terrykennethbarber Reviews

Virgin River (2019– )

Basically a more serious version of Gilmore Girls.

[7/10 · 29 August 2023]

This is a really charming show. The setting is absolutely beautiful, it makes you wish you lived there. The characters are for the most part, also very charming, quirky, and likeable. There's a lot to like here.

There are only a few things that bug me slightly. The main one being the pacing. I'm four seasons in, but the story hasn't even moved forward by nine months yet. We're still dealing with a pregnancy storyline, and a shell shock storyline that were introduced in season one....but are still no where near being resolved. Yet other characters have had major injuries and illnesses that have completely recovered in the same amount of time.

The entire Brady drug gang storyline should be scrapped. It takes the charm away from the rest of the show.

Mel is a lovely character, but extremely preachy. Every conversation she has with another character always ends up being about her and her trauma...despite constantly forcing forcing other characters to talk about their feelings all the time. She doesn't listen to them. She just nods reassuringly then talks about herself.

But I do really enjoy this show. It is a nice escape. I get Gilmore Girls vibes from it.

And Just Like That...: Alive! (2023) Season 2, Episode 4

Almost Sex & The City Level.

[6 July 2023]

This was a very good episode. The return of Steve, Enid, and Bitsy made it feel very nostalgic and very similar to the original show. The raunchy dialog was also very welcome. This show really excels when it focuses on the three original actresses together, just as Sex and The City always did. The lunch scene with Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Anthony was peak Sex And The City.

Though there was one big flaw. Of course the scenes with Che are such a huge distraction that they really take you out of the show. Miranda is a completely different character when in scenes with Che, even just down to her mannerisms and dialogue. No matter how much this show tries to push Che, the character just does not fit with the show. The show needs to learn, and turn Che into another love interest that passes through. Just as many did during the original show.

Wednesday (2022– )

Good. But on the verge of being bad.

[7/10 · 11 December 2022]

This is a good show, very well cast and acted. And for the most part, the writing is very good.

Though, at numerous points during the first season, it verges on being close to Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, or Riverdale quality and feel. I was half expecting Wednesday to join the high school girl band and start singing.

The show would do well to move away from the high school setting and focus more or The Addams Family themselves. All the teenagers in the first season bring the show down. We don't wanna see a bunch of random supernatural kids. We wanna see the Addams clan do weird things. We want more Fester, Grandma Addams, and Cousin It. I know the show is called Wednesday, but people are watching it for the entire Addams Family really.

Catherine Zeta Jones is severely underused, especially considering how amazing she plays Morticia.

House of Hammer (2022)

Let's just destroy a man's life, because we can.

[2 September 2022]

Apparently in this day and age, it's okay to release a documentary that effectively ruins a man's career and life, despite everything in the documentary being hearsay, and there being absolutely no criminal convictions. So whoever made this documentary has destroyed his life to make a documentary based on.....gossip.

Has no one learned from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. That just because people say things about someone, that does not mean it's always true. This man has never been convicted of anything. But is being treated as a criminal. Shame on Discovery+ for even allowing this garbage to be made.

365 Days: This Day (2022)

Awful, but beautiful.

[4/10 · 27 April 2022]

Awful story, Awful acting. Beautiful shots, Beautiful scenery, Beautiful men, Beautiful soundtrack.

I mean, the movie is crap...but its so beautiful you can't stop watching it.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Characters were awful.

[6/10 · 20 February 2022]

It's a good slasher movie, but the characters were extremely unlikeable. They were a bunch of woke , entitled young people who seemed to feel they had the right to say anything they wanted to anyone and act as though they were superior to anyone they came across in this town. I found myself actually rooting for Leatherface to take them all down. I didnt want any of them to survive.

Luca (2021)

Heartwarming.

[8/10 · 18 June 2021]

What a beautiful movie. It was so heartwarming and charming, and dare I say had undertones of romance between Luca and Alberto, but not in a forceful or obvious way. It was lovely.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

May as well have just been called The Falcon.

[6/10 · 23 April 2021]

This is a very well made show. Though it is literally all about Falcon. Very little development happens with any other characters. Also, if you're expecting this to be like Winter Soldier...its not. Sharon Carter, Zemo, and Winter Soldier are all wasted, and are used as background characters to further Falcons storyline to becoming Captain America. Sharon Carter and Winter Soldier had almost nothing to do in the final battle because the show was so concerned with showing off Falcon as the new Captain America. Falcon has now become some saviour who is now basically Iron Man and Captain America mixed together. Also, a good half of this show is really forced "woke" preaching. That said...the acting, sets, costumes, effects are all excellent. The writing was just very forced and not very good. It didn't feel like Marvel.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Just awful. What was Patty Jenkins thinking?

[5/10 · 23 March 2021]

First of all, I am a massive Wonder Woman fan. Which is why I find it so hard to write this review. The writing on this movie was absolutely awful. An entire movie about Maxwell Lord granting people wishes. The plot was so convoluted, with so many random things all happening at once. Adding a partially resurrected Steve Trevor for absolutely no reason. Cheetah was badly cast. Maxwell was badly cast. Wonder Woman can do things in this movie that she is unable to do in movies that take place after this. Nothing made any sense. All anyone wanted was a simple action packed Wonder Woman VS Cheetah movie, with a proper origin for Cheetah. The only saving grace of the entire movie was the Amazon sequence at the beginning, and Gal Gadot's acting.

I Care a Lot (2020)

1st half was great. 2nd half was awful.

[5/10 · 28 February 2021]

What started as a really good, intriguing movie, suddenly became absolutely ridiculous movie half way through. The first half was a thrilling, and even educational movie made to a high standard. Then suddenly in the second half it turned into a straight to DVD movie with absolutely ghastly writing where the characters almost turned into completely different people with different skill sets and personalities.

The Call of the Wild (2020)

Beautiful Story, but Heartbreaking.

[8/10 · 19 February 2021]

CGI is impressive, and the story is heartwarming if not heartbreaking.

Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

Possibly my least favourite MCU movie so far.

[6/10 · 13 February 2021]

Another underwhelming villain, reminded very much of Iron Man 3's villain. Mysterio could have been an awesome villain and he looked cool, but the twist with the drones and holograms was lame. Seemed more like a full on comedy, which would be fine...if certain characters were not acting completely out of character to fit into a comedic movie. Also, Peter acting so dumb and making such dumb decisions was out of character. Peter suddenly being more concerned with a girl than with saving lives...when he desperately wanted to be taken seriously as an avenger in previous movies. The writing was sloppy.

It's a Sin (2021)

It is a triumph.

[9/10 · 25 January 2021]

I binge watched the entire series in 1 night. It made me laugh, and it made me cry. It taught me alot about the AIDS crisis that I didn't know. It really was just so beautifully made. It entirely deserves to sweep up any awards it is nominated for.

WandaVision (2021)

Amazing Show, But Too Short.

[9/10 · 16 January 2021]

Such a charming show, that is so well researched and well made. So many little easter eggs. The only negative I have is the length of the episodes. The episodes are short enough as it is, then you realise that 6 minutes of what is already a short running time...is credits. Which is ridiculous. I don't know any other show that would waste 6 mins of good storytelling time on credits that Disney+ prompts you to skip anyway.

Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse (2020 TV Movie)

Charming, but not very exciting.

[6/10 · 27 December 2020]

It is very well acted, and it looks beautiful. It was a perfectly lovely film, but it felt like there was something missing or that more should have been happening. If you want something sweet to watch with the family, watch this. Though it might not be exciting or fun enough to keep younger viewers interested.

Soul (2020)

Beautiful, Sophisticated, but Forgettable.

[7/10 · 26 December 2020]

Its a beautiful looking movie, with a touching story. Though I didnt feel as though any of the characters were memorable. I also feel like this movie may be a little too deep and sophisticated for kids.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)

Beautiful, but boring.

[5/10 · 19 November 2020]

The film is stunning. Beautiful sets, costumes, CGI, and talented actors. But the story is so boring, and the musical numbers are dire. It desperately wants to be The Greatest Showman, but doesn't come close. Also, its not at all Christmassy.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

Good, but not scary at all.

[7/10 · 10 October 2020]

This was a good show. I loved the storyline, though I felt that it lost it's way during a few episodes. Some episodes were unnecessary and didn't really further the storyline. Also, I'd categorise this show as drama/fantasy rather than horror.

Hamilton (2020)

Lin Manuel Miranda shouldn't have cast himself.

[6/10 · 5 July 2020]

Why does Lin Manuel Miranda have to star in absolutely everything he writes. I struggled to enjoy this due to feeling that Manuel Miranda's vocals and performance were inferior compared to the rest of the stellar cast. He just doesn't fit the character. He ruined every scene he was in. The rest of the cast were wonderful.

Charmed (2018–2022)

This show hates men.

[21 October 2018]

Apparently it's okay for a female character to hit a male character because he expresses an opinion. Then towards the end of the first episode when an innocent man gets stabbed by a demon, instead of the witches being concerned for him, they tell him that if he tells anyone about them being witches, it will be a "he said, she said" situation. The show pushes feminism in your face to the max. A large part of this shows audience will surely be men, so why alienate the viewers by bashing men throughout the entire first episode. A show can be feminist and still respect men, just as the original managed to do so well. I won't be watching again.