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.

Venom The Last Dance

Well indeed it was the last.

It's funny with this series, from the beginning you could argue that it already lost half the fanbase due to the tone and quality of the film, and lost even more with Carnage, and I really hate to say it but the Last was indeed where they lost me. Now did I abjectly hate it start to finish? Not at all! There were a good few moments that made me laugh, I appreciated some badassery near the tail end, and was proud of the filmmakers not being chickenshit and actually ending it all. However! From the start I could tell this wasn't going to be an entirely good experience yet it's hard to really quantify that despite the multitude of factors that didn't click for me. But basically we pick up for like 2 minutes where Carnage left off with Eddie in the MCU before he inexplicably gets warped back to his universe as symbiote hunters start populating the world to hunt Venom with the duo being pushed to the severing point. So let's discuss some positives! I'll admit the movie did get me emotionally invested in the relationship between Eddie and Venom at points cause going in knowing that title you expect it to be a goodbye so a quiet moment or two actually worked nicely. The humor is still kinda hair brained but landed about 50% of the jokes for me so I can't hate it. Seeing a particular Symbiote at the finale wreck shit real good and watch her be a badass was rad man, I'm not that well informed on the comics so I don't know the character's name but she left an impact. And Mrs. Chen our fucking golden girl since day one, our queen that is the brightest center of the universe in a film that's farthest from, short scene but sweet and goofy, 10/10! Now for the negatives. May I direct you to the tactic colloquially known as a fucking bait and switch on the MCU, or at least I'm sure it is despite me still not catching up on Spiderman but even I know that stirred some waves at the end of Carnage and it goes precisely nowhere except for a Thanos joke. Zippidee-doo-dah! This might be the largest criticism levelled against the movie for me but my lord we get sidetracked on tangents with secondary characters, who yeah have a place in the story and come into play at the end but they spent waaaay too much time on them! This is a bit over 100 minutes without credits, they don't have time to be lolligagging but continue to do so anyway. I don't need airtight characters in a story arc that are justified in their existence, I just need decent characters here and there along the story. And to the actor's credits they don't phone this shit in, they're committed enough and don't have awful stories but it's just off. Further exemplified and even magnified by the editing, holy balls this editing. I'd almost say this is an editor's first project cause they cut so sloppily and rapidly including minute details that simply should not be there at all, and how the story progresses and the emotional crux of it is disassembled because of such choices. The potential in the script was there, but focused on in the wrong areas. I hate to go there but it's called Venom, we come to see Venom, and we don't focus the story on Venom. He's just part of a carousel of other characters that get I dare say equal parts screentime or it at least felt like it. Damn near everything should have been on the backs of Eddie and Venom, the driving force that keeps the plot moving, the emotional crucible at the thought of them being seperated forever, and the comedic relief whether too goofy or not is part of the tone for this series. The ending happens so fast it left me severely underwhelemed and asking, that's it? That's how we're doing this? No emotion, no catharsis, no interest but rather disbelief. Admittedly I didn't marathon the trilogy but now I want to for the In Retrospect of this, just to see if I can calculate where they just dropped the ball. Kelly you wrote the last two in this trilogy, you wrote Cruella, yeah you wrote Fifty Shades Of Grey too and I understand a paycheck is a paycheck but shit girl! I'm not mad I'm just wondering what's up? Was there interference, was it just a problematic shoot, did the movie you really wanted people to see just end up on the cutting room floor for one reason or another? I'm just kinda blown away by it all. The faults are plain as day but I still stress I didn't hate it, it's just middle of the road. 1.5 stars, 5/10, I can't fully recommend it but to not end on a drag I got a classic movie series for you next week that follows our tradition of black and white horror fare.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

Last new movie, how was it?

Decent. It's no masterfully written film but if you dig comic stuff, DC stuff, Aquaman in general, or just Jason Momoa it's a competently made entertaining watch. So we flash forward a brief while since Arthur has taken up the throne, he's a full time dad and part time king who is in the crosshairs of Black Manta's seething vendetta and trouble comes a knockin' when Manta finds an ancient cursed trident, so Arthur enlists the help of Orm to stop him. It's a very basic story with not a lot of frills or bells and whistles, it takes moments to progress the characters a notch but mostly it's a status quo movie. Not at all that it's a bad thing the movie does this, simplicity can be highly entertaining and indeed the film has solid good aspects to it, but at the end of the day it's trying to be a fun distraction and not an amazing film. I have no real qualms stating I went to see this primarily for Jason Momoa, the dude is just friggin' cool and I challenge anyone to badmouth seeing Arthur as a papa because those scenes are gold star stuff and I love his just fun, wiseass, bright energy he brings to this role. It took me by surprise we got Orm back in this and to be a good guy after the fairly irredeemable nature of his character in the last movie, but I attest that to the power of Patrick Wilson who trumps all dastardly writing because well...not to make a shameless scene of myself once again but I think I'm hopelessly in love with that man. Like seriously, I've liked him a great deal since Schumacher's Phantom but the crush is kinda real these days guys. Moving swiftly on. Yahya Abdul Mateen still brings his all to this role, granted it's undeniably one dimensional in his lust for revenge, but never once is he uninteresting or dull to watch and I give him fair dues for that! And never to shirk away from unpleasant business, Amber Heard, do I think they should have just fucking recast the bitch and moved on? Absolutely. Now my statement made in my Flash review still stands, there is characters and there is actors. They are seperate entities. You can hate an actor but still view the character as simply a character. I love Mera, I think she is one of the best comic book characters this century, the woman is so badass it frankly scares me, and it is a joy to see her in various adaptations. She's barely in this movie, I can understand your feelings if you can't disassociate enough and there is nothing wrong with that, we can't change it we simply must accept it and move along. And I'm also very happy they gave Dolph Lundgren a lot more to do this time around than previously, I am always down to see some Lundgren. I actually also rather like quite a lot of expansion on the world and mythos of the sea, you get to see a lot of different and new stuff that wasn't present before, and the visuals are still really nice! Bioluminescence for the win! We get expanded history on the kingdoms which is interesting, new creatures, new locales, I dig that. Soundtrack is also unique and neat too. Now the negative aspects are incredibly far from film breaking or even just plain dumb, but there are things that could have been written better and or just edited out. I feel the main scientist guy is crossing into sheer stereotypical, scientist who works for the bad guys but isn't a bad guy himself, and just plain superflous territory. Whoever the living shit made these stupid location title cards, Jerry on the 3rd floor who wanted to contribute to the movie somehow, God fuck almighty you want to talk about waste? The less than in depth writing of Black Manta which I know could have been better but it's overall serviceable to the plot. It's just small things that could have been done better and chips away at the final score a good bit, but this is not a bad sit and you can enjoy parts of it. I know some people are looking at this movie and saying what's the goddamn point when the DCEU is effectively done and over lasting 10 years since Man Of Steel? And while I fully and passionately agree that this series of films had a ton of bullshit interference from the studios, more so later on near the end, to say it was all worthless and "a decade of nothing" as one unproductive member of society said it could not be farther from the truth. I really liked Man Of Steel, Wonder Woman was great, Shazam was fun and fancy free, Birds Of Prey I actually rather enjoyed, The Suicide Squad was class, Blue Beetle had surprising amounts of heart, and even the ones I wouldn't consider the greatest of the lot still held entertainment and interest for me. Am I biased towards DC over Marvel? Yeah, but I'm also wise enough to know every movie has it's problems objectively but it's your perspective that matters whether you like something or not. I can't truthfully speak on what will come for DC and whether I shall be onboard or not, but how will I know if I don't come and see? Will I see and behold a white horse and the name that sat upon it was Death, or will it be a great new beginning? This chapter of history is over. Turn the page. 2 stars, 6.5/10, a passable end to a decade of actually decent flicks.

The Marvels

It really isn't as bad as people made it out to be.

True it is more on the average tier of the MCU a.k.a. the vast majority of the MCU, but terrible or bad are far from the terms I would use to describe this movie. Again, totally haven't kept up with recent Marvel events so if you're looking for an in depth, wide spanning, informed Marvel review this ain't it. So we essentially pick up where Ms. Marvel ended with Carol, Kamala, and Monica meeting up and teaming up to combat...I'm really not sure if I'm supposed to know this villain or not, I'm a grandad you gotta bear with me here and help an old man out, Dar-Benn which is a quite suitable alien name. In fact the movie focuses on the alien sci-fi aspect of it all which I quite liked, just to see weird shit I'm pretty much there for it. Now that kinda dips it's toes into the problem pool doing so and I might as well get the few negatives out real quick. The movie kinda goes on tangents, not many granted but certain scenes play out for a hot minute and you're like, "Uh guys, there literally is a global crisis going on. Could we maybe get back to that a bit?". No horseshit Jack, our group arrives on a sea planet where everybody communicates in song and it gets super Broadway musical very fast, don't get me wrong I loved it and appreciated how quirky the sci-fi is presented here but it really was this off beat moment waiting for the plot and action to catch up with our heroes. That's kinda the other thing, the movie feels a bit off. I don't think I can quantify it much but certain things landed, certain things crashed, and others just kinda floated in space. Maybe it was because the movie has a fairly quick pace, it barely sits still and things get resolved somewhat easily somewhat quickly, and if this isn't the shortest Marvel movie it has to be the runner up. I swear the runtime says one hour and forty five minutes, it feels barely over 90 minutes when credits start to roll. Now I will say it doesn't move too fast, and you think this dynamic that each of our protagonists share similar powers and can essentially swap places in space would make it a bit confusing and hard to follow when the action kicks in, but thankfully not! The action is always dynamic and interesting, it's shot and edited well enough to where it never reaches that point where you don't even know what the fuck is happening, so kudos on that sincerely! The acting is good, though the heart and soul is and forever shall be Iman Vellani, but man it was bugging me because I knew I saw Zawe Ashton someplace before and ohh Doctor Who actor as a Marvel baddie strikes again! I'll admit there was some really cool and beautiful shots peppered throughout the film, the effects and direction were handled nicely for sure. I don't know where to fit this in the review but my favorite scene was honest to God the most hilariously disturbing and weirdest sequence I've ever seen in a movie that wasn't a horror picture, like you'll know it exactly when you see it. It was a stroke of genius but like if it was the most underplayed stroke of genius I've ever seen. So there were indeed positive elements, but it is kind of a mixed bag that I can easily see people trash or like a good deal. And the only way you'll know is if you see it! For me personally it's a decent film that I recommend you see at least once. 2.5 stars, 6.5/10! I got something important for you next week that I probably should have reviewed earlier but Halloween time is the busiest time so stay tuned for that!

Blue Beetle

I won't lie to you for a second, this was great.

I seriously believe this to be a damn good superhero movie, and speaking as someone who walked in with next door to zero expectations I was kinda impressed. I knew of Blue Beetle but really knew no character details besides the scarab and he's best friends with Booster Gold, so this was a real introduction for me like it will be for most everyone else. Jaime is a returning graduate to his hometown of Palma City where things have went south with the family since he's been gone and gets a sort of interview with a young lady who passes off aforementioned scarab to protect it from becoming a weapon, and wha-bam! New superhero in town. The first thing I gotta tell you is I have never seen a comic book movie with as much heart, emotion, and even family dynamic as this. Jaime's family is very front and center throughout and you get attached, at least with me anyway, very quickly. The family unit is what made the entire film for me. Now that's not to say all the other aspects fell flat, not at all! The effects, the suit, the action is well done and props to them for making a legit suit for Xolo to wear. The soundtrack is heavy on the synthesizers so it's an A+ score from me. The pace is just right and the plot isn't super involved, and frankly simplicity works best for an origin. Hell a superhero movie hasn't made me get goosebumps in a long ass time and this film accomplished such a feat 3 times. I really can't stress how much heart there is, cause Jaime and the family are entirely a real believable family and act pretty much how you would in such an ass wild situation. Solid great acting throughout, the comedy may be a notch much in brief instances but when push comes to shove and emotions start rising, you feel that! Xolo Mariduena is a fantastic lead trying to grasp the gravity of these events and protect his family, he may not have a giant arc other than becoming a hero but I wouldn't dream of anyone else in the role. Belissa Escobedo I won't lie I crushed, I thought she was great even with the more groany lines she owned it and that girl can act her heart out. George Lopez got the biggest laugh out of me and man if you want anybody to trust with a secret identity trust a guy who is anti-government and thinks anything could be a bug. Susan Sarandon was an interesting choice to play a villain and while she doesn't have much to do, she still has that hateable quality and it was kinda neat to see her as a baddie. It's a rock solid production and I'll be damned it kindled a spark of hope after I've basically written off DC films, I'll even go so far off on a limb here come what may and say if this is the future of DC movies, continuity or not, the future is very bright indeed. 4 stars, 8/10, seriously give this a watch in theaters. I'm almost begging for Blue Beetle 2 and I'll gladly do more research on this character. And this is kinda it for a brief moment in time, by my calculations 4 weeks until the next new release. But who knows, something could arrest my attention along the way. Until then be safe, hug your family tight, and rock on.

The Flash

Okay so it's finally here.

As a more DC centric fan I was interested how they would do the Flash movie, in no small part to the return of Michael Keaton, and ignoring the real world walking fiasco that is Ezra Miller and focusing entirely on the film how was it? Not bad, pretty decent I would say, adapting parts of The Flashpoint Paradox (feel free to read up my review on that for a synopsis) and adding plenty of a mix from all corners of the DC universe. Handy pro tip straight up, DO NOT look up anything about the movie on the IMDB period! So Barry on the eve of his father's appeal case and having a rough PTSD flashback to his mom dying, runs faster than ever before and travels back in time. The year 2013, where Zod invaded Earth but with zero metahumans to help, he has to enlist help wherever he can to get back to his proper universe and time. Obviously he gets a hell of a partner and a slight twist to an old classic. A lot of stuff happens, some of which I shall not reveal, but how the story progresses feels natural and since the crux of it all is an emotional dilemma for Barry you feel some stuff man. Just that general idea of turning back the clock just to see your mom alive again holds some emotional drama and that's the arc for Barry, to accept it and live for the future and not the past. Obviously we get a lot of action between the start and finish of that arc but it's still potent enough. For the sake of brevity I shant indulge my inner Keaton fanboy a tremendous deal, but come on was there a doubt he wouldn't be as cool and awesome? Highly doubt this is a straight up continuation of the Burton movies but screw it, I saw all the details and nods and appreciated it. And truth be told, Sasha Calle is a pretty good Supergirl too, but I'll admit up front I haven't watched the show or had the gumption to watch the movie so my view is limited for sure, but I really digged the shit out of her! Ezra still has that bubbly, completely autistic, and fun attitude and ain't terrible at the heavy scenes either, but I fully and completely understand if people can't disassociate enough between artist and art. So let's lightning round some details! Music, okay but points for the Danny Elfman theme. Action was shot well and never got boring with good and ample use of speedforce. Effects, they're not super polished and I heard some people say the movie is flat out unfinished but in all reality the vast majority of the film holds up with only two major areas where it looked very early PS3, so it's passable. Acting all around was solid. And hey if this movie ain't your cup of tea from the get go, rent The Flashpoint Paradox animated movie and pop in the 1989 Batman! I'm probably gonna do that anyway this weekend after we talk about Elemental tomorrow. Final score 2.5 stars, 7.5/10, and they don't really do the reboot thing like in the comics so who knows what will come next after Blue Beetle. Just do weird random movies DC, the cinematic universe seems to be getting lethargic and bloated to the point of expiration so just make some wild ass superhero movies every now and then! Can't hurt, I promise you that.

Black Panther Wakanda Forever

God I wish I could say I was in higher spirits.



Not only is this a sobering film to watch, today is also the day Kevin Conroy has passed away so I'm in a severe grieving state for the Batman and the Black Panther. And this was really the last movie I wanted to have nits to pick at, not at all that it's bad far from it. As a tribute, as a goodbye to Chadwick, it's done damn near perfect. I mean....fucking chilling, impactful, could hear a pin drop in that theater effect. Oh my God! And as a continuation of the MCU and seeing Shuri step up to the mantle, it's good! I have notes but I couldn't bash this movie, I feel it almost gets a pass from critics because of the tragic real world events that capsized whatever the original Black Panther 2 was going to be and it is a stirring good piece of drama when it deals with that. I just hate that it tries to be business as usual after some grieving, yeah I'm going there again and I feel I have even more of a case this time. I know it couldn't have been this mourning, drama filled, character piece for Shuri for the whole almost 3 hour runtime. And indeed there were moments when there were lines that brought levity, a smile, a chuckle, but I just wish Marvel would have just said screw it. No jokes for jokes sake, we're gonna tell an emotional gripping story about the death of a king and a kingdom trying to pick up the pieces with more an emotional debate on if Shuri will be the next guardian of Wakanda. They just can't man, I feel it's almost compulsive unconcious behavior, if you put a gun to their head and said write a movie with next to zero humor they would end up with a slug in their grey matter. I just really wish they pushed this to uncharted territory, cause the rest of the movie isn't half bad with this....okay, James Cameron could have a very possible case for theft of intellectual property cause, it really goddamn is the water dwelling cat people from the upcoming Avatar film clashing swords with Wakanda. They have neat elements to them with a very cool Mayan background, but that's what they are! Their leader does fall into that average Marvel villain trope, there be no Thanos or Vulture fascinating personalities to be found here. However, the acting from everybody down to the extras is rock solid. Super well done and able to convey what they need and sometimes even more. And I love how our leads are all the women we got to know from the last film! Angela Basset, that woman has my heart and my allegiance forever! I was so happy to see more of her this time around and she is glorious to behold in every aspect! Letitia Wright damn near carries the film by herself, I mean I don't think she had to do all that much acting and to see her journey to when she puts that suit on is great. Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o while more secondary characters had nothing but my attention and passionate want for them to succeed. Tenoch Huerta does admirable work and I do understand his reasons for why he does what he does but I feel there was just something missing from the writing. Also, major props to everyone who learned to speak these dialects and alright movie you get points for having substantial subtitles throughout. The visuals I must say are outsanding, from the cinematography, to the environments, to the flawless costume design and color palette, it's a feast to the eyes! The score, holy shit balls both the actual score and the soundtrack, wow man! I dig it. Unfortunately the above mentioned notes I have slip into spoilers so I can't divulge much, I can tell you however this movie upset me. Like, almost rage levels upset me. Not on any aspect of production, or they bullshit about with the source material, I was just out for the villain's blood. Thank Christ they didn't try some Romeo And Juliet horseshit with Shuri and Namor, I would have been far more aggravated. It's good, I do like the first movie more and feel it juggled serious and funny better, but the emotional crux is hard to brush off because they handle it so well and I do hope it won't be the last we see of Wakanda. I give it a solid 3 stars, 8/10, and I need a long lie down after today so until next time.

Werewolf By Night

Halloween only ends if you let it.




I know it probably surprised people that Marvel has had pure horror devoted comics, but even in my ever so slight knowledge of their history I was familiar with the comics with connections to classic monsters, Werewolf By Night, Tomb Of Dracula, and The Living Mummy, but it was still a bit of a shock seeing them adapt it. And for a special not even an hour long it does a fair bit and tells a one shot comic story where a group of monster hunters convene to obtain a powerful mystical jewel and find there is more to this hunt than they thought. It's short, it's sweet, shot in glorious pristine black and white film grain and all, I had a great time with it. Obviously the cinematography gets a lot of love from me, to see good old black and white horror look so crisp and hi-def was genuinely something I'd never thought I'd see, with lighting that's taken from german expressionist horror, sets that would make Universal proud, and creature effects that only use computers when necessary. The characters for the majority are just kinda there, not poorly acted but a body count has to rise somehow. John and Jovan had great personality to them, and while Elsa was just kinda one note bitchy for the beginning I can fully see why she grew up that way with her **** of a step mom and she did start moving towards likable near the end. Tiniest of tangents here but John flat out was giving me slight Papa Emeritus from the band Ghost vibes, maybe it was the clothes, maybe it was his physicality, but all he was missing was a Vincent Price moustache and shazam, the singer for Ghost! He doesn't even need to hunt monsters, he can just charm them by singing Cirice! And I love our monster friend who looks like a mix between Cthulu sans wings, and Swamp Thing, and his name is Ted. I would give Ted a titanic tight tackle of a hug. Hands down, bloodiest Marvel film I've ever seen. I mean damn they aren't afraid to show some grisly ass shit man! I had no idea blood could be considered art but you see these arcing flows of arterial spray and splatter and it looks impressive I gotta say. I am fully 100% expecting a Tomb Of Dracula special next year and they have to go Hammer visuals, we got our Universal Monsters look here so we gotta jump forward to the bleak gothic atmosphere and rich vibrant blood color of the 50s and 60s. I'm not sure if there has ever been a collection or omnibus of the Marvel horror comics but I'd love to get my hands on one and read all the issues. But as for this special I give it 4 stars, 8/10! Next time, my most anticipated Marvel project since Multiverse Of Madness.

Black Adam

I had some faith in this movie, I bought the movie cup.



I think Black Adam is the weakest of the DC movies, and even then the score is actually pretty good! It's a very odd origin story, not so much in the actual plot of how a slave under a cruel emperor gained the same powers of Captain Marvel and has awakened in the modern day to find his footing and do battle, but more just the execution of the film. If you want your action, this movie sure delivers but obviously there's more to it than that. When I heard Dwayne was gonna be Black Adam instead of Captain Marvel, I felt that was a off choice of casting. No man. It took exactly 1 second after he properly appears and literally pumps a guy with so many volts he essentially disintegrates to a skeleton and then I shut the f*** up real quick. He doesn't have that immense charm but he can still be funny and has no qualms about just brutally massacring people, it's a bit shocking (no pun intended I swear) but still rad. And when I saw trailer appearances of Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone who I never heard of until now, and The Atom (who for some weird ass reason is called Atom Smasher here) I was ever so slightly concerned the movie was going to be too busy with so many characters, and truth be told if you can just roll with it that these characters are here, the movie suffers no serious damage. The focus is on Black Adam throughout and the Justice Society while still prevalent are secondary characters. And I thought the acting for all of them were rock solid, with my favorite of all the characters being Cyclone played by Quintessa Swindell, she is just so fab and full of cute energy, I was there for her hardcore. Noah Centineo as The Atom was more on the funny bumbling side, it legit almost felt like they were backdooring Ezra Miller's Flash into his character portrayal but it still worked for me. Aldis Hodge as Hawkman I felt did justice to the character in his adaptation, and the clashing of ideologies between him and Black Adam leading to physical clashes I thought was a nice touch. Dr. Fate played by Pierce Brosnan, what interesting casting but he was my other favorite and gahd bless it I want that friggin' robe! Also, really nice of the film to put some love toward middle eastern actors and architecture, Sarah Shahi did very well being an emotional compass but sure wasn't afraid to throw down so well done young lady. Bodhi Sabongui, I will not grudge a great deal, he did decent work and while he was fully a kid sidekick I can't bash a kid's acting talent. The story moves in a somewhat predictable fashion but the entertainment can still be felt. The characters serve a purpose and progress the plot. It does have some very dated aspects to it I sensed a lot of 90s in this, a severe dose of slow-mo, trailing kid sidekick, there is literally a character in a shiny black trenchcoat, the effects do work but the CGI is obvious. And I know this is going to happen, and I'm already goddamn sick of it but people are going to call ripoff on this movie. Oh Dr. Fate is just Doctor Strange, Cyclone is almost Storm and dresses like the Eternals, Hawkman is Falcon, Atom's mask is flat out Deadpool's mask just painted blue, the powerful ore Eternium is just Vibranium. Move along! It's a typical superhero movie. A strange semi-recurring motif occurs where action scenes are put to popular music, when Black Adam goes on his first rampage the entire scene damn near is shot in slow motion set to The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black, and another even odder occurence is they reference The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly and it was so nice they did it twice, prefacing an action scene with Ennio Morricone's The Trio which was my favorite part of the movie. It isn't a great movie, but nor is it a bad movie, as previously mentioned above it is the weakest of the DC movies in my opinion yet I give it 2.5 stars, 7/10, and stick for that mid-credit's scene. Holy shit man! And we need some 50s classics before this month unfortunately ends so join me next week!

Justice League (The Snyder Cut)

Alright I get the affection for it now.

Color me impressed, for a movie I had some but not really too much interest to see and saw the tumultous uproar to even get it released, with zero real knowledge of how it came to be in existence as we see it now I thought it was great! Now I will say the enjoyment of Joss Whedon's version has waned a bit to the point I think it's just a average decent movie, but I don't deem it superflous or worthy of being erased. Considering this is an R rated movie and a firmly warranted one at that, it tells a much more dramatic and for lack of a better word "important" story, taking it seriously and trying to convey a story meant for grown ups means it can't fully be compared to the theatrical release which is bright, fun, and ultimately your typical popcorn superhero film. There is a place for both in comic movies, and while there is undoubtedly exact same shots and a mostly unchanged story, it's how the movie goes about it that makes a universe of difference. Presented in a quite honestly fascinating aspect ratio of 4:3, the likes of which last seen here in The Lighthouse, the story still involves Bruce leading the charge for a metahuman team combating the threat of Steppenwolf and more importantly Apokolips. The beauty of this movie is it takes what was there in the theatrical movie and expands upon it with an extended runtime and select new elements, after all that was the plan once upon another time the Justice League was going to be two movies and this delivers it in an unsual way. The story is split up into parts, not quite vignettes but more chapters of a book, an interesting idea that while not changing much is a unique and novel touch. It's actually a fascinating experience watching both versions back to back because it's so similar and yet so extremely different. I greatly enjoyed and loved how the story progressed, the additional character moments and backstory we get, the visual style is truly Zack Snyder which I feel helps the movie more than the brighter shades of the Whedon version. It truthfully lived up to the hype everyone was making it to be for me, and they need to continue this story. You started it way back in 2013, it's almost been a decade and if you just take several steps back WB and DC from current projects and start at square one you could have something a lot of people would like to see. I've been on board this ship since almost day 1 and this movie reminded me how excited I get seeing a new DC movie and can't wait to see the next one. I know they can do it and Black Adam looks pretty solid so far. The movie clearly has a vision, style, and story it wants to tell and I'd say it handled it all very strongly. I had to buy this movie cause I couldn't find a place to rent it, but I gotta say that was money well spent after seeing it. It's a truly tragic thing that happened to the Snyder family and lord knows there is countless people who give a lot of love and good thoughts to them, and the fact they could get their movie out there the way they wanted it is a pretty incredible thing in and of itself. And I will be just brutally honest guys, I was NOT in a good state of mind before watching this, feeling very bitter, disillusioned, and beyond apathetic to media, the world, and specifically people. Just really despising with uncalculable anger at how just vehement and pessimistic people can be over such frivolous things as entertainment, like a comic book adaptation or a movie series. But then I remembered that not only is revenge the most worthless of causes, but hate is the most useless of emotions. It did give me pause however if I should even continue after my 1,000th review. But there is world enough and time before we reach that day. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and just for comparison I would rate the theatrical version 2.5 stars, 6/10, and I can't believe I'm doing this. Next time, League Of The Super Pets. Ohhhhhh......

In Retrospect: The Batman

It wouldn't be this show if something was late.



Yeah, I know. I said I was going to see it again and had every intention to but life got busy and this is nearly 3 hours long, but I've seen it 3 or 4 times now and have solidified my stance on the movie. Still love it, still think the story works very well, and the score has indeed been raised. First off, this viewing around I was just gushing profusely over the cinematography, like I know because it's a modern movie and therefore has modern cameras where every frame is crystal clear and the look is out of this world but maaan dat look good! I'm not sure if it's a director stamp of Matt Reeves but his whole focus on one object in the foreground but leave the background out of focus may be considered artsy but I loved it. That's my eyesight in a nutshell, so I'm just keeping it real with glasses. The look of Gotham while still very modern day is unmistakably this iconic city, hell that shot of the diner with the rain and the neon glowing in the darkness is Gotham personified to me. Friggin' Wayne Tower though, Tim Burton wishes he could be this gothic in style and structure, I mean wow but man did I love it. Costume design, brilliant and not just with the batsuit though it is a marvel to behold and study. So visuals, 10/10. Robert Pattinson still does the trick for me and while I personally feel no one can claim a certain actor as the definitive Batman, he covers nearly all the bases with me. With the exception of being Bruce Wayne, though I know it's part of his character and the arc he makes, he is still very much 90% Batman and 10% Bruce but it works because he hasn't found that balance yet where even as Bruce he can still get stuff done and acquire information. I dare almost say this is a character study of a young but hardened Batman, he knows the ropes and still does good work but he isn't flawless and takes a more direct obvious route. That's the thing with this movie, it can tell you so much without saying a word I mean we are talking visual storytelling the likes I have not seen in many a year. Just a simple thing of Batman banging on a club door and forcing his way inside to sneaking through the same door does a lot for the character. The fact that he is faced with a grim reality that he inspires criminals through his actions and starts working less as a vigilante and more a hero is what tipped the scale for me on the second viewing to raise the score. I love seeing detective work in this movie, cause it's very ground level in the process with having a lead, gaining a tentative link, and following that to another lead cause that's how it works. You need to have the skills to read the signs, but also a bit of luck to get you to the next part. And with an adversary like the Riddler, you have to play his game and gain knowledge bit by bit of his scheme which I feel still works on repeated viewing, it's the long game where any bit of information could come into play. I should know, I spammed the Rata Alada website daily and got a lot out of it before the damn G.C.P.D. took the site off. Paul Dano is a very different Riddler but infinitely entertaining, I must have had this twisted smile on my face everytime he was on screen, this disturbing mix of oh my God this is great and sweet Jesus this is eerie as f***. What can I say I loved every second of it, and I'm gonna get shit for this maybe until the day I retire but was it just me or was anyone else getting like real severe ASMR vibes with his voice? I was kinda nodding off at points, I'm sure that says a lot about me but I refuse to take sass from people who spend entire days watching crime and serial killer documentaries so you can take a seat. If memory serves I believe I said Zoe Kravitz was the best live action Catwoman, and I would say yes absolutely. Definitive? Not yet. Incredibly great in many aspects of the character? Affirmative. She got the skills, it's very Year One Catwoman in design which I dig, the romance I feel works well enough, props to them for going the whole Falcone side of her heritage like in the comics following The Long Halloween I appreciate that, she did proper good with this role. I want more Jeffrey Wright, I got enough to satisfy me but I need more, that whole partnership was handled super well in my book and I just love that man so bring it on I say. The action was less pronounced but still had that punch (full pun intended), I know we're not gonna see Rob go full Batfleck and just wreck dudes in seamless Arkham combat style but the work put in must be commended. I'm still kind of on the side of the fence where I just want it to be this movie and not a 3 picture deal, I'm just very disillusioned with the business side of comic book movies rather than the films themselves. But a villain team up I can roll with, I mean come on my first Batman movie was Batman Forever followed closely by Batman & Robin, multiple villains is second nature to me. I still really enjoyed it, I loved the progression for Batman, it's an engrossing and entertaining film and the ending is something I'm proud of them for doing. 4 stars, 9/10, and next time we're doing some comparisons on The Justice League.

Morbius

Guys it really isn't as bad as people make it out.

Coming from an individual who isn't a big Marvel fan, knows nothing about Michael Morbius, and walked in with nothing but an open mind, I thought it was decent. I thought it would be more supernatural how he gained his vampiric powers with him going to some tropical forest and finding something that was best left alone, typical silver age origin story, but I like the scientific reasoning behind it even if it does still lead to superhuman abilities. It gets a little disjointed with the flashbacks but after that it works fairly well. Just telling this story of how a dying man gains these abilities and is trying to make sense of it all while trying not to take human lives to sustain his own is a good story and it's handled well. I thought Jared Leto did fine work, he has a leading man prescence, can be funny, nails the dilemma aspect of his character, and fits dead center in a morally gray superhero light. Of course I have to love Matt Smith, even though I don't like seeing him in an antagonistic role, and it is very basically written but the friendship dynamic clicked for me and it was believable. And yes I did catch that Doctor Who reference you cheeky bastards. Adria Arjona was bugging me the hell out cause I was like, I know you! But where?? She was my witch crush in Good Omens, and the romance aspect felt very sudden and so was her ending yet I still thought she gave a good performance. Also props to making two investigating agents not be blithering morons and mostly useless, thank you for that writers. I very much digged the hell out of the visuals and makeup, properly making Jared and Matt look deathly ill and when the vampiric stuff kicked in I was like, wow that's such an interesting effect. With the flight having trails of colors, the echolocation having a sort of vibrating water effect, and I like they didn't chicken out and show some blood. It isn't gory as hell, but you do see it. Apparently this takes place in the same world as both Venom movies, and I'm not even attempting to connect all the Marvel movies. Sure, fine, whatever, go for it. Why not have them all mix and meld so you can see Michael Keaton as Vulture? It's neat. So it was a decent okay movie, nowhere near a 4.8 on IMDB. I give it 2.5 stars, 7/10.

Blade Trinity

Well it wasn't that bad.

I expected a major drop in quality after reading about all the production issues and trouble with the star, but upon rewatching it well over a decade later I was happily proven wrong about the overall quality. The only thing I feel that isn't up to par is the stroy itself, with Blade finally coming face to face with the father of all vampires Drake, who I believe has some mthological history to it in exactly who the first vampire was, and fairly soon he teams up with Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds to end it all. I will say good things about it, I am very impressed and amazed how much practical effects were used in this movie, when they blow shit up they blow it up, when they trash a car they absolutely total it, they truly only use CG when absolutely necessary and for a film made in 2004 I just have to give props to that. Taking into account how much good grief Wesley Snipes gave on set he still does decent work, though my favorite was Jessica Biel. Like I buy she hunts vampires and kicks ass, her training in hand to hand combat and archery were on the level, and I feel she did very admirable work. Paul Levesque or better known to the world as Triple H while obviously a product of the time when Dwayne Johnson first tried to kick off his movie career so you started seeing wrestlers in films, he was great fun to see and apparently was such a stand up guy and worked super well with the crew they just kept giving him more dialogue and stuff to do. That's awesome. Though not anywhere close to the amount of action in the last movie, they did still put effort into it and while it looks a bit more fake than it actually is closer to the end I could still appreciate it. I think the worst part is, even though it is by absolutely no means an incompetently made movie it still doesn't do much for me and doesn't have a good story or strong direction. I know David S. Goyer had a hand in all 3 movies, and I don't even know what the consensus is on his works or if people just do not like the guy personally, I frankly have no idea so I'm just stating while the direction is okay it's nothing to write home about. This movie really fell dead square in the middle for me which if you've been here long enough you know I hate that more than a bad movie. Cause there is good stuff to be found here and there, but the stuff that just isn't good really cancels out the good things. You're probably saying, oh he just didn't like it cause it had Ryan Reynolds, and you are partly right because it's just the same old shit regardless of film, tone, or intention on behalf of his performance. He wasn't grating like a certain other Marvel movie, which we do not speak about here but the big problem I have with this is, I'm sorry he should have died. I'm not saying that to be an asshole, it just perfectly summarizes my problem with this script. Cause the secret hideout is found out, damn near everyone dies including Patton Oswalt who I just had a great time seeing him in a movie though very little screentime unfortunately, and yet! And yet, he's the one that makes it out, though he was targeted by Drake first before anybody else got bodied. What the f*** is that shit?? There's no true justice in the world if Patton Oswalt dies offscreen but chuckles over there is just used as a prisoner for precisely zero reason. I am a logical reasonable guy but I've just experienced some very unreasonable things. Bollocks! Do better! I'm bored of this, I'm going for a Twix. 2 stars, 5/10.

Blade II

Yep this is the best one, we're done here.

Story time! When I was a young bean a bit before my teen years I saw Blade 2 many times, and I never saw the first one so this was my introduction to the character and the world. My God, what a great entry to be introduced to. So big shock, we get nothing but improvements in the sequel being an unlikely but entirely superior sequel which is already a rare category, as we pick up awhiles after the first film with Blade in Russia working in tandem with the vampiric council (insert What We Do In The Shadows joke here) trying to stop a new vampiric strain that targets both humans and vampires. Great, taking a basic premise and expanding upon it with new ideas and better production, good times be here. You may be a bit surprised Guillermo del Toro directed this, before Hellboy and even Pan's Labyrinth, bringing his visual style of direction in full force, I mean it's almost night and day the style between the first and second film. With a lot more camera movement, lots of great wirework, super slick at times editing where even I had to rewind to fully appreciate it, and visual effects that you don't forget. I think they knew exactly what to give in this movie, they double down on the action cause that's what people want to see, they want to see vampires get dead and this movie by God delivers, while still keeping a good pace and letting the story have it's moments too. I think Wesley is on top form, greatly outdoing himself in the previous movie and being more badass than before. I must give hardcore props to Luke Goss who plays our main villain, I can't fully put my finger on it but I feel he's just a compelling and even slightly tragic villain with his own motives that don't revolve around Blade all the time, he knocks it out of the park for me. Leonor Varela on the other hand, I...can't tell if she just can't give a good line delivery or if her character is supposed to be more on the monotone side. You know we don't bad talk actors, I don't like doing it, but man did her performance fall so flat for me. Another extra special guest appearance we get Ron Perlman, and Norman Reedus which is wild to see him before he became a household name in recent years. Some people give good grief that Ron Perlman plays a complete f***face but I attribute it to his acting talent but I am firmly in the camp of seeing him as a goodie and not a baddie. So cast 9 times out of 10 is solid. The effects got a lot better, it does have moments where you're like, "Whew boy that looks like a PS2 game." and it is rough but that is a rare thing, most other times it is pretty dang good and holds up I think excellently. The soundtrack isn't as bumping though, but a few of the rap tracks got me so no foul there. Yeah, it's a very solid entertaining film and I don't think it's gonna be outdone, they play their cards as good as they can and I really don't got much to complain about. 4 stars, 7.5/10, this is the one to see for sure and God I was hoping I could avoid him. Alright Ryan, come on in you fffffff- friendly guy.

Blade

You could genuinely make the case that Blade started getting comic book movies back on track.

After the global panning of Batman & Robin in 1997 comic book movies were in a rough place and DC was out of the game for a good while. This led Marvel to make a firm advance with their characters, Blade in 1998, X-Men in 2000, and Spider-Man in 2002, and with Morbius coming up it was an appropriate time to discuss other Marvel vampire movies. I'm actually fairly impressed with the first Blade movie, pretty much building this character and the world from the ground up since they heavily departed from the comic book version, yet it still is entertaining and doesn't try to be the next mega blockbuster. It undeniably has influence from the decade it was made, so it has some cheesy tinge to it but I wouldn't have it any other way. So our story follows quite possibly the coolest vampire hunter in media cleaning house around New Orleans and more specifically targeting a rising vampire by the name of Deacon Frost who has his own big plans for the world. Very easy story to tell, but how they do it is what counts. I really have a bit to commend the production team on in this movie, casting Wesley Snipes was a no brainer and he handles it with an ultra cool and experienced demeanor with the actor himself championing putting a lot of martial arts in the film because he admired foreign action films so much. And it does show in the choreography and action, while still having some gunplay and gadgets. I like how the story progresses and how they build the world, with only a few slight clunky pieces of info delivered but overall is done seamlessly and has good pacing throughout. Our main viewpoint character played by N'Bushe Wright though honestly not having too much to do besides be our human window into this supernatural world does a decent job, Stephen Dorff though not the biggest comic fan nails that cocky asshole villain role and at times seems to enjoy himself, knowing what I know I thought Kris Kristofferson was excellently cast as a semi-mentor/quartermaster with so much grumpiness and wiseass remarks he fits perfectly in the movie. Out of curiosity I compared this movies staking effects to Buffy, cause the CG is not great but it works okay and I actually prefer the staking effect here more. I am however disappointed that they had a Stan Lee cameo filmed but it didn't make the cut and I even heard tale Dr. Michael Morbius was also gonna get some screentime here but it never came to pass. That's a bummer, but all in all it's a decent movie. I give it 3 stars, 7/10, and in the meantime before we review the second film tomorrow I'm gonna tear up the dance floor with that rave song.

In Retrospect: Venom Let There Be Carnage

Time again to look back.

I think I get it more now. Originally in my review I said they knew what they were going for and succeeded, and on second viewing I enjoyed it more than the first time. I respect it a lot too, it is this sort of batshit comic book movie that is fairly loose on logic and rightfully so when you have a story with shifting alien blobs and super sonic screams that would make Rob Halford jealous, it's there to entertain and I applaud it for that. I think we need more comic book movies like this, it has the same attitude as a 90s comic book movie it doesn't take itself seriously and is there to give you a good time. I'm happy we get this cast back, I'm happy we get to see a continuation of Eddie and Venom's life/romance/crimefighting, and God I'm gonna get so much shit for this. I'm gonna say it anyway. Tom Hardy is cast better as Eddie Brock than Bane, and I very much liked Bane in The Dark Knight Rises it was a very good performance, but he can have a wild time with this script and it's infectious how humorous he plays it. I gave some good grief over how they handled Anne and her standing with Eddie, but it didn't bug me much this time around and should make for an interesting dynamic if God willing there be a 3rd movie. Do it, I want you to do it. If you seriously think that I would not attend the day one premiere of a movie where Eddie and Venom beach bum about, watching spanish soap operas, and trying to keep a low profile as their odd couple antics increase, then you must be new. Hi, welcome, we love the odd stuff here, hope you stick around. I can see a ton of people really bash this movie when it comes to Woody Harrelson and Naomi Harris, not so much because of the actors but the characters themselves. Oh they completely gave no respect to Carnage and his story, and I have no comment on that because I can't name two symbiotes beyond our hero and villain in this, and I really need to watch more Atop The Fourth Wall to learn more Spidey and Venom information. I can't believe how foolish I was though, I was sitting there the whole time in the theater thinking, "Why is that woman so strikingly beautiful? Why do I think I've seen her before?" when clearly as bright as daylight, as frank as Frankenstein, that's Naomi Harris gracing my vision. I wish to apologize for that. Still though, best scene, maybe even my favorite scene in a comic book movie in the last 5 or so years, Venom taking the stage. I don't care, I love it. It is so damn weird and mostly superfluous to the plot, but I adore it and I'm so happy it exists. And I'm giving some long overdue praise to Peggy Lu, Mrs. Chen shine on you crazy diamond. We need to give her so much attention and love, she is brilliant, the movies would not be as good without her, I have spoken. And I know sequels are very difficult to do, because there is precedent. No one knew how the first Venom movie would go, least of all me, and it was a weird hot mess that I now love, so when you get a second movie you want it to be as good as the first if not better. And while I don't think that, my estimation still has went up from the first time watch of it. So the score is now 3 stars, 7.5/10, you can enjoy it and you can take it as seriously as it wants to be which isn't much at all. I had kind of a ehhhh it's okay, now I think it's a decent movie and I feel that is the trend for this week when tomorrow we unpack....a lot with an in retrospect of No Time To Die.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Well Christ that was quick.

I swear this movie hit the big climactic fight 30 minutes after it started, but brownie points for not only keeping up the pace but giving another 90 minute comic book movie that's just there for fun and entertainment. Now I will say I didn't like it as much as the original but as evidence from the In Retrospect provides, it'll be well worth rewatching and re-evaluating. So we pick up some time after the first, Eddie and Venom are still living together as they encounter captured serial killer Cletus Kasady who obtains a unique symbiote of his own and goes on a rampage with Eddie having to intervene. Basic plot, not too much happens that furthers the incidents and characters from the first film, you think they might go for a reclaiming of a lost flame with Anne but it just kinda ends, if anything the subtext of romance pretty much becomes text with Eddie and Venom. And let me tell you something right now. You do not need to give me any comic book nonsense, no Carnage, no other villains, just give me a romance movie between Venom and Eddie. I will sit through every single one of them. Gladly. Their dynamic was the best part of the movie, and while the film is nothing spectacular to write home about I do feel it did exactly what it set out to do and did it well. The symbiote action was done I feel better than the first, it had way more comedy beats to it, and it sort of still fits that same style as the first movie. I give it 3 stars, 7/10, and tomorrow is gonna be a good day.

In Retrospect: Venom

Yeah, probably the longest period of time between initial viewing and an In Retrospect review.

Kiss my ass, this movie is good. Like when I saw it in theaters it was like a 6.5, maybe 7/10, now it's like 7.5 if not 8/10 for me now. I have gained all new love and appreciation for this movie in nearly every sense, and if anything watching it again has ignited the excitement and interest for Let There Be Carnage. I am so appreciative of the style and tone of this movie, it sort of fits that 90s/early 2000s vibe and fully commits to it which if nothing else gains my respect, it's really funny and has fun with the script. It's not a perfectly written, air tight plot, but I'll be damned if I said it didn't work in it's own little world. Tom Hardy is the man, the funny man, the sexy man, my man even, I think I said if there was a reason to watch this movie the first time around it was because of Tom Hardy, that has not changed. However, every single actor, every one of them commits to this movie and goes all in. There is not a dull or forgettable part in this with our main players, and even the brief side characters have nice moments. I love how wild the Symbiotes can do stuff, it's always shifting, molding, doing something, so it's entertaining the eyes even in the midst of a scene. I genuinely think the special effects are done well, yes it does delve into CGI monster mash fighting at the end, but even I had to commend the good use of practical effects scattered all throughout. I just loved seeing this movie again after all this time, and yeah I'm no hardcore Venom fan. I like the guy, read up on him a tiny bit, heard about the comic stories, was literally the reason I saw Spider-Man 3 in theaters, so I can't cast hellfire and brimstone from the skies with indignant nerd rage because of the audacity of unfaithful adaptation, so yeah bring it Brittnay I really like Venom and I'm looking forward to the sequel tomorrow. 4 stars, 8/10, bite the heads off of those who disagree with you.

Black Widow

Never thought I'd see the day.

Finally it came, so what did I think of it? Well truth be told, I did like it certainly. I had no even brief considerations of what the plot might entail, yet I must admit I still feel like The Winter Soldier is to this day the best example of espionage and spy stuff in this universe, but it really is a personal story for Natasha it digs into her baggage, her past, and I genuinely like it. We see her as a young girl before she even trained to be a Widow, we meet the closest thing to actual family she has, and it's just a personal vendetta against the establishment/organization that she was a part of. Scarlett slips so easily back into this role, and without question shows off the actiony but the dramatic acting in this movie. All the bits I loved about her in the other movies, again pointing towards Winter Soldier as the highlight, get expanded upon a great deal. Though I had to try to figure out certain things cause once I was done with Marvel that information bled out of my ears never to be thought of again, so the movie takes place not long after Civil War and by the end she has her short blonde hair which said Infinity War to me, so it was slightly difficult to tether all the history points together. Does it work as a standalone movie? Mostly, I'm debating on where it falls in the ranking and while my gripes are small I did have fun with it. Best character in the whole movie, David Harbour that man just keeps giving me good performances. I dare you to not love his character by the end of this, he brings that much fun and energy to it where it doesn't feel pandering and unnecessary. The same cannot be said for Natasha's sister Yelena, jus...gimme a minute. Was not a fan. Smartass to unparalleled levels, but without being funny. Villain is forgettable shite, no shocker there for this series. Effects have such a tug of war on me, some stuff looks really good still using practical effects, and then. And then. This CG is not very good, I mean God bless them for trying, but man oh man we have not perfected normal computer generated humans yet. It looked rough in spots, and I don't think I can entirely blame the year of the antichrist 2020 for it. Am I confusing movies or was this slated for late 2019 and they pushed it (jokes on them) back? Not too sure. It's decent, I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, it's never truly a bad movie if Scarlett is in it. And that theater was packed, and right before the after credits scene played I walked out. Because I'm an asshole, and on that bombshell it is time to end. Thank you so much for joining me, goodnight.

Wonder Woman 1984

I would like to go on record and submit an apology. When I first saw the trailer I thought Nathan Fillion was in the role of Maxwell Lord and it was Pedro Pascal. I think this was significantly before I watched The Mandalorian so I did not know what he looked like, and I'm sorry about that.

Now that we got that out of the way, are you f***ing kidding me? Really? We're doing this again are we? You know what I am so sick of? I am so sick of hearing nothing but bad mouthing and shitting on a movie before I see it and when I finally do, it turns out to be a good, decent movie. Case in f***ing point, Wonder Woman 1984. I cannot tell you one thing good that was said about this movie when it first came out. Everytime. Every. Time. When this movie was brought up I heard bad things. Not specific things so nothing got spoiled in the slightest, but the ambiance was vastly negative even disappointing from people. What movie did you see in the theater, and how did it differ from the one I just rented? Did they pull a Snyder cut and re-edited the movie for the home video release, cause I got news for you I didn't see one goddamn thing that was bad in this movie, not even sub-par. You think I would be happy about that but really I am so aggravated and frankly pissed right the hell off. Like was the world just in a bad mood when this movie hit in 2020?? Jesus Christ, I mean yes some stuff was going down, bad stuff, but come on man. Not to say the movie was a masterpiece, nor would I say it's better than the first I'd give the first a 8/10, but there is not one aspect of this film's production that would get anything below a 6/10. The production design is quite good with ample various sets and locations, the music is very good both in Hans Zimmer's score and the pop tunes, the cast is excellent and in some cases you can see they are performing their heart out I mean they embody these roles for this generation, the action while less than the first was shot, choreographed, and produced well, the story while nothing ground breaking I felt was handled really good with Diana having a dilemma and Maxwell Lord rising to power. Sure there were off things, like how the invisible jet comes into play, Cheetah is really only in the film in the last 20 odd minutes, we don't get precise origins on the stone. And yet, it was nothing film breaking. I loved we got the invisible jet, the effects on Cheetah were not Cats quality (thank the lord), I could buy the stone was magic so you don't have to explain it. I got to see Diana and Steve reunited though with a consequence, and I have no issue they brought Chris Pine back. He has great chemistry with Gal, and I truly loved to see them be in the same movie again, and the dilemma Diana has to face in order to save the world is a decent one! Kristen Wiig pulled off the villain thing, starting off very Michelle Pfeiffer from Batman Returns, but you see the change gradually and while Cheetah kind of did pop out of nowhere, it didn't hurt her performance and I liked how she played it. Seeing Pedro Pascal have the time of his life in this role, played to the fullest extent with every shred of energy and emotion present from beginning to end was wonderful, marvellous even. Gal Gadot shows off her emotional range very well, she kind of acts her heart out in an important scene, and I felt she proved once again why she got this role, and I just got a wee smile on my face when I heard her speak her native language. That was a nice thing to see, plus that absolutely lovely cameo at the end. That was beyond sweet. I am just so stumped to pick bad parts out of this movie. Hell there were moments that stuck out to me so much, and not every comic book movie can accomplish such a thing which is odd because I'm a dork for this stuff. The jet scene with the fireworks was beautiful, such an good color palette throughout the film really, but the visuals were dazzling yet kept the emotion in the foreground. The scene where Diana flies was outstanding, I felt just like how I did when I saw Clark fly for the first time in Man Of Steel, that was done so well! Just...what am I missing? Either I'm a drooling moron who has no concept of what a good movie is and every other person speaks undeniable truths, or everyone is talking out of their stupid assholes and I'm right. And I am not happy I am thinking like that. At all. That is not a good mental state to be in ever. Even the most positive, affirming, beyond happy ending this movie has, that I have ever seen in my entire life, could not raise my spirits. The film is practically a beacon of positivity and hope for the human race, that the world could become the greatest nightmare ever imagined if you don't be truthful and just make decisions that only service you and not others. Sure it was a bit on the nose with Diana almost flat out speaking to the camera, but that does not mean that her words should mean less. I am just fuming, in virtual apathy for the world and it's inhabitants, and you know you wouldn't think Wonder Woman 1984 would be the film where I draw a line in the sand and marshall all the forces of darkness to descend hell upon my enemies and hound them to an assisted suicide, but here I am. I have no qualms burning bridges, even if those bridges have people on it. 3 stars, 7.5/10. If this horseshit keeps up I might just quit. Maybe even before the 1,000th review. I'm done.