Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning will be playing at select theaters across the United States on November 8 and 9 through a special Fathom event. This is great news for fans of Digimon Adventure 2 because it brings back those lovable characters in a new adventure 20 years after the events of the original. If you don’t remember what happened, have never seen it, or simply need a refresher, the entire season is up on the official Toei Animation YouTube.
I’ve already bought my ticket and somehow convinced my wife to go, I can only hope it’s good enough for her to watch more Digimon with me. She did enjoy Ghost Game, so maybe there is a chance. You can pick up tickets to the show for $15 on the official Fathom page. Make sure you get to the show early because the first 50 attendants will get a 3-card promo pack for the Digimon TCG. They may not be the coolest, but it is a nice gesture.
The Promo Cards
Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning Set ($80)
Now if you need more movie-themed cards for your collection, you might want to look at the Digimon Adventure 02: The Adventure set on Premium Bandai. The set costs $80 and comes with:
30 Digimon cards (15 unique cards x 2 each)
50 Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode Sleves
5 Special Digitama Sleaves
1 Rubber Playmat
1 Storage Box
These promos definitely look a lot better than the ones you’ll be getting at the show, but it’s up to you how much you enjoy this series to justify the price tag. Preorders are open till November 27, or until supplies run out. The set ships in June.
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You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah isn’t the worst movie to come out of Happy Madison Productions, but it isn’t worth watching either. This flat coming-of-age story suffers from its dull narrative and even duller lead. While the movie does present interesting commentary on cultural identity and maturity, it doesn’t do enough to stick out against the enormous catalog of stories that make up the genre. If you are thinking of watching this movie, there are better options you should be watching instead.
Stacy is prepping for her Bat Mitzvah and obsesses over the party that will define the rest of her life. But her desire to be popular put her life in a downward spiral. The big defining moment she has always dreamed of is turning into a nightmare. Can she learn from her mistakes and find a place where she belongs?
The film earns a couple of genuine laughs and makes some interesting points about religious, cultural, and personal identity, but doesn’t go deep enough. Stacy and her peers have a general indifference to the traditions as they focus on relationships, status, and social media. At first, Stacy finds preparing for her Bat Mitzvah as a chore, something she needs to do to have her party. There are moments in the movie where she even questions whether she is Jewish because she has to or because it is who she is. I love this idea of heritage and a modern personal identity clashing because it is such a tangible human experience. This ceremony is coming to her at a pivotal point in her development when she is still trying to figure out who she is and where she stands in her society. She wants to be treated like a grown-up, she wants to be popular, and she wants the party, but doesn’t understand where Judaism fits in that. She doesn’t resent her Jewish identity, it just doesn’t take precedence in what defines her yet. It is only after talking to her elders and learning from her mistakes that she learns to value this identity and the work she puts towards Bat Mitzvah.
The problem I have with Stacy’s transformation is that it comes too suddenly. The build-up to her grand gesture feels forced like it was done because the movie needed a happy ending and not because Stacy learns from her mistakes. I would have liked to see her connect with the teachings, or even find value in the stories told to her. There are some very cool moments where her elders talk to her about being Jewish or being a woman, but the movie makes it seem like she comes to her transformation on her own after she hits bottom. This makes these moments feel meaningless in the grand scheme, even though they were often the better parts of the movie. But, this could be a bias of wanting there to be a lot less Stacy in this film.
I liked that they didn’t make her a perfect, quirky, artsy girl as you see throughout the genre, and I like that she makes terrible decisions, but her character falls flat. Her obsession with being popular consumes her to the point where she becomes a terrible person, but she learns from her mistakes and grows as a person. That part is fine. The problem is that she ruins her best friend’s Bat Mitzvah over a petty moment she created, and we’re supposed to forgive her because the script says so. I get kids make mistakes, but there is a line between being terrible and messing up. I don’t think the grand gesture was enough to earn the apology, but I might just be a bitter old man yelling at clouds.
The other reason this movie doesn’t work is that the lead lacks the charisma to carry this movie. I found scenes involving Stacy to be boring, which is a problem in a movie where she is the main character. Don’t get me wrong, the performance isn’t terrible. I have seen enough bad movies to know that it could have been a lot worse, but it also isn’t worth sitting through. I know this movie is going to get hate because of the Nepotism, but I don’t think a better actor could have made the movie better. At least it’s better than After Earth.
As a movie that was made to fill up Netflix’s catalog, it’s fine. It tries to tell a story, has passable acting, and makes a few solid points about identity. There are definitely worse options available. You can watch You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix, but your time is better spent elsewhere.
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My first exposure to Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is the live-action movie on Netflix, and absolutely love it. I understand the stigma behind live-action adaptations, but if you ignore the source material, it works. Zom 100:Bucket List of the Dead is a quirky and cute road trip comedy about a zombie apocalypse that should at least be on your watch list.
Akira believes he’s gotten his dream job after graduation but discovers he works for an exploitative company that has no problem working him to the bone. Akira spends the next year of his life as a zombie for his company, working tirelessly at a job he hates. Luckily for Akira, there is a zombie outbreak to free him from his misery. For the first time since he started his job, he is free to do whatever he wants, and he plans not to waste this new freedom. Akira makes a bucket list of the 100 things he wants to do before he turns into a zombie and sets off to complete it.
I love the contrast between the corporate life Akira had and the one he has in the apocalypse. Akira will often remember how miserable he was before the zombie outbreak and use that as motivation to live his life to the fullest. It is a very unique take on the genre because the story isn’t about a group of people simply surviving, but rather a quirky road trip comedy of people learning how to live.
The live-action movie is incredibly over the top and cheesy, but it gives the movie its charm. The tone is silly, the action is over the top, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the story is cute. I love the references to Super Sentai and how exaggerated the action scenes are. The music they choose for the action scenes made this movie for me. If you want to watch a fun cheesy movie and enjoy some cool JPop, watch this movie.
I love this movie and have already watched it a few times. I recommend you check it out in the original Japanese, but the English dubbing is a solid option for enjoying this movie. If you a cheesy road trip comedy with a solid story, this is a cute one with a lot of charm. I don’t know how it compares to the source material, but intend to soon. You can stream Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead on Netflix.
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I have never enjoyed movies that are based on real people or events, and The Beanie Bubble is no exception. This movie is about the women responsible for creating the bubble and the man responsible for popping it. If you want to know the history around the Beanie Baby bubble, there are probably podcasts, YouTube videos, or articles that do a better job. This is a boring attempt to sensationalize an odd moment in history. It isn’t worth your time.
The acting and production are solid. The cast is fantastic, the colors and costumes are beautiful, and there is some cool editing. Unfortunately, the writing and the way this story is told is terrible. The movie jumps between three different women, jumbling the timeline and bringing it all together at the end. It’s an interesting idea, but the story isn’t interesting enough for it to work. The movie relies too heavily on narration, and the narration is overbearing. A lot of the plot is told through explanations of important events and internal monologues, essentially turning this into an expensive podcast. The tone of the narration becomes an issue because when it isn’t too quirky for its own good, it feels like the narrator is talking down to the audience. It also makes the movie boring to sit through.
The movie was intended to be an inspiring story of an empowered woman triumphing over a terrible man, but it was poorly executed. The monologues and dialogue are generic and lazy, Ty is too cartoonishly villainous to be taken seriously, and the sensationalized tone takes away from the woman’s accomplishments. When the pivotal moment comes when the woman breaks off from Ty, it doesn’t feel monumental because the women don’t feel real, and I had stopped caring a long time ago.
The biggest issue with this movie is that it tries to cash in on 90s nostalgia when people have moved on to something else. This movie throws up 90s nostalgia and will stop to show its audience how 90s it is. This slows down the movie and takes away from a story that isn’t good to begin with.
I wouldn’t bother with this movie. It may not be terrible, but it isn’t good either. If you lived through the craze, or are curious about it, there are better sources out there for this story. You can stream The Beanie Bubble on Apple TV, but I wouldn’t bother.
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The Out-Laws is one of those Adam Sandler movies you can skip because you are going to forget you watched it. It isn’t one the worst movies to come from his studio, but it doesn’t do enough to be worth your time. This movie feels like it was made to fill the quota Netflix set for Sander. The result is a lazy, poorly-written comedy that may get a couple of laughs, but not enough to earn its spot on your watchlist.
Adam Devine, who plays his goofy usual self, is marrying a girl who is clearly out of his league. Days before the wedding, his future in-laws make a sudden appearance and announce they will attend the wedding. But their checkered past catches up to them, and now Adam Devine needs to help them rob a bank to save his future fiance from a crazy gypsy mob queen. Can they rob enough banks before the wedding?
It should go without saying that this movie has no plot. It feels like a series of skits held together by the dumb heist movie and Adam Devine. Most of the gags are unfunny and go on for too long, but there will be the occasional joke that will make you laugh. Not enough to make this movie worth watching, but enough to make it tolerable. There is a lot of singing, lazy jokes, body humor, and Adam Davine being silly to pad out a movie that already feels too long for Netflix. I get the sense that this movie might be better under the influence of marijuana, but even then, there are better comedies you could be watching instead.
The Out-Laws isn’t the worst movie that has come out of Happy Madison Productions, but it isn’t entertaining either. My issue with a lot of original streaming content is that they only exist to pad out a library. The race to create original content comes at the cost of quality, and while they may have the time to make this garbage, we don’t have time to watch it. A lot of the stuff I’ve been watching lately gets forgotten, or it’s so bad I can’t bring myself to finish it. This is one of those movies I’ve already forgotten I watched. It isn’t funny enough to watch again, or good enough to recommend. This movie didn’t break me like others have, but it also didn’t leave much of an impression. You can stream it on Netflix, but your time is better spent elsewhere.
I wasn’t going to write about The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but I needed to talk about something that bothered me about the movie. It’s not a bad kids’ movie. If you have to sit through this with your kids, you’ve probably already sat through it, and it wasn’t too bad. If you haven’t and can stream it later, you won’t hate it. It’s colorful, there are a lot of fun references to the games, and the soundtrack is amazing. The plot is simple and could use better character development, but it is a kids’ movie. It certainly isn’t the worst video game movie to date.
My issue with this movie is with the choice of voice actors. I have nothing against Pratt or the rest of the cast, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the performances. Most of the characters sounded like the actors talking through the script. Scenes with Bowser are especially jarring because while Jack Black is giving a fantastic performance, the rest of the cast wasn’t. They should have hired real voice actors. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is full of amazing talent, but unfortunately, that talent didn’t translate into the voice acting.
I am getting tired of these kinds of miscasting and movies written around named brand actors. I hate that the business has turned into tricking people into watching mediocre and lazy movies because of who is in them. I wish that instead, the focus would be on better writing and actors that fit the role. It is a lot to ask for, especially with the writer’s strike going on, but it shouldn’t be unreasonable. I sit through a lot of garbage and will continue to do so, but the homogony wears on me, and we deserve better.
Anyways, if you haven’t watched this movie, I would wait till you can stream it or watch it for free. If you have kids, it’s a great movie to throw on. You will zone out, but it isn’t terrible. If you are trying to watch a good animated movie, I suggest you look elsewhere. I suggest throwing this movie on in the background because the soundtrack has some bangers, but the rest is pretty mediocre.
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I don’t think Scream 6 is necessary because it doesn’t add much to the franchise. Scream 6 feels like it was made for fans of the franchise who have seen and will continue to see every movie in the franchise. If you are a fan, you’ve probably already seen this movie in theaters. If you are thinking of seeing this movie, I would hold off till you can watch it for free and then wait a little more after.
In the aftermath of the last Ghost Face attack, the survivors struggle to lead normal lives. The trauma still hunts them, and the survivors struggle to adjust properly. Just as they begin to gain a semblance of normalcy in their lives, another Ghost Face rises from the shadows to hunt them once more. Have they learned enough from their experience to survive another mediocre slasher film, or will this prove the end for our heroes?
Scream 6 isn’t anything special. The acting is fine, but the writing and story aren’t. You will forget you watched this almost immediately because it does nothing to stand out amongst the franchise. This movie doubles down on its nostalgia and meta-commentary to the point where it becomes boring. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will probably appreciate 6 more than I did. I felt lost as it went over events from past movies because I have only seen the first Scream and barely remember the last. Because of the slightly silly tone, this movie doesn’t feel like it has any real stakes. As a result, the tension and suspense don’t really do anything for this movie. I liked that they tried to show how trauma affected the characters and how the events left a darkness within them, but they don’t develop this plot enough because the movie is too busy being meta and nostalgic.
If you’ve seen Scream 5, go watch that instead. Scream 6 isn’t worth watching unless you are invested in the franchise. If you are one of the few who still have a Paramount+ subscription, you can stream it there. Otherwise, I would wait till you can watch it for free elsewhere. I wouldn’t pay to watch this movie, and I definitely wouldn’t rush to see it either.
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Renfield is just an okay movie. While I appreciate the fantastic over-the-top performance Cage gives as Dracula, it leaves a lot to be desired. The film isn’t bad, but it isn’t worth paying for. If you are thinking of watching this movie, I hold off till you can watch it for free.
Renfield finds himself in a toxic relationship with his employer, Dracula. He wishes to be a hero and have his own life but finds himself imprisoned by duty and obligation. After centuries of servitude, Renfield finally finds the courage to leave Dracula’s employment, but his leaving could prove the end of Humanity. Will Renfield become the hero he wishes to be, or is he destined to be a miserable servant?
The movie has a solid start but comes apart towards the end. The second half was so boring that I considered leaving the theater. There are enough good moments in this film that I can’t count it as the worst, but there aren’t enough to earn a recommendation. Aside from the emblematic Cage performance, the acting is barely good enough. Where the movie suffers is Awkwafina’s attempt at a more serious role. Unfortunately, Awkwafina is destined to be a character actor for the remainder of her career. This isn’t a bad thing. I enjoy her character and movies that use her well get a healthy laugh out of me, but she doesn’t have the range to play anything else. The writing might have limited her success, but it does so for everyone else as well.
This movie is fine if you can stream it at home and don’t have to pay attention to it. It has some solid moments, but nothing you should be rushing to see. If you do watch Renfield, you can give up halfway through, or just watch the highlights on YouTube.
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I was sent A Knight in the Atticas a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be my honest review of the game.
A Knight in the Attic is a unique VR puzzle game designed for the Meta Quest. It is available on both the Meta Store and Steam VR. I played the Steam VR version.
King Arthur has gone missing, and it is up to Queen Guinevere to find him. Guide Guinevere through the many marble mazes and help her bring King Arthur back.
The game is cute, and the mechanics are creative. You can use the motion controls to move the board for a more immersive experience or use the sticks for a slightly easier one. I preferred the motion controls because it felt like a truer experience, but both are valid approaches with their own set of difficulties. If you do use the motion controls, make sure you are in a well-lit room otherwise the tracking will ruin your runs.
The Steam VR has a distinct bug that you should know about before purchasing. If you try to run A Knight in the Attic via the Virtual Desktop app on the Quest, the game won’t launch. You get a black screen and the game won’t load. You can only play this game through Quest Link. I also recommend you play with a wired connection. I have fast internet, but the wireless experience isn’t good enough for the type of puzzle game you are playing.
The most difficult part of this game is having the patience to move Guinevere through the maze. The puzzles aren’t necessarily hard, but it is easy to mess up, especially if you lose track. My ADHD made this game more difficult than it had to be.
This game isn’t bad. The art is cute, the mechanics are creative, and the music is fantastic. The problem with this game is that it fills a niche that won’t exist in most gamers. If you like relaxing puzzle games and have the patience for marble mazes, this game is fine. This is a great game for kids, especially young ones. It isn’t offensive, and the gameplay is engaging enough without being impossible. Starting this game isn’t very intuitive, so check the Steam comments if you get stuck. I don’t think it’s worth it because I couldn’t vibe with the gameplay, but $9.99 isn’t bad for something that will keep your kids busy for a couple of hours.
Mia feels trapped in a boring job and wishes for some excitement. Her wish comes true when a mysterious woman ends up in her alley. Before Mia can find help for this mysterious woman, a group of thugs barge in and threaten her friends. What will Mia do?
Occasionally while watching this movie, viewers will be given choices that will affect the outcome. The movie has ten endings and different storylines. The timer for each choice gives this movie its urgency, and some choices will be tricky to make. By the end of your first playthrough, you are going to want to play for a different ending. You skip scenes you’ve already watched to make the experience less tedious, but they are available if you need a refresher.
Mia and the Dragon Princess is a solid action movie.The story is a bit cheesy in parts, but it is a lot of fun. The acting is fine, the action is well-choreographed, and the stories are well done. I do have to warn you that the stories do get dark. There is death and violence in this movie, but nothing too gruesome. I loved all the small jokes sprinkled throughout, but I have a soft spot for cheesy movies. I want to keep this review a bit vague because I don’t want to spoil the story. I suggest you go as blind as possible for your first playthrough.
I was surprised by this title because I didn’t know what to expect. I loved it, and see myself returning to the title a few more playthroughs. It was a unique experience with a solid and fun story that I recommend to everyone. That said, it is a bit of a niche title. If you are someone who enjoys b movies or cheesy ones, this is a fun title. Otherwise, I would wait for a discount. I wouldn’t call this a game because of how easily you can earn all the endings, but it is also a bit more complicated than a movie. Mia and the Dragon Princess is a cool concept with an impressive execution, and I recommend you try it at least once with friends.
You can buy Mia and the Dragon Princess for $12.99. You can play it on Android, IOS, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games. You can also try out the demo on Steam. Get your copy today!
