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Series Reviews

Series Review: Uncoupled (2022)

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I loved Uncoupled, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you should be watching it now. Neil Patrick Harris once again proves that he is an amazing actor. The rest of the cast is equally amazing, bringing to life an amazing narrative of a human experience we are all familiar with. It is a show that gets sad, break-ups are sad, but it is also full of heartwarming moments that will leave you smiling. I loved this show more than I thought I would, and I am sure you will too.

The series focuses on Michael who has just gotten out of a 17-year relationship. As Michael attempts to move on from the heartache, he is constantly reminded of what he once had. With the support of his good friends, he begins the difficult process of getting over someone he loved so dearly. This show is an authentic adaptation of heartbreak. Even if you don’t identify with the characters, you will identify with being heartbroken. This show isn’t all sad, I promise.

This series is amazing. The cast is fantastic, and the story is cute and compelling. I love that it isn’t only about Michael. Everyone experiences their own type of heartache, and this show does at collecting all kinds. This makes for a very addicting series, one that I am sure you will binge. 

Break-ups are hard, and this show does a great job reminding us why. what makes this show special is the support system Michael has throughout the series. There are moments when he wants to give up because the heartache is too much, but he always has his friends to help him. It is a sweet show and one that I recommend to everyone. Watch it on Netflix.

Series Reviews

Series Review: Resident Evil (2022)

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After the disappointment that was Welcome to Racoon City, I had the lowest expectations for this series. I was not ready to love again, but the show grew on me. I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. It may not be perfect, but I feel it is a step in the right direction.

The series focuses on the fall of New Racoon city as experienced by Jade and her sister. The show will skip from the present zombie-infested world to the past when the Umbrella was still covering up what happened in Old Racoon City.

This series is fine, especially if you want a zombie survival show with some solid stakes. The acting is good for the most part, but there are some inconsistencies. The monsters and special effects are fine, but they are limited by the show’s budget. This is a low-budget series, and it shows, but they do well with what they have. I have seen more expensive shows do worse. It is a bit cheesy, but I was able to forgive it because there are some solid narrative beats.

The story is good enough. The jumping between narratives is impressive. There is some solid editing at play. The story also holds enough suspense and drama to keep most audiences entertained. There are moments where the series slows a bit, but I never thought it was unwatchable. The series doesn’t offer too much world-building if you have at least seen the movies. The series is another narrative about survival told from a different perspective. This isn’t a bad thing, but I am not sure how canonical this series will be.

My favorite part of the series is the villains. They were fun, competent, and had clear goals that helped move the narrative organically. The heroes were equally as competent, but they still get infected with those convenient ex-Machina zombie powers. It isn’t as ridiculous as I have grown used to, but it is hard to ignore. Fortunately, the powers don’t kill much of the tension, and there was enough suspense to keep me engaged. 

I can’t speak on how it relates to the games since I haven’t really played them. There are references to events from the game and the movies, but I never felt like I needed to be up-to-date on the lore to understand what was going on. It might help to give you a better appreciation for the narrative. If you like zombie survival dramas, this is a solid one if you can get past the cheesy overtones. I am at least curious to see where this series goes from here. You can watch it on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Gray Man (2022)

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Netflix continues its trend of releasing disappointing star-studded films that don’t deserve your time. You are better off not watching Gray Man because even with its amazing cast, it fails to make a tangible impression. This might not be the worst movie on the platform, but I have already forgotten I watched it.

The movie is about a secret agent who magically stumbles onto a McGuffin of a conspiracy. The film is a series of action movie tropes strung together by awkwardly rendered chase scenes, all building up to a very disappointing ending.

The acting is easily the best part. The only exception would be Regé-Jean Page’s terrible American accent, but his accent isn’t what ruins the movie. The quality of the rest of the movie falls flat in comparison. There are a few moments of competence, like the phone conversations written in creative code to hide from surveillance or when Ryan Gosling refuses to throw a gun because it is dangerous that shows promise. There are even attempts at symbolism, but these efforts are wasted because the rest of the movie isn’t good.

Gray Man is a movie without a plot. There is a giant disappointing Mcguffin, an uninspired villain, and too many plot holes. The villain kills for the sake of killing, and the hero chases because it is in the script. There is no tension because Ryan Gosling has the ungodly ability to sense danger before it happens. I wouldn’t mind the lack of plot if the action was better.

The action here is unintelligible. If the fights aren’t poorly rendered, they are stiff and boring. There is a terrible fight scene on a plane that gave me motion sickness. Chase scenes don’t fare any better as they suffer from the same afflictions. Gray Man is an action movie that forgot to add its action.

If Netflix continues this trend, it won’t survive the streaming wars. The service is losing subscribers because it can’t secure content people want to watch, and the original content it has been releasing has been subpar. There are a few exceptions, but there aren’t enough good Netflix originals to give the service the lasting power it is desperately grasping at. 

Don’t watch this movie.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Man From Toronto (2022)

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I am fairly certain that Netflix is struggling and desperate to create content that will retain and grow its fleeting subscribers. All of the recent Netflix originals I have watched have been these uninspired half-baked films where the main draw is a story written around a named brand actor or group of actors. The Man From Toronto is no different. Kevin Hart plays the same character as always, in a film you’ve seen done slightly better elsewhere.

In possibly the dumbest mix-up in movie history, the world believes Kevin Hart to be the infamous Man from Toronto, a highly-skilled gun for hire. Kevin Hart, an average Joe, must take on the Façade and save the world.  Can he talk his way out of a difficult situation, learn to be more serious, and become the man worthy of his wife’s love? Yes he does, and it is terribly unfunny.

This unoriginal movie moves from story beat to story beat, throwing the easiest jokes available at the audience hoping one of them will land. They don’t, and instead you are left with the disappointment that the talent in this movie was wasted. Woody Harrelson steals every scene he is in, but he doesn’t have much competition. Kevin Hart does not have the charisma or acting talent to make this movie work.

I can’t recommend this movie because it isn’t funny. If you are a Kevin Heart fan, he does this exact movie better elsewhere. It is a lazy and uninspired movie that isn’t worth anyone’s time. You can watch it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t bother.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Home Team (2022)

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You have already seen the plot to this movie play out many times before. This one does little to stand out against anything else in the genre, but it isn’t the worst way you can spend two hours. Kevin James is refreshing in a role that doesn’t revolve around him being fat. It is nice to see a movie that isn’t another Paul Blart rip off because he has proven that he has the range to do anything else. I hope this means that James will begin his transition into more serious roles. He definitely has the talent for it.

The movie focuses on the story of the disgraced Saints coach Sean Payton. It deals with the aftermath of his headhunting scandal as Payton deals with his suspension by coaching his son’s football team. It is a solid redemption movie, one where he learns what is truly important in his life.

This movie is fine. The acting is solid and the story is fine, but it isn’t anything award winning. If you like this genre of movie, this is a solid choice. If you are forced to sit through this movie, you won’t hate the time you spend on it. Go  watch it on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Senior Year (2022)

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This movie is fine. The cast is charming and funny enough to make this movie work, but it isn’t anything transcending and I doubt this movie’s lasting power. This will not be your favorite comedy. That said, the acting is fine, the jokes are funny enough, and the story is decent. There are worse ways to spend two hours.

The movie focuses on a girl’s goal to achieve her dream life in high school. She wants to be popular, cheer captain, have the hottest boyfriend, and live in the nicest house. Her goals are complicated when an accident puts her in a coma for 20 years. Now, she must attempt to achieve all her goals as a 38 year old with the mind of an 18 year old. Will she achieve everything she always wanted, or will modern life ruin any of her chances? Think of this as the Kickin’ it Old skool reboot no one asked for.

This movie is very much a Rebel Wilson movie as it leans heavily into her style of comedy. If you are not a fan of her characters or her style of comedy, you will not find this movie funny. I wasn’t impressed with the work, but I didn’t hate watching it. I don’t see myself ever rewatching this film because a lot of the jokes won’t land the second time around. The second act of this movie slows almost to a halt as it becomes increasingly preachy about priorities, expectations, and growing up. There is a moment where this movie stops to monologue about the themes and message of the movie as if it weren’t already blatantly obvious. This movie makes  a lot of lazy obvious jokes about the current generation that you have seen done better elsewhere.

There are worse comedies out there, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this one either. You can find this on this movie on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Spiderhead (2022)

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I wanted to like Spiderhead, but unfortunately, this movie is an utter disappointment. Chris Hemsworth is a fantastic villain, but unfortunately, his efforts are wasted on a film with a severe identity crisis. This movie struggles as it tries to decide whether it wants to be horror, action thriller, or dark comedy. The result is something that feels like three different movies awkwardly stitched together and posted as a cheap way to generate views. There are about 30 minutes of salvageable film, but the disappointment is too overwhelming to merit a recommendation.

Spiderhead is a prison facility run by a shady pharmaceutical company. They use the facility to test highly experimental drugs on its inmates. All the inmates are here by choice, but as the side effects begin to get severe, it becomes harder to justify volunteering. The movie focuses on a protagonist with a dark past that you uncover as the tests continue. Will he continue to subject himself to the experiments, or will his questions prompt a release from the program? Or worse?

The movie starts as another prison game narrative. The movie does a great job of setting up how isolated the facility is. It also provides the audience with a taste of the type of tests involved. What sets this movie apart is the very charismatic Chris Hemsworth who uses his charisma to manipulate the prisoners into always cooperating with the testing. It is fun to see Steve (Chris Hemsworth) turn every conversation in his favor. The problem is that none of the other actors add this same level of energy and it hurts the film. When the movie shifts its focus from Hemsworth to the true protagonist, the movie loses its momentum, and I, in turn, lost my interest. The movie becomes this lazy, cartoonish The Warriors ripoff no one asks for full of ex-Machina and poorly delivered drama. I don’t like this movie because of how badly I was let down by the ending.

If you want something to throw in the background, sure. Chris Hemsworth’s performance is fantastic. There are a lot of bits in this movie where nothing happens, making it not worth your full attention. You can find this movie on Netflix, but there are a lot of other media that do this same story better elsewhere.

This part will have spoilers, do not read if you care about spoilers. This is one of those movies where I wish the villain won. It would have been such a better story if at the end of the movie, after all the effort of trying to escape, the protagonist finds he is still a part of the test. Anything would have been better than how it ends.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Choose or Die (2022)

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I’ve seen enough of these curse game movies to have low expectations of the genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Choose or Die. While it may not leave a lasting impression, it isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. I honestly believe it to be one of the better films in the genre. 

Choose or Die is about a girl Thea who is really good at computers. As she is desperately trying to find ways to make some extra money, she stumbles onto a text-based RPG that promises a healthy payout. While the game seems innocent, it comes with some deadly consequences. Now she is trapped in the game of her life. Will she win it all, or die trying?

Choose or Die does enough to keep it from being another bad entry to the genre, but it is far from perfect. The acting is solid, and some games are creative, but the narrative is lacking. Thea is a solid protagonist. Usually, movies like this feature a bland misrepresented character that is inexplicably perfect when the plot needs her to be. Thea on the other hand is shown early on to be a capable computer engineer. It isn’t random or unbelievable when she plays the game competently or when she overcomes obstacles. She is also likable enough, although there is some bad writing that keeps her from being better. 

The games Thea is forced to play are fun and creative for the most part. This movie does a decent job converting text-based RPG elements into a realistic and suspenseful challenge that Thea must overcome. Most importantly, these games are winnable. In some of the Saw movies or that dumb Escape Room movie, the games aren’t winnable. Instead of the suspenseful ride of watching someone trying to win their life, you get torture porn. While there is nothing wrong with that type of genre, it isn’t horror. You don’t see much torture in Choose or Die instead it becomes a very intense puzzle where the choices are difficult, but not impossible. Unfortunately, not all of the games are created equal. This will hurt this movie’s rewatchability.

My only complaint is with the writing. There are a few very cheesy moments that destroy the tension. Terrible one-liners, cheesy outcomes, and the pointless scenes with the drug dealer kind of slow the movie down and distract from the more creative bits. There is also a lot of buildup to a very disappointing ending that almost ruins the experience. 

You can watch this movie on Netflix. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, it’s not bad if you have nothing else to do.

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Movie Review: Awake (2021

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Awake is incredibly disappointing. Awake is a horror movie where the monster is human nature. People are no longer able to sleep, and sleep deprivation is slowly killing humanity. Now the race is on to find a cure before humanity goes extinct. The movie focuses on a dysfunctional family and their survival. You get to watch as society crumbles under the weight of sleep deprivation.

This movie is alright. The acting is decent, the action is appropriate, but the ending is terrible. This is a great example of a movie that uses its run time to build up to nothing. What makes this movie hard to recommend is that it makes some solid artistic choices, but it doesn’t make enough of them to make this movie work. Awake is good at showing the story rather than relying on exposition. For example, in the first few minutes, you are introduced to Jill who is a recovering addict who is trying to give her family a better life. You know this because the son will check the car for drugs or they will make slights at the mom for being late or looking tired. You get a lot of Jill’s back story without the characters having to explicitly say anything about it. I liked this form of storytelling and hope more movies can follow suit.

I liked Jill as a character. She isn’t perfect, some of her dialogue isn’t good, but she has some redeemable moments. Jill is smart, capable, and most importantly, human. Jill doesn’t go into situations guns blazing like she is immortal. Instead, she takes the time to think and only engages when she has to because there are stakes. These stakes give the movie much-needed tension, too bad it leads nowhere.

I can’t recommend this movie. There are parts of this movie that I liked, but I can’t forgive the ending. The movie does a good job of introducing different plausible conclusions. There could be a cure, God’s wrath, scientific mumbo-jumbo, or even aliens. But instead, the movie ends in disappointment. SPOILERS: The movie ends with a baptism. As a way to start over. The kids figure that people need to die to start over so they take Jill to the river and drown her and then the movie ends. You don’t know if the cure worked. You don’t know what happens to humanity. It just ends and I was left bitter about it.

Don’t watch this movie. This is another failed attempt at another A Quite Place clone. Go watch that instead. But if yo don’t believe me, you can watch it on Netflix.

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Movie Review: The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

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If you haven’t yet seen The Mitchells vs. the Machines, you need to check it out on Netflix. In the past, I have always been critical of Netflix originals because they tend to be reskinning’s of other popular movies. NextGen, for example, is a beat-for-beat worse copy of Big Hero 6. I Was pleasantly surprised that this movie has a cute and unique story fit for the whole family. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is creative and quirky with a fun narrative.

The movie is about a Katie who feels like an outsider. She doesn’t fit in at school or with her family. Katie is an odd artsy girl and her dad doesn’t understand her process. As a result, they are often at odds. Katie gets accepted to an art school in California. She finally feels like she has found a place where she belongs, but drama with her family has made for an awkward goodbye. In the hopes of mending their relationship, her dad decides to take a road trip to California with the whole family. On their way to California, robots have begun to take over the world. Now it is up to the Mitchells to work together as a family and save the world. 

This story is cute. There are some preachy talking points about big tech, data privacy, and our dependence on wifi, but they aren’t overbearing. The main focus of this movie is the self-exploration that Katie and her family go through. Katie learns to appreciate where she comes from, and her bond with her family is strengthened. It is a great adventure full of laughter and excitement that is worth your time if you can spare two hours.

The best part of this movie is the animation. I love the different art styles and how they come together into one quirky narrative. Even if this is a story you might have seen elsewhere, it is unique enough to carry its own charm and claim a special place in your heart. 

If you need something fun to watch, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is your safest bet. Go watch it on Netflix today!