(ree:watch review) - Stranger Things: Season 1 - 4

So, I wanted to rewatch the entire series of Stranger Things because although I know this is a good show from the first time I watched it, but as we are approaching the final season coming soon, I was wondering two things, a) does this show still hold up as a great story with great characters set in a time that feels authentic to the actual time, and b) is this show worth the hype it first received, has it died down and should we even be looking forward to the final season? From season 1 to season 3, this show has its moments where it dips slightly, but it definitely holds up, and I'll tell you why.

Season 1

We are introduced to Will Byers and his friends, Mike, Lucas and Dustin. We first meet Will with his friends playing the board game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D for short), but as it is getting late, the kids are asked to leave Mike's house. On his way home, Will gets run off the road and abducted. The following day, Will's mum, Joyce, asks Will's brother Johnathan about Will's whereabouts, but when he does not know, Joyce asks Jim Hopper, the town's Sheriff, for help. A townwide search and investigation is initiated, but the more they look for Will, the less it seems likely he is alive. Moreover, Joyce, distraught from the disappearance of her son, seems to think that Will is still alive and talking to her through the flickering lights in her home. Will's friends Mike, Lucas and Dustin also search for Will on their own and end up bumping into Eleven, a little girl with extraordinary powers.

The show grabs you with Will's disappearance. The what, the how and the why. The kids are intriguing because they are kids who play a fictional board game and seem to relate the game to real life, which actually works in their favour in the understanding of what is going on and what to do. Plus they are just kids being kids, which is nice to see. With Joyce practically coming across as though she is losing her mind through grief and Jim Hopper trying his best to keep the town calm and assist Joyce in her missing son, different sub-stories arise and conclude at the end when Nancy, Johnathan's crush, finds a hole in a tree that leads her to somewhere unknown. Not to mention, the star of the show, Eleven, a little girl who somehow has powers to move things at will.
It is like watching 'The Goonies' with a horror element to it. Something that feels authentically like the 80s but doesn't feel forced. This show doesn't scream, "ooo look, we are in the 80s, look how 80s this is, isn't this just typical 80s?". What I mean is, yes, as an audience member watching, you know it is a period piece set in a time that is not present day, but everything feels natural from the acting, to the wardrobe, to the sets and even the dialogue. There is something about the direction, the performances and the execution of the entire first season that if it does not appeal to you in any way, chances are, it never will. Also, the music is second to none. Everything seems to fit like a jigsaw puzzle of everything nostalgia and 80s, and the horror element to the show, though light and not gory, is a nice touch.

Season 2

So if you enjoyed season one, you are back for Stranger Things 2, where the kids are excited to get to the arcade and play the games inside until they realise a person named Max has beaten Dustin's high score. Upon investigation, Max turns out to be a girl who has moved to Hawkins with her brother Billy, so while the kids try to investigate who Max is, Eleven goes on a mission to investigate her past and finds another person similar to herself, whom we are introduced to in the first opening scene. Also, as it is Halloween, Hopper keeps hearing of a Pumpkin Patch where it seems that all the vegitation is rotting so he goes to investigate to get down to the root cause, the kids are kitted out in their Ghostbusters outfits, having fun, but Dustin captures a creature to be his pet, and Will keeps having these episodes where he is alone and something is calling him, only to realise Will has not quite been the same since season 1.

The show has great sound design, great visuals, great music and great acting. Wynona Ryder is an actor from the 80s, and they also pulled in Sean Austin from 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Goonies' fame into the story, along with the guy from Aliens, Paul Rieser. It only feels right seeing these actors from the 80s, and the portrayal of their characters is something that does not feel forced or at least, it did not seem gimmicky having them in the show. The story here centres around Will Byers and Eleven as usual, but we are trying to find the connection with Will, with Dustin and his pet, with Eleven and this other person, with Lucas and Max and what Jim Hopper is investigating. There could be a reason behind all these linked events and the other events happening in the town because Hawkins is definitely having a problem, and the kids, Hopper and Eleven need to come together to figure out what it is and stop it. The episodes with the other kids slow the show down a little, not quite to a halt, but other than that, the season holds up very well, and there was even a moment I got a little emotional this time around. I see where they were going with Eleven's storyline as it helps to flesh out her past, but the execution felt a touch sloppy, and the pacing and change of scenery is jarring.

Season 3

It is now Summertime in Hawkins for Stranger Things 3, and the kids are enjoying the summer at the new mall until Will starts to act weird again (and at this point, this kid cannot catch a break). Scientists work on opening the gate, but Will has an infection, and the scientists run tests on him. Elsewhere, a creature begins to form and take possession of someone close to the kids, attacks a few townspeople and starts growing in size. Hopper feels a certain way regarding Eleven's behaviour since Mike is always around and they are practically inseparable. During an argument, under the persuasion of Max, Eleven uses her powers, forcing a divide in the group between the boys and girls. Hopper and Joyce seek help to investigate the Russians whilst trying to figure out what is wrong with Will. Dustin intercepts Russian communication leading the kids to think The Russians are upto something, so Dustin, Erica and Steve head out to solve it with Robin in tow and as more deaths and strange behaviour start to occur and the media seem to be covering up the truth, Jonathan and Nancy try to get to the bottom of it only to be attacked by what the kids call The Mindflayer. The kids figure out that they need to defeat the Mindflayer before it kills everyone in Hawkins, but to do that, they also need to close the gate the Russians were trying to open up, once and for all.

At this point in the series, it would seem Eleven can do anything, kinda, or at least what the story needs her to do, which is ok, but this season focuses more on her relationship with Hopper and her actions. The kids look so much older than they were in the first season, so some life-story plot points are accelerated, but the show stays consistent. The music, the visuals, the story beats and the characters, excellent as usual. Everyone is superb in playing their part, and it helps that we have grown with these kid actors. With the storyline, it also helps that the story stays focused on Hawkins rather than focusing on another town and another set of people, taking the focus away from the kids. The storyline with Steve and Robin is a little slow until Dustin comes in with the Russian interception messages, but the highlight of that storyline is Lucas' sister Erica, who is younger, smarter and hilariously funny as she starts with trying to game the system only to be caught up with the kids' shenanigans that could, at any time, turn fatal. The villain or puppet in this season is given a bit of a more sympathetic arc that leads to a fight with Eleven, but the acting from when they were introduced in the series has been great, especially their brief backstory. Season 3 ends with the kids achieving their goal, but at what cost?

Season 4

This time around with Stranger Things 4, we start with a flashback that leads to us seeing Eleven in the lab, and it has been trashed. Dr. Brennan (Papa) looks at Eleven and screams at her, "What have you done?" Shortly after that, we get to see kids and where they are in their lives. Everyone is in different places; some of the kids are in Hawkins, some are in Los Angeles, and we are introduced to a girl who is having some sort of trouble and goes to see one of the new characters in the show, Eddie Munson. Eddie is an older kid who runs a D&D group in Hawkins called the 'Hellfire Club', in which Dustin and Mike are a part of. Lucas is part of the Hawkins Basketball team, and Will and Eleven are in their new school, where Eleven is not having the best time. Johnathan is busy being recreational with his new friend, but when a girl dies in a horrible death in Eddie Munson's trailer, Eddie goes on the run. The police think it is him, the girl's boyfriend, who is also on the same basketball team as Lucas, thinks it's the D&D group, thinking they are a cult, and when even more deaths occur, Sam enlists the help of Eleven to help, but the army thinks it is Eleven who is the cause. Nancy, Steve and Robin investigate who Henry Creel is in relation to the murders, and whilst all this is going on, Joyce receives letters from Russia and seeks Murray's help to look for Hopper because she believes he is still alive.

When I first watched this season when it came out, I remember loving it by the time I had finished it. I was buzzing from it, looking forward to where the series would go next. I loved the storyline with El, Max, Lucas and Nancy. The show has always been great in having different pockets of people working or battling with their own problems or individual tasks, to only converge at the end. This season did it in a way that strangely came together in an organic way, where El assisted Max, but Max had her friends dealing with one issue, and some of the friends were assisting El. Joyce and Murray were a separate storyline that also worked in parallel, but was a piece of the bigger picture rather than also in the fold with the others and that Vecnor, the main antagonist, has been trying to gain more power to reach into the real world. I remember "Running up that hill" was a huge song that wouldn't leave my mind after watching season 4 for the first time, and on the rewatch I came to realise, the song was prominent throughout the entire season but I could only remember it being part of a scene involving Max, but in fact, it played as part of the storyline as well as with a particular character. With that said, having not seen the show in so long, I forgot a lot of the elements, plots, and story beats that occurred, and on the rewatch, some of it was slowly coming back to me, and it felt refreshing to see. I do not believe I was confused the first time around, but on the rewatch, El being in the secret lab going through a scene, which was essentially a memory, confused me this time around, but I got there in the end with understanding what was meant to be going on. Plus Dr. Brennan never helped clear up his alliance with me. Was he good, was he bad, or was he whatever he needed to be to get the results he wanted?

The show holds up, it really does. The rewatch was to figure out if this show was simply hype and this 5th season is them flogging a dead horse and milking a franchise for all it's worth and whilst I agree there is an argument to be made about milking a franchise and through season 1 to 4 there were some elements that did not work and that also includes the storyline or El's powers or who the big bad is, this season is a slow burn where things slowly start to ramp up (just like the other seasons), but with these episodes being so long, there were moments I thought "when will it all converge and or kick off. Not that I was bored because it is funny, charming, suspenseful, scary, but the show keeps you very engaged. There is a possibility I were thinking there might have been more action, ie, deaths and battles, than I initially thought, since I watched it a while ago, but with that said, when it all does kick off, it is great. The moment El flexes is a great superhero moment. Even a simple "Hi" at a particular moment in the episode 'Piggyback' was great, especially at this point, you understand the history and backstory, which had been fully fleshed out in this season, with a complete backstory to the main antagonist. The line where she said, "I piggybacked from a Pizza dough freezer", was so earnest, when you think of how absurd it sounds, it can only make you laugh.

The music, special effects, and story it is all very well done. More special effects this time around and with introducing a new big bad who is woven into the story as well as it had been done is simply excellent. How it attacks people, which is highlighted with a sound and the visuals, it was definitely giving me 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' vibe, even with the use of Robert Englund thrown into the show to tie it all together. And I must say, I am slightly taken aback by how these abilities initially manifest within the context of the entire story in full, but I will say, everyone did a great job, although these kids are likely playing a little younger than they are, as they look all grown up in comparison to 3 seasons ago. Also, these kids must be really messed up for all the things they go through, and this season showed that there were stakes and some real emotional moments.

How season 4 ends is dire and it will be intersting to know how long after season 5 picks up after season 4 (how old these kids are going to look), but with Hawkins being the way it is, it is going to be all hands on deck for this final season because it is implied, Vecnor is still alive and may have an out which means Hawkins is doomed.

(film review) - Demon Slayer: The Movie: Infinity Castle

I started watching what we now call anime a long time ago. I used to go to the video shop and pick up what looked cool. They were all dubbed as well, so I did not need to read subtitles, and if I am honest, I knew nothing about anything. I cannot remember who put me onto Manga, but I enjoyed watching them. I want to say my first Anime I bought was not a manga, but my second one was. It was either 'Dominion Tank Police' the series or 'Guyver'. Maybe it was my Cousin because I'm pretty sure he had 'Akira', and at the beginning of Manga's, you have a fanfare of other Manga films, kinda like what Marvel does before it says Marvel Studios. Seeing glimpses of other anime got me interested in wanting to watch other Manga movies. But in the latter years of my life, I fell off Manga, couldn't understand why it was called anime, and I slowly tried to get back into it. With all the films and shows I watch, I do try to slide in some anime here and there. It was only my mate who told me about 'Demon Slayer', telling me I'd like it and that the show reminded him of the old manga's I used to show him. So I gave it a go, and he was correct. I watch the dubbed version with subtitles on Netflix, and although the shows are something near 25 minutes long, it was a little difficult to get into at first, but I got used to the flow and rhythm of the show eventually. This is my first time watching a version of 'Demon Slayer' as a film in the cinema, because you can watch it on Netflix (where I usually watch the series), but it is broken up, although a whole season might be movie-length, like this movie. So how did it fare, for me as my first time, well...I kinda liked it, but also didn't like it at all. I'll explain.

So the movie picks up where the show's last season ends. Muzan Kibutsuji had spies around the Hashira compound, but the leader of the Hashira set a trap for him. When the trap is sprung, the Hashira come running, but Muzan teleports all the Hashira to the Infinity Castle, where all the floors and levels and walls move, and it is overrun with demons. Tanjiro, sworn to take revenge on Muzan for killing his family, must find his way through the Infinity Castle with his Hashira family and defeat Muzan once and for all. That is the long and short of it.

Just like the TV show, my understanding is that, this is a season or storyline, but it is uncut. We follow different characters, not just Tanjiro, and we get backstories of some of the characters and the ranking demons we are reintroduced to. Also, just like the show, there are some beautiful scenes and picture-esque imagery. Utterly beautiful. The music is great, just like the show, and so is the story, but other than the subtitles catching me off guard because this was not dubbed and took some time getting used to, I could not get with this as a film at all. It is likely because I had a long day and was a little tired, but ultimately, I believe I am used to the "cut" format, where the credits start to roll as soon as it starts to get interesting. Also, when I watch 'Demon Slayer', sometimes it is in the background and it is dubbed, subtitled, AND I have the ability to rewind whenever I like. I even watched the last two episodes before watching this movie but, reading subtitles after a long day, and having this film not broken up like the show started to wane on me halfway through. I started to get restless, and I felt myself trying to start the long blinks, but I kept repositioning myself in my seat and at one stage, I kept drinking my water to keep me alert. And some of the backstories just got a little boring after a while, where I think had I been watching it on Netflix, I probably would have had 80% concentration on it, having been able to utilise the options I have, or they would not feel as long because the show is usually broken up. I loved the film, loved the action, enjoyed most of the backstories, but I just feel the focus and attention needed from me after a long day, and the difference in the format the show/movie is presented, as well as the subtitles (just having to read), was that one-two punch that did not agree with me. Also, when hearing the dubbed voice acting sounding very different to what you know, does not give it any familiarity. I am honestly going to think twice about watching another Demon Slayer movie in the cinema again or at least watch the dubbed version next time around.

One last thing, though, I am not sure if the film does enough to give you a storyline where you can simply watch this movie and understand what is going on without having watched the show first. For example, 'Star Wars' Episode 4 is the beginning of a storyline, but the "middle" of the story, hence why it's called episode 4. For the most part, it is self-contained, as you meet Luke, he has heard of Ben but never met him. Luke understands there are these people called Jedi, and his father was one, sets out on a mission to rescue a princess, but gets caught up with fighting the galactic "police" authority of sorts and defeats them to rescue the princess and save the rebel base from being destroyed. That is a story within itself. With this, a bunch of students and teachers rush to help their master and find themselves teleported to a destination where nothing is normal, everything is moving, and there are demons everywhere, including high-ranking ones they need to battle and defeat as they make their way to defeat Muzan, all the demons' leader, once and for all. And to not give away the ending, there will be a sequel. So, like I said, really good and enjoyable, but the format is not for me, and this may not work for beginners as the film does not really allow for a 3 act story, any character growth and it could be the fact I did not watch a dubbed version, maybe I missed some bits, but the story as a whole does not seem to be explained. This movie acts as the beginning of a storyline within the main story to flesh out some new characters and give us some familiar faces, but if you are not clued into the show, this may well go over your head as a first-time watcher.

(episode review) - Peacemaker: Season 2 - Episode 6

The first season of Peacemaker was a surprise because I really enjoyed it. For what it was, it was astonishingly good. I was taken aback because I did not know what to expect from it. The first trailer was interesting, but I only knew James Gunn from the limited films I have seen of his. So, with the restructuring of the DC comic book universe due to having a change in leadership over at Warner Bros. and due to the mentality the leadership at WB had trying to "catch up" to Marvel Studios, James has managed to continue the Peacemaker show and also make it fit within the new regime. With that said, I have been watching this second season, secretly. I say secretly due to not watching it through official channels, although I have the access, but at the same time, there are so many things to watch right now, it has been difficult to focus on the release date and time, so I cannot simply focus on this show, and ultimately, I am being lazy, I'll admit that. So, as this second season has been released and the episodes have come out weekly, I have caught up and I am fully up-to-date, and I am really loving where this season is taking Chris Smith.

Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker, has been struggling all season with being a hero, but everyone pretty much still dislikes him for who he is and his actions in the Suicide Squad movie. Spoiler alert! For The Suicide Squad, he kills Rick Flag, and he has been beating himself up over it ever since season 1. Having saved the world, he thought things might have changed, people's perception of him, but it had not. Whilst having feelings for Hardcourt, he really wants to see where they are going with their friendship and if it could be anything more following an incident which occured between them, and although Chris wants to feel loved and secure, and Hardcourt might be the person to help him with his feelings towards himself knowing someone loves him, and the fact he continues to feel alienated on his own planet, Hardcourt has her own issues and past and ultimately rejects Chris. He then decides to leave everyone to travel to an alternate dimension with a device he has had for years after discovering it in the woods as a kid. This new world seems great and is everything he has ever dreamed of, where people love him, he is adored for who he is there, even that world's version of Hardcourt, but being caught in the bliss of it all, Chris remains ignorant to what lies beneath and by the end of the episode, we find out, where Chris really is.

Leading up to this episode, John was spying on Chris, only to be asked by Rick Flag to find out what Peacemaker is doing, but as soon as Rick becomes head of Argus, Rick wants revenge. The episodes have been really good, and the gradual reveal of what we are getting into with the new world will be devastating for Chris. All the characters are great as they are all unique. Some characters are better than others, but they are written in a way by James Gunn with great dialogue and character interactions. The last episode, surprisingly enough, had me a little emotional because I can identify with a man trying his best and feeling like he is failing in every which way he can to fail and feeling like he is not loved or anything which he does matters. This show shines a light on men's mental health, and one of the reasons why a lot of men do not speak about their feelings or leave the planet. This show gives us Hardcourt, who is also messed up in her own way; they are both broken people for different reasons. One is broken, but sees love in another person, and that person is broken and doesn't know if she can love another person. This episode was the start of the rescue mission, and the next episode is where shit will hit the fan with a devastating, crushing blow to Chris, and a huge fight is likely to occur because of this. Also, Adebayo and Judo Master are definitely not in the best place, so the next episode might pick up with him and enemies might need to join forces to defeat the evil that is around.

(episode review) - Alien: Earth- Episode 8

 

 

Aside from the fact that this has always been one of my favourite franchises, this episode was spectacular! The inmates are running the asylum. The second-to-last scene (for me) was telegraphed from the previous episode as I knew this person had to be used for the Ocelus, and we were shown in the first episode that Atom was a Synth, but as usual, humans and their hubris are the hand to their own demise, and I absolutely love it. What is that phrase I love so much, oh yes, death by misadventure. This episode is the final episode of the first season, and although there are a lot of threads left hanging, they managed to tie up some things, but left enough to have you wanting more, because there are so many unanswered questions. What happens now, next, in the future (the future we all know), or do we?

First of all, this episode picks up with most of the people together, but slowly, people start to go in their different directions to track down these different people. I am trying to remain spoiler-free and as vague as possible. The fight between those two in the elevator scene was really good, although it could have done with being longer. The monologue was so unnecessary, but that is what people do when they feel they have the upper hand. In the end, I was surprised that they were both still alive, as I thought one would kill the other. I hadn't realised that the communication between the Xenomorph and Wendy is like an echo-location or something, that she could be in one place on the island and make a noise and communicate with the xenomorph, which can hear it from a completely different location on the island, so that was cool. I mean, we had seen it before, but not with a distance so vast. Any scene with the ocelus is a thing of nightmares, and I always feel uneasy when we are in a scene with it, but the setup was sinister, and the scene was great. There is a moment where Wendy shows up and does something...if you had seen my face, my jaw had dropped open and was open for that entire scene thereafter. Yes, we have seen some things, but this one was elevated and was a truly amazing moment in the scene, AMAZING. It was just something, I guess I did not expect she could do, but it also made sense when explained. There were also some really great moments that had me clapping and cheering, such as the moment where Marcy clicks her fingers, because just when I thought, 'could she not...?' moments later, 'yes, she could'. It was a pre-hit wind-up which teased us to get ready for the moment. And when that ball, hit, I was thinking, "Badass!" This season of Alien Earth has been great, and I can totally understand that not all questions are answered, and there is a lot of "stupidity" from the characters on the show, and that it has been a slow burn of a show. I cannot think of a reason why they will not do a season 2, but when that does happen (because I am sure it will), it will be interesting as to how this will all go down next season.

(trailer review) - The Mandalorian and Grogu

Since the ending of season 3 of 'The Mandalorian' there has been talk of a film and there definitely were some groans. I mean, when the first episode came out of the first season, everyone gravitated towards this Star Wars project. There have been a few since and even though I always saw 'The Mandalorian' being about 'A' Mandalorian and not THE Mandalorian (despite the show being called The Mandalorian), I enjoyed the 3 seasons including season 3 which was not very well received. I believe a lot of the fans felt that The Mandalorian was Pedro Pascal's character and that the show was about him. Also, something about Bo-Katan, and she not being THE Mandalorian. To be honest, I felt The Mandalorian could have been any mandalorian (and at a point whilst watching the show) WAS about The Mandalorian who reclaimed Mandalore and The Mandalorian we follow is the person who started the revolution or got the ball rolling on that or, again, was the person to help bring the Mandalorians together, but...we got what we got. Can you imagine if it was, and all the Mandalorians returned home, but then it ended up being more in-fighting leading to another spin-off show just like 'Game of Thrones', but between the Mandalorian's and someone trying to sit on the Mandalorian Throne, but again...we got what we got and to reiterate, I enjoyed season 3. But this trailer, it's really interesting for me to say, I don't care for the movie, but I am also still very interested in it.

Not seeing much from this official trailer, but it looks like 'Mando' will be pulling off an attack on the Empire (or whats left of it) with the help of Ripley and the small guys from another Star Wars project, and I am assuming they will succeed in the end and be the badass hero we have known him to be. You saw that kick, correct? The music is great and the actiok looks decent. It acually looks like a film than a TV show. The quality is different. But also with this trailer, I am not kidding, but all I saw was puppetry and toys watching this trailer, and during it, my first honest thought was, "who gives a....who cares?" But immediately said to myself straight afterwards, "looks cool, might watch that". I mean, we definitely did not need a movie of the show, but I guess if they can get something great done, minimal expense and possibly with a great storyline, we are looking at a winner, maybe (I mean, the fans are tired), and maybe they can sell toys and make sequels. Skeleton Crew was good and charming, but is The Mandalorian and Grogu the way to go? Let's await the next trailer to decide. 

(episode review) - Alien: Earth - Episode 7

 

 

This is the penultimate episode, I believe, and in true alien fashion, everything goes to shit and quickly. If you are not up to speed with the show, this might be a spoiler, while I bring you up to speed, so please be warned. I will try to limit the details as much as possible. As we have seen in previous episodes, Morrow is after the specimen for Weyland-Yutani due to the corporation giving him purpose, so he is simply doing his job by any means necessary to stay alive and is using Slightly to achieve his goals. Slightly, scared for his family is pressured to carry out a task he does not want to do, which leaves Arthur incapacitated. Arthur was fired because he and his wife want to do what is morally right for the children, but Dame (the wife) goes against her morals just to keep her job, although one of the children flipped out on her a few episodes ago. That same child thought she was pregnant, but Wendy told her what had happened, making Wendy realise she is in fact, property of The Boy Kavalier and he can do whatever he likes. The Boy Kavalier makes a deal with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation because he thinks he can use the quarantine time to somehow communicate and or use the Xenomorph for his own gains, but Wendy is the only person who can and her brother is trying to get her off the island because he does not think they are safe and this is further proven when Isaac goes into the lab and an accident occurs.

Since we are now up to speed, it was telegraphed in a few episodes prior to the capabilities of Wendy, a tech manipulator, and now she can communicate with the xenomorph, so a team-up was bound to happen, but how the episode ended, wow. Kirsh has been playing 4D Chess, which makes more sense now as the episodes play out episode by episode. It has been somewhat slow-ish, but we have been watching the slow domino effect of one action leading to another and the hubris of humans thinking they are smarter than other creatures. The Ocelus has shown intelligence from the beginning, so now Boy Kavalier is on a quest to find a host for it in hopes of communicating with it, and Wendy wants to save all the children by taking them away from Boy Kavalier with her brother, and Slightly is struggling to fulfil his mission for Morrow. I have no idea what the final episode will be, as I am assuming the island is no longer safe for anyone at present, but the Boy Kavalier is going to try and communicate with the Ocelus, and I assume it will kill him, telling him he is inferior to it. With that said, anything can happen, but I feel like I can guarantee a few survivors like Kirsh, Morrow, Wendy, Hermit and that Ocelot. I mean, what will season 2 look like? It is so hard to say, but maybe nobody will die but a few minor characters, maybe, and season two is when things really get interesting. Great episode of this show...great!

(trailer review) - Marvel Zombies

So, this drops in two weeks time, and I'm guessing this is the trailer to help sell this project to the Marvel fans out there. From what I heard regarding the previous trailer, there are a bunch of people looking forward to this because this does indeed look really interesting and will be somewhat entertaining, but I think, for the most part, this will be fun. I am yet to see the previous episode(s), but like those others, and as I have already said, I am fully invested in this Marvel Zombies four-episode "story".

And with that being said, that beginning shot with everyone standing in some sort of room facing the camera (which might be most of the heroes) is absolutely great. You can make out a lot of the characters we know and love, but there are a few I do not recognise immediately. The number of times I paused, rewound and played to get a better look from these flash images goes beyond the count of the digits on one hand, maybe even two. The inclusion of some characters who are not even in the MCU yet is intriguing, because is that not Storm? Storm from the X-Men? And we have already mentioned Blade, but a Ghost Zombie is absolutely terrifying. I am hoping this will be very chilling and scary, but absolutely fun at the same time. TV-MA over here is a 15, I believe (anything suitable for 15-year-olds and above), so let's see what this four-episode "story" has to say for itself and if it will loosely be connected to the wider cinematic universe or not. If not, it does not matter, as long as it is still fun.

(trailer review) - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

 

There are several different types of trailers when it comes to movies and gaming, and for those who do not know, this is what you call an 'Announcement Trailer'. It is similar to a teaser trailer, and in some cases, they are one in the same, but this simply exists to let us, the fans, know there is a new movie on its way in the near future. Usually, with a teaser or Announcement trailer like this, we are usually a year away from the film being in the cinema, but depending on when they want to release, I can bet the summer of 2026.

This announcement shows Mario sleeping under a tree as we follow a butterfly flying in the world. We get to see the underground creatures seen in the games (I believe they are from a game, but I cannot remember which one - the original Mario Kart, I think), and we get to see the infamous fish that always jump up to bite you. And consider where we see the castle in the background, and we follow the butter, there is some teleportation because the princess's castle is a lot closer to the lake. We see some toad characters, and the butterfly flies into space, and a star comes shooting down with a "Let's go!" Yeah, let's go! But I'll wait while they prep to go...until they release the next trailer. Sidestep, isn't the music a different-sounding version of the music in Super Mario World? I've not played Galaxy, so I have no idea.

(trailer review) - Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

 

Murder mysteries have been interesting since the dawn of time. Who done it? Rian Johnson has injected new life into that genre, and the Knives Out franchise has become a franchise that has had a great story with great dialogue, wit, charm and dark comedic ingredients all baked into it. I remember watching the first 'Knives Out' and really enjoying it. The second one was also very enjoyable, although maybe not as great as the first, but still really good. This trailer for the third Knives Out movie looks darker in tone and enjoyable simply by the sheer history of the franchise and direction, but with that said, I really hope it does not go down the paranormal route, as I have heard (and possibly incorrectly) 'Death on the Nile' did, but I have yet to confirm.

So, a vicar dies on the premises of a church in a small box of a room in 30 seconds after entering it whilst several people are around, and Benoit Blanc tries to investigate, and figures out there is a possibility of foul play. So during his investigation, he tries to find out how a murderer killed a priest who was in a room by himself with no other entrances to commit the impossible crime, and I am sure, everyone has a reason to commit the crime, so the death will remain a mystery until it is solved.

(episode review) - Alien: Earth- Episode 6

 

This show just seems to get better and better, and honestly, this is peak sci-fi. Aliens, Robots, Cyborgs, Hybrids, Alien: Earth has it all. And it is not all just action-based, there is actual science involved, the watching and testing of specimens, whether it be Aliens, Robots, Cyborgs or Hybrids. And like I said before, it could be my personal bias talking here, but this show is just that good, because whilst Alien was great and Aliens was different but better (in a different way), this show manages to juggle the two (with a bit more of Alien), so that this episode has turned the villain on its head. What I mean by that is that there is an argument to be had that the main villain of the Alien franchise is the Alien organism, the Xenomorph, but if you have watched any of the movies in the franchise, it has ALWAYS been Weyland-Yutani. Moreover, Weyland-Yutani is human, so this episode shows us how it is not just one corporation or two (or all for that matter), but humanity is the problem, humans have always been the problem, and Wendy explicitly states this.

Last week, we got the flashback that humanised Morrow; this week, we further understand his motives that make him a multilayered person. We also get Kirsh, who seems to be up to something because some of the children want to remain as children but are being forced to grow up, and some seem to want to prove themselves to a point where an "accident" occurs due to a timely knock on the wall. The Boy Kavalier simply does not care and is onto the next best thing, the Alien that Weyland-Yutani are after, even setting up a deal with the Weyland-Yutani corporation, but this is likely to go badly for him, not to mention Slightly, who is under so much stress with Morrow being on his back about the specimen. Wendy sees firsthand what Boy Kavalier is capable of, and her brother Hermitt is going to do whatever he can to save his sister and get off the island. Nibs is not in a good place right now, and Arthur, the only person who seems to be a good person, just got fired.

(trailer review) - House of Dynamite

 

Ok, first off, Rebecca Ferguson looks weird. Seeing her with blonde hair is absolutely throwing me off, as I did not really recognise her in normal clothes. From Doctor Sleep, Mission Impossible and Dune, a phenomenal actor, might I add, but at first glance, my brain was doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out who I was looking at. That aside, and the fact I really wanted to watch the film 'Civil War', this teaser trailer is giving me tense "this could actually happen" vibes I am not fully comfortable with. And a heads up - I saw the thumbnail to this and because it had the Netflix logo next to it, I read the name and disregarded it (mostly because Netflix only has a few great films), but to realise Rebecca is in this, I am actually intrigued.

I have no idea what is happening, but I know from the back of this trailer, seeing Rebecca Ferguson (even with blonde hair), seeing Jason Clarke, the wonderful Moses Ingram and that guy from 'Night Agent' (he fits right in here), Gabriel Brasso, this is definitely a film to watch. The narration/narrative and visuals are giving me political, World War 3 is imminent, kind of vibes, but the narration is giving me alien invasion, likely not, but it did cross my mind. I guess they are both the same, depending on how you view it, as they will both cause mass panic and pandemonium, but whatever this movie seems to be about, the first official trailer will let us know, and I am not sure if any of us will be prepared for it.

(episode review) - Alien: Earth- Episode 5

 

Considering how the last episode ended, things have got a little crazy. Kirsh seems to be "plotting" something, Morrow is sinister as hell, the octopus eye alien is WILD! The whole sheep situation could not be any more disturbing, but most of all, the snake charming at the end is where we ask, "What is happening?" It is one thing for the hybrids to believe they are human, or at least some of them, one of the hybrids to think, "well it happened to Mary, it could happen to me, and in fact, it has", another thing for Morrow to be IN THE HEAD of little boy Slightly, but to have Boy Kavalier try to come between the Hermit and Wendy and the sister being able to charm the snake, this show has stepped up the levels and although there isn't always a lot of action, what we do get is beyond great, especially the use of orifices. The Alien franchise never disappoints when it comes to an alien getting into a human.


And just when you thought we would pick up from the last episode, this episode throws us into the ship we saw in the first episode, where we get to spend more time with these characters and what happened, leaving Morrow to seal himself inside the control room. For how Morrow has been acting throughout these past episodes, this episode gives us some of his backstory, in which I feel humanises him. He had a child, and he was only on the ship as chief security officer, and he just wanted to do his job, but when you are surrounded by imbeciles and a person who decided to take the ship into their own hands under a promise that may not even happen, Morrow is pushed to make challenging decisions. However, with all the engineers, biologists and others on the ship who wind up getting picked off, one-by-one, by making human mistakes off the back of dumb ones anyway, it is not just the Xenomorph loose running rampant on the ship when the testing of these aliens go wrong, it's a combination of a lot of things, but having a Xenomorph loose defintely does not help.

(trailer review) - Marvel Zombies

What is interesting is that I do not really care for Zombies. I like Zombies in film, Zombies in TV shows, and to an extent, Zombies in gaming, but as for animation, I do not really care for it. I mean, it's cool and all, but maybe it's the context of this that does not necessarily grab me. Even the Marvel Zombies in the 'Marvel's What If...' series episode, or episodes (I cannot remember how many there were), those episodes were ok, just ok. You get to see some cool 'mash-ups' of characters or team-ups that you would not normally see in film, or we haven't yet seen in film. But with that said, this looks absolutely great!

I'm not sure what it is, and this could actually wind up being trash, but having the Red Guardian, Black Widow 2, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man (because, of course...), Shang-Chi and Blade (fused with Moon Knight, maybe) is absolutely crazy and I love it. I do not remember the last time I rewound and paused a trailer just to see something again and for clarity. The first was the arrow through the 'TV-MA' sign because I did in fact, blinked and missed it, but the tram part where a zombie (I thought the zombie was Bucky) reaches out to grab (I am assuming Ms. Marvel), the introduction of Blade Moon Knight (like, is that meant to be Blade? Oh wow, he has fangs, its Mahershala Ali's Blade, THAT'S INTERESTING), a Zombie Ant-Man getting sliced in half and one of the coolest shots of Spider-Man using his webbing to rip off all the heads of the Zombies, is an absolutely great frame. But the money shot (or moment) is the action scene they conclude with in the trailer, and that's Khonsu Blade (Moon Knight) fighting someone with a sword and absolutely slices and dices the zombie up in true Blade fashion, phenomenal. Sold! Give me more action like that, cool lines, great mash-ups and team-ups, and I'm good. I just hope it is any good, sorry, any great.

(trailer review) - Fallout: Season 2

One of the streaming industry's most missed opportunities is to create or curve the trend in recent years. As technology evolves and people have a greater reach to almost all things across the world, our need for information has vastly expanded. Our need to consume everything all at once has gotten to an all-time high, and one could argue that it is still climbing. So, when streaming started to grow more popular and the success of Netflix and other similar models began to grow, "bingeing" was a thing people did to consume their favourite shows. Episodes after episodes, seasons after seasons. It was not too dissimilar to watching your favourite movie and watching the sequel afterwards, or getting together with your family and/or friends and spending the weekend to watch the entirety of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. It became a culture, but when the pandemic hit, that was all we could do: binge. But when the pandemic was over, a show like 'WandaVision' taught us, that with great writing, scripting, directing and a good story, people will come back week after week after week after week and continue the conversation for a show for days and weeks, building a snowball of popularity when people caught on and wanted to become part of the "water cooler conversation" until the snowball eventually melts away. Also, the trend had changed. But this model is not new by any accounts, because we had seen it with older shows, and even newer shows and they labelled it, "event screening", something like a 'Game of Thrones' where everyone locked in, watched and couldnt stop talking abou it all week until the next episode, but streaming (not all), do not seem to get it. Because it is streaming, it does not mean the binge model is something that cannot be removed, and to introduce a weekly release model. And like most bingeing content, season one of Fallout came out, but disappeared like a fart in the wind. The only reason, I believe we are getting a second season, is due to the fact that, the story was interesting and very good (just like the computer game it is based on) and there may have been a staggered binge of the series meaning, if you knew about it you binged it, then maybe a week or so later, someone else binged it, so on and so forth. The problem with that is, you have small pockets of people talking about it, but the event or the hype dies, but on this occasion,  it was prolonged, just for a little bit as people spoke about how good the show actually was. The weekly format works and I hope that with this second season, Amazon decide to release it weekly because I really enjoyed the first season.

The first season focused on 3 characters, the Vault Dweller, A Ghoul and a deserter from the Brotherhood, a group of militia that polices the wasteland. The show ended with everyone converging at the end, defeating the big bad, only to end up heading to New Vegas, or at least, the Ghoul and the Vault dweller is heading there. This trailer gives us a little taster of some background story as to what has happened to Vegas, the world, and likely the Ghoul, who (as we know from the first season) had a storyline that involved his family. And the Vault dweller, having been sheltered from the outside all her life, accompanies the ghoul (or vice versa) on this road trip to find answers. We see more shots of the vault dwellers we met in season one or another vault entirely, (since the game has a lot of vaults in the city at different towns). We see a man who may have played a part in destroying the world. We see the deserter, and it looks like he is also on a quest of his own. And lastly, the money shot at the end for those who have played the computer game, is a Death Claw, a creature with incredible reach, strength and speed, and usually means instant death when you see one, because they come charging at you with their long arms and talons. I hope they release this second season weekly, which will allow people to watch and talk about it, whereas the first season wouldn't allow. The music is great and the gore is still in tact. The first season introduced us to a quirky world and I sincerely hope they keep the same energy with this next season.

(episode review) - Alien: Earth- Episode 2

 

 

So, naturally, I went on to the second episode, wondering what was going to happen next. There is chaos in the streets, investigative work from medic Hermit, Wendy and the gang, and this episode follows Hermit and Wendy separately until they converge. Hermit is with his team trying to rescue people and do a little investigating to find out what is going on and if there are any survivors to help, and Wendy is on a quest of her own to get close to Hermit with her team, doing little to no investigating, but stumbling across alien species. Although telegraphed from the first episode, you ultimately know what is going to happen, and for some reason or another, an alien seems to be on its own quest to stalk, chase and capture someone (so it seems), for its own individual agenda. Not to mention Morrow, who seems to be the lone warrior on his own quest.


In this episode, we have more characters showcasing their individual personalities, more things going on and more aliens. I have caught myself making a face and it sticking, when it comes to some of the gruesome and disgusting moments, because yes, the Alien franchise is visual and they always get you in the feels, and I do not mean feelings of emotion. When watching an alien do something to a person, it always seems slow and methodical or very harsh and direct, you either squirm feeling very uncomfortable with what you are watching or you either jump in shock/horror in something you just watched that gave you an initial fright, either way, these are like hallmarks of the franchise and the intro to these aliens are interesting. I do wonder, going forward, I wonder how spin-offs will work if they keep up the great pace they have with this new series.

(episode review) - Alien: Earth- Episode 1

If I am allowed to be really honest with you, when I initially heard about Alien: Earth, I thought it was a stupid idea. The Alien franchise has always been great in space, where nobody can hear you scream, and it is claustrophobic as hell. There are a few people, there is one alien or many, and there is no outside help. With that said, I also thought, was it not the plan to keep the alien species, the Xenomorph, away from Earth, so...why Alien Earth? One more thing, if you are new here and have not read any of my reviews on the Alien franchise, like Alien Romulus, for example, I have stated before that the Alien franchise is one of my favourite franchises out there. Not all films are great, but it definitely was a return to form with the last film. So, trying not to come across bias at all, and I am sure I am going to fail, but this first episode was incredible.

The show starts off telling us about the different companies that are controlling Earth, and that they are all in a race to essentially control/run the universe. Humans interested in living forever, there are 3 types of additional "species" on the planet, Cyborgs, Sythetics and Hybrids. The first episode starts almost like-for-like as the original Alien movie. When I saw the dark skinned guy, I immediately thought of Yaphet Kotto as Dennis the technician. I felt like I could see the archetypes of specific characters (maybe not) from the original movie, but there was a spin here I did not expect. You get to meet a little girl named Marcy, and through the episode, you follow her and Morrow, whilst there are flashbacks of an attack by an alien or aliens. If I am honest, I was a little confused as to what was going on as I did think there were some flashbacks, but for the most part, the story seemed linear and it is to be believed (at lease for now anyway), that the Weyland Corp are vying for power from the other leading companies and sabotage seems to be the name of the game. The flashbacks are, maybe, what we do not see happen in the natural way the story is being told here.


The music, the sound design, the visuals and the special effects are all top-notch. Money has gone into this, and it stands out and looks stunning. I do not think I can stress enough that this episode felt like an Alien film but as a sidestep and continuation, meaning, it is not a film, it is a TV show, and this is the TV show branch of the franchise that has not dipped in quality nor storytelling OR any of the other things I previously mentioned. I am intrigued about the aliens and where the story is going to go, going forward, but I would be lying if I did not say I was more than intrigued and, in fact, looking forward to the following episodes. Also, I am not sure where we are with Cyborgs and Synthetics within the Alien franchise but I think Wynona Ryder's character in Alien: Resurrection is indeed a synthetic, so it does make me wonder if we saw any Hybrids or Cyborgs and if not, were they made extinct or are they "hiding" somewhere in the universe or still on Earth? So far, though, a cracking episode to get your sci-fi and Alien-loving taste buds watering for more.

(film review) - F1

It took me a moment to find myself at the cinema to watch this movie. I cannot say I was in a rush to see it, but also, there were other movies I wanted to see first, and although this looks really good and I was hearing good things about it, it was more about finding the time. I am not a die-hard fan of Formula 1; I don't even watch it when it is on TV. I am aware of it to some extent, but this movie, wow, I might actually start watching F1 because this movie was incredible!

Sonny Hayes is a race car driver, but when an old friend, Ruben, comes knocking to enlist him into his team and mentor a younger driver, everything does not go according to Ruben's plan, and his team is on the line.

Firstly, this film is an ode to the 90s with film story tropes you possibly thought died in the 90s; however, Top Gun: Maverick proves that a good story is a good story. Deliver a good story, entertain the crowd, and you can have a winner, but you need to go through the checklist and hit every point at 100%. It is not about quantity; it is about quality, and this is where a lot of movies fail. This movie is about the old man teaching the new guy the way to progress to get an advantage in life (well, in racing), but the new guy thinks the old guy is old and does not know what he is talking about because times have changed since the old man's hay day, you know, he's out of touch. It's the arrogance, it's the ignorance, it's the thinking you know what is best, it's the time element in how much time has passed and learning to be flexible and to adapt. This film had me so gripped; there was a moment I thought, "Wow, this movie seems long," but I did not care because I was enjoying it. This film has heart, sadness, regret, love, excitement, and touches on all the things I mentioned earlier, packed into this storyline about being open to learning something new and chasing your dreams, realising what you need in life and what you do not need. This film delivers in spades (inside card joke - when you watch the movie, you will get it). The film is also somewhat predictable, but it does throw some curveballs at the audience.

The music is phenomenal. The music also felt like an ode to the '90s. Not to say it was music they would play from that era, but sonically, it sounded like music from that era; does that make sense? The music was loud, but fitting. The movie displayed all the hallmarks of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie from that era, and the music was definitely consistent in tone. The sound design was amazing, like absolutely phenomenal. You felt like you were in the crowds, close to the tarmac, or even by the mechanics at the pit stop. I am not sure if they do it, but if you can smell burning rubber in a 4DX screening, I swear, you'd think you are actually in the movie. Every rev, every tire screech, every tool—it all had a unique sound, especially with the crunching and crashing of the materials these cars are made from. Seeing cars zipping fast down a speed track and crashing, and the sound it makes, will make you wince, especially when you learn how much one of these cars costs! There was a moment where the audience gasped (or at least I did), but the cinema was dead quiet, and I think I even clutched my pearls. There was this moment in the movie and in the storyline that carried a hefty weight as if Thanos snapped, and the sound design, as I said, was amazing.

The cinematography is like Top Gun: Maverick, but in an F1 car, and where the camera is situated, it had to be 100% real acting. It's 100% Brad Pitt and Damson Idris driving F1 cars. I cannot vouch for the high speeds, cornering, and such, but you can see Brad and Damson's eyes, and it looks like them and no digital trickery. The camera angles are in the cockpit, just like in Top Gun: Maverick, and the angles are great. Remember when I said the sound makes you feel like you are there, so did the camera angles.

Which brings me to the acting. Brad Pitt carries that old Brad Pitt swagger of a young heartthrob who has aged like fine wine, still swooning all the ladies, but whilst being older and knowledgeable, he also comes across rogueish, and his behaviour is a little rough, whilst being very gentle and calm. In short, he has baggage, especially for somebody who travels so light (another inside joke). Damson Idris is the opposite of Brad in every way as he brought a young, a little cocky, talented, but arrogant driver, who is dedicated but inexperienced. He enjoys the limelight and the fame, and Damson did a great job portraying JP. Javier Bardem. It was this movie that I realised that this is just one phenomenal actor. Whilst I was watching the movie, I kept thinking "wait a minute, isn't he the guy in Skyfall?" whilst at the same time saying "It was written". I was not even thinking of Dune, I was thinking of Skyfall the entire time I was looking at his face whilst also saying "It was written". I don't think he did anything special in this movie, but he carries weight in his performance. There is a scene where he has a dialogue with Brad, and it is an emotional scene, enough to move you. Javier was great. Even Brad in that moment was great; it was just a great scene. All the other characters and their performances were good; I just felt that Damson Idris' manager felt a little forced, and it took me out of it a little, but that might be because I am not used to that dynamic and his delivery.

I came out of this movie buzzing. Superman had me buzzing a little, Fantastic Four: First Steps had me buzzing a little more, but with F1, I was actually buzzing, so hard I was almost bouncing off the walls wanting to talk about it to someone, anyone and talk about how good it was. The film has everything, and it is very entertaining, as I was engaged from start to finish. I definitely recommend watching this.

(trailer review) - Gen V: Season 2

It feels like it has been a long time since the last Gen V show, but it has only been two years. The show aired two years ago, and whilst I am not saying this should be a yearly thing (and it probably should be), but there have been so many movies and other shows consumed in between then and now, that when I try to think about this show, I am struggling to remember what happens in it. The one thing I do remember as clear as day is that during the filming of this season, the actor Chance Perdomo passed away due to a motorcycle crash, which hit all fans of the show and fans of his work. He was a young star, and I noticed him from the 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'. I had not recognised him in anything, but he was so good in his performance, and again, in this show, so good in his performance. He had this resentment and angst about his father, who he was, and it seemed like going forward, he would have had a bigger part to play in the story of Gen V, along with Marie. I remember the students discovering that there are students being experimented on, and they were led to believe a student took his own life when, in fact, he was killed. Then, Homelander shows up, stating that the best super in the university is able to join The Seven, something along those lines. This trailer seems to continue that, but Chance has not been recast.

So Marie came into her powers and now studies at Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, but with the students investigating what has been going on, Marie is in fear for her life and has been on the run, until Starlight shows up, stating she needs to go back to school. There is a new Dean who used to be at the hidden science facility. And with Project Odessa being the focus of the investigation, Marie needs to try and figure out what it is, whilst honing her skills to become an even more powerful sup, and it looks like there is an angle of revenge and justice for Andre, who looks to have been killed as part of the storyline as his father looks to have a bigger role and even looks to have a confrontation with Black Noir. I have not seen The Boys show in a while, and I am up to speed, but I will need a rewatch or recap of it all. But this season looks like it is all kicking off, especially as the next season of The Boys is meant to be the last. I am definitely tuning in as this looks great, plus this franchise's storytelling has always been well done.

(film review) - Fantastic Four: First Steps

Before I even get into it all, I am not going to mention the Disney stuff or the corporate stuff this time around, because I think I have said it to death at this point. What I will say is, there has been a lot of mis-marketing around this film, from it being called woke due to the hottest guy in Hollywood playing Reed Richards, a Caucasian male, and Pedro Pascal is not. With articles running with "Sue Storm is the leader of the team" instead of Reed Richards, to saying Johnny Storm is no longer a ladies man, as he is in the comics; a lot of negative stories surrounding Fantastic Four were flying around to orchestrate a narrative that Disney has gone "woke" (again, woke does not mean diversity and inclusion, bimbo!), but in fact Disney have made a conscious effort to produce and make a film that will hopefully remove the "stench" off of the old movies from Tim Story and hopefully give us, film-goers and fans of the Fantastic Four and comics, comic book's first family in a way that works.

Recently, I watched both of Tim Story's Fantastic Four and in a way, I felt those two movies (along with Fan4stic to some degree) heavily influenced the characters in this movie. They did not want to re-tread old ground. Rewatching Fantastic Four reminded me that although it had not aged well, there are many elements in that movie that make that movie a movie of that era. For example, if you watched X-Men and Spider-Man (Tobey), you can tell the movie is of that era. Yes it was it entertaining, and the back and fourth between Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm was good, but I found pretty much all of Johnny Storm's dialogue were all "clever" ways to say something that incorporates a mention of heat, flame or fire to a point it became borderline predictable and in some cases, cheesy or cringeworthy. However, comic book movies were not where they are now, and like I said, a product of its era, it is all we had. Reed could do some cool stretchy things, and Sue could turn invisible and maybe project force fields, but she was mainly used as a gag to get Jessica Alba in her undies. Lastly, Doctor Doom seemed to have metal under his skin and could shoot electricity as if he were Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. It was good at the time because, like I said, that is all we had, so when 'Rise of the Silver Surfer' came about, it was more of the same, but it was lacking, and the only cool thing about it was the Silver Surfer character. Cool action scenes, and before I bury the lede, seeing Andre "Nine Nine" Braugher, who at the time, I never knew who he was, was delightful on the rewatch, but the film does not hold up, nor was it any good. And the less I say about Fan4stic and the exploding heads and nonsense that was Doctor Doom, the better. That was also a film of that era, like The Amazing Spider-Man with Garfield. They thought going dark was edgy, you know. Well, at least until the MCU came with the Avengers movie, where the colour palette was brighter. But on the back of a few good stories with a few good characters, we are possibly 30 projects in at this point and I say all that to say this...the Tim Story and the Josh Trank movies crawled for this movie to run...and run it did, to a full on sprint in some cases, I'll explain.

I missed (you know what, never mind). From what I caught, the Fantastic Four were being introduced, and there was a little backstory behind how they got their powers, and they are at home about to have dinner. Sue and Reed let the rest of the family know they are expecting a child, but when the Silver Surfer turns up, stating the planet is doomed to death, the Fantastic Four must figure out how to tackle this problem and hopefully save the planet.

I tried to keep it as simple as possible without any spoilers because if you have seen the trailers, pretty much all the scenes are mostly from the first part of the movie, but with that said, this movie soars AND  takes you places unexpected. To start with, the special effects, this might be one of the best-looking designs in the MCU, next to the city of Wakanda, and the special effects are immaculate. In places, it does dip, but there are scenes in this movie where it looks absolutely fantastic. There is a specific scene where the special effects and the sound design compliment each other for what we are looking at and the weight and depth given to that scene fills you with dread, then immediately after that scene, there is another scene which is filled with soo much tension and action, it was similar to how I felt watching Gravity for the first time with Sandra Bullock...clenching onto the seat for dear life.

Which leads me to the acting. Not a single bad or out-of-place performance. I will say that Paul Walter Hauser's character felt a little off, but that might be because I simply saw the guy from 'I, Tonya' than the character he was playing and although I respect him as a great actor and the way he portrayed the character, maybe something else was needed. Pedro, as Reed, to me, sold a man with the weight of the planet on his shoulders. There was zero charm coming from Pedro; it was all about the technology and trying to assess the threat. The conversation between Reed and Storm, played by Vanessa Kirby, was perfection. Vanessa killed the role as Sue Storm as she was given more than just getting into her underwear, and in some cases, was the MVP of the film. With that said, her brother Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn, played a different hothead than Chris Evans, but I believe that was the point. I always wondered why Johnny Storm would go into space, but in this film, they fleshed him out a bit better than previous versions did. Actually, I take that back, Michael B. Jordan showed intelligence in the last Fantastic Four Movie too, but they also gave him an arc as well. Ben Grimm, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, played a more mild-mannered Ben, but I believe it worked for the movie, especially with what they were doing. I was completely sold on the fact that these people were friends and a family. The way they interacted with each other, joked with each other and worked together. There were undertones and subtle acting where you had to read between the lines because this movie did not spell it out for you. As for subtlety, Julia Garner did a great job as the Silver Surfer, expressionless but terrifying. I completely understand why they went for her over the Silver Surfer, who is more familiar with fans of the comics. There were scenes in this movie with her that sent shivers down my spine, where 'Rise of the Silver Surfer' could not even try to conjure up a thought of even being this good a portrayal. And in case you do not know who the big bad is, I will simply say, terrifying.

The story was good as it all made sense. Not everything was explained, but I do believe that is because I am willing to bet there are huge chunks of this movie on the cutting room floor, because as I said, this movie soars, it sprints, it's choppy, not leaving much room for scenes to breathe. You can be on one scene, then before you know it, you are three scenes deep, and scenarios are happening quickly, and I assume this was done to streamline the movie within an inch of its life so that people stayed engaged and entertained. They trimmed the fat, you could say, but to be honest, I wanted much more. I honestly do not know how much I missed, but 30 minutes (or close to that) is definitely removed from this movie. It is not as if nothing makes sense; it is just that you get from A to F quickly, like where were C and E? And talking about letters, the score was great. More noticeable for me in this movie than Superman, but it gave me vibes of the Ant-Man score style.

In conclusion, this movie is not great; it has a few issues here and there, but they are not major enough to tank the movie because this movie does a lot of things to get you on board. Sci-fi, humour (which hits mostly without being too comedic), tension, loss, emotion, action and also does enough to leave you intrigued to where we go next and how Marvel's first family will be incorporated into the MCU we know and love. I definitely recommend this movie as it is a great, sorry, Fantastic representation of the Fantastic Four than what we have previously had, and hopefully, going forward, we lean more into the power sets and drama of the family, oh...and Doom.

(film review) - I Know What You Did Last Summer

First and foremost, what? Secondly, why? I am trying to rack my brain over a few things right now. 1) Did I hear about this movie before and know that they were doing it? or 2) When I heard about the trailer for it, is that when I realised they were doing another movie? I have no idea. I know I have 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' on DVD. I also have 'I STILL Know What You Did Last Summer' on DVD, but I could not tell you when I watched them last. Moreover, by watching this movie, I found out that the first movie came out in 1997, and that is 3 decades ago! So, I guess the main question regarding this movie is, is it any good? Yeah..yeah it is actually!

A bunch of teens are together celebrating a wedding, and they bump into another friend they have lost touch with. Wanting to chill together like they used to, they all decide to go and see the 4th of July fireworks, and whilst viewing the fireworks, an accident occurs, and they leave the person, whom they presume to be dead. A year later, a mysterious note pops up stating "I know what you did last summer," leaving the teens to wonder who is pranking them, but when bodies start to fall, the teens need to figure out who the killer is and stop them before they all die.

I was about 10 minutes too late to watch 'F1' or 'Jurassic World Rebirth', so I decided to watch 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' instead because I watched the original back in the cinema all those years ago, enjoyed it so much, watched the sequel with Brandy, enjoyed that one too and purchased both of them on DVD. So, hearing about this movie and also hearing it was decent, I was comfortable in watching this to check it out for myself, and I must say, I had a blast. I did not see the trailer, and I did not expect anything from it, but I still managed to find the movie really enjoyable.

The characters, who cares? I mean, back in the day, it was Freddie Prinze. Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who were names of that era and were recognised, but this movie has a bunch of actors I do not recognise at all, and I still enjoyed the film regardless. The film had that late 90s vibe, and it was executed superbly. The film ran smoothly, and the story was decent, I mean, it is a revenge flick, but none of the characters were boring, and all the actors did a great job. There were a couple of standouts for me. The characters all felt like they were essentially meant to be carbon copies of characters from the original. I have nothing to back that up because I have not seen those movies in ages, but it was definitely a feeling I got.

The deaths. I might as well talk about the deaths rather than the music and cinematography, because you don't watch a slasher film for those things. The deaths were great! I won't go into any in case you have not seen the trailer and want to go in fresh like me, but there were a bunch of times I was squirming, and in terms of comedy elements, there were a few funny lines. One of the best lines in the film was "Are you an egg?". The delivery was excellent. I couldn't stop laughing for a good 5 minutes afterwards. When you watch the movie, you will see who says it, why, and why it was funny.

All in all, this was a great and unsuspecting watch where I went in blind, and I really enjoyed the movie because it did what a slasher film is meant to do. You know, it does what it says on the tin. Kills, a couple of laughs here and there, and a decent storyline. There were a few moments which were blatantly meant to be jump scares and some unexplained manoeuvring, but slasher films have got to slaher, you know. Whilst I will say there is a scream 5 or 6 element to the movie that makes you think, but other than that, a good and enjoyable slasher summer movie and the precredits scene was also interesting. Should they do a sequel, are they gonna call it, 'I STILL know what you did last summer?', likely.

(trailer review) - Predator: Badlands

 

I am not sure if I have mentioned it in any of my reviews, maybe when I was talking about Alien Romulus, but the Alien franchise is one of my favourite franchises of all time. The Predator franchise takes me back to being a child and watching the Arnold Swarzenegger film with my cousin, and I've also watched all the Predator films bar Predators (only because it didn't look that good) and now, with this Predator Badlands movie, with a Weyland Yutani android, it has only just occurred to me that this movie might be a "backdoor" invite for an Alien vs Predator movie, or in this case, Predator vs Aliens, because from this trailer at least, that is at least, what is actually happening and isn't the xenomorph the ultimate killing weapon?

So the trailer starts with the android and immediately, I am thinking of 'Aliens', the franchise, because in the Alien franchise, there is always something (and usually long) going into some kind of orifice and somewhat violently as well. Yeah, I get this android needs to hook up to the machine, but yeah...always uncomfortable to watch. Then we see our "protagonist" getting his weapons together while we hear that it is his first hunt, and he has come to the most dangerous planet in the universe. Come on, he has to fight a Xenomorph, right? Anyway, the android has a little introduction, the Predator picks her up and dashes her back down, only to realise they need to work together to defeat/kill a definitive apex predator. Come on, I'm calling it now. I will say the "good luck with your journey", acting and delivery were excellent, and it made me laugh. So, throughout the rest of the trailer, the Predator is fighting all these different types of creatures (aliens), and at one point, maybe his own species. But I will say, if the final boss is not a Xenomorph, I will be gutted. I didn't like the Predator Prey comment, as to me, it felt forced, but other than that, this Predator vs Aliens film or prequel looks really good, and I'm fully on board. Let us just hope it is as good as Prey and maybe do justice to the Alien vs Predator franchise, because as cool as they kinda were, sorta, they were still cheesy and sucked. 

(film review) - Superman

Firstly, I was not sure what to expect from this movie because, whilst I have not seen all of James Gunn's movies, the ones I have seen, I have enjoyed. The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy in the MCU is up there with one of the best trilogies in the MCU and some of the best trilogies in life. The second one was a little more slapstick, but the 3rd closed out the trilogy, and it was excellent. What James has done in the DC universe, old and new, The Suicide Squad was actually really good (better than the first one that came out, Suicide Squad), and the spin-off TV show he did called Peacemaker was surprisingly good also. The theme song was really catchy and infectious, and although the show was set up in the DCEU with The Flash played by Ezra Miller, Aquaman played by Jason Momoa, this new DC universe, now coined the DCU has started with Creature Commandos as a cartoon animation and the first film to come out from Warner Bros. new DC universe is, Superman. With a new universe, with different characters and actors, some of us fans have wondered, what would be the difference between the old universe, which was spearheaded by Zack Snyder and this new one, which is now run by James Gunn? Well, if we are able to take a few notes from this movie and where we think the universe is going, for a start, it will be less dark, bleak and moody. Or at least, Superman will not be brooding and dark, something many film fans complained about initially, all those years ago. This movie is bright, joyful, funny and...hopeful? But is it any good? I'll explain.

Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has now shown Superman to the world, and he has been Superman for 3 years on an Earth that has had metahumans for 300 years, but with all the things he can do, Superman is the new kid on the block the world loves, but Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) does not. Clark works at the Daily Planet, he is in a relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and although Lex Luthor does not like Metahumans, and likely the Justice Gang, he despises Superman the most, so much that he has decided to put a plan in place to finally kill the man of steel by any means necessary.

This movie is not perfect at all, and although the story is good, we needed a bit more justification and fleshing out in places so we could understand the motives behind some of the actions taking place. With that said, although I have heard the film was likely longer and was cut short because it was too long for a first film in this new DCU, and the pacing does feel a tad choppy in places, this film is a really good time. As I stated earlier, this movie is bright, joyful, funny, and in some places, very dark. The city of Metropolis seems as though it is a great place to work and live, plus you have a few metahumans and Superman to protect you should anything happen. The skyscrapers are tall, the people seem nice, it just looks like a great and lively place, which lends to the tone of the movie, which is the exact opposite of what we saw last.

The three main characters and actors, David as Superman, Nicholas as Lex and Rachel as Lois, are all really good. I feel we need to see a bit more Clark Kent because he is only around for a small amount of the movie, which is fine, because we really want to see Superman mostly (which is not a bad thing), but there was not much duality seen on screen, but he does carry across everything Superman stands for with ease. Truth, Justice and the American way...or just being a good person/human. The moment in the film that supports that is the interview scene in the trailer with Lois, plus there are other moments highlighted in the movie, even a part that made me roll my eyes.

The supporting cast of Nathan as Guy, Isabela as Hawkgirl and Edi as Mr. Terrific were just as good as the main cast and whenever Mr. Terrific showed up, Edi stole the show. Nathan is just as great as Guy Gardiner, and from what I understand of the character, he portrayed the character just like in the comics. Isabela did not have much to do in comparison to the other two and had the least amount to say, but the scenes she had were ok, especially a moment she had with a certain someone in the movie, and she made an executive decision that was hilarious. That was a moment where I burst out laughing. Anthony as Metamorpho was good, brought in some of the heart, and I liked what they did with him. The rest of the characters, like Jimmy, Eve, and Perry, are all ok. Jimmy was more of the standout as he had a role along with character Eve, but Wendall, as Perry should have had more to do, but I am guessing it was either cut and left on the cutting room floor, or he was not given much. It just seems like a waste of an actor. Ma and Pa Kent were also great, and I loved the way they were portrayed in comparison to how they have been played in the past, plus it was nice to have both parents in this movie for a change. Krypto the dog is really good, and I feel he worked for me. He was set up, it was explained, and he was consistent.

The special effects and the music, as usual, were great. It is James Gunn and he has a unique spin on things such as music, visuals and humour. The humour felt a touch off in places, ot many, but for the most part, it worked as it was very funny where it needed to be. It wasn't people necessarily being funny or jokes, more situational or a character's behaviour, more than anything. There were some really great laugh-out-loud moments for me. The flying was a concern going in from the trailers, but in context, it worked very well, which seems to be the ongoing thing here as well. There was a lot of uproar about the dog, about the flying, about this and about that, but when you watch the movie, everything is explained in context. The one thing I felt the movie was lacking, and it is likely because I recently rewatched Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, and his entire trilogy, James used great music in the films that I have seen, and this film feels a little stripped down, and the music mostly comes from the score itself.

I initially missed the first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie, so I went back to watch it again, and the film felt more complete on the second viewing. It felt more like a whole movie (because I did not miss the beginning), but most of what you see in the trailer is in the first 10-15 minutes, and those minutes give context. There was an explanation in the movie of something, and I thought I missed it, but it turned out you never saw it anyway.
All in all, this movie is the polar opposite of Zack Snyder's DCEU universe, or at least from a Superman perspective for now, and this does not feel like an interpretation or James Gunn's take on Superman (although it is), but this very much feels like Superman from the comics and cartoons. It is very comic-booky. The characterisation and portrayal feel more authentic to who Superman is at his core and not the departure Zack did, although it was beloved. If there is anything I would have wanted from this movie, is more time. More time to work on the story a bit more, the side characters and although we did not get an origin for Superman, some more time with Clark would have been great because the dialogue in this movie is great when we have those small characater moments, so it would have been nice to have some more of that because the action is the action, and it's great, but the intimate bits, the quieter moments, and even some more dialogue choices to explain some things would have went a long way. I got emotional on the second watch, maybe due to some real-life things, but the film is good, has some issues, but it is good, real good. Nothing spectacular, phenomenal or great, it's just a good solid movie and a great intro into this new universe. There are two post-credit scenes, and one pre-credit scene was interesting, going forward.

(trailer review) - Tron: Ares

(TEASER TRAILER)

If you are as old as me, you watched the original Tron movie when you were young, and as close to when the movie was first released. If your parents were cool enough, as a child, you watched it, and like most children seeing something sci-fi and cool, this movie was everything. Albeit very dated now, but the ships, the light cycles, red against blue, was there not a green in the original? I cannot remember at all now, but the long and short of it was, it was epic at the time, and we still hold fond memories of the original. Then there was Tron Legacy. The trailers looked amazing at the time, but the film never really delivered. The special effects were ok, but I think we had better around that time, the story was a little weird and bringing back Jeff Bridges and the dodgy effects to make him look younger was awful. However, Ares, that first trailer was pretty good, but this one, this trailer, THIS TRAILER!!! definitely sells this movie for me, as not only does it look epic. The first trailer had my attention, but this trailer fully has my attention. I am getting a sense of AI self-awareness, which is all the rage since, well, maybe the first movie, and we are still talking about it now in real life.

Having Evan Peters explain that they have managed to "harness/create" the AI NPCs, or just an AI, (maybe) to use it/them as soldiers by bringing them from the digital world into the real world and having a specific character named Ares to be the top/best soldier, because he is intelligent, strong, fast, is great and all, but now he wants to be human? Wait, what? Is he trying to break away from his "grouping" to become human? Why is the city being attacked? There are a few sequences in this trailer that look great, RoboCop, Terminator-esque. The Light cycle, the (what I can only explain as) the mechanical wing-propulsion suit, even that big thing we see going past the offices, I thought was called a dreadnaught (I need to rewatchrhe movie). But, the shot at the end is indeed the money shot! All those missiles firing out and moving angular like in a computer game, epic. That first trailer was good, but this one is leagues better. Let's see!