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sneakyunderbelly
Reviews
Scream VI (2023)
Back in Ghostly Form!!!
Finally, a Scream sequel that actually had me convinced it would be a decent movie within the first 15 minutes, aside from Scream 2 of course. This movie really stepped it up with the suspense, acting, character chemistry, and horror. A VAST IMPROVEMENT FROM ITS PREDECESSOR!!!
Negatives: still a tad predictable when it comes to its jump scares and where Ghostface will appear from. Also, the killers were meh! I personally hated the killers in Scream 5, so to have more to do with Ritchie and his distractingly psychotic family was a bit much really. Less is more, and they really should've stayed away from any connections to the previous killers, as it was done before in Scream 2, and much better too. Plus the acting of the 3 killers, after the reveal, was laughable at times, playing the "crazed killer" roles to too much of a campy extreme.
Positives: the acting and character likability, especially of Sam, and the core 4 has hugely improved and makes for much more believable choices in character development. All the cast bring their A-game for sure, except during the killer reveals. The kills are much more visceral and brutal, without being over-the-top, and Ghostface seems like a ruthless force not to be messed with, for the first time in a long time. Genuinely scary!!! Brilliant opening kill sequence too!
My love for this franchise has been reinvigorated once again, thanks to this movie. Now if only they can do a slam dunk killer reveal, similar to Jill in Scream 4, but with a more subtle approach to the crazy, then we'd have another hit on par with the first two films. But this is definitely in the top 4 for me!
The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)
Amazingly Touching...
One of the most refreshing and realistic portrayals of a gay relationship I've seen ever on TV. These two actors played out one of the best 2-person dramas I've ever seen, all in one episode! Was not expecting it, but was most pleasantly surprised by it. Thank you to Nick Offerman and the writers for portraying a gay man who isn't just a stereotype or obvious, and who doesn't have the usual ken doll looks. I hope my husband and I get to finish our lives on such a beautifully poignant note together. Joel and Ellie continue to be riveting characters, with great chemistry too. This episode was extremely touching, the acting superb, and this show just keeps going from strength to strength. As someone who hasn't played the games, I am so excited to see where this story goes.
The Reef: Stalked (2022)
Sisterhood of the Travelling Shark
Seriously?!?!?! Sub-par acting and effects I can deal with, this is a C-Grade Aussie Shark movie after all... BUT ONLY ONE DEATH BY SHARK?!?!?! It's not even the most horrific death!!!! That happens off-screen in the first 10 minutes, by a creep and some bath water.... Technically the shark death happens off-screen too. They didn't even go for some obvious deaths either, which is the very LEAST this "thriller/horror" movie could've done. Instead, one girl gets her life jacket grazed, another gets a dislocated shoulder from falling into water, and a shark the size of a kayak, drags a toddler by the leg, yet only manages a couple of puncture wounds.... YAWN!!!! They don't even think to use one of TWO sharp weapons they were given for defence, until after using a fishing net to try to DROWN it first. All the while the most horrific clips come from flashbacks of extreme closeups of a woman screaming under water... Thrilling. This movie feels like the director/writer wanted to do a moving sisterhood drama, but the studios execs said "yeah but add a shark, just, put a shark in it, somewhere"... Giving it two stars, because unfortunately it's not the WORST "shark" movie out there, but still... SKIP!!!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Whose Show Is This? (2022)
She Did It Her Way!!!
This episode is a big FU to all the actual intelligencia trolls out there. This is not your dads Marvel movie finale, this is something new, fresh, and very self-aware. Are there plot-holes, of course, she literally broke the forth wall and stopped her own show to refresh it into something a bit more palatable, that's the point. Its supposed to be choppy, and weird, and not like the normal flow of what's come before. This is a whole new era and a whole new set of rules for a Marvel show, and if you don't like it, that's fine, but it doesn't make it bad at all. This show is so much smarter and funnier than many give it credit for, and it's clearly not afraid to make fun of itself, as well as all the toxic fans out there, or even Marvel themselves for that matter. A stupidly fun way to end an entirely brilliant take on the source material. More meta than Facebook with twice the sass, love it!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
So much fun!!!
Fun, funny and fast-paced look at a feminine take on anger issues, and being who you want to be, not who you are. The negativity comes from butt-hurt men who will never try to understand a woman's point of view in the world. This show is a perfect dichotomy of what was, and what can be. Great look at how anger affects everyone differently too. Not all Hulks are the same, and that's okay. Great cast and chemistry too. Sure to be a new favourite amongst non-toxic fans.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Duoverse Of Average???
So they completely trashed all the character growth of Wanda, especially after the magnificence of WandaVision. There a total of TWO, arguably three different universes in this Multiverse of Madness, and none of them are explored in great detail, or particularly interesting. The pacing and character reasoning is so off, it feels like the script was written in a matter of hours, and all in all, the audience just doesn't care about where any of the characters end up, or where they may be going. So much potential squandered. They even kill off (potentially) Wanda in one of the last scenes, and there was no reaction from myself or others, just boredom. Such a shame... Love and Thunder was better, and that's saying something... Only giving it so many stars because of the superb visuals and Elizabeth Olsen's transfixing performance, despite the outrageous character assassination.
Resident Evil (2022)
Actually Pretty Bloody Good!!!
I don't get the hate everyone has for this series. It's clearly an adaptation, as previous Resident Evil projects failed to capture the heart of the game, so why bother? This series dares to put a fresh spin on the title, and I'm loving it. The time jumps are not confusing, but add an element of impending doom to the whole show, and the actors are clearly giving it their all too. I'm looking forward to season 2, if the hate doesn't get it cancelled. Well done to everyone who dared to try something new with it.
Ms. Marvel: No Normal (2022)
Get in losers, we're getting schwarma!!!
This was an AMAZING ending to a severely under-appreciated series. After the disaster that was MoM and the character assassination of Wanda, Marvel have finally reinvigorated my confidence in the MCU moving forward. One of the best endings to a season of the Disney+ series yet, and so much fun too. Worth multiple watches and holds more repercussions for the future stories than anything else has lately. So happy with this series!!!
Ms. Marvel: Generation Why (2022)
SO MUCH FUN!!!
Promising start to this character!!! Great acting from the parents and Ms Marvel herself. Clearly aimed at a younger demographic, but still a lot of fun for the older MCU fans too. Not an action-packed episode, more character-building, which is great, and gives a little taste of things to come. Not all superheroes need to be so serious, and I'm here for Ms Marvel.