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.

Cobra Kai- Season 4

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

9/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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