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Reviews
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
A Breath of Fresh Air
Modern cinema often carries an air of self-importance. The golden era of trope-laden, unabashedly campy comedies that regularly embraced their own absurdities faded somewhere in the 2000s. In its stead, a ham-fisted cocktail of comedies have been served determined to stick to the tried-and-tested formulas. A game of "play it safe" and they never fail to deliver a predictable experience.
"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" emerges as a breath of fresh, nostalgic air amidst this cinematic landscape. It is a delightful, camp-infused romp that pays sincere homage to its source material and the beloved game it's based on. There's an evident refusal to cut corners or to dilute the film's essence to cater to wider audiences. Instead, the creators placed their bets on authenticity, knowing full well their core audience.
While "Honor Among Thieves" might not have been crafted with the intent of universal acclaim, it has a joyous abandon that's been sorely missing from recent movies. It's a spirited throwback that not only honors its roots but also offers a rare brand of lighthearted fun that's bound to strike a chord even with the uninitiated. Whether you're a casual spectator or a die-hard fan of the game, this rendering of D&D is bound to entertain in the best possible way; a fine marriage of the table-top game and cinema.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
A masterclass in cinematagraphy
I don't usually write reviews, it's not my thing. But I am generally very critical of the shows I watch.
Even before the story captured me, I fell in love with just how beautiful the art direction was. Where most period-pieces that take place in the 50s/60s are drab and colorless, Queen's Gambit really explodes with visual appeal. It's so fun to watch just for that.
However, Queen's Gambit is more than just a pretty package. The story is engaging and truly different from much of what gets pumped through Netflix nowadays. You could tell the writers and directors went out of their way to avoid many of the tropes that cheapen similar themed shows. Truly a breath of fresh air.
I'll be keeping Netflix a bit longer thanks to this, and will most certainly be rewatching in the near future.
Great great show.
Wizards (2020)
A good conclusion to the story but terrible pacing
This was obviously designed to be 2 seasons long, and would've thrived better as 3. It's very disappointing considering what a masterful ride Trollhunters was (and was a show that I got into accidentally as I only picked it out initially as something to watch with the kids).
The story is still the same great story, only this time time around I felt like I got fed the abridged version. Oh well.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
A true to source recreation of a masterpiece
I feared the worst when I heard Alita was being brought to the big screen. Having heard the comics as a kid I was a die-hard fan; so much so that I was worried about hating it. That was thankfully not even remotely the case.
Balle Angel Alita is a masterpiece of comic to cinema. Having seen Marvel throw it's IP around like cheap confectionary and Disney drive Star Wars into the ground, seeing Fox do something right gave me renewed hope. This movie marries CGI and real-life in a way that looks natural and translates the source material into something surreal in the best way.
I can't wait for Alita 2, and 3. I will absolutely be one of the first in line at theaters.
Hilda (2018)
Spectacular! For all ages.
Hilda, despite it's slow and rather off-putting first episode, is probably one of the best animations in the last 10 years. It's a fantastically paced series that episodically follows the adventures of the titular character throughout a well-grounded fantasy world. This show, while geared towards young children, is a visual masterpiece and rather entertaining for adults as well. I watched it with my daughter and was equally as hooked as she was. I can't wait for season 2!