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How Fantastic were the Four?

Lately each Marvel movie sparks the debate of whether Marvel is back or dying slowly. The numbers do suggest that the audience has tired. But has the quality really dropped? Not every film can be Avengers or Endgame. Then again, most of them are not Thor 2. There was big hope for Fantastic 4: First Steps. So how did it hold up? The film starts with the reveal that Sue is pregnant and then cuts to a news/talk show program explaining the origin of the Fantastic 4. It makes things clear that this is not the Marvel universe we are used to. Instead, it is a 1960s world with a retro-futuristic look.  The pace is a bit slow, but steady. It focuses on building up the team and their personalities rather than flashy action scenes. Things take off with the arrival of the Silver Surfer bearing the ominous message that Galactus will be coming to devour the planet. The Fantastic 4 take to space to stop the menace, declaring to the people of the Earth, “We will protect you.” They find Galactus an...
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In Review: Superman (2025)

  The newest Superman film is what punk rock should be. James Gunn did an amazing job of capturing the essence of Superman with his trademark style. The new film comes almost as a throw back to the Christopher Reeves films. It skips the origin story that we all know in favor of giving us a new adventure.  The plot (no spoilers) is that Lex Luthor wants to kill Superman. He is not rounding up kryptonite. Instead, he is digging for dirt on the Man of Steel. Superman is invulnerable to bullets, but social media is a monster that can hurt even him. After stopping a war, Superman is catching heat for interfering in foreign politics. And Luthor makes it much worse when he is able to reveal something that even Superman did not know about his past. Now Lex has hit at Superman’s good name and Clark Kent’s ideals. But it is not brute force that wins the day. Superman has allies that want to help, and his willingness to save others leads to them being willing to stand with him. One of th...
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In Review: The Creator

 The Creator became a must watch for me when I first saw the trailer. It looked like it would be a visually stunning example of cyberpunk action. The actual film? Well it did live up to the visuals, but it lacked in some other areas. If you can look past the flaws, it is enjoyable. Minor spoilers ahead. The move starts with us discovering that robots have nuked LA. The West (the USA) has outlawed AI and robots. However, New Asia (South Asia all lumped together) has embraced them and let them live among them. A trillion dollar space station called NOMAD orbits above asia, dropping missles whenever it finds AI enclaves. Enter Joshua, a special forces opperative that fell in love while undercover. He agrees to do one last mission to stop an AI superweapon because it will give him a chance to find his wife. Things go sideways and he discovers that the "weapon" is a robot child. Pursued by both sides of the conflict, Joshua takes Alpha with him as the only clue to finding his wife...
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In Review - Nobody

 Last night I needed something to watch on Netflix. The new arrival was Nobody. The best description I can come up with is John Wick having a midlife crisis. It mixes exciting action and comedy with a surprisingly good sound track.  The plot is pretty simple. Hutch is living the life of an Average Joe. He has a wife, kids, a 9 to 5 job, and a stagnant suburban life where the days all blend together. But then two people break in to rob his house one night. They don't shoot his dog (he's more of a cat person), but they do murder his pride. Family, neighbors, and even the police wonder why he didn't take a swing at the thieves when he had the chance. Frustrated, he breaks out some old skills to get some revenge. This leads to unforseen consequences with the Russian mob.  The action sequences were impressive. They had good coreography that kept things moving. Much like John Wick (they are actualy from the same studio) you have one very skilled individual taking on an army of ...
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Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 So anyone that knows me will tell you I am a huge D&D fan. Well, I was back in the days of 3rd edition.  It still holds a special spot in my heart. So naturally a Dungeons and Dragons movie perks my interest. That said, the idea makes me wary. I remember the first time around they tried to make a D&D movie back in 2000. Also, as I noted I'm not really hip with the 5th edition that the kids are playing today, so I had to ask how well it would mesh with my tastes. Despite my reservations, I made a point of going into the film with an open mind, ready to enjoy myself. And my grand verdict? It wasn't bad. Not great, but definitely not bad either. I think the ultimate key to enjoying this film is understanding what it is, and what it is not. It is not a fantasy adventure, it is a fantasy comedy. Less Lord of the Rings and more Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. I laughed. Not just a little chuckle, but a full on belly laugh. Don't get me wrong, it does have ...
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In Review - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

 I was going to sleep on Black Panther 2, but a friend invited me to go see it. I am glad she did, because I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. This is because I did not like the first Black Panther movie. Actually, I rate it as one of my least favorites. Now, hear me. The first Black Panther was a culturally significant film. It earned its accolades for sound and costume design. However, I found the plot to be weak. Wakanda is built up as an amazing place...except the entire plot revolves around them having one of the worst governing systems imaginable. While Chadwick Boseman is good in the role of T'challa, the character does not have a very good character arc. He was actually a better character in Civil War than his own film. But this review is about Black Panther 2. I just wanted to set the ground work for why it hit me so much harder. The only place to start is with the tribute to Chadwick Boseman/T'challa. It really is presented in a way that is beautiful and digni...
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