stephentibbles-71735 Reviews

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023)

A proper continuation

[7/10 · 9 December 2023]

In an era where additions to series have become commonplace this movie stands out in a very important way. This movie does not feel the need to ruin the protagonist. The directing, the editing, the acting feels all very much like the original Monk. It all feels very much like either a proper ending or a new beginning for Adrian. Sure, the character struggles with feelings associated with aging, irrelevance, depression, and questions of any legacy or purpose; but instead of introducing a new protagonist who proves those feelings true, this movie actually honor Monk's achievements. It is nice to see a continuation which doesn't try to usurp the role by degrading the original.

Sound of Freedom (2023)

A movie that does marketing, directing, and acting right.

[8/10 · 11 July 2023]

Sound of Freedom reminds me of what good cinema can be. A well directed movie with a story to tell and a lesson to be learned. A poignant message portrayed by actors who obviously cared to give everything to their roles. Using imagery in the style of Fritz Lang to imply the worst without the visceral or exploitative moments being displayed in gruesome detail. Not really an action flick, more a drama willing to let emotional moments hang in the air without destroying them with a quip, joke, or witty one-liner. Marketing that depended mostly on word of mouth, which only works if the movie inspires people to talk about it in positive regard. This movie delivers some of the best of what cinema has to offer.

Upright (2019– )

Well acted, heartfelt, and hilarious.

[9/10 · 27 January 2023]

I have been a fan of Minchin for a long time. Much like his comedy this show is a beautiful blend of pain, humor, and redemption. At moments you experience very relatable feelings and then quickly the show shifts to an outlandish experience slightly exaggerated in feeling. This makes the story feel like a narrative being told by the two leads. Speaking of the leads Minchin and Milly Alcock have a great chemistry and play off of each other like estranged family members who still retained their similar sense of humor while they were apart. Minchin has always been a force to be reckoned with, but Alcock really proves her comedic and dramatic ability here.

The Resort (2022– )

Refreshingly intriguing.

[8/10 · 19 August 2022]

The potential this show has is amazing. All the acting is well done and pushes the storyline forward brilliantly. A lot is riding on how it will all be pulled together. Alex is the linchpin to everything. Watching exposition being rapidly erased into a blackhole and only being able to see bits and pieces as it disappears.

The Batman (2022)

Who is John Galt

[7/10 · 18 April 2022]

Renewal fund is every new deal, every build back better.

Riddler is every anarchistic resistance.

Targets are all members of the status quo.

The Batman is John Galt.

Shut In (I) (2022)

A decent movie.

[7/10 · 11 February 2022]

I would have changed how things ended for the husband. Instead of pushing him out of the window she should have pushed him into the bathroom. Then he could have fallen into the pantry and his death would have a cyclical meaning as he would then end in the hell he tried to trap her in.

Dave Chappelle: The Closer (2021 TV Special)

Guess what

[9/10 · 8 October 2021]

Many reviewers did not actually watch and are only here because somebody else that didn't watch heard a thing.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020 Video Game)

Don't read if you have not finished

[9/10 · 15 April 2020]

The game is a fantastic re-imagining of the classic with many changes that I really did enjoy. Though I would have claimed it impossible, I found Tifa and Aerith to be much improved characters. That being said I found Barret, who once was my favorite, to be somewhat annoyingly idealistic and kind of one dimensional. Cloud and Red 13 have promise as both seem to be slower in development, but I look forward to the payoff.

The battle system takes a little to get used to, but is very very good. In the original you could allow your build to over power the enemies. In the remake brute force wont always win. Learn early to block, dodge, counter, and stagger.

The "end game" feels a little strange as it is a chapter based replay system. I always like a free roaming end game where I can change the members of my party with a new game+ option. Ohhh and one where I can use items.

Now for the lingering whispers and the alternate reality. The whispers change this from a remake to an alternate reality in a style like the Star Trek re-imagining. A world where we are left wondering if Aerith will still die. and if Zack will be a playable character or have events turned him into an antagonist. The main questions though are how did Sephiroth see his impending failure and demise, and will we be left feeling strangely disappointed by the possible removal of one of the most meaningful deaths in video game history?

Sex Education (2019–2023)

Leading good intentions astray

[7/10 · 22 January 2020]

Let me get the obvious out of the way first:

I see a lot of complaints about the number of same sex relationships and those complaints are obviously silly. Part of the point is that no matter the make up of the people, human interactions are messy. If you can't see commonality in human interactions unless the person represents you in every way, then you are missing out.

The next complaint I see is about a lack of nudity. I have seen no scene where nudity would have added anything. No scene where it would have displayed strength or vulnerability. This complaint is coming from people that are obviously voyeurs.

That being said the first season is a masterwork of good intentions going awry. Otis (Asa Butterfield) plays a natural leader that is morally confused but means well. The second season Otis leads everybody astray and good intentions are forgotten. I think the second season is almost as good as the first, but the characters became less likable as they act selfishly and caused each other pain. I hope this brings a redemptive third season where the characters grow and become more empathetic as they understand the pain they caused. It seems Otis has started that path at the end of season two.

Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey shine in this show

Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland (2016)

Too much

[4/10 · 17 November 2019]

The Rise of Thadland is a fantastic example of trying to make something a more extreme version of an already extreme concept. Another example of this is NPH as Barney in later seasons of HIMYA. When HIMYA found out people loved Barney, well they tried to make him more Barney-ish. It became very hard for the audience to view Barney as redeemable after this. When you make yourself a parody of yourself you risk becoming unrelatable and annoying.

BMS took characters balancing on the edge and gave them a shove with a Mack truck. It was like adding speed to an energy drink and wondering what went wrong. All of your characters became like the extreme guys from Harold and Kumar, and nobody likes those guys.

Bo Burnham: Make Happy (2016 TV Special)

On a scale from one to zero

[10/10 · 17 November 2019]

Burnham's most well crafted and honest stand-up to date. A performance that is both a slap in the face and a warm embrace to Sartre cliche "hell is other people". Sartre suggests we can not escape the judgment of each other, and Burnham laments a life lived in that judgmental spotlight. Burnham then flips the idea and adds a fear of the darkness outside the public gaze.

This leaves the audience wondering if the spotlight is truly a product of the external world, or is it a brightness radiating from within. Is our happiness self-determined, does it come from others, or is there a codependency to happiness? Maybe Burnham was right before, maybe life on earth could be heaven and we could all make happiness. Maybe we just need to try....

The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019)

Beautifully Broken

[9/10 · 13 November 2019]

The first season was an interesting story of social bonds breaking and forming and breaking again. A youthful wandering mess that displayed struggles between codependency and personal autonomy.

The second season used irony and a fractured swaying depiction of optimism versus pessimism as both perspectives are forced to face the wonder and brutality of reality. A slow dirge in memoriam to the lost youth of the first season.