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Reviews
That '70s Show (1998)
Hilarious show
I didn't watch this show when it originally aired. For various reasons, modern sitcoms don't appeal to me, so I find myself going back and watching old ones I never got into. I wish I had watched it sooner. It's crude, hilarious, and sometimes touching. Like any sitcom that's ever hooked me, it was able to make me care about the characters. It's a fun watch from start to finish. There's even some fun guest appearances along the way from some '70's icons. My only complaint is the later episodes when Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left. I'd compare those to other later sitcom episodes, like The Andy Griffith Show after Don Knotts left or The Office after Steve Carrell left. Still good shows, but not great. Like The Office though, it delivered a pretty solid series finale.
Mayberry R.F.D. (1968)
Not a bad follow up to The Andy Griffith Show
This show is much like the later color episodes of TAGS, many people don't care for them at all. Personally, I still enjoyed the color episodes of TAGS as well as its follow up, Mayberry RFD. If you've never seen it and enjoy The Andy Griffith Show, give it a try. If nothing else, the first episode is worth watching as it's pretty much a series finale for The Andy Griffith Show. Andy and Helen get married, and Don Knotts appears as Barney Fife for the last time until Return to Mayberry. Andy still appears as Sheriff Taylor a few times in the first season before disappearing. He returns once in season 2 where it's revealed he no longer lives in Mayberry and has a new baby. Aunt Bea stays around for a couple seasons as Sam's housekeeper before she leaves as well. Howard, Emmett, Millie, and Goober stay on as regulars throughout the show's 3 year run.
The show has a lot of the same flaws as the later TAGS episodes, and can at times seem a little stale. That being said, I still enjoy it as any trips back to Mayberry are good ones as far as I'm concerned.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
More nostalgic fun
As I said in my review of the first film, I enjoy these Ewoks movies a lot. They still hold up well for me after all of these years. No, they're not cinematic masterpieces, they're just run of the mill kid oriented action films from the '80's. If you grew up with that, and still appreciate those type movies, you might enjoy these. I think the 2nd one is a little better myself, although, it does begin with a rather traumatizing scene with regards to characters the audience enjoyed in the first film. I tried to remember as a kid how I felt about it, but much the same as other properties back then (Transformers The Movie's opening scene comes to mind), in the 80's "kids" movies had some edge.
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
Nostalgic fun
I recently rewatched the Ewok films after several years, and they still hold up well for me. I know they're looked down upon by a lot of Star Wars fans, but I always liked the Ewoks as a kid and still remember seeing these for the first time. As others have stated, they're no where on the level of Star Wars story wise or with special effects. If you're kid of the '80's though, and still appreciate that era of kids movies, you might enjoy these if you missed them back then. Like a lot of my favorite childhood movies, these take me back to simpler, less complicated time.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Fun Popcorn Movie
If you liked the first Top Gun, you'll probably like this one. More Maverick, more fighter jets, more macho pilots, and more cheesiness. It sticks to the formula and was a nice callback to simpler time. It's a fun ride, and the new characters are enjoyable. The fighter jet sequences are amazing. I definitely recommend seeing it on the biggest screen you can. My only issue with the film is that I wish they'd have made a sequel 20 years ago so more of the original characters could've been included.
Dallas (1978)
Still an entertaining watch
I wasn't even born when Dallas first aired, and I was a child when it ended its run. I happened upon it one day in my 20 somethings while home sick from work. Back then, it was airing on soap network. I was captivated quickly by JR Ewing. Still today, he remains one of the greatest tv characters ever written. He's a bad guy, but he has his moments where you almost feel sympathetic for him, and you may even find yourself cheering him on at times. After watching a handful of episodes, I started buying the dvd sets and eventually went through the whole series. As others have said, the peak of the series is certainly the "Who Shot JR?" story, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching all the way through. The show is still entertaining all the way to very end, despite a noticeable drop in quality in later seasons. The "dream" season is a highlight of the later years in my opinion. I thought it was very entertaining. If you've never watched Dallas, I certainly recommend it. It recaptures a different time in America, and has some great, and scandalous storytelling.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Really fun ride
This movie isn't looking to do anything but be a fun ride that gives fans what they came for, and it achieves it. I had a blast with this one. It felt like a comic book that all of us who've lived through the big screen incarnations of Spider-Man all probably dreamed of happening at some time, and it did. That's really all I can say. It wasn't trying to be epic like endgame, or deep like eternals. It just sets out to entertain you, and yes, with heavy doses of nostalgia. It works, at least for me.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
A little slow to build, but a fun ride
The movie isn't perfect. It's not the Ghostbusters 3 we wanted for so many years, but it is the closest we're going to get. When Harold Ramis passed away, any chance of having a proper Ghostbusters 3 passed away as well. That being said, Jason Reitman does a wonderful job of giving the fans something to enjoy here. The movie is a little slow to build up, and yes, it's heavy on nostalgia. That's not a bad thing though, at least in my opinion. The cast is great, I enjoyed all of the new characters, and hope we'll get to see them in another adventure. The main thing the movie does right though, is give us a proper farewell to the characters that those of us who grew up with this franchise deserved to see. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Make sure to stay all the way to the end of the credits as well.