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2/28/2025
In the series’ latest episode, Aaron Paul steals the show as the new villain Powerplex, who has a vendetta against Mark Grayson and his family. In an already impressive third season, Invincible is one of the best superhero shows on TV. And, in a world saturated by superhero media, Invincible is not afraid to tackle some of the more mature subject matter that comes with the genre. In this episode specifically, Mark’s past comes back to haunt him. The destruction that he and his father caused in Chicago two seasons ago cost countless innocent lives. In this episode, we get to see that battle from the perspective of one the victims, shedding a completely different light on the situation.
This episode makes the audience question Invincible and presents us with Powerplex, a guy radicalized by the events in Chicago who just wants to see justice for his family and the other victims. He’s different from some of the other villains in the show because audiences are able to empathize with him and might actually want to see him win at some points. Powerplex’s abilities are almost a direct counter to Invincible, with every hit he takes he becomes charged with electrical energy. As the episode goes on we see the full extent of his powers and when his anger gets the better of him, he ends up becoming the very thing he wanted to destroy.
The episode is one of the series’ strongest yet, embodying the many themes of the show including sacrifice and the morality of being a superhero. Its emotional and engaging.
2/16/2025
What would you do if you were a background character stuck in a Law & Order like police procedural? That’s exactly what happens to Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang) in this meta and mystery filled dramatic comedy on Hulu.
Adapted from the novel by Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown takes cop TV’s biggest tropes and turns them on their head. It shows the perspective of Asian-American Chinatown residents who are forced to play their roles as victims, villains, and waiters. One of these characters is the protagonist Willis Wu who uses his stereotypical roles as an Asian side character, like Tech Guy or Kung Fu Guy, to leverage his way onto the show and find out what happened to his missing brother.
In this show, the main characters are side characters. It brings characters who normally wouldn’t get more than a second of screen time into the spotlight. This makes for some amazing performances like Ronny Chieng’s portrayal of Willis’ best friend and mean waiter Fatty Choi. The characters are motivated and the world feels lived in, with specific rules that the characters must abide by. When the characters refuse to accept the roles that have been given to them and break the rules, that’s when this show really shines.
The meta-comedy rises above an otherwise predictable plot, but the slow burn mystery is where it fell short for me. The story is sometimes confusing, leading viewers on a wild goose chase. When the mystery is finally revealed, it was what I was expecting the whole time. The ending left me confused with more questions than answers and felt a little rushed. Overall, its a funny and engaging watch if you’re okay with a slightly watered down mystery.
2/9/2025
This new show from Green Street Pictures brings a lot to the table. It has a great cinematic quality to it that makes it stand out. When the dramatic lighting hits the faces of hilariously animated characters, it perfectly sums up the tone of the show. Although only 2 episodes are out right now, I’m sold.
While there are plenty of funny moments, it quickly shows a darker side as the main character gets caught right in the middle of a conflict of interests. It is a brutally honest commentary on the healthcare system in America. Taking jabs at the system with hilariously absurd but all too real situations.
Overall there’s a great sense of urgency in the plot, moving along while the clock is ticking. It covers some pretty heavy topics, tackling themes of greed and human nature. Wherever the story goes from here, I’m definitely along for the ride.
2/7/2025
With The Wild Robot, DreamWorks shows exactly why animation is the most underappreciated mediums to tell a story. It reminded me that imagination is infinite and so is animation. The Wild Robot goes all in on its premise and rewards the audience with beautiful scenery and a well-crafted story. This already feels like an animated classic that will be remembered for years to come.
In many ways this film looks and feels like a painting come to life, the subject of an ancient legend on the side of a cave. The stunning visuals encapsulate the storybook qualities of the film. I loved the use of color, texture, and shape to differentiate the geometric surfaces of the robots and the organic look of the forest. The coolest part was watching Roz’s design change as she sacrifices her uniform qualities and becomes a part of the forest.
The story, adapted from the book by Peter Brown, is efficient and well-rounded. It presents us with an unlikely hero and politely allows us to follow along on her journey. As an audience, we get to watch Roz grow from a robot with no purpose into a mother and protector of the forest. The relationship between Roz and Brightbeak creates a compelling main drive of the plot and emotional core of the story. It’s really hard not to love these two as they each try to fit in with their new allies, Brightbeak’s flock and the forest animals. The stakes presented in the second half of the film takes the whimsical story and turns it into an action packed finale.
The Wild Robot is a heartwarming, bold adventure and a must-see movie for all ages.
1/29/2025
I finally got around to watching the newest installment of my favorite claymation duo. Wallace and Gromit have never looked better. Sometimes I do miss the messier, DIY animation style of the original shorts though.
A classic villain returns. This story really leans on the fact that you have seen the original short The Wrong Trousers. In many ways, it felt like Aardman has really mastered their craft. From story to production, they were able to do things they weren’t able to do before. The action scenes were longer and more intricate, like fighting across actual trains instead of the toy trains from the scene in The Wrong Trousers. There was excellent use of practical lighting and projections with the Norbots. The story was concise, entertaining, and the overall modern take with a larger scale made for exciting variety. It had a great twist and a relevant theme. Maybe Wallace and Gromit have a new recurring friend in Norbot.
The message I got from this one, I get from all the Wallace and Gromit movies: don’t let a machine do a dog’s job.
1/24/2025
After 3 years since AppleTV’s best show first premiered, Ben Stiller’s Severance returns for Season 2.
The episode picks up almost right where we left off for the innies but its revealed that 5 months has passed for the outies. It begins with a sequence showing off the new production budget of up to $20M per episode.
In an edited one-shot sequence, Mark panic runs through the halls of Lumon, in his first time back in the building since switching bodies with his outie at the end of Season 1. He quickly notices that things have changed. His actions have forced Lumon to make changes around the office. This sets up a new set of challenges and poses more questions that Mark and his team will have to figure out as the season goes on.
-What happened to Ms. Casey and her department?
-Is Mr. Milchick worse than Ms. Cobel?
-Will Helly tell the truth about her outie’s identity?
-What hallway was Irving’s outie painting?
This season knows that we will be questioning everything that happens and Lumon is really good at covering things up. The show expertly withholds the truth from us, only showing us bits and pieces at a time. Since we only know as much as the innies it feels like we are uncovering the truth behind the company alongside them.
While Season 1 explored the reasons why somebody would choose to get a severed job, Season 2 looks to explore more about why Lumon uses severed workers and what exactly they do to them. To figure out what’s really going on, the innies and outies must find a way to team up and fight their common enemy: Lumon.
Hopefully this season will show us more about what’s going on at Lumon. Personally, I want to know what all those baby goats are for.
1/22/2025
Originally I had no idea how these two shows could overlap, despite being set in the same city. However, I failed to consider just how easily the characters in It’s Always Sunny insert themselves into any scenario. It was only a matter of time that they started interacting with each other.
The events of the episode stay true to Abbott’s storytelling style. At first the Always Sunny crew seems normal but their real personalities come through by the end and their true motives become clear. Without an obvious underlying motive, Dennis, Dee, Frank, Mac, and Charlie come to the school as volunteers their characters seamlessly overlapping into the Abbott formula.
A couple moments I enjoyed:
-Frank eats dirt
-Melissa recognizes them from Paddy’s Pub
-Dennis avoids cameras
-Charlie can now read at a Kindergarten level
I’m excited to see the other perspective when Season 17 of It’s Always Sunny comes out!
Author Paul Tremblay
1/20/2025
Established horror author Paul Tremblay takes a dip into the “cursed film” genre.
A winding story that jumps through time and format makes for a page-turning mystery. Tremblay succeeds at creating a diverse tone through the different time-based perspectives the book takes on. While reading the screenplay chapters, it felt like sitting in a dark library watching archived footage of a film that’s not supposed to be seen. In the present chapters, we get to see how making the film affected the main character while not knowing exactly what happened on set. The scenes from the film are sprinkled throughout, giving us context and some answers, but also more questions about what really happened.
Throughout the novel, I found myself struggling to read the screenplay portions because of the voice of the screenplay and its conventions. I enjoyed reading the movie play out, however, the way the information was presented in the screenplay felt like it was wiser than the reader. Sometimes there were long paragraphs describing a feeling that should be invoked in the reader rather than actually impacting the reader, like during the “intermission” sequence. At some points, it felt like it was calling out the reader and the genre. This did not make the novel unreadable, I just thought it would be worth mentioning for those who have read scripts before.
Overall its a good, scary read. Only slightly unsettling.
1/16/2025
Another great addition to Robert Eggers already impressive filmography, a body of work with which each next film embodies the director’s clear vision.
As the the remaking of of horror classics trend begins, Nosferatu builds upon the German Expressionist vision that F.W. Murnau originally brought to life in 1922 with a slight shift towards modern cinema. While Eggers creates a more digestable experience for current audiences, he still follows the original story beat by beat and adds onto the worldbuilding where Murnau may have been limited.
What stands out to me about this film is the editing and direction. Every scene is necessary and ends on a seamless transition, panning from one scene into the next to ultimately carry the momentum to the well crafted climax. The direction is holistic as each scene plays its role in building the tone and mood of the film.