Movie Review - Venom: Let There Be Carnage

I love comic books, but I've never like the Venom character in comics. When I heard he was getting his own movie a few years ago, I was not at all excited. But the trailer looked pretty cool so I went and saw it and absolutely loved it! I was excited to hear a sequel was coming, but also a little worried: would it live up to the first film's high standard, or would it be a disappointing money grab?

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a 2021 live-action action horror movie based on characters from Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

What a Sequel Should Be. Most sequels are poor remakes of the first movie with more action, more special effects, and less story. This movie was a true continuation of the first. It didn't try to bring dead or irrelevant characters from the first movie back. It did show us how the characters had grown and progressed in the time since the first movie in a way that was consistent with what had already been established. And it introduced new characters and situations that fit the world already created.

Actors. This movie could not have been better cast. Everyone fit his or her role perfectly.

Characters. The characters were so entertaining and had such enjoyable chemistry between each other. I want more.

Story. The story was so tight and logical. Someone spent sometime writing it. The pacing was perfect; the movie never dragged.

 

The Bad

Too Short. While I appreciate the movie was trimmed down to only the essential story and this prevented any lag, I still felt there was more story to tell and we were cheated of it. 

 

Overall

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a 2021 live-action action horror movie based on characters from Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language and is appropriate for teens and up. Most sequels are poor remakes of the first movie with more action, more special effects, and less story. This movie was a true continuation of the first. It didn't try to bring dead or irrelevant characters from the first movie back. It did show us how the characters had grown and progressed in the time since the first movie in a way that was consistent with what had already been established. And it introduced new characters and situations that fit the world already created. This movie could not have been better cast. Everyone fit his or her role perfectly. The characters were so entertaining and had such enjoyable chemistry between each other. I want more. The story was so tight and logical. Someone spent sometime writing it. While I appreciate the movie was trimmed down to only the essential story and this prevented any lag, I still felt there was more story to tell and we were cheated of it. The pacing was perfect; the movie never dragged. I highly recommend this film and give it 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

Movie Review - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Even though I am a huge comic book fan and have read more comics than I can count, I had never heard of the character Shang Chi before. But the trailer looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Character Interactions. This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of the movie and are the most interesting parts.

Action Scenes. There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment.

 

The Bad

Pacing. This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow.

Story. The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right place to advance the story.

Fantasy Realm. Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so much build up. 

 

Overall

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is appropriate for most ages. This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of the movie and are the most interesting parts.  There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment. This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow. The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right place to advance the story. Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so much build up. This is an entertaining film worth two hours if you happen to watch it. But there is nothing special or wonderful, so if you never see it you aren't missing out on anything. I give it 3.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

Movie Review - Dark Phoenix

I'm not an X-Men fan, and I didn't really like the first cycle of movies, but I've loved the reboot of X-Men: First Class to the X-Men: Apocalypse, so I was really excited to see how they would interpret The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Dark Phoenix is a 2019 live action science fiction superhero film based on the comic book story The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. It is rated PG-13 for language and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Theme. This movie revolves around the theme of how humans view mutants and their acceptance of them. It explores what good relations look like and how bad the relationships can get.

Cyclops. Cyclops has always been my favorite X-Men, and in this movie he finally did more than stand around and shoot a couple of beams. He actual had some action and used his powers in a real fight. It was fun to watch.

The Bad

Boring. This movie was really boring. It had a slow pace and nothing really cool or remarkable. It was very bland and mundane. The filmmakers somehow even made traveling into space very blah.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish someone else had written and directed this film. I was shocked someone could turn such an incredible comic book story into such a mediocre disappointment.

Overall

Dark Phoenix is a movie that should be great but is very boring and uninspired. The only highlights are the exploration of the theme of the relationship between humans and mutants and what it looks like at it's best contrasted by what it looks like at it's worst, and Cyclops finally using his powers like he does in the comics. I was very disappointed. It's not a bad movie, just a mediocre one. I give this film 3 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

  

Movie Review - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War was such a letdown, that I wasn't all that excited to see Endgame. But I've followed this story this far, I might as well see how it ends.

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 live action science fiction superhero film. It is rated PG-13 for language  and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Smaller/More Personal. Infinity War was this big fight scene involving dozens of characters that all had to do something. This movie focused on the core group and how they deal with events. It was much more emotional and personal and much better story.

Story. This movie had much more story than the last. Having a smaller cast helped.

Cameos / Tie-in's to Previous Films. This movie did a great job incorporating the characters and even earlier films into this one. It all felt like it was planned from the beginning and all came together.

Appropriate Resolution. I was really concerned with how the filmmakers would resolve such a sweeping story and do it justice without taking any shortcuts or doing anything contrived. Somehow they managed to honor everything that had come before and not cheapen any of it.

The Bad

No End Credit Scenes. I was really excited waiting for the mother of all end credit scenes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Captain America's Resolution. I did not like how Captain America's story resolved. It seemed untrue to the story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been a couple of amazing end credit scenes. I wish they had come up with something else for Captain America.

Overall

Avengers: Endgame is a fitting ending to a 10-year series. The move was much smaller and more personal focusing on the core characters instead of a universe of dozens engaged in an epic fight. The conflicts and struggles were more personal and emotional making for a much more dramatic and satisfying story. Cameos and tie-ins to previous films were plentiful and well handled. All of the stories and journeys from the past ten years were nicely resolved with nothing feeling cheated or betrayed. The only disappointments are the lack of end credit scenes and how they tied up Captain America's story. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 (2018 Netflix Series)

The first two seasons of Daredevil have been about as good as TV can get. And Daredevil: Born Again is one of my favorite comic book stories. So I was so excited for seasons 3.

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 is a 13-episode Netflix original series based on the comic book by Frank Miller and Dave Mazzucelli. It is rated TV-MA for language, violence, and blood and is appropriate for older teens and up.

The Good

Bullseye. I've never really liked Bullseye in the comic. He just seemed too silly and flat. But this show gave his such a great origin story and made him such an interesting character. The actor nailed the portrayal. The action scenes with him using ordinary objects as deadly weapons was so well done.

Story. Once the story got started with the fourth episode, I was hooked and by episdode eight I couldn't stop watching.

Action. The action scenes got better as the story progressed. The first half of the season was disappointing, but the second half delivered everything I was hoping for.

Sound Design. Sound was so effectively used in this show. The sound is used to illustrate Matt's abilities unlike the visual "fire" of Season 1. It was subtle but so effective. And the sound of buzzing to show Bullseye's madness illustrated that perfectly without going too far.

The Bad

Pacing. The first two episodes were sooooo slow I almost couldn't get thru them.

Depression. I understand why Matt was so down and depressed and doubting his faith, but it got old fast. That's not what's interesting about the character. That's not why I watch the show.

Visuals. The first two seasons had a really unique look. For some reason this season lost that and looked like every other show on TV. I really missed the unique look.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they had cut moping Matt to just the first episode and then get on with the story instead of waiting for episode 4. I also wish they had started out with an announcement that Kingpin had been released and then investigated to find out what happened instead of building to it.

Overall

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 started out slow, boring, and weak, but got better with each episode until I couldn't stop watching. The new villain Bullseye was so well cast and done with a great origin story and brilliantly filmed powers. The action scenes in the first half were terrible, but by the second half were were as good as in the first two seasons. I got tired of mopey hopeless Matt, but I loved seeing the old team get back together at the end. I give this show 4.5 out of 5 remotes.

     

Movie Review - Venom

I'm a big comic book fan, but I'm not a Venom fan. But for some reason when I heard about this movie, something compelled me to see it, and I'm glad I did.

Venom is a 2018 horror drama superhero movie based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for language, violence, and terror and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Story. This film had a solid story. It was very clear, very linear, and made sense.

Action. The action was really exciting and fun to watch. It was unique to Venom and his powers.

Romance/Caring. This movie contained a romantic subplot that was different than the usual romantic subplot that made it more enjoyable than I was expecting.

Terror. This film was shot as an R-rated horror flick and then released as PG-13. It has the drama and intensity of an R-rated flick as well as several scenes of terror and horror minus the gore. It was quite thrilling to watch.

Humor. This movie is by no means a comedy, but once Venom combines with Eddie, there are some funny moments that are expected but very clever and unique--they could only happen in this movie.

The Bad

Beginning. The beginning was a little slow and prosaic.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the line between good guys and bad guys hadn't been so clear and obvious. The film would have benefitted from rounding out the villains a little more.

Overall

Venom was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. It had a solid story, action unique to the characters, and humor that would only work in this movie. The filmmakers crated a rather terrifying horror flick with superhero elements that wasn't filled with gore or other disgusting and unnecessary elements. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

Movie Review - The Incredible Hulk (2008 film)

I've been an Incredible Hulk fan for as long as I can remember. I've enjoyed most of his incarnations from comic book to cartoon to film. There were a few misfires such as that Ang Lee disaster. Fortunately, Marvel decided to redo the film, and do it right.

The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 action drama horror superhero film based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Acting. This movie was so well cast and so well acted. Everyone gave such a believable and emotional performance.

Silent Film aspects. Unlike most Marvel movies which are constant dialogue, jokes, and confessions, this movie relies heavily on visuals. It feels like a quarter of this movie is a silent film where nothing is said, and yet the audience knows exactly what is happening and what the characters are feeling. It was masterfully shot.

Story. The story was solid and naturally progressed from one scene to the next never feeling forced or contrived or too convenient.

Nods to Classic TV Show. The film contained a lot of nods to the original Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno tv show from the music to the opening scene to the first transformation of the hulk, to the post transformation scene.

Visuals. The film is beautifully shot. Each frame looks like a painting. The big shots feel so big, and the smaller shots feel so intimate. The fight sequences are so clear and well choreographed, not claustrophobic confusing shaking like so many current films.

Horror Vibe. This film had a very distinct classic horror vibe like the Alan Moore run on Swamp Thing. It's not a horror movie per se, but so many troupes and techniques from classic horror were used to create suspense and a real sense of urgency and struggle.

The Bad

CGI. I'm not sure why Hollywood is afraid to cast an actual human and paint him green to play the Hulk. Lou Ferrigno's performance in the TV series still holds up solidly and is the best live action portrayal of the character ever. When it came out the cgi looked like a bad video game, and has only gotten worse with time.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they had used a real person for Hulk. Otherwise the movie was pure perfection.

Overall

The Incredible Hulk (2008 Film) may well be the best Marvel film to date. It has a solid story, great casting and acting, beautiful visuals, makes incredible use of visuals where the audience knows exactly what is going on and what the characters are feeling without the crutch of constant dialogue every other Marvel film relies on, and incorporates the best elements of the classic TV show. The only weakness with the cgi which looked like a video game (like almost all cgi does in film). This film is a classic and perfect example of how to adapt a comic book for the silver screen. I give this film 5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.