wesley-j-lucas Reviews

Human Resources (2022–2023)

Another fantastic adult-oriented comedy from the brilliant comedy duo behind Big Mouth

[10/10 · 20 March 2022]

Just finished bingeing the show with my family and I'm happy to say that Human Resources lives up to the hype and expectations set in place by its direct predecessor! Shifting the focus away from the school-aged shenanigans of Big Mouth, Human Resources instead takes us behind the scenes of some new adult characters and into the daily professional and personal lives of the monsters that make their lives possible. If you're up to date on Big Mouth, you'll quickly recognize some of this series'returning and regular characters, like Maury, Connie, Mona, Gavin, Tyler, and yes, Rick (the hormone monsters), Walter, Sonya, and Rochelle the love bugs, the Shame Wizard, Depression Kitty, and Tito the anxiety mosquito...and you'll be just as pleased to meet some of the new creatures like Emmy the love bug, Petra the ambition gremlin, Dante the addiction angel (flipping a common phrase on its head to humorous effect and voiced by the always-up-for-something-fun, Hugh Jackman), and Pete the logic rock, among many others including 2 new shame wizards voiced by the formidable academy award winners, Dame Helen Mirren and Lupita Nyongo. We are introduced to all of their quirks and responsibilities over the course of the freshman 10 episode season, with each episode following the familiar format of Big Mouth and showcasing the new roles, problems, and solutions that adult humans (as well as those of a few familiar returning teens) face with the aid of their individual teams of helpers.

Right away, we are faced with a crash and burn and a lingering mystery that isn't resolved until the back half of the season is coming into full view. It also sets the stage for some truly heartwarming and emotionally devastating, but satisfying, payoffs towards the end of the season and beyond. Episode 9 in particular, which follows the relationship between Walter and his elderly Lebanese client and the impact of her advanced age and deteriorating condition (as well as the effects of Alzheimer's on the afflicted and their family), was particularly poignant, smart, and incredibly moving. The show uses music to great effect for both serious and comedic moments and the song choice at the end of the aforementioned episode 9 is a perfect example. Human Resources really shines with the use of its celebrity cast, giving them lines you'd never hear them say in a live action film, and I have to imagine that *many* actors would jump at the chance to record such sex-positive and absolutely hilarious lines, especially the women who would likely never get a chance to be so filthy were this not an animated show. As always, the performances are brilliant and it's easy to forget that you're listening to certain actors because they become so engrossed in the characters that they're portraying.

At its conclusion, Human Resources has set the stage not just for more intriguing and heartfelt stories to come during its sophomore outing but for the next season of Big Mouth, as well. It will be very interesting to see how Kroll and Goldberg manage to weave together consistent and wide-ranging character arcs between 2 different shows within a constant universe but given that they've already done so with this season, and the fact that they've knocked each and every season of Big Mouth out of the park thus far, it would be foolish to bet against them doing so. These shows have a writing team that clearly has its finger on the pulse of what is funny, what needs to be said, and what can be left unsaid.

This was a great first season, that hit the ground running and never faltered in its sprint to the finish line. There are clearly LOADS (*pun intended) of new and interesting stories the writers have in mind for the series and as long as they maintain the same great mix of humor, brutal honesty, unflinching looks at the more depressing and sad aspects of life, and the brilliant representation of people from different genders, sexual orientations, and cultures, those of us who count ourselves as fans will have many, many more seasons, characters, and storylines to love.

The Simpsons (1989– )

Still the greatest animated show on television

[10/10 · 28 June 2021]

The Simpsons did it! It's a joke in a specific South Park episode but it's oh so true; The Simpsons have been pioneers in the animated comedy world for so very long and they continue to be today. People who say that it's gone downhill since season whatever arbitrary season they decide clearly haven't been watching the same show I have! The Treehouse of Horror episodes have gotten funnier and edgier each year, the characters (even random side characters) have continued to develop and grow resulting in some awesome new canon to a show which already has more to it than all 8000 years of Westerosi history, and the parodies of other TV shows/pop culture events and couch gags with guest animators have continued to amaze and showcase the amazing wit and talent that exists within the writer's room of The Simpsons.

It has grown with us over the years, evolving and adding more and more to its ever-expanding world. Since I've gotten Disney+ I must have watched every episode now at least 3 or 4 times but there are still new things that I find when I sit down to watch it with my son...and it's a blast being able to share something with him that brought me so much joy and comedy since I was a child myself.

Speaking of the comedy, I did not realize just how edgy and biting some of it was until I rewatched old episodes as an adult! Some of the things that Moe and Groundskeeper Willie vocalize are just completely insane, to say nothing of Homer or Marge's hilarious outbursts. And recent episodes have just gotten that delivery and joke format totally down pat. A particularly favorite line that illustrates the genius of The Simpsons was Homer saying to Marge regarding gaslighting, "yeah, you've always said that Marge. Remember? Remember?!" It can be satire at its absolute finest...and also as slapstick, sarcastic, dark, or silly as possible all in any given episode. The fact that after 30 years, this show is not only still going strong but still drawing in new generations of viewers who get to experience the evolution of the comedy is such an amazing accomplishment. I hope The Simpsons goes on forever; with such a rich, dense universe in which anything goes and the impossible is only improbable, it's no wonder it still attracts so many smart and famous guest stars and fans. Any show that gets Stephen Hawking rapping with Flight of the Conchords will win my loyalty and affection any day of the week!

Which leads me to the music of The Simpsons, an oft overlooked achievement of the show but one that delights and entertains in an ever evolving way, helping to keep the show feeling fresh and memorable. Whether it's classics like the Maison Derriere song or Lisa It's Your Birthday to the newer, aforementioned Flight of the Conchords/Stephen Hawking mashup, Weird Al's many appearances, or The Great Phatsby, this writers and guests collaborate to make tunes that are impossible to dislike and stay with you long after the episode has ended.

Truly, it is amazing what The Simpsons has accomplished in it's 32 seasons on the air; it still delivers fresh stories, beautiful animation and music, and absolutely hilarious jokes that you can watch with the whole family. There's so many shows that have followed in the footsteps laid down by The Simpsons and found success and it's no wonder when the source they've chosen to emulate has such brilliant writers that manage to keep the show from feeling stale even when some of episodes are definitely formulaic (and when the show goes meta and jokes about that very fact, it just makes things even funnier). It will be a sad day when The Simpsons finally hits its end but until then, my family will continue to be avid fans of America's #1 animated family and hope that it goes on for much, much longer!

And if you don't like it, well don't blame me, I voted for Kodos 😉

Coming 2 America (2021)

Hilarious! Great nostalgic throwback film!

[10/10 · 5 March 2021]

I had been looking forward to this movie ever since it was announced. I don't know why so many people are here giving it such a bad rating, this movie was absolutely hilarious and brought back practically EVERYONE from the first film, tied it to Trading Places, and added some new characters in the form of Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, and Wesley Snipes, who all added their own personal charm and hilarity to the film.

My husband and I waited til he got home last night and watched it while we were getting ready for bed; we were dying of loud, raucous laughter the entire movie! Between the throwback jokes and casting and the modern additions of new characters, new music (and some appearances from the likes of En Vogue, Salt & Pepa, & Gladys Knight), and new storylines, we were laughing from beginning to end.

For those who seem to have lost their sense of humor (especially when it comes to films with an almost all-black cast) might I suggest removing whatever stick is lodged inside your butt and try watching without prejudice.

This is a film that celebrates black culture, black royalty, and even through comedy, addresses some of the issues facing modern black folks. And whoever did the costumes in this movie really deserves the Academy Award this year because they were all absolutely stunning and beautiful. It is most definitely the funniest film I've seen in years and the fact that it was already building on such a classic comedy, and managed to do so respectfully while building the story outwards even more in such a highly comedic way, was truly awesome. So many sequels made decades after the fact can be awful; this movie is absolutely not among that group, I'm glad to say! It respected the original while evolving into something more modern and honestly, I hope we get to see a third film now!

For best results, be in a ready-to-laugh mode when you sit down to watch this and you, too, will find this to be a very funny, very meta, very modern film that absolutely celebrates and venerates its cast, its premise, and black culture.

Selena: The Series (2020–2021)

Great start; they'd better get part 2 right & get more serious, though.

[8/10 · 8 December 2020]

First off, I'd like to say that I agree with some of the other posters who say that this feels a bit inauthentic or glazed over; I believe that was for the sake of keeping this series PG and yes, I do believe the show suffered a bit for it because there's always something lurking a little bit deeper but it's almost as if all of the actors had to stop themselves before they ever got a chance to really ACT! The dad in particular; I think he did a great job so far but he's never really been given the chance to go as deep as Edward James Olmos did for the part in the Selena movie. He's never gotten to really frighten you the way EJO did because they've had to keep it family friendly. So I do wish they had made this series at least PG-13 that way we could hear a bit more authentic dialogue (no way everyone's on tour and never utters a swear word) and see some more of the gripping emotions that led to some of the best scenes in the Selena film from 1997.

I like the focus on the Quintanilla family a lot. We get to see quite a bit more focus on the other siblings and their feelings and motivations than we ever did in the film. Selena was the star, yes, but it took the support and constant backing of her family to get here name out there to the point that she's among the other great divas remembered by just their first name (e.g. Cher, Madonna, Barbra, Beyonce). So it's nice to see the points of view of the other family members and how their relationships impacted Selena and the band. AB, in particular, was nice to see more of, as well as Suzette and both parents.

I think the actress playing Selena (Rosita from the Walking Dead, if you're trying to remember where you've seen her before) does a pretty good job of portraying herself as younger and with the innocence of a teen girl. And I think she's also doing well in the transitional scenes where it's clear she's becoming older and wanting the same kinds of things any other adult would want. Her relationship with Chris is the thing I was most looking forward to seeing fleshed out. I really hope we get to see the pizza scene in the second part when they decide to elope because that's what actually happened according to the family.

I didn't realize that this would be a two part series and was somewhat bummed to see that we left off where we did, with Abraham finding out about Chris and Selena (which was actually due to Suzette snitching on her sister, IRL) and him kicking him off the tour bus. Plus we've only just gotten the briefest glimpse at who will ultimately be the main villain of the series, Yolanda Saldivar.

I truly hope they don't hold back in part 2 and perhaps consider doing away with the PG rating and bumping it up to PG-13 because the next part is going to have to cover her death and relationship with Chris in depth; the constant surface level dialogue and lack of serious conversations, that don't have the feeling of being poignant or true to life, will do the series no good. This should have been greenlit as a PG-13 project from the start.

Anyhow, regardless of my gripes it has been a mostly enjoyable watch so far and it has transported me back to being a 10 year old and falling in love with Selena when I first watched the 97 film. I know there's a ton of 90s nostalgia going around right now, especially among us millennials, but I think this was a great subject for a reboot and I really just want them to stick the landing beca Selena and even the Selena movie meant a LOT of things to a LOT of people and her story, and the story of her family and their heartache and anguish after the fact, deserve to be told in as accurate a manner as possible.

Sound of Metal (2019)

Fantastic film; the double entendre title won't hit you til the end!

[10/10 · 6 December 2020]

First off, Rizwan Ahmed is one of the best actors working right now and his performance in this film is gut wrenching, believable, and absolutely stunning to watch as you can do nothing but become engrossed in his acting and ability to make you feel exactly what his character is feeling. It's hard to believe that there was ever anyone else in mind for his role!

The title is an incredibly clever and subtle nod, not just to the fact that he and his onscreen girlfriend are in a metal band but ultimately, the hearing that IS restored through the cochlear implants Ruben is so dead set on getting doesn't sound what he had hoped for and it all has a very metallic, tinny sound to it. It may have helped to restore most of his hearing but it sounds like metal.

And that was the core conflict of the film; Ruben, after learning that his condition will only worsen and is told about the cochlear implants at his very first appointment to assess his hearing loss and despite the fact that the doctor is advising him to slow down and consider his options, immediately sets about trying to afford the surgery, thinking that it will restore his life to "normal" and he can just get back to living his nomadic life on the road with his wealthy-through-her-father girlfriend, Lou (played by the always enjoyable Olivia Cooke). Lou, however, can see the writing on the wall and loving Ruben, wants desperately for him to get better and accept his condition. She is the one who makes the calls and moves to get Ruben into a rehab for the deaf.

Ruben, of course, is hesitant to participate in this because it would mean separating from Lou during his stay and actually having to learn how to live with his deafness instead of pretending like it can all be wiped away magically with the cochlear surgery. Lou winds up taking matters into her own hands and arranges to go back home to France, where her wealthy father lives, and very convincingly convinces Ruben to stay and go to the rehab for the deaf despite her love for him and her own wish for them not to be separated. She loves him, just as much as he loves her, but she knows that he needs this and is worried not only that he isn't accepting the reality of his hearing loss but that he may relapse from his heroin addiction, after having been clean for 4 years and the entire time during their relationship, when she witnesses him starting to smoke cigarettes again.

There is tension between Ruben and the main guy who runs the rehab. And this is due to a very real split within the deaf community about the feelings surrounding cochlear implants and whether being deaf is something that needs "fixed" or is even a disability. Deaf people have managed just fine for many years without cochlear implants and have formed communities and relationships that don't define them as being disabled...so for Ruben to be so gung ho about getting the implants while also attending this rehab, learning how to be deaf, forming bonds and relationships with other deaf people, and then lying and deceiving all of those people to run off and get the cochlear implants causes an irreparable rift between him and the rehabilitation facility, especially the main guy who runs the place. He tries to explain these feelings to Ruben, but Ruben is still so hopeful that this surgery will have fixed everything and still refusing to accept that perhaps deafness isn't as bad as he seems to think it is that the words never really sink in and he leaves the rehab in a very hurtful and curt manner.

After going back to the doctors to test out and adjust his new implants, it is only THEN that he realizes that cochlear implants, while an amazing solution for some, is not the cure-all he assumed it would be and this is the first time he seems to realize that he will never hear again the way he once did, that everything he hears now will be filtered through this metallic, tinny sounding implant, hence The Sound of Metal working so well as a movie title.

Ruben makes his way to France to find that his girlfriend, Lou, looks and acts vastly different than she did when she was living her bohemian life with him in the RV; instead of having bleached eyebrows, her hair is now soft and natural brown, she is living back at home with her father, their relationship seemingly repaired (with her dad even thanking Ruben for being there for Lou at one point), and she has clearly moved on and up from whatever situation she and Ruben were in before. It is at this point that Ruben realizes that because he truly does love Lou, he must let her go and be the woman she was meant to be, not tied or bogged down by him, and that he must deal with his issues himself. He packs his things and leaves while she is sleeping to spare her any further pain and then the movie ends on a rather ambiguous note; we go through portions of hearing nothing at all, hearing things as they are through the implant, and Ruben spends the final moments of the movie looking up at the sun through the trees before the credits roll.

Did Ruben finally accept that his deafness wasn't necessarily the life-ending disability he thought it was? Is he dedicated to working on improving his hearing with the implant? Does he feel guilty over the way he left things at the rehab? Does he feel like he made a mistake by getting the surgery?

I feel like the ending hints at the last of those being true. Perhaps if he had stayed at the rehab and learned to accept his deafness, he would have found that inner peace that the guy who ran the place kept trying to help him find; he kept giving Ruben the tools he needed and Ruben just kept refusing to use them. There was one point where Ruben even realized be could keep time and still play drums without hearing the music and he's teaching this skill to a class of deaf children but again, Ruben's inability to see beyond his immediate desire of getting those implants leaves him unable to fully appreciate all the help that he's receiving and all of the people he's ultimately hurting by making the choice he does.

Additionally, I've got to agree with everyone else that the use of sound in this film was absolutely fantastic and incredibly artful. You very much feel like you are living in Ruben's headspace. At many points throughout the movie, we hear things exactly as Ruben does, whether that means hearing nothing at all, very muffled sounds, or the metallic sound of his cochlear implants and it makes it all the more easy to empathize with his struggle and to perhaps understand his motives and choices even if they aren't necessarily the ones we would choose for ourselves if we were in his shoes.

This was an excellent movie and I liked the ambiguity of the ending. It leaves open the possibility for people to take away from it what they want and as another poster mentioned, depending on your opinions or views on cochlear implants and deafness/deaf communities, it will definitely make you feel something one way or the other.

Watchmen (2019– )

Ha! Look at all the morons giving this 1* cuz they DARED to make bigots the bad guys...

[10/10 · 12 November 2019]

Seriously, it's pathetic. If they actually bothered to try and invest in the narrative and look beyond feeling "attacked" because the show actually tries to offer up a perspective that's different than that of the prevailing white male, they might actually get some enjoyment out of it. But like the typical perpetual right-wing victims they are, they'd rather sit and whine and attack the show for having the guts to offer up some fresh, new perspectives and ideas.

Bigots/ supremacists are the bad guys. Period. End of story. And no one should have to explain this to half our braindead, potato population. America is rife with racial injustice (to this very day) and many Americans didn't even KNOW about the Tulsa Race Riots until this show premiered. It should rightfully be applauded for not only shining a light on this event but for exploring even more deeply the trauma associated with our history of racial violence in this country. The scene when Sister Night is finding out about Will and his connection to her was poignant and an important depiction for a lot of black folks, who often have never HAD that history available to them.

Additionally, this show is providing some amazing roles for women in the 40+ age bracket. It's obvious that the show writers are trying hard to offer up some amazing and intriguing stories while also telling some OLD stories to generations of Americans that have never had the chance (or will) to learn about them previously, through characters who are often overlooked or underutilized in prominent narratives. It is refreshing to see and a wonder to behold, especially with the superhero element underpinning all the mystery and drama that we get to watch unfold.

You don't have to have read or watched the previous iterations of Watchmen in order to "get" this new sequel, although it is helpful to understanding some of the returning characters like Adrian Veidt and Agent Blake. But one certainly needn't know the previous story in order to dive right into this new and exciting alternate timeline in order to fully enjoy it, especially since HBO has helpfully created the Peteypedia, a collection of FBI Agent Dale Petey's files and memos regarding different characters and events in the Watchmen timeline.

HBO is making better and more interactive, puzzle-like TV shows in recent years and it is incredibly rewarding for viewers who take the time to watch and analyze the shows they see. If you're a fan of Watchmen, Westworld, or any kind of storytelling that wholly invites the viewer into the carefully crafted world of the show creators, I highly urge you to ignore the trolls and give this show a chance; it's tantalizing, exciting, fresh, and on the fast track to becoming one of TV's most mysterious and fun offerings on tap today!

The Order (2019–2020)

It's kinda like the Netflix version of The Magicians

[8/10 · 10 March 2019]

And that's not necessarily a bad thing! There are some different and innovative twists on old supernatural tropes that keep this show interesting and fresh considering how many other shows exist within the supernatural genre right now. It's a familiar take on the "young person discovers magic and a world of secrets and knowledge beyond their wildest imaginations at a specialized school" but it's also different enough that it definitely shouldn't be dismissed outright as just another copy of The Magicians or Harry Potter; it is certainly its own show with its own characters, stories, legends, traditions, and lingo.

Jack Morton, a young man attempting to avenge the death of his mother with the help of his grandfather, infiltrates Belgrave University's secret magical society, The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, in order to take down his (unknowing) father. But once he arrives, he finds sticking to the original plan may not be as easy as it once seemed; loyalties are tested, he undergoes surprising transformations, and he finds himself cast in the middle of an ancient war between 2 different supernatural factions.

The actors all actually seem to be the age they're portraying and most are fresh new faces so yes, SOME of the acting itself is a bit more "amateur" than it is on The Magicians...but the issues that arise within the show and the problems Jack and his friends face are intense and crazy enough that, when it counts, the actors all do a fine job of emoting and bringing their different characters to life. And veteran actors like Matt Frewer and Katherine Isabelle keep the story (and show) well-grounded.

Speaking of which, it's fun to see Katherine Isabelle in another project with werewolves given her success with the Ginger Snaps series. The way werewolves "work" and are portrayed in this new series is also a fun and different departure from the way we're used to seeing their transformations work in just about every other movie or show. (*Plus, seeing the actor who plays Todd on the Magicians show up here as Randall Carpio is a cool draw for those of us who like and enjoy BOTH shows!)

The show ends its season with lots of unanswered questions and plenty of room to grow and expand. With its unabashed Millenial/Gen Z humor and style, the show may not be to everyone's liking but it was sure a hit in my household and my husband, sister, and I can't wait for Season 2 to premiere! So here's hoping it does!