janvl0412 Reviews

The Other Two (2019–2023)

The other one has lost his charm

[6/10 · 10 June 2023]

To illustrate my feelings about the main character, Cary, I'll paraphrase the illustrious Karen Walker: he's not the elusive gay nerd, he turns out to be the much more common gay opportunist. In other words both the character and much of the series lost their charm imo, for once I could relate or be charmed by a gay character, by now he's turned into a self-centered insufferable vapid shell of a stereotype. All this while the complete reversed scenario is playing out for the other one of the two, his sister, thankfully.

I do love the supporting cast enough to keep watching, but the cringe-factor has crept in so fast and hard, I doubt it's redeemable at this point... I fear as a result, satire has turned into unintentional and un-selfaware irony.

Somebody Somewhere (2022– )

Authenticity...

[10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Sam lives her life in KS, but not to the fullest. She loves to sing but doesn't suffer fools when it comes to making a career out of her voice. At least, so she thinks. Her friends see more in her talent and personality.

I stumbled upon this series, well I don't really know how as I'm usually into spy-thrillers, sitcoms and such. This isn't some riveting action- or even drama-fuelled story, however it's extremely heartwarming and engaging, from my perspective mostly because of the acting, which comes across more as being. The authenticity of every character is simply... well human I guess. It is a breath of fresh air in a binary, divisive, insta-filtered world. No social media fluff, no flash for the camera's even if part of the storyline is musical aspiration. It is feel good, yet not fluffy. It manages to produce depth on the surface, ready to be grabbed. Beautifully authentic.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Generic World

[1/10 · 27 September 2022]

I went to see the premiere of Jurassic Park as a kid, we received a binder with the logo and a poster. These were simpler times, that binder was a sacred object, at least it became one as I came out of the movie shaken to my core by what I just witnessed. The dino's were so captivating. Skip to a reboot where the vicious velociraptors are turned into trained monkeys making puppy sounds. Where there are more commercials wrapped in a movie than there are menacing or engaging dinos. The second instalment of the reboot was a bit better -though nearly not as good as the imo underrated sequel to the original- but my hopes of a somewhat decent end to the World-trilogy with the return of beloved characters/actors were smashed. Although lulled into boredom would be more accurate a description. A plot wherein giant insects are used to ensure world "dominion", I mean the whole thing has just become convoluted af. And the big budget making the movie pander to audiences all over the world, painfully shaving off any modicum of edge. The whole thing turned out more generic than melted cheese in a can imo. A waste of money, acting talent and what started out as a brilliant franchise. Not once was I thrilled, excited or engaged. Many a times was I annoyed, bored and disillusioned. I'm not mad, just.... disappointed.

The Gilded Age (2022– )

Lavish, lush and lingering...

[10/10 · 22 March 2022]

Having watched the finale (don't worry, there will be no spoilers here) I found myself wanting more, watching all the while not wondering when it would end but hoping it wouldn't. This viewing experience has been consistent throughout the entire season. The sets, costumes, dialogue,... all of it is sumptuous and luxurious in all the right ways. Take the creators of Downton Abbey and add some of the best ingredients of The Good Fight, the finest Meryl Streep has to offer (I'm sure she would agree) and the result is not gilded but golden entertainment.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

To pee or not to pee

[7/10 · 16 October 2021]

Most reviews, including Rolling Stone, seem to focus on supposed frontal nudity. I'm over two hours in, 3 out of 8 episodes, and yes, there's a glimpse of a guy peeing in a pool. Shocker. What does it say about a society when it's more shocking to see a peen than to see a beheading? When shooting your mouth is more shocking than shooting a gun? Anyways, my review: The good: production value, camerawork and scenery are quite ok, I appreciate this series didn't completely give in to the tendency to under-light scenes to the point one needs echo-location to follow the plot.

The bad: the acting is only so-so at times, to put it kindly, and most characters are about as well-rounded as the stomaches of the actors playing them.

The ugly truth: this hit and run could be hit or miss, it'll depend mostly on the ending I think. So far I'm enjoying it. I enjoyed the campy writing style of Williamson in the original, time will tell. When it comes to frontal nudity and profanity, I personally err on the side of sex-positivity instead of hypocrisy. JJMO.

Only Murders in the Building (2021– )

Major potential spoiler, don't read until you've seen it

[9/10 · 28 September 2021]

The Good: I'm having a blast with this one, Martin Short is deliciously camp, I could watch Nathan Lane read the phone book. So why this review, and why spoiler in the title? Well first to give this a high rating, and second because I want to throw my hat in the ring and guess the murderer... when the series finishes I'll either be very wrong or confirm my status as a whodunnit clairvoyant.

Either way, fun!

The Bad: nothing to report here.

The Ugly truth: Here goes: I think the murderer is Uma Heller. With a candlestick in the guest room.

All kidding aside, I hope the series will remain as good until the last episode. Meanwhile, if you haven't started watching yet, what are you waiting for? And why did you ignore my warning? Oy vay...

AJ and the Queen (2020)

To Ruby Ru, thanks for everything, but no thanks.

[4/10 · 11 January 2020]

Warning: this review is only for you if you've stayed too long in the sun, because there might be some shade... Or at least some T, which I hope fans and Ru herself would appreciate. I did add some sugar for good measure. I'll never be too Ru'de on purpose however as RuPaul is an enterprise on to herself and has started a movement elevating her to the status of Oprah within the gay community albeit on a smaller scale. As a longtime viewer of RuPaul's Drag Race, I'm a big fan of the RuPaul the icon Queen of drag, but also of RuPaul the musician. As AJ's Queen, not so much I'm afraid. However much I'm inclined to follow and support all her endeavours, as a talkshow host or actress, however much she has improved her acting skills, the final product of this MPK collab was underwhelming and at times difficult to sit through. As great as the concept of AJ and the Queen may look on paper - a formulaic Priscilla meets To Wong Foo with a lost kid thrown in for good measure - it just doesn't really work. Sure, there are some great cameo's, especially for the fans of RPDR, but the acting abilities are just not always there, and when they're not, it's painful to watch sometimes clichéd and badly timed lines being uttered in a style that too often is reminiscent of a bad school play. It's also difficult to get attached to AJ's character, as the overacting and acting up often got on my nerves. And as a quadruple godfather, that's a hard thing to achieve. On the flip side, Louis the blind drag queen with a heart of gold and rhinestones is hilarious and a joy to behold. That's a show worth watching, and if there was to be a second series I would urge to redirect the storyline towards the interactions between Ruby and Louis. This might be my biggest issue: despite certain glorious moments, some fun musical numbers and moments of comic relief, AJ and the Queen failed to meet even the lowest of my expectations. Some of the acting and timing is just too bad to overcome. My word of advice would be to cut down on the acting challenges... and not just in this series.

6 Underground (2019)

Another Ryan Reynolds-driven vehicle that's a thrill ride. Puns intended.

[8/10 · 26 December 2019]

I'm surprised a Michael Bay-Netflix collab delivered something I so thoroughly enjoyed. The Netflix surprise came from the excellent quality of the effects and visuals, the Bay surprise came from a lack of homophobic undertones and mysoginy, but my guess would be that might have something to do with Reynolds' input. The narrative is sometimes chaotic, but I didn't expect Shakespeare and the storyline isn't exactly rocket science. The acting is good, there's that Reynolds touch of humour and some of the action scenes surpass the level of Fast and Furious and Bond-movies alike IMO. Bay's tendency to go overboard on strobe-like filming would be my only issue with this film, which overall by far exceeded my expectations. I just wondered how they recovered the budget and how there's not more buzz around this. Deserved a wide theatre release. JJMO.

Evil (2019–2024)

The Kings still rule.

[10/10 · 15 November 2019]

Seven episodes in, still brilliant. After The Goods, The Evil is equally great: casting-, music-, production-, tension- and scriptwise... If you haven't watched this series yet, first of all, lucky you, you still get to discover it. Secondly: let me leave you with a little wisdom to get you going: the word 'Symbol' is derived from the Greek Sumbolon, an object that was broken in two - an act of diabolein (which means to divide). Each piece was then given to a member of separating tribes so later descendants could recognise each other. A diabolical act meant to ultimately unite. Not since Rosemary's baby has a balancing act between two worlds -the divine and the human, belief and ratio, real or surreal- been so successful in my opinion. I can't wait to find out which way this one will take us.

Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

You don't know Jack about action in tv series until you see this

[10/10 · 1 November 2019]

Just finished season 2, and amazingly watching it, I was as thrilled as I was the first time around. Thrilled is the word, as I found myself on the edge of my seat every episode. The pacing is excellent, I actually had vertigo watching the scenes on the rooftops. I cannot think of an exemple of a tv-series capable of producing one nail biting episode after another like this one did. (If you can, do tell!) Krasinski turned out to be a great choice for this role as his humanity gets the viewer more engaged than when the character was played by a more stoic types, sometimes you just want to hug him. Yet he manages to be quite convincing as an action-star during his fight scenes being this... allow me to be Blunt.... jacked. What a treat.

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Why Women Kill (2019–2021)

CBS AllAccess is killing it...

[9/10 · 17 October 2019]

Wonderfully kitsch, all the ingredients that made the Desperate Housewives a treat to indulge but without the seasons-long stretched storylines, just ten episodes that each keep you longing for the next one. Lucy Liu, one of my faves, kills it in a role that fits her perfectly, as does Ginnifer Goodwyn. The storylines are somewhat predictable, but in a good way if that makes sense. JJMO

Shaft (2019)

A star is torn.

[2/10 · 1 July 2019]

This is the worst movie I've seen starring Mr. Jackson (since I'm going to be nasty). I'm a big fan of his, it's also the first movie I've seen him in that I'd actually qualify as bad. Not as in B-movie fun bad. I loved the previous instalment of Shaft. Go see it if you haven't, it's actually great imo. That's why I guess this stings even more. Acting: wooden. Directing: glitchy. Production-value: Netflix series. Action/choreography: same. Script: amateur hour (especially maddening considering the source material). Messaging: don't get me started. PC criticism in such a stereotypical and poorly written/executed way it has the opposite effect. Cringe-worthy and clichéd in a bad way. I found myself thinking like the PC-police a number of times, which I don't expect doing watching a Jackson-pulled vehicle. Humour: -less. So why two stars: well Samuel remains a star in my eyes, he's given so much great entertainment his star is well earned. The second one, honestly, despite the tone of this review, I don't enjoy just criticising and felt bad giving only one star. Hence the title. Whoever put this together should get the... (this pun might've been the best joke if it was in the movie.)

The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)

Warning: this umbrella comes with shade

[3/10 · 18 February 2019]

Sometimes I get an urge to write a review, when something's so good you want to share those feelings and promote a series or movie. As with the good comes the bad. Promising as this was, having a weak spot for actor Robert Sheehan and love for Ms. Blige, I don't remember binge-watching anything with such a desire for it to be over, even skipping some scenes during the last episodes. Except for Allison and Klaus, I still haven't warmed up to most of the characters tbh. I would go as far as to write sometimes the actors were outperformed by a monkey and a robot. For some reason the whole thing felt unhinged, it never grabbed my attention, quite the opposite in fact. The visual effects weren't good enough to make up (pun intended, as the make-up and prosthetics were badly executed, something I noticed in other Netflix series such as 13 Reaons as well) for the poor story-telling, and without spoiling anything the ending was unsatisfying to say the least. I found myself rolling my eyes at the screen. To each his or her own, and when it rains it pours when it comes to this review, but I for one am glad to close this umbrella and let the sunshine in...

A Simple Favor (2018)

Ends on a bad note...

[3/10 · 7 December 2018]

No worries, no spoilers even though the title might suggest it. My issue is more literal: the "song" of the end credits took away any fun I had during the movie. Sad really, because the cast and rest of the soundtrack was fun as was the story with its twists and turns. Precisely because of these reasons I suspect it as an oversight that the rapper closing the movie (after a number of mostly groovy tunes) starts spouting gay slurs and refers to women as female dogs (not as sassy in French) being "lesbian for effeminate guys". I'm not the PC police and taking into consideration the gay-friendly cast, again, I'm sure this was an oversight, but jeesh, at least run the lyrics through Google Translate or something. These lyrics make 90s Eminem sound like a feminist.

Roseanne (1988–2018)

Can't con her this time around...

[10/10 · 28 March 2018]

The mother and father I always wished for are back... Dealing with today's struggles in their typical way, the Conners face financial sorrows and social issues the best way they know how: with humour, sarcasm and wit. The first episode fills in the gaps seamlessly, and a reunited family picks up the pace in no time. Not everything is Rosie twenty years after though, politics have caused a rift. Speaking of which, wherever you stand, this is an example of how to deal with the presidency in a true bipartisan way in my opinion: grievances are aired in such a smart observational way with shots being friendly-fired equally and a possibility of dialogue, all jokes hit the Mark brilliantly. The cast hasn't lost its spark, and the new additions make for interesting viewing and potential. So fire away for more, I'm gunning for many more episodes here.

The Good Fight (2017–2022)

The Best Sight

[10/10 · 18 March 2018]

Take the ingredients that made "The Good Wife" a great watch (wonderful acting, great scripts, photography...), add a touch of extra female pow(d)er, shake it up, evaporate the dryness censorship can cause, and you've unleashed a delicious soufflé that just keeps rising (just had a wonderful dinner). With a mic showing in one of the first scenes of the first season, I was worried, unnecessarily so as everything turned out exquisite, each episode a treat leaving one craving the next serving. Hope I got you hungry enough to go on a binge if you haven't seen it yet. "The Good Fight" is the one recipe that calls for endless seasoning.

Jurassic World (2015)

Some great concepts, a nice budget, but poor execution

[6/10 · 11 June 2015]

Whilst I loved the first two Jurassic Park movies and enjoyed the third, this one felt a bit lacking. We went to see this movie in the latest state of the art theater, laser 3d blabla and in my opinion (and let me put that disclaimer for everything following) they took a great franchise, copy pasted some great things, threw money at it, but forgot the soul, accelerations, thrills and storytelling so greatly mastered by Spielberg. For the positive: - The actors: great casting, I love all of those involved. - The effects: well done indeed. - The new park: breathtaking and quite original at times. - The action: one scene stood out: the one where Chris Pratt joins the raptors on a chase. Great stuff. The negative: - The director, for not utilizing his cast better. Jokes that fall flat or don't get that punchline to where it could've gone. There were some giggles, but with better direction they could've easily had us in stitches. Especially knowing the potential, again, of the cast. The rhythm is also far from as good as the first ones. Now I'm going to be a bit rude and blame a lot on the director, again, just my opinion. Each character's storyline and personality was underdeveloped despite of the aforementioned potential. Story lines are thrown out, left unresolved or lacked closure in a way that wasn't Lost on me. Just ridiculous: - First of all the advertising. I mean are you kidding me. I've just paid a(n un)fair amount on tickets (see comments below about the 3D), the way product-placement was handled here was unsubtle, to say the least. There's some commercials shamelessly woven into the movie. - Some of the action: I'll avoid spoilers, but when you'll see it, I think you'll know what I'm referring to. - Some of those flying dinosaurs. They looked like characters out of the Smurfs to me. - The whole storyline of (again avoiding spoilers) what they use raptors for. - Sound-effects on the raptors. In the end yes, they've managed to add a new scary monster, and it worked out better than anticipated. But in the process they've reduced the feared raptors to lapdogs (in more ways than one) and removed a lot of the threat of the T- rex. Now we went to see it in Laser 3D like I mentioned, but to be honest, the movie was produced in 2013, and I doubt at that time any of this technology was available, because I've seen 3D's in less equipped theaters that blew me away, e.g. the latest X-men, and this one, I really didn't find anything special about it. Also, the score is so underutilized. So if I'm so negative about this one, why did I give it a 6? Because I do want to see a next one and hope they salvage the franchise by steering firmly to the left from this one. And visually the park is great.

Hannibal (2013–2015)

A feast for the eyes

[10/10 · 15 March 2014]

This series is quite brilliant on many levels. The acting is superb, the visuals are stunning and the story lines are intense. I can hardly wait until the episode comes out, but that feeling isn't induced by operatic cliffhangers. Yes, there are twists and turns in the plot, and they're also quite brilliant, but the overall feel of this series and suspense got me more hooked than for instance True Detectives did. The main actors are matched by their entire supporting cast, the score is amazing, and for a fan of Hopkins' Hannibal (plus the prequel), this does not let me down. In fact, Will Graham has never been better portrayed in my opinion. No Benjamin Raspails in this orchestra. May this series live a long long life (no pun intended).

Sean Saves the World (2013–2014)

quick-paced fun

[10/10 · 18 October 2013]

Now I really hope I won't face another heartache like I did with 'Partners' and get attached just so they will cancel this. Who knows what those NBC execs are up to or which logic they apply.Sitcoms don't seem to get a chance to develop anymore. Remember Will and Grace took a little bit of time too. I thoroughly enjoyed this sitcom and it gets better by the episode. Sean Hayes is amazing, the rest is still sort of centered around him, and catching on, still the potential feels great. The boss is the only character that doesn't feel great yet, but hey, look at Jack and Karen, one of the greatest comedy duos. Give it some time will you. Five seasons for starters? Just compare it to so many crappy shows that go on for seasons. This one actually made me Laugh Out Loud a number of times. Do it for the gays...I meant Hayes. PS why is Sean Hayes not on top of the credits and only mentioned for two episodes?

Curse of Chucky (2013)

Chucky's back for some action... or not.

[2/10 · 25 September 2013]

Personally, my favorite movie from this series is "Bride of Chucky". The campy humor horror made me wish for a sequel about every two months. I'm not sure it'll be easy to get another sequel after this one though I dread the thought. The dialog and acting in curse of Chucky is somewhat soapy if you get my drift, and a little slow-paced. The doll looks duller, most of the effects were better executed more than twenty years ago, and the lighting and make-up give the film a telenovella look. I mean, the kid has a single piece of glitter stuck on her face for half a scene, and the skin problems and surgeries are too apparent. Though Brad Dourif was somehow convinced to play the character again, his wig looks about as real as Barbs lips. In one scene the lead actress even seems to be having something stuck in her nose. I'm just saying, a viewer shouldn't be aware of these things. The film does pick up the pace somewhat but only after 45 minutes. Don't get your hopes up though, it never gets close to any of the other movies. Please bring back the style of movies like Halloween H2O, Bride of Chucky, Scream 1 and 2,... I think there's room for a revival of the genre. It could replace torture porn as far as I'm concerned. I was really looking forward to this movie. Sigh. Better luck next time I hope.

Erased (2012)

Husslers in Brussels

[8/10 · 14 October 2012]

Now, I might be prejudiced watching this movie,being Belgian, but this is the first action movie I've seen shot almost entirely in Belgium. In Bruges has shown us a peek at how cinema sees this little country, the Expatriate breaks it open moving from Brussels to Antwerp and back. Regardless the setting however, I found this movie to be very decent, and in its genre, actually well-paced, Aaron Eckhart does a very good job at competing with the likes of Jason Statham within this genre, adding credibility to his character. A good action-thriller that where it may lack in original premise makes up for in acting, action and a decent ending.A B movie only for being filmed in Brussels, Belgium, and A movie for Aaron's Acting

Partners (2012–2013)

Will you Grace us with 9 seasons please (at least)

[10/10 · 5 October 2012]

I'm giving this a generous 10 first of all because this is by the creators of Will and Grace, to this day my favorite sitcom of all time, and secondly because I would love another 8 seasons of witty one-liners, characters that grow on you until they've taken such a place in your life (yes, even when you have one) it actually hurts to say goodbye. This starts out as good as Will and Grace did, Jim Burrows came back to the party, now let's hope Wyatt is Jack's distant cousin and Jack and auntie Karen will drop by sometimes. Anyways, Will and Grace references put aside, I think the premise is fairly original, even a great train for the world to get on board with, and a great example for straight boys who may find a friend in a fagela instead of a threat to their "masculinity". Now morality put aside: bring the laughter, giggles and fun.