(episode review) - The Skeleton Crew: Episode 5

Every week gets better and better. The writers of this show understood the assignment. Write something engaging, starring kids, paying homage to the 80's children's classics such as 'The Goonies' or 'Flight of the Navigator' and voila. This episode was great!

Off the back of the last episode, the kids are trying to find their way home and turn on SM-33, who takes them to the planet. However, on the planet, there are secrets and with secrets, often means danger. On top of that, the children are now on the run from pirates!

This episode was just great and one of the last scenes had me laughing out loud for practically 5 minutes as Wim does something I won't say due to spoilers, but I found it hilarious. This side of Star Wars with all this swashbuckling is actually decent. Although I have had a taste of it in 'The Clone Wars' and 'Rebels' this was actually still pretty good and entertaining. With only a few episodes left, the kids WILL get back to their parents but it would be great if, at the end, they are lost in space and have to figure it out. Is that too dark?

(trailer review) - Superman

I only really like two DC hero characters...have a good guess as to which two. With that said, all the James Gunn movies I have seen, I have also liked. The Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy is actually outstanding, although Volume 2 was not as great as Volume 1 and Volume 3, especially not Volume 3...and his 'The Suicide Squad' was better than Suicide Squad. I say all that to say this, I trust in James Gunn and his vision and this trailer right here looks GREAT! It is a teaser trailer, so please bear that in mind, but that chant is now echoing in my dome and I want to see this NOW!

This trailer shows us a lot of content regarding many characters and better than most Superman trailers, shows us from the very beginning that Superman is going to be challenged and tested. He looks like he has taken a battering and they started the trailer with that, introducing his Dog Krypto. Superman is otherworldly so often, fighting foes, they usually weaken Superman to fight his enemies, but in this case, we might see Superman fighting with other heroes AND pushing himself to show humanity, Truth, Justice and the American way. We see Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern as well as Lex Luther, looking extremely pretty and angry (what? he is a handsome guy). We also see Lois Lane, Papa Jonathan Kent and I'm sure many more I could not identify. This looks great. Very comic book-looking and very different from Zacks. I look forward to seeing the official trailer but so far I am sold... especially with that chant in my head... Superman, Superman, Superman, Superman.

(film review) - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (with Live Orchestra)

It bares repeating that Sony have not done a great job with the Spider-Man IP. The only great bunch of movies are the "Home-Trilogy" with Tom Holland (a joint venture with Marvel) and these "Spider-verse" movies. With the recent release of 'Venom: The Last Dance' which was ok (better than the second but not better than the first), 'Morbius', which was not good, 'Madame Webb', I hear was terrible and now, the soon-to-be released, 'Kraven the Hunter', nothing seems to be as close and/or as great as this Spider-verse franchise of yet, and as I have stated before in my last review and I quote "if they stick the landing in a third film, this can quite possibly be, the BEST Sony Spider-Man trilogy project Sony has ever done or better yet, the best Trilogy in film, period (I do not believe I am exaggerating here either)...because this film remains to be simply incredible. And under a live orchestra, the film is elevated to levels unknown. 

If you do not know much about 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse', it is about a student named Miles Morales who was bitten by a radioactive spider, becomes Spider-Man but then realises there are different universes that have a Spider-Man in them. He continues to be Spider-Man after the end of the first film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse", trying his best to balance his life as the wall crawler and a student. He wants to be the best person he can be, a good son to his wonderful and supportive parents and Spider-Man, but not unlike all spider-men, he is struggling to find that balance. When Gwen Stacy comes back into this reality to stop a villain who is intrinsically tied to Miles, Miles has to figure out who and what type of Spider-Man he will continue to be going forward and if he is going to follow the crowd or create his own path.

I saw this movie once in the cinema and I will repeat myself here again, the film was Incredible. They set a high standard and bar for the first movie 'Into the Spider-Verse' so announcing a sequel was going to definitely raise eyebrows and the sequel, not only levels up but goes above and beyond the original in many ways detailed in my review...but an live orchestra? Such a phenomenal experience. 

I experienced an orchestral concert with the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie and I loved it, but to experience this again for the second movie is amazing. I cannot promote this experience enough as I sat and watched the movie to a live orchestra who played the music in the movie, throughout the movie. 

So how does it work? You sit and watch the movie as normal like in a cinema, but you have your introduction to the composer and such but when the movie starts, so does the orchestra and they do not stop until the credits have finished rolling.

There are moments in the movie the orchestra is not playing and the DJ might be scratching, but all the musical cues are played by the orchestra.

If there is one annoyance and negative I had about the experience, was that some of the quieter moments with music cues are barely heard because in front of a live orchestra is very loud, but...you don't go to a movie with an live orchestra to see the movie for the first time, that is ridiculous.

I have no idea when the third film is due out, but I will be watching that, THEN watching/listening to the live orchestra when they do that again. It is such an experience for such a great movie, it would be silly to watch the movie, love it, but not watch it again with a live orchestra. Silly. Next time you hear of something like this with a movie you love, indulge yourself.

You can only appreciate the artistry and many hands that were involved in this project. This is a must experience, experience.

(film review) - Wicked

Everyone has seen 'The Wizard of Oz', right? If you have not seen this movie, it is possibly due to being born within the last 10-15 years and nobody who cared about the film or you (for that matter) thought it would be a great idea to show you the movie. Tragic. Not to say 'The Wizard of Oz' is an amazing movie, but it is a really good one and considered a classic. I would have to watch it again as an adult to see if there are any messages in it but from what I remember, Dorothy finds herself on the yellow brick road and she's on her way to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz who should grant her and her new friend's wishes. We heard of a few witches and was introduced to a Wicked Witch who ultimately died with a house falling on their head (I think) or did she melt having had water thrown onto her? I cannot remember really but it was a brief introduction and quick demise of the Wicked Witch of the West, so learning about a theatre production called 'Wicked' and learning it was about the Wicked Witch of the West, ultimately I did not care but I gave it a go. It was really good. I came away from the theatre show thinking it was a really good show, really good production, really good acting, really good story, everything about it was excellent, so hearing there would be a movie starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, ultimately I did not understand the Cynthia casting. Cynthia is a black person and will be painted green, so what is the point? Is this an inclusivity thing where of late Hollywood have been trying to make a lot of movie adaptations inclusive? It is not a bad thing because inclusivity is very much needed but I could not help but wonder that. After watching the movie I could not help but to walk away feeling almost exactly how I felt after watching the theatre production but times one hundred. The movie was operating on levels the theatre production did not and it hit differently...I'll explain.

Two sisters are born and grow up having different experiences in their life. Elphaba who was born with green skin is treated differently to her sister and struggles to make friends even when she starts college. However, when a teacher sees potential in Elphaba, this sparks the interest of Gelinda who is trying to be noticed by the same teacher. This ignites a little jealousy between Gelinda towards Elphaba until they eventually fall out.

I'll take this opportunity to highlight that I have taken great liberties with my summary due to spoilers and I have somewhat told a simpler version and a not as accurate summary of this story because there is soo much to this movie that is operating on many different layers and to that point, you need to see the movie for yourself to understand and enjoy.

It is not just about jealousy, the movie is much more than that. The movie is about being an outcast, believing in yourself, being strong, challenging the system no matter the consequences, doing what you think is the right thing to do, having tough skin, honing your talent among many many other things. So many layers! And when this movie ended, I could not help but to think how this movie touched me in ways I did not think it was going to initially. It hits different and I can only applaud the mastery of the story, the writing, the acting, the casting and the execution because there was also a scene where I got emotional. You feel for Elphaba in the theatre production because everyone treats her terribly and they did not change that for the movie. I think the ONLY bit I did not get/like was the very end of the movie. The movie stops abruptly and in my head, we now have the Wicked Witch but I am yet to see how the sequel will play out. It only rubs me up the wrong way because I know what happens later, but because the transition is not there, in my head I am forcing the two together (not on purpose of course) and it does not gel well.

As previously stated, this movie is basically flawless, from casting to the acting. This movie has joint leading roles with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, but I have heard that they are pushing Ariana for Oscar consideration and I have also noted that this has not gone down well with a group of people. They seem to want Cynthia to be pushed and it almost seems like, a "regardless of who had the better role and simply due to colour", but I will say, between the two actors, Ariana Grande was phenomenal. I have heard she has been acting since young, she's a singer and also very talented, but I had no idea what to expect from her in this movie, but she knocks the performance out of the park. She is soo good and her comedy beats are spot on. Just thinking about her performance brings a smile to my face with the little nuances and behaviour, her face acting and delivery, excellent. As for Cynthia, although she was great in the role, I feel the story plays to Ariana's favour where she is able to deliver a great performance where Cynthia, although superb, we are only skimming the surface at a beginning level. We are only just starting to see how the story will unfold with Elphaba and what Cynthia delivers in themovie, is a lot of brilliant acting without saying a great deal in places. Facial acting, body language acting, Cynthia is able to convey how she feels without saying a word and you sympathise with her. There is a scene where she dances and I was very close to tears it was so good. So although I understand why some may feel a "white person" is being pushed for Oscar buzz over a black person, I have heard when we have all watched the sequel, Cynthia will be pushed instead of Ariana as I believe the story will play to Cynthia's favour where she is able to deliver a great performance where Ariana will also be great but the film will be the reverse of the first movie in what I just explained.

Going back to casting, I feel like, never in my life have I ever seen such a diverse cast in any movie. It felt like the movie was 50% white and 50% POC with 50% LGBTQ+ and 50% disabilities, but it all felt seamless and natural. At times, there were so much people on screen, the movie also felt like a theatre production with everyone singing and dancing in unison. 

The music, great! I am not keen on musicals but I do not hate them, but Wicked is also known for it's musical numbers and it was great. I think one of the issues I had going in were the fact that I was trying to remember what I heard in the theatre all those years ago, but failed so all the music seemed unfamiliar to me and I think deep down that upset me because I enjoyed the show, enjoyed the music, but have not gone back to watch it since so none of the music stood out to me and deep down I probably wanted to sing along.

Lastly, the direction and the visuals, phenomenal. Combine that with practical sets, the world of Oz feels lived-in and vast. It is very colourful and very appealing to the eye in weird and wonderful ways. There are not many scenes that go by that are not captivating or visuals/angles that do no speak many words and tell a different story. The camera work is great and the film has a duality throughout with characters as well as story and only if you are paying close attention, these will stand out to you. You may need to watch the movie several times to see all the Easter eggs in the many shots and even where the movie will lead to in the sequel, who knows. But from what I do know, this film is great and I definitely implore you to watch this film whether you like musicals or not.

(trailer review) - Snow White

 

So...Snow White. I cannot remember the story of snow white at all as it has been such a long time since I have seen it so I am trying to understand if the evil "witch-like" person who (if I remember correctly, disguises herself as the old lady with the apple) gives Snow White the apple because she wants to be prettier than Snow White. Is that the story? I really do not remember, but if so and if Gal Gadot is playing the "ugly" (not so pretty witch) this is simply WILD to me. There must be a spin on this or I could definitely have got the story wrong, but although Renee is pretty, Gal is stunning. Anyway, I remember there being some uproar regarding the dwarves and how small people wanted themselves represented in the movie by using small people actors rather than CGI, so I do wonder how this is going to go once it has been released as I have not heard anything in a few months. No community wants to be marginalised and outright CGI'ed out of existence because essentially, there are no small people actors, so when we live in a world where we are making more noise and uproar about representation, it would be interesting to learn of any future backlash once the movie has come out. Other than these things that hit me immediately while watching this trailer, the trailer seems decent.

They are going with the abnormally big and cartoon-ish heads of the dwarves and there will be a huge section of this movie where Rachel will be interacting with CGI characters and creatures, so I am wondering if that will hold (or keep the movie-going audience happy and interested?  If I am honest with you, the trailer slightly jarred me as it seemed a bit off and forced, so I am not sure how I will feel about it as a whole watching the entire movie. The trailer looks great and all, but there is something about it that feels/seems a bit off as if the film has no soul to it. It seems a little empty and forced. Maybe I am thinking deep down that the film is not needed and I am projecting because it seems like the milking of another old Disney IP and maybe I am (or we, are) starting to see cracks in the Disney brand as a whole when it comes to these movies because, are they really needed? (no movie really ever is) but what will this "live-action" movie do differently for it to be a success other than follow a story we all already know (bar me of course, maybe?) Plus, Gal Gadot is really pretty, stunning even, so I do not think Rachel IS as pretty as her at all so this does somewhat perplex me. Maybe another trailer will sell me more on the story and premise

.

(film review) - Gladiator II

When I first heard of the Gladiator 2 movie, I was not sure how to felt about it. This is a sequel to an old film and the premise they had at the time was something about Maximus coming back from the dead or something weird. It might have been a fake rumour or something else but eventually, the story started to circle around the son of Maximus and a similar premise to the previous movie. Then I started to hear that Joseph Quinn was joining the cast along with Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, so it was starting to get meaty, you know. A nice healthy cast. The addition of Denzel threw me a little but, whatever, let's see what this is all about. The next thought I had was, do I watch the first movie before I watch this sequel or do I go in clean? You see I have not seen Gladiator since I saw it all those years ago in the cinema. I remember it being a long film and I also remember enjoying it. But then my thoughts started to circle the idea of comparing how the sequel should go and how it should make me feel based on the first one. So I wondered, should I watch the first movie for an update on the story? But would that ultimately put my mind in a place where I will constantly compare the sequel to the first movie. I was not sure what to do, so last night, I wanted to go cinema, I decided on Gladiator, I did not watch the first movie beforehand and upon coming out, "Are you not entertained?" Yes, I was.

The film picks up with Hanno (Paul Mescal), spending time with his wife Arishat before the Roman Army invades their city led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) ordered by the corrupt twin emperors. Once captured Hanno is tested as a fighter to become a potential gladiator only to build up his notoriety to take revenge on Acacius.

I enjoyed this movie. A bag of popcorn, drink, action, loud music, a wonderful score, really good acting, but a decent storyline, not a great one. The storyline is not anything groundbreaking at all and may even mirror the first movie but for what it is worth, I enjoyed the storyline even though it is definitely not one of Ridley's best. A few gripes I had with the movie were the special effects as they were not great and some of the set pieces and the things they did in the movie, due to using the special effects heavily, are the reasons why some of it just did not work and stood out like a sore thumb. I was very entertained by the end of the movie, which is the main thing as that is what we do as movie-goers; we are out trying to be entertained by stories that transport us from our reality. The special effect hinders that experience just a little. Some elements of the movie also made zero sense and were not explained but you simply run with it, it's a movie...relax and enjoy.

The acting was good and Denzel was also really good. Not his best work but a little different from some of the roles he has played previously. It was great to see Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn was ok, again nothing special about his character although his performance was good, but I do feel he was wasted, slightly (he's a good actor). I really liked Pedro Pascal's character as he had layers to him which as an audience you begin to understand later as the movie goes on, his motivations and reasonings. I will say Ridley did a great directing job with this movie but I do wonder if this movie was 20 years too late or if the execution is the issue or was it the writing? because Top Gun: Maverick has an even larger gap between the two movies but everything about that movie was written, acted and directed well.

I am going to watch the first one again and I am sure it is going to look dated in comparison since it came out 24 years ago, but without comparing the two (hopefully), chances are, they are both the same (for now) until I watch the first one again, which is still considered a classic, might I add. Paul Mescal is ok, but Russell Crowe had more weight on his performance and owned the role more than Paul. There was a level of gravitas Russell carried but Paul didn't seem to carry that in his performance. This is not saying he was trash, but maybe miscast, or swallowed and drowned out by Russell's performance. He had some pretty big shoes to fill, and that is the only comparison I can really make at this time. Go watch it, you will enjoy it.

(series review) - The Penguin

 

The Penguin is a show that stars Colin Farrell, a character from his short but electric performance in the film 'The Batman'. This series tells the story of The Penguin's rise to power within Gotham City and how he has an elevated status by the end.  The series introduces a few mob families and gangs but other than that, I do not think this show would be a MUST-SEE if you were watching 'The Batman' and then went onto 'The Batman 2' (or whatever they plan to call it) feeling like you missed out on something huge and major. With that said though, if you do not watch this show, ultimately, you HAVE missed out on something HUGE and major, which is the brilliant storytelling, acting and rise of one of Batman's many rogues gallery villains and the part he plays in Gotham amongst the cities crime families and seedy underworld. The Rise of the Penguin.



This is not a show for kids, not to say there is much nudity or sexual content, but there is violence and swearing involved with a few gruesome deaths. The show delivers a gangster-style story of essentially, rags-to-ritches, or at least as the story is told. I jest a little, but when you watch this show, you will learn of the many many truths and half-truths Oswald Cob tells throughout the season. How Oswald manages to stay one step ahead in some situations or slither his way out of others. Oswald demonstrates how he thinks on his feet and will always have an idea to get one up on someone, even if it means doing terrible things himself.



This show introduces a few characters that help us understand the kind of person he is and has grown to be. Without going into any spoilers whether or not you have seen the trailer, there is an old person introduced in this show that shows us one side of Oswald and there is a young person also introduced in this show that shows us another side. These two sides give the audience something to relate to helping us to feel some warmth towards the character, so although you will watch the show and you might gravitate towards Os and start to like him as a person, the show will show you the reason why this character is the villain and why you should not root for him at all. 



In short, this show is simply amazing! It is the character development you could not get in 'The Batman' movie with a two-hour run time. It is great acting from great actors executing great dialogue in some really intense scenes giving us great storytelling. Two of my favourite scenes occur in the same episode and involve one woman talking to two different women at two different times and the scenes had me on edge as I did not know what was going to happen to either woman. The crime world represented in Gotham is not candy floss and gum drops, people can die or will die at the drop of a hat, so these two scenes really had me flip-flopping thinking, "They are gonna die. No, they are going to get spared. No actually, they are going to die. Actually, they might come out alive". One thing I will say is that I knew someone was going to die in this show and I was absolutely correct on who that was and although you do not see it coming, the entire series has already told you that nobody is safe and anybody can die and if you are paying attention to the show, all the clues are there.

As I stated in my episode one review, "Matt Reeves directed a great film with a great story and great actors. From that film, the character ' The Penguin', played by an unrecognisable Colin Farrell, was simply amazing", so it will be interesting to know if Colin will be back in the sequel to 'The Batman' as there are talks of 'The Joker" also having a spin-off show and that he might be in 'The Batman' sequel. Personally, I do not want a Joker in the sequel and would like to see other Batman villains from his huge rogues gallery as he has lots of enemies to choose from, let us see someone else. I feel like, just because he is Batman's main villain, it doesn't mean we need to have him in every iteration of a Batman IP. It is like The Spider-Man IP, always having the Green Goblin as an example and this time around, Sony/Marvel used Mystero in the second "Home" trilogy of Spider-Man movies. I loved that. There are more compelling characters to explore.

There really is not much more to go into about this show other than (and I will tell you this so you do not get your hopes up) Batman is not in the show, so if you are expecting to see the caped crusader, you are fresh out of luck. I feel this helps to keep the focus on The Penguin and his story rather than Batman coming in and the show called 'The Penguin' becomes all about Batman. She-Hulk from the Marvel Television show had that same issue when Daredevil came in and nobody would stop talking about that episode, totally disregarding the rest of the show and how different and good it was (obviously subjective as I know that show has fans of the Marvel movie franchise hate it). The Music, and the special effects are all great. We are given characters with layers in a world that expands just the movie. If there is ANYTHING I would have liked for this show, would be the mentioning of other characters, just to open the world a bit more. This could be from news articles or news broadcasts with smalls details alluding to something going on in Gotham pertaining to other possible characters. It is bad enough we will think and speculate, this person is a Doctor Hugo Strange or this person is a Dr. Johnathan Crane, but other than that, this show was excellent and I will definitely recommend it. More spin-offs like this, please. Excellent work.

(trailer review) - Captain America: Brave New World

 

First of all, that first teaser trailer was quite delicious. We saw Sam Wilson, now with the title of 'Captain America' due to the events that took place at the end of 'Avengers: Endgame', but we now see Thaddeus Ross being played by Harrison Ford (RIP William Hurt) as the President of the United States. We see Isaisah Bradley as some kind of sleeper agent, now that he has been brought out into the light due to the events of Falcon and the Winter Soldier and it all seems to be orchestrated by some shadowy group pulling all the strings. A little like Hydra being deeply embedded into Shield and the government. 
This trailer on the other hand, not only gives us more of what we got before, but damn, the move-set from Sam Wilson the new Captain America, is on levels where it seems as though his upgrade and upgrades have enhanced his skillset to the point he thinks he can take on a Red Hulk? That aside, this trailer is awesome!

The first trailer was good but this one is so much better. We see Isiah Bradley in prison because it is likely after the events of him "attacking" the president and whilst it looks like Sam Wilson is trying to protect the president, it seems as though the president does not seem to care about the possible assassins or sleeper agents that might be around him because he can turn into a Red Hulk!? A Shadowy man in a hat looks like he is behind it all, but near the end, you actually see the hand in the sea which was from the Eternals movie. I feel like so many people have been crying about how the hand has not been mentioned in recent Marvel stories, so here it is. Let's see what this storyline is all about as this is definitely giving me a "who can you trust" vibe, something Secret Invasion should have done and Marvel thumbled that terribly. That Shockwave line, was amazing. Cutting the vehicle into two, was amazing. That aerial shot flying past the naval ships was amazing. Marvel needs to stick this landing as well as Thunderbolts and maybe, just maybe, the fans will come running back and all is forgiven...only if they stick this landing.

(film review) - Venom: The Last Dance

What I will say first and foremost is that, Tom Hardy and his portrayal of these two characters are what has made these Venom movies entertaining. If you are around my age and know anything about the Venom character and where he came from, you will know it was from out of space, it latched onto Peter Parker as Spider-Man and Spider-Man had access to all these advanced powers. When the Venom symbiote was disgarded, the symbiote latched onto Eddie Brock and Eddie had all the agility and 'spider-man-like' powers going forward. The Symbiote was an entity all by itself, but what sold the character for many (or at least myself anyway), was his proximity to Spider-Man, how he was bigger, faster and stronger than Spider-Man whilst also being able to avoid Spider-Man's Spider-sense making him a formidable foe. The Spider-Man animated series from the 90's showed me that, especially as I never read the comics. The love for Venom is HUGE, so many thought the character would only work if Spider-Man was involved in the movie some how, but Tom Hardy is the person who has made it work. I would say the first movie did really well because it was the curiosity that led to people wanting to see a Spider-Man villain movie without Spider-Man and how it would work along with the love for the character. The second movie was ok, but not as good as the first and felt a little lackluster because Carnage is a serial killer and very villainous, so to have his character toned down took away from the movie and ultimately, the movie did not have Spider-Man in it. This third and final movie or at least, final with Tom Hardy, well...it is not terrible, it is not great, but then, were any of them great?

After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Eddie Brock and Venom are "taken back to their universe" and Eddie is now on the run. Wanting to clear his name, Eddie decides to travel across America to clear his name but when the King of all the Symbiotes Null realises he can be released from his prison by killing Venom and Eddie and harnessing the matrix bond they have created, Null sends out a hunter to track them down. Eddie and Venom must find a way to clear his name and also not get caught by the hunter which will free Null and who will destroy life on Planet Earth 

It is entertaining. The story is lackluster but when you are watching a venom movie, it is more of the fighting scenes and banter you are looking for rather than anything else. Null is a forgettable villain, the hunter is terrifying and in regards to anything else, it is a short film that drags a little but is still fun but also pointless. The film almost feels like it was made to make a trilogy movie set more than anything because a lot of the stories scenarios felt forced and some were out of place. There was a scene where a character turns up in the movie and the whole scene felt forced and pointless although you understood why they did it at the time, it was still a bad decision, you knew it going in, and it turned out exactly how you thought it would.

In regards to the music, nothing special, the acting was fine, the special effects and tight scenes were really good, but other than that, the film is definitely nothing to write home about. I felt like Stephen Graham, a brilliant actor, was wasted. Certain story plots were telegraphed and ultimately, obvious. There is a scene with a family which felt a little forced, but although I enjoyed the dynamics personally, it also felt pointless being in the movie.

Would I say to go and see this, probably not and that is simply because you really do not need to waste your time if you think there is going to be a connection to the MCU, a connection to a wider Spider-verse or anything remotely exciting going forward especially as it is the last from Tom Hardy. But if you want to see Tom Hardy and this character, what they are getting up to this time around and you also want something fun, go for it. Like I said, it is entertaining, but not trash.

(series review) [STREAMING] - Agatha All Along

 

When WandaVision started, it was after the film 'Endgame' and within the timeline and also set after the events of Endgame. Spoilers Alert...but Vision did not make it out of the fight with Thanos, so it was a wonder what the storyline for this show was going to be. From the trailers, Wanda and Vision live in a suburban home with children. How does that work? They introduce a variety of other characters AND...Spoiler Alert (Again), the big bad of the show was a woman named Agatha. WandaVision was set up as different television shows through the ages of television, and this was all explained by the end of the season. At the end of WandaVision, Wanda confines Agatha to a Hex, which this show continues from, but also after the events of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

From the very beginning of this season of 'Agatha All Along', we pick up with Agatha in the hex playing out a TV show. Her "co-worker" invites her to help investigate a dead body, and not long after, she is visited by an old friend. Agatha stops a thief and, upon investigation, she realises that things are not quite what they appear to be, so she must form a covenant and travel the 'Witches Road' to get her powers back.



By the end of episode 2, the witches are now on the Witches' Road, where they will be tested. They find themselves inside a house with a puzzle they will need to solve before the time runs out, or they will all die! By this point in the show, I was already sold on the mischievously evil character of Agatha and how Katherine Hahn sells the character to us. You want to follow her, but you cannot trust her, and in the episode, this is alluded to several times. There are a few times I actually burst out laughing due to the things Agatha and Sharon said or did. I actually feel like Sharon stole episode 3 and has done, ever since the beginning of the series, but by this point, we still do not know who the Teen is, but we do get a bit more insight into these other characters.



By the time we get to episode 6 and after the reveal in episode 5, the show gives us a heavy-handed flashback that is full of exposition, but done in such a way that the episode was still entertaining and answered a lot of questions that were on our lips. Who is the Teen? What is their purpose, and where did the Teen come from and why? Who put the protection spell on the teen and why? Does Agatha know who the teen is and what will their relationship be like now since the mystery of who the Teen is has now been revealed? Will we learn who Rio is and what happens at the end of the Witch's Road? There are still a lot of questions that require answering but by this point, I would not be surprised if we are given more questions as this show winds down, we will learn a lot more about Agatha, her abilities, the Teen and the rest of the covenant and their role in this show going forward.



Episode 7  is where everything is running full steam ahead, and without going into spoilers, the only thing I kept thinking whilst watching this episode was, how did they do that? This episode connects with a lot of the previous episodes that came before it and moreover, the big reveal (which was guessed or figured out earlier in the show if you are savvy enough) hits you with so much crystal clarity, that it makes sense as to why and how things happen the way they did. Your many questions throughout this season get answered slowly through these last few episodes, and this episode is the icing on the cake for a particular character. At this point in the show, I had my theories on whether the Witches Road was ever a real thing and who might have put it there, because a lot of what seems to be going on seems to have been initiated or thought of by specifically one person.

The last two episodes were a chef's kiss to TV production and a well-done from Marvel. Say what you want about comic book fatigue. Say what you want about Marvel falling off. Say what you want about 'Agatha All Along' not being any good, but these final two episodes off the very back of the phenomenal storytelling, wrap this season up in a nice bow leaving only a few questions to be answered and the fans wondering where do we pick the rest of this story up from?

We get answers earlier in the season as to who the Teen is, but now we know who Death is. Agatha, the Teen and Jennifer try to continue on the road, but after another trial, Agatha and the Teen come face-to-face with Death themselves.
The final episode explores Agatha's past, and we finally get to see someone Agatha actually cares for. It explains how Agatha has lived for so many years and what happened to the son, which was alluded to in WandaVision. Everything is explained with another big reveal, and the show concludes, leaving the viewers with the question, "So where do we go next?"



This show has a lot to say about trauma and letting it go. Most of the characters in this show have trauma, and part of the show dealt with identity, who we are, emotional baggage and confidence in yourself. Masterfully crafted, from the very first episode until the very last, we spent time with these characters understanding what happened in WestView during the events of WandaVision with the neighbours during and after. We understand where Agatha came from, why she is the way she is (to an extent) and why she was drawn to WestView. We understand who the Teen is, his skills, how he came about and what his goal is, along with his own personal trauma. We understand all the other witches' roles and a backstory on each of them. If you are savvy enough, you will also notice the sequence of the trials on the Witches Road is in the same order as the Infinity Stones and how they were introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If there is any criticism I have with the show, is that we do not get much from the Salem Seven, but considering everything story-wise that is going on, it actually makes a lot of sense.



Without going into spoilers, 'Agatha All Along' is a direct sequel to both 'WandaVision' and 'Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness', which may lead to upcoming projects such as 'VisionQuest' or something else like 'The Young Avengers'. Although these are not necessarily a "need to watch", the show and film may help with the understanding of the characters going in, how things have come about and the fleshing out of the world within the MCU on Magic and Witchcraft. The acting, whilst somewhat difficult to gauge at first from Kathryn Hahn and what the show is trying to achieve, combined with her multi-layered performance, once you understand that some of the actings are purposely performative along with understanding the character of Agatha, the show becomes easier AND it helps that, episode by episode, more of the story, the characters and the many questions you have are answered episode by episode making the show stronger from week to week, just like WandaVision. The performance of Aubrey Plaza is great, and her dynamic with Agatha plays a lot better at the end of the season. Joe Locke is great as the Teen and he plays the character very well. There are many layers to him and a duality he pulls off superbly. The dynamics between him and Agatha, including their banter, is great and also towards the end, you get to understand Agatha's behaviour and her choices. It cannot be stressed enough, that the thought processes behind this show and the execution are up there with the likes of WandaVision (but better [in my honest opinion]) and Moon Knight and is definitely a show you would want to re-watch as there will definitely be bits you missed in earlier episodes as they continuously drop breadcrumbs in plain sight leading you to realise that certain imagery or phrases/sentences make more sense on the reveal at the end and likely on the rewatch.



If you are not sure of the series, you may need to give it a 4-episode birth to understand what you are getting yourself into. If you are open to watching WandaVision, that will give you the tone/theme/direction of the show and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness will give you more of the story after WestView. Either way, the show does not hold your hand, so you can go in without seeing these as they loosely let you know what is going on, but this is an excellent watch. Marvel may actually be back on the rise.

(episode review) - Agatha All Along - Episode 7

By this point, if you have given the show a chance and gone with it after the reveal, you are likely to think the last episode or at least this seventh episode is one of the best, if not THE best episode Marvel has ever constructed for TV. Why? Because since the reveal, all the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place and for one character specifically, all the tetris blocks are now creating the lines we need to understand the character and what was happening and has been happening all season. Without a doubt, this is superb storytelling and I would be lying if I did not think to myself, since WandaVision, where has this type of storytelling gone? One would argue that Loki season 2 and Moon Knight have similar storytelling techniques, but this is definitely up there with one of the greats.

Agatha and Billy are now on the road on their way to the next task which ends up being a Tarot reading test. Billy thinking he can do this, makes an attempt but when swords start falling from the ceiling Billy wishes for Lilia and Lilia appears. Lilia being a Tarot reader uses her skills to place the correct cards down but there is a cost to this challenge that Lilia must figure it all out before it is too late.

Brilliant episode. Without going into spoilers, the only thing I kept thinking whilst watching this episode was, how did they do that? This episode connects with a lot of previous episodes that came before it and moreover, the big reveal (which was guessed or figured out earlier in the show if you are savvy enough) hits you with soo much crystal clarity, it makes sense as to why and how things happen the way they did. Your many questions throughout this season get answered slowly through these last few episodes and this episode is the icing on the cake for a particular character. One last thing I am going to guess is that, maybe the Witches Road was never a real thing and it was put there from the mind of Billy, especially as a lot of what seems to be going on, seems to have been initiated or thought of, by.....him. We shall see.

(trailer review) - Wolf Man

 

Just so we have an understanding. I have never seen 'The Black Phone' but heard it was really good (a sequel might even be in the works), but I have seen 'The Invisible Man' and I really enjoyed that. It was simple and effective. Operating on a shoe-string budget (likely) and it did exactly what you'd think it should do. Provide a movie about a man who is invisible. In this case, he is tormenting his wife. This movie on the other hand, a man who is attacked and slowly turns into a wolf and attacks his wife and child, Spot on and well done. I remember a while back that there was a rumour going around that Blumhouse might be doing a shared universe like what Tom Cruise's Mummy movie was meant to be with that other film (whatever it was), but this under Blumhouse seems as though it will be different and a much better universe going by this trailer alone. 

This trailer does not show much at all. In fact, it does not even show the Wolf Man or from what I could tell and that could be down to the film's special effects are still beong worked on or they have chosen to keep his appearance a mystery at the moment but this looks terrifying. As the tag-line went "What if someone you loved, became, something else?", yeah, it does make you think. Even the little girl was like "Daddy, it's me". I do not think Daddy's little girl is Daddy's little girl anymore, she is Daddy's appetizer. The lighting in this trailer is so well used and the trailer gave me a claustrophobic feels well as a isolated and haunting experience. It looks like it is all based on one night also. Tense action and suspense thriller that will keep me on the edge of my seat like how Gravity did. Let's see. Hopefully it is really good.

(trailer review) - Creature Commandos

 

I will start off by saying, although this trailer sets the tone for the cartoon/animated shows that will be coming out from DC under James Gunn, I am not sure if the same time will be delivered in the movies, even though they are meant to be a part of the same universe. This trailer was giving me Invincible vibes and several times through this trailer I muttered "ohhh", "ouch", "damn" because the brutality is up there with the likes of........yes, Invincible. Maybe others but considering the Invincible trailer dropped earlier this week, a more recent comparison.

This trailer does not do much other than introduce you to the tone, atmosphere, world and the characters and if you do not mind me saying so, although it was not hilarious (and why should it be), I think I am definitely on board. We get to meet a few characters we have seen before like Weasel and, is that Rick Flag? Or his dad? Amanda Waller as well, so considering this should be interlinked with the DC soon to be out with the new Superman with David Cornsweat, I would love to see where this goes considering the old DCU "died" terribly, or did it. I'd like to see another trailer though. This is essentially Suicide Squad but with monsters, right? Let's see more!

(episode review) - Agatha All Along - Episode 6

When I say, trust in Feige, Kevin Feige, this episode is exactly what I mean. I mean the man gets it and how it is to be done. There has been a lot of talk over the last 4 years that the Marvel quality has been dropping and whilst I will not disagree, I will say that I am cognisant that a lot of the issues in storytelling and the product after Endgame was due to the push from senior executives at Disney. "We need more" was essentially their motto. "Put it out on Disney Plus". This was due to the pandemic and nobody working or producing anything to watch and nobody watching anything because of the lockdown AND the vaccination. It all goes hand in hand. It is also well known and documented at this point that 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' had to change direction in storytelling and they changed direction in series release dates due to the current world that was developing. WandaVision was great as it was first out and had a style to it, Agatha All Along not only continues this style but doubles-down on it with an injection of "buddy cop", 'horror', 'witch-craft' (of course) and murder mystery elements that has completely upped the levels of this show from decent, really good, to great.

Episode 6, after the reveal in episode 5 gives us a heavy handed flashback that is full of exposition but done in such a way, the episode was still entertaining and answered a lot of questions that were on our lips. Who is the Teen? What is their purpose and where did the Teen come from and why? Who put the protection spell on the teen and why? Does Agatha know who the teen is and what will their relationship be like now the mystery of who the teen is has now been revealed? Will we learn who Rio is and what happens at the end of the Witch's Road? There are still a lot of questions that require answering but for the most part, we are in the end game now so all these questions and more are going to be answered. I wouldn't be surprised if we are given more questions but as this show winds down, we will learn aot more about Agatha, her abilities, the Teen and the rest of the covant and their role in this show going forward.

(trailer review) - Invincible: Season 3

What is great about these trailers is that, the show is loved soo much by the viewers and the fans, they can literally do a promo trailer with two characters talking in a Burger Mart about the upcoming season and we will watch over and over and dissect what was said, who was in the scene, thinking about the previous season and wonder where they go from here with great anticipation.

Thinking about the previous season and what they have given us in this trailer, is a continuation and possibly a new villain who is not Angstrum Levi. That looks like Rudi sitting down in one of the booths and there are more storylines that need to be told/continued and most importantly, the Mark, Allan, Nolan (aka Omni-Man), Debbie and the baby. What happens now? And is are we going to see the return of Battle Beast?

(series review) [STREAMING] - Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

 

Absolute nonsense but absolutely fun and entertaining is what I would describe this show. To explain, let me take it back to the very first Tomb Raider game back in the 90's. Lara and her polygonal-ly pointy tits and square jaw were an amazing game for the time. It was essentially Indiana Jones as a woman, without a fedora or a whip but armed with two pistols, a backpack and eventually a shotgun, roaming the world looking for ancient artefacts and killing, possibly endangered species. This game essentially appealed to young boys like myself at the time. The game was a success which spawned a series of games (Tomb Raider 1 - 6) and some others, then a couple of movies starring Angelina Jolie. Years later a reboot of the franchise gave us a Trilogy (so far) and another movie in-between that starring Alicia Vikander. From what I understand, this animated series exists in the rebooted series and takes place after the 2018 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' storyline. For context, I played the original Tomb Raider 1 & 2, 'Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness', 'Tomb Raider: Legend', 'Tomb Raider Anniversary', 'Tomb Raider Underworld' and the rebooted 'Tomb Raider Trilogy which consists of 'Tomb Raider', 'Rise of the Tomb Raider and 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider''. I only got Anniversary because it was essentially a remaster of the original 'Tomb Raider' and I wanted to have a refresher, to reminisce on the old game and to note all the changes/improvements they made, but the rebooted franchise is referred to as the "Survivor Trilogy" and I really enjoyed it. Each game got better and better in the tools Lara had, what she could do and the overarching storyline with the mystery behind her father's murder and the secret organisation behind it. This picks up from there and I enjoyed it. So why is it absolute nonsense? I'll explain.

Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) is hosting an event and a mysterious man pops up and talks to her. Stating they are the same, eventually an artefact Lara had in her possession is stolen and Lara is pulled into a mystery that involves retrieving the artefact and restoring the balance of the world.

This is a basic Tomb Raider fair. But what makes the show "nonsense" for me, is the sheer "believability" of Lara's move-set and the things she can do, endure and "achieve". For example, Lara, (although having played the first rebooted game and completed it), I referred to her as a "Spider-Monkey", my nickname for her as the way I moved her in the game (because I needed her to move that way in the game for my own survival), was nothing short of spider and monkey-like. Clambering, jumping, swinging, back-flipping, etc. This show went above and beyond anything a normal human could do. Lara got flung around and battered by people and beasts and there were a few scrapes and bruises. There were times Lara would have definitely broken a bone, joint, or back or had her head crushed in, but she survives as if her bones are made from titanium. Lastly, what she achieved in this show was "ok" because it fell within the realms the puzzles and tasks you would normally get in the game but there is a moment where two people are needed for a particular puzzle and this is achieved with two people but in the game, it is always Lara by herself so it made me feel that maybe they should have referenced that somehow because in the game, it is only you doing everything by yourself. I did not like the voice acting for Zip because it sounded too stereotypically black and I felt the show did lean a little too heavy on that. But other than these minor issues, Lara being superhuman in her abilities. essentially or the voice acting for Zipp, I actually loved the series, the voice acting and Lara's portrayal.

Hayley Atwell at this point has a very distinguishable voice for me. She is Captain Margaret "Peggy" Carter from the MCU, live action and voice acting, so what she brings to Lara Croft is that well-spoken "posh" Old English cadence and dialogue mixed with a young and upbeat persona of someone who is also carefree. I am not sure if a Millie Bobby Brown would have achieved the levels Hayley achieved with this rendition of the Lara Croft character as what we got, was someone who sounded as though she has seen things, experienced and gone through a lot. There is even a comment where Lara says "We have seen worse", which makes perfect sense when you play the reboot trilogy of games. So in short, Hayley is great as Lara and also brings a vulnerability to the character because she has gone through so much as well as lost those who are important to her. It was refreshing to see our hero. All the other voice actors bar Zipp, I enjoyed as they all brought a level of complexity and layers to their performance, even Zipp. it was nice to be reintroduced to the old characters from the games as well as some new characters that expand Lara's world as well as the references to previous adventures.

As for the storyline, pretty straightforward and not unlike many of the people Lara comes across in her games, people who want to seek an ancient artefact for whatever cause they have and end up close to destroying the world because of their megalomaniacal ideas or cult-like ideologies. In a Tomb Raider game, you are often confronted with ancient mythical lore which are old folk tales that are real but either believed as folk tales or truth and this often brings you to areas of the world you would never see as they are inaccessible by conventional means or they are buried and forgotten, this show touches on that accurately. So, the action in some of these parts literally felt like a video game. How Lara could jump really high and pull off moves no ordinary human could, but if you were playing the game, you could, so that was the "battle" I had where I had to relate the movement to gameplay. With that said, they laced a few moves from the actual game which was nice to see.

The music and animation was great. I saw angles and movement I feel rivals Attack on Titan or Demon Slayer, but watching Lara move the way she does with the animation was slick. There is a lot of close-quarters combat rather than the gun-toting or bow-and-arrowing you usually have in the games, but I was fine with that. In the game, Lara has to be very resourceful and this show shows some of that which was also very good to see. No, you do not see her make a bow and arrow from scratch by picking up random twigs and scraps like in the game but you do see her try to achieve something from bare minimal tools at her disposal. 

All in all, entertaining. There could be a few logic holes here and there or "how does that work" moments, but I saw it as a Tomb Raider game, animated into anime with a bit more story to it and I was totally fine with that. It did not drag, it did not feel forced and it neither pushed the story any further than where the last game left you. I think all I want now, is the next game and to continue from where we left off from the rebooted trilogy.

Also, if this is very well received, I can see them making a series on Aloy from the Horizon series.

(trailer review) - From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

 

Growing up on action movies meant that I saw them often and I loved them. I love seeing a bad guy getting whacked up by the protagonist or the hero. So when John Wick came out, that was simply an action film "junkie's" dream. Remember, the first John Wick movie all started because Theon Greyjoy killed a puppy of a man who didn't want to sell his car to him. You know, of he stole the car, maybe everything would have been fine, but he killed the puppy which was a present to him from someone he held dear (yeah, I don't wish to spoil it) so, John Wick seeks revenge and here we are, 4 films later and a spin-off series and now a spin-off movie and this looks great. So great, by the end of the trailer, I got a little emotional because I managed to channel my cousin without even noticing, picked up on it and realised, this is that type of action movie we love. Ana De Armas kill it in the last bond movie and it looks like she will do the same here.

It does not take long to set the tone and the world this movies takes place in. Ian McShane talking to an obviously sad little girl with blood on her face because it is likely she has just seen and come out of something horrific and is likely to be made n orphan, so here he is giving her the opportunity to seek revenge, but as a Ballerina through a faction Seen in the John Wick movies. Seeing Lance Riddick honestly got me a little emotional and everyone loves it Darryl Dixon. The style of the font, the cinematography, the scenes and shots as well as the close hand-to-hand fights, it's stylish and sexy and to top it off, the Babayaga himself shows up a the end just to seal the deal. To fully confirm to you, which world we are working with here and also, where in the story. It is just an excellent trailer especially if you are a fan of the franchise. Some of those moves, the grenade in the mouth and steel door, the ice-skating boot, the flamethrower Vs the fire hose, excellent.

(trailer review) - The Last of Us: Season 2

 

(TEASER TRAILER)

I stated in my last trailer review that I purchased the second remastered copy of 'The Last of Us' game and played it last year, 2023 and after watching the first season of this show. I am sat here watching this second trailer and I am still a little conflicted because although I wanted to play the game before watching the show, I in fact watched the show first and I do believe it helped me to understand the world of the game, the areas and what the game they could not flesh out because although the game is very cinematic, those elements or storylines could only work in a game setting. But now I have seen the first season, played the first part, I am honestly wondering if I should continue with the watching first, then playing after or should I flip the order for this second season and play first then watch after? Needless to say, this looks amazing already. And I am really looking forward to watching the second season next year.

This is where it all kicks off. Ellie already has doubt and does not trust Joel, but as the audience we understand why he did what he did. But with this new person, Abby, now getting involved, it wil be interesting to see how this all unfolds because from what I heard, the second part of the game is a lot to deal with emotionally. The game. Making you emotional. So it is blatantly obvious at this point, a lot of "eye-water" will fill the eyes of many viewers and followers of the story. The set designs look amazing! Some of the scenes are horrific. That fence part and the fence is caving in, what do you even do? I wonder if we will get any other types of infected. Although I completely the first game, I do not know what they all look like or how they will be transferred to screen but I do think this show is going to be heartfelt and epic just like season 1. Seeing Catherine O'Hara is also nice.

(episode review) - Agatha All Along - Episode 3

 

I feel like this episode was a little shorter than last week but to be fair, I did watch two episodes back to back. 'Agatha All Along' is shaping out to be a really well-put-together TV show from Marvel in a while. Weirdly, I believe the original slate of TV shows for the MCTVU (Marvel Cinematic TV Universe? - I don't know) was meant to be 'Loki', 'Falcon And The Winter Soldier' and then 'WandaVision' (If memory serves me accurately) and due to the world's pandemic problem and the shift (Disney felt they needed) in the storytelling for 'FATWS', 'WandaVision' ended up being the first show out of the gate and while the premise seemed a little weird, kooky and out of place for the MCU, the execution was superb. The acting was great, the story was great and it gave us Agatha, a twisted witch trying to take all of Wanda's powers. Agatha All Along doubles down on what came before and with mastery.

This episode picks up where we left off at the end of episode 2 and the witches are now on the Witches' Road where they will be tested. They find themselves inside a house with a puzzle they will need to solve before the time runs out or they will all die! A slight spoiler, but this was such an excellent episode. If I am honest, I am sold on the mischievously evil character of Agatha and how Katherine Harn sells the character to us. You want to follow her but you cannot trust her and in the episode, this is alluded to several times. There were a few times I actually burst out laughing due to things Agatha and Sharon said or did. I actually feel like Sharon stole the episode and has done since the beginning of the series. We still do not know who the Teen is, but we do get a bit more insight into these characters. As the plot thickens, it will be interesting to see where this show goes especially as "chaos" ensues.

(trailer review) - Sinners

So when this trailer dropped, the first thing I thought to myself was "Michael B. Jordan has been quiet for a little while, was he not meant to be working on a vampire film with Ryan Coogler?" As I watched the trailer, I saw the name 'Ryan Coogler' pop up and asked myself, "Was the film called Sinners?". I came to the quick realisation that I did not actually know what the film was going to be called, but this must be it and considering Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan is the tag-team the black community has been longing for, this is going to be great, right? Fruitvale Station, Black Panther (although not the lead), Creed. Not to mention the fact that Ryan Coogler has not directed a film that was not great. So let's see what this film has to offer from this trailer.

Creepy! There are women out there who love Michael B. Jordan but do not like scary movies but will risk it for this movie, I am pretty sure about that. This film looks excellent and this is just the first initial trailer. It does not show too much, Michael B. Jordan is a twin, we have Wunmi Mosaku from Deadpool & Wolverine, Loki and other shows like Lovecraft Country. Speaking of Lovecraft Country, it did give me that feel, but most importantly, you do not see what they are scared of and are fighting to survive from, the mention of 'beast' and the preacher saying, "You keep dancing with the Devil, one day he's going to follow you home". I love it. It actually sounds like something a black grandmother would say to their child who always wants to be out late trying to have fun and partying. I cannot wait for a second trailer but either way, I am watching this because my boy Delroy Lindo is in this. It was such a crime he did not get anything for 'Da 5 Bloods.

(episode review) - The Penguin - Episode 1

I remember a time when many people did not like Robert Pattinson because he played a Vampire that sparkled. I watched a few Twilights and I must admit, they were ok, but when you want a story of a Vampire having seen Wesley Snipes play Marvel's Blade, and so well, might I add, you do not really want anything like a sparking vampire. So when Robert was announced as the new Batman after Ben Affleck who was meant to be the next Batman going forward after Christian Bale, people were upset. Nobody wanted the Twilight boy to be Batman because he is a "terrible" actor. But the thing is, you can be in a franchise where you may not like that character, TV show, theme etc, but that does not make the actor, a bad actor. I heard about Robert and his capabilities and he was excellent in Tenet, but playing Bruce Wayne, Year 2 of his career as Batman, while people had their discrepancies, Matt Reeves directed a great film with a great story and great actors. In that film, the character ' The Penguin', played by an unrecognisable Colin Farrell, was simply amazing, so hearing they would do a TV show, could only mean great things, right? Right!

This show does not waste any time letting you know what time it is and what you as a viewer are in for. Gritty, Dark, Gangster/Mob TV show in the vein of The Sopranos but with comic book characters no more than 10 minutes into the show, you fully understand the set-up where The Penguin is and what he might need to do next. Having watched the entire first episode, The Penguin shows us Gotham, the gangsters/mobs/crime lords who are vying to fill the power vacuum created after the events of the Batman movie. We find out his intentions and I will take a gamble that during the series, we will see The Penguin rise to prominence as a Mob boss in his own right.

There were only a handful of things I did not like about the show, such as Penguin's voice which seemed as though it sounded slightly different from the film, and there was some CGI used with the driving, but other than that, this show was really good. They highlight The Penguin as a character with impulse issues and someone who came from nothing trying to climb up the criminal ladder. It would be nice to see Batman pop in here and there or maybe see something in the skyline, but so far, the story of the Penguin is masterfully hand-crafted and a joy to watch because this character seems to simply, make mistakes, get caught making them, but manages to slip away. It's the, being able to take a Medium/Genre like Comic Books and mould/fit/craft them into another genre, like a crime drama, just like how Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a homage to a 1970s political thriller and look how loved that film was.

(trailer review) - Thunderbolts

He took his arm out of the dishwasher! First of all, I just want to get this off of my chest first and foremost. The Disney company has been going through a lot of changes in the past 4-5 years. The world also went through a pandemic, so I am not about to be one of those people who have or will say that they hate the multiverse, or say that this latest phase is trash. I liked She-Hulk and what they were trying to do with it, I also liked Echo and what they were trying to do, although I wish they went all the way in, rather than partly in. The TV shows are fine, just fine with a few really good ones. Although I will not say Secret Wars was trash, it did disappoint me because it had all the potential, the potential we now see in Captain America Brave New World. I enjoyed The Eternals and all the rest were decent, but when you set the bar THAT HIGH, it is definitely going to be hard to try and maintain that type of quality where your parent company wants to make unforeseen changes and demand you to pump out double the workload. I will say it again, people are not comic book fatigued, we are mediocre fatigued. It's the quality, not the quantity. This year so far, is a perfect example of that. Deadpool & Wolverine, Agatha All Along and this teaser trailer, YES! I think they have ironed out the kinks and we are back to regular scheduled programming (quality) because this teaser trailer looks great.

I am getting the vibe of The Suicide Squad and Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has tasked Bucky (against his will) to get/obtain Red Guardian, Black Widow and U.S Agent, but it looks like the bigger problem, with these ambiguous/bad guys, is that they will need to deal with a bigger bad, The Sentry and to take him down. Randomly, I think the Guardians of the Galaxy game has a similar concept (which is an excellent game by the way), but they might try to incapacitate him somehow or maybe bring him onside, either way...from what I understand about The Sentry, he is Marvel's version of Superman (like many of their other characters such as Gladiator) but The Sentry has Dissociative Indentity Disorder and his other side is an even bigger problem. I am here for it as this looks really good, so it is most likely going to come down to execution and story, but considering Kevin has the reigns again, I will say, 'In Kevin we trust'. That moment Bucky stops the humvee is a baller move. And I love how everyone in the Limo were concerned he was coming after them. Hilarious. He IS that guy! Also, Steven Yeun, hmmm...let's see how it pans out.

(film review) - Alien: Romulus

"Just when I think I'm out, they keep pulling me back in". There was a point when I felt that this franchise was done. Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus and Alien Covenant. Not to mention Alien Vs Predator and Alien Vs Predator: Requiem. The last two were trash and the franchise (as a whole) has been slowly going downhill, just like the Predator franchise. So, it is interesting to have watched Prey when that came out (the last Predator movie) and it was excellent. So to have that franchise come with something strong and new, a new story, and if it could bring the franchise back like it did for the Predator franchise, maybe this new Alien: Romulus film could do the same, maybe. I am happy to say, in my opinion, yes...yes it has done the same because I loved it.

A bunch of young adults working on a mining planet for the Weyland-Yutani corporation decide that they want to leave the planet as they realise the work they are doing will have them stuck on the planet for the rest of their lives in a job that has already taken the lives of the people close to them. When they discover a nearby space station that could assist them in getting away, the gang travel to retrieve the assistance they need until they discover on board that death awaits them.

When I said the franchise is back, it is because I loved this movie. Obviously, film as a whole is subjective and you may not feel the same way, but I think I will need to see Prey again just to be sure of where I stand between the two movies, but overall, Prey may be the better relaunch of the franchise out of the both of them. This movie is very good in its own right and better than the tried and tested revival of the Prometheus storyline by the originator. Not to be disparaging against Ridley but I do believe he needs to go back to the well with his storylines and concepts regarding the Prometheus storyline.

As for this movie, I will start by saying, that while learning of another Alien film in this franchise could be met with groans and ramblings of how Hollywood does not have any new ideas etc, this is somewhat a fresh take as it is based on a younger group of people and although the film does not bring anything new per-say, I will go into the negatives first. The film does 3 things I could have done without or more of.

I could have done without the Android used (and you will know what I mean when you see it), as it looks a little weird. Practical effects may have served a better purpose than how they did it as the uncanny valley was a bit much for me although I did get used to it over time. Maybe the graphics were simply better in some places but considering puppetry or animatronics have been used in the past, why this was not used this time around is lost on me.

I could have also done without the "forced" line later in the film which simply felt like paying homage to a scene in a previous film but ironically comes after this movie in chronological order. This can be explained by referring to instances and incidents during the movie but it weirdly felt out of place and forced although it could have also been organic if done correctly. They should have done a tad bit more to make the expression/command more organic.

I could have done with more interactions between the characters leading up to the mission as I felt that, yes, it was established that they all knew each other and had worked together, but I think I needed a bit more from each character rather than surface-level stuff. I think the film tried to take cues from Alien and Aliens (and it definitely did in more ways than one), but you know these characters are simply red shirts or at least most of them are, so let me care for them a little, some more character development. Other than these things, I felt the film was great

The pacing started off a little slow but when the action got going, it got going. The word terrifying does not even cut it. The Facehuggers move quickly as they scurry around. The height and force they jump to latch onto you is enough to push you back and knock you off of your feet. They felt more vicious this time around. The "graphic" imagery of how intrusive these aliens are when they shove that long thing they have down your throat is just disgusting. The Xenomorph has always been a thing of nightmares, but how they hide in the shadows and tuck into gaps and blend in with the pipes and wires seamlessly or when they drop silently or appear behind you is simply a classic trait at this point, especially seeing the mouth inside of the mouth. If that shot is not in an Alien movie, it is not an Alien movie. Lastly, the film has a 4th act. Most films are of a 3 act structure, but just when you think the film is about to end, BOOM the 4th act comes in and knocks you back into a sense of uneasiness. You could argue that the 4th act was unnecessary, but it tied up a story thread you would have only been thinking about at the end of the movie.

The music is great. The sound effects are superb. Hopefully, it is not a spoiler to say that there are guns in this movie and it sounds just like the guns in the movie Aliens. The acting was top-notch. Although the main character was great and some of the supporting actors, the standout was David Jonnson. David has a bigger and meatier role than the others in the movie, where saying he is a complex person is an understatement, but David absolutely kills the role.

All in all, this movie was definitely an hommage to Alien and Aliens and although some things could have been left out and some things could have been added in, this movie helps to tie in both the original quadilogy and the Prometheus storylines in a palatable way without leaping too far with extreme ideas. Yes, the first complaint I had could have simply been someone else but it does connect the universe just that bit more and it would have been nice to maybe have more characters or more character development, but all-in-all, it a claustrophobic experience and very enjoyable movie especially if you are a fan of the franchise like me.

(film review) - Blink Twice

I first heard of this film via a trailer which is very unlike me. That is not to say I know everything going on in Hollywood and the movies due out, but I do hear a fair amount of rumours quite a bit and films that have been stuck in development hell for years upon years, like The Crow for example, but Blink Twice came out of nowhere and when I found out it was directed by Zoë Kravitz, I was intrigued. I think I first saw Zoë in X-Men: First Class and I last saw her in 'The Batman'. In between that, it was Mad Max: Fury Road, so I had no idea she wanted to direct, so I found this refreshing. It is nice to have an actor turn director. Michael B. Jordan did it with Creed III, Daniel Kaluuya did it with 'The Kitchen' and Ben Affleck is also known for his great directorial work, so hopefully, Zoë has picked up and learnt a few things to become a decent to maybe even great director, only the film would tell, right? While I would not say this film is a masterpiece, but damn, it was a perfect, well-shot but triggering watch.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a waitress with her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) and they are both invited to a former Tech CEO, Slater King's (Channing Tatum) private island. On the trip to the island, Frida and Jess meet Slater's bodyguard and work colleagues along with other friends or known media personalities who are travelling to the island for fun. Once on the island, whilst beautiful, carefree and remote, Frida starts to realise something is incredibly off with the trip, the island, the workers on the island and the hospitality. Frida must try to work out what is going on, and how to stop it and leave the island.

This film is really good. The writing is great, the acting is great, the plot is great. The music compliments the film although near the beginning I felt we had two back-to-back tracks that made me feel like I was watching a music channel. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts did something similar where I was taken out of the movie a little, due to the music choice and volume, but once the movie gets into gear, it's fine. I also felt the movie started off a little slow and I was a little unsure of what was happening at the very beginning. Maybe I missed it, but who is Frida and why should we care about her and what she is doing, going on in her life or about to do? But I realised that the film is more about what is going on, regardless of where Frida has been or her plans in life. Nothing much in the film is given but it does start to piece together.

I first noticed Naomi in a Star Wars movie (Rise of Skywalker), but for a moment in the movie, I kept saying to myself, isn't she playing Whitney Houston? But after the first few moments, I watched how Naomi commands the screen. She does a little eye acting and she plays her character really well, a fun jovial, carefree woman who wants something and to experience something different, but someone who also knows what she wants when she gets it, which leads me onto the character dynamics. All the characters rift off one another in a great way and everyone played their parts well as previously stated. It seems as though all the actors had fun making this movie as they were all engaging, which also leads into the story element of it all. Without going into spoilers, there is some unnecessary tension on the island which is resolved by the end of the movie but by this point, the entire story and events have changed gears to something more sinister. I really enjoyed this movie but it is triggering. Zoë did a great job with telling this story, the shots and the visuals, the dialogue, the execution, it was all very well done. I think I would have cleaned up the beginning a little by having a few more minutes centred around Frida Nd Jess, but other than that, I really enjoyed the movie.

(trailer review) - The Last of Us: Season 2

 

It's here, it's here! I am a gamer or at least I try to play games when I can find the time these days but I had always heard about the game, 'The Last of Us'. I heard it was really good and it always intrigued me to want to play it as I love single player games. Because I did not have a PlayStation and I had an Xbox (game exclusivity and stuff), I was unable to play the game when it came out. Eventually I got myself a PlayStaion 5 which led me to the remastered copy of the game and to say I was blown away by the game is an understatement. The game came out in 2013 and I purchased the second remastered copy and played it in 2023 after watching the first season of The Last of Us. Although I really enjoyed the show, I was a little conflicted. I wanted to play the game before watching the show and many friends told me that I should have played the game first, but watching the show, for me anyway, helped me understand the areas in the game they could not flesh out because although the game is very cinematic, those elements or storylines could only work in a game (because you are playing it and it needs to be submersible and engaging/challenging) and not a TV show and vice-verser. Needless to say, having played The Last of Us part one (And now I have to try and play part 2 before this season comes out, maybe), and really enjoying it along with season 1 of this show, I am really enjoying what this is, the story and characters. I am really looking forward to watching the second season.

There were brilliant characters and storytelling in the first season and the show opened my eyes to things I was yet to see and some things I had not seen in the game when I eventually played it. There are some creative choices made, by adding and removing elements from the game. The delved deeper into particular characters and their life as well as added a storyline from downloadable content from the game which was not included into the main game, so watching that helped flesh out the characters more, like how the downloadable content would have. Joel, doing what he did does in fact cause a rift between himself and Ellie (something you see starting to play out in the game) and it will be very interesting to see where the story goes from here considering. So, again, I am not sure which will come first, me playing The Last of Us part 2 or the show but seeing the introduction of other characters which are known to appear in part 2 of the game and now season 2, will be very interesting in terms of the dynamics between the characters and the storyline going forward, especially when something significant happens in the story. Knowing some of the information is a bit of a spoiler for me but I honestly do not mind as the game was incredible and the show was also incredible, so I am simply wondering how the show may different, narratively from the game. I am pretty sure the show has won awards, right? Do I play the game this time around or watch then play the game? Whatever I do, I need to get on it!

(trailer review) - Alien: Romulus

 

I am playing hop-scotch when it comes to trailers at this point, as I think back to my earlier years watching trailers. One; I think there were more trailers than what we are getting now and, two; I watched ALL OF THEM. I may not have watched some of the 'clip' ones or the 'scene' ones or even the 'behind the scenes' ones but I watched a lot of them and for the most part, I do not believe it ruined the experience for me unless the trailer over did it which occasionally happened, Batman V Superman, I am looking at you! I already knew I wanted to see Alien: Romulus because the Alien franchise is one of my favourite Sci-Fis. I love sci-fi, I love space and spaceships, and we have an alien, on a spaceship, attacking people and you have a bunch of people trying to survive. Usually you end up with a lone survivor, almost like playing a computer game, but this is the formula. But the first trailer was excellent because of the horror, terror, claustrophobia, it gave everything an Alien movie should give. This trailer dials the tension, terror and horror up to eleven and I am definitely here for it.

Quiet and Airy, only a few people investigating a ship (Romulus, maybe) and an Alien or Aliens are on board. The scene with the water and  the facehugger tries to force itself into the man's mouth, holding onto and strangling him around the throat to impregnate him, although seen many times in many alien movies, this depiction is truly terrifying. I cannot even watch an ER or medical programme with something going down the throat without feeling off, so the shot not long after with the face hugger removing it's appendage from the throat is equally horrorfying. Watching them leap 3-5 meters trying to grab their hosts with force that knocks/pushes you back, then the uneasy feeling and absolute dread you would have feeling something moving inside of you and trying to burst out!? The shock-horror on her face is more than accurate. Elements of Alien and Aliens, two heavily regarded as excellent movies, I hope this one works out and maybe Fede can keep the franchise going.

(trailer review) - Transformers One

When I saw the first trailer for this Transformers film, I simply was not sold on it. It came across as though it was skewed more towards the children. Colourful, childish, childish jokes...I was not sold at all. Not to say that having a film for children is bad or should not be done (I'm a grown man after all) but some animated content, cartoons or anime (if you will) can be directed at both kids and adults, Pixar does that well. Since seeing that trailer, I have heard this film is really good. Although I do not believe it, I have decided to watch this trailer and see for myself because I really enjoyed Mutant Mayhem, so if any of what they are showing me is any better than what I have previously seen and I have already made up my mind, maybe this trailer could change my mind, maybe. This trailer...well, it is better.

I will not say I have done a 180 (one eighty) on this movie and I am sold on it, but this trailer is a lot better than the first one I saw. I love the gradual change in the voice acting from both Hemsworth and Tyree Henry, even hearing Scarlett Johansson this time around is nice because it is either, she had no speaking lines in the previous trailer I saw or she had a line in it but I didn't care because I was not interested. This looks a little more epic. Two brothers/friends who receive power and they both have two different ideologies on how to move forward with this power so they can make their world a better place. Definitely giving me Professor Xavier and Magneto vibes, definitely. Depending on how you see things, nobody is wrong and they do say, the best villain is the person who thinks they are doing the right thing. I am not fully disinterested now, I'll say that.

(episode review) - House of the Dragon: Season 2 - Episode Seven

 

Just when the story is starting to pick up, we are now on the penultimate episode where, in Game of Thrones' case, things always went down, but here, things are going down differently and there is no shock value or major moments per se, but it is definitely looking like a win for Team Black, which leads me to think that this so-called "win" is not going to go down well. In the episode before last, we discover that there are more dragons but not enough Valarian blood riders so Rhaenyra has been on the back foot since Daemon has been gone for a while, with a misfire last episode, this episode was definitely a major win but I can see this all going up in flames by the end in the finale.

There is a chance that there will be more in-fighting or dragon riders switching sides or trying to state a claim to the throne. The dance of the dragons is ramping up and it is only going to get worse as Aemond and Aegon will be butting heads, another brother also has his own dragon and might want to state a claim because of the chaos at King's Landing, not to mention Daemon and whatever his intentions will end up being since he is being haunted by his past and life decisions.

I cannot be sure if there will be a dragon fight nect week in the finale because there are still more dragons to be claimed and more chess pieces to be moved. Rhaenyra also does not want to fight and wants to threaten team green into submission, but due to it being a finale, someone is going to die, I just do not know who.

(film review) - Deadpool And Wolverine

So, I decided to watch the teaser trailer and the first trailer and leave it at that. Why? Well, with all the rumours going around, I did not want to spoil the experience for myself because sometimes, trailers give away too much, and I just wanted to watch this movie with fresh eyes and thoughts. Not thinking at the back of my mind, "Oh, this is when so and so turns up". I did see a small clip of an actor in a suit and I wished I never, but that was due to someone talking about the film and showing clips of the latest trailer (something I had not seen and was trying to avoid), but if I am honest, I think I did pretty well. The spoiler did not hold much weight in comparison to what was to come in the movie at all. But what was to come, I hear you ask?! Cameo after cameo after cheeky cameo, and while all these cameos served a purpose in the movie, I could not help but applaud the team behind this movie and what they managed to do. In 2024, smartphones combined with the internet reign terror on movie sets, letting people know about specific actors and characters in movies, but Deadpool and Wolverine managed to avoid that and deliver a movie that is not only about cameos but about heart, history, decisions and other. I believe that, by this point, you have successfully guessed that I loved this movie.

Wade Winston Wilson, aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), is head-hunted and specifically tasked to help assist an entity with a problem they have. Deadpool decides that the only person who will be able to help him with this task is Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The two go on an adventure to fulfil that task and save the world/universe at the same time, kinda... especially when these two are essentially oil and milk and do not get on.

I am going to try not to spoil this movie as it will be extremely difficult to talk about it due to there being so much going on, and the trailers do absolutely nothing to give the movie away. With that said, I am going to keep this fairly simple and start with the acting. Born to play Iron Man, we can see no other person than Robert Downey Jr. This is almost the same with Chris Evans as Captain America. This also rings true for Ryan and Hugh as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. These two guys ARE their comic book characters, AND whilst one has been at it for around 24 years, there is no denying that these two actors as these two characters are so well loved and revered at this point, it feels like home when both actors play these characters. Hugh has stated before that he would not play Wolverine again after Logan, and here he is, playing Wolverine again, after Logan and again, pretty much delivering such a performance, many may feel he stole the show. This could well be due to familiarity bias because, at this point, we know Hugh as being excellent as Wolverine. To the purists out there who ranted and raved about Wolverine needing to be comic book accurate in height, which is 5'3, and Hugh standing in at 6'2, it was because he was so good, nobody cared, the acting, the story and the delivery were that good. The story is good, but a little messy. It could have been worse, but it was serviceable, and everything else in the movie helps to elevate the movie, allowing you to disregard the messiness of the story. There is also a slight weightiness to Wolverine's story, and this also rings true for Deadpool himself. I won't go into the other actors involved, but Paradox and Cassandra were ok, but they did not have many layers or substance to them. The film is more about Deadpool with Wolverine than what the villain is doing, so yes, villainess or sinister things, but nothing close to that of Killmonger or Thanos. No real heavy lifting here, a little more for Cassandra due to her proximity to certain characters in the X-Men universe, but the film is definitely carried by Hugh and his portrayal of Wolverine.

The visuals. Straight from the beginning, this movie gives you the slo-mos we have been used to from the first movie, as well as the "choppy" storytelling. Moreover, whilst there were no beautiful shots that made you think, "wow, what a visual", there were some excellent fight scenes with great choreography. Not quite a Chad Stahelski, but still great to watch. There were plenty of times I said "orfff" or "ouch" because whether these guys can regenerate or not, some of these shots should hurt a great deal, and I felt it!

The music and the jokes were just line after line of funny lines with track after track of brilliant music. The intro, great music (among other things), and the visuals were excellent. Near the middle of the movie, great music and near the end of the movie, great music. The music accompanying the fights was spot on as well, but if you are aware of music cues, you do need to listen out for them in this movie. The jokes were so funny, and there were times I was laughing so hard that I missed another joke. This movie is witty, smart, and quick, and the fourth wall breaking was superb. There are jabs flying left and right, making it hard to keep up with b cause I'd be laughing as another jab is landing. It reminded me of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. The jabs were speaking directly to the audience about the current state of affairs and your thoughts about the last few years at the establishment, basically....what do they call that, meta-commentary? But I will say, the jokes, jabs, and comedy did not feel forced for me.

Finally, the story, well, back to it. Whilst not amazing, the delivery and execution were great, unlike a few Marvel movies in the past few years. There is quality here. Everything worked and made sense, but the delivery, direction and demand from the director of these actors is what has made this film work for me, even if the story is a bit messy. A combination of everything coming together in perfect harmony to bring you something to watch, have to encapsulate you, laugh (and at some moments) and cry at others. I am not sure if it is due to the familiarity bias with some of these characters, but I have to be honest and say, I did get emotional...even if it was a little bit.

I do believe this is a movie that will be loved by many, liked by loads and disliked by some. With that said and in comparison to what he has had of late, this is a really, really fun movie that is quality and gives us promise of what to come. Maybe, just maybe, Marvel is back "on form". We just need more quality like this in Captain America: Brave New World and The Thunderbolts. Maybe, just maybe, Marvel can get back to where they were, on top.