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xxclancrusherxx
Reviews
Wednesday (2022)
This is no spin-off; this is an evolution!
I was pleasantly surprised by how great this series turned out. It truly does keep you guessing with enthralling mysteries and adventures, and it adapts the Addams Family franchise in such a fun, creative way, though I never had much of a connection to it prior to this viewing. Wednesday and Co. Are very likable characters that you want to stick around for, brought to life by an incredible cast. There are some characters and plot lines that could have been developed better, as well as some of the humor being somewhat repetitive. However, I really want to see more of Wednesday's Nevermore experiences in a 2nd season.
Stranger Things: Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab (2022)
How is this episode the highest-praised in the entire series? I don't see it.
I wrote this not having watched episodes 8 and 9 yet.
Hear me out:
This is an episode with some of the best moments in the series. The action scene involving the Russian demigorgon was riveting. The kids figuring out Vecna's plan is delightfully reminiscent of the show's old days. But...
I've got some major problems with this episode. First, why is it so long? It's like watching a full-length movie, but even less events transpired. There is a lot of filler, such as Steve and Nancy drama, the police questioning the kids, and Eddie's boring writing. Think of all the other things that could have happened in 100 minutes, then think about what we got. Seriously, you're telling me an episode this long has no time for our friends out in Utah? Do they not matter anymore? Are we ever going to get an explanation on how Papa survived after Season 1? I have no idea.
Also, I really don't buy into Papa's character at all. Like, supposedly now he's trying to help, and he does have a pretty well-written conversation with El early in this episode, but are we supposed to just believe him? Does anyone else remember how evil he was in Season 1 or how badly he treated El at the laboratory? I wish we got a scene showing how he was thankful to have survived the demigorgon attack and how he reflected on his terrible past actions and came to an epiphany. That would have been a good use of some of the 100 minutes of this episode.
And the last thing I want to talk about is, of course, the twist at the end. Hot take, but it was really dumb. Now, the acting performances sold this more than anything. But that doesn't change the fact that this reveal came completely out of nowhere. I guess it clears up Vecna's motivations and gives some history of the Hawkins Lab, but I stand by my point; it's kinda stupid. So the guy helping El escape is 001. Ok, that's pretty cool. It doesn't have a huge effect on the overall story, but cool. So, why is he now killing everyone is this place? Oh yeah, it's because he's just a generic villain with the most bland motivation and ideology of all time. Complete 180° character shift. "I was different and treated differently and the people are full of lies." Isn't that literally just half of all villains? Why does Nancy randomly get seized by Vecna and sees his memories as he disjointedly narrates them to El? The narration is jarring when you realize that he's saying all of this to El, like when he just starts talking about spiders for no reason. It's so loosely connected to his points and took me out of it a little. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was difficult to watch.
I could mention also mention the terrible action scene at the beginning which is just so difficult to follow, but I'm done. I'm tired of seeing so much unwarranted praise for this, I'll be honest, only decent episode. It misused its characters, especially Papa, and the twist at the end was bad. I was initially going to rate this an 8/10, but after writing all this down, I'm honestly leaning towards a 7/10. I didn't hate it, but man, there was so much potential that got wasted in my eyes. But I guess it's not, since I stand alone on this opinion, so what more can I really do?
Free Guy (2021)
Most fun at the movies I've had so far this year
I'm tired of people giving Free Guy poor reviews specifically because the writers "didn't do their research in gaming culture". I don't think this was supposed to be another Ready Player One, and it was not. Free Guy is not entirely about the game. It's about everything surrounding it, and what a hilarious, action-packed, and surprisingly emotional story it creates. I wouldn't call myself very engrossed in the world of gaming, but I was smiling from beginning to end regardless. Also the actors are amazing, the world-building is incredibly creative, and again, it's endlessly funny. Free Guy is just that kind of movie that anyone can enjoy. So please, stop criticizing its accuracy on the gaming world because it doesn't define the whole movie.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Where'd Godzilla Go?
The movie was fine, but where was Godzilla? He had like 10 minutes of screen time. They definitely pulled a Tom and Jerry here and didn't give one of the main characters the screen time they were entitled to. Other than that, the action's good, the characters are fine, and the plot... well, not so much. That's all. Just wish this wasn't a Kong movie with a few separate Godzilla cameos.
The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021)
Comedy GOLD
This is one of the funniest movies I've seen in the past couple years. It obviously appeals more to a younger demographic due to a lot of the humor, but I seriously could not keep a straight face while watching it. And the animation style is perfect for the movie's comedic tone. It also has some emotional moments that work. But while the exposition is great, setting up the emotional beats throughout the plot, the actual story could be more fleshed out. And the movie is also a little longer than necessary, I feel. There are also some missed opportunities for jokes, but other than that, this is just a really fun and hilarious family movie that certainly deserves a watch.
Total Drama Island: Scarlett Fever (2014)
What a mess
"Scarlett Fever" is the exact representation of how bonkers this season is. While I love Chris in this episode, Scarlett herself drags down its quality. I like how all of the characters got a decent amount of screen time, though. The editors did a great job on that part. We get to see Shawn and Jasmine's relationship develop, Sugar being Sugar, and Scarlett going insane. But there is just so much happening here that I can't realistically rate it any higher than a 7/10. So it's good, but it is all over the place, too.
Total Drama Island: Camp Castaways (2007)
One of the funniest episodes in the series
I don't think that this episode was unnecessary filler at all. It has a few problems, such as the dialogue not being very sharp, but I don't think that's what this episode was about. It was for the laughs. I can't express into words how funny this episode is in particular. Not only that, but it also has its fair share of drama. And I love the ending so much. Don't skip Camp Castaways.
The Amazing World of Gumball: The Origins Part 1 (2016)
Fun, Heartfelt, and Well-Crafted
This is one of the high points of the series, in my opinion and many others'. We learn the beginnings of our favorite sentient fish while also being completely engrossed in the hysterical shenanigans within the Watterson household.
One of the many things that I really like about the episode is the attention to detail by the animators in every frame. They really brought the essence of the past to life down to the tiniest details.
This episode does not lack in comedy at all. It brings some of the funniest scenes in the entire series. And although the story is obviously silly, it still has an emotional impact, illustrating the indestructible bond between Gumball and his best bro.
The only thing holding me back from giving this episode a 10/10 is that it shouldn't have been split into two parts. This show never had a 30-minute special episode, and this was their opportunity. Other than that, bravo.