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jlonesoldier
Reviews
Love in Store (2020)
another hallmark classic :)
Great character development and chemistry between the two leads. It was also nice to see jackie harry in an important role, where she naturally shines. Witty dialogue, and a fun way to past time with a clean, and charming story :)
Family Reunion (2019)
Normalises violence towards children!
This series showed up under the 'kids' section of Netflix. which is why I assumed it would be safe to watch.
only three quarters into the first episode, there is a scene where the oldest daughter is literally about to get beat with a belt!
she's able to talk her way out of it (through blackmail), and fakes an injury to the rest of her family who are non the wiser. her mother eventually catches on to her scheme, but the fact that she allowed her daughter to be placed in such a vulnerable position, makes her a collaborator in her trauma.
the laugh track was used to distract the audience from the seriousness of child abuse. would this be funny if it was happening to someone's wife or a pet?
I couldn't watch any more. this is *not* family viewing, and I don't recommend it.
Richie Rich (2015)
fun escapism for the young, and young at heart!
Though this series shares the title as the 90's movie, cartoon, and comic books that preceded it, it takes place in a completely different universe.
instead of being born into wealth, young Richie somehow eliminated the use for carbon fuel, by using his uneaten vegetables. he became a 'trillionaire' as a result, and moved his family (father cliff and older sister harper) into a huge dream mansion.
though he gains a lot of material possessions (such as; a robot maid named irona, pet whales, jetpack, and amusement park), he is most concerned with staying connected with his two best friends; murray - his money manager (played by Joshua carlon), and darcy (played by jenna Ortega) - his 'money spender' .
this is all explained in the opening credits by Richie himself (played by jake brennan).
with the help of cgi and expansive and stylish set designs, a surreal utopia - which serves as a playground for Richie and his friends, is created. most events and activities take place in the makeshift living room or bedroom of 'master richie'. it's vital that they're nice to look at - which they are:)
a little imagination from the viewers is needed to fill in a few blanks. as there are some things that either happen off camera, or are not explained at all. this is a nice touch, as it keeps us engaged. it's a fantasy world where anything can happen.
the focus is wisely kept on the children. the average age of the cast is twelve - which is also the extent of the target audience. they all give energetic and charismatic performances in their distinctive roles. the story is mostly told through their eyes. Richie and his friends, as well as robot irona (played by brooke Wexler), have great chemistry. even the reoccurring non rapper 't-nice', aka taj, aka 'bulldozer's son' (played by Nathan Anderson), fits in effortlessly with the group.
there's an interesting dynamic within. darcy and murray are polar opposites and don't seem to get along. it's unlikely that they'd even associate with each other had it not been for Richie - who seems to love them both equally, and is the glue that holds them all together.
the older robot maid irona, is both an adviser and servant to Richie. despite not having any feelings, she sometimes acts as though she doesn't want to work. she appears human upon first glance, however, she talks in autotuned voice and is the subject of many special effects.
the b plots are usually reserved for Richie's father cliff, and older sister harper. harper is an angry overachiever, desperate to get into Harvard university. she wants to carve a lane for herself, and is unimpressed with Richie's success.
cliff is a lazy, jobless, barely functional, 'man-child'. he seems to learn from his children rather than the other way around. he wants to spend time with them, but mostly ends up helping, or hindering, harper's plans.
the overall tone of the show is light, loud, and in a similar vein as some of the Disney tween sitcoms from the late 90's/early 2000's. this is not surprising as it borrows some of the same writers. though I don't find it to be anywhere near as obnoxious.
sure, there's some slapstick, sight gags, and subtle references to bathroom humour, but they are few and far between. they don't get in the way of the colourful, fast paced action.
there's also a fair amount of heart sprinkled throughout - without things getting too sappy. the intention is to entertain, not teach. this isn't high art and shouldn't be judged as such.
there's a sense of wonder and comfort. each episode is a new adventure. 21 of them in total, span over two seasons - which makes it easy to binge. the show actually improves as it progresses . part of me wishes that it could have lasted longer. then again, it was best to end it before the actors outgrew their roles.
it's been four years since it's debut. i'd definitely call it an unlikely classic! I only hope Netflix keeps it available for us to watch until our hearts are content :)
Sonic Mania Adventures (2018)
had so much potential, but quickly fell short...
This series is comprised of five 3 minute episodes, closely based on the classic video games.
there is no voice acting, and the story is effectively told through movement, gestures, facial expressions, and music.
I feel that the first episode achieved the perfect tone for the series. it was reminiscent of Sonic's first cartoon outing; 'adventures of sonic the hedgehog'. his 'attitude' was fast, playful, and cheeky. while dr robotnik (or eggman as he's also known) was an intelligent villain, he wasn't to be taken too seriously. environments were colourful and the light plot didn't drag.
unfortunately as the series went on, it became violent - with too many characters added to keep track of. coincidentally, it mirrored exactly what happened to the game franchise after the original title.
if this series is to develop into anything bigger, I would suggest keeping things simple with a maximum of 3 characters (ideally sonic, tails, and robtnik), light with no fight scenes, fast, and most of all, fun! take cues from the first episode.
Kevin James: Never Don't Give Up (2018)
not a 'classic', but a pleasant sit through
This is kevin's first stand up special in 17 years, since his first, and only, 'sweat the small stuff' in 2001. whilst not as energetic or memorable, 'never don't give up' covers a wider variety of topics.
the title is a reference to one of the jokes. though it doesn't serve as a crucial focal point. the best material post 'sweat the small stuff' is compiled into an hour. this format works well as nothing drags, and it keeps things at a fast pace. yet enough time was spent fleshing out each bit, so it doesn't feel rushed. the trailer honestly doesn't do it justice.
the purple backdrop is a nice touch. kevin isn't camouflaged in black this time around. presentation is kept very simple; no need for cut scenes or intermissions as this isn't a television broadcast, or home media.
the audience doesn't seem to be as lively, and I even suspect that some of the laughter may be canned - due to it sometimes not matching their body language. of course there are plenty of laughs, but they were all even levelled across the board. none of the bits stood out above others in terms of their reactions.
kevin is still animated; his stories are peppered with facial expressions and mimes.
much of his act throughout the years has been based on frustration. however, this marks the first time that it has been directed towards certain groups of people. his age is starting to show, and that is reflected in the way he sees the world. he knows what he knows and isn't interested in learning anything new. there's an 'intolerance' that is worrisome, though not alarming...
clean humour has also been long associated with kevin's brand. he was never one to use any 'major' profanities or lewdness. here is no exception, in fact, this seems cleaner than 'sweat..' in that respect. however, there are some 'gross out' jokes and references to adult life that are not 'family friendly' as advertised, or suitable for the squeamish.
this may not have been exactly the sequel I was waiting for, but it's a nice addition nonetheless. stand up comedy is kevin's foundation. it's what he does best. in fact, it would be nice if he could focus on this medium exclusively, and develop a series of specials. just like his peers brian regan and jim gaffigan have.