I will start by saying that if you are a fan of the Twisted Metal games, you will be disappointed by this series. This isn’t the dark and twisted narrative that is the main draw to the franchise. This is a cheap and cheesy action series with a Twisted Metal theme. This series is bad. The writing isn’t great, the acting is inconsistent, and the CGI is horrible. But it isn’t the worst video game adaptation I’ve seen. Despite its many flaws, I had a lot of fun with this series. I enjoyed the games, and won’t deny my disappointment that this series isn’t a true adaptation. But I am also a fan of cheesy campy movies, and that part of me adored the general ridiculousness this series carries.
The world has ended. In a post-apocalyptic America, major cities have walled themselves off from the desolate wasteland that surrounds them. But not everyone can live in the cities. The undesirables are cast out, forced to fight amongst themselves in the ruins of the old world. Cities use these outsiders to trade goods with each other. These people are called milkmen, and milkmen are expendable.
John Doe is a milkman hired for the most important run of his life. If he can complete the delivery on time, he can enjoy a peaceful life inside one of these cities. But this won’t be an easy delivery. The roads are unforgiving, full of death and mayhem. Does John have what it takes to make it back alive?
The series is a prequel to the twisted metal tournament. The tournament is run by a mysterious figure who pits the best drivers around in a fight to the death. The winner of the tournament gets their wish granted. The story is pretty cool until it isn’t, but I recommend you watch the cut scenes or summaries on YouTube if you want the real story. The series exists as its own narrative, and while it does have some fun Easter eggs, I am not counting it as canon. It’s best to watch this series disassociating the two narratives, or you will have a bad time.
I enjoyed the series, but it isn’t for everyone. This series is bad, but it’s the fun kind of bad. There is an attempt at a story. It isn’t great, but it’s fine for how cheap the show is. There is a bit of humor, both intentional and not, but don’t expect this to be the action-packed mayhem it promises to be. The CGI looks terrible, and they use a lot of it. All of the action is CGI, and it is hilarious. I recommend this series to people who enjoy watching bad campy movies for fun. Everyone else, it depends on how much cheesiness you can stomach.
You can stream Twisted Metal on Peacock.
Series Review: Poker Face (2023)
The first season of Poker Face has finally wrapped up, and it was fine. If you are looking for a quirky and silly mystery of the week series to get into, this one should at least be on your list.
Charlie is a human lie detector who finds herself running from the mob. As she makes her way across the American landscape, she keeps finding herself in the middle of all these murders. Charlie is too kind to let things go unsolved, so for the first time in her life, she uses her gifts for good. Watch Charlie as she fumbles through a mystery to bring justice to crimes that would otherwise go unnoticed. But for every new friend she makes, she also leaves behind new enemies. Will Charlie ever find peace, or is she destined to be a runaway?
Natasha Lyonne’s role as Charlie is a gift, and you need to watch this series to enjoy her performance. Lyonne has the presence and charisma to make this series work. If you aren’t in love with Charlie by the end of the first episode, you weren’t paying attention. I love that Charlie isn’t the usual detective archetype that you get in shows like Law and Order. Charlie is a flawed character who will fumble through the investigation. Charlie is clever enough to make the connections, but her carefree demeanor makes her come to it at her own pace. A lot of the fun for this series comes from watching Charlie slowly put the pieces together.
The only issue I have with this series is that not every episode is good. I will be skipping a few episodes the next time I watch this season, but I see the value of watching the whole series at least once. Each episode will have important character moments for Charlie that come back in subtle ways in the future. These details aren’t so important that it affects the story significantly, but I appreciate the attention to detail. That said, the worst episode is still good enough, and the series is collectively solid.
If you haven’t seen this series and have a Peacock subscription because it is worth the trouble. At the very least, you will fall in love with a fictional character.
Movie Review: The Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is the first and only movie I’ve seen from the spin-off. I am honestly surprised that The Last Wish wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. If you have to sit through this movie with your kids, you won’t hate it, but it won’t be one of your favorites. As it stands, this film is a decent kids’ movie that you can stream on Peacock.
Puss in Boots finds himself on the last of his nine lives. Facing his newly discovered mortality, Puss becomes afraid of death for the very first time in his life. Instead of facing his problems head-on in his usual arrogant way, Puss decides to spend the rest of his life hiding as a normal cat. But the quiet life doesn’t stick, and Puss finds himself on another adventure with a pair of unlikely companions as they look for the wishing star. Can they make find the star before Death claims the Puss in Boots?
The plot is silly and as simple as you would expect from a kid’s film. The voice acting, art, and music are fantastic. I love the art style in this movie, especially for the fight scenes. The action is well-choreographed, but it isn’t without its moments of silliness. There are a lot of sight gags and body humor that didn’t always land, but they never got obnoxious. I loved all the cat jokes a bit more than I should have.
There isn’t much more I can say about this movie because it is another movie where the brooding, edgy protagonists learn the value of friendship. The villains aren’t dynamic, and the story is basic, but I wouldn’t expect more from a kids’ movie. The Last Wish is cute, fun, and perfect for your next movie night. It might not have the lasting power of Shrek, but it won’t be the worst kids’ movie you’ll have to sit through. You can stream it on Peacock.
Series Review: Poker Face (2023)
Poker Face is Peacock’s new quirky crime detective drama that you should be watching if you are a fan of the genre. This creative and fun take on the genre is sure to put a smile on your face. If you have Peacock, Poker Face should be on your watch list.
Charlie starts as a waitress at a Las Vegas Casino with no prospects, but she is content with where her life is. Charlie has the superhuman ability to sense when people are lying to her. Unfortunately, her gift gets her in a lot of trouble. Despite trying to lay low, her caring nature won’t let her leave things alone. Her life changes when her abilities help her uncover the casino’s dark secret. Follow Charlie as she runs for her life and solves more mysteries along the way.
Charlie is an amazing character, and I recommend this series just to experience Natasha Lyonn’e delightful performance. She is quirky, funny, and smart despite her looks. I dare you to hate Charlie after the first episode. I have no doubts that Lyonne has the charisma to make this series work.
What sets this series apart is its structure. Each episode starts by showing you the murder. The audience knows what happened, but the fun comes from watching Charlie put the pieces together. What makes Charlie such a great character is that she isn’t perfect. She fumbles and makes mistakes, but her instincts will eventually get her the answers she needs. It makes for a refreshing take on this classic genre that I have been enjoying thoroughly.
The series only has four episodes out at the moment, with a new episode releasing Thursdays. If you don’t have Peacock, I recommend you wait for the whole series to release so that you can binge it on the trial. So far, this series is worth the trial. The acting is solid, and the mysteries are well done. If you are looking for a fun, quirky crime drama that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat, go stream Poker Face on Peacock!
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Movie Review: Sick (2022)
Sick is as good as you’d expect from a thriller horror movie about covid made for a streaming service you probably don’t have. The film certainly has its moments of competence, but it derails and is only worth the trouble if you have nothing else to watch.
The movie takes us back to the time of Covid lockdowns. Toilet paper is out of stock, people sanitize everything, masks are mandatory, and everyone stands six feet apart. A killer is hunting down seemingly random teens, but we won’t know why till the end. The movie will focus on a pair of college girls who quarantine at a secluded cabin. But the killer has followed them to their haven. The two must now run for their lives as they try to survive the night. Can they make it out of quarantine alive?
The acting is fine, but the leads aren’t good enough scream queens to carry the movie. The weakness in their abilities is particularly noticeable towards the end after the climax. I think they did the best they could with what they were given, but I don’t think they would do better in a different movie. The story is dumb, but I appreciate that there was an attempt at creating deeper characters. It was an attempt that ultimately fails, but it was nice to see characters that aren’t the usual archetypes. The movie isn’t terrible. Some very well-done tense and suspenseful moments were pretty scary, but the movie loses its momentum towards the end, making it a flop in my book.
They ran out of ideas after the big reveal. The ending is disappointing. There are a lot of issues with the realism of the movie that I could have forgiven if this movie was more fun. People in this movie tend to teleport and gain almost superhuman survival abilities when the plot asks for it. It isn’t so I suggest you skip it unless you are starving for content.
There isn’t much more to say about this movie. It is a dumb thriller based on a simple concept that doesn’t pan out all the way. You can stream it on Peacock, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it unless you’re starving for content.
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Movie Review: Nope (2022)
I finally got around to watching the movie Nope. I tried watching it multiple times when it was in theaters, but it never worked out. After watching it today, however, I am glad it never worked out. This movie is not worth the ticket price.
Nope is a horror movie about aliens who terrorize a small horse ranch. The struggling rancher’s life is turned upside down when an alien makes a nest for itself on his property. Horses go missing, objects fall from the sky, and electricity goes out from time to time. Now OJ, his sister, and a small team gather on this ranch to obtain proof of life beyond the stars. Will they be able to do it, or will they be another unexplained disappearance?
This movie is painfully slow as it builds up to a disappointing ending. The acting is great, and there are some pretty visuals, but there isn’t enough to this movie to have you rushing to watch it. I have seen most of Peele’s movies, and it seems to be a common thread that his movies are just okay at best and complete disappointments at their worst. Looking at you Wendell & Wild. Peel is good at creating beautiful and scary moments, but he isn’t good at creating whole narratives. I can point to specific scenes in all his movies that show promise, but he isn’t able to achieve this level of promise in a whole movie. Peele either doesn’t know how to end his stories, or they are just boring. He might find better success in a shorter format.
The worst part about Nope is its pacing. The first hour or so is a build-up to an alien reveal that is both ugly and disappointing. The first half of the movie deals heavily with a lot of family and personal drama that gets thrown out the window as soon as it remembers it is an alien movie. It doesn’t help that it will reference better movies along the way. I get that he might be trying to show how small problems are in the grand scheme of things, but it is boring to watch.
This isn’t a terrible movie. The acting is fantastic, and the chemistry between the stars is amazing, but they deserve better. There are some really cool visuals and a couple of terrifying scenes that may complicate my disappointment, but it doesn’t cure it. I look forward to the day when Peele can find the perfect balance between visual, narrative, and horror.
If you haven’t watched the movie and are on the fence, don’t bother. If you are a fan of his work, you might have a better time than I did, but I feel that Nope is one of his weaker films. I wouldn’t pay money to watch it. You can find it on Peacock November 18. For those who can’t wait, you can rent it on Amazon with through my affiliate link.
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Movie Review: Beast (2022)
Beast is so bad that not even Idris Elba can save it from mediocrity. If you get a chance to watch this for free, don’t. You have been warned.
Beast is a movie about a single father who takes his two daughters to Africa in an effort to bond with them and help them connect with their roots. But what they find isn’t the exotic adventure they were hoping for. A lion now hunts them relentlessly across the Sahara. Will they be able to make it out alive?
The best part of this movie is their attention to detail in first aid practices. Every time Idris Elba had to sew a wound or treat someone, he would make it a point to wash his hand and sterilize his equipment. I appreciated this attention to detail, but this small detail doesn’t make for an exciting thriller. This movie is so boring, that it makes basic hygiene exciting.
Pacing is a huge issue with this movie. The first 30 minutes are dedicated to family drama that doesn’t add anything to the story. I get that they are trying to establish pathos for the characters, but it is lazy. You learn that the mother died from cancer and the family hasn’t fully recovered and the dad struggles to forge a strong bond with his daughters. It’s been done before, and all it did is make me wish I was watching a better movie.
The lion is problematic because he has an ungodly omnipotence that should have been enough to make this a shorter movie. When the lion isn’t fighting the main characters, it is beyond calculated, trapping and killing relentlessly. With the family, however, there is restraint because the script is poorly written. The lion will always show up and the family will always escape, not based on instinct or luck, but because that is how it is written. As a result, the movie becomes insanely predictable.
This movie isn’t worth your time. The acting is mediocre at best, the writing is bad, and the action is poorly rendered. But for those who don’t believe me, you can stream it on Peacock.
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Movie Review: Halloween Ends (2022)
This series should have ended with the last movie. There is no reason for this movie to exist except to make money, but you shouldn’t give it any of yours. If you want to indulge in someone else’s self-serving terrible vision, this is the movie for you. But if you are trying to watch some good horror for Halloween, watch anything else.
Halloween Ends is the conclusion to the Michael Meyers saga that no one asked for. This is possibly the dullest and most uninspired slasher movie I have seen this year, and I just watched Jeepers Creepers: Rebirth. There are many issues with this movie, but the biggest one is that nothing happens. I like that there has been a trend to give horror movies proper plots, but please make it interesting. There is nothing interesting about this sequel. The first half of this movie is wasted on a relationship no one cares about. There are maybe 15 minutes where the slasher movie exists, but the rest is just pointless filler. The slasher bits aren’t even fun, most of the kills happen off-camera or too quickly to matter.
The biggest issue I have with this movie is with overbearing narration that refuses to go away. I am sorry, but I came here expecting to watch a slasher film, not to listen to a terrible audiobook. All the narration in this movie comes in the form of a fake book Jamie Lee Curtis is writing that only seems to be repeating her big speech from the last movie. You even get to watch her write the book in real-time. How exciting is that? I am very upset that this movie is desperate to convince its audience that the Halloween series is some deep allegory for the human condition when it has never been about that. It is completely self-serving and takes away from the only reason people would go watch this dumb movie.
The other issue I have with this movie is how inhuman they make Meyers be. This film feathers an immortal, omniscient, and teleporting Michael who terrorizes the town until he gets to Jamie Lee Curtis. They make it a point to show that he is unstoppable, but then he is easily and anti-climactically stopped by an injured woman and her granddaughter. I don’t even have the words to express my disappointment.
I can only hope that this is truly the end of this series, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they reincarnate him for another terrible reboot. I am not surprised that this disappointing reboot got such a disappointing ending, but it does hurt that I wasted my time on it. Don’t watch this movie in theaters when you can stream it on Peacock. Don’t stream it on Peacock because it is a complete waste of time.
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Image Source: By Universal Pictures – https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/halloween-ends, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71346881
Movie Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
Most people are already done with this IP, but Illumination seems to be determined to milk it for all its worth. While it might not be the best addition to the franchise, The Rise of Gru is certainly one of the better ones. If you have kids, you’ve probably already seen this movie. If you haven’t, you can stream it on Peacock.
The plot is a simple origin story. It focuses on the mentorship of Gru as he comes to his own as a villain, while also establishing him as a sympathetic character. I didn’t feel like it added much to the lore or did anything worthwhile, but I didn’t hate it.
This movie doesn’t do anything special, and I would only recommend it if you have kids. The voice acting is mostly solid and I enjoy the art style. It is hard to write too much about this movie because you’ve seen this type of origin story done many times. There were some cute moments in this movie that help The Rise of Gru stand out among the rest of these movies, but nothing I would rush to see.
If you are looking for something to throw on for a family movie night, this is a solid option. If you are looking for something to throw on in the background, why not. Otherwise, you can probably live without it. You can stream it on Peacock.
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Movie Review: You Won’t be Alone(2022)
You Won’t Be Alone is a delightfully odd low-budget film about a witch who just wants to live a normal life. Nevena was turned into a witch as a baby. Her mother, fearing that the witch would take her, hides Nevena in a cave. Nevena will spend the first 16 years of her living in this cave in isolation. Eventually, the witch returns for Nevena and takes her out of the cave. Although Nevena appreciates her newfound freedom, she doesn’t want to be a witch. The witches in this movie have the power to take the form of a corpse. Nevena will make three transformations in this movie. We get to watch her learn about human nature from three different perspectives by living as a young woman, a young man, and a little girl. Will she be able to assimilate and have a normal life, or will the hatred toward witches be her demise?
This is a trigger warning! There is a bit of nudity and sex. The movie also deals with abuse, both emotional and physical. If any of these topics trigger you, do not watch this movie.
This movie does a fantastic job of creating an engaging narrative by piecing together different stories. I loved how each Nevena focuses on different aspects of human life based on the assumed perspective. For each version of Nevena, she finds different objects of importance that help her grow as a person. A lot of the narrative exists within her childlike observations. She grew up away from society, so she finds intrigue in everything. This innocent curiosity is a great driving force for the narrative. It is through Nevena’s innocence that we get a lot of important criticism about human nature.
The only complaint I have is that this movie is with the pacing. This movie is a slow burn, and it is going to be an issue for most people. This movie is also a bit unrefined because of its budget. It is not unwatchable, but it is difficult to ignore. There is some awkward camera work and a few of Nevena’s reactions get tedious. If you can get past these flaws, it is a solid movie. If you can get past the issues, this movie proves that you don’t need a hefty budget of name-brand actors to tell an interesting story.
This is an Armenian film with some awkwardly translated subtitles. Not unintelligible, but award at points. If you don’t mind the budget and pacing, this is a good way to spend two hours. This movie fills a certain niche, and it won’t be for everyone. This movie is also very quiet. Nevena never learned to speak, a lot of her communication is through gesticulation. The movie does a fantastic job at combining Nevena’s non-verbal communication with a contemplative internal monologue to create a powerful narrative. If you are interested, you can stream it on Peacock.
