tattooedpilgrim

I thought it might take me a while to write a new review, but Spider-Noir is too damn good to be ignored. It's a unique spider-man interpretation, and a spectacular noir tv show. Every episode is meticulously crafted to make you believe that you're watching a 1950s film: the black and white visual style, the rain, the cars, the trenchcoats, the femme fatales, and, of course, hardboiled private eyes. Speaking of the latter, Mr. Nicolas Cage, played the part really well and showed us his range as an actor. He's able to find balance between being cynical and being witty, which is an excellent approach, especially in a cross-genre show such as this. The rest of the cast brought their A-Game as well, particularly Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, Karen Rodriguez as Janet, Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane and Andrew as Bullet-Time dude, I mean, Dirk Leyden. And Amanda Schull as Ruby, it's just 'coz I like her in the 12 Monkeys tv show (not as close as Ms. Stowe's performance, but good enough to make me want to watch the entire season one. Permit me to digress a litte bit. No one will be able to replace Bruce Willis as James Cole and Brad Pitt as Jeffrey Goines. I mean, no one!).I would be remiss if I failed to mention the well-timed background music and the funny bit. You know when Ben says something like "...experience with women" the camera shifts to Cat as she blinks, and then the piano notes flutter. And there's the sandwich and ketchup scene (made me laugh so hard) I know how it feels Robbie. Sony and Amazon Prime Video did a great job in finding the right crew for this bold undertaking: the writers, directors, and all the people who created this convincing noir world. This show deserves to be in the Spider-Man Patheon along with Sam Raimi's Spider-man II film. And I'm sure the rest of the spiderheads would agree to that distinction. (I'm waiting for Brand New Day to come out before I complete my own extremely short list). I hope Mr. Cage will do two more seasons. You're making a classic here. Watch this show when it's raining or snowing outside, and with dim lights and a glass of your favorite drink. That's how you experience the noir magic.

Season 2 lacks depth, detail, and tension. No giant waves, no struggles within the Going Merry, no epic sea battles. The entire set looks like a newly-opened One Piece theme park, dust free and organized. And the Straw Hats, who seem to be spending more time on land than at sea, look like a bunch of city kids cosplaying as pirates with their clean clothes, nice hair, and sunburn-free skin. Scurvy can be ignored. But sailing across the perilous waters for many days, and no blisters? Come on! They should be called Straw Hat Island Hoppers, instead of pirates. As for the peformance, well, it's a mixed bag. I really like the renditions of Wapol, Nami, Zoro, Chopper, Nico, Mr. 3, and Kureha. The rest of the cast is not quite there yet, especially Luffy. The lines he delivers don't get through to me and end up being cringey. Take a cue from Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. Just the right amount of quirkiness. Anyways, perhaps my expectations were high. I don't **** more thing though, the One Piece anime or manga should only serve as a guide to tell a much richer and more convincing story, and not as a universal template. The writers should have taken some liberties, just like what the writers of Rurouni Kenshin did. Perfect fusion of reality and fantasy. No wonder why no anime live adaptation ever comes close to RK. That said, I hope they get the Alabasta storyline right (think of Lawrence of Arabia or Dune meets the Pirates of the Caribbean). If not, then, Netflix should axe this show. Try to raise the **** bar a little bit higher!

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a tv show I can easily Identify with. I'm kind of a hedge knight myself (see what I did there?), or in modern terms, a digital hobo. But seriously, this show is a breath of fresh air, a respite from GoT and HoD's deadly game of chess. It shows us that not everything in this fantastical world is about dragons, ****, and tyrants. There's also virtue, honor, and brotherhood to be had, like Dunk and Egg's relationship, which is wonderfully rendered by Peter and Dexter, and Prince Baelor, who is played by Bertie Carvel (a masterful actor who can go toe-to-toe with Benedict Cumberbatch in terms of serious acting. Damn, I hope he gets a superhero role in Marvel or DC), siding with Dunk. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how beautifully the writers and directors set the the tone, the scenery, and the atmosphere of the show. It's like watching the result of a successful alchemic fusion of Excalibur and the Green Knight. Ultimately, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a heartwarming and inspiring show that has the potential to become the next HoD, which is, by the way, a very well-received series. HBO you're on a roll!

Dark matter is both a sci-fi show and a philosophical invitation. It shows us how weird, chaotic, deep, and interconnected reality is. It offers us a glimpse into the world of quantum physics devoid of info dumping and pedantic tendencies. Yes, it's ambitious in scope. But its grandiose premise is counterbalanced by its zoomed in view of each of the characters' lives and their unquantifiable struggles as they navigate their way in and out of the mysterious, labyrinthine box. And speaking of struggles, Joel Edgerton, the beautiful Ms. Jennifer Connelly, Jimmi Simpson, and Alice Braga effortlessly showed me the different facets of the human psyche, how painful, terrifying, and beautiful it is to be human, and that our efforts in searching for hope in the midst of adversities somehow supersedes our reality and renders it inconsequential. Ultimately, dark matter is a mind-bending sci-fi show that'll surely rattle you down to your last atom. It's one of the best shows I've seen since Silo. Mr. Blake Crouch, you're the man!

**** the naysayers. The Witcher 4 has surpassed its predecessor. The darkened texture, the beautiful landscape shots, the well-executed fight scenes, and the snappy dialogue. They're all there. Liam, Thor's younger brother, is an excellent Geralt as Henry was. And Anya is getting prettier and prettier every season. A bona fide Yennifer. Damn you Geralt (lol). Jaskir (Joey) is still suave as ever, and a bard we don't deserve. Freya is getting there, too. Overall, The Witcher 4 is a step closer to becoming an epic saga. Steadfast, Netflix. Steadfast. ( I also noticed Solomon Kane sitting side by side with the evil king. Nice to see a great actor.)

First off, Mr. Vincent D'Onofrio has done a great job as the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk). He's calculating, vulnerable, and terrifying, especially that scene when he screamed at the wall (Haaah!). Damn, that really got me. Charlie really shines as Matt Murdock. His portrayal as a defense attorney shows as that he's not just some random dude trying to be Batman. Overall, this show is better than some of Marvel's big-budget movies. I'm excited for season two. And I really hope Daredevil gets to have his own movie (I want to see more Murdock vs Fisk mind games). Kudos to Mr. David Fiege!

This show is like a foie gras. And I don't even know what a foie gras is, or what it tastes like. My point is, it's not overdone and you don't have to be a chef or a cook to appreciate the show. The writing, the cast, and the cinematography have been mixed and turned into a spectacular dish. All you have to do is savor it. Thank you, Chef!

The moment I saw Mark and Tom on the cover, I knew this show was going to be awesome. And I was right. The first two episodes blew my mind. Of course, the writing (courtesy of Mr. Brad) was top-notch. Another win for HBO.

This show keeps getting better and better. The comedy is not heavy handed or hokey. And the fight scenes are amazing. Thanks Mr. James Gunn.

I love this show. In my opinion, it's better than some of the Alien movies I've seen. Thanks FX and Mr. Ridley Scott. Please don't cancel this one.