Movie Review: Dark Phoenix

The first X-Men movie appeared way back in 2000. While it is far from the first comic book adaptation to hit the big screen, it seems to be the one that would kickstart the superhero saturated market we have today. Now, here we are, 19 years and 10 movies (12 if you count the Deadpool films, which I guess we probably should) in and we have reached the end of an era. Hugh Jackman has donned the prosthetic claws and coiffed his hair to play Wolverine for the last time and Disney has completed its purchase of Fox, thus making it possible to reunite the mutants with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (thus far dominated by Avengers related characters). The big question is, do you go out with a bang and do you fizzle like a dud sparkler? Sadly, in my estimation, it is the later.

Movie Review: Brightburn

When I first saw the trailer for Brightburn, I have to admit to being a little confused. On one hand, it certainly looked intriguing, but on the other hand, I could not help but be reminded of the origin of Superman. It is a story everybody knows, I feel that Superman’s origin is like the tale of Frankenstein’s Monster at this point, everyone is born knowing it. There is no need to tell and retell the story time and time again, there is nothing new you can bring to the table. It is possible to tell a story about Superman without starting with his origin. I have felt that there are lots of origin stories that can be skipped. The worthwhile origins are those like in the Unbreakable-verse, which i new and fresh (not commenting on whether you like it or not, just that it is new), or in the case of Brightburn, where an element gets turned on its ear and makes the familiar new again.

Movie Review: The Dead Don't Die (2019)

The Dead Don’t Die is a movie that came to my attention quite literally out of nowhere. I seem to recall hearing something about a movie being made locally, to me, and it turns out it was this. I do not know precisely where, but the locations seem vaguely familiar to me. I was also clued in by the majority of the audience at my screening were zombie extras in the film. In any case, the movie itself is a dry-witted, masterpiece. I absolutely loved the simplicity of everything.

Movie Review: Venom (2018)

It has been a long time since I have really followed Venom in the comics. That really goes for pretty much all comic books, these days I get my superheroes on the big screen rather than the printed page. With that said, there is likely a good portion of you out there that have now discounted anything that I have to say about a Venom movie. So be it. Even without an extensive knowledge, I still have some thoughts of this as a movie, with, perhaps, a bit of what I do know tossed in. Now, would it surprise you to know that I actually liked the movie? Granted, it could be because my expectations were on the low side, or it may be that I don’t expect greatness from every movie.

Movie Review: The Black Hole (1979)

Recently, I decided to revisit a movie I remember loving as a child. I was curious to see how it held up, if it held up, and if my opinion of it has changed in the intervening years. The movie is none other than Disney’s 1979 science fiction epic, The Black Hole. Burned into my memory since my youth are the robots, the floating VINCENT, the malevolent Maximilian, the swirling of the black hole, and, of course, that rolling, flaming meteor that threatened to eliminate our intrepid heroes as we steamed towards the climax. Now, I have seen the film a few times over the years, but I cannot recall the last time i saw it. I was also sad to discover that I did not have it in my collection (thankful for the local library).

Critical Capsule: Ready Player One

When I first saw the trailer for Ready Player One, I was immediately interested. It was my introduction to the source, as I had never heard of the novel before. I was caught up in the nostalgic references to pop culture of decades gone by. Now, having seen the movie, I enjoyed playing spot the reference, as well as the lengthy horror movie sequence and the appearance of a certain mechanical monster. On the other hand, the story felt like a lot of what I have seen before and the lead actors did not have all that much personality. I had fun enough with it, but that is due to the references to things I like a lot better. Overall, I felt this was a mediocre movie banking on nostalgic recognition rather than doing anything interesting with it.

Critical Capsule: Annihilation (2018)

Alex Garland is a name that perks my ears, he is a filmmaker who is adept at bring intelligent genre fare to the big screen. His latest is an adaptation of Annihilation, I am not familiar with the book, but after seeing the movie I am curious. The movie is mesmerizing and while I sort of get it, I cannot explain it. It is fascinating to watch this movie unfold and seemingly refuse to answer any questions. It is sort of like the tree in Empire Strikes Back, Luke is told all that is inside is what he brings. Inside the anomaly called the Shimmer there may be more than what the women bring, but the influence of what they bring has an impact. Then there is the final act, some of the freakiest stuff I’ve seen in a mainstream release. This is a movie that begs for multiple viewing to unlock its secrets.

Movie Review: Mayhem (2017)

On one hand, Mayhem is just the kind of movie that I should love. On the other hand, Mayhem is just the kind of movie that I should hate. With that said, I guess it makes some sort of sense that I am somewhere in the middle with regards to how I feel about it. There is about as much to like about it as there is to dislike. In some ways I wish this was a short film, as that is one of the problems, it feels stretched, straining to be a feature length feature film. There is nothing worse than padding, right? Stop saying these meaningless words and get to the point Just get to the action already. Get on with it. Right?

Critical Capsule: Spawn

I decided to revisit the Spawn film the other night. Just as I had suspected it is as bad as it ever was, yet I still find it as compelling as ever. The film is seriously dated and somewhere along the way in adapting it from comic to screen, it lost a good deal of the seriousness and darkness that it had. That said, the hero of Spawn is still a compelling character, a killer recruited by Satan doing his bidding on Earth while thinking, or trying, to do the right thing. I have always loved this character and this film will always evoke a love/hate response from me. For as bad as it is and how much was changed, there are still elements that I like. Michael Jai White, a victim of bad writing, has the physicality to play the role and does his best with what he has. The shining performance belongs to John Leguizamo, legitimately electrifying as the bad guy, a short, fat, white clown. I cannot recommend this movie, but it has a secial place for me.

Critical Capsule: Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle

I know a lot of people had very strong feelings about the prospect of a Jumanji remake. I was not one of them, sure I enjoyed the movie, but I cannot say I had any particular attachment to it. That said, I initially thought this new edition looked pretty bad. I was wrong. No, it is not a great movie by any stretch, but it is a lot of fun and I liked the use of the video game elements throughout. Beyond that, the cast had great chemistry and Jack Black, in particular was quite well cast and had a rather strong character arc. Likewise, I actually didn’t mind Kevin Hart here, I am not usually a fan of his. Then we have the Rock, who was great as usual. Finally what can be said about Karen Gillan? Overall, this was a fun addition to the Jumanji-verse, not sure I need anymore but this is an easy one to recommend for a little fun in the theater.

Critical Capsule: Justice League

Justice league, what else is left to be said? Probably nothing. I did enjoy the film, but I did not love. I felt that Steppenwolf was a weak villain and the plot felt like a mash of Avengers and Lord of the Rings. A lot of the comedic moments fell flat, especially when they were centered on Batman; however, Flash was pretty fantastic. I thought most of the heroes were handled well, Wonder Woman continues to shine and Cyborg was a lot better than I was expecting. I would :d[ watch this one again and feel it currently is the second best of the DCEU, behind Wonder Woman. I do feel this universe has been rushed but there is always time to save, unlike Universal’s Dark Universe debacle.

Critical Capsule: Transformers - The Last Knight

So, I was watching the latest Transformers movie and I think it has finally happened, I just don't care about these movies anymore. This outing is just another incomprehensible mess filled with pretty explosions, lame jokes, and devoid of anything resembling a soul. I had no idea what was going on, nor did I care. It was also pretty clear that Anthony Hopkins was just there for a paycheck. I will admit, it looks real slick and no one sets off an explosion like Michael Bay. I just wish there was something to home onto, some sort of emotional investment. I guess it is a plus that we don't have to listen to Shia Lebeouf whine. I actually would not mind a complete reboot of the franchise, hopefully creating the mythology first, not messing with it every time out. I will also say that it has more energy than the last Pirates of the Caribbean debacle, but that's not saying much. If another in this series comes along it will be too soon. Sadly, I will probably find myself watching that to. Avoid this mess if you can.

DVD Review: Phantasm - 5 Movie DVD Collection

The Phantasm franchise is an odd one to approach. It is one of those franchises that has a lot of fans, but still seems to fly under the radar. You don’t often hear it spoken of in the same context as other horror franchises, like the big slasher series, or even a questionable series as Leprechaun. Of course, it does seem that the longer the series go, the more steep the drop off in quality becomes. Still, there is a lot to like about the series, it is as the budgets go down, the surreal and experimental side goes up. The later entries aren’t for everybody, but if you watch them in close succession, things become much clearer. I will say that initially it doesn’t help that there is so much time in between entries.

Movie Review: The Answer

I watch a lot of movies of varying levels of quality and from a variety of genres. This is not to say I know any more about judging a film than you do. All I am trying to say is that I often come across films of unfulfilled potential. Movies that while not actually good, show some potential in their execution or in the story or in some way that indicates a filmmaker to keep an eye on. With The Answer you may have one of those filmmakers. The movie is quite unpolished and the story is not fully realized, but there is something about it that would indicate there is more there than a throwaway B-movie. Or I could be grasping at straws and this is the best it will ever be.

Movie Review: Kong - Skull Island

With the recent Hollywood produced Pacific Rim, Godzilla '14, Shin Godzilla, and now Kong: Skull Island, I have to admit to being pleased with the resurgence of giant monsters on the big screen. It all makes me that much more excited for the promised Godzilla 2 which will introduce more creatures, as well as the expected 2020 release that will pit this Kong against Godzilla. With the trailers out there for Skull Island, I admit to being pretty excited to see what they had in store for the giant ape. With a strong cast, and an incredibly large and nasty looking King, is there anyway for this movie to fail? I guess so, but I am happy to report that it does not.

Movie Review: Resident Evil - The Final Chapter

It has been almost five years since we last saw Alice fighting to never ending battle against the evil Umbrella corporation. That is a long time to wait, the longest between chapters in the series, but we all knew it was coming. There was no way they were going to let end after the giant cliffhanger that was Resident Evil: Retribution. We may have been forced to wait longer than we may have wanted, but here it is. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter has arrived in theaters, and even it does not seem to be convinced it is the last one. You know, if there is a possibility of money to be made, you can never cut off the future of a franchise.

Movie Review: Underworld - Blood Wars

Hard to believe the Underworld franchise has been chugging along for more than a decade and is looking at at least one more sequel before all is said and done. I actually used to enjoy this franchise, led by a latex-clad Kate Beckinsale. There is plenty of potential in an epic tale of a war between vampires and werewolves. I used to anticipate each new episode in the series to see just what was going to happen, even when they replaced Beckinsale with Rhona Mitra and took us into the past to see early monster altercations. Now, I look at a new Underworld movie and think “Another one?” It doesn’t help that I revisited the franchise recently and found them to be kind of dull. Stylish, but dull.

Movie Review: Psychic Killer

Here is another 70’s era exploitation feature that has come to my attention by way of a Vinegar Syndrome release. Psychic Killer is a fun, pulpy romp that is not as serious as it wants to be, nor as in depth as it could be. It is a movie that you really have to accept on its own terms. I found that the minute you begin to question it, is the same time your interest will begin to waver. It is buoyed by some decent performances, but even as I was entertained, I wonder what it could have been had it been given another rewrite or two.

Movie Review: Moonchild (1994)

There are a lot of movies out there. Even if you just consider the ones that you have heard of, that’s a lot of movies. Now, widen that scope and think about all the movies you’ve never heard of, that total number of movies is going to jump way up. I have stumbled across unheard of movies in a number of different ways, one those ways is the Video Vortex series at the Alamo Drafthouse. The series takes obscure, low/no budget, regional obscurities and rips them straight from VHS tape and throws it at the big screen. Is it pretty? Absolutely not, but it is an experience and a fun way to experience often terrible movies.

Movie Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

I have to admit to feeling a little burned out on superhero films over the past year or two. There are just so many out there that they are hard to escape. Besides that, Marvel has planned so far ahead that it seems to sap a lot of the potential drama surrounding the heroes being defeated or perhaps dying. Then there is the problem that as impressive as the Marvel cinematic universe is, it has become studio driven more than creator driven giving everything a sense of sameness. This is why I like it when characters a little out of the mainstream arrive, like Antman last year. The fact we have a Doctor Strange movie adds some knew elements to the mix, shakes things up somewhat.