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Reviews
The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)
A few worthwhile moments strewn amongst eyerolls and cringes
As a diehard fan of the Witcher story (books, game, and main series), I was dying to see how they told the story of the first witcher and the Conjunction of the Spheres. There were moments where the broad strokes were quite good, but the delivery was lacking.
The story, itself, has the potential to be a fascinating one: treachery bringing about the end of a millennium-long war, leaders pursuing their own selfish interests to the detriment of their constituents, and a ragtag bands of misfits finding greatness to deliver freedom to the masses.
Unfortunately, the show falls flat within minutes of opening. A cheesy opening montage circa 2002 that introduces all the major characters, trite narration which destroys any amount of suspense, one cliché following another, mediocre character development, and a grotesque witcher-esque monstrosity with a blatant rip-off of the Black Widow/Hulk relationship combine to ravage the mystique of the Continent. Compounded with some sharp deviations from the source material, the show comes off as a hackneyed knockoff rather than a gratifying story.
The Menu (2022)
Satire at its finest
The Menu is a fantastic piece of satire which skewers the elite who see themselves so far above the masses; those who treat fine dining as nothing more than a means by which to flaunt their wealth and status. It also speaks to the death of joy and passion in pursuit of grandeur on the part of chefs who enable and relish in the adoration of those pretentious few
I cannot speak highly enough of this film. Like a classic mystery story, you'll spend its entirety wondering what the next scene-even the next few moments-will bring. The entire cast delivers brilliant performances. The cinematography is stunning and the score perfectly accentuates the tension as well as the moments of levity. It's a fantastic pairing of suspense, mystery, and dark humor.
The Sinking City (2019)
A great game with a terrible ending
Throughout 95% of the gameplay, all you can think about is this being the perfect video game representation of Lovecraftian horror. It's full of twists, turns, and inexplicable monstrosities. The cosmic horror is balanced by very human stories that draw you in to each mission. Main and side missions alike build on the eldritch horror and its impact on the inhabitants of what was once a quiet seaside town
The game gives you a choice of endings, which feels like it will be cathartic regardless of whether you opt for salvation or destruction. Unfortunately, the ending absolutely ruins it. No matter what you choose, you get an ending cutscene that lasts less than a minute and "underwhelming" feels like too good a word.
Play the game. Enjoy the mystery. Be prepared to hate the ending.
Oculus (2013)
Don't waste your time
What was set up as a thrilling exploration of a multi-generational demonic presence rooted in the mystery of finding out what happened to these poor children's parents turned out to be a self-indulgent attempt at playing with time and perception. After nearly an hour of introduction and uninteresting setup wherein one of the main characters lists off all the murders this mirror is responsible for, the film proceeds to do absolutely nothing to explain why or how all these horrendous acts happen beyond a mirror being inexplicably spooky. Thirty minutes of the movie is takes viewers on an intriguing twist of past and present, but it ultimately leads nowhere. The movie wanted to create and leave questions, but all you're left thinking is, "What was the point?"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Alloyed (2022)
The finale brings it all home
My primary complaint throughout the season had been that the show moved too slow across too many characters while raising more questions than answers. That said, the finale did a fantastic job of bringing the storylines together and finally answering some of the questions we've all been begging to learn.
Across the storylines, this episode presents us with strong feelings of hope, anger, resolution, and sorrow. In the midst of revelations about some key characters, viewers are sent on a rich, emotional journey. This finale serves as perfect fuel for season two, and I cannot wait to see where they take the show from here!
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
Thrilling and unsettling
A unique and fresh horror story of complex characters, mind-bending twists, and gripping suspense. The characters have rich backstories that all weave together into a rich and unnerving tale of love, loss, confusion, and heartbreak. The story of the au pair, the children in her charge, and the accursed property on which they reside is chilling, tragic, and fascinating.
Worth watching and rewatching. The first time is puzzling and you'll be pulled along the ride. The second time, the missing pieces fall into place and the bigger picture comes into focus.
It does start a bit slow, but the foundation it builds gives depth and richness to the story that makes it satisfying and complete.
Love, Death & Robots: Three Robots: Exit Strategies (2022)
Upsettingly accurate commentary on humankind
Not much else to say. From doomsday-preppers to tech millionaires and heads of state to the ultra-rich, this episode shines a light humanity's narcissistic tendencies and serves as a cautionary tale about where we're headed if we can't learn to think bigger than ourselves.
Halo: Transcendence (2022)
A bit of an anti-climax
Great final battle scene and I loved the way they did the gravity distortions while approaching the Covenant star system. My main complaints are the same as they've been throughout the season: flat characters, half-descriptions referencing things that never get explained, and self-serving dramatic tropes. That said, I heartily disagree with the people who have complained about the CGI; I think it's been great. They really just need better writers and it could be a great show
- Major spoilers below -
In the season finale, you'd expect more dramatic story development to match the intense action. Either the Covenant complete the map to set up season 2 as a race to Halo, or the fall of Reach following Makee's reversion to her Covenant loyalties. Instead of a dramatic finale, we get a bit of flash with little substance
I also wasn't a fan of the deus ex machina of the Pelican swooping in after Cortana took over the Chief's body. Couldn't that have happened earlier in the battle and preempted John's sacrifice? All-in-all, there are some great moments sprinkled throughout but they're strung together with mediocre writing in a way that leaves you unsatisfied like a pie with lots of sugary goo and not enough fruit.
Halo: Inheritance (2022)
Unnecessary Side Story
I would give this 1 star because the Kwan/Madrigal storyline is infuriatingly uninteresting and poorly written, but it gets 2 stars solely because Soren's last line of the episode captures all our feelings about seeing Kwan Ha or Madrigal ever again: "God, I hope not"
Halo (2022)
I want to like it
Having grown up on the games, I wanted to love the series. I've been burned before on game adaptations, so my hopes weren't high. On the first watch through, it's intriguing (if a little poorly structured). Upon rewatching, the poor writing and character motivations become painfully apparent. It's like they started writing a good sci-fi story-complete with separate, intertwining storylines-then forgot what they were doing and dumbed it down to the least common denominator of gamers. I'll keep watching, but my excitement is rapidly waning.
Our Flag Means Death (2022)
Starts slow, but hang in there and it's worth it!
The first episodes start pretty slow because the humor's very dry and they do a lot of setup to paint a picture of the bumbling captain and his incompetent crew. Once you get through the first couple episodes, it really hits its stride and becomes a hilarious and heartfelt show that provides a fresh take on the pirate motif.