viva_la_dube Reviews

Lightyear (2022)

Just not good

[3/10 · 4 August 2022]

I've been keeping up with the reviews for this movie since it came out. I decided to wait till the movie came to Disney Plus to watch it because of some of the reviews. I wanted to give the movie a fair chance. You guys called this one right, it was pretty bad.

I have two sons who both wanted to see this movie. They both knew this was the movie Andy supposedly watched to make him want a Buzz toy. Neither of them liked it.

For me, this movie felt all wrong. This Buzz would never get a commercial like the one in Toy Story because he wasn't cool and there wasn't much action. Why would they make a Buzz toy with a different voice, sayings, and gadgets? The Buzz in Toy Story thought he was the real Buzz but didn't act like this Buzz or mention any of his friends? How would that toy get so popular? Why weren't any of the other characters made into toys and shown in the lightyear section of Al's Toy Barn? My brain goes crazy with stuff like this and it really pulls me out of the movie.

The voice acting was good. The SOX character was great, but all of the other characters were boring and 2 dimensional. The plot was just bad.

Rating this movie was hard because the movie by itself would be a 5 for me, but because they tied it to Toy Story and did a poor job of making it mesh correctly I have to take away more stars.

This movie could have been great if it felt like Buzz, but it failed because the writers and directors pushed a vision using Buzz's image instead of giving us more of the Buzz we love. Oversll, this movie just felt like a cash grab off of Toy Story.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

It's not bebop but feels like bebop

[9/10 · 23 November 2021]

First off I am a HUGE fan of the anime. I know how reboots and adaptions work, so I expected a lot of changes. I honestly expected the worst and was against this show ever being made.

It didn't take long for me to realize how different this was going to be but I kept an open mind. The results actually surprised me, this felt like Bebop.

I see many complaints about the casting, I honestly felt like the casting was decent. The actor playing Spike felt like spike. The actor playing Jet was phenomenal. It's a little hard to judge the actress playing Faye because the writers added so much dimension to her character but she manages to make the part her own. I didn't really care for Vicious, Julia, and some of the bounties.

The music was great sounding and very true to the series.

The writing and directing were hit and miss. I feel like some areas (like adding more depth to the trio) were great enhancements. The scene where Spike and Faye bond over bouty scars was great. They also took some depth out of characters(like Pierre Lefrou) that felt like we're done far better in the anime.

I like how they made references to radical Ed and the Earth gate explosion (even showing the partially destroyed moon from the gate explosion from the Sympathy for the devil episode of the anime. I don't know of the were all directed by the same person but I thought the third episode was done especially well. I'm not fond of the ending but I remain open to it.

All in all I got more I expected. I felt like everyone really made an effort and did their reseach. For as many changes that were made, I'm surprised that I still felt like MY Bebop. I actually enjoyed seeing it and feeling like I'm getting more out of it. Most of the changes made feel fluid, authentic, and fresh. This is the best live action anime I have seen by far. I now find myself looking forward to the next season. Normally I would not give this show a 9/10 but I gave it some extra points for giving me hope on live action animes.

If you are a purist and you can't tolerate any form of change, this series is not for you! You will be disappointed! If you loved the original and just want more Bebop in your life, this show may be perfect for you!

Tom and Jerry (II) (2021)

Boring at best!

[2/10 · 28 February 2021]

The movie could not hold the interest of my kids or their parents. The music really didn't fit the tone of the movie. Some of the voice over work sounded cheaply recorded. There was an auto tune segment that was just terrible. The plot and acting were just "blah". The animation was great but the cartoons(aside from Tom and Jerry) weren't that interesting. This movie just felt like a fail all around.

Hubie Halloween (2020)

Bad

[1/10 · 9 December 2020]

The movie was far slower than any Happy Madison movie I can recall. It took me multiple tries to finish it because I kept falling asleep. The voice was headache inducing, the comedy was predictable and overplayed, and the scares were non existent.

I'll give Sandler and Netflix props for making a family friendly Halloween movie, I just wish it was better. The pg-13 horror selection is practically non-existent. At least my 9 year old son kind of liked this movie.

Sandler reminded me of Avril Levigne during this movie. Avril started off great but 15 years later she's still singing the same teen garbage like she's never matured as a person, just stuck in a constant loop only trying what worked for her the first time. Apply that to Sandler and you get Hubie Halloween.

Locke & Key (2020–2022)

Most disappointing Netflix original to date!

[4/10 · 17 February 2020]

I've never read the comic books that this is based off of but if this is close to the source material then the comics must be garbage. Adding gore and violence wouldn't help this series out with all the faults it had. I rather like the rating they gave this show and I think it's fitting for a show about magic and if they had done it right it could have been phenomenal.

The concept for this show is great, the set and landscape are gorgeous, the cinematography and CGI were good, and the actors did a decent job. With all this series had going for it it should have been a big hit but, like many others have said, the writers are the ones that dropped the ball on this.

The show is terrible because the characters constantly make the worst choices. It was so bad that it almost had a cringey feel that makes you want to stop watching. I felt like this could be an adaptation of one of those fake game ads where the player makes all the stupid choices.

We introduced to all of these amazing secrets that never get utilized. They have a key that can control people's actions and a key that can turn any mirror into a prison but neither of these even get thought of for taking on the enemy even though they mention the house is giving them weapons. They have the ability to turn into a ghost and talk to the creator of the house about the keys and their functions whenever they want, but they never even bother. They find the memories of people that can help but don't attempt to put them back into those people's heads. The girl uses a key to get rid of her fear but she is still too afraid to take on bad guys or visit the sea caves by herself, instead it just makes her mean.

The finale really bothered me because the ending was pretty obvious. Why they would be so sure it was really the "demon" when they knew it couldn't be hurt and bother to carry that person all the way to the sea caves when there were mirrors all over is beyond me. They knew opening the door could lead to people getting processed but they figured "let's just invite everyone we know to go with us".

I liked the show enough to want another season but if the writing is going to be as bad as this they ought to just give it up now. I was very excited about this show but, for me, this was Netflix most disappointing series ever.

The Green Inferno (2013)

Poor execution on a good concept

[4/10 · 8 September 2019]

I streamed this movie on HBO because I was bored. I had no clue it was an Eli Roth film until I can came here to IMDB. This may be his most disappointing film to me. I never once felt an ounce of fear or dred. The concept seemed legit but was poorly executed.

Roth's movies aren't known for thier great character development but this one was extra bad. I never really felt any attachment to any of the captives so i could care less when they were quickly slaughtered. The first 15 minutes of the film focus on the lead actress and extras that dont continue on through the movie, had they had her friend go to I would have at least been a little more invested in one character.

The film had somewhat of an identity crisis, at first it seemed serious until the part where they shoved 5 grams of marijuana down a dead girls throat to "scooby doo" 100 tribe members when they cooked her. I thought "no way is this actually supposed to work in this movie" and then it did! I could understand this part if i was watching one of the "scary movie" films, but in a movie focused on realism I just couldn't handle it. A tiny bag of pot on the fire isn't going to take out a tribe of 100+ people to the point where they are falling out of trees. The "munchie" bit was funny but didn't fit well with the movie either. The Green Inferno kept me entertained enough that I could sit through it. The gore looked nice and I didn't feel like the death scenes looked cheaply done. I would have liked a little more build up to the deaths though. If Roth was okay with the Scooby bit he could have easily done the cliche boil a person alive in a pot scene. Watching someone slowly cook to death in a pot or getting roasted alive on a split would have been better than the majority of the death scenes.

Shazam! (2019)

Just about what I expected

[7/10 · 27 July 2019]

I grew up on DC, but outside of Wonder Woman I haven't truly enjoyed a DC movie since Christian Bale was Batman. I waited for this film to come out on disc since taking my family to the movies only seems to end in me paying $60 just to leave disappointed anymore. I'm glad I waited, but I dont think I would have left the theatre disappointed. I don't get the 10 star ratings but the 1 star ratings are even more off base.

Of course a movie about a kid that turn into an adult superhero would geared toward a younger audience. My kids loved it and I'm glad. Kids need superheros they can relate to and they need softer gateway superhero movies to help edge them into the better stuff. Compared to the new Batman movies the old ones are soft and stupid, but I loved them as a child. The kids are the future of the franchise and DC made a smart move giving them something less serious to enjoy.

Shazam had a decent plot, the messages were good, and it was a refreshing change from the typical superhero movie. The dialogue wasn't extensive to the point where kids lose interest like other superhero movies. The comedy was so-so but not near what I had imagined. The story had an odd way of feeling a little rushed but also slow at points. The graphics were decent but the demons were a little soft looking (I assume so young viewes don't have nightmares). The soundtrack could have been beefed up a bit. Some scenes may cause sensitive parents to get angry, it does contain underage drinking and curiosity toward strip clubs but nothing graphic. Overall the movie was a solid seven and a nice step back for DC to welcome younger fans. I hope to see more like it in the future.

Wonder Park (2019)

Sad I waited because of bad reviews.

[10/10 · 19 June 2019]

My children wanted to see this in theaters but I decided to pass after reading all the bad reviews on here, that was a mistake. The movie was gorgeous and has a fantastic way of helping kids to understand depression while inspiring creativity. This was pretty impressive for a Nickelodeon movie and a nice step back from the mindless content many other animation studios are pushing. I'd honestly give this movie an 8/10 but the reviews are so grossly deceptive that I gave it a 10 to help it out. Its definitely worth a watch!

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Disney keeps it time-honored tradition of bad sequals

[2/10 · 3 March 2019]

I absolutely loved the first wreck-it-Ralph movie. Seeing real video game characters come to life and interact with each other was a childhood dream come true. The plot was good and the lessons about acceptance and overcoming labels were done in a terrific fashion. By using the characters from my past and a solid story for kids, they created a movie for people if all ages. The same can't be said for Wreck-it-Ralph 2.

The movie it geared more for teens. Most of the jokes will go over the kids heads and one of the main characters obsessions with wanting to live in a GTA inspired slaughter game isn't the best message for children. The new internet-based characters seem uninspired, being done in the same way many others have already done. The ending was terrible and non satisfying.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Don't let the trolls fool you!

[10/10 · 17 July 2016]

I took my 4 year old to see this movie and when It was over he told me it was the best Ghostbusters yet, and I honestly felt the same way.

The plot was good, the effects looked amazing, it has some parts that are actually scary, it had plenty of good comedy, and the Leads did a great job. The story and action comes at the right pace as well, the movie never seemed pushed or dragged on.

The only thing I didn't like about this movie was how dumb they made Kevin the secretary, it was too over the top. There are plenty of trolls on here giving this movie bad reviews. I'm glad I went to see it and gave it a chance despite reading the reviews. I really feel like the is the best reboot I've ever seen.

When I was young I loved Ghostbusters and I've always hoped they would make a third installment. Now as an adult I've got the privilege to continue to spread that love to my children.