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Reviews
Sonic Prime (2022)
Decent kids show, but nothing special
As a kids show, Sonic Prime is decent enough. There's some stunning action, fun characters and plenty of suspense. But it's a flawed concept that it is not executed very well, and so it ends up being nothing special.
It's a shame they decided to go with the multi-verse angle. The first episode felt like the Sonic Cartoon of my dreams, as it closely resembled the game setting. And then it was all downhill from there.
In the first season, the cast constantly changes when Sonic switches dimensions. This kills the engagement, as you continually having to re-acquaint yourself with new characters. It also makes the experience repetitive, as each episode is about Sonic having to prove himself and win the trust of his alternative dimension friends.
It also has a weird flashback gimmick that doesn't tell you anything new about the characters or the plot.
Things get better in the second season as that sticks to the characters we met in the first season. So you are not having to re-acquaint yourself with new characters. But there's no variety. The second season is basically one big action sequence. Sonic just reacts to everything that is thrown at him. The villains bring a good sense of stakes, but they have no real master plan. Likewise, the hero also have no strategy. There's no seed planting that pays off later. It's just like an extended session of the video games.
Like I said, it's decent enough. But with a different approach it could have been so much better.
FUBAR (2023)
Delightful from start to finish!
Everything about this is just delightful.
CHARACTERS:
Every character is brilliantly written. They all have their own quirks and relationships with each other. The show does an excellent job of playing the characters off each other. In doing so, you see new dimensions to the characters unfold over time. You'll both be emotionally engaged with the character, while also laughing out loud at the situations they get themselves in.
PLOT:
The plot certainly lives up to the title of FUBAR, as there's always something going wrong. The disasters create an equal mix of suspense amd humor.
ACTION:
Despite having a strong comedy flavor to it, FUBAR is no slough in the action, with some beautifully choreographed scenes.
The middle parts of each episode can sometimes be a little slow as they set the table for what's to come. But other than that, this is an exceptional show!
The Night Agent (2023)
Highly Engaging
While Night Agent doesn't do anything innovative or groundbreaking, it is highly engaging. I was on the edge of my seat throughout.
The characters and scenarios are formulaic, but it does an excellent job of building tension and suspense. There's a strong sense of "what will happen next". The pacing is superb, as there is never a dull moment. Each episode ends on an exciting cliffhanger, and the following episode does a satisfying job of resolving the cliffhanger and build up to the next one.
The villains are especially good, with some quirky personalities.
It also has a good selection of film locations.
Overall, it follows the action series playbook very closely, but manages to be a high engaging enjoyable watch from start to finish.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023)
A thoroughly satisfying nostalgic feast! A must see!
THE MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS ARE BACK!
Unlike other revivals, this special stays true to the spirit of the source material. All the energetic posing, explosions, over-the-top villains, and spectacular fight scenes that made the original such compelling viewing are lovingly recreated in all their delightfully cheesy glory. You can genuinely feel all the love that has gone into this special to make it faithful to the original.
But there's a fresh modern twist, as the characters are fleshed out more with juicy internal conflicts and a high-stakes story. It's a heady mix of old and new.
There's never a dull moment when watching. The pacing keeps up the thrills, while the action scenes always amaze in that unique Power Rangers way.
There are some minor problems. The special should have been longer to give more time for the secondary rangers (especially for Adam and Aisha, and maybe shown more of Kat/Rocky in their civilian lives). The Megazord CGI could have done with a larger budget (It's stunningly beautiful in some places, but in some areas, I wish they had the budget for a physical suit).
But there's so much breathtaking action, compelling storytelling, and delightful nostalgia, that it's hard to complain: You'll be thoroughly entertained throughout!
A definite must-see!
I sincerely hope Hasbro/Netflix turn this into a season. It's just too good to be a one-shot standalone.