Spider-man: No Way Home

Spider-man: No Way Home (Jon Watts, 2021)

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Rating: Q=8, P=7/ Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

Action, Adventure, Marvel Cinematic Universe

What an amazing feat! After having watched and ranked all the other Spider-man films, I was so ready for this last installment. My expectations were a little high, just based on all the hype and from how enjoyable and well-crafted the last two films were. But this film exceeded those expectations. Yay more Dr. Strange and metaverse stuff! I don't want to spoil anything, so just see this film. If you like action films, the MCU, adaptations, homages, etc...then you won't be disappointed.

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Cowboy Bebop Season 1 (2021)

Cowboy Bebop Season 1 (Christopher L. Yost, 2022)

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Rating: DSQ=7, SP=4 / Average Snack

Scale A=3, Scale B=2, Scale C=2, Scale D=2, Scale E=2

Based on Anime, Action, Adventure, Science Fantasy, Western, Noir

I'm a firm believer that every adaptation must be judged as individual and separate from its parent/original as much as possible. That is really hard to do, sometimes, though. This is the perfect example. This live-action version of Cowboy Bebop was...fine. The original anime series is still WAY better than this, but it wasn't awful like so many fans and reviewers are claiming. BUT...the live-action has too much back story, made some strange narrative choices, and ultimately just feels like actors playing characters. The casting was good, the artistry was fun, but it isn't intriguing and mysterious and innovative like the anime. The elegance and beauty of the anime is completely missing from the live-action. That being said though, I still enjoyed it and I would have watched more.

Read my post on the original animated series here.

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The Crown Season 4

The Crown Season 4 (Peter Morgan, 2020)

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Rating: DSQ=12, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=3, Scale E=3

1970s, 1980s, Historical, Biopic, Royal Family

I continue to be blown away by this poignant, elegant, exceptionally emotional, and gorgeous drama series. Season 4 was full to the brim with tension and showed Queen Elizabeth at her most stubborn, competitive, and disconnected. The writers of this series truly know how to show each member of the royal family as the complex, troubled, confusing, and often lost human beings they are. And how all the rules and duties of monarchy really did create generations of chaotic and messy personal and public lives. The story of Prince Charles and Princess Diana is utterly depressing. Magnificent performances from both Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor. And I was amazed at Gillian Anderson's brilliant portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. Wow. I, again, can't wait to see more.

Read my posts on Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

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Dune (1984)

Dune (David Lynch, 1984)

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Rating: Q=4, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Based on Book, Adventure

After seeing the new, fantastic Dune by Denis Villeneuve it was interesting to go back in time to the first cinematic version of the Dune story. The 1984 film is fun: colorful, silly, creepy, full of 80's sci-fi stuff, and definitely keeps you engaged. It has problems--from the film's preface, to the narrated thoughts of the characters (which works in a book but not on screen), to a lack of character development. It is a wholly different experience from the ethereal, immersive, and very emotional 2021 Dune.

That being said, though, I still enjoyed the escape. And I would watch it again.

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