jester-40564 Reviews

Outer Range: One Night in Wabang (2024) Season 2, Episode 1

Great season opener.

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

Very enjoyable first episode. I like that it was a straight continuation of the same night and that everyone got a spotlight.

One especially nice scene was the retconning of the Amy disappearance, as when Cecilia got to the sheriff's office the Deputy specified they already had the amber alert in effect.

I also enjoyed the scenes with Joy in the past. She was romanticizing the natives, and then the first person she encountered tried to kill her.

Plus, the part with Royal and Autumn in the truck, where something starts happening with the sky gave me goosebumps. Nicely done.

* SPOILERS *

I also really liked the addition of the 2 'new' characters in the first and then last scenes. That was a nice cliffhanger reveal. Young 'R' is built!

Now I'm going to continue watching the rest of the season :)

Totally Killer (2023)

A fun time travel horror / comedy ... except for the lead. Weird. Weird.

[7/10 · 6 October 2023]

Apart from the lead protagonist, this is a really fun movie. Some good kills and likable characters.

Lets get to the elephant in the room - Jamie is the worst thing about this movie. She's a typical 2023 know it all. She's rude, judgmental, polices everyone's comments and actions and sucks the fun out of every scene she's in. It's a bold move for the writers to make their lead unbearable. But thankfully nearly every other characters makes up for it.

I won't go into spoilers, but the first 'opening kill' is really fun, and I enjoyed that a good fight was put up.

Then when we get to 1987 everyone is a blast, Olivia Holt as Pam is a definite standout, with the actors playing Blake and Randy coming in close behind. Randy constantly kicking Jamie out of both the house and cabin was hilarious.

By the time the big finale and reveal come about I was a little sad to see it end so soon - but luckily there were extra twists and turns.

Definitely a recommend if you like light comedy horrors.

One more thing - what was with that weird panoramic view that distorted the picture quality for about 10 seconds? (around the time Bananarama came on). If you can't do the effect, don't try it.

The Continental: Loyalty to the Master (2023) Season 1, Episode 2

Just call it Charlies Angels and be done with it.

[5/10 · 29 September 2023]

This episode was even worse than the last one.

First, everything was so dark, I had to turn the brightness of my screen up. Then the music, don't get me wrong, it was great at first, but a new song every 5 minutes got old REAL QUICK. No joke, there was at least 12 songs during this 70 minute episode. I started hitting fast forward quite a bit. Then the action, only the women got any action spotlight - I tell you, whoever wrote this ep needs to go write a female centric show, because they definitely had no desire to write any of the male leads.

Speaking of male leads -our so called main lead Winston didn't show up till 15 minutes into the episode and pretty much only got 2 important scenes, with Charon & the 'Queenpin' (Ugh, so on the nose, but I did like her demeaner and presence).

Apart from those 2 scenes, the last 10 minutes with Gibson was the highlight. It showed how ruthless his character was.

The Continental (2023)

I really wanted this to be better than it was.

[6/10 · 22 September 2023]

It starts off well enough. We get a fun action set piece then get introduced to our leading man Winston Scott played by Colin Woodell. Based on the trailers, he seemed quite generic, but after his 2nd scene I quite liked his confident self-assured demeaner.

Unfortunately, the show decided we needed a huge supporting cast (even though its only a 3 episode series), so for the next say 60 minutes, we're introduced ad nauseum to character after character. The female cop was ok, but the rag tag team of sidekicks were super annoying. I was expecting some fun Blaxploitation type characters (think Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown for a newer film on the classic subgenre), but instead all they do in whine and complain for every scene they're in.

After all that, I was just hoping for a fun end of episode battle for our leading man. But no, a random Asian female gets that privilege instead, and then the episode ends. What a stinker.

I'll stick around in the hope it gets better. Like I said, it is only 3 episodes, but my expectations have dropped drastically.

Halloween Ends (2022)

A mix of Halloween 3 & Return of the Living Dead 3

[7/10 · 19 August 2023]

First off, I went into this already knowing the major spoiler, that it didn't focus on Michael Myers for majority of the movie. I thought what the hell, let's just check out the kills and how the ending plays out.

But it turns out I really enjoyed it for the most part. Like I said in my header, it reminds me of a cross between Halloween 3 (which didn't feature Michael at all) & Return of the Living Dead 3 (a crazy love story where one of them is a killer - FYI, ROTLD3 is extremely underrated, and you should check it out if you haven't seen it).

Anyway, I thought Rohan Campbell as Corey was a great lead, and he really pulled off both the shy introvert and the psycho killer.

It wasn't all great. Almost all the side characters were all loud, rude and angry and it got on my nerves a bit. I get that they were going for the 'traumatized town'. But it was too much. Thankfully some got dealt with by Corey ... Yes, I was cheering him on in some instances. You know the 4 I'm talking about.

I also liked that that the unfunny comedy moments of the last 2 entries were almost completely absent.

All that being said, if you don't like the main story, you'll at least enjoy the last 20 minutes. It's the Michael vs you know who battle everyone was expecting.

Shotgun Wedding (2022)

A fun action comedy if you can get past the first 20 minutes.

[6/10 · 27 January 2023]

Starts off a little meh. It has a generic rom com feel (but with a great cast). But if you can make it past those first 20 minutes, it turns into a fun action comedy.

The Bride and Groom have to take out a band of pirates. And it's an amusing premise. A couple of standout moments were the kitchen & helicopter scenes. There is also a few good 'set up and pay off' scenarios that happened throughout the movie.

There was even a couple of interesting twists. I didn't see the first one coming, but I thought the 2nd one would be cool if it happened - and then it did haha... But it was still good to see it play out.

Overall, a satisfying watch. I'd give it a 6.5/10.

Samaritan (I) (2022)

Sly has still got it in this entertaining action/drama about a retired hero.

[7/10 · 26 August 2022]

I have to say I highly enjoyed this. It's a look at a retired superhero (Joe) who wants to forget his past and live a quiet life. That is until young protagonist Sam comes into his life and they build a friendship.

A lot of the first hour is a character drama with small doses of action scattered throughout. We really get to know all the main characters and they are given some nice depth.

The look of the city is great. Run down industrial setting. And the villains' cars, while basic, stand out with a nice matt finish. Very Mad Max.

The main villain Cyrus is entertaining. He has a charisma about him that you can see why people follow him. Plus, he has a great look. I like the dirty bleached Billy Idol hair with the tatts. And I want that jacket.

Then in the 3rd Act you get rewarded with 30 minutes of balls to the wall action. Features some great and fun choreography and stunt work.

If you're a Sly fan, I definitely recommend. This may not match his 2000s resurgence with Rocky Balboa & Rambo (4). But it's still a fun watch.

But if all you want is a 'jokey' SNL Superhero movie, this may not be for you. These characters have conversations without everything ending in a quip. Although, like I said, its a really fun 3rd Act that any action fans will enjoy.

Better Call Saul: Breaking Bad (2022) Season 6, Episode 11

I really didn't need the 'Breaking Bad' scenes.

[7/10 · 2 August 2022]

While the episode was still good, its not one of the strongest of the season.

It definitely doesnt deserve all the 10's its getting here. I mean, 603 & 607 - 608 are the warranted 10/10 episodes. Maybe 609 too. I even liked the Nippy stand alone 'heist' ep more than this (8/10).

This didn't seem focused at all and we could have skipped the first 30 minutes and all the scenes with Walter & Jesse (and this is from someone who loved Breaking Bad). But it just felt like filler. Deleted scenes that were left on the cutting room floor for a reason.

That being said, it picked up in the last 30 mins with a new plan underway.

Also, while we're on the subject of BB, Kim deserves a stand alone movie like Jesse got.

The Boys: Payback (2022) Season 3, Episode 1

#ReleaseTheBourkeCut

[8/10 · 3 June 2022]

Great opening scene. The movie within a series. Looked nicely done. And I loved the female cameo - I wont spoil it here, but this is her 2nd cameo this year.

Amazon Prime should actually consider a real spin off movie of 'The Seven'. Not the 'behind the scenes' real personalities we see in this series, but their public personas. With a budget, that would definitely be watched.

As you'd expect, the rest of the ep is mostly set up for the season. But its still entertaining.

Highlights were the various Homelander, A-Train & The Deep scenes, plus the reality tv show casting with Supersonic (hopefully we see more of him).

The Hughie home & office scenes got a little boring. I mean, we got 2 separate scenes of him having lunch with his boss. I was like, come on, lets move it along. But apart from that it was good.

Outer Range: The West (2022) Season 1, Episode 8

I'm conflicted ...

[7/10 · 7 May 2022]

While I enjoyed most of episode 8 as a single hour of television, as a season finale it wasn't great. This really should have been episode 4, with whatever they had planned for S2 being eps 5-8.

Nothing was resolved in any satisfactory way, except maybe the Rhett & Maria subplot. Instead they just created more questions. And after spending so many scenes and episodes twiddling their thumbs, its just not good enough.

I also found it really weird that the mother just went home after losing her granddaughter. I know the cop didn't want to help at the rodeo (that in itself was weird), but wouldn't you get Rhett to help you look. Maybe drive around town or wait at the Sheriff's office, or go to the Sheriff's home. I know she wasn't at either place, but Cecilia didn't know that.

The one good thing is that Billy dying means no more singing every episode. Who thought that was a good idea to do once an ep? Waste of 5 minutes an episode - I skipped past them in the end.

If Prime continues with this series, they need to either fire the current creator/showrunner - or hire a new co-showrunner and editor who knows when irrelevant scenes need to be cut.

Outer Range: The Time (2022) Season 1, Episode 3

An answer to one of my questions is given.

[7/10 · 22 April 2022]

Since Royal got pushed in the hole in ep 1 and then later woke up on his surrounding grounds at the start of ep 2 I kept thinking wouldn't the same thing happen to Trevor? Well, we get an answer to that question here, and the answer is yes. The same thing happened and he WAS found.

And if Royal already returned, then why even throw the belt buckle in the hole, because in theory its going to turn up somewhere in the vicinity soon enough.

I can only assume that the episode 2 cliffhanger was where he landed after he went in the hole (the future, as he also told Autumn), so maybe he thought the body and buckle wouldn't 'turn up' for several years. If that's the case, someone must have put Trevor back in the hole (in either the future or past) and made him return to the present.

Anyway, its fun to theorize.

I also liked the interaction with the thief and the Sherriff in the cop car. He comes off as a crack pot to her, but because we know things, it ends up being more unsettling. Not to mention the mountain incident. That was very well done.

Billy continues to be weird and creepy. I'm already worried for that little girl. And Rhett getting a good portion of the ep was welcome.

Outer Range (2022– )

Amazing first episode, takes a bit of a dip after that.

[6/10 · 16 April 2022]

I absolutely loved the first episode. The whole episode had an air of tension running through out and due to there being two separate incidents that means it kept building until the great climactic final scene.

Apart from Brolin, highlight performances come from Imogen Poots, Tom Pelphrey and Lewis Pullman. Lewis as Rhett has a great screen presence and you just want to see more of his character. Imogen's character Autumn is a nice enigma and is also quite the scene stealer. Her highlight scenes of course being with Brolin.

Unfortunately it does take a slight dip with episode 2. From say a 10/10 to a 7/10. Sure it starts off great with Lili Taylor giving a strong performance and a tense kitchen scene . But as soon as it shifts to the Sheriff, that tension evaporates and it kind of spins it wheels for most of the ep.

Its whenever the Abbots or Autumn are on screen that are the highlights.

But overall episode 2 had some unnecessary scenes:

• First up, the sheriff (or rather writers) constantly telling us she's gay. Yawn. First, once was enough, we get it. Secondly, its 2022, no one cares who you sleep with. Stop telling everyone every 5 minutes, this isn't twitter.

• Noah Reid as Billy. The singing underwear scene was just weird. That, mixed with his creepiness towards the little girl earlier in the ep started making me think he's one of those weird tiktok teachers (you all know what I mean).

• Lastly, the final scene didn't have the same punch as the ep 1 finale. It felt rushed and out of place. Just for the sake of another cliffhanger.

* Edit - Ep 3 was enjoyable and 4 was ok. But eps 5 & 6 were pretty awful. I find it amazing that the show has got so bad so quickly. Its like those silly movie writers who save the good stuff for a possible sequel - yeah well, you might not get one at this stage. Make your show engaging instead.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Cole is a bland, generic Gary Stu who needs to be left out of the sequel.

[6/10 · 31 March 2022]

The writers should have done a 'Psycho' move and had Goro kill off lead protagonist Cole mid movie, like what happened with Marion Crane. That way we wouldn't have had to lose Kung Lao instead.

I'm sorry, but the actor playing Cole lacked any charisma whatsoever. And then his power was a boring bodysuit. I also found it hilarious that the writers had him kill off Goro to show how amazing he was. Such fan fiction nonsense.

I still give it a 6/10 because I enjoyed a lot of non Cole scenes. The Opening, everything with Kano, the bloody kills (the Nitara one was great, wasnt expecting it) and all the villains.

Deep Water (I) (2022)

An Erotic Thriller, that's missing the erotic elements ...

[5/10 · 18 March 2022]

First off, I'm not sure why this is even rated R. It felt more like an M rating.

For an erotic thriller it was extremely tame. There wasn't even 1 steamy sex scene. How can you even classify yourself as an erotic thriller at that stage? Ana de Armas is the only one who gets utilized. Casting Jacob Elordi, Finn Wittrock & Brendan Miller was a complete waste. Its hard to fathom that the director of 9 1/2 weeks directed this. I think this could have been better had Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs) directed this. He knew what the assignment was and made both Sydney Sweeney & Ben Hardy shine.

All that aside, its also quite slow. It doesn't really pick up any steam until the 45 minute mark, and even then it only accelerates from a walk to a light jog. I will say, however, that the final 30 minutes is very good. It finally picks up and we get some really good stunt work.

Overall 5.5/10.

Reacher (2022– )

A Review for the first 4 episodes so far ...

[8/10 · 4 February 2022]

Lets start off by saying this is no Bourne Identity, Mission Impossible or John Wick. But it is still entertaining for what it is. Its a lowish budget season long action mystery. It has 3 personable leads (its so good not to see 15 leads in a current Hollywood production), some reasonable writing (except 1 episode, see below) and some nicely choregraphed fights. Ritchson's Reacher is very stoic, and it suits him.

Episode 1 - (8/10) Started out ok-ish, then by the time we got to the prison scenes with the 2nd guy it got really good. Nice brutal fights, a lot of small funny moments.

Episode 2 (9/10) Gets even better. Enjoying the 2 secondary leads (the 2 cops). Again, great action & nice character moments. Plus Kristin Kreuk (From Smallville, which Ritchson also guest starred on) was a great addition. We also got some nice romantic scene with a good music choice to match.

Episode 3 (6.5/10) - Not a good episode. The 2 secondary leads felt off. Especially Roscoe. Everyone felt angry and out of character from the first 2 episodes. Plus the story seemed to stall a bit. I decided to check the writer and what do I find ... Its written by a CW Supergirl writer (!!!). Really? All the choices in Hollywood and you pick a CW writer? Lets maybe increase the bar a little shall we? That being said it did get better in the last 15 minutes. So that's why its not a flat 6/10.

Episode 4 - (8.5/10) - Back to form again. Everyone felt like themselves. A nice change in locations. Some good story progress. Reacher & Roscoe get closer and another great action sequence.

I look forward to seeing how the rest of the season goes.

Superman & Lois: The Thing in the Mines (2022) Season 2, Episode 3

A bait and switch I can get behind

[8/10 · 26 January 2022]

I was so excited for Doomsday this episode. When he turned up in the containment suit it was awesome.

However, when we get the reveal that its a Bizarro Superman instead, I wasn't even mad.

Here I am wanting Doomsday, Cyborg Superman & Mongul to appear. And I totally forgot about the iconic Bizarro.

Also, I'm so glad that Tyler is playing him too. And I love the weird 'cracking' effect they did to his skin.

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

I need to stop watching Netflix originals ...

[3/10 · 3 January 2022]

Like most of the 'Made for Netflix' movies it starts out promising and then falls flat on its face.

It starts off well as a haunted house story - and then it takes a 180 halfway through the movie where its just a guy going crazy. Its like they took the start of one movie and the end of another and just stuck them together and said - 'That'll do'.

Also, major ending spoilers - I'm so sick of everyone dying at the end of Netflix original movies. This is the 3rd recent movie that just feels like a complete waste of time.

Definitely NOT a recommend.

Cobra Kai: Minefields (2021) Season 4, Episode 7

The 2 new girls are annoying AF.

[6/10 · 31 December 2021]

The last 2 episodes have been a chore to get through.

I understand these 2 new girls are meant to be woke and annoying, but I still have to sit through their painful scenes. The fact that both of them are suddenly Karate superstars right right out the gate is a bit ridiculous - especially when guys who have been training for 2 seasons are still treated like beginners.

And the 1 girl kicking all the guys in the balls. Come on. Someone should have retaliated.

Here's an idea, instead of sending Yasmine to Australia, get her to join Johnny's dojo. At least she was becoming a character we're invested in.

Also, to the writers, maybe go watch some YouTube vids of guys vs girls in wrestling, MMA, tennis ... etc. Not every girl is Wonder Woman. Not by a long shot.

Cobra Kai: Let's Begin (2021) Season 4, Episode 1

I spent months terrorizing a teenager over a High School Karate Tournament

[8/10 · 31 December 2021]

Great first episode to the season, there was a lot going on.

We had Daniel and Johnny learning to work together.

But the real highlights (for me a least), was the Kreese & Terry scenes. I liked that they subverted our expectations at first, but by the end of the ep we see glimmers of the Terry we were hoping for. The Robby spotlight was also great. Johnny's son being the lead Cobra Kai student is fitting, and the choregraphed fight where he took everyone down was very well done.

Cant wait to see what the rest of the season brings!

Encounter (III) (2021)

Schizophrenia or Invasion of the Body Snatchers ...

[6/10 · 10 December 2021]

The highlight here was definitely the first Act.

Is Malik saving his son's from parasites that take over and control your body or has he gone off the deep end and kidnapped his sons. The first 45 minutes is filled with suspense, intrigue, dread and paranoia about who could be infected. I was quite invested.

**SPOILERS ** Unfortunately Act 2 brings in Octavia Spencer's character (nothing against her, she still gave a good performance). The mood shifts, reality sets in and the atmosphere vanishes. So we then have an hour waiting for the inevitable to happen.

That being said, there are still some good moments after that, it just becomes a more straight forward movie. All the scenes with Riz and his sons were still great to watch and both child actors gave impressive performances. The oldest son realizing what is really going on with his Dad was another highlight.

One other thing is maybe an extra edit would have helped. Make it a quick 90 mins. Get in and get out.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Just an excuse for more Mattel Action figures.

[5/10 · 23 November 2021]

So many characters appear for 1 scene and so many outfit changes (Evil Lyn gets 4, & Teela & Beastman gets 3 each in 10 episodes!) - its just an excuse for an excessive amount of action figures. Mattel have already made about 4 waves of Revelation figures and about 5 con exclusives.

So everyone carrying on that the 80's show was only made to make figures - well, at least they didn't change their look every other episode as an excuse to make non stop variant editions.

Also, I find it hypocritical to kill off Clamp Champ in favor of new made up character Andra (No, its not the same character as the mini comic, as much as they say it is). Andra should have kicked the bucket instead and Clamp Champ should have been the new Man At Arms.

The Voyeurs (2021)

Not bad for a low budget erotic thriller.

[7/10 · 10 September 2021]

Overall the movie was enjoyable. Production and cinematography looked great. All 4 leads did a very good job. The main couple was likable & believable and the 2nd couple were attractive enough that you could imagine people would be checking them out.

I also like the 'Eye' theme throughout. From the sublime opening credits, song choices, Pippa's job, to the scene when Pippa and Seb first meet we get a very artsy shot of just her eye, then his. It was all very well done.

There were a few things that occurred that I didn't see coming and I was very curious to see how it would play out. Also no spoilers, but I did actually like what I thought was going to be the main ending at the gallery. But then we got another 5-10 minute twist ending and that, IMO, let the film down a little bit. Sometimes less is more.

But overall a recommend.

Superman & Lois: Last Sons of Krypton (2021) Season 1, Episode 15

A cliffhanger for Natalie, not the audience.

[8/10 · 21 August 2021]

Overall, a good ending to the season. We finally saw the end of Morgan Edge, and I have to say I am definitely ready for a new storyline. Although Jordan as a villain taking on Superman didn't work for me. Jordan vs Jon was a better and I appreciate they changed his voice. I also wasn't a fan of the way they used The Eradicator. I kept waiting for the money shot (like we got with Steel). Hopefully they can fix that next season.

Of course the CGI was great. Superman flying through various Cities was a nice visual.

The real highlight was the last 10 minutes after the battles. The show is great with the character moments and all the main cast got a chance to shine.

The big disappointment was the 'cliffhanger". Natalie returning is fine. But I was really hoping for a S2 villain tease. We just did the mistaken identity thing with John Henry and Lois earlier in the season, so while it was definitely a WTF moment for Nat, it wasn't for the audience.

But still a solid 8/10.

Stargirl: Summer School: Chapter One (2021) Season 2, Episode 1

The Prelude / Subplot Issue ... I mean, episode ;)

[8/10 · 11 August 2021]

Good opener to the season. The episode gets us up to date on what's been going on since the season finale and give Courtney, Pat and the rest of the JSA their own little individual stories/subplots.

While technically not a lot happens, I never got bored and the episode still seemed to fly by.

Some nice moments throughout were Rick's 'theme music' playing during his solo scenes, Yolanda at the confessional - a nice emotion filled scene and the return of Cameron (Hunter Sansone), I was worried with his dad gone they'd write him out.

The highlight of course was the last 5 minutes with the introduction of a new character from the comics and a fun fight and then the return of an existing character.

Cant wait to see what they have planned.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Fun & Action packed Alien Invasion movie

[7/10 · 2 July 2021]

Entertaining and action packed big budget blockbuster. Just turn your brain off and have some fun.

First off, the special effects were great. A lot better than I was expecting. The Aliens reminded me of something out of the Resident Evil games. And the initial time jump was really well done as well.

We had a good variety of characters, from the no nonsense action types like Edwin Hodge (he was a highlight) to the comic relief of Sam Richardson & Mary Lynn Rajskub. I have to say that for such a large cast, it worked. Everyone on the 'team' got at least one moment to shine. It reminded me of the Marines in Aliens.

But keep in mind, this isn't one setting for 2 hours. There is a lot going on. Its kind of broken into 4 parts and 4 distinct settings. So the cast around Chris Pratt changes throughout the movie. It ends up keeping the movie fresh, and the pace brisk.

As well as the action there are some nice sentimental moments as well.

I'll admit the starting of 'Act 4' was probably the most clumsy part (and probably needed some more rewrites). When 3 adults go to a 13 year old boy for help it turned into a Nickelodeon show for 5 minutes and all I could do was roll my eyes. I know it was a call back from an earlier scene. But it just didn't work. Also, having 2 different governments refuse to help when people from the future are still stuck in the past could have been done better. Otherwise, the ending destination and battle was great.

So overall, if you like Action and Sci-Fi movies, definitely check this out.