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.

    

Book Review - Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka

I've been a huge Tezuka-sensei fan since I first picked up his science fiction trilogy (The Lost World, Metropolis, Next Word) and Astro Boy. He never ceases to amaze and impress with his wide range of genres and incredible amount of output.

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of comics book stories. It is available in paperback.

The Good

Miraculous Conception. This story felt like a classic science fiction story from the mid-20th Century. A human and a robot are isolated in space, get married, and miraculously have a child. The story examines the fallout of such an event. It wasn't a great story but was interesting.

A Clockwork Apple. This story was really enjoyable and had a lot of meat. It reminded me of the classic Tunnel at the End of the World. It is about a world that isn't what it seems to be and what happens to an individual who figures that out. The story took a unique spin on a familiar tale, and the execution was well done.

Night on the Bypass. This story involves a conversation between a cab driver and his passenger and the secrets they each have. Short, but really intriguing.

Sack. This was an interesting story about split personalities and medical conditions that can change a persons identity. Not a lot to the story, but an interesting concept.

The Bad

The Execution Ended at Three O'Clock. This was the fist story, but not a great start. It's a generic Nazi-like army killing Jew-like innocents. The only unique point was the secret formula and how it backfired on the main character, which was mildly interesting.

Yellow Dust. This story was very dark about a hostage situation that went very wrong.

Showtime with the Devil. This story is about political intrigue, assassination, and betrayal. It was pretty standard fare. Not a bad story, but not a particularly standout one either.

Homecoming. This is a revenge story about an STD from space. More bitter than clever.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

It's an anthology with more good than bad, so I can't complain.

Overall

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of dark short stories covering horror, war, crime, science fiction, and just plain weird. All the stories are well done (like most things Tekuza-sensei does) with some being more clever than others. There were some interesting twists on familiar stories that were enjoyable, but there were some that were pretty standard fare. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - The Safe Man by Michael Connelly

I love ghost stories, and I love Michael Connelly stories, so would I love the combination of the two?

The Safe Man by Michael Connelly is a ghost story mystery NOT in the Harry Bosch series. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Setting. This story concerns a man whose profession is opening safes (legally) and a job that goes unexpectedly. I've experienced very few stories about legal safe openers, so this was really interesting.

Concept. This story has ghosts, time travel, and uses them in a way that hasn't been overdone. It wasn't a huge surprise at the end, but it didn't feel old either.

The Bad

Hmmm.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Hmmmm.

Overall

The Safe Man by Michael Connelly is a great story about an average man going about his job while expecting his first child. The supernatural elements were very subtle and not immediately obvious. The story is entertaining, the supernatural elements are fun, and the ending is very satisfying. I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.