I finished off my year by watching Strange World on Disney+. There was a lot of negative press surrounding this movie when it was in theaters. The general consensus was this movie was bad, and no one should watch it. Well, I watch everything, and I needed to see how badly Disney dropped the ball with this movie. My consensus is that it is not as bad as people made it out to be.
Strange World is a movie about a society made utopia by a mysterious bean. The power cultivated from this bean gives this society the ability to power their homes and vehicles. The people in this society lived in this perfect utopia of unlimited energy until sickness began destroying their crops. With the foundation of their society quickly crumbling, a new team of explorers must venture into the unknown and find a cure. Will they be able to conquer the unknown and bring back a solution, or is a society doomed to fall back into the dark ages?
Strange World is fine for what it is, a generic adventure movie made for kids. The voice acting is great and the art is beautiful. I loved the colors and creatures that make up the new world. It may be a concept that has been done before, but at least it is nice to look at. This is a decent movie to watch with your kids. As an added bonus, you might even be able to convince them to watch the films this one draws inspiration from.
In recent years, Disney has made an effort to diversify its casting. Sure there are times when the attempt is a shameless money grab, but I can’t deny that I appreciate how colorful the stories have been recently. Strange World has a diverse cast with a gay lead, and although it isn’t a great story, it is nice to see the representation in the stories we show our kids. As someone who grew up watching Disney where no one looked like me, it makes me happy that Ethan looks like someone out there now.
This movie may not have been worth watching in theaters, but it is fine to stream at home. This movie wasn’t made for me, so I won’t be as harsh as I usually am. If you are looking for a decent movie to throw on during family night, Strange World is a solid option. Check it out on Disney+.
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Best of 2022
In no particular order, I have decided to compile a list of the best movies and tv shows I watched last year. The links will take you to the respective reviews and I have separated them by streaming service.
Amazon
Netflix
Hulu
Apple TV
Shudder
Paramount+
On Demand
If You Can Find It
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Myster (2022) – Review
I’d like to start off by giving a special shoutout to the user splithare for buying me coffee. It is the only way I can continue to function and keep posting these reviews. I hope you have yourself a Happy New Year! Thank you so much!
I have already talked about the Murderville series and touched on my disappointment with it. The series isn’t bad, but it does appeal to a very specific audience, and I am not it. If you like improv, you might have a better time with this series than I did. If you are interested in the series the Who Killed Santa? Christmas special is the best place to start. It is still a bit rough, but the best example of the format.
The premise of this series is to have guests go through a murder mystery experience without any prep. The mystery has already been scripted, but the guests go through it blind. The entertainment of this series relies heavily on the raw reactions of the guests and how well they play off of Will Arnet.
The guest stars for this special are Jason Bateman and Miya Rudolph. They are fantastic guests and do very well in this type of format. The chemistry they share with Arnet is infectious, and they do well in improv. What hurts this series is that some guests don’t have good chemistry with Will Arnet. As a result, you get a lot of awkward or unfunny moments that drag on for too long. Other guests aren’t good at improving, and their reactions are dull. For this series to be successful, they need to do a better job at getting guests who can be entertaining without any structure and can play off the energy Arnet brings to the experience.
Despite it being one of the better examples, Who Killed Santa? is still difficult to recommend. The mystery is dumb, but that is the general tone of this series. This series feels like a cheesy gameshow, but one that tries very hard to be funny. This special is funnier than the episodes in the main series, but the lack of structure means that you have to sit through some boring moments. Even if you like the actors and improv, the overall rawness of the performances makes it disappointing.
I can’t recommend this special because of its inconsistency. But if you are interested in watching Murderville, this special is the best place to start. I recommend you throw it on in the background while you are doing anything else so that you can ignore the boring bits and be around for the funny ones. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this because it isn’t anything special, but you can stream it on Netflix if you are interested.
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Film Review: The Invitation (2022)
The Invitation is a disappointing horror movie that isn’t worth your time. There are some interesting visual moments in this movie, but they aren’t worth sitting through this movie.
Evie is a struggling artist with no family left who decides to do a DNA test to see if she has any living relatives. She finds a long-lost cousin who flies her out to England to meet the rest of the family she didn’t know about. Evie is shocked to find she belongs to a very powerful and old family in England and quickly falls for a mysterious lord. But within the shadows of the manor, an evil presence hunts for blood. Can Evie discover the sinister motives behind her visit before it is too late?
The acting in this movie is fine, but the writing isn’t. They try too hard to be politically correct, and it comes off too preachy. Evie is constantly voicing her disapproval of the wealthy class, and it gets tiresome. Evie is a very one-note character whose only characteristic is to virtue signal woke buzzwords to a millennial audience that probably didn’t go see this movie.
The writing struggles to keep the plot moving. While I appreciate the beautiful shots of the manor they used as a setting, there isn’t any substance. If the movie isn’t virtue signaling or forcing conflict, it sort of remembers it’s supposed to be a horror movie. There are some solid horror moments in this film that have me wishing this movie stayed a horror movie instead of turning into the cheesy cliche it is. What little suspense this movie can create falls flat when ex-Machina comes to save the day.
With so much content out there, your time is better spent elsewhere. But for those who don’t believe me, watch this on Netflix.
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Movie Review: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Knives Out shouldn’t have had a sequel. While Glass Onion isn’t bad, it lacks the charm of the first one. I didn’t hate this movie, but it does feel lazy and uninspired. While the first movie pokes fun at the genre, this one pokes fun at the fact that it isn’t a real mystery. Glass Onion is a murder mystery board game live play with fantastic actors and little direction. It is fun to watch at least once, but it loses what little charm it has soon after.
An eccentric millionaire has invited a group of his influential friends to his island where they will solve his murder. The game is supposed to take the whole weekend. Blanc has mysteriously been asked to join the weekend games and activities. But what starts as a game quickly turns real. There is a killer among them. Can Blanc find out who before it is too late?
The acting in this movie is great but expected from this cast. Honestly, the acting is the only reason this movie works. This movie is essentially characters reacting to a situation with a weak plot to move them through the mystery. The movie does a great job of placing clues throughout, but the mystery can be solved without them. If you are looking for a fun mystery to solve, Glass Onion won’t provide one. It even goes on a long unneeded rant about how it doesn’t.
The narrative and concept are weak, but the characters that interact within this game are where this movie’s charm lie. Whenever the movie veers away from the main cast to develop a backstory, I found it to be slow and boring. This movie is more about how characters react to a situation than the actual mystery. Unfortunately, anything that doesn’t involve these characters is boring, only serving to pad the movie’s run time. The backstory bits drag and aren’t well-acted. It was made apparent that this movie was made with characters and actors in mind but
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Movie Review: I Believe in Santa (2022)
I am officially done with Christmas movies. I can’t sit through any more of these; I don’t have it in me. While this movie isn’t bad, it isn’t good either, and it isn’t going to be any better. I will try again next year, but I am not making any promises. I Believe in Santa may have its own charm, but I am tired and need to move on.
I believe in Santa is about a woman who doesn’t like Christmas and falls in love with the man who loves the holiday the most. I am not using any names because their only personality trait is whether or not they like Christmas. Aside from this difference, they are the perfect couple and will quickly fall in love during the course of the movie. The guy includes her in all his Christmas activities. She slowly learns to love Christmas, not because of Christmas magic, but because she loves him. It’s beyond cheesy. You have been warned.
I will no longer be doing Christmas movies because there is only so much that can be said about them. They are either cheesy in a way that is fun, so it doesn’t matter, or they are cheesy in a way that makes me hate Christmas. This one is fine, but I already forgot I watched it. The problem with these movies is that they are made to cash in on a holiday and often aren’t meant to leave a lasting impression. This one doesn’t, and I doubt any others will. I fear any further reviews on this genre will become echoes of my criticisms.
You can stream I Believe in Santa on Netflix if you need more Christmas movies to sit through. This is a great movie to throw on in the background because it doesn’t require any commitment. This movie makes good background noise, but you won’t hate the bits you accidentally sit through. This movie is dumb, predictable, and cheap, but I have sat through worse. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, but it is there if you need it. Anyways, Happy Holidays, I am off for a much-needed pallet cleanser.
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Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Digimon World: New Order Preview
2023 is going to be a great year for me and my switch, but a bad one for my wallet. Digimon World: Next Order is being ported to the PC and Nintendo Switch. I am excited. I didn’t get to play this when it was on the PS4 and Vita, and I had honestly forgotten about it till I saw the trailer a few days ago. I have always preferred Digimon over Pokémon, but I was never on the correct console. I never got to play the first Digimon World on the PS1 either, but have always heard great things.
The game seems to be similar to the original at least in concept. You will get to explore a new world with your favorite Digimon, trying to rid it of evil. The combat looks like your typical RPG combat. There is a base mechanic that is reminiscing of Animal Crossing, but I don’t think it will be as in-depth. It looks like you will be able to make a small village where you can gather Digimon, train, and buff them. I haven’t done too much research outside of watching the trailer because I like to go in as blind as possible and avoid spoilers.
The story seems interesting based on the trailer’s summary. I can see it being another typical Digimon story, but I am fine with it because I love Digimon. I am very happy that there will be English voice acting because as much as I love to read, I’d like to sit back and listen to the story.
Digimon World: New Order is set to release on February 22, 2023 on PC and Switch. Preorders for the Switch version are now open, but you will have to Wishlist it on Steam if you prefer to play it on PC. I can’t wait to play another Digimon game!
Movie Review: Your Christmas or Mine? (2022)
On the third day of my Christmas marathon, I finally found a good one. I started this venture assuming everything I watched till Christmas was going to be a disappointment, but then Your Christmas or Mine? came around and surprised me. While it is still your typical Christmas story, it is able to charm and entertain its audience. If you are searching for another movie to watch this holiday, consider this one.
Your Christmas or Mine? is the quirky story of a couple who end up attending the wrong Christmas. Hayley and James are heading home to spend Christmas apart. But right before the trains depart, they decide to board the opposite train. They plan to surprise one another at their final destination. But things don’t go as planned, and the couple is each stranded in a strange city with no way to get back. The two will spend time with each other’s family. James gets to spend his night with Hayley’s quirky family, while Haley is stuck with a grinch of a man. By the time Christmas comes around, the couple will grow more in love and full of Christmas spirit.
This is a cute movie because the actors have the charisma to make this movie work. At its core, this is still a cheesy Christmas movie, but one with enough charm where it doesn’t matter. Your Christmas or Mine? is quirky in a way that isn’t annoying, funny in a way that doesn’t try too hard, and better than the other movies in the genre I have had to sit through this year. It may not win awards or become engrained into the Christmas culture, but it will entertain.
Christmas is around the corner and if you need a movie to get you in the Christmas spirit, give this a chance. You can stream it on Amazon video if you have a prime membership.
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Movie Review: Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm is a kids’ movie. Unless you have young kids, I do not recommend you watch it. This is not a bad movie, but it is designed for a younger audience. While you won’t hate it if you sit through it, you will get bored and cringe at its general cheesiness.
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm is the story of an overworked father who learns to slow down and enjoy the time that he has with his young kids. Matt has trouble balancing his work life and home life as he attempts to raise his five kids on his own. One day, where he inherits a farm from his estranged father. He and his kids go to the countryside to find some peace and quiet, but what they find instead is the Christmas spirit they had been missing. It is very cheesy and over the top.
A lot of the humor is geared toward a younger audience, but it does have its moments. A lot of the acting is loud and over the top, but I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm the actors put into their performances. The actors seem to be having fun with their roles, and that energy was infectious.
The plot is simple and easy to follow, with a lot of pop-culture references. I doubt this movie will have any lasting potential, but I have sat through worse. This movie is loud, colorful, and full of cute animals. This is a solid Christmas movie to watch with your toddler. But if you don’t have kids, don’t bother. You can stream it on Netflix.
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Image by Susanne Jutzeler, Schweiz, from Pixabay
Movie Review: Something From Tiffany’s (2022)
I have been avidly avoiding Christmas movies this season, not because I am a Grinch, but because I couldn’t muster the strength to sit through them. Let’s face it, this genre is the recycling of the same movie every year, and it is getting harder to sit through them. I decided that today I would start getting into the Christmas spirit, but unfortunately, the movie is Something From Tiffany’s.
Something From Tiffany’s is the story of two lost souls who are stuck in their respective relationships. Fate brings these two unknowing souls together by way of New York City taxi. Ethan is at Tiffany’s buying his engagement ring when Rachel’s boyfriend comes in that same night to buy his girlfriend a cheap gift. In a brief moment, the boyfriend gets hit by the taxi, causing the events that will bring Ethan and Rachel together for Christmas. Ethen, being the generic and caring man that he is, rushes to check up on the generic boyfriend, but he ends up switching the ring with the cheap gift. Ethen and Rachel will meet in the hospital, and it is love at first sight. Fate keeps bringing them together, and in a matter of days, they fall madly in love with each other. You can guess what happens from here.
This movie is bad even by the genre’s standards. The acting was surprisingly good, but its narrative is terrible. I always feel bad for the significant others in these movies who have the cruel fate of being love’s cruelest obstacle. Ethan’s girlfriend seemed like a nice girl whose only fault seemed to be that she wasn’t quirky enough. Ethan was ready to propose, but one brief encounter at the hospital was enough to change his mind. Rachel’s boyfriend was a loser, but at least he wasn’t evil which is refreshing.
The idea was to show how the leads were stagnating, stuck in their routines. It was only through finding true love that they can move forward and live their best lives. But is it love that they share? Is it fate bringing these two together? Is it Christmas magic? They are only together for a day before they decide that they are meant to be together. I see this as a relationship fueled more by desire than love. Rachel and Ethan lust for something different and fresh, and this accident gives them that. It is less romantic to think about how this race to fall in love for Christmas is less about fate and more about a change in scenery. Even if they were meant to be together and were previously in bad relationships, they were ready to be engaged, and that is where I have my problem.
I am overthinking a movie that had no effort put into it, but I was bored. Let me have this. There are better movies in this genre. Go watch something like The Princess Switch or Falling for Christmas instead. They are bad too, but somehow they are a little better.
You can stream this on Amazon, but I wouldn’t.
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