papanda Reviews

The Believers (2024– )

Couldn't stop watching

[9/10 · 31 March 2024]

There were 3 reasons I really enjoyed this: 1. The show knew the story it wanted to tell and didn't drag or go all over the place, it immediately grabbed my attention and had me invested in what was going to happen next. I planned to watch an episode a day and that definitely ended up being the entire show in two days. I also can't recall feeling like the plot was being rushed or dragged at any point.

2. The show was well shot and didn't have so many awkward angles like a lot of Thai shows I've seen.

And 3. The characters were pretty well acted and believable, I didn't find any of them to be irritating or just over the top caricatures, they all seemed like real people with real problems and understandable reactions to their situations.

This was a fun watch and I can definitely see myself rewatching it.

Happiest Season (2020)

Heartfelt and sweet

[8/10 · 25 November 2020]

I loved this movie! It captures so well the stress of hiding a part of yourself from your family (and being the partner of someone who isn't out), but also doesn't force the idea that coming out = loving your partner enough. As Daniel Levy's character said "Everybody's story is different", if your partner doesn't feel comfortable telling their family yet, don't pressure them, but if you don't feel comfortable being in that situation then it's okay to say that you need to be with someone who is more ready.

The actors did a great job, the characters got me very emotionally invested and I felt like I was apart of the story. The storyline is a bit predictable and cliché but it was still done well and I loved the happy ending.

The Main Event (2020)

Cute family movie

[7/10 · 28 April 2020]

It's not Gold, it's a bit cliche. But it's still a fun and light hearted movie that I'd probably put on for my kids.

Furie (2019)

Awesome action scenes and beautifully shot

[7/10 · 27 April 2020]

I feel like the ending was a bit lacking. It would have benefited if they had saved the fight with Thanh Wolf for last. I also felt like her daughter was way too cheerful at the end after having just been been kidnapped and almost having her organs harvested.

BUT

It was shot very well with good lighting, I was surprised at the quality of the film coming from Vietnam. The action scenes looked very well choreographed and looked awesome as well. And Veronica Ngo's acting was fantastic. She brought a level of sincerity to this character, she genuinely felt like a panicked mother trying desperately to save her child.

Considering what they have to work with, I think this was a step forward for Vietnam, and it inspired me to look at more Vietnamese movies.

Cool Cat Saves the Kids (2015)

The only good thing to come out of it are the critic reviews

[1/10 · 9 February 2018]

Worst movie I've ever seen! I've watched middle school PSA movies that were better quality than this! It's horribly acted, badly edited, the writing is awful, the characters are all dull and one dimensional, and the plot is pointless and doesn't teach kids anything except that filmmaking isn't for everyone. The only reason I'm happy that this movie exists is that all of the reviews on YouTube are hilarious and 10X better than anything in the actual movie.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Wonderful and inspiring

[10/10 · 19 October 2017]

I LOVE this movie! I went to Paris as a preteen and unfortunately was too young and immature to really appreciate it. This movie makes me fall in love with Paris and eager to visit again. It's also a great film about artistry of all kinds and will make any aspiring writer/painter/filmmaker/etc want to crack out their precious baby project and put their all into it! I would recommend this movie to anyone that is a thinking type, artist, or simply a Francophile. Beautiful shots of Paris, wonderful performances of the "modern day" actors who portray the character in ways that seem like real people you would meet in Real life, and great representation from the "1920's" actors who do a great job at bringing the greatest minds of that era to life. I urge anyone to watch this! It's a great film and an inspiring story that makes anyone eager to create!

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (2015–2018)

Pretty good actually

[8/10 · 3 July 2017]

Call me a pessimist, but I was skeptical with this show at first. After seeing the animation style, I thought it would be another crap remake that they just pumped out of the factory. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually enjoy this more than almost any other Scooby Doo remakes. First I love what they've done with Daphne. In lots of Scooby Doo shows, she and Fred have the most bland personalities. She goes from prissy, rich, and a fashionista, to a quirky down-to-earth character that's just trying to find her passion in life... By trying every hobby on earth, and I love that new take on her. Second, even though the humor can be corny at times (It is a kid show after all) there are still plenty of moments that get a genuine snicker out of me. It has it's moments. Third, they introduce multiple suspicious characters at the beginning of the episodes, leaving you to get involved and see if you can guess which one is behind the mask. I think that's a cool idea to have kids honing their deduction skills, and have them feeling like an actual member of the a Mystery inc. gang.

The only things I don't care for are the animation style (I'm sorry but Scooby looks like he was born with a weird birth defect in this) and that Shaggy/Scooby/Velma have some moments where they just annoy the hell out of me.

That being said, it's still a very decent show and anyone who grew up loving Scooby Doo should give this a chance. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.