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Fear the Walking Dead: Remember What They Took from You (2023)
Still Holding On, But It is Incredibly Flawed
I gave my rating a bit higher than most reviewers for the average acting, the cinematography, the action scene in the swamp, the staff techniques, and the merciful understanding of the direction of the season.
But here are a couple of criticisms.
I didn't think the 7-year time jump was a good idea. There is too much in that gap to not show any story expect flashes of a flashback of how Morgan gave up Mo to PADRE. In addition, I also think a whole episode was need to show in detail how Morgan did try to keep Mo away from PADRE and attempted to survive without them. The show needed more depth as to how Morgan became a changed person from the previous season to this episode.
In terms of Morgan character, even I get confused by Morgan's philosophy each season. I understand a writer wants to deconstruct a character to develop later in the season, but that screenwriting technique works when there are new lessons a character has not learned at a certain yet, not go off on a philosophy relapse.
Going back to Morgan and Grace's loyalty to PADRE, I am in the minority that understands a story point where they have no choice but to join the antagonists for someone else's protection. HOWEVER, IT WASN'T EARNED. The viewers weren't given enough story to understand why it had to be this way.
Also, this should never have been a mystery-genre episode. The guessing experience didn't work here.
American Born Chinese: Beyond Repair (2023)
Good Penultimate Episode
This episode was pretty solid. I love exploring stories of Jin and his parents. It's their own family issues that resonate with many people who deal with common family drama like separation of spouses, understanding a child's motive in frustration while in school, and more.
I love the moment when Simon finally finds the courage to speak up, in this case, for Christine's parenting skills to Jin. However, the last part of his talk about the common mispronunciation of "Wang" nearly lost my attention on his point, but I'll let it slide.
Another great action scene in this episode, and I like how cinematically suspenseful the scene where Bull Demon lights Ji Gong's paintings in flames looked.
In terms of Jamie Yao, I knew what to expect out of his story as an Asian American actor who worked without any representation ahead of him. However, I was a little bit let down only because I was kind of hoping for reveal of his character to some out tie into the overall plot of the season, but maybe until the last episode.
American Born Chinese: Hot Stuff (2023)
The Show I've Been Waiting For!
This episode kicked a lot of butt, and I'm talking higher stakes & great action with special effects good enough like the early years of the Arrowverse shows on the CW.
I was so happy to see Stephanie Hsu after watching her on Everything, Everywhere, All at Once & Joy Ride. Her performance was very charismatic and I definitely could tell her potential in her acting at the time before her Oscar nomination.
I loved the joke of the leftover soy sauce packets, a highly relatable moment!
At this point of the season, I love watching Ke Huy Quan on the show, but I still don't quite understand how his character fits into the season's whole narrative other than another side of Asian American community represented. Maybe in the next two episodes there will be some purpose in that.
American Born Chinese: Abracadabra (2023)
A Lot of Payoff Here
I've been really patient with the first four episodes in the series, and I think we're now at the point of conflict where consequences are happening.
I'm glad we have more action in this episode, and surprisingly some animation too.
The family dynamic moves forward with Jin, Christine, and Simon.
The bible study seen was incredibly relatable as someone who has been in an environment with just me as a kid and whole bunch of adults complimenting how adorably young the child is. I had a great laugh at that scene.
The ending scene between Jin and Wei-chan is handled well again, showing that both sides have their own faults.
Love this episode and I love how the series is going so far.
American Born Chinese: Make a Splash (2023)
Very Uniquely Different
I really love the old generational filmmaking style of this episode as it pays homage to the classic Hong Kong cinema.
The fact that about 95% of this episode is spoken in Mandarin shows the authenticity of Chinese culture. I love the costumes and the different gods & goddesses at the party.
Even with little screentime, James Hong cracked me up. I love his limited performance.
The makeup was very well done for both Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong and Leonard Wu as Bull Demon. I was very impressed by the abilities of the makeup artists to make them look younger than their current day appearances.
The last exchange of dialogue between Sun Wukong and Bull Demon had some rough edges, but proves well enough not just how Bull Demon began his antagonist arc. The conversation scene does well explaining how both Bull Demon and Sun Wukong were in their own wrongs.
This episode could've been a terrible filler episode if it was not handled during this point of departure from the main storyline, but luckily it works.
American Born Chinese: Rockstar Status (2023)
Another Solid Episode
I'm glad how this show is turning out so far because, especially this episode, could've gone wrong if the high school stories were not handled well.
I would've deducted points of the soccer team guys were written overdramatically and jerk-ish to the new members of the team.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Nicolas Cantu after watching The Walking Dead: World Beyond and that one episode from The Good Place, and he's in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
I like that the chump run was told in a comedic approach rather than some way different.
The fight scenes were incredible in this episode. My minor critique of the fight scenes is that I want more, but also more isn't necessary.
American Born Chinese: A Monkey on a Quest (2023)
In-Depth Looks on Asian American Struggles & Identities
This was another great episode in the series that both blew me away with the action and the representation for Asian Americans.
Though the majority of the episode is more conversation than action, as of this point, the series successfully proves that its not just kung fu fight scenes every couple of minutes but shows how people in general struggle to find their footing in places they're conformable with.
I'm so glad that the high school environment, as previously mentioned in the last episode, is not overly exaggerated and cringey.
I was very happy to explore Simon Wang's story in the workforce and watching his daily struggle to get the promtion.
And overall, I love the biggest theme of the episode. Where is your voice when you need it? How do we speak up? What do we speak up about and what can we say for those who can't speak for themselves?
I love this quote. "Why be a regular guy?"
American Born Chinese: What Guy Are You (2023)
Off to a Fresh Start!
I am hooked into the series already with the first episode. I love the cast, the story, the action, the themes, and everything else setting up more to come.
Although the first third of the episode went on a slow start but not that slow, just enough to understand Jin's environment, the majority of the episode takes its delicate time to walk through his everyday life, his dreams, and goals before all is changed for Wei-chan shadowing as a foreign student.
This series so far is probably the closest any piece of media has told about high school drama more realistically than any other, successfully avoiding any over-exaggerated high school tropes that makes the audience cringe too much.
The ending fight scene was spectacular! I got Shang-Chi vibes from both the fight choreography and music. Maybe that has to do something with Destin Daniel Cretton's involvement. Genius at best!
Sound of Freedom (2023)
One of the few effective movies that delivered
This movie tells a very powerful and effective message that many mainstream feature films fail to deliver. This isn't the typical corny Christian film, and it doesn't necessarily have to be one. It is made perfectly well for all audiences of various spiritual faiths
The fact that it centers on a rescue mission for victims in a child trafficking ring already rubs some viewers as an intense subject matter of a film, but the awareness of how dark & evil child trafficking is exactly presented well here.
I promise for anyone who hasn't seen this film yet to go out and watch it when they can: with a ticket or when it releases on the Angel Studios app.
You don't see many films that focuses on shedding light in the middle of a dark place.
The story is told amazingly, the acting felt real, and the ending is satisfying.
It's understandable that the experience could be a difficult watch, but so worth it at the end.
I saw the movie with a special message at the end in theaters. I don't know if that still applies for everyone else too, but the special message at the end is far better than most mid-credit scenes in existence (haha).
Go out and see it!
Long ma jing shen (2023)
A Great Movie for the Biggest Jackie Chan Superfan Like Me
I was not expecting that much emotional drama from a movie starring Jackie Chan like this one, and I'm super glad it captured those emotional pinpoints.
This really looks like the type of film Jackie has always wanted to act in given his comments about trying other acting chops besides the typical kung-fu action scenes, and I couldn't be more happier for him to finally have that opportunity. I think the closest film to his best dramatic role before Ride On was Police Story: Lockdown.
The movie has a good balance of action, comedy, & drama, and doesn't rely on action fight scenes to showcase Jackie and the rest of the cast. I truly felt the heartwarming & heartbreaking father-and-daughter dynamic between Luo and Bao.
All of that goes without mentioning that the fight scenes we all love from Jackie Chan & the stunt team are in the movie, and to me, that is excellent and satisfying fan service well presented & fun.
The few issues I did have with the movie, but not that big of a deal, are some of the story beats that seem off at times, a few minutes of the second act that was slightly rushed & not enough to process, and some of Luo's disciples that deserve more screentime.
Finally, almost exactly like the fanbase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that hunt Easter eggs for references, superfans of Jackie Chan are in for many, many treats throughout the movie. Superfans will point out props, set designs, costumes, some martial arts techniques, and other elements that either reference or at least remind them of scenes from films throughout Jackie Chan's career.
This movie also reminds me of movies like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent paying tribute to Nicolas Cage's career or The Fabelmans subtlety telling the origins of Steven Spielberg's early stages in his filmmaking career.
Ride On serves perfectly as a touching tribute to Jackie Chan's work.
The Last Airbender (2010)
Was Made Just Because
After watching the entire animated series, I can't say this movie was a faithful live-action adaption. If I had never seen the animated series first, I'd think this movie would've been average for me. However, having seen it, I didn't think The Last Airbender did all too well.
Considering the film is a retold story of the entire first season, I thought the film stuffed the whole season and butchered it only to present the meaningful moments of the show. I don't mind, in fact like, the idea of reaching points that matter most in story and leave out unnecessary filler moments that don't.
However, I noticed some of so-called filler moments missing from the movie, and the reason that bothers me is because I wasn't invested with the characters nor receive any build-ups to high-staking moments.
That method also led to plotholes in the movie, and I found myself confused on some characters being from one place to another.
I questioned the casting choices like many reviewers who found that part of the film controversial.
I wasn't pleased with the kind of character Souka was. I do not blame the actor, but I was disappointed that Souka was the comic relief I knew him to be in the series.
Overall, I thought this movie was made to happen by studios who were too optimistic in releasing a potential success project after the critically-acclaimed animated series.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Visually Stunning, Story About the Same
I got to say that Avater: The Way of Water is incredibly stunning in the visuals, acting is great, the music or score hit the right notes, and the story is satisfactory.
This movie must've showed me the best motion capture visuals I have ever scene in my entire life. The Navi and the villagers Metkayina are digitally made so realistic that the skin textures are well-rendered. The motion capture underwater was next-level media creation. The rest of the visual effects are flawless.
The acting is good. The spotlight I'm giving for the best performance has to go to Zoe Saldana. When you see or have seen the movie, there is a scene when her emotions are released out, and just by that moment alone proves that she deserves an Oscar nomination.
The story, as mentioned in my tagline, is about the same (almost literally). I was basically watching the Navi against the military and machines again. I'm not complaining. I was just surprised since the trailers for this movie that Avatar 2 is exploring that again.
The second act did slow down for me because that 2nd third of the movie felt like it was showcasing its highly-advanced motion capture technology and the characters just...hanging around. To be fair before hand, I went through a busy day before watching this movie and I did fall asleep for a few minutes before the action came on.
I was also surprised by the amount of violence passable for a PG-13 rating. If James Cameron can pull it off, Marvel and DC can do it too without hold back the story.
MILD SPOILERS??? I'm really glad the movie didn't end in a cliffhanger. I would've been annoyed a little bit if this movie strictly ended as a part one of an entire four-part quadrilogy story.
Overall, don't let me discourage any of you from watching this movie. It is such an amazing watch and it does deserve its place in the big screen.
The Vampire Diaries: An Eternity of Misery (2016)
Good for What It Is, Though...
I have mercy on this episode of the final season only because I could tell the writers needed to fill information into the season's plot before continuing to the next episodes. The show is very typical of using flashback episodes to fill in the gaps of their seasons, as I began to notice their trend of utilizing that storytelling technique every season.
The twist of one of the characters to turn out as Matt's father was okay. It was alright in terms of execution. I just have mixed feelings about that.
The other twist of Seline's true identity as a siren and Sybil's sister was a little bit ridiculous for me. Same with the first twist, I also thought this one was alright too. However, what are the odds, out of anyone in this fictional universe, that the nanny has a connection to the antagonist? Did Seline become a nanny because she learned about Alaric's work with the cave or something with the tuning stick? I never understand that.
Finally, besides this episode, this whole show since the first season have always done dirty with Tyler Lockwood. To me, the show never compelled any interest in me to Tyler because he's always weak against these supernatural characters. I don't know. The show has not proven to me, even in this final season, that Tyler can take on many things without getting his butt kicked or even avoid death. Speaking of Tyler's death, I don't mind that happening. I do mind how his death scene was handled.
The Vampire Diaries: You Decided That I Was Worth Saving (2016)
Irritating for the Right Reasons
I thought the fight scene in the school was awesome! The scenes made great use of the overhead view and took some time to give this episode quite some action.
I mostly liked where the direction of the story is going, but I have to say that Sybil really gets under my skin for being incredibly evil since the previous episode. Perhaps Nathalie Kelley plays her that well or too well.
Either way, without having seen the next episodes yet, I'm glad this episode didn't end off with her winning and strolling around with two servants fulfilling her wicked deeds.
However, given the number of episodes Sybil is it, I do hope her overly wicked personality doesn't take up the season like a cloud or I would try my hardest every time not to lose my mind & grow impatient for her to leave.
Other than that, Bonnie's dilemma really sold the episode for me.
Fear the Walking Dead: Divine Providence (2022)
The Aftermath Episode of Poor Story Structure
One point I see and agree with another reviewer for this episode is the potential it could have had if a couple of story elements were told differently. I hate to mention the overall story this season has caused up to this episode, but I felt the sense that the anthology-ish format was responsible for limiting the opportunities of stories told. This episode, to me, felt like the victim of the format.
The positive points that worked for me is the reconciliation between Alicia & Strand, the story progression of Wes as an antagonist, Wes' survival beliefs earned by his experiences throughout the previous seasons up to here, and Daniel's conclusion to his arc on losing Ofelia.
The biggest issue I had with this episode, and some of the previous episodes, is the build-up. This episode was suppose to be the "big event" of the season where the past episodes have led up to it. To me, it fell short. I saw the imbalance between drama & action and the character count was crucially reduced.
I really expected some kind of an "all out war" type of episode, but we weren't given that. I'll take time to let COVID-19 slide in as an excuse, but the anthology thing did not work for this episode.
For the little points I'm nitpicking, I didn't recognize Charlie in this episode or the previous one until someone literally said her name out loud. Also, I almost forgot Rabbi Jacob was still in this show. Where has he been this past season?
Fear the Walking Dead: Ofelia (2022)
Only Because I Get It
I'm rating the score of 7 out of 10 because of the usual episodes made. However, I did not give a full score only because I had trouble accepting the direction of Daniel's character arc. The handling of Daniel's mental health never really adjusted to my viewing experience. The episode from the previous season, 6x10, which started telling Daniel's arc on his mental health, didn't get me invested because it caught me off-guard in a confusing way after watching the kind of character he was for the first 5 seasons. I'm glad things are starting to get better for Daniel and hope his mental health story arc progresses from here.
It's about time Danay Garcia, who plays Luciana, gets more screentime since season 4. My goodness. Watching her for the past three seasons felt like she was just existing and not given any story depth until now.
In addition, I'm also glad Colby Hollman (Wes) is also given more screentime.
When Luciana manipulates Daniel that Ofelia is trapped in Strand's tower for the sake of the group, I didn't have a problem with that story decision but that could've been executed better in my opinion, like the scene needed better use of cinematography from Luciana's perspective to Daniel. Other than that, I actually look forward to a potential conflict between Luciana and Daniel from this scene.
Speaking of Daniel claiming he lost his cat before the radiation blast, I've been wondering where Skidmark has been, and I still don't know what happened. I guess the writers didn't have enough room in this season to include him.
Fear the Walking Dead: Mourning Cloak (2022)
Good as Its Own, But Show Progression Needed
I understand if some people will hate me for rating this episode high enough to be a 7 out of 10. I'll explain.
For the episode as its own, I'm really glad Charlie is given more story depth after being sidelined since season 5. I like Ali's character and the actor performed him well. Omid Abhati, who plays Howard, nails his performance. I've watched a couple of his work from Homeland, Call of Duty, and The Mandalorian, and I was so glad he got to perform at his fullest potential. I'm sort of a sucker with young character arcs and I found this episode meaningful and heartwarming.
Now for the critical feedback. It doesn't really help progress the show that much. I also notice the anthology storytelling style like most viewers to be a bit waste of time if the episode does not move the passing of the show's overall story that much forward.
I also do notice the trope with supporting characters like Will and Paul to be killed off within one episode. I'm not against it, but it reveals the showrunners' storytelling too much, like the audience is starting to predict better on how each episode is made.
The rest of the boost in my rating is by the production value.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Boiling Rock, Part 2 (2008)
First Complete Score I'm Giving This Show Ever!
This episode to me is flawless. I loved every moment this episode brought to the table. The animation, fight scenes, dialogue, narrative, and humor are all on point.
I'm so glad that every character trying to escape the prison made it out. I know that most TV shows would have a few characters not survive the prison break, and I respect those storytelling choices, but this episode makes me satisfied. Then again, I forgot about the big dude's girl and best guy in the first half of The Boiling Rock, but I'll let that slide because of how excellent this episode is.
I'm so glad Mai was given more story depth and for her to go against Azula makes the story more engaging because Mai wasn't just created to be a right-hand person to Azula. That would be a bore to watch her if that who she'd be for the rest of the series.
I almost subtracted points when Mai was just standing there after Ty Lee paralyzed Azula, which that too was a spectacular moment. However, I realized Mai was still left in shock after Ty Lee chose to be on her side. Ty Lee has been Azula's loyal servant since the previous season. I was in shock to see her betrayal too.
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!
New Girl: About Three Years Later (2018)
Could've Been Better; Not Bad, Understandable
Given that I purposely didn't watch this show for more than a year to participate in the time jump, I almost forgot how entertaining it can be.
I love the cold open scene before the title card. I did not expect the twists in under a minute or two. I laughed so hard.
I missed the characters since the previous season and it was great seeing their humorous personalities again.
For constructive criticism, I forgot the slight frustration in these kinds of storylines where they, with the best of my explanations I can give, tend to hold plot element back as a storytelling device that lol potential span for a couple of episodes before we finally get the one moment we've been waiting for. Either that way or this episode repeats the misunderstanding trope of storytelling that ignites a colossal of outlandish scenarios.
Basically, I've returned to that repeated storytelling formula in this episode and I wouldn't be surprised for the next episodes to tell the same way.
It's good for the most part; but after watching this episode, no offense, I'm start to recall way this show isn't exactly a perfect show in my opinion.
Tekken: Bloodline (2022)
Fairly Good and Watchable
I could not believe there is an anime series on Tekken, my favorite video game franchise of all time. This was a must-watch series for me as a die-hard fan.
After watching all six episodes, I believe this series is successful in keeping faith to the video-game franchise. Tekken 3 is one of my favorite installments and I'm really glad I got a detailed version of the story behind the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3.
I also agree that the series does have the potential to grow bigger in this fictional universe, perhaps a Tekken-anime universe set apart from the video-game universe to keep fans and viewers like us tuning in to the lore.
Even the fighting stances, moves, and choreography are extremely faithful to the games. Points are earned for that.
However, and I mean that with respect, there are some storytelling techniques that lacked impact or missing to make the series a bit more better in my opinion. One critique I have to point out is the lack of build-ups to earn certain moments. What I mean is that there were characters and scenes that just happened to me with explanations, backstories, and investments to knowing more about this series from world-building. For a viewer that watches this series without any knowledge about the franchise's lore, they could get confused a bit by things that just happen for some reasons. I do understand if this series does cater for viewers who grew up loving the games.
I look forward to a potential season two and even a prequel season if any suggestions are possible.
Overall, it's a fairly good watch.
Moon Knight: Gods and Monsters (2022)
Pretty Good for the Most Part
I mostly believe the finale episode headed into the right direction.
I'm glad to see how Marc's character development grew along the series and seeing him here was great. Saving Steven by Marc's choice was also good for me too. I really love the start of these two personalities to be complete opposites of each other to later become inseparable as seen in this episode. The reveal of Layla's superhero alter-ego was incredible. I saw so much of female and Egyptian identities represented well through Layla. I absolutely adored the action scenes too. I really love the enlarged battle between Khonshu and Amit. I completely disregarded the quality of CGI in this battle and just went along for the epic battle of the gods, and I was throughly entertained, believe me.
On the contrary, I will admit to points that didn't sit well with me as I watched this episode. Starting with the runtime, considering the ridiculous amount of time for ending credits to include the cast, crew, & international credits and how short the episode is compared to the first five episodes, I was worried this episode would rush through to end. Unfortunately, I stand correct.
The scene where Marc switches to Jake to take down Marrow felt cheated to me. That scene felt like the series had to cut a whole minute or two to keep the ball rolling, except the ball ended up bouncing over the surface that it was suppose to roll on and landed on the spot that continues the narrative.
I'm glad we got to see an appearance of Jake Lockley, but I am a bit disappointed that the build up to introduce him took a whole season up to the very last minute of the show.
I don't want to complain about this episode. I did enjoy it.
Hawkeye: Never Meet Your Heroes (2021)
Outstanding Opening Episode!
Say what you want. I thought this episode was nearly perfect. I may not be seeing things clearly here or I might have my own perspective on what worked. At the very end, I was satisfied with everything I saw.
The characters to me were introduced very well. I really believe the show introduced Kate Bishop correctly. I always envisioned her as a young troublesome girl before stepping into the shoes of Hawkeye, and the show started her off exactly like that.
Clint Barton and his family still fit into the MCU well. I really like the sibling interaction between Clint's kids.
The fight scenes were awesome! I love that Kate Bishop's fight scene proves that she's not scared of a fight and that she'll brawl to the best of her ability by actually getting into the fight. I do like that she isn't as skilled as Clint for the beginning of the series (not really spoiler because how else does her character grow, right?).
Love everything I saw!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Just Jen (2022)
Wasn't Necessary For the Show
I don't know if this episode was suppose to be a parody of wedding episodes or poke fun of this type, but it certainly felt like another wedding episode that interrupts the season's plot. It does break the momentum going for this season, especially after ending the previous episode with a tease of another fan-favorite character.
The subplot with Mr. Immortal wasn't effective for my enjoyment, aside from the fact that I really tried to enjoy the show since it's premiere episode. That subplot filled with constant bantering and the recurring topics of toxic men & women was not working for me at all. I did feel like I was watching a completely different show, but not in a good way.
The episode only had one fight scene, which that itself was way too short. I understand if the fight scene may have been written or edited short to avoid more work for She-Hulk's CGI design, but I definitely needed more out of the fight scene to show more of the rivalry between the two characters.
As a merciful & lenient reviewer, I thought this episode was just okay at the borderline minimum because of some aspects of the Marvel lore included and the ending scene teasing future episodes moving forward, and I'm really glad it's moving too.
Andor: Kassa (2022)
Solid Beginning to Something More
The premiere episode is a fairly good start to the series. I usually don't expect much out of the very first episode of any series. This episode was not a dynamic or an explosive episode for me, and I'm okay with that.
Beginning with the critical feedback, I'm not entirely sure where this series is heading despite being the first episode. I also was caught off-guard on the shortness of the episode runtime. I seriously didn't realize the episode was concluded until the ending credits rolled.
The first act of the episode was the strongest in my opinion. The suspense in one particular scene really showed Andor's threatening nature very well.
This episode only marks the beginning and I just look forward to more episodes in the future.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Not the Marvel Content I'm Used to Watching, but Not in a Good Way Either
I understand this show is exploring the sitcom genre as Marvel Studios has been using their properties to explore genres besides action and drama.
As much as I hate to admit, and with complete respect for what this show is trying to achieve, it wasn't working for me nor most of the viewers watching along every week.
I'm not bothered by the visual effects done on the She-Hulk appearance nor does the rest of the CGI. I don't have high standards for realistic effects, but it does take a certain extent for me to point out bad CGI. This show has fine enough CGI.
I do agree about the story elements of the show. The direction, writing, characters, and humor don't seem to hit like a punchline.
The concepts of men and women do bother me a lot, and that's make up a huge chunk of a hard viewing experience for me.
(The following opinion is only going off of the first six episodes.)
Even though each episode does tease the next episode a little bit, I didn't feel the anticipation of waiting impatiently for the next episode to see what happens.
Again, it's does seem like each MCU property is trying to appeal to different sets of audiences to attract attention to the whole MCU. I understand if that is the case.
The rating I give is out of leniency and politeness. I don't want to speak poorly of this show, but it doesn't work for me.