Cobra Kai Season 4

Cobra Kai just keeps getting better & better. This season was a journey, returning characters, new characters, heel turns, face turns, epic fights, an emotional rollercoaster. Characters get deeper every season and this season we sides both sides of the coin. There are good & bad on both sides of the dojo, bullies and the bullied There were divides and forks in the road, wedges in friendship but respect and love conquered and cost. There was more of an underdog story going  on, so much that there was a sense of doom in the air, and rightfully so.....*SPOILER ALERT*......this was a redemption story for some but ultimately this was Empire Strikes Back, it ended on a down ending for many characters, set new and possible bleak paths for season 5 but gave us and epic final moment that is setting up for a big blow off. Will all the characters align? I feel they will. But reality and life is a bitch so we might not get a happy ending.  I hope we don't need to wait 52 weeks for the fifth season but it will be an amazing & long wait for a hopeful final season. Every finale sets up the next season but now it is so multi layered that there needs to be alot of damage control next year, lots of variables and possible directions. Best show on the air, and it is a non wrestling show that is better than any wrestling show. 

The Lost Daughter

 Maggie Gyllenhaal definitely shows directing chops with the Lost Daughter but it feels very look at me, give me an award. and thus far the praise is incoming but i feel there'd be more if it wasn't on Netflix. Netflix gets acclaim such as Roma but this feels more art house(as did Roma for that matter) but it actually feels like it could have been an HBO mini series. Fine acting, tight tale, good debut feature. I feel Maggie can get even artsier and push the envelope a bit further with her next. 

The Spine of Night

 I might have to give this a rewatch, maybe i just wasn't in the mood but with the reviews, the poster and the animation i thought for sure i would love this. A horror fantasy cartoon in the vein of Heavy Metal with an all star cast? It looked awesome but ultimately i just was not invested. Granted i am super tired so perhaps that played a factor but i just felt underwhelmed. 

A Forbidden Orange

 A Forbidden Orange is a unique look at the controversial release of A Clockwork Orange. I have seens docs on the film, read essays on the film but getting a look from Spain while narrated by Malcom McDowell makes for an interesting watch. I felt more detail could have been in it but for a short doc it covers alot of ground. 

Licorice Pizza

 Paul Thomas Anderson is back! Sure he never went anywhere but Phantom Thread was boring as fuck, Inherent Vice and The Master were well crafted films but not very memorable. Licorice Pizza is not only his best film since There Will Be Blood, it is his best since Magnolia. I have a hunch this might become his biggest cult film since Boogie Nights. The film stock is amazing, the soundtrack is excellent, the cast is superb and the story is a journey. It is intentionally awkward, deliberately cringe and has an aura of creepiness with a sense of dread all while keeping an upbeat vibe. All the accolades this has received thus far are warranted and it is destined for even more. 

Summertime

 The trailer for Summertime hooked me. I had seen it a few times at a couple art houses and it looked like the type of indie film i would shoot to the top of my list. I didn't get a chance to see it in theatres but i have finally had my task and it....underwhelmed me. It has a good script, good poetry, and it looks beautiful. It is fast paced and has a great hipstery New York setting but holy hell did the characters get on my nerves. This felt like the "millennial" Slacker, or the "SJW" Slacker, characters come and go, they re meet and we follow them on their day but the shit they go through is their own fault. It is like Kids except atleast that film knew their characters were shit, here we are supposed to act like they are the ones in the right when in fact they are entitled and rude. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Every season Curb Your Enthusiasm somehow manages to stay relevant and push the envelope. Larry David continues to be despicable all while being the audience.  It is a show that is a hipster's show yet it also goes against shit they protect. It is daring and especially in the 20s it is needed even more now to smack people in the face. Comedy is dangerous and this show knows how to use it as a tool. 

Being the Ricardos

 Who can make a film about people playing poker interesting? Aaron Sorkin! Who can make a film about a trial interesting? Aaron Sorkin! Who can make the trials & tribulations of Lucille Ball interesting? Aaron Sorkin! Great acting from all involved, interesting narrative,  and a showcase of the old TV system! Not as powerful as Molly's Game or Trial of the Chicago Seven but still a solid film. 

Lamb

 Lamb is a film that lovers of A25 will jizz over. Lamb is a film that haters of A24 with burn at the stake. I love alot of A24, but i did not love this. There is alot to admire here, it is weird, it has great scenery and it is by all means a well crafted film. It is just the type of weird where people will assume it is high art, and with all the great scenery i found the film to be ugly, it made me uncomfortable. Weird, ugly and uncomfortable could be a recipe for something i'd love but here i just found it tedious. 

Get Back

 Finally got through all of Get Back. Seeing the sessions was great but it was a bit of a chore. I loved the raw, more punkish & outsider sounds of the rehearsals but honestly the first two parts could have been a DVD bonus feature. Part three was where it was at, The Rooftop Concert was the main event and rightfully so. 52 years in the making but Peter Jackson made it so! 

Don't Look Up

 Don't Look Up is one of the years best and one of the funniest. A takedown of billionaires, debunkers of science, riots, and social media. An amazing cast filled with award nominees, all embracing the satire they are partaking in while crafting a damn fine film. There is a perfect balance of hilarity and emotion here, not only do the actors show range but the characters show depth. Leonardo DiCaprio shows a different side of him, and Jennifer Lawrence has her best role since Mother. Adam McKay has had success doing his recent dramas, but doing satire here embraces his comedic roots and i hope to see more of this style from him. 

We Need to Do Something

 I love films about isolation. People forced to hide out from horrors outside. Survival movies. We Need To Do Something has a nice slow burn, an interesting backstory, a lead with depth, some twists and a good climax. In between all of that though it felt flat, is fast paced though so no major complaints. It is on Hulu(but not made by Hulu) but it feels like your run of the mill cheap horror film you find on such a service. 

The King's Man

 In 2015 Kingsman came and kicked my ass. From the opening scene until the end it was unapologetic and balls to the wall bloody. The sequel was entertaining but i don't remember a thing from it. The King's Man is a bit better than the last, but overly long with dull scenes of dialogue, scenes that go on & on, fights and characters that are anti climatic, a 1917 scene that feels pointless. It might be better but it is still going to be forgettable.  The final 20 minutes or so finally picks up momentum in the character and fight dept but it is not enough to forgive the first 2 hours. The stinger is quite brilliant but i honestly don't know if i'll see a sequel if it happens. 

Mother/Android

 I hate doing reviews like this, i get that there have been some dull films this year but usually they look decent visually. Chloe Grace Moretz is nice to look at but the film itself, not so much. There are great ideas in this film but it never gets off the ground. The final act makes it seem like a major reveal but had the plot or characters been developed perhaps i would have cared. This is one of, if not THE worst film of the year. 

It's Always Sunny

 The newest season of It's Always Sunny only started 3 weeks ago but the season is over. Doing it two episodes per week makes for a quick watch. Moving the show to a different location was a fresh move and the show had alot of heart this season, especially in the finale. 2020/2021 in review is probably their best of the season. 

Justice Society WWII

 
The first Justice Society was a fun flick, this follow up no exception. It dives in to the new trend of the multiverse, which has become a massive trope. Here it is not done great but the overall plot is that of a fast paced one shot so it is perfectly digestible for DC's under 90 minute watches. The two Flashes was a fun touch, Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor worked better than in WW84, and Superman had a fresh gimmick. Not one of DC's best but if you are in a multiverse mood, go for it!  

The Matrix Resurrections

 The Matrix Resurrections has alot to love and alot to scratch your head on. It's just as jumbled as Reloaded & Revolutions but it is a tighter tale than both. It begins with a remake oof sorts, becomes meta, then gets even more meta, it being in multiple universes gives it that right and it makes sense....well kind of...as it goes on. The action is great, the film is stylish and it is fast paced, all topped off with an awesome cover at the end with a tongue firmly in cheek and a nice little wink. There is a bit too much exposition but for a film like this is is warranted. It doesn't quite feel like a Christmas season blockbuster, instead it feels like a big budget, super weird fan film. It is full of fan service but it feels more like something you'd see on Bat in the Sun as opposed to a work from the original creator. Even though i was a big fan of Cloud Atlas, this is the best Wachowski film since the original Matrix. 

Hawkeye

 Hawkeye is probably the best of the MCU shows. It is more grounded like Falcon & The Winter Soldier but with Christmas whimsy layered in. Clint Barton has been one of my favorite characters, especially being one of the few bright spots of Age of Ultron, and was glad to see the grump get his own show opposite the younger, more enthusiastic Kate Bishop. I am not the most familiar with her run in the comics but i definitely want to check some out after this. The MCU humor works here, the action is great and there are fun musical numbers. It along with No Way Home have set up the rest of Phase 4 perfectly for both film & tv. There isn't as much buzz for this as there was WandaVision, F&TWS, and Loki, but i enjoyed this more than those, it's light & fun but knew how to be serious.  

Nightmare Alley

 Nightmare Alley is one of Guillermo Del Toro's best. I find his work fascinating but i really only love Blade & Hellboy 2. They are gorgeous but feel like style over substance, but with expert craftsmanship. Nightmare Alley, along with Crimson Peak & Shape of Water feel like US versions of his spanish films. I have not seen the original Nightmare Alley but i see it is uploaded on Youtube so i might check it out. The story is super tight, but it does have some pacing issues, you go on a journey and it unravels into madness, like a gothic Requiem For a Dream. The entire cast is great, especially Bradley Cooper, i called the ending but i loved how it happened. I almost wish this was black & white, not for the noir aspect but the fact that it feels like a art house B movie at times. 

Injustice

 I never read the Injustice comic because i never got around to playing the game. It intrigued me but i just never was at someone's house that owned it, and never on a system i owned(at the time). But DC animation doing a bloody film i was all for. There is definitely bloodshed but while watching this it felt like it could have been that much more epic. It is under 80 minutes, this could have been closer to 2 hours to give the ramifications of Superman killing the Joker that much more time to sizzle. Batman & Superman leading opposing factions could have had an epic build up but it all felt rushed. I love DC animation but sometimes people jizz over em just for the sake of doing so. This could have been one of their best but alas it was one of their weakest. 

Spider Man: No Way Home

The MCU Spidey films have been fun but they never felt larger than life, the felt light. Spider Man: No Way Home changes all of that. This is the most larger than life Spider Man film since Sam Raimi's Spider Man 2. It is the largest scaled MCU film since Endgame, and probably the largest "solo" entree since Civil War. Tom Holland finally matures in this role and all the supporting cast, both hero & foe, get their time to shine. More so than any other MCU film or show the past year this got me the most excited for the saga's future. 

Passing

 I try to give actors & actresses turned directors a go. I also love black & white cinema, it is gorgeous. This film from Rebecca Hall is indeed gorgeous, and it has a quick pace but the story and characters did nothing for me. As i said it was fast paced but extremely boring. It is getting award buzz but it feels like your annual Netflix award buzz flick....oh wait that will be Don't Look Up. 

West Side Story

 Every one in a while i ask myself why certain directors tackle certain films. Whether it be indie directors or mainstream blockbuster makers. Steven Spielberg definitely is a blockbuster guy but i have to wonder why at this stage in his career would he want to direct a remake of West Side Story? I get it is a film he loves, i mean he was 15 when the original came out. Not much is updating it other than a few racial tones. The story is a bit of a drag, the acting is a bit wooden but the choreography is great and the entire film looks stylish. I was going to say Spielberg's most stylish since....but then i remembered Ready Player One had plenty of style. As far as Spielberg dramas go it falls on the weaker side. I felt the Post was highly underrated but the days of epically great Spielberg drama hasn't been seen since Catch Me if You Can, and even that way rather low key, so maybe even as far back as Saving Private Ryan. He works best in genre film but i had hope for a musical. It was crafted greatly but it is just quite forgettable. 

Jolt

 Jolt might be the best of the current wave of women on a mission films(well non DC & Marvel i should say) but that doesn't mean it is a good film. The plot is dumb, there is some cringe acting and the fights are choppy but it is dumb fun. Kate Beckinsale honestly does some of her best work here, she shows mass charisma. There is one scene, i'll call it the baby scene, that is the most far fetched scene in recent memory, almost takes you out of the movie all together.  It's a quick watch though, it starts off awesome and ends pretty decent but the middle hour is eye roll central. 

Silent Night

 Silent Night isn't shocking in a cinematic way, but it is jolting in what the fuckness. By that i don't mean the film is weird, by that i mean it has a wicked dark sense of humor, tackles some heavy issues and the last act you are forced to see death through the eyes of the innocent. Loss of innocence is a major factor in this film and the general idea of the plot of this film walks taboo lines. Keira Knightly's best role in about 20 years, Lilly Rose Depp's best role yet but the best performance here is from Roman Griffin Davis, this being only his second film along with JoJo Rabbit show the chops he has,  

Wolf

 Wolf is a great concept, people that assume they are an animal get put in hospital to help with their condition. This is a real condition and it is treated with respect in the film and it feel inspired but the result feels underwhelming. Great ideas but ultimately tiresome. 

Benedetta

 Paul Verhoeven is a man i once truly loved, and i still do, i just don't love alot of his modern works....or well any work post Hollow Man. Benedetta was billed as a ninsploitaton film, a possible return to form. It was semi exploitation and had some daring moments, it didn't play it safe. This is his artsiest film, and it has some strong lesbionics involved but much like his post Hollow Man efforts it is tedious, self absorbed and dull. I hope one day he returns to give us a strong satirical genre film but if not i am fine with the catalog he left us! 

Tick Tick Boom

 Tick Tick Boom, the feature debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda, packs as much of the joy & sadness as Hamilton, has a great production and catchy songs, along with some solid acting. With all that greatness for some reason i was not that enthralled by it. Maybe i wasn't in the mood, but i'm always in the mood. While watching it i admired it yet i was not invested. This is by no means a bad film, far from it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. 

Bruised

 Halle Berry's directorial effort Bruised is a tale we have seen plenty of times. A down and out athlete with a comeback story, a redemption tale. It is also a story we have seen before. A down and out parent with a comeback story, a redemption tale. Crossing those streams should be a great thing right? Right? Well it is a good film but it definitely slogs in the middle. Berry is decent but the rest are quite wooden. It is a tale we have seen but one we have seen told way better. 

Death Valley

 Death Valley on Shudder is the new film in which mercenaries on a mission encounter science gone wrong in the form of zombies and monsters, seeing this a week after Resident Evil in which a team of police encounter science gone wrong in the form of zombies and monsters truly makes you appreciate Resident Evil that much more and makes you realize that Shudder is hit & miss. It needed to embrace the cheese & Bness alot more and go over the top. 

Mortal Kombat: Battle of the Realms

 Mortal Kombat: Battle of the Realms the sequel to Scorpion's Revenge, is not as good but just as fun and just as bloody as the first. These animated MK flicks aren't as defined as the DC films but WB Animation is the place to be. It is a step up from the ugly animation of Night of the Living Dead. I hope we get these yearly, they are violent, fast paced martial art cartoons, everything you want MK to be. There is a bit too much humor thrown in and the characters aren't developed but this is MK and not DC, so it is not expected. We just want to kills. 

The Power of the Dog

 The Power of the Dog is quite the jumbled film. The plot is everywhere but it slowly...slowly unravels and has a pay off at the end where everything kind of....kind of makes sense. This is a weird western, one of the weirdest westerns not just in recent memory but ever. It might be the most homo erotic western ever too, more so than Brokeback Mountain. The gay innuendo is everywhere. At first it is subtle or hinted at but the last half it explodes everywhere. Some damn fine acting and a weird script carry this film but i wish it embraced the weirdness a bit more. 

Belfast

 Sometimes you'll see an indie film then be saddened that the director will be restrained doing an MCU film, such as Chloe Zhao going from Nomadland to Eternals. Other times though you see someone jump back and they wind up doing their most personal film ever. Belfast is easily Kenneth Branagh's most personal film. From the bookended open & close of modern Belfast to the main story in beautiful black and white you can tell he made this his art project. The subject matter of the riots hits home with his upbringing and speaks to modern events. It even shows his main escape in cinema, this is not only a love letter to cinema but to Belfast itself and the loss of innocence. 

Midnight Mass

 I love Mike Flanagan. His films are good to great as are his shows. Haunting on Hill House & Bly Manor were great but after Doctor Sleep i wish he stuck with film. Midnight Mass has interesting characters, and an aura of mystery but not much happens until the final episode. We get teases and glimpses, but sometimes a slow burn needs to give a little more. The final episode gave us the climax we desired but the first 6 were quite the struggle to get through. Good acting, good imagery, just moved at a snails pace. 

The Addams Family 2

 When the animated reboot of the Addams Family came out it had charm but it felt like a film like Hotel Transylvania. The macabre was kiddish and the celebration of weird felt forced. With Addams Family 2 it doubles down on everything. The plot is weaker, the horror is as Freeform as it gets, the characters don't feel like the Addams and it still has the aura or forced synthetic weridness. Atleast the first had charm, this one while not unwatchable felt so unnecessary. 

Copshop

 Joe Carnahan is an interesting film maker, he can do greatness like Narc then over the top pulp like Smokin Aces. Blockbuster fare like A Team and totally bonkers high concept action like Boss Level. Copshop is pure B movie action, in all the best ways....and in the worst ways. Over the top? Yes. Cheesy dialogue? Check? Great action? Check. But the story lacks quite a bit. The characters are pure B but they still feel like action stock characters. If you want the best Carnahan film of 2021, make it Boss Level. 

Dear Evan Hansen

 In 2012 Stephen Chbosky gave me one of my favorite films of the decade in Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was a film with something to say, it had heart, great characters, an amazing soundtrack, looked gorgeous, had a fantastic story based on his own book and was an overall wonderful film. When he did Wonder it had heart and was good but it felt hollow, now he has Dear Evan Hansen and it was pure sap. Well made but with uninteresting characters played by actors that seemed uninterested themselves, had some pretty bad songs to make it a musical and just had a weak plot that felt like an after school special crossed with mid 10s young adult adaptation. Unless one was a huge fan of the play i am lost as to why one would want to adapt this, and even then i would be puzzled. Especially when the director's first film is a masterpiece. Please do another film about real outcasts now a spaz, give us great music, not cringy tunes, make us feel raw emotion not forced sympathy. 

The Advent Calendar

 Shudder's The Advent Calendar i actually thought would be a anthology film, instead it is about a cursed advent calendar. There were a few great moments in this tale about a paraplegic girl and her struggles  but ultimately it was a tired and tedious affair. There are some good ideas and gorgeous imagery, the acting is solid but there is not much to offer. I feel the concept of an advent that offers curses and blessing is brilliant it just needs better execution. 

House of Gucci

 While i said The Last Duel was boring and that Ridley Scott has no room  to talk shit on  the MCU, i was atleast hoping that House of Gucci would be along the lines of American Hustle. Instead it is your basic Scott fare. Great cast, story that grabs for awards but boring execution. A double dose of Scott in one year...or one week for me, was too much Scott.

The Last Duel

 Oh Ridley Scott, you pretentious yet dull man. I love your genre films, love Alien, Blade Runner, Hannibal, but your non genre offers leave alot to be desired. You have a great reputation for doing cookie cutter and safe pictures. You claim Marvel is boring yet you thought the Last Duel was a good idea? Even with a script from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and an all star cast this film couldn't get me excited if Daenerys Targaryen was having a love scene with Sansa Stark, and yet Game of Thrones was boring too, but atleast they existed in a fantasy land. The only fantasy this film offers is the fantasy that Scott is some sort of auteur, he is far from it. 

King Richard

Will Smith is good at playing strong roles with a aura of sadness. King Richard is another film that delivers such a performance. Only the thing is these roles are often forgettable. Smith works best when he can turn up the volume. Here he can't, in fact the film has a great cast but it all seems like the type of roles someone takes because they think it will get them acclaim and not for any other purpose. Sure actors do that all the time but King Richard isn't the type of film anyone will take knowing it will be praised in 15 years, they know it is a one and one watch. They give their all to make the best film they can, and this film is good but you forget about it the next day, which i will. The trailer was a bit more inspiring than the film, a picture about the Williams sisters should be more powerful than this.