NETFLIX'S "UZUMAKI" TAKES STRANGE & WEIRD TO THE NEXT LEVEL!...

🎥🎞️Series Review🎞️🎥 - UZUMAKI [2024] - [PG13] - NetFlix - Directed by Higuchinsky. Screenplay by Takao Niita. An animated Manga-style series based on the graphic novel by Junito Ito. Produced by Sumiji Miyake. Voice actors; Abby Trott, Robbie Dsymond, Christina Valenzuella, Max Mittelman, Aaron LaPlante, and Mona Marshall.

A young girl named Kirie Goshima [Abby Trott] initially wandering around walking in circles. Over time, some people and close friends have disappeared, others have become deformed or have transformed through metamorphosis into another species, but all have been marked by a spiraling bruise prior to transformation or becoming deformed. This girl has to learn what is causing these transformations, some which has proven to be painful and others have shown to be dangerous and deadly to innocent people in the immediate area, and try to prevent exposure to this apparent "spiral syndrome" that is devouring everyone within her little world.

THE GOOD - The animation and graphic detail are outstanding and consistent throughout the series. The visualization of many of the nightmarish scenes strike a chord with horror. The editing and progression of the story from one scene to another is smooth. There is a constant creepy feel to each episode and some of the transformations and death scenes are jaw dropping. The best part of some of the scenes are the ones that contain one-liner jokes that are tossed about freely and perfectly performed by the voice actors. 

THE BAD - As with most animated films, there are scenes with a lot of dialog that occurs during the slower portions of series; some of it useful, but a lot of it worthless.

POSTMORTEM - This series is so intertwined with well designed morbid graphics that one can't shake off the immediate uncomfortable feeling of what to expect next. The mystery is expertly hidden throughout the series run and you will not be able to figure out the stories angle to find an alternative way to combat the entity that has smothered Kirie's little town. The real answer at the end of series will take your expectations to the next level. As much as I liked this series, the black and white presentation helps build the creepy vibe. I don't think this series would work has as much if it were produced in color or with live actors.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [3.5 of 5 Stars]

DISNEYS “MARVEL: WHAT IF…?” RAISES ANIMATION STANDARD

 🎥 🎞 Series Streaming Review 🎞 🎥 - MARVELS: WHAT IF?... - PG - DisneyPlus - A series from the Marvel Universe as presented by “The Watcher” - a cosmic creature who presents an alternate universes (Multi-verse) to infamous comicbook characters that most Americans grew up following in comic books. The Watcher was presented in many Marvel graphic novels, and most notably in the late 1980's, the fate of the Dark Phoenix in a series of books that told the fate of the lead female character in the Uncanny X-Men; leaving many to wonder if the The Watcher had either actually witnessed a real event or if the reader was being exposed to actual events in the prime timeline.

 

Part one introduces “Captain Carter” or who I would have dubbed “Captain Britain” - as well known in Marvel lore - as a female British operative who just happened to be at the right place and time for things to happen. The transition in the initial storytelling is pretty obvious as a re-write of what actually transpired in the Captain America film, but drastically turns to the wildly bizarre and sometimes hilarious depiction of a normal human realizing the increased coordination and agility that comes with the serum that changed Steve Rogers into America's most iconic Marvel hero. But don't worry, Rogers still has his chance at the limelight, but in a clever way not expected, but well delivered.

The episode is well written and produced, the animation is stunning and clear throughout all of the action sequences. I chuckled several times over the fantastic action sequences and, more especially, the change in satire throughout the episodes run. This was a great place to start, but I think that the “What If?…” format should also spent some time on “What if” some bad guys had got another start. I honestly cannot wait to see the next installment to this series!

 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ [4 of 5 Stars]

BAD BATCH SLUMPS WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT

🎥 🎞 Series Review 🎞 🎥 - BAD BATCH - Disney + - This series certainly jumped out of the gate with an impressive start, but began to immediately plummet once a new character, named Omega, entered the series, aimed for younger audiences maybe?- and that little ingredient dropped the entire plot and story elements of the show into a needless circle of “mysterious plot lines” that have just gotten more boring after each passing episode. Quite honestly, this once awesome series has become too predictable to watch and sometimes too incredible to accept as magnificent.

The mere thought that these “trash” clones had to fight to survive, then finding themselves as outcasts, then looking for jobs to sustain ships supplies and food for the team, is now concentrated on babysitting a "new clone" whose increased naive tendencies leads the premise of every new episode. I’m not 100% sure if the writers have completely loss track of what’s important in screenplay and delivery in character development, as it’s obvious to see that Omega has no development than just to say that she’s in the way ALL the time, or they just lost track of what was important to tell about what the Bad Batch is all about.

There are some kudos to pass out in the action sequences, but all designs in trying to enforce that this series is a credible representation of “things to come” are just flushed down a deep toilet when the direction of the sequences turns to what Omega is doing, or being unable to do. There are lots of sad faced looks that Omega presents after each new failure, that happens all the time.

This series is turning to be just another waste of time in the recent “once a good idea” department of Disney’s new push to restore Star Wars to its much damaged fairy-tale legacy. ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 [2.5 of 5 Stars]