I have seen enough bad Netflix adaptations and spinoffs to be skeptical about the success of Wednesday. While the casting seemed perfect, I refused to get too excited. I was pleasantly surprised by this spinoff. While it may not be perfect, it is a solid series that you should consider watching.
After a terrible prank, Wednesday is sent to Nevermore, a school for gifted outsiders. The school is full of werewolves, vampires, and people who just don’t fit into the rest of society. Wednesday is resistant at first but slowly comes to tolerate the change. There is something sinister lurking in the woods around Nevermore, and Wednesday loves sinister. Wednesday finds herself in the middle of a mystery full of murder, mayhem, and conspiracy. It is enough to put a smile on her otherwise pale and gloomy face. Can she get to the bottom of things before the year is out?
This is the fourth show in this supernatural school genre I have seen this year. While I noticed that are a lot of parallels, it manages to be a unique enough narrative. The story and lore are tame and easy to follow, the aesthetic is visually appealing, and Wednesday is a fantastic protagonist. Some of the writing and acting aren’t great, but it isn’t bad enough to stop watching.
The mystery in this series is well-developed. It will keep most audiences guessing until the big reveal at the end. I can assure you that there is enough misdirection to muddle your theories as soon as you make them. If you are paying enough attention, there are enough clues to solve the mystery early on. It isn’t overtly obvious unless you know what you are looking for, so I would avoid spoilers. It is refreshing to see a mystery with good attention to detail. There is nothing worse than watching a sloppy mystery where the solution is over-rationalized nonsense at the end.
The characters in this series are fine, although they get sloppy the farther removed they are from Wednesday. The acting is inconsistent between the supporting actors unless they are close to Wednesday. It isn’t bad, but it is noticeable. This might be intentional since outside of Wednesday, most characters are one-dimensional.
Wednesday is a fantastic protagonist. I was afraid they were going to make her a generic brooding goth girl, but there is some surprising depth to Wednesday. I like that Wednesday isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes, loses, and is even wrong sometimes, but she learns from her downfalls. She may not admit when she makes mistakes, but she tries harder, attempts to make amends, and experiences meaningful character growth. The series does a tremendous job of building up her growth and highlighting those important moments. Wednesday will not end in the same place where she started her journey.
My only complaint about this series is that the ending is a bit sloppy. I lost interest because the pacing feels rushed as the series tries to close up all the different plot threads it’s set up throughout the season. It still remained an enjoyable experience and one that I recommend to everyone. This is a different tone than any of the source materials. This is a lot more serious dark and structured more like a teen drama. It has a lot of similar themes, but with a lot less fan service. That said, this is honestly one of the better ones of the genre I have seen. You can stream it now on Netflix.
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Movie Review: Slumberland (2022)
Slumberland is fine for what it is. You won’t hate it if you have to sit through it. If you are looking for a movie to watch for family night, give Slumberland a try.
Nemo is a young girl who loses her father and now has to live with the grief that comes with this loss. She is sent to live with her uncle, who by all accounts is a boring man living a boring life. Nemo is overcome with grief and seeks to escape her reality. She finds that she has the ability to travel through dreams. Now she and a scrappy outlaw named Flip set out on an adventure to find magic pearls that will allow her to see her dad again. Can they find these fabled pearls before the nightmare consumes them?
I didn’t hate this movie. It certainly has its moments, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. I zoned out a bit as it is predictable and cheesy, but I am not the target audience. The acting is fine, the story is cute, and the special effects are good for a kids’ movie. I expect the dreams to be crazy surrealism, but they are fine here.
What I loved most about this movie is how it handles grief and depression. I like Nemo going through the stages of grief is set up like a fantastical adventure. It was nice to see her change throughout her adventure and slowly work through her loss. The ending was a bit cheesy and predictable, but I am also not the target audience.
Slumberland isn’t anything spectacular, but it doesn’t suck. I thought the characters outside of Nemo were bland, but I believe that is the point. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, but it’ll do for family night. You can stream it on Netflix.
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Movie Review: Falling for Christmas (2022)
You know what you are going to get with this movie. Falling for Christmas is as generic as its title. While it does nothing to differentiate itself from the clones released yearly, at least the acting is solid. If you like these cheesy Christmas movies, Falling for Christmas is a solid choice.
The movie is about a spoiled rich girl who has everything but finds herself lost and without purpose. This all changes when a freak accident causes her to fall down a mountain and forget who she is. Luckily, she falls into the hands of a struggling business owner with the kindest heart. Together they try to save the lodge, but they find something more meaningful than Sierra’s lost memories. They find love. This movie is as cheesy and predictable as you can imagine.
There isn’t much I can say about this movie because this movie comes out every year. This story doesn’t try to be original as it will hit every trope. You have the spoiled rich girl who can’t do anything for herself, a struggling kind man who is a dreamer trying to hold his family and his career together, dead moms, and a Christmas miracle.
There is an audience for this movie, but it isn’t me. I didn’t hate this movie, but it is not good. That said, Falling for Christmas is better than your average Hallmark. The acting is of a much higher caliber, but be mindful of the inconsistencies. Not everyone in this movie can act. It might not be the acting comeback for Lohan that we have been waiting for, but it is a nice taste of what hopefully is to come. The actors do their best with what they are given.
As far as love stories go, this one is very forced. The leads share little chemistry, but at least the acting is fine. Despite how lazy this movie might seem, it does try to tell a story. I liked that Sierra got her own arc, although it isn’t the most inventive.
Sierra starts out as someone who has everything handed to her. By the end of the story, she takes control of her own life. She makes her own choices and sets her own goals. I liked that she doesn’t accept the life she was given, or waits for a grand romantic gesture to realize who she wants to be. Her experience shows her who she wants to be and she starts working towards that. It is cheesy, but I appreciate the attempt.
Falling for Christmas isn’t great, but it is better than some of its competition. I had a lot of fun laughing at how cringy it got, but never felt the need to quit it. It isn’t something I would go out of my way to watch, but it is there for when I need it. If you are a fan of the genre and love these cheesy Christmas movies, go stream them on Netflix. If not, then don’t bother.
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Series Review: Blockbuster (2022)
I just finished watching the new Blockbuster series on Netflix, and I am here to warn you that it isn’t worth your time. This generic sitcom is a desperate attempt to cash in on people’s nostalgia about the time of video rentals. This is a series that is thirsty for the attention of a modern audience but lacks the charm and humor required to be considered proper entertainment. Even if you are starving for content, there are green pastures elsewhere.
The series is about the last Blockbuster left open and the crew desperately trying to save it from closing. This series is essentially a worse version of Superstore. A version with similar characters and story beats but none of the charm. Go watch any other workplace sitcom instead.
It is a shame that such a talented cast is wasted on such a mediocre comedy. The acting is fantastic, but it deserves better writing. Although Blockbuster makes an attempt at a cohesive story, the jokes are dated, the drama is boring, and the characters are generic. If you are not cringing at how hard this series is trying to make you laugh, you are bored by whatever is left behind.
The biggest issue for this show is how much it relies on pop culture references. Most of the jokes and references are already dated, leaving this series racing toward its expiration. I guarantee that in a couple of months, most of these jokes will be obsolete, leaving the series to fade into further obscurity. I have the unfortunate pleasure of being old enough to understand all the references made in this series, and I can attest that none of them were funny.
The tricky business of relying this heavily on pop culture references as it dates the work. Sure there are some references that remain timeless, and when used correctly, they hold meaning. However, nothing is guaranteed, so it’s best not to use them. You can always tell when a show or movie is lazy when it is desperately pandering to its modern audience. When shows or movies try this hard to be relevant, the script becomes a collection of trending hashtags that will no longer be trending at release. Blockbuster took a dangerous gamble in trying to appeal to both a general and modern audience, but it did not pay out.
I have little else to say about a series this lazy. It is unimpressive, uninspired, and forgettable. Don’t watch it. It may not be the worst show in the genre, but it is a waste of time. For those who don’t believe me, you can stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself (2022)
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a fun little series about magic, witches, and imperialism. The series is based on Sally Green’s young adult novel, Half Bad. I haven’t read the novel, and I won’t be making the comparison. This review will be treating the series as its own separate entity.
Nathan was born an outcast into a society of witches who hate him because of who his father is. His father, the elusive wolf, is a blood witch who kills witches to steal their powers. Nathan tries his best to live his life as a normal witch, but society makes it difficult. Nathan is constantly having to prove to society that he is good. It seems that no matter hard Nathan tries, his society will never accept him. As a result, Nathan grows up neglected and abused by the witches who fear him for something he played no part in. After 17 years, his father returns for Nathan, leaving a trail of dead witches behind him. Nathan is now tasked with killing his own father, a man he has never met before, to rid the world of its greatest evil. Can Nathan succeed where so many have failed?
While there may be some poor writing choices, stiff action scenes, and out-of-place fan service, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a solid teen drama. The acting is great, the story is fine, and their use of magic is unique and creative. The series makes a decent attempt at world-building. You get a sense of the different factions of witches occupying the world, you get a sense of the different powers and abilities, and you get a perspective of the beliefs and ideologies that make up each faction. The series does a good job of showing the tension that exists between each faction where conflicting ideologies and a need for imperialism become an issue.
The series likes to explore the idea of good and evil by making Nathan a bad witch who only does well while living in a society of good witches who only do bad. It is hard to watch the first couple of episodes because of how badly Nathan is mistreated. It is a wonder why Nathan hasn’t turned evil considering how terrible the witches around him act toward him. It is a powerful theme that they explore pretty well throughout the series.
This series is a teen drama, so it does suffer from a lot of the issues that are common in the genre. The romantic interests seem forced and only exist for the fan service, the writing and dialogue are a bit awkward as it is desperate to be modern, and the plot is predictable. There is an overarching mystery to this series that is easily deciphered based on the tone of the series. It also doesn’t do a good job of setting the boundaries of magic as the power levels and limitations are always changing to fit the narrative. None of these issues ruined the series because I had a lot of fun with it. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but not enough to turn me off from the series.
It isn’t perfect, but I am not the target audience. If you are looking for a teen drama about witches that isn’t Sabrina, check out The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself on Netflix.
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Image by Karen Nadine from Pixabay
Series Review: Kotaro Lives Alone (2022)
Kotaro Lives Alone is the cutest and most heartwarming anime that you should be watching already. Be warned, this show will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and love as you watch Kotaro make his way in the world.
Kotaro is a peculiar four-year-old who lives on his own. Kotaro is mature for his age and acts like a proper old man from a different time. Kotaro lives in an apartment next to a struggling manga artist. The two will slowly become friends as they spend time together. Kotaro Lives Alone is a story about broken people making friends and dealing with their traumas. The series deals with the themes of neglect, loneliness, abuse, and family while it tells a cute and powerful story.
I watched the English dubbed version and thought the voice acting was great. It is available in the original Japanese with subtitles, but either experience is valid. The art and animation are fantastic for telling this story. Kotaro is so cute, and it’s hard not to fall in love with him as soon as he walks on screen. The rest of the cast is full of broken souls who need Kotaro as much as he needs them. It is heartwarming to see how the characters become friends and go on adventures. This is an anime that is based in reality so don’t expect powers and demons that aren’t metaphorical.
Each episode is made up of different vignettes that neatly come together at the end. You get different perspectives, experiences, and narratives of different traumas as they relate and empathize with Kotaro. This series gets sad, and I cried a lot. If you are someone who gets triggered by abuse or neglect, proceed with caution. It isn’t explicit when it addresses these themes, but it is something to keep in mind. That said, there are a lot of heartwarming moments to make up for it, but they will probably make you cry as well. My only complaint about this series is that I have already finished it.
Go watch Kotaro Lives Alone and thank me later. You can stream it now on Netflix!
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Series Review: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities 2022
I love Guillermo del Torro, so I was justifiably excited about his Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix. What should have been a weird and horrific anthology turned out to be less of a cabinet and more of a junk drawer. The series is a disappointing collection of uninspired and uninteresting stories that were mostly a waste of time.
The series does have its moments, but it suffers from the same affliction most of these horror anthologies do; not all of the stories are interesting. I would argue that the first two episodes hold up the best, but considering the quality of the rest of the show, it isn’t saying much. I would have published this review sooner, but it was a struggle to finish this series. I had to take multiple breaks in order to finish because I kept losing interest. I’ll be honest, I almost gave up, but I powered through and remember some of it. There are episodes in this series that didn’t leave any impression on me, so I can’t bother to remember any specifics.
It is always difficult to recommend horror anthologies because the quality between episodes is never consistent. While some episodes might stand out, the writing and acting aren’t always there for the whole series. Cabinet of Curiosities continues to prove this theory. If you are looking for quality horror set in the mind of Guillermo Del Torro, look elsewhere. Ultimately, this series holds nothing to be curious about, so don’t bother. But to the nonbelievers, you can stream it on Netflix.
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Movie Review: Wendell & Wild (2022)
Before I start, I would like to send a special shoutout to @JiMiG2pt0 for buying me coffee. I live on coffee, and this is a huge help to my productivity. It means the world to have your support. Thank you, and I hope I can continue to help you with my reviews. Stay blessed my friend!
I’ve been wanting to watch Wendal & Wild since I first heard about it. I put it on my calendar and even set up notifications so I could watch it on release. The art is gorgeous, and I was curious to see what Jordan Peele could do with stop motion. Unfortunately, this film ended up being a beautiful disappointment.
After her parents’ deaths, Kat finds herself stuck in the system. She is constantly moving around in group homes and detention centers because she finds it difficult to cope with the loss of her parents. Kat is given a second chance at a normal life when she is sent to a private school. Kat finds the school to be troublesome. People want to be her friends, and as hard as she pushes, they keep coming back. The guilt she feels for the loss of her parents makes Kat feel as if she doesn’t deserve anything good in her life. To make matters worse, Kat discovers she is able to see the future and summon demons. Demons promise to bring her parents back to life, but there is always a catch. Now Kat finds herself in a fight to save the town from an evil couple who wants to tear it all down to make a for-profit prison. Will she and her new friends be able to save the town?
This movie had so much promise. The first half is great! The soundtrack is phenomenal, and the art is beautiful, but it all slowly fizzles out to a generic and disappointing ending. I lost interest around the time this became every other movie. What should have been a fantastical narrative full of magic and demons is just another generic save the town movie. They could have pushed boundaries and created something new, but instead, they decided to play it safe. Whatever they achieved through their art, they lose in their narrative. It isn’t a bad movie, but it is a disappointing one.
I appreciate a lot of the work that went into this film. I loved the character design, the art of the sets, and how they handle magic. I just wish it were a better movie. You can watch it on Netflix if you have nothing else to watch, but don’t go out of your way for it.
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Series Review: The Pentaverate (2022)
Someone somewhere saw Love Guru and The Master of Disguise and decided that the world needed more of that. As a result, we were cursed with the most painfully unfunny series, The Pentaverate. The Pentaverate is a series full of bad puns, worse accents, and no jokes. Even if you like to make fun of bad tv, this series is a huge waste of time. Avoid it with your life. You have been warned.
The Pentaverate is a comedy series about a Canadian journalist who is searching for his next big story. His search leads him into the ranks of a secret organization that has tasked itself to help solve humanity’s biggest issues like hunger, illness, and global warming. What he stumbles into is more than he bargained for. There seems to be an ominous presence killing off members of the organization. Will he be able to get to the bottom of it, or will this be the end of the Pentaverate as we know it?
I hope this is the end of The Pentaverate because this series should not exist. This series is a collection of bad sketches connected together by a surprisingly nuanced narrative. As bad as this comedy is, there is an attempt at a narrative that I haven’t seen in other bad comedies. It might not be a good story, but it is a story and not a random collection of sketches.
None of the sketches in this series are worth your time. They go on for too long, and each one grows increasingly unfunny over time. Most of the humor in this series hinges on people speaking in skilly bad accents. They sprinkle a lot of bad puns and meta jokes in a desperate attempt to elicit a single chuckle from its audience, but all it achieves is the pity I feel for the people who had to sit through the filming. If this series is the best of what the script had to offer, I can only imagine how terrible the stuff that got cut out is. I pray to the gods we never get an extended cut.
If you were hoping that this would be the great comeback for Myers you were waiting for, it is not. If you are a fan of any of his earlier works, watch those instead. This is the worst collection of his comedy packaged as a series, and I hate whoever thought it was a good idea to print it. You can stream it on Netflix, but please don’t.
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Image by Michael Knoll from Pixabay
Movie Review: The School of Good and Evil (2022)
The School of Good and Evil is a fun little fantasy that I am sure you will enjoy. While not without its flaws, it is a solid narrative. It is made for a younger audience, so expect a general cheesiness to its tone. This movie also leans heavily on its fairy tale tropes, so expect a sappy ending. That said, if you’re looking for something to watch, especially with your kids, try The School of Good and Evil.
The School of Good and Evil was established to create a balance between the two opposing forces. This school was designed to create the actors that would frame the many fairy tales we have come to know. The story is about two girls who are brought to this school from another world. As they struggle to adapt to the new roles they are given, evil lurks in the shadows. It is their destiny to change the world of good and evil presently, but will this change be their happily ever after?
I had a lot of fun with this movie. The acting is great, the action is fun, and it has a solid narrative. The movie attempts to challenge the traditional roles in fairy tales by having two headstrong and competent female leads challenging the system. It is nice that they aren’t perfect at first, but they do suddenly become perfect when the plot needs them to be. I also liked that the story focuses on their friendship, rather than having a prince give them meaning. It is a solid attempt at redefining the genre, but they could have pushed the boundaries further.
This movie is long, but it never felt like it. Every actor in this brought tremendous energy making this movie a fantastic experience. The villain is a bit one-dimensional, but there are enough characters to hate to keep the plot moving nicely. The movie gets a little preachy about the ideas of good and evil, but I kind of expected it from the general tone. Regardless of its flaws, it’s a solid fantasy movie.
This movie is what I believe the Descendants movies tried to be but failed to do so. If you are looking for a fun movie to watch with your family, this is a solid choice. It has action, adventure, and some pretty solid leads. Go stream it on Netflix.
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