Marvel's Runaways (TV)

Where the heroes try to grow up (and fail).

When a group of teens realize their parents are actually a group of supervillains, they band together to fight back. Lucky for them, they also have super powers because that's a requirement on a Marvel branded show.

Why is it always a diverse cast these days? Lol.

It's hard to not like this ragtag band especially in the first season, but over the course of the next two where they deal with aliens and magic the team seems to make more and more stupid decisions and partake in ridiculous in-fighting. It's a pity since it would have been nice to see where the story would have gone next, but not even a crossover with Cloak and Dagger saved them in the end.

Still recommend it, even just for season 1, and I give it 3 dinosaurs out of 5.

Ticket to Ride (PC)

Measuring whose choo choo is longer.

In this digitized board game players (AI optional) take turns trying to build railway lines to earn more points than the others.

On your turn you can get more tickets (objectives to build rail from point A to B), collect more color coded cards, or use said cards to create a chain of trains from city to city. Available rail tracks are limited, so first come first serve.

Train assembly has to do with color coordination apparently.

Only one map is available in the base game with more set as expansions but I found this game not compelling enough to begin with. Game play is very dead and actual choices are quite limited since you will most likely be working on your own objectives than trying to block any one else.

Maybe the actual board game is more fun, but unlike Carcassone - this digital version doesn't really make me want to try it. I give it 1 caboose out of 5.

Venom

So, why does he look like evil Spiderman?

The search for truth knows no boundaries for reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), which lands him into hot water when he sticks his nose where it shouldn't be. Coincidentally this happens to be a research lab involving some very hungry extraterrestrial parasites. Any Spiderman fan will know how what happens next, but the plot is still quite engaging regardless.

Something looks off about his feet...

Having Venom "speak" also makes for quite humorous scenes when he's not decapitating or eating people. The special effects are great, acting is good, and there's not really any slow part to the show which admittedly was much better than I initially imagined. Definitely one I'll recommend, and one I will happily watch again. I give it 4 meals out of 5.

Carcassonne (PC)

It's beautiful and simple: and then you lose.

In this digital remake of the board game, up to 6 players (AI, network, or hotseat) take turns placing tiles on the board to create the landscape that is Carcassonne. The only rule when putting a tile down is that it must "make sense" to the surrounding tiles (no roads appearing from nowhere). When placing a tile, you also have the option of putting one of your five meeples down, and should the area its standing on be complete they score the length of the road or area of the city and then are returned to your hand for further use.

Clean and easy to use UI.

This leads to some strategy as having meeples wait for large zones to finish might get them stuck or blocked for most of the game, but the pay off could be worth it. The AI comes in a variety of flavors too, and I've only been able to beat the weakest. While I also think I'd prefer the tactile board game for playing this, letting the computer score stuff does speed things up. Worth trying especially if you don't have a table top gaming group. I give it 3 cloisters out of 5.

Insight: If playing with fields, don't put down your meeples too early as "farmer" meeples never return to your hand!

Jojo Rabbit

Heils everyone!

10 year old Johannes (Roman Griffin Davis) is a Nazi fanatic, to the extent that his make believe friend is Adolph Hitler himself (played by Taika Waititi, who also directed this movie)! What is he to do when he finds out that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a jew in his house? While there is a heavy emphasis on comedy, there are also suitably dark and dramatic moments in there to balance them out.

Imaginary Hitler is hilarious!

Cinematography and acting wise, everything is good though the plot does seem to slow down a lot midway prior to picking up the pace again in the third act. Still very enjoyable and one I would recommend and watch again. I give it 3.5 rabbits out of 5.

Arrow

"I'm the original vigilante!" -Oliver Queen

After being presumed dead for five years, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) returns to Star City with new skills, a bow and arrow, and a secret mission to become someone else. Something else.

DC really hit the bullseye with this TV Series with good physical action pieces, nice world building and decent story lines especially early in the show when it's focused mainly on him. Over the course of 8 seasons Oliver's team expands a bit which does end up diluting the quality as more time is given to other characters and the flashbacks get more ridiculous.

I'm guessing it also made the salmon ladder more popular.

On the flip side, it also allowed for spin-offs such as the Flash and Legends of Tomorrow - later coupled with annual crossover events to include Supergirl, Batwoman and others and now proudly fly the "Arrowverse" flag. Definitely a series I recommend, though after season 2 your mileage may vary.

The Irishman

A most fascinating rambling.

In this Martin Scorsese flick, the whole movie is focuses on an elderly Frank Sheeran (Robert de Niro) going on a lengthy, 3.5 hour rambling on about his past, mainly upon his time with mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). While it is slow, it somehow isn't boring. 

Nothing like a bit of house painting.

The acting is superb as is the cinematography, and the tech that is used to de-age the actors (as the story covers many years) is really cool. Obviously the story has to be engaging too, otherwise we wouldn't have stuck around to the end. Highly recommend it for crime buffs, and a moderate recommend for everyone else due to the length. I quite enjoyed it, but probably won't watch it again for that very reason. All up I give the Irishman 3.5 house painters out of 5.