judywalker2 Reviews

Damsel (2024)

Enjoyable

[8/10 · 14 March 2024]

Though Damsel projected almost its entire story in the trailer, I found it enjoyable. I always love seeing Robin Wright and Angela Bassett, Millie was also great. But the real standout is the Dragon, voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo who's voice I just adore.

The visuals in the movie are stellar and what they are able to accomplish with just Millie on screen is fantastic. I do wish the backstory had been better fleshed out and I think they should have done more with the prince. I have read that the book does a better job with both.

This is definitely a B movie but it's a good time and people should watch it in that vein. It's a fun movie with a nice ending.

American Fiction (2023)

Enjoyable movie

[8/10 · 11 February 2024]

I couldn't wait to see this movie. The casts are some of my favorite actors. American Fiction is an enjoyable and thought-provoking movie, especially to a closet writer. Jeffrey Wright, Sterling Brown, Leslie Uggams and Erika Alexander are great. It's funny and poignant without being in your face preachy. I think it's a movie anyone would enjoy. That being said I really don't find its story Oscar worthy nor are the performances in particular. Don't get me wrong Jeffrey Wright should have been recognized long ago and Sterling K Brown is good in everything he has done. But the story itself if lacking. Origin should have been given a chance to compete. It's an Oscar worthy story and the lead performer gives an Oscar worthy performance.

But I get off subject. For a good time and something to discuss with your Black friends and your true White friends, so see America Fiction.

Role Play (2024)

Just dumb

[3/10 · 4 February 2024]

Someone in Hollywood really likes Kaley Cuoco. I tuned into this movie cause I liked some of the others with this premise, but after watching this one I think its time they stop. Why David Oyelowo wanted to star in produce this nonsense I will never know. The only interesting characters are Bill Nighy and Connie Nielsen who are not in the movie nearly enough. The children are really irritating. The character Emma could have been interesting if we had her story told better. Also I would have liked to see how the couple really met. I thought is was funny how many times a year she did her job. I would like a job like that. Again, these streaming movies are deteriorating one at a time.

If You Were the Last (2023)

Not fun to watch

[4/10 · 4 February 2024]

I love Anthony Mackie so of course I had to try this movie, but it really wasn't much fun to watch. Sure, it's a popcorn flick and the two leads are cute together but in a non-romantic way.... and that's the problem. I just didn't get them as a couple, as colleagues yes, but romantically no. Also, I just didn't like the silly cartoon take on a science fiction film. If they wanted to use those kinds of antics, they should have gone for more of a Lower Decks vibe. I was so bored of the whole thing by the middle of the movie I fast forwarded to the end. I beginning to think these straight to streaming movies are mostly silly faire.

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

Did I like it? Not so much.

[5/10 · 28 January 2024]

I thought this movie might be interesting when I say the previews. Clive Owens usually stars in some relatively good movies. I started watching and was intrigued by Darby's story and Andy's story. Then the story got ridiculously complicated and nonsensical, and I started tuning out during episodes. The closer it got to the end, the more irritating the story and the dialog got. By the end, I didn't care anymore who did what. The end was also extremely predictable.

The visuals were striking, and the actors put in good performances for the sloppy material they were given. I just don't think the plot was very well thought out and the ending was disappointing.

Origin (2023)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 28 January 2024]

I have been waiting to see Origin since I heard about after it got a standing ovation at a film festival. I watched for days to see where it was going to be shown and finally it came to my local theater. I had read good reviews and bad ones, but I knew I had to see it. And I was right. I haven't ever been moved so much by a film as I was moved by this one. My husband, who usually doesn't pay attention to artsy films, paid attention to this one. You have to get use to the time jumps but they work effectively. The movie is brilliant, with a stellar story, gut wrenchingly beautiful performances from the cast, and a message that hits you, whether you want to think about it or not. I agree with one reviewer who said everyone in the world should see this movie.

All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

Could have been way better

[4/10 · 15 December 2023]

When I watch shows which are adapted from books that I haven't read I always wonder if the book was better. This story of French resistance featuring a blind radio operator and a German boy who is also festinated with radios should have been extremely engrossing and enjoyable. But this limited series was not. The production spent too much time on overly dramatic dialog and objects that were the least important to the story. I wish they had concentrated on the characters more especially Etienne. His story should have one of highlights of the story. This was just a missed opportunity. We all know how bad the Nazis were this should have been a story about the good people in a terrible war.

The Marvels (2023)

Written by a 12-year-old for other 12-year olds.

[5/10 · 14 December 2023]

Went to see this movie with my 17- and 11-year-old granddaughters. One is a Ms. Marvel fan and the other is now. For me I was hoping for something that children and adults could enjoy. But, no only kids will enjoy this silly mess.

I enjoyed the Captain Marvel movie and thought the criticism was not warranted. I also loved Wanda Vision and the introduction of Monica Rambeau and I was hoping for at least a good continuation of her story. I didn't watch Ms. Marvel because I'm not a teen and I knew it wasn't for me; and after watching her parts in this movie I'm glad I stuck to that.

All three actresses are good and of course Samuel L in always a pleasure to see, but none of the other characters including the so-called villain were the least bit interesting. Most of the scenes were just downright silly. I hope they continue Monica's story with better writing and I wish Marvel would stop being silly and go back to making movies for adults and kids.

Found (2023– )

Could be really good

[6/10 · 3 December 2023]

I started watching this after I saw a preview. It looked really interesting, and the first few episodes of Season 1 were interesting. But as the season progressed the stories have become less interesting to frankly boring.

I the show is about the relationship between Gabi and Sir but the show is called found, so the people they need to find should be interesting too. So far, they've been less than interesting.

The acting is top notch especially the two actresses that play Gabi and the actor who plays Sir. Margaret, Zeke and Dhan are also interesting characters. Lacey should be an interesting character, but she isn't, and Mark Trent is kind unnecessary and boring.

I hope the stories get better because I would like to see the conflict between Sir and Gabi continue to grow. It would be nice if the people their looking for get more depth to their stories.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Gives no insight into Snow

[5/10 · 29 November 2023]

I enjoyed the original Hunger Games movies and especially since I thought President Snow was one of the most interesting characters. I didn't read any of the books, so I didn't compare the movies to them. But I hope that the book this movie is based on was better than what was presented. My major beef is that the characterization of Snow gave us zero insight into what made him what he was in the future. The acting is good, but the characters are mostly unlikeable. Things are just thrown in without any thought to cohesiveness. Yes, the actress who plays Lucy Gray can sing and the atmosphere was definitely reflective of the capital and the districts, but for the most part the story and Snow were hollow. Just average to bad entertainment.

Gen V (2023– )

Just okay

[6/10 · 9 November 2023]

I started watching this because I loved The Boys and I was hoping for a Soldier Boy cameo. Got that, but really didn't think the show itself was that great. A few of the characters are interesting: Marie, Shetty, Andre and Cate. But the rest of the superhero students are just annoying. Also, the adults like Shetty and Dr. Cardosa are more interesting than the kids. I would have loved to see more of their stories. Even the parents, especially Polarity and Emma's mother deserved more screen time than some of the students. Also, the big build up to the mediocre ending was really disappointing. May or may not watch their season two. I'd rather stick with the grownup Boys.

Invasion (2021–2024)

Really great

[10/10 · 18 September 2023]

Apple+ now has five great series: Invasion, Silo, Hijack, For All Mankind and Foundation.

I think I put this series and Foundation in the same great SciFi category as the Expanse. Movies have done alien invasions to death but this is a fresh take to me. Yes it's not perfect, I wish there weren't subtitles which are really hard to read quickly. And yes some of the scenes are so dark it's hard to see what's going on. But for the most part the story is engaging and the characters are extremely well written and drive the story. It's very different and I think that's a good thing. I think people who make movies are finally getting it, character is everything.

Ahsoka (2023– )

High hopes dashed

[5/10 · 18 September 2023]

I had high hopes for Ahsoka because I loved the animated Clone Wars. I even binged the whole seventh season so I could remember what happened. But, my high hopes were dashed with the first episode and never got any better. Though the actors are good, they are given really a boring, tedious story to work with. By the end of the season, I really didn't care what happened. This is the same thing that happened with Bobba Fett and the second season of the Mandalorian.

There was one good part, seeing Anakin with Hayden getting better dialog than he got in the two movies he was saddled with. The young Ahsoka was infinitely more interesting than the Rosario's character was. Too bad.

This show cemented for me that the only successful Star Wars series is Andor. I sure hope they don't mess it up when it comes back.

Hijack (2023)

Great blend of procedure and action

[8/10 · 11 August 2023]

Hijack is a great blend of procedural TV and action. I watch anything that Idris is involved with. This surprised me in its depth of character and storytelling. It goes to a place I didn't expect and that's a good thing.

Some of it is a little over the top but for the most part it reminds me a lot of the old Airplane disaster movies where you go around learning character backstories in the plane and on the ground. The visuals are great and the dialog spot on for the situation. I do wish they had done translation for all of the dialog, at least for the audience to better understand what was being said. A great show, but I don't know how they will carry it into a Season 2.

Secret Invasion (2023)

An unfortunately sad and boring show

[5/10 · 30 July 2023]

I had high hopes for Secret Invasion since I am a Nick Fury fan, but sadly the storyline just didn't go down well and the villains, especially Gravik were not well fleshed out.

Samuel L was his usually great self as an older Nick Fury, his time on screen were some of the best parts of the show. Too bad the storyline didn't do him justice. My other favorite characters were Sonya and Priscilla. These two would have been great additions to the MCU before this show. I can't say the same for G'ian. The climatic end between her and Gravik was overly lengthy at best and silly at worst. I really don't care to know how the MCU is going to carry her character forward; but I guess it'll give Sonya more story time. Too bad this turned out to be another missed opportunity for Marvel.

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

Could have been way better

[5/10 · 25 July 2023]

I saw the trailer for this and thought it would be fun to watch. I'm a fan of the actors and the storyline of cloning a black guy has to be interesting, right? Well not so much.

I'll start with the good. The acting is stellar and the costuming and cinematic tone is spot on for the genre. Teyonah Paris was so great she outshined the boys (Foxx and Boyega who were good). The music was also great and even the small characters were fleshed out.

It was the story I had a problem with. I know there was a message, and the message was semisolid; but the plot holes were too large to ignore. I'm not going to go into them since it would create spoilers, but logic was missing. But maybe it was supposed to be, since it's a fantastical story.

On a personal note, it was hard for me to watch since it was difficult to hear and understand what the actors were saying a lot of the time. Plus, I think the movie could have been better without all the profanity, but I guess they were trying to make it real. I might have to try and watch it a second time to see if I get it better than I did the first time, but the language might stop me.

Citadel (2023– )

Not great but pretty interesting

[7/10 · 18 July 2023]

I decided to watch Citadel after I watched Jack Ryan. I hadn't heard very good thing about it but for me it was pretty interesting. I really like some of the characters. Nadia for one and Tucci's computer genius. Also, the story has an intriguing villain. The visuals are good except for a few really bad CGI moments. The action is top notch. The dialog isn't always great but no worse than anything else i.e the Night agent, The Recruit. Teh story is really interesting but sometimes it's hard to tell who's who. I think people should watch it and make up their own minds. If you liked those other two shows I mentioned, you'll probably like this one. I hope they continue to the story. I would hate to see it end with just one season.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Like Wow!

[9/10 · 2 June 2023]

I am a old school spiderman fan, that means the old animation. I never liked Tobey McGuire or Tom Holland. I did like Andrew Garfield as spiderman, but only the first was a good movie. When I saw the first Miles Morales movie I was hooked. I loved the characters, the story and the animation. That movie did the multiverse better than any of Marvel's live action movies. Now Across the Spider-Verse surpasses its predecessor. The visuals take a little getting used to but they really fit the story. The stories and the voice acting is stellar. Then when you think it can't get any better, they come up with a radical ending or should I say, cliffhanger. Can't wait to see more. P. S. I only gave it a 9/10 because some of the humor is a little cheesy.

The Little Mermaid (I) (2023)

Beautiful and praiseworthy

[8/10 · 30 May 2023]

It's hard to make a revision of a beloved classic animated film. So much of who we are is wrapped up in the original Little Mermaid. That being said, this is a beautiful and praiseworthy reimagination of the original. It's not perfect, but it has a lot of great things about it. I think most of the acting is stellar. Hally Bailey does a fabulous job. It takes a lot to portrait emotions and not speak during a third of the movie. Her voice is great, and I have to admit I cried when she sang 'part of your world'.

I am black and I really loved the diversity of the cast, who cares that it's supposed to be colonial time; it's a darn fantasy. I do think CGI is problematic because animation does a much better job with animal expressiveness. I also think it could have been a shorter movie. I liked the additional songs (I think there were only two and that's why it could have been shorter).

I am not sure I liked the way they did the ending. I can't wait till it comes out on Disney+ so I can view it again (because I can't afford to see it in theaters twice, too expensive.).

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

Interesting

[7/10 · 10 May 2023]

I started watching this after seeing the trailer. It is interesting and has a lot of good characters. Kerri Russell's character is a little over the top, but Rufus Sewell is a pleasure to watch. You really have to pay attention to figure out what's happening, but the story keeps you interested. It does remind me of things like the West Wing and Scandal but with the Russell and Sewell not always on the same page it makes it fun to watch. I will be interested to see where they go with this in the future. Definitely better than average but not perfect. It's fun to watch a different kind of woman in charge.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)

Perfect

[10/10 · 10 May 2023]

I had great expectations for this show, and it delivered. Bravo to Shonda and the cast. Plan on watching it again. It is a beautiful romance but also captures the other heavy themes of racial relations, women's dependence on men for their position, the monarchy, and mental illness. The acting is topnotch and award worthy. Even though the story is short the actors/actresses are able to make everyone's story stand out. I was particularly impressed with Brimsley and his fellow servant. Also, Agatha and Violet. But the two leads are standouts. India owns every scene she is in, with both leads having such great chemistry. Absolutely, 10 out of 10.

Kindred (2022)

Just okay

[6/10 · 17 January 2023]

I wanted to watch this since I never read any of Octavia Butler's books but I love SciFi. This started as an interesting story but some of the frustration I developed as I watched came right at the beginning. The main character, Dana is just not likeable. I felt for everyone else in the story except her. Also the story evolves really slowly, so the episodes get boring as nothing really important happens and information things that should be important doesn't come. Maybe I just found it hard to continue to pay attention since I didn't like Dana. I guess it's really the problem of time-travel shows where characters still act like they're in modern times. Same reason I didn't like Outlander that much. I hope to see the story get better maybe in subsequent seasons.

Glass Onion (2022)

Really enjoyable

[9/10 · 6 January 2023]

This movie was great. Great cast, great story and great fun. Daniel Craig was in rare form and Janelle Monae was great in her role. Kate Hudson was also great. Good to see Leslie Odom Jr, he's a much-underrated actor. I for one thought the scenery was great. The story was interesting with great twists. Though the guilty party was easy to figure out what the end result would be was not. So good job by the writers to keep you guessing. I hope Daniel Craig keeps this role for a while, love this guy like I loved Monk and Columbo. Keep them coming. Might watch it a second time, it's that fun. I was going to give it a ten, but not perfect so 9.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Beautiful tribute with some missed opportunities

[7/10 · 21 November 2022]

Of course like everyone else I loved the original Black Panther and this film gives a great tribute to Chadwick and T'Challa. Shuri, Okoye, Nakia and Ramonda have wonderful storylines. I liked the introduction of Riri and look forward to her future. The costumes, sets and scenery were what we would expect from the great nation of Wakanda. The backstory for Namor and his people was brilliant and Talokan was beautiful.

Saying that there were some things for me that could have been done better, the music was uninspiring. I wish there had been improvement in M'Baku's storyline and the lack of other important male characters was troubling for me as were some of the fight scenes that went on forever.

I also had the same problem with this movie as I had with the original. The villain is really not a villain. Namor and Killmonger are opposites with the same goals and to see the Waukandans flight them wasn't pleasant. I do get the point, but I wish they had circled back to the real villian. But I guess that will happen in other movies.

The Woman King (2022)

Tremendously entertaining

[9/10 · 15 October 2022]

I have loved Viola Davis since she first appeared on screen. She is a force on camera. I think she and all of the other black women actresses did a fabulous job with this movie. This movie proves and that stories about black women and men can make money at the box office and be timely, entertaining, poignant and cinematically beautiful.

It is hard for me as a Black person to sit through a movie where we are fighting and killing each other; but it happened all over the continent. I really enjoyed the realism of this film. I know people were concerned about it not being real as it dealt with slavery, but I think it did a very good job.

To Viola Davis and all involved with this film I say, Bravo.