creole-12539 Reviews

X-Men '97 (2024– )

Next , Man

[5/10 · 22 March 2024]

This is not a worthy successor to the original animated series. As an entry into superhero cartoons, the art is sub par compared to it's progenitor. It lacks the visual pop of the classic. The pacing is slow. Everything seems to move in stop animation format.

The costumes are good all things considered. Except Gambit. Gambit is presented as...corny. And a bad dresser. Not a fan of Storm having the mohawk in this one. A small detail but, important all the same.

The dialogue is presented as if written by AI. The phrase " My X-Men" appears much too often. Which means more than once.

The voice acting. It goes without saying some voice actors make the roles theirs. That is not a possibility here. We remember the X Men voices as well as our own. This voice crew does not have the childlike flair to make this enjoyable. The voices are presented as if they're always in a tunnel, that's filled with sulfur hexaflouride. And Rouge... if the voice was stereotypical in the 90s , this is downright insulting.

Overall, the allure was 90s nostalgia. That faded quickly. The show is still set in that 90s continuity. Unfortunately the people responsible for this series don't understand what made that cartoon a banger. This cartoon is a flop.

Echo (2023–2024)

Definitely an Echo. Hollow and no substance

[3/10 · 17 January 2024]

This rated 3 stars because of the 3 cameos that actually connected to Marvel.

This was NOT a MCU series. This is a thesis on the Choctaw people and their mysticism. The problem with that is; I tuned in looking for a comic book story, as this is a fictional universe, supposedly part of the MCU. The "Marvel Spotlight" tag is just cover for a disconnected, poor story.

The actors are unconvincing, save for their asl. Which I cannot critique as I don't know ASL. ****It was however upon reflection the most entertaining part of the show, not counting the cameos.****

The pacing is slow , with no character development.

The action is an afterthought. Which is disappointing for SUPERHERO fiction.

The set design looks poor. Backwater towns with " simple folk".

Visually, this was poorly conceived.

Storywise, this was a waste of fans' time, and conceivably could have been written by either an A I or Choctaw fanboy. That's not a problem for BBC or NatGeo. But the MCU?

Who or whatever wrote this was definitely NOT an MCU fan.

A bad viewing experience for a Marvel fan looking for more MCU content.

The Marvels (2023)

Nothing Marvelous

[1/10 · 23 November 2023]

This was a story made in order not to lose the rights to the characters. It had to be. Since when is Kamala Quasar? The Skrulls have a home? Why make Secret Invasion? That should have been called Fury. That's what I feel after watching this. Nick went from the confident spy to a sniveling old man. Who hated Sam Jackson enough to write the character this way? There's a musical in the second act AND a new Disney Princess.

Smh.

The pacing in the movie is horrible as is the fact that the hero of the film has absolutely no problem putting a child in danger, doing so deliberately multiple times throughout.

Monica was a simp who suddenly knew how to control her powers after two days together with Carol and Kamala? Kamala is a ninja all of a sudden? This was Marvel's version of WW84.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Ready for the DCU NOW!

[4/10 · 28 August 2023]

This movie was one word, derivative. It is full of stereotypes and ideas from Every superhero movie presented in the last 10 years. I am glad this is the last dceu movie and am angry this was released and Batgirl canceled.

The acting ; all stereotypes. Negative ones at that.

The directing ; he supported putting forth the negative stereotypes.

The costuming; one character wears shorts the entire movie. Goes on an adventure, doesn't so much as scrape his knee.

The story; I've already seen this in the MCU. Multiple times. The only original content seemed to be the locations. That's the only part I can't immediately remember seeing in another film.

Saw a clip saying there was a cronenberg for kids scene. Tell me exactly what is for kids in the phrase "...through his culo."

The only positive I have for this is I watched it on National Cinema Day, so the tix were only $4.

The Mother (2023)

La Professional meets Taken meets the Gray woman

[5/10 · 20 May 2023]

The movie doesn't have its own voice. The Female Profesional. What if Léon was a woman?

She's some sort of undercover operative...kills people, gets pregnant...then displays a particular set of skills. Not to get the girl back but, to ditch her.

Then she kills people. Now she's like Liam Neeson...she gets the girl back.

JLo isn't convincing as an action star. Listening to her speak is like watching Arod do an MLB telecast. The voice is monotonous and mannerisms stiff. She shows no charisma which makes it hard to believe her as an undercover operator. Her character is bad at camouflage. It plays as a female version of Ryan Gosling's Gray Man character but as a cardboard cutout version.

Too many characters, not enough character.

Renfield (2023)

Our Man, Renfield

[7/10 · 16 May 2023]

I didn't have high expectations for this film. This turned out to be a good thing as I enjoyed it more than I anticipated.

The movie is setup to visually evoke Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula ( which I liked) Just, In modern times. The set design does a good job of taking you through Dracula's high times and lows storywise.

Nicholas Hoult as Renfield looked like a combination of his Warm Bodies and X Men characters.

Nick Cage gave a George Hamiltonian performance. Not a knock, just too campy for how dangerous his Dracula actually is in the movie. He could be a Morbius level threat. The mouthpiece he wears was terrible though. He was doing the accent from the Universal Studios monster movies, which he didn't need. The mouthpiece just made him seem to drool all day.

Akwafina... I actually think her performance would have been better without the comedic tones in the movie. I've only seen her in comedic roles but she did enough here to generate interest in seeing her in a dramatic role.

The pacing of the movie was too quick. It gave Dark Shadows vibe in this sense like it would be better on tv.

The few things I mentioned aside I can say I did enjoy watching Renfield. As a horror comedy, it could have made the jump to full horror with a few improvements.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)

Once tacky always tacky

[2/10 · 22 April 2023]

Everything about this looked exactly like the mighty morphin power rangers. That's not a good thing. The characters are adults who act and sound like they were still "teenagers with attitude". Which NONE of them were , then or now.

If you watch it purely for nostalgia, you may still be disappointed. From the very first scenes the story is bad. The pacing is bad. The acting is bad. The supposed saving grace is paying tribute to the original yellow ranger. That fell flat too. This special looked like a bad clips show from the original series. The power rangers all look like real adults, old and out of shape. There is no way they're still running around talking about morphin time. They better go sit down somewhere. This is not worth the time.

Quantum Leap (2022–2024)

Not a Quantum Leap above the original

[5/10 · 1 November 2022]

This version is set in the same continuity as the 80's show. Dr Ben Song isn't as interesting as Dr Sam Beckett. Scott Bakula had a convincing angst. Raymond Lee isn't giving me enough plausibility. The dynamic between the team and Ben is dull. The hologram girl is boring. Ian would have been a more interesting choice because he can play up more of Al's comedic chops. The story of doing the same thing Sam did is dumb. He never made it home. Why would Ben do that? Even the theme song is wrong. It says Ben hopes to return to the place and people he calls home. In the show it's stated he deliberately leaped on an unknown number to get to some unknown point in time.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

This does NOT smash

[1/10 · 29 October 2022]

The show was terrible. The CGI looked better by the end.

That's it. The show isn't funny. I'm disappointed because the best thing about it is the guest stars. Blonsky got a bad ending , Daredevil was completly wasted here except to explain where supes get their clothes. The writing was bad. The pace was bad and the finale was something I would sue for watching.

Overall the music was good.

This was the worst marvel outing in my opinion. This show made Iron Fist worth a season 3.

I really dont have much nice to say about this because it should not have been made. This was a waste as it just took all of the excitement out of what the mcu is.

Interview with the Vampire: In Throes of Increasing Wonder... (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

Interview didn't need to air

[4/10 · 8 October 2022]

I liked 3 things about this version The sets, Eric Bogosian, Jacob Anderson.

The pace of the story felt drawn out with no worthwhile filler. Longtime and casual fans alike know what was coming from the moment we see Lestat.

The additional characters serve no advantage to the story and in fact detract from the main character story.

By the end of the episode they're basically forgotten in a " until next we meet " vibe.

The modern setting for Daniel's and Louis' meeting is nice with the current tech vibe. Eric as Daniel as an older man doesn't clash with how Christian Slater portrayed him in the movie. The rest of the season, I'm not sure I'll be following.

The Sandman: The Sound of Her Wings (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

This ep WON'T put U 2 sleep

[10/10 · 19 August 2022]

A superb episode. The pacing of the story was executed perfectly. The story itself was well written. This episode managed to match the way the show is presented overall, while telling a human story. You have a chance to see Dream be not an anti hero, rather a person. Best episode of the series so far and Idk how they could top it.

Uncharted (2022)

It's now charted

[6/10 · 12 August 2022]

The movie is a decent treasure hunt / heist caper. I haven't played the games so I didnt have to compare the film to the game. My issue was Tom Holland. His portrayal in the movie was basically Spider-Man goes treasure hunting. He wasnt able to adapt a different accent from the one he uses as Peter Parker, and the action sequences showcased that even more. Holland felt very generic as Drake. The performance felt as if another actor like Tatum, could have played in with the same effect. I enjoyed the movie because I streamed it. I would not have enjoyed it had I paid for theater seat.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

This is Star Trek

[8/10 · 5 May 2022]

It's a great throwback to TOS. The characters we know joined by characters who's history we never got to see on air. The easter eggs are plenty with only 1 I didnt really like. The sets of course look way beyond TOS which is unavoidable but they do a good job in general of recreating the feel of TOS. I enjoyed the premiere and look forward to the series.

Morbius (2022)

Milo

[6/10 · 18 April 2022]

The movie only gets a 6 because I'm a superhero movie fan. I mostly know Morbius from animated Spider Man shows. There's a lot of plot holes here for me. No spoilers, I'll wait. The pace of the story is a bit rushed. It also feels like a lower tier, lower budget project. If you're looking for Dracula, this isnt it. If you liked The Batman vs Dracula movie...this is for you.

The Batman (2022)

The Orient Express rolls thru Gotham

[7/10 · 10 April 2022]

This Batman is a very evocative but not derivative movie. There are elements of every Batman you can think of. Visually it's Nolan. Aurally it's Bale. The Batsuit is Burton. Bruce is ...Jason Bourne in his expression? The movie itself watches like the Arkham games. The Riddler is kind of longwinded. Gordon is subdued but still a central figure. Whether thats the writing or Geoffrey Wright I'm not sure. Selina is Pfeifer Berry.. didnt really need her but she didnt hurt the final product. Gotham is Dark Knight Rises. The plot feels like it would be a great Batman '66 movie. At nearly 3 hours long, what this mashup wasnt is boring. I enjoyed the movie and was entertained. I will watch this again as faithfully as I watch Batman '66.

Bel-Air: Where To? (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

The Prince gets Fresh

[6/10 · 2 April 2022]

This is not a reboot of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. After watching the first season, you quickly realize this is Bel Air. Gone are the funny hi jinks and fourth wall breaks. The majority of the characters have been developed with young and full grown adult angst and drama. The biggest departures are Geoffrey and Jazz. This is not a comedy and they are not jokes. Both bring a vibe to the show that fits in the environment as well as they did in the original. Things happened a little fast in the timeline but I guess thats due to a 10 ep season. I do recommend it as a decent drama. My rating is based on the initial shock factor of it being more adult oriented. However I do look forward to s2, and I think it will earn higher marks from me.

Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) (2021 TV Special)

It was weird but not beautiful

[2/10 · 29 December 2021]

I checked it out after Faison Love said she wasn't funny. He was right. Her stage presence is too fake. The material wasnt funny. I only gave it 2 because it was in NYC.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

1,2,3 Let's Jam

[7/10 · 24 November 2021]

So far, it's an entertaining live action adaptation of the anime. The story and spirit is there. I enjoyed the anime and am enjoying this as well. The fight scenes are impressive. The visuals are equally so. Choose Bebop if it's that or fuel...

La Brea (2021–2024)

Land of the Lost ripoff....

[5/10 · 29 September 2021]

I said what I said. It's just missing the catchy theme song. Id say spoiler alert but, they gave eveything away in the trailer during the premiere.

There are other shows on in the same time slot on other stations so I cant say I'll follow every week.

Snake Eyes (2021)

No Joe you didn't

[7/10 · 3 September 2021]

Started off with a pretty good comic book origin story. Then took a sillly studio needed to make this to keep the property turn. The elements of mysticism ruined it. I hated Scarlett The actress was so flat and robotic. Story rates a 75 % Acting gets90 %( scarlett Was that10) Great locations Action scenes Were really entertaining Overall it is a good martial arts movie Not a G. I. Joe film.

Titans (I) (2018–2023)

Completely ruined

[4/10 · 29 August 2021]

Adapting a classic comic story into live action is tricky. Titans S3 has ruined the Red Hood story. Thats all I will say about that because I wont be watching any more episodes.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Cornier than the original

[4/10 · 26 July 2021]

This would be fine as a brand new animated show. New characters living on Eternia would be cool. This is not He Man nor She Ra. These characters are weak compared to the original MOTU. The voice cast is great but the voice acting is poorly done. The main villain is the joker. Skeletor has the wrong voice. As a fan of the original MOTU, I ack the fact it was campy and dated. However, it lived up to the name "He-Man". The main character in this ...well you will enjoy seeing her get whupped. She isnt very likable but her sidekick deserves her own series.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

I thought this was a new movie.

[5/10 · 24 April 2021]

For some reason they just can't get it right. I'm not mad I watched it but ,this is not something I'd pay to see in theater. It is basically the exact same movie as the first one in the 90's. The CGI is better ....barely. IMO, the opening scene may be the best in the movie. Also, there are only 4 moments in the whole movie that gave me that cheap pop thrill from the games. The actors are blank because they're mostly stunt people. There's a rivalry between characters that makes no sense because it isnt explained. Raiden is just a really loud substitute teacher. I dont understand how the YouTube series was better than the big budget version...but it was. This was an attempt to live action the animated movie that released in 2020. Not successful.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

Injustice ... fixed

[7/10 · 20 March 2021]

I am in disbelief at what I watched. This cannot be the original vision. If so, how can the studio have released the previous edition? Zack Snyder put together a excellent superhero movie. An easy 7 of 10. It wasn't perfect. There were 3 or 4 eh moments. I can handle an average of 1 per hour. The story is the same. The characters are exhibited so much better. The plot holes from the other are easily explained here, making the other movie bearable! Even the Knightmare scenario is fully explained. This was worth the time. Great watch.

Batwoman (2019–2022)

Bad...woman

[2/10 · 2 February 2021]

S1 wasn't that good. S2 with this new batwoman is worse. Ruby Rose isnt a good actor. This new girl isnt either. The storylines are garbage. The villain Alice is now a trained assassin from an island... sound familiar? A flower containing a toxin... sound familiar? Unless theres a crossopver, Ive watched my last episode