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.
The Beanie Bubble is a poor attempt at capturing a weird moment in history that you aren’t missing out on.
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.
Apple’s The Crowded Room isn’t the psychological thriller it thinks it is
I almost didn’t finish watching this series, but I powered through for the review. The Crowded Room isn’t the worst show in Apple’s catalog, but it is boring. I’ll be honest. I didn’t have the highest hopes for this series going in. The trailer was boring, so I wasn’t surprised when the series was too. I am more disappointed by the fact that I wasted my time watching this than I am with the quality of the series. Do yourself a favor and go watch anything else.
Rya is an ambitious psychology professor who is asked to help Danny after he shoots up Rockefeller Center. Danny is a troubled kid who hears voices and needs help. Rya is the only person who understands Danny’s condition and can get him the help he needs. But with his trial moving ever closer, Rya is running out of time. Can she help Danny so that he can start healing before it’s too late? Can she convince the world that he needs help, or will he be sent to rot in prison for something that he has no control over? I feel like I have been saying this a lot lately, but this could have been a lot shorter. I believe it was meant to be shorter. This series has a lot of filler, and it took everything I had to not skip around. You can watch the first and last episodes and get the whole story, the rest of the episodes add nothing to the narrative. The Crowded Room spends so much on emotional speeches, psychology lectures, and showing the audience how diverse the cast is that it forgets to tell its story. It’s hilarious that the series is advertised as a thriller when it is missing everything that would make it one. The writing is worse than the pacing. Someone took everything they learned from their Intro to Psyc class, mixed it with some of the laziest emotional speeches, sprinkled in as many cliches they could think of, and threw it together to make this script. I can’t believe they wasted such a talented cast on something more fitting of a high school production. The Crowded Room is a slow build-up to one of the most boring and poorly written trials you will ever have to sit through, and then the series just ends abruptly. While I am happy that they didn’t sequel bait, they should at least have the decency to try to finish the story. The trial magically ends, and you get some meaningless epilogue and the empty feeling that you just wasted precious time you will never get back.
The longer I think about this series, the angrier I get about having sat through it. You can stream it on Apple TV if you have a subscription, but you have better things to do.
Happy Madison’s The Out-Laws is a bland comedy that will leave no impressions
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.
The Last Thing He Told Me: The slowest suspenseful thriller about unconditional motherly love
Shrinking: One of the most wholesome series on Apple TV
I have to say that Apple TV has figured out the formula for wholesome television. I find that their programming is always hit or miss, but the stuff I love is done spectacularly. My latest obsession is with the series Shrinking. If you haven’t already watched this series, I urge you to go watch it now. It is amazing!
Shrinking is the story of a shrink who hits rock bottom after his wife dies. At the bottom, he finds he has become estranged from his daughter, isolated himself from his friends, and has been spiraling for the past year. He decides to do better and start participating in life again. As he learns to take care of himself, he teaches others to do the same. The series becomes this collection of stories of broken people trying to become whole again. It is a quirky and wholesome experience worth every minute of your time.
The concept is a bit over the top, but it works. Some of the psychoanalytical stuff is exaggerated, and some plot points are pandering, but the series is solid throughout. The acting is fantastic, the writing is mostly solid, and the concept is interesting. The actors do a fantastic job of giving this series its charm. While the writing is solid, the actors do a fantastic job of earning your love. Not all of the characters are well-rounded, but that doesn’t matter. You need to watch this series, at least to appreciate the performances.
The series does go into heavy issues like dealing with death or divorce. They touch on a lot of topics about mental health, but it never gets too sad or serious. The series has the perfect balance between sad and happy moments to keep the series feeling wholesome.
The series has a similar tone to Ted Lasso, and I would argue that it is just as enjoyable. You can stream it on Apple TV if you have a subscription, or start the trial if you don’t.
Citadel (2023): The most boring action series you shouldn’t be watching
I finally found the time to sit back and watch Citadel on Amazon Prime, and I am upset at how much time I wasted on this series. It was a struggle to finish Citadel and an even bigger struggle to find the strength to not skip around when this series got boring. Don’t watch this series. There is nothing for you here.
Citadel is about two spies forced into hiding by an evil organization hunting them down. One spy has lost his memories and is struggling with his identity. Is he a father and husband from Iowa, or is he the deadly spy everyone else knows he is? But he must decide quickly. The world is about to end, and only he and his generic female spy ex-lover are the only ones who can save the world. Can they do it?
I don’t know where to start with this series because it is so bad. The plot is terrible, but I would argue that the writing is worse. There are lines in this series that are so bad that I had to pause the series so that I could reevaluate my decisions. I took a lot of breaks trying to get through this series, and it almost broke me. The writing is so bad that I can’t tell you how bad the acting is. There are actors in this series that aren’t trying, but others, like the lead, are trying their hardest to make this terrible series work. Gods bless them. I hope they can find something better after Citadel.
This series tries to have this overarching mystery as you are trying to figure out who the mole is. It doesn’t work because it becomes obvious the moment they walk into the series. This was only a few minutes in, and For the rest of the series, I had to sit through terrible attempts at misdirection as the series built up to the dumbest big reveal you can’t possibly fathom. This series is so boring that I could only sit there and over-analyze every terrible plot point, overthink every plot hole, and scrutinize all of the science. I can suspend my disbelief in action thrillers, but they have to be good at distracting me with big explosions and fun action. Citadel had nothing to distract me from how terrible it is.
Citadel is the most boring to come out this year. There were a few decent fights, but not enough to be worth your time. Most of the run time is spent on relationships no one cares about and pointless filler. Had this been a movie packed with more action, it would have been better.
I don’t want to spend any more time on this series. You can stream it on Amazon, but I wouldn’t waste my time.
Scream 6: They Should Have Stopped at 5
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.
Movie Review: A Tourist’s Guide to Love
I just watched A Tourist’s Guide to Love, and it is as cheesy as you’d expect. While I prefer it to Ghosted, it is a hard movie to recommend because the writing is terrible. This movie is another lazy generic romance movie, but one with decent actors who give solid performances.
Amanda finds herself trapped in her boring routined life. When her boyfriend of five years breaks up with her, she goes on a work trip to Vietnam. Amanda intended to do research for her job, but she discovers something more meaningful. She finds love. Her charming handsome tour guide shows her more than just the sights; he shows her how to be her truest self. But will this adventure give Amanda the courage to follow her heart, or will her business get in the way of love?
A Tourist’s Guide to Love is a bad movie, but the actors save it from being terrible. I commend the actors for doing their best with what they were given, but they deserve a better script. The plot is generic, lazy, and forgettable. There isn’t much to say about this movie because it doesn’t do anything you haven’t seen in other generic romance movies. If you enjoy the genre, you might appreciate it a bit better, but I am not sure anyone can stomach how cheesy this movie gets. The best bits of this movie is when it occasionally flashes bits of the beautiful Vietnamese scenery.
This movie has me in a weird place because it is bad, but I’ve seen a lot worse. That said, I already forgot I watched it. Don’t watch this movie unless you enjoy watching cheesy romantic movies. Even then, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. For those still curious, you can stream it on Netflix.
Movie Review: Ghosted (2023)
I just watch Ghosted, but I wish I didn’t. This has to be one of the laziest and most boring action films I have seen, and I have sat through some terrible movies. This movie is so boring that Anna Del Armas slept through her whole performance. This movie is so boring that the best part is when they played My Sharona, even though the action scene it belongs to is terrible. For those few who were thinking of watching this movie, don’t. It is a huge waste of time.
A farmer meets a girl at a farmers market and falls madly in love with her after one date. She ghosts him. Instead of taking the hint and moving on, the farmer tracks her down without her knowledge to attempt a big romantic gesture. Instead of finding romance, the farmer finds himself in the middle of a covert CIA operation. It turns out that the love is life is a secret agent. Will he be able to find love between the rain of bullets and lies?
Ghosted starts off as one of the most awkward romcoms but quickly turns into an incredibly generic action movie. This movie doesn’t work. There is absolutely no chemistry between the leads, which was essential for this movie’s success. I blame the lack of chemistry and mediocre acting on the terrible writing. The writing for this movie is lazy. You can guess down to specific lines what will happen next. At least they had they lacked the nerve to sequel bait because that would have thrown me over a ledge.
As an action movie, it doesn’t work because the action is boring. I preferred the romcom bits of the plot because at least sometimes it would be funny. For this movie to work, it needed a tangible villain and real stakes, anything to make it less goofy.
The worst part of this movie was the couple. They meet after a very awkward and obnoxious fight and somehow still end up going on a date The guy, who everyone agrees is obsessive, uses a tracking device that only he knows about to track the romantic interest. The movie tries to play it like the male lead is quirky, but it is creepy. It doesn’t make sense when in the end they are in love because there is no reason for them to be.
I knew Ghosted was going to be bad when I saw how hard Apple was pushing it up to its release. They even shamelessly collected name-brand actors for seconds of cameos to trick people into watching this garbage. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen all the good parts. It even shows you bits of the climax. I avoided using names in this review because the characters are so generic that the names don’t matter. You can watch this movie on Apple TV, but I wouldn’t waste my time. Go watch Killers instead. That movie does this plot a lot better.