in his life. They make him a truly tragic character in this, looking at him as more than a guy who's psychotic, but as a man who was deeply mentally damaged by the war. Not to say that original baddie Kreese is overshadowed, the character gets some of his best material here. 

Highly recommended. This is the best season since the first one.

The King's Man

8.5/10

In this prequel to Kingsman, we look at the creation of the Kingsman spy organization, which involves the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) seeking to stop a shadowy organization starting World War I.

Writer/director Matthew Vaughn, who handled the last two films, had a lot of fun basically doing whatever he wanted and going over-the-top with the era, details, and historical figures of the great war. The costumes and especially the sets look amazing.

The fight scenes all are really well executed and look great, especially the first major one.

Vaughn seems to have taken to heart the fact that The Golden Circle wasn't as popular as the first film. Whereas GC went further in the direction of comedy, The King's Man is the most grounded of the trilogy. I mean by the terms of its universe; there's still humor (overall more a sense of playfulness than many straight up jokes) and Vaughn still has that distinctive British anarchic style of writing, though this film will probably be the closest in line in the trilogy to an American sense of the regular blockbuster. 

The real backbone to all this is Oxford's storyline. There are a lot of twists and turns to this and you really become involved with the character's goals. Fiennes is unsurprisingly excellent in his performance as the kick-butt, classy, and philanthropic nobleman. I'm really surprised no one hasn't put him an action film before (maybe it's because he has a very upper bureaucratic upper management face).

There is an excellent group of villains in this based on historical figures. In a monocle, Daniel Bruhl is fun and just spiffy looking as the manipulative Erik Jan Hanussen. However, it's Rhys Ifans' Rasputin who steals the show. Before I saw this, I was annoyed that Rasputin was used YET AGAIN as a villain. He'd already been used multiple times over the years in film and television (including Anastasia and Hellboy). I didn't see the point of using him again. Boy did this movie prove me wrong. Ifans is excellent in his humorous yet unsettling performance as a weird hedonist.

However, the main villain just isn't as interesting as his subordinates. I don't understand why they all follow him so loyally. I don't see how his goals benefits them or why'd they work with someone with such a short temper. Also, hiding this guy in the shadows was so completely unnecessary.  

Running at two hours and ten minutes this movie may be too long for some. (One man in my theater fell asleep.) Though I thought the movie did a good job of balancing the action and dialogue parts, it still takes a while to see plot points meet their conclusion. I think Vaughn got a little too involved in the entire timeline of World War I. They could've cut some parts.

Recommended. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable action film, and being a Vaughn title manages to not be downright cookie cutter.

Crossing Swords- Season 2

 

8/10

Season 2 of this stop-motion show on Hulu continues the crazy misadventures of squire Percy (voiced by Nicholas Holt) as he has to deal with the selfishness of King Merriman (Lukie Evans) and generally everyone around him.

This season really carries on smoothly from the last one with consistently funny jokes. The writers come up with a lot of creative scenarios to toss Patrick into.

The lead's three siblings' roles have been cut down. They still appear regularly throughout, just not as much. I'm fine with that as the writers seem to realize the real strength of the show: Patrick's interactions with those directly involved in the royal court.

I'm amazed at the amount of talented people they got to voice the characters in this. I really can't believe that's Evans doing Merriman's voice; doesn't sound at all like him, and it's fun to see that Evans was completely game for something so low-brow.  

I'm amazed with the stop-motion. Yeah, the fact that they use Fisher Price figuresque characters makes it easier to do character animation, but since they don't have arms, anything they're holding has to be suspended in air. Not to mention the amount of jumping and stuff the characters have to do. Suspending things in the air (or at least giving the illusion of) must take a lot of work.

Recommended. I had a lot of fun with this season.

South Park: Post COVID, the Return of COVID

8/10

In this direct sequel and conclusion to South Park: Post COVID, future adult Stan (voiced by co-creator Trey Parker) and future adult Kyle (other co-creator Matt Stone) try to travel back in time in order to mend their friendship. 

This "movie" (really a special) maintains the quality from the original Post COVID, providing more prime South Park jokes. Admittedly, some of the gags felt repeated once too often.

Recommended. This wraps up the Post COVID story pretty well and gives South Park fans what they want.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

10/10

(NOTE: I'm not including any spoilers per se. I will be talking about stuff that's already in the trailer. However, if you haven't seen the trailer, I won't deny that this may be one of those films where it may be beneficial if you watched it completely clean. Also, I will be briefly mentioning the outcome of the last Spider-Man movie if you don't want to know about it.)

In this, Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland), wants the world to forget he's Spider-Man. He turns to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell to make everyone forget. The spell goes wrong and a transdimensional crisis occurs.

Wonderful script. Very creative, surprisingly heartfelt and dramatic (this is definitely the darkest of the MCU SM trilogy), while successfully blending in the comedy without taking away from the serious aspects. If you felt the Tom Holland SM strayed too far from the traditional concept of the hero struggling in a world against him, this is more of a return to form. (Though, I understand if you didn't want that and felt the concept overused). The ending hits home, I mean man oh man does it leave an impression. However, it might not be the ending everyone wanted.

Running at two hours and twenty-eight minutes, the length does raise its head during the last act. However, I can't decide what should've been cut. That's how good all the material is. Also, there are some plot points and character choices that don't make complete sense if you stop to think about them.

Excellent character work. Director Jon Watts and the script does an excellent job with even minor cast members. (The world feels really populated.) Parker, MJ (Zendaya), and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) are the perfect trio in this. (The latter two are utilized a lot more in this than the last two films.) They work so well off of each other and each brings something to the table. The more knowledgeable Dr. Strange works really with the more inexperienced, younger Peter Parker. (It's also just fun in general seeing the main three dealing with the world of magic in general.)

The idea to bring in the Spider-Man villains from the last two SP franchises was an idea of genius. (We would think this movie would feel repetitive given that Into the Spider-Verse did the multiverse not too long ago, but this feels surprisingly fresh.) First, we finally get to see the Sinister Six brought to screen. (Well, it's five here. Good enough for me; there's already a lot of characters in this, anyway. To be honest, they didn't need Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) and the Lizard (Rhys Ifans) in this.) Second, we get the privilege of seeing the talented Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx act alongside each other. The writers realized the weak points of Foxx's Electro from Amazing Spider-Man 2, who was a fairly  cliched nerdy guy who goes bad trope, and managed to strengthen the character's dialogue. The creators of this realized that the majority of SP villains started as good people who had something horrible happen to them, and they use this fact to bring something important to the table. 

The effects look great with the usual MCU budget. Action scenes are really well done. The fact that there are so many villains with so many different powers leads to a lot of impressive moments. 

Highly recommended. Definitely the best of the Holland trilogy, one of the best Spider-Man movies in general, and the best MCU movie of the year. This is just one of those films that pull you in and are highly entertaining.

Encanto

 

9/10

This new Disney movie follows the Madrigals, a family gifted with magic powers. However, the magic seems to be fading. Mirabel (voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz), the only family member not gifted with powers, takes it upon herself to find out what's causing the trouble.  

This is definitely one of the more different Disney movies. There's no main villain, including a last act twist one. This is a surprisingly character-based film. I'm impressed by the sheer amount of world building in this. A lot of thought went into the characters and the backstory of the magic. That having been said, the movie does suffer from from having to juggle one too many family members; Mirabel's cousins felt like they had more dimension to them than her own sisters. 

This is a Disney movie, so it's no surprise this is well animated. The detail is strong enough that I could see the hairs on the back of a character's neck.

The songs are from Lin Manuel-Miranda and their really good. Now, I wouldn't say they're Hamilton level. Also, I wouldn't say the totality of the songs are as catchy as some of the best known entries, Disney such as Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. But that's just in comparison to other works. Again, really good songs that should entertain you. Also, "We Don't Talk about Bruno" is a true earworm. 

Highly recommended. This is something the entire family can enjoy. 

West Side Story (2021)

9.5/10

This is the second film adaptation of the popular 60's musical which itself was based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It follows two star-crossed lovers associated with the rival gangs the Puerto Rican  Sharks and the Polish Jets.  

I didn't see much of a need for remaking one of arguably the most well known movie musicals of all time and an Oscar winner. This isn't one of these musical adaptations where the original Broadway story was altered or some of the good songs were cut (to the best of my knowledge this is one of those rare examples where all the songs were kept). The trailers made this feel like it wasn't doing much different fromm the original. I'm pleased to say how wrong I was.    

This is directed by THE Steven Spielberg and he brings everything's he's got into this. This is arguably the best film he's done since Saving Private Ryan. (In fairness, I've never seen War Horse, Munich, or Lincoln.) The movie is amazing to look at. The sets and locations are wonderful. The editing works so smoothly and this has some of the best shot musical numbers I've seen in a while. Spielberg avoids heavy switches between clips allowing everything to flow smoother. Visually, an insane amount of effort went into every camera angle, detail, and character movement.

This includes the classic songs from the original, which are pretty much all great without trying to update them and messing with the formula. These may be old-fashioned for some, but that's their only issue. I'm especially pleased that Spielberg didn't bother adding a new song in order to qualify for an Oscar nomination (like so many movie musical adaptations do.)

Acting is FANTASTIC all across the board. The one most likely to get an Oscar nomination is Ariana DeBose as the girlfriend of the leader of the Sharks. She doesn't seem to be acting but living her character. Rita Moreno, who was in the original film and won an Oscar for it, plays a shopkeeper in this. What could've been just stunt casting is also a pretty strong performance for her. (She could also get an Oscar nomination, though I don't think she has a chance in beating DeBose.)

The story follows the same beats as the original, but manages to do the dialogue and scenes differently enough that it becomes its own thing. The script adds more gravitas and modern sensibilities to what's going on. Characterization is definitely improved. Chino (played by Josh Andres Rivera) who was basically just a living plot point in the first film is given an actual personality in this.

The movie makes the interesting choice of not having the Spanish dialogue subtitled. (It's not that much and you can infer from context what's going on. Don't worry about it.) Brings a real world feel into it and I applaud it.

This is an interesting mix of 60's and current storytelling. Some visual choices, the songs, and the comedy particularly feel old fashioned, but other subject matter is handled more strongly than they could do in the 60's. Again, the old-fashioned stuff could take people out of the movie, but I also think it really balances with the darker side of it. If you're completely unfamiliar with the original, this is ultimately not about happy stuff. You may have seen pop culture humorously depict West Side story as the one where gangs dance and snap their fingers but there is a lot of pretty serious material. There is one moment in particular, that is arguably the darkest moment, may not be for everyone, and is handled even more intensely than the original film. If you're walking into this expecting a fun musical, be forewarned. 

Admittedly, this does suffer from adhering to the story beats too much and embodies the flaws of the storytelling of West Side Story's original decade. The romance happens and forgiveness is given to characters way too quickly.  

Overall, this is such an excellently done film that has that classic Spielberg magic and is reminiscent of classic film-making. Highly recommended.

South Park: Post-COVID

8/10

This is the first of the South Park movies being made for Paramount+. (Feels more like a special; it's only 59 minutes long and the animation doesn't seem any different from the show. But, they're calling it a movie, so alright.) Taking place forty years after the show where COVID has just ended, the characters reunite when a tragedy occurs and they become embroiled in a mystery.

The humor really pops here. The setting of the future is really used to its full comic potential. They do something particularly creative and amusing with what adult Cartman's life is like. 

The one weak spot is that like a lot of recent South Park episodes this film features a little too much of Stan's dad Randy (voiced by Trey Parker). Show creators Parker and Matt Stone seem too enamored of their creation. The basic assumption seems to be "Randy being dumb and selfish" = "Funny." Randy is simply overextended by now and his bits definitely feel like more of the same.

Overall, this is one of South Park's more solid entries and fans of the show should like this. It's definitely fun to see the kids as adults.

Beebo Saves Christmas

7.5/10

In this animated CW Christmas special starring Beebo (voiced by Ben Diskin), the toy who's appeared in the show Legends of Tomorrow, the titular fuzzy character gets a form letter in reply to his letter to Santa. Fearing that something is wrong he goes to find Santa Claus (voiced by Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson).

This was a rather well made Christmas special. Not one of the greatest of its kind, but it definitely gets the job done. Script is lighthearted, and most importantly, smartly written. You think the special may go down the path of the traditional tropes of people getting too caught up in the modern age and forget the importance of Christmas, but I was pleased to see this have a less suspected endgame. 

Beebo makes for a pleasant lead. They make him upbeat and optimistic but never naive or simple-minded, so when he reacts to things he never feels cutesy or saccharine.   

Strong vocal cast, including some experienced actors. LoT alumni Victor Garber lends his rich voice to the position of narrator. I don't think anyone's really pictured Hudson as Santa, but he lends a fresh take on the Yuletide figure.

Only weak point of this are the songs. They're not particularly strong.

Recommended. This is something that can entertain and is appropriate for the whole family. It's too bad this didn't get much advertising from the CW. This definitely deserves more attention. 

Annie Live!

8/10

If the name didn't tip you off, this was a live filmed presentation of the popular musical Annie, about orphan Annie (played by Celina Smith) whose life changes when she meets billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Harry Connick Jr.).  

To the best of my knowledge, they don't change much from the original music. I've forgotten how pretty simple the story is but that is rather its strength. Annie has a rather nostalgic quality to it: an unrestrained innocence and optimism.

Musical contains all the original songs except "You Won't be an Orphan for Long," which to be fair is no one's favorite. After two theatrical films and one made-for-TV, I'm so pleased to see a filmed adaptation of Annie not cut out "We'd Like to Thank you Mr. Herbert Hoover." It's a pretty fun number. Annie Live includes a few songs created for the original Annie movie as well. (Sorry if you're a fan of "Dumb Dog" or "Let's go to the Movies," you're out of luck.)

Great cast in this, especially the main trio of Smith, Connick, and Nicole Scherzinger as Warbuck's assistance Grace Farrell. Smith definitely has the pipes and brings the traditional determination associated with the titular orphan. Scherzinger brings the expected class and warmth to her character. I don't think anyone thought of Harry Connick Jr. when they think of Warbucks, but man does he nail the character's self-determination and controlled businessman personality. (He's no Albert Finney, but who is?) The only weak point is Taraji P. Henson as orphanage manager Miss Hannigan. She's too cartoonish. Every line is delivered as a high with no mediums or lows. She does do a great job with the singing, I'll give her that.

The whole thing was performed solidly. This isn't one of those live musical performances like Grease or Hairspray that got ambitious with what it was trying to do (which is completely understandable given the COVID situation); it's a modestly made production. I liked how they handled it. This used a larger stage than your traditional theatrical production and made good use of the wide are by being able to switch between backdrops and movable set pieces. The dancing and ensemble players all did well, too.

Recommended, it doesn't do much new when it comes to Annie but does it well and is just a genuinely fun way to spend a few hours.