Matilda the Musical

 

8/10

This adaptation of the stage musical and the second film adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl is about Matilda (played by Alisha Weir), a super smart, nice girl with lousy, awful parents (Stephen Graham and Oblivion's Andrea Riseborough), who gets sent to Crunchem Hall, where she ends up in conflict with the harsh and controlling headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson).

This was directed by Matthew Warchus, the stage director of the original musical. Though directors don't always make a successful transition to screen when adapting a musical (like with the Producers, it just seemed to utilize basic shots of the same choreography from the musical without much utilization of what the camera and editing could do), but I'm proud to say that Warchus is up there with the guys who did The Music Man and 1776 when it came to making a successful jump to screen; a really successful jump to screen, mind you. If you compare some modern musicals to those of the golden age, you may notice that the musical numbers often don't match the energy, choreography, or amount of detail put into the scene. This is not the case with Matilda. These have some of the best looking, shot and choreographed numbers in recent years. So much effort went into making these scenes feel engaging. This also has one of the most consistent catchiest song tracks in a musical in recent years. The songs by Tim Minchin are very catchy. Sure, there are weaker ones, but there isn't a single straight up bad one in the bunch. If you loved the stage version, be forewarned that from what I hear they had to cut several songs for time, including most for both the parents for time. So, sorry if you liked them. 

Understand that the musical adds a little bit to it that makes it darker than either the original book or the Nineties Danny Devito one. (If you're wondering how the musical compares to that one. They follow the same story points basically, but Devito focused more on the broad, dark comedy, whereas this focuses more on the darker and more British elements.) The parents and Trunchbull's abuse may be harsher than you'd expect. 

Excellent cast with a lot of great singers, especially the child cast. Alisha Weir gives a great performance, and I'm sorry Mara Wilson fans, but she just does a better job. Emma Thompson under a lotta makeup, plays an absolutely abhorrent but fascinating Trunchbull. I don't know if you can really compare her performance to Pam Ferris in the Devito version. They were both good in different ways. Whereas Ferris was a bulky and physically imposing schoolyard bully, Thompson is more psychologically imposing and even more authoritarian. She's also more unhinged, and for a kids film this does a surprisingly good job of establishing or at least hinting at a psychological profile for the woman.  

Highly recommended, the dark tone might be a bit much for very young children (my sister tried to explain to her niece why Matilda's parents were mean to her), and not everyone might be into the Dahl style of playing it dark and broad, but overall this is a very enjoyable and well made musical.

Darby and the Dead

6/10

In this film on Hulu, teen Darby Harper (played by Henry Danger's Riele Downs) had a near death experience as a child and can now see ghosts. She uses her ability to help them move on to the next world, but keeps herself distant from the living and is unsocial at school. Her rival, popular mean girl Capri (Auli'i Cravalho, best known for voicing Moana) dies, and she forces Darby into seeing that the big birthday party she had coming up still happens.

I can see why this went directly to streaming. The story had potential, but the whole thing feels like a basic Mean Girls formula story. It's not bad but sorta predictable. There isn't enough to really elevate the material. I'm definitely not the first to say this online, but it's got to be said, it can be kinda hard to sympathize with Capri and buy her growing friendship with Darby when she can be so mean and selfish at times. 

In the film's defense, there are some pretty funny lines sprinkled throughout, especially from Capri's trio of cheerleader friends. I also appreciate Capri's relationship with her boyfirend, aspiring singer/songwriter James (Shazam's Asher Angel). The writers refreshingly didn't go with him being either handsome, rich, the most popular guy in school, or a star player. Capri's, admittedly over-the-top, devotion to him feels genuine, which is a nice change of pace when compared to mean girls in other films.

I've got no complaints about the casting. Everyone does a solid job. Cravalho is pretty entertaining and energetic in her role. Supergirl's Nicole Maines, Kylie Lia Page, and Genneya Walton do a great and funny job as the cheerleaders. The movie also features a couple veteran actors who haven't had as much exposure as they used to. I won't spoil one, but the other is Who's the Boss' Tony Danza as Gary, a ghost friend of Darby's. He does a pretty good job.

A soft not recommended. Like I said, the film's so-so, but there's nothing awful about it. You don't need to see this, but it's not a bad time waster, and also like I said, there are some good lines.

Violent Night

 

7.5/10

Santa Claus (played by Stranger Things' David Harbor) delivers presents to wealthy Gertrude's house, which at the same time has been taken over by a heavily armed group of thieves. It's up to St. Nick to fight the robbers and save her family. So, yeah, this is exactly Santa Claus in a Die Hard.

Yeah, Violent Night was advertised as a tongue-in-cheek action film and it delivers. The majority of this is the writers trying to come up with inventive, Christmas-themed kills, and they pretty much nail it. (Bear in mind, if this is the sort of thing that bugs you, for a movie that's trying to have goofy fun, the civilian death count is higher than you'd expect.) 

The violence is pretty much why people will watch this, never mind the plot. The script itself is uneven, featuring some fun or clever parts and some that are just okay. Santa is well characterized and his interactions with the matriarch's granddaughter Trudy (Leah Brady), a true believer in Christmas, are well handled. However, the rest of the family are just kinda there, or in the case of Trudy's aunt's family, a little too cartoonish and one note even for this.

Harbor, who I noticed with his new found-fame often picks the let's-have-fun projects like Winter Soldier, Hellboy, and that Netflix special he did, knows exactly what's he's supposed to do in this, playing a jaded  and entertaining Santa, and he definitely nails the John McLaneesque hero-thrown-in-the-fire-pan role. Admittedly, a lot of the cast, played by people I've never seen before, are just alright. To be fair, the script isn't Shakespeare. The two actors who do make the dialogue work are the other two known actors in this, Beverly D'Angelo as the tough, no-nonsense Gertrude and John Leguizamo as the robbers' leader Scrooge (his codename, don't worry about it). Credit should especially given to Leguizamo. Lesser actors probably wouldn't have made the dialogue work. Though Scrooge has a good backstory, he's a basic Christmas villain who happens to have beef with the holiday. Leguizamo really manages to bring personality and conviction to him. Okay, still not the strongest antagonist ever, but it's a solid performance. 

Recommended. I mean, the movie earns its R rating, so if violence isn't your thing then it isn't your thing, but I think most people will have a good time. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

 

6.5/10

This sequel to the highest grossing movie of all time takes place many years after the original. On the planet Pandora,  Jake (played by Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) now have a family of four kids. Soon, they're under threat from the returning Earth military and end up seeking shelter with the water tribes.

Basically this is kinda like the first one. It looks AMAZING! It's fairly obvious by now that Cameron likes oceans, and it really shows. All the water work is top notch. I love the new worlbuilding for the marine side of Pandora. I also appreciate that the water tribes Na'vi look a little different from the land based ones and have a physiology that is more attuned to an aquatic lifestyle.

However, the plot again is just okay. To the movie's credit, it isn't quite as predictable as the "Dances with Wolves" formula of the first one. "Quite" I said. The "evil of colonization" tropes are still heavy-handed here. 

I liked the family dynamic in this and, again, the world building. I was pleasantly surprised with how they handled returning villain Quaritch (Stephen Lang). When I heard they were bringing him back, I wasn't enthused. After Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix, I'd grown weary of bringing back a villain who had a solid first run, but didn't really add much in subsequent appearances. Here, they do something interesting with Quaritch, and he has more to do personality-wise.

Movie probably didn't need to be three hours and twelve minutes. Again, plot's not bad but is predictable and not enticing enough to merit everyone's attention spans. (Though, this is a real experiences-will-vary situation. Personally, I never felt bored or found the length unbearable, but I never felt that time flew by either.) There is a lot of Na'vi being mad at/distrustful of humans and each other that gets old real fast. Some scenes just feel like they're setting up the next film without any payback in this. 

Also, the movie repeats the plot of the first one in that Jake must become accustomed to yet again another culture. (The reasoning why he goes to the water tribe feels really forced by the way.)

The acting is solid across the board, including the younger actors. 

Kinda recommended. Overall, if you were mainly into the visuals of Avatar regardless of plot, you get exactly what you're looking for. This looks great on the big screen. If you're not keen on having to sit through another just okay story for a long period of time, then this may not be for you.

Disenchanted

7.5

In this sequel to Enchanted, Giselle (played by Amy Adams), originally from the magical and animated kingdom of Andalasia, and her husband Robert (Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey) move from New York City to the suburb of Monroeville. Dealing with the stresses of a new baby, the move, and her now teenaged stepdaughter Morgan's resentment of said move, Giselle ends up making a wish that turns the suburb into a fairy tale land. Unfortunately, since Giselle is a stepmother, the spell starts turning her into a traditional fairy tale "evil stepmother."

So, yeah, this isn't on the same level as the first film. The more adult humor and moments are gone and the dialogue and emotional tone isn't quite as on point. The musical numbers aren't as lavish or as well-shot. The animation is kinda shabby for Disney and doesn't compare to the animation from fifteen flippin' years ago. However, the issues are mainly that the movie can't quite recreate the feel of the first. By itself, it's still a fun film and does a lot better than expected for a sequel that came out over a decade since the original. (Think of this like the more light-hearted TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze when compared to the first TMNT film.) 

I think the idea of Giselle dealing with the long term difficulties of living in the real world is an admittedly predictable idea of where to take the story. However, the route the movie goes down feels fresh. The idea of Giselle turning bad is really the best part. Amy Adams was already great at playing an upbeat Disney princess, but she proves how good an actress she is as she knocks the other identity out of the park. I was a little worried about how the villain (besides evil Giselle) would turn out as I thought the weakest part of Enchanted was Susan Sarandon's rather one-dimensional evil queen. I'm pleased to say I'm relieved. Though Maya Rudolph's evil queen Malvina isn't the most complex character, she is enjoyable and has a lot more screen time in which to get to know her. One of the best parts of the film is evil Giselle and Malvina fighting against each other for dominance.

The relationship between Giselle and Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) is the emotional backbone of the film and it's done really well delivering a very satisfying climax. The whole final act itself is really good and a lot more satisfying with the action, stakes, and visual spectacle.

Too bad the movie doesn't really know what to do with Robert, who's sidelined Kristoff in Frozen II-style, and King Edward (James Marsden), who's still funny whenever he's onscreen but isn't in this much because the story just doesn't have much room for him.

The songs are done by the king of Disney songs Alan Menken with lyrics by Wicked/King of Egypt's Stephen Schwartz. The songs mostly aren't on the same par as the original film, but they aren't bad and I appreciate they're ability to mimic the old school Disney-fairy tale style (though there's an I-have-a-dream song that is a little too on the nose if you ask me). The biggest issue people bring up about Enchanted is that it has Wicked/Frozen's Idina Menzel, but she doesn't sing a word (in fairness, from what I've heard, she did have a song but it got cut.) Disney has clearly made the effort to remedy this as she gets two songs, including one that really shows off her pipes (too bad it doesn't compare to her songs from both Frozen films). Now, back when I said the songs mostly weren't on the same tier, this "mostly" is referring to the exeption of the song Badder which is both entertaining and a real earworm. (I've been listening to this online on repeat since yesterday.) The last film never got a villain song (heck we haven't had a true Disney villain song for a while), and this movie makes up for it. It's a duet between Adams and Rudolph and they both kill it, especially Rudolph who I didn't realize was musically talented. It's really too bad that the audio is off in the film and the music is loud enough that it's hard to hear the lyrics. I recommend you turn on the subtitles or listen to the song in the end credits where the audio is correct.

Recommended. Again, this isn't the perfection of the first film (with the exception of the one weird out-of-nowhere poop gag; what was with that?), but it is enjoyable and one that's good for family night.

Weird: the Al Yankovic Story

 

7.5/10

This Roku TV film based on the Funny or Die video is about the career of parody singer Weird Al Yankovic (played by Harry Potter/Miracle Workers' Daniel Radcliffe).

I you walk into this not knowing much about Weird Al, I want to make this clear: this is a PARODY film. A few parts are gleaned from slivers of truth, but the majority of this is totally made up. 

This turned out to be a consistently funny film with solid script and dialogue from Yankovic and director Eric Appel. What can I say, Yankovic knows parody, and he completely nails the usual plot points found in music biopics.

Only reason I'm not ranking this a little higher is that since the movie's following a formula, parts can be a little too expected. Also, one can't help comparing this to similar elements in the earlier music biopic parody Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox story. (Though let me be clear, I found this to be a better film than Walk Hard.) The opening with the disapproving father (played by Toby Huss, one of those people who's not a household name but's been in a ton of stuff) feels especially similar to WH. Then again, these feelings might be just me, and if you haven't seen WH, this is probably going to be a fresher experience for you.

Radcliffe does a great job in the lead and clearly understood the assignment. As some of his more recent roles have shown, he's got a taste for comedy and outside-the-box roles. Radcliffe doesn't really do an impression of Al (also, all the songs are clearly dubbed by Al and not Radcliffe's voice), but he's not supposed to. Radcliffe's supposed to play a parody of all singers from music biopics who suffer ups and downs, and he plays the role completely straight. Westworld's Evan Rachel Wood does a surprisingly good job as Madonna and really has the character (I mean the very made-up, fictional version of the singer) mapped out. Expect a lot of known names to make cameos in this, usually as famous people from the eighties, and we get a pretty fun bunch of performances out of this. Weird Al himself plays a music exec in this, and he does a darn good job of playing other than his usual personality.  

Recommended, this is a well done comedy.

Star Trek: Lower Decks- Season 3

9/10

This third season continues the misadventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos.

I'm impressed at how this show has managed to maintain quality. Okay, no single episode has been as funny as the Badgey and ascension episodes from season 1, but the show remains consistently funny, creative, and does a wonderful job of working with and poking fun at Star Trek tropes.

The stories this season even feel like a step up from season two, and bare in mind that that was also a good season. Episode seven in particular is one of the show's most creative episodes. Though still primarily episodic, this is the season with the most reliance on an overarching storyline resulting in a really satisfying finale that is on par with season one's.

One of the best things about the third season is that the characters grow. Both ensigns Mariner (voiced by Space Force's Tawny Newsome) and Boimler (Scream/The Hunger Games films' Jack Quaid) get some much needed character development. Both the former's need for control and the latter's lack of faith in himself were starting to get old, and I'm glad the writers were realizing that too. Consistently, the two funniest characters remain the tough but secretly sensitive security officer Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) and the constantly upbeat Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, one of those actors who pop up frequently in various comedies).

Highly recommended. This remains one of the most entertaining and well written animated adult comedies currently on.

Monster High the Movie

6/10

(Not my demographic but my curiosity gets the best of me.) In this new movie on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ inspired by the popular doll line, half-werewolf/half-human  Clawdeen Wolf (played by Miia Harris; not a typo, there's two i's), who has to hide in the human world, is invited to attend Monster High, but must keep her human side secret or face expulsion.

This is your typical just-okay kids film. Also, a typical Nick channel film in that it's not quite a Disney Channel film. (I know the Disney movies aren't high cinema but there is always that little bit of budget and promising young acting talent that can be found in them.) All the background monster characters are just actors in very basic-looking bright color makeup. The story relies a little too heavily on the Clawdeen and her roommate Draculaura's personal crises. As a children's film this could've tried to have a little more fun and and take itself less seriously. The adult monsters' prejudice and overbearingness is laid on pretty thick. Though, I do give the filmmakers credit for not going the basic children's film route and adding a tinge of darkness to it. The ending wraps things up a little too quickly and neatly.

The movie does have it's fun points. There are a few good jokes in this that did more with the element of the macabre than expected for Nickelodeon. The most entertaining part is the smart but socially awkward, on account of being created fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot). Their lines always sparkle.

Balagot really stands out as the best actress in a sea of actors that are decent but don't shine. Kyle Selig has his moments as one of their teachers. On the other hand, the guy who plays Clawdeen's dad delivers the only truly weak performance in this.

There are songs in this; they're are alright. Not bad but not memorable either.

I know I listed a bunch of cons about this, but it is a perfectly serviceable film for your children. Nor is it something that will aggravate if they rewatch it multiple times. 

Werewolf by Night

9.5/10

In this Marvel Halloween special on Disney+ based on the comic of the same name, a group of monster hunters are summoned for a competition to secede their late leader as the possessor of the powerful Bloodstone. However, there are a couple hunters whose priorities are a little different...

Wow! Marvel's first special knocks it out of the park. It's especially impressive that besides a couple shorts, this is the first directing job from popular film composer Michael Giacchino (that theme from the beginning of Up, that's him.) The action is pretty good. I know a dozen people have already mentioned it, but this is the most violent Marvel offering (not counting Marvel TV) to date being helped by the black-and-white color scheme of the movie.

Humor's pretty good too. A nice touch to this is that the monster hunting society is populated by a bunch of eccentrics, the higher ups being particularly weird, providing some unexpected, fun bits. I think the character of Elsa Bloodstone (played by The Nevers' Laura Donnelly), the daughter of the former leader, is probably my favorite in this as she's the straight man and gives some decent reactions and pushbacks to the insanity around her.

Werewolf by Night looks great, going with a 30's/40's appearance. Some of the outfits, sets, and props are just really impressive looking. The werewolf outfit in this, however isn't as good as what your imagination can come up in. The torso's too puffy and evokes the impression of the actor wearing a wool coat. (On the plus side there is one really strong monster design in this.) In terms of cinematography, this may be the best I've seen a movie replicate the appearance of a different age. Only downside is that like early movies, the camera focus isn't always 100%, especially with the backgrounds.  The blurriness may get to some people.

If there are any other cons about this, the fact that this is only only fifty-two minutes means limited time to build the lead characters of Elsa and hunter Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal). You do get enough to understand the characters, but there is also some having-to-fill-in-the-blanks that may annoy some people. Some may also wish that the ending be a little less open.

Highly recommended, this is a unique and very fun film that looks superb.

See How They Run

7/10

In See How They Run, Inspector Stoppard (played by Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) investigate a murder in the 1950's at a theater where Agatha Christie's new play The Mousetrap is performed.

This is a decent, but not standout movie. Remember The Radioland Murders? This is a lot like that. The story is fairly entertaining and has fun playing with the conventions of an old-fashioned murder mystery and an actual famous Christie play (The Mousetrap has the record for longest run in a theater). Though the solution to the mystery isn't groundbreaking, the movie does a good job with the twists and turns.   

However,  a lot of the dialogue and humor is just okay. (I can see why Disney, which ended up with the film after the acquirement of Searchlight Pictures, has given so little advertising for this; even the Bob's Burgers Movie had more love.) I only laughed out loud once. Some of the dialogue parts feel like they run too long without much going on besides people talking. That having been said, the final act definitely brings up the energy and is the most interesting part. 

Cast is good. Though Rockwell makes for a solid detective, it's Ronan who steals the show. as she has this humor and liveliness about her. Tim Key also does a great job as their superior, and the three have a strong dynamic together. Unfortunately, all the effort of the film goes into the cop part. The suspects, and there are several, just aren't that interesting or distinct.

Kinda recommended. Not something you need to pay a lot of money to see, but makes for a fine just-have-fun movie. Rockwell and Ronan's dynamic and the finale are definitely of value. 

Cobra Kai- Season 5

10/10

This season Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio) is determined to stop Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) from spreading the influence of Cobra Kai far and wide.

After the highly entertaining previous season, which surpassed the second and third seasons, I'm happy to say that this keeps up the level of quality. The season is full of surprises, good comedy and dialogue, and great action and acting. (Also set-wise, I like the look of the new state-of-the-art Cobra Kai facility in this and Silver's house.)

I think the writers heard the criticism of how the show can spin its wheels a bit with the characters, and I'm happy to say that there is a LOT of character growth here. A lot of parts feel like they have an endgame and characters are finally working through their issues. I especially felt troubled Cobra Kai fighter Tory (Jessie/Bunk'd's Peyton List) had some especially strong development and storyline this time around. One of the few characters who are still mired in their issues that have been plaguing them is Danny, whose hatred towards Silver and Cobra Kai is consuming him more than ever. He's been doing it since season one, but I'm surprisingly not tired of it like I was the last few seasons. It's really because it feels like the show is nearing the finish line with his issues. The writers are finally addressing how toxic and self-destructive they have become for Danny, and they feel less repetitive because the show is finally hitting the nail on the head with what truly made Danny this way: it's never been just Cobra Kai, but his hatred toward Terry Silver and what he did to him in the third Karate Kid film. Also, the writers even managed to make Stingray (Richard Jewel's Paul Walter Hauser), who annoyed me previously, actually tolerable and sympathetic.

The show also cuts down on the repetitive team drama here by focusing more on the adults, again like the writers realized they've dried up the well with the teen's dojo-on-dojo high rivalries and were giving us some relief. Speaking of the adults, it was a great idea to make Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), Danny's rival-turned-ally from the second KK film be a full cast member this season. He turns out to the be the funniest character, an interesting combo of sincerity and intensity. 

Also if you're tired of the aimlessness of some of the conflict in seasons two and three, you won't find it here. Season five exactly knows where it's going. Silver is kinda a supervillain here with a main plan, and it's refreshing how more focused and efficient he is than Kreese. After three seasons of the guy as main villain, it's nice to go with someone else. (You don't get much Kreese, but he does shine in the scenes he does have.) Silver is one of the best elements here with his charisma, intelligence, manipulativeness, and sheer psychosis. You also get a new ally of Silver in the form of a Korean karate instructor named Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim). The actress immediately cinches the role the moment you hear her speak, bringing an energized, sinister confidence. 

If I had any issues with this, it's that the show finally addresses the background of Kreese and Silver learning their style of karate under their mentor who was name dropped in the third film, and it's just not at all as interesting as what your imagination could have come up with. 

Highly recommended. It's a really good time.

Barbarian

6/10

In this new horror film, Tess (played by Krypton's Georgina Campbell) books a B&B in Detroit. It is soon evident that something not right is going on at the location.

This is one of those movies where it is best to keep things vague. Barbarian does a wonderful job of keeping you guessing about what's going on and surprising you. There are some pretty bold, scary moments not to mention the general uncomfortableness you feel from trying the messed up clues the characters find. You also get a good cast and some pretty good set design/scenery.

If you're the person who likes some horror but have limits to what content you'll watch, be forewarned that this gets messed up.

However, despite some real horror highs in this, I'm not rating this higher because this is also one of the greatest examples of one of horror film's greatest weaknesses: terrible/arbitrary character decisions. The trailer may make you think Tess is immediately thrown into her situation, but NO, she has plenty of time to get out of Dodge. Common sense is often thrown out the window. The dialogue for those situations can be fairly bad at points too (though there is some great strong dialogue in this as well.) Not to mention that there are some big logistical plot holes. This is also like American Horror Story in that once all is revealed the movie loses some glamour as the answer to the mystery simply isn't as interesting or original as what your imagination could concoct.

This is the sort of movie where people's mileage will vary considerably. Some people will love the stuff in this that does work, but others won't be able to see past the flaws in this.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

 

8/10

This collection contains ALL thirteen TMNT games from Konami during the 80's/90's TMNT craze.

This is a nice collection. I appreciate how comprehensive it is. As you may or may not know, games were harder back then and a lot of these can be pretty challenging especially for today's generation having grown accustomed to instant saving and not knowing the frustration of having been sent back to the beginning of the game. Not that I'm complaining about the way things are now. I don't want to go back. I can't go back, man! I don't have the patience anymore! Which, is why I'm happy to say that this game has enhancements. You can save any game whenever you like and rewind your gameplay. Most importantly, the collection allows you to automatically unlock any bonus options that were available for the game before, but now you don't have to input codes to do it. This makes a lot of games easier with such options as easy or god modes, extra lives, etc. Remember, you usually only get what was already in the system. The original TMNT game for the NES is still hard as all get out and there were no codes to make it easier. (Though the developers for this collection were nice enough to add an option to remove flickering and slow down for what it's worth.) 

The game also includes aesthetically pleasing strategy guides you can pull up and a ton of bonus material, including box art, game music and concept art, and screenshots from ALL the cartoon shows. Unfortunately, you don't get the opening themes for any of the shows.

Not loving the main menu. When you toggle between games the background moves, and I can see it causing motion sickness for some. Also, the backgrounds use artwork from the very original black-and-white comics. I don't think that this was the right choice, since the majority of the games are themed around the first cartoon.

Individual game reviews:

(NOTE: The three Tournament Fighters games are all completely different with different rosters.)

Arcade:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 8/10

The one that invented the TMNT beat 'em up formula, this is one of the best ones. Colorful with a specific visual personality. Complete with fun villains.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time- 8/10

Improves upon the gameplay of the first game and the time travel theme adds some new level ideas to a series that was already beginning to repeat itself. Though this looks better, I admit it doesn't have quite as many of the special little details that the original had.

NES:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 4/10 

This is one of the few games I didn't beat, because of its difficulty. (I didn't even bother getting to the infamous dam level that many a child remembers.) It's too bad, since there was genuine creativity and good ideas in this. I also liked the fact that the villains look different and more intimidating. (Apparently, the game developers based the look off of the original comics.) One wonders what the future home consoles games could've been if they stuck to platformers instead of beat 'em ups.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game- 7/10

Since this version of the arcade game is on an 8-bit system, it's a massive visual downgrade that can't match the original and the fights take a lot longer. On the plus side, the game does a surprising job of being as detailed as it can and was definitely doing its best when replicating the visuals. This has two additional levels featuring some clever new villains.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project- 7/10

Number 3 has the reputation of being the overlooked and unappreciated one due to its being released so close to Turtles in Time. And yeah, it does deserve the reputation of also being a good game. Free of having to replicate a source, this game is able to work with what suits the functions of the NES best. Gameplay is stronger here. Backgrounds may not be as detailed, but there are some nice thematic-style moments in this. The developers were aware of the potential fatigue of the games, and they provided genuine effort when coming up with new level areas and ways to freshen up battles with previously appearing bosses.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters- 5/10

Fun fact: this one of the very few tournament fighters made for the NES. The fighting works better than expected, plus there's a fun Smash Bros.-esque weapon that's appears, but as a whole the gameplay isn't that fun. Unsurprisingly, it has the smallest roster.

Game Boy:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan- 6/10

Nice to see at least a few other platformers on the list. Unfortunately, way too many enemies are thrown at you. It's exhausting. That being said, gameplay and graphics aren't half bad ,and I still beat it in a short amount of time. I'm especially pleased that you can knock the bosses' projectiles back at them, and you can just automatically select which level you want from the get go.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers- 6.5/10

They still throw enemies at you in some points, but gameplay and graphics are improved in this. Though, this has the worst Foot Soldier designs of all the games. They look like aliens.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue- 8/10

One of the most unique of the games. This has Metroidvania level design, in that it's one big interconnected map. This also has the strongest visuals and fairest difficulty of the GB titles. The game's still hard, but it doesn't feel unfair. This is the only game where you start with only one turtle and have to free the others or where each turtle has special abilities. I didn't complete this one, since I don't have the patience for the exploration being interrupted by constant death, but I admire it for what it accomplished.

SNES:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time- 8/10

A lot of people say this is stronger than the arcade version, and I agree, though I don't think it's by as wide a margin as some people say. Though they had cut a lot of the spoken dialogue, the game looks and plays practically as well as the original. Plus, you get several new bosses, including the very unique Shredder fight where you have to throw your opponents at the screen, and a more interesting-looking hoverboard level. The one con in this is that the final boss is fairly weak and so much less of a challenge than the arcade one. (The level select option doesn't appear to be working. Hopefully this will be fixed in a patch.)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournamet Fighters- 6.5

Definitely the strongest of the three with the best character selection, graphics and moves. However, the gameplay still doesn't excel.

Sega Genesis:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist- 7/10

This is sort of an alternative version of Turtles in Time, which incorporates various elements from the game. This has fewer, but longer levels. The graphic aren't as good as found in arcade or SNES, and the fighting takes longer (you'll learn to hate the white Foot Soldiers which take forever to destroy.) However, the game is still entertaining to play, and it is only the only Turtles game to have a boss gauntlet or to feature Tatsu from the first two movies.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournamet Fighters- 5.5

Okay, I guess. This has some decent character and background design, but the gameplay, character roster, and graphics don't compare to the SNES. I do like that this is the only game where you can play as April and she has a different design than the yellow jumpsuit.

Overall, recommended. Yeah, the games are dated, but they're a fun glimpse into a past and a treasure trove for fans of the original TMNT cartoon. You might want to pace yourself playing these, though. Bad guys are reused A TON, and one can only take so many Foot Soldiers and Rock Soldiers.

Fall

8/10

After a tragic event in her past, mountain climber Becky Connor (played by Shazam's Grace Caroline Currey) is left in a cloud of depression. Hoping to snap her out of it, her friend Shiloh Hunter (Runaways' Virginia Gardner) takes her on a climb up a two thousand foot decommissioned television tower. Things go wrong (naturally, or there wouldn't be a movie) and they end up stuck at the top.

This is one of your basic hero/heroes-are-stuck-in-an-isolated, dangerous-place films, like The Reef and Frozen. (NO, not that Frozen. I'm talking about a film that came a few years earlier. Between that and Descendants, Disney is showing an annoying tendency of stealing movie titles.) I wouldn't say the plot brings anything revolutionary, but it is a very well-made film. People with acrophobia should avoid this at all costs. I have never seen a movie evoke a specific phobia as much as this film. I was kept in constant discomfort, worried for the two women. After constantly seeing them moving about the top of the tower, I was thinking "Why don't they have their hands wrapped around the pole at all times?!" That's how drawn in I'd gotten.

At first, I thought this had to be all done via green screen. (The shots of the ground below are obviously digitally added.) But, I kept asking myself, how are they getting the light to be so natural? It was driving me nuts, so I looked it up. Turns out they filmed a good part of this on an actual hundred foot tower. I applaud the director, because it must've been pretty difficult to film some of the shots in this. I've got nothing but respect for him.

My only big criticism is that this basically copies a plot point from a similar film.

Overall, recommended, again unless it may trigger you. Even if you're a little acrophobic, be wary. This is a well made film. I wouldn't say it's distinct enough to see immediately in theaters, but it's definitely a good suspense flick.

Beast

5/10

Following his wife's death, Dr. Nate Samuels (played by Idris Elba) takes his daughters to visit his friend Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley) at the Mopani Reserve in South Africa, where his wife came from. There they encounter a rogue lion who's killing every human being he finds.

Sadly, the dialogue/human-only scenes in this just aren't that strong. Elba and Copely deliver lackluster performances, especially Elba in the weakest role I've ever seen him do. The two younger actresses actually do better than the established actors, but unfortunately in the first third they've just got very cliched kinda bratty girl dialogue to work with. The movie isn't helped any by the cliched father-trying-to-reconnect-with-his-daughters storyline.

The actual lion/action parts aren't too shabby. They don't break the mold or anything (with the exception of the last fight scene which is surprisingly good). But there are some solid moments and uses of the lion and environment.

Close-ups of the lion don't work that great as it's not composed of the most convincing CGI. This movie has some interesting camera work. There aren't a lot of close- or far-shots; the camera mostly follows behind the characters, evoking a feel of sharing the character's experience. Not saying the camera work is excellent, but it was a choice, and I give the director credit for going with it. Scenery and sets aren't shabby, again not groundbreaking but not shabby.

So yeah, this isn't a particularly good movie, but it's not awful either. Not worth paying money to see, but if you like mindless action films, particularly killer animal, this is the sort of time-waster that'll do it.

Only Murders in the Building- Season 2

8.5/10

NOTE: (There are no spoilers for this season, but this review does touch on the setup from the finale of the last season.)

In this sophomore season, the murder podcast trio have to clear their names of murder.

Once the original main mystery of a show is concluded, there is always the risk of subsequent seasons not being able to recapture the magic. I'm happy to say, this isn't the case with this one. The show remains as funny as ever. The character work and arcs here for the three main cast members remain strong. (Oliver Putnam's subplot is especially compelling.) This season also does a great job of building upon supporting characters from last season; cat-loving neighbor Howard (played by Michael Cyril Creighton) continues to be funny.

If I'd say there were any downsides to this, the three main lingering plot questions from last season remain unanswered. Whereas the mystery last season felt unraveled naturally, it did feel like all the plot points were shoehorned into the end in this one. Though, I also felt more satisfied with this finale. Like I said, season 2 does a great job of utilizing existing characters, but there a few sudden missing supporting characters disappearances that may be jarring, particularly the neighbor who wanted Tim Kono's apartment. She was present throughout last season whenever you had group scenes in the apartment building, so it's weird to see the character suddenly absent.

Cast is still great. Martin Short remains the funniest with his constant comic energy. Also, I wouldn't be surprised that Jayne Houdeshell as former HOA board head Bunny Folger gets an Emmy nomination. Last season, she was just the grump who served as a sort of semi-adversary for Putnam, but here the character gets an episode that gets to show more of her and Houdeshell NAILS IT. 

Highly recommend, another smart and funny season.

Westworld- Season 4

7.5/10

Taking place several years after the events of season 3, a group of Hosts make a play against humanity.

The first episode had me a little worried. There was the fact that you're not shown the immediate fallout of season 3 and the story wasn't completely enticing. However, once things get rolling, it gets really interesting. This is probably the darkest season and a LOT happens. I'm going to avoid any details for fear of spoiling, but this is a really interesting season. I was kept guessing what would happen next. Again, the look of the show, cast, and music are all great. 

Though I liked it, this season could be stronger. Some of the more interesting supporting characters from last season like Caleb's criminal compatriots and the main villain they spent so much time with and left open to return are completely gone. Plus, there's the show's tendency to squander characters. Expect to be frustrated here.  

Though this is was a very interesting season, I admit that this is also the most straightforward of all the seasons. This feels the less like the writers are throwing you around, but the feel of wonder you got from the look of Westworld and the sense of mystery in 1 and 2 and the look of the future world in season 3 is gone here. Also, the finale is very controversial (season 4 is taking the show's tendency of trying to hard to be clever to the umpth degree.) I honestly am not quite sure how I feel about it. It's a power move, I'll give you that.

Recommended. I know I listed a lot of negatives, but that's because I can't get into what works. I found this to be the second strongest season. This just felt more focused and captivating than the last two one.

Dragonball Super: Super Hero

8/10

In this the second DBS film (with screenplay by original DB creator Akira Toriyama), The Red Ribbon Army (from the original Dragon Ball) has rebuilt itself, created new, powerful allies, and are seeking vengeance against Goku and his allies, with Piccolo being the first they set their eyes upon.

If you're walking into this expecting another film like the previous installment the action and lore-heavy DBS: Broly, DON'T. This is more like the first of the DBZ comeback films Battle of the Gods. You get two-thirds of old-school, original DB-style comedy with an impressive battle in the final act. If you love DB for the action, but aren't big on DB's humor, this may not be for you. I, however, had a good time. I thought this was pretty funny and liked the goofy, light-hearted comedy and the unique tone Toriyama brings.

Not to say the fight scenes are anything to scoff at. I wouldn't say they are as good as Broly, some of the best action I've ever seen in animation, but they're not that far off either. The fights are all really impressive, grand, and really well animated. This is the first DB title to use 3D-cell shaded (21/2-D) models, and I thought it worked pretty well. Speaking of the show's appearance in general, I love the look of of the backgrounds and buildings in this. Everything looks really good. 

Be forewarned that the movie sidelines lead Goku and Vegeta, the best fighters in the series. To be honest, I'm not hating the decision. It's a fun shift from the norm to focus on some of the supporting characters. Piccolo really does carry the film. He's basically the serious, competent guy who has to deal with everyone else's eccentricities. 

I also like the new villains in this, they're all pretty entertaining, particularly eccentric and morally complex scientist Dr. Hedo. The two main androids in this Gamma 1 and 2 are admittedly just a reuse of the old trope of the cocky guy/takes-things-seriously guy duo, but they're still decent characters. 

Recommended. I'd say this is my third favorite DBZ movie (below Broly and Battle of the Gods). It may be a step down from the last film, but if you like it when DB is just trying to have fun, I think you'll like this.

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

 7/10

In this dark comedy/thriller, Sophie (played by The Hate You Give's Amandla Stenberg) takes her new girlfriend Bee (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's Maria Bakalova) to hang her with her friends at her best friend David's parents' huge, lavish house. Soon, things go horribly wrong, emotions start running, and everyone starts becoming suspicious of each other. 

The first act does start out a bit slow and partially weak. Don't get me wrong, there are some good lines and the movie does a good job with Bee of encompassing the awkwardness of being somewhere where you don't know anyone, but it runs a little too long with the whole millenials being kinda toxic/ridiculous. schtick. I think too many lines are given to some characters than needed.

But when things get dark, that's when it starts getting good. The movie does a great job of making you guess what happens next, including one particularly tense scene in particular. (I particularly like how this ends.) This is also when the making-fun-of-millennials humor really pays off. The movie takes a lot of shots at the shallowness of the social media generation.

At first, I didn't like the cinematography in this. It had a sort of art-house quality. I was like, "I get it this is an A24 film. Not all their films have to look like this!" However, I think I understand why they went that way. The style definitely allows color to work. After the second act, a lot of this is shot in the dark, and the cinematographer/lighting person really managed to make light and color work in contrast to the blackness. Seriously, my congratulations to the lighting department; they did an excellent job. Also, I love the house or sets for this film. It is an impressive place.  

Acting's good across the board. (Cast includes Lee Pace and SNL's Peter David.)

Recommended. It's not a perfect film, parts could've been tightened and the spoiled kid dialogue can get a bit basic, but it is an interesting film that does hold your attention in the end.

Nope

 

8.5

In Jordan Peele's Nope, brother and sister OJ (played by Get Out's Daniel Kaaluya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) try to get clear footage of a UFO hanging around their family ranch.

This was a really unique, well made film. There is a lot you don't see in the trailer. It gets pretty interesting. It has Peele trying to send a message, but adds enough humor and action that the movie doesn't alienate the casual viewer. (Though don't get me wrong, the movie is kinda pretentious.)

Peele does an excellent job with visuals. This movie has three of the most unsettling/scary images I've ever seen. And let me make this clear that due to having been desensitized by seeing a ton of horror films and neurological stuff going on I rarely ever scare. Haven't been frightened by a film for a decade. The fact that there are three moments that generally got to me is saying something. On the non-scary side of the visuals, I really liked the look of Jupiter's Claim, the small western-themed amusement park located near the ranch. Looks like a place you'd like to visit.

Great cast in this. Kaaluya does a great job bringing to life OJ, a guy who knows the business of training horses like few others but is socially awkward (may be on the spectrum). However, Keke as Emerald, the opposite of her brother, great with people but irresponsible, steals the movie. She brings such energy to the role. Having seen her in a few other things, I'm happy she's finally landed such a high profile role. Honestly, I'm surprised it hadn't happened sooner. She's generally good in whatever she does. Also, props should be given to The OA's Angel Torres, who's fun as a guy without much going who joins the UFO hunting crew and is a source of humor and kinda the voice of common sense, and Michael Wincott (the villain from The Crow) as an eccentric cinematographer/director? (couldn't figure exactly what his job was.) Also if you're a fan of Keith David and heard he was in this one, his appearances are very brief. Such a waste of such a distinctive voice.

As much as I thought this was an impressive film, I couldn't go with a full 9 or 10/10. Usually I have very specific cons for a film. But, here it's hard to pinpoint why I couldn't give this a 90/100%. (Unlike a lot of people talking about this movie, I have no major complaints about the subplot.) Maybe it's the fact that there are a couple moments where Peele insists a little too hard on trying to be clever or the audience having to put things together themselves. Maybe it's the general vibe of the storytelling (Peele's films can feel like a very distinct and different world like those of Tarantino and Shyamalan.) Or maybe, it's that Peele was a little crueler in points than necessary. Yeah, it's a horror film and they're usually about horrible things happening to people, but sometimes, like in Nightmare on Elm Street 5 and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, a horror movie's writers may be more interested in twisting the knife on a character than actually being scary. There are a couple small parts where I felt Peele did that a little.

Naturally, I can't recommend this to people who scare easily as this is nightmare fuel. I CAN recommend this to everyone else. This really is something that'll leave an impression.

Where the Crawdads Sing

 

6.5/10

In this adaptation of the book of the same name by Delia Owens, young woman Kya Clark (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones), who's spent her whole life living in the marsh, stands on trial accused of the murder of her ex-lover Chase Andrews (The King's Man's Harris Dickinson). I try to get the most out of my subscription to AMC's A-List. There wasn't anything that I was really anticipating this weekend. This movie and Mrs. Harris goes to Paris were my two options. Ultimately, I went with this on account of the murder trial interesting me. (No offense to Mrs. Harris. Older woman decides to live and be bold for once in her life; sounds like a good time for many.) I kinda liked Where the Crawdads Sing (more on the kinda later).

The story is solid. Manages to be a romantic melodrama that feels mostly grounded and never like it gets too soapy or tropey. There is one part involving leaves that feels corny, but since it happened only once I'll allow it. I bet many a romance fan would have no problem with that bit.

Though this movie is more about Kya's story than it is about the mystery of what happened to Chase, I thought the it did a surprisingly good job of keeping you guessing about what happened and/or who did it.

The movie's competently directed. The wilderness scenery is truly majestic and the best part of this; my hat off to the location scout. Editing in this can be a little choppy at points.

Pretty good cast all-around in this. Edgar-Jones does a solid job as the lead. David Straitharn plays Kya's lawyer, and yeah it's your basic "Atticus Finch-esque lawyer who supports the protagonist when no one else will" trope, but he's definitely the sort of actor you want for that role. (Kind of wished he had more scenes.) The MVP here though is definitely Taylor John Smith as one of Kya's love interests. He completely sells the tender-hearted, protective paramour role here.

Now you're probably wondering why I only kinda like this despite the mostly positive stuff I said above. The movie's too gosh darn long. It didn't need to be two hours and five minutes. The middle in particular felt stretched. I found myself losing attention at several points. I left the theater to go to the bathroom. Usually I try to hold it, or feel annoyed I missed a scene when I can't, but I really didn't mind at all here. The thing is that no scenes needed to be cut, they just needed to slim them down. Pacing does pick up by the third act for what it's worth.  

I have no intent to watch this again, but I had a good time. Yeah, I was bored at points but this film can get interesting as well. In all fairness, I'm a guy and I think this written more for the female demographic. I can see a lot of romance fans getting a lot more out of this than me.

The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse

6/10

This third season-oriented Mickey Mouse special on Disney+, differs from the first two, which contained three separate stories. Here, Mickey and friends recollect their day and what led to a terrible mishap at the fireworcks.

I admit, I'm a little let down by this one. These Mickey Mouse stories can be so creative, nuts, and fun. However, this one felt pretty basic. The story lines were all traditional comedy-of-errors slapstick that were kinda predictable. Don't get me wrong, there were still moments of some really fun old-school style visual humor that The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse is known for. The animation and character design is on point, and Chris Diamantoupolous' MM voice remains hilarious. I also liked the 40's/50's-esque song at the beginning. (Plus, there is more screen time for the walrus mayor, which is an amusing-looking fellow with a fun voice.) It's just that ultimately there are stronger Mickey Mouse entries.

Your kids may like this, but there are plenty of better World of Mickey Mouse cartoons you can check out first.

Thor: Love and Thunder

 

8.5/10

In the fourth Thor movie, thunder god Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) ends up pursuing Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) and runs into his ex Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now to his surprise has both his powers and hammer.

Like the last film, this is directed by Taika Waititi, and again he makes this one of the funniest Marvel movies. Waititi and all the actors involved definitely seem like they're having goofy fun. However, the movie does a serious backbone to several characters' motivations (especially Jane and Gorr, who has a pretty strong "how-I-became-a-villain" story.) The ending is particularly good and may surprise you.

Love and Thunder does repeat the sin of the last one Ragnarok, but doubles down on it: there is a little too much reliance on jokes. Waititi seems unable to take many reprieves from the humor, and it can feel like he's trying too hard and that the more serious parts feel undermined. Also, the movie does throw a lot of emotional weight upon Thor, who's already been through the ringer. They really need to give him a breather.

Love and Thunder is definitely creative, more so than Ragnarok where as good as it was, admittedly a large portion was just spent on the Gamemaster's planet. We're thrown from one fantastical setting to the next. Everything looks great (really one of the most impressive looking Marvel films and that's saying something), continuing Ragnarok's combination of fantasy and colorful 70's-style science fiction. Although, like with the humor, Waititi focuses too much on jumping from one thing to the next and some may find it exhausting. Again, the director could've focused a little more on the drama. 

Bale is excellent as Gorr. He's completely threatening, yet the character doesn't feel like he's taking himself too seriously, which has been the flaw of some Marvel movie villains. Now that Jane has powers, Natalie Portman is definitely given more to do than in Thor: The Dark World, and she seems to work well with the superhero stuff and the more comic tone the Thor films has taken. But, I think she could've have had a few more scenes to build her character up; some Thor scenes could've been cut.

Recommended, this is a visually exciting, fun time. How does this compare to the other Thor films? I haven't rightly decided. (Definitely better than Thor: The Dark World). This may be the most creative movie, but admittedly has a looser story structure than some of the other films.

The Cuphead Show- Season 1

7/10

In this new show based on the video game Cuphead, brothers Cuphead (voiced by Tru Valentino) and Mugman (Frank Todaro) live in a world reminiscent of 1930's cartoons. They constantly end up in a series of misadventures, while the Devil (Luke Millington-Drake) keeps trying to get Cuphead's soul.

My hats off to the animation. Yeah, it can't quite match the feel of the old-school type, but does a really strong job. Backgrounds are watercolor. There are film scratches and slight shadows are applied to characters to give the impression of them being cells placed on a background. (I can't take credit for noticing that last bit. The guys on the Youtube Channel Double Toasted brought that to my attention.) You even get some stop-motion backgrounds reminiscent of the stop motion-cave that Popeye walked through back in the day. (Again, Double Toasted.) Like the video game, there is a concentrated effort to maintain the feel of the 1930's, like the character designs, costumes, buildings, etc.

However, the stories are not as strong as the animation. To be clear, the stories are alright. They're traditional comic stories. But, in an era where children's cartoons have become more ambitious and tried new things, this feels surprisingly regressive. The plots are often traditional shenanigans and worn-out situations that have been done before, like a character overhearing something and misinterpreting what was said. Nothing special.  

It doesn't help that the cup brothers aren't the most engaging. They're miscreants who constantly disobey and make bad, selfish decisions. To be clear, they're immature boys, so I wouldn't say they ever make me straight up dislike them the way it would if they were adults, but still they can get annoying with their constant need to not listen stick their hands in it. 

Doesn't help that that Cupman and Mugman's voices and personalities aren't what I (and I'm guessing others) would have in their head based on the video games where there were no dialogue. (They have old timey Bronx-style voices.) Fans of the game may be disappointed with the adaptation here. There were so many colorful villains in the Cuphead game, but not a lot of them are used. Sadly, the show doesn't have much interest in the use of some of the more fantastical/high concept ones. Of the villains they do use, at least two of these groups of villains are the types who say 'Youse' and aren't that interesting. I think that kinda defines the most disappointing part of this, the creators seemed mostly interested in writing about 30's city scenarios. Remember how those old cartoons could feature things like books coming to life or really weird, out-there stuff happening? There isn't much of that here. (Though, there's a ghost episode that's pretty fun.) Also, if you liked the villain King Dice (voiced here by Wayne Brady), who was the second most prominent villain throughout the game and appeared throughout, he's surprisingly only in one episode here. 

Sorta recommended. It's not a stellar show, but generally entertaining. Kids will probably get more mileage out of this.

The Batman (2022)

8.5

In this, Batman (played by Robert Pattinson) pursues the elaborate serial killer The Riddler (Paul Dano) and must figure out why he's targeting his victims.

Director Matt Reeves definitely leaves an impression with this. The opening, introducing Gotham and Batman is just an excellently realized work of cinema. Visually, The Batman really captures the feel of being in a city with some excellent scenery ranging from dirty streets to the fancy but antiquated areas. Bruce Wayne's place in particular, is a fantastically busy neo-gothic looking affair. Also, Reeves really went out of his way to make the city look populated. Has some of the most crowded extras scenes I've seen in a while. Must've been quite an endeavor to put together.

This also has one of the most ambitious car chases put to screen. I've never seen a movie have a car chase in such congested, traditional city traffic. In fact, it feels a little too real like actual traffic accident situations and took me out of it a little. Also, this is the one scene where you question Batman's methods.

This has excellent lightning with a lot of good use of city lights. I can often be be annoyed by films that are too darkly shot, but this one always feels like the shadows are always in the right place, accentuating the scenes. 

Michael Giacchino's soundtrack really helps the film's mood; very sweeping and moving.

This film skips an origin story for or introduction to Batman. I think this might be the closest a live-action film has come to matching the feel of the comics (at least the more recent ones.) You just jump in with Batman, who's already been operating for two years and has already established a relationship with Lt. Gordon (Westworld's Jeffrey Wright). No live-action Batman film has ever focused on the detective side of the character as this. This is a straight-up mystery film mixed with a serial killer film and a crime film. 

The story, aided by the atmosphere of the piece, will keep your eyes glued. However, when you get down to it the film's basic concepts, the corruption and themed serial killer parts, aren't that original. Heck, the movie even reuses a couple plot points from the comics. This also repeats the idea from the first two Nolan films of Batman fighting against the established criminal underworld who have Gotham in their grip. Between this, the Nolan films, Gotham (the show if you're not familiar), and some of the animated films, including the recent The Long Halloween, I'm so tired of Batman stories reusing the same mob figures like Carmine Falcone (here played by John Turturro) and Sal Maroni. Do you realize that there have been two live-action movies with Carmine Falcone and none with the likes of such villains as Clayface, Mad Hatter, or Dr. Hugo Strange? If you ask someone for their top ten or five Batman villains, they're not going to say Carmine Falcone. Enough with the flipping Carmine Falcone and other mobsters stories, already!!! You're not paving any new ground!!!  

The movie didn't need to be three hours long. They could've easily cut down on the number of characters. Though I do like Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman and she has great chemistry with Batman, her subplot could've easily been cut.   

Understand that this is probably the darkest mainstream superhero movie put to screen. Things can get pretty unsettling, like even more unsettling than some of the Joker moments from The Dark Knight. (From a technical standpoint, I'm weirdly impressed with how they pulled this off with a PG-13 rating.)

Cast is great in this. Though you may argue that they make Batman a little too brooding and his Bruce Wayne appearance a little too emo, Pattinson does one of the best jobs of portraying a human Batman who is determined to do his all against terrible odds and is an empathetic man beneath his stolid persona. Wright is definitely one of the Best Gordons with THE best relationship with a Batman. He's kinda Batman's sidekick in this. Andy Serkis, who I don't think anyone suspected would be playing the role, is one of the best Alfred Pennyworths, though he doesn't get much screent ime. He's become so known for motion capture performances, it's nice to see how good a performer he is just by himself. 

Recommend. I wouldn't rank this as high as the Nolan trilogy or even Batman Returns. I felt those movies did a better job with plotting and characters. Also, the length, heavy tone, and the fact that the plot points aren't that original, hurts replay value. Still, this is a very strong, visually impressive, well-acted entry that does catch your attention.  

No Exit

7.5

In this Hulu film based on the book by Taylor Adams, Darby (played by Havana Rose Liu) has to stop at a visitor's center containing four other drivers, in order to wait out a blizzard. While there, she stumbles across something she wasn't supposed to see that puts her in jeopardy. 

I can't say this treads new ground in the world of thrillers, but it is a very solid entry. The suspense is tight with a solid sense of mystery to it. Action and violence are solid, and might take you by surprise. The setting is solid; there isn't a lot to the small visitor center, but it looks nice and feels like a visitor's center. Music is solid, really fits the mood. The cast is solid across the board, including 24's Dennis Haysbert, he of the commanding voice. So in summation, solid, solid, solid, solid. Also, solid.     

Recommended. This is a compelling thriller. 

Studio 666

6/10

In this horror comedy starring the Foo Fighters and from an original story by frontman Dave Grohl, the band go to a mansion with, surprise, surprise, a dark history to work on their new album.  

This feels like a passion project from Grohl & co. The majority of them aren't great actors (especially Pat Smear) but they do bring a genuine enthusiasm to their roles and felt like they were trying their best. It does help that the lead is Grohl, who is the best actor of the group and his comic delivery ain't half bad.  

Humor-wise there are some genuinely funny parts. However, the jokes are pretty hit-and-miss. A lot of the good material is in the first half. 

Horror-wise, I was pleased with the violence and visuals. This obviously didn't have a high budget, but I wouldn't call it low, low either. Things don't look perfect, but I think you'll be satisfied with the ambition and amount of effects. Gore hounds will love the violence. If you like straight-up horror iconography and none of that artsy atmospheric or keep-it-vague-and-to-the-imagination stuff, then this is up your alley. There are some pretty nice supernatural visuals here; really feels like 80's album cover art sometimes.

Unfortunately, this movie feels a little amateurish. A lot of stuff feels directionless. The final act just goes on and on. Some of the editing and camera work  could've been better, which is weird considering that director BJ McDonnell has a long history as a camera operator, but I guess camera work's not the same as editing shots.

I wouldn't call this a must-see or must-avoid. A lot of people will probably get bored by this. But, Foo Fighter and gore and horror comedy fans may get more fun out of this than others. 

Cat Burglar

6/10

In this interactive short Netflix cartoon, Rowdy (voiced by James Adomian), a burglar who is also a cat, tries to steal a painting from a museum protected by guard dog, as in a guard who is also a dog, Peanut (Alan Lee).

To it's credit, Cat Burglar really does serve as a tribute to classic Warner Bros./Tom and Jerry slapstick. I especially like the background work and the addition of slight film defects to enhance the old school feeling. There is some pretty solid physical and visual humor. But as a whole, Cat Burglar really doesn't leave that much of an impression or maintain much interest. Doesn't help that due to the interactive portion, you help the bad guy. Peanut is likable, and I feel bad acting against him the way this cartoon does.

Also, not sure of who the audience is supposed to be. This is technically TV-14, but the traditional cartoon violence doesn't feel that objectionable. 

But, I guessing you're curious about the interactive part, so without further ado let's get to that. This isn't a choose-your-own adventure style interactive show where you choose the characters' actions. Rather, when Rowdy attempts an action, you have to answer three either-or-questions. You get a single one wrong, then Rowdy dies. Frustratingly, you still have to answer the second or third questions even though you've already failed. Rowdy only gets three lives, then you have to start over. However, starting over isn't as bad as it sounds. You don't have to rewatch the intro, and segments are shortened. Plus, you're just not going through the same bits every time. There are multiple scenarios that could pop up, keeping things fresh. Still, the new content doesn't completely validate the trivia sections. They are just too quick. Admittedly, a lot of the trivia isn't too hard, so the time limit makes sense for creating a challenge. Still, having to make a choice so quickly isn't much fun. I especially think that younger viewers would have trouble.   

It's an interesting diversion, but not much else. Check it out if you're curious, but you don't need to see this.  

The Legend of Vox Machina- Season 1

7/10

Based on the first campaign played in Critical Role, a web series where predominantly voice actors play D&D, The Legend of Vox Machina follows a lively group of adventurers.  

Probably thanks to this being based on an existing story, the characters all feel well-defined right out of the gate, and the voice actors, who I believe mostly return from CR, are well acquainted with their roles. The world here feels alive and thought out. The humor, often R-rated, works well enough. Plenty of action; the fantasy scenario provides the writers with a lot of creative ideas. If you like/dislike graphic violence then be prepared for this getting pretty bloody.

The show does feel bipolar. On one hand we got the comedy half and the likable band of misfits, but most of the threats they face are played SUPER serious. The villains kinda feel like they were ripped out of Castlevania in terms of how straight and sadistic they're played. Though the they do have distinct personalities, the foes suffer from from being too similar in type: They're all straight up "immediately go to the most savage extreme just cuz'" evil with very little dimension to them. The writing feels like it's trying too hard for the dramatic/dark parts. However, the story is thought out. I became engrossed in what was happening and the finale was satisfying.

The animation is impressive. Action scenes are well choreographed, and all the backgrounds look really good.

Recommended, provided you're okay with a show leaning really mature. Though I hope the writers lighten up a little when it comes to the threats/villains next season, overall the The Legend of Vox Machina is interesting with a strong main cast.

The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse

8/10

This comedy special from Disney+'s show The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse features three Mickey Mouse stories involving winter. 

This special keeps the elements that made the short cartoons from WWoMM and its predecessor Mickey Mouse (show name, not the character) so entertaining, possessing a a 30's/40's throwback feel with clever visual humor and straight-up creativity. The cartoons here effortlessly mesh whimsy, slapstick, weird, smart jokers and the occasional refreshingly dark bits. There's a little something for everyone to like here. Well, maybe not everyone. If you're just not a big fan of old school cartoon physical comedy, you might be bored by this, because that's the most of what the special is. The animation is top-notch in terms of fluidity and physicality of characters. 

Segment breakdowns:

First segment- 7/10: Mickey (voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos) causes chaos when working at a factory in the clouds. Creative slapstick and I liked the whimsical old-fashioned fantasy design of the cloud world, but it quite isn't as substantive or memorable as the other two entries.

Second segment- 8/10: Mickey, Goofy (Bill Farmer), and Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) stay at a cabin in the mountains and things soon go awry. The best one. It's the old school MG&D-face-trouble routine (such as the classic cartoon shorts where they were firefighters or fought ghosts), but it feels fresh as most of the bits are pretty funny and the situation keeps getting more and more absurd  

Third segment- 8/10: Mickey and Minnie's skating routine keeps getting interrupted by Goofy's ill-fated attempts at ice-fishing. Again, we got a worn out cartoon premise: a character's activities keeps getting interrupted. And again, they manage to keep it fresh. A lot more humor is wrung out of ice skating than you'd expect. Mickey as a character gets his best moments here. I can't deemphasize how good Diamantopoulos is at making Mickey sound funny.

Recommended. You and your kids should probably have a fun time with this.

Uncharted

7.5/10

In this film based on the popular video game series, legendary treasure/antiquities aficionado Nathan Drake (played by Spider-Man's Tom Holland) is recruited by treasure hunter Sully Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to search for gold that had been in the possession of Ferdinand Magellan and his crew.    

Is this movie able to completely replicate the feel of the Uncharted games? No. It can't quite capture the majestic appearance of the games nor the storylines or dialogue. The biggest issues are that there are too many scenes of the three main characters talking to each other and too much reliance on no one be able to trust each other (a lot of times the mistrust doesn't even feel earned). Sully and Nathan spend a lot of time together, yet the evolution of their relationship feels only 85% natural. It mostly work, but it feels like it needed some touch up.

That all having been said, the movie may not be as good as the games, but it doesn't dishonor it. This really does feel like an Uncharted film and that the creators were truly trying to replicate the feel of the games, producing a work that feels a lot more faithful than other video game adaptations out there. The best parts of this are definitely the ancient puzzle-solving or action scenes. They look nice, are a lot of fun, and have that sense of epicness to them. A couple of the action scenes in particular, really stand out.

Nate and Sully work well enough as characters and with each other. Admittedly, fans of the games may be annoyed that this is sort of a reboot/prequel, which makes the two main leads younger and that this doesn't feature Nate's love interest Elena Fisher as she's not on the scene yet. Also, the chronology is tinkered with a smidge. Yet, the movie manages to make changes without crossing the line, and Nate and Sully still feel enough like Nate and Sully albeit not totally like Nate and Sully.

Recommended. This is not a perfect Uncharted or treasure hunting adventure movie, but it's sill pretty entertaining.