Tag Archives: hero

Series Reviews

Series Review: The Imperfects (2022)

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Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

The Imperfects is Netflix’s new show about superhumans, and it is not half bad. It does take an episode or two for it to get interesting, but it ends up being a solid story. If you like X-men, it touches on many of its central themes. It is a solid attempt at the metahuman narrative, and a much better adaptation than any of the modern live-action X-men movies.

The show is about a geneticist whose obsession to cure mankind’s diseases unleashes a series of unforeseen mutations into the world. The show focuses on three youths whose mutations have manifested in unique and unwanted abilities. Frightened by their new development and desperate to be normal, they seek a cure. The problem is that the only scientist capable of making a cure has gone missing. Will they ever be able to find a cure, or will they live the rest of their lives as monsters?

I was surprised by this series because I have been disappointed by this concept many times before. The Imperfects may not be the perfect metahuman show, but it does show promise. While it may be limited by its budget, I can’t fault it for its creativity. If anything, this series proves you don’t need Sony’s budget to make a good series about metahumans. At its core, it has a strong enough narrative played by a good cast. Some of the writing isn’t great, and the show carries a general cheesiness, but it has an unmistakable charm that kept me interested till its season finale.

I loved the characters. Each lead has his or her own back story and goes on an important journey where they experience some kind of growth. It is refreshing to see a show like this have characters who aren’t the same at the end as where they started. The Imperfects is a unique take on the superhero narrative in which the characters don’t want to be burdened by their powers, or be heroes. Instead, they pursue a selfish goal but are constantly being tested into acting selflessly. It makes for an interesting dynamic in which the characters constantly face difficult decisions. It has its flaws. Some of the powers are imbalanced and they don’t know what to do with all their characters, but it remains a solid attempt.

I can only hope that this series takes off and we get a second season. You should watch this if you like the superhero genre and are waiting for something to watch. Even if you aren’t interested, it is worth a gander if you have nothing else to watch. You can stream it now on Netflix. 

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Movie Reviews

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

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Thor Love and Thunder just released on Disney + and while I wouldn’t go out of my way to go watch it, you won’t hate it if you have to sit through it. This isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but it is a mediocre superhero film. It certainly has some solid moments, but there are too many issues with it that make it hard to recommend. If you have nothing better to do, want a family movie night option, or just need some background noise, this can certainly fill a hole.

The movie deals with a Thor who has lost much of his purpose. With his homeland destroyed and his relationship over, Thor roams the universe with the Guardians of the Galaxy in search of a new purpose. This all changes when an entity begins to hunt down and kill the gods of the universe. With the aid of some new and old allies, Thor must put a stop to this new evil before the universe is robbed of all of its gods. Will he be able to save the universe once again? Probably.

This movie was fine, but it is hard to ignore its issues. The acting is good, the music is fantastic, and the villain is great. My issues with this movie are with some of its stylistic and narrative choices. This movie is desperate for a laugh, but not all of the jokes land. It’s hard to sit through a comedy that’s not funny, but at least it is not a Kevin Hart movie.

Another issue I have with this movie is how much it tries to be meta. This isn’t Deadpool, but I did enjoy Matt Damon putting on a play recapping the events of the last movie. That said, it gets old, and it feels out of place. There is an overbearing narrator that only comes in to completely destroy all the tension or change the tone of the movie. There is way too much comic relief in this movie when all I want is cool epic Norse mythology. As a result, the movie will feel slow because nothing happens or the jokes just aren’t funny. They made a mistake trying too hard to make this movie kid-friendly, and the narrative suffers for it. There is a kid-friendly way to tell this story without it being for toddlers. I don’t even want to touch the nauseating moral of the movie that someone believed would be a clever tie-in at the end. It is not.

This movie isn’t all bad though. I loved the villain of this movie, but they didn’t do enough with him. I wish this movie were darker and serious because it plays around with a lot of seriously dark mythology. Instead of leaning into a lot of what makes these gods and mythology cool, they traded it for a goofy overtone that never really works. I wouldn’t mind this movie being a comedy if it was actually funny.

If you have nothing else to watch, sure, why not? But your time is better spent elsewhere. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.

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Series Reviews

Series Review: The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022)

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There were a lot of ads as well as Reddit posts that tried to generate hype for this series, claiming that it would canonically expand on The Boys universe. I also saw a few ads and posts trying to hype up the fact that the Awkwafina be involved in the series. I love Awkwafina so I was rightfully excited. While the claims weren’t misleading, The Boys Presents: Diabolical doesn’t expand the world or lore in a meaningful way, at least not in a way that is worth your time.

The Boys Presents: Diabolical is an anthology of animated shorts focusing on different stories within The Boys’ universe. Each episode is done in its unique style and focuses on a different group affected by Vaught and the world of superheroes. While the art and voice acting are solid, the stories told aren’t interesting. Out of the eight episodes available, I only found myself liking one, and it wasn’t the Awkwafina one. The series leans on tropes already explored in the main series with the focus being on the other people in the universe. The problem with this is that this spin-off isn’t as good, and the commentary isn’t made as competently. 

If you watch this anthology, you will skip some episodes because the story or the narrative style isn’t interesting. I assure you that you aren’t missing out on any meaningful context if you choose to ignore the spin-off. Don’t waste your time with this series. There are better animated series out there more worthy of your time. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch this on Amazon with a prime membership. 

Series Reviews

TV Series Review – The Tick

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I want to try to sell you on a show that isn’t going to be for everyone. The Tick is a superhero show that is available with your Amazon Prime subscription that isn’t your typical MCU cash-in. The Tick is a parody of the genre and a good one at that. The show follows the crime-fighting duo, The Tick and Arthur. The Tick is a neigh-invulnerable super with a strong and unwavering sense of justice, but he isn’t very bright. Arthur is a nerdy accountant with a super-suit. Together they fight crime and make friends along the way.

The show is cheesy and over the top. It is a tone that won’t resonate with all audiences, but it is one that I found delightful. I cannot see this story told effectively in any other way. There are random dance parties, meaningless monologues, cheesy catchphrases, and lots of silly moments that grant this show its charm. Think of it as a live-action cartoon that leans heavily into its cartoonishness.

If you are a fan of the original comic or cartoon, this is a completely new narrative. I haven’t read the comic and I only have vague memories of the cartoon so this review is based on the show. I do not know how they compare, but I did enjoy this retelling.

The Tick has a great cast with tremendous chemistry making for memorable characters and interactions. it tells a unique story that hasn’t been told before and one that is told effectively. Finally, it is a lighthearted and wholesome comedy that is accessible for the whole family. What more can you ask for in a superhero parody?

As a comic book fan who doesn’t care much for the MCU/DCU, I found this show refreshing. When comic culture started to become mainstream, I was excited and then quickly disappointed by how generic all the stories ended up being. I am delighted to have stumbled on a story that is both different and entertaining. It might not have epic battles or world-ending events, but it has a charm that should not be overlooked.