Movie Review - Inside Out 2

 

I guess a sequel to the first makes sense here. I mean, for the most part, this franchise is all about the subject of growing up and with that, comes new and strange emotions that may or may not overpower the emotions you may already have. Still, it's good to see Disney back on form again, giving us things that we like and hopefully will do much better than their jam packed 100th year which was way too many expensive things released all at once with no breathing room in between. I have banged on about it enough both here and on YouTube, so let's see if this truly is Disney back on form with the animation company that quite recently said no to any of their films being turned into live action remakes (and good on them for saying because we don't need remakes to things that are good just the way they are):

The film, set 2 years after the first one, sees a now 13-year-old Riley (this time voiced by Kensington Tallman) at the stage of joining high school. Upon realizing that her friends are not going to the same school as her, she and they spend one last weekend together at hockey camp. As she comes to terms with that, new emotions enter her mind with the intention of changing things and being at odds with the original 5 emotions, who all set out to prevent Riley from changing for the worse. But then, maybe change isn't what she wants, but that is for her to decide.

New voice cast for some of the characters aside (which I actually didn't notice and don't mind too much), this proves to be another one of those sequels that builds upon the original and gives us a similar story, but with a number of differences. One being that its not just Joy (reprised by Amy Poehler) and Sadness (reprised by Phyllis Smith) that the film mainly focuses on this time around. The animation is fantastic as always, especially in moments where different animation is used. The story is very similar to the first film, but still does well in making things a little different. Plus once again and pardon the pun, I did get a little emotional as it carried on which Pixar are usually very good at doing and its a good sign when that happens. So yeah, overall a pretty solid Disney and Pixar film, if only they didn't miss the trick and call it Outside In. Oh well! 8.5/10

TV Season Review - Invincible (Season 2)

 

With Prime Video having seemingly got all these non-DC and Marvel shows about superheroes, it comes as no surprise to me that Invincible got another season. I really enjoyed the first one, mainly because it was just nice to finally see an animated series that is based on a comic book series from a less well known publisher. That and it looks like Seth Rogen's production company, Point Grey, is making not just this, but also The Boys as well. Both very good superhero shows that kind of poke fun at different tropes and also giving us their own versions of popular superheroes like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, the Justice League and so forth. So let's see what awaits us in this second season of Invincible.

Following the "passing" of Omni-Man (reprised by J.K. Simmons), Mark (reprised by Steven Yeun) and his mother (reprised by Sandra Oh) are still coming to terms with what happened. While that's happening, the Guardians of the Globe superhero team, get a restructuring as new threats try to cause harm to mankind. All the while, the Viltrumites continue plans to take over the Earth while a rebellion across the galaxy, begins to take shape also.

One thing I do like about this show is that, like with The Boys, it doesn't hold back on the violence and the intense moments that this show likes to do. The finale isn't as action packed as the first, but does well in putting things into perspective for what may come in the third season. I like all the characters (old and new), I like the subtle, but good eye candy with the young male characters (Mark especially) and I like how unlike The Boys, it's not, at any point, trying to be woke which is good. Way too many franchises now are becoming more and more woke like it's the biggest thing and I appreciate how Invincible is trying to stick to what the comics do, but doing its own thing without becoming too woke, and I like it. 9/10

Double TV Season Review - Gen V (Season 1) + The Boys (Season 4)

 

You know, I tend to stay clear of any controversy surrounding various things. It does make me worried about these things when I eventually play and see them, and when I heard The Boys was getting controversy, I got worried. One of the more decent shows in recent years and, for some bizarre reason, people have now decided that it has become woke. I don't like having things woke because it just ruins it all for me. I mean, if you want something that's woke, make something from the ground up that is exactly that and leave all these used to be beloved franchises alone. Star Wars, Doctor Who and so many other things that I still love, are just all being destroyed by woke and I don't like. I'm all for pronouns and I accept that we are not all going to be correct with our opinions on things, but please just leave it out of pop culture because if you don't, it may as well be worst culture. Anyway, let's dive into the latest season of the Boys and also a spin-off show I was told to watch before going into it (but to be honest, having watched both, it doesn't really matter too much orderwise):

TV Season Review - American Horror Story (Season 12: Delicate: Part 2)

 

A while ago, I reviewed the first part of this, thinking it was the entire season in one. But as I now realise, it was just the first part. Now I have here the second part and if I'm being honest, I kind of feel that American Horror Story, has lost the horror element that made earlier seasons so good. It's like its succumbed to anything popular, through in some LGBT content and maybe a few scares. I don't know, maybe I am missing something (and I'm totally not against any of that), but let's see how this season (the first to be based on a book) ends:

Honestly, it is tough to explain a second half of a season without the spoilers, and there are a lot of spoilers if you haven't seen the first half. But from what I can say, certain things occur including love, betrayal, Oscars and quite a lot of chanting. Leading into a surprise twist that probably some people saw coming, but not me.

I'll be honest, I have never been a fan of any of the Kardashians. They make their daily lives a big deal, and it's hard to really take any of them seriously when the family is just so full of themselves. So to me, watching Kim actually not play herself, was definitely a strange thing to watch. On the other hand, Emma Roberts is an actress I can take seriously who is good-looking and can do dramatic parts and comedic parts well and convincingly. Even if the roles she gets, makes her out to not be a nice person (with many exceptions, of course). So overall, not my favourite season of American Horror Story and I hope they at least try to be better going forward or end it if the horror part is just not there anymore. 6/10

TV Season Review - American Horror Stories (Season 3)

 

So originally this third set of short American horror stories was supposed to be longer. But as you may have expected, the Hollywood Labour strikes of last year, meant that ultimately it would just be 4 stories long. Maybe those lost ones will make it to the next series, but yeah, you have to make do with what you got during those difficult times. Anyway, let's dive in and see what horrible and disgusting things await us:

An interesting set of stories, with one about those with disabilities being bullied (I can definitely relate to that) and the impact it has on those people. Another about an Alexa like machine that begins to manipulate the actions of its owner. One about a woman's rise to fame and the steps she takes to achieve such a thing. And the last one is about a man who becomes victim to organ harvesting.

The third story really put me off eating for a while, which can be a good thing because I'm unlikely to forget about it. But this season wasn't perfect to me. At least 2 of the stories were very predictable, but the acting is OK and the unsettledness of it all, really packs a metaphorical punch. So yeah, not much else to it really. Was hoping for something better and longer, but it's OK for what it is, and I hope the episodes that were going to be included, we will see in another season. 7/10

TV Season Review - Blood of Zeus (Season 2)

 

When I reviewed the first season of this show, I don't think I saw anywhere of it being renewed for more seasons. But I'm glad to hear that it's expected to last for 5 seasons, as it was pretty good as I recall in the first season. Now we got season 2 which will no doubt continue the brutal violence, the whole Greek mythology shtick and maybe a bit of romance too. It's an anime that definitely knows the style it wants to go for. So let's see how season 2 plays out:

With Zeus (reprised by Jason O'Mara) dead, the world begins to struggle. In an attempt to save it, Heron (reprised by Derek Phillips) sends a message out to do just that. In the process, he must face a few personal challenges, including facing some old and new foes, forging more alliances and more! Plus, some flashbacks reveal the tragic backstories of some of these characters.

A pretty solid second season that is beautifully animated, well voice acted and actually made me feel something for the characters. The violence is a little tame in places and parts do drag on at points, but otherwise a good second season and I once again, look forward to seeing how the rest of it pans out. 9/10

Random TV Miniseries Review - The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

 

Yeah, I know I'm late to the party, but there is good reason for it. You see, after the main show ended, we UK folk didn't really get many of the spin-offs set after the conclusion of the main show to begin with. Sure, Fear the Walking Dead made it to its own conclusion here (and I will get to that one eventually) and then Sky made a deal with AMC some months after to bring the remaining spin-offs. And what better way to start them than to see the continuation of one of the main show's protagonists while also giving some closure on the World Beyond story too, which only lasted 2 seasons. Let's take a look:

Set five years after his initial capture (after he destroyed a bridge in season 9 of the main show), Rick Grimes (reprised by Andrew Lincoln) tries and fails to escape the Civil Republic Military a few times which ultimately made him send a bottle and things out to Michonne (reprised by Danai Guria) who sets out to go find him and bring him home. He has also lost a hand in the process of trying to escape, but ultimately chooses to join the CRM and accepts that this is the way. But when Michonne eventually finds him, it's gonna take a lot of time and effort to get him home.

As this is meant to be a love story, you can expect the usual things in those stories. Love, sex, betrayals, arguments, fights and the rest of it which can lead to some cringy and cheesy moments. However, where the miniseries really shines, is how different it is to the main show. As many of us know, this was originally going to be a trilogy of films produced by Universal, but despite that, the cinematic quality of it is definitely there. The callbacks to what happened in the main show were also welcomed, and I think overall, it's probably not going to win everyone over. But die hard fans, like myself, will definitely get a kick out of it for sure. 9/10