david.reviews: Everything!

It's both easier and harder than it looks. Read the whole thing.

★★☆☆: A funny mishmash of genres. Bothered me less than movies like A Simple Favor, but it also made the film feel disjoint. There are a lot of moving pieces that acknowledge each other rather than building each other up. Main cast is great though, especially Kidman. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: On its surface, it's sort of a doofy movie. The typing scenes are overwrought and there's an undercurrent of casual misogyny that probably fit right into 90 hacker culture. I didn't really get it at first (and my early reviews reflect that).At the same time, it's just so earnest. It takes its characters at their word, no matter how silly they're being. It paints them almost as jocks, never talking down to or belittling them. The costuming and roller blading is so over the top, yet utterly…

★★★☆: Tells an ambitious story that I mostly enjoyed. Its non-linear narrative works well to keep everything mysterious while still being engaging. Its high concept world works well as a setting and the architecture of the garden was comforting while everything around it was not. The voice acting was superb, especially when performances were used to differentiate versions of individual characters. There wasn't much gameplay but had some cool ludonarrative cohesion that made it feel unique.The…

★★★★: Does a good job smoothing out the detail while focusing on the big picture. I love the media / "the revolution will be televised" angle and the intergalactic worldbuilding. Growing the ensemble is good and some of the more complex plot threads are coming to fruition. Carl is also less terrible at this point, which is probably for the best. He can't save everyone, but he does really seem like he cares.The audiobook narration continues to be excellent. Jeff Hays is an all-timer. FYI: My…

★★★★: Provides a perfect foil to the original novel. I liked Bean as a character explaining so much of his inner monologue and the political machinations around him. Some of the plotlines get wrapped up a little too quickly and cleanly, but it kept me engaged throughout. Like revisiting an old friend who's gotten a new haircut- familiar, yet treads new ground. A fascinatingly brutal world. Goes down with media like Lion King 1 1/2 to re-tread a beloved story effectively. FYI: My reviews are…

★★★★: An excellent action RPG. Loved the breezy island setting and the exploration aspect. Finding castaways to grow your base who also act as shopkeepers is brilliant design- it helps your exploration have real gameplay impact and makes the settlement really feel lived in. It's a fun supporting cast though and they hold just enough space to be distinct without feeling like there's a million people to meet.The story was interesting and runs a little long, but kept me engaged throughout. I…

★★★★: I think it's got the worst treatment of its female characters of the Bonds so far, but everything else kind of rocks. The underwater scenes are cool and the plot felt like it had real stakes while advancing the world of Bond. The climax maybe went on a little long, but some of those stunts are cool even today. It was a fun one. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: Manages to stand on its own as a touching action movie, but also cash in on nearly 20 years of Spider-Men in film. It's just such a delight. A crushing, emotional delight. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★☆☆: As an unapologetic lover of the Pirates movies, this one is always a bit of a letdown. It's got its moments and a top tier cast (as usual) but it's a little too cheeky. It treads on winks to the series rather than serious character work. It does some passable work expanding the world of the Golden Age of Piracy, but it's mostly limited to a couple of lines. It's also pretty crowded - a LOT of factions show up to the climax. There are good bones in there and it's not a total loss, but…

★★★☆: A compact, classic-Zelda inspired adventure game. I like that it followed the classic formula well: 4 little dungeons, each with an upgrade and a boss.True to its word, there's no fluff. A single collectable, a linear series of areas, and few NPCs to talk with. I appreciate when games make a point to streamline their gameplay in useful ways. Much like Shapez distilled Factorio, removing elements helps what remains shine. The graphics and sound effects represent their inspiration well and…

★★★★: Perfectly paced. Great performances all around. Lots of cute moments. Some truly dangerous pranks. Where are the adults at the camp?? FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: Still a little goofy in that way 60s movies were, but has a pretty straightforward plot and some fun action. Good humor too, he's cheeky. The series is really starting to come together! FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: Returned to the frenetic pace of the first one, which I like. It dipped a bit, especially with so many flashback clips. But the story was good and it was a light, exciting watch. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★☆: Cute little puzzle platformer where dying with an ability alters leaves something behind to help you solve puzzles. Neat concept, but (despite the cute dog) not really something I'd spend a ton of time with. It's just not the kind of gameplay that engages me. There's good polish though, including a a nice hint system and camera controls. Good ability variety, too! FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: RIP Sam Neill. Great movie though, per usual. So many fun details. And wild how it just established what a T-Rex sounds like. Everyone just agrees now. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

A non-linear story that you have to piece together makes for a superb time. Read the whole thing.

★★★★: A gripping story and killer voice acting make this a compelling package. Read more in my full review! FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★☆: Sort of a slow, fascinating movie. Wish I had seen it years ago so I could watch it again now, with current context. I admired its tiny cast, but never felt myself connecting with the protagonist. It's just sort of a story that happened, but not one that got much of an emotional rise from me. It's near-future sci-fi setting was neat though, as was its beautiful cinematography. And it ended in an interesting place. I can't say that it really succeeds as as an enjoyable movie though (other…

★★★★: Excellent strategy game that mixes Tetris and deckbuilding. Shouldn't work as well as it does, but it's a hoot. There's a pretty good variety of deck archetypes and you can combine them in interesting and exciting ways. There's a great tech tree to unlock cards and being able to upgrade as you go lends a lot of strategy. Making numbers go up (in sometimes hilarious ways) was a blast. You don't even have to be that good at Tetris!I could have used 10% more clarity for some of the card…

★★★★: Another excellent fantasy mystery full of political intrigue and layers of deception. Had me guessing at every step. There's a lot to keep track of, but it builds its case well. The worldbuilding is excellent, per all of the author's works. Its protagonists play off each other swimmingly. Excited for more! FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★☆: Heavily inspired by "Type Help", it does a good job carving out its own niche with a larger cast, multiple sections, and a visual interface to help your solve. I loved how much actual history it wove into the storyThe gameplay itself follows a tried-and-true formula, but I found the game itself a little rough around the edges. The UX had lots of little papercuts and there were a _lot_ of typos. It's free, so one can only expect so much, but it still soured the experience a bit. In a game…

★★★☆: Certainly has its charms. Feels like we're starting to inch closer to the modern Bond experience. There's a great spy vs spy scene and then a bunch of goody nonsense stuff too. Interesting to see that's it's regarded by as many as a favorite- it was fun, but not especially memorable for me. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: An excellent blend of sports and family drama. All time classic FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★☆☆: It's a technically impressive game, but wasn't for me. I end up with the same problem I have with most immersive sims- there are so many ways to approach something that playing it at all becomes overwhelming. Plus when things start to go wrong, you die very quickly, not giving you much opportunity to understand how to react or take stock of the situation. It's cool that the world is so thoroughly simulated though, it's an interesting concept.I'm also not sure I would have loved a fully…

★★★★: An original and charming mapmaking adventure. Read more in my full review! FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: This felt like they made Fame, but well. Everyone is earnest and over the top. You know where it's going, but the dry humor and unstoppable theater kid energy make it a delight. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

★★★★: Got to be one of the best book adaptations ever. Immaculately cast, covers its heavy bits well, and everything comes together nicely. Great watch in the TX summer. FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

Explore little islands and fulfil your cartographical dreams! Read the whole thing.

★★★★: I don't usually enjoy drug trip movies, but this was excellent. It felt like a cross between 21 Jump Street and Community, dialed up to 11. The segments of ludicity provided some nice character moments while the drug portions could be as goofy as they wanted. I loved the densely interwoven storylines- everything is set up and paid off with aplomb. Is totally absurd while still having real stakes. It all comes together swimmingly. It could have used a better title, but if that's my biggest…