Stranger Things - The Final Season Review

 

Welcome to 2026 everybody! Usually I'd have a most anticipated movie list, but since Stranger Things wrapped up it's final season, it's time for me to give my thoughts.

Stranger Things 5 (it's on screen title name) is the fifth and final season of Netflix's hugely popular show, with Netflix both producing and distributing. The final season consist of eight episodes which ends the show of forty-two episodes. The show was created by The Duffer Brothers.

The story is, it's been 19 months after the events of the last season, and our heroes are preparing for one final battle against Vecna. But along the way he's stealing children for reasons that the gang doesn't understand. They need to find out what Vecna's endgame is, but first they must find a way to win against their own personal demons even they ever want to save Hawkins along with the rest of the world.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

The biggest mix bag stems from the writing. Now there's a few good things. One example of the good writing is the tension between Steve and Dustin. It was really sad to these friends argue and fight with each other because for the longest time we've seen them be such good friends. We also have Hopper still reeling from a personal loss and trying his best to make sure that never happens again. But for every good thing we get some more questionable stuff. For instance, we've got a human enemy with Dr. Kay and her "Wolf Pack". Now they do mess with the Hawkins gang like capture some team members or mess up their plans thus granting them some sort of upper hand. But for a large part of the story they feel underdeveloped and often times just feel like a side quest. Then when we get an eighteen month time skip (does this count as a spoiler?) we're not told what happened to them? Not one bit of information. Then we have the big controversy with Will. Basically in episode seven (The Bridge) Will comes out as a gay. Now I understand we live in an era where wokeness has taken over the entertainment industry and everything's trying to please a lot of politically correct types and I hate just as much as everyone else. But my problem with that scene wasn't Will coming out, that subplot has been going on for a while. My problem was the placement of the scene. This is the moment when Team Hawkins needs to be hyper focused on stopping Vecna. Because at this point of the story the world is on the verge of going to Hell. But that momentum came to a halt for Will's coming out scene. This is one of those scenes that really should've been saved for the final episode. It also didn't help the scene was really freakin' cheesy. I'm not joking, Jonathan (Will's older brother) makes a big speech about how Will never has to worry about losing him and then we get a chain of everyone saying "or me" and then it ends with a group hug. I was honestly surprised we didn't get sappy violin music playing during that moment. 😆

• Positives

One good aspect is the action. The action delivers a great sense of fun and excitement. I actually liked the final battle in the Upside Down and fighting both Vecna and the Mind Flyer. That had good choreography. Which also brings me the special effects. Once again the VFX work on the creatures is nicely done, but there was also more ambition stuff too. Such as giving the Mind Flyer a brand new form, I won't give it away but it looked awesome. There's also moment when we get a twist regarding the entirety of the Upside Down and the visual effects for that moment is stunning. The last thing I'll praise is the performances. While the writing wasn't the greatest of all time, the cast killed it one last time. Our usual cast members such as a Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, etc. once again kill it as their long time characters. Meanwhile we have newcomers such as Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, who brought a fresh new energy to the usual cast and doing a fantastic job when it came to moments of emotional weight. But the MVP is Jamie Campbell Bower who played Vecna/Henry. This guy was amazing! It didn't matter if the material was strong or weak, Bower could deliver. He brought a mixture of menace, insanity, raw intensity, and a sense of tragedy to Vecna/Henry.

While this isn't a flawless final season, there was still plenty of stuff to enjoy. It could've been better but I still found myself enjoying the season. Hell I actually really liked the 18 month epilogue even if they left one character's fate ambiguous. Overall a fine season.

My final rating is, Okay.

I wished this season was a huge bang instead of only a slight bang but sometimes you just gotta air out your grievances and move on. But that's all for now. Come back on Monday, Jan 5th, for my list of my most anticipated movies of this year. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and let's all hope 2026 is gonna be an awesome year.

Looking Back at the Films of 2024 Finale - Y2K, The Last Showgirl, and Mufasa: The Lion King

 

Okay here we are. The last part of Looking Back at the Films of 2024. Let's do it. Let's end this year...hopefully with a bang.

Why Didn't I See Y2K?

This might sound ridiculous but I chose to skip Y2K because it's an A24. Now while I do believe a lot of their films insist upon themselves (looking at you Midsommar, God that movie was such a waste of time). I do know they've also made a lot of good stuff too. Some of which I've actually reviewed. But nine times out of ten I do find them to be overhyped. Although I do blame most of that hype because of social media then the studio itself.

What is Y2K?

Y2K is a horror comedy that was produced and distributed by A24, but production was also done by Strong Baby Productions and American Light & Fixture. Kyle Mooney directed and wrote the screenplay with Evan Winter.

The story is, in 1999 best friends Eli and Danny were discussing their plans for New Year's Eve while their parents are out, and they decided to crash party that just so happens to have Eli's crush there as well. But when midnight strikes technology doesn't go dark like everybody fears. It's becomes sentient and wants to kill humans. Now Eli, Danny, and the rest of their group must fight and survive.

My Thoughts

The Good: I do like the premise. From my experience whenever someone does these Y2K goes horribly wrong stories, it's usually tech shuts down forever, people go crazy, then apocalypse. But here, it's yes Y2K did go wrong, but instead of machines shutting down they want to kill us. It's a very fun concept.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: There's a lot of just decent stuff going for this movie. For starters, sometimes the humor just didn't work. One example is Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit shows up and he does have a few good moments here and there, but because comedy isn't really strongest strength you'll get moments with him that felt more attempt then an actual funny moment. Another slight problem is the romance between Eli and Laura. It was fine, but there were scenes when Jaeden Martell and Rachel Zegler didn't have the strongest chemistry. And because of that aspect the romance between Eli and Laura just didn't fully work. The last thing I'll touch on is Kyle Mooney's directing. These was his directorial debut and you can tell. He was bad as a director, it's there were moments where this almost felt like a movie a bunch of friends made, and they just so happened to have a big budget for their little project.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Why Didn't I See The Last Showgirl

I honestly didn't know about this movie until I saw a commercial for it at the tail end of 2024. So because of that it was too late for me to review it on time. So I just saved it for this segment.

What is The Last Showgirl?

The Last Showgirl is a drama movie that adapts Kate Gersten's play Body of Work. It was produced by Utopia, Pinky Promise, High Frequency Entertainment, and Digital Ignition Entertainment with Roadside Attractions handling distribution. Gia Coppola directed while Kate Gersten wrote the story.

The story is, 57-year old show Shelly Gardner has been working at the Le Razzle Dazzle on the Las Vegas Strip for most of her life. Then one day her and the rest of the girls are given the sad news that the Razzle Dazzle is shutting down. Now Shelly needs to find out what to do with her life after spending most of it at the once successful revue. Along the way she'll need to repair her complicated relationship with her daughter.

My Thoughts

The Good: I know the first thing people praise first is Pamela Anderson's performance, and I'll get to that, but the first thing I want to praise is the pacing to this. It's top notch. I watched this on Hulu and I was surprised when I paused the movie for a bathroom break I was an hour and twenty-seconds in. Time just flew by. So nicely done Gia Coppola nicely done. Now about that Pamela Anderson performance, whatever good word you've been hearing, it's true. She was phenomenal in this. Which was probably the movie's biggest surprise. Because for the longest time while Anderson has been involved in acting before, she's never truly had the strongest performance. That's definitely not the case her. She brought a very raw, vulnerable, and quietly devastated role to this. But we also have great acting from Jamie Lee Curtis who brings a more brass voice to the movie. Even supporting cast members such as Brenda Song (a name I haven't heard of in a LONG time) brought a good dynamic to the film as well. The last thing I'll praise is the cinematography. It felt very dream like and almost nostalgic. Which makes sense. Shelly's story has her goin through a lot and reminiscing about the old days, so having cinematography to match makes her story even better.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: It really comes down to the story. Now it's not bad not bad at all. There's great themes of aging, loss of purpose, regret, and Las Vegas' old glamour fading away. But the story also has some clichés, such as the daughter feeling as through the parent loved their career and not them. And sometimes the themes as ageism and sexism can be handled very heavily. A matter fact Shelly pretty much spelled that out during a dinner date with a co-worker. But I'd say for the most part the story is handling with a care in a lot of other spaces. 

Final Verdict: Good.

Why Didn't I See Mufasa: The Lion King?

I like many others saw no point in this. Sure we've gotten origin stories about characters before, but I don't recall one single soul asking for a Mufasa movie. I don't even think the most hardcore Lion King fans were asking for that. So I decided to say no and save it for next time.

What is Mufasa: The Lion King?

Mufasa: The Lion King is a musical drama movie that serves as the prequel to the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King. Produced was done by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The director was Barry Jenkins and the writer was Jeff Nathanson.

The story is, were taken back to the past to when both Mufasa and his brother Scar were very young. Through this tale we learn of the allies Mufasa made along the way, his brave fight against a rouge group of white lions, and the day he became the King of the Pride Lands. But sadly this is also the tale of how Scar fell down into darkness.

My Thoughts

The Good: Alright let's get into some positives. One going to the real star of the movie the CGI. There's some amazing CG on display here and I was loving every minute of it. Then we have the acting. It's pretty good. I don't think any specific performance is gonna blow anybody away, but guys like Aaron Pierre was really good as a more younger Mufasa. Because when I heard him I can see that voice being a young Mufasa before he becomes the powerful leader we see in the story we all know.

The Bad: There's plenty bad in this movie. One of them being the songs. I watched this movie last night and when I woke up in the morning I couldn't remember a single song. Actually I do remembered "I Always Wanted a Brother", but nobody remembers that song for the right reasons. Everybody only remembers it because of the way Taka (aka young Scar) says brother. Because it's not brother it's more like "Brothaaaa!", said in a way that made it sound like Taka was gurgling something while also trying to speak. Seriously, filmmakers, was there no other way to make that poor kid sound less ridiculous? I mean it, I feel bad for that kid. But then we have a the runtime and man do they pad that thing out. If it's not wasting time on how Mufasa meet other Lion King characters (which I'll get into later) then they're just wasting time by the story being interrupted by Timon and Pumbaa. Which we really didn't need. But yes, the other bad thing about the story is there's no balance. Sometimes we focus on how Mufasa became such as powerful king, then we focus on how he met this lovable Lion King character, or that classic Lion King character. Sure there was some meetings we'd like to know about, but we didn't need to know about every single one. Sometimes there's a story or two that doesn't need to be told.

The Okay: I've got nothing.

Final Verdict: Bad.

Well that's gonna wrap it up not only for this day but for my 2025 reason. Due come back on Thursday, Jan 1st, for my review of the final season of Stranger Things. Until then, enjoy the rest of 2025, have a very Happy New Year, and hopefully 2026 becomes a great year for all of us. 🎊🎉

Classic Film Night - It's a Wonderful Life

 

Okay, I know I said in my review for season four of Stranger Things I prefer not working during such a big holiday, but me and the rest of my family celebrate Christmas in the earlier afternoon which gives me plenty of time to watch then review this classic. But also come on! When am I ever gonna get the chance to review a Christmas movie on Christmas day? So with this long explanation out of the way let's get to the review.

It's a Wonderful Life is a Christmas fantasy drama film based on Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 short story and booklet The Greatest Gift, which that is also loosely based on Charles Dickens' all time classic novella A Christmas Carol. Liberty Films produced and RKO Radio Pictures distributed. Frank Capra directed and wrote the story with Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.

The story is, George Bailey once had dreams of traveling world, but a family tragedy forces him to change everything. Over time George resents all of the sacrifices he's made and thinks of committing suicide. After rescuing a man named Clarence, George wishes he was never born. Clarence grants him that wish by showing what everything and everyone would be like without him in their lives. Soon, George will realize the impact he truly had in his small little world.

My Thoughts

Now don't jump me just yet. But there is a slight issue with this movie. Keep in mind I said slight. But the pace is a bit slow. And we all get it, it's the slow-burn to when we eventually get to the classic scenes of George in the alternate timeline. But there are moments where you start to feel that two hour runtime.

Now let's get praising, starting with the fantastic performance by James Stewart. The guy was amazing. He starts off all eye wide and excited about dreams and falling in love. And as the movie goes by we see Stewart bring out how the wear and tear is slowly getting to George. But his best moment other than the classic bridge scene, is when George finally snaps. Stewart's acting in that moment was incredible. He's lashing out at everybody including the actors and actresses playing his family, throwing insults and threatening people. It was an incredible moment of George finally snapping and James Stewart captured that frustration perfectly.

Then there's Frank Capra's directing. Not only does he present a more small-town America is sincere, but Capra also blends various elements together seamlessly. He gave us humor, heart, fantasy, and drama. With all these aspects put together, Capra takes us on a emotional but hopeful journey.

The last thing I'll praise and I bet you didn't see this coming, is the story. Now I was fully aware of the story not because I've watched this many times before, but because I've seen been talked about, spoofed, and referenced many times before. But even I knew what I was getting into I was still firmly invested and even quite touched by what I watched. Cause the main topic is ageless and universal. At some point in our lives we all thought everything would be better off if we weren't born. Whether anybody wanted to commit suicide is a subject for people much smarter then me to dicuss. But some sort of revelation has made realize our actions whether intentional or not have had a big impact on someone else. But even if that never happened to you, the story still grabs you because of the journey George goes through. He thinks it's all meaningless because it seems like his sacrifices haven't amounted to anything. But by the end it's so rewarding to see him realize his life is far more richer than he could ever imagine.

I know I slightly criticized the pacing, but I found all the good aspects outweighed the bad. It goes without saying but after finally watching this I've finally come to see why It's a Wonderful Life is regarded as an all-time Christmas classic.

My final rating is, A MUST WATCH!

So that's all for now. Come back on Monday, Dec 29th, for the final part of Looking Back at the Films of 2024. Until then, I wish for all of you to have a very Merry Christmas. 🎄

Is This Thing On? Review

 

So this time were taking a step back from murder mysteries and sci-fi action and focusing on a comedy drama.

Is This Thing On? is a comedy drama movie that's loosely based on the life of British comedian John Bishop. Lea Pictures and Archery Pictures produced with Seachlight Pictures doing distribution. Bradley Cooper directed but he also wrote the story along with John Bishop, Will Arnett, and Mark Chappell.

The story is, after spending so many years together Alex and Tess have reached an end to their relationship. Now they're in an awkward stage where they're living separately but still try to raise their two boys. Soon Alex starts a new hobby and in the process starts to learn somethings not only about his self, but his relationship as well.

Initial Reaction

I wanted to see this movie for a very simple reason. While I enjoy my big blockbusters and such, I also enjoy seeing movies that are much more smaller in scale. And what's more smaller in this day and age then a man trying to get through a tough divorce and being a stand up comedian at the same time?

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

My only mix feelings was with the pacing. It's pretty good with the comedy bits because they go on at just the rate. But sometimes the movie does feel a bit slower in some scenes, mainly in the group setting stuff.

Pros

Alright now for the good stuff! Let's start off with Bradley Cooper's directing. This is his third time directing and out of his three movies this is a least flashy. Which is fine. For a movie like this is suppose to be small, raw, and realistic. And I found Cooper did a great job at capturing as story that's personal and grounded. I actually hope he does another one of these kinds of movies. Then there's the performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern. Laura Dern shines her own story with it's own emotional depth. Her grieving process of this marriage coming to an end was just as interesting to watch as it was for Arnett's character. Speaking of whom, I loved Will Arnett is this. Now don't hang for me this but I haven't watched Bojack Horseman, so I don't know how great his serious acting chops were in that so I'm only going by what I saw here. But I digress, anyways, Arnett is incredible here. He's role of a man going through a divorce and mid-life crisis was great. I was focused on his story throughout the whole movie. Arnett brought humor, but he also brought a blend of vulnerability as well. But my absolute favorite part of the whole movie was the story. I loved the story. And I don't just mean the divorce stuff, I mean what it said about comedy and humor. The main theme of the movie is how humor can be bring you out of a dark place your here. How laughter can bring back your smile. All of that stuff. And it true. Maybe not for everybody, but for a lot of people comedy has helped them in life. The movie's not romanticizing comedy as an end all be all. It just has a very powerful and mature theme going for it, and I loved it.

While the pacing could've used some work, I still found myself enjoying the movie. I think you should really check it out. Well after the Christmas season is over. Also remember to spend time with the family first.

My final rating is, Great.

That's gonna do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Dec 25th, Christmas Day, for my Classic Film Night review of, It's a Wonderful Life. I know I just made a big family message, but me and my family celebrate Christmas early in the day so that gives me plenty of time to do a review. But until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Avatar: Fire and Ash Review

 

Alright we got a brand new Avatar film and better yet, we DIDN'T have to wait over ten years for it to come out.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is an epic sci-fi film and the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water thus making it the third installment of the franchise. Lightstorm Entertainment handled production while 20th Century Studios distributed. James Cameron directed and wrote the story alongside Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

The story is, shortly after settling with the Metkayina clan but Jake's family are still grabbing with what they lost. But they'll need to pull themselves together when a new tribe called the Mangkwan clan aka The Ash People. This clan just wants to set fire to the world, and they have their sights set on Jake, his family, and the Metkayina clan.

Initial Reaction

To make a long story short, I actually like the Avatar films. Do I think they're perfect? No. But there is some entertainment. So I was interested in where this story would take us in the franchise.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The biggest mix bag comes from the story. Now there are some good things to it. The strongest one being grief amongst the Sully family. We see how they're absolutely crushed by the loss of a family member, the tension that's causing. It was really good. But the story often times does repeat things we've seen previously. Hell the finale battle takes place on water just like it did in The Way of Water, with only a few different set pieces here and there.

Pros

Let's start with the easiest one, the special effects. Every since the first movie the Avatar movies have been a feast for the eyes. Whether this movie is taken to the skies, riding in the water, or burning things to the ground, the visual effects don't disappoint. Then there's the action. James Cameron continues his streak of being an excellent action director. Even though I criticized the finale it was still a fun ride, but the main aspect that'll draw you in is what comes before. But we get a thrill ambush from the Ash People, we see how the Ash People use fire to their advantage. We get also have the classic case of guns firing and explosions galore. So even if the story isn't the strongest at least the action is never boring.

Sorry if this review wasn't lengthy enough, but those are really the only talking points that needed mentioning without heading into spoilers or feelings nitpicky. But yeah, while I wasn't by any stretch disappointment by the movie, but as far as Avatar movies go, this one's the weakest unless Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 prove otherwise. Which I personally hope doesn't happen.

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Dec 22nd, for my review of Is This Thing On? Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Review

 

Alright, we now got a brand new Knives Out movie. Glass Onion was pretty decent but still left a lot to be desired. So hopefully this one can bring us back to what made the first movie so great.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (or simply just Wake Up Dead Man) is a mystery film and acts as a standalone sequel to Glass Onion, which also makes this the third installment of the film series. Production was done by T-Street Productions and Ram Bergman Productions with Netflix in charged of distribution. Rian Johnson returns once again to write and direct.

The story is, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks has been murder in his rural parish during service, but the way he was killed leads to many questions. Master detective Benoit Blanc has been called in to try find out how the Monsignor could've been killed despite the unusual circumstances. His investigation will lead him to a world where secrets and suspicion blur as a small community slowly starts to tear itself apart.

Initial Reaction

Okay let's try to make this a brief story. The reason for wanting to see this is because I loved the first movie. The second one was okay, but it definitely had a case where it thought bigger is better. So after watching the trailer it seemed like we were returning to a smaller scale which I was definitely in favor of.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The biggest mix bag stems from the characters. I'll start with the one that has the strongest writing, Father Jud. He has a great story of a former box turned priest after something horrible happened in the ring. Now he's put in this dark situation where he's will and belief is being put through the ringer. Then you have the other characters who don't have the same treatment. Blanc is still invested in the case and willing to help out a wrongfully accused man, but often times it does seem his story is taking a backseat towards Jud's. Meanwhile others have some story or just there to fill out the roster.

Pros

First I'll start off with Rian Johnson's directing. And what better way to start then showing you two great shots.

Despite how dark they are, they're amazing. But what makes the rest of Johnson's directing so good is he use of a more stylized gothic atmosphere, use of lighting like whenever light appears, disappears, or reappears through a church window, and some very tight editing.

The other aspect I want to praise is the much smaller setting. Whether you like the story or not, it was a wise decision to go back to a much more toned down mystery after the last movie still had a mystery but it's finale had explosions and other over the top elements.

The last thing I'll credit is the performances. But I want to give praise to three actors in particular, first being Josh Brolin as Monsignor Wicks. Brolin with his powerful voice brought an unhinged energy, along with his charisma that gave his character a lot of flair. Then we have Daniel Craig reprising his role of Benoit Blanc. Craig once again nails the character's southern charm thus continuing making the character very likable, and Craig does an even better with the film's more serious and grounded moments. But the biggest praise goes to Josh O'Connor as Father Jud. O'Connor is the show stealer. He brought out the Jud's earnest traits and when doing more comedic scenes he was great. But he was incredible when his character is struggling with his own faith, guilt for a past action, and a chance at redemption. O'Connor was the emotional core from beginning and to end and I hope he gets a chance to do more movies.

While some writing for characters could've used some work, Wake Up Dead Man is a fun watch especially since it was a more back to basics approach after Glass Onion.

My final rating is, Good.

So that's all for now. Sorry I uploaded this at a later hour, I fell asleep...oops. But anyways, come back on Saturday, Dec 20th, for my review of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Spider-Man's Tangled Web - 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas Review

 

Yeah, bet you weren't expecting a comic book review for the Christmas season. Well here it is and it stars everybody's favorite web slinger.

'Twas the Fight Before Christmas was a 2003 story published in issue twenty-one of the Marvel Comics anthology series, Spider-Man's Tangled Web. The late, great Darwyn Cooke both drew and wrote.

The story is, it's Christmas in New York City. It might be the most wondrous time of the year, but a huge snowstorm is sweeping the city. Just to make things more chaotic there's a evil scheme going on at the mall, and Spider-Man and his allies need to quickly stop or nobody's having a Merry Christmas.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

I've got nothing...again.

• Positives

First let's get to the humor. Since this a more lighthearted story compared to other Spider-Man comics, we're given many funny moments. My favorite running gag is J. Jonah trying to prove Spider-Man is a menace to a bunch of children. Typical J.J.J. behavior.

Then there's Darwyn Cooke's art. Before passing away, Cooke's art was always a beautiful sight to see. Because he clearly has a retro style to and whether you'd like the comic book art of the past or not, Darwyn's captured the old school vibe but he still had a lot of modern twists in his style. But he's style was also very versatile. He could go dark like with his Batman: Ego one-shot, serious like with The New Frontier, or comedic like with this. So if you like artists like who an old school look to like say Bruce Timm, then you'll love Darwyn Cooke.

The last thing I'll credit is the story. Now let me just say, this isn't a mind blowing Spider-Man like If This Be My Destiny, Kraven's Last Hunt, The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man, Blue, etc. But it is an entertaining story. It captures what you want a Christmas tale. It's got comedy, heart, people stressing over what to give their loved ones for Christmas, comedy, how crazy the holiday season is, and a happy ending. So if want a chilled Christmas story to read then this one's got you covered.

So yeah, overall a pretty nice comic.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Dec 13th, for my review of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.