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Pain Hustlers (2023)
The Grey Line
This movie was very entertaining, really well acted, great plot -- the negative ratings are over inane points that probably would not bother the vast majority of viewer I feel. And though obviously these "based on a true story" films are bound to include exaggerations of reality, I thought the way that the story managed to illustrate how things can go from being "David vs Goliath" to flipping the script (pun intended) and becoming predatory was really well done.
Overall 8/10: Highly Recommended -- if you're not someone who likes to heavily dissect things, I don't think it is possible to regret this one!
The Mandalorian: Chapter 17: The Apostate (2023)
Some Ridiculous Reviews
What on earth are people's expectations here? It's a 30 min show created for all audiences... and it does an amazing job developing great characters with strong archetypes, repeatedly presents entirely unique worlds, progresses the plot, has awesome action sequences -- why do people need everything to blow them away for them to be able to appreciate it?? I for one an thankful for a formulaic iteration of an amazing story that I can happily watch with my children, and can proudly witness them try analyze and emulate the Mando while admiring him for sticking with his convictions as he traverses the galaxy and attempts to redeem is people. An absolutely excellent start to the season, cannot wait for more.
The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)
Ironic: a badly told story about the power of storytelling, lol
I actually surprisingly felt like all of the casting had some great acting potential, but there is basically zero character development in this show -- it's almost as if a 40 episode series were condensed into a very long YouTube summary/recap video, and all of the development is narrated out to you... like Netflix didn't really want to spend the time/money on a complete show, but someone in the studio thought it'd be really cool to squeeze this prequel in before the next season of the Witcher, to give the audience some background: all while producing something with room for literally every single woke trope under the sun! Kind of hilarious if you think about it.
The show actually might have been better done as an animated series, and honestly, a lot of the tone of the show struck similar to some recent shows like Vox Machina and Dragon Age. And a pretty decent Witcher animated movie does already exist anyway.
Overall though, I've seen worse unfortunately; probably isn't so bad if you maybe wanted to put it on in the corner of your screen while getting some other work done. Basically could serve as a podcast with some decent action scenes worth tuning in to scattered throughout 🤷♂️
Violent Night (2022)
Great concept! Likeable story, Underwhelmingly done though =(
This movie had a great concept, characters that were likeable enough (and hatable enough), a few really creative ideas and sequences, and was really well done at a couple of points. But at the same time the execution overall just didn't cut it unfortunately, no doubt could have been so much better than it was, especially with respect to how the action was directed -- still enjoyable though as I saw it through without it feeling like a drag. It's no Die Hard, but similar enough that a fan who isn't really too picky would probably not regret giving this flick a shot on a lazy winters eve!
(seven more characters for the min. Count)
The Recruit (2022)
Highly Entertaining
I just finished this binge. My only critical thought is: is it the most plausible show? Probably not - but that is never really the point of these kinds of shows. Just like The Ozarks, Sneaky Pete, or any number of other thriller type shows, the whole point is to follow a brazen, unabashed, resourceful main character into situations that only become progressively more impossible to contend with and see them through. Of course you have to suspend an amount of disbelief, and I am more than willing to do this when the characters are likeable, the dialog/acting is good, the pace is not boring, and its fun and not loaded with finger-wagging pretentious hollywood ideas --- so far this show checks all of the boxes! Not the most amazing thing I've seen, but has me smiling and eagerly clicking 'Next Episode' at the end of each.
There were definitely a few points in this show where I've found myself saying, "Oh man, this is so good," but a few places -namely in the last two episodes- I thought it felt strained by some script choices that were not greatest or most sensible.
Overall, I really found myself enjoying this show. It does fall short of being absolutely amazing because of a couple of points if you are looking for them -- so in honesty, this show is probably ranges between a 7 and a 9, but I definitely have no regrets with this one and recommend it for sure if you're looking for some laid back fun.
Beomjoidosi 2 (2022)
Great action flick
I write this review as someone who does not consume much outside of Hollywood. Great action (a little over the top in places, but is it's own unique style, definitely some things were really well done that I've never seen before), humorous characters that were likeable, good detective/teamwork dynamic, great plot twists and turns if you don't take them too seriously. Overall, highly recommended, even if you are not much of a foreign flick type of person.
Re-highlighting for word count: Great action --a little over the top in places, but is it's own unique style, definitely some things were really well done that I've never seen before.
House of the Dragon: We Light the Way (2022)
Masterful
I still don't find myself honestly caring for any one of the characters in this show, I think I probably dislike them all at least a little (it's a bit strange that this plot revolves around a weak King but I still prefer him to any of the other characters), but God is this show masterfully presented -- script, acting, wardrobe, set, lighting, choreography, cinematography, soundtrack, etc; this episode was perfection, especially in the face of the tragedy that the Rings of Power has been so far despite a 3-10x larger budget (I give it a shot every Friday, and now this Sunday's episode of HoD just accentuates how subpar it really sadly is; by all means, on paper RoP is the show I would think I should be most enjoying).
Still don't like it, but man am I looking forward to next week!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Beautiful; hopefully Tolkien's substance shines through
So far so good. Is it a little bit empty along with some interesting casting choices? Yes. But are the characters interesting, with strong archetypal undertones and potential for plot growth, yes -- I think something that is going underappreciated here by a lot of viewers is the fact that I can watch this show with children; it has a lot more Mandalorian vibes than GoT, and I welcome this. We have noble characters, some strong lines, absolutely beautiful landscapes and CGI, and a younger audience can engage with this very meaningfully.
I will not underestimate the fact that the source material here is Tolkien, and so far, things could probably have been better given the budget, but definitely nothing so far that is extremely off-putting to say in the least, so really rooting for the show to shine!
As said above, I will not deny there is some mediocrity, but I cannot fathom why/how a massive 30% of all the ratings are 1 stars... does not seem genuine to me.
Ryû to sobakasu no hime (2021)
Messy, yet somehow strikingly beautiful.
I watched this on a whim, generally I find Anime to be too cringy, this had some elements of that, but idk what it was, the main character's emotional state + expression was exceptionally portrayed, really beautiful -can't say I didn't shed a tear. No regrets watching this anime.
I watched this on a whim, generally I find Anime to be too cringy, this had some elements of that, but idk what it was, the main character's emotional state + expression was exceptionally portrayed, really beautiful -can't say I didn't shed a tear. No regrets watching this anime.
Gosh, why is this review trying to force me to have 600 characters minimum...
House of the Dragon (2022)
Gross men galore
Perhaps concern for how the great Father, Eddard Stark, might ever be redeemed was not the hook for all viewers ensnared by the first season of GoT, and yes, the focus for this series is obviously on the Targaryens and the rulers of King's Landing -chivalry is dead here, and its history is grimy and incestuous- but despite how Martin may/may not have written these characters/this story, how can there not be a single seemingly respectable male character in this entire introduction?? (save for *maybe* the sole token black man- ok, ep 02, he's out too) --even the discerning Hand turns out to be despicable POS.
Can a female lead not be well-liked by/endeared upon an audience these days without drowning us in her oppressive environment, packing it entirely with unwise/small and underdeveloped privileged white men??
I don't understand how writers/directors/producers expect people to want to watch just the Bad and the Ugly... sure, an insight or two into the injustices of the patriarchy, fine, but were this not a flagship show (touted to be among the most expensive productions in history) I would perceive this differently.
Not single compelling character, and I hope this beat to death "eff the patriarchy" theme is not all that remains prominent throughout the show, can't see how it might hope to strongly progress/develop otherwise.
Luck (2022)
Humorous and Enjoyable Family Film
It's no Zootopia, but not every animated film is going to entertain all ages perfectly -- that said, the choreographed sequences in the film are all really well done and well scripted: kids will love them, adults, you'll see it and smile. I really enjoyed it though, and am thrilled that we have a new nicely made, original, entertaining animation for families AND there was no out of left field subliminal -"let's model cultural change for children"- messaging to need to work with -- just a simple message about how lucky we are to have people who care for us in our lives.
Looking forward to more from Skydance!
The King's Man (2021)
European monarchs were not divine?!?
A caricature of European monarchs not often seen. I'm sure many will be offended by the emphasis placed on the feeblemindedness of past "nobles" and futility of devotion towards such leaders, but think its probably more preposterous to believe such a depiction ought to be condemned as antipatriotic (etc etc). I'm probably most happy that despite the ridiculing nature of this film, it managed to avoid the mainstream "de-colonial" "woke" progressive cliche.
Nine Perfect Strangers: Motherlode (2021)
A new kind of horror
The dread and fear experienced in this episode was a completely different type of unsettling!
Glad to see that this evolving past simply being one long psychedelics commercial.
👏
Only Murders in the Building: The Sting (2021)
ooomg
This episode really cranked up the juiciness, absolutely cannot wait for the next episode!
Great *clean* fun (sadly in short supply it feels like these days), I'm really loving this show!
Rick and Morty: Rickmurai Jack (2021)
Well, at least we got 2 episodes this season
Well, at least we got 2 episodes this season, very happy the season redeemed itself! -- that's all I have to say.
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
I concur:
Good Clean Lighthearted Fun -- kq999, couldn't agree more.
Chapelwaite (2021)
Atmospheric, potent.
On episode 4 (but IMDb won't let me rate it yet for some reason) where it seems the show begins to really pick up. Haven't ever read any Stephen King, and I've liked some of his previous TV adaptations, some not so much. In this one, so far, things have been layered on to the drama/mystery very nicely, creating a very dark cool & creepy atmosphere.
No complains about the acting/dialogue from me at all yet, some people will complain about anything though.
Very very much looking forward to how it proceeds!
Vacation Friends (2021)
Good time
I agree with most here, not the best thing i've ever seen or going to win any awards, but don't take it serious and it's a really fun movie.
I have to say, was a bit ambivalent about John Cena in the past, but he's absolutely killed it in Suicide Squad, and now this -- very much enjoyed both films!
The White Lotus (2021)
A diverse group of viewpoints
This show is amazingly well written; boring and a yawn to some, but not at all for me.
I think the thing I appreciated most was that -among this assortment of unlikable characters- as soon as you begin to dislike one, they redeem themselves is some small way and another presents themselves with some seemingly irreconcilable quality... And the best part is: by the end of it, there was no absolute verdict to be given on any one storyline --a strong facet was given to each side of every dynamic/relationship/conclusion in this show and we are free to judge these characters however we see fit! No patronization or forced-feeding; incredible; we are completely able to be our own observers in this show, and that doesn't seem to happen very much any more.
Excellent, true to life, and very different to any other show I've ever seen. Thoroughly enjoyed!
The White Lotus: Departures (2021)
A diverse group of viewpoints
This show is amazingly well written; boring and a yawn to some, but not at all for me.
I think the thing I appreciated most was that -among this assortment of unlikable characters- there was no real villain; as soon as you begin to dislike one, they redeem themselves is some small way and another presents themselves with some seemingly irreconcilable quality... And the best part is: by the end of it, there was no absolute verdict to be given on any one storyline --a strong face was given to each side of every dynamic/relationship/conclusion in this show and we are free to judge these characters however we see fit! No patronization or forced-feeding; incredible; we are completely free to be our own observers in this show, and that does seem to happen very much any more.
Excellent, true to life, and very different to any other show I've ever seen. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Naked Singularity (2021)
Def not a 4, probably a 6
Not the best, pacing/tension building could have been better, but plenty of strengths; great actors, strong story: it's a bit different, just the "singularity" angle kinda failed to shine through for me though.
I thought it very fairly portrayed where/how the US justice system can and does go wrong, it also highlights the fix -- definitely the films most redeeming quality.
Stays interesting throughout, good watch if you don't have much else going on on a Sat night.
Modern Love: On a Serpentine Road, With the Top Down (2021)
"Super Soppy" -they'll say
Don't watch if you're one of those critics that don't like to experience humanity at its purest, unflawed. I for one love a well written piece that demonstrates people trying their best and pulling through together.
Beautiful return to the series. Def going to take my time with this season, gonna try not to consume it all in one go.
Edit:
Watched em all 🙈; Whatever some of these stories are trying to convey about "modern" love, I definitely think portrayal of classical virtues in contemporary settings is the winning combination in episodes for me -- my condolences to anyone who feels differently.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Very enjoyable!
I thought this film was all around excellent.
Greatly amusing dynamic between the all of the characters and their individual/combined degeneracy. And I think its the well delivered (but not so heavy) message about how even "the lowliest and despised of all creatures have a purpose" that put it over the top for me.
Not very much more to say, I enjoyed it thoroughly!
Rick and Morty: Amortycan Grickfitti (2021)
Definitely one of the better episodes
There have been quite a few "misses" since season 3 ended, this one was a nice witty return to what made some of the old episodes great. Thoroughly enjoyed!
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Pretty SFx + Pratt
Pro: Action packed;
Cons: not well written at all, and waay too much disbelief to suspend constantly throughout. Really really unfortunate
Gotta love Chris Pratt though.