I saw this one with my wife. We both love Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthey. We thought it was in the same vein as Bridesmaids and we were rewarded with big laughs.

Update: Apparently, we don’t love them enough to get their names spelled correctly.

📺 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

This series is fun and finishes quickly. I watched it with my 14 year old daughter in one setting. Warning there was some kissing in the first episode and some sexual innuendo in various places throughout the season but nothing gratuitous.

I don’t think you need to no the original source material enjoy the show, but you will get more from it if you had.

What I like the most of the show was that it takes a look at how breaks ups affect us and how and if we move on afterwards. It never forget that it’s a comedy but it does have some serious moment that made me think about the show after it was done. I don’t know if it’s just my brain trying to digest the messages or the effects of me binging a show in for the first time in a years.

All in all, I’m happier with this ending than I was with the movie.

Here is the trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

Template uses lantern by Robb Knight

This is my favorite episode so far in the season.

The show is known for having gratuitous amounts of sex and gore, but I really felt that it took a moment to show us a little bit of tenderness between some of the characters. Sure, there might have been some puppets involved in there as well, but I guess the romantic in me saw something special as two people take their ill advised relationship further.

For the other characters, I feel that the actors were really showing the depth that they can bring and highlight that there really isn’t a “good” or “bad” person in our main group of up and coming heroes.

They only have two more episodes so I hope that they can still the landing with this season.

I picked up a used copy at GameStop a couple of months ago and put a LOT of time into it. I remember spending time looking into how to unlock all the different items and story beats in the game.

The game is huge! You can spend hours going through the story and getting to know the characters.

Now, I’m 96% done with the game. I’ve got a couple secret bosses that I can’t seam to beat but I’m pretty satisfied with how the main story has played out.

But than someone asked me “did you like this game more than the first?”

I don’t think I enjoyed this one as much and some of that is my own fault. In an effort to stay on top of all the little collectables, I saw a number of spoilers. In addition, focusing on different items to pick up in the hope that I don’t have to double back made it so I wasn’t fully engaged with the story.

Still, it’s a fun game and excellent conclusion to Kratos’s story… until they bring him back to get more money from the IP.

Saw this with my wife over three days because a certain someone kept falling asleep. It’s got a message somewhere in there and it definitely echoes things that I’m seeing nowadays. I think they had to rush it and didn’t really stick the landing. 

This was definitely a movie that made me think about what 3 stars means.

I like the fact that this film was different from what I would normally watch. It’s light and sometimes thoughtful about relationships. It’s got some dirty jokes in it as well so don’t watch this with the little ones. 

My wife said the movie was stupid but she was the one who recommended it.

Short and sweet. I don’t watch a lot of the Wes Anderson movies but this one will definitely make me think about adding more to my life. It’s a story within a story with a lot of dialogue so if that isn’t for you than feel free to skip it.

It took me a while to get to this one. I really enjoyed the first one because of songs and side characters. I feel that if you liked the first one, you’ll like this one as well. My only hesitation is that the sex is more in your face than the previous season.

I don’t know if they will have another season, but I know that I’ll definitely be listening to them in the car.

The show continues the trend of just putting me on edge. To be honest, the blood and gore are actually scenes that cut the tension for me. These character are in a world that does not wish them well unless it’s for financial gain.

With all the horrible things going on, some would wonder how I can watch a show where a puppet representation of a person is ripped to pieces. For that, I think it’s because it’s more unlikely than some of the violence that happens near my home.

Anyway, back to the show.

The actors are still doing a great job of bringing the characters to life. In an unreal world, they make me care about them and root for them no matter how bad they can get.

I saw this classic yesterday and I still love it. Ok, the sand worms don’t hold up like they used to but I think it makes it even more amusing. 

It struck me as me of the few films that talk about death but only a small nod to grieving. 

Good times only!!!

I have a couple reviews in Letterboxd. While I was thinking about how I would rank them, I felt it writing it down would help me.

★

I finished this but I regret it.

★★

I’m glad someone was given a chance to make this. Hopefully the next thing is better. Still, I would be hesitant to try anything that boasted about being “The people who brought you X”.

★★★

It’s alright. I liked it enough. I would watch it again if it was on and enough peer pressure was applied.

★★★★

I definitely would watch again. I would recommend it to others. In fact, when I’m feeling overwhelmed with all the possibilities, this might be something I put on instead of something new.

★★★★★

Loved it!

Strangely enough, I don’t write a lot about the things I love on the internet. I feel it might be because it _is_the internet. Years of seeing things being ridiculed makes me hesitant to express a strong feeling about something.

I feel that I’m ready to do that more and more now.

I’ve been anticipating the Gen V series for months. I really enjoy things that are created in the TV universe of “The Boys” and its take on the superhero genre. It pleases both the part of me that enjoyed the over the top violence of 80s and 90s action movies with the part of me that wants a little more depth to the characters in a show.

The season really starts off with a bang that I was afraid would cause my wife to stop watching. But it’s important. Important to the characters involved and important to the viewer to be reminded that things like this happens more often than anyone admits in The Boys universe.

A lot of things happen.

If anything, it might be considered a negative that so many things happen. Gen V premiered with three (3) episodes on the first night. This season has 8 episodes total and after watching the fourth, I’m afraid to say goodbye to these characters that I’m just getting to know.

The important thing is that I want to know these people. At first glance, they do come off as 20 something archetypes that you would see in a show like Dawson’s Creek or Pretty Little Liars. Full disclosure, I don’t typically watch those shows, but the issues of eating disorders, personal identity, and more are prominent in the show. I applaud the show for bringing these up and understand that they can’t go into too much depth with them as we move along with the plot.

And what about the plot? It’s pretty good. We’re halfway through the season as I write this and I’m going to be sad that it’s going to end.

I loved it!
I think the actors did a phenomenal job at bringing the characters to life. You can see the motivation of what they are doing and everything makes sense. 
I get a sense that the people who made this were true fans of the genre and that this was a labor of love. 
I don’t know if it did well in theaters but I know that I would love to see a sequel.

My family saw this before me and would constantly sing about being Ken. I would try to avoid spoilers by leaving the room when they would watch videos on YouTube. 

Anyway, we’re sick at home and bought the movie on Amazon. 

I did enjoy it but I don’t feel that I would watch it again. It’s got a good message and I know I missed tons of references and jokes.

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I did. I remember a friend telling me that I should watch more movies written and directed by women and this is a great example of why. 

I really enjoyed the discussion about sex without it being “sexy”. It’s different for all of us and I hope that you have an open mind if you choose to watch this. 

Way to go Emma Thompson!

I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a while. I feel that John Boyega was wasted in the Star Wars sequels and this shows a little more of what he can do. 

This film has a lot going for it and highly recommend it!

It’s just what you are expecting and executed wonderfully. I had spoiled the ending but just watching the plot unfold was really satisfying. 

Lots of actors that I’ve seen around in other media.

If you are looking for a film that will make you happy and hopeful, then this is it. A true underdog story that highlights the human spirit. It doesn’t get very dark into what could have happened. 

I really enjoyed this film and it was great to see people and relationships become a success.

People on the internet are mean. This is a decent adaptation of the children’s tale about the little mermaid. 

I thought it was pretty decent fairly true to what I remember from watching it repeatedly with my oldest daughter. 

Sure, they make some changes such as removing the “Les Poissons” segment, but I don’t think anyone really wants to see the live action version of fish getting cut up. A little too real for some.

I remember watching a short tv series based off of the Arabian nights tales. In it, a woman would tell a story to a sultan every night to keep him entertained or she would be killed. 

This is not as morbid, but the structure of having someone tell their story and having it played out by different actors is great to see. 

I especially liked the cinematography at the beginning of the film as they move from one angle to the next. It somewhat sets you off balance as you move into the main portion of the story. I just wished it tied into the main plot of the story more. 

Another aspect I enjoyed about the film is the way that it treats nudity. It’s in there, trust me you’ll see it. But it’s there as a backdrop and sometimes even as a plot point. 

Certain parts of the movie are in Ottoman Turkish without subtitles but I like to think of it as a nod how something’s are universal. The main characters do a great job of explaining whatever nuisance I missed. 

All in all, I am happy I saw it and think of it as kind of a breather from the other media I consume.

I remember being pleasantly surprised by this movie. It did some interesting stuff with slow motion.

Ok, I’m going to start off by stating it plainly, Chris Evans plays a bad boyfriend. 

Seriously. 

I really enjoyed the change in gender roles for an action movie, but it really reminds me of what is wrong with the “formula” that Hollywood had used for years. Think about Jaime Lee Curtis in True Lies. 

Still, it was enjoyable and would recommend it to those looking for a little mindless fun.

I enjoyed this movie but I found myself not fully invested in the characters during some points of the film. There are a tooooon of Easter eggs for those who like Spider-Man so keep your eyes peeled as they move from point to point in the story.

Short review

It’s alright, but I hope that it gets better over time.

Longer review

Let me say this first, before I get into it more. I loved the Original Willow movie when I was kid. It came out in 1988 and must have been 8 when I saw it on VHS. I even remember reading the first two books in of a series that came out in 1995.

I don’t want this just to be good.

I want it to be great.

That said, it’s been… a while since I’ve seen was that age. And although I still love the movie and force my family to watch it recently, I have an understanding that this is Disney rebooting a franchise. I am not going to capture that same feeling as when I first saw it.

I’m fine with that, and I’m not screaming to the internet that they ruined my childhood or anything silly like that.

I am grateful that they think it’s worth going back to it.

And to be honest, the original had some problems as well.

But where does that leave us with this show?

Well…

I like it… but it’s got some real flaws that I know that are really going to turn some people off.

First of all, the 54 minute pilot has a big job of introducing our 5 principle characters and getting the audience up to speed.

At this point in the story, I don’t honestly care too much for a few of them as they haven’t shown enough of why I should care for them apart from they are our protagonists. I feel a couple of them are just saying the lines of sometimes rushed dialog to help us move the plot along and act as exposition. I’m going to hold out hope that they were directed to behave in the way, and that we’ll get a chance to see what they can do with the characters later. Similar to how Chris Hemsworth was able to take Thor from being a stick in the mud to one of my favorite characters in the MCU.

I believe that thing that will keep me watching will be Warwick Davis (Willow), Tony Revolori (Prince Graydon), and Amar Chadha-Patel (Boorman). After the second episode (which is better than the first), I found myself missing them when they weren’t on-screen. Although, Warwick does have some cringeworthy moments, I really get a feeling that he wants this to work and that really shines through. He is the same Willow from the movie, and that what I love.

Super short review:

I liked it.

Longer short review:

I really, really wish that I had more sleep before and after watching the movie. This movie does a lot of things that we don’t really see in a “super hero movie”. You get a feeling that the people making it were really trying to convey what it means to really lose someone. That in itself can be the entirety of a movie.

But.

This movie has a lot more that it wants to do and it’s ultimately the part that some might have a problem with.

It’s 3 hours and my family had just finished a day at amusement park after spending 6 hours on the road¹. They fell asleep but I’d go back and watch it all over again.