legion1227

[legion1227]

Invincible Season 2: Review.

Let's hope the wait isn't as long for season 3. 

The first season of Invincible caught the world by storm in 2021. A genuine addition to the superhero TV medium that separated itself from its peers with exceptional storytelling, a memorable cast, a sensational collection of voice actors and actresses, and copious amounts of blood and gore unseen in other superhero shows, animated or live-action. (Except for maybe fellow Amazon Prime Original, The Boys.) 

Two years later, on November 3rd, 2023, Invincible sophomore season picked up where the first one left off. The first episode showcases Mark Grayson, our super-powered 17-year-old known as the titular Invincible, trying to shoulder his responsibility as a hero after the ass-kicking of a lifetime by his father Omni-man, which left countless across the world dead. 

What can I say about this season that hasn't been praised for already? 

Let me get some of the negatives out of the way. There aren't a lot. There are some moments when the animation, mostly when characters are idle and having a conversation, where it looks odd. Sometimes, characters like Mark speak with other superheroes about crucial plot points, and they look a little stilted, where it's slightly distracting. The one other nitpick lies within the hiatus between episodes 4 and 5. Dropping four episodes weekly only to take a 4-month hiatus before releasing the next four episodes was an infuriating decision that killed the hype then. Regardless of the reasoning, I hope for season 3, there is no repeat of that. Did the hiatus hurt the quality of the remaining episodes? Absolutely not. 

Mark's journey as Invincible this season was even more captivating after the traumatic events that transpired last season as he struggles with soooooooooooooooooooo much more. Forced to confront his father once more, other villains of varying degrees of danger, and the looming threat of more Viltrumites coming to Earth has Mark pushed to his ends beyond belief. Coupled with the attempt to juggle a relationship and go to classes regularly at college, you can see how Mark is stretched so thin. Steven Yeun's performance hasn't missed a beat as he captures the spirit of a growing teen going through so much exceptionally. And he's not the only one to hit a bullseye amongst the rest of the VAs. Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Khary Payton, Clancy Brown, Ben Schwartz, Sterling K. Brown, and the countless others that make up this talented cast brought their A-game to make every character sound earnest and purposeful. The writing was sublime throughout as character motives were established clearly and made sense, the dynamics heroes and villains alike had with one another were remarkable, and the action scenes were as stellar as ever. 

There's almost TOO much to love. I loved in the first episode how the show edges you with when exactly the title card will drop despite everybody constantly setting it up with Invincible's name. I loved Ben Schwartz's alien character Shapesmith, and his bumbling presence throughout. I loved every scene involving Allen the Alien and the testament to the voice direction where for the first time in a voice role, I hear Seth Rogen voicing a character, but it's not distracting. I almost forget he's being voiced by Rogen at times. I loved the inner turmoil Omni-Man faced and the growth he experienced since the last time we saw him. Simmons's delivery of his final line in the last episode captured the sadness and regret perfectly. I loved every single fight scene. Period. Shoutout to Rex during his fight with the Lizard League because I haven't stopped thinking about how he held his own for weeks. I loved the little gags about the animation process or Mark's little interactions with Agent Spider or 'the guy who dresses like a bat.' 

In conclusion, there's simply too much Invincible has gone in its sophomore season that WORKS. It's TOO GOOD. The writing, the animation (mostly), the voicework, the story, the characters...there's a solid reason why this is one of the best superhero shows out there right now. There are a few shows I'm watching right now that come close to the high quality it's reaching. I'm giving Invincible Season 2 a 4.5/5. Depending on how the rest of the competition fares throughout this year, this could be THE show for 2024. 

#review #tv show review #tv review #invincible #invincible series #invincible season 2 #invincible spoilers #omni man

[legion1227]

X2: A Movie Review

This has been a good year for everybody's favorite mutants so far.

So far, we are halfway through X-Men 97, a sensational return for the original X-Men cartoon, picking up where it left off and blowing away expectations. Meanwhile, we are still three months away from the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, which will feature the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and possibly other surprises from the X-Men films released back in the 2000s, among other Marvel films from then.

With the success of X-Men 97 and the upcoming release of Deadpool & Wolverine, it makes sense to look back and celebrate the X-Men films to come beforehand. At the time of this writing, I have rewatched the X-Men (2000) and X2 only. X-Men: The Last Stand has not been reviewed yet, and X-Men (2000) was good, but X2 is the topic of discussion here, as it's not only better than its predecessor but one of the great comic book films to grace screens.

The last time I watched either X-Men film may have been as a kid during the 2000s. The rewatch all these years later proved how stellar X2 was, buried under the wave of Marvel films to follow throughout the 00s, 10s, and today. If you don't know or have forgotten, X2 introduces its main antagonist, Stryker, played by the brilliant Brian Cox; a man who threatens the existence of mutants with the proposed mutant registration act. After launching a full-front assault on Professor Xavier's school and after Magneto breaks out of prison, the X-Men, Xavier, and Magneto must band together to face a common enemy that threatens their very existence.

From the opening scene of Nightcrawler fighting his way through the White House to make it to the president, the film establishes more clearly than its first one how it has the sauce. Nightcrawler poofing his way throughout the halls and dispatching the guards one by one with opera music in the background is one of the best openings to a CBM. Overall, the action scenes here are a vast improvement over the first one, whether it's the opening scene, the raid on Xavier's school, or Wolverine vs Lady Deathstrike. While the first film's fight scenes were decent, the choreography harbors more dynamic action that contributes to an overall more enjoyable time.

The character work here varies across characters and performances. Ian McKellen has one of the best performances once again. While his role as the antagonist in the previous film was great, his partnership with Xavier, Wolverine, and others forces a compelling dynamic. Magnus breaking out of prison using the iron in a guard's blood was badass. Then, to see him forced to work with his enemies provided entertainment beyond belief. From there, unfortunately, it's a bit of a mixed bag from the other actors and actresses and their characters.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is iconic for good reason. He brought gravitas and an aura of savagery that was always entertaining to witness, whether here or in virtually any other film the character appeared in, especially in Logan. Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier is a tour de force in his own right as well, but it's the other members of the X-Men that bring apprehension. While I enjoy James Marsden as an actor, he brought nothing to the table as Cyclops, and reminded me why others for years have hated the Scott Summers character; Coinciding with his performance, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey isn't given many intriguing things to do. It's a bit infuriating when juxtaposed with the performances and stories told in X-Men 97. The X-Men and X2 spend too much time on a love triangle where only one-third of the people involved are engaging to watch on-screen. (Although if X-Men 97 focuses more on the love triangle after the time of this writing, this may age poorly, lmao.)

I liked Shawn Ashmore as Iceman and the scene of him coming out as a mutant to his parents. A decent allegory for a teen coming out as gay to their parents, and I think the scene, as well as Iceman/Bobby Drake in general, work well for the movie. Aaron Stanford's Pyro was also a fun slow-burn, watching him turn heel towards the end of the film. I'm really excited to see him return in Deadpool & Wolverine. Others like Rogue, Beast, Mystique, and Lady Deathstrike, to name a few, I would've liked to have more screen time to grasp these performances and their character moments better. Overall, X2 could've utilized some characters better, but some of the characters get so right and attributed to one of the quintessential 2000s CBM movies out there. There are a handful of iconic scenes to witness or reacquaint with in the first two acts. The third act may waver a little bit, but this is still a great film that warrants a rewatch to appreciate the X-Men further. 4/5.

#review #movie review #movies #xmen #x men 97 #x2 #marvel #wolverine #magneto

[legion1227]

DATALEAK iii EP Review

A short collection of tracks that evoke thought-provoking reflections.

DATALEAK iii, if you're unaware, is an EP consisting of three tracks performed by three different artists. The newest entry in the DATALEAK presents three artists delivering impactful lyrics in a poetic melody with lo-fi instrumentals accompanying in a slam poetry reminiscent format.

The first track, I Said, "No," by Ashlee Haze, sets the tone for the next tracks to follow. Haze starts the track by establishing how it transpires and takes inspiration from "I Woke Up" by poet Jameson Fitzpatrick. While Fitzpatrick's piece delves into themes of intimacy and societal violence, Haze delivers a spiritual sequel that stands well on its own, even if you're unfamiliar with Fitzpatrick's version. Haze asserts herself with power concisely in her delivery. Her opening lines follow the essence of Fitzpatrick but have her set off on her own path as she navigates through setting personal boundaries and offers contemplation when thinking about one's own autonomy or societal structures. The criticism and controversy stemming from her actions follow in the poem. "They still called me a tyrant/ called the distance a war." From there, she shifts more into her personal identity, which challenges perception. The track deserves a full listen to witness Haze's lyrical steering as she floats through simplistic instrumentals.

From there, let's transition toward the second track, "Voice Kink" by sxr gripp. The vocals sxr gripp harbors are deep, raspy, and harbor an allure that itches the brain, a notion the artist points out in the track while also making an appropriate comparison to Isaac Hayes and Barry White vocally. The sound definitely helps to get the point across about the appeal a mighty voice contains. Sxr gripp challenges perceptions with remarkable lines and superb delivery. "See your most sensitive sex organ is not between your legs but between your ears." While sxr gripp spends the beginning of the track laying the foundation and providing lyrical food for thought that also doubles as pillow talk, there's expert subversion when playing up the "Voice Kink" as the terms of endearment used aren't what one would expect to hear in the intimate, hedonistic setting. Another must listen to hear clever wordplay.

The final track to round off the EP is I Love It When Black People Ask, "How You Livin'?" by Maya Williams. William's record expresses a deep connection with her experiences in the Black community. There's an earnestness felt when she gushes about how much she loves that phrase and the comfort associated with it. Williams also manages to capture incredibly well a conversational and friendly tone as every line is followed with a light-hearted back and forth between Williams and another. Warmth and its desire radiate throughout the work to its end as the final lines reflect on prayer, alluding to strength in spirituality as well. With sxr gripp composing, the instrumentals prove to be the most compelling, inducing feelings of whimsy. While I wish the track harbored more lyrics to coincide with its runtime, it's wonderous nonetheless. With each track offering something different, DATALEAK iii deserves a listen if you're looking for poignant lyricism across the board.

#review #music review #music #new music #Spotify

[legion1227]

Pokemon Shining Pearl: A Review.

It's fun but infuriating. 

When I was a child, I indulged so much in Pokemon. The series used to air early in the morning in the 2000s, and I would watch it while I got ready for school. I watched the original series with my brother on Netflix, and I collected a few toys and cards, (some of which used to be my brother's) I watched him play Pokemon Black on the DSI before I played it myself, I bonded with my cousins over the series with their cards and one of the games they owned on the Wii...the point is that in my youth, I really adored the Pokemon franchise. But my relationship with playing the games is much more fickle. 

As I mentioned, I bonded with my cousins over one Wii game: Pokemon Battle Revolution. The game was unconventional from a typical Pokemon entry, but enjoyable for someone who solely wanted the battle aspect of a Pokemon journey with little emphasis on the adventure. More classic entries in the franchise, notably Black and White 1 and Red/Blue/Yellow on the GameBoy (I can't remember which one), were ones I also got to handle at some point during my youth for a short time. Acquired as a Christmas gift and finally spending time throughout February to play, I got around to trying my first proper Pokemon game in well over ten years. Generations of Pokemon games, X and Y, Sword and Shield, Sun and Moon, passed me by. I harbored little interest in a newer Pokemon game, I preferred one of the generations I grew up on. Then Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl games, were announced and then released, and I jumped at the notion of playing those games because I have a soft spot for Pokemon I recognize as a child. So after finally getting the game as a gift and finding the time to put hours into it, I garnered thoughts. 

The story, from what I can gather in comparison to other games, is routine and par for the course of the franchise. In my version, Shining Pearl, you pick your trainer, you're introduced to the world of Pokemon by an astute professor, you meet your rival, have to make a choice of your first companion Pokemon between a fire, grass, and water type before you venture out into the world, trying to catch other Pokemon, battle trainers, fight gym leaders, collect badges, meet a legendary Pokemon, and make your way to battle the Elite Four before trying to immortalize your greatness by defeating the grand champion in a Pokemon battle. 

The dialogue and story are supplementary; it's all about going through the journey. The story is weak and not too inspiring, but catching Pokemon and battling various trainers and wild Pokemon proved enjoyment for a while. The turn-based battle system for Pokemon is iconic, well-known, and works here for the most part. The chibi style for the characters and Pokemon is a cute and pleasing view, but the animations for Pokemon performing their moves are really...not good. Some Pokemon have moves where they are supposed to perform a punch or kick but will do the opposite. I don't recall the exact move, but I had a Machop who had a move titled after a kind of kick, but when I selected it, it would show an imprint of a fist as he attacked the enemy. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it was too inconsistent and poor-looking. There was also a Purrloin who had a move, the name escapes me as well, that was most comparable to the cliche in anime where someone with a sword will slice past someone in dramatic fashion and flashy colors before sheathing the sword and showing the damage after it was put away, and it looked awful as the model constantly remained in a neutral state. Not every animation for every move looked terrible, but plenty looked quite poorly. Was it enough to bring down overall enjoyment? Somewhat, but not entirely.

What really brings down my enjoyment is the very end of the game. After spending dozens of hours catching numerous Pokemon, befriending them, forging bonds, and switching them out for appropriate battles against gym leaders, members of Team Galactic, and otherwise, I don't like the handling of the final section between battling members of the Elite Four and the Pokemon champion. Whatever Pokemon you bring with you to battle them you are stuck with, and you cannot switch them out. I was not aware exactly that's how it worked, but I am not a fan. Part of the fun for me was switching the Pokemon in and out of my box, adapting and figuring out what worked and what didn't, but taking out that factor brought down my enjoyment. Then the fights themselves with the Elite Four are annoyingly difficult but mostly doable. After enduring four bitches who spam moves, and make me use up numerous healing items, the Pokemon Champion steps up to the plate and she is just the worst. It's already horrid enough that I have to use up all my potions and items for my Pokemon, but having to face the Pokemon Champ who does the same shit as the other people before her, and have a Garchomp who one shots your entire team...it's not fun. 

The final fight against the Elite Four and the Champion is needlessly difficult and unfun...at least for me. If I could incorporate the other members cooped in the box and make changes, I would like that more. If they could make certain items more accessible like elixirs in stores, I would like that more. If the story was better, I'd like that more. There's SO MUCH that could be improved upon this Pokemon format or this game. I will say that for the majority of the game from a gameplay standpoint, I was entertained. But the weak story, subpar move animations, and course of action for the final battles bring down my enjoyment of the game significantly. It was fun to go through the journey for the long run, the same journey I watched my brother go on in his old playthroughs or Ash on TV, but it became incredibly tedious at the end. 3.5/5. I think it's good but there's definite room for improvement. 

#review #game review #video games #pokemon #shining pearl #brilliant diamond #pikachu #nintendo

[legion1227]

Orange is The New Black: Seasons 4-7 Review. (Mild spoilers ahead if you haven't seen).

The prison industrial complex is fucked.

In 2023, I began watching for the first time Orange Is The New Black. One of Netflix's titans of programming, one of their first original shows to put them on the map, flew under my radar throughout its run. The first season aired when I was 12, and by the time it finished in 2019, I was more preoccupied with finishing high school than seeing their take on women in prison. But after starting it a few months back and finishing weeks ago, I can say it is a soul-crushingly good program.

Orange Is The New Black masquerades itself as a show that focuses on Piper Niven, a 31-year-old arrested for drug smuggling when in reality, its vision expands to a diverse cast of inmates, convicts, and correctional officers and examines how society treats incarcerated felons. The first season lays the gauntlet down by introducing not only Piper but other prisoners and guards who hold down the show for multiple seasons and even until its final season, for some. The second season introduces an antagonist that doesn't thrill me so much but does provide depth into issues plaguing characters who are becoming favorites at this point, like Taystee and Poussey. The third season continues to juggle multiple narratives with its massive cast to most success. The first three seasons are great, but I want to emphasize seasons 4-7 in this review as they were watched this year.

In season 4, the fictional prison of Litchfield receives an overabundance of new inmates, and new COs overcrowd the prison and overwhelm the current batch of inmates. Season 4 is notable for quite a few things. It introduces Judy King, a celebrity played by Blair Brown, whose charm and charisma helped elevate her to be one of my personal favorite supporting characters for that season. Alison, played by Amanda Stephen, becomes inmate Cindy's new roommate, and as her dynamic with Cindy grows from rivals to those getting along, she soon becomes a likable character. And finally, Brad William Henke, playing the new CO Piscatella, who I could not fucking STAND. Rest in peace to Henke, who did a superb job playing one of the most infuriating COs throughout the show and being a memorable foil to all the women in the facility. Season 4 was great as it heightened the tensions the prisoners harbored about their living conditions.

Season 5 was the culmination of heated tensions as after the death of a beloved character due to negligence from one of the younger COs, the prisoners overthrow the prison and run the asylum for the duration of the season. My only gripe with season 5 is that throughout the 13 episodes, we, the audience, are made to believe that everything that takes place happens within three days. To suspend my disbelief and believe that is too farfetched as the stories and events happening throughout are too abundant. If it was at least a week, it would be more believable. However, I believe season 5 to be my favorite of the seasons as it was the most gripping. As the prisoners hold the COs and the warden hostage, demanding to the media that they want justice for the murder of their fellow inmates and better conditions within the prison, I believe nearly every character played their roles to stunning results. Piper, who had been known for the past few seasons at this point for stepping in and wanting to help, takes an intriguing step back from the focus this season. Her story revolves around taking the time to relish the chaos before the status quo is reinforced by her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Alex Vause, played by Laura Prepon. Other characters follow suit by lounging and sleeping outside or barricading themselves in a commissary with snacks. Taystee and a small group of her trusted compatriots spearhead the initiative for change while a sizable amount of other inmates antagonize the CO hostages or cause their own brand of unique chaos. I love the show's expansive, diverse cast, and many of them were given memorable moments and demonstrated how human they all were, regardless of their reasoning for being incarcerated.

Season 6 was a slight step back.

The sixth season took a chunk of the prisoners we got to know after all these seasons and dropped them into a new prison after the riot settled. Favorites that we grew accustomed to were not seen again until either small parts in season 7 or the final episode entirely in small moments. These characters were missed, and their absence was felt wholeheartedly. In place of their absence, more characters were introduced to this new prison. The new COs were shown to be just as morally corrupt as the old ones, but the new prisoners introduced were so…uninspired. As Piper and the girls grow accustomed to their new quarters, they are dropped into the middle of a war between the prisoners of C Block and D Block. The rivalry stems decades ago from two sisters, who each run their blocks with everyone falling in line and following one of them.

They suck. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. They show the backstory of how the rivalry started. It's dumb, and not engaging, and the beef and every minute of this season dedicated to this storyline is forgettable. There's a character named Daddy who is essentially one of the sister's second-in-command, and she's just as forgettable as the sisters. Finally, there's Madison, called Badison by others, and she's more memorable than her other antagonistic counterparts, ironically, as she succeeds in being unlikable but fails at being compelling. She's notable for being rude to others and having a bad Boston accent. When the series is not focused on any of those four characters, then the sixth season is decent. Unfortunately, it's the major story driving that season, so it's definitively at the bottom of my seasons if we ranked them.

Luckily, season seven picks up as the sisters end up killing one another by the final episode of season 6, while Daddy also perishes, and Badison gets transferred to another prison early into season 7. The seventh season is arguably the most depressing, but has its moments of hope and optimism with certain prisoners finding freedom literally or in a spiritual sense. The final episode is such a mixed bag where the bad guys essentially get away scot-free from their terrible moments, but some others find freedom from the shackles that tied them down for so long.

From start to end, Orange Is The New Black offers a meditation for the viewer. Rethink how we look at the prison industrial complex. For seven seasons, these women are shown brutalized, beaten, and destroyed until the husks of their former shells, or dead. There are women who don't even deserve the treatment given but are punished nonetheless because the system in place is flawed. This was one of the toughest shows I've watched in my lifetime for how crushing it could be, and yet it was also liberating. 4/5. A great show that deserves to be watched if you haven't already.

#review #tv show review #tv review #oitnb #orange is the new black #piper chapman #alex vause #taystee jefferson #poussey washington #lorna morello #nicky nichols

[legion1227]

Prince of Egypt: Movie Review

Dreamworks pinnacle, thus saith the lord.

In December 1998, Dreamworks Pictures and Dreamworks Animation, the same company known for the Shrek movie series, the Madagascar series, and multiple mixed-acclaimed animated films, peaked with their second movie release. While Dreamworks embraced CG animation throughout the 2000s, 2010s, and today, their magnum opus came from the hand-drawn animated classic Prince of Egypt. Adapted from the Book of Exodus, the film follows Moses' time as a prince of Egypt to his time as a prophet chosen by God who must free the Hebrews from their slavery. Upon watching it for the first time last month, I was shocked by how competent the film proved.

With very little knowledge of most of the stories detailed throughout the Bible, I found this telling of Moses' story fascinating. The plight of the Hebrew people in Egypt made for a devastating watch. After Pharoah Seti orders a mass infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys in fear of rebellion due to massively growing numbers, Yocheved rushes her newborn son down a river in a basket in the hopes he will be safe from the slaughter. Yocheved's daughter, Miriam, follows the basket to see her brother end up before Pharoah Seti's palace, who becomes adopted by Seti's wife, Queen Tuya. There, the baby is given the name of Moses.

Years later, we witness Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses older and assuming roles of royalty as Rameses is named prince regent and appoints Moses as his Royal Chief Architect. Later that night, Moses discovers his Hebrew heritage, eventually leading him to flee his home in exile despite Rameses insisting he remain. After God tells Moses to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews, Moses returns years later to confront Rameses, who is now Pharoah, with a wife and son.

From their early formative years to now, as grown men on opposing sides, the character dynamic of Moses and Rameses is engaging. It's also heartwrenching to witness the dichotomy of their goals after establishing early the powerful bond they shared in their youth. Amongst the cast of characters shown in the film, Moses and Rameses are easily the driving force as their differing values are put against one another. Other characters have their moments, but none quite catch the attention, like Rameses and Moses.

Have I mentioned that the film is also a musical? The overall soundtrack has some decent songs that encapsulate the suffering of the Hebrew people rather well. However, there are two clear standouts. The first song, "Deliver Us," which we hear in the first ten minutes, is the background for the injustices the slaves endure as they are whipped, bullied, and helpless to watch their children die before them. Powerful imagery accompanies wonderous vocals as the people hope for something better to come while also witnessing Yocheved deliver their future savior, Moses, safely away from the jaws of certain death. After "Deliver Us," are songs that are decent in vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals but don't capture much of the urgency as "Deliver Us" does. That is until "The Plagues…"

"The Plagues," in my opinion, is the best song in the film. It's been on repeat since I watched the movie. Ralph Fiennes and Amick Byram deliver strong vocal performances with lyrically calamitous storytelling as Moses pleads for his brother to release his people, and yet Rameses' stubbornness leads to needless more suffering and death. And the chorus of voices acting as God casting down plague after plague upon everyone?

It's a masterful song to accompany a masterful film. If you haven't seen the movie before, I recommend watching it immediately. And if you have, watch it again. Great performances, animation, and story execution. Not perfect with some songs or characters failing to be as compelling as others, but still easily the best movie I've watched so far in 2024. 4/5.

#review #movie review #movies #prince of egypt

[legion1227]

Lil Dicky- Penith. (Dave Soundtrack). Album Review.

I don't know what I expected. 

If you're unfamiliar with him, David Burd, also known as Lil Dicky, first received recognition in 2013 after his music video "Ex-Boyfriend" went viral on YouTube. The following year, he would release his first single, "Save Dat Money," Featuring Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan, which went double platinum and found even more success in 2015 with his debut album, Professional Rapper. Professional Rapper is an album I've had a soft spot for since I was a teen, as Dicky burst onto the scene with talent and promise. His lyrical prowess showed promise, and he had a knack for decent storytelling, like "Molly," and entertainingly comedic over-the-top premises, see "Pillow Talking." From there, his music career became more complex while he dipped his toes into the television scene. 

He'd join the 2016 XXL Magazine Freshmen line-up, along with the likes of Anderson. Paak, Lil Uzi, 21 Savage, and others, where he'd perform admirably, dropped an EP in 2017 titled "I'm Brain," released his 2018 single "Freaky Friday" featuring Chris Brown, which would find wild success over YouTube, and release another single titled "Earth" which featured numerous other artists and received poorly from critics and fans alike. Any other musical escapades after "Earth" came solely from his ambitious TV project, Dave. 

In Dave, Dicky plays a fictionalized version of himself as he attempts to cement himself as one of the best rappers of all time. Throughout its three seasons, snippets or full tracks sung and rapped by Lil Dicky are heard. On January 19th, 2024, after mixing, remastering, and creating full versions of show tracks that were initially bits and snippets, Penith (The Dave Soundtrack) was finally released. 

To start, it's no Professional Rapper. His debut album was the peak of Dicky's musical career that I'm unsure he will ever top. Looking back on this album, I can recall the episodes where some of these tracks first aired. 

I think the problem is that some of these tracks only work within the show's context.

For example, the tenth track on Penith is titled "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar." In the episode where Dave meets the esteemed NBA legend, you also get to hear the song. It works well within the show because Dicky portrays himself as an arrogant musical artist who believes his own hype so much when his work is aggressively childish. But when you take the show context out and present merely the song as it is...it's nothing. That same principle applies even more dominantly with songs like "Ally's Song" or "I Met a Girl," which fail to capture the emotional aspect of particular love angles pushed if you've either never seen the show or don't recall the episodes, and I barely remember them.

The point is that this soundtrack really doesn't work if you're not a fan of the show, which might be disheartening if you're a Lil Dicky fan but not so much a fan of his TV. I believe his first and third seasons were mid, and the second season was his best. His series shows flashes of compelling and sometimes hilarious programming, a lot like his work on Professional Rapper. And also a lot like his work here. 

On Penith, there are some reminders that he can still spit, like in "Still Freestyling (Outro)," but it's buried underneath a sea of mediocrity. Dicky continues to push tired penis jokes galore across the board, and there's a particular four-track run starting with "No Fruits or vegetables" to "My Dick Sucks," where it's pure ass. Lyrically and instrumentally uninspired and messy throughout its run, but especially during this portion. 

Besides the freestyling track or "Ally's Song," the only other song that really works for me is "Jail (Part 1)," as it embraces a ludicrous premise and tells a story in a typical, silly, Lil Dicky manner. If only there were more memorable tracks like that instead of a one-minute version of the opening song of the TV show. 

Overall, except for a few tracks out of this lofty one-hour run, I won't be revisiting any of the songs on their own. A majority of these tracks were probably fine being nothing more than bits for the show because I can't imagine most people unironically listening to something like "No fruits or Vegetables." I'd like to think one day he'll make something more in line with Professional Rapper, but he seems more focused on television at the moment. 2.5/5.

#review #music review #music #lil dicky #dave fx #penith #album review

[legion1227]

Tekken 4: Game Review

With Tekken 8 dropping recently, let's look back at Tekken's legacy and one of its more forgotten entries.

When the first Tekken game was released in arcades and home consoles in 1994-95, who knew it would kick off one of the biggest fighting game franchises in the world. Upon Tekken's critical and commercial success, the game would help revolutionize 3D fighting mechanics, helping the fighting series stick out amongst its contemporaries like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. From there, Tekken would further cement itself as one of the best with its sequels, Tekken 2 and 3. Tekken 2 improved on virtually every aspect possible of its predecessor. It refined its visual style, supplied an excellent soundtrack, and added new characters like Jun Kazama, who wouldn't return for a mainline game until the latest entry, Tekken 8. And Tekken 3 managed to do everything Tekken 2 did but to higher levels. A true breakthrough for its time, genre, and series… very few fighting game competitors could match the heights it reached.

Tekken continued to astound with even more sequels and some spinoffs! 2005's Tekken 5 enhanced the gameplay, and the updated version, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, expanded the online experience. 2015's Tekken 7 utilized the power of 8th-generation consoles to make the battles and cutscenes in the story mode more gorgeous than ever. Tekken Tag Tournament 1 and 2 changed the formula by adding two fighters you can pick and switch out during fights, allowing players to fickle around with numerous combinations of teams to figure out what works best. The only dark horses of the Tekken franchise seem to be Tekken 6, with one of the weakest stories and overpowered final bosses in the series, and Tekken 4, the topic for today.

First released in arcades in 2001, then home consoles in 2002, Tekken 4 was not as well received as its predecessors or some of its sequels. What separated Tekken 4 from other entries was its dark, gritty tone in presentation and story. While the other games feature fantastical fighting stages like ancient temples or within a volcano, Tekken 4 leans more realistic with urban settings like a shopping mall or parking garage. Adding to the realism was the introduction of walled stages. In the previous entries, your character and opponent could wander endlessly without anything stopping you, but Tekken 4 introduced layouts and interactable scenery.

Tekken 4 is notable for bringing back multiple established characters like Kazuya, Heihachi, and Jin Kazama, among others, but even more so for its six new characters. These include Christie Monteiro, a friend of Eddy Gordo, also introduced in Tekken 3, who has a similar play style to him, Combot, a robot who can mimic other characters' fighting styles, Craig Marduk, a jacked Vale Tudo fighter, Miharu, a friend of Ling Xiaoyu who was also introduced in Tekken 3, boxer Steve Fox, and Tekken original Lee Choalan's alter-ego, Violet.

With new and old characters alike, the story is set. Two years after the events of Tekken 3, Heihachi Mishima and his team of scientists captured samples of blood and tissue from Ogre, the monster his grandson Jin Kazama killed years ago. The scientists and Heihachi wanted to splice Ogre's specimen with Heihachi's genome, hoping to make him immortal. Unfortunately for him, the experiment fails since Heihachi lacks the Devil Gene. Heihachi then concocts a plan to lure out Jin and Kazuya Mishima, the two harborers of the Devil Gene, by announcing the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 4. The plot works as Jin and Kazuya are successfully lured and ambushed by Heihachi's Tekken forces. Intersectional fights occur aplenty, as Heihachi fights his son, Kazuya, and his grandson, Jin, and even Jin and Kazuya battle each other. Ultimately, Heihachi fails to bring his plan to fruition despite all the familial infighting. Elsewhere, the rest of the Tekken cast are involved in their own endeavors, either comedic or dramatic. All characters' stories follow a similar format: you select your desired character, a gritty, sketchy art style appears which shows still images with text over as a narrator details what's happening with that exact character, you fight several opponents before facing final boss Heihachi only to receive more sketchy art without narration, and a final CG minute long ending sequence to show what happens with your selected character.

Through this style of storytelling, you get the full story between Heihachi, Kazuya, and Jin. With the other characters, you get entertaining sequences such as Steve Fox discovering Nina is his mother or Kuma the bear signing legal documents. Tekken's arcade storytelling was always one of the most engaging aspects of the franchise, and it's no different in this entry. It's actually one of the few ways Tekken 4 surpasses a superior game like Tekken 7, which lacked compelling single-player-focused stories on certain characters.

But while Tekken 4 doesn't lack too much in story, it does somewhat in gameplay. Where Tekken 5 or 7 has fast-paced action during fights, Tekken 4 feels much slower. Movements with each character feel more sluggish and clunky than its successors. As a 3D fighter, it's not a great sign if trying to sidestep, crouching, or even jumping, feeling a tad difficult to pull off.

I also want to note that Tekken 4 had a beat-em-up mode titled Tekken Force. Tekken Force was first a minigame introduced in Tekken 3 before reappearing in this iteration, where you control any character and fight through numerous soldiers in a few given stages before fighting a boss. It's a fun side mode different enough from the other modes in the game that's worth dabbling in a bit.

"Worth dabbling in a bit" is also how I would describe Tekken 4 as a whole. Going through each individual's story campaign was an entertaining romp. Every fighting game should have character endings akin to this. The Tekken Force mode is also fun for a small bit. The gameplay is only lacking in comparison to other games in the franchise, but on its own, it can still make for pleasant casual play amongst friends. It's a shame this 20+-year-old game is locked to the PS2, but if you can somehow get your hands on a version of the game, I recommend playing for at least a little bit to see how Tekken 8 has come such a long way.

3.5/5. It's one of the weaker Tekken entries, but it's still a decent fighting game.

#review #game review #video games #tekken #tekken 8 #tekken 4 #jin kazama #tekken 7

[legion1227]

Echo: TV series Review.

There is hope for the future of street-level MCU shows and movies.

Released rather recently on January 9th, Echo is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet. Alaqua Cox plays Maya Lopez, or Echo as she's known in the comics, whose character was introduced first in the Hawkeye TV series. Adopted into the crime family of The Kingpin in her youth, Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, Maya is pursued by Fisk and his men as she returns to her Native American roots while returning to her hometown in Oklahoma.

Without a doubt, Cox as Maya and D'Onofrio's Kingpin are the best performances in this more grounded superhero outing. As the character herself is also deaf, it's worth praising that those at Marvel managed to find an actual Native American deaf actress to portray the character of the same background and representation who ALSO gives a stellar performance. Cox was entertaining in her small role in the Hawkeye show, but as she's given the leading role, I find that the struggle Maya harbors between her criminal life in New York with Fisk and the simplistic lifestyle with her friends and relatives in Oklahoma could not be presented any better than anyone besides Alaqua Cox. Opposite to her, D'Onofrio is an excellent foil. D'Onofrio as Kingpin is up there with RDJ as Iron Man or Tom Hiddleston as Loki, among few others, as the perfect candidate to take up the mantle of an immaculate comic book character. D'Onofrio's performance in the Daredevil series helped cement that series as one of the best Marvel series of all time, and his presence helps elevate the series here. As the Kingpin appears on screen, his gravitas and presence are felt, feeling intimidating as his hulking mass towers above Maya and others. Whether working off of one another or with other characters, these two characters are definitively the strongest in fighting ability and character depth.

Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same for the rest of the cast. Maya's friends and family round off the rest of the supporting cast, and while they're mostly likable, they're largely forgettable. There's some heart to the moments where Maya gets personal with family members, reflecting on the past or figuring out what to do with the situation with Fisk, but the archetypes of Maya's cousins, Bonnie or Biscuits, feel too generic. They provide assistance to their cousin and try to wit quirky lines, but they fail to garner real interest or depth. I feel this is in part due to its short length. With only 5 episodes to cram as much story as it can with Maya and the Kingping, pacing and character development suffer immensely. Surely another episode or 3 would help develop characters into a more engaging and memorable cast or strengthen the depth of the complex relationship between the Kingpin and his adopted niece.

Still, it's a pretty good show. As stated, Maya and Kingpin are the most fascinating characters the show has to offer, which may be enough to check out alone. The fight scenes are also decent enough, though really compelling in some episodes like the first, which feel reminiscent of the Daredevil series. If the series was longer, the pacing was better and the supporting cast was more intriguing, then the show could be even stronger, but as it is it's still definitely a really good show worth a watch. 3.5/5.

#review #tv show review #tv review #marvel #echo #marvel echo #kingpin #wilson fisk

[legion1227]

Every Movie Watched in 2023: Ranked.

Unlike my previous ranked lists of TV, music, and games, I'm gonna try and wrap this up in one sentence thoughts of all the 117 films I watched this year.

117. Norbit. 0.5/5.

Eddie Murphy plays a nerd, an obese woman, and an Asian character, it's painfully unfunny.

116. Due Date. 1/5.

Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis are terrible people with terrible chemistry in this unfunny 2010 comedy.

115. Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey. 1/5.

Besides some decent gore, there's nothing this movie has going on.

114. Clash Of The Titans. 1/5.

Another despairing entry from 2010 enters the fray as Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes fail as portrayals of Zeus and Hades on every level.

113. The Third Saturday in October Part 5. 1/5.

Arguably in the so bad its good territory, but it annoyed me still.

112. Old Dads- 1.5/5.

Old man Bill Burr yells at cloud.

111. Hidden Strike. 1.5/5.

The novelty of Jackie Chan and John Cena on screen together is nowhere near good enough to carry the film.

110. Fast and The Furious- 1.5/5.

The first movie is shockingly more dull than I remembered as a youth.

109. Dark Shadows. 2/5.

The least engaging vampire film I've seen in a long time.

108. Justice League: Warworld. 2/5.

Imagine taking the anthology approach with variants of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman and your movie still sucks.

107. The People We Hate At The Wedding- 2/5.

Ben Platt, you will pay for your crimes.

106. Shotgun Wedding-.2/5.

Another disappointing wedding movie but this one had Jennifer Coolidge so it's slightly better.

105. Vacation Friends 2. 2/5.

Between this and Hidden Strike, this might not have been John Cena's best year, I'm afraid.

104. Shazam: Fury of The Gods. 2/5.

Maybe it's a good thing the DCEU is dead.

103. The Killer. 2/5.

Not bad on a technical level, but not what I was expecting.

102. Five Nights At Freddy's. 2/5.

Either be menacing or be goofy, pick a lane, FNAF!

101. Top Gun. 2/5.

Besides homoerotic undertones, I can barely recall the film.

100. In The Shadow of the Moon. 2.5/5.

A Philadelphia police offers spends their whole life trying to track down this killer and I promise you I cannot remember the plot twist.

99. Police Academy. 2.5/5.

The guy that makes sound effects with his mouth is a beast, I cannot front.

98. White Men Can't Jump (2023). 2.5/5.

Jack Harlow and Sinqua Walls will never be Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes.

97. Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham. 2.5/5.

Batman in the 1920s is fine...I guess?

96. Adult Swim's Yule Log. 2.5/5

Serial killers and aliens and possessed fire logs...there's too much going on.

95. Fractured. 2.5/5

Shutter Island but worse.

94. A Man Called Otto. 2.5/5

Not enough redemption for me to not still think of Otto as an asshole.

93. The Little Mermaid (2023). 2.5/5.

I like Hailie Bailey but the rest of this cast...mm.

92. Final Destination 3. 2.5/5.

Easily my least favorite of the Final Destination franchise.

91. Champions. 2.5/5.

Woody Harrelson coaching a special needs Basketball team has its moments.

90. Extraction 2. 2.5/5.

Didn't see the first one, but the fight scenes here were enough to carry the film at least this high.

89. The Flash. 2.5/5.

Warner Bros banked everything on a movie that harbors a scene that basically parades around long-dead actors in disgusting CGI.

88. Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead. 2.5/5.

Not sure how this holds to the anime or manga, but on its own it's fine I suppose.

87. Mars Attacks. 2.5/5.

A deeply bizarre film but some fun moments here and there.

86. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. 2.5/5.

Weakest Conjuring movie so far and it's not really close.

85. Barnyard. 2.5/5.

I liked this movie a lot more as a kid, but I respect it still as an oddity.

84. The Grinch (2018). 2.5/5.

One of the Christmas movies of all time.

83. Infinity Pool 2.5/5.

Deeply disturbing Nipple scene, I cannot.

82. Theater Camp. 3/5

Great cast, but need better material.

81. Renfield. 3/5.

No one matches the greatness of Nicolas Cage as Dracula.

80. Trilogy of Terror. 3/5.

The last story, "Amelia" is the most terror-fueled of the three stories.

79. Final Destination 4. 3/5.

One, it should've been called FD4 instead of "The Final Destination" because that's too confusing, and two, it has the weakest opening death scene of the bunch.

78. Private Parts. 3/5.

Howard Stern's rise to the top is mildly entertaining.

77. Blue Beetle. 3/5.

I like it when George Lopez gets work.

76. Kick-Ass 3/5.

No pun intended, but the fight scenes are pretty kick-ass.

75. Tetris. 3/5.

The second the guy stepped foot in Russia I sorta clocked out mentally.

74. No Hard Feelings. 3/5.

Jennifer Lawrence beating up teens while naked makes her an icon.

73. Totally Killer. 3/5.

A slasher mixed with time travel elements contributes to a fun film.

72. The Woman King. 3/5.

Powerful cast, but the subject matter didn't move me as much as I wanted it to.

71. Strange World. 3/5.

Nowhere near Disney's best, but it's got its moments.

70. Prometheus. 3/5.

I like how it's a prequel to the Alien movies.

69. Mission Impossible. 3/5.

The very first one feels tame, but I'm hoping the rest get more over the top as I try and go through them.

68. Dungeons & Dragons. 3/5.

I'm not into D&D, the game, but the movie was decent.

67. Insidious. 3/5.

Patrick Wilson was better in this than in Conjuring three. Wild.

66. The Last Voyage of the Demeter. 3/5.

It has its moments, but a vampire picking off shipmates drags too much, surprisingly.

65. The Boys of St. Vincent. 3/5.

This movie is why I don't fuck with the Catholic Church and why I make fun of them.

64. Rashomon. 3/5.

Classic movie involving an unreliable narrator trope, but I have a hard time feeling movies that came out before 1970.

63. Seven Kings Must Die. 3/5.

The movie sendoff for the show, The Last Kingdom, is better than the show's last three seasons.

62. Drunken Master. 3/5.

It has some nice fight choreography, but Jackie Chan has a better kung fu flick.

61. Stephen King's Cat's Eye. 3.5/5.

A better version of the Trilogy of Terror with better stories.

60. Silver Linings Playbook. 3.5/5.

Romcom with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradly Cooper is more devastating than funny.

59. You People. 3.5/5.

Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill are a fine duo for most of the film.

58. Cocaine Bear. 3.5/5.

Fun, but I was hoping for it to be more chaotic than it was.

57. Antman & The Wasp: Quantumania. 3.5/5.

Yes, its flawed in many ways, but I don't care cause I like how ugly MODOK looks and Paul Rudd.

56. Terrifier. 3.5/5.

Murderous clown rampage made some good content for a little bit.

55. The Blackening. 3.5/5.

A really funny take on the horror genre and black people in horror films.

54. Loaded Weapon 1. 3.5/5.

A parody film reminiscent of The Naked Gun or Scary movie franchise in some ways and I love that.

53. Lethal Weapon 1. 3.5/5.

Loaded Weapon 1 working off of a classic like this makes sense to me.

52. Don't Breathe 2. 3.5/5.

As someone who didn't see the first one, but ended up seeing this, I think there's some enjoyment in seeing a blind old man harm bad guys.

51. A Disturbance In The Force. 3.5/5.

A documentary about the horrid Star Wars Christmas special is honestly enlightening.

50. Nimona. 3.5/5.

Adequate animation coupled with likable leads give a good time for animation fans.

49. Rise of The Planet of The Apes. 3.5/5.

Caesar yelling "NO" gave me chills, bruh.

48. Stephen King's IT (1990). 3.5/5.

Tim Curry's Pennywise will forever be iconic.

47. Asteroid City. 3.5/5.

For a first ever viewing of a Wes Anderson film, it was a bit confusing at times, but fascinating nonetheless.

46. M3GAN. 3.5/5.

M3GAN was serving the entire time.

45. Kung Fu Panda 3. 3.5/5.

The weakest of the KFP movies, but still has a good main villain.

44. Fearless Hyena. 3.5/5.

This is the other better Jackie Chan movie I was talking about.

43. Elemental. 3.5/5.

The best love story ever told...not really, but it's cute.

42. Tangled. 3.5/5.

Also cute, but I can't look past the age gap.

41. X. 3.5/5.

Mia Goth was serving as well in this horror prequel to Pearl.

40. A.I. 3.5/5.

Very ambitious Spielberg project with tinge of creepiness that I'm unsure if it was intentional or not.

39. Violet Evergarden: The Movie. 3.5/5.

Gorgeous animation, likeable characters, HUGE problem with that age gap.

38. We The Animals. 3.5/5.

Based on a true story, I feel for the plight of these young boys.

37. Jackass Forever. 3.5/5.

Idiots doing dangerous stunts even in their older age remains idiotic fun.

36. Interview With A Vampire. 3.5/5.

Leagues above Dark Shadows as a vampire movie.

35. The Super Mario Bros Movie. 3.5/5.

Lovely animation and a fun take on the Mario franchise in spite of underwhelming voice performances from some, but not all.

34. Final Destination. 3.5/5.

The first one set a pretty high bar to top in its franchise.

33. Suzume. 3.5/5.

It's a good time, but there are opportunities not taken here that infuriate me.

32. Final Destination 2. 3.5/5.

The first scene on the highway is the best scene of anything the franchise provided.

31. The Princess Bride. 3.5/5.

Oh my god, I miss Andre The Giant.

30. Scream 6. 3.5/5.

There is a reason this franchise is arguably the king of the slashers.

29. Juice. 3.5/5.

Oh my GOD I miss Tupac TOO.

28. Knock at The Cabin. 3.5/5.

The classic Shyamalan twist is predictable, but it's still a pretty entertaining movie.

27. SISU. 3.5/5.

Soldier is intent on not letting Nazis take his gold and goddammit I GOTTA respect it.

26. Missing. 3/5.

Maybe the most fun of those kinds of thriller screenlife-type movies.

25. Atlantis: The Lost Empire. 3.5/5.

An underrated Disney classic I wish I saw sooner.

24. The Princess and The Frog. 3.5/5.

Dr. Facilier is one of Disney's coolest villains and his song is one of my favorites ever.

23. Beau is Afraid. 3.5/5.

Did NOT need to be 3 hours, but it definitely wasn't boring.

22. Alienoid. 4/5.

Time Travelling shenanigans lead to unbelievable fun adventure.

21. Venture Bros: Radiant Is the blood of the Baboon heart. 4/5

A beautiful, possible, send off to an underrated Adult Swim TV show.

20. Call. 4/5.

More time travelling shenanigans involved that I like for the most part until the dark ending.

19. One Piece Film: Red. 4/5.

I love One Piece to bits and this film satisfied me immensely as a One Piece fan.

18. Air. 4/5.

Better version of the Tetris movie.

17. Dredd. 4/5.

I respect that Karl Urban never once took off the helmet.

16. Evil Dead Rise. 4/5.

Bloodiest, goriest spectacle that's a triumph.

15. Edge of Tomorrow. 4/5.

In spite of Tom Cruise's flaws, damn if he isn't a movie star.

14. Fargo. 4/5.

Watching all the seasons of the show before seeing the film is really eye-opening to see where the seasons got their influence from.

13. High Fidelity. 4/5.

I could listen to the guys in the film talk about music all day.

12. Fahrenheit 11/9. 4/5.

I got so mad watching this documentary.

11. Speed. 4/5.

Everything on the bus to "Pop Quiz Hot shot" is pure cinema.

10. Oppenheimer. 4/5.

Human meditation on one of the most devastating acts pulled off in human history makes for troubling watch.

9. They Cloned Tyrone. 4/5.

Tyrone gets cloned and its sublime.

8. Another Round. 4/5.

A simplistic premise of seeing how far the human body can indulge while still working is so damn good.

7. Barbie. 4/5.

Not only is its message thought-provoking but it's funny as hell.

6. The Menu. 4/5.

Between this and The Bear, this was a good year for me and cooking-related media I watched.

5. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. 4/5.

Stunning animation, and two excellent antagonists help lend to a stellar animated film.

4. Prisoners. 4/5.

Hugh Jackman losing his shit makes for compelling watch.

3. John Wick 4. 4.5/5.

Action so good I could watch this forever.

2. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. 4.5/5.

If it was like ten minutes longer, it would be at my number one.

Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3. 4.5/5. I almost cried over a CGI raccoon, you bet your ass its my movie of the year.

#review #movies #movie review #norbit #disney #fast and furious #dc #marvel #fnaf #spiderman #mario bros #one piece #barbenheimer #barbie movie #oppenheimer #gotg3

[legion1227]

Ranking All 111 Albums Listened to in 2023!

111. Yeat- AftërLyfe. 0.5/5

Yeat's third studio Trap album was an utter slog to get through. I hate how it sounds, many of the tracks blend together, and it's way too long. Yeat's appeal as an artist is mindboggling to me.

110. Lewis Capaldi- Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. 1/5.

Capaldi's second album harbors nothing of note and fails to engage me vocally, lyrically, or instrumentally.

109. Mia Carucci- Deities of Stone. 1/5

I appreciate it's brevity, but Mia's voice is grating to my ears and the production fails to evoke strong emotions from me.

108. Slowthai- Ugly. 1.5/5.

British rapper Slowthai's third studio album has one song, "Never Again" that is perhaps the best song on the album, but the rest of the competition is unimpressive with subpar instrumentals and lyrics.

107. Post Malone- Austin. 1.5/5.

Post Malone's 5th studio cements the notion that I am not a fan of his voice or music. His voice wavers and teeters onto annoying at times and with filler/bad bars, "I'm calling her Shrek cause she got a donkey" This is not an album I rock with.

106. Conor Maynard- +11 Hours. 2/5.

Back in 2013, Conor Maynard dropped the song "R U Crazy" which I liked then but does not hold up for me today. The songs on this album are slightly better than "R U Crazy" but are not lyrically interesting.

105. Crystal Fighters- Light+. 2/5.

The electronic indie band Crystal Fighters dropped their latest album in November and delivered an, in my opinion, underwhelming experience. With mediocre beats and forgettable lyrics, I feel there was potential for something better that they just didn't reach here.

104. American Authors- Best Night of My Life. 2/5

Best known for their 2014 hit "Best Day of My Life" the album to sequel from their hit song is too sweet and poppy. It has a positive vibe which I respect, and appreciate its brevity, but each song meshes together to create a generic, disappointing experience.

103. Youngboy Never Broke Again- Decided 2. 2/5

Decided 2 starts off terribly but gets a little better as the project goes on. Its production and lyrics are both okay towards the middle and end portions. Youngboy could've definitely stood to trim some tracks from the album.

102. Jason Mraz- Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride. 2/5.

Instrumentally, every song on the album sounds and feels different which gives it a somewhat unique listen. On that level, they surpass his 2008 hit "I'm Yours." Unfortunately, he lacks compelling vocals or lyrics. An instrumental version of this album might be better.

101. Escape The Fate- Out of The Shadows. 2/5.

The lyrics of this rock band are forgettable or incredibly cringe. "irreversible" is possibly the worst song on the album. Instrumentals carry the project slightly higher than the others.

100. Front Bottoms- You Are Who You Hang Out With.

The reverse of Front Bottoms appears as the lyrics are fine, but the instrumentals are uninspired. Lead singer Brian Sella's voice is something I can't stand with his nasally vocals.

99. Bebe Rexha- Seasons. 2/5.

Bebe's album has a decent pace and I really do like her voice, but she provides nothing engaging from a lyrical or instrumental perspective, unfortunately. "Born Again" is the only song of the 12 tracks I feel is worth a listen.

98. Scouting For Girls- The Place We Used To Meet. 2/5.

The Pop band's 7th studio album is a trying endeavor that's a bit too corny or sweet for my liking. Which might be surprising since I genuinely like their 2007 hit, "She's So Lovely" which is sweetness incarnate as a love song. The messages in some of the songs in the album are clearly made for his kids or his significant other, but it's not for me so it's ranked low.

97. Depeche Mode- Momento Mori. 2/5.

The English electronic music band's latest album was simply not for me. Lead singer Dave Gahan's low croons in his songs do nothing for me, and the instrumentals are not too fascinating. "Ghosts Again" and "People Are Good " were two of my favorite songs from the album, but nothing else really resonated with me,

96. Chief Keef- Finally Rich (Complete Edition). 2/5.

The Complete Edition of Chief Keef's Finally Rich adds seven previously unreleased songs to celebrate the anniversary of the album's release from over ten years ago. Besides the classic track "I don't like" there are no other songs that I really enjoy. There are still sparks of fun in his rap songs and the instrumentals are bombastic and go hard, so there's some credit to give.

95. Kelly Clarkson- Chemistry. 2/5

There are moments on Kelly's newest album where goodness bleeds through. "My Mistake" is her best song, but it's still a chore to go through it. The album could benefit from better production and lyrics, but at least Kelly still has some super vocals.

94. Sam Smith- Gloria. 2/5.

Chocked with features, yet none are particulalry gripping, especially Jessie Reyez on "Gimmie." It started decent with its opening track "Love Me More" but sadly wavered from there with forgettable tracks to follow.

93. John Mayer- Sob Rock. 2.5/5

Released in 2021 and resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,John Mayer's Sob Rock carries solely on vibes. The title track is the best one, but goes down from there as the rest meander from vocals or lyrics.

92. Ten Tonnes- Dancing, Alone. 2.5/5.

Indie Rock artist Ethan James Barnett, or Ten Tonnes has decent production in his sophomore album, with hints of special moments sprinkled across the songs. It's a fine project, but nothing comes close to the acoustic version of one of his older songs, "Born To Lose."

91. Niall Horan- The Show. 2.5/5.

Another fine project from one of the former members of One Direction. There are some instances where the songwriting and vocals are strong, like in "Science" or "You Could Start a Cult," but other songs do not have the privilege to be as remarkable, unfortunately.

90. Gucci Mane- Breath of Fresh Air. 2.5/5.

Gucci Mane's newest album was too long with underwhelming features. Luckily for Gucci Mane, he outshines his colleagues and impresses at points. If the production were done by someone else, he could make something even better, I feel.

89. Robin Schulz- Pink. 2.5/5.

EDM artist Robin Schulz's best song on Pink is "No Drama" which reminds me a little of an Avicii song. Every other song is mostly serviceable, but doesn't stick out too much.

88. Rae Sremmurd- Sremm 4 Life. 2.5/5

Hip Hop duo Swae Lee and Slim Jimini do well on a few fine songs like "Royal Flush" and "Flaunt It/Cheap." Other songs don't live up to the quality, but Lee and Jimini are pretty competent in this run.

87. Taylor Swift- 1989 (Taylor's Version) 2.5/5

Taylor Swift's rereleased album 1989, which dropped back in 2014, is the weaker of Taylor's rereleases that I listened to this year. Her 'From the Vault' songs surpass the original tracklist, but they only carry so far. The big hits, "Blank Space," "Bad Blood," and "Shake it Off" have never worked for me, while the majority of the rest fall short lyrically. But still, from the vault tracks like "Suburban Legends" are really good.

86. Drake- For All the Dogs. 2.5/5

Drake's latest album is too long and at times monotonous. One of the best songs, "First Person Shooter" is brought down by Drake after an excellent J Cole verse and a beat switch that brings down the vibe of the song. There are some solid lines sprinkled throughout by Drake, but it's still overwhelmingly mediocre. Although, 8am in Charlotte is another bop admittedly.

85. Maneskin- RUSH! 2.5/5

The band starts strong with its first three tracks and then loses steam so fast. Sonically, every track varies from sounding really well to completely ear-piercing. Instrumentally sound throughout, but the fall-off is such a shame. The first 3 songs are good enough to carry it as high as it is.

84. EST Gee- MAD. 2.5/5

EST Gee is lyrically coherent throughout with a decent flow, but the production fails Gee too often. 25 Min Freestyle is the weakest song of the bunch as it lacks energy, but every other song is mostly okay. "Undefeated" and "Kadas Song" work on lyrical, instrumental, and vocal levels.

83. Idina Menzel- Drama Queen. 3/5.

The voice actress of Elsa from Frozen is unsurprisingly a great singer. "Madison Hotel" is the best song the Disney princess VA has to offer on the album. Besides that, the rest of the songs fail to meet her on the same level. If the production or lyrics were as good as her voice, Drama Queen would rank even higher.

82. Michael Bolton- Spark of Light. 3/5

The musical veteran behind classics like "How am I supposed to live without you" released a decent album that sounds better when he doesn't dip into guttural vocals. "Running out of ways" is my favorite song from the album, but the other songs could stand to be better.

81. Rick Astley- Are We There Yet?- 3/5

The legend of the Rick Roll has nothing here on the same level of his original classic, but there are plenty of fine songs in this decently paced 12-track album. Maria Love is the most intriguing song from a concept level and production-wise. While every other song is okay, I recommend seeking out Maria Love if you had to listen to one song from here.

80. Portugal, The Man- Chris Black Changed My Life. 3/5

Dedicated to their longtime friend Chris Black who died in 2019, the rock band produced a decent time with okay vocals and instrumentals, but spotty features. Grim Generation and Champ are standout songs, while the rest aren't bad but could stand to be more impressive.

79. Plain White T's- Plain White T's. 3/5

The same band behind Hey There Delilah produced a few songs here with the same cheesy earnestness. It works for tracks like Would You Even and Fired Up, but not so much for the rest.

78. Logic- College Park. 3/5.

A step down from his previous album. Not bad at all, but Logic might not be my cup of tea like he used to be when I was a teenager. His production this time around is iffy, the skits are intriguing but are too heavy in abundance, and the features fail to impress. But Logic can still impress with his lyrical ability when he puts himself to it.

77. Macklemore- Ben. 3/5

Macklemore's lyrical ability to surpass Logic by just a tad is wild to me. When he is rapping and embraces hip-hop, Macklemore is better. Unfortunately, the plethora of pop songs on here are nowhere near as good and bring down the quality. Still, it's a decent listen.

76. Rolling Stones- Hackney Diamonds. 3/5.

For a first-ever album listen from the classic rock band, I sort of expected more from them. On par with some of their classics? Probably not, but the instrumentals are enough to drive the album to become a vibe as other facets of the songs fall a bit short.

75. Offset- Set It Off. 3/5

Offset's solo record is bloated with songs that could be removed to improve the quality. But the rapper himself is lyrically decent. Coupled with features from Travis Scott and Cardi Bi among others that do well and production varying from okay to good, Offset's latest outing is an okay time overall.

74. Rick Ross and Meek Mill- Too Good To Be True. 3/5.

The collab album between both Robert rappers is a bit lop-sided as Rick Ross does a more impressive job than Meek. While Ross impresses lyrically and even has funny lines, Meek doesn't raise to meet Ross at his standard, though he has some good verses throughout. With mixed features and production alike, the album is a missed opportunity to be better than it is.

73. Kevin Abstract- Blanket. 3/5.

One of the members of the former rap group BROCKHAMPTON launched out on his own and surprised me with an alternative rock album to the usual rap he's known for. Kevin's best songs come from the crushy, love songs that remind me of old Blink 182 at points.

72. Blink 182- One More Time. 3/5.

Speaking of Blink 182, the punk rock band still presents decent melodies and instrumentals all these years later. Lyrically and vocally, there are moments where the band will falter, but there are still songs to enjoy and latch onto which is a more than welcome surprise.

71. ZZ Ward- Dirty Shine. 3/5.

A soulful artist at heart, Pennsylvania native ZZ Ward presents strong vocals in an engaging style. She harbors a little hip-hop influence in the album which I love to see. (She makes a Lil Wayne reference in a track that pops me). The features were decent on this project, but also could've provided more. Luckily for ZZ, she performs well across the album.

70. Icona Pop- Club Romantech. 3/5.

Swedish synth-pop duo Icona Pop dropped an okay EDM album that could've been more bombastic. vocally and lyrically the tracks are uninteresting as the beats carry somewhat, but they could be better.

69. Meredith O'Connor- I am. 3/5

Upon request earlier this year, I listened to singer Meredith O'Connor and her 2015 album, "I Am." With production and lyrics being decent as they are, it's O'Connor's vocals that carry the quality of the album, bringing a vibe reminiscent to someone like Cascada, which is a positive in my eyes.

68. The Hives- The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. 3/5.

Garage rock band The Hives should have songs that work so much better than they do. Bogus Operandi and Two kinds of Trouble are two fun and intriguing listens that the other songs fail to reach the same level as.

67. Avenged Sevenfold- Life Is But A Dream. 3/5.

The metal band tried something bold with their latest project. There's electronic songs sprinkled throughout that seem to grab influence from controversial artist Kanye West/Ye. Some of it sounds fine but it's not as good as some of Kanye's older works. The production is better for the rock songs than for the electronic tracks. Above all else, it's an interesting listen.

66. Big Time Rush- Another Life. 3/5.

A nice welcome back from a boy band group that disbanded long ago and whose show I used to watch on Nickelodeon in the 2010s. Vocally, all 4 members of the group are sound, but it's admittedly hard to tell who is singing at some times. It's classic boy band material through and through and it's hard to hate on that.

65. Rita Ora- You & I. 3/5.

Her material needs better work, but vocally she is sublime. "I don't wanna be your friend" works really well as a cute way for the singer to articulate her feelings. Some of the songs feel a big generic, but some are really earworm-like on a sonic level.

64. Daz Dillinger- So So Gangsta. 3/5.

As one-half of the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, Daz Dillinger dropped a "so so" album circa 2006. Daz and the various features have some decent lines and the production is sound and feels right out of the 2000s, but the subject matter to which Dillinger raps about could stand to be more engaging.

63. Temple of Angel- Endless Pursuit. 3/5.

This indie band has some decent songs overall, but I think they need to work on their mixing. In some songs, the lead singers voices feel drowned out against the instrumentals. With a male and female lead singer taking turns across the 11-track run, I also find the female lead singer to be the stronger of the two. I definitely recommend the album as a listen, but especially tracks like Tangled in joy, Waving to the Wind, and Secret Place.

62. Killer Mike- Michael. 3/5.

The other half of Run The Jewels manages to have plenty of impactful bars, but also comes off as preachy at times and uninspired. Shout out to Andre 3000 and 2 Chainz though for having some of the best features on the album.

61. Foo Fighters- But Here We Are. 3/5.

The first two tracks set a nice standard. "Rescued" and "You" are some of the best songs Dave Grohl and the band have to offer. There's a small downward slope in quality after the first two songs, but it's still an okay album overall.

60. Dave Matthews Band- Walk Around the Moon.

The beginning and ending tracks are some of the best songs Dave Matthews and his band have to offer. The middle portion is a bit meandering, but his acoustic, low-key songs work pretty well for Dave Matthews.

59. Metallica- 72 Seasons. 3/5.

The iconic rock band started incredibly strong with its first three tracks, but sort of drifts off into mediocrity afterward. It's roaring instrumentals and guitar riffs are dope, but could and should be better from its lyrics and James Hetfield vocals.

58. Kesha- Gag Order. 3/5.

Kesha strayed from the party days of Die Young and Tik Tok long ago, but the dive into her own psyche on this project is fascinating. Vocally and instrumentally, it holds her back. But lyrically, it's compact with thought-provoking subject matter. Living In My Head has to be my favorite song of the thirteen on here.

57. Poppy- Zig. 3/5.

Known for surreal performance art videos on YouTube, Poppy's music is as intriguing as her artwork, blending dark elements into pop-techno vibes. The first two songs are heavy into EDM as the rest lean more into pop. I would've preferred more EDM fusion but Poppy still crafted something worthwhile.

56. Daniel Caesar- Never Enough. 3/5.

R&B artist Daniel Caesar dropped a decent projects days after his 28th birthday. Vocally he's pretty good. The same applies to his lyrics, but the instrumentals are not so noteworthy. Cool and Toronto 2014 are 2 of my favorite songs from him here.

55. Ellie Goulding- Higher Than Heaven. 3/5.

Goulding's pop sounds comes across as typical sometimes, but other times its incredibly pleasant with stand out moments. Her songs for love, "Cure For Love," "Love Goes On," and "How Love" are some favorites on the album among a few that aren't as memorable unfortunately.

54. Kim Petras- Feed The Beast. 3/5.

You may or may not be aware of Kim Petras from her feature on Sam Smith's big hit Unholy, but on Feed The Beast, Petras strives off on her own in her debut album. The first half of the album is stronger with more bangers in the dance-pop project. "Alone" has to be one of my favorite songs from the album, though to be fair, it's a bit of a cheat since it interpolates the beat and instrumentals from the superior "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay.

53. Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday 2. 3/5.

The long-awaited sequel to one of her best projects, it could stand to be better by cutting some of the songs, but it's still an okay listen. J Cole's guest feature was the best on the album as others were more or less impressive. As for Minaj herself, she sometimes delivers and sometimes hits just right in Pink Friday 2 with some fun pop jams.

52. Miley Cyrus- Endless Summer Vacation. 3/5

Vocally, Miley Cyrus is a champion. Lyrically, she flip-flops between engaging and meh. Her lead single, Flowers, is a certified bop, but other songs like "Jaded" and "You are" are two other dope tracks. Every other song is mostly acceptable, but the album would be better if it ended on "Wonder Woman" instead of another version of Flowers.

51. Lil Tjay- 222. 3/5.

On his third studio album, Lil Tjay dropped a finely paced album with decent lyricism. He even incorporates singing elements that were surprisingly nice to accompany solid production. It's chock-full of features that are hit or miss, but Polo G is definitely a standout amongst the sea of other rappers.

50. Dave East- Fortune Favors The Bold. 3/5.

The same rapper who portrayed Method Man in the Wu-Tang series delivered an adequate album that's way too bloated. At 24 songs, it's too much Dave East to endure, but there are still some verses and bars worth praise. With decent storytelling and solid production, Dave East's album could be better if a plethora of songs were cut.

49. Rupaul- Black Butta. 3.5/5.

As someone who does not follow or keep up on Rupaul much, I was pleasantly surprised to see how good this album was. The energetic dance elements are astonishingly well done here by the drag race icon.

48. TK Blockstar- Malicious Heart. 3.5/5.

I did a review for Cave Dweller Music on this upcoming artist, but to touch on her, TK Blockstar's 2019 release Malicious Heart is a really good debut album for her with some of the best aspects coming from the production and its features. Though one of my favorite tracks has to be Came a long Way.

47. Vic Mensa- Victor. 3.5/5

A bit long in the tooth, but Vic Mensa cultivated a rap album that impresses lyrically and vocally. While the features vary in quality, Mensa delivers quality verses in a run that could stand to have some songs cut.

46. Wiz Khalifa- Decisions. 3.5/5.

A song dedicated to Nipsey Hussle was a strong beginning. From there, he mostly tackles subject matters typical to him: Weed and Women. The tracks about girls are okay, but his weed jams are fun and elevate the album to be a decent, fun jam.

45. Troye Sivan- Something To Give Each Other. 3.5/5.

The theme of love goes strong throughout the album as its main subject, and it's done incredibly well. It's a cool instrumental, EDM album that has some admirable songs across the board.

44. Ben Folds- What Matters Most. 3.5/5.

Ben Folds crafts an engaging, emotionally charge experience with superb storytelling. With simplistic instrumentals and a soothing voice, Ben puts a unique spin on songs only he could craft like "Kristine From 7th Grade" and "Paddleboat Breakup."

43. Yellowcard- Childhood Eyes. 3.5/5

A short EP that makes the most of its runtime. The Pierce The Veil feature is a great surprise, Three Minutes More is the best of the bunch, and every other song is nice to listen to sonically.

42. Ab-Soul- HERBERT. 3.5/5.

At the tail-end of 2022, established rapper Ab-Soul dropped his fifth studio album titled after his birth name. One of the better rap albums to listen to this year with good beats and bars, but some iffy features.

41. Ava Max- Diamonds & Dancefloors. 3.5/5.

Ava has a stellar voice that the instrumentals compliment nicely here. Pacing, lyrics, there's plenty to like from this project with good tracks like Ghost or Hold Up (Wait a Minute).

40. Steel Panther- On The Prowl. 3.5/5.

The raunchy comedic rock band has funny shtick that manages to entertain for at least the first half of the project. It starts wearing thin in the second half with childish jokes or remarks, but it's pretty fun to listen to at points throughout. And it definitely helps that the instrumentals are sublime for the most part for the band.

39. Rod Wave- Nostalgia. 3.5/5.

Rod Wave shifts back and forth between rapping and singing, but its the singing that's stronger from him. At 18 songs, the tracks could've been shaved off after the tenth joint. 2018 and Call Your Friends are lowkey faves with sweet or interesting messages attached.

38. Melanie Martinez- Portals. 3.5/5.

Melanie Martinez is a gifted vocalist and lyricist. There's a story told throughout the project with peaks and valleys aplenty. Contortionist and Evil are standout tracks amongst some others.

37. Jorja Smith- Falling or Flying. 3.5/5

Jorja's emphasis on love is a wholesome, fascinating endeavor. Helped with decent production, but also could stand to have some songs be shaved off to help its length.

36. Paul Wall and Termanology- Start Finish Repeat. 3.5/5

A lowkey rap album where two great lyricists trade off bars and go back and forth is a superb listen. It's a chill vibe for people looking for something lowkey to listen to.

35. Danny Brown- Quaranta. 3.5/5.

Danny Brown's solo rap joint is a somber, retrospective listen. His unique voice works for the most part, and warrants listens from fans of him and hip hop alike.

34. Pierce The Veil- The Jaws of Life. 3.5/5.

There's a four-track run from the punk album that's wild and utterly sublime.

33. P!nk- Trustfall, 3.5./5.

P!nk's vocals and lyrics are really good, with her still being outstanding this far into her career.

32. PinkPantheress- Heaven Knows. 3.5/5.

The features sort of fumble the bag, but PinkPantheress is clearly better on her own and relishes in her solo project.

31. Burna Boy- I Told Them. 3.5/5.

An improvement on his last album, Love Damini, that's carried by chill vibes and a sampling of Birthday Sex by Jeremih that I have a soft spot for.

30. Gorillaz- Cracker island. 3.5/5.

The Gorillaz do EDM surprisingly well to me, I wasn't expecting it.

29. IDK- F65. 3.5/5.

The fusion of rap, jazz, and soul, is too damn good. Some of the songs are too short and should benefit from an extra verse, but IDK can sing and rap well, it's astounding.

28. Tiesto- Drive. 3.5/5.

More of the artists featured on this lowkey album do better than others and elevate the project to be really good.

27. Olivia Rodrigo- GUTS. 3.5/5.

I didn't like as much as her first album, which is on this list, but it has a lot to offer with lyrics and her range as a vocalist.

26. Alicia Keys- The Diary of Alicia Keys. 3.5./5.

As the 20th anniversary came and went, the initial release of Alicia keys 2003 classic is iconic.

25. Mitski- The Land is inhospitable and so are we. 3.5/5.

Mitski is an impressive vocalist but her song-writing ability is top notch as she records poetry for the listener to indulge in.

24. Lana Del Rey-  Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. 3.5/5.

Lana's songwriting and lyrics are even more sublime as she crafts a stunning effort with some easy favorites like Paris, Texas.

23. Rebecca Black- Let Her Burn. 3.5/5.

Rebecca Black recovered really well from the fiasco that was her disastrous song Friday. Tinges of darkness spread throughout to my liking.

22. Jon Batiste- World Music Radio. 3.5/5.

Jon Batiste aligned himself with a talented assortment of features to craft songs that are super solid to listen to.

21. Janelle Monae- The Age Of Pleasure. 3.5/5.

Janelle Monae crafted instant bops like Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, and Lipstick Lover, which fans of her and R&B genre should listen to.

20. Kali Uchis- Red Moon in Venus. 3.5/5.

Her soothing voice and intriguing lyrics help propel her romantic songs as some of the best tracks in 2023.

19. Taylor Swift- Speak Now. (Taylor's Version.) 3.5/5.

The obvious superior album to release from Taylor's vault this year, as opposed to the other one she dropped. The original lineup and from the vault are better here than 1989 by miles.

18. Paramore- This is Why. 3.5/5.

My favorite band dropped an album not quite as good in my opinion as After Laughter, but still a reaaaaally good listen that's gotten better as I listen more and more. Lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally, This is Why is an awesome listen.

17. Weezer- SZNZ: Winter. 4/5.

As Weezer experimented with 4 albums in 2022, one for each season, its the Winter season that may be my favorite of the bunch.

16. Bishop Briggs- When Everything Went Dark. 4/5.

Possibly the best EP I got to listen to throughout the year that makes the most of its short length.

15. Olivia Rodrigo- Sour. 4/5.

Olivia's freshman album surpasses her latest album by just a little bit with better pop-punk elements at play.

14. Dove Cameron- Alchemical: Volume 1.

sonically intriguing, one of the better pop elements to come out with decent pacing.

13. Corey Taylor- CMF2. 4/5.

The lead singer of Slipknot does well on his own swimmingly, as it works well and almost makes me want to check out the other Slipknot songs.

12. Travis Scott- Utopia. 4/5.

The long-awaited Utopia was worth the wait as it has songs that have great production and features that kill across the board from Drake to Westside Gunn to Beyonce.

11. Voyager- Fearless in Love. 4/5.

Instrumentals are godly, its vocals are a triumph, and most of the tracks here are powerful bops.

10. Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA- Scaring The Hoes. 4/5.

its not my favorite rap album I listened to this past year, but it is the most interesting by far. the production is all over the place, its loud, bold, it full of nerd samples and references to games and wrestling that I love, its awesome.

9. 38 Spesh and Conway The machine- Speshal Machinery. 4/5.

Some tracks feel like retreads of other Conway songs and albums, but there are still some great songs, samples, and features across the board.

8. Hozier- Unreal Unearth. 4/5.

Similar to Mitski, the lyrics are akin to poetry. It's a remarkable sensational achievement with highlights like Damage Gets Done.

7. Conway The Machine- Won't He Do It. 4/5.

Conway by himself surpasses the collab with 38 Spesh by just a little. Brooklyn Chop House is a masterpiece of a song where Fabulous and Benny The Butcher are sublime in it.

6. Talib Kweli- Quality. 4/5.

Released in 2002, Talib Kweli dropped a critically acclaimed album that supplies dope bars, off-the-charts production, and sublime features. if it was just a little bit shorter, it would rank a tad higher.

5. AFI- Sing The Sorrow. 4/5.

Another epic album from the 2000s, my favorite decade. The punk album floored me with nostalgia as it hits peak 2000s punk rock. Vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals are exactly what I want from a project like this.

4. Raekwon- Only Bult 4 Cuban Linx. 4/5

It's billed as a Raekwon album, but it's more of a Raekwon and Ghostface Killah collab featuring other Wu tang members. Released in 1995, the production and bars shared by members of the collective are at their best which shows why this album is among some of the best.

3. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne- Welcome 2 Collegrove.

it's one of the most fun albums to come out this year. Chainz and Wayne go dumb for song after song as they go back and forth with memorable moments throughout.

2. Fall Out Boy- So Much (For) Stardust. 4/5.

Heaven, Iowa is the only song from the album that is weak as hell. Every other song is a strong addition. It's instrumentals, lyrics, it all is immaculate.

Czarface- CZARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 4.5/5. Czarface is a hip hop duo involving Inspectah Deck and Inspectah Deck. They managed to make raps about nerd shit like Marvel cool and it makes me grin ear to ear. I love almost all the features, mama's basement and marvel at that are endearing highlights. few low points but no bad songs overall. Clearly, my favorite album listened to in 2023.

#review #music review #music #album review #post malone #escape the fate #chief keef #sam smith #taylor swift #drake #blink 182 #nicki minaj #miley cyrus #olivia rodrigo #lana del rey #paramore #weezer #fall out boy #punk rock #hip hop #rock #pop music

[legion1227]

Games Played/Beaten in 2023: Ranked!

28. Dynasty Warriors 9- 2/5,

As a big fan of Musou games and the Dynasty Warriors franchise, I'm deeply upset at how disappointing and underwhelming the last major entry in the DW franchise was. With a boring open world, dull gameplay, and a monotonous story, there is little to no reason to divulge as much time in the game as they want you to do.

27. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Mode.- 2.5/5.

As someone who does not play COD Warzone whatsoever, the levels playing Warzone-esque are no bother to me and are welcome. Other levels garner minimal intrigue and I wish there were more intriguing stakes in a story that ends way too soon and abruptly.

26. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order- 3/5

I wanted to like this game more than I did, and while it's in no way bad, I realized after 8 hours that this game wasn't for me. With level traversing as confusing and nerve-wracking as it is, coupled with gameplay that's not as stimulating as I'd like, I feel better off watching someone play through the story instead of playing myself.

25. Prey- 3.5/5

Gifted to me as a present years ago, it took time before I finally gave Prey the good ol college try. Trapped on a space station with shape-shifting aliens, you are tasked with self-destructing the station before the aliens can reach Earth. The stakes are there, and exploring the station is engaging, but the combat falls a bit short to my liking.

24. Granblue Fantasy Versus. 3.5/5

As a fighting game casual fan, I could stand to have more single-player content in my fighting games. Before Granblue dropped its sequel last month, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, I dived into the previous game back in the early Fall. The character designs are quite anime-esque, and the RPG mode is quite fun, especially with a companion, but the fighting game itself lacked weight that other fighting games I played this past year harbored. Other games simply felt better to play than Granblue.

23. Final Fantasy XV- 3.5/5.

While Final Fantasy XVI was on the cusp of dropping this year, I thought it appropriate to replay the previous entry for the first time in years. The main character, Noctis, and his group of royal guards are mostly enjoyable. The rest of the cast, the gameplay, and the open world itself all fell into the same territory of being decent but could've been even stronger if more time was dedicated to each facet. To be fair, both playthroughs I've done have lacked the DLC so I'm unsure how much of a difference it makes on my overall enjoyment of the game. Next time I play, we'll have to see if it does, and maybe I'll rank it higher then.

22. Lego Harry Potter- 3.5/5.

As Playstation Plus made Lego HP one of the free monthly games, it was only a matter of time before I gave it a try as I have a moderate enjoyment of the HP series and a stronger attachment to Lego games in general. Bringing the magical wizard world of HP into Lego opened up many possibilities for endearing storytelling in its usual Lego charm upon replaying all eight movies across the game. Blowing the more recent HP game, Hogwarts Legacy, out of the water, it doesn't hold up as much as another Lego game I played this year that we'll get to later.

21. Attack on Titan- 3.5/5.

Released in August 2016, the Attack on Titan game was developed and produced by Omega Force and Koei Tecmo respectively, the same companies behind the Dynasty Warrior games and numerous other Musou games, AOT covers the first season of the show in game form. It does a good job at capturing the feeling of exhaustively slaughtering titan after titan as a human fighting for humanity, but as a Musou fan, I prefer their other titles immensely.

20. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2- 3.5/5

I am unbelievably hyped for the next entry in this franchise. As someone who's played BT3 to death for years, I never got too much time with its predecessor for complex reasons. After snagging a copy for the Wii years ago and completing the story mode just this year, I can say that BT2 is fun and captures the feel of a DBZ fight you see in the show, but it's a much lesser version of BT3 that I can't help but feel after playing that one for years. BT2 has plenty of characters but still lacks against BT3, and many of the fighters have the same rush moves and lack distinction, again, unlike in BT3. The only aspect I enjoy much more in BT2 over BT3 is the execution of the story mode and the What If scenarios at our disposal. And even then, there was room for improvement in some aspects.

19. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4- 3.5/5

My second favorite anime after Dragon Ball Z has two of my favorite Musou games in Pirate Warriors 2 and 3. Pirate Warriors 4 skips plenty of arcs, but still tells the major story beats in the One Piece story with flashy gameplay as you mow down hundreds of enemy fodder with the unique cast at your disposal. Too many characters that were playable in the last Pirate Warriors were axed for newer characters, of only a few feel really fun to play. After a while, Pirate Warriors 4 can become a bit monotonous with its objectives or story beats with the characters accompanied by its gameplay, which is fair to say with almost any Musou game, but it feels more apparent with Pirate Warriors 4 than others.

18. Doki Doki Literature Club- 4/5

Visual novels are not my cup of tea and neither are horror games, but this one was too great. Of course, it's been out for years and I've known some of what happened in the events of the game, but as you have the option to go through different story routes at this high school, the twists and turns and creepy imagery were intriguing enough to make me want to continue. Doki Doki Literature Club deserved the praise it got at the time and still deserves praise for its writing and creativity.

17. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate- 4/5

This is the last Musou game listed here I swear. Warriors Orochi is peak when it comes to the Musou format. Between hundreds of characters to choose from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, Samurai Warriors, and many original characters and guest characters, the variety at your hand while getting to pick any team of three and mow down enemies is a treat. Character interactions are endearing to any Dynasty or Samurai Warriors fan, the combat is more flashy than other games in its genres, and combined with a more traditional fighting game mode and a mode where you traverse a dungeon with a team of five, WO3U is one of the best games in its genre for certain.

16. South Park: The Stick of Truth- 4/5

The raunchy RPG based on the classic TV show really started picking up steam for me in the last few hours. Playing as a new kid who's moved into South Park, getting to create your combat class, pick up gear, and travel around the town of South Park to interact with the iconic cast or indulge in references and easter eggs as a fan of the series was hilarity incarnate. Performance issues plagued my run that stem mostly from playing on a PS3 for this. I wished the game utilized having more than one companion accompany you in combat, but Stick of Truth is a must-have, or maybe must-replay since its ten years old at this point, for RPG fans or South Park fans.

15. Dokapon Kingdom- 4/5

An underrated PS2 game that combines RPG elements to a classic Mario Party style. In the story of Dokapon, the fictional land is attacked by an army of monsters. The king offers his daughter, Princess Penny, to marry whichever player can finish the game with the most amount of money. It can induce the same amount of rage you would get playing Mario Party with friends, but it's also just as fun. The combat is simple yet thought-provoking, the random encounter events are entertaining with amusing characters, and the art style is cute to look at. It can be hard to obtain the original game these days, but I know a remake titled Dokapon Kingdom: Connect on the Switch exists that is almost exactly like the original, so I would recommend trying it out there if you can and play with friends.

14. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate- 4/5.

In anticipation of Mortal Kombat 1 releasing, I bought a physical copy of MK11 to play for a time. The ultimate edition of MK11 separated itself by adding all DLC content such as characters like The Terminator, Spawn, Shang Tsung, etc., and the story mode "The Aftermath." Mortal Kombat 11 continues to be one of the prime examples of what I would like in my fighting games as a casual. The story mode is a stellar cinematic romp to play through, with an amusing option of picking one of two characters at some points when I can. Coupled with an arcade mode worth plowing through with characters having epilogue after completion, the Krypt being a fully explorable place, and a constantly changing tower of fighters to compete against, the single-player aspect is the basis of something I would like to see in future fighting games for people like myself who don't really want to hop online and fight others.

13. Spider-Man: Miles Morales. 4/5

A perfect appetizer that served while waiting in anticipation for Spider-Man 2. Taking the role of Miles Morales as Spider-Man instead of Peter Parker, Miles' story laid a solid foundation following his idle beginning in the first game and before exploring him somewhat further in the sequel. His dynamic with friend turned-enemy Phin is a decent precursor for a more explored friendship in Spider-Man 2 with Peter and Harry, but Miles' arc and assuming his great power AND responsibility is interesting. Miles Morales is short but great from a gameplay perspective more than the story, but it's also hard to go back to this game after playing Spider-Man 2.

12. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. 4/5

Released back in October 2020, Crash Bandicoot 4 was the first original entry in the Bandicoot franchise in over ten years. Combining the gameplay from the classic games and remakes, but updating it with a futuristic gloss, has helped concoct a supreme platformer. The option to turn either on or off lives helps supply gamers with whether or not they want a challenge, which I appreciate. It's About Time is not only clever with its double entendre name, being literally about time, and also being a well-overdue sequel, but clever in its boss fights, and presentation, adding up to a platformer that was more than worth the time.

11. Doom Eternal- 4/5

Gameplay-wise Doom Eternal is an improvement upon its predecessor, Doom 2016, in almost every way. Between the vast array of weapons and power-ups, there are almost too many ways to rip and tear through the armies of Hell. Traversing level through level with boosters and platforming combined with fast-paced action makes Doom Eternal a triumph in its genre. Story-wise, I prefer the simplicity of Doom 2016 over this, but Eternal is still stunning.

10. Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2- 4/5.

Guilty Gear may not have the amount of single-player content that Mortal Kombat 11 does that I like, but there are some things Arcsys' anime fighter does that I have to give them respect. The character designs are much more unique and stand out more and the gameplay harbors a quicker place that lends to more frantic, fun fights. Its story is confusing and a tad convoluted, but luckily, its characters, in terms of personality /and/ how they play, more than make up the nonsensical anime bullshit that shows up on the screen. Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 is a balanced, hard-hitting affair that absolutely is entertaining in is own right.

9. Kingdom Hearts- 4/5

For years, I have tried completing this game, but thanks to the help of a friend, I finally managed to do so. Square Enix and Disney coming together to make its first collaborative effort will forever be iconic. Playing as a young child named Sora and traveling to different Disney worlds like Agrabah from Aladdin, the Coliseum from Hercules, and Wonderland to fight dastardly enemies like the Heartless is sensational. Not every world is made equal, (the jungle world from Tarzan is an awful, confusing mess), but the vibe is immaculate. Working together with Donald Duck and Goofy and enjoying the least confusing KH games is sometimes hard, with boss fights like Sephiroth or definitely the final boss, but it's an easy classic.

8. Final Fantasy X- 4/5.

Possibly my favorite Final Fantasy game to date, or at least on par with the FF7 remake. The cast of characters you play is likable and interesting in gameplay, with their abilities that separate each person from one another. The sphere grid, the system that centers around how you can build and level your character by maxing out their stats or magic, is a system I prefer over the usual level build-up you see in most RPGs. The depth of the story is engaging but comes secondary to the turn-based gameplay that I'm more fascinated by.

7. Persona 5- 4/5

The only RPG played this year I like slightly more than FFX. Persona's sense of style is mesmerizing and helps enhance the experience of a playthrough. As a group of high schoolers look to change the hearts of criminals in over-the-top setpieces that involve the cast diving deep into lavish worlds, the turn-based combat is more bombastic than any other of its kind. I put over 100 hours into Persona and didn't even accomplish everything I wanted. I cannot wait for a replay, but I need to get Persona 5 Royal some day as it has even more content than its vanilla version.

6. Uncharted 2- 4/5

Nathan Drake's second adventure improved upon the first game in so many ways I can't believe. As Drake is tasked with finding the entrance to the lost city of Shambhala, the stakes were as high as ever at that point. As I steadily make my way through the Uncharted franchise, the 2nd game improved from the first with its shooting, level design, and character work with Drake, Sully, and the introduced Chloe among others. From the opening scene where you control Drake trying to escape a train dangling over a cliff, I understood almost immediately how some consider this the best Uncharted game in the series.

5. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga- 4/5

As someone who played plenty of Lego games growing up with friends and family, one replay after years revealed how this is one of the best Lego games out there. The Complete Saga's name is outdated now, but at the time you had every Star Wars movie from the Prequels and Original Trilogy to go through in Lego form with 160 characters for you to choose from, including overpowered Jedi ghosts and Indiana Jones. Lego Harry Potter is fun but pales in comparison to the weight of swinging a lightsaber around or shooting droids and clones with your blaster. The newest Lego Star War game, The Skywalker Saga, I have not touched, but I know that the original Complete Saga is another classic etched into the echoes of video game history.

4. King Of Fighters 2002- 4/5

This game is not so much for a fighting game casual like myself, but I can't help but be roped into something so special. The KOF series is something I've had a soft spot for since my godparent's son showed me the franchise as a child. It's rough, it's hard, it's unforgiving, it's a classic fighting game in every sense. The characters are special to play and I wanted to learn most of them and see what combination of characters benefit me the most. There really isn't much single-player content to offer and this is a game for the hardcore fighting game fan-based, but there's just a feeling....a sensation to this that's hard to describe or replicate. I never hopped online, but I kept going back to fighting the CPU over and over again with different characters and just playing for several hours. KOF 2002 is an outstanding achievement that captures that feeling of playing fighting games in an arcade in the old days that you can't recapture these days.

3. The Last of Us: Remastered.

After the first season of the Last of Us Show dropped, I dived into the game for the first time in years. The Remastered version, as opposed to "The Last of Us: Part 1" is Naughty Dog's crown jewel. It's quite grounded for a zombie game, it's characters, especially Joel and Ellie, are rich, the ways to take down zombies and fellow survivors alike is gratifying, there's solid reasons why Last of Us is an achievement for Playstation, but these next two games amplify that mindset.

2. Spider-Man 2- 4.5/5

One of the few games I played this year that actually came out in 2023. Everything that made the first Spider-Man game and Spider-Man: Miles Morales so great is improved upon in this in almost every facet. The combat is sublime, being able to switch between both Peter and Miles is excellent, the story may lack in a few areas surrounding Miles, but it's still massive and overwhelming in the best sense. But the definitive aspect of the game has to be traversal. Swinging around the city feels so weighty and impressive- do you know how good it has to be to move around in a world when there is a fast travel option but you don't want to use it because you WANT to swing around the city, or in some cases glide? Spider-Man 2 is a spectacle in so many ways that it will be hard to go back to the previous games. As far as games that came out in 2023, it's my game of the year then. But if we are to take into account every game I played this year, regardless of what year it came out, then there's only 1 game I preferred over Spider-Man 2...

God Of War: Ragnarok

Like many of the other games on this list, GOWR is a sequel that surpasses its predecessors in almost every way. Ragnarok continues the story of Kratos and his son Atreus in a meaningful way as Kratos continues to evolve as a character and an older Atreus grows into his own. What is there to say about the game that hasn't been said already? The voice-acting performances are phenomenal across the board, the combat is righteous and immensely satisfying, and the design of each of the realms are awe-inspiring with top-notch graphics. And with GOWR dropping FREE story DLC in Valhalla, which incorporates a dungeon-like style into the open-world hack-and-slash style only cemented itself as my game of the year. Valhalla not only gives a unique, fun mode for players to lose themselves in for hours but tells a story basically of Kratos going through therapy after the heinous acts he committed in the original three games. The only fault in all of GOWR I had was one section with Atreus, but besides that I adore this game to pieces. And with that, GOWR is absolutely my favorite game I played in 2023.

#review #game review #video games #dynasty warriors #cod mw3 #star wars #ffxv #aot #hp #dbz #one piece #doki doki plus #south park #mortal kombat #kingdom hearts #persona 5 #kof 2002 #the last of us #spiderman 2 ps5 #god of war ragnarok

[legion1227]

72 Shows Watched in 2023: Ranked!

72. Titans (Season 4)- 2/5.

As someone who genuinely enjoyed the first two seasons, the fall-off was immensely disappointing. Season 3 was disappointing, but I'm more infuriated with season 4. I did not like the setup or payoff with Trigon, Brother Blood, and any other antagonists this season, or Superboy's character arc. A disappointing, dull slog the entire way through.

71. The Witcher (Season 3)- 2.5/5

I thought the third season started fine. Henry Cavill as Geralt will always be iconic. The rest of the cast, characters like Yennefer, Ciri, and Jaskier are compelling when onscreen but the others feel unmemorable. Episode 5, which focused on Geralt and Yen in the ballroom, was possibly the best episode of the season. But the last three episodes were forgettable enough to bring down my overall enjoyment. I shudder at how Liam Hemsworth will be next season or just how the next season will be. Period.

70. Bupkis- 2.5/5.

Bupkis is a comedy on Peacock, starring Pete Davidson as himself in a slightly more extreme version of his life. It also stars Edie Falco, notable for playing Carmella in The Sopranos and Jackie in Nurse Jackie, as his mother, and Joe Pesci, of Goodfellas and Home Alone fame, as his grandfather. The star power is grand but the jokes are light. There are some engaging stories told from episode to episode, but as a comedy, it could strive to be better. Reel back on your celebrity guests and write stronger jokes for the second season please, Pete.

69. Bel-Air- (Season 2) 3/5

Also on Peacock, the dramatized version of the classic, beloved sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In comparison to season 1, I think it's a bit of a step-down. The actors chosen to portray the iconic characters and add a new spin on them are finely picked and perform solid performances. But the storylines for each character are...eh. Like, Carlton struggles with an addiction to coke for the season and it doesn't feel the most engaging. The character dynamics are enough to elevate it slightly, but it's still just an okay season.

68. Kaleidoscope- 3/5

Kaleidoscope is a Netflix show that spans over 24 years, where a crew of bandits try to steal billions. Part of the appeal of the show is that you can watch the show in any order you want. It's a neat gimmick to tell a linear story, but the story being told could be better. Giancarlo Esposito, known as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, does well in a role that separates him from the villainous roles he's taken over the past decade. Every other actor and character could stand to be better. I'd like to see another show try this gimmick again, but...in a more intriguing manner.

67. Secret Invasion- 3/5

Personally, I don't find the show to be as horrendous as others attest, but it is easily the weakest MCU show to grace the small screen. Wondering which character may or may not be human or a Skrull was fun, the fight scenes are okay, and Samuel L Jackson is always a delight as Nick Fury. But the political drama they strived for here is uninspired. And the show downright looks ugly at times in comparison to far prettier shows like WandaVision or Loki. Rest in Peace to Maria Hill and Talos for having to die in such a mid show.

66. Bookie- 3/5

Bookie is an HBO Max original starring stand up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as a veteran sports bookie trying to live his life and keep track of the various clients he has that make sports bets in Los Angeles. The premise itself holds some promise, and the characters are mostly likable. Its comedy is similar to Maniscalco's stand-up but still feels light on the laughter. Maniscalco and Omar Dorsey's characters carry the show enough to cross a threshold into becoming okay. It reminds me a little of Bupkis, but better.

65. Willow- 3/5

Willow is a continuation of the movie of the same name released back in 1988. The actor who played the titular Willow over 30+ years ago reprised his role once more as a powerful sorcerer who encounters a young group of heroes who embark on a dangerous quest. While the movie reminded me of The Neverending Story with its tone, the show does the same, more or less. The action scenes and cast were perfectly okay, sorta carrying itself on a cheesy, endearing vibe that you either rock with or don't. What's most egregious is how the show was wiped away Disney+ canceled and wiped from their platform, making it impossible to view via legal means.

64. Camp Lazlo- 3/5

Camp Lazlo was a show that used to air on Cartoon Network from 2005 to 2008. I used to watch it as a child then and rewatched it in its entirety for the first time in years. The series follows anthropomorphic spider monkey Lazlo and his bunkmates albino rhino Clam and elephant Raj as they look for fun times at Camp Kidney. It's a goofy, fine TV show that I think kids nowadays would get a kick out of, but there are better shows from that time to indulge in. The characters teeter from being likable to annoying from episode to episode, the character design is fine, and the comedy is lowbrow. It's not offensive in any way, but I'm a little disappointed since I liked this show a lot more as a kid than now. For me, it doesn't hold up too much.

63. The Last Kingdom (Seasons 3-5) 3/5

For 5 seasons, The Last Kingdom followed Uhtred of Bamburgh in the Medieval Age fighting mighty European armies and leading armies himself as a powerful warrior who's grown into his own. The first two seasons, viewed in the tail-end of 2022, were possibly the best seasons. Alexander Dreymon's performance as Uhtred was fine throughout, but not as gripping as I would hope. The same principle applies to every character introduced in the past three seasons after season two. A fine story is told throughout, but the best aspect has to be the action scenes. As disinterest took over towards the final season, I take solace that the movie that followed, Seven Kings Must Die, was really good and a great sendoff to Uhtred.

62. Dave (Season 3)- 3/5

Maybe Dave is the slightly better version of Bupkis than Bookie was. Dave stars David Burd, also known as Lil Dicky, as an extreme version of himself looking to boost his rap career. The latest season was a slight step down from season 2. It's always relied on gross-out humor, but it was too much this season. This season was a huge mixed bag with some good episodes and some that were average. Certain characters could use more fleshing out, like his friends, Elz, or Mike. More of that instead of flexing the cameos like Drake or Rick Ross would bring the show up a bit more. Though, to be fair, Brad Pitt in his episode was pretty entertaining.

61. Ahsoka- 3/5

Former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano seeks to prevent the return of the Empire as she investigates and traverses the galaxy. I wanted to like this more than I did. I loved Ahsoka in the Clone Wars show and enjoyed Rosario's performance in the handful of episodes she appeared in Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett. And while Rosario is decent as Ahsoka here, the rest of the cast fails to thrill me. Ahsoka seems like the kind of show that someone would enjoy if you watched the animated show Star Wars: Rebels because it would help make you care more about the characters. Unfortunately, I did not do that so it doesn't help. All I will really remember from this show is the appearances of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker.

60. Black Mirror (Season 6)- 3/5

The anthology show pushed out 5 episodes this season, and about 3 of them were good. Loch Henry was an uninteresting episode until the final ten minutes, and Mazey Day was the worst episode of the bunch easily. However, the performances and premises of the other three episodes were enough to bring the show as high as it did for me. If you're looking for a random standalone episode that's either entertainingly perplexing, pleasantly thought-provoking, or thrillingly cataclysmic, check out the episodes Joan is Awful, Demon 79, and Beyond the Sea.

59. Doom Patrol (Season 4)- 3/5

Originally a DC Universe Original before becoming an HBO Max original, Doom Patrol was a spinoff of the Titans show about an unlikely group of superheroes with depressing backstories saving the world. This final season really cemented itself that this particular brand of bizarreness, while engaging, was not necessarily for me. The first season was always my favorite, with Alan Tudyk as Mr. Nobody being an excellent foil to the group, but the proceeding seasons never met the same level of love for me as the first. The characters are likable, their arcs are well written, and there's a beautiful sendoff to the cast, but it has a unique sense of weirdness that, while I do admire it, doesn't resonate with me as much as it might for others.

58. AEW All Acess- 3.5/5

The second biggest professional wrestling promotion in America, AEW, showcased a reality show that gave viewers a glimpse into the backstage antics and lives of wrestlers. I'm not big on reality shows, but I love AEW and the wrestlers who work for the company as well. It was an intriguing peak behind the curtain but to an extent for a reality show such as this. Certain elements of drama feel corny as it's somewhat scripted for a "reality" show, there's only so much you can show. And with AEW battling real dramatic bits, like CM Punk fighting people backstage, it feels underwhelming what they show instead. Though, it's understandable they can't show or talk about those instances due to legal issues. Regardless, AEW All Access if a fine product for AEW and reality tv show fans, if there's a correlation.

57. Righteous Gemstones (Season 3)- 3.5/5

The HBO Max show follows the Gemstone family, a bunch of Christian televangelists running their church in the wake of the patriarch Eli's wife's death. The third and latest season is as consistent as the first two seasons. The performances and chemistry of the children, Judy, Kelvin, and Jesse, are a joy to watch. The entire cast is fun with their obscene humor leading to chuckle-inducing jokes. The Gemstones have heart that makes them so endearing.

56. Dexter (Seasons 5-7)

In a long-lasting endeavor to enjoy the original seasons before finally getting around to New Blood, the misadventures of blood-splatter analyst Dexter Morgan bled into 2023. The best seasons, 1-4, were watched in 2022, and this year, 5-7 were enjoyed. The fifth season was a step down from the first four, but the introduction of the character Lumen and Dexter's handling of his grief after losing someone dear to him made for still compelling television. The seventh season was on par with the fifth thanks to a compelling character in Isaak and Maria Laguerta's role. The sixth season is what brings the show down, as the antagonists are underwhelming against the many that came before.

55. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide 3.5/5

Ned's Declassified was another kid's show I watched growing up that aired three seasons from 2004 to 2007. The show followed middle schooler Ned Bigby and his best friends Moze and Cookie as they tried navigating through middle school, looking to survive. I'm unsure what most kids are like these days, but I'd like to think that this would be something that kids approaching middle school would enjoy. The show became more interesting as seasons went on, the romance aspects were somewhat intriguing, and the wacky supporting characters were mostly likable. The tips and lessons could still apply to kids looking for a guide today. Kids might get a kick out of this today, but should probably stay away from the weird podcast about the show. They really don't need to hear stories about Moze's actor blowing all the other guys on set or whatever.

54. Star Wars: Visions (Season 2)- 3.5/5

The animated anthology series provided a new season with new stories to tell. The animation across the board is gorgeous. Story-wise, the most engaging episodes involve a former Sith and the one where a bunch of people are stuck in a pit they built for the empire. Not every episode is as interesting as those two, but there are neat ideas explored in each episode that one might not see in a star wars show or movie anytime soon.

53. Only Murders In The Building (Seasons 1-2)- 3.5/5

As season three of the acclaimed murder mystery dramedy released this year, I found the time to check out the first two seasons before the year ended. Watching Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin work off one another and try to figure out back to back murders is highly entertaining as their chemistry is off the charts. The special guest stars like Tina Fey or Nathan Lane have helped bring the show as high as it is and it should be commended.

52. Narcos (Seasons 1-2)- 3.5/5

The first two seasons that detail the rise and fall of notorious crime lord Pablo Escobar are as good as they are due in part to the powerful performance by Wagner Moura as the drug kingpin. There were some solid performances throughout the show, but no one gripped me as much as him. (Bit of a spoiler coming here...) When Pablo died at the end of season two, there was little incentive to watch season 3 for me. Others may find this more enjoyable than me, but I recognize that this is a solid, well-made show.

51. Ted Lasso (Seasons 1-3)- 3.5/5

Ted Lasso was a great show for the first two seasons before the quality of season 3 brought it down. Some character arcs with characters like Keely didn't satisfy me. The show's decision to make the episodes an hour long brought the quality down immensely. If season three didn't make such boneheaded choices in its last season, the feel-good comedy would rank higher for me.

50. South Park (Season 26)- 3.5/5

the raunchy, foul-mouthed sitcom still can push out gems, but I miss the old seasons when they were much longer. The latest season pushed out 6 episodes, and while none were bad, if there were at least a few more episodes, the latest season would've been almost great. Two standout episodes for me involve the conspiracy around Japanese toilets, and the episode written by AI like Chat GPT. Nothing as hilarious as previous iconic episodes, but the topics and creativity was sublime still.

49. Disenchantment (Season 5)- 3.5/5

Created by Matt Groening, the same genius mind behind the Simpsons and Futurama, Disenchantment is an animated fantasy series that takes place in a medieval land, following the main characters of Princess Tiabeanie, her elf companion Elfo, and demon buddy Luci. The fifth season was its last, bidding farewell to the zany cast and its colorful multitude of a supporting cast. An underrated show that deserves viewing.

48. Scrubs (Seasons 5-8)- 3.5/5

The classic sitcom about medical students turned doctors peaked with its first 5 seasons. The stories, premises, and character development would not reach the same heights in seasons 6 to 8. Some jokes are funny but don't land as hard for me as they did upon my first viewing as a preteen. Rest in Peace to Sam Lloyd, who played possibly the funniest character on the show and my favorite, Ted. He encapsulated a depressing lawyer swimmingly.

47. Bobobo-bobo-bobo- 3.5/5

Bobobo-bobo-bobo was like a fever dream that I never stopped thinking about as a kid. The bizarre anime about the man Bobobo-bobo-bobo fighting enemies with his nose hairs used to air on Cartoon Network during its Toonami block back in the 2000s. After obtaining a blu-ray disc some time ago, I finally got to watching. It's rapid pace with jokes, insane characters, and wild visual gags wormed it's way into my heart. If I were to let bias get in the way, this would be in my top ten. But not every joke in this comedy lands. I still love this show to pieces tho and wish they'd bring it back.

46. Twisted Metal- 3.5/5

This adaptation of the racing game was the most fun show Peacock produced this year that I watched. The cast is enjoyable with Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz anchoring the show for its duration, but it's AEW wrestler Samoa Joe as Sweet Tooth, while Will Arnett provides the voice of the same character, that capture a special magic. The action scenes could stand to be more thrilling, but the stories and character interactions help elevate the show to be a blast.

45. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (Seasons 2-3)- 3.5/5

This Netflix series about the dragon warrior Po was well-made. Jack Black reprising his role as the titular panda was incredibly welcome as he's the best part of the show. Joining Po are an interesting cast of characters that accompany him on a grand journey. Everything from the action scenes and set pieces to somber character moments were perfectly solid. Another fine show for kids or fans of the Kung Fu Panda series to hold you down while waiting for Kung Fu Panda 4.

44. The Mandalorian (Season 3)- 3.5/5

The latest escapades of Din Djarin and Grogu this season were entertaining, but not as much as previous endeavors in seasons 1 or 2 clearly. The decision to have Din and Grogu separate in the season 2 finale and reunite in another show was a poor choice, robbing this show of a gripping emotional return way too soon. But, the action scenes were still decent, the cameos of the likes of Jack Black and Lizzo were cute and harmless, and Bo Katan's arc helped to make the season at least somewhat compelling.

43. I Am Groot (Season 2)- 3.5/5

Baby Groot is adorable. Five short episodes show baby Groot getting into little shenanigans. My personal favorite involves the one where The Watcher gets stressed watching Groot dick around and get into danger. If you're looking for something really cute and wholesome, I Am Groot would make for a fine 20 minute burst.

42. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Seasons 8-10)- 3.5/5

It doesn't matter how much time passes or how old improv legends Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles or Wayne Brady get, they have not missed any beats. The CW version of the show is not as good as the original, due to its over reliance on repeated games or unfunny special guests, but the performers themselves are comedic geniuses that I love wholeheartedly. The latest seasons on HBO Max have had them trying different games and breaking from tradition and its for the best. One of my favorite comfort viewings.

41. Wrestlers- 3.5/5

Wrestlers is a documentary that follows former WWE wrestler Al Snow trying to keep his wrestling promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling alive. The series focuses on Al, the various wrestlers and workers that he employ as he books his shows week to week, and outside forces looking to work with OVW. Getting to know the wrestlers behind their over-the-top personal and see the struggles of a wrestling promotion nowhere near as big as WWE or AEW was fascinating.

40. Vikings: Valhalla (Season 2)- 3.5/5

Based in the Viking age, the main characters of Leif Erikson, Freydis and Harald remain the most compelling characters in their show. I wish I could say as much for other aspects. The season was a step-down from season 1, but the emotional story beats and cinematography are decent enough aspects to rate it as high as it is for me.

39. Demon Slayer (Season 3)- 3.5/5

The latest season of the hit anime Demon Slayer was fun, but like many other shows on this list, the season to come beforehand...I simply enjoyed more. Mitsuri was an intriguing Hashira to know, and Villains this season were solid. But the lack of presence of other characters like Inosuke are felt and the emotional beats don't work as well as the previous season. But the season finale was stellar enough to bring the season up quite a bit at least.

38. Insecure (Seasons 4-5)- 3.5/5

Insecure remained consistently good throughout its 5 season run. Issa Rae was a great lead for the show as she and her character were extremely likable. The humorous series had a fine cast, but her friend Kelli had to be my favorite as she was seemingly the funniest of the bunch.

37. Food Wars (Season 5)- 3.5/5

The final season to this over-the-top nontraditional battle Shonen anime was a serviceable sendoff to the endearing cast of zany teens. The cooking show anime aired on Toonami this year and as it wrapped up, I felt sad to see it go as I've enjoyed the wackiness many characters provided. But the last episode was a decent sendoff as well. Though not as good as seasons beforehand, Food Wars fifth season is still a treat.

36. Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Season 2)- 3.5/5

The sophomore season of this animated star wars show was as entertaining as its first. Shoutout to Dee Bradley Baker for voicing five different clones and bringing nuance to each character. A ragtag group of clone troopers on their adventures was exciting at times and the season finale was perhaps the best episode of the batch.

35. Total Drama- 3.5/5

Another show from my childhood thats sometimes a gem and sometimes infuriating. Its first three seasons harbored a good sense of humor and a truly sublime cast of animated characters. It was peak. Unfortunately, the following seasons failed to live up to the standards in character work and pacing, among many other issues. However, the season titled The Ridonculous Race, was great enough to bring the show back up. I haven't seen the latest season yet, but the best seasons of this show are worth checking out.

34. Harley Quinn (Season 4)- 4/5

A great season for the books even if it didn't live up the spectacle of its third season. The animation remains solid and the first half of the show was strong. With Bane still hilarious and Harley and Poison Ivy's respective character arcs that focus on their individuality being as entertaining as they were, there's still a lot to like from this season. Even if it lacks in other departments, like, not enough Clayface.

33. Big Nate (Season 2)- 4/5

Huge bias here, but I used to read the Big Nate Books as a kid and I have a huge soft spot for them which applies to this show. The animation is solid, there's a good sense of humor, and the core cast of kids are incredibly likable. If you're looking for 6th grade kid shenanigans that's bound to.make you chuckle, pleas support the show on Paramount Plus so it gets dozens of seasons.

32. My Hero Academia (Season 6)- 4/5

The latest season of teenage superheroes in training focused on two arcs for 20+ episodes. The first arc saw an all out war between numerous heroes and Villains while the second arc saw our main character, Deku, enter an Era of self-doubt and edginess after the events of the first arc. The second arc would've been better if it had more time dedicated to it, but the turns, twists, action scenes, and revelations of the first arc are enough to elevate this season to greatness.

31. Gen V- 4/5

This spinoff of The Boys was a slightly better series that focused on school kids with superpowers than My Hero. It's still got The Boys charm with its signature violence and gore with characters intriguing enough to keep you hooked. Gen V is a great addition to The Boys universe that warrants attention.

30. Avenue 5 (Season 2)- 4/5

An underrated sitcom following a space captain, his employees and crew, and hundreds of passengers on a space cruise trying to.make their way back home. The cast was stellar, the jokes were hilarious, the premise was engaging, and yet it STILL got canceled and I'll forever be mad about that.

29. Blackish (Seasons 1-3)- 4/5

The family sitcom about the Johnson family has picked up for me lately on my first viewing. The first episode and some to follow in season 1 were a bit rocky as the show was finding its footing. But with Seasons 2 and 3 so far, it's proven to be especially funny with a talented cast and thoughtful messaging.

28. Codename: Kids Next Door (Seasons 1-3)- 4/5

Yet another show from my childhood I've been in the midst of rewatching! The Kids Next Door follows children acting as secret agents that fight against teenagers and adults of all sorts. This classic cartoon would fit so well with an audience today, I'd like to think. With an endearing core cast and a truly fun rogues gallery they face off with in episode to episode, I've started realizing how much influence something like this had on me growing up, I love this show.

27. Six Feet Under (Season 1)- 4/5

One of HBO's classic shows has recently come under my radar for the first time, and while it's a bit slow at times to my liking, it's proving to be a unique watch. It's takes on the passings of every day people coupled with a talented cast and stunning cinematography are leaving me to wonder how this show will fare upon progressing into the next few seasons.

26. Wu Tang: An American Saga (Season 3)

For three seasons, Wu Tang followed the rise of Hip Hops most decorated rap group. It's final season was a superb and contemplative sendoff to some of the greatest MCs to grab a mic. Some episodes and storybits were a bit rushed or dramatized needlessly, but the allegorical episodes were incredibly creative sometimes balances out. An underrated gem of a show, in my opinion.

25. One Piece (Live Action)- 4/5

One of the most faithful adaptations of the source material I've seen and I couldn't be happier. The outrageous characters from the anime and Manga look as wild as they do in live action, the set pieces are mesmerizing, and the performances of the Strawhat crew are special. I'm eagerly awaiting season 2 to see how they adapt what comes next.

24. Archer (Season 14)- 4/5

Despite the addition of a new character to the long running sitcoms final season, they didn't stray focus from its core cast of operatives we've gotten to know and love since 2009. Despite wavering in seasons prior, the writing here was on point, the performances did not miss a beat, and the final season was a wonderful send-off to these ragtag of oddballs.

23. Eric Andre Show (Season 6)- 4/5

Hannibal Burress' lack of presence is felt, but the chaotic nature of the show never left and I love that for it. Whether insane bits on the street or at the studio, Eric Andre has still found ways to psychologically confuse and torture strangers and celebrities alike in a manner that still makes my stomach hurt from laughter and absurdities.

22. My Adventures With Superman- 4/5

This take on the beginnings of Clark Kent's journey as Superman was a fun time. Its animation is pleasing to the eye, Clark and Lois Lane's relationship is incredibly endearing and wholesome at times, and the villains introduced are decent foils to Superman.

21. Futurama (season 11)- 4/5

After being canceled and brought back for the umpteenth time, seeing the Futurama cast return again after about a decade (not including that one Simpsons crossover episode from a few years ago) was so welcome. The show tackled more modern topics like Bitcoin and the COVID pandemic to varying degrees of success. Bringing back the entire original cast and still being able to provide solid entertainment is comforting.

20. Superstore- 4/5

Indulging in the entirety of Superstore, the sitcom about employees working in a giant Walmart-esque retail building, for the first time was intriguing. The first season felt too reminiscent of The Office in characters, but as the seasons progressed it slowly started to morph into its own thing. As characters found their own personalities, the show increasingly became more and more hilarious, even with its final season filmed during peak pandemic lockdown.

19. Loki (Season 2)- 4/5

An improvement upon the first season by a margin. Adding Key Huy Quan and Rafael Casal to the cast this season was an excellent choice. The rest of the cast was equally superb, but it's Tom Hiddleston as Loki completing his transformation from a god of mischief to a selfless god was perfect. The finale to the season was bittersweet but also perhaps the best episode of a Disney MCU show so far.

18. Atlanta (Season 4)- 4/5

Donald Glover's experimental series starring himself, Zazie Beets, Brian Tyree Henry, and LaKeith Stanfield, provided possibly the best season of the show. I feel there could've been an opportunity to bring back people from the previous seasons at some point this season, but the episodes this season were pretty remarkable. The final episode leaves one to wonder about the status of our characters but not in a doom-and-gloom manner which I can rock with.

17. Baki Hanma (Season 2)- 4/5

Not since Jojo's Bizarre Adventure have I seen an action anime so ridiculous thrill me almost entirely from start to end. Baki Hanma is a well-crafted, better-written show than its previous series simply titled 'Baki.' Two arcs focus on a prehistoric caveman thawing out of the ice and the world's greatest fighters try to defeat it. While the second arc has our main character try and combat his ultra-powerful dad in a fight that's been built up for years. Both arcs were over-the-top peak that warrant viewing if you live for that nature.

16. Blindspotting (Season 2)- 4/5

The sequel series to the film of the same name is just as great as the film itself. Jasmine Cephas Jones as Ashley, who initially harbored a small role in the film, is good as the lead for the show. Her various family members and friends either helped her or overwhelmed her in ways that made for intriguing television. Combined with fun usage of cameos from rappers and riveting musical sequences, you have another show that gets canceled way to soon and pisses me OFF.

15. Rick and Morty (Season 7)- 4/5

Upon giving co-creator and creep Justin Roiland the boot, the team behind Rick and Morty managed to deliver a quality season up there with some of their best. The new voices for Rick and Morty that replaced Roiland have nestled nicely into the role, and after delivering one of the greatest episodes in the series in 'Unmortricken' any anxieties about the quality of Rick and Morty have been quelled for the future of the show.

14. Jujitsu Kaisen (Season 2)- 4/5

The first few episodes focused on the backstory of a few crucial characters years ago, and while they were sufficient, the meat of the season lies within the Shibuya Incident. As good and evil fight across the city of Shibuya and the bodies pile sky high, JJK has crafted an unforgettable second season with stakes high and memorable moments galore.

13. One Piece (Wano Arc)- 4/5

As the One Piece anime wraps up its longest story arc to date, looking back it's clear to see that the legendary scenes will pang throughout the echoes of time. Despite shit pacing, as One Piece is known to have, it gave us moments of Luffy attaining the Gear 5 form, his jaw-dropping fight with Kaido, and entertaining fights between the Strawhats and the rest of Kaido's crew. Thank god it's over though, and we can finally prepare for the next island Luffy and the Strawhats head toward.

12. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off- 4/5

I think I like this more than the movie, even though it's been years since I last saw the film. But Scott Pilgrim Takes Off took Scott's friends, Ramona's exes, and plenty of other characters with varying degrees of screen time in the movie, amplified it in the show, and made everyone INCREDIBLY likable. With awesome fight scenes and delightful characters, the show has become a must-see for animation fans.

11. The Bear (Seasons 1-2)- 4/5

Who knew how anxiety-inducing a show about a young chef running a restaurant with a hectic kitchen staff could be. The groundwork laid in season 1 elevated season 2 to excellency. The cast is fascinating, and the episodes that involve characters running around frantically, desperately trying to tie shit together have lead to the best episodes on television this year. If you watch one episode from this show, please watch the episode titled 'Fishes.'

10. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake- 4/5

The spinoff and continuation from yet another Cartoon Network classic is at least on par with the original Adventure Time. Taking the fictional characters of Fionna and Cake and expounding upon them to make them their own fleshed-out characters is amazing. The blossoming relationship of Gary and Marshall was sweet and Simon's existential crisis was heart-wrenching. Eagerly awaiting it's next season.

9. Orange Is The New Black (Seasons 1-3)- 4/5

As I'm currently on my first viewing of this show, as of this writing, I can see how this show about women in prison put Netflix on the map for their original programming. Our leads slow descent into morally questionable behavior is as compelling as every surrounding story with her fellow inmates. The final minutes of the season three finale were powerful imagery for the inmates. And as the depressing dramedy continues forward, I cannot wait to see how the rest of the show shapes.

8. Succession (Seasons 1-4)- 4/5

After binging all four seasons this year, Succession is the closest show I've seen to poetry in motion. The inner dynamics of these deeply disturbed members of the Roy family as they backstab, connive, and try to destroy one another just to reach a comfortable seat of power made for devastating television. I only wish there was one more season to spend more time with the cast.

7. Dragon Ball Z- 4/5

This is the last show on this list that was something I watched as a kid, I promise. The iconic Shonen action show is my favorite anime of all time, but I tried not to let some of personal bias cloud some of my judgment. It's the grandfather of all action anime for a reason, and what prevents it from being my number one is that I believe some of the following shows are just a liiiiiiittle bit more tightly written.

6. The Last Of Us- 4.5/5

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey managed to put on performances as stellar as the voice actors in the game, it's wild. I thought the adaptation was amazing, with sublime performances across the board, a decent pace, and an exploration of character depth unseen in the game with characters like Bill and Frank. It might've been a little light on zombies this season which I hope they rectify in the future.

5. Castlevania Nocturne- 4.5/5

As someone who adored the previous Castlevania anime series, this season had some big shoes to fill. For the first season, they knocked it out of the park. The animation is more gorgeous than ever, the new characters introduced in this spinoff are intriguing, and they laid superb groundwork for the following season.

4. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Season 16)- 4.5/5

Clearly, the best season that this gang of scumbags has put out in years. The entire season saw the gang at their dumbest which lead to hilarious setups and instant classics in its legacy. While all 5 characters were at their best this season, I want to highlight Danny Devito in Frank Vs Russia and Glenn Howerton in The Gang Goes Bowling and Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day as some of the best comedic chops they've almost ever had. I died laughing so much this season.

3. Primal (Seasons 1-2)- 4.5/5

The story about a caveman and a dinosaur going on adventures and was surprisingly...peak. The storytelling despite minimal to no words being spoken is immaculate, and when the first words were dropped I almost lost my shit. The first season was great, but the second season helped elevate the entirety of the show. It's cliff hangers are jaw-dropping, the arcs in season 2 were grand in scale, and the Primal Theory was perhaps the best episode of the whole show. I wish I watched this sooner.

2. What We Do In The Shadows (Season 5)- 4.5/5

The only show to make me laugh just as much, possibly just a little bit more, than It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is the show about Vampires in Staten Island of course. Guillermo's season long arc of vampirism came to a satisfying conclusion and the rest of the cast were on point, especially my personal favorite character: Lazlo. The cast were on point, and the comedic chops were strong, I just hope it's final season is at least as strong as this season was.

Barry (Season 4)- 5/5.

The 4th season of Barry was excellent. Barry the character and Barry the show has been immortalized with the events that transpire over this 8-episode season. The fate of the characters followed over the past few seasons has been befitting and heartbreaking but understandable in some circumstances. The way the show transitioned into something darker over the past two seasons as this hitman who tried to become an actor influenced the people around him and brought them down into the deepest trenches with him. There is no doubt in my mind that Barry was my personal favorite show viewed in 2023. Thank you for reading my list if you did.

#review #tv show review #tv review #titans #the witcher #ahsoka #black mirror #doom patrol #aew #star wars #bobobo bo bo bobo #the mandalorian #demon slayer #my hero academia #one piece #eric andre #loki series #rick and morty #scott pilgram takes off #the bear hulu #adventure time #succession hbo #last of us #barry #what we do in the shadows #year in tv #year in review

[legion1227]

Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey Movie Review

This is a terrible usage of the Winnie The Pooh IP since it became public domain.

On the first day of 2022, Winnie-The-Pooh, the brand and character held tightly by Disney for years, became public domain, meaning that Pooh Bear and his pals can be used in creative endeavors that aren't protected by property laws, including copyrights, trademarks, and patents. After 95 years since the story was first published, creatives outside of Disney could have the opportunity to craft something truly unique and different from one of the largest corporate media conglomerates in the world.

At the first chance to leave an impression, Jagged Edge Productions decides to make a horror film devoid of love, passion, and beyond dull.

In narration, we are told that a young Christopher Robin meets and befriends in the Hundred Acre Woods, Winnie-The-POoh, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, and Eeyore. They form a bond, but then Christopher Robin leaves them to go to college. Without him around to help feed and keep them company as winter rages, the gang starves and develops a hatred for humanity. They vow never to speak again and go completely feral. Years later, Christopher Robin returns with his wife Mary, but both are ambushed by Pooh and Piglet. Piglet strangles Mary fatally, and the duo holds Christopher hostage. Then, university students come to rent a cabin in the Hundred Acre Wood and are picked off one by one by Pooh and Piglet.

The beginning has some intriguing artwork to accompany the narration as we are told the backstory. And the blood and gore are impressive in some deaths. That is as far as I'm willing to go for giving compliments to the film.

Blood and Honey establishes early that Pooh and the gang are creatures and that they had to eat Eeyore so they could survive. Weirdly enough, Rabbit and Owl are suspiciously missing throughout the entirety of the movie. There's no explanation as to why they're not referenced. They're just…absent. Nobody mentions them at all or anything, it's Pooh and Piglet the whole time causing terror.

And they look awful. They don't look like creatures. Their designs make Pooh and Piglet blatantly look like people wearing semi-realistic suits that terrorize this bland and forgettable group of girls.

I don't remember a single thing about the human characters, name or otherwise, as each one is less interesting than the last. If Pooh and Piglet were maybe intriguing in the slightest maybe I would be more forgiving but everyone sucks in this movie. The performances are poor, the dialogue is uninspired, the cinematography is lacking, and it's such a bland movie to look at besides maybe /some/ of the death scenes and some of the beginning?

I knew going into this that Blood and Honey would be bad, but I was hoping for something so bad it's funny territory to chart here. Look, the idea that you wanna take some of the most wholesome literary characters and turn them into brutal monsters is not an idea you can take earnestly unless you come at the subject matter in an incredibly careful, more tasteful manner. They clearly don't do that, but you could, at least, inject some humor into the film and subject matter. But that happens not in the slightest, either. I appreciate how short the movie is, but it is still a tedious, dreary, weak film and easily one of the worst films I've had the displeasure to watch in 2023. There's no reason to check out the film besides some gorey bits here and there. Hopefully, we get more intriguing features in the future with Pooh Bear and the gang because, with everyone in the public domain, there has to be something more substantial and fascinating to work with and craft than this. 1/5.

#review #movie review #movies #winnie the pooh #winnie the pooh blood and honey #disney #piglet #pooh bear

[legion1227]

Paul Wall and Termanology: Start Finish Repeat. An Album Review.

The fact that Paul Wall is white is what astounds me the most.

I'm tangentially familiar with Paul Wall through his feature on the classic Kanye West song "Drive Slow." "Drive Slow" is one of the best songs Kanye Dropped on Late Registration, highlighted by laidback jazzy instrumentals, smooth flows from Ye and Wall, and sublime lyricism from both artists.

This entire project harkens to that song with similar chill instrumentals and lyrics.

Teaming up with fellow rapper Termanology, the duo dropped a collaborative album on October 13th, 2023, titled "Start Finish Repeat." They have since dropped a deluxe edition, but I opted for the shorter initial release of the album to see the original vision.

In short, the LP is a vibe. SFP is an enjoyable, enriching experience between two veterans in the hip-hop game trading verses back and forth, along with numerous features packed throughout the project. Accompanying Paul Wall and Termanology are talented and respected artists such as AZ, Solene, CL Smooth, Bun B, Big KRIT, Sheek Louch, and many others. Many of the songs are reminiscent of "Drive Slow," fitting the aesthetic. In my opinion, there wasn't a bad track on the album, though some songs tend to blend with others due to similarity. But, each verse from every artist is crafted carefully, flowing well, and delivered succinctly, which is especially impressive from artists such as Wall and Termanology. My personal favorite tracks would probably include: Palm Trees, Houston BBQ, Got It Made, Smoke Somethin', and Leather Recliner.

If you haven't checked it out, I would recommend a quick listen as soon as possible. There's bound to be a track or two to enjoy if you're looking for something lowkey to enjoy. 3.5/5.

#paul wall #termanology #startfinishrepeat #rap review #review #music review #music #album review #underground hip hop #hip hop #fypツ

[legion1227]

South Park: The Stick of Truth. A Game Review

I was sitting on this for most of this year. In March, it will have been ten years since its release. It was played on a whim, and it was fun.

Not too far from my university is a store that sells typical nerdy stuff such as Funko pops, board games, and retro video games for the PS3, PS2, etc. One time over there, I saw they had a copy of South Park: The Stick of Truth for the PS3 for cheap. Having never played it before, I bought it. As society strays away from physical media to embrace digital, I still welcome owning physical copies of various games, movies, etc, for a multitude of reasons. Getting to play Stick of Truth was an intriguing experience: Especially on the PS3.

If you're somehow unaware, the long-running animated sitcom, not counting this shit first-person shooter for the N64, released its first video game in the franchise back on March 4th, 2014. Based on the hit series, the game follows your created character, a new kid, who moves into the town of South Park and becomes engrossed in an epic fantasy role-play adventure with the other kids of South Park. After customizing your character's looks, you pick classes ranging from Fighter, Mage, Thief, and Jew. As tempting as it was to see how the Jew class fared, I opted to play a Fighter as I just wanted to hit people really hard.

To put it simply, it's an engaging and fun game. To get the cons out of the way, the game didn't run smoothly, and I suffered performance issues regarding load times and immense lag at times. I blame that more on the fact that I played on the PS3 though I'm sure it would've run more smoothly on a different generation of consoles. I also believe that some of the writing and jokes are a little weak during some of the first half of the game. I love South Park and grew up watching it and still enjoy it to this day, but some of the humor at first wasn't doing anything for me.

However, as the game became more preposterous over time and went more over-the-top with its humor and concepts, it became a lot more hilarious to me. Combat-wise, Stick of Truth works off turn-based combat, and to get a successful hit on your opponents or block attacks, you need to have immaculate timing. My timing was shit most of the time, but I still managed to beat the hell out of other kids, animals, the homeless, and the plethora of other enemies presented throughout the game. You get to have a companion with you throughout the game as you battle with fan-favorite characters like Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Jimmy, Kenny, or Butters. Everyone has their own unique blend of moves and hilarious one-liners or otherwise, but I find Butters was the best companion with the most consistent, high-sustaining damage and landing significantly damaging attacks. The others have their uses, but honestly, I just stuck with Butters for almost the entire game.

The side missions were amusing as they went beyond typical fetch quests, allowing you to travel around the town to fight ridiculous enemies or find people hiding about. This game was tailor-made for South Park fans, full of references to storylines and iconic episodes from the seasons out at the time. I thought the game was good, but it wasn't elevated to greatness for me until about the section where you must travel to Canada. As an RPG fan, I prefer two other games I played this year, like Persona 5 or Final Fantasy X. But as a South Park Fan, this was a wild game I got to experience for the first time and reminiscing on old episodes on bits I haven't seen in years. One of these days I'll get to the sequel, The Fractured But Whole, and maybe even one day, that new attempt at the first-person shooter, Snow Day, releasing in 2024.

In short, Stick of Truth is a pretty great game somewhat for RPG fans and especially for South Park Fans. I'd say give it a try if you haven't already, but the game has also been out for almost ten years so there's a chance that you have played. I prefer other RPGS, but the care put into this? I gotta respect that. 4/5.

#review #game review #video games #south park #south park stick of truth #kenny mccormick #stan marsh #south park cartman

[legion1227]

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