John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Note: This review contains spoilers for John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2.

When a popular film like John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chapter 2) ends on a cliffhanger, a sequel will surely follow. Audiences would wait two years for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Chapter 3), which started production even before Chapter 2 had released and came with high critical praise. At the time, it had also become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, making $327.7 million against a budget of $75 million, in only 10 days. Of course, it’s difficult to maintain a high level of quality throughout a trilogy and while Chapter 3 does do that where it counts, it unfortunately feels lacking in story.

Second Opinion - Toy Story 4

Note: This review contains spoilers for Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 3 had arguably the perfect sendoff to the original Toy Story trilogy, ending it on a very emotional high note. The enduring popularity of the Toy Story brand, however, would ensure this would not last long, as a fourth entry, Toy Story 4, was released nine years later in 2019. While this movie is arguably a good example of an unnecessary sequel - I remember liking it when I first saw it, even importing a 3D Blu-ray copy - I hadn’t actually watched it again until recently when revisiting the series for the next unnecessary sequel, Toy Story 5. I still liked it on a second viewing, but still felt it didn't quite reach the same emotional high as the third film.

Very Little Nightmares

It’s not often I talk about a mobile game like this, but this is a case where, much like God of War: Betrayal, the game is considered canon to its parent series.

Following the release of the original Little Nightmares game in 2017, a mobile prequel, Very Little Nightmares, was released in 2019 for iOS and Android devices. I will admit that, when it first came out, I didn’t play it in part due to it being a paid app, but it was mostly due to my lack of understanding that it was a new game and not a mobile version of the first game (which, incidentally, exists as of 2023). It wasn’t until recently that it clicked for me how it fit in with the larger series and, with the aid of a free $2 Google Play credit, bought it after seeing it was still available as of 2025. Despite some issues, both in and outside the game, it still felt like a worthy entry in the Little Nightmares series in a smaller package.

Stubs - Dark Phoenix

 

Dark Phoenix (aka X-Men: Dark Phoenix) (2019) starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Jessica Chastain Directed by Simon Kinberg Screenplay by Simon Kinberg Based on X-Men by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby;  "The Dark Phoenix Saga" by Chris Claremont, John Byrne. Produced by Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner, Todd Hallowell Run time: 114 minutes. Color. USA Superheroes, Fantasy

What is the worst thing a Superhero film can be? It’s a question that Dark Phoenix succeeds in answering: boring.

A sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Dark Phoenix manages to build on that film’s failures, actually making that film look better by comparison.

This is the second time this franchise decided to tell the Dark Phoenix story based on an extended X-Men comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the storyline first appeared in X-Men #129 (January 1980); one of the most well-known and heavily referenced stories in mainstream American superhero comics. In the previous telling, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Jean Grey is played by Famke Janssen.

Following the release and disappointing returns on Apocalypse, Fox was said to be pressing "the reset button" on the franchise. Bryan Singer was not going to be back in the director’s chair, but they kept on screenwriter Simon Kinberg, who decided it was time to again tell the Dark Phoenix story, but reiterating that he would adapt it differently than they had in The Last Stand, if given another opportunity to do so. Kinberg was also tapped to direct, his debut.

The Last Kids on Earth - Book One (Film)

It’s not often that we discuss television series on this blog, although we usually justify doing so when part of it is presented as a feature film. Such is the case with “Book One” of The Last Kids on Earth, an animated Netflix series based on Max Brallier’s book series of the same name, of which I have recently become a fan (to the point I signed up for the official fan club). While Book One is technically the first season, it’s only an hour-long feature, as opposed to the two ten-episode seasons that followed. As such, since I’ve enjoyed the books, I felt like I could weigh in on how well it works not only as an adaptation, but as a film on its own merits. Fortunately, I can say that Book One succeeds on both fronts.

Resident Evil 2 (2019) (PS5)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Resident Evil 2 (2019).

Shortly after the release of the original Resident Evil, development went underway on a sequel, Resident Evil 2. Thanks to a rough development period, however, the game wouldn’t release until 1998 and did so to critical acclaim. Following the 2002 GameCube remake of the original game, Capcom considered a similar treatment for this one, but Shinji Mikami didn’t want to take too much attention away from Resident Evil 4. Fast forward to 2015, where a full remake of Resident Evil 2 was formally announced. This project would finally see the light of day in 2019, when the remake would gain critical acclaim like its 1998 counterpart.

As part of my goal of properly exploring the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 2 was naturally my next stop. Instead of the original PS1 release, however, I went for the 2019 remake, as it was cheaper and more easily accessible. That means that I have no idea what the original game is like, but I can say that I pretty thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the remake regardless.

Three Lesbians in a Barrow

A change in gameplay can sometimes be beneficial for a game series, though it still helps to try and keep things fresh as it goes. A follow-up to The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith (TToTGS), Three Lesbians in a Barrow (TLiaB) is another visual novel that was included in the same bundle as the previous game and Parsnip and expands further on those games’ universe while trying something new for the series. Though shorter, TLiaB accomplishes this goal, even if the execution isn’t perfect.

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

While Aardman’s feature film output is generally uneven for the most part, one of their better films is Shaun the Sheep Movie, a film based on the Shaun the Sheep stop-motion series spinning off from Wallace & Gromit. I had first heard about a sequel, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Farmageddon), through a trailer in front of a screening of Early Man, however I was unable to watch it because it distributed through Netflix in the US and I do not have an account. That changed, however, after the US received a home video release following an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film, though it wouldn’t be until recently that I obtained a copy. While its quality compared with the first film can be debated, it nonetheless retains the same spirit as the original animated series.

Weathering With You

Note: This review contains spoilers for Weathering With You.

Back in 2016, Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. put him on the map, with some critics hailing him as the next Hayao Miyazaki (whether or not this comparison is justified is up to you). At the time I had seen it, during a 2017 theatrical screening, I found myself not only loving it, but also curious in Shinkai’s other work, even if it would take me a while to do so. This would include his follow-up film, Weathering With You, which came and went in 2019 without quite the same level of fanfare. Still, my interest in seeing it didn’t go away and, three years later, I finally got my chance through the Blu-ray release, which, while enjoyable, ended up feeling like an odd step down from its predecessor.

Second Look - Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Note: This review contains spoilers for the Star Wars Skywalker Saga and Avengers: Endgame.

As the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy went on, though I noticed some issues with it, I made the choice to reserve my judgement on the trilogy as a whole until the release of the final part, The Rise of Skywalker, cautiously optimistic that it might make the journey worth it as Revenge of the Sith did for the prequels. Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker proved what happens when you devote yourself to a trilogy without a solid outline, dragging down the entire trilogy as a result. This eventually led me to reevaluate the trilogy with the context provided by The Rise of Skywalker, though it wouldn’t be fair to go through said reevaluation without looking at the third part again, which I have not seen since the original theatrical release in 2019. Upon a second viewing, my opinion didn’t change all that much, and in fact it may have lowered a little bit.

River City Girls (PS5)

Does the name River City ring a bell? If it does, you’re likely familiar with River City Ransom, an old Beat ‘em Up/Brawler game from the NES days. For others, however, River City, the localized name for the Kunio-kun franchise, wouldn’t mean much due to the rather niche awareness of the series for the longest time. That would change, however, with River City Girls, a 2019 Beat ‘em Up co-developed by WayForward and Arc System Works that brought more mainstream attention to the River City series. So much so that a related 1994 Super Famicom game, Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka, would finally receive an English localization under the name River City Girls Zero in 2022.

Since I had no familiarity with the River City games, however, I didn’t have any interest in River City Girls at first, but wondered if I had missed out on something when I saw enough praise. Because I prefer physical discs, I patiently waited for a Limited Run “Blowout Sale” that included the PS4 PAX cover variant and snagged a copy. Even after I got the game, however, it took the announcement of a sequel and River City Girls Zero to finally see if I actually liked it before investing further. For the most part, I actually enjoyed the game (via the free PS5 upgrade) and feel more comfortable with playing more of the series, or at least the Girls portion. However, some design and writing quirks nearly stopped me.

Control Ultimate Edition (PS5)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Control, The Foundation and AWE.

Sometime after the release of Quantum Break, Remedy Entertainment would announce their next game, Control, which released in 2019 and played on themes of the paranormal while adding in a mild sci-fi twist. Since I enjoyed two of the studio’s previous games, Alan Wake and Quantum Break, I looked forward to Control, despite not knowing much about it. Since the game had its own set of DLC, I waited for the physical Ultimate Edition of the game on PS4 and took advantage of the free upgrade to the PS5 version. After playing the game without any expectations, but with the knowledge of a crossover with Alan Wake, I found myself having a good time with the final product, even if it’s not perfect.

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (PS5)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11.

With NetherRealm Studios’ relatively recent pattern of fighting game releases, it’s no surprise that they would follow up Injustice 2 with Mortal Kombat 11 (MK11) in 2019. Like Injustice 2, I waited for a physical copy that included all of the DLC fighters before giving it a shot, but the wait ended up longer than anticipated, as the studio released a physical Aftermath Kollection, followed by additional DLC and then Ultimate Edition. Once NetherRealm announced the end of service for MK11, I finally obtained a copy of Ultimate Edition for the PS5 so I could finally experience a fighting game on ninth-generation hardware. Unfortunately, despite how well the game implemented some of its interesting ideas, it seems that Games as a Service (GaaS) mechanics, as well as some further missteps, have taken their toll on the franchise.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PS4)

Three years after the release of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, WayForward released the fifth Shantae game, Shantae and the Seven Sirens, as a two-part iOS game for Apple devices and later as a complete release for other platforms. When the game released on PS4, I eagerly bought the Limited Run release, knowing I’d have to wait a few months to actually play it. Once I finally got my hands on it, I spent a couple days playing it to see if they had learned anything from the faults of Half-Genie Hero. While I can tell that WayForward is improving with the series and I like the new spins they put on the core gameplay elements, they have one big problem they still need to work on.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (+ DLC) (Switch)

What journey to No More Heroes III (NMHIII) would be complete without a look at Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (TSA), the first in the series released on the Nintendo Switch and the first one directed by Suda51 himself sine the original game? Back when this game first released, its connection to the other games wasn’t certain, so we ended up skipping it. Once NMHIII received a formal announcement, however, we regretted this decision, as demand made owning a physical copy prohibitively expensive, so we ended up buying the game and DLC digitally. While this may be a cheaper and more convenient option for many, however, I’m not sure I would recommend it at full price unless you’re a hardcore Suda51 fan.

Blacksad: Under the Skin

Beginning in the year 2000, the independent album-format comic Blacksad by Spanish duo Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido tells the adventures of private investigator John Blacksad, set in a version of 1950s America populated by anthropomorphic animals and heavily inspired by noir films. Though I had been aware of the comic for a while, what spurred me to actually try and read the comic via an all-in-one collection was the announcement of a video game adaptation, Blacksad: Under the Skin. Even knowing the game had some technical issues at launch, when I finally read the comic, I enjoyed it enough to immediately track down a physical copy of the PS4 Limited Edition version of the game and start playing it as soon as I could. While the game does a great job at emulating the original Blacksad comics, and is worth experiencing despite the technical issues, said issues could not be ignored entirely.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Note: This review contains spoilers for How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

With the success of How to Train Your Dragon 2, it would be another five years before DreamWorks Animation would release the third, and currently final, installment, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Due to real world circumstances, this film would also have a separate distributor from the previous two, this time Universal Pictures as opposed to Paramount Pictures or 20th Century Fox. Since the sequels to the original How to Train Your Dragon were written with a trilogy in mind, it made sense to finish watching the films and see how they concluded the story. Though the ending does deliver emotionally, the flight path has a bit of turbulence.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Though the rematch between monster movie icons King Kong and Godzilla lies just around the corner, our buildup to Godzilla vs Kong wouldn’t be complete without a look at its direct predecessor, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. With a five-year gap from Hollywood’s previous Godzilla film, Godzilla (2014), the film also doubles as a celebration of the franchise’s 65th anniversary and the first Hollywood Godzilla to feature other Toho kaiju. Though King of the Monsters generally pleased Godzilla fans, critics were harsher, mainly citing issues with the story and characters. After finally getting a chance to watch it ourselves, in 3D no less, we find ourselves agreeing more with the critics.

A Short Hike

It’s not often that I go out of my way to look for indie games to play, but when I got my hands on a massive Itch.io bundle, I looked for recommendations and consistently saw A Short Hike come up. The game, developed and published by Adam Robinson-Yu and originally released in 2019 as a Humble Original, looked promising and I dove right in when I had the chance. Although I had no expectations going in, I’m happy to say that it’s well worth the time and money.

New Super Lucky's Tale (Xbox One) - Luckier Than Ever

The original Lucky’s Tale was originally released as a launch title for the Oculus Rift in 2016, however what prevented me from playing it, despite it catching my interest, was my disinterest in the platform itself in favor of PlayStation VR. The game did, however, receive a sequel in 2017 in the form of Super Lucky’s Tale for the Xbox One, as a launch title for the system’s Xbox One X counterpart, which I actually was able to play. While I generally liked what I played, I did have some issues with it, plus I bailed on it when the final boss proved to be too difficult for me.