Media Review

Rick and Morty Season 8 - ★★★☆☆

Rick and Morty coming out of a glowing number 8.
Rick and Morty look just as surprised as I am that they made it to season 8.

This season is better than the last.

I started watching this because I needed a break from watching Love After Lockup.

The one thing I noticed about this season is that it doesn’t focus as much on how much of a Jerk Rick Sanchez is. You get more of the family being fleshed out and seeing what adventures that they are up to.

Overall, I didn’t end the season feeling that I had wasted my time on this. I’d be interested in another season if it was to have one, but I’m ok if this is the last one.

Overview

Rick and Morty are back for Season Eight! Life has meaning again! Anything is possible! Look out for adventures with Summer, Jerry, Beth, and the other Beth. Maybe Butter Bot will get a new task? Whatever happens, you can't keep Rick and Morty down for long. People have tried!

Wednesday Season 2 Ep1-4 - ★★☆☆☆

Poster for Wednesday Season 2
Wednesday has some sardonic words to share this season.

The first one was unexpected. There was a level of novelty mixed with the nostalgia for the Addams Family.

This one feels like the studio said the first one did great, just do it again but bigger!

The most telling thing about this was that when the family got together to watch it, everyone had their second screen for most of episode 3 and the first half of 4.

I feel that I grew tired of the characters. I grew tired of having two groups of people (normies and outcasts) hate each other because they’re different. Conflicts that could be avoided by taking 10 minutes to listen to each other. I grew tired of people thinking they know everything and they are the only ones who can do anything. Probably the most realistic thing about the show.

The most glaring thing about the show was pointed out by my daughter when I asked her about it. I’m paraphrasing it below.

The problem is that this isn’t the Addams Family. The appeal of the Addams was that they were different. The outside world didn’t always understand or like them, but they had each other’s back.

Now, I know Wednesday means well, but having almost every interaction be antagonistic gets old.

Overview

Wednesday goes back to Nevermore, and -just like the boy who lived- she's got a mystery to solve! She'll use anything to solve this one: Fans, Friends, and Family; because ONLY SHE can stop a troubling vision of causing destruction.

Oh, and apparently, no matter where you send your children the teaching staff will be questionable.

At this point, I’m watching it because my family is watching it and I’m enjoying the cameos.

Jaws - ★★★★★

Movie poster celebrating 50 years since the original release of Jaws
All that he wants is a little nibble.

I had never seen this movie, but I am familiar with the phrase we're going to need a bigger boat. I had no idea why a 50 year old movie about a shark could hold so much influence. In the end, I was happy to have seen it.

I had read on the internet that the mayor is The Real Villain and the shark is just trying to be the best shark that he can be. I think that’s just trying to simplify the problem of a community dependent on tourism having to balance the welfare of the residence versus the guests. Most of the townsfolk are content with little accidents until it becomes a directly affects them.

That was the scariest part of this movie.

The inconvenient truth that a whole group of people are ok with the idea that someone could die from going into the water… as long as it does not affect the bottom line.

But, going back to the movie in general, the acting and pacing are really good. I say this as someone who is battling a phone addiction.

Overview

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled hunter embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again.

Superman (2025) - ★★★★★

Superman 2025 movie poster.
Some caption

I didn't think that we needed another Superman movie. How can we make a story about someone who is almost invincible compelling?

This is a movie that I saw because people were talking about it.

I’ve been a little bored with some of the super hero movies that have been coming out and was ok with not checking this one out in theaters.

But, there was something about it. The word that caught my interest about this movie had hope. Maybe just because of all the things happening in this world that just feel wrong. I’m a fan of The Boys and Invincible, but I’ve grown tired of immoral super people. We’ve seen that too often and in different ways.

The movie is refreshing in that it doesn’t take the viewer through the origins of the characters. There’s no homework of other movies and comic books that you need to know in order to enjoy this movie. If you want that, you can do it on your own time.

I feel that the movie does a great job of showing the Man in The Man of Steel. He’s multifaceted while also demonstrating a type of sincerity that I haven’t seen enough of. In other Superman films, it felt as if every problem that he’d face would be fixed by some newly discovered power. This one has to use his brain and the connections that he has with other people in order to save the day.

Ultimately, the movie shows that you do not need to be Superman to be part of making the world a better place.

Overview

Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

100 Media reviews!

This is my One Hundredth post marked as Media Review! Feel free to check out the media review archives.

We Were Liars (2025) - ★★★☆☆

Poster showing the four main characters from the show.
I've never cared so much for rich kids.

How dare you make me feel something! I thought that this was going to be some small show that I'd only have to watch because of TV Family Time, but it really kept me engaged throughout the run.

What was interesting to me was the fact that the author of the book it is based on, Emily Jenkins, used Scrivener to help with managing the flashback scenes. It’s the same tool that I used for writing my thesis to graduate college. I’ve also got a draft of novel that will never see the light of the internet.

But back to the show, it’s kind of sad in so many ways and really hits you at the end with a twist that some could guess at but I wasn’t prepared for.

Overview

One year after a mysterious accident left her with amnesia, 17-year-old Cadence returns to Beechwood, an island off Martha's Vineyard, seeking answers. As three generations of the distinguished Sinclair family gather at their private summer utopia, no one will talk about the accident – neither her childhood friends "The Liars" nor her first love Gat, forcing her to uncover the truth herself.

Thunderbolts* (2025) - ★★★★☆

Poster for Media
A bunch of losers get together to make a winning team.

I have grown tired of most superhero movies at this point. It's mostly because I don't want to see anymore gritty or realistic viewpoints about people gifted with powers beyond our imagination. It's been done. I feel that this movie is actually an answer to that. This group of people have seen what happens when that gift is squandered. They know that it's an ugly world and they rise to the occasion... eventually.

The characters in this film are well acted and I don’t remember there being a moment where I felt that something was dragged on too long. If anything, I feel it would have been welcoming to spend more time with the characters, but it’s probably for the better as we’ve had too many films and shows that try to explain everything and then lose the interest of the viewer (a.k.a. me).

The action sequences are pretty much what you would expect from this kind of film, but done well with a couple really nice cameos. This leads into the biggest flaw with the movie being that certain things just happen… because… plot?

I’m not going to say that this movie miraculously changed my feelings towards superhero movies, but it certainly has given me hope that we can see something with a little more hope in it.

Ultimately, I’m hoping for more.

Overview

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Despicable Me 4 (2024) - ★☆☆☆☆

The Character of Gru with a baby on his back.
A very long 90 minutes

Do not waste your time. If you really want to know what happens watch the trailer and just make a guess. Odds are that you spent almost as much time/energy with that compared to what they put into the overall plot.

This thing was created by the business side of the movie business and it shows. They took a whole bunch of ideas and shoved it into an extended trailer that cost them $100 million and they got $971 million. So, I guess Illumination executives have no problem destroying future revenue as they cash out and move to the next IP.

The Residence - ★★★★★

Poster for Media
Cordelia Cupp has an eye for details.

This was a happy find! The whole family gathered around to watch this one as we really like whodunits. The show has a wonderful cast and lots of twists and turns that kept us entertained.

I think the best thing about the show is the interaction between the different characters. Every episode focuses on one character and what they were doing before, during, and after a murder has taken place. I feel that it’s more important than actually solving the murder as we are drawn into why the murder happen.

One thing I liked about the show is brave enough to have moments of silence. A lot of shows are focused on making sure that the viewer is constantly engaged. The Residence shows the power of just being quiet in western culture. A lot of us are not wired to have a quiet moment and do not know what to do when nothing is stimulating us.

Overview

A brilliant, eccentric detective must solve a murder in the White House residence — where the staff and guests at a state dinner are all suspects.

The Stepford Wives, 2004 - ★★★

I went back and saw this film after watching Companion to get a feel for the two different movies. The movie really feels a little bit out of time. It has jokes that are still funny and poke fun at some many things that should be made fun of.

There are messages and jokes and just a lot of little things that I really enjoyed.🎬

Companion, 2025 - ★★★

This movie concept has been done before. What it comes down to is the execution and I feel the cast does a wonderful job of really bringing it <q>to life</q>.

My favorite part of this movie is actually the side characters and not the relationship between the protagonist and her boyfriend.

🎬