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.

Revisiting a Murder: The Crow: Wicked Prayer

By the time The Crow: Wicked Prayer arrived in 2005, the franchise was already on life support. The movie had a brief one-week theatrical premiere before being unceremoniously dumped to the video market. To be fair, the movie really isn’t that good, it looks bad even next to the prior outing, the also direct to video The Crow: Salvation. With that said, as I revisit the film now, I still see it as a bad movie, but there are things that I have come to like about it. It is like there are good elements in spite of its efforts to be a bad movie. Overall, the feel is not unlike that of the latter Hellraiser sequels, made as a reason to hang on to the license.

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: 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.

Movie Review: The Skid Kid

I must admit, I have not seen many movies originating from Union, Missouri. To take that a step further, before the other night, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie originating from there. Now, I can say that I have. That movie is none other than The Skid Kid, a bizarre, super low budget superhero movie that really doesn’t make any sense and really isn’t all that good. The best I can say about it is that writer/director/producer Glen Gruner wanted to make a movie and he went and did it. Forget about how good or bad it is, he went and made a movie.

Movie Review: Batman v Superman - Dawn of Justice

I sit here contemplating if I should bother writing about this movie. There is both good and bad to the movie, but no real effect to be done by my words. Besides, I have seen what it has turned my Facebook feed into. It is at a level of disharmony that I thought was reserved for political discussion, which I generally try to avoid (generally). On top of that, there has already been so much written about the film that anything I saw would disappear into the echo chamber (pretty much like everything else I write). Not to mention the cyclical, few times a year, backlash against critics, including a crazy claim of writers being paid off for bad reviews. Ridiculous.

Movie Review: Deadpool (2016)

So, Deadpool came, saw, and conquered the box office. Seriously, who thought it would open as big as it did? If you say you knew, I bet you are lying. No one could have seen this coming. A cultish comic book character with mature leanings in a hard R-rated movie in the middle of February, there is no way it is going to connect with a widespread audience. Now, I am not trying to talk down about the movie or its audience, it is just an unlikely choice for a huge opening. Perhaps as unlikely as a NWA biopic. Oh, wait. That turned out pretty well, perhaps movies like this are a sign of an impending shift. I would not be against this.

Movie Review: Fantastic Four (2015)

Well, the opening weekend of the Fantastic Four debacle is now in the rear view mirror. After a little (very little) reflection, I decided I should probably put down a few words before the screening gets too far into the past. Now, I did not like the movie, but I also do not completely hate it. That is to say it is not the worst movie I have seen this year (The Upper Footage), nor is it the worst I have seen theatrically this year (The Gallows). It strikes me as a movie that suffers from studio interference and seriously troubled production. Honestly, when I first saw the teaser I felt some hope. Oh well.

Movie Review: Ant-Man

Tell me, and be honest, are you getting a little sick of superhero movies? I feel like I am on the cusp of falling into the abyss of writing them off. I do not think I will ever actually go over, but there is always that possibility. I feel like they (Marvel, mostly) map out their universe too far in advance and while the movies may entertain, they are starting to hit a level of diminishing returns for me. The map sucks some of the drama and danger many of the characters are in. Sure, we may know the hero isn't going to die, but knowing the actors are under contract for X more movies sort of hurts it. Enter Ant-Man.

Trailer Alert: Fantastic Four (2015)

So, the trailer for the Fantastic Four reboot has arrived and it looks like the title is going to be Fant4stic. Well, at least for the trailer, hopefully it will be written in a more traditional fashion when the movie comes out. Not unlike the recent Taken sequel, the trailer proclaimed it Tak3n, while the movie itself was officially Taken 3. I know, I am spending too much time on this, I just don't care much for the number/letter mix. The only one I think I can stomach is Se7en. Anyway, the trailer is here and now the speculations can begin in earnest.

Casting News: Ryan Reynolds returns to Deadpool

So, that Deadpool movie is going to star Ryan Reynolds after all. I cannot say I am disappointed by this. In fact, I like the casting. I just hope they ditch the history made with the character's appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That was just a travesty. I mean, for a character know for a very distinctive costume and his chattiness, they cast the right guy, but then they sew his mouth shut and never use that great costume. I can only hope they learned from that debacle.

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

For those of you who write reviews, whether professionally or just as a hobby, do you ever watch a movie, like it, want to write about it, but just can't? It happens to me from time to time. Sometimes I just give up and not write, other times I power through it and wind up with some really bad finished product (not that it is ever any good). The latest movie to strike me down with this is Big Hero 6. The first feature animated collaboration between Disney and Marvel is a wonderful success. No, it is not exactly groundbreaking, but it sure is a lot of fun. It's sense of adventure, comic timing, and general fun makes this trip to theater very worthwhile.

NEWS: Benedict Cumberbatch Cast as Dr. Strange!

So, the big news in the comic book world today was the casting of Dr. Strange. It is a character that has had much said about in recent months as it seems different stars were being considered daily. Among the names I recall reading about were Johnny Depp, Joaquin Phoenix, David Tennant, Keanu Reeves, and I believe I recall Tom Hardy at some point. Well, the decision has been made and it is Benedict Cumberbatch. You know what? I am all right with this choice. This news comes courtesy of Deadline.

Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

It is rare, at least in my experience, to see a franchise really begin to catch its stride this far in to its run. It is especially rare when you consider that said franchise did not start out all that bad, in my estimation. In fact, I thought they did a really good job with the first couple of films. 2000's X-Men and 2003's X2 were both pretty strong adaptations. Definitely not exactly like the books, but they did a good job of keeping true to the source while adjusting to the movie format. Then there was a steep stumble with X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Outcast Mini: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I do not feel all that inspired to review The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but I will say that I enjoyed the film. It is probably the first to really get Spidey's banter. I liked the various plots and how they were fitting together. I liked the Green Goblin. However, the movie was not edited all that well, it felt rather choppy as it jumped to the various threads. Still, I walked out entertained and happy for what I saw. I think Andrew Garfield is a good Parker/Spidey and I like how his parents fit into everything. This entry may not be the best, but it certainly entertains. 3/5

Movie Review: Kick Ass 2

Kick Ass arrived in theaters back in 2010 and brought with it a subversive blast of vulgarity and bloody action. It was a movie that acted as a deconstruction of the superhero movie, offering a different perspective on the idea of a regular person putting on a costume and playing the role of vigilante. We were faced with watching what was essentially anarchy, eagerly cheering on children whose childhood had been taken from them. It was an interesting movie that touched on some worthy topics. Now, the sequel has arrived and has taken the interesting bits of the first and turned it into generic slop.

Movie Review: The Wolverine

There was a time when the prospect of a Wolverine movie really excited me, but after three X-Men movies with Wolverine as a central character and the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie, well, let's say that our wild man was close to overstaying his welcome. I had a suspicion we may have seen the last of the clawed anti-hero. Then word came down that Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, The Fountain) was coming on to helm the follow up. That got my attention and hope for a strong film returned, and then dashed when he dropped off the project.

Movie Review: Man of Steel

Well, it's been a few weeks since Man of Steel was unleashed upon theater screens. It took me a little while, longer than I normally like, but I have seen the movie. After seeing it I had some distinct feelings about it, not all positive, that left me wondering of I really wanted to right about it. You see, it is the sort of movie that has already been covered to death, analyzed to pieces, and praised/criticized to both ends of the spectrum. Do I really want to just be another voice shouting into the void? Not really, but hear I am.

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

Iron Man Three (or 3, advertising shows the number, but the movie has it written out) has arrived amid much fanfare. There is no denying that there was a lot of anticipation, factoring both the popularity of the character (or Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal) and the fact that it is the first Marvel movie since the runaway hit that The Avengers was last war. The biggest question is, well after how good the movie is, is how does it stack up to The Avengers and Iron Man 2? The answer is fairly simple, it is definitely a step up for, two, but doesn't have the big spectacle of The Avengers.

Critical Capsule: Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, Pain and Gain, Oblivion, Disconnect, Trance, 42

I just realized that there have been a few recent releases that I have not weighed on on here on the site. As much as I would like to review everything that I watch, regardless of where I see it, that just isn't going to happen. I am not going to say I will never do proper reviews on these films, but I thought before they get too far back in the rearview mirror, I would chime I with a little blurb on each, if you will.