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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Not Much to Like About This One
After waiting just over a week from release to watch this, I hadn't seen or read any previews or spoilers and I really have to say that I was disappointed in the film.
The underwater scenes were terrible, the action was subpar, sometimes confusing and the humor was simply sad. The movie drug on feeling every bit of its 2.5hrs length, not always, but sometimes felt like a political statement.
I liked the first Black Panther movie and miss seeing Chadwick reprise his role like everyone else, but we really need two separate instances of paying homage to him in the film?
The only bright spots of the film for me was seeing Shuri assume the mantle of the panther and M'baku take a step forward on the character development front.
My advice would be to wait for this one to come out on Disney+.
Black Adam (2022)
Easily One of the Best DCEU Movies
Not having watched any spoilers, but hearing the audience reactions were positive, I was expecting it to be on par with Shazam and I'm pleased to say that I think it was actually better.
Loved the overall story along with the twist that he wasn't actually the champion chosen by the wizards. The end credit scene was perfect as well.
The action was superbly done and pretty much nonstop. The departure from the goody, goody, no kill philosophy that occurs in most other DCEU movies also gave the movie a more real feeling.
The only real issues I had with the show were a few spots where the CGI and character movement was a little wonky and the death of Dr. Fate. I would have been looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.
But even with those couple of things I think it ranks right up there with the Aquaman, first Wonder Woman and Man of Steel movies. Hopefully Warner Brothers doesn't screw it up like so many other DC projects moving forward.
The Sandman (2022)
Overall Enjoying It
Although I never read the graphic novels, I must say that I'm enjoying the story so far.
It does seem the story would be better if it was a little darker however as it revolves around dreams and nightmares.
I'm not sure they needed to gender switch John Constantine (whom I am very familiar with), even though Johana is a fine character in her own right. I'll also say that I'm a little surprised at the extremely high number of LBGTQ characters and/or gay/bi-sexual encounters in the series. So many so, that you could turn into a drinking game akin to the Scarface, f bomb game.
Anyway, I do hope they green light season 2 to see where this goes.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
The Weirdest Thor Movie
Well it certainly wasn't the best, but definitely the weirdest Thor movie so far. Not as good as Ragnarok, better than Dark World and on par with the first one in my opinion.
Knowing the entire movie is told from Korg's perspective probably helps explain a lot of unusual dialog and general wackiness such as Thor constantly talking to Stormbreaker and/or Mjolnir.
With that being said, I think they tried to make it too comedic in the beginning and then too serious at the end. It essentially didn't transition well for me or a lot of people that were with us watching it.
I did really like Bale as Gorr, the transition to black and white for the second fight with Gorr and the scenes with Jane as Lady Thor, but was disappointed they killed her off as I would have liked to have seen more of her in this role.
Hated the way Zeus was portrayed, the whole Omnipotent City stuff and the way they really leaned into the whole "we are gods" mentality as opposed to being various super advanced alien races like we've been led to believe up to this point.
Anyway it's worth a watch if you go into it not expecting any great revelations or advancements of the MCU universe.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Why Oh Why
I can see that I continue to under estimate Disney's ability to screw up the Star Wars universe with these crappy stories, retconning of things or re-imagining characters so they are kinder gentler versions of what the fans loved about the originals.
I'm not sure where to begin with what is wrong with this series, but i pretty much gave up on it when i saw the obvious 40ish year old Anakin light sabre sparring with Obi-Wan trying to pass for 20 something.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Not Sure How I Feel About This One
In typical Marvel fashion the characters were great including America Chavez, Captain Britain and 838 Captain Marvel, the effects were really top notch with the possible exception of Black Bolts voice ability and Xaviers mental ability.
In thinking more about it, I guess I was a little disappointed in the story by retconning the end of WandaVision and not allowing Wanda to move forward. She was essentially trying to recreate her fantasy in another way which resulted in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of people across the multiverse.
I wish they would have simply made this a full on horror show fighting Nightmare or somebody like that as it certainly had a lot of jump scare horror moments (Xaviers neck snap, Black Bolts face exploding, Bruce Campbells homage to the Evil Dead with him fighting his hand and various giant demons).
Overall, giving it a 7 as it's on the good side of ok in my opinion, but could have been a lot better.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Please Stop Making these Films
Loving most of the Harry Potter films and having seen the first two Fantastic Beast films, we were sort of obligated to go see this one. Ill say it certainly follows suite with the previous Beast films.
The characters were very likable in Jacob, Newt and their new lady companion (can't remember her name atm) that keeps an eye on Jacob for a lot of the film. Mads did a pretty good job of being Grindalwald, but like most folks it would have been nice to have some consistency here with Depp coming back. I do wish they would have expanded the storyline with Queeny and Jacob as well as having Queeny's sister actually play some role in the story.
Absolutely hated the story and reasoning as to why they were running around not accomplishing anything for most of the film (counter sight?). A guy who can see the future is not be able to see what would happen because we are running around doing non-sensical stuff for 2 hours...Give me a break.
The only real delight of the film for myself and most of our family was the wedding of Jacob and Queeny at the end.
Save yourselves some money and wait for this one to come out on a streaming service.
Death on the Nile (2022)
Glad I Waited for this on HBO
Like so many remakes the original was so much better. Apart from some minor twists with some of the characters and an additional death that was pretty pointless, the crime and how it was done, was exactly the same.
The general flow of the movie was inconsistent and generally terrible providing little relief from the fact the story was virtually identical to its predecessor.
With how the first two films went, I sure hope they don't remake the third film...Evil Under the Sun.
Peacemaker (2022)
Loving it so Far
I was a little worried about this show which is probably why I procrastinated a bit in getting to it, but in the end, I was glad my son cornered me and we ended up watching the first 3 episodes together.
Apart from the Suicide Squad movie, I had no idea who Peacemaker was, but he is quickly turning into a great anti-hero along with his buddy, the Vigilante. The show thus far reminds me a lot of the Kickass movies with more nudity and funnier.
Both of us were cracking up at the jokes and general stupidity of Peacemaker and his "team" throughout the first few episodes. In particular I loved the Berenstain bears argument that took place in episode 3.
This series has James Gunn's finger prints all over it and I'll say that both me and my son loved all of the non-pc stuff in it.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Headline: Selfish Teenager Kills Aunt by Contuing to Make Terrible Decisions
Don't get me wrong I really liked the movie and I think team marvel did a great job stepping Spider-Man back from the cosmic stage as the MCU continues to move forward to more grandiose things beyond the friendly neighborhood this character is typically associated with. But it's just another story about the supposed hero sacrificing others to potentially redeem the villan so he or they can go on to commit additional crimes and kill more innocents further down the road. So it goes back to the old argument of who the villan of the film or medium is...Is it Batman or the Joker, Spider-Man or the Green Goblin, Daredevil or the King Pin?
That argument aside, as mentioned I did really like the film, especially all of the cameos, in particular the Matt Murdock one, the glimpse of what looked like the Living Tribunal when the sky tore open and the other Peter Parkers that showed up, although it would have been good to see glimpses of Miles or Spider Gwen as well. Also enjoyed the end credit scene that pointed to the arrival of Venom in the MCU.
So if you get a chance head to the theater and catch this one.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Not What I was Expecting
Having read all of the books and knowing what a fan base this series has, I guess I was expecting it to hold a little closer to the books in some areas or provide more exposition to what is going on in the story. It opens with a group of women chasing 2 men, for some unknown reason and when they are caught you find out there was actually only one and then whoosh, Moraine and Lan are off to the Two Rivers...If I hadn't read the books I wouldn't have understood that opening sequence at all.
With that being said however, some of the things they are doing right for this series in my opinion are as follows:
Casting Rosamund Pike was great as she definitely sells the idea that she is Moraine. The CGI and makeup effects are really good for a TV series that usually have very restrictive budgets and can't pull off the effects Heavy work needed for later books or storylines. The vista's and overall setting are fantastic as well, as I can't wait to see more.
Some of the items that need improvement in my opinion:
While I understand they can't hold strictly to the books to prevent boring the crap out of everyone, they really need to be cautious in what they deviate from especially with changing major plot points like Perrin killing his wife in the movie (he wasn't married in the book) and providing a little more background info would be much appreciated to what is happening. I don't really like the casting and writing for Lan as he doesn't project the badassness of the character in the books. Loial, looks like Lurch from the Adam's Family and definitely not what I was expecting of an Ogre from the WoT books. With the exception of Pike,, the casting of the other members of the Aes Sedai that we've been introduced to don't look to have that ageless beauty they should. The overall acting seems stiff from the majority of the characters thus far, particularly the 5 main protagonists.
With all of this in mind I'm going to have to give the series a 7 so far with room and hopes that it gets better. If you are a fan of GoT, LotR or any other fantasy shows you'll really like this and it's worth a watch. If you are a fan of the WoT book series you might find bits and pieces of it great to see, but will find others disappointing.
Eternals (2021)
A Lot Better Than Expected
Although this movie had been receiving a ot of negative reviews I wasn't setting my expectations based on those, I was just skeptical they could pull it off and I was wrong. I would actually give it closer to an 8.5 if I could.
Even though they deviated quite a bit from what the eternals really are compared to the comics, the story was well done and made sense within the MCU. The glimpses of the MCU in the past was great and the setup for much bigger things was also well done.
The movie wasn't as LGBTQ forward as some of the more negative reviews would lead one to believe either as there was one gay relationship and one deaf character for those complaining about having disabled main characters in a superhero movie.
The only real problems I personally had with the film was the suicide of Ikaris, the CGI of Pip in the end credits scene and the costuming of Eros as it seemed a little thrown together. It seems like they could have done better in these area.
Overall it was definitely worth a watch and I would highly recommend it.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Overall Pretty Good
It was great to see one of the many MCU martial artist in live action and actually living up to their comic character (Iron Fist Netflix series blows btw). The fight scenes were fantastic along with the other action sequences. Most of the characters were easy to sympathize with and the cameos were great.
The only thing I personally felt that didn't go over very well was Aquifina's performance and comedic lines. It felt a little flat and I thought Ben Kingsley was way more funny than her. If it wasn't for the fact she shot the evil soul sucker in the throat saving Shang Chi and his sister, you could have left her out or played her character without all of the comedic misses and it would have been fine.
As mentioned however my son and liked the movie and it provided a nice lead in to the next big bad guy of the MCU (maybe Mephisto?). Definitely worth a watch in opinion.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Some Things Were Better, Some Were Worse
Overall the story was good even with all of the added silliness. The only real problem with the story was the lack of seriousness they gave Rick Flagg and Amanda Whaller in the film. Even though this style is a hallmark of James Gunn's latest films, I have a hard time believing the same Amanda Whaller who didn't hesitate to kill her staff in the first movie would put up with crap of her staff in the second film including being hit over the head with golf club. Add to that the fact Rick Flagg was played kind of like Draxx for comedic benefit.
The body count pile up was fantastic to see even among the squad, although i was disappointed that Captain Boomerang, Savant and BlackGuard played such minor roles and bought it early in film.
I do wish they would have explained in the film why we don't see Deadshot, Katana and Killer Croc in the film. They could have shown what they were up to or the squad had been doing between films as its implied they have been on many other missions. Maybe some short glimpses at the beginning of the film to flesh this out like in the first film would have appropriate as I also kind of miss the music video feel of the first film.
Overall I'd say it's on par with the first film in my opinion and I'd personally like to see more of these made especially with this version of Harley, not the Birds of Prey version.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
Did We Really Need This?
Initially I had no plans to watch this being a fan of the original, but given it was free on HBO Max as a family we decided to give it a go.
Overall I'd say it wasn't completely terrible, but definitely wasn't as good as the first one. The story while good enough as a sequel was really brought down by the James family acting moments. LeBron and the kids were wholly unbelievable, but the mother was decent as the no nonsense member of their family.
While the upgraded graphics were really good, the best parts of the movie were where they were cutting on LeBron for various things he has done in his career and Porky Pigs rap solo in my opinion.
The only thing that may have saved this movie was if Michael Jordan really had walked into the locker room instead of Michael B. Jordan.
This just seems to be another case of LeBron trying to prove he is better than Jordan.
Black Widow (2021)
Simply Released Too Late
Overall I enjoyed the story, characters and action of the film, but I think it was just released too late to have a major impact. They should have made and released this film where it takes place between Civil War and Infinity War.
With it being released now it brings up questions such as how she ended up with Captain America at the start of Infinity War when she surrenders to Ross at the end of this movie, as well as why didn't we see the Red Guardian, Taskmaster and a small army of Widows fighting alongside the Avengers in Endgame.
Lots of positive reasons to watch this show,, the only thing I really wish they wouldn't have done is try to address what happened in Budapest. It was much more exciting and mysterious prior to this movie and they should have left it alone.. I just think it left a few more questions than what it answered.
Loki (2021)
Marvel Has Outdone Themselves Again
The first episode was everything we were hoping it would be and more.
Loved the exposition relating to the TVA, what Loki is, the mutiverse and characters so far.
In typical Marvel fashion there are plenty of laughs as well, particularly when he first gets processed by the TVA. It was also hilarious to find out that Loki was actually DB Cooper as a result of losing a bet with Thor.
Even though it was predictable to find out that Loki was actually the variant killing the TVA personnel which is why they wanted his help, im giving the start of the series a solid 9 with room to move it up or down depending on how the series progresses.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Zombieland Meets Aliens
This is one the better zombie movies in my opinion over recent years even though some of the plot lines or story elements were kind of predictable. Namely the corporate asshole who screws over the entire team to bring back the zombie head of the alpha queen (aka Burke) or the daughter of the main character who disregards her promise to take care of the kids to potentially save the mom against all odds.
The effects and the backdrop of a devastated Las Vegas looked good and I loved some of the characters such as Lilly, Scott, Guzman and the smart ass chopper pilot as well as the zombie tiger.
It was a little disappointing to see that none of the team survived except the Kate who really got the chopper pilot killed and Scott turned into a zombie through her actions. Heck we don't even find out if the mom she went into the quarantine zone to find survives.
Given its deficiencies in some of the story elements I'd say this film is definitely worth a watch especially if you are a fan of the zombie genre.
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Chuck E Cheese Meets Devil Worshipers
I found myself kind of enjoying this film for what is was, a dark comedic horror show.
Cage's role as an ex-military, soda pop drinking, no talking, badass was pretty good. His single minded pursuit of completing his job of cleaning the place was great, not letting demonic animatronic puppets or teenagers getting killed left and right get in his way. Even the name of character was great, simply being listed as "The Janitor".
I thought it was a good way to kill an hour and a half in an evil dead sort of way.
Out of Time (2021)
Loved the Story
Instead of watching the Oscar's I decided to throw this on and wasn't disappointed.
The story was good and they did an adequate job of character building with the time they had as I definitely felt for both Cooper and Lisa and their individual situations. It was great to see Cooper waiting for her when she returned from 1951 and recruit her into the Men in Black organization.
The special effects aren't going to win any awards here, but I felt they did a good job with what they had.
Would love to see a couple follow-up movies with these characters. Perhaps they could be the Men in Black movies we all deserve.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
The Original '95 Movie Was Better
The opening sequence was pretty good in that it helps in establishing the hatred between scorpion and subzero, but unfortunately the movie failed to capitalize on the momentum it got from these first 10 minutes or so.
The special effects and bloodiness were well done and appropriate for the film, but the overall story and writing of the characters was terrible. Probably the most aggregious issue was with them creating a new unknown character in Cole Young to focus on for the film.
Sadly this is another remake that misses the mark.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Not Sure About This One
Like a lot of folks on here, we finished the series yesterday and wanted to hold off on writing a review until we saw the whole thing.
There is a fair amount of social justice championing going on in the series, so if you aren't a big fan of that, you'll probably hate this series as well.
Most of the characters were great, Sam, John Walker, Bucky, Zemo, Sharon. The main villan(s) however, not so much. There wasn't enough done to build sympathy for these would be villans or their cause which we are told is fighting a system that isn't helping people like they should after the hulk undoes the snap. Given this is only a 6 episode series, they probably could have put in a couple of more episodes focusing on what the world is like to help flesh this out.
The action itself was decent, however I personally felt Bucky was getting smacked around a bit more than he should have been given his training and the fact he is fighting a bunch of pouty tweens regardless of them being super soldiers.
The revelation that Sharon Carter was the power broker or that we are strongly led to believe she is, was pretty predictable in my opinion, but again I wish they would have spent more time focusing on this part of the story as opposed to the direction they went with the super soldier kids.
All in all, it's not terrible, but definitely not as good as I was hoping.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
It Is What It Is
If you go into this wanting to see a movie about giant monsters kicking the crap out of each other, you won't be disappointed. If you are expecting this movie to take a step or two beyond what the other movies in this franchise have been, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Overall quality, special effects and the fact they brought back some characters for this film was good.
Personally I was hoping for a lot more exposition into the ancient rivalry, exploration into hollow earth, why Kong is way smarter than we thought, what was up with the Kong throne room, why do the formation of the axes form a godzilla design on the throne room floor, why did king's family leave hollow earth, etc and so on. Unfortunately we got a sorry tech billionaire power grab scheme that obviously didn't go the way he thought it would.
The lack of story telling and character building is pretty nonexistent overall especially if you consider Monarch having been a major fixture in the other films, was sadly reduced to a relief organization in this film.
Overall I'll have to say that I was pretty disappointed with it, but I'm sure your milage might vary.
Invincible (2021)
Great Adaptation of the Comic
They've done a great job of adapting the source material. Even though I'm not as familiar with this material as others, I really like what they're doing here at least the first 3 episodes.
I'd like to think it's a more realistic view of a world where super heroes and villains exist. People are getting killed left and right, the kids are dealing with normal teenage issues, difficulties with relationships and having powers has consequences.
If you like The Boys on Prime, you'll like this one as well.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Thank God!
I'm finally glad he was able to somewhat finish his vision with respect to this movie and I was able to see it. It corrects so many issues with the original release and brings much needed context to some of the characters and scenes.
Don't get me wrong, this film also had its issues particularly with regard to some of the cgi and lack of music in some sections of the film, but the overall story and additional story telling more than made up for it.
I loved all of the Cyborg story line and how he decided to use his powers for good by helping the poor, but extremely kind waitress as well as the additional battle scenes with the Amazon's, Atlanteans and ancient flashback battle. Also loved the fact that they left out all of the cheeseball destitute Russian family scenes.
I do have mixed feelings about the long look at the post apocalyptic earth scene at the end as I think they could have saved some of it for future movies but it seems like the story is headed in the right direction assuming the studio execs keep their damn hands out of way and let Snyder do his thing...The jag offs that interfered the first time around should all be fired.
Giving this film a solid 8 and looking forward to more films in the Snyderverse.