Ranma 1/2 (2024)- Season 1

Grade: A

In this reboot of the 90's anime based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, Ranma Saotome and his father Genma are martial artists who fell into separate cursed springs when training in China. Now whenever they are hit by cold water, Ranma turns female and Genma turns into a panda. They return to Japan and end up staying at the house of Genma's old friend Soun Tendo, whose Ranma's hand in marriage Genma had promised to one of his three daughters. They end up matching Ranma with youngest daughter Akane, who is also a martial artist. She and Ranma initially butt heads, but there's a whole will-they, won't-they with them.

I only saw the first two movies and a few of the OVAs of the original show. I can't give definite comparisons of these two versions, but what I'm understanding here is that the new one is trying to be closer to the original manga. The coloring and line work is a lot closer to Rumiko Takahashi's style (it's really impressive these days how close animation can get to copying the original penciling/inking from a comic). The pacing is a lot quicker as well (the old show had to deal with the fact that the manga hadn't been finished and avoiding catching up with it too quickly). Also from what I'm hearing, the reboot is cutting down a little on the Chinese stereotypes from the original.

This show is really fun. I understand why the original anime and manga were huge hits. Ranma and Akane live in a crazy world where they encounter a large cast of people who also know martial arts. Plus, everyone is so weirdly accommodating of the random fights. Some of the fights are very inventive, including an ice skating fight, and over-the-top. 

The characters are another one of the reasons of the manga/anime's lasting charm. As all of them so far are unique and often weird. (My favorite is Ranma's frenemy Ryoga Hibiki who has a rivalry with Ranma but gets dragged into his various problems as well). Though the anime is silly, the two main leads are three-dimensional, and you do get to feel about them.

American viewers may be uncomfortable with the first episode, which I think Netflix had the show originally rated as TV-MA because if it before the rating went down. (Unfortunately, the streaming service rates the series as a whole and not by individual episodes). This episode has no qualms showing frontal, nipple-less boobs of 16-year old female Ranma. Not ideal. 

Highly recommended. Besides the issue with the first episode (and I completely understand if that is a deal breaker), this is a really well-written show where everything and everyone just clicks.

Doctor Who: Joy to the World

Grade: B

In this new Doctor who Christmas special on Disney+, the Doctor (played by Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) investigates sinister goings-on at a hotel.

This is a mixed effort. The emotional highs here are really well done, including a couple moments that may be some of the best in a Doctor Who Christmas special. Gatwa, who has proven himself as one of the top Doctors and one brimming with life and emotion, gives one of his best performances as the character here. Plus, we got a game supporting cast. What is actually going on at the hotel is a neat concept.

However, not everything in this is as strong. This is written by former 2nd showrunner Steven Moffat, and he repeats something he's already done several times in the show and for which he's already gotten criticism. Though there is a lot of heart in this, Joy to the World has one of the higher body counts for a DW Christmas special. I know the show has always had a juxtaposition between the happy and the sad, but this is one of those episodes that feels a little too bipolar.

The Doctor's guest companion here Joy Almodo (Derry Girls/Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan), though she has a backstory, feels more paper thin previous one episode companions. She needed more screentime as there there are a lot of supporting characters taking up room and some of them are more interesting than Joy.

Kinda recommended. This is honestly one of the more emotional Doctor Who Christmases and Gatwa's performance is must-see, but the writer is a little too over-the-place and certain plot decisions may annoy some.

Nosferatu (2024)

Grade: B

In this remake of the 1920’s silent film which was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, real estate agent Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult), is sent to finalize paperwork with the mysterious Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgard). Soon he learns the truth of his client: a vampire who desires Thomas’ wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp).

Robert Eggers, who has made a name for himself directing historical horror such as The Witch and The Lighthouse, returns to the genre after a one-film absence for this, and Nosferatu might be his best looking film, as well as one of the best looking movies this year. This is one of those films with a clear stylistic vision. The sets and camera work all evoke another time and a sense of dread, including one of the scariest alone on a road at night scenes I’ve ever seen. This is a bleak movie and the lighting is appropriately bleak to match. However, it can make it harder to see in the darkly lit scenes, though this isn’t one of those films where it’s completely dark the entire time.

I’ve got mixed feelings about the look of Orlock. I see what Eggers was going for, but the look can’t match the distinct appearance and menace of the original. That having been said, Orlock is definitely is set up as someone you don’t want to cross paths which. He is supposed to be an old-school folkloric creature of death vampire, not a suave, sexy type. He is also probably one of the most dangerous and powerful vampires put to film. (One must also give credit to Skarsgard’s performance. Unlike with Pennywise in It, you can’t tell it’s him at all). 

As for the script, it has good dialogue and is scary. However, it’s stretched way too long. There is waaayyy too much of Ellen having ill forebodings of the future and being generally upset.

Eggers has a reputation for trying to be more historically accurate than other directors. Of course, liberties are still taken, but the movie tries to fit within the rules of the time. Nosferatu goes for a an old-school, grounded sort of feel that really helps its mission of being a harsh folk tale.

Solid casting in this; Hoult does a great job of reacting to ancient horror. I’d like to put the spotlight on a couple supporting players: 1) Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Thomas Hutter’s friend, a man who life has been good to and not prepared for the events to come. Taylor-Johnson gets cast a lot in action films, but this movie gives him a chance to show that he has acting chops. 2) The Witch’s Ralph Ineson as a doctor. He plays a character that has been mostly extinct since the 50’s/60’s: the man of science who is surprisingly chill when facing the unknown or unexplained. I honestly didn’t realize it was Ines in the role. He sounded and looked differently than he usually does. In a movie full of distraught or zealous people, he was kind of comforting as the level-headed guy trying his best.

Kinda recommended. This may be too long for some and it may frustrate some with how seriously Eggers takes a story about a vampire, but this is an ambitious, stylish work that looks great and is scary.

Invincible Fight Girl-Season 1

Grade: A

This is a new show on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim’s Tonami block, but despite its placement like the new Superman cartoon this is child-friendly. CN is having trouble keeping younger viewership what with streaming and social media. However, Adult Swim still has a long time adult audience propping it up with better numbers, which is why this was placed here.

Invincible Fight Girl is about Andy (voiced by General Hospital’s Sydney Mikayla) who lives in a world where wrestling is everything, except on Andy’s homeland of Accountant Isle where accountants are born and raised. Though expected to be an accountant, Andy dreams of being a wrestler and has secretly practiced all her life. This is her journey to becoming a real one.

This is an homage to anime, specifically the shonen type where the protagonists encounter one antagonist after another. This is an impressive ode to anime while also managing to have its own style and voice with a thought out universe populated with diverse and distinct characters. 

The show also has some some unexpectedly emotional moments. Some characters have legitimately sad or sympathetic backstories, and Andy has to jump a lot of hurdles and learn some lessons about life on her path.

Some may find the beginning episodes where Andy has to deal with her parents who have different designs for her future to be pretty formulaic. But, that ends pretty quickly and things get interesting.

Also, Andy’s main focus is getting a trainer this season. Usually this type of plot point takes an episode or two, but here it’s the full season storyline, so I want to make sure you’re not asking “Why’s this taking so long”? Pacing isn’t slow, though. We end up getting a bunch of story ideas that work well.

Got a game voice cast in this. Mikayla does a great job of performing Andy’s doubts, dreams, and empathy.

Highly recommended. Haven’t heard much talk about this online, which is too bad, as this is a well-written and entertaining show, and I hope it gets a second season.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Grade: A

(Note: This review will briefly discuss an element in the movie that has already been shown through a lot of promotional material. However, said element is kept a mystery for a little bit of the film and if you're coming in completely cold turkey to this, you may want to avoid this review if you want to be completely surprised).

In the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and friends must confront the mysterious and dangerous Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) who is angry at the world.

3 differentiates itself from the last two movies by being the franchise's Empire Strikes Back. This is noticeably darker and contains more mature, tragic elements. (Since the movie features Shadow, they drew a lot of the story from his premiere game which had his origin story Sonic Adventure 2, one of the most serious games in the franchise. Yes, there are more serious Sonic games).  This culminates in a touching and well told story about loss and about how we deal with our past. 

Using the Sonic games anti-hero Shadow was always going to be a bit of a risk as they had just already used an equally fast rival to Sonic in the form of Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Of course there was the risk of Shadow being just more of the same, but he manages to feel fresh. Whereas Knuckles was goodhearted but misguided and had a silly side to him, Shadow is bitter and angry and is played completely straight. He works as a great opposite to Sonic. He's also a boss when he fights, being faster than Sonic and friends and has a wider skill set than them, featuring some style of fights that haven't been done before.

As much as I've talked about the darker elements, that's not to say this movie doesn't have jokes. Honestly the more serious parts and the humor manage to coexist really well. That all having been said, I did think they could've cut down on a few of Sonic's snarky lines.

The whole story culminates in the most impressive final battle in the series. It knocks the other two out of the park as it goes full EPIC.

Admittedly due to the movie being plot heavy and having a lot of characters, some scenes and elements felt like they were sped through too quickly. Also, some of the human characters from the previous films don't have much screen time. (I know some people complain about them, but I like 'em).

Shapiro remains a great casting choice as Sonic. He's an expert of displaying bravado in a fun manner, but when it comes the time for Sonic's more emotional side, he's able to pivot so easily. 

Yes, Jim Carrey as Sonic's enemy Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and this time also playing his grandfather Prof. Gerald Robotnik, continues to be one of the highlights with his comic performance. I was worried that Gerald would be played too similarly to his grandson, and while there are similarities between the two, the guy really feels like a separate person. While in the previous, Robotnik has basically been played as a cartoon villain, this movie dives into his past and what makes him tick, and for the first time Carry gets some more dramatic material, and he really manages to knock it out of the park. (Given that in the past Carry hadn't been a fan of making sequels and that he'd said recently that he was planning to retire, the script here makes it completely obvious why he decided to come back as it gave him more to do).

Highly recommended. Director Jeff Fowler and his writers have reached that extremely rare achievement where all three films in a trilogy are good and there is no quality degradation. 3 manages to be as good as its predecessors but in a different way. 

Y2K

Grade: B

SNL alumni Kyle Mooney's directorial takes place on New Year's Eve 1999. In this alternate reality, Y2K wasn't fixed in time and electronical devices start attacking and killing people. The movie follows unpopular teen Eli (played by It's Jaeden Martell) as he tries to survive the night. 

The movie is fairly funny, has some surprisingly well-written character progression with a couple supporting characters, and a couple of moments that really take you by surprise. This was clearly made on the cheap, but the mostly practical electronics effects look good.

The first half is really well-paced and moves quickly. However, the plot slows down for the second half, and a few of the dialogue exchanges really feel like they could've been cut down and cause you to lose your enthusiasm a little.

Eli's goal of landing the popular girl is a pretty basic high school comedy storyline that we've all seen before. I honestly wished they'd gone with another scenario for this premise. 

The best performances in this are the supporting players. Mooney plays a druggie DVD rental clerk, and he's good with making fun of laid back 2000's-personalities. Hunt for the Wilderpeople's Julian Dennison as Eli's best friend brings the same loud personality he's known for being good at. Yeah, it's nothing new, but he still has one of the best scenes in the movie. The actors who took me most by surprise are Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's Lachlan Watson and Tales from the Loop's Daniel Zolghadri as a couple of rap enthusiasts with differing philosophies (mainstream vs. non-commercial). 

Not particularly recommended one way or another. Some will have genuine fun while others may be bored with the second half or Mooney's over-reliance on references to the 2000's rap/rock scene.

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter

Grade: A

Singer Sabrina Carpenter hosts this Netflix Christmas special which consists of musical numbers and comedy sketches.

I’m not saying this is revolutionary in the grand scheme of Christmas variety specials, but this feels like it has a bit more of self-awareness including an entertaining opening number that is a little meta about Christmas specials. The sketches as a whole ain’t too shabby, including one funny musical numbers. Carpenter seems to be genuinely enjoying herself hamming it up in the funny bits.

The singer was quite the get for Netflix. Besides her popularity in the music world (you can hear three different songs by her on the radio right now), she is also charismatic (she started off as an actress, and played the best friend on Girl Meets World, so she knows how to perform non-musically).

The more traditional musical numbers are enjoyable as well. The costume department really put an effort into the outfits.

The surprise guests are satisfactory (and there are several). The ones that are the most fun are the ones that aren’t necessarily the most famous people they could get,  but the ones you can’t predict.

Recommended. If you don’t like non-scripted variety specials, this isn’t going to change your mind. For everyone else, this was a fun, silly time.

Family Guy: Gift of the White Guy

Grade: B-

In this Christmas Family Guy special on Hulu, Peter Griffin (voiced by show creator Seth McFarlane) has to find a gift for his company’s white elephant gift exchange, and Stewie (also McFarlane) tries to turn over a new leaf, so he can stay off the naughty list.

Just like the Halloween special, this appears to be a regular episode that was arbitrarily called a special and put on streaming. 

This is a somewhat stronger entry than the last one.The Brian (again McFarlane)/Stewie b-plot was stronger and more unexpected than they usually are. There are a couple truly funny moments. Also, Peter’s logical-minded boss Preston Lloyd (The Orville’s Peter Macon) is in this, and he is always fun. (It has occurred to me that he is Peter’s fifth boss, man, Peter has gone through a lot of them).

However, this does have another worn out Peter/Lois (MadTV/The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Alex Borstein) storyline where it does not really focus on their relationship, but it still feels toxic and worn out. 

Also, this wholesale recycles a subject for a joke from an earlier Christmas episode and not as well.

Recommended if you are a fan of the show that still watches, but not a standout or entry point.