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Showing posts from February, 2024

"Cats (2019)" Somehow Boring

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      To be honest, this movie was not as bad as I remember, and yes I did watch this movie twice. However, it has been quite some time since I watched it, and my sister had wanted to watch it, so I figured I'd give it a go. However, I have to report that while the CGI cat fur is quite odd, that's not the worst part of the movie, it's the fact that it's boring. Like, I wouldn't say I snoozed through it all, or that I expected some masterpiece, but I think a movie that tries to be as shocking or as odd as this one really shouldn't have this issue. Let me explain.     Cats  is not meant to really have that dense of a plot. It's pretty much a showcase of all the different cats, and just supposed to be on big jolly time with cats dancing and singing their hearts out to entertain the audience. In fact, I remember doing research on this musical (yes I did research), and seeing an interview where they discussed the audition process for the musical. They prioritize...

"Six (Toronto 2024 Production)" More Show than Musical

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     I guarantee you that if someone told you that they were going to do a musical retelling of the six wives of Henry VIII, you'd be intrigued. Obviously there's the whole misogyny angle, and maybe you could work something interesting out of all the different perspectives on someone who generally was not considered a good person, but otherwise you'd think it'd be kind of plain. Never in your life would you imagine it be whatever this is. If you want a quick review of Six , here it is, it's more show than musical, and honestly that's not a bad thing, there really isn't much fluff, it's a big spectacle, but despite it all it's a blast, and only 80 minutes to boot, less than half the length of some musicals.     When I watched this production earlier today, I have to say that I was genuinely impressed, the lighting, the band, the singing, it really did just feel like a show. The chemistry was on point, the dancing was fun, and there was loads of claps ...

"White Chicks" Whiteface Works???

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     I'm going to be honest with you, I did not think this movie was going to be that funny. I mean don't get me wrong, of course I know about the movie, but all I knew about it beforehand was Terry Crews. So imagine my surprise when this movie doesn't actually star two white chicks, nor Terry Crews, and in the first 15 minutes I see two dudes put on the most ungodly whiteface I've ever seen. I don't really think this film would get made in the year 2024. Does that say something about the state of cancel culture, and where we as a society have gone with political correctness and comedy? Honestly, I'm not sure. Frankly, the whiteface is the least offensive part about this movie, especially considering the amount of racial stereotypes that get thrown around, and the like random racism that hits you like a battering ram at some points.     And in spite of it all, this movie works. When I say this movie is funny, it really is. I don't know if it's just the a...

"Batman Beyond Season 3" Ending Unceremoniously

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    I don't get it, I really don't. Why were the writers of this show so allergic to serialization? To having any sort of character development or overarching plot beyond season 1? Look, for someone who's supposed to be Terry's girlfriend, and someone who makes Terry question the precarious work-life balance he has, Dana does not appear at all in this season. Max has more screentime than her, and while I do love Max, at the very least incorporate her properly into this show. I mean she helps Terry so much I'm surprised Bruce didn't hire her to chill at his cave, or as an intern at Wayne Powers like Lucius Fox once was.         So many questionable choices for this season, so much potential just thrown away for this show to boil down into another villain of the week show but cyperpunk flavoured. Like seriously, that was the big finale to the show? Terry explaining why he can't reveal his identity to Dana? No wonder they had to include three  Batman Beyo...

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" That's It???

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      I'm going to be completely honest with you, I only watched this movie because I heard they were remaking it, and honestly the premise sounds kind of fun. However, I can report that after watching this movie, it's pretty overrated. Talking to my friends, they have all said that the movie is hot, which is fine, people are allowed to have their opinions, but honestly? This movie should have been at least ten times better than the end product. A movie with as interesting as a premise as this should not have to be relying on hot leads, which by the way, I will say I wasn't really attracted to either, though maybe that's just my aversion to white people.     I mean it wasn't a bad film, I wouldn't rate this under a 60, it's just, it's kind of weird. Like, the pacing is all off. I know action films don't really have that strong of a plot, but when you actually have a good premise for what should be a funny action movie, you should really capitalize on...

"Batman Beyond Season 2" Scraping the Barrel

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    When I read on Batman Beyond's Wikipedia page that the second season would be of lower quality, that due to the increase in episodes it'd feel more like your average villain of the week cartoon, I was highly skeptical. I can say with full confidence though that after completing the second season, that Batman Beyond  is losing a bit of it's touch, and it's quickly just becoming another background show for me, sort of like Justice League  when I first started out with it, and the issue simply is, I miss Blight.     Look, to have some variety in these twenty minute long episodes, you need to have some sort of large under arching plot, so that by the time you're done binging it, you feel pretty satisfied for having sat through everything. I suppose for some TV shows it doesn't have to be that way, just look at Rick and Morty , usually it's one episode per season dedicated to that long game. But you know what Rick and Morty  does instead? It's actu...

"Zombieland" If Only It Had More

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      Look, I'm not saying that this movie was bad by any means, but I do have to say that oddly enough, it had everything but a proper plot? I mean it checks all the boxes for what should be a pretty memorable action movie, loveable cast? Check. Unique final fight scene? Check. Big budget? Check. Not too long? Of course. Final message about how being together is the only way we can stay human in the face of great horror and tragedy? Check. Even still, both my sister and I came out of this film wondering, that's it? Not in the sense that we felt it was lacking in any particular department, it was just, the plot basically does not exist.     Let me explain. So Zombieland  can be explained as, four people just fucking around until they kind of reach Los Angeles. This movie almost feels like setup in a sense? I mean sure it is cool to see them explore a post-apocalyptic America, and Woody Harrelson's character is indeed fun as hell, but you're just left wonder...

"Batman Beyond Season 1" The People Need More

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     Asian lead? Check. Futuristic CGI atmosphere? Check. One of the coolest Batman designs? Of course. So watching this, I do have to ask, why haven't I watched this show sooner? How have they not remade this show? I understand ratings and all but I feel like Batman Beyond  and Spiderman: 2099  are some of the perfect shows to showcase some more diversity in lineups, while also appeasing comic book fans with cool designs. Apparently it was because of ratings, but honestly this is the kind of show that I feel like showrunners should be gunning for. It's in the future so you can do whatever with the Batman lore, you could probably just say it's an alternate dimension, and it's largely untapped which means you aren't bound by the constraints of comic book canon.     All this to say is that the show is really good. As someone who is slowly going through all of the animated DC TV shows of the 2000's, I really like this show. I mean sure a part of me does w...

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" Comfort, Comfort, Comfort

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    Can someone please confirm that Matthew McConaughey looks like Christian Bale in American Psycho  in this movie, because the entire time I could not get rid of the association in my head. Well, I could pretty easily, because even though my mind kept on telling me he was Bale, I was focused on this movie, which was surprisingly adorable considering the reviews. Everything on Google tells me that this movie should be pretty mediocre, it's plot kind of falls apart if you stare at it too quickly, it hasn't really woven itself into the cultural fabric in a way that it was really remembered, yet despite it all it perseveres.     I think the reason is pretty obvious, the chemistry between Kate Hudson and  Matthew McConaughey works, and they carry the show. They really did feel like a real couple, and particularly the part where they visit Ben's family was so adorable. Throughout this entire film you're kind of offended, Andie tries so hard to ruin a relat...

"Anyone But You" Full of Elegance, yet Somehow Lacking it

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      To summarize this movie, it's a decent rom-com. It's got some raunchy scenes, it swears a lot, like they say fuck a lot, and it's full of the opulence you'd expect from a big budget movie surrounding rich people. Yet dispersed within the movie, is humour that hinges on the physical comedy landing, and feeling oddly out of place much of the time? I'm not saying the movie is bad, it's just it's more romance than comedy, and when it does try to do comedy it can be a little jarring at times.     I think the biggest issue with this movie is that all the comedy is treated like a montage. Anytime there's Sydney Sweeney or Glenn Powell doing something comedic, it involves a series of cuts with them attempting to remedy the situation. While that is fine, at the same time it also makes the comedy feel pretty forced. I mean it was fine for me because I didn't come into this film expecting much, nor did I believe that the comedy was awkward enough to take ...

"Harley Quinn Season 4" Disgusting

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      This is a legitimate question, do the writers of Harley Quinn actually enjoy comics? Look, you can dissect and make fun of all the characters in the Justice League, it's good to have a little fun. You can also basically just have a normal show that's just superhero themed, that can also be fun. The only issue is it needs to be fucking good, and not the most contrived piece of shit you've ever seen. I'm legitimately baffled if anyone enjoyed this show, like even with the ending it was so so stupid. It's almost like the entire premise for season 4 involving Harley and Ivy was so bad they had to quickly reset it so they had something better to do.     Except, instead of trying to make an out, or trying to make anything that felt earned or satisfying, what they did instead was draw a straight line to exactly what they wanted. Harley being free to be a villain again? Check, though I don't understand their hesitation to use the phrase anti-hero, though I suppose...

"The F Word" Absolutely Adorable

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    I'm going to be honest, I checked out the ratings for this movie, and I was a bit scared. I mean, as a fan of those big franchises, of course I've seen clips of The F Word , Adam Driver randomly yelling at Daniel Radcliffe about sex and nacho's? It would make any young man ask themselves "should I check this out?' and after watching it with my sister, all I have to say is, "why not"? It's filmed in Toronto, it's quirky, but not in the obnoxious way, in the way that makes you go "huh" but in a good way, and it of course has a happy ending, so you don't leave feeling angry or as if you were just robbed of your time.     Where do I even start? Is it the acting? Is it the casting? I think it might be the casting, there's just something about Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan that really pulls this movie together. Their chemistry as these two, dorky, awkward, socially inept, yet loveable people are adorable to watch, and without it t...

"Harley Quinn Season 3" What Happened?

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       Was Harley Quinn  always this bad? I mean I remember watching the first two seasons on Netflix. It had this format of Harley leading her own squad of super-villains, and everything made sense. At times I even enjoyed parts of it, particularly Ivy's re-connection with humanity, especially as she got closer to Kite Man. Look, I bashed their decision to have Harley and Ivy reconnect, but I don't remember it being this bad. Was Kite Man holding everything together? That was never a thought that crossed my mind, because I actually enjoyed characters like Frank, Clay Face, King Shark, but this season they all feel like nuisances, so let me explain why I feel this way.     First off, this season just feels so aimless. If you could describe what the plot of this season is, it would be, it kind of focuses on Harley and Ivy's relationship, but also not? Like there's literally an entire episode dedicated to Joker basically fighting the PTA and suddenly bec...

"Justice League Unlimited Season 3" Same Old Same Old, For Better or for Worse

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      Thank god my reviews are only like five paragraphs long most of the time, because I really do not have much to say about Justice League Unlimited Season 3 . It is basically the exact same thing, once again, which is good, except they also manage to have the awful finale. What is up with Justice League Unlimited and just waiting the finale, the corny ending was fine, showcasing all the characters who had been present was fine, but at the same time it was also like why did they bring Darkseid back? I can't tell what I would have preferred, they went with the old and tired Lex Braniac villain again, or they brought Darkseid back.     I mean it was just so anticlimactic, the battle barely focused on Darkseid, it mostly just focused on the villains and heroes fighting. Don't even get me started on the Legion of Doom, I mean they were being set up as the next big bad, only for them to just help the Justice League fight an army of parademons in a montage of cameo...

"Batman: Arkham Asylum" I See the Vision

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      Look, I am most definitely not the first, and I won't be the last to rave about Batman: Arkham Asylum , from what I remember people looked at Batman: Arkham City  most favourably, but that's just what I remember being a kid, and considering this game was released almost 15 years ago, it holds up remarkably well. In fact, if I had to complain about this game there's only one real thing I feel like is slightly holding it back, other than the fact that it feels relatively short, combat. That I will touch upon later, but right now I think it's prudent that I continue to give this game the flowers it deserves almost 15 years later, because from what I've seen from other superhero games, having a success like this isn't given.     First of all, it's clear it's a bundle of love, look for some open-world games, I'm looking at you Bethesda, it's not a given that it'll be relatively bug-free, but with this game the map might be smaller but you ca...

"Justice League Unlimited Season 2" Anti-Climactic

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      I feel like if you posted my Justice League Unlimited Season 1  review, and pasted it here, almost all of it would apply for season two, except for one small thing. Look, everyone knows I love the slow serialization of a TV series. Ala Gravity Falls , or Avatar: The Last Airbender , where it's mostly just characters hanging out with each other, but the story slowly develops in the background until it completely takes over the show at the end. Don't get me wrong, Justice League Unlimited  is like that, and I think that's good, that it was the direction the show should have went, but I have to admit I was more than just a little disappointed to see the culmination of everything.     I mean Braniac has been hiding inside of Lex Luthor all of that time, and they merge to make Braniac Luthor, who is so unstoppable it takes the Flash randomly going supersonic to beat him, and it looks like he's about to die but they just pull him out, and to make sure ...