aheartofdorkness Reviews

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Why is this movie bombing?

[8/10 · 24 March 2023]

Just like its predecessor, I had a lot of fun with this movie. As a matter of fact, I liked it more than the last several films in the MCU. Do people not know that they can like both DC and Marvel? Is that why they are staying away? I have been a fan of both companies and characters for the last 30 years as a collector.

Yeah, I know DC Films have had a rough way, but they are getting better. I have high hopes for the next couple ("Flash" and "Blue Beetle") and with the universe reset coming soon, it can only go up from there...right?

My only complaint with this sequel, if it can be called a complaint, is that Michelle Borth did not return as Superhero Mary but rather Grace Fulton did double duty as both the human and powered up version of the character.

I get why they did it, but I wished they had not. I always liked the idea that the physical form of Billy and the physical form of Shazam were two different beings and not an older version of himself. When Billy said the magic word, his mind was magically placed into a different body that existed outside of time and space. The same was true for Mary, Freddie and eventually the other kids as well.

If this had been adopted for the movie, this would have allowed them to make many sequels without having to worry that the actors did not exactly resemble one another as they got older.

I was thrilled when I read "Marvelman" for the first time a few years ago, that is exactly what happens in that series, which was originally a rip-off of the old "Captain Marvel" comics.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Best of the latest MCU entries.

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

I had a ton of fun with this one. The action was well done and I laughed at all the right moments. The humor did not really feel forced like some other recent MCU entries. The villain is actually a villain rather than a sympathetic individual whose actions are villainous but intentions noble. That is my primary concern with the last several MCU films.

The performances from returning actors were just as fun as previous appearances and the new actors all did great. Especially Jonathan Majors as Kang. That guy is amazing.

The use of LucasFilm's Volume set technology made a big difference in how the actors interacted with their unearthly environments and made it more believable.

Most of the creatures were also very well designed. There was one CGI character that was kind of off, but their design would have been difficult to pull off regardless of budget. I still liked the overall end result despite my reservations.

I think this is the best Marvel movie entry in awhile.

Supergirl (1984)

Better than I remember, but still not great.

[7/10 · 5 February 2023]

I have been a fan of "Superman" in nearly all of his iterations, cinematic, televised, and animated, for as long as I can remember. While he has had his low points (Superman IV: The Quest For Peace), I still remain a devout fan. This fandom includes his extended family of characters, like Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Steel, Superboy, and, of course, Supergirl. I have been in a super- mood lately, rereading comics and watching movies and shows. Today, I decided to tackle the 1984 movie starring Helen Slater.

It has been several decades since I last remember watching this movie. So, I will write my thoughts as they occur to me.

The opening credits are actually pretty cool. I am sure all of the mirrored names took a very long time to create, light, and shoot. But it was worth the effort.

The Argo City sets are unique and very pretty, but also very boring. There is not a lot of difference in one set to the next. But the original "Superman" had a similar problem with their Kryptonian sets.

Peter O'Toole is wasted in this movie. So is Mia Farrow. Faye Dunaway I can give or take.

The choice for Kara to emerge from innerspace, magically dressed in her Supergirl uniform, has always bothered me, even as a kid watching this with my cousin the first time. Why did the production design team think this was okay? It was a bad choice then and, in my head, somehow worse now nearly 40 years later. It's just bad storytelling.

Her first flying scene around the park is pretty great and holds up very well. Helen (or her stunt double) looks so comfortable and graceful. My only issue is that her cape is so rigid in several shots. It should be fluttering about with the wind. Then it switches to the green screen/rear projected flight, which doesn't look bad, just not as good. Helen still is very graceful and looks like she is having a lot of fun.

I wonder why they chose a witch for her nemesis? That is such a strange choice to me. I get not repeating a Lex Luthor type of character, but was the only feminine villain they could think of a witch?

Ha! Matt Frewer is one of the dirtbag truckers.

Why the need for a disguise? Nobody knows who she is. How did she know how a typewriter and filing system works?

I always wondered how, if she was living in a parallel universe, did she know about Superman and Clark?

She randomly chooses to attend a boarding school and just happens to become roommates with Lucy Lane, sister to Lois. That is just too much of a coincidence.

Having the love interest of Kara be an adult man, even if he is under the influence of a love spell, when she is obviously a child is very creepy. And he walked all over town before seeing her. You mean he didn't see ANY lady in all that time wandering around?

She didn't bother to rescue Lucy? She could still be hurt on that runaway machine?

Why did Kara turn back into Linda after she rescued Ethan as Supergirl? That is not hiding her identity very well. He should have seen her as Supergirl and fallen in love with her because of the spell. Then later, she shows up as Linda and he feels nothing.

Did Selena say she was a Siren of Endor? Like, Ewok Endor?

That coconut should have split Ethan's head right open.

The design of The Phantom Zone is really good. Very close to how it is shown on the Superman comics.

The final battle is just really lame.

It just occured to me that Jimmy Olsen is romantically involved with a high school kid, too. Also creepy. But strangely, not as much as Ethan being into one. It's probably because Jimmy is meant to be immature and Ethan is not.

I think the main problem with this movie is that it is a technically capable film, just written very badly. I still enjoyed it for its campiness, but it should not have been campy. I get why this was a bomb back when it was released. I know it is a movie about a super-powered teenager from another dimension, but there still should have been some logic used in the story. I can only suspend disbelief so much.

The Fabelmans (2022)

See where Spielberg began...kinda.

[8/10 · 30 January 2023]

Steven Spielberg directs an autobiographical movie about his childhood but did not actually call the movie "The Spielbergs" nor name any of the characters after the members of his family.

Title confusion aside, I really liked it. It is not Speilbergs best movie, but it is definitely far from his worst. Actually, does he have a bad movie? Even the weaker films are still pretty dang good!

You can tell it was a personal project and he genuinely cared about everything he put on the screen. While it is primarily a dramatic film, it has some funny moments and I, as well as the annoyingly loud lady a few seats down, laughed several times. The final shot before the credits roll, is a great gag. One I would not have expected from such a reviled filmmaker.

Catwoman: Hunted (2022)

Better than expected.

[8/10 · 2 January 2023]

As a long time reader and fan of the DC Universe, I was unsure of this one as Catwoman was never my favorite character in the Bat-Books. I never disliked her, I just thought she, like The Joker, was overused.

This film utilized characters I didn't expect, Like Black Mask, Tobias Whale, BatWoman and criminal cartel LEVIATHAN, which is a more recent addition to DC lore.

The directors stated that anime "Lupin III" was an inspiration, but I got more of a "Cowboy Bebop" vibe, especially with the musical score. Catwoman voice actor Elizabeth Gillies' performance even reminded me of the English dub of "Cowboy Bebop" character Faye Valentine.

While this is definitely not the best DC animated movie, I feel that honor goes to "All-Star Superman", this is still a lot of fun and I do recommend it.

Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

If only Jodie's tenure was as fun as the end.

[8/10 · 2 December 2022]

I think Whittaker could have been a great Doctor. I don't blame her for the lackluster show she was involved with, I blame Chibnal. I know he is a talented individual, but I do not think that he and his team of writers were up for the task of working on such a beloved and iconic series. What 13's entire run lacked was the joy that Doctors 9-12 had. When I say joy, I do not mean in her performance, which I liked, I mean in the stories themselves. Her finale had that and I would have really liked the rest of her tenure to have reflected that fun. If it had, I do not believe she would have been unfairly disliked by the fan community. Because, let's be honest, fans are jerks.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

I liked it, but still not a huge fan.

[6/10 · 8 October 2022]

I am not a huge fan of the original. I think it has its charm, but overall I think it is just okay. I will admit I was curious as the sequel took so long to come out that I want to see if it has any ounce of the whimsy and charm the original did have for me.

Live thoughts:

• So far, I really like the prequel opening. Especially Buster Bluth as the Reverend. I always forget he can play an a-hole as easily as he can portray a buffoon. Young Winifred is also pretty good at emulating Bette Midler. I like this bit so much, I would have been okay with the entire movie being an origin story.

• I already like the main characters, Becca and Izzy more than Max, Dani and Allison.

• Oh boy, Buster plays a modern day character too. I love that dude. He is such a fun actor to watch.

• Even though Miss Midler is a fantastic singer, I can do without the spontaneous musical number. But at least they acknowledge the absurdity.

• How would Mary know surfing and "Cowabunga"? I hate when time displaced characters use modern language without learning the phrases on screen first.

• I like how footage from the previous movie is used as flashback but from a different perspective of a new character.

• I hate the "I Put A Spell On You" number from the original. I think it is competent and Midler is amazing, but how did she know the words? The same goes with "One Way Or Another" in this one. It is good but doesn't make sense.

• So, does the original "Hocus Pocus" exist as a movie in this because someone was watching it on television?

• No matter how much makeup they pile on him, Doug Jones is always amazing.

• I like the ending. I actually felt bad for Winifred. I wonder if they would have been good witches if their childhood had been different?

Overall, I think I might prefer this to the original because I think the characters are better and more interesting, but I still think it is just an okay movie.

Werewolf by Night (2022 TV Movie)

Bark At The Moon

[9/10 · 7 October 2022]

Marvel Comics has published a lot of stories across many genres over the years. In the 1970's, Horror was becoming popular again. The genre had mostly died out in the previous decade after parents had forced publisher EC Comic out of business. They believed that ECs series "Tales From The Crypt", as well as others like it, had "corrupted" the young with its depiction of violence and gore.

This era of Marvel gave us characters like BLADE (3 movies 2 of which are good), MORBIUS (one movie that is baffling in it badness), MAN-THING (an awful television movie most don't even know exists) and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT. It is the latter that takes center stage in this entry into the scarier side of the MCU.

I really enjoyed this. It pays visual and tonal homage to the classic Universal Monster series with some ramped up action sequences. There were some very cool death scenes and lots of blood, but seeing as how the entire special is in black and white, it is just splatters of tar black spewing about.

At just under an hour in length, I wanted it to be longer and now I want to see more.

The Munsters (2022)

Better than expected, but not as good as I was hoping.

[7/10 · 1 October 2022]

I love "The Munsters" show. I have since I was a kid. Rob Zombie also really loves "The Munsters" and has since he was a kid. I also really like Rob Zombie. Mostly his music, but his movies are not bad. Well, his "Halloween" movies are, but there is a reason for that and it would take too long to get into.

Well, did I also love Rob's take on "The Munsters"?

Yes and no.

What I liked:

It looked great. The colors and cinematography really popped. The makeup and costumes looked very close to the original series. I think his cast did a good job. Jeff Daniel Philips and Daniel Roebuck both did their own thing, but still was close enough to what we are used to with Herman and The Count. Sheri was, well, okay. I think her Lily was a little bland. But there were some moments she really shined.

What I thought needed improving:

The pacing. Especially at the beginning. It dragged on a bit at times. I think a tighter edit could have improved this.

What I did not care for:

While I liked the fact that it was goofy like the original show, I would have liked it to have been less like the show. Use the concept as a launching point, but do something new with it. It is also an origin story for how the family came together and it does not feature Eddie or Marilyn at all. I would have preferred a story with the family as a whole.

Final words:

It has several jokes where I laughed out loud and I had a good time with my family watching it. So, I recommend it. Just don't expect "Citizen Kane" and you might have a good time too.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

A fun addition to the MCU.

[8/10 · 18 August 2022]

There is only one episode available at the time of this writing, but based on that Marvel Studios has made another fun series. Tatiana Maslany should be a bigger star than she is. With her performances (yes, plural) in "Orphan Black" and "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" she is one of the most talented actresses working today.

One thing the series did that was an improvement over the comic is the origin of her Hulk-ness. Fundamentally, they are the same with her receiving some of her cousin Bruce's gamma irradiated blood. But the specific moment from her comic story I always thought was ridiculous. In the comic is was intentional but in the show it is an accident. Which I think is much better.

If anyone says this does not fit into the MCU because it is a sitcom, has never actually read a MARVEL Comic. Nearly every character in their entire roster can star in a dramatic superhero story one issue and then a laugh a minute romp the next.

I have read issues of Daredevil that were dark and bloody and then other issues where downright silly. Same with Spider-Man. Also, Doctor Strange. And the Fantastic Four. You get the idea.

The fact that those serious characters can show up in something kind of lighthearted like this show makes sense because our lives can do the same...just without superpowers.

Which is unfortunate because I really want superpowers.

The Princess (I) (2022)

Princess Buttercup kicking butt.

[7/10 · 2 July 2022]

I liked this quite a bit. It is as if "The Princess Bride" and "John Wick" had a cinematic baby with elements of a reverse "The Raid" thrown in. The story does not worry about a lot of character development or too much dialog and instead focuses on the story and action. A strong willed Princess starts in the high tower of her castle and fights her way down through waves of medieval soldiers from her on her way to save her family from a tyrant. It has humor and is dumb and bloody and I had fun.

Crimewave (1985)

The little known Raimi gem.

[8/10 · 26 June 2022]

I saw "Darkman" as a young man and became obsessed with it. At about the same time I also started reading comic books. When I saw that there was a sequel done as a comic, I immediately bought it. In the back of the first issue there was a mini biography on Sam Raimi and it mentioned "The Evil Dead" films (at the time there were only the first 2) so that weekend I went to my local video rental store and rented the first film and immediately fell in love with it. The next weekend I rented the second film and it cemented my Raimi-fandom.

I had seen every movie he directed and bought them in every format available to add to my collection...except "Crimewave". Somehow, this early entry in his filmography had eluded me for the last 32 years until I found the bluray on sale a few days ago.

Last night I finally got to watch and it is kind of awful. The story is nonsensical and the performances, even from established actors are just terrible.

In other words, I loved it.

Yes, it is deeply flawed but a lot of the fun visual Raimi-isms that became staples of his works were developed here in this box office disaster. In an interview with leading man Reed Birney, he describes the film as "A three stooges movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock" and that is a perfect way to explain it.

I recommend this because it is just a bonkers film and if you enjoy any of Raimi's other movies for their distinctive visual style, then you can see their genesis on full display throughout.

America: The Motion Picture (2021)

Full of historical inaccuracies

[2/10 · 4 July 2021]

I can't believe this was made. Did the writer never take any history classes? I mean, Washington and Lincoln did not even live in the same time period let alone pal around together. And Benedict Arnold as a werewolf? I'm pretty sure those are not real!

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

It had its moments...

[5/10 · 8 May 2021]

But it is no "Shaun Of The Dead". It has an amazing cast and there are some clever jokes ("It's the theme song") and some sight gags (The Rza drives a truck for Wu-PS) but overall, not Jarmusch's best.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

So much better than the Theatrical/Whedon Cut...

[4/10 · 28 March 2021]

But that does not mean it was good."

First, some background on myself. I have two degrees in Geek, movies and comics. I have been movie obsessed for as long as I can remember (as of this writing I am 42 years old, so let us say I have been watching movies fanatically for at least 37 of those years) and I have been an avid comic collector for the past 30 years, with most of my collection being dedicated to DC. When those two mediums come together in a well-crafted way, I feel like I just proved the CAINE/HACKMAN theory by finding "A Bridge Too Far" while channel surfing. For the most part, the films of the MCU give me that feeling, as does the first "Superman" starring Christopher Reeve and 2/3 of Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy".

I was lukewarm with the first few films of the Snyder-Verse, I did not hate them outright. I just thought they could be a little brighter and Superman could be, well, more like Superman. Bright and happy and less mopey. I followed the #releasethesnydercut campaign even though I thought it would never come to be and I was genuinely shocked when it worked.

This afternoon, I put the movie up on my big screen and my lifelong movie/comic collecting friend came over and we watched it just like it was in a real theatre. For the first 30 minutes or so, we sat there in silence and then something happened and we both broke. Suddenly, it was like we were on The Satellite Of Love and we were being punished for scientific research. It ended up being 3 1/2 hours of us doing MST3K like commentary without the robots.

Want to know why this thing is 4 hours long? Because 1/2 of it is in slow motion. I get having scenes with Flash being slowed down, but every action scene? Even some dramatic stuff was running at a slower pace.

Is it all bad? No. There were some changes I genuinely liked. But not enough to justify an all new movie. I know some people are going to wonder what I thought was good and what I thought was not. Well, the truth is I found it to be so unremarkable that I really cannot recall any specifics...except the "Knightmare" scene. Not only do I think it was unnecessary but the inclusion of Jared Leto's Joker was kind of hysterical! I felt like he was just trying to channel Jim Carrey. As a matter of fact, for a split second I thought that it WAS the MASKed one stepping into the role.

So far, I like the changes made to the DCEU that have been made post Theatrical Cut. "Shazam!" was a lot of fun, "Birds Of Prey and The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn" was totally underrated and I think James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" is going to be a blast. I know a lot of people are going to like this one and they have every right to. I am just not one of them. If WB caves to the fan cries again and does "Restore the Snyder-Verse" like I have seen a lot of posters call for, then I may have to bow out for whatever else is to come.

The Good Place: Live Panel Discussion (2020 TV Short)

They may been ready, but I was not.

[10/10 · 31 January 2020]

Nearly every show I have become attached to has let me down with their finales. This is the one of the rare ones that ended absolutely perfectly. I am a grown man who is not afraid to show my emotions and this one had me in a constant state of tears from about 5 minutes in until the credits began. Now I may just start watching the whole thing over again.

The Simpsons: Thanksgiving of Horror (2019) Season 31, Episode 8

Pretty darn fun!

[9/10 · 27 November 2019]

When THE SIMPSONS aired its 30th season finale, I decided that three decades was enough and that I would not watch any new episodes. That lasted about two days after the 31st season premiered. So far, this season has been one of the better of the more recent, with this weeks episode being pretty darn fun (hence the title of this review).

We all know THE SIMPSONS has their Halloween "Treehouse Of Terror" episodes, but this year they broke with tradition and made a horror themed Thanksgiving one too. It is worth watching for the opening tale, where most of the citizens of Springfield are turkeys who only gobble, but in character. The best part is when Abe Simpson goes on one of his gibberish filled rants, but it is all in turkey talk.

The Good Place: Help Is Other People (2019) Season 4, Episode 7

The final seconds are the best.

[10/10 · 22 November 2019]

I am a more recent fan of "The Good Place". I started with the first episode on Netflix when season 3 was airing on NBC and I immediately fell in love with it. I don't like to binge watch, but I was able to get through all of the first 2 seasons and get caught up with the 3rd in real time as it aired.

There have been many great moments and performances throughout the series, but I think that the instant that Brent comes to the realization that he is not the good person he thought he was may be the single best performance in all 4 seasons. The look on actor Ben Koldyke's face in that second broke my heart and made me happy at the same time because Brent was a character I absolutely hated because he was everything I despise and he finally turned that corner to being better than he was.

Sitcoms are supposed to make you laugh, not make you want to cry, but the ones that do (there were a few episodes of "Scrubs" and "How I Met Your Mother" that made me tear up) are the ones that are special and "The Good Place" is something special.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

The Good, The Bad & The Nerf Herder.

[8/10 · 13 November 2019]

When Disney first announced that they were going to be making STAR WARS spin-offs, I thought that, instead of being prequels or stand alone movies based on preexisting characters, they should all be original stories in different genres? I wanted to see a heist movie, a horror film and even a slapstick comedy all within the STAR WARS Universe. Well, THE MANDALORIAN is if Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name character lived in a galaxy far, far away.

The first episode is a well crafted introduction with an interesting lead. The effects appear to be mostly practical with CG being used sparingly, which is welcome after the overuse in the prequel trilogy. The costumes and make-up are of cinematic quality and it is very obvious no expense was spared.

I will be tuning...err, I mean streaming the next episode when it becomes available next week as I feel this may be what all of us old school STAR WARS fans have been wanting to see.

Batwoman (2019–2022)

I don't think the people reviewing this know the comic at all.

[6/10 · 18 October 2019]

I am a long time comic reader and I know a lot about the Bat-Family. While this series is in no way perfect, it is not the trainwreck other contributors have made it out to be. I like it and see the potential in it. I was not too fond of "Arrow" to start with, but I kept watching and it eventually won me over. So, give it some time before you judge too harshly. Let it grow and become something special if that is what it is meant to be.

Now, allow me to address something I have seen in some of the other reviews. In the comics, Kate is a lesbian who happens to be a superhero. Some of the other reviews seem to suggest that she was made queer for the show and this is not the case. So, instead of judging and making assumptions about the "political" intentions of creators, maybe you should familiarize yourself with the source material first. Television and movies are good and all, but Comics are great and deserve your attention too.

The Boys: Good for the Soul (2019) Season 1, Episode 5

Not Anti Christian, it is Anti Mob Mentality.

[9/10 · 31 July 2019]

Everyone is writing that this episode is anti-Christian. I disagree. Is it pro-Christian? Absolutely not. The writers do use the fact that a lot of people, especially large groups of people, have a tendency to be more susceptible to people who "share" those beliefs. But really, let's be honest that is not just people in the church. It is also with those whose beliefs are political as well. It is the Mob effect. That is what I think this episode is against.

The writers used the setting of a Church Gathering to tell their story.

Fleabag (2016–2019)

Absolutely Spectacular and Unique.

[10/10 · 21 July 2019]

I cannot recommend this show any higher. You guys need to watch it just so you can get to the third episode of the second season. It is at that point they begin to do something so amazingly unique with the narrative that I can't believe nobody has ever done it before because it is so brilliant.

Brightburn (2019)

I am literally wearing a Superman shirt as I type this.

[9/10 · 26 May 2019]

I am a huge Superman fan. I own every comic published for the last 32 years, every movie, every animated series and as many collectibles with the "S" I can get my hands on. So I went into this being little afraid of what I was going to witness. Would it ruin my love of this fictional character?

Not at all. The Gunn brothers (producer James and writers Mark and Brian) and director David Yarovesky take something beloved by many and take it to a very dark place. Some things I expected to happen because I was deeply familiar with what they were, for lack of a better word, spoofing. Some others I did not, the ending being one of them.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Will I buy it when it comes out on home video? On day one! Will everyone love it? Probably not. I mean, there are people out there that hate "Citizen Kane" and puppies and pizza and love and all the other good things in the world. I just happen to be in the camp that likes all those things.

The Flash: Legacy (2019) Season 5, Episode 22

Dang! {Spoiler Free}

[10/10 · 15 May 2019]

That was way heavier than I was expecting for a season finale. I mean, in the past there has been some deep moments (the deaths of Eddie and Ronnie, Barry going into The Speed Force etc.) but this was more than I was anticipating. For that singular moment, I give it a 10. As for the moments following that scene, I like and knew those changes were coming. If only next season keeps them and does not retcon the good bits.

Love, Death & Robots (2019– )

Each short is beautiful in its own way.

[8/10 · 25 March 2019]

I have enjoyed every episode in this anthology series. Some more than others. Some made me laugh. Some made me squirm. If you are a fan of adult Sci-Fi (and in some cases I mean ADULT) then definitely give it a shot. The average episode is no longer than 15 minutes, so it won't take up too much of your time.