(trailer review) - Stranger Things 5

 

I had a little giggle when I saw the thumbnail because all I could think of was that interrogation scene in Bad Boys 2, and they are pressing the kid, and there was a comment stating that the child looked at least 30 years old. Stranger Things has been going on for a while, and there have been some issues since its inception until now. This has prolonged the series whether it be slow decision making on Netflix's side, deciding to cancel the show and drop it from the platform (as I remember that was a rumour once), the global pandemic, the writers strike, there were likely more things but these kids have aged up before our eyes and there are ongoing jokes that some of these kids are married, with kids and have divorced before season 5 has even come out. But there is no escaping the growth, and for the most part, who really cares? As long as they can play their parts, well, right? And with that said, and with this being the last season for Stranger Things, these kids need to get rid of Vecna and save the world once and for all.

The love for this franchise is at an all-time high, and having reviewed all the seasons prior to the upcoming season 5 recently has been an absolute blast. The reewatch and review was to see if the series holds up, and it does. In this trailer, presented to us on top of "Who Wants to Live Forever", the kids are fed up with running, fighting for their lives, saving the world from Vecna, only for him to return again and again, so this time, they want to destroy Vecna for good so they can live peacefully. Lucas is still with Max and looking after her, and it seems he is trying to protect her because [SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 4] she got away from Vecna in the last season, and he could quite possibly still be after her. Dustin is still mourning Eddie, who gave his life to help them. Will Byers still has a connection to Vecna, and you kind of see that at the end of the trailer. Mike looks like he is leading the charge towards Vecna. And seeing the other outer characters, such as Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin, is also great because they will all contribute to help destroy Vecna, even Luca's sister Erica. With Jim Hopper by Eleven's side, his adopted daughter and Joyce Byers also providing support, this looks like it will be an absolutely amazing send-off for a show that has come so far and has told a story, which has been a little wonky in places, but season 4 did a lot of ironing, and we are in the endgame now. New additions to the show, such as Linda Hamilton, that one-two punch the show needs for that 80s call back, so let's see who else we get and what the story is ultimately going to do. Will Eleven die? Will Mike or Will die, or die together? Will Will die trying to save Mike whilst Eleven is off doing something else? Will Hopper die (again) sacrificing his life? There are so many characters, and yes, there have been deaths over the series, but will there be any more deaths of the main characters? We all remember the first, Barbara! Shout out to Barbs. Other than being great, of course, because it has to be, right, the show? It has to have a great ending. There is no way Netflix's pride and joy will have a season 8 finale of Game of Thrones, you know? It needs to end at an all-time high. Bring on those tears! I want to clap and wipe my tears away by the end of this!

(trailer review) - Crime 101

First of all, sometimes I hate seeing a bunch of familiar actors in a movie. Do not get me wrong, I do like a lot of these actors, but sometimes I wonder, why do you not have up-and-coming actors for movies that the audience do not know of, and not necessarily phase the already established actors out, but to at least bring new actors in, talented ones anyway. I know they do actually do this because how do you think Chris Hemsworth got her? With that said, I know Hollywood is about making money and having bankable talent, so when I saw the thumbnail initially, I wondered, who is in this? That looks like Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry (as my eyes focused towards the middle of the picture), so I did not even notice Chris Hemsworth really or the actor on the far right. But then, as I was watching the trailer, I found it hella fun to say, "Oh look, it's Hemsworth!" Nice seeing him in something else that isn't Marvel and playing Thor (not like he only does that and is only known for that, I mean he is Captain James T. Kirk's father and he is in other movies such as Extraction for Netflix, and other), but then I saw Halle Berry and my mind instantly went to Swordfish, thinking Hemsworth was in that, ummm, no he wasn't. But then my brain went back to Marvel and was like "Haha, it's Thor, Storm and the Hulk all in one movie", then realised when I saw Barry Keoghan, "Oh and the guy from Saltburn and Eternals!" I couldn't remember his character's name in Marvel, but it was a Marvel "collection" in my head. But as the trailer went on, I thought, this actually might actually be decent.

So the trailer starts off with Chris's character standing around on the roadside and being approached by Halle, who guesses the type of car Chris is waiting for. Later on, she states she is good at reading people. But as the trailer goes on, where it looks like he might be trying to recruit her for heists by assessing high value targets within her business as an insurer, it looks like Mark Ruffalo, (straight off of Task - because he is an officer in that and that looks great, i must see also), is the police officer trying to track these robberies along the I101 freeway and link the robberies to Chris and its a game of cat and mouse where Chris leaves evidence/clues out of habit per job, and Mark is closing in. The exchange in the car near the end is immaculate and reminded me a little bit of the Vulture and Spider-Man conversation in Homecoming. At this point in the movie, does Mark know he has the thief driving him or was that an innocent conversation? I think Mark knows, and it is all very intense. Seeing Corey Hawkins and Nick Nolte is nice, and I hope they have decent roles. When the trailer ended, I was like "THIS, I MUST SEE! Plus, I love the play on words, Crime 101.

(trailer review) - Being Eddie

Throughout my life, my introduction to the things and people I enjoy now and have always enjoyed over the years was through my cousin. My cousin was two years older than me, so even action figures got to him before me, you know? Those 15 and 18 films from the 80s and 90s, through him, I got to see them. The Running Man, Predator, Rambo, etc, I have mentioned this before, and it is true. As I think about it, I actually believe Eddie Murphy was also part of this list because of films like Trading Places, 48 Hours, Another 48 Hours, and Beverly Hills Cop. I am sure he had them on VHS. But I believe I made my own discovery or rediscovery of Eddie as I got older, because I remember being introduced to Eddie Murphy stand up comedy performances such as Delirious and Raw from a school mate and since then, pretty much all of the Eddie movies that came out after I were introduced to the stand ups (well, not all of them, but a fair bit), I watched, from Nutty Professor, Metro, Boomerang and Shrek, even Vampire in Brooklyn. I did stay away from some of Eddie's films like Dr Dolittle and Daddy Daycare, but Eddie was funny to me, so with that said, I think this doc is going to be great.

This looks great! From the moment it opens with one of the world's most gifted comedians today, with Dave Chapelle endorsing Eddie's genius and how he helped pave the way for a lot of the comics today, and also back in the 90s, solidified by what Jamie Foxx says, you know this is going to be a great documentary. Even Jerry Seinfeld says a piece, and Tracey Ellis Ross, who definitely has some ties to Eddie, as he would have met her mother back in his heyday. The shadow puppet of Donkey from Shrek definitely made me laugh, although he did not do the voice. Eddie states he wants to be in the room, everybody in the room and in between the gaps, this was such a great line as they show clips of Eddie as different characters in The Nutty Professor, something he also did earlier in his career along with Arsenio Hall in Coming to America in whom we also see in this trailer along with Kevin Hart and Chris Rock. It was a touch sad to see a Richard Pryor puppet, knowing how heavily Richard was an inspiration to Eddie, and if he were still alive, I am sure he would have been approached. Even Pete Davidson has something to say. I'm not in a rush to see this, but I definitely will. I mean, Axel F, the Netflix film that came out not too long ago, was actually decent from Netflix, so I do wonder what is Next from Eddie and Netflix going forward.

(film review) - The Long Walk

The film has been out for a while, and I am pretty sure it will leave the cinema soon. This could be the last week or maybe there are a couple of weeks still left in it, but this film, if you have not already seen it, this movie is really good, brutal, but really damn good. I was not sure what to expect from the movie, as I had heard a couple of things, but I really did not expect to get emotional. Other than recognising Mark Hamill and David Jonsson, I did not know any other the other supporting characters and only that this was a Stephen King adaptation from a book he wrote. So let me explain.

In a dystopian future in a dystopian society, 50 young men from each state volunteer to enter a yearly competition called The Long Walk as a test of endurance, where the objective is to walk from point A to point B at no more or less than 3 miles per hour, and the last person standing wins a wish and riches. With all the competitors in this competition, some people do not get on, some make friends, but the game will test you and ultimately break you until there is a winner, whilst the whole country watches.

Whilst I will try not to go into spoiler territory, I have tried to keep the synopsis as light as possible, but this film was excellent, brutal and like I previously said, emotional. I cannot remember if it was near the beginning or in the middle, where I thought to myself and wondered, "Why would someone join a competition like this?" If there could be only one winner, how are most of them cheering each other on, helping one another to get up, and not be thinking, "there can be only one!". Do not get me wrong, it is mentioned in the movie and the characters know the rules and what you need to do to win the prize, as well as what happens to you if you do not keep to the rules, but I could not fully get behind the characters wanting to win, and also make friends. But I guess everyone is in the same situation, and you are doing it together. Maybe they did not think they could die or would not die to stay motivated to win, so making friends on the long walk is nice and all, but it is either you or your buddy, right? So with that said, this film is brutal because you cannot slow your pace as you must keep to 3 miles per hour and near the end, I was definitely shaken up, emotionally. 

All the characters have their reason for joining the competition and for a lot of them, some simply just want a better life or to come out of a tough situation, so the story centres mostly around a handful of characters where you may get a little information on, as they walk and trade stories, but I was definitely in tears when a specific character got a nose bleed. Not because of the nose bleed itself, but the actor who played the character was great and entertaining, so when it was his time, it hit me hard. It was unexpected and very sad as I caught myself getting attached to some of these characters, as you feel like you are with them along this journey. Before going into this film, I kept hearing about David Jonsson from the film 'Alien: Romulus' or TV show, 'Industry' and how good he is, and he is really good, but this unknown actor (to me anyway) was good as well, so when he went, I could not help but get emotional. David Jonsson is a rising star. Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) is great in this, and his character's motivations as to why he entered the competition, is a motivation I am sure most people watching will agree with, so there were a few moments that were heartbreaking. Because they have been walking for days at this point and you are often reminded how far they have walked with little food, no sleep and zero stops, as the audience watching them walk and walk and walk, there were times I felt like some scenes or imagery must be a hallucination as I couldn't quite get to grips of how long they have been walking and how I myself would feel in their battered shoes. But David Jonsson carried this movie on his back, and is clearly the standout. His backstory was also emotional, like plenty of the other contestants we get to know, so when you get to the end, you do wonder was any of it even worth it?

The cinematography was great. There were some long shots, wide shots, close-ups and some blurry shots where some of the graphical shots were pulled back from or right in front of the camera. The first death was crazy to see, and I audibly made a noise when it happened, but as the film goes on, deaths start popping up rapidly, or at least you could tell who was next to go as you see a character limping or even worse before they expire.

There is not much music in this film, as the film is carried by the acting and the interaction between characters.  The longer they walked, the longer you felt a bond with some specific characters, and you are rooting for them to win, or you are rooting for someone to eat it. You know, that one guy you dislike and you cannot wait for them to die horribly. At one point, one of the contestants had a radio, and that brought a tiny bit of levity to the story, where for a moment, the guys were frustrated, but at the same time, making the best of a bad and shitty moment, but in the end, this story is dark, bleak and also sad. The Hunger Games or Squid Game, but all you do is walk, not fighting one another, just a competition, because there could be only one. Great film. Go and see it as soon as possible, if those latter films are your thing, but also, if you like Stephen King, since it is a Stephen King adaptation after all.

(film review) - Tron: Ares

Before I even get into it, I just want to start off by saying this film is good and entertaining. Jared Leto was also really good in the role, so if you have any reservations about his acting, he is really good and is not the problem with this movie. Any shortcomings are not because of him, so if you do not like him, that is a different situation. And with that out of the way, I also want to highlight that I have recently watched the original Tron and the sequel, and whilst the first one is good but does not hold up today, Tron: Legacy is stylish and entertaining, but the dodgy de-ageing makes the film feel off, because the story is ok, not great, just ok. Tron: Ares spends more time setting up the future of the franchise rather than just telling a standalone story with loose suggestions or connective elements hinting at the possibility of a sequel. I'll explain.

Following Sam Flynn’s departure and decades after Kevin Flynn’s disappearance, Encom is now under the leadership of Eve Kim, a determined CEO pushing the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. Her goal: to give life to inorganic matter, digital constructs. When illness sidelines Tess’s sister, Eve Kim steps in to continue her sister's research, determined to see it through. Across the city, a rival company, Dillinger Systems, led by Julian Dillinger — the grandson of a former Encom head, Ed Dillinger — is chasing the same breakthrough, but with a far more dangerous vision. His focus is on weaponising the digital constructs to create a new generation of digital soldiers for profit and power. As both sides compete to achieve the impossible, an advanced AI known as Ares begins to seek a life beyond his programming. But with Enforcers closing in and corporate motives spiralling out of control, the race to bring inorganic matter to life threatens to blur the line between creation and domination.

The bottom line is, the film is decent and enjoyable, Jared Leto is really good as Ares, but as I said before, the story spends more time setting up the future of the franchise because the film has many questions it does not answer. The scope, lore, and world of Tron (the film) could go a lot further and be more expansive. I will give an example. There used to be an animated show called 'Reboot', where the User (the person who would insert a game to play for their own enjoyment - ie, anyone who plays computer games/video games) would insert a game into the system, and the system would play the game to beat the user. The system was a computer world filled with 1s and 0s, a living, breathing world and many different characters; Hexadecimal, Megabyte and others. For some reason or another, whilst brother and sister, Megabyte and Hexidecimal would always try to corrupt and overthrow/rule the system, as well as battle each other. However, a security programme, a guardian within the system named Bob, would join the games and often try and help the user to win the games, but mostly, try to stop Hexidecimal and Megabyte from corrupting the system. There were likely other villains or other programmes like Hack and Slash as other computer programming that were different to the 1s and 0s, but Hexadecimal and Megabyte are the two I remember clearly. Bob is clearly based on Tron, the character within the Tron movies, and Clu is equivalent to either Hexidecimal, Megabyte or any other villain, so with all that said, whilst Tron: Legacy began opening up the world of Tron and the various different characters within the system, Tron: Ares does not expand on this at all. Tron does nothing to expand the world within the grid, and with Ares being as capable as he is, it made me question the whereabouts of other characters or why there were not any other characters within the system. I could see a world where there are different factions within the grid, lost tribes, factions or religous zealots etc, living within the system and something happens that ends up being 'Battle of the Five Armies', something where there is a fight for the control of the Grid (ok, as I type that, it is starting to sound expensive due to everything in the Grid and special effects money), but the Grid does not need to look like how it did in Tron: Legacy, maybe it could look like the real world with accents that inform the viewer that it is a game world, such as imagery, design or something. Think the movie 'Free Guy' or something. All this AI becoming self-aware and wanting to come into the real world could come later within the franchise when maybe the collapse of the Grid occurs due to ongoing wars within the system and manipulation in the real world via some competitor like Dillinger Systems. This was touched on at the beginning of the movie, but the film is lacking depth, and I feel a lot of Disney films are doing this of late.

The special effects are superb! It is a Tron film, so if I am honest, this is what you are paying your big money for, to see something on the screen that looks really cool. The Recogniser, the light cycles, and just like Tron: Legacy, the film introduces a few more vehicles that look very cool, especially in the real world. Some new vehicles and some old school favourites, but Tron will always provide something so cool you wish it was available in real life. Along with the vehicle shots, the visuals were top-notch from the fight scenes to the birdseye view when the light cycles race through the city, leaving light trails; it was great. I am not 100% sure how they work, but they were cool in the 80s, they were cool in Tron: Legacy, and they are still cool now. Even when the computer characters die, it looked amazing, and they have one-upped from the previous movie, although it does look very painful.

As I stated before, the acting by Jared Leto was really good. Whilst I heard he was great, I am not sure I would put great in there, but I had no issues with the portrayal of his character and in some instances, he was very funny. He was able to deliver some funny lines in only the way a self learning AI construct could, as it learns and adapts quickly to everything around it. The supporting cast, whilst not many, were also good, nothing spectacular, as they did what they were scripted to do or asked of them with no real standouts. Actors like Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger and Gillian Anderson as his mother could have been given a lot more to do, more lines, motivations or something, but unfortunately, how they were written was only to serve the plot, which is ok at best, because the storyline is fairly flimsy. Jodie Turner-Smith gave me T1000 vibes in a cool, sleek and sexy way. And I am not saying that because, as an person in real life, she is sleek and sexy (because she is), but ever since Tron: Legacy, everything was sleek, stylish and sexy, and this film continues that and Jodie was simply excellent in her role being the "Clu" of the third film, determined and relentless and I will just leave it at that for now. Greta Lee as Eve Kim was good in the role as well. I understood her pursuit and the reasons as to why she was doing what she was doing, and I could even see where she may go in the future with her thoughts or inorganic life and digital constructs, whilst she battled for her life over life. Her business partner, Hasan Minhaj as Ajay Singh, provided some laughs and brought some added levity to the movie, which also made the film entertaining. Lastly, seeing Jeff Bridges was great, and he served a small purpose in the movie, but I think I needed some of his background and his existence explained.

And to save the best till last, the music is superb! It is a Tron film, so if I am honest, like the special effects, this is what you are paying your big money for, to see something cool, enjoy a simple to ok storyline, but vibe with the music and bop your head from the beginning of the movie until the very end. The music is from Nine Inch Nails, and the music was a GREAT vibe, and unfortunately stands out more than the movie does.

Upon reflection, the Tron movies never really made ALL THE MONEY. The original movie was made for 17 million, and it made 50 million. Tron: Legacy was made for 170 million, and it made 409.9 million. These are making a profit, albeit, not something to write home about, but still a profit nonetheless. Tron: Ares was made for 180-220 million, and so far it has only made 106.4 million, so in industry standards, this is a flop (so far). I do not anticipate this movie making double what it has made thus far, because nobody is really watching it, and that could be due to a variety of reasons. But what I will reiterate, if you have a problem with Jared Leto, fine, but this film is really entertaining and he is good in it too, but with a flimsy storyline, missing characters and the focus on extending the franchise, especially with the end credits scene, this is still an enjoyable movie and I am curious as to where they were looking to go next. I would like them to dip their toe back into this franchise, but they really need to do more going forward, because retrospectively, watching this film made the second film a little better in comparison, as it elevates the world of the grid. Seeing the Grid in this movie is breathtaking, so why not see more of it and more characters and lore built in? Definitely go and watch it because it is really enjoyable.

(ree:watch review) - Tron: Legacy

I started writing reviews a little while back, and there was a time when I was not as consistent as I try to be now. I only wrote about movies to start off with and had no intention of writing about anything else. Around 6 years ago, I decided to add trailers and TV shows to the mix, and I am glad that I did because not only do I enjoy watching TV shows as much as Movies, but the world fell into a pandemic, and at least I were able to remain busy. As Tron: Ares is due out soon, and in fact, is out now from the publishing of this post, I thought I'd go through my archives to see if I had previously reviewed the movie, considering I had seen it before and, I am ashamed to say, this movie review has been sat in limbo since 2011 and I am actually very disappointed in myself because of this. These limbo reviews of mine sit there until I find the time to start and/or finish a review so I can publish it. Of recent I have tried to stay on top of this so I do not have many movie reviews sitting in the void space I have created, but sometimes, with all that is coming out, I am watching, LIFE is also getting interwoven with the time I can use to review, thus delays, however, I am going to try and keep on top of it.

I wanted to knock out a review when I saw it and retroactively post the review, but 2011 was a very long time ago and my memory of then and now having just rewatched the movie, my thoughts would be skewed, so...why not just do my reewatch review as I was going to anyway, whether I had previously reviewed it and published it or not. So here it is.

This movie picks up some time after the events of the first movie, and Kevin is famous, runs the company and has a child named Sam. Kevin is telling Sam, as a boy, about 'The Grid' and Tron, his creation and what the grid is like. Kevin rides off and is never heard of again, and is speculated to be lost within the grid. Rebellious Sam, now older, receives a message to go to his dad's old office, only to go there and be digitised and pulled into the very same computer system his father had been rumoured to go missing in, and Sam must now fight for survival just like his father did all them years ago.

So what I do remember about this moving back in 2011, was that it was a huge upgrade from the first movie, everything looked slick and stylish, the special effects were top-notch, but I hated the Clu and the process they do to make an actor look younger. I do not remember if they gave it a term back then, but it was creepy, but maybe that is due to not having the capabilities they have now. The uncanny valley of it all just made it creepy, and I remember leaving the cinema thinking, kinda enjoyable but also very creepy and weird. It just felt forced, so I did not like the movie, although I found elements of it enjoyable, such as the look of it. I may have even said it was rubbish and felt that it was more style than substance. This time around, I enjoyed it.

Watching the second movie after the first, pretty much back-to-back, was great. And although I thought the film was very stylish and slick back then, and still very stylish and slick, how they made the computer world look very modern and that Kevin's programme, Clu still looked creepy, maybe I have seen worst since, gave it a pass or simply got used to it as it did not bother me as much this time around.

I came to realise the limitations of the 80's meant that there always was a Clu in the original film and the deaging technique was not used, but this time around, whilst not upto the standard of film in 2025, I got used to it and for all intents and purposes, fed into the story, so it wasnt as forced as I thought it was all them years ago.

The music is great! Scored by Daft Punk, and they are also in the movie, as essentially, they fit right in. Their scene is shot alongside Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde before Jeff Bridges turns up. It is essentially a "club" scene that now reminds me of a John Wick club scene. The music laced throughout this movie hits hard and back then, was the unique selling point of the movie, but this time around, still is along with the digital upgrade, but the story isn't as bad upon the rewatch and it is likely the film was given a hard time because of the deaging and the "forced" storyling and Clu element to it, but for me, I've come to realise that the story is about creativity and perfection as sometimes as a creative person, you strive for perfection, but you may not ever know what perfect is, and that was the downfall of Kevin as he wanted perfection, Clu was assisting him with that at any cost and stuck to his programming without evolving.

In the end, Tron: Legacy is a good film. There is a decent story to it, but the film does indeed lack a little depth. The special effects are great and very well stylised and visualised. The new vehicles are excellent, and the way people break down as shattered glass is wonderful to see. The shots are beautiful too. The Grid is a dark yet beautiful place. I just hope that if we do revisit the Grid in Tron: Ares, we get to spend more time there and see what that world has now become. Seeing the first movie isn't necessary to watch this one.

(ree:watch review) - Tron

If you are around my age, Tron was THAT film! It came out in the 80s, it was about computers and if you were a child like most of us around that time (especially with home computers not being a household item at that point or computer consoles, and the only computer type experience we had were arcade machines, work desktops and maybe a couple handhelds), all we knew were computer graphics, special effects and digital stuff to do with computers that we couldn't quite possibly understand very well, but we understood what we thought was cool, like the Light Cycles. The Recogniser looked menacing, and the way everything seemed to operate and move as if in a video game, the thought of that as a child, being in a world like that, was amazing, exciting and cool. Plus, we were young with a childlike wonder to it all. So, while Tron remains a staple favourite in our hearts since our childhood, how many times have you personally gone back to it, and does it actually hold up? I hadn't and no. No, it really doesn't.

Kevin Flynn is a talented computer programmer who works for a company called Encom. Having created some games for them, Kevin goes looking for his stolen work in the company's computer program, a computer world called The Grid, but when Kevin is digitised and transported to the Grid itself, Kevin must fight for survival, defeat the Master Computer Program with the assistance of a security program named Tron.

It is not trash; it is dated and does not hold up very well at all, but with all that said, very much ahead of its time. When I was younger, I couldn't quite understand anything beyond a man being pulled into a computer game world and fighting for survival to get out. Upon the rewatch, I couldn't help but to think of all the other films and projects that have been influenced by this film, from 'Wreck It Ralph' to 'Reboot', and I loved Reboot. It is very possible that this film was made because of the cool concept that it had, and a decent story than them knowing exactly what they were talking about or maybe the computer jargon was the understanding of that time considering a lot of time has passed, and when we talk about computers now, the jargon used is very different, especially as computers have evolved greatly since. I understood there were people living in the machine, but not necessarily as Artificial Intelligence. However, this time around, rather than thinking the MCP was just an evil or a bad program developed for the system, the program developed intelligence to manipulate real people outside of the computer world and eventually became SkyNet, (I kid). And chances are, they knew exactly what they were doing, making this film, and as computers evolved over time, our understanding of computers grew, too.

The special effects are dated, but the concepts are sound. The special effects were also great for that time, as with the light cycles being the standout back then, and the standout now. I mean, it all looks dated with the right-angled turns as if you were playing 'Snake' on the Nokia phone, but even now, it is still cool on the rewatch. The recogniser is cool and menacing. We are only limited by our imagination, so when you do see the sequel, you realise how far they have come to imagine what they can do with computers, technology, graphics and vehicles.

The music is definitely trash! I will not skip a beat in stating that, and it is a product of its time. Strangely enough, trying to watch The Running Man lately, and that sound is stuck in my head, and the sound is very similar to the sound in Tron. That was the sound of the future, of technology. The film has a slight vibe of Star Wars hinted in the movie, but Star Wars had a score; this is just laser-type synth sounds that are definitely a product of the time, where future sounds now in 2025 is nothing of the sort, there is a variety of "future" sounds.

I do not believe you necessarily need to watch this movie to understand future films such as Tron: Legacy, and I have not seen Tron: Ares yet, but this movie is a nice to know, before going into Legacy, rather than a need to know, and the same might just be for Tron: Ares. It's entertaining, a touch boring because it is dated, the story is decent, but it is a good watch nonetheless.

(trailer review) - The Running Man

 

I attempted to watch The Running Man recently due to this movie due to come out, and not only did I try to watch it at a silly time and I fell asleep, when I tried to watch it again, I just was not paying any attention, but the parts I caught, some bits I remembered and other bits I did not. But having "watched" a reaction video to Predator 2 (because it has been a long time since I've seen that movie also, I noticed the same actress Predator 2 was in The Running Man movie, which therefore reminded me that I need to get back onto that 1987 film and focus all my attention on it in it's entirety before moving onto this new one. But with that said, this trailer looks like it is actually going to be as crazy, manic and chaotic, and I like that a lot.

First of all, I like the stylistic look of this movie. It is set in a future, but not a crazy future like a 'Blade Runner', 'Fifth Element' or anything, more like an 'Edge of Tomorrow', noting the helicopter with 4 rotary spinning blades. We are given the situation, "for the next 30 days, everyone in the country is going to try and murder him," as he has joined the game show to win money for his family and possibly his sick daughter. He will be hunted by anyone and everyone, but he just needs to survive for 30 days. It is also noted in the trailer by his wife that people do not come back when they enter the game, and it is also mentioned that the game is rigged. Whoever Josh Brolin is playing, even states, "we cannot let him win". There are people who are cheering him on because if he wins, it will give them hope to join the game and win too. Playing a game to win money is giving me vibes of Squid Game, but this is comical, sadistic and presented like a gameshow, like the original movie where Squid Game is simply dark and sadistic. The Running Man was one of my faves when I was younger, so I will definitely watch this, especially as it does look good.

(trailer review) - Wonder Man

So, the other day, I saw a teaser trailer for Wonder Man, but because it was not released by Disney, I did not cover it. I did not want to cover a trailer that may have been "leaked" or simply not official, having not come from Disney. So, if I am going to be honest, when I saw this trailer, I did not find it funny. I was not sure of the tone or what they were going for, so I thought it was trash. I was also tired as well, so I decided to check it out the following day once I was well rested to rewatch it and to see what I thought of it, fresh faced......and, well, I like it.

So, the teaser showed a director who has not directed in a while, and he has decided to come back to remake and direct a film called Wonder Man, based on a film from the past, in the middle of the world, seemingly having superhero fatigue. He is going to be doing some auditions for the role, and we see Trevor wanting to go for the part along with his friend Simon Williams, who really wants the job since he feels he was born to play the part. There is a short clip of a child watching Wonder Man in the movie theatre with his father, so we are led to believe this is Simon when he is younger.
This official trailer is an extension of the teaser I saw, detailing Simon really wanting to be a part of this project called Wonder Man, and he is gearing himself up for the auditions. Whilst both Simon and his friend Trevor, aka "The Mandarin" from Iron Man 3 or Shang-Chi, are going for the role, having gone through casting, Simon and Trevor have been called to meet with the director, and Simon keeps calling his agent to see if he has got the part.
The tone is funny, quirky, and from what I have heard, is meant to be a really good show. The Superhero genre at the moment, especially with the MCU, is a little all over the place with mixed feelings about movies and shows, having people scream out superhero fatigue when it is really mediocre fatigue. There have been some bad decisions, and people want great stories more than anything. The show is going to be very meta, so it will be interesting to see the feedback once this is out and if, in fact, it IS any good. Ironheart received mixed reviews, and Daredevil received mixed but more favourable reviews, so let us just hope this one is a winner for the MCU, whilst we gear up for the next project. Another and better trailer is needed, though. Also, as I write this, the director (or showrunner in this instance) is Destin Daniel Cretton, the man behind Shang-Chi AND the NOW FILMING, Spider-Man: Brand New Day....interesting, right?

(trailer review) - Invincible: Season 4

 

Left and right. I actually feel like I should have been prepared because it is New York Comic-Con and I really should have anticipated trailers coming out today, but damn, I've just seen the Wonder Man teaser trailer only a few hours ago, which was great, I might add, but this Invincible teaser trailer is top bloody notch!!!

As this is an announcement or teaser trailer, something they often do for every upcoming season, we have Mark and Eve sitting in a Burger Mart and as usual, they are talking about the upcoming season and what is in store; however, this time is a little different. Mark has introduced Eve to this and Mark is gloating that he sent all the other Marks packing, that he sent Angstrom packing, that nobody is laughing at him anymore because he kept losing fights (a line that made me laugh out loud, like actually laugh out loud, not me just typing 'LOL'), I laughed out loud because there are those who do think Mark should be knocking everyone's heads off since he is a Viltrumite. The detail in this scene is also that he has either Cybernetic arms and a leg, OR these are robotic cast arms due to how battered he was by the last episode of the last season and his huge fight with Conquest. Talking about Conquest, Eve raised a great point, and I feel like this season is going to come back to bite Mark. It's next year, but I can wait as the seasons are getting better and better. Oh yeah, Freddie Mercury!

(trailer review) - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

I was definitely late jumping onto the 'Game of Thrones' wagon. If I remember correctly,  season 3 was due to start, and my mate was telling me to tune in and that I would like it. Thinking about jumping onto a show that is already 2 seasons in, an hour per episode and 10 episodes per season, with a 3rd having just started or due to start soon, it was definitely daunting, and I did not want to do it. My mate said to me, "A kid gets pushed out of a window and that's when it all kicks off". So, I watched it until the kid got pushed out of the window, and I was hooked. Great characters, a crazy story about the prince who was promised (I think, it's been a while), but 'Game of Thrones' went on for 8 seasons, and I hammered through seasons 1 and 2 and caught up to season 4 by the time it was starting. I then rewatched all the seasons from season 1 until the following season, every time a season was due out. 'Game of Thrones' had me rushing home to watch it on a Monday night, and mostly because I was invested, but also because I did not want to get spoiled the following day by mouth-breathers. When we heard 'House of the Dragon' was coming, although production is very different and the storyline is set during a different time than the setting of 'Game of Thrones', this show had to hold the bar that was Game of Thrones (in which, in all honesty, dipped by season 8), and now we are patiently waiting season 3. This new show, on the other hand, is different and maybe, the "placeholder: until we are reunited with the characters in the world of Westeros and Dragons. Based on a series of novellas called 'A Tale of Dunk & Egg', 'The Hedge Knight', 'The Sworn Sword '& 'The Mystery Knight', is a story of a Knight named 'Duncan the Tall' and his squire. Set around 75 to 80 years after 'House of the Dragon' (the dance of the dragons) and around 100 years before the events of 'Game of Thrones', this will tell the story of Duncan and how he became the famous knight of the seven kingdoms. This is just a teaser, and it will be interesting to know what the story is, what is so special about Duncan the tall. I know he has been mentioned in Game of Thrones a few times, but I cannot remember what was so special about him and what he did. As this is a teaser trailer for a show next year, maybe the following trailer will give us a bit more to go with. So far, it looks interesting, comical and well, Westeros is a loved place I am sure nobody really wants to be. I must say that the Baelor Targaryen line was really funny. I just hope that if the show is being comedic, it is thorough and well written rather than jokes that do not land; besides, it will be a little different from the previous two shows.

(trailer review) - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey

 

I am actually crying! For those of you who never watched "Mutant Mayhem", please read my review. I do not go into spoilers in my reviews (or try not to if I can help it), but hopefully it will get you to watch the movie and, in turn, enjoy the movie just as much as I did. I am a grown man, and I grew up on the Turtles franchise. In the UK, they were called "Hero Turtles" rather than "Ninja Turtles", but that did not stop kids like me from wearing Turtles T-shirts, jeans and watching the Turtles cartoons. They even had games you could play, the "Teenage Mutant Hero (Ninja) Turtles" on. My first ever console was a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES for short) with a Turtles game included. The Turtles were a force in my childhood, so when Mutant Mayhem came out, I thought I'd give it a watch just to see how it was, and to my surprise, it was GREAT! It was a really good watch, fun and having actual kids voicing these characters was a nice touch, but this trailer is too funny!

This trailer short is set around the Christmas period, with the Turtles walking in the streets, unhidden from society, shopping for Christmas presents, until they come across a store with a TV in it showing the Turtles as action figures. But the depiction of the models used for the four Turtles is so funny, as none or maybe one of the Turtles has the correct name, and the rest do not. They all look dodgy and weird, with the incorrect number of fingers on some of their heads that are misshapen, and on top of that, they eat cheeseburgers, but if you know the turtles, they love Pizza. I could not stop laughing until I was crying because those action figures were too funny and their reactions were gold. I can not wait to watch this short film, whilst we await the movie. Let's just hope they bring in some other characters from Turtles lore, previously mentioned in my review, and let's expand the universe.

(trailer review) - Predator: Badlands

 

You could make an argument that the Alien and Predator franchise is going out swinging, and if this film does any good, it is making a comeback. With the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus was really good and received positive reviews. If you put Alien: Earth next to that, whilst that show seems more like a mixed bag, I am under the impression that more people liked the show than hated it. If I were to hazard a guess, people were not sure what to make of it, may have thought it was going to be Aliens running rampant on Earth and killing people, but the show centers more on the science, the exploration, the tests, the morale of people and the nature of creatures, and in this case, the many aliens in the show. It is a show that massively expands the lore and the world of Aliens without missing a beat by keeping to the theme of the Alien franchise, dark, gloomy, alien(s) and something foreign going into an orifice at some point. For this movie, an alien, a Predator, is sent to a world where he winds up being the protagonist of the film and seemingly working with an android from the Alien franchise.

What I gather from this final trailer, is that this Predator has been put on trial, something like Survival of the fittest, a trial by fire, for the accention into the higher ranks of (possibly) his clan, a right of passage, sent to this planet, "The Badlands" and he is tasked to kill this beast whilst everything else on the planet is trying to kill him. It looks like this predator also has the help of an android who will assist him, making this an unlikely alliance to pass this "test". This trailer shows some new scenes and clips, but nothing to really have you wanting to watch it if you do not already want to watch it from the first few trailers. What I will say, though, it would be interesting if the Android helps this young Predator only to bring them into Weyland Utani by helping it to kill the most vicious creatures, to only signal Weyland troops to come in and capture him for research purposes. Hopefully, this film carries on and delivers a great film just like Prey.

(episode review) - Peacemaker: Season 2 - Episode 7

The first episode of this second season, or at least when I first heard the opening intro song, I immediately thought to myself, "What is this?", upsettingly. The "Do you really wanna, do you really wanna taste it?" song was so catchy and having the cast do the dance moves through the intro just got absurd by the episode, and it was something we associated with Peacemaker. The show had heart, was crazy with a few funny lines and gags, but deep down, the show centred around a person who sees the world differently, has messed things up and has been trying to do what he can to make things right. So, hearing this new song, a completely different song for the intro, a "less catchy" one at that, did not seem as though it had the same formula or spark as the first season, especially because we have a new WB DC world since the first season. But as the episodes went on, the song became catchy as it grew on me, and just like the first season, the episodes got better and better, slowly revealing what is happening in this new world, and the twist at the end was superb and unpredictable.

Hardcourt, Adebayo and the rest of the '11th Street Kids' have gone into this other world to only realise, not only is it another world just like theirs, but the war was won by someone else (spoilers free), but Chris did not even notice the glaring major differences, so once he has these serious issues pointed out to him, Chris tries to escape with Hardcourt and the rest of the gang. Adebayo is saved by an unsuspecting ally, and they discuss what is going on, their history and how they see Chris before they decide to try and escape the world, but not before everyone is caught, and Chris witnesses another death that did not need to happen in his life, which may make him even more messed up than he already is.

(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.