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Ahsoka (2023– )
9/10
Starts Off Slow... But Oh, When It Picks Up
13 September 2023
I'll state right off the bat that I have never seen an episode of "Star Wars rebels," and only a handful of "The Clone Wars" episodes, so I was naturally caught a little off guard with how well received the first few episodes were amongst Star Wars fans. There's no way for me to sugar coat this, but it was painfully slow. When you take away all the fan service and the joy of seeing animated characters in live-action for the first time, it's honestly a little bit dull. Episodes 1-3 really should have been combined into one, maybe two, episodes.

I'll also throw out the fact that this feels much more like Sabine's show than Ashoka's aside from the frequent Anakin references. I wish Ashoka Tano's character was more centered in a show named after herself. That doesn't drag down the quality of the series though, at least not as a whole.

All that being said, I carried on watching because I do enjoy Star Wars and I quite like the character of Ahsoka based on my limited experience with her. And, boy oh boy. Nothing could have prepared me for how good it gets.

Episode 4 is good, for sure. It's nothing insanely special, but it was refreshing to see the show finally pick up the pace and throw us into the stakes it's seemingly promised us from Episode One. When the credits rolled, I found myself actually wanting to keep watching for a reason other than saying I watched the whole series.

Now, Episode 4 may be good, but Episode 5? I can confidently say that Episode 5 is one of the best pieces of modern Star Wars media out there. It's a perfect reminder that fan service is a perfectly valid form of storytelling when combined with genuinely good writing and direction. Yes, there's plenty of fan service to go around, that even made myself (the casual viewer) lose my mind in anticipation, but the main reason Episode 5 is so good is simply because it was well-put together. It's a beautiful piece of media that truly makes you realize how much potential "Ahsoka" has.

Now, past Episode 5, the show had its ups and downs for sure. The difference in episode quality is noticeable (it seems like Dave Filoni should have just directed them all because his are much better). That being said, while I do criticize how the show starts off slow, the fact that there are tonal inconsistencies, quality gaps, and sometimes the acting seems just a tad bit less-than, I can still say with full confidence that "Ahsoka" is ended up being a spectacular watch.

My advice? Push yourself threw the first three episodes and forgive your lack of past knowledge, if you have my same inexperience with these characters.

I promise you it's worth it.
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6/10
An Ant-Sized Plot
17 February 2023
Don't get me wrong, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" started out very strong. Lately, Marvel has had a tendency to rush through their movies without any room for viewers to breathe, but I can honestly say that this one refreshingly differed from that trend. Everything that had to do with exposition was enticing, to say the least. I really thought Marvel was finally going to get back on track with reviews.

However, by the time the final battle ended, I just felt confused. There were so many incredible moments in the movie. The characters were great and the set up of Kang and the future of the MCU was flawless. So why did I feel so... empty when it was over?

It's really quite simple: there was no plot. For a movie with so much going on, there really wasn't much going on.

As a set up for what's to come, it was well done and enjoyable. But judging it on it's own, as a single movie, it just wasn't made with a story in mind. As an avid fan of the Ant-Man films, and a constant to defender of 2018's "Ant-Man and the Wasp," I'm disappointed. There were so many interesting ideas that Peyton Reed could have used for a great story, but instead, we got a ball of excellent moments with nothing to tie them together.

It's not bad... But it isn't exactly f-ANT-astic either.
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Spirited (2022)
7/10
Great Story... But Why Was It a Musical?
22 November 2022
I went into this movie not really knowing anything about what was to come. And, in the first few minutes, I found myself absolutely giddy at the thought of a Christmas Carole BTS type of film. Especially as a massive fan of the classic story.

Then, Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds started singing.

Now, I'm a huge musical fan. I was the first in line for movies like The Greatest Showman. But that only works with people who know how to act in a musical theater setting. Putting mega stars into a musical number does not make a musical number great.

But, in contrast to Lala Land, it's not all that bad. The choreography and harmonization is actually pretty amazing. And Ryan Reynolds isn't a horrible singer at all, he hits some great notes. However, you could put broadways biggest stars into this movie and it still wouldn't make sense to me why it was a musical.

The story is genuinely intriguing and the comedy is genuinely funny. Especially with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrel at the helm. So the musical numbers just draw me out of the story and feel awkward and out of place.

This movie would be so much better off as a non musical film.
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8/10
Great movie, rushed ending.
16 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Generally, this is a great film. Daisy Edgar Jones gives it her all and the tone is fairly constant and intriguing.

I've never actually read the book it's based on, but rest assured that you don't need to have read the original to understand this sad, beautiful tragic movie.

The only issue with the film is how rushed the last few minutes are. After the court makes their verdict, which I won't spoil, the writers really do their best to wrap up the film and don't leave much room for the revelations to follow the climax.

That aside, it's an enticing and thrilling movie that anyone (above the age of 10, at least) should enjoy.
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7/10
Apparently, Second Time's the Charm
5 May 2022
I saw this film on May 5, the very first opportunities I had to see it. I left that theater thinking, "Wow. This is the first time I've ever been disappointed by a Marvel movie."

But of course, I don't trust my opinion after one viewing, and I'm kind of a nerd, so I saw it again just yesterday.

And I'll say this as simply as possible: It was so much better.

I like to think that I'm not one of those people who didn't like the movie just because it wasn't cameo fest, but I think I definitely had some sort of expectations going in that let me down, and seeing it a second time really brought some clarity to my opinion. This isn't a big film event like Spider-Man or Avengers: Endgame. It's just a cool movie about Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, and I'm actually okay with that.

Elizabeth Olsen is one of the most talented actors in film right now. I know that's a VERY bold statement, and I won't blame anyone for judging me on the strong opinion, but I truly believe that this movie proved that. Watching it having already known all the details really gave me a chance to appreciate her performance.

This is NOT a perfect movie by any means. There's a lot of things I take issues with film making wise. The ending is incredibly rushed, there's not enough time to focus on the important details. It could have benefited significantly from a few more minutes to breathe. Sam Raimi (director) admitted to not reading through WandaVision prior to starting this movie, and it really shows.

But, at the end of the day, the story and concept is enticing and well done. The characters are interesting and it's 1000 times more enjoyable without the expectation that it's Endgame/Infinity War level impressive. Upon my first viewing, I wrote a nasty review with a 6/10 rating detailing my frustrations. But, I feel content saying that my second viewing bumped it up to an 8 for me, and I'm excited to be seeing it again this weekend.
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Eternals (2021)
10/10
Frankly, I'm Shocked
5 November 2021
Perhaps its because I had my expectations set so low, or maybe I'm just a sucker for a universe-building movie, but I can honestly say that I absolutely adore this film. After seeing the mass criticism of "Eternals," I did expect to enjoy the film from an audience standpoint, just not a critical one. But, ever since I left the theater, I've been scratching my head trying to figure out why this film has been so bombarded with negative reviews.

For starters, the film dives into some remarkably deep topics that I haven't seen in many movies, especially nothing from the MCU. Most deep conversations and emotional connections in cinema deal with love, death or discrimination. Eternals manages to pull in the audience's attention by showing us the beauty of life as we know it, something director Chloé Zhao does amazingly. The film doesn't feel like an MCU episode, and I'm honestly glad it didn't. THIS is where Marvel begins branching out to create beautiful new ideas.

Something that really stood out to me was Thena's arc. Yes, it was well written, but we mainly have Angelina Jolie to thank for Thena's emotional rollercoaster. Jolie proves once again just how well she can put on a preformance, and thus Thena's journey ends up being one of the most beautiful parts of the film. Likewise, you could make a case for almost any of the Eternals to end up as your favorite.

Perhaps the film's one flaw, being a little more humor than necessary, holds it back from being a 10/10 addition to Marvel, but even those humorous moments add a lively atmosphere to the scenes.

There isn't much more I can say without spoiling any major plot points, but as of my first viewing, I'm quite shocked at how beautiful, tragic and well done this film is. I'm disappointed to see the negative reception it's received.
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The Masked Dancer (2020–2021)
5/10
Should Have Been Amazing
2 January 2021
As a massive fan of the first series, "The Masked Singer", you could understand how excited I was for the spinoff.

What makes the first series so entertaining is the talent that the preformers have, and the other excitement viewers feel as the figure out which celebrities have a hidden talent for music. The problem with The Masked Dancer, however, is that the preformers are not talented dancers. I assumed that this show would feature celebrities with a hidden talent of dancing, but that simply isn't the case.

This show would have been incredible if the contestants knew how to dance. Very disappointed.
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Birds of Prey (2020)
10/10
Everything We Wanted and More
7 February 2020
After Suicide Squad split DC fans down the middle, one might've assumed that Harley Quinn's story in the DCEU was over. It wasn't.

Birds of Prey delivers a stunning new look at the DCEU. It's additions of Black Canary, Huntress, and Renée Montoya provide a new type of character develop that we've never seen in DC movies before. In addition to Black Mask, this badass team of superheroes provides a perfect blend of insanity, awkwardness, and that feeling of total badass you get from watching the team plow through Black Mask's entire army.

Of course, I couldn't close off this review without mentioning Margot Robbie's stellar performance as the siren herself. Nobody else could possibly pull off Harley like she does.
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5/10
The Show We Didn't Know We Needed
18 September 2019
A Little Late with Lilly Singh has exceededing mine, and likely everyone else's expectations. From the intro to the closing remarks, Episode One has proven that Singh is ready to run late night.

Like any talk new talk show, I don't expect the first episode to be perfect. Every show has flaws. I do expect that Lilly Singh will learn and progress with each new installment.

I'm excited to watch this show continue to show me a fun, late night.
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Descendants 3 (2019 TV Movie)
7/10
Fails to Live Up to the First Two
11 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
As a fan of 'Descendants' from the beginning, I have watched all three movies the second they were released. Descendants has captivated my love and attention from the very first movie.

Unfortunately, the third movie feels somewhat out of place in the series. It feels very different from the other movies, and it's not always in a good way. Audrey's story arc feels unrealistic and forced. Actress Sarah Jeffrey plays a convincing enough villain, but she became so evil so quickly that it feels forced. Her redemption arc at the end feels random and unnecessary. That being said, I did enjoy The Queen of Mean storyline.

My other issue was Hades. The character was so anticipated and everyone expected him to be the next big villan. While his storyline was satisfying enough, I can't say that I wasn't disappointed. He was barely in the movie, and I found myself wanting more.

It's also worth mentioning that most of the songs just weren't as good as the songs from 1 and 2.

In conclusion, Descendants 3 was a good enough movie, and Disney Channel has one again given people something to enjoy. As much as I had fun watching, I can't see myself loving it as much as the first two.
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10/10
Crying all the way!
27 April 2018
I'll try not to spoil anything, but let me say that this is by far the best marvel film, if not just the best film, I have ever seen!

The story was great, the acting was great. You could see everyone's emotions just by looking into their eyes.

I will say, you need to be prepared for some extremely emotional sections, especially the ending.

I'll also say that there is only ONE post credit scene. It comes after the long credits, so be sure to wait through the whole thing!

This was an AMAZING film. Go see it now!
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Nailed It! (2018– )
10/10
Absolutely loving Nicole Byer!
21 March 2018
The show is amazing! It has a great concept, great creations and it is HALARIOUS. Netflix nailed it with this one!

One of my favorite things about the show is host Nicole Byer. She is just so funny! With that Nicole panic button, the way she acts, the way she talks makes my day. What a great host and show!
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Love, Simon (2018)
10/10
Amazing in every way!
20 March 2018
"Love Simon" was an amazing beautiful story. What I liked most about it, is that it accurately represented people in the LGBT community. Unlike movies such as "Beauty and the Best", the gay character was not a funny, goofy, person. They were a real person that had normal behaviors. Go see "Love Simon" today!!!!!
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2/10
Awful!!
17 March 2018
The trailer should have been a dead giveaway that this would be a horrible movie. This movie made me sick with the sense of potty humor in this. A little is okay for the kids, but this was ridiculous. And it did make me uncomfortable. It was also just a bad story.

However, I have to give credit to the writers for throwing in those adult jokes that definitely gave parents and older kids a chuckle.

But still. Save your money.
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