Steven Claxton

8 minutes in and it's already one of the most racist shows I've ever seen. I thought this would be a fun way to spend Saturday. I'll give it a little longer, but this is a far cry from Along Came a Spider. I don't know a massive amount about James Patterson's books, but I feel pretty confident they weren't anything like this having known readers of the series as well as reading other reviews. This is shameful.

Great show. 5 stars! Some great performances. A lot less going on than GOT at times which makes it feel more digestible. I still often watch with subtitles just so I'm not missing anything, but your mileage may vary as they say. This show would be huge had it been created before GOT, but my guess is GOT helped paved the way, as well. There's always so much going on in GOT and sometimes there is just too much of a constant carousel between the different groups and types of people. House of the Dragons often feels a little more stripped down (but still maintains great scenery and has its share of action and carousel-ing) and this really allows it to build up to some incredible, dramatic scenes. Casting was excellent. Emma, Rhys, Matt Smith, Ewan, Paddy, and more. In addition to its likeness to GOT, this show is very much an experience of dragons. Several big time scenes of dragons. I love the show so far through two seasons, but I know there will be some die-hard GOT fans who just can't get on board with this series.

It's strange how there are movies that attempt to coerce us to empathize with serial killers and hitmen. Knox Goes Away attempts to do just that and, at times, succeeds. I found this movie to be worth a watch albeit not a blockbuster. The main actors were notable names which helped a lot. Keaton and Pacino are revered by the public, but I personally also tend to like James Marsden in his roles. The plot was fine, but the way that some of the details were entangled was somewhat strange or unexpected. One con is that I found it to be somewhat of a plot hole that the entire movie we're seeing Knox's mind deteriorating, yet he suddenly catches a "second wind" towards the end of the movie and manages to remember a key detail from years ago. In a way, I suppose it was also poetic or a nice dramatic addition. It's sad that Knox's son had to grow up with such a father. The movie focuses so much on the sympathy for Knox that we don't really acknowledge enough the suffering of his now middle-aged son and it makes you question to what extent his father's job affected him. I mean, it had to have. In all, I liked some of the plot points this movie brought about. I didn't really feel sorry for Knox unless he was somehow forced into this business, but that is never emphasized. Almost makes you wonder if some people who experience dementia deserve it. I'm not God, though, so oh well. I think this is a good Friday night movie. I could see how some would rate this movie highly, but it was like a 7/10 for me. I just can't really empathize with a hitman at the end of the day, even though there was a scene or two in which I did and that most viewers probably will.

I'm going to give Hijack a 5 star review. I really think it's more of a 7.5/10 or 8/10 type of show, but there's only so much you can do with a hijacking show/movie that will be any fresher than what's already been made - not counting bizarre movies like Snakes on a Plane. The show had a flaw here and there, but it was never bad enough for me to want to abandon the series. I think Apple hit their mark with this series as there were many added layers that aren't present in similar shows/movies that I can remember. I think any dissatisfaction with the acting can in part be attributed to whether or not you are an American-born citizen. I am and I've watched a handful of British shows and sometimes it just doesn't cross over in a way that is enjoyable. Hijack didn't feel like a labor in that regard. Idris Elba did a good job. It's possible they could have added an extra star or two like maybe Martin Freeman as a random example, but oh well. At 7 episodes, each 45-50ish minutes, we're talking about maybe 5 hours of a series that mostly occurs on a confined airplane. Being able to finish this series - that alone should tell you that there's enough substance. On the flip side, the fact that there is 5 hours of footage, in a way, adds a bit of a surreal feeling and feeling as though you are more part of the 7 hour flight rather than cramming it all into maybe a 2 hour movie. Overall, I'm not going to say I was blown away, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. Maybe if they shored up a few loose ends and there were a few more charismatic actors it could have been better, but alas you could say that with so many movies and series and I'd be speaking in a perfectionist tone. I'd say if you've liked other hijacking movies or are an action or organized crime fan, give it a shot.

I haven't closely followed each and every one of the Godzilla or Kong movies or know off-hand who directed which and so on and so forth, however, I have seen some of them and this movie was a great spectacle. The CGI was very entertaining and brought a good mix of fear and action. Based on sheer entertainment and action, I suggest making a point to watch it if you are into action movies. In general, I think this movie is worth a 7.5/10. The other elements of the movie such as the plot outside of the action and the supporting cast were solid enough to hold the movie down. It was your typical modern "jungle crew" feel like in movies such as Jumanji or Jurassic Park or other Kong movies. A little bit of humor, but not that much. An assembled team of variously skilled individuals. This movie, however, really just left me with another question. Why isn't there a Pokemon movie like this...or several of them in the works? This movie basically had some characters that were very comparable to the likes of Gyrados and Butterfree. I hope some director or studios catches on to this because there would be a huge interest among not only 90s kids such as myself (born in 1991), but many kids born after that, as well.

I have no idea if this series is much like the game, but it was awesome anyway as someone who didn't play the games. For starters, the three main characters were great choices as actors. Walter Goggins is always a good antagonist, Ella Purnell is perfect for her role, and Aaron Clifton added an extra layer. The scenery and atmosphere is well done and doesn't feel like a clone of other shows. It's like The Walking Dead mixed with a futuristic Sci-Fi series. Fallout does get gory at times. I guess I didn't expect that. That was a tiny nitpick for me. While it gave me some anxiety, I suppose it also served a useful purpose of setting the tone. I'm not sure how many successful seasons a show like Fallout will have because I didn't play the games. This series really felt like a Blockbuster movie and that helps me believe that we could get a few really good seasons out of this show...which is exciting. I think we are in a lucky period of time in the 2020s as we are seeing some really great video game TV series and movies. Fallout and Halo are prime examples (albeit they are quite different shows). We're probably going to see some more amazing series come out in the next few years, I'd imagine. I just hope Amazon doesn't do something off the wall. For instance, the Lord of the Rings series seemed like it was missing something. Then there was The Wheel of Time. Which was good in season 1, but then they replaced a main character in season 2 and the entire vibe changed. I suppose these are my own personal opinions so take it as you may, but I digress. Fallout will be seen as one of the best series of 2024. I can never give a truly accurate rating for a series that is based on a game that I didn't actually play much at all, but I ultimately enjoyed it. Fallout was a 9.2/10 in my opinion.

Baby Reindeer is a demonstration of the cycle of abuse. While most series rely on dialogue between multiple characters, this series is built on a lot of internal dialogue. I think this really helps bring to life the pain that comes with abuse as we're able to hear the character verbally articulate his feelings so frequently - especially when it's about abuse that is more of the abnormal variety for men on the spectrum of abuse. If research were done, I would tend to guess that the experiences the main character had would not be considered commonly occurring types of abuse for men. Baby Reindeer had similar vibes to another series, "Patriot", on Amazon Prime, which some people consider a masterpiece of sorts. While I don't think that of Baby Reindeer, I am able to see all the points where the series succeeded and definitely believe there are those out there who will watch this series and consider it as such. One thing I found interesting about this series is this. It's so bizarre that the writers would find such an odd way to make a character more frightening. I'm not saying the antagonist WAS frightening to ME, but who would have thought that just making her words constantly mistyped would be something so oddly impactful to the effect of the character? It seems this ultimately became somewhat the heart of the show as the opening/closing and regular texts are the balance of it all. Baby Reindeer covers some heavy topics, some can be very difficult for the men whom experience these things. The series is a sad tale of what being lonely and susceptible can lead to if you're not careful. It seems the main character could have stood to be more proactive in putting himself in better positions to begin with, but that's beside the point. As a series, it exceeded my expectations. Baby Reindeer seems like it would be a thriller, but it's almost more of an artistic statement "piece" about abuse. It bounces around from being quirky, thrilling, funny, to dramatic and surely keeps things interesting. Some people will love this. I fell somewhere in-between. Definitely held my attention moreso than a lot of other new releases. I'm going to give this series a 7/10.

I was skeptical this series would deliver at a glance, but I still gave it a shot. Hulu seems to be putting out some better content these days. This ended up being a solid series. There are certain elements that will turn some viewers away, but those elements also help make the series stand out a bit. A quick Google search suggests this series is based on a book(s), but I'm not familiar with that/those. I think I was reminded of "The Umbrella Academy" a little bit here, sans the superhero component (but still with elite skills even as humans). "Culprits" is a nice slice of action and thriller. Some moments/episodes are very suspenseful and occasionally frightening. As you can imagine in a heist movie centered around obtaining large amounts of money, ALL parties involved are willing to go to great lengths when needed. If I'm being blunt, I think some people will overlook this series due to certain sexual orientations within the series. I suggest sticking with it if you enjoy the types of movies/series that I've otherwise described. I've seen a lot of movies/series, and this one is above average in terms of how thrilling it is and the amount of action it has. This series took its time and seemed to take pride in itself. It felt like a very long movie rather than episodes constantly broken up by the clunky in-between of the intros/outros/recaps, which is good. It's got a little bit of style, almost slightly futuristic at times. It doesn't suffocate you with those elements. The first few episodes were really great. It then becomes slightly futuristic feeling which had me worried that the show would lose me, but the series knew what it was doing and put together a fluid series. This was probably about a 7.8/10.

I was surprised by this film. I thought Adam Sandler was different here. I'm not sure if it's age or if he put more effort in, but it felt like a fresher version of him. Paul Dano was a perfect touch as this kind of dark role is ultimately his niche. The film was a little more metaphysical than I was expecting and of what I would have wanted it to be heading into the film, but it worked out just fine. Overall, I kind of feel like I watched a classic. I do think a slightly different title and a simple tweak to how they transitioned to the credits would have helped this film transcend a little more. Even so, I could definitely see this film being revisited over again by the public for the next few decades. I think I'll give it a 9/10.

After having now watched all six episodes, I will say that this series accomplished a lot. These other spinoffs were fun, but there wasn't any big conclusion. The Ones Who Live, to be fair, had a lot at its disposal to work with since, unlike the other shows, the CRM is a large aspect. This clearly gives the series an immediate leg up. Of course, we also see the return of Rick Grimes. I thought he was rusty in the first episode, but he hit stride soon thereafter and it definitely felt like you had Rick back in the mix - albeit a more, at times, jaded or damaged version of himself. I thought this series was to be more of a love story, perhaps I misunderstood, but it was still plenty of action. It definitely felt like they wanted this series to be special and to make a statement with it and I think they did. Certain longstanding loose ends or unanswered questions are tied up with closure in this series and therefore really gives back to the fanbase. This is a very cinematic series. The spinoffs were good enough, but Rick is just a better actor and is the heart of the show having been the originating character. It's a shame he ever left the show, but kudos to him for being willing to come back years later and put this together. Overall, I enjoyed the series. The CRM aspect enabled the show to do a lot of new things. Matthew Jeffers was a great addition and I thought he really improved the show. Terry O'Quinn was a strong choice for his role, too. The Ones Who Live is kind of a bittersweet ride. You realize how much time has passed since the inception of The Walking Dead and all that has been endured. Although we get Rick back, he's not the same Rick. This series sometimes feels like this Rick is a totally new character. It's interesting. I rate The Ones Who Live a 9.3/10.