Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

6/10

In this new reboot for the Resident Evil franchise based on the first and second video games, a group of people become trapped in Raccoon City (which I'm not sure is actually a city; feels more like a large town; kinda isolated) when there is a zombie outbreak. 

This movie can both be entertaining and frustrating. The horror is solid. There's a lot of freaky, memorable imagery. Interesting use of color in this; makes you feel like you're watching a 70's scary movie. The original RE films got criticism over the years for drifting so much from the original look and feel of the video games. This one really tried veer closer. Loved some of the sets in this. It has that sort of grandiose gothicness that doesn't really exist in American architecture and that you'd only find in Japanese video games. I also like the northern forest area, brings a secluded look to the area separating the town. (Also, I just like pine trees in films. I think they make nice scenery.) 

But as creepy and good looking as the movie is, the script is really weak. The first act exposition and dialogue is pretty clunky. The whole backstory for the leads siblings Claire and Chris Redfield (Kaya Scodelario and Robbie Amell) and the villain's choices feel really mishandled, and I really wish they went with something completely different. Going back to the dialogue, it's nothing to be proud of, but in fairness there are a couple fun lines when the movie isn't taking itself too seriously.

I recommend this to horror fans, because the scary stuff really delivers. I would've considered this an 8/10 if it wasn't for that pesky script. Just make sure to temper your expectations.

Hawkeye

8.5/10

In this new MCU show on Disney+, the retired-from-superheroing Clint Barton/Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner), on a trip to New York, has to go back into action when a shadow from his past resurfaces and ends up having to work with wannabe superhero Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who's his biggest fan.

Of all the the MCU shows, this is the one that's just trying the most to just have fun (not to say there aren't serious parts, especially with Clint). This is a bit of a madcap program as Clint and Kate run into one big personality or out-of-control situation after the next as they keep sinking deeper and deeper into trouble. This takes place on Christmas, and the festive feel adds to the show.  Also, action's pretty good with some occasional memorable moments, though expect more street level hand-to-hand style combat than the other shows.

Admittedly Hawkeye is no one's favorite Avenger, but I'm glad he finally got a solo project. Clint's more of an every guy. What's interesting about him is he didn't go through a major life-changing event to cause him to want to become a hero. He's a soldier who sort of fell into it. Unlike a lot of the other Marvel superheroes, you really don't go into his back story and have to fill in the gaps, which I like. A lot is said about guy through actions and attitude alone. Renner does a great playing a job playing a man who's burned out and just tired of the costs of supeheroing. Plus, he's shouldering his own guilt not in a brooding Batman way, but in a more realistic manner.

The core of this show is definitely the relationship between the jaded, grumpy Clint and the optimistic, but unprepared Kate. Hailee does a great job selling the character. Though there have been plenty of Marvel superheroes who have to learn to be a hero really quickly, Kate feels a little different as she's clearly always wanted to be a hero and already has her skill set, she's just a bit vague on the details on how to do it. Also, I love the explanation of why out of all the Avengers, Hawkeye's her favorite. Excellent exposition scene.

Thing is, they do spend a little too much time on Clint and Kate. There are a lot of interesting characters in this, but most of them don't feel like they were fleshed out or given enough to do. The show suffers the same kind of issue Loki did in that it feels like they posed most of the mysteries early on and just dropped all the answers on us in the last couple episodes. What made Wandavision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier work was that they doled out plot points carefully throughout the shows. Here we get a LOT of Kate and Clint shenanigans that start to run together, and there could've been more variety in the plotting.

Overall, highly recommended. I'd say this is the weakest of the four live-action Marvel shows, but that's just compared to the others. This is definitely a fun romp with some good Clint beats and more entertaining than a lot of other shows out there.

Hilda, the Mountain King

9/10

In this Netflix movie follow-up to the Hilda series, which is also based on the original Hilda graphic novel Hilda and the Mountain King, the adventurous girl Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey) has been turned into a troll and taken to the mountain of the trolls. She desperately tries to get back home while security in her town of Trollsberg has built up due to a wave of anti-troll fervor. 

This has that same unique charm and old-fashioned comics-esque feel of the show. Story is well-written. The movie especially does a good job with Hilda's Mum (Daisy Ridley), really selling her desperation for reuniting with her daughter. Hilda's been switched with a troll child, and I'm pleased that this isn't a case of their minds being switched. One's now a troll and one's now a human. Mind-swapping is such a cliche and by avoiding it we don't have to waist time with characters figuring out what's going on. Speaking of the trolls, though they've frequently been shown in the show, this movie really sheds light on the world of them, and I like the imagination and their various designs.    

Though you can see some stuff and the ultimate message coming, the movie does it well enough that you don't care. I thought the it did a pretty good job of warning kids of the dangers of fear and intolerance. 

If you liked Hilda's friends Frida (Ameerah Falzon-Ojo) and David (Oliver Nelson), don't expect to see as much of them as you'd like. They have roles to play and decent screen time, but they feel like they're going off on subquests. To the best of my knowledge, they were created for the show, so Hilda would have some kids her own age to interact with and you kinda need a bigger cast for an entire season of the show. They're not in the graphic novels. The creators appear to have stayed true to the original story while having the unenviable task of having to incorporate elements from the show, meaning they couldn't have Frida and David do anything to radically alter the story beats. 

This is a direct continuation to the season 2 finale cliffhanger. You'll have a lot clearer understanding of what's going on if you watch it.

The animation is just like the show's: colors are a bit muted and odd for my taste, but I love the design and the comic come-to-life feeling to it. The opening credits are a really well done sequence.

Overall, this is a wonderful film. It might be the end of the show. I'm unclear on whether their final third season deal was for an actual season or it was substituted for this film. If so, this was a great place to end on.

American Underdog

5.5/10

American Underdog, based on the book All Things Possible, tells the story of Kurt Warner (played by Shazam!/Chuck's Zachary Levi), the NFL MVP who took more years than most to make it into the league, and his relationship with the woman who would become his wife Brenda Meoni (True Blood/X-Men's Anna Paquin).

This focuses a lot more on the home life/dramatic aspects than the sports aspects. The advertising made this feel like it'd be more about football. That's what I would've liked. I didn't know anything about arena football, which Warner played before making the big leagues, till this film, and I would've liked seeing more stuff like that. 

This tries to be a Christianity-light, inspirational drama, but while it's competently made, it feels very by-the-numbers. Though there are a few fun lines, the end result wasn't very interesting for me. Not downright bad, or sleep-inducing, but I could've been doing other things with my time. The script feels like it's scraping the barrel when trying to come up with conflicts. Every big setback Warner encounters feels manufactured, and character actions often don't feel natural.

Levi and Paquin are good actors, but they aren't able to do much with the basic dialogue they're given. They give the latter a short hair cut to match that of the real Brenda, but it doesn't work with Paquin's face at all.  Dennis Quaid's in this as coach Dick Vermeil. Isn't in this much (again advertising is deceptive), but he's more entertaining when he's on. Again, Quaid can't do much with the dialogue, but he's clearly having fun and gives a lively borderline over-the-top performance as the coach.

Not recommended. I'm not saying this isn't inspirational and feel-good, but there are other films that do a better job.

Scream (2022)

8/10

In this fifth entry in the film series, but with the same name as the first, a new group of teens become targets of yet another Ghostface killer. 

Pretty clever, solid and entertaining script with a lot of funny lines. There a couple surprises. Not since the first film and its meta look at its own genre of horror movies, has a Scream film has such solid things to say about movies. This is a fairly entertaining commentary on requels/soft reboots (the movie itself), franchise fatigue, and fandom. The movie's also self-aware of how the slasher and basic violence-based horror is a dying breed in a world where elevated horror (psychological or social commentary) currently reigns.   

The attacks and kills in this can get pretty brutal. Although the big finale is appropriately violent as is the course with these movies, it does lack a certain oomph that you found in 1, 2, and 4. (I rightfully can't remember 3's ending much. It's been years since I've seen it and I can't go back. I tried once, but it's so unwatchable.) Though I like this movie, I admit that the choreography and cinematography can't match what Wes Craven brought to the first and second Screams.     

Liked the new cast. Unlike the last film, which balanced the new group of teens and the franchise's main trio, I felt this one took the wiser route and focused more on the new faces that may help carry the franchise onward allowing us to get to know them more. To be honest, Sidney Prescott's story feels played out and you can only do so much with her after a while, not to mention Gale and Dewey. Remember how their last subplot was a dull and unnecessary difference of opinions? By focusing on new lead Sam Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera), I became invested in her. Of the new cast, I'd say the best would have to be Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Sam's boyfriend Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid). Mindy is the new horror movie expert and she is able to differentiate herself from her predecessors in that role in by having a personality that's a little too chill and laid back with all the horrible things going on. Richie is just funny; he has some of the best lines and delivery here. That having been said, of the original trio, Dewey (David Arquette) definitely has the best material to work with. The once amateurish deputy has developed into a sorta grizzled, hardened veteran by this point. 

I'd rate this below 1 and 2 and above 4 and 3. (To be clear, I'm a fan of 4 and this didn't beat it by much.) Recommended. I can't say it as good as the original or quite have the magic brought Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson, but it's another good entry in a franchise that's been surprisingly solid for the most part.  

Belle

7/10

In this new anime film Belle, painfully shy Suzu creates an avatar in the immersive virtual reality cyberscape U. Her new persona Belle becomes a popular web singer. It is in U she becomes acquainted with the beast-like Dragon who's wanted by U's self-appointed security force for causing destruction. She becomes curious about the mysterious figure and tries to find him. Belle is one of those imperfect films that has many great parts to it, but it isn't able to pull everything into a compelling whole. 

Admittedly, this feels like a rehash of various previous concepts from director Mamoru Hosoda, consisting of the digital world (Digimon/Summer Wars), young love (The Girl who Leapt Through Time/Summer Wars), and beast guys (The Boy and the Beast/Wolf Children). However, this manages to stand on its own. Although U feels like it very similar to the cyber world from Summer Wars, which I think has a better design, the U does manage to stand out and feel different. The movie features a surprisingly strong critique of internet culture and celebrity. In fact, I liked some of the brief substory parts about the social media world over Suzu's story.   

Hosoda manages to produce strong characterization with a large cast. It's not uncommon for anime to focus on a character struggling with their personal issues, but the plot has a solid backstory for why Suzu is the way she is. There are many touching moments in this. 

In case you haven't figured out yet, this movie about a character named Belle and and a beast-like character is a clear allusion to the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Admittedly, there are points in the film where they adhere a little too closely too the tale and feels a bit obvious, but ultimately the movie isn't married to the concept when it comes to the endgame. I was taken by surprised by what the movie was really going for, and I congratulate it for that. 

The movie's strengths can be its weaknesses. There are TOO many characters, though they've all got personality, and too much stuff going on that stretches things out. The movie doesn't need to be two hours and one minute. I got bored with parts, especially the hundredth scene of Suzu being insecure. (I'm looking at this from a film pacing perspective. I confess that this may be unfair to a movie looking at a character with mental health issues, as anxiety and self-doubt can be an overwhelming experience, and the movie was trying to convey that.) They also could've cut down on the high school relationship stuff. (Again, I may be too hard. This appears to be aimed at a younger, and probably a female audience, and as a 38-year old male, I wasn't the target audience.) 

I applaud Hosoda for the message of the film, but the ending has it's flaws. Like the film as a whole, it goes on too long. When you think it's over, nope there's more. This is one of those movies that can both over explain or under explain. The ending is definitely in the latter category as you'll be left with questions. Actions won't necessarily make sense. (To be fair, this may be a cultural difference situation.)

Character movement in this is really fluid. I have mixed feelings about the design of U. There are character or scenery designs I wasn't a big fan of (a lot of U is just tall skyscrapers), but there are other designs I really like, including the Dragon's home base and the look of Belle. Suzu's songs in this I can't say I remember them after, but they ain't too shabby.  

This is one of the movies where mileage will vary. Some of you will probably be bored, especially if you're not into a lot of those anime teen dramas that seem to be all the rage right now in Japan. Others will love the story and world of U. And, there'll be people like me in the middle. A pity Hosoda couldn't craft something more condensed and stable, for there are parts that truly shine and hint at a film that could've truly been great. 

Centaurworld- Season 2 (Final?)

8/10

In the second, and I thiiiiiiink... final season, Horse (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) and her friends try to recruit a centaur army in order to fight the the Nowhere King (Brian Stokes Mitchell) and his army of minotaurs. 

The show returns with its same brand of wacky, weird comedy. Basically for every two funny jokes, there's one that crashes, is too weird, or both. Again, there are parts where the weirdness can be too much. It doesn't feel quite as concentrated (they mostly cut out the talking butt and tail stuff), but there is still a lot of it. Still wished they cut down on Durple (How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor) being in-your-face simple-minded and Ched (Chris Diamantopoulous) constantly being angry at Horse. Like last season, they get old fast. (No complaints about kleptomaniac Glendale (show creator Megan Dong); she's golden.) 

The show keeps its greatest strength: the interesting balance between the Centaurworld and human worlds, comedy and seriousness, and lightheartedness and darkness. To be honest, I was lot more a fan of the saner, more serious stuff. The life blood of this is the friendship between the separated Horse and the human Rider (Jessie Mueller). Kimiko Glenn does a wonderful job of making you feel for a talking horse. The backstory of the villain the Nowhere King is surprisingly really well thought out, original, and dark and dramatic for a children's show.  

The seventy minute finale is truly something. It really feels like one of the most substantial and complete finales to a kids' show I've seen.

Parents be forewarned that going back to that whole darkness thing I've been mentioning there are two moments in the last episode that you may feel are too dark for your kids. I'm not trying to be thin-skinned here. That time Disney's postponement of and then adding a warning for that one episode with a scene of violence I thought was overt worrying and overkill on the network's part. Here, however... I know that Netflix is more hands off when it comes to children's programming content when compared to some channels, but I was genuinely shocked with what they allowed here.

Admittedly, there's some pacing issues. The show really pushed the episodic stories and pushed a lot of the important exposition to the very end. The mysterious and simply named Woman (Lea Salonga), who's important to the backstory and had been well woven into the last season, feels completely forgotten until the very end. Even then, it feels like she got scenes cut for time. Something was missing with how she moved from point A to point B.

Songs here aren't as good as last season. A few good ones, but there isn't the consistency in quality that the last season had.

Kinda recommended. This show will frankly be too weird for a lot of people. I liked this, but I preferred the whole more than some of the individual parts and can totally understand why many people wouldn't be able to make it through that. Still, a lot of other people will like the weirdness and story. For those already fans, the finale completely delivers. 

Snoopy Presents For Auld Lang Syne

7/10

In the first Peanuts special in a decade (found on Apple+), Lucy (voiced by Isabella Leo) becomes depressed after her grandma cancels her Christmas visit and decides to lift her spirits by throwing a New Year's Eve party.  

Peanuts has already tackled, and sometimes retackled, all the major holidays before (there's three other Christmas specials besides the first one), but it makes sense for them to revisit New Year's. The original special was decent, but doesn't leave that much of an impression (how much of it do you remember?), and is up there with the less memorable and less shown holiday specials alongside Arbor Day and Memorial Day. Heck, the Arbor Day one shines more than the New Year's one. (I also feel guilty now that the Memorial Day one has pretty much been forgotten. Was it a bit dry and the humor a little off? Sure. But, the heart was in the right place, gosh darn it!)  

The special is decent. It has one of the most heartfelt endings of all the Peanuts specials. It was also a nice change of pace to make the main focus Lucy. Yes, she's one of the main Peanuts characters, but if you look at ALL the specials, she's rarely ever the lead. She adds to what's going on, but the story is rarely about her. You really do feel her insecurities in this. You also get a subplot about Snoopy's siblings visiting that's a little sweet.

However, not every joke in this lands. The special doesn't quite have that classic Peanuts delivery and pacing. Also, NO RERUN!!! For the unfamiliar, he's Linus and Lucy's younger brother. He hasn't been in that many specials or shows, but during the last five or so years of the strips in the 90's he basically became Schultz's favorite character to write about. (I bothered to keep reading in the 90's for I am a true follow of Peanuts!, unlike you false believers!) He's a fun character, and they totally act like he doesn't exist. You even just see Linus and Lucy's stockings on the mantle. The animation company that created this used  Rerun in those two recent Snoopy shows, they know who he is. (Order of the Knights of Rerun we ride at dawn to smite the infidels in the name of our patron saint!) What really makes this frustration is that this special includes the far more ancillary Tapioca Pudding (Harley Ruznisky) who first and last appeared in 1986 and unlike Rerun has never, ever been in a special before.

Really liked the character animation. I don't think that the squiggly line appearance of the characters from the strip have ever been so accurately replicated. I don't know how I feel about the backgrounds. I like how colorful and striking they are, but the lack of solid lines on a lot of thingsfeels a little off.

Kinda recommended; imperfect but touching. It's not one of the the top Peanuts specials, but it's in the upper third or so. (Glory be to Rerun!) 

Sing 2

7.5/10

In the sequel, koala Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) takes his theater colleagues to the big city to put on an equally big show.

Admittedly, the movie rehashes the basic plot points of the first one. The animals try to put on a performance but face obstacles, Buster makes things difficult for himself by telling a lie, and all the performers have to deal with their own personal struggles.

Also, the various storylines either go very quickly (the subplot about reclusive lion music star Clay Calloway (Bono) really feels like the script is trying to break a record for speeding through the plot beats) or feel stretched out (too much time is given to wolf financial backer/antagonist Mr. Crystal (Bobby Canavale)).

However when you get down to it, the story is told decently enough and has a general sense of fun throughout. The big show they're creating really is imaginative, eye-catching, and well thought out. I would love to see something like that if it existed in reality.

Cast remains strong. (McConaughey really feels like he's giving his all to voice a character and not just do his regular style.) The three new characters brought in, Black Panther's Leititia Wright's Nooshy, a street dancing cat, the aforementioned Calloway, and Crystal's daughter (Halsey). Credit should especially be given to Halsey who's a singer and doesn't usually act. Like McConaughey, she's really playing a character, and when she sings, it feels like she's singing as her character and not herself. I am disappointed that Buster's sheep friend from the last film didn't return, but the cast is already crowded as is.

I was impressed with the animation. The designs of the flashy and/or ornate city buildings look really good. Surprisingly good direction and storyboarding. Many a non-verbal movement and shot feels well-thought out; much is said without a single word a times.

The song selections for this jukebox musical are all pretty good.

Kinda recommended. I can't say this is one of the most robust children's movies made. Nor does it do much to differentiate itself from it's predecessor. However if your kids liked the first, they'll probably like this. This movie feels like it came from a good place and it's a decent time waster. 

The 355

5.5/10

In The 355, several female spies become involved in the hunt for a weapon.

For most of the movie, I was going to go with a 7/10 for this. Admittedly, a lot of the dialogue/plot scenes felt by-the-numbers/tepid (never downright awful, just so-so). Plus, Pennyworth's Jason Flemyng (a good actor who really should be in more stuff) shows promise as a main villain only to be completely wasted.

But, the action scenes were pretty darn good; kept my attention. There was one line I rather liked and a couple plot points that surprised. The main cast was good across the board.

Then the very ending came. It was so ham-fisted, didn't make a lot of sense, and was insulting. Totally not worth sitting through the weaker parts and the two hour, four minute runtime.

Not recommended. Yeah, the action's good, but the ending isn't worth it for watching what was until that point just an okay movie anyways. 

Doctor Who- Eve of the Daleks

9/10

In this latest Doctor Who New Years special, the Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) and her companions find themselves trapped with the Daleks in a Groundhog's Day situation (yeah, for a show about time travel that's been around since the 60s, I'm surprised that they haven't done this yet) where time resets each time they're killed.

People may be getting tired of current showrunner Chris Chibnall using the Daleks for each New Years special, but they work pretty well as foes for this scenario. If the whole story involves people dying and you need someone for quick kills, the Daleks are the right fit. The show makes good use of their tactical expertise in this more than the average DW episode. 

This is probably one of the most fun and humorous episodes from Chibnall's run. The real strength of this is the two guest characters: grumpy Sarah (Aisling Bea) and awkward, good-natured Nick (Adjani Salmon). They're really the stars of this and not the Doctor & Co. They're both really entertaining and well characterized. The Doctor's newest companion Dan Lewis (John Bishop) is the standout of the regular cast here. He continues to be the most humorous and likable of the gang, and Bishop really sells the character. It's too bad that he'll probably be gone soon due to an upcoming showrunner change (at least it's traditional for companions to change; they might surprise us).

Recommended. This was just an all-around well-done story.

Reno 911!: The Hunt for Qanon

7/10

In this special on Paramount+ (yeah... special is what they're calling it; it's feature film length, but they called the two hour long South Parks "movies"), the deputies of Reno go on a cruise hosting a Qanon convention in order to serve a summons to Q.

It's been a while since I saw the show (and I never saw the Quibi season), but this definitely feels like the weirdest, most out there entry in Reno 911. I was initially into it, because it was different and some of the absurdities are pretty fun. However, the sheer randomness wears thin after a while and it doesn't end when you think it would. The special is only an hour and twenty-five minutes, but it feels a lot longer. (Since Reno 911! relies on improv with basic story setups, several scenes don't feel like they work because the concepts weren't robust enough. The weakest part is definitely the scenes involving the crew of the ship; they feel random and shoved-in and the actors felt the weakest at improv.)

Though uneven, when HfQ is funny, it's really, really funny. The last few seasons of Reno 911!'s original run did feel like they were running out of steam, but this feels like a real return to form. (Again, haven't seen the Quibi episodes. No idea whether they were funny or not.) The first two scenes were HILARIOUS!

The talented main cast all still have that improv magic that made the show. Regular face Patton Oswalt, who was even in the last film (because really, this is a film, not a special Paramount+!), returns as a Q member. He's pretty good in this. He's got a subplot with Wendi McLendon-Covey's Deputy Clementine Johnson and they have excellent chemistry together.

Ian Roberts as Sgt. Jack Declan, who was in season six and the Qibi run, returns. He's got the same issue that he had in his first season: he just isn't given enough time. The guy can be funny (see the mail sketch, one of the highlights of the disappointing season six), but it feels like either the writers who come up with the sketches don't assign enough for him to do, or he just doesn't speak up enough. If you liked Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Joe Lo Truglio as Deputy Frank Salvatore Rizzo, who also appeared in the same seasons as Declan, he isn't returning for this.  

How does this compare to the last film? I like this better. Don't get me wrong, HfQ is uneven, but I felt the jokes were stronger and it definitely leaves an impression. The last film had funny subplot sketches, but the main storyline was pretty lackluster. 

Kinda recommended. If you're a fan of Reno 911!, you'll probably like this, but the lack of direction and sheer over-the-topness may turn some people off, including possibly some fans who feel it doesn't match the feel of the show. Still, I'd say everyone will laugh at least once at this.

Death to 2021

8.5/10

In Netflix's sequel to its special Death to 2020, we get another retrospective mockumentary critical of the past year.

This felt as strong as the last one; just pretty on-point political and social satire. (If you're a conservative, this may not be your cup of tea as the writing is fairly liberal, though it's not like the writers never poke fun at Biden and such.) The specials are a British creation, and as an American it's interesting to see an outside viewpoint of events.

Great cast with some new and old faces. The most fun are returnees Hugh Grant as Tennyson Fobe OBE, a historian who's kind of full of himself, and Cristin Milioti as Kathy Flowers, an average suburban housewife/right-wing extremist. I'm sad to say that Lisa Kudrow doesn't return as her double-talking political PR character.

Highly recommended, this is pretty funny.