saradisc

This could not have been better, it is an excellent legasequel that respects and expands the lore without estranging new viewers or having weird exposition. And to think I was afraid it was going to be soul-less and boring "content"...

The writers found a brilliant way to make this work as a sequel that ties extremely well to the franchise, a standalone movie for someone who hasn't seen any of the other ones (and starting point for the next ones which we will definitely see soon), as well as an entry point that will make gen z horror fans add 1-5 to their watchlist (and they will only be slightly disappointed from the slower pace and smaller death counts of 00s horror).

The kills are great, some very satisfying, intricate and unpredictable, some more "ordinary" and some are jump scares, as in every other FD. The bigger budget is well spent and can be seen from the get go, I mostly couldn't tell what was practical and what was vfx, apart from some green screen shots which were too "streaming-ey", but hey, this is horror, and also New Line not A24.

The cast did a great job, Tony Todd is a legend, music was good and needle drops were ok, no huge plot holes, dialogue was sometimes cheesy but this is practically a horror comedy franchise. Nothing in this film will take you out of the FD experience, it was worth the wait, and it didn't feel like the longest film in the franchise, even though it is.

If only all legasequels were as well thought out and made with purpose and love.

At last, a movie that felt like it was made from a team, not a bunch of people that use postits to communicate. It doesn't feel like "content". It doesn't have that "tv show" look (some scenes felt a bit too dark though). It doesn't require homework. It doesn't have timed jokes that ruin the vibe. It doesn't have a dozen cameos and 200 easter eggs for no reason.

Most importantly, it has a plot that actually goes somewhere, exposition is there but never boring, the effects don't seem rushed, fights were brilliant, the acting doesn't feel like overpriced cosplay, the characters are given a fair amount of screentime and a sense of an arc. This is not on GOTG's level, but it is a solid Marvel film, pretty basic if you think about it, but very well made, and not trying to be something else (or even worse, lots of "something else"s). Even the post credit scenes are nice and balanced.

Don't know why the industry thinks we need more shows about awful people we could never root for, but hey here we are... And while we're here, let's enjoy this quite realistic portayal of obnoxious shallow delusional 50 year olds which in some level are your friends and neighbors unless you're really lucky in life.

The first three episodes were quite interesting and bingeable, the twists are there and the writing is balanced, also there are signs of a protagonist arc (not a very original one if it is the "a hole hits rock bottom and discovers the meaning of life after being forced to turn to crime") I can see this finding its crowd and pace for two seasons but not much further, I will be finishing the season for sure, even the worst apple tv shows are still quite good.