(trailer review) - Jurassic World Rebirth

 

When are they going to learn? These people created Dinosaurs and had to flee the island because they were scared that Dinosaurs were being dinosaurs and eating people. But when the dinosaurs realised they did not want to be caged dinosaurs anymore, and they realised they had their freedom, the dinosaurs decided to do what dinosaurs do, and that is, be a dinosaur. And yet, these people decided to go back to the island with two dozen different species of Dinosaurs to hopefully obtain the key to what? Immortality? Longer Life? The ability to grow limbs back? To become a half-human half half-dinosaur hybrid? Whatever the movie will tell us as to why they need to head back to the land of dinosaurs being dinosaurs, this sure looks entertaining and frightening.

The trailer starts with a guy pleading for his life as he is trapped in a containment room with a dinosaur. They reference the first movie and that the Dinosaurs there are likely the worst ones, but they need an egg to save millions of lives. Scarlett Johansson is doing the sensible thing, saying that they need to be quick bout going about what they came to do, before the parent dinosaur comes back, but the kick she gave the dinosaur was hilarious. Then we have a signalling flare moment like in the first movie that looks epic with TWO TIMES, Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. The line about the Dinosaur finding them rather than them finding it is hilarious, but that boat scene with the harpoon gun and the dinosaur is free-willying it up because they definitely need a bigger boat, which probably wouldn't help anyway, is absolutely tension-filled. I don't believe I saw the last one, didn't really care for it, and it slipped passed me, but I think I am definitely interested in watching this one when it arrives.

(episode review) - The Last of Us: Season 2 - Episode 7

 

 

So the trick is to try and not think about the games, how the story plays out and what happens next, but at the same time, you cannot help but think about the games, how the story plays out and what happens next. If I am going to be real honest with you, and that is, although I blitzed through both games within the last 9 months, I can just about remember everything that happens apart from the main story plot points AND what happens, which makes it a little difficult to discuss without going into spoilers. You see, it is a game, so the story being told has a lot of game elements to engage the player. One thing I will say before I go any further is, I heard there are talks of a season 4 after season 3, and I am not entirely sure how they plan to get to 4 seasons, but now we are on Abby, we are in for a major ride.

You see this episode was a very slow one and if I am honest, although it kept me intrigued and the set pieces were pretty much identical to the game, the street outside the theatre, the stadium at the end, and some of the streets Jesse and Ellie were walking down looked like they were ripped from the game, I was more bored trying to figure out where they were going to end it and what happens next because a lot of what happened in this episode does not happen or happens slightly differently in the game. The capturing and being hung is new for Ellie, and if I am honest, was pointless, but maybe it pays off later on. This show has gone for more character moments, which makes sense because Ellie is on a quest, and not only is she alone the majority of the time, but she is on a murdering spree. It's a game, so yeah. But that scene with the pregnant lady plays out a little differently, but they do die, and that is where the cycle continues. I kill yours, you will kill mine, I will kill yours again, it is just a cycle, but Abby's story may actually take up the entirety of season 3, I'd assume, and season 4 will be picking up years later because you juggle between the two characters in the game. This episode was good for the character moments. That big wave does take you out, and Abby at the end coming in having found Jesse, Tommy and Ellie is exactly the same, but like I said, we all side with Joel, Ellie, Jesse, Tommy and the people of Jackson, but as we saw the war starting, I am assuming by the end of season 3 we may see that war and they might even get us to change how we feel about the characters.

One thing I do wanna see, hopefully but not likely, is how much of a psycho Ellie has become when she gets into a fight. Trying not to spoil anything, but those proximity mines you create in the game and the way she moves is simply terrifying. I wonder how long we have to wait now.

(trailer review) - Welcome to Derry

First and foremost, I do not remember the 'IT' movie with Tim Curry. I think I saw it, but I might have been too scared or simply not interested, but I did watch the 'IT Chapter 1' and IT Chapter 2' movies, and I enjoyed them. Chapter 1 was a little better than Chapter 2, but ultimately, I enjoyed the two films. With that said, this trailer, I am not fully sold on this series, and even the reveal at the end felt forced and, well, not scary.

Seeing a black family in this show is cool for representation purposes, but there better be some racism here, especially during this era. I want tension that I am not simply receiving from just the clown, because people are disgusting and horrible, too. I mean, the creepy smiles is definitely good and unsettling, especially the woman at the window and you can see in the reflection the kids running and a red balloon floating, but let us see some retribution, some well earned deaths, some great scenes with the kids taking on Pennywise, fighting to stay alive. There was a shot in one of the movies, I believe it is the first one, where Pennywise comes out of the projector, which has to be one of the most terrifying shots I have ever seen on film, and by the way, the kid at the beginning had the right idea. Get out of Derry! The line about "no adult is going to believe what we saw" is great. Let's just hope we get a bit more from this show. But this is a teaser trailer so maybe we will.

(episode review) - The Last of Us: Season 2 - Episode 6

 

It has been around 50 years since Computer/video games have been in existence. In fact, it's actually 70 years, but the rise of Arcade games was in the 1970's and it is fair to say that they have come a really long way since the boing boing tennis of ping pong and the pew pew of space invaders. It has only been two weeks since the last video game trailer was released for Grand Theft Auto 6, where technology has changed over the last 70 years, which in turn, has also changed the maturity level for games has also changed. There are levels to it, but The Last of Us is a different type of mature game from GTA. The Last of Us is cinematic, it is deeply rooted in the cycles of violence, and in this case, the show is also touching on generational trauma. This episode squeezed a tear out of me, and I will tell you why.

This episode is unlike the game, as the game has flashbacks throughout it and at different points in the game, rather than how it is presented here, each year on Ellie's birthday. As it is a game, there are certain parts we go through, such as the museum, and everything in the museum is like-for-like in the game. It looks exactly the same. You get to see the Tyrannosaurus Rex and climb it, as well as the space rocket moment, etc. And the moment on the porch is shot-for-shot and almost word-for-word with a few improvements or alterations. The prologue with the dad and the scenes with Eugene are not in the game, as these serve the purpose of showing us, the audience, Joel's patterns and cycles of lies, his generational trauma, along with the latter showing us the lengths one could go to protect what they feel is their own. That porch scene was heartbreaking, and Pedro Pascal did an amazing job, acting and barely being verbal and answering Ellie's questions. The game is more verbal, but for me, this was more heartbreaking and real. It was more of a tear-jerker than in the game for me. I am likely to break this down a bit more after the finale has aired, but this episode was touching and very well done. I am wondering where they will go with the finale, because having played the game, there is a lot of ground towards cover, so where will they draw the line?

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

I heard about this trailer, and I thought to myself, do I really need to review this trailer also? I mean, I have reviewed a previous trailer already so where this is now labelled, "Final Trailer", is this final trailer even necessary to review? Well, no,  not really, but yeah! This movie is from the world of John Wick. And the John Wick world is cool, so therefore, it is a must.

The whole "When you think of me, you should think of Fire" being repeated throughout this trailer, I love! Maybe because in most of the scenes, the backdrop is snow, so there is a contrast, but this trailer is brutal. The cleaver to the neck in that close hand-to-hand fight. Then you have the pickaxe looking ice pick, or maybe it is a pickaxe being used as an Ice pick, with the multiple hits to the chest, even more brutal. I do like the fact that she is owning her actions with the line "No, I chose this!", just like how John Wick chose retaliation when those guys chose to kill his dog, his wife chose to get for him as she was dying. With that said, the fights look like there will be a lot of hand-to-hand close quarters combat and less gun-fu, but we shall see because that flamethrower scene looks excellent, and I am not sure if it is a tracking shot, maybe not, but the car being pushed sideways looks great. I mean, it is a John Wick world movie, even the repetition of the "again and again" is excellent. Let's see if they waste Norman Reedus as it is always nice to see him, unless it is Blade 2. 

(film review) - Final Destination: Bloodlines

It is not very often that I would come straight home after the cinema and write my review of the movie I just watched. I mean it happens, but sometimes I'll wait a day, you know, sleep on it, wake up fresh and then write my review once I've had some time to think about what I have seen and how I am going to review it. This will also be, quite possibly, the first time I have started a franchise, stopped, then gone back to it, having missed other movies in the franchise. For example, I watched Final Destination, and the movie was messed up. I really enjoyed it, but it was messed up. I remember coming out of the cinema and not knowing what to do because everything felt like a hazard around me. Seeing how Death was picking people off was wild. With that said, the second movie, no one will ever forget the logs at the back of the truck on the highway. The films were great, I might have even seen the third one, I cannot remember, but I got bored with the gimmick. So, ok, Death is coming to kill these people in random and creative ways, yeah, cool, meh. So with that attitude, why would I watch Bloodlines? Because the trailer was good, and it pulled me in. But was it good? Did it live up to the trailer? Yes, yes, it did!

Iris is on a date and has a premonition that people will die at her location. Having saved people, she manages to also save herself from death until a relative comes knocking, talking about these dreams she is having, only to realise, her family line should not be alive, and it is quite possible that Death is coming for them all.

I only have one negative about the movie, and that is (maybe I need to see it again), I thought Death came for people in a linear fashion? So, the order people are supposed to die, Death will come for you in that exact order. It just seemed as though there may have been a death or two that was not linear, but other than that, this film is unnecessary at times, but really enjoyable, especially if you are a fan of the franchise.

The first set piece and death scene is absolutely wild. There is a character I hated at the very beginning, and you knew they were going to die, the nature of the movie, right? But as the scenes play out, the gruesome deaths will definitely have you screaming or yelling out. The number of times I swore out loud, covered my eyes, and laughed out loud! Yes, this film is very funny too. If you have anxiety, I would not recommend it. It is weird to me that I came out of the franchise because I felt it was getting stale, only to come back and Death is feeling fresh to death killing people with a pep in his step! Because Death feels like a faceless character in the movie who likes to play practical jokes just for shxts and giggles. Like Death cues a death up by elaborately laying out the plan, only to not take a life the way you thought, or take a life unexpectedly.

The special effects were great. As I said earlier, really gruesome in places, but not too over the top with it. Very creative, especially the premonition scene and the hospital scene. Actually, all the deaths were superb. The music is hilarious, and if I remember correctly, the earlier movies did this too. Going back to how funny this movie is, there is a moment one of the characters realises that they are next, but the scene before and after them finding out was absolutely hilarious, because the characters were written so well and the dialogue felt realistic.

But before I close out, I will say, it was very bitter/sweet to see Tony Todd, the original Candy Man, who passed just before this movie came out. Seeing him in the movie AND he looked sick in the movie as well, was really sad to see, but I think the writers did a wonderful and touching job with his character and what they did for Tony Todd himself as I am sure he has been in ALL the movies and he will live forever immortalised on film. R.I.P. to Tony Todd. He carved out a lane for himself, and he served us well as he was excellent in his craft.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 10-12

 

I am not sure how to see these 3 episodes, other than 3 separate finales, or one big finale? However, whatever it is, and however you see it, this has been the greatest series from the Star Wars franchise. Each of these three final episodes tied up loose ends, although there were maybe a handful left hanging. These 3 episodes were spectacular.


Episode 10
The spy within the ISB, Lonnie, contacts Luthen to speak with him urgently, as he believes he has been burned, and it will not take long for the empire to find him.  The information he carries regarding the  Empire's new "energy weapon" is of extremely high importance, so he seeks safe passage/security from Luthen. Passing this information onto Kleya, Luthen is confronted by Dedra, but it is all to late, Mon got her speech out, and everything Luthen has been doing has triggered a chain reaction touching many different people around the galaxy. The flashback details the meeting and connection that both Kleya and Luthen had, so Kleya decides to continue with the plans and aids Luthen whilst still providing the important information to the rebel cause.

Episode 2
Having found out that there is a leak, Director Krennic interrogates Dedra for the information, but for all her work for the Empire and the leaking of top secret information make her come across as a rebel spy. Kleya manages to send word to Cassian, only for the Empire to track Kleya back to Corossant where Cassian, goes against protocols to rescue Kleya before it is too late and the Empire capture her.

Episode 3
This is the last episode and story plot point before Rogue One, so a lot of the time I kept thinking, "What happens to this character and that character". How does the Rebel Alliance get the information they need? I've seen Rogue One a handful of times, so I was trying to peace everything together for the lead up to Rogue One. We start off with the very paranoid Saw Gurrera having a conversation with Mon Mothma that understandably does not go over well due to their opposing views on how the rebellion is won. Saw is now placed on Jedha, paranoid, but still making a difference, which has caught the attention of the Empire. Cassian fights for Luthen's intel to be heard by the board, but struggles with this due to Luthen's methods which has rub the board up the wrong way, especially Bail Organa. Cassian travels to Tivik, and Bix is seen looking at a beautiful sunset in the fields.


These last 3 episodes were incredible. We had an entire episode with Andor's name even being mentioned, and the episode was great! These last three episodes were a nice tidy bow to bring us into Rogue One, and I absolutely loved it. I think what this show has done well is detail the atrocities the Empire was carrying out, and we were only concentrating on these groups of people. Such a great 3 episodes. That slow build-up was definitely worth it. If you have not jumped onto this show, please do, it may feel like a slog, but the pay off is very worth it. I'm going to re-watch Rogue One now.

(trailer review) - Superman

 

This trailer might actually break the internet, why? Because Superman is such a beloved character. He has been around for nearly 90 years, and although we have had many different incarnations of the character in TV and film, the logo and the character are recognised globally, so logic will dictate that this trailer will not work for everyone, but as long as the movie is really good, right? Subjective, but here we are. I mean, to not have faith in James Gunn at this point is absolutely absurd, but we will see. Personally, I feel that although he can lean a little too hard on the jokes at times, The Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy is top-notch. The Suicide Squad is also great and from what I am hearing about Creature Commandos, not to mention how great Peacemaker was. We shall see.

It would seem to me as though through this trailer, we are presented with someone who can do good, will do good, has all these abilities, but because he is who he is, and does what he does, there are people who want to take him down, whether it is because he is not of any help to one particularly party/grouping or another. I say that because the clips show an angry mob throwing cans at his head, Lex Luther calling Superman an 'IT', how the government feels when he steps in to stop a war and not necessarily picking a side. Lois Lane is interviewing him, asking the hard questions, and he is presenting his case that he is not a weapon (he didn't quite say that), nor is he an ambassador for America and Metropolis, he is for the people, and he chooses to save people if he thinks they are going to die. It will be the very people he protects who have some sort of issue with him, and this trailer did not stop showing us how Superman is fighting lots of different adversaries. I am not sure if these clips are part of a montage, but from a Kaiju, the something in a domed helmet, Ultraman?, those things/people at the Fortress of Solitude, Robots, everybody! And in two trailers, you see him laying on the floor defeated, and in this one, you do see him get clapped to the floor where a civilian helps him up, which was really sweet. Seeing more of Guy Gardiner, Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl is great. Luther looks diabolical. I wonder how this will go over with some fans, as in this trailer, you constantly see Superman getting knocked about. Some people will not like that. Something I noticed, though, that David Corenswet looks a little bit like Brandan Fraizer in the 90s in that "Hey buddy, look up here" moment in the trailer. Also, he looks very tall! I am totally sold anyway, and I will not hesitate to see this one Day One.

(trailer review) - Ironheart

There is a very high possibility that this show is going to be trash. I say that because you have to read between the lines and take in all the information you know about the delays, the reshoots, the 4 or 5 years it has taken to get this official trailer out to us, that the MCU has been struggling in the past two phases because the content has been hit and miss due to the corpoerate running of Disney and their change of leadership and mandates. This show was given life when Bob Chapek wanted shows and movies, now now now! I cannot say that I have hope for this due to knowing all this information and feeling some concerns over the handling of the property, which could very well lead to the poor execution of this show, having it been rushed out but, with that said, this trailer has definitely sold it for me. I would not say I am excited and I cannot wait, but I will say, "consider my interest piqued".

Straight off as an introduction or reintroduction (for those who did not watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), they show us how book and street smart Riri is, but as we go further into the trailer we see a few snippets of Riri's time in Wakanda as she states she wants to make something iconic. I am guessing that with trying to fulfil her dreams, she needs money, something she does not have, and she leans on and  "befriends" a person who states he can get her money, and is likely the Bad Guy of the show, her benefactor, maybe mentor too. I am not sure where the show will be going because there has been a lot of things that has changed over the years since, 'Armour Wars' being one of them, so I am ultimately wondering, if this is simply a standalone show telling her story of how she has continued since the Black Panther sequel? I mean, displaying her intellect and her skillset is one thing, and it is cool, we saw that, but if the show does not really connect to the larger MCU in some way, why do we want to watch it? I love the fact that she has created an AI that looks lifelike (Maybe a way we can get RDJ back like as an AI construct like in the comics), and if the rumours are true, the guy at the end, if he turns out to be who he has been rumoured to be, it will be really interesting to see where they take that character. The show looks great, magic and technology, but looks can be deceiving. I legit feel that at the moment, Marvel is currently operating on a "we win one, we lose one, we win one, we lose one, we..." distribution structure with their projects, film and TV, until they are fully back on track with quality, but I cannot help to think, unless the armour she creates helps Doctor Doom in some way, why? I'd be surprised if this turns out half decent, but I would definitely want it to be fully decent, and I hope it is.

(trailer review) - Nobody 2

It is really bad for me to admit this, but I saw the first Nobody movie and really enjoyed it. That is not the bad bit. The bad bit I am now admitting is that I even wrote part of the review for it, and I had been trying to finish my review and post it here. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a couple months, and I was still going to post it and back-date it, but, it is only until this trailer and now that I write this review about the sequel to the movie I really enjoyed, is when I realised that I never finished my review for the first movie. I feel bad now, and I just went to double-check to see if it is still sitting in drafts, and it is! With that said, this trailer is great, and it seems it will follow the lead the first movie (the one I really enjoyed) took and is completely running with it. I mean, if it isn't broke...

So, it is another day and the protagonist, John Wick's uncle (let me check out Nobody's name), Hutch! You know, as soon as I read it, I remembered hearing it! Anyway, Hutch is going on a family vacation with Doc Brown in tow, and it seems like, whilst on vacation, he stumbles into hurting a bunch of fools, while he cracks the backs of all those he touches. That elevator scene is definitely a homage to 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', but did you see that Harpoon gun arrow thingy-ma-jig? Maybe it is not a harpoon gun, but whatever it was, it is a "now you are very messed up and possibly dead-gun or thingy-ma-jig". The Whack-a-Mole, the environment being used to mess these guys up. THIS trailer is what this film is about. Pure unadulterated violence in a way, very few movies can do and have done. And it seems like a really good popcorn flick! Let's just hope Derek Kolstad has done it again. And if you do not know what I mean by that, here is a hint...he is the writer for John Wick 1-3, the first Nobody movie and a few episodes of 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'. Whenever you get him or any of these two, Chad Stahelski or David Leitch, we are onto something very entertaining.

(trailer review) - Peacemaker: Season 2

 

If there is anything I want, or better yet, absolutely NEED from this second season, is 1 of two things. One, that very same song but a different dance and (obviously) with different characters doing the dance or two, a very different song, that also includes a dance, and that is as catchy as the very first season's song. I cannot really remember Peacemaker's first season, if I am honest. It seems like it was such a long time ago now, but it was quirky, funny and at points, absolutely crazy. I expect the very same type of humour and antics, something John Cena excelled in. Was he not fighting in his underwear in the first episode? And that sidekick guy was weird as hell, but this trailer actually does look like it will continue carrying the torch.

The job interview is hilarious. Green Lantern is there (the same one from the Superman trailer with the trash haircut), Danielle's character is back and from what it seems, the entire team, bar Amanda Waller. It is not entirely clear who the bad person is, if it is not Rick Flag Senior (and most likely is), but this looks like a series that is going to be enjoyable and possibly like the first season, have moments of heart, where you may draw for a tear and cry, but this is a teaser trailer so there is more to come. I am actually looking forward to this.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 7-9

 

It is the back and forth between the rebels and the empire. Not even one-upping one another, but trying to outsmart or go against a system that has its grip on the entire galaxy, to most, if not everyone, you feel you can only comply. They are monitoring everything and everyone.  Nobody is free of this grip, hence the rebellion and Luthen, Cassian, Bix, Kleya, Mon Mothma, Saw Gurrera, they are all fighting, and these three episodes show you exactly how sinister the empire is and how any little thing can help. I look at these three episodes as the penultimate episode before the finale, before it all kicks off. Andor, although some may not like its slow pacing, as it brings you character work and spywork done like no other in the franchise, and it is done very well.


Episode 7

On Yavin and trying to recover from a war wound, Bix tells Cassian of a person who might be able to assist him with his injury, but upon meeting that person, that person presented themselves as a Force Healer, something Cassian does not believe in, but after a conversation between Bix and the healer, Bix is given the rebellion, Cassian and her role in it, some food for thought. The empire enacts the plan to clamp down on Ghorman while Wilman advises Cassian of the whereabouts of Dedra. Cryil receives some conflicting information.

Episode 8

While the Empire's plan takes place under the watchful eye of Dedra, Cyril realises the part he and Dedra have played in their company and becomes conflicted, until he is blinded by his motivations.

Wilman provided Cassian with accurate information, but that information led him to witness the might of the empire and what they are willing to do. Cassian is also confronted by an unexpected and unknown adversary. The Ghorman people stand strong, but it is a little too late, and the KX units are released.

Episode 9

Realising Mon Mothma is on her own, she tries to convince Bail Organa to leave with her, but he states his people are not ready. Luthen warns Mon Mothma about Bail and the people around him as well as the speech she wants to deliver. Mon Mothma delivers her speech, openly making herself the target. Cassian confronts Luthen, which leads to the rescue of Mon, but Bix makes a decision.

Every episode has been a stepping stone to great storytelling, episode by episode. Strangely enough, I feel the weekly three-episode release has done the same thing and as this is the penultimate "episode" (well, set of episodes before the finale), I will definitely say that these three episodes were great and in some places, tragic and brutal.

(episode review) - The Last of Us: Season 2 - Episode 4

 

 

Last week, after THAT episode, was a quieter and calmer episode. We get an introduction to the Sarafites, aka Scars, Ellie and Dana go out looking for Abbie, and they finally get to Seattle, like the game. But just like the game, Seattle comes with its own problems as we see in this episode when both Ellie and Dana get to the Television studio (like the game), then get to the abandoned subway station and the Wolves and clickers are in there (like the game) and as intense as that escape is, the game is so much more intense as it goes on for longer. You are going through and covering more distance underground while being chased by hundreds of infected. Plus, the game does not tell you where to go, you just have to run. It is like the snow scene where Abbey is saved by Joel, in the game, that moment is longer and so much more intense. You finally get to the theatre like the game, but things do play out differently in the game.

Something I am not sure they will do as the game plays out differently narratively, is have Joel's brother out and about as well as Jessie. Jessie should appear in the next episode, but it really does depend on how they play out Abbey's story because both Abby and Ellie's story does crossover, so it will be interesting to see how they do this. Another great episode.

(film review) - Thunderbolts*

The Marvel franchise is a bit of a rollercoaster ride at the moment. Movie-wise, since the end of Endgame (or Spider-Man: Far From Home, the last film in Phase 3), we have had hits and misses coming from Marvel. More movies that hit, and only a handful that have missed completely, and others that are just ok. 'Black Widow' started Phase 4, and whilst it was not trash or just ok, because in my opinion, it was a hit, it had its problems, coming out way too late was one of them. 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' was an absolute hit, 'Eternals' was good but received mixed reviews, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' was a hit, 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' was mostly a hit, but it did have some story problems that brought the movie down as well as execution, so we can say that it was just ok, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' was a miss. It had all the promise in the world, but they went too silly with it, and Gorr was not as intimidating as he could have been or should have been. 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' was a hit, but was held down by the incredible loss of Chadwick Boseman. What Ryan Coogler achieved is nothing short of a miracle, AND after the aftermath of the pandemic. 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' was ok. Johnathan Majors was not the issue with this movie at all, and maybe they should have kept with the more sinister end they were rumoured to go for. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' was excellent, 'The Marvels' was just ok, it had it's problems, 'Deadpool & Wolverine' was excellent, and 'Captain America: Brave New World' was ok as it was a weak story riddled with patch-work ideas put together with the promise of something soo much better. Now that I have listed the movies in order of release and my subjective thoughts on how they went, which ones were bad and which were good, ok, etc, the movies on the whole since Endgame are not all that bad. What is it, three to four ok movies? At a push, five to six out of the twelve they have put out? Let's call it six, ok-to-bad movies; it balances out. Not to mention the TV shows they have put out, which are also hits and misses. I guess what I am trying to say here is, although people are saying Marvel is back, movie-wise, they are "fine", but what we do need is less 'ok' and more 'good to excellent' for the ship to feel that it is back on course. I feel the rollercoaster of the movies and the rollercoaster of the TV shows has not helped the fans feel that Marvel is in the right position to right the ship, but if this movie is anything to go by, I think they are.

The Thunderbolts* is about a group of individual characters, led by Yelena, a former Black Widow, who is sent on a mission that brings not only her, but a group of troubled individuals, all riddled with their own personal issues, who find themselves working together to ultimately tackle the big bad.

It is a simple premise, but the subject matter is great and something that can feel a little bit like a bit of a downer. Usually with these movies, we are dealing with 'smack', 'pow', 'crash', 'explosions' that we are too busy having fun watching our heroes beat the brakes off of a bad guy, but when you are dealing with life troubles and personal things that way you down, life is not as fun anymore and this movie touches on personal trauma and dealing with it, somewhat similar to how the TV show Hawkeye dealt with Clint Barton being a normal human being. 

Florence Pugh is incredible in this as she tries to navigate her past and her current life. If you have seen Black Widow, you will understand her character a bit more, especially with the angle of The Red Guardian being involved in that movie and their relationship. It is the conversation between these two people that had me a little emotional. When one person feels lost with no one to reach out to, and another person feels lost and does not know how to reach out, you are at a stalemate of two people who could communicate only if one of them did something, you know. Check on your friend. It is beautiful, but real storytelling, and it helps to make our characters feel like normal people. If you take notice in that scene also, these two are out in the open having a conversation, and people are naturally walking by, some people looking, but people are minding their own business whilst two people are having a meaningful conversation. That is real life. I am pretty sure I saw some people looking over at them, talking, but the decision for that allowed me to connect more with these characters. For the most part, they are "normal" people going through normal day-to-day things, kinda. As for Wyatt Russell and Hannah John-Kamen, they are great as the supporting cast, along with David Harbour, but the banter between Yelena, Ghost and John Walker is comedy gold. Throw in Red Guardian for more laughs and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) being ultimately, the serious granddad of them all, all worked well. A team that should not work, does not work, but they make it work. As for Lewis Pullman, I am not sure if I would have preferred Steven Yeun more because of his voice acting, and the emotion he puts into his characters is incredible, but Lewis did a great job. Lewis plays a character who is ultimately the same as the others; he has his own issues and/or demons that he wrestles with on a day-to-day basis, like the rest of them, so he fits into the team of "troubled" heroes just fine. What he brings to his character, Bob, has many different layers. His facial acting in some places seemed a little off for me, but I know it was the vulnerability he was portraying, but when he shifts from the sheepish and vulnerable to the more stern, decisive and vulnerable is where he sold it for me. I understood and recognised him as me at times in my life that I could honestly relate to, and THIS is why this movie hits. This is why the movie is relatable, because whether these are people with fantastic skills and abilities or people with enhanced strength and stamina, for the most part, they are still human.

The visuals and the music is great! There is a character design I was not fully sold on in this movie, but with that said, the other design was also a little bit of a turn-off, but I understand why they did it, especially as that design is what is always used to depict the idea of what it is (no spoilers here). There are some great shots and cinematography that are pretty much "comic book accurate". For example, there is a "drone" shot (a shot from high up) where there is a building, and you see one lone person walking towards it. In the comics, you'd see the exact same thing and the footsteps behind them. Also, the mood of this movie, although dark in places, has splashes of colour that spill into the scenes that help bring the joy and positivity that also work hand-in-hand with the score.

So not only is the storyline great and cohesive, the acting is spot-on, fun, funny and dramatic, the visuals are great, the music is great, the action is superb, like The Winter Soldier level of choreography, with two after credits scenes, one mid-credit and one post-credit, both that are really good and the second one even better as it does the old traditional, "does this play into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?", I would say that this is a great watch and Marvel are on the right track to becoming great again. We just need more quality storylines and risks taken because they have not missed in their casting, just in their execution and of late, it does not seem as though Marvel has taken many risks when taking risks is what they were built on.

 

(trailer review) - Weapons

Weapons! Wait! What? What is this? So the premise is, children from a teacher's class disappear one day, randomly. Ok, so I heard about this not very long ago, and it sounds bizarre, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw in this trailer...like what? The fact that the premise is wild enough as it is, having you think, "What is going on?" But this trailer ultimately doubles down on the synopsis and not even metaphorically, but is literally saying "watch this!" CREEPY CHILDREN! Like, children are not creepy enough.

So the trailer starts with narration from a creepy little girl detailing the events of kids going missing on a Wednesday, having not shown up for a teacher's class. Ok, she isn't creepy, not yet anyway. But she went on to say that these children woke up in the night, left their homes and disappeared into the night at 2:17am. How does this little girl know such precise timings if she isn't one of these little children roaming the streets after dark? Then there is a scene where Thanos himself (Josh Brolin) is about to snap these kids back if he does not get any answers, and parents are understandably concerned. Ok I kid, but as you'd expect, children go missing from one specific teacher's class, and the teacher doesn't know what is happening, so the teacher is going to be distraught, likely because she is getting ALL the threats. Then the trailer takes the wildest turn where said teacher is walking through her classroom in the dark (likely at night) and unless this is a real messed up dream, a child is at the back of the classroom, and he slowly lifts his head sporting a child-like painting of a clown's face on his face, looking up all creepily and then the trailer cascades into scenes of children running at fully speed, jumping through windows, running through the night, Josh brolin is trying to investigate, Ozark girl, Julia Garner is scared, there is this black liquid pouring onto someone's face as if waterboarding them, a woman is attacking herself with a fork...what is this? Then at the end, there is a house in the dark with the door open, and the creepy girl says, This is where the story really starts!

(episode review) - The Last of Us: Season 2 - Episode 3

 

After the events of the last episode, this episode was bound to be slower and quieter to let the previous episode breathe a little, and to let the outcome sit with us a little. I mean, although the same thing happens in the game, it does not take away from how devastating the scene was. The difference between the game and the show (and purely because it is a game and storytelling is very linear), the scene at the lodge does not occur while Jackson is being attacked. With that said, there are other similarities and differences in the show in comparison to the game, and this show looks like it is going to flesh out some of the characters and groups a little better than in the game.


Injured and traumatised, Ellie is stuck in the infirmary for 3 months and is eventually released. Before she is released, Gail tries to probe Ellie for an answer that Joel gave to her. Out for vengeance but trying to put on a brave face, Ellie wants to travel and find Abby, but tries to tell the town to rally behind her at the town hall, but with no surprise, there is a 'No' vote, and Ellie leaves anyway, accompanied by Dina. Meanwhile, a group of people walking through the woods are attacked and their bodies are left in a ditch off the side of the road.

(trailer review) - Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Nobody in the history of life has ever asked for a movie! Ok, I kid. I am pretty sure everyone has at least at some point in their lives, has asked for some movie or another with their favourite actor etc, but in all seriousness, I feel like I am back here again, sat here, boggled like the Final Destination: Bloodlines movie trailer and I am thinking, WHO ASKED FOR THIS? This is NOT for me. I saw 'Now You See Me' and 'Now You See Me 2', but this new 'Now You See Me 3', aka 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't', is a clever play on the phrase for the sequel, but it will be interesting if this will be any good as the trailer looks ok, but I am not sold on this as yet.

So first off, this is giving me a fast and furious vibe with magic instead of cars. It looks like a diamond heist from criminals with Jesse Eissenberg's character taking on some young up and coming magicians. Seeing Ariana Greenblatt is cool, as I recognise her from Avengers: Infinity War, Barbie, Ahsoka and Borderlands and also recognising Justice Smith from Detective Pikachu. The frantic running around and fight scenes are giving me chaos, albeit..."organised" chaos and slight-of-hand which looks, simply like movie magic, sonit wil he interesting to see another trailer and see if that sells me more on-board the movie, but chances are, I am not going to see it. Final Destination: Bloodlines I will thoihh. We will see. I'll wait.

(episode review) - Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 - Episode 4-6

 

Having gone through the entirety of season one on a bit of fast forward (I did not watch in double speed, but at normal speed as a refresher, so I was not 100% focused), forgive me for stating Bix as Cassian's friend when in fact they are lovers or married, even...especially as she refers to him as her husband in the last 3 episodes. I thought she was honestly saying that to get creepy-bag magoo off her back, but seeing them kiss solidified that argument, if there ever was one. Anyway, these next 3 episodes are great. This is Star Wars, political intrigue, spies, and boffins. This is the drama behind the dramas, the fights and space battles. The last 3 episodes stood to show you different rebel factions and how unorganised they are, as well as trying to show you Mon Mothma's plight and all the things that are leading to her becoming the Mon Mothma from A New Hope. But these 3 episodes stand to show us the might of the Empire and the tactics they implore to get what they want to become what they become in Star Wars: Episode 4. Who do you trust when there are spies everywhere?

Episode 4
So we start off with Bix having nightmares due to the ordeal she went through back in season 1, and she is haunted by her actions in the last episode. Syril's mother buys into the Ghorman propaganda and thinks Syril has been demoted, but Syril is approached by Ghorman people, so he decides to be a spy for them. Dedra is still looking for Andor but decides to use Syril to get the upper hand on the Ghorman people. Mon Mothma tries to rally support and get votes while Wilmon is asked to create and teach his bomb making abilities to one of Saw Gurrera people.

Episode 5
The Ghorman spies try to devise a plan to but Luthen calls on Cassian to help with the assist. Kleya, listening in on a conversation about Luthen's counterfeit goods, also realises that the Empire may stumble onto their listening devices. Wilmon teaches his student, only to be shown his efforts were in vain because Saw Gurrera is very paranoid. Syril sides with the Ghorman people, but Cassian realises they are not efficient enough. Bix, trying to rest after her ordeal, gets restless.

Episode 6
Cassian gets angry with Luthen over his unexpected visit to see Bix. Cinta returns for the job with Vel and the Ghorman people whilst Syril watches on. Director Krenic arrives whilst Kleya does what she can to remove the listening device before the Empire finds it. Mon Mothma makes a decision. Bix seeks revenge.

These three episodes were a lot better than the last three. As each year goes by, we are given a part of the story that shows us the dynamics between the characters, the setups, the task and/or problem and how they are going to overcome them. In these three episodes, it is the empire that is pulling the strings, having the upper hand. It was mentioned by Cassian, "this is what the empire does" and he is not wrong, so these people are going to learn the hard way. The buildup to the double heist was great. It will be interesting to know what has changed in a year.