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Reviews
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
I couldn't make it past the third episode
I am so disappointed. I was looking forward to this and ugh, it is so bad. I know they don't want to hear it but Flanagan spoiled us with an absolutely perfect first series The Haunting of Hill House. It was brilliant. Bly Manor was excellent and so was Midnight Mass. Then last year we got The Midnight Club which was average, and now this one is unwatchable.
For pros, I do like how he uses most of the same ensemble of people as different characters in the various shows. I love to see their acting chops. I liked how each death was attributed to a Poe story and the sets were ghastly yet beautiful at the same time.
However, I was extremely bored. I started the series immediately not liking it because Roderick as a narrator is boring himself. With that low voice droning on and on I tended to just zone out. I think that's the biggest mistake they made early on.
Are obscenely wealthy people really that evil? It seemed like none of them had *any* real redeeming qualities so it all seemed so one dimensional. They could have fleshed out their arcs to include something relatable to interest me but didn't.
So, I couldn't relate to anything, nothing drew me in. The actors themselves were very good but it's difficult to work with crappy writing and directing. I don't understand how you go from Hill House to this in five years. Maybe trying to release one every year around Halloween is a, bad idea now. They should invest the time and resources they have to release a great series and not rush. As frustrating as it is to have to wait, ala Stranger Things, you can tell they worked very hard to give us an excellent series.
I wonder what Flanagan is working on next. Maybe the writers and actors strike will be in his favor to give him ample time to return to the great storytelling he's known for. I have my fingers crossed.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Not as good as the first
It was entertaining, I'll give it that. The cgi was pretty good, and the monsters were cool looking. It just lacked the depth the first one had. I think the main issue for me is that I do not like Zachary Levi in that role. He's miscast, and I don't think they should move forward with HIM in that role. If James Gunn is recasting most of them to skew younger, I think Asher Angel who plays the younger Billy is getting old enough to take on the adult version. He just fits better and is younger so can grow in the role. The kids who are in the younger roles are good, but I don't like most of the adult versions, either. It will be interesting to see what is going to happen with the new Gods and Monsters era starting in a couple years.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
I was so disappointed.
I was looking forward to this. We were promised a new adventure and a new villain and this was supposed to kick it off. Well, I left the theater feeling really let down. I don't think there was one thing I enjoyed in this movie. First of all, it's 90% cgi. I absolutely pictured them in my mind while they were onscreen in bodysuits with those electrodes attached against a green screen, I could just see that instead of what was happening. The "acting " was dull and uninspiring. When I get to the end of a movie and can't remember much except there were people in it, you know it's boring. If they did recast the daughter role, they need to do it again. There's never a sense of danger throughout, especially dad and daughter scenes. Oh hey, let's have some snappy dialogue right before someone tries to kill us, and hey, let's happily hug and high five right after because we were so scared. I never felt one ounce of desperation or inspiration throughout, they were all phoning it in. And as far as introducing the new big, bad guy? What a letdown. I actually chuckled a little at the visuals of all of the versions of him breaking free because I felt no dread at all in thinking about where they were going or what they were going to do. It was a boring, cringy yawn fest that did not excite me for this next phase. They should have nabbed James Gunn to co-lead with Kevin Feige instead of letting him go to DC. I bet the next phase is going to be DC kicking Marvel's butt.
The Jennifer Hudson Show (2022)
Just another talk show that does nothing
I wanted to like it, I really did. I like J. Hudson, but she is NOT a good fit to be a talk show host. Just because someone is famous doesn't mean they can be good at everything. If I have that channel on, every time I have to switch it to the Kelly Clarkson show, and she actually isn't much better - just a smidge. The talk show forum is too saturated, and people are looking for the next Oprah (before she interviewed Harry and Meghan Markle because that was a disaster) or Ellen (again before she became a huge bully). You need someone quick on their feet, gabby, has charisma and charm, but can be a tad biting if need be. So this show is not it, nor are the others.