TV Review: VisionQuest (Season 1)

**This review contains some minor SPOILERS**

Wrapping up the trilogy of Disney+ shows that started with “WandaVision” and continued on with “Agatha All Along,” “VisionQuest” attempts and fails to capture the quirky spirit of those shows and mostly falls flat. Thankfully, James Spader’s resurrected Ultron is able to bring the shot in the arm the show needs.

One of the show’s biggest flaws is its basic structure. The “real world” sequences mostly keep the characters on the move while the scenes in Vision’s mind allow at least some of the characters to regroup and catch their breath. The problem is that aside from some colorful sets and silly computer puns, those moments are kind of bland. “WandaVision” mimicked different sitcoms each episode while every week “Agatha” featured witch’s trials with unique sets and costumes. “VisionQuest” does have some absurd moments that work, but the majority of the characters we see are uninteresting. It’s just all the A.I. characters from all throughout the MCU but recast to give us even less of a connection to them. And the overall plot falters because every episode seems to reveal who the big bad is before shifting gears and pointing us towards another baddie in the wings…and then doing it again.

As far as the cast goes, Vision is a surprisingly uninteresting character even though it’s his show. This mostly blank slate of the character isn’t very endearing for most of the series, but fortunately by the end he comes into his own. Tommy is another character that doesn’t quite click. Without the mystery of who he is to create intrigue like they did with Billy on “Agatha,” Tommy just doesn’t really draw you in. It’s Ultron that is truly the star of the show. While he’s a bit too over the top at first, his abrasive personality quickly helps balance out against all the silly sight gags and bland characters.

The show generally looks good, but not great. There’s a lot of thought put into Vision’s mindscape, but ultimately there’s not much memorable. And while it makes sense to have Vision and Ultron appear in human form for some sequences, having them barely reveal their true forms comes off as budgetary instead of plot driven.

Overall, “VisionQuest” has its moments, but the characters fall flat and don’t resonate like those from the other two series in this trilogy. On top of that, the one-note sets and relatively basic plot also fall short of the higher bar that those first two shows established.

** out of *****

Movie Review: Godzilla Minus Zero

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With some pacing issues and a runtime over two hours, the latest Godzilla film stalls out occasionally, but it still delivers compelling character drama and massive monster battles. While things do start off with a bang, it’s actually quite some time before the action starts up again. The story drags a little bit here, but the characters and the plot are interesting enough to keep you invested. The film struggles the most in the final act, as it seems to take a few big time-outs before moving on to the huge kaiju fight that the movie has been building up to. (It should also be noted the Godzilla barely appears in this movie, so that makes the wait for the climax feel like it takes even longer.) That climactic battle, and the special effects overall are solid, despite some of the green screen shots sticking out too much. Like the previous film in this franchise, they do a fantastic job of exploring the toll on humans caught in the crossfire of angry skyscraper-sized monsters.

*** out of *****

Movie Review: Clayface

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Despite being generally predictable and occasionally using low-budget effects to bring to life a high-budget concept, the latest DC Comics villain origin story is entertaining enough and manages not to overstay its welcome…in between some pretty R-rated moments of gore. Aside from a few specifics, the basic plot isn’t too much more involved that what can be guessed from the trailers. The pacing is just a little too slow, but usually just as it feels like not much is happening the story moves on to the next phase. While it initially stays pretty grounded, it definitely gets to a point where you have to suspend disbelief a little more. The film generally does a good job of walking the line between the lead being a sympathetic character, and anti-hero and a super-villain. The acting is fine for the story they’re telling, but there’s nobody that really stands out. This movie gets pretty graphic at times, so it’s not for the squeamish. (Not to mention some gratuitous female nudity, so this is definitely not for the kids.) When the effects use any combination of prosthetic makeup and CGI, they usually look pretty good. However, there are some quick morphs that fall flat and some CG blood that doesn’t quite cut it. They also rely quite a bit on old-school techniques like the Texas switch that do the job, but it does feel like they were cutting corners.

**1/2 out of *****

Video Game Review: Silent Hill: Townfall (PS5)

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In the latest chapter, Silent Hill once again expands from its small resort down setting to something more international. With gameplay that caters to stealth-based mechanics, a story that comes together slowly and focuses less on the supernatural origins of the franchise, and puzzles that feel more like following It instruction manuals then creepy, the game doesn’t do a lot to make itself standout against the other games in the franchise.

The plot and pacing in the game have some issues. While it’s normal for Silent Hill games to have some mystery to them that unfolds as you play, this game just drops you into it and leaves you kind of wondering around. You’re not looking for a lost loved one or being forced a spooky dilemma, you are loosely guided from point A to point be without much more than the vaguest narrative. And when the twists are finally revealed, it’s all kind of mundane, and all the paranormal aspects are glossed over. (Even shifting focus to other characters gives much insight to the events in the game, so you’re really only invested in the characters because you’re forced to see things through their eyes.)

Going in almost the completely opposite of the last Silent Hill game, the combat-focused “Silent Hill f,” “Townfall” prefers that you sneak your way through the game and rarely forces you into fighting. To make this happen, ammo is very scarce and so are melee weapons. And the ones you do get break pretty quickly. Instead, you are given lots of fences to duck behind and closets to hide in. Also helping you out is the radar-like portable TV you’re given and the ability to cause diversions by throwing objects. However, this feels limited fairly quickly. Many other games with stealth elements give you much more variety in how to remain undetected, but here you’re stuck with mostly throwing bricks and bottles and waiting to the monsters run to investigate. The game also ramps up the tension by making you play in a first-person perspective, which means you can only see what’s right in front of you and you’re never sure exactly where danger might be.

As far as puzzles go, they mostly feel original and fresh to the franchise. However, while I originally liked the more realistic puzzles that felt kind of like escape room challenges, repairing floppy disks and organizing slides for a presentation feel more like tedious day-to-day tasks instead of the creepy puzzles that are the norm for this franchise. (Although there are still a few that do feel like the classic Silent Hill disturbing brain teasers.)

“Silent Hill: Townfall” is a decent enough addition, especially for those who love a good stealth-based adventure. While the setting and monsters are sufficiently creepy enough, the slow narrative reveals of a more mundane chain of events that set this game in motion, leaving you feeling like the journey was only interesting to the characters and not the one audience. This is a New Game+ with a couple additions that may make things easier, especially for people who rather take down their enemies instead of sneaking past them. (The bad news is that this makes it harder to get the “good” endings.)

** out of *****

Movie Review: Street Fighter (2026)

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With yet another adaption of the Street Fighter franchise, the latest film leans into the camp and silliness to just enough of a degree that the animated flashback sequences come off less cartoony. I only have a passing knowledge of the Street Fighter lore, and most of that comes from the 1994 film, so I can’t judge this film too much outside of its own entertainment value. Despite the fact that the plot claims to be about a martial arts tournament, that portion of the story gets talked about more than we actually see any of it. The rest of the runtime is spent on an unfocused conflict with the big bad, M. Bison. (And also trying to work in a separate bad guy that gets set up as the real main threat.) Ultimately, Ken and Ryu are the heart of the story, but their dual redemption arcs don’t really land the knockout punch in the end. Outside of the lead characters, the rest of the roster is underused and none of the cast breath any real life into their roles. Unfortunately, the film’s weakest point is the fight scenes. None of them felt consequential and it just feels like colorful characters hitting and kicking each other through brick walls and occasionally a special move from the games, with everyone just brushing themselves off like nothing happened afterwards. (It doesn’t help that the special effects don’t quite sell these impossible moves, especially with one character being full CG. That’s why the animated sequences land so much better, because that type of action doesn’t look out of place in that format.) There’s quite a bit of humor throughout the movie, and a lot of it sucks the drama out of scenes that should be important. They also overdo it with the 90’s needle drops. It seems like every other scene has one. There is a mid-credit scene, but it ties into another major issue: the story ends and it feels like they only told half the story.

** out of *****