One Night Only – Movie Review

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TL;DR – This is such a silly premise for a film, but goodness does the chemistry and commitment of the cast make it work.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Owen pushing Allie out of the way.

One Night Only Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a film that might have the most preposterous premise for a story, and that is me taking into account that the ridiculous becoming normal is very much the nature of existence in this time we live in. But can you do something interesting with a preposterous premise? A Dystopian Romcon? That is what we will look at today.  

So, to set the scene, in the not-too-distant future, the United States has outlawed sex outside marriage and enforces this via sensor data chips implanted in every person that sends information about your bodies back to the government via 5G. However, for one night a year, the ban is lifted. It is here where we meet Owen (Callum Turner), who is about to propose to his girlfriend (Maya Hawke) over dinner and Allie (Monica Barbaro), who is tired of meaningless hookups and is hoping to find something more meaningful on this of all nights. That is their plan, but like an old general once said, no plans survive first contact with the enemy.

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Ted Lasso: Home [S4E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A Kansas City detour to set up the season.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this episode.

Ted Lasso Assistant Manager.

Ted Lasso Review Introduction

Well, it is time for some more Ted Lasso. Now, I am on the record as being very fond of the series, even the weird episodes of Season One, Season Two, and Season Three. But I, like many, thought we were doneski, so colour me shocked when Season Four appeared from the ether. But given the time and the landscape, can it recapture that joy? That is what we are looking at today.

So to set the scene, Ted (Jason Sudeikis) has spent the last few years being the best day he can be to his son Henry (Grant Feely). But instead of coaching football or soccer, Ted is an assistant manager at a local supermarket. But then one day a surprise arrives in town. Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) have arrived with a mission. They want Ted to come back and coach their new women’s football team. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Griffin Incident [S4E2] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is an episode that leans hard into horror.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

The USS Griffin hanging quiet in space.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Throughout the history of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it has had the habit of dipping into different genres for a surprise episode. See, for example, the musical episode Subspace Rhapsody. But there is one genre that they have danced around but never dived into: supernatural horror. Well, today is the day it commits.  

So, to set the scene, Spock (Ethan Peck), La’An (Christina Chong), and Kirk (Paul Wesley) are all hitching a lift home with each other from the Future Federation Leader’s conference. When they pick up an odd distress call coming from an asteroid field. Of the many things they were expecting, nothing prepared them for the USS Griffin, a ship lost for nine years, light-years away from its current location. They beam aboard, and for some reason the ship has power when it should have lost it years ago, but things take a turn when they have only one hour to find out what happened to the ship before it all shuts down. Even more so when someone lurks in the hallways with them. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While there are limitations from a narrative perspective, the core strength of the characters shines through in a compelling way.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is an end-credit sting.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Spider-Man sitting upside down on a skyscraper.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review Introduction

This was a bit of an odd film for me, because of a number of factors. The first being my love of the MCU has been waning; I have not had the time or strength to keep up with its Disney+ outputs, and some of its recent films have been profoundly lacklustre. To add to this, I found the resolution of the last film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, to feel more like corporate maintenance than compelling storytelling. But given half the cast of the Odyssey is here, I thought it prudent to give it at least a go on its own terms.
 
So, to set the scene, it has been a hard couple of years for Peter Parker (Tom Holland), while Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has been out there becoming the hero of New York as he always wanted to be. Peter has lived a closed-off life, as the memory of the loss of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) looms large. It doesn’t help that his two best friends, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), both forgot who he was and went off to live their own lives. But when an unknown entity starts attacking the Department of Damage Control by jumping between people, Peter realises there could be a dangerous enemy afoot, unless the imbalances in his own body take him down first.

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Sydney Trip Day 3 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – The rain is down in Sydney.

Disclosure – I paid for my entry and everything you see purchased in this article.

Sydney Opera House.

Exploring Sydney

Well, it has been a while since I jumped into the world of an Explore-It, and now is as good a time as any to explore a trip I took a bit ago to the most populous city in Australia [for the time being], Sydney. After Day 1, which was all about the zoos, and Day 2, which was all about Boats, today will be rain and Ancient Egypt.  

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Sydney Trip Day 2 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – IMAX, Boats, and The Rocks, Oh My

Disclosure – I paid for my entry and everything you see purchased in this article.

Sydney Opera House.

Exploring Sydney

Well, it has been a while since I jumped into the world of an Explore-It, and now is as good a time as any to explore a trip I took a bit ago to the most populous city in Australia [for the time being], Sydney. After Day 1, which was all about the zoos, today was a more muted time among the boats.

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Meccha Chameleon (Metcha Kamereon/めっちゃカメレオン) – Video Game Review

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TL;DR – This might be the most janky game I have ever played that has produced so much fun.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
A hunter entering into a match.

Meccha Chameleon Review Introduction  

If you have spent any time on the internet in the last month, then you would have most likely seen this game on whatever social media you get your short-form videos from. People hide in plain sight while their friends hunt them down. It looked deceptively simple, so as the least artistically gifted member of my family, I decided to jump in and see what a game made by just two developers could pull off.

So, to set the scene, Meccha Chameleon is an asymmetrical team game. In this, there are two groups: the chameleons, who run and try to hide themselves in the scenery of whatever room has been loaded up, and the hunters who have to find every hidden character before the time counts down. The chameleons get a whole plethora of paints and poses to try and fit into the worlds, where you can try and slink into the background, or try and make yourself part of the scenery, hoping that you survive.

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72 Hours – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A film that is made worse by the addition of a lead character that should not be there.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

He's Ours! in text.

72 Hours Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a very odd film, because on the surface, this is a comedy that should work, a perfect fish-out-of-water disaster film in the vein of Dude Where Is My Car or Eurotrip. However, there is one narrative choice that permeates the film and makes it worse in every possible way.  

So, to set the scene, Joe (Kevin Hart) is an advertising executive looking to become the chief creative officer. The one problem is that he sucks at connecting with Gen Z, which is becoming a liability to him getting the top job. This is when he accidentally gets included on a group thread for a bachelor party in Miami. It was a mistake, but when the world gives you an opportunity for a purpose-built focus group, you might as well take advantage of it. Though Hunter (Ben Marshall), Freshman (Kam Patterson), Mason (Mason Gooding), and Nick (Marcello Hernández) might not be happy with the exploitation.  

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Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – Spoiler: Gary Dies [S1E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is a wild premise for a show, and I think it just might work.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

Welcome to Pasadena sign.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Review Introduction

Today we look at what might be one of the weirdest spin-offs from a TV Show that I have ever seen. The world of The Big Bang Theory has indeed had a long reach, but I am not sure that anyone was ready for the general pitch that was this series. However, it is so wild, it just might work.

So, to set the scene, we open on a broken and ruined Pasadena that has suffered a grand apocalypse. There are giant moths in the sky, zombies in the ground, and yet Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) is still running his comic shop, where consumers like Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn) trade food for what comics are left. But when a Stuart from another timeline slides in and explains that the destruction is not meant to happen, but a failed quantum-entanglement-thing created by the core gang from The Big Bang Theory has destroyed everything. Stuart and Bert have a quest to save the universe, but will they survive the walk to the end of the street first? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Valles Marineris [S4E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An opening episode that both delighted and profoundly frustrated me.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

Pike riding across an alien planet on a horse.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Today is a little bit of a bittersweet moment. For we have new Star Trek, which is always a delight; however, it is also the start of what we now know is a countdown to the end of an era, with no new Star Trek shows currently in production. Still, with three seasons left to enjoy, it is time to jump into this latest adventure, complete with a touch of time travel.

So, to set the scene, we open on horses cruising across an alien landscape after Pike (Anson Mount) undertakes a little undercover Prime Directive shenanigans. The USS Enterprise has spent six months on non-stop missions, giving the crew little time to dwell on the events of New Life and New Civilizations. But waiting for Pike when he comes back is Admiral April (Adrian Holmes) with a recommendation for a promotion; he has to make up his mind after the next mission. A completely normal mission that should not go wrong; it is just a subspace storm after all. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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