Cloud Atlas

This one certainly can't be faulted for its ambition, telling six connected stories taking place across hundreds of years. There are times when its reach exceeds its grasp, such as the tendency of its villains to be one-dimensional caricatures, but its heart shines through and its one of the first films in some time I found genuinely moving. Definitely worth checking out.

Inside Job: Fun new animated sitcom. Didn't make me bust a gut, but the premise certainly gives them lots of fun material to mine where jumping the shark will be impossible.

Nightmare Alley: Another great Del Toro joint. This time we get to see how a monster is made.

Spider-Man: No Way Home: A real crowd pleaser to be sure, though it doesn't quite rank among my top Spidey flicks (SM2 & Spider-Verse). Was great to be in the theater for a number of big reveals.

Just seen The Matrix Resurrections and I can't believe I'm going to say this but it somehow manages to be the worst entry of them all. While some fights were entertaining and scenes heartfelt it ultimately felt all a little unnecessary.

If there's a thing that Hollywood should not do is try resurrect old movies, with sequels or remakes so many years later. We had the terrible Bill and Ted Sequel and so forth its just a complete waste of time and money. 6/10 maybe even a 5. The original trilogy was fine on its own.

Hawkeye: The general trend of these MCU streaming shows has been one of gradual decline for me, but this was still fun. Hailee Steinfeld makes a great addition to the roster and her relationship with Florence Pugh's character was easily the highlight of the show for me. Hope to see plenty more of the pair in the future.

The King's Man: Cool action, weak storytelling. I'd put it in between the last two films.

The Witcher S2: I enjoyed this season about as much as the first, maybe a little less. The more straightforward, coherent story structure is welcome but I thought the action was a bit less exciting. My biggest criticism of the season is that the bond between Ciri and Geralt/the witchers doesn't really feel earned despite having 8 screen hours of opportunity to develop their relationship. People just say they care about each other without sufficiently showing how or why. This applies a bit to Yen and Geralt's relationship, too. Doesn't apply to a certain bard, though.

Completed watching 2 series seasons -

The Witcher Season 2 - Decent season, a bit slow but the action was good and liked the chemistry and build up of Ciri's character with Gerald. Not quite as good as the first season imo though that last episode was darn epic! 7.8

Cobra Kai Season 4 - Brilliant, goofy but fun and wholesome to watch. There are some silly almost cartoonish acts in there though still highly enjoyable. The new introduced villain is great and really does throw a spanner in the works. Brilliant stuff, can't wait for next season. 9

Also the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Which was darn great. If you liked the Mandalorian, you'll love this. So far, its a similar production value with some great action and comedy. Temuera Morrison also absolutely gold in this. Awaiting new episode with high anticipation. 8

Got around to watching Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl again, in 4K this time (ironically for the first time). No matter how many times I've seen it, it never gets old, and watching it in stunning 4K was a welcome addition to a classic film that was far better than it had any right to be. Who would've thought a movie based off of a Disney theme park ride would be such a heralded classic? They hit everything out of the park here, the set pieces, the humor, the characters, the pacing, etc. with an iconic score to boot, and who can forget Johnny Depp cementing the role of Jack Sparrow with a once-in-a-lifetime performance?

I must've seen it over a dozen times on DVD and I gladly pre-ordered the 4K (yes, I made the jump to 4K Blu-Ray), which came in the mail yesterday.

The Witcher Season 2

Much better than Season 1 in my opinion, thanks to doing away with the pointless non-linear format and making Yenn less of a bitch. A bit inconsistent, but enjoyable in a pulpy, leave your brain at the door kind of way.

The Blacklist

Just started this one and liking it a lot so far. James Spader is hugely entertaining as the antihero and elevates the show above your standard police drama fare.

Just saw the Jujutsu Kaisen movie with my wife at our local IMAX a few days ago. Pretty good action and sound.

Dexter New Blood. Decent season and brings back the feel of the old series (especially in the latter episodes), sadly let down by yet again another horrible, rushed and abrupt ending. 7/10 overall.