Shazam: Fury of the Gods

In all my anger directed Secret Invasion, I forgot to mention that I finally got around to watching this movie on HBO Max. This was my first reaction after finishing this movie. I'm going to hate that the fun type of movies like this coming from DC will probably go away under James Gunn. I think this is a character and franchise that should continue on in the new DC Cinematic Universe.

Truth be told, I actually enjoyed this movie. I feel bad for the actor that played Billy Batson, because this movie was almost exclusively featuring Shazam. Don't get me wrong, Zachary Levi is fantastic and I'm glad he got to shine in this movie. We also get a heavy weight like Helen Mirren being in this movie. She instantly elevates anything she is in. They used her sparingly, so that when she shows up, there is an impact.

If there is one small gripe I had with this movie, is that it leaned into the trope of incompetent super heroes doing their best. Then getting super competent in the end. I don't like that hero's arc because you KNOW they will win in the end. So while played for comedic effect, I didn't like some of those pieces in this movie.

Going back to what I liked, m
aybe the family aspect really hit home for me with me having a young family now. I liked how everyone interacted with each other. I thought the special effects were also pretty good. I also love that it seems that Wonder Woman has been making the rounds in her cameos. I hate that we're not going to see Gal Gadot doing that anymore. James Gunn, you could have brought her over for your new universe. I don't want to see a cutesy cameo in a few years when you do more multi-verse nonsense

I know this is one of my shorter reviews and I will TRY to do more like this in the future. All in all, I would recommend watching this. It's fun.

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Zack Snyder's Justice League

The moment has come that some had clamored for. The moment I never wanted to see happen. Let me start by saying this. I don't like that this exists because it validates all the toxic fan boys, angry over how Justice League turned out, who cried out for the Snyder's original vision of his movie. I hate that public pressure made this happen. If only people like this would use their power for good. How about more representation? How about better story telling? No, give me that thing that I don't have because I'm going to bully you for it. I love comics, but the community surrounding them can be very toxic and I hate that. I feel like this movie is the manifestation of that. Clearly I have a lot of feelings before even coming into this movie. I will try to be as objective as possible, but remember, these are my opinions and I will feel what I feel. To prep me, I took the crazy step of re-watching the theatrical release of this movie first, so I can have something to compare...

The Inevitable Best and Worst List of 2024 - Part II

Let's carry on with Part II of my year in review. Now we get on to favorite writers, mini-series, events and favorite series and whatevers. Favorite Writer of 2024 Bryan Hill (Blade, Blade: Red Band, Ultimate Black Panther) - I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's because I didn't expect to enjoy these Blade series as much as I did and that is a tribute to the writing. Truthfully, what do we REALLY know about Blade outside of his movies. He's a blank canvas for anyone to write on and I'm glad he's getting a little more love this year. Yes, he was also involved in that Bloodhunt Event you'll hear me mention below, but Bryan Hill wasn't writing that. The most important piece of work this year though, is his Ultimate Black Panther run. I railed in the past about who I think I should write the character, but with this book he has changed my mind. With the Ultimate Universe, it allows him to be free and not be constrained by 40 years of continuity....

Batman Returns - Retro Review

*Editors note: I wrote this over a year ago and didn't get around to posting it. I'm not editing any of my past tense because what fun would that be. Imagine I posted this in 2024. ** A year or two ago, I tried to convince my wife (and myself), that Batman Returns was a Christmas movie. I insisted we watch it, holding this movie in high regard from my childhood. We never finished it then, but a few weeks ago, we did. Let me tell you, your childhood can lie to you. Nostalgia is a potent drug. It makes you forget things. Halfway through the movie, all I could think is, "This movie is so damn stupid." Or "I think I hate this movie." I forgot that maybe a decade ago, I did this same exercise, fooling myself into thinking this was a worthy successor to Batman. It isn't. It's not close. I'm going to get into my reasoning for this. If I were to describe this movie with one word, it'd be bizzare. After the success of the first movie, it's like Wa...

Into the Longbox

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