moorejw-52415 Reviews

Fallout (2024– )

So happy to be alive during A+ video game adaptation

[10/10 · 11 April 2024]

I'm an avid player of both Fallout and The Last Of Us, and so far, both adaptations have been done right, to say the least.

Both series have nailed the environment, the feel, and the important narratives involved in the games.

Fallout is stunning, reminiscent, and a treat for gamers with the references to the Vault, the Wastelands, COGSWORTH (my favorite), Pip-Boys, Nuka Cola, and so much more.

Action sequences are choreographed with incredible details and the costumes are perfection.

Also, the casting was surprising in the best way. Matt Berry as Cogsworth is a slam-dunk.

Bethesda and Naughty Dog, keep it coming.

The Fabelmans (2022)

MAMA?! DON'T GO DON'T GO YET

[2/10 · 10 March 2024]

Every time I watch Michelle Williams in something it infuriates me more and more. Why can they never find a suitable wig for her? This wig has got to be the worst.

Her acting in this is so over the top and ridiculous that it made me cringe. The phone scene made me laugh out loud. It was like a porn actor was asked to be in a Hollywood film.

Spielberg found the most irritating actors for most of this movie and then asked them to put on a play in front of the camera. Then the uncle showed up, and I swear he was going to start singing Fiddler On The Roof.

I hated this melodramatic garbage. Stop putting Michelle Williams and Paul Dano in things, they are both so blah.

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

For a hacker, Darby doesn't seem to be very smart

[6/10 · 23 November 2023]

In fact, she seems incredibly reckless. Prying into private information using the billionaire's personal AI program is clearly going to come back and bite her in the ass. She also was speaking WAY too loud when she was talking to Lee while they were all watching a movie. That is the worst time to try and have a private conversation. Someone obviously heard her.

I'm pretty sure the ending will be that the serial killer is Lee, Andy, or Martin. And obviously Bill is the real father of Lee's son.

Overall, the pace is far too slow. They really could have cut the episodes down to 45 minutes. I love me some Clive Owen, so I'll continue watching and see what happens.

Saw X (2023)

What happened to Amanda's face???

[6/10 · 6 November 2023]

Did she decide to have all the fillers put in after she started working for John? She looks like a plastic mould with a wig.

I enjoyed the story, but the random lover showing up, not shooting John (like he should have), then the little boy randomly showing up to kick a ball against the wall in the middle of the night? Seemed like they really didn't know how to add more conflict. It was a bit of a mess.

The traps were great, though. I'm going to keep typing to get the minimum characters here even though I've seen so many reviews with way less, somehow. Makes absolutely no sense. I want to play a game.

Naked Attraction: Ray and Jimmy (2017) Season 2, Episode 8

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING

[2/10 · 17 October 2023]

Both of the contestants got rid of the CUTEST guys. I really don't understand. That seems to happen a lot on this show. They were left with the ugliest freaks and it ended up being so awkward for their final dates.

Also, the music on this show sounds like something out of a Wiggles episode. I hate reality television shows but this one is certainly out of the ordinary. It's now just a rage-watch because I keep yelling at the screen when they vote off the hottest people.

Both of the contestants got rid of the CUTEST guys. I really don't understand. That seems to happen a lot on this show. They were left with the ugliest freaks and it ended up being so awkward for their final dates.

Goosebumps (2023– )

Only a tiny bit of the nostalgia

[1/10 · 13 October 2023]

Where is the classic theme song?! Not even a modern reprise?!!?

I like that they are making it a continuous arc, with each episode being a classic book title, but it doesn't seem to have much reference to the original 90's show!

Sure, they made it campy and teen-oriented like the old show, but we at least need the theme song that cemented our nostalgia!

It was cool that the beginning showed visual bits and pieces of what's to come (The Haunted Mask, Go Eat Worms, Say Cheese & Die), and Justin Long is great, so he's at least a saving grace of the show.

Disney+ messed up and only the 3rd & 4th episode are available due to an error, so I'm watching on Hulu.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Mike Flanagan has done it again

[10/10 · 12 October 2023]

I absolutely loved Haunting Of Hill House and Midnight Mass, so I was REALLY looking forward to this. I am on episode two and I am not disappointed. Excellent cast (including Rahul Kohli, my crush), excellent story, and excellent scares!

Dark, mysterious, symbolic, and the perfect amount of light humor. I love that he uses the same actors throughout; it shows a lot of their versatility. And now Mark Hamill is part of the cast! I read somewhere that this might be his last show and I really hope that's not true. Mike is one of the few directors left making genuinely fantastic horror.

I recommend watching his other shows if you haven't already.

Gran Turismo (2023)

I'm willing to look past the atrocious writing

[7/10 · 1 October 2023]

For the excellent effects and Ginger Spice.

Casting was all over the place on this one. Djimon Hounsou plays the same character in every movie, and doesn't even look like the actual Steven Mardenborough. The scenes that he has with Archie Madekwe are a master class in mumbling. Thank god for subtitles.

The inclusion of the small details lent a hand to the immersion of the game. From the satisfying Playstation sounds to the incredible shots of specific mechanics within the cars, this made me fell in love with the "game" again. It was one of the first I had played on the original PS console.

Also, Ginger Spice! 💃

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

Another snoozefest

[3/10 · 1 August 2023]

The first movie started out so strong and I keep naively hoping each subsequent film will be scarier than the last, but I keep getting let down.

Hands grabbing you and sheets flying up are not scary. Ashy face makeup and blood/throwup are not scary. Blurry figures in the background are not scary.

Add to that a very boring father/son redemption story and you've got another lame duck. I love me some Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, but Rose didn't add anything to the story.

Not even Lin Shaye nor the iconic original Darth Maul demon could revive this. Good thing I didn't pay money to see this!!!

Talk to Me (I) (2022)

Started off strong, became clichéd and unoriginal

[5/10 · 1 August 2023]

I had pretty high hopes for this movie. I like A24 films usually, and the first 20 minutes had a couple freaky parts that I enjoyed.

Then unfortunately it was back to extremely long and extremely boring reaction shots, and completely overblown sounds. (Pillows hitting a person sounded like a concrete block being dropped onto the sidewalk, and a girl slapping her head 15 times that made my eardrums blow out.)

The "spirits" she first saw were pretty damn scary, but then it just devolved into typical "dead person" makeup and cloudy eyes. Along with just gross-out gore which isn't very scary. Really ended up disappointed overall. The concept was pretty cool and they could have done a lot with it (contacting spirits as a viral trend), but they really dropped the ball.

And of course you could see the ending coming a mile away.

The Beanie Bubble (2023)

Now THIS is how you do a female empowerment movie

[8/10 · 30 July 2023]

The Barbie movie was overhyped and fell so flat. It was so incredibly heavy-handed on "the patriarchy" that it did not trust in the intelligence of the audience, which is a secret to success for movies; and the plot was a mess.

The Beanie Bubble did not spoon-feed the audience to the point where the food was dropping onto the floor like The Barbie movie did. It relished in taking perspectives from the main female players in the business and smoothly intertwining their stories to their satisfying and intelligible conclusions. It didn't use the word "patriarchy" 20 times while reducing the other gender to stereotypes. It showed accurate representations of a greedy, narcissistic billionaire white man who did not value the women around him or their input. And did so in a way that was realistic, and didn't use terms incorrectly to get their points across. (Example: the teenage girl calling her BARBIE DOLL a FASCIST. What were they thinking?!)

Elizabeth Banks once again showing her acting genius, Zach Galifinakis scores another great role, and Geraldine Viswanathan is a surprising shining star. I loved the commitment to using events that actually happened, such as the couple splitting their Beanie Baby collection under judicial supervision, and the truck accident that spilled Beanie Babies all over the highway.

I was looking forward to seeing this and I was not disappointed.

Moonfall (2022)

The most expensive Lexus ad

[2/10 · 27 June 2023]

"Let me put this thing into warp speed." Proceeds to press the SPORT MODE button and launch off of a broken piece of road that just so happened to turn perfectly flat while in the air. I saw this in theaters and when this happened, I let out the most audible groan I have ever groaned.

He even works at a Lexus dealership. This movie feels like a generic blockbuster from the early 2000's. Complete with corny dialogue, product placement, and forced romance. The characters are so unlikeable.

The CGI is fun, but the sound editing is horrible. Ending is abrupt and lacking any depth. We're not even going to talk about the shoddy science behind this.

The Power (2023)

Not even Toni Collette could save this

[2/10 · 9 April 2023]

I want so badly to say that everything she touches turns to gold, but this proved me so wrong. Awful writing, unoriginal stories, and absolutely terrible music. Hard to believe this was a best-selling book. This is not how female empowerment should be done. Characters are one-dimensional, and there are too many introduced at once. Barely any build-up.

Prime has really had a hard time with good shows. Basically the only good ones have been The Boys and Mrs. Maisel.

Two stars only because of Toni Collette and Toheeb Jimoh! Just watch United States Of Tara and Ted Lasso instead of this garbage.

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

What happened?

[5/10 · 30 March 2023]

The first season was absolutely incredible. Emotional, funny, and gripping. And then came the second season; and it was like when a canceled show is rebooted and the writers are struggling to explain where the characters left off and what they've been "up to."

It went in a completely different, confusing direction

It's disappointing, I was very much looking forward to the new season, and it just made the show convoluted.

The cast is incredible, Billy Crudup especially, and the potential seems wasted now. I'll give it another watch and see if I can get into it, because I really want to like it.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 21: The Pirate (2023) Season 3, Episode 5

This is just getting ridiculous

[5/10 · 29 March 2023]

They've actually just turned the Mandalorian into another version of Pirates Of The Caribbean. Complete with the main pirate that looks almost exactly like Barbossa. The character designs look like something out of the Muppets in the 80's. Cheap-looking prosthetics that have almost no life to them because they hardly move their eyes and mouth.

All this time, the audience was told a Mandalorian NEVER removes their helmet. And now, it turns out YOU CAN remove it to eat, as long as it is out of view of others?! Didn't they have an episode where the front of the helmet lifted so he could have a drink of water?

You People (2023)

Great cast, same old cringe

[5/10 · 15 February 2023]

To be fair, I should have expected this from an Eddie Murphy movie. You would think that a progressive person who helps run a cultural podcast would be more aware of when they're trying way too hard. The awkward trope is not funny anymore. Lying about knowing who Louis Farrakhan is and doubling down when getting called out on it makes a character unlikeable. Trying to talk to your potential in-laws about proposing to their daughter and starting out by saying Jesus was both black and Jewish is just bad writing.

That being said, Julia Louis Dreyfus and David Duchovny are excellent, and Lauren London is wonderful. Jonah Hill plays the same person he plays in every movie, so he's just there. There are some funny and touching moments, so it deserves an average rating.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Nostalgic

[4/10 · 24 November 2022]

I had read the first three books by the time this film came out, and I was so excited for it. I was about 12 years old. Yet even upon the first watch, I thought a lot of the dialogue was very cringey and forced. Chris Columbus is the reason I didn't particularly enjoy the first two movies. They felt like a Disney ride instead of a real story. Not a lot of natural lead-up, explanation, or character arcs. It felt too childish, even though the books were meant for children. Danielle Radcliffe was just starting his acting career and it is hard to watch some of his scenes. For example, the part where Vernon brings him home after the zoo incident and he says "One minute the glass was there and then it was gone, it was like magic!" Just laughable. And Hermione was an exaggerated trope. I know it's an unpopular opinion. But once Alfonso Cuarón came on for the third movie, it became the dark masterpiece it should have been. I still love the movie series nonetheless.

"Not me, not Hermione, YOU" "No Ron, you CAAN'T. There must be another way!"

The White Lotus (2021–2025)

What an insulting, lazy, basic way to end season 2

[1/10 · 14 November 2022]

Garbage. All of the incredible metaphors, symbolism, and lore for nothing. Took a creamy dump all over everything wonderful and beautiful about this show. Killed the most obvious person along with characters we barely even knew or cared about.

I'm not mad, I'm disappointed and numb. It was one of the only things I was looking forward to and they just decided to throw away every exciting buildup for some trite "shock" value.

It completely broke something inside me that had joy.

Even something like Dom's "karmic payment" being him sacrificing himself for his son, or Mia using the hotel's master key that she got from Valentina to break into Cam's room to get the payment they owed her and Lucia, and unexpectedly being murdered in the process.

HELL, even bringing back an unexpected guest from season 1 would have been BRILLIANT and provoking! But no, all of the small details were tossed away and ignored. Done with this show.

Two Witches (2021)

A genuinely fun watch!

[8/10 · 18 October 2022]

Okay, so the writing and acting are absolutely terrible, and the look is very low budget, as is the sound mixing/dialogue. There are some silly parts/facial expressions that made me laugh (reminded me of Drag Me To Hell.) But most importantly, I wasn't bored. It really kept me engaged. I find a lot of horror movies to be incredibly boring, so I'm happy when I watch a film like this. Has some good jump scares, and it was actually pretty scary! I would definitely watch it again.

I thought this movie was being released later this year (2022) and was pleasantly surprised to find it on Prime already.

Veep: Veep (2019) Season 7, Episode 7

Two things I would have changed:

[9/10 · 5 October 2022]

1. I would have given Marjorie an earth-shattering, heart-breaking, sailor-mouthed, devastatingly brilliant monologue that makes even Selina speechless when she and Catherine confront her for the same-sex marriage bill. NOT ONLY would this have perfectly balanced the dynamic between both her and Selina, it would have given a cheeky reference to the fact that Catherine's life partner has some more characteristics of her own mother, (besides looking a lot like her),

2. I would have found a way for the entire nomination event to go COLOSSALLY wrong and have Richard somehow become the President instead of Selina. I think it would have been one of the most hilariously ironic ways to end it, and it would have made sense with how fast he went up in his career, which was basically being promoted every few days to the next highest position just by being Richard.

Other than that, I am constantly astounded at the perfection of writing in this show. All of these Emmies are well-deserved. What an excellent way to tie up this masterpiece.

Insatiable (2018–2019)

All over the place

[2/10 · 18 August 2022]

I feel like they wanted it to be like a mix between "Ugly Betty" and "Scream Queens," and they gave birth to this monstrosity instead. Nonnie is so unlikeable, she completely ruins any redeeming qualities of the show. Miss frumpalicious 2004 is so annoying and such a narc.

Insatiable: Pretty in Prison (2019) Season 2, Episode 8

So cringe

[1/10 · 18 August 2022]

The disabled lawyer acting like she is "a badass" is so awkward and feels completely unnatural. "I can't even remember the name of the guy I screwed last night" is such terrible writing, that I'm glad this show was canceled.

Roar (2022– )

Every episode just feels like a trailer for an upcoming film

[5/10 · 16 April 2022]

Each episode ends abruptly; and on parts that simply need to be explained more. It's left me feeling agitated and dissatisfied. It's like they are trying to be mysterious by being obscure and I think most people are tired of the genre of "It's open to interpretation." Messages are vague, and there should be sufficient endings, because I just feel like I'm being teased.

On the positive side, the cinematography is great, and the women in this show are excellent!

Joe vs. Carole (2022)

The casting is a joke, and not in a good way

[3/10 · 29 March 2022]

I LOVE Jon Cameron Mitchell but he was a terrible choice to play Joe. He looks, sounds; and acts nothing like him.

Kate McKinnon carries the show, as she usually does for everything she's in.

CGI is REALLY BAD.

They are trying so hard to create sympathy for Carole Baskin. But the truth is she is a horrible person, and so is Joe.

Sigh. I'll keep watching only because of Kate.

Archive 81 (2022)

Oh, Jerome. No.

[3/10 · 5 March 2022]

I couldn't decide who the worst actor in this series was. Both Dan and Melody were atrocious. But I suppose Melody was the most annoying, and Dan was simply monotone and lifeless. Another boring psychological thriller, and another huge letdown from Netflix. Please don't waste your time.