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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Elvis (2022)

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Elvis is an interesting biopic, but one that has a certain audience in mind. While I do appreciate the film’s unique storytelling, its novelty wears off. Not everything in this movie works. Sometimes you get some interesting narrative about Elvis, but most of the time, this film is sporadic and lacking in focus. While I didn’t outright hate this film, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. I definitely won’t be watching it again by choice.

Elvis is the dramatization of Elvis’s career. The movie will jump around various key moments in Elvis’ life. These jumps often happen in the same scene. I can’t speak on the film’s historical accuracy, but parts of this movie feel embellished for narrative purposes and to make Elvis a sympathetic character. I can’t overlook how one-sided this narrative seems to be. I can only wonder about the unfavorable parts of Elvis’ personality that they hide behind the flashing lights and his famous wiggle.

Elvis is fine. The acting and music are great, but the sporadic narrative style leaves a lot to be desired. The constant jumping in time, the overbearing narration, and the editing make this feel like a long trailer for the movie about his life. This whole experience feels like an Elvis Presley speedrun that skips a lot of crucial story beats about his character. When the movie decides to have a long uninterrupted scene, I loved it. I loved watching the performances, but they were often cut too short. As I have mentioned before, the concept is great, but the execution isn’t effective.

If you are an Elvis fan, you will probably have a lot more fun than I do. I loved the music in this movie, I am sure you have a deeper appreciation for it. I also can’t deny that Austin Bulter gives a great performance. That said, this is made with a specific audience in mind, and if you don’t like the style, you won’t like the movie. If you like biopics, this is an interesting one, to say the least; otherwise, I would hold off on watching this till you can find it somewhere for free.

Series Reviews

Series Review: The Sandman (2022)

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I can’t recommend The Sandman enough. This is fantasy at its finest. The story is amazing, the acting is mostly great, and it is such a beautiful show. I can’t speak on how close of an adaptation it is to the comic, but I can speak on what a good show this is.

The series deals with the gods and forces outside of the human realm that affects the human experience. Forces like death, desire, and dreams are manifested as gods, each with its own domain to rule. The natural order of things gets complicated when a series of events lead to the capture of Dream. Years go by, and Dream’s kingdom crumbles. The show focuses on a newly freed Dream as he tries to rebuild his Kingdom and his power.

I have been impatiently waiting for any new fantasy to hold me over till the next season of The Circle of Time. This definitely helped soothe my impatient heart, but now I fear I will be impatiently waiting for this next season of The Sandman as well. It is safe to say that I am obsessed with this show, and there is a good reason for that. The narrative is interesting, full of well-generated tension, interesting villains and heroes, and some pretty fantastic world-building. I love that Dream isn’t a traditional hero. Dream will often act whit his own interest in mind because he is not limited by human morals. He will slowly realize that this is not always in the universe’s best interest, and his thinking slowly changes as a result of his experience. It is very cool to see a hero who learns from his journey as he deals with his flaws and inhibitions.

The narrative style for this show is unique. Each arc seems to have its own voice, keeping the series fresh and exciting. It is nice to see fantasy that doesn’t follow the usual tropes. My only complaint is with the inconsistency of the acting. Some actors give amazing performances, while others do their best but have awkward delivery. It isn’t a terrible problem, but it is noticeable. I also had an issue with the pacing. I felt it slows down towards the end, but I never felt like it was unwatchable. 

This is a great series and you can watch it on Netflix!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Wedding Season (2022)

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Wedding Season is a surprising rom-com. You have seen this narrative formula before, and that’s okay. Wedding Season has been reskinned to the experience of an Indian American couple trying to live their lives under the pressures of their community. It is a solid date night movie and one that you won’t hate if you are forced to watch it.

Wedding Season is about an Indian American woman Priya who just wants to live her life her own way and build her career. Her mother takes it upon herself to find Priya a man. Priya in an effort to take some of the pressure off herself agrees to date one of her mom’s prospects. Priya and Ravi then decide to create a fake relationship so that their families, and the rest of their society, will leave them alone. Fantasy turns to reality, and both find that their feelings for each other are real.

This rom-com was very well done, the story is cute, and the actors are amazing. I loved the new perspective and twist on this story. I can’t speak on the cultural accuracy of the movie, but I do appreciate seeing brown people in roles where they aren’t offensive caricatures. There really isn’t much more to say about this movie because you have seen this movie countless times already. I didn’t mind it because they do enough to make this movie feel fresh. My only complaint is that there are parts that dragged on for me, but I think that is a personal problem. I watch too many movies.

If you are looking for a date night movie, Wedding Season is a solid choice. If you are a fan of the genre, you will have a lot of fun with this movie. Check it out on Netflix!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Thirteen Lives (2022)

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I don’t watch movies that are based on real-world events. I have never been a fan. That said, I enjoyed Thirteen Lives, it is a very well-made movie. If you are on the fence and enjoy these kinds of movies, you will not regret the time you spend with this movie.

Thirteen Lives is a proper dramatization of a terrible moment in human history. The film recreates the rescue of the Thai youth soccer team and their coach as they were trapped in a flooding cave system. The movie will focus on the different groups involved in the rescue, and it does a fantastic job showing how complicated and exhausting the whole ordeal was. 

I am familiar with what happened, but I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. This is no easy feat. The acting and all the moving parts came together to create an incredibly suspenseful and claustrophobic experience. Watching the divers move through the dark flooded tunnels still gives me anxiety. Watching the other groups work tirelessly to get the boys was heartwarming. This film is a proper homage to the heroes who made the rescue happen. A homage you are sure to enjoy if you choose to watch it. 

Thirteen Lives is available for streaming on Amazon Video with a Prime membership. Check it out if you are thinking about watching it. 

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Prey (2022)

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I love Predator. It is one of my favorite movies. I will watch everything that features the Yautja, no matter how bad they are. I have known disappointment so many times that my hope for the series is fleeting. When I heard about Prey, there was the bittersweet sensation of cautious excitement because the trailer looked cool, but I wasn’t ready to be hurt again. This movie has restored my faith in the series and has become one of my favorites. If you are thinking about watching this film, watch it now!

This prequel focuses on Naru, a young female Comanche warrior who is constantly trying to prove herself to the men of the tribe. The Yautja has landed on earth, searching for worthy prey to hunt. The Yautja begins to hunt the Comanche warriors. Now Naru must protect her tribe against this strange and powerful hunter.

This movie is fantastic. The action is fun, the story is great, and the acting is fantastic. Watching the Yautja hunt is tense and exciting. The film does a great job of making the fights balanced and exciting. The only complaint I have about this movie is that some of the special effects are bad. Some deaths and fights are cartoonishly bad, but not bad enough to ruin the movie. This is one of the better stories set in the predator universe. It has well-built tension that builds to one of the most satisfying conclusions. The acting is phenomenal. It goes without saying, this movie has one of the best female leads in the genre. She is cool and smart, and I believed she was capable of hunting the Yautja. I can only hope there are more movies of this caliber for the genre and the predator universe. 

 It cannot be understated, you need to watch Prey. It is available in English and a Numunuu dubbing. I wish the whole movie was done in Numunuu, and we got an English dubbing after; but we might not be there as a society yet

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Luck (2022)

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Luck failed to leave any impression on me. It isn’t a terrible movie, but it isn’t good enough to recommend. If you have to sit through this for your kids you won’t hate it. You will lose interest and forget you watched it, but it won’t be the worst kids’ movie you’ve sat through.

Luck is the story of the words unluckiest woman, Sam. Everything always goes wrong for Sam, but she manages to live with her bad luck. This all changes when one day she finds a magical lucky penny. Unfortunately, Sam is too unlucky even for magic, and she loses the penny. Now, with the help of a magical black cat, she must find a new lucky penny to help her friends.

The story is just predictable fluff that started as a cool concept. I liked the good and bad luck world, but I wish there was a bit more world-building. The pacing sucks. There are parts of this movie that drag so slowly that I almost gave up on this movie. I never give up on movies. The art is cute, but the animation is awkward and stiff. The voice acting is very inconsistent. Some of the actors are great, but most give very awkward line reads. This movie has its audience, and it is kids. 

If you have kids, fine, go for it. It’s cute, and you can tune out when you need to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. For those interested, you can watch this on Apple TV.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Lightyear (2022)

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Lightyear has just been released on Disney+, and after watching it, I understand why it flopped so badly. The first few minutes show promise. I was optimistic about the story because Buzz was interesting. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie turned into a disappointing and generic kids’ action movie. 

Buzz is the lone wolf archetype you are already familiar with. There isn’t much variation in his character or his journey, so why bother? His tendency to work alone causes the series of events that leave him and the colony stranded on a strange planet. The guilt Buzz feels about getting everyone stranded fuels his obsession to be perfect. Buzz makes it his mission to help get the colony into space again. His guilt and pride drive the remaining of this disappointing narrative. It isn’t a bad movie, but you have seen this story play out better elsewhere.

The voice acting was fine, but there are some awkward line readings that are hard to ignore. It can be better. I wish they would stop using celebrity voice actors and instead focus on hiring good voice actors. Good voice acting wouldn’t save this movie, but it would be more watchable. 

The characters in this movie are flat and uninteresting. Buzz is a generic action hero, the villain is a terrible trope that ruined the movie, and the side characters are one-note characters that only exist to make their one joke. I didn’t care about the movie because I didn’t care about the characters and that is a problem.

The story is a generic action movie. Buzz wants to work alone, but this one mission helps him realize that he can’t do everything alone. I was excited when I watched the trailers because I remember liking the animated series. Unfortunately, instead of the epic space adventure, we get a recycled story we have seen too many times already. This movie needs a compelling villain, a better lead and side characters, and a unique story. 

I am glad I didn’t spend any money on this movie because it isn’t worth it. It isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. If you are forced to watch this, you aren’t going to hate it, but you probably won’t watch it again. I know I am not. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.

video game reviews

Game Review: Noel the Mortal One (2022)

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I received Noel the Mortal Fate as a review code. I want to thank Playism for the opportunity to review this title. That said, I will not let this sway my opinion of the game. This will be an honest review of the game.

Noel the Mortal Fate is a visual novel with some minor gaming elements to it. This is a book, and any gameplay, whether it be puzzles or boss fights, is a railroad you to a certain ending. The choices you make and any exploration available don’t matter. The puzzles and boss fights are simple, as the focus of this title is to tell a story. If you like manga or anime, this is a solid revenge plot with a lot of the anime tropes you are familiar with. I had a lot of fun with this title, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone.

Noel is a young prodigy pianist who has lost the most important piano competitions in her town. Angered by the loss, she is tricked into making a deal with the devil. Unbeknownst to her, the deal will restore her honor at the cost of her limbs. Caren, the devil she summons, takes pity on Noel and promises to help her get her revenge on the person who tricked her into making the deal. The game then follows Noel’s journey toward vengeance. This is a game full of interesting characters, epic fights, and devil pacts. Will Noel be able to exact her revenge? You will need to play to find out.

Gameplay-wise, this is a book. There is a lot of reading and no voice acting. The reading is occasionally broken up by puzzles, fights, and light exploration. I enjoyed the story, but I am speaking as an anime fan. The characters are unique and interesting, although some of them are anime archetypes. I loved the style of storytelling. Most of the story exists in 2D animated sprites, but they make it work. The use of flashbacks, fight scenes, music, and comic strips all come together to tell an engaging narrative. Boss encounters felt epic, character growth was exciting, and the flashbacks were woven in nicely. My only complaint would be with the translation. I noticed some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, but none of it was unplayable. 

I played this game on the Nintendo Switch and loved it. Undocked, the game runs great. The letters are easy to read, and the maps were very visible. When docked I used a controller. It was nice to have a bigger screen, but it isn’t necessary. In both modes, I preferred the d-pad for movement because it allowed for more control. Movement in this game is awkward, and I often overshot targets. The d-pad offers more control over the movement, but it isn’t perfect. The awkward movement added unnecessary difficulty to the puzzles and boss fights.

Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot. I liked the story and loved the music, but I wish the game offered meaningful choices to give it replayability. It would be nice to have multiple endings instead of being railroaded into one. Some of the gameplay feels like padding, like when you control a character to walk through a hallway. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was enough world-building where I wasn’t lost or overwhelmed. The characters were interesting and memorable. I ended up becoming very invested in the narrative, often rooting for the heroin’s success. 

This is a niche game. If you like anime and visual novels, this is a solid one. If you are curious about the genre, Noel the Mortal Fate is a nice starting point. The story is interesting but easy to follow, the characters are unique and well developed, and it isn’t overly sexualized. Just know that you aren’t buying a game, but a novel with gaming elements. 

It is available for the Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Links lead to respective store page.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Don’t Make Me Go (2022)

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Don’t Make Me Go is a fantastic movie, and you should be watching it. The acting is amazing and the story is great, but keep in mind that it is sad.

Max is a single father who finds out he only has a year to live due to bone cancer. In an effort to spend his remaining time with his daughter, and leave her with the only family she has left, he takes her on a road trip to meet her birth mother. Will this trip be the perfect goodbye, creating the lasting memory it is intended for?

This movie is sad, but it has enough cute and heartwarming moments that make up for it. While the story brought me to tears, I wasn’t depressed after. It won’t ruin your day if you watch this. The ending is cheesy yet satisfying. The story is well done and made better by its cast. 

This movie has some amazing leads. You need to watch this performance. They are amazing, and the chemistry they share is unparalleled. For a movie like this to work, you need a believable father-daughter relationship, and they are able to create a cute one. You will laugh when you need to laugh, but you will also cry when you need to. The performances are that moving. 

You can stream this on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.