See my review of the first "volume" of the series here:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/tv-show-set-review-good-luck-charlie.html
Also, here is my review for the single-disc, seven-episode DVD release, "Enjoy the Ride":
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/dvd-review-good-luck-charlie-enjoy-ride.html
What a great show; well-made, entertaining, and all-around fun. For more, see my review of the first season here:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/season-set-review-h2o-just-add-water.html
I found the "first series" of Doctor Who to be quite enjoyable. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/04/dvd-season-set-review-doctor-who.html
It's easy to see why this season is among the show's most beloved:
http://reading-rebel.blogspot.com/2017/09/tv-dvd-review-power-rangers-time-force.html
What a ride! I just finished the first season, and feel like I completed a year of school! For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/tv-dvd-review-once-upon-time-complete.html
Parts of this sixth season are really well done. Between appearances by Liam Neeson and Mark Hamill, a few epic story arcs, and the usual fabulous animation and great action sequences, a good part of it is true to Star Wars, and will likely make longtime fans happy.
However, other parts bothered me. First off, a two-episode story featuring the most annoying character in a galaxy far, far away--Jar Jar, to be exact--was unnecessary. Didn't Lucasfilm learn from the staunch criticism they got from his excessive presence in The Phantom Menace? Also, I missed Ahsoka; save for one brief cameo, she was entirely absent here. The biggest problem I had, though, were with the last two episodes. I don't dislike Yoda, but I can only take so much of his backward speech; having him be the most verbose among the few speaking characters drove me nuts. Even more annoying were the Five Priestesses, whose GPS-system voices were positively nerve-grating. The scary monsters were a bit much, too; I know that frightening creatures have been part of this franchise since the early days, but Darth Bane and the dark version of Yoda made Jabba the Hutt look like Cookie Monster in comparison.
After this, I'm actually surprised that Disney decided to reboot it with a seventh season; then again, maybe it needed it, as this sixth season ended on a bit of a sour note. Hopefully, the House of Mouse won't ruin this show like they did the movies with the garbage that was The Last Jedi.
Thanks to Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars finally gets the conclusion it deserves. I was glad to see the return of Ahsoka; she was missed in the previous season. All of the episodes were rather epic, but what really moved me was the four-episode conclusion, which ties into Revenge of the Sith and does so quite well. RotS was a big deal to me; not only did I see it on the big screen--which I've only done with three Star Wars movies, and the IMAX version I saw of Attack of the Clones was cut--which made it all the more moving, but, that was also around the time I discovered the Expanded Universe, which also had a big impact on me. So, those episodes brought back very fond memories.
Fans of Star Wars knew from the beginning that this show wouldn't have a happy ending; even if you've only seen the original trilogy, you know that Anakin becomes the evil Darth Vader, and that Obi-Wan and Yoda have to go into hiding. Instead of giving us sweet schmaltz, the makers decided to go with the prequels' vibe...and it worked very well here. It's a shame that the same storytelling talent couldn't have been applied to the films; barring a reboot, the movies have been forever stained by the epic fail that was The Last Jedi. Still, I have to give Disney credit in this case; they did it right. Maybe, someday, they'll realize how badly they flubbed with the flicks and give us the Thrawn trilogy on the big screen. One can only hope...
I finally finished the first season! What did I think?:
http://reading-rebel.blogspot.com/2017/09/tv-dvd-review-librarians-season-one.html
The good news about this eighth season is the animation is vastly improved. In the earlier episodes, it was obvious that different studios did each one, because character designs would vary from scene to scene; not so here. Also, the action and heroism that was a hallmark of the heroes in a half-shell's television serial from the beginning is definitely present here.
The bad news is that the mood is much, much darker. Gone are the wisecracks, the breaking of the fourth wall, and the overall lighthearted feel; most of these episodes take place entirely at night. Based on the opening sequence, I would guess they were trying to evoke the feel of the first live-action TMNT film; that was a bad choice, in my opinion, because that version of the Turtles is the worst I've ever seen, especially from a content perspective. (Then again, I've never read the original comics, which were reportedly very, very dark.) While the Turtles don't use the profanity here that said flick contained, I still liked this show better when it was lighter and funnier; this season almost felt like a cartoon version of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies at times. I've seen about three and a half seasons of the 2003 cartoon, and, while they're overall edgier than the earlier episodes of this one, they still contain moments that will make you laugh or at least chuckle; not so much here. Plus, for most of the episodes, Shredder and Krang don't appear; the Turtles fight other mutants that are rather unconvincing villains. Even the theme song wasn't as good. I think this season is when this series "jumped the shark"; unfortunately, it happens to pretty much all long-running shows, so, it had to happen sometime.
Still, there are two more seasons left, albeit with only eight episodes each; we'll see if the makers were able to recapture the magic that made the first seven seasons such a blast.
One of the most iconic episodes of this show; cute, funny, and with a great moral. Clean, too.
"She's drooling, she's drooling, she's drooling down the river..."
Short, but cute, and with great animation.
I adore this series. Excellent animation, wonderful voice work, plenty of action, convoluted plots...all in all, a blast!
Content Concerns:
Sex: Mild crushing. 4/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: Name-calling, at worst. 4/5
Violence: Fantasy action violence throughout, including an implied electrocution. 3/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Scary villains and scenes of peril. 3/5
Other: A bit of fantasy-type magic. 4/5
Another fun little whodunit...but, unfortunately, the last one on my four-episode DVD. It's been fun, though!
A fun and cute little whodunit.
Even the second time around, this series is a blast.
This was the last good version of "those meddling kids," and this first episode was a blast!
I had a blast with this adventure! Romance, action, suspense...everything you could want! Plus, the ending came out of nowhere; far be it from me to spoil it!
Synopsis: Lizzie is thrilled to be invited to a pool party thrown by Danny Kessler, her number one crush! Her mother is willing to let her go...until Jo discovers that it's on the same day as Lizzie's Nana's birthday. Worse yet, Lizzie's BFF Miranda is considering going without her, and "'Randa" has also been invited into the popular clique by Kate, Lizzie's former friend and sworn nemesis! Will Lizzie get to go to the pool party? Will Miranda learn the error of her ways?
The Good: This is one of the earliest Lizzie McGuire episodes; some sources say it's actually the pilot. Wherever it falls in the continuity, it's great to see where it all began. All the hallmarks of the show are here: a moral premise, someone learning a lesson, unconventional filming style, cartoon Lizzie's remarks...yeah, if you're a fan, you know.
The Bad: Despite being a Disney Channel show, this isn't quite as clean as you'd expect from the Mouse network. Remarks about teenage girls' chests may make some viewers uncomfortable, especially males. Also, the animation on the cartoon Lizzie is terrible.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Talk about teenage girls' chests.
Nudity: Teenage girls' midriffs.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: None.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: A scene or two of emotional intensity.
Other: A scene of bodily function humor.
Despite the criticism he seems to get at times, I've always liked Superman; his earnest goodness and clean-cut image have always appealed to me. After watching this, I can see why some people will only accept Christopher Reeve in the role; he did an amazing job. This was one of the earliest superhero movies, and it stands the test of time very well; despite the dated special effects, the story, performances, and sets drew me in. It's a shame this franchise eventually got ruined; from what I've heard, though the sequel to this flick was great, the third and fourth outings were such garbage, Superman Returns completely ignored their existence. Unfortunately, even back in the '70's, movie makers felt the need to add some unnecessary bits; in this case, it was several profanities and occasional crude references. I can see why the extended edition--aka the version I watched--was "PG-13" by modern standards. Still, those only slightly detract from what continues to be considered a true classic...and likely will be for many years to come.
One of the most iconic episodes of this show, this one has many a cute and funny moment.
Me and this second Star Wars prequel have an interesting history. (I know; I say that a lot, don't I?) My first time seeing it was actually in an IMAX theater at a local museum; at the time, that place had the only supersize movie screen anywhere close by. What I didn't know until after it was over was that the IMAX version actually was shortened; as soon as me and my brother-in-law walked out of the theater, one guy said to his friend who saw it with him, "So...how much did they cut out?" Still, despite the hate this movie has gotten--it was widely considered to be the worst of the saga even before the prequel trilogy was finished--I enjoyed it; the action sequences were spot-on, and it's interesting to see the start of Anakin's journey towards the Dark Side. True, the romance was a bit overdone, but, this series isn't about lovey-dovey scenes anyway.
The one complaint I did have is that it feels a bit...well, oversexed. Between seeing Anakin shirtless and Padmé's various immodest outfits, it seems that the makers were trying to provide unnecessary eye candy for viewers of both genders. Also mildly disappointing was the single profanity; the only one in the entire prequel trilogy!
Synopsis: Liv is ready to film Space Werewolves! There's only one problem: During an on-set interview, she blurts out that she can do all her own stunts! Will she be able to stay true to her word? Also, Maddie is down in the dumps after getting injured during a championship basketball game.
The Good: Cute, funny, likable...what's not to love about this show? An appearance by the now-late Garry Marshall (Mork & Mindy, The Princess Diaries) made this even better.
The Bad: Nothing, really.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Crushing and flirting.
Nudity: A girl in a short skirt.
Language: None.
Violence: Mild action on the movie set.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Scenes of peril and emotional intensity.
Again, I'm short on time today, so, I'll be brief: This was a fun episode; I really enjoyed it, even the second time around.
(Along with the usual content concern--emotional intensity--the music video at the beginning features a scary monster.)
Synopsis: Austin, Ally, Dez, and Trish are invited to Jimmy Starr's big Halloween party! Austin and Ally write a song that Austin is supposed to perform with Taylor Swift...only for Taylor to get injured in a ghost-hunting mishap! Who will perform Austin's new song?
The Good: Halloween episodes aren't usually my thing, but this was fun and entertaining; I hadn't watched this show in a while, and had kind of missed it.
The Bad: Nothing, really.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Crushing.
Nudity: Ally wears a slightly short skirt.
Language: Name-calling, at worst.
Violence: Comedic pratfalls and slapstick.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: A scene with a ghost that turns out to be a gag; emotional intensity.
It's the greatest story ever told!:
http://reading-rebel.blogspot.com/2017/10/movie-review-gospel-of-mark.html
This second season is off to a fabulous start.
Synopsis: During gym class, Lizzie discovers that she has a natural talent for rhythmic gymnastics! She and her friends think it's the lamest thing ever, but, Lizzie decides to go ahead and represent the school in a regional competition. When her nemesis Kate attempts to sabotage her performance, will Lizzie emerge victorious?
The Good: This early episode is just as fun and cute as the other ones I've seen lately. Lizzie and her friends are likable, Kate is utterly despicable, and there's plenty of humor to go around. What's not to like?
The Bad: Nothing, really.
Content Concerns:
Sex: A girl uses her feminine wiles to get a guy to do what she wants.
Nudity: A girl in an outfit that shows some slight midriff.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: Comedic pratfalls.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: None.
Synopsis: Lizzie is happy to be sans parents for an overnight school field trip...only to discover that her mother is the girls' chaperone! When the girls have to dig up earthworms due to the boys' shenanigans, Lizzie wants to retaliate...and her mom lets her! When the teacher discovers what the girls have done, will they be in for serious trouble?
The Good: This show is a longtime favorite of mine, and this episode is a great one. Cute and funny, and with a great moral, what's not to like?
The Bad: Nothing to really complain about.
Content Concerns:
Sex: None.
Nudity: Occasional midriff.
Language: Name-calling.
Violence: The guys attack the girls with water guns; the girls retaliate with a prank of their own.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: None.
Other: Some may take issue with the girls retaliating against the guys and not getting into any trouble.
A bit edgy for a Disney Channel show, but still fun and entertaining.
Content Concerns: Talk of a girl stuffing her bra; scenes of bullying.
Hilarious and fun. What more could you want?
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing. 4/5
Nudity: Woman seen in towel; guy seen walking out of the shower from the waist up. 4/5
Language: Nothing worse than one or two uses of "gosh". 4/5
Violence: Comedic pratfalls. 4/5
Drugs: ALF drinks a beer, and invites a kid to do so; the kid doesn't, and both ALF and the kid are reprimanded by the mother of the family. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: A bit of emotional intensity. 4/5
Other: ALF burps. 4/5
Score: 4.5/5
