Ranking the Tv Shows of 2023

We have reached the end of 2023, and there have been a lot of shows that have come out this year. Unfortunately, I haven’t been that invested in series this year, but for the ones I’ve seen, it’s time to rank them.

11. Secret Invasion

This show had potential, but it was executed so poorly that this is undoubtedly the worst series I’ve seen this year. The intro was AI-generated, Maria Hill died, Colonel Rhodes was a Skrull, Emilia Clarke’s G’iah was turned into an ultra-powerful CGI disaster of a superhero, and they killed off the primary antagonist in such an unceremonious fashion that there was no denying that this undoubtedly one of the worst things the MCU had ever sired. Hence why its storylines were non-existent in The Marvels.

The only highlights of the series were Olivia Colman’s delightfully cheeky Sonya Falsworth and the introduction of Nick Fury’s wife, Priscilla.

There’s Apparently Going to Be a ‘Dune 3’ So I Read ‘Dune: Messiah’

Recently the second trailer for Dune: Part Two arrived online to raucous approval thanks to its incredible visuals and sheer epicness. Those who haven’t read the book were astounded by what they were seeing in the trailer, and those who have read the book (I’ve read it) could see all of the perfectly adapted details sprinkled throughout the trailer, which made it that much more exciting.

As the trailer was released it was revealed that yes, Dune would become a trilogy under Denis Villenueve’s direction, with the third film being adapted from Dune: Messiah. As soon as I learned this news I got to work, ordering a copy of the novel on Kindle and subsequently finishing the book in three days. Suffice it to say. I was astounded by the story’s tonal difference, its complexity, and its jaw-dropping conclusion.

‘Prey’ Has Revitalized the ‘Predator’ Franchise In One Fell Swoop

Something has happened this year that I don’t think anyone had on their 2022 bingo card. Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel to the 80s’ classic Top Gun, blew audiences’ and critics’ minds, shattering box-office records and now, today, surpassing Titanic with its domestic box-office numbers. It’s now the seventh-highest grossing film domestically, and it’s considered one of the best action movies of all time (deservedly so.) And many people think it should be nominated for Best Picture.

And now we’ve got Prey, a prequel in a franchise that seemed like it had been saturated to death until it was a bit of a joke. But the prequel had other plans. Instead, with its debut on Hulu this weekend, the film has gone on to garner a better Rotten Tomatoes score than the movie that began this sci-fi franchise. And in a way, it deserves it.

My Review of ‘Nope’

Last Friday I went to see Nope with my family. It was a personal milestone for me because it was the first horror film I’ve seen in theaters and as someone who’s deathly afraid of scary movies this was a huge achievement. But I was determined to see this film because Jordan Peele is forging a path in the horror industry that is always fresh, new, and exciting. And this movie, a horror sci-fi flick, seemed like the type of story I had to see in IMAX.

Nope, thankfully, wasn’t one of the scariest horror movies I’ve seen and yet it just might be one of the most disturbing movies I’ve watched in a while as well.

From the literal first scene, Nope is not the movie that you think it’s going to be. The story then plays out in chapters broken up by the reveal of animals’ names important to the narrative of the film.

‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Is Terrible

This past weekend I watched the newest Jurassic World movie and for little kids it was a fun ride at theaters but as an adult…it was honestly one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.

Dominion finds a way to bring back the OG trio whose role in the film comes a bit naturally but the way they’re utilized in the movie feels like the screenwriters are winking at us the whole time. There is not a single moment of magic in this film. Every scene plays the same, every outcome is predictable, and every moment is annoying.

Dominion has garnered the worst Rotten Tomatoes score in the entire franchise (30%) and it deserves it. It’s a terrible film that treats its audience as if they can throw dinosaurs in our face and we’ll be pleased and honestly, that’s not true.

I’m giving this movie 2 out of 5 stars and 70 out of 100. I would’ve given it a lower score if it hadn’t made me laugh so much because that’s how ridiculous it was.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me How Good the ‘Planet of the Apes’ Trilogy Is?

When I was little my father showed me the 1968 version of Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston saying the iconic line (“Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!) and that chill-inducing conclusion when we see the Statue of Liberty jutting half-buried from decades of sand on the horizon. That last shot still haunts me.

Then, eight years ago, my father took me and my sister to see The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in theaters. I watched it, I didn’t like it, and I forgot 98% of the movie.

Fast forward to 2017 and War for the Planet of the Apes has come out and is getting a bunch of rave reviews. Curious, we bought it on Prime Video and were absolutely gobsmacked by how good it was. It became my favorite film of 2017 and is a film I still watch every once in a while to this day.

However, there was always this notion in the back of my mind that it was the only good Planet of the Apes movie. Especially when I knew there was a film that had Mark Wahlberg (I thought it was the first of the new era of Planet of the Apes movies) and I knew people didn’t like it. Then I saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes and I was changed.