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NorahJoy
Reviews
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
If You Arent A LOL Fan...
This show will be really confusing. I'll rewatch it. Its captivating, but Im not understanding some of the background of certain characters, the politics and world building. The characters are very creative and everything including the voice acting is stunning. When you get left out of the plot and who certain ppl are, some episodes become a chore. My favorite characters are Jinx and Jayce. My pettiest criticism is how some female characters are styled. Vi is a stereotype. Of course she has a cyberpunk buzzcut because that means shes "tough" and likes girls. Mel's mother, a black woman is large and brutish and fond of a young boy. Its very creepy and demeaning.
No Time to Die (2021)
I Loved the Quote at the Very End but the Movie as a Whole Became Very Boring
I'll keep it brief. Things became reallly cheesy with the secret gadgets in the lipstick and the machine guns in the car. Theres selective poisonous gas. And then theres a villain who wants to avenge the death of his parents and steals a little kid. So then it becomes the typical macho man fantasy of being the savior and rescuing the woman and child. The formula is tried till its worn out. I stopped watching midway. I was more interested in the new 007 and I liked Ana De Armas character. I didnt like what happens to Mr Bond in the end. I get that there are bond girls but I was confused by the way Bond quickly put away a woman he seemed to be going steady with, then seemed easily turned on by the others, only to go back later and declare love for the first woman. Like....werent you just about to...? Yeah this movie isnt it for me.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Poor Ewan!
And Jimmy Smits! Both are mega talented and legendary actors (Ewan recently won his second Emmy) but this set up is...another reason why Lucas should have kept his star wars story to himself. If you complained ab Phantom Menace and Return of the Jedi being too "childish" then dont watch this show. This is like a trip to Disney with a star wars show catered to children and Ewan Mcgreggor just happens to make an appearance to make us 30 and older folks "remember the times." Another criticism is the pacing of this show. It is VERY slow then it cuts back to a young child for a plot that makes you scratch your head a bit. Disney creates new characters and new character traits that arent in sync with the star wars universe. Its like they just spit out some of these ideas for plot armor. For example, one guy goes from sketchy scammer to ally way too quickly and the scene with his scam by the way was extremely unfunny. Kind of like the random "Thief/keymaker" in "the last jedi." It will make u go WHAT?! There is one person in particular who learns ab Obi Wan way too early in their life and it doesnt match the timeline of the previous films. And then u just realize this show probably should have never been made bc ultimately its ab Obi keeping an eye on Luke, which means nothing is really supposed to happen so if u add big plots and conspiracies to this time frame, things really start to fall apart. Not even sure if im going to finish this series but i may have to suffer through it for the sake of Mr. Mcgreggor. I hope in the future the milking of star wars will just CEASE just like Jurassic Park bc its truly unbearable at this point.
Moon Knight (2022)
Dark and mysterious but keeps Marvel charm
I liked it. It was an exciting watch. Im not familiar with Moon Knight so its nice getting to meet him. Oscar Isaac has alot of depth as an actor and from what I understand Moon Knight is a guy with different personalities so it'll be cool to watch him show his range as an actor, getting into different characters. Welcome to the MCU, Moon Knight! Cant wait to see whats next!
The Wheel of Time (2021)
I'm on episode 5 and
I question my morality and intelligence for continuing to watch this show. It went from interesting to a horrendous attempt at creating a female version of the Lord of the Rings mixed with something else I can't put my finger on just yet. I absolutely hate hate HATE whenever a medieval tale is modernized. The hair styles, the manner of speaking, some of the clothing. It makes the whole setting look unbelievable. The directing and production are awful as well and the actors are not convincing. There are different groups from distant lands and yet EVERYONE SOUNDS THE SAME. The special effects are awful and the overall story is kind of confusing for people who have not read the book.
Dune (2021)
Going To Watch Again
I definitely dont have time to sit uncomfortably in a mask, worried about others opening their mouths while eating popcorn or coughing in a theater so I watched at home and was happy with it. This movie is really and truly a visual FEAST. Its like art in motion. Hans Zimmer is behind the soundtrack and this comes as no surprise. Well done. I loved the culture of this film. Im new to Dune and I have never seen the original because I have been a star wars fan for so long. This is probably the best movie I've seen for this year. My eyes stayed glued to the screen the entire time. I have to take off a point because as a new watcher, in some parts of the movie, I didnt understand some things like background points even though there were some attempts to explain them. And the superstar cast was pretty distracting too but it didnt stop the movie from being a must watch. I was surprised and impressed and ultimately in love with this movie. Again, well done and Im hoping for a sequel! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Scenes from a Marriage (2021)
Brutal
Its several ugly, excruciating scenes one after the next and then the finale made me feel empty and made me question monogamy as a single person. You cant deny their chemistry. I wanted a different ending and now I just feel like crying. Very good watch.
Our Kind of People (2021)
Give It A Chance Seriously...
So far its better than anything on the STARZ or BET channels. Thank God they are actually showing black people for how we really look. We are not all light skinned with straight hair. Some of us are round or chubby. Im also grateful as heck the plot of this story does not revolve around "life in the ghetto" or something related to hip hop. Its not entirely unrealistic either bc there ARE wealthy black people (De Soto, Atlanta, areas in Maryland) and many of us are trying to or already establishing generational wealth for our families so this is, thank GOD, a fresh perspective. Ironically I had a conversation with an older man a few weeks ago about how its so imperative we leave a legacy to the next generation and Im glad this has been written for a story.
I love Yaya since way back as well as Morris and Papa Pope from Scandal lol. The acting is slightly above average and not amateur. If you could watch One Tree Hill u can watch this with no problem. One minor issue I have with stories about us is sometimes they do too much preaching about our culture rather than just showing. So theres these long matter of fact lines about what hair care means to black women or how we should think or behave as a people-as if we dont already know our culture or how to think for ourselves. Like what is that? But those moments arent as bad as how it is in the show Run the World-good grief.
Anyway, I dont think it'd hurt to give this a chance, especially if u are curious ab black culture or find black ppl attractive bc theres alot of eye candy and good fashion. If u are easily offended by big afro hair, an all black cast, or dialogue inspired by real history, and u really just cant see past all that, then yeah its expected for u to leave an ignorant low rating and think that anything like this is here to "cause division" smh.
Star-Crossed: The Film (2021)
Stopped after 10 mins
The best visual album of the decade was Beyonces Lemonade. Not a biased post bc im not the biggest fan of either artist. I lost interest in star crossed within 10 minutes. Its not funny, the music is bland and 2000s fashion is not cute anymore like seriously.
Cinderella (2021)
The REALLY Tried To Moulin Rouge This But...
Believe it or not, I actually disliked Moulin Rouge for its lack of original score. However, what separates it from this version of Cinderella is a) they connected the history of pop songs to the overall theme of love b) the vocal talent was much stronger. Not sorry.
The lack of an original or traditional score just makes this movie look like a lazy effort. If I had to grade this movie according to high school ascension this would be like a junior who failed several sophomore courses and has to catch up. The set looks okay, the costumes are very nice, and the cast actually LOOKS the part...but they certainly dont act it. Attaching past "bops" to a scene and adding some choreography wont make it likeable; it actually makes it cringey. Especially when more than once, someone busts out into a rap solo.
I've never been the biggest fan of Idina Menzel's voice-ever-but this movie will probably seal my dislike for her basic, nasal voice for good. Shes an okay actress but they set her very straight forward, broadway technique to an urban tune and the whole song sounded like the sound of music...disintegrating. Now am I wrong? (See what i did there)
Back to the set...what era does this take place in? Mixing old english with modern slang is, again, SUPER cringey.
I dont know why Rhythm Nation started this movie or why it continued to hover around...is this a movie about dancing? None of that made sense...and Camila Cabello and whoever played The Prince have some of the most atrocious voices I've ever heard on screen. Her voice is autotuned and You can actually hear the pitchy/off moments in many of her solos. Whoever plays the Prince has the voice of the typical "white guy with a guitar and square jaw who is predestined to win American Idol/The Voice." Remember THAT era?
Billy Porter has a WONDERFUL voice. Finally and thank God someone sounds amazing and has a voice that resonates with you. The dress was fabulous too. Im not into drag culture or anything like that but Billy did THAT (*finger snaps*) and is truly the star of the film. This saves the film along with the unique idea of Cindy having talent for designing clothes. The ball scene with all the women dressed and singing was lovely and I appreciate they showed how beautiful all shades are-but the score was still atrocious.
No complaints ab Pierce of course, the prince didnt need a sister, and the movie is probably better for generation Z teenagers who just really like pop hits. I really think it misses the mark with my generation (millennial lol, not even 30). I wouldnt trust the "10" or "1" ratings. You either didnt give this movie a chance or youre afraid to criticize its weaknesses.
Because there are many.
Cinderella (2021)
The REALLY Tried To Moulin Rouge This But...
Believe it or not, I actually disliked Moulin Rouge for its lack of original score. However, what separates it from this version of Cinderella is a) they connected the history of pop songs to the overall theme of love b) the vocal talent was much stronger. Not sorry.
The lack of an original or traditional score just makes this movie look like a lazy effort. If I had to grade this movie according to high school ascension this would be like a junior who failed several sophomore courses and has to catch up. The set looks okay, the costumes are very nice, and the cast actually LOOKS the part...but they certainly dont act it. Attaching past "bops" to a scene and adding some choreography wont make it likeable; it actually makes it cringey. Especially when more than once, someone busts out into a rap solo.
I've never been the biggest fan of Idina Menzel's voice-ever-but this movie will probably seal my dislike for her basic, nasal voice for good. Shes an okay actress but they set her very straight forward, broadway technique to an urban tune and the whole song sounded like the sound of music...disintegrating. Now am I wrong? (See what i did there)
Back to the set...what era does this take place in? Mixing old english with modern slang is, again, SUPER cringey.
I dont know why Rhythm Nation started this movie or why it continued to hover around...is this a movie about dancing? None of that made sense...and Camila Cabello and whoever played The Prince have some of the most atrocious voices I've ever heard on screen. Her voice is autotuned and You can actually hear the pitchy/off moments in many of her solos. Whoever plays the Prince has the voice of the typical "white guy with a guitar and square jaw who is predestined to win American Idol/The Voice." Remember THAT era?
Billy Porter has a WONDERFUL voice. Finally and thank God someone sounds amazing and has a voice that resonates with you. The dress was fabulous too. Im not into drag culture or anything like that but Billy did THAT (*finger snaps*) and is truly the star of the film. This saves the film along with the unique idea of Cindy having talent for designing clothes. The ball scene with all the women dressed and singing was lovely and I appreciate they showed how beautiful all shades are-but the score was still atrocious.
No complaints ab Pierce of course, the prince didnt need a sister, and the movie is probably better for generation Z teenagers who just really like pop hits. I really think it misses the mark with my generation (millennial lol, not even 30). I wouldnt trust the "10" or "1" ratings. You either didnt give this movie a chance or youre afraid to criticize its weaknesses.
Because there are many.
Chapelwaite (2021)
Well, Gee, So Far Its Good. Ion know what y'all mad about...
Soooooo....who are these people getting mad ab "woke" themes are and where are these so called themes in the show??? Because I dont notice them...The protagonist is white and had children with a beautiful Hawaiian (?) woman and the children are so beautiful (especially little Loa, awww). Maybe Ive missed something like it was a book and this was a white family in the book (Stephen King story...so this must have been a book first), but even so adding the interracial part is a great addition to historical fiction bc not everything is black and white. There are other kinds of people and they too experienced prejudice but not on the same level as black ppl bc they were "light" enough." And its interesting the black character would still be killed even in Maine...not the south. So all of that drama makes me more interested in how thes young people are going to live their lives as "non white." Not sure why some are saying that white ppl are depicted as evil in this show. There are some bad people and good people in this show. I dont think show "attacks" a particular religion either. Plenty of fiction stories are centered around weird cultists and their foolery.
I loveeeeeeeeeeee Adrien Brody. I think he does a great job as the protagonist. Someone mentioned his voice and I think the change is due to age or the time he got laryngitis. I didnt expect the show to be THIS good! I will take a few points off because the "ghostly" characters look really goofy and its not really scary. Its CLASSIC type of horror but a super interesting story ab a phobia and the supernatural. I binge watched several times just so I could catch all the details. Im SUPER excited to watch the next episodes!
Loki (2021)
It Started Off Interesting Then Slowly Went Downhill
Marvel constantly does Loki a disservice. In the movies they made him this annoying funny guy who dies multiple times, gets caught in his lies and then done away with several times. Its beyond annoying.
I was so very impressed with Toms performance of Loki in the first Thor movie. It was incredibly dramatic and maybe even "shakespearian." Why is it that Wanda's backstory was explored in her series but Loki's wasnt? How did he go about coming to terms with the fact that hes half frost giant? What ab his raging indignation and hatred for Thor? Glorious Purpose theme should have expanded for at least 3-4 episodes, giving us a little more depth into his dramatic background, familial betrayal and conflict. It also should have elaborated just how powerful and convincing his lies and magic are since he is the GOD of mischief even if the time gods prove that none of it matters. Everyone else's powers and potentials were elaborated on, why not Loki? His character is seriously downplayed.
The last four episodes should then have centered around the TVA plot. The stupid a$$ romance with his own self ("sylvie") is again stupid and makes no sense. They had an opportunity to add Verity as his best friend or teased a romance with her just to satisfy the audience and I was disappointed. To me Sylvie is like Jar Jar Binks. Unnecessary. Instead of a tacky romance with himself he should have found his true love and glorious purpose in some form of reconciliation with himself and his family. Maybe he does this in the end (?), but I couldnt even finish the last 2 episodes bc the show was THAT bad.
Aside from above reasons, sometimes the acting was just terrible, so bad that it made a talented guy like Tom look like a nearly tired 40-year old man on the set of a childish alien invading, straight to dvd movie....no seriously! The choreography was bad, as was some of the script, the world-building/CG effects were atrocious and the cast wasnt very likeable. Like, I DONT want to see any of these people again, and that may include Loki.
I knew this show was going to be bad bc Loki is like a mascot in the MCU, a troublesome thing that eventually cheers for Thor and is there only for comic relief. They try to add some "glorious purpose" to Loki with this show but its like someone else on here said, Loki is just an advertisement for the more important characters like Wanda, Strange and Spiderman
Its a no from me. Sorry!
Black Is King (2020)
I Feel Betrayed
WARNING: lengthy post
I felt so many emotions watching this, I took notes. I thought the negative comments were from non-black conservative trolls until I decided to watch it for myself. I was excited. At first. Then I felt embarrassed. It was as if Beyonce became indignant because The Lion King received mixed reviews that she decided to take matters into her own hands, only to deliver another "Carmen" or "Obsessed" aka an effort that no one really wants to see again. Ever. When it comes to movie-making SPECIFICALLY, this one makes no sense. Some of the music videos do not correlate with the spoken word. It loosely follows The Lion King and branches off into a poetry-laced jungle haunted with mysticism. The rosy words are overly self-indulgent to the point it made me feel like melted ice cream. There were many lines about how black skin is made from the stars and how our fluffy hair is strands of wisdom, blah blah blah. It was alot of beautiful gibberish that is meant to uplift insecure women of color. In the process, the movie neglects many things. For one thing, what about light skinned women? The song "brown-skinned Girls" excludes women who are biracial (black+white) or multiracial/black like Beyonce, who prides herself in not only being black but Creole. When it comes to the "BLACK" part of Black is King...are we only talking about brown skinned to deep-brown-skinned africans and african americans?
The other thing is, this film does not represent Blackness well at all. In many scenes, there's a lot of stunting going on, flashing riches, sass and beauty.
That's not blackness.
Even more heart-breaking, the part that REALLY mattered, the part about taking care of your family and working hard, is mentioned briefly by some unknown speaker. Once that's over, it's back to rolling hips and dramatic outfits... Which brings me to my next point...
Beyonce's power is her beauty. She should model often because she is incredibly beautiful, however have you noticed the only reason why people love the film is because it is aesthetically beautiful? That's about it. When it comes to choreography or story-telling etc, Black is King lacks majorly. It kind of became a fest of rolling hips and sultry gazes and synchronized flowy movements but that's nothing original nor inspiring. To be fair, it was an honest effort and better than anything I could ever do. And what was up with the whole River Baby/Moses situation?
The dangerous parts about this movie are the spiritual or religious and supremacist beliefs that seem to be promoted throughout. Speakers whisper words such as "I am the creator of all things" and exalt blackness to a royal and even celestial level. "I know I am a god," "Blackness should be equated with glory." Why though? Black is beautiful indeed, but no amount of "research" could ever make me feel above others (white servant included--seen in the music segment "Mood.") or that I am a god myself--complete with a "mother Mary" like painting of myself (major side-eye...). That is dangerous ideology. Royalty is not determined by skin color, Divinity is beyond humanity, and racism does not always or usually stem from jealousy or intimidation. This just screams "REVENGE!!!" I am not empowered by this movie, I feel like apologizing for this movie. I will give another warning, though, and that is to beware: Jesus isn't white, but black isn't god either....
Now I'm closing. Watch this movie and be wowed by the outfits and beauty. That should be celebrated. But when it comes to great story telling, black excellence, black royalty, black heroism, black love, overcoming tribalism, racism,war...
Just watch Black Panther, bruh...