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Reviews
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
Whatever's past "pleasantly surprised"
Read a few negative reviews before giving this a try and was certainly expecting the worst. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement - phenomenal follow up after all these years!
I'll address the immediate elephant in the room with this movie - the original was obviously a play on The Great Escape, while the sequel is not a satire of any previous movie/story to my knowledge. I think that's a bit of a miss, but knowing that before hand hopefully sets expectations.
Outside of no longer being a unique satire, the movie itself is about as enjoyable as it gets. Is the plot groundbreaking? No. Are there some plot holes and maybe a bit of head scratching over the general concept? Sure. But...they're stop motion chickens. If you're hyper-fixated on plot, I doubt you're watching.
What I had to admit to within about 15 minutes is the joke writing is *better* than the original. Chicken Run is a delightful satire with a great storyline, but watching as an adult shocked me a bit due to the lack of actually funny dialogue. This sequel is absolutely full of them though, at times having non stop one-liners and puns with Arrested Development-like pacing.
End of the day, this is just a phenomenally enjoyable movie. I think they could have developed a slightly more interesting/cohesive plot, but the lines and animation is so fun, who honestly cares. Great fun and will undoubtably be a great rewatch for years, just like the original.
Matt Rife: Natural Selection (2023)
Cosplaying as a Stand Up Comic
Echoing most other reviews, wife and I saw several bits on Instagram and TikTok and were pretty excited to watch a full special. He had a show in our city right after that still had tickets, so figured if we liked it we'd go. Then...woof.
First thing's first, this is a crowd-work comic, through and through. 100% of his viral bits are interactions with the crowd rather than standard, written comedy. There is NONE of that here. Whether it was Matt's call, Netflix's, or just the pressure of working at a large venue, there's nothing that even echoes his viral stuff.
That leads to the key issues - it's not funny. At all. I laughed (briefly) exactly two times, and both of those I immediately realized that I'd heard a version of the joke before. Not sure if jokes are actually plagiarized or if they're so basic that they feel recycled, but the entire special is a blend of "I've heard this before" and "wait, that was the punchline to that 3 minute build?". There are simply so few actual jokes, and when they finally pop up it feels old, cocky in a non-funny way, or downright annoying. I thought I was just getting old and missing Gen Z humor but unless Gen Z humor is "let me tell you a 3 minute story about myself that has no purpose," then it's...just not funny.
Lot of comments about the needless battered women and special needs jokes around the internet, but trust me when I say that the special itself is completely humorless - the needless offense is just the cherry on top. Offensive comedians have no issues with popularity because generally, they have a new take on an offensive topic. The offensive bits here were just lazy retraces of jokes that haven't had a place for 30 years.
Legitimately hope Matt can bottle up what makes him a solid crowd work comic and make it work on these bigger stages, but if not he might become the most famous then immediately forgotten comic ever.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story (2023)
Flawless Documentary
Hard to find exact words, but can't honestly say I'd change a thing. If Keanu ever gets bored, he certainly has a busy career ahead of him as an investigative journalist and/or reporter; the former crew and F1 staff they pulled into this is exactly who you'd want to hear from; and the race footage and F1 politics discussed truly tell the full story. Just perfect.
If I am forced to nitpick, I at least feel like the documentary was not created to have commercial breaks but most Hulu users will have them (I'm forced to as I have the Verizon package that doesn't let you upgrade). But obviously...talk about nitpicking. Perfect documentary, the entire team and Keanu should seriously discuss doing follow ups, whether they're about F1 or any other topic.
Haunted Mansion (2023)
Most fun live-action Disney since Pirates
I can't tell if negative reviews are just Disney-hating or if I'm the exact market audience, but my wife and I both absolutely love this, and everyone in our theater was saying positive things as they left.
Very possible this is specifically geared at 30-something's but loved every cast choice, acting, and overall story. Owen Wilson, Danny devito, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, AND Jamie Lee Curtis?! Better than expected story, tons of great humor ranging from dad jokes to Devito at his Devito-y-ness. Just a ton of fun. I guess see it for yourself to judge, but personally I think this is by far the best live-action Disney movie since Pirates.
So many movies right now are hyper-focused on world building or making a very specific point. This was just pure fun with a new Haunted Mansion "villain" separate from the previous movies. It's just...fun!
Sasquatch (2021)
Not for Sasquatch truthers...
Reading other reviews, it's pretty clear some Squatch hunters were hoping Hulu somehow landed the world's first definitive truth on Bigfoot and are disappointed that's not the case.
Obviously, this is a true crime documentary with substantially more layers. No, it's not a 21 minute episode of Forensic Files. No, it's not entirely about Bigfoot. It's a complex story told in semi-real time as the film maker investigates a murder story from his history.
This is a layered story that evolves over the course of three episodes. Having more than one storyline or focus within a series is not a "red herring"; rather, it captures the full environment surrounding the main murder in question.
Definitely worth the watch for true crime fans. If you've devoted your life to hunting Sasquatch...it may not ultimately be worth your time.
Side Effects (2013)
Starts slow, develops into an impressively unique Neo-Noir
I will not reveal any particular spoilers, but I may unintentionally reveal some plot points. This is not a movie that will leave you speechless, or walking out of the theater high-fiving those you attended with. Rather, it is a film that grows on you. During initial watching as well as afterwards, I could not believe how much I found myself loving it.
What starts as a fairly dull, "anti-Pharma" message eventually turns into one of the best takes on the neo-Noir style that I have seen in ages. Soderbergh uses the odd Pharma message to distract the viewer; you find yourself focusing on different drug names and the possible messages coming, only to find that that is not really the point of the film at all. I assume this is intended, but whether it is or not, it turns the entire film into a double-cross, as you as the viewer are even tricked.
Double crosses, triple crosses, unforeseen romances, and an overall "up and down" of the characters ensues. Truly, this film is a masterpiece. It may not enter into anyone's "Top Ten" list for favorite movies, but it really must be seen. This is one of those films that is sincerely done well. Acting is spectacular by all involved; music is perfect; the story line is a twisty road that allows the viewer to guess some of what's about to happen, but not all.
Again, this will more than likely not be your favorite movie of all time, or even of the year for that matter. However, if you enjoy any form of Noir storytelling, this is one that you definitely cannot miss. Each time I think about the film I like it more and more; to me, that defines a great movie.
Jon Benjamin Has a Van (2011)
Started slow, ended brilliantly
I am a huge Jon Benjamin fan. Archer is on my weekly watch list, and I have all the episodes recorded so I can continually watch. Benjamin was also brilliant in Important Things with Demetri Martin, so my hopes were pretty high for this new show.
At first, things started off pretty badly. The first two sketches were dull and overdone; kind of like a high school writing class, the show was telling rather than showing.
After those however, the show just took off. The "You can't shoot here" sketch had me crying; Benjamin's voice mixed into awesome subtitles and an overall hysterical sketch made for the hardest laugh I've had in a while. The ongoing "Push the producer over the border" sketch was incredibly original and funny, nothing else to it. Benjamin's line, being in the pilot episode, "As you surely remember from our last episode," had me crying.
To fans of Archer, you will not be disappointed. Just about every line could be a possible Archer quote, which obviously sweetens the deal. To people who have not yet heard of Jon Benjamin, give this show a chance; some sketches may be too dry and repetitive, but I guarantee that as the show goes on, you will grow to love it. This show is not meant for the Tosh.0 audience who enjoys watching random videos with homosexual jokes (I grew tired of Tosh after the first season), so not the best show for Comedy Central to have it slotted after.
For 20-50 year olds however, this show has the possibility of being an instant classic with quotable lines and sketches that will no doubt be repeated by college kids everywhere.