Supergirl (2026)

Once again Rotten Tomatoes can suck my assssss!

I knew Supergirl was going to be different in a lot of ways from Superman, and I can appreciate the story it tells even if everything didn't hit the bullseye. They absolutely had me from the premise of some assholes shoot and poison Krypto and Kara has to go intergalactic John Wick on fools, but what I got instead was a story that yes has a good amount of ass whooping to be found but touches on subjects like grief with Kara being very detached and a drunk because of her own origin story and it makes sense, and how revenge continues to be the most worthless of causes as Kara constantly averts a young girl named Ruthye from killing the man who destroyed her family which I unabashedly love that it's not as simple as most tales would go in this direction! I like the character development for them both and as much as bitches are gonna bitch, both Milly and Eve work with this story. The visuals have gotten totally out there and me being the Star Wars kid I am how the hell could I not enjoy a film with so many alien heads and practical costuming for said aliens? I love my sci-fi, I love spaceships, I love alien lifeforms of all shapes and sizes, so I was quite happy with that. The action is a godsend and granted my wishes for a more literally grounded camera, they play a lot with long takes and involved choreography, it's shot more standard and yet works miles better in my very humble opinion, and yeah man Supergirl can wreck some shit. For a movie just a bit under 2 hours it flows at a brisk pace but never so quick to where we can't take in a moment and let a scene breathe, it totally benefits from a basic plot so you can let the emotions and action carry you through. Milly is a solid Supergirl that can juggle comedy, emotion, and has got a mean uppercut to boot so I'm game for what might come next for her in this series. Eve Ripley (great fucking name by the by) I already can tell people are gonna whine about "WelL sHe dIDn't Do aNyTHing" and well yeah, she's an emotional support character not an action heroess and this is the big important part: She doesn't have to be a blood soaked crusader to have an interesting story. Matthias Schoenaerts is a basic bad guy, definitely a bastard but I do wish he had more material to work with to be more memorable but that's more a criticism of script than actor, despite a decent design. Flippin' Jason Momoa as Lobo, now I'm not a hardcore Superman fan so my experience with the main man is limited but I really digged him in this movie! This is just an aside but I would kinda find it fun and funny if they recast most of the previous DC actors as new characters. Like get Henry to play like The Question or some shit. Have fun with it. Although Lobo pops up sporadically you can tell Jason is having fun with the part and by God he looks like he just erupted from the comics. I'm also quite happy David shows up a good bit and isn't just a blink and you miss him cameo, effortlessly still having that boy scout energy and making me really looking forward to Man Of Tomorrow. The effects were really good, the cinematography though not in your face has some standout moments, music choice was a little hit and miss but I'm a heavy metal girlie so what can you do? It's not the most jaw dropping next level comic book movie but I got news for you dear ones, I don't want them to be. I just want good and entertaining superhero movies and that is what I got. I respect it, I admire it, and I like it. I really don't know what more I could genuinely ask. So I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10! But oh, we got a curtain call tomorrow so stay tuned.

In Retrospect: Superman (2025)

So about a year later, how does it stack up?

I hate to say this with every iota of my being and every drop of blood in my body, but the hope has waned since seeing this in the cinemas. I remember everyone loving the new Superman, it gave them such an optimistic positive outlook in a world that was very dark and very grim. And I am blaming this solely on me, that while yes it showcases such hope and niceness that absolutely works in the film, I am not happy with the way practically anything is being run by government bodies and so-called "elite" individuals and nothing will satiate or asuage me other than retribution the likes of which even God or Satan could conjure. But I'll save my most vile of hexing for later. It still kinda amazes me just how much they really did shove into a 2 hour movie and YET it somehow works. You think on rewatch the flaws would become abundantly clear of having such a involved plot, more side characters than you can shake a stick at, taking a pretty bold stance on making Superman's parents kinda fucking bastards, absolutely using real world genocide as a basis for in universe conflict, and against all the odds and logic saying this should fail it comes out on top. That's a ballsy ass maneuver to literally kick off the new DC movie universe with so much stuff, but with tight writing, solid ass acting that still kept me invested and entertained, I'd say pretty good effects even if for the fucking life of them they couldn't direct a fight scene where the camera just stays still and yes ooh, ahhh, magical but I don't think it's too much to ask for the camera not to get topsy turvy at the drop of a hat. Minor quibble if I've ever made one and it isn't even terrible but guys, can you maybe not give the camera to a ADHD kid who just got into a 10 pound bag of sugar? I know what that's like because I'm ADHD as shit! But the weaving of the story works just fine, David is still goddamn Superman and while I'm frankly fucking over this comparison bullshit between the Snyderverse and the Gunnverse (comparison is the thief of joy), I still love Henry with his version of Superman, just like I love Brandon and Christopher, and I can safely say the future is in good hands for this character. I mellowed out on Rachel as Lois thank God, I thought she was a hardass and she kinda irked me but on rewatch girl's got a job to do and I ain't gonna slam her for that. Really great to see Edi as Mr. Terrific again, a true standout that I'm kinda proud the writers didn't just go for Guy Gardner even though that would have been the easy way out. Nicholas flip-flapping Hoult man, what a performance to make the most just pure asshole Lex Luthor in visual media and still be a credible antagonist despite being a bietch. Of course I got plenty of love for my boy Skyler as Jimmy, and Isabela ooh honey we need that kind of dictator dropping energy hardcore in this foul year of our lord two thousand and twenty-six, even Nathan who yeah Guy Gardner is a dick but he's an enjoyable dick (never thought I'd say those words but there you go). I'm totally game for Supergirl's antics even though she's a little shit sometimes, very happy I get to see that Friday! Music I still felt was kinda iffy on volume but the score by Jove still rocks, the effects are outlandish but fits perfectly with the tone, I'd be a damn fool to say this wasn't still a rock solid comic book movie in all it's lavishly ludicrous ways. Superman is a citizen of the globe so it's gonna be interesting to see the style difference and character difference between Kal and Kara. So I'll see you at the movies, and I'll boost up this score just a notch to 3 stars, 8/10!

Mortal Kombat II

Oh thank God, it's better!

Actually a vast improvement on every front in my estimation, I actually had a pretty good time with this movie! Damn near everyone is back but what kinda took me by surprise is how much time we spend with newcomers Kitana played by Adeline Rudolph and Johnny fucking Cage played by Karl fucking Urban which isn't necessarily a bad thing, Kitana has major ties to our new big bad on the scene Shao Khan and I really loved what they did with Johnny making him a washed up martial arts film star thrown into the deep end of the pool. Of course it's great to see Jessica, Ludi, and Tadanobu again and they still do very fine work, hell I'll even give a bit of credit and say they juggled the roster list pretty solidly! Everyone gets their own fights and moments to shine equally which has always kinda been the cardinal sin with the fighting games turned into movies. This really does seem like a movie for the fans, so much was thrown in from characters, to arenas, to moves, to little easter eggs here and there. Now can I freely admit to you all the last Mortal Kombat game I played was coincidentally 2 on the Super Nintendo and technically 3 on the arcade cabinet? Just did. So there's probably a good bit that I missed but the fact alone we got my favorite character Baraka in this, and he was great, and they didn't throw his ass out like they did in Annihilation gets you at least a solid 1.5 points added to your score movie! The only thing I could kinda bitch about and this is the most pathetic thing to bitch about so tune me out creators of this film who read the reviews, but the selection of arenas for the fights left just a bit to be desired. We have one courtyard for I swear 3 or 4 fights, we have the spike room (not the pit sadly), the acid room which was beautifully accurate, and the portal sans the creepy floating monks. God awful? Of course not. But even my novice ass knows you have a practical buffet of arenas to throw a fucking dart at, but other than that terribly nitpicky ass aside, pretty good movie! Fights are varied, they got no problem bodying people which could piss some people off admittedly, the kills make the first movie look pathetic in comparison in terms of gore and inventive gore at that. It moves at a good pace, the characters aren't super deep but have good motivation, the effects are really nice, they even got some neat-o cinematography in there at times which I very much appreciated, and it was actually pretty damn funny! I was surprised how many laughs I got, so well done on that front writers! It appears my hope and faith was not mislaid, and while it does kinda sequel bait the shit out of the end which I have several questions about because heeeey Mortal Kombat noob over here, I'm happy with it. So I guess I have my best of both worlds with the 1995 first movie and the 2026 second movie, and I am rather curious what the die hard fans think about it. All in all I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, and I will see y'all next week for another new release.

In Retrospect: Mortal Kombat (2021)

I guess there's a reason this spawns from a company called MIDway.

I think my estimation has actually fallen since I saw this opening day. Like dude, I would gladly take the 90s film over this. And it took me a second to kinda articulate as to why, but the quality of this film overall is like if a Sci-Fi Channel original movie had an actual budget. This halfassed script, decent actors but not great characters, blank slate of a protagonist which makes me wonder why the fuck we even have him, the slightly off beat references that should be awesome but kinda make you roll your eyes when they happen, the effects which are passable, just everything about this leans so much into that direct to cable movie element which I have to say I've not seen in a considerably long time. Now I know, I know...it was a rough goddamn patch of time when this movie went into production and when it got released, I'm taking that into consideration and not trying to bash it too hard. Cause it's not a bad movie, this is nowhere near Annihilation but it ain't that goddamn good either folks. Best damn scene in the movie is the opening, it was investing, a notch emotional, had really good fight choreography, I loved it! I think the true nail in the coffin for this is our main character, may I ask why we just decided to add some guy who isn't a character in the games to be our focus and might I go one step further and ask why did you make him the most uninteresting nothing character? Poor Lewis Tan had exactly two things to work with, jack and shit. And jack left town. He's trying but there is nothing to this to the point where I almost feel offended for the guy, imagine you got cast in a Mortal fucking Kombat movie and you're just some...guy. Not Liu Kang, not Johnny Cage, not even Stryker! It's almost stunning how bland Cole is. Like...I gotta move on, I'm gonna be hear all fucking day. I will however say I do indeed have higher hopes for the second film, I truly do. It does look better. As long as they don't do stupid shit like in this where you drop Kung Lao in that undignified fashion, kill Goro in THE FIRST FRAKKING MOVIE HELLLLOOOOOO, and not even give us the shit sucking tournament on which this entire franchise is built upon, we'll be fine! Those are choices man, but they are not good ones! Holy fuckaroli it's like the longer I think about it the more the score dwindles. But hey, they at least didn't rush a sequel. It took them 5 years to get around to Mortal Kombat II and I will commend the filmmakers on that alone, all the time in the world to iron this script out, make the right calls, and craft a good movie. I'm not saying I'm walking in with the highest of expectation but I'm certainly walking in with hope. I however am leaving this film never to return. 1.5 stars, 4.5/10, I'll catch you tomorrow!

Maul Shadow Lord

My chains are broken, the Force has freed me.

I'll level with you, I kinda forgot this show was a thing until we got a trailer for it about 2 or 3 months ago. Now of course me being the dark sider that I am and somehow as each year passes more and more a formerly Darth now just Maul fan, I knew my ass was gonna sit down week after week for this show. I was justly rewarded, taking on more of a noir style lens before shifting into the action style animation we have been watching for almost two decades we pick up kind of in a grey area with Maul's timelime sometime after Son Of Dathomir but years before Rebels as he is slowly but surely reinstating himself in the criminal underwolrd and is seeking a pupil, an acolyte if you will, where we meet a tight knit of supporting characters including two jedi knights and a police captain who gets swept up in the mix. The first thing I gotta get out of the way is the animation, holy bawls this animation! Combining classic Clone Wars style with an added dimension of brushstroke visuals straight out of Visions, I'm not only proud of the animators for doing something this different but am here to say this is a resounding superior style to an already excellent basis we've seen in recent years of Star Wars animation. It's no secret the voice cast top to bottom is great, I'd be here all goddamn day talking about how, I still don't know how, Sam has just kept climbing the Everest of voice acting for Maul with quite possibly the most flowery dare I even say Shakespearian dialogue yet in this universe. It's unreal. Gideon Adlon as our prized apprentice Devon is great, we've seen fugitive Jedi before but she brings a new element and stance that is highly welcome and the fact we're getting season 2 of this has me glued for upcoming news regarding her character. Dennis Haysbert as her master Daki gets to ride that line between sagely Jedi Master and something unknown not only conflicting with his student but also working side by side with Maul for their survival which is shall we say unique. Further compounding that we are introduced to Lawson played to silky smooth effect by Wagner Moura, a lawman firmly planting his pole on the wrong damn hill not only contending with Maul and his mandalorians but also trying to stave off the Empire which he has no love for, we spend a good amount of time with him seeing his home life, character, and resilience even in the most dire straits which makes him a fine addition to our Star Wars family. For a 10 episode season (bit by bit we'll get back to 20 episode seasons one way or another) it's paced damn near perfect, hooks you in almost immediately, builds more and more with stakes and developments with each episode, and caps off simultaneously in a mental finale and yet a more subdued conclusion. Or at least a season conclusion not a series conclusion obviously. I will admit I think episode 5 was a lull but I will never say it was bad, it just seemed like they pumped the brakes when everything before and after keeps revving up to more awesome moments. I need not tell you any and I do mean ANY duel with Maul is glorious, it really puts it all into perspective how much progress we have made since season 1 of The Clone Wars back in frick-frakking 2008. I just loved it to bits, I think this really was the Lucasfilm project I was anticipating most since The Acolyte, and if Shadow Lord can get another season why not The Acolyte? I require more dark side media in my life gawd dyammit! But oh how the party is not over yet in a galaxy far far away, but until that special moment I give this 4 stars, 9/10, and I got a new release for you coming up this Friday.

Batman Beyond: Season 3

Sort of an innocuous ending for the series but overall quite good.

For a final batch of 13 episodes that more or less capped off this series I have to say I was in a better mood and far less nitpicky this time around. We get some standout episodes this time around including a loooong awaited return for Inque, a slight throwback to The Animated Series with Talia al Ghul, a two parter involving the future Justice League which has some important behind the scenes ties I'll share momentarily, and of course the season and series finale which showcases Terry unmasked but not quite for the reasons you think. I feel the quality of the storytelling is on par if not slightly above the second season, in retrospect that first season was easily the best but let that not dissuade you from enjoying the rest of the show. It's a damn fine piece of television that has garnered a cult following for almost the entirety of my life, and the simple fact that there has been so much spinoff material with Terry in decades past proves it deserves the love. The animation is still rock solid and has some neat visual moments, and while the actual character development is slim to nothing the acting is still gold standard from everyone. It was undoubtedly a treat to finally talk Batman Beyond and though I've really only been a fan for just a notch over a decade I'm glad to say I own it all on video. But all things must come to an end and in a bizarre twist of fate Warner Bros. Animation shelved and ended Batman Beyond in favor of pursuing a Justice League series which is a fantastic show in my estimation and hopefully the day will not be far where I can review that in it's entirety, so the story of future Batman was rather unceremoniously ended and given a tiny bit of an epilogue which...I don't entirely hate but I certainly have questions. I was rather debating on if I should include that cause it really is the sendoff for the series (kinda) but it involves megaton spoilers so it's not really like I could divulge it anyway. Do I wish we got more overarching character progression and development just overall for the show? Of course, even though it really wasn't the style yet in animated shows until a good while later. It's simultaneously an immense blessing and an unfortunate curse for older cartoons, cause on one hand you get your episode of the week, you can just watch it, enjoy it, and move on to the next. Yet on the other hand you kinda want a more expansive involved story especially cause it's original characters, it's a new setting, we don't have, well at that point anyway, 60 years of backstory to know about Batman and his villains. But you know what? It's okay, we've had other stuff come after this that embellishes the world of 2039 Batman and anybody who is curious can dig into that. I still love the show, I love the animated universe it inhabits, and this is just the beginning actually of my own personal dive back into the Batman mythos in preparation for Legacy Of The Dark Knight which I can't wait to play! It was a very good birthday week and a very good show, I give this final season 3 stars, 8/10, and I'll see you very soon for Kombat.

Batman Beyond: Season 2

Boy we upped that episode count like nobody's business.

After a small but respectable 13 episodes in season 1 we jumped all the way to 26 making this the longest season of the show. And after paving the groundwork and setting up the world and characters logic would dictate we vastly expand upon it, which we simultaneously do and yet stick to a good bit of the same. I do strongly appreciate Terry has his own rogues gallery that keeps popping back up while still flourishing some original stories as well, they go kinda out there at times with a backstory episode with Ace, one of Terry's maidenless dweeb schoolmates gets a robo-girlfriend, one of the most fucking gruesome images in children's television is present as the villain early on in the season, we even get a telepathic almost spiritual predecessor to doomed child Ace from Justice League. The variety is strong and we even get a highly welcome addition to the cast in Max who I'm just gonna say it, is a much better candidate for Terry in a relationship than Dana and she's pretty rad as well! I'm right, no questions at this time! Though and I swear whenever I say this I'm not taking shots or giving this show shit I wanna preface that before I say, a lot if not even the overwhelming majority of the episodes this season have pretty...not lackluster but certainly very rushed resolutions. Now am I being a cataclysmic ass for kinda picking on the 22 minute cartoon from the turn of the millenia? Yes, without question. I cannot imagine how difficult it truly is to create a scenario, introduce a threat, make a memorable or compelling story, and have to wrap it up in less than half an hour and have it get gold stars every time. And YET, The Animated Series somehow did with even endings that erupted goosebumps along my body to this day just thinking about it. Maybe slight fatigue was setting in, or maybe the writers didn't have the time frame they needed to make this excellent television but instead very good television, and while indeed the very first time I sat down to watch this season I was game all the way through but right here right now I was taking much more notice of it. Is it absolutely show breaking and I'm gonna eviscerate this series with a flaming buzzsaw? No not at all, I still love the show, I was still engaging with the episodes and some even got big reactions out of me, you just have to acknowledge all the facets. But all the technicals from the animation which is still top notch, to the voice cast who commit lock stock and barrel to the performances, to the music which dear sweet tap dancing Christ was really on my radar this go around and I ain't got no problem saying I'd buy volumes of the score for this series it was that damn good, are on such firm standing much can be forgiven. To throw some favorites out for this season I point to Hidden Agenda which is our first true introduction to Max, Mind Games which has an almost Over The Edge vibe from the last season of The Animated Series to it, The Last Resort which got me raging hardcore at the villain who just reeks of evangelical child absuing pieces of dog shit that makes my skin crawl, and Ace In The Hole because hey I'm a sucker for a Great Dane and it's a compelling story. I like we get more of an expansion with Terry's love life, having Max be an ally who knows the secret is a nice and great shake up, seeing higher stakes in the plot feels like natural escalation, and the more teen after school metaphor episodes are few and far between. Even with it's slight shortcomings and questionable actions from characters on a regular basis, it's still a very very good show and I'll be damned if I said I didn't like it. All in all I give it 3 stars, 8/10, and thankfully next season will not take all flippin' day to finish.

Batman Beyond: Season 1

This has been coming for a long long time.

Pretty early on I knew I wanted to review The Animated Series and Batman Beyond but you would be surprised how long it actually took me to come around to this show. I have a fairly clear memory of when I was about 5 or 6 and my cousins were over and gonna watch Batman Beyond on Kids WB, and I said outright that I'll just stick to The Animated Series. Fast forward to the year 2011, the hype for Arkham City is unreal, and everybody is losing their shit hardcore over the Beyond skin for DLC whereas I was most stoked for the Dark Knight Returns and once again The Animated Series skin. And finally about 3 years later when I was in college I finally decided to know what this show was about and gave it a watch. I kind of have a track record with brushing off really damn good shows for significant amounts of time. So let's get this show on the road. Premiering in the year 1999 this show is a follow up to The New Batman Adventures following somewhat in the art direction style as we jump ahead to a cyberpunk futuristic rendition of Gotham as we meet high schooler Terry McGinnis who after a run in with a gang crosses paths with an elderly Bruce Wayne and kinda stumbles upon the secret under stately Wayne Manor, before taking up the cowl against Bruce's wishes until he's more or less "hired" for the job. This has such a stark and definitive look and style that is evident straight from the opening which is pretty kickass in my estimation and is easily one of the best intros to any animated show. They essentially took the goth out of gotham, it's all futuristic with flying cars, mega skyscrapers, and barely a dark alley to it's name yet I'm surprised how well it still works and I'd kill to have this Gotham in a game to play! Obviously the timeframe isn't stated lending to the more timeless aspect of this animated world but it's a solid shake up that I can see younger more novice viewers easily able to jump in and the older veterans can still dig as well. The animation is really nicely done feeling still akin to that turn of the millenium DC animated vibe but still retaining an identity of it's own, with a lot of blues and purples in play (the red sky is not even prevalent) which makes the batsuit and villains really pop. I now see why people rave about this suit, undeniably minimalistic and I'm just a sucker for red and black color combos, the ears I swing between looking stylistic and awesome or closer to bunny ears depending on the angle, but all the tech built into it and the wingspan are such cool attributes so I'm definitely a fan now. The music also is actually pretty fantastic, foregoing the themes of individual characters and villains but delivering a more metal edge at times, why people don't comment more on the score baffles me because I genuinely adored it! Now obviously I was quite young when this show was going on and I have no recollection as to the reaction and fandom that was there since day one, but people nowadays claim it as an underrated gem that was stuck in the shadow of it's Emmy award winning predecessor which isn't far from the mark. Comprising of only 13 episodes for this season it does a pretty remarkable job setting up all the world building details and character introductions, giving a small taste of what is to come. Will Friedle as Terry is a very very good lead, though still a teenager it never feels outlandish or dumb that he becomes the Batman and almost is a precursor to when Dick Grayson took up the cape and cowl in the comics years on down the road, he's more upbeat and jokey and has good chemistry with Bruce who takes on a stronger mentor role, he struggles with the balance of the identities, and you know he's still a kid who has more to learn in his years so it's never a case of seeing him act stupid and thinking he's insufferable. Of course Kevin Conroy (God rest his strong soul) is back and I almost feel I love him more in this role than any other time he has voiced The Batman, simply because it is so different and while he can still deck a fool he's more in the background of events taking on a more Oracle-ish role giving Terry support and information from the Batcave, and just seeing Bruce as this grumpy old man won me over quick. Not too many side characters at play here besisdes Terry's sweetheart Dana who thank God they just made them a couple already and didn't slip oh so easily into that will they/won't they on again off again relationship nonsense that plagues maaaany teen orientated shows, it just shows another aspect of how it's hard for Terry to maintain a stable life. The show takes on a severe episode of the week stance, this before animated shows became almost serialized with overarching plots and character development, with a few reoccuring villains as far as I know all made specifically for the show, the main one being Derek Powers who now owns the vast majority of Wayne Enterprises and hires the help of various supervillains to progress his schemes which comprise of shapeshifting blob woman Inque, technician and sound guy Shriek, he even has a hand in ressurecting Mr. Freeze. We got some independent evil doers as well including hypnotist and laziest robber ever Spellbinder, aristocratic card enthusiasts the Royal Flush Gang, and The Fantastic Four. How DC did not get sued over that is a mystery for another day, stretch armstrong dude, translucent lady woman, and a literal flaming beast of a man, kinda on the nose there guys! Thankfully no bad epsiodes to speak of or a shred of filler, if I had to pick favorites here I'd go with the opening two parter Rebirth or Mr. Freeze's return in Meltdown. And for not even a 5 hour sit it's well worth it for this season. I give it 3.5 stars, 8.5/10!

They Will Kill You

Not the greatest title, but a fantastic movie!

I knew a smidge more about this movie than Forbidden Fruits mainly cause I just saw the trailer when I was at The Bride and it immediately had my attention. Zazie Beetz goes forth and wrecks shit in a building full of satanists, that is the movie advertised and that is the movie you get! It still has enough twists to keep it interesting but man, shit hits the fan fucking FAST in this movie! It moves at such a quick pace and it barely took anytime for me to be seeped in the style, humor, and batshit insanity laid out. It has minutiae of horror elements but it truly is a, what I like to call a fuck shit up movie. You know, your John Wick's, your Nobody's, movies almost entirely action where people get their shit kicked in with increasingly creative possibilities. Zazie girl I haven't seen you in a long time and I will never get over you in this movie! Not only do I fully believe her action hero status but you instantly identify with her emotions and reasoning, it's tightly written enough to where they don't need to exposit much and you just get it. The style is practically dripping, you get swish zooms, flashback vignettes, lots of unconventional camera work, a soundtrack that got me fired up, and high pressurized blood straight out of a goddamn anime. It's undoubtedly Zazie's movie but all the supporting characters from Patricia Arquette to Myha'la to Tom Felton, they know how to play it and play it well. It's out there man and yet I somehow was still calling story beats, sometimes long before some plot detail was revealed, which either means that this was tailor made for me or maybe just maybe I've seen too many movies. Yeah I'll go with that one. But overall, I loved it, I think it's badass, and you know what? Ohh! Ohhhhh, I'm gonna do it!! 4 stars, 10/10, a full hearted recommendation through and through!

Predator Badlands

Okay that pretty much was what I was expecting!

I wasn't aware of a new Predator movie in the works til' I saw the trailer about 2 months ago, and considering last time I talked about this series was 2018 it's high time to see something new. And my God what an extraordinarily simple yet good story with a young inexperienced warrior named Dek who after some family drama takes up a hunt for a legendary indestructible beast, and while on a planet where it seems every aspect is meant to kill and maim he runs across a synthetic chatterbox named Thia who of course is on the planet for Weyland-Yutani purposes as they make a unlikely duo. What I vastly enjoy so much about it is because it's such a simple story, with not that extensive of a cast, and you get a fair bit of the the Yautja culture present with subtitles galore (Huzzah!), anybody can watch it knowing next to nothing about this series and still very much enjoy it! It's unapologetically sci-fi with a fair bit of cheese and silliness as is hard baked into the very genre, it's got a very good sense of humor, the action is shot well, the environments are unique as well as all the strange creatures, the director certainly had a distinct vision for what he wanted to do and in my opinion succeded! But I'm honestly not sure how it will perform, most movies I can view as sure fire hits or flagging bombs with relative ease but this is such an intricately different beast to where either it's gonna do decent and become a fan favorite over time...or just be too short and then become a fan favorite over time. It very much worked for me in all it's facets and is a fun science fiction adventure that I wouldn't mind seeing again! So sure fire recommendation in my book and I hope it gets some love cause they did do a very good job with it. 3 stars, 7.5/10 from me, and the monster mash isn't over yet!

Planet Terror

I have rarely seen movies more nuts than this.

A spiritual throwback to 70s grindhouse cinema coupled with modern production, Planet Terror is nothing short of a trip! I don't even rightly know how to describe it, cause it's absolutely hilarious, absurdly ridiculous, so gory and nastay, and surprisingly endearing! It's a zombie movie no doubt but it takes every convention of that genre and just turns it on it's head, with a group of survivors including a stripper named Cherry, a badass named Wray, a sherrif named Hague, and a doctor by the name of Dakota fending off utterly grody and disgusting zombies while also getting roped into some black ops shit, the movie is all over the damn place. But not in a disjointed or bad aspect, it all somehow works perfectly due to the tone and direction by Robert Rodriguez and I am so happy to see another of his movies! We are checking out the second part Death Proof next and I'm dumbstruck how that could potentially usurp this movie. I don't know what it is but this was one of the most entertaining movies I've seen this year and I adore it! The cast alone is reason to watch this movie! We got Rose McGowan who is fucking acting her heart out in this movie and her wit, outspoken demeanor, and frankly awesome finale catapults her to the higher echelons of lady badasses in my book. Michael Biehn, friggin' Josh Brolin, Fergie Ferg how the hell did they get Stacy into this I'll never know, Michael Parks, Tom Savini, Bruce Willis, like this is a fairly insane cast for essentially a low budget exploitation film. Granted you see every penny on screen from the extensive prosthetics, the explosions, the sets, it really does look like a grindhouse movie if it had a couple million to throw at the screen and some extremely talented people. It just hit all the right buttons for me and I know for a bleedin' fact this won't garner the same level of appreciation from everyone, but as a lover and admirer of cinema in all it's variant forms, as someone who respects the shit out of the horror genre, as a big fan of both Rodriguez and Tarantino, this is a standout movie and I'm beyond happy to see it! A sterling 4 stars, 9/10 from me, apologies for being a day late in writing this we got a little work schedule change going on so Death Proof will be up on Friday so stay tuned.

Tron Ares

Personally I don't think you can call it Tron without showing Tron, but hey I'm a mark for this stuff!

Aside from that woeful misstep along with some heinous marketing on the red carpet the sequel I never eveeeerrrrrr thought would come around is finally here, so what does a mega nerd for the Tron series think of it? Well I think honestly this whole series has followed in the same vein as the original Star Wars trilogy, first movie groundbreaking in special effects with a basic story that admittedly took a cult status, second film improved on every single aspect and can easily be considered one of the best sequels ever made and a masterpiece that only ages like the finest venetian wine, and the third retreads some familiar ground while still putting new elements into it. If you saw the trailer it admittedly isn't as epic as a full scale invasion from the Grid into our world, but rather a discovery of personality for the titular program and a battle of attrition between Encom and Dillinger enterprises and while far from great is an overall solid movie! Now am I biased? Well duh, I was going on a tangent in my mind about the continuity of the Grid for Christ's sakes, I think I'm in too deep here! It's not airtight in terms of writing and some of the performances have jank to it, but the cinematography is very solid with still unique visuals that you can tell the director put thought into, coming off the heels of a juggernaut like Daft Punk's score for Legacy you would think Nine Inch Nails just couldn't compete but they do damn good work and I think it stands on par with that phenomenal soundtrack, the fanwank was to the brim and while I strongly appreciate it I can also see the modern trappings of it I mean this is a legacy sequel in every way Tron Legacy wasn't. Is that inherently bad? No, but they do lean hard on it which could be distracting for others. I know a lot of people hopped on the fence when Jared Leto was announced to star and I don't really know jack shit about him personally so all I can do is just give an opinion on the performance alone, it's a notch uneven but I levy that more towards the script than the actor with a more robotic program suddenly switching to a very opinionated and passionate individual, but I kinda love the idea of a program reading the mother of science fiction Mary Shelley's Frankenstein who also is a fan of Depeche Mode so hey take from it what you will. Greta Lee is a decent human lead and her story is anything but paper thin though I felt it just needed either more time to breathe or better instances, however I will give the movie points for showing and not telling much so overall it's a solid performance. Evan Peters doesn't exactly convey the gravitas of his Dillinger grandfather but room is always there for improvement especially with some heavy ass sequel baiting, so I'm willing to bide time and see if it goes anywhere. We get my man back, our Dude and savior Jeff Bridges and even though it's really just a single solitary scene my jaw dropped. I won't lie to you, the man is my idol and I aspire to be like His Dudeness, so to see force ghost Flynn was a high highpoint for me unequivocally! Also shout out to Jodie, you got the moves, you got the energy, and I still got a soft spot for villains. The look of the film is top notch, feeling like a logical evolution from Legacy and as a Dude myself of darker nature, seeing so much predominant red and black was such a fantastic sight with finely crafted costumes, sets, and visual effects. It wouldn't surprise me if it got some big time award nominations! And just as a little bonus let's lightning round some thoughts: Apparently any artificial lifeform gets all existential when in contact with rain so the memory of Roy Batty continues decades after Blade Runner, seeing several Grids and how each command issued by a user is a full blown scene is not only logical but really damn cool pushing the envelope for the Tron series surprisingly, we get some biiiig namedrops for heavy fans such as myself that makes my mind race with the possibilities should Disney be a buddy and continue on, and despite the lack of "Bio-digital jazz man." I'm fairly proud of myself I called a few quotes including the mid-credits teaser by the by! Overall it's a solid movie, to a 15 year fan I'm quite happy with it and I know it ain't gonna hit the same for everybody else but I'll look forward to adding this to the DVD shelf along with the other two movies. 3 stars, 7.5/10! End of line man.

Nobody 2

The dust has settled and I am back for a short while this month.

Speaking as a light fan of the first movie I was stunned to learn that a sequel was being made, hell to be embarassingly honest I've been so out of the loop on new movies coming out this hit my radar about 2 weeks before release. Don't get old kids. But I'm kinda speechless to say I enjoyed this movie far far more than the first, maybe it was the familiarity with the characters or the emphasis on the family unit but this hit all the right buttons for me from the word 'Go'. And it's not much more complicated than the first, Hutch has been working so much he's been neglecting the family so he decides to take them on a vacation where he gets embroiled in this crime boss' affairs, because of course he does, and now papa's gotta take care of business. The first thing I really gotta say is despite the lack of action, the real stranglehold grip this movie had on me was you get to spend a lot of time with Hutch's wife and kids and while indeed the element was there and was quite good in the first, I just gravitated to it so strongly here. Connie you fucking gem of a woman, I'm honestly jealous as shit she's married in this movie because I would kiss the ground that mama bear walks on, and I do appreciate they give Becca a bit more edge here. The kids are pretty good too with Gage Munroe as Brady taking on his dad's violent urges despite Hutch wanting him to be a better man than he ever was, and Paisley Cadorath as Sammy who is the sweetest most cutest girl ever and boy did my protective side leap out at a certain scene involving her. Like I fully understood the urge to just whip someone's ass if they laid a finger on my daughter, no scratch that I would spill someone's guts onto the floor if they touched my daughter so papa Hutch is a man after my own heart. And yeah Bob is probably on even better form here truth be told, both as a character and as an action man with plenty of time going to both, showcasing his hard edged fighting style but also his wish and happiness to give his kids memories to look back on. It's not overt, it's more subtle but that's why it works so damn good. In terms of action I can count every major setpiece on one hand but each is different and impactful, they still very much like using random bits of the environment during the fights in true Jackie Chan style which I actually feel is harder and more gratifying to write than if it was a straight up gun/fist fight but it was solid stuff! I very very much enjoyed this movie and while I felt the sheer idea of a sequel seemed tenative I was pleasantly surprised and wouldn't mind a potential third entry if all the planets align. I'm sure the first was more of a sleeper hit and I'm hopeful this one will do even better, it is worth seeing in theaters I can tell you that much. So full 4 stars from me, 8/10, and next week we're shifting gears big time going back not only to 3 reviews for the week but allllll the way back to the golden age of cinema with some movies I've always wanted to talk about.

Superman (2025)

Yeahhhh, to say a spanner was thrown into the works would be the understatement of the decade (Doctor Who will happen I promise).

So Superman! Best comic book movie ever? Great start to the new DC universe? A piece of filmmaking that could potentially reek of 2025 or stand as a testament for years to come? Wellllll yes and no. It wasn't a phenomenal movie but it was a very good solid ass comic book movie, and to be honest that's all I wanted. Set in an already established world where Superman has been active for 3 years we follow his most recent skirmish trying to avert a war between two countties and try to stay one step ahead of the machinations of quite possibly the most xenophobic Lex Luthor in history. It's definitely an involved plot, there is quite a lot that happens and the movie is always moving, not to an extent of burnout and whiplash between scenes but it's fast. It's also quite an ensemble cast, there are so many characters and they all play into the progressing story even if they're on screen for a few minutes but it didn't seem overcrowded and overtly busy, they know when to use a character or introduce a character. It's a very light and bright superhero movie akin to the Richard Donner original but definitely has stakes and doesn't veer away from some violent moments. But it is undoubtedly very Silver Age in it's tone with robots, random monsters, a true boyscout Superman who still has some emotional baggage to sift through, it has friggin' Krypto the superdog for God's sake! To shift over to cast for a moment, David is a stalwart Superman and can pull off the Clark Kent side which very few of the actors were able to do in this long history, he gets his ass beat in this movie and really has to come to terms with some stuff but there isn't a doubt about his morals and commitment to help people which is what's great about Superman. Rachel Brosnahan was...interesting as Lois, maybe this is my shortcomings to not being very familiar with Superman but she gave Lois so much damn attitude and seemed quite prickly, I mean more than usual, which makes me both respect the hell out of her but also kinda drives me nuts. Nicholas Hoult was a very solid Lex Luthor, very easy to hate but certainly held that intelligence edge and genuinely did crack me up a bit throughout. Big time shoutout to Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, a character I know precisely dick about but he won me over fast and he was a standout for me! I think this is the first time I've actually seen Nathan Fillion in something and didn't immediately adore him, Guy Gardner is an asshole and he pulled it off spectacularly with this very cocky leader type but hey he had his moments of humor so fair play to him. Do kinda wish we got more Hawkgirl but I'm just a mark for that lady and I dig Isabela Merced in this part. Big surprises in the cast list that I can't even go into now, in fact I strongly urge everyone to steer friggin' clear of the IMDB cast list cause man it's stacked. The effects were damn good, both in terms of flight and fight, I don't know man seeing Superman fly regardless of decade never quite gets old and the battles are shot inventively and you can keep up with it no problem. I do feel the music was strangely subdued throughout, even when you get soaring scores and that ridiculously awesome electric guitar it seemed kinda buried in the mix, maybe that's more a shortcoming from the theater so I'll look into that. I gotta say it was weird not being the aficionado for once on a well known superhero, Blue Beetle I can forgive myself on, but Superman I mean I caught some but I certainly didn't catch all but I'm sure the mega nerds and lifelong fans will appreciate the nods. I certainly liked it, I'm happy and yet simultaneously depressed so many real world parallels could be drawn in this movie from foreign wars, to social media demonizing, to literal loss of rights for an alien immigrant being taken into custody and shipped off to God knows where, it stuck to it's guns and I'm proud of that. Truly I am. In a world where such pinnacles of hope and power do not exist, I don't think it hurts if we embody such characters ourselves for a better world. What's so funny about truth, justice, and the american way? Far from a masterpiece but a strong step in the right direction, I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10!

Boy howdy life has been tailspinning recently so I'm not sure when I shall return but I'm sincerely hoping for sooner rather than later. If I still have a roof over my head come August I shall endeavour to pick up the pieces and do some varied writing for you.

Ballerina

We got new movie sign!

Been a friggin' minute, and I have to admit I was very much looking forward to this movie since hearing about it. So how was it? I will fully say it's pretty good but whether or not you hold it as highly as the John Wick quadrilogy is up to the person, and frankly I am in dire need of a rewatch to make that decision myself. But it simultaneously follows suite and yet plays around with the formula a bit that's been established, with a relatively new agent who takes on the mantle more of a guardian than assassin who is on the hunt for what is deemed a cult of assassins who killed her father when she was young, simple story but the devil is in the details. Obviously Ana has been more of a grower on me, and I may or may not have my own headcanon this is Paloma from No Time To Die before she was in Cuba, but man does she firmly plant her action hero flag in this movie. I mean she gets her ass beat six ways to Sunday but in the few instances of Jedi wisdom I agree with, perseverance reveals the path and she keeps getting up to pretty brutally dispatch opponents. Whether or not this continues with a sequel, I like the story they told here even if it is common as dirt. Of course we got Keanu in it and I'm happy they do much much more with him than just a glorified cameo and he comes in clutch like always. Gabriel Byrne is our villain and the performance itself was good but the material is pretty weak, no fault of course on the actor but it is your typical John Wick villain. There's probably a reason Norman Reedus wasn't brought up a lot in the marketing and considering I've seen next door to zero of his work, for the brief screentime he has I had enough interest and actually wanted to see him throw down more! Of course we also got Ian McShane but who I wasn't expecting was our man Lance back, in his final role no less and while they're very much ancillary characters I'm never going to turn away the chance to see them. The action fare has that gold stamp of approval from previous entries, with a fair bit of innovative fighting including a pair of ice skates, hammers, and a flamethrower, so it got faaaaar from predictable or boring, with ample love going to the stunt crew and the choreographers. Visually it's a striking film, with unabashed favorites including a rocking club and the snow filled night that gives it so much substance on screen, but even in environments like a log cabin or some construction site on Continental grounds still has elements that play into the action where every fight has one memorable moment minimum. I would be remiss to not briefly touch on the score, while far from explosive still sets mood and tension well and frankly any movie with Swan Lake gets at least half a point! So all in all I'm happy to have seen it, it's worth supporting your local theater to watch it, and I can see die hard fans of this series eagerly pick it up on video in the future. So 3.5 stars, 8/10, and I'll be back with a foray through time and space once more!

Gladiator II

To hell with your 6.6 IMDB!

I was way more invested and entertained in this movie! Set just 16 years after the first film we follow a soldier from Numidia named Hanno who has a proper revenge hard on for roman general Acacius after being defeated and put up as human livestock in the Colosseum, but what I like about this movie so much is as the plot progresses almost every main player in the story changes and holds different amounts of power. Paul Mescal is a fierce lead and to see the shift from soldier to slave to revolutionary is gratifying to watch and he does not hold back on the physicality or the emotion, taking the flaws of Maximus from the first film and swiftly remedying it. Denzel Washington as new gladiator conossieur Macrinus is easily the best character in the movie for my money, and you can tell Denzel is relishing this role and to see his political machinations grow and grow was super engaging for me. Of course our daddy of daddies Pedro Pascal is present and unfortunately he's not in the movie much and has only a smudge of stuff to do, an honorable roman he is and my God what a commanding voice he has in this movie so it was great to see him in something until I'm probably nearing the end of my rope and Mando hits the big screen. Connie is back and her storyline adds some dimension to the film and honestly she acts even better than the first film, and sweet Christmas has that woman even aged a friggin' day?? Incredible. I'm not entirely sure if Rome ever had two emperors cause that is a fascinating detail of history never disclosed to me, but the combined performances of Joseph and Fred while surprisingly more in the background were just that right amount of batshit and hedonistic, they did do proper good work but if you ever want a proper piece on emperors I would point to I Claudius or...Caligula if you're not a prude. Production wise it's definitely surpassed the first Gladiator obviously with advancements due to the 24 year gap in filmmaking, the sets and costuming are great, they knew how to up the ante in the Colosseum (even if probably not entirely accurate to history I loved it anyway), there's more political intrigue, the score is decent, the editing has thankfully calmed the hell down, and I easily can say this is one of those sequels that outdoes the first! May be blasphemy, may be heresy, but call me a fan of the sequel! I kind of feel like an ass honestly for not seeing it in the theater, and my main reasoning for not was well I haven't seen the first and while elements of the plot are brought up here you really genuinely can watch this and not miss much and still enjoy it. So I apologize right now for that blunder, this was a very very good film! 3.5 stars from me, 8.5/10, and next week is time at last.

Black Dynamite

Funny how I knew about the show for years before finding out about the movie.

Black Dynamite is a beautifully faithful homage film to the Blaxsploitation genre of the 1970s, seeping every second of the film in the rich albeit sometimes flawed production qualities of those pictures. Essentially a passion project for Michael Jai White who plays our eponymous character who after learning his brother got killed goes on a bewildering but highly entertaining trail that leads to a nationwide conspiracy and kung fu treachery. This has been a movie on my list for a long ass time, and I honestly just don't know where to begin because every aspect I could go into considerable detail with. I will say first and foremost that while the script is really damn good this movie wouldn't be worth anything without the cast presented. Michael is a stellar lead able to tightrope bonafide bad mothertrucker action star and genuinely hilarious comedian, with a substantial background in martial arts he simply IS Black Dynamite to a fault! Salli is a lovely lady and though the romance with her character Gloria is far from fleshed out, it still kinda works regardless. Byron Minns as silver tongued rhymer extraordinaire Bullhorn though in a smaller capacity is great fun and man I'm kinda jealous of his verse! Tommy Davidson as Cream Corn certainly shines brighter in the show but certainly has moments here as a more comedic foil on the hero side, but hey he's a part of the team. The production side of things I feel deserves a dedicated masterclass it's so effortlessly embedded in the early 70s timeframe, that if you were uninitiated you wouldn't blink twice and just assume it was a 70s exploitation flick! The grain, the color saturation, the clothes, the cars, the editing, the music right out of a Rudy Ray Moore movie, the simultaneous love given to blaxsploitation and martial arts cinema, the flubs peppered throughout are a bleeding heart for that particular type of filmmaking in that time and corner of the world. The movie could give a shit less if you saw the boom mic or any other flaw, and frankly I don't care either! I've never seen a movie that has intentional botches in it and it somehow is endearing and entertaining, adding just another layer of enjoyment to the experience. The fights can range from extremely humorous to pretty kick ass, with Michael's ample skills on full display and a little bit of gunplay to keep it fresh. The comedy is where it shines the most, with some of the jokes undercutting to where you have to pay attention to get them while others is pure visual gags that work well, and it is quotable as all hell! I've only seen the movie probably less than 10 times, but I can still rattle off lines that absolutely have been adopted into my vocabulary. The worst part is I think it's still very much considered a cult film, sure the show helped get it onto the more mainstream scopes of people but it's not a household name yet which I find inexcusable. I love this movie and I'd gladly review the series when I have the time. It's such a unique beast that somehow simultaneously seems like it's not trying at all and putting so much meticulous effort in it that it's kinda amazing! Easy 4 stars from me, 9/10, and that about does it for this month. Tune in next month for modern sci-fi, adaptations of a gothic french novel, some crime thriller antics, and a decade of reviews.

Undercover Brother

Another long time coming review!

Speaking as a whiter than sour cream kind of Dude I don't have the slightest damn clue how I got exposed to this movie around probably 8 or 9 years old. All I know is I had it on DVD and knowing precisely two things about black cinema, jack and shit, I enjoyed it a good bit but it's been about 20 years since last I saw it and this here idea for the reviews this week has been brewing for some time. First thing I gotta say is, this is a 2002 ass movie! It absolutely wears it's 70s influence on it's sleeve but make no mistake it is very easy to discern when this movie came out, that ain't necessarily a bad thing but holy moly is it noticeable! Taking a very super spy edge with an organization of black agents battling against a faceless supervillain known only as The Man (no not Becky Lynch) recruits a new member in the form of the parachute pants wearing, afro laden, soulful Undercover Brother. The plot is pretty dirt simple and focuses more on the wild characters within this world, but it's very serviceable and has some decent moments of parody and acknowledgement of the world. Will say the casting is actually pretty good with Eddie Griffin who has a lot of humor and too cool for school energy as our lead, Chi McBride who I just love that man in anything so that's an easy win for me, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor certainly has that sass and ass kicking thing down pat, Dave Chappelle who big shock was the funniest person in the whole damn flick for my money was another easy win, my man Gary Anthony Williams looking sharp and hey props to him he got Denise Richards before the end, speaking of which Denise I love you to death and I got nothing but respect and appreciation for you and your career so it was a treat seeing you again! Certainly don't have a problem saying this movie soundtrack is also a big winner with more classic funk and soul stuff like James Brown and Kool & The Gang, mixed with more modern stuff like Michael Jackson and Mary J. Blige, which thank you for that movie cause I love the fuuuck out of her song! The only real negative I could hold steadfast on and even then it's minor is the tone and presentation of the movie is split, like I said it wears the 70s with pride but it kinda rams heads with the modern new millenium style of production and I do kinda wish it picked one or the other. But the movie works well enough, pretty good sets and location shooting, the humor can miss at times but has enough solid hits and a meta style that makes it original, casting was so on point they somehow got Billy Dee Williams and James Brown in the movie which is both amazing and impressive, also made me tolerate and even kinda enjoy Neil Patrick Harris that gets you half a point alone movie! Could some point at the stereotypes and black vs. white moments and have a problem with it? Well even with someone like me who got majorly called out on the mayonaise part, I refer you to clause 4 subsection A under "learn to take a joke"! 2.5 stars, 7/10 from me, and we'll look at not only a more faithful homage but a superior film in my opinion next time!

Love Hurts

First rom-com actionsploitation I've reviewed?

Could be! That's quite a few genres to juggle and the movie handles that...adequately. I pretty much knew the movie I was walking into, a fun albeit basic action comedy with our golden boy Ke Huy Quan and that's what I got! Following a realtor who has a shady past that sucker punches him out of the blue he quickly finds his life upturned, an old flame returns, and he has to square off with his brother to gain some semblance of normalcy back. It mostly succeeds in the action part, got a few laughs from me, and I will admit Ke and Ariana are cute at times but there would be tiny changes I would make. I mean the movie doesn't even clock in at 90 minutes with credits so I feel even a slightly longer runtime could make a big difference. I think the biggest detraction is the editing and even then it's sporadic, prime example: in the middle of a fight scene we get this POV shot from inside a microwave as the turntable does it's thing and I think oh wow, a shot I've never seen before in an action movie this is gr-and then they just fucking cut! Odd ass choices like that can have a negative effect. I will say however I somehow liked 90% of the characters and didn't want them to die, yes even the henchmen which is wild and they write them in such a unique way to where you strangely get invested. Like this assassin who writes poetry or this buddy duo where one of the guys tries to get back with his lady friend, it's very original! I very much liked that! It's definitely an action movie first and I will own up and say it actually is really rock solid choreography that even got a "Oooh shit!" moment out of me at one of the falls the stuntguys took, and they even do the thing where this dust cloud puffs up after a hit in true martial arts fashion, so props to them on that. The comedy is more unannounced I guess I could say, it doesn't build up to a punchline or anything it's more just hearing people talk humorously but it sorta works. I wasn't completely sold on the romance angle, a lot of the history between Marvin and Rose is kept off screen and the time they do spend together feels more like kindred partners in crime than romantic opposites but they do have small moments, and it's not really at the forefront so I can't be too harsh on it. Ke Huy Quan is a joy, shocker I know, able to pull off a simple man trying to make his way through the galaxy and asskicker extraordinaire seamlessly, and does not look half bad with a nice suit and a moustache either! Ariana DeBose is decent, she certainly has that off her rocker criminal edge down pretty good and though not really prevalent a lot gets the job done. Hell we see Lio Tipton as one of Marvin's office staff Ashley way more and man, I kept having to shake my head clear cause that woman is a little too similar to Emma Stone like it was fuggin' weird! Pretty fun though and was my second favorite performance of the film! Mustafa Shakir easily is the most well designed in costuming, and as the assassin who writes poetry Raven he gets some flowery dialogue as well as some good action so thumbs up from me. Daniel Wu as our main villain Knuckles is pretty standard (aside from a boba tea addiction) but pulls it off with ease. It's an okay movie, more on the average decent side than cult classic gem in the making, but it's entertaining enough for at least one viewing. 2 stars, 6.5/10, I'll do proper romance films next week for the holiday so see you then!

Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Best of the series?

I do genuinely think it is the most fun and entertainment I've personally had at one of these movies. They did have me sold full truth here since the end of the last movie on Shadow alone, so I was very much looking forward to this. And if you've seen the trailer you know the gist, Shadow has escaped containment and is battling team Sonic (cute reference) while Robotnik meets his long lost grandpappy as they command a doomsday weapon. Solid plot for a video game movie, and speaking as an individual who has really only played five Sonic games, Sonic 1 & 2, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, and Sonic Heroes but has beat precisely zero of them I loved seeing all the easter eggs and especially Shadow's backstory seen on the big screen. Since we already know most of the players let's talk about our new arrivals. Keanu Reeves though not my immediate first choice for Shadow conveys everything you need to know and does do a damn fine job juggling the heartbreak, rage, and initial confusion to his origins in the flashback scenes and it was absolutely awesome to see so many nods to his character from the games, motorcycle and guns included! As for Robotnik Sr. I was very surprised to see him as the true threatning villain, sure he has his moments of humor but at the end of the day he is a serious villain and I applaud Jim for being able to bring both sides to the table, plus the guy is a manipulative bastard and it like works too and doesn't feel slapdash in the writing. Commendable! I'll add on a brief opinion of seeing Sonic actually buckle the hell down and get serious even vengeful was a good move and added more to his character. I was hoping and praying they wouldn't do the thing, I didn't say anything cause I didn't want to jinx it, but they can't let a trilogy be a trilogy. Granted it was even I'll admit a great mid credits scene but come on! We went out on a relatively high note, with multiple instances of goosebumps at the climax, it's a solid made film with very good production values, the writing and humor still worked for me, it did what every sequel should do, and I was very happy to see it! We had a pretty healthy attendance at the screening and hearing the kids get so excited seeing stuff like Shadow and the Chao's while also laughing at Jim Carrey put me in a good mood. Thumbs up from me, 3 stars, 7.5/10! And next week is the end and what more of a perfect day to end it on than Christmas, at least it'll be a spooky Christmas...