TV Series Review: Inside Job Part 2 (Netflix, 2022)

Inside job is an animated show about a secret company that controls the world and conspiracies. Part 2 was recently released on November 18 with 8 episodes streaming. The cast includes Lizzy Caplan (Party Down), Clark Duke (Greek, The Office), and Christian Slater (Heathers, Mr. Robot). 

First I do want to clarify that part 2 is not season 2. Season 1 was ordered for 20 episodes, the creator, Shion Takeuchi, wanted to split it into two parts. Season 2 was already renewed in June. Parts 1 and 2 were Season 1, just split into two parts. My prediction is the same split will happen for Season 2. 

I really liked Part 2 of the show! A new character was introduced this season, Ron Stadler, played by Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Severance, Party Down). Stadler works at a rival company, The Illuminati. Stadler felt like a good character to watch the main characters interact with. It was nice seeing him meet Reagan’s friends at Cognito Inc and get pulled into those missions with her. 

I noticed episode 6, “Rontagion”, was extremely similar to the Rick and Morty episode, “Rick Potion #9”. Andre gives Brett a serum to make him like Ron; it backfires and spreads, making everyone love Ron. Rick does the same thing for Morty so Jessica loves him. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing since the ending of Inside Job’s episode is different than Rick and Morty’s. I definitely prefer Inside Job’s episode to "Rick Potion #9". 

One thing I do wish that could be fixed was Adam Scott’s voice acting. I don’t hate that Scott played Ron, in fact, I love it, but I just wish he was more expressive in his voice. His voice just felt sort of monotone. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me, I will still watch the show. This was more of a wish than a problem. But it made me realize how great the other actors are and show how much range they have in their voices.

I did like Ron and Reagan's relationship. It was very lighthearted and a breath of fresh air to watch instead of all the conspiracies and hijinxs the characters are normally up to. Ron and Reagan themselves referenced their relationship as 'enemies to lovers' and 'rivals'. I feel like it never played out that way since the rival trope normally has the couple as very competitive people. Ron and Reagan were never competitive when it came to their jobs. They eased into each other. That is really nice to see.

Inside Job Part 2 is an amazing continuation to the bigger picture and offers more character development for the next part of the series. I will 100% continue watching. 

Rating: 9/10

Movie Review: Disenchanted (Disney +, 2022)

***SPOILERS***

Disenchanted is a sequel to the 2007 film, Enchanted. The film follows Giselle and her family in the suburbs where she hopes to find a more fairytale life similar to her past. However, what she wishes for ends up creating more trouble than before. The movie stars Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel from the previous movie. The movie also stars Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Maya Rudolph (SNL, Loot, Big Mouth), and Oscar Nuńez (The Office). The movie does take place in today's day and age.

I honestly loved this movie. It was fun and playful. Not a lot of sequels nowadays can pull that off. The story followed a predictable storyline, but it was really fun to watch it play out! The movie mainly focuses on Giselle and her relationship with Morgan. I didn't remember that Giselle was actually a stepmother to Morgan and to see Giselle turn into an evil stepmother, like most fairytales, was so great to watch. Also, the multiple references to Disney princesses and their stories were fun to point out! The performances by Amy Adams, Maya Rudolph, and Patrick Dempsey were so entertaining. And their characters, when in the fairytale world, played the archetypes hilariously. I feel like Patrick Dempsey's character is there for comedy relief. 

The musical numbers were very entertaining and sounded so good. My favorite song would have to be "Badder", sung by Amy Adams and Maya Rudolph. My favorite characters are Yvette Nicole Brown and Maya Rudolph's characters. There was also a small appearance from Morgan's previous actress, Rachel Convoy, who played a villager in town. 

There isn't much to hate about this movie. I was sad to find out they recast Morgan but the actress, Gabriella, does look exactly like Convoy but in a teenage way. I wasn't too bothered about this though.

Disenchanted is a wonderful sequel to watch and not analyze. (besides the easter eggs hidden in the movie) 

Rating: 8/10

TV Series Review: Dash & Lily (Netflix, 2020)

Dash & Lily is a Christmas series about two teenagers talking to each other through a notebook and stepping out of their comfort zone over the holidays, falling in love in the process. Dash is played by Austin Abrams (Euphoria, Do Revenge) and Lily is played by Midori Francis. There are 8 episodes, each 30 minutes long. The show is based on a book series of the same name and switches between each character's perspectives. It takes place between December 17th and January 1st in New York City. 

We see the main characters in the beginning unsure of what to do with the untraditional Christmas they've been given this year. When Dash finds a red notebook, he participates in the challenge written in it and tries to learn more about the person who wrote the challenge, through dares around the city.

I don't have any dislikes about the show really since the story played out in the end. Maybe I do dislike one character since I feel they didn't entirely redeem themselves, but it wasn't too frustrating since everything turned out fine at the end (like how all Christmas movies do). Austin Abrams and Midori Francis are wonderful in this show. They played the characters incredibly and had great chemistry on screen. 

Since the show takes place in New York, the cinematography should be beautiful and capture the city at the most wonderful time of the year. I did love a few locations and how they were presented in the show. My favorite location would have to be Macy's in the first and second episodes. Most of the scenes were filmed in a warm white light, which feels very comforting and Christmas-y.

This show is very good. I never expected it to get a second season since it was a holiday special, plus it didn't end on a bad note. It's very Hallmark-y, with the cliches and the "grumpy guy x sunshine girl" romance trope. My favorite episodes would have to be Episode 1: "Dash" and Episode 4: "Cinderella". 

I would 100% recommend Dash & Lily to romance nerds like me. It's sweet, innocent, and a feel-good story. Also, it's a great binge-watch during Winter Break! (It took me four hours. I was very invested) If you do want to continue Dash & Lily's story, you can read the 2 books, The Twelve days of Dash & Lily and Mind the Gap Dash & Lily.

Rating: 10/10

Movie Review: Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (Apple TV+, 2022)

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is a documentary about the musician's life from 2016 - 2020.

This is not like those Netflix musician documentaries. This is a real, relatable, mental health documentary. I don't necessarily think this has a bigger message that needs to connect with the viewer. I think this was just a way to inform the viewer of Selena's journey through her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and how her Lupus affects her mentally and physically. This documentary also helps her segment into what she wants to be in the future: a philanthropist. She mentions philanthropy and helping people be more comfortable with themselves.

From the first couple of minutes, I think this was originally supposed to be a Revival Tour documentary. It showed clips of the tour and Selena's endeavors during the tour. But the Revival Tour was canceled due to her not feeling well and being admitted to an institution. From there, it might've been assumed that the tour clips would be discarded. However, the film does pick up in 2019, when Selena is starting to plan her comeback after 4 years of being absent due to her health condition (Lupus and mental illness).

It doesn't touch on too much drama that happened these past years. It did explain what happened to her at her AMA's performance and what it is like releasing an album and her emotions towards it. But nothing about her past relationships, besides the ones she's rekindled. (Close family and friends back home in Texas) There weren't that many testimonials in the film, compared to how documentaries/docuseries work nowadays. Those may have been covered by Selena's diary entries being read out loud to continue the story. 

One thing I disliked about the documentary is the lack of proper time stamps. The film kept switching between dates. I would've preferred a date stamp, especially when she was planning her comeback and when she was in Kenya. Since this is a documentary, I don't think I have that many dislikes about it since she was in control of what is presented. Selena chose to talk about her struggles with her health and connection to others, not the drama. This documentary is similar to Demi Lovato's Docuseries on Youtube since they both have had similar mental health problems and backgrounds when it comes to their career.

This documentary does show a different side of Selena, which is saddening and powerful to watch. I've been a fan and looked up to her since she was on Disney Channel and to see her cry over her past haunting her is sad to watch. But to also see her heal and accept that part of her life does put a smile on your face.

Do I recommend watching this? Of course. Whether it's because you're a Selena Gomez fan or because the documentary is relatable and good to watch, it is a film that can change your perspective. Maybe not through Selena's story, but maybe through the two girls in Kenya that tell their stories with mental health, life, and education. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is a good film.

Rating: 9/10