Change Your Image
TheWatcher17
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
Epic and stunning story of Monarch and the History of the Monsters
Growing up, I've never been a huge fan of the Godzilla franchise, but I gave this show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters a chance as it looked really cool in the previews, and after watching it, they won me over and got me really interested into the franchise. The show has a wonderful cast, and writing, and beautiful production. The CGI and effects on this show are stunning, even better than the upcoming 2024 movie Godzilla x Kong with a bigger movie size budget. I really like how the show covers both the past and the present. And how Monarch came to be, and we try to figure out if they are good or bad. The whole show is a roller coaster ride of action, history, sci fi, and family drama. Apple TV+ has been on a role with their high quality shows. I really hope we get a season 2. At the time of this review, the show had excellent ratings, but the renewal status is still a mystery. I definitely recommend giving this show a chance!
Ghosts (2021)
It's a fun watch, and great sister show to the UK version
I see a lot of the reviews are comparing to the UK version. Personally, I feel the UK version has better writing, less rushed, and has more authentic acting, and jokes are bit more mature. However, the US version is still surprisingly good! I feel the two shows complement each other instead of merely being a remake. Regarding the US version, the ghosts are more relevant to the US, and the episodes do feel rushed at times due to them having to trim down for commercial breaks. The actors for all the ghosts and Jay are excellent. I feel that Rose isn't a great actor for Samantha though. Her other work is decent, but for some reason on this particular show she seems so forced and often uncomfortable looking, whereas everyone else is so comfortable and talk naturally. I've seen her in recent interviews and she speaks more naturally and comfortably there. One thing I wish both this version and the UK version did was get the husband (Jay in this version) in on the ghost action, like at least start doing it in an upcoming season. Sometimes they make him just feel like background character when they should be treated as a main. And having Sam repeat the ghost's lines all the time gets annoying. So hopefully Jay one day gets to see and speak to them so he can be part of the convo because Utkarsh is actually very talented and funny. We're now in season 3 at the time of this review, and it's great to see the show still going strong.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024)
THIS is The Walking Dead we all loved!
Even though the series just started, already it's a masterpiece and EXACTLY how TWD should have been these past few years. The production value, the writing, directing, the emotion, the acting, the mystery, the action, the timing and not wasting it on filler, etc. This is what made a lot of people fall in love with TWD in the first place. Danai and Andrew really showed how it's done and I'm glad they took this seriously not only as actors, but also with writing and directing credits. I really hope this is the true start of the revival of the TWD Universe and not just limited to 6 episodes, because this show is truly exciting and so well done.
The Trust: A Game of Greed (2024)
Fun game but needs better contestants!!!
The concept of the show itself is interesting and fun, it keeps you watching and wondering what will happen next. However, whoever did the casting for this show needs to be fired. Except for a couple of the people, most of the contestants had egos through the roof and were constantly victimizing themselves and attacking others for doing the very exact thing they were doing themselves. Way too much identity politics that frequently ruined the game. Aside from that, it was a fun watch. I think they need to cast a better mix of people who are good but also people who aren't afraid to get greedy or at least know how to manipulate, take offers, and oust people without getting caught. In this first season, for a game called "a game of greed", it didn't seem like many people got greedy and the focus was more on sharing with the family. I agree with that that concept in real life, but this is a game show lol. Despite the casting, it was an interesting game. I would like to see some more crazier offers presented to the contestants. Hope there will be a season 2.
Halo (2022)
Season 2 is much better so far!
Season 2 has a new showrunner and I'm guessing bigger budget because the graphics, sets, and costume designs seem much better. It seems they're trying to correct some of the mistakes from Season 1 with better writing as well. I'll update my review after Season 2 is completed, but so far, the first 2 episodes are a big upgrade from Season 1. Not a fan of the new 'boss' of the Spartans, but he's supposed to be unlikeable, so it's fitting. The story is more grand as well this season. Without spoiling it, you'll see more teams and locations from the game covered. Looking forward to see how this new story progresses!
Echo (2023)
Had so much potential - Netflix would be better
Was super excited to watch this. The casting is great and loved seeing some familiar faces. However, it falls short in many areas that Disney/Marvel shows have been typically failing on. I'm rating this a 4 instead of a 1 because I think the cast did the best they could do with what they were given and how they were directed. Sure it's 'grittier' than the other Disney/Marvel shows, but the overall production, camera work, editing, and fight choreography are all over the place and inconsistent, and just feels significantly lower quality compared to the Netflix Marvel shows. If Echo was on Netflix with the same crew and directors and production value that the Netflix Marvel shows had, this would have been a MUCH better show because they know pacing, better writing, consistent editing, and higher quality video work and choreography than Disney does.
It's still worth a watch, but keep your expectations low. I'm keeping my expectations low for the upcoming Daredevil series as well. The cast is the only thing that keeps these shows worth watching, but Disney really lost their way and need to step up their game. Honestly, Disney should just use the whole crew that did the Netflix shows, and not interfere, if they were smart.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
It's got a great premise but needs work.
I was excited for Rebel Moon, and I gave it a full focused watch because with Zack Snyder films you need to pay attention. Let's start with the good: The casting is well done - Sofia Boutella is the perfect Kora, her emotions and skilled fight scenes represent the character so well. And it's great to see Ray Fischer in a new role and he looked so cool. Also, the overall story/premise is very interesting as well and has potential to be an epic series. But that's about it on the positives.
Now the negative: The writing just feels very amateur. There's a lot of deep moments and dialogue throughout the movie that's very moving and touching, but the way it's written is a bit cringey. I said the casting was amazing, but that's tainted a bit with the dialogue they've been given. I hope for Part 2 they really focus on the writing to improve it significantly. I'm not sure if it's because Netflix got involved, which does happen unfortunately like with WB did with his previous work. The cinematography while great most of the time, feels a bit odd at times with this blurry effect when something is out of focus, I'm not sure if that's intentional, but I don't really see it adding anything to the story or mood. The fight scenes could have been much better. Only Kora's fight scenes were epic and well done. Everyone else's felt a bit too step by step and not action-packed enough for such an epic battle.
As a big fan of Zack Synder's work, I was expecting more. However, there's definitely potential here as I said above for it to be an awesome sci-fi series. There's still lots of story to tell, and lots of
interesting characters they can deep dive into. But I really hope with Part 2 they really fix the writing and camera effects.
Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)
Addictive & Hilarious! (Don't listen to the haters)
First of all, this game show was approved by the creator of Squid Game and he was excited for it too, especially to fill in the time while we wait for season 2 of the actual show. HOWEVER, I do agree with a lot of the negative reviews about the casting. I don't know why all these networks are constantly casting actors/social media influencers in their game shows now. Even the actors in the actual Squid Game show seem more authentic and real than many of these contestants. I don't like how Netflix in all of their reality/game shows always focuses on a select few actors instead of everyone equally. Also, when they said this is a global competition, I was hoping for more people from around the world but the majority seem to be obnoxious and loud Americans while giving zero attention to the other country cast.
Aside from the casting, the game and show itself is AWESOME. It's intense, the set designs are impressive and match the actual show, and they introduced new games and twists to ensure the contestants can't copy the tactics used in the original show, which brings a new dynamic and makes it even more addicting.
I would easily rate this show 10/10 if it weren't for the annoying casting, because everything else is perfect and super fun.
Quiz Lady (2023)
Fun and enjoyable movie!
Really enjoyed this movie, not sure why people are rating it low when it's meant to be a family friendly, heartwarming comedy. And for people who love game shows like me, this movie hits right home!
Sandra Oh is awesome as usual playing the older crazy sister, and Awkwafina surprised with this performance, because she's actually great in this more quieter role where it actually feels like we're watching herself. Even Will Ferrell was charming in this movie as the host of the Quiz Show.
Without spoiling, the movie has lots of funny and silly moments, while also bringing back a good message at the end. In an era where we now have so much unfunny, sex and vulgar-ridden "comedies", it's refreshing that we get a comedy like this where they focus on the topics and characters, actual comedy, and able to watch it with the whole family (or even yourself!).
Highly recommend. :)
One Piece (2023)
Incredibly fun and well produced! (And finally breaks the anime curse!)
FINALLY! An actual good live action adaption of an anime show. Almost everything about this show was done right. The casting choices for each of the characters is perfect, the costume designs, acting and mannerisms make it feel like you're literally watching an anime but with real people. Everyone is so animated and on point with their characters. I also love how the design team tried to make it as real as they could without relying solely on CGI like a lot of other shows do, this way the show feels more authentic and captivating because you know the designers took the time and creative effort to make the anime come to life instead of rushing it via CGI. The story itself for the show is super fun and captivating that makes you want to keep watching.
Even if you never watched the anime, I think you'll really enjoy this show. Give it a try! I feel Netflix needs to improve the marketing to be like their bigger hero shows, because I was not interested in this show until I decided to randomly give it a try. And it deserves a lot more compared to some of those other shows.
I'm really looking forward to Season 2!
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Not bad, but the human leads ruin it (again)
I was super excited to watch this, being a huge fan of Beast Wars and Beast Machines in the Transformers series. The trailer looked incredible. But as expected, the two human lead characters ruin the movie. The movie is actually not that bad, but it would have been SIGNIFICANTLY more enjoyable if the humans weren't in it or if they had more of a background role because they don't really add anything to the story and the acting of all the human characters are are just cringe. Why does Hollywood feel the need to go outside the source material for almost all adaptions from previously successful content? They should have just solely focused on the transformers themselves while humans were in the background.
It was great seeing the Maximals and Predacons in a feature film, and their modern designs looked cool, same with the updated designs of the Autobots and Decepticons. The voice actors were well chosen as well. That's really the only compliment I can give the movie.
The OA (2016)
A cinematic masterpiece; Heartbroken when it got cancelled
I really enjoyed The OA. It's so mysterious, the music, the cinematography, the colours, the styling, the whole vibe is just pure art. The writing and the acting were incredible as well.
There's just the right amount of mystery, drama, suspense mixed with sci-fi. Even though many viewers have no idea what's going on, the way it's presented and told just keeps you drawn in and feels like you're part of the mystery. And 'the movements' was iconic!
I'm still baffled that Netflix cancelled this masterpiece. It had such a huge following, and still (in 2023) has people posting #SaveTheOA. And it's even more hurtful that Netflix didn't allow them at least one more season to have a proper ending. It was not fair to the viewers, and definitely not fair to the cast and crew of the show.
From (2022)
A must watch, but it's a bit slow at times
Everything about this show is great so far. The acting, the writing, the locations, and the story itself. It has a very Lost-esque vibe mixed with horror and in a mystery town instead of an island.
The first two seasons have been excellent so far, and the season 2 finale was amazing, especially with that major twist!
My only real complaint about the show is that the pacing is sometimes slow when it comes to reveals to the mysteries. They keep adding more mysteries instead of reveals, which I don't mind because it allows for more story to tell. But I do hope they start to finally answer some questions along the way.
I really hope we get a Season 3.
Twisted Metal (2023)
Super fun and entertaining!
Some of the reviews are taking the show too seriously, it's clearly not meant to be. The show is an absolute blast and full of funny jokes, crazy stunts, and an interesting premise.
It's great to see Neve Campbell back on the screen, in a different type of character and she does it SO WELL. Anthony Mackle and Stephanie Beatriz are such a wonderful and fun leading duo, and their chemistry first feels odd but then quickly grows and you cheer them on the whole way on their journey.
I really hope we get a season 2, because there's still so much story they can tell and it'll be interesting where they can take it.
Hijack (2023)
Captivating!
Hijack starts off kind of slow, but with the cliffhangers and twists in each episode, it keeps you wanting to watch more. The show then picks up quickly and gets more intense as things get revealed.
Idris is awesome as the lead, and the supporting cast members, including the passengers are all awesome as well (except maybe the mother of those 2 kids, her acting is a bit annoying and the writing of her character is a bit irritating lol).
I really enjoyed the entire series except the ending. I really do want a Season 2, but I don't know how it would happen unless it's a completely different story with Idris' character on another adventure, but it wouldn't be the same without some of the supporting cast as well.
Silo (2023)
One of the best new shows of the year!
Apple TV has been on a roll. I really enjoyed Silo so far. From the writing, direction, extravagant set designs, CGI, to the acting and talent. Everything is phenomenal. The show has so much mystery, twists, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what's gonna happen next. I can't wait for season 2, and I can't wait to try out the novels as well.
The casting for the show is really well done as well. Each character has a fleshed-out storyline (some yet to be discovered), and with the twists in the season finale, it's only going to get more crazy (in a good way). Highly recommend!
Black Mirror (2011)
Update: Downgrading my review / It's not about black mirrors anymore
What the hell happened to this show?? Seasons 1-3 were brilliant. And it went downhill from there. We finally get a Season 6 and it's just horrible. Like why are the episodes so gory and violent now? They're trying too hard to be a horror show now and losing the whole theme of the show - which is how technology will mess is up... hence the title 'Black Mirror' (seeing your reflection on a blank device screen).
I'm starting to think that they got interfered by higher ups (like much higher up) for showcasing technology that actually exists or in the works, and stopping them from showing it to prevent people from causing backlash when those technologies come more mainstream on the population.
In season 6, episode 1 was decent because it's a good point to actually read what these big tech companies are putting in their T&C's. And episode 2 was ok, because society glorifies true crime content. But the rest were just random and garbage.
They shouldn't have brought the show back if they aren't going to stay true to their theme.
North Shore (2023)
Great cast, and well-written!
Really enjoying this show so far. John Bradley is such a great and down-to-earth actor, who knows to play this smart and devoted, yet slightly witty, detective really well. Joanne Froggatt is brilliant too, and it's wonderful seeing her play a more lead role. Kirsty Sturgess' character first starts off annoying, but quickly becomes super likeable and well-written as well. The writing and production on the show is excellent. It doesn't sound cliché or cheesy like a lot of modern murder mysteries do lately, and it's just the right amount of thriller and mystery to keep you wondering, with little hints of comedy to spark your mood. Really looking forward to seeing where the show goes, and I hope the killer isn't someone obvious lol.
Drops of God (2023)
Excellent! Didn't think I would be this drawn in
This show has been such a joy to watch so far. The cinematography is beautiful, the writing is on point, the casting is well done (including the casting of the younger version of the cast members), and just the overall story is so unique and fascinating.
It's not common to see shows with multiple primary languages (in this show it's French and Japanese, with a bit of English), but they do it so well and the chemistry with the characters is so natural.
They make each episode so intriguing, making you long for the next episode to see what happens next. The way the directors make you feel their senses and emotions while observing the wine is really well done as well.
Can't wait to see where the story goes!
The Last Thing He Told Me (2023)
Started interesting, but getting really irritating
Being a big fan of Jennifer Garner and Alias and many of Apple TV+'s shows, I was excited to watch this show. It started off really interesting with a good thriller premise, but now that we're 5 episodes in, it's getting extremely frustrating to continue watching this. Every episode now is basically the same thing with no progress: an annoying bratty teen who keeps wasting everyone's time, who can't remember anything and who hates her dad's gf, then conveniently remembers things at random times. They both keep going back and forth at sharing secrets and hiding things again. It's so annoying now. By now there should have been growth or progress in the story, but nope. All the reveals so far have been so mediocre and anticlimactic and still doesn't explain why the dad would just run and disappear from his family's life.
I'll keep watching to see what happens, but unfortunately, it's difficult to keep entertained and optimistic at this point.
Love & Death (2023)
The Hulu version is miles betters, this one isn't realistic at all
If you look at real life photos of Candy Montgomery and the other people, you'd really wonder what this show was thinking with the casting, because none of them actually look like the real-life people they are portraying, which is hilarious because the first thing the show displays is "This is a true story". The wigs and acting are really awful, which is strange because I normally enjoy many of these cast members performances in other shows/movies.
Having watched the Hulu version of this story (called "Candy") last year, starring Jessica Biel, that show felt so much more realistic to the story. It was more simple and raw, costumes were on point, and the acting and cinematography were spectacular. And the cast actually looks like the people they're portraying.
Love & Death feels more like a mockery of the story and people nor the church acted like cartoon characters during that timeframe. Normally I love MAX's production value and shows, but this feels more like a mainstream cable TV show that got rejected and got picked up from a streamer.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)
A beautiful homage to nostalgia
Don't listen to the haters. MMPR: Once & Always was exactly as it should be. It purposely had just the right amount of 90s cheesiness with nostalgia with a hint of maturity. It was primarily a wonderful dedication to the late Trini, but it also remembers all the characters from the Mighty Morphin era.
The writing was actually better than I thought it would be. I won't include any spoilers, but if you wonder why Rita looks the way she does in the trailer, they actually came up with a good reason. And for the other actors who couldn't be in the film, they had a great way of including them too.
It was so nice seeing most of the OG cast, and the set designs were perfect and look just like the original sets.
I really hope we get more specials like this. Would love to see a Neo, Turbo, and Space one as well. Hopefully it does well enough for Netflix to want to invest in it.
Definitely check it out if you were a fan of the OG Power Rangers! :)
Beef (2023)
Brilliant! Deep yet hilarious. Ali and Stephen show new sides to their acting chops.
When I watched the trailer for BEEF, I thought it was just going to be a silly comedy with lame jokes. WOW was I surprised that it was the complete opposite.
The show is both hilarious and gets REALLY deep on underlying topics that I'm sure a lot of us go through and struggle with. It's a rollercoaster of emotion.
Another thing I love about this show is that it shows a whole new side of acting for both Stephen Yeung and Ali Wong. I knew Stephen was a great actor already, but Ali really surprised me here, as they both really showed how diverse in acting styles they can be.
I really hope we get more seasons. The creator of the show has a plan for 3 seasons, and I hope Netflix gives it to them and doesn't screw it up.
HIGHLY recommend!
The Big Door Prize (2023)
Awesome cast, great story, but the writing needs works...
UPDATE May 17, 2023: Loved the season finale!!! It was both touching, and mysterious, and finally taps into more of the sci-fi elements of the show. The cliffhanger at the end made it feel like the show is about to change in Season 2, which I hope for the better. Would love to see a bit more action and delving more into the mystery of the machine and who's behind it.
---
The show started so interesting. Very mysterious, yet with some comedy elements. But then, as the show progressed, it feels like something is lacking. I think it's because it's more of an anthology series, where each episode focuses on a different character. And there's nothing wrong with that, the issue is the core connecting storyline is not progressing along with it, or it just feels like it's dragging along. I still enjoy the show, it's fun and the cast are all great. But I do hope the core store progresses more, because it just feels like nothing is moving forward.
I'm glad to hear it got picked up for a second season.
Big Brother Canada (2013)
Better than the US version, but still needs work
The US version is so scripted and they re-hash the old same games, it's boring. The Canadian version (I'm guessing thanks to their many sponsors) has a much bigger budget, bigger house, bigger games and set designs. But with Season 11, it's starting to feel scripted as well, especially with them cutting the live feeds and any live moments on the show are cut so short compared to the US version. I also feel how there's not enough non-physical challenges, which gives the certain physical athletes more of an advantage over the others.
Would love if they modernized their theme song, it feels kinda dated now. They have better modern music during the show, so not sure why the theme song itself is so dated.
Also would like to see the contestants interacting with Arisa more during the live shows. It feels so rushed when they get evicted and barely anything is discussed.