Movie Review - Superman (2025 film) by James Gunn

I love Superman, and I have my entire life. He is one of my favorite superheroes. I love his Golden Age comic book and comic strip appearances and the John Byrne Post-Crisis run. I love the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons and the Hanna Barbera SuperFriends version. I love the Old Time Radio version and the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman version. And the Christopher Reeve films are still classics.

Superman is a 2025 superhero action movie based on the character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Lois and Clark. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were perfectly cast as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane. They capture the comic book version of the characters perfectly and have great chemistry together on screen. Whenever these two are on screen together, the movie works so well and I was totally engrossed in it. And fortunately, they have a lot of screen time together.

Guy Gardner. Nathan Fillion somehow perfectly captures the misfit of the Green Lantern Corps. He looks and acts the part perfectly. If only the costume were comic book accurate I'd have nothing but praise.

The Bad

Sloppy Writing. This movie feels like a direct-to-video sequel to the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film. The story was a lot of sound and fury with little substance. Nothing had time to develop. The problems were solved too quickly and too easily. The characters were pretty shallow except for Lois & Clark. There were way too many current fads inserted into the movie (social media, politics, etc) that won't age well.

Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult is a great actor. Unfortunately, the way the character was written was not good. Luthor was too controlled by his ego and too short-sighted to be a real threat or accomplish anything very large.

Perry White. Perry White is the generic token minority in power every movie has. And as such, he is completely superfluous to this film. If his character were removed, I doubt anyone would noticed. This was a missed opportunity to create a memorable character.

Justice Gang. Other than Guy Gardner, the other superheroes were uninteresting and unnecessary. Mr. Terrific was used as a plot device to solve impossible problems quickly and easily. Sloppy writing.

Action and Special Effects. The action and special effects were the generic video game action and special effects you see in every movie from the past 20 years. Poor cinematography, uninteresting choreography, and nothing memorable or special. I found the scenes to be kind of boring. This is Superman--the special effects and action should be mind blowing making me go "Wow!" every five minutes. But instead it looks like just another action movie.

Overall

Superman (2025 film) feels like a direct-to-video sequel to the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film. The story was a lot of sound and fury with little substance. Nothing had time to develop. The problems were solved too quickly and too easily. The characters were pretty shallow except for Lois & Clark. There were way too many current fads inserted into the movie (social media, politics, etc) that won't age well. 

David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were perfectly cast as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane. They capture the comic book version of the characters perfectly and have great chemistry together on screen. Whenever these two are on screen together, the movie works so well and I was totally engrossed in it. And fortunately, they have a lot of screen time together.

The action and special effects were the generic video game action and special effects you see in every movie from the past 20 years. Poor cinematography, uninteresting choreography, and nothing memorable or special. I found the scenes to be kind of boring. This is Superman--the special effects and action should be mind blowing making me go "Wow!" every five minutes. But instead it looks like just another action movie.

This movie is entertaining to watch, but won't be a classic. I give it 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

Movie Review - The Flash (2023 film)

I was really excited for a live-action Justice League movie on the big screen. I'd been hoping for one since I saw Superman II with Christopher Reeves in theaters. What we got a few years ago was hugely disappointing. So I almost didn't go see The Flash, but I'm glad I did.

The Flash is a 2023 science fiction, superhero, action movie. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for tweens and up.

Analysis

Story. The film is based on the Flashpoint mini-series in the comics, but takes it to a very different place. The filmmakers do a great job developing the Flash's character and setting up the stakes so the ending and choices people make feel impactful.

Action. There is a lot of great and fun action. The first 10 minutes of the film is the Justice League saving the city. THIS is the Justice League movie I've been wanting to see. And while the final battle was over the top, there were a lot of cool moments that looked like they were plucked straight out of a comic book.

Fan Service. This film is filled with gratuitous fan service from Michael Keaton returning as Batman to 3D cameos from George Reeves Superman and Christoper Reeves Superman to many, many more. It was fun to see them again on the big screen even though none of them were necessary.

Pacing. Unlike Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, Super Mario Bros., and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, (three huge disappointments) I never got bored or looked at my watch once. I was completely engaged from start to finish.

Overall

After waiting decades to see the Justice League on the big screen, the Justice League movie we got a few years ago was hugely disappointing. So I almost didn't go see The Flash, but I'm glad I did. Unlike Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, Super Mario Bros., and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, (three huge disappointments) I never got bored or looked at my watch once. I was completely engaged from start to finish. The film is based on the Flashpoint mini-series in the comics, but takes it to a very different place. The filmmakers do a great job developing the Flash's character and setting up the stakes so the ending and choices people make feel impactful. There is a lot of great and fun action. The first 10 minutes of the film is the Justice League saving the city. THIS is the Justice League movie I've been wanting to see. And while the final battle was over the top, there were a lot of cool moments that looked like they were plucked straight out of a comic book. This film is filled with gratuitous fan service from Michael Keaton returning as Batman to 3D cameos from George Reeves Superman and Christoper Reeves Superman to many, many more. It was fun to see them again on the big screen even though none of them were necessary. I highly recommend this movie and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. 

   

Animation Review: Max Fleischer's Superman 1941-1943 Blu-ray

I've been a huge fan of Max Fleischer's Superman cartoons since I received a VHS tape for Christmas filled with 10 different shorts taken from less-than-pristine copies. I find myself rebuying them whenever a great new format comes out.

When I first heard about Warner Bros. creating new scans from the original film stock, I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see them remastered in all their glory, and I wasn't disappointed.

The Good

Picture. All of the shorts are here. They couldn't look better. The picture is so clean, crisp, and bright. The colors are amazing. Several people have complained about the DNR (digital noise reduction). Some of the raw footage appears in the new documentary that is included. I personally found the grain annoying and am glad they removed it. The grain was never meant to be part of the picture and is a result of technology and process.

Audio. These have never sounded better. Even in the best copy I've ever heard had weird audio glitches that made it hard to make out some of the dialogue. All of those problems have been fixed.

Content. This is some of the best animation to have ever been produced. It's so sad the Fleischer Studio didn't last past the first half of these shorts. One can only imagine what they would have created in the next decade with the talent, creativity, and innovation the studio was famous for.

The Bad

Missing Audio. Two of the shorts each have a couple of seconds of audio missing. It doesn't ruin the shorts, but it is sad these are 100% complete where such care was taken to present such an amazing picture and sound.

Warnings. A few of the shorts have unnecessary warnings which is obnoxious.

The Meh

Documentaries. There are three documentaries included, but none of them are very good. It's professionals in the field and want-to-be experts talking about their impressions. No one involved in the production of these was interviewed. None of the restoration process was shown. That's what would be interesting.

Overall

Overall, this is a beautiful Blu-ray edition. I never imagined these cartoons could look so amazing. I'll be watching these over and over again.

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.

    

Animation Review - DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! (2021 Animated Short)

I wasn't a fan of Jack Kirby until he came to DC Comics and launched his Fourth World saga lead by his brilliant work on Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen. And I enjoyed the other creations that followed including Kamandi and OMAC: One Man Army Corps. Both would make excellent cartoons as shown by the Kamandi shorts from Batman: The Brave and The Bold series on Cartoon Network.

DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! is a 2021 16-minute animated short included with Justice Society: World War II on Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Streaming. It is unrated for action violence and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Art Direction. The backgrounds came straight out of the Jack Kirby comic books, which was pretty cool. The character designs were very nice, but I would have preferred the versions from Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Those better captured the energy of Jack Kirby's artwork.

Story. This was adapted from one of my least favorite issues of Kamandi, but I really enjoyed it. The story works better in animation, and the filmmakers were able to squeeze in the major characters, the origin, and cameos to service the fans.

The Bad

....

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

A whole series!

Overall

DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth! is a 2021 16-minute animated short included with Justice Society: World War II on Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Streaming. The backgrounds came straight out of the Jack Kirby comic books, which was pretty cool. The character designs were very nice, but I would have preferred the versions from Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Those better captured the energy of Jack Kirby's artwork. This was adapted from one of my least favorite issues of Kamandi, but I really enjoyed it. The story works better in animation, and the filmmakers were able to squeeze in the major characters, the origin, and cameos to service the fans. I highly recommend this short and give it 4.5 out of 5 Reels of Film.

 

 

Book Review - Super Powereds: Year 2 by Drew Hayes

I loved the first book in the series and was really excited to read the second. But I was also worried. Would it be as good? Would it capture the magic of the first while adding something new? Would the story take a disappointing turn?

Super Powereds: Year 2 by Drew Hayes is a science fiction teen angst school drama. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters all retained what I loved about them in the first book, but each moved forward and developed both as individuals and as a group. I also enjoyed how the powers were further explored and more ways to use their abilities discovered.

Continuation. This book continued the story from the first book but added new elements, new plot twists, new developments that were all consistent with the world created and rules set in the first book. Yet there were enough new situations and growth that this felt like its own book and not just a repeat of the first.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Super Powereds: Year 2 by Drew Hayes is a science fiction teen angst school drama. The characters all retained what I loved about them in the first book, but each moved forward and developed both as individuals and as a group. I also enjoyed how the powers were further explored and more ways to use their abilities discovered. This book continued the story from the first book but added new elements, new plot twists, new developments that were all consistent with the world created and rules set in the first book. Yet there were enough new situations and growth that this felt like its own book and not just a repeat of the first. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Movie Review - Zack Snyder's Justice League

 I'm a huge DC Comics fan, and I loved most of their movies until The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, and the other grim and gritty trying to beat Marvel films. I was so excited for a Justice League movie and so disappointed by what we got. I, like many others, wondered if the original cut of the film might have been better.

Zack Snyder's Justice League is a 2021 live-action superhero film based on characters appearing in DC Comics. It is rated R for language and fantasy violence and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Story. This movie had a story. The story made sense. The story logically progressed from one scene to the next. That was all absent in the theatrical cut.

Fan Service. This film included a lot of characters and a lot of fan service, but it did it in a way that made sense and added to the story (for the most part).

The Bad

Music and Soundtrack. The music and soundtrack was one area this film fell short. It wasn't memorable. It didn't add to the emotion of the film. In places it was just plain boring or made no sense.

Lack of Great Fight Scenes. This film does have several fight scenes, but none of them were really great or memorable. They were short, looked like quickly rendered video games, and lacked choreography.

Not the Justice League We Wanted. While this is a really good film, it's not the Justice League film any fan really wanted. It didn't look or feel like the Justice League fans have grown to love in the comics and cartoons.

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish the film would have been more true to the comics and cartoons.

 

Overall

Zack Snyder's Justice League is a 2021 live-action superhero film based on characters appearing in DC Comics. Unlike the theatrical version, this movie had a story. The story made sense. The story logically progressed from one scene to the next. This film included a lot of characters and a lot of fan service, but it did it in a way that made sense and added to the story (for the most part). The music and soundtrack was one area this film fell short. It wasn't memorable. It didn't add to the emotion of the film. In places it was just plain boring or made no sense. This film does have several fight scenes, but none of them were really great or memorable. They were short, looked like quickly rendered video games, and lacked choreography. While this is a really good film, it's not the Justice League film any fan really wanted. It didn't look or feel like the Justice League fans have grown to love in the comics and cartoons. I recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

Blu Ray / DVD Review - Batman: Death in the Family

I really enjoyed Batman: Under The Red Hood and wished they had spent more time on the Death in the Family part of the film. Well Christmas came early this year because that happened.

Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 animated superhero film. It is rated R for violence and gore and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Concept. The concept is pretty clever. This is a choose-your-own-adventure style story where the story branches off and you can choose what happens. What I like about this is it really explores several of the what ifs which is really fun and opens up new story possibilities.

Stories. The storytelling was really strong and really engaging. This story went in a lot of different directions, many of them ending very differently.

The Bad

Corner Cutting. My biggest complaint is the filmmakers didn't go far enough. A lot of the footage was recycled from Batman: Under the Red Hood with the new footage at a much lower quality. Much of it was still frames or very limited animation with voice-over narration. While this wasn't necessarily bad and still provided a lot of entertainment, it was a sign of the whole approach to this. Many of the stories ended too soon not fully exploring the possibilities, and a few went in directions that were too similar instead of exploring a wider set of possibilities.

Additional Shorts. I like the characters they chose for the additional shorts, I just wish the filmmakers had chosen better stories to tell that weren't so dark and generic. I wish the stories better reflected the nature of the characters and what make them unique.

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish Warner Bros had put more money and resources into this project to fully realize it, because what they did do was really well done.

Overall

Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 animated superhero film. The concept is pretty clever. This is a choose-your-own-adventure style story where the story branches off and you can choose what happens. What I like about this is it really explores several of the what ifs which is really fun and opens up new story possibilities. My biggest complaint is the filmmakers didn't go far enough. A lot of the footage was recycled from Batman: Under the Red Hood with the new footage at a much lower quality. Much of it was still frames or very limited animation with voice-over narration. While this wasn't necessarily bad and still provided a lot of entertainment, it was a sign of the whole approach to this. Many of the stories ended too soon not fully exploring the possibilities, and a few went in directions that were too similar instead of exploring a wider set of possibilities. I wish Warner Bros had put more money and resources into this project to fully realize it, because what they did do was really well done.  I give this film 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

 

Movie Review - Wonder Woman 1984

I've loved Wonder Woman for as long as I can remember. She is my favorite superhero. I loved the Lynda Carter TV series and never understood why Wonder Woman never had a theatrical film or animated series. Then Gal Gadot came onto the scene and started in an amazing movie and I thought, "Finally! Wonder Woman is getting the treatment she deserves. I can't wait for the next movie." Oh, how dreams can be so quickly dashed.

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 live-action action superhero film. It is rated PG-13 for violence and intensity and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Gal Godat. GalGodat is excellent in this film. She perfectly embodies Wonder Woman just as well as Lynda Carter. She is flawless in this.

80s Nostalgia. This film feels like the Lynda Carter series was brought back as an 80s TV movie of the week. I really enjoyed that.

Concept. The concept is similar to that of the short story The Monkey's Paw. Characters in the film find a magic wishing stone, and it grants wishes but at the price of taking what you value most. This is pretty original for a film and offers so many great directions to go. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't do that.

The Bad

Story. While the concept was great, the story was really weak. The director did not choose to explore any really clever or interesting story possibilities but decided to go with the obvious and tired nuclear war, Armageddon, blah, blah, blah.

Execution. This movie was not well filmed, the dialogue was stilted and forced, the acting was over the top, the message wasn't clear but was still shoved down the audiences throat in a very heavy-handed manner. The action scenes were slow motion on wires that defied the laws of physics so none of them looked cool or were engaging.

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish someone else had written the story and screen play. Patty Jenkins can direct, but she can't come up with interesting stories.

Overall

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 live-action action superhero film. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen all the best parts, all the actions scenes, and almost all of the jokes. GalGodat is excellent in this film. She perfectly embodies Wonder Woman just as well as Lynda Carter. She is flawless in this. This film feels like the Lynda Carter series was brought back as an 80s TV movie of the week. The concept is similar to that of the short story The Monkey's Paw. Characters in the film find a magic wishing stone, and it grants wishes but at the price of taking what you value most. This is pretty original for a film and offers so many great directions to go. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't do that. I really enjoyed that. While the concept was great, the story was really weak. The director did not choose to explore any really clever or interesting story possibilities but decided to go with the obvious and tired nuclear war, Armageddon, blah, blah, blah. This movie was not well filmed, the dialogue was stilted and forced, the acting was over the top, the message wasn't clear but was still shoved down the audiences throat in a very heavy-handed manner. The action scenes were slow motion on wires that defied the laws of physics so none of them looked cool or were engaging. I wish someone else had written the story and screen play. Patty Jenkins can direct, but she can't come up with interesting stories. I give this film 3 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.