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......

Death On The Nile

Only been 5 years since Murder On The Orient Express. Strange how time flies huh?

As a continuation of that movie I feel it honestly was better than I thought it would be, granted my expectations were low as always and I have no true grasp of the literary character Hercule Poirot, so with that in mind let's talk movies. The story I am happy to announce is not as cut and dry as a standard murder mystery, with Poirot in Egypt who is invited to a honeymoon cruise, where whoopsie daisy people start dropping like flies and it's time to put your thinking caps on. Now you know I don't boast my intelligence like a certain Mr. Nygma, but I had the killer identified before the murder began, but honestly it's kind of obvious who did it but like I said it isn't simple and easy either. That's a delicate balance when writing a mystery, and the way the story progresses and the direction shows you things makes for a decent watching experience. You're not meant to do all the thinking but it invites you to think and deduce, which I admire greatly. Speaking of which, you had balls movie and I'll appreciate the use of said balls for doing the thing you did, well done. The only big detriment the movie has for it is the visual effects, they're not terrible but they are at times very obvious and not that great, but hey do you come to a murder mystery for CGI or for the caper? It does look pretty at times and the whole concept of a murder mystery set amidst the ruins of ancient Egypt is a fine backdrop for the events. I'm not certain if they filmed extensively in Egypt but it works nicely. All the actors I feel commit to the roles and do very good work, in particular Branagh and Armie Hammer who I felt brought a lot of emotional power to his role, and Poirot gets a good fair bit of characterization and backstory which while feeling a bit unnecessary wasn't bad stuff. Gal Gadot still has zero right being as pretty as she is and always is a joy. It was also super nice to see Sophie Okonodo again, and her semi-flirtatious attitude with Poirot was great and I didn't actually mind seeing them together. It's a solid movie, about as good as Orient Express I'd say, but not a bad thing to waste an afternoon watching. 3 stars, 7/10, and we're doing something different for Valentine's Day.

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.

In Retrospect: Ralph Breaks The Internet

I think it got better.

I can seriously spend the next 3 hours of my life endlessly praising the story of Ralph Breaks The Internet, not the progression of the story but more deeper readings. There's tons to love in this movie, you have such a diverse and fun atmosphere in the form of the internet so it never feels dull or like you need more. A lot of people gave Tron Legacy good grief because it didn't go into the internet and was still the closed off server of The Grid, and I didn't take much grievance with that, because the internet is too big a thing. I can appreciate what this movie did but it couldn't have squeezed more of the world and culture of the internet in the time alloted. It was not the point, the point was to take the relationship of Ralph and Vanellope further. And that is the beauty of it, throughout the whole movie Vanellope kinda comes to a crisis in her life, not only does she get kinda existential and asks if there is more to her life than the same old same old with Ralph, and wants more. That is something rarely talked about, let alone in a Disney movie, I mean the closest we got was Belle's big song about wanting something bigger than she can explain in life, but it does such a better job doing it because of their relationship. It's done so well, and the way it ends warrants the price of admission. They have to part ways, Vanellope goes out on her own to a new game and Ralph has to go back to the arcade, but their friendship doesn't end and they acknowledge that it sucks to see a friend go. That's a very important thing for people of all ages, not just kids. It's a very depressing fact of life that the older you get the harder it is to make friends. When you're a kid, you go to school and have homework, that is what stops you from going outside or over to a friend's house and play. And that pretty much stops when you get to high school, then you have to get a part time job and contend with school which makes it a bit harder but certainly not impossible. You can absolutely forge new relationships in college, but when you're full on working it's damn near impossible to go out with friends. So to go back and see such close friends have to go their seperate ways is rough to watch because they build their relationship so well, it's kind of a bummer ending but you know it will be okay. That's....fantastic. I can't see many complaints for this movie, besides we need more Star Wars and Tron because I'm a fanboy and I love me some sci-fi but that's nitpicking like, extreme nitpicking. The animation is excellent, the story is wonderful, the voice acting is perfect scores across the board, I just friggin' love this movie. I have no clue what they could do next but I am certain the wait will be worth it, even if this was the last one I wouldn't complain that much. I'm so happy I saw it again and I hope more people get to, it's worth your time and money and leaves an impact on you. What more could anyone ask? Well we got one more before birthday week, so stick around.

Ralph Breaks The Internet

Well shoot, they topped the first one.

So not only does Ralph Breaks The Internet top the first movie, it is a contender for my top 10 films of 2018. Like I'm serious, I can scarcely believe how great it is. Set 6 years after the first movie (Can you even believe it's been that long?) Ralph and Vanellope have been hanging out in the arcade and things have been pretty good, but unfortunately disaster happens and Vanellope's game could be unplugged. Ralph takes it upon himself to find a new working part and venture's into the newly founded connection to the internet to help his friend and be a hero once more. Now I strongly urge you, do not fully trust the trailer. Now what I mean by that is, it the trailer sets up this lighthearted romp around the interwebs, but it does so much more than that and actually has weight and importance in this world that Wreck-It Ralph created. The friendship between Ralph and Vanellope is explored more and put to the test, and it ends in one of the most bittersweet ways imaginable. It's like if you took the ending to Lost In Translation, but instead of it being completely soul crushing, it's soul crushing with a bit of happiness. And that is the reason why this film will probably make top 5 on my list, not just because of that ending because it made me think of another perfect movie. They throw references left, right, and center, like showing off the original 1982 Tron Lightcycle grid which made me fanboy so hard it was like seeing Tarkin all over again in Rogue One. Even my inner fanboy cannot claim, "Oh this whole movie should be just Tron and Star Wars!" because it would detract from an excellent, excellent film. I have to say I was expecting more burning satire of the internet and the current society we live in, but nothing really came of it but that's okay. They thread the story so well it makes sense why Vanellope would be in Disney, and I have to say though I'm not a shall we say great fan of the Disney Princess movies, just to see dang near every original actress for each Princess all together on the big screen is incredible! No one would have ever expected to see such a thing in their lifetime, least of all me, so that's just really impressive work from Disney. They put their heart into this story, they wanted you to love the story, they wanted you to connect and enjoy these characters, and they do it so well. I am immensely proud of the ending of this movie, because you just never see it in a Disney movie or hell really any movie! The last Disney movie I saw that did something this real and life experienced was flippin' Lilo & Stitch! This film put me in a mood, I was already quiet, a bit melancholy, and appreciative of my day, now I'm just a bubble of emotions and feel even more happy yet sad then I was! 5/4 stars!! Glorious movie! Go see it!!!

In Retrospect: Justice League

Yeah, I still really like this movie.

I gotta admit I was laughing my ass off at people who gave this movie 3 stars or lower on IMDB, that is a joke that will never get old! Really? If this is the worst movie you have ever seen you have either never been to the cinema in your life, don't know what a movie is, or have never seen movies like Manos The Hands Of Fate or The Room. You got off easy if this is the worst movie you have ever seen! Which is ridiculous because Justice League is a good movie. It is not great, perfect, or mind blowing. But it is a highly entertaining and cool movie for comic book fans and superhero movie fans. Every major character they did was brought to life and done justice. It's a shame Cyborg never got much screen time cause there is a lot to his character and I enjoyed him while he was on screen. Flash stole the movie for me, I absolutely adore Barry and I cannot wait to see him in future movies. I will not rant about the delayed Aquaman movie, at least we got it this year but I hate having to wait until Christmas to see quite possibly the greatest Aquaman in history. And the trinity of DC heroes, good work as always but of course special praise to Wonder Woman (I don't think Gal Gadot is her real name at this point...). Now is this the best adaptation of the Justice League? No. The animated series did everything right and is a classic, but I'll be damned if I said this movie sucked. Yeah, the villain was rubbish but honestly I have yet to see a recent comic book movie in the post-Dark Knight Rises world that had a really awesome villain. Lex was fine in the last movie, but he ain't no Tom Hardy. Both sides have suffered from this but I have faith in both companies to pull through. Ugh....now that I think about it I will be without a comic book movie until October. That sucks. Oh but many more movies, many more days. And we got one this Friday!

Justice League

Yep, I loved it.

Justice League is another hit in my book, dashing all insecurities and paranoia that this cinematic universe could not take shape. This film was awesome, everyone was perfectly casted even in supporting roles, the action was very well done, all the characters got their screen time to shine, they did not feel shoehorned in or forced in anyway which made me very happy. In fact let's talk superheroes. Batman is still done very well by Ben Affleck spearheading the charge to form the League, Wonder Woman is really the backbone and soul of the League holding it all together while really throwing her all into kicking ass, Flash is perfection, (No I have not seen the CW show yet, so currently Ezra Miller is my Flash.) and you can tell he is having the time of his life in this role, Jason Momoa is Aquaman (Need I even say more?) and the sad part is most of his best moments are in the trailer but screw it Aquaman is the King, Cyborg was done I thought incredibly well giving the character his struggle between man and machine and finding his new place in the world. However! You underused Mera, how dare you? You do not disrespect the Queen, and damn it I wish there was more of her! J.K. Simmons is really good as Jim Gordon, again terribly underused but it's great seeing him. And actually that's the thing, true these characters might not be seen much but there will be more movies so we can fully appreciate the potrayals of these beloved comic book characters. Now I must admit, I have never heard of Steppenwolf in the comics, quite frankly he sounds like a Norwegian metal band, and I'd be lying if though while he is a formidable foe for the League, he is not that great a villain. He's basically a "all he sees he conquers" type of villain, and the best part of his character was that he mentioned an even bigger, badder villain than himself. Though that reveal will be easily detected by any fan of the comics or their related media. So the villain was not that strong, but the actions scenes are so well done, though the slow motion has reached Zack Snyder levels over 9000 thanks to The Flash now, but regardless it is all framed and shot well so you can get a large scope of the battles. And it does do justice to the comics incredibly well, and I highly suggest you stay after the credits. It may not be what you are expecting, but I think you will like it. It's by no means incredible like The Dark Knight or the 1978 Superman movie, but it is worth your time and money if you love comic books and love the movies even more.

In Retrospect: Wonder Woman

On second viewing, yeah still very awesome.

At last! A film I desperately needed to see again and yes, it is just as great as it was the first time! You know what I noticed this time around? The film is very sweet and loving, I mean we are dealing with Wonder Woman here: Compassion, respect, dignity, strength, intelligence, and love, so it makes sense that this would be the message of the story, love triumphs over all and that doing what you believe can have great reprocussions on the world. Another thing I noticed is how well the movie does justice to the character of Diana Prince, I mean really when you get right down to it it is not possible to screw up Wonder Woman. Why is that though? I'm not sure, she's a very popular comic book character, potrayed before by Lynda Carter and that was in the 70s, so even then she was popular and loved. So I obviously can not say that she's not as famous or loved as Superman or Batman because that's a lie, but those characters have had their missteps, but not with Wonder Woman. Why? No idea, but I'm obviously looking forward to seeing her in Justice League and sequel talk has risen, so I expect great things in the future. If people ever had a problem with the new DC cinematic universe, they shut up real quick when this movie hit. And that's all they have to do really, tell a good story while doing justice to the character with love and admiration for their history and standing in pop culture. Bam! You done good DC, this is why you're my favorite. I know it can succeed, just like Universal's Dark Universe with all the classic monsters, true The Mummy wasn't a smash hit but they have until 2019 to work the kinks out for The Bride Of Frankenstein so I'm optimistic for it. I have great faith in the future of movies, and I hope you share in it with me.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Well that movies was cool.

Again, I reiterate, 75 YEARS for Wonder Woman to have a movie?! That's criminal! This film is really damn good, it's not perfect, it's really damn good! Plot wise, not much has changed since the animated venture except if you swap modern day for 1915, Diana fights the germans instead of demons, and it ties in to the DC movie universe. Diana lives with the Amazons, until our favorite pilot Steve Trevor crashes and informs Diana and the Amazons of a war which seems to be the design of Ares, which sets Diana off to stop the war and kick his ass. There is much ass kicking in this movie. Action is spectacular, thankfully the comedy is not as obtrusive as I dreaded, the story is a fine origin story for Diana, but what really came out of left field and wow'ed me was surprisingly the emotion. If not for the whole Amazon and Ares thing, this could be a World War 1 movie. They do not shy away from the grisly nature of that war, soldiers losing limbs, towns raided, women and children killed, and the infamous trench warfare. In fact, name one single World War 1 movie. Not World War 2, but World War 1. I can't name a friggin' one....besides this one. This movie really hammers that for lack of a better word, sorrow and distress that you see in war. It feels a little too real. And I think they chose wisely placing this in 1915 and not in say 1944. I know we want Wonder Woman to punch nazis but trust me the meaning of Diana and her character, and what she represents is and would be leaps and bounds better than if the story was set in World War 2. She is a hero, she acknowledges humans are not all good but some are and that is what you should focus on. People always focus on negative things rather than the positive it seems, except for Diana. Which is why she is an excellent example of a hero. Not just a female hero, even though that should be commended considering her creation and history, but a hero to aspire to be like. Diana would never hurt anyone innocent, she is kind, she is decent, she doesn't think herself better than anybody, and refuses to continue to let bad things happen in the world. And granted, I have not read many Wonder Woman solo stories, but I know deep down I desperately need to. There's no doubt Wonder Woman is without a doubt in the top 3 of my DC heroes, and I hope she becomes a favorite of many, many more people.

In Retrospect: Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice

In this particular retrospect I shall be reviewing the 3 hour cut of the movie, not the two and a half hour theatrical cut, to see if it is worth the extra 30 minutes. In the short term, yes it is. In the long term, let us begin. Needless to say I still love the movie, and the additional footage greatly enhances the original cut. In fact, the additional footage cleans up quite a few messes from the original cut so I am all for it. They show a hell of a lot more blood in this, which I actually enjoy because it just makes it much more realistic. So well done all around, the acting is still awesome, the fights are still great, we get a tiny bit more character arc, and I am just happy to own it. Do I recommend the 3 hour cut? Absolutely. I think you will enjoy it more than the original theatrical cut. So I say go out and buy the Ultimate Edition which is seriously a grand total of I think $4 extra than the regular movie. So until next week, where we review more DC movies leading up to Suicide Squad.

Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice

I had great faith in this movie...and it did not disappoint!

What a great comic book movie! I loved it! Ben Affleck killed it as Batman, Henry Cavill is still a great Superman, even Gal Gadot whooped some serious ass as Wonder Woman! The cast, yes even Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor was fantastic. So what's the story? Well....it's a little bit more complex then Batman and Superman throw down and it's amazing. It sets up a lot of stuff, and some of it won't pay off until the future but it was still very well done! The best part of the movie in my opinion was the fact that this is a continuation of Man Of Steel. And some of the plot elements play strongly in this film. I dare not spoil how it all unfolds but I think it will thrill you. I think it will fascinate you about future DC movies. So for those of you who feel obligated to see this movie, despite my rave review I have to say you are very brave. Through all the hate, the doubt, the crazy choices it actually works. Would it make you happy? Would it make you think more? How come there were so many dream sequences? Well there's one thing you need to know: It's here. And it's a true marvel. So get your butts down to the movie theater right now!