shahar-zivan Reviews

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023– )

Not what you'd expect, but good once you accept that

[8/10 · 18 November 2023]

Rather than being simply a direct animated adaptation of the comic book like what we were all hoping to see, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is... well, telling you what it is would spoil it. So let's just say, it takes some interesting liberties with the plot.

And yeah, my first reaction was pretty negative, like a lot of reviewers here. This was not what I was hoping to see, and I swear I only stuck with it out of the slim hope the show will backpedal and get back on track at some point.

But the show did win me over in the end. I still wish it was just a faithful retelling of the story, but for what it is - it's genuinely good. The new direction complements the original, adding more depth to the characters and the world, and keeping things refreshing for long-time fans.

The one, huge downside is... this absolutely can not be your first introduction into the world of Scott Pilgrim. That'd be a terrible idea. You have to at least watch the movie first. I can't explain why without spoiling, but trust me on this.

This is a very strange choice, for such a niche franchize. Limiting your audience even further is not what you'd expect from professional filmmakers, but maybe they assumed the only people who'd want to watch this are people who love it already. I don't know. Anyway, it's pretty brave, and once you get past the surprise. It's actually really good.

Glass Onion (2022)

Worthy sequel

[9/10 · 23 December 2022]

Knives Out, this movie's predecessor, was very special in how it took the whodunnit formula and flipped it on it's head, constantly keeping you guessing, making you question even simple things like "who's the protagonist?". All of that was done by the movie only showing you what it wants you to know when it wants you to know it, but somehow still making you feel like you're seeing the whole thing. It was immensely clever in it's presentation and it was a big factor in the movie's success and critical acclaim.

So, when this movie was announced - I thought, no way. They can't possibly do it again. We already know how it works, we know the tricks, we'll see it coming. There are only so many ways you can flip the classic whodunnit formula, right?

Wrong, apparently. Even with all of the prior knowledge of the storytelling tricks Ryan Johnson likes to employ - This movie is still thrilling, surprising and full of brilliant twists - and yet it all connects perfectly leaving no plot holes or questionable character actions. And, perhaps most importantly, none of it feels like a repeat of what we've already seen.

If you liked Knives Out, I think you'll like this too. It's different, but very clearly made by the same mind, and it's really really fun.

Warrior Nun (2020–2022)

Surprisingly good

[8/10 · 10 December 2022]

I was basically expecting the typical Netflix supernatural teen drama shovelware, the kind they keep making even though it's always terrible and gets cancelled after 1 season because nobody watches it. The idea of the protagonist being a nun with the powers of an Angel wasn't appealing to me either, because I usually find this kind of shallow attempt at theological fantasy just awkward and often downright embarrassing.

But I needed a way to kill a few hours on a lazy Saturday, and I didn't wanna start anything I was genuinely interested in because I expected some interruptions, so... Warrior Nun was chosen.

I did not expect I'd spend the rest of my Saturday binge watching all of season 1. I did not expect to get so invested, excited, and emotional. But I did.

The first few episodes were... pretty much what I expected - Cringeworthy teen drama and ridiculous "angels vs demons" nonsense. I only kept watching because I had nothing better to do, and because there were a few hints that things are not exactly as they seem, which did keep me intrigued.

Sticking with it was the right choice. Every episode is better than the last, the theological stuff that I thought was shallow turns out to be a lot more complex than expected, the quality of the action scenes improves rapidly, and some of the characters are truly great. It even had some plot twists that I absolutely did not see coming, which hardly ever happens in these kinds of shows.

This show really deserves more recognition. Stick with it past the first few episodes, and you'll see. It has no right being this good.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Extremely likable protagonist, but not much else

[7/10 · 16 July 2022]

Iman Vellani was wonderful as the titular Ms. Marvel, a very fun character with a different background than most MCU superheroes we've seen so far. I enjoyed how her ethnicity truly played into the story and wasn't just a tick on the diversity checkbox, and her struggle between her religious family and her more secular American lifestyle + Superhoism was interesting to watch.

But sadly... that's pretty much it. Everything else was pretty bland - The story developed way too slowly, the villains were bland and boring (and honestly pretty dumb), the big character moments felt rushed and unearned, and honestly I had a really hard time keeping my attention on the show for quite a lot of scenes.

It's a shame because there was so much potential there, but it really didn't go anywhere.

Still, just because Kamala is such a fun character, I'll give it a 7 and say it's worth a watch, but don't expect much.

Halo (2022– )

It's got the right ingredients, but lacks focus

[6/10 · 29 May 2022]

I'm not a lifelong Halo fan. I've only played through the franchise recently, and I did enjoy it quite a lot so I was excited for this show. The negative reviews ruined that excitement, but I decided to give it a chance anyway.

And while I can't say it's good, it does have everything we want in a Halo series - Great action scenes (with very few cuts, none of that cut-4-times-a-second nonsense), great chemistry between Master Chief and Cortana, a big cosmic mystery, on-point visual design, cool videogame-like first-person sequences, and a lot of time spent building up the characters.

On paper, it sounds like exactly what I wanted. Sadly, it's not.

There are 2 serious problems: 1. The lack of focus - Too much time is spent on uninteresting and irrelevant side characters, their backstories and personal quests that have nothing to do with the main plot. Conflict is created between characters that don't have any reason to be antagonistic, just as some kind of way to drag things out. Way too much boardroom politics and ethical debates. The show literally goes several episodes without a single action scene after the first episode.

2. Everyone is stupid. Really, people just make decisions that are obviously going to backfire. Spartans take off their helmets for no reason, or just go around completely unarmored, just so that they have a weakness because the script needs them to lose. Characters that are supposedly intelligent believe blatant and obvious lies from people they couldn't possibly trust. It feels like the script is the master, and characters will sometimes just completely change their entire personality just because the script needs them to. It's pretty painful to watch at times.

So, while there are definitely good things there, I think it's just barely enough to be worth watching. Might even not be worth it at all if you're a big Halo fan (didn't even get into the amount of completely unnecessary and absolutely annoying lore changes).

But the ingredients are there, and many of the characters are really well cast, so I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they learn from the backlash and do better in season 2.

Moon Knight (2022)

Not what I hoped it would be, but not bad

[6/10 · 6 May 2022]

First off, let me just praise Oscar Isaac's wonderful acting. He alone makes this show worth watching with an absolutely top-notch performance. Every moment he's on screen is a joy to watch.

Sadly, I can't really praise much else. With a few exceptions (1 scene in particular in the last episode), the fight/action sequences are pretty bland (often even nonexistent, as the show just cuts past the action); The story is convoluted, has its fair share of plot holes and characters acting against all logic for no visible reason, and overall just not that engaging; The villain is unbelievably boring, doesn't really do anything, and is mostly just incredibly lucky rather than smart/powerful.

There's also the differences from the comics, which disappointed me as well. For example, Steven is not a millionaire who funds Moon Knight's crime fighting, but rather... he's just a nobody. Without a financial backing, Moon Knight obviously can't have fancy gadgets, so... the gadgets are now just magical and they manifest at will.

That's a minor annoyance though. The big issue with them drifting so far from the comics is that... this Moon Knight just isn't a crime fighter. We don't see him exacting his brand of brutal vengeance on evildoers, doing Batman-esque detective work and putting fear into criminals. We don't see him... being Moon Knight.

Instead, what we have here is basically Indiana Jones With Superpowers. You could easily take this script, write the Superhero aspects out of it and turn into the next Indiana Jones movie and it would feel perfectly in place.

Now, I like Indiana Jones movies (minus The Crystal Skull, obviously), but it's just not what I think Moon Knight should be about. It's not what I wanted this show to be.

I guess the bottom line is, it's a very mediocre show and not a good adaptation of the source material, but Oscar Isaac makes it worth watching. I do hope there will be a season 2, and that season will focus on the aspects of Moon Knight that I am more interested in.

Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020)

I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did

[9/10 · 1 April 2022]

I felt like rewatching Veronica Mars, which is one of my comfort shows, but it's not on Netflix and I don't have Hulu at the moment, so I just googled "Netflix shows like Veronica Mars" and this came up. It looked pretty fun, and only had 1 season so it was a big commitment, so I figured I'd give it a go.

I was absolutely hooked from the first episode. This show is so much better than I could have guessed. It's funny, it's clever, it's touching, and it's not afraid to speak it's mind... but most importantly, it's absolutely 100% all about the characters.

This is exactly the kind of thing I want from my series. Character development being front and center, and everything else just being pillars to build on. Sterling and Blair are both just wonderful protagonists, they actresses have great chemistry and it's a joy to watch them together.

The show's also surprisingly woke, but not in a preachy way, and is very blunt and open about its political stances, but all of it just fits into who the characters are and nothing clashes with the story.

Genuinely, this is masterfully written and beautifully acted. I am genuinely gutted that there isn't any more of it. I wish there was some way to save it.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

As if it wasn't boring enough

[3/10 · 30 March 2022]

When watching the theatrical cut, did you find yourself thinking "I wish this slog of a movie was paced even slower than it already is?" Then this edition is for you! With over 30 minutes of extra slowness where nothing interesting happens, you'll get to be bored out of your mind for significantly longer!

If you *didn't* find this snoozefest too fast for you, stay away.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The most comic-booky a live action film has ever been

[9/10 · 24 December 2021]

The sheer amount of stuff happening in every act, the quick introductions of beloved characters whenever the story wanted them to be there, the ridiculous over-the-top fan service.

It was genuinely like reading a comic book, except in live action.

If you love nonsensical superhero comic shenanigans, this movie delivers like no other before it.

It does not get a perfect 10 from me because those are reserved for movies that I feel are unforgettable, that have moments I feel will stay with me forever. This movie doesn't seem to have any of those, but it is still just pure fun start-to-finish, and makes the future of the MCU (or is it MCM at this point?) look very bright and promising.

Eternals (2021)

Feels fresh, if nothing else

[7/10 · 27 November 2021]

There are definitely problems here - Lots of characters introduced at once, resulting in most of them being under-developed. The visuals are hit and miss, occasionally being so dark and colorless it feels like a Zack Snyder film, but being really gorgeous at other times. The plot has some holes and some weird decisions by characters that don't seem to make any sense. None of the action scenes are particularly memorable. The pacing is too slow, but at the same time it feels like we don't spend enough time with the characters.

But it does have something that all the other Marvel origin-stories don't - the courage to move away from the formula.

The story simply develops in ways that are different to previous MCU origin stories. The pacing was different, the plot points were different, the entire style of storytelling was different - and while drifting away from the tried-and-proven formula definitely adds a whole lot of flaws, it also finally gives us a Marvel movie that feels fresh and different.

For me - and especially after watching Shang Chi - seeing a Marvel movie where I genuinely don't know for certain what's gonna happen next was really fun, and that's enough for me to give it a positive score.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Nauseatingly formulaic

[6/10 · 27 November 2021]

I know, I know... It's an MCU origin story - of course it's gonna be formulaic. They all have been up to this point.

But... maybe I'm just tired of it at this point. Maybe I've had too much. This one just felt *so* by-the-numbers that I could literally predict everything that happens in a scene, as soon as it started - and I wasn't even trying.

My brain just did it completely on its own - "oh I bet now they're gonna argue and the argument will be interrupted by bad guys attacking", etc. Every time.

It just made the movie very hard to enjoy.

I'm still giving it a 6 because, if you're not already overly familiar with the Marvel formula it might be pretty fun, and the actors do a good job, the martial arts scenes are pretty cool, the jokes are okay and the characters are likable. It also makes sure to have lots of easter eggs and references to previous MCU titles, to keep you entertained.

So there's enough decent stuff to put it in the higher half of the rating options. But just barely.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

Don't be turned away by the low scores. It's good

[8/10 · 22 November 2021]

Let me start by saying I really dislike Anime as a medium. I simply can't stand the art style and the storytelling style employed in Anime. It just takes me out of the story immediately.

That sucks, because I have many Anime-fan friends and I keep hearing about these great stories that I don't get to enjoy. Cowboy Bebop is one of the ones I hated being left out of, because my Anime-loving friends kept raving about it.

So, when this came out, I was excited. Especially after a few early reviews said it gets a lot of it right, I was expecting a masterpiece.

...And this wasn't it. I was honestly really disappointed after the first episode. The writing is corny and cliche-ridden, the dialogue is eyeroll-inducingly unnatural, and it's predictable as hell. But I decided to give it a chance to get better and win me over, and it did.

The writing doesn't get any better, the dialogue stays goofy and the stories are extremely predictable, but... it's just so stylish. It's beautifully shot, wonderfully directed and the soundtrack is just incredible. The action scenes are awesome, the comedic timing is great, the world is intriguing and the campy writing just kinda fits into it.

The actors do a surprisingly good job delivering the goofy lines they're reading, and the main cast has a good enough chemistry to make you like them.

In the end, I really enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece, and you shouldn't expect one. It's just fun, pretty, dopamine-enducing nonsense to turn your brain off to and enjoy. I'd say it pretty much fills the exact same spot that Cobra Kai did.

As for all the negative reviews taking down the score, if you go over them quickly you'll see 90% of them complain about nonsense like the actors not looking like the anime characters.

If you haven't seen the anime, or are mature enough to accept that living people aren't gonna look like drawings, I'd say there's a good chance you'll like it.

Lucifer: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam (2021) Season 5, Episode 10

There are good musical episodes, and there are episodes like this

[5/10 · 4 June 2021]

Some shows, like Buffy and Community, nailed the musical episode idea, made me fall in love with the songs and want to listen to them again and again after watching the episodes.

Then there are shows like this, where I stopped caring the second the music started.

There are two reasons for this - 1. The minor reason - The songs are all covers. I'm not a huge fan of covers, especially ones that don't really do anything musically different with the song.

2. The major reason - The songs don't progress the story. Instead, the songs happen *between* story points. The story stops, they sing, the story resumes.

In the Buffy musical, for example, the songs are crucial to the plot. The biggest reveal of the episode, possibly of the entire 6th season, happens as part of a song. It gives the songs weight, makes them feel integral.

In this episode of Lucifer, the songs feel like filler. You could go to the bathroom when a song starts, come back when it ends, and you haven't missed a thing. It lacks impact, it lacks meaning, and it's just not necessary. They could have told the exact same story without songs.

The result was me rolling my eyes every time the music started, and only half-watching until the song was over.

Disappointed. They have a very talented cast, but the writers simply failed to deliver.

Watchmen (2019)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 22 August 2020]

This show is absolutely brilliant. A magnificent symphony of moving pieces that all comes together beautifully in the end, full of twists and turns, action and just overall great, smart storytelling. Everything from the writing to the acting to the directing to the editing was simply top-notch, and it captures the spirit of Watchmen entirely. There is one caveat though. I feel this show is aimed towards people who have read the Watchmen comics. Not seen the movie, read the comics. I don't know how much I would have enjoyed the show had I not read it first. On the one hand, it's a weird decision, limiting your audience like this. On the other hand, as a fan, it's amazing to get such an incredible gem, without dumbing down or over explaining so that every dummy can follow.

Harley Quinn (2019– )

Easiest 10/10 I've ever given

[10/10 · 2 August 2020]

Why can't the DCEU be more like this? They'd absolutely dominate the MCU if they just let these dudes write the films

The Expanse (2015–2022)

This show made me want to take back every 10* review I ever gave anything else

[10/10 · 20 January 2020]

Some of the best written characters on television, awesome realistic sci-fi based on real physics, intense plot, great acting and directing, great vfx (okay they're not very good at the start but they get better). I have no idea how this show doesn't have as big a following as Game of Thrones

After Life (2019–2022)

Brutally honest

[9/10 · 11 January 2020]

Ask any Ricky Gervais fan to ask what they love so much about him, and they're probably going to say it's his brutal honesty. He doesn't hold anything back, he doesn't pretend to be something he's not, and he doesn't leave anything out. That's true to his stand-up, it's true to his Golden Globe opening monologues and it's true to his scripts as well. After Life is no exception. It's a funny, touching, painful yet heartwarming piece about dealing with grief that gets it so painfully right, but does it with a lot of heart and the correct amount of gravitas. The only, tiny criticism I have is that if you're a long time Ricky Gervais fan, some of the jokes in this will be ones you've seen him do before, that he just wrote into the script. That deja-vu feeling took me out of it a bit, but it only happened for a few very short bits. Other than that, this show is perfect.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

I don't get the hype

[6/10 · 7 December 2019]

The 1st episode was promising, I'll admit that much. The 2nd was weaker, but still entertaining. By the 3rd one, the lack of character development started bothering me, but the story kept going forward at an eager pace so I was enjoying myself. The 4th episode has no character development, barely any world building and no relevance to the story. The 5th had not even one of those things. So, at this point, after 5 episodes out of a total of 8, the characters are no richer than they were at the beginning and the story has ground to a halt. What is all the hype about? Is it just because Baby Yoda is cute? I'll admit, the episodes are well made - well directed, good camera work, impressive practical effects, etc. But without good characters or a story, I don't feel anything. I really wanted to like this. I heard such good things and had such high hopes. But 5 episodes in, I am done. There are a lot of great shows out there nowadays, and I'd rather not waste my time on this one.

Rick and Morty: The Ricklantis Mixup (2017) Season 3, Episode 7

Getting darker

[10/10 · 11 September 2017]

A relatively comedy-light episode (though still more than a few funny moments) full of drama, existential philosophy, social commentary and pure utter brilliance. The writers managed to achieve in this 22 minute episode more than most shows can do in an hour, without feeling rushed. Not to mention the brilliant Justin Roiland's solo performance, as he voiced every character in this episode. This really is television at its best.

The Defenders (2017)

The Defenders face their weakest enemy yet

[7/10 · 19 August 2017]

* Very minor potential spoilers. Nothing too specific. Still, better safe than sorry*

A lot of the issues have been brought up in other reviews - The predictable story, the piles over piles of clichés and the uneven pace - But all those things, I can live with. Superhero shows have clichés, and they're predictable, and Marvel's Netflix shows have all had pacing issues. Other than a cringe here and a sigh there, I didn't mind these too much.

What bothered me was the lack of suspense. To put it simply, there was no real threat. Sure, we hear a lot about how powerful the Hand is and how everyone is in grave danger, but that's all that is - hearsay. We don't see it. The fights seem very easy. Jessica Jones, with no martial arts skills, handles the Hand's ninjas with ease; Luke Cage is rarely even bothered by anyone; Daredevil, famous for the rough fights where he takes as many punches as he gives, walks out of fights without a scratch; And Iron Fist... Well, okay, he was in a bit of danger here and there, but never for long and never in a way that actually had me concerned. Overall, the 5 fingers of the Hand were really not all that impressive, and hardly felt threatening. The resurrected Elektra was scary at first, but as expected we quickly stop worrying about her when she remembers Matt. Every threat that arises is quickly put down as the Hand struggles to deal with the united Defenders, and our reasons for caring vanish rapidly.

Other issues were some plot holes, some story threads that made absolutely no sense, character inconsistencies and very meh fight choreography.

Still, it's worth a watch if you're a fan. Jessica Jones was very enjoyable in my opinion, the spark of a friendship between Danny and Luke was fun to watch, and just generally seeing this heroes both work together and fight each other was a joy, even if it was all extremely predictable.

American Gods: Git Gone (2017) Season 1, Episode 4

Absolutely spectacular

[10/10 · 21 May 2017]

This was the first episode to tell a story that is (mostly) not adapted from the book. And as a huge book fan - this is my favorite episode so far. Seeing everything from Laura's perspective was wonderful and brought a fresh point of view, and many more layers to Shadow and Laura's relationship. The episode was riddled with brilliant dark humor (First time I actually laughed out loud), great dialogue and wonderful acting (that, just this once, wasn't overshadowed by Ian McShane's brilliance). I also believe that, if you haven't read the book, this is an episode where some pieces will start falling into place.

Overall, a definite 10/10 in my book