| Author | Message | ||
     Aesquire |
https://www.jewishworldreview.com/1221/steyn120621 .php I was a big fan of both Matt Helm and Derek Flint. I'd read all the Bond novels before puberty, and revisiting them was a retrospective eye opener. ( oh! That's what that meant! Snicker ) I owe my spy novel experience to my Father, who bought every Ian Flemming book, and Donald Hamilton's. ( Helm series ) If you missed the Matt Helm movies, by all means watch them! Rude, sexist, parody of the Bond films. Dean Martin was perfect! They're even funnier if you read the Very Different novels. Film's Helm was an over the top parody of Bond. Drinking, womanizing, snarky, crazy villains, Austin Powers owes everything to Helm. But the novels! Even my 12 year old cynical self could figure out that announcing your real name in the Casino in front of the Bad Guy wasn't how Real Spies operated. The author of the Helm series knew that too. The Novel Helm, was an ex-OSS officer who assassinated German officers in WW2. Dragged out of retirement by old sins. The tradecraft ( real spy stuff ) was realistic, the guns and knives real, and the technical details, correct. ( Hamilton loathed ignorant errors like safeties on S&W revolvers, he thought a writer should learn how guns work if his character used them ) But it was a parody. A smart one. Helm in the books slept with the beautiful foreign femme fatale, just like Bond. But Helm knew he was being played, and went along to get information or closer to the villain. ( in every book! Sometimes twice! ) Helm's real tradecraft mocked Bond's horribly bad ( movie ) habits. Helm, like the novel's Bond, was a dangerously competent man. And ruthless when needed. Helm wouldn't have existed without Bond. And even more than the movie adaptations of Bond, the Helm movies were self aware parodies of themselves. Good stuff from a Golden Age. And if intelligent spy fiction is your thing, read the Quiller series by Adam Hall. ( Elleston Trevor ) | ||
| Aesquire |
I freely admit some of my ire towards the Pearl Harbor flick comes from Team America, World Police, and the love song.  "I need you like Ben Affleck needs acting school, and That's quite a lot." ... "Pearl Harbor sucks, and I need you."  Ben's actually pretty talented. I thought he did a great job as Batman and the change from a Batman that was torn apart inside if he killed a mass murderer, to a homicidal one that machine gunned faceless minions without a second's thought was not his fault. I haven't seen the Director's cut of Justice League, but Justice League, theatrical, seemed to try and reform the Batman vs. Superman broken hero, and it might actually be a decent character arc. I blame the Studio hacks for messing the DC films up. Specifically, in B v S we get about 2 seconds of Batman staring at a trashed Robin costume. There's a Lot of unsaid history skipped over that explains why a guy who used to brood over crossing the line as a vigilante became a ruthless killer, and retreated from the edge with one reference to his murdered mother. ( to screams from the Fans of "Lame!!!" ) The previous Batman trilogy was loosely based on a graphic novel set in a dark future. But The Dark Knight novel ( freaking brilliant ) was too weird for the studio, and I don't think they were completely wrong in believing that a straight adaptation would be too strange for a wider audience that weren't hardcore fans. The choices made to sell tickets to not-nerds can be difficult. The Long time fan will see those glimpses of background, and fill in the gaps from the literature the neophyte hasn't read. ( The Joker killed Robin after Batman spared his life, so turned the "I won't kill you because that would make me a monster like you" vigilante , into the "kill them because the system failed us & would just send them forth to murder again." lunatic Alfred was saddened to see. .. etc. ) And yeah. That story arc, poorly written, is very relevant, today, in real life. The same problems exist for the Star Wars franchise. True Fans who read every book and love the centuries long back story, ( which George Lucas had nothing to do with, and has been multiply retconned by the Property Owners ) got a lot more out of the Third Trilogy than I did. A lot of people were confused about who the Bad Guys were and the Studio didn't want to waste time and million$ to fill the gaps. Also changes in Directors & Vision mid series... As to Star Trek... The Chris Pine movies are Alternate Universe Trek. You love or hate them. I haven't seen the CBS stuff, so you're on your own there. | ||
| Aesquire |
Matrix Resurection... Saw last night and am still processing. Not the philosophical questions raised by the Original, what is real, what illusion. Trying to figure out how I liked it. Parts were well done. The bullet time effects and impossible fight scenes. The acting, quite good, and I don't think the pop culture references were bad, they might actually be relevant years from now. I enjoyed the irony and cynicism. They didn't go Woke in the way several recent films were ruined by the studios! I definitely liked it better than Matrix 3! There is a stinger scene after the credits! | ||
| 86129squids |
... dammit! I watched it last nite, had a feeling I should watch all the way to the way end, but, ZZZZzzz. I'll get around to it. I liked it, but also still processing. I liked the romanticism. Especially the "recycling" of earlier entities. The mecha-anthropomorphism was a bit much, but, OK I guess. Useful to the storyline. Doogie Howser was a damn surprise!!! And... back on 2 wheels, yep, 100% bueno. CERTAINLY better than 3. I kinda grew to hate that one. Marovingian chewed scenery better than evar, but I missed the weirdo blonde killer twins he had... unless I just missed them. I'll watch again, as I have Dune already. I wish someone would make a real go of a Clockwork Orange remake. Probably impossible. No, what I'd REALLY LOVE to see is a serious attempt at David Brin's "The Uplift War" series. YEAH. Sheri Tepper's novels would make great movies as well. I got to a point where I sought out female sci-fi authors. This one in particular would make a fantastic movie, I've read it twice or more. "Primary Inversion". Patrick, getcha some!!! From Booklist In an unusually masterful first novel, physicist Asaro combines hard speculative science and first-rate storytelling to look at the galaxy's distant future. Earth's peaceful Alliance shares power with two other empires, those of the Skolians and the Traders, who are mortal enemies of each other. Heir apparent to oversee the Skolian empire, Sauscony Valdoria is a bioengineered fighter pilot who has inherited rare psychic abilities that link her to the powerful "psiberspace" Skolian Web. Taking shore leave on a neutral planet, Sauscony encounters Jaibriol, an heir to the throne of the sadistic Trader Empire. During a fortuitous melding of minds, Sauscony not only recognizes Jaibriol as her psychic soul mate but realizes her new love has been bred specifically to give Traders the power to vanquish the Skolian empire. Asaro innovatively blends computer technology and telepathy into the electrifying, action-rich drama she creates. This is one of the best sf first novels in years, a likely candidate for the genre's major awards. Carl Hays Review Debut novel. "...thoughtful, engaging characters and an intriguing vision of the future... -- Publisher's Weekly | ||
| Aesquire |
Oooh! Off to the book sellers! Thanks. Now that Christmas is over, I feel free to indulge. ( no spoilers! ) The Merovingian scenery chewing was great! David Brin's stuff would be great for a movie, but I'm afraid what Hollywood would do to it. Too smart for them. If Peter Jackson did it? Awesome. | ||
| Aesquire |
https://julietteo.substack.com/p/observations-on-s tar-treks-new-and?s=r I haven't seen any of the CBS Trek stuff. It was behind a paywall, and I'm a cheapskate. I figured if it was awesome, friends would tell me & I'd see it. No one told me anything. So I assume it's typical mediocre tv. I also quit watching Dr. Who. Not because of a female Doctor. But after the first episode of that season, the Beeb put it behind a paywall, and... Cheapskate. And I very liked Who. I especially love the 2000s reboot/continuation. A series of great actors for both The Doctor and Companions. Maisie Williams as a recurring character was great, and the ending of the episode that introduced her is nothing short of brilliant cinema. ( on a low budget British tv show! Where they STILL use the same quarry in Wales as the original show & Blakes Seven. And HIGH PRAISE! to the set finders and builders for using abandoned libraries and industrial parks. ) Again, never heard the newest Doctor was great or anything about it, other than complaints about ratings and PC. Star Trek has always been both Utopian and contemporary commentary. The Original series was ground breaking in many ways, the first interracial kiss, a mixed race, nation, and species crew, and future technology that was years beyond rockets. I still want a shuttlecraft! The Next Generation was also a reflection of it's time. And Deep Space Nine too, as well... On & on. If you don't like the reflection, the reality might not be pleasing either. Both Voyager and Enterprise series were interrupted for me by tv station changes so I never caught the last seasons when aired, and apparently they jumped the shark while I wasn't looking. Great casts, though. Feel free to praise or complain about the multiple Treksploitation current stuff. It might even get me to watch some. I don't have an issue with the morbidly obese hypocritical crybaby getting a cameo. If she didn't suck. But if the new stuff is woke crap, instead of the Aware thought provoking writing of the Old Stuff, forget it. The difference between Aware, and Woke, is profound and stark. | ||
| Crusty |
I have a friend who records shows off the Dizzknee channel and sends me the discs. Right now, I'm forcing myself to watch one episode of Loki per night. It's tough. I've watched the first four episodes and all it's done is reinforced my belief that Dizzy is ruining the Marvel franchise like they ruined the Star Whores franchise. I thought the Falcon & the Winter Soldier sucked and I can't bring myself to watch the Black Widow series. The funny thing is that I did enjoy (mostly) the Mandelorian. Personally, I think that since Dizzknee bought Marvel, all the movies have gone to hell. | ||
| Aesquire |
I liked Loki a lot, give it a chance. Ditto Wandavision. Some great stuff, and won't spoil. It's before Spider-Man No Way Home & the upcoming Dr. Strange 2. Falcon & the Winter Soldier was ok until the last episode rant. Consider the implications of the Blip and how the U.N. probably handled it badly. Not my favorite part of the MCU, but well done on the action scenes. The Black Widow is a stand alone movie that chronologically fits after Civil War and before Infinity War. Well done. It all depends on who is producing and directing. I've been watching Hawkeye with a friend, a bit slowly. Still forming opinions. I haven't followed the Star Wars franchise stuff, ( first few episodes of The Mandalorian ) as I generally agree The Rat Kingdom messed it up. My not so humble opinion is the thing that ruined the #1,2,3, trilogy is that the Anakin character is lame. A poorly written villain. Classic Disney Bad Guy, no motivation or sympathetic side. A well written Anakin would have been believable, you'd root for him not to go bad, you'd understand the motivation. Instead he's a puppet far too easily manipulated and with not enough redeeming qualities to care about him. Zero chemistry between actors ( and Directed badly ) means you don't believe their love is more than obsession and childish over reaction. Romeo and Juliet is not my favorite play, but the basic plot, that teens are idiots with the hormones, seems to be obvious in the trilogy without being done well or believable. In contrast look at Romeo and Juliet as done by DiCaprio. Best adaptation since West Side Story. ( others hate it to be fair ) In contrast, Loki and Baron Zemo and Killmonger are villains you get the Motivation, and at least with Loki, you want them to improve... And the irony that the "best" MCU villain Loki is The Romance Novel baddie type in the MCU is not lost on me. I think A Lot of The Disney stuff is aimed at young women with a thing for Romance novels. Which explains why I don't care. The infamous 7-9 Star Wars Trilogy had promise, but didn't quite deliver, exactly how is a worthy discussion. There's a time gap that is filled by the Clone Wars series, I'm told. The Animated stuff seems better done, some of it anyway. My Niece is a hardcore fan. Next week, Dark Phoenix and why it should be retconned. | ||
| Aesquire |
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2022/06/02/the-pro blem-with-obi-wan-isnt-what-youve-been-told-n16027 18 As to Racism. Nobody cares about race in a universe of sentient beings of all shapes. Nobody cares if Lando or Senator Organa or Darth Vader is played by an actor "of color". All that crap that the melanin content Matters, was invented by the Slave Owning Party and is Exploited by the Communist/Socialist/Authoritarian Scum that now Dictate policy and hatred. That's not how things worked, Long Ago & Far Away, like Hoth, The Empire, Rome, or Norway. As a pundit commented on Disney yesterday, there are Millions of Star Wars Fans. Disney complained they got Hundreds of Racist twits. The Pundit said he'd LOVE to get that, since he gets Thousands. And we now know, from the legal battle over Twitter, that somewhere between 40-70% of the posts are from 'bots. Not humans, not whatever species Zuck & Dorsey are, but fake posts from unknown political activists and the Party Operatives. Employees of rich & powerful who want to sway opinion for their benefit. As to the Villain in the New Series? I welcome your Opinion. Haven't seen it. My Niece is a Hard Core Star Wars Fan. She can tell you everything. ( which is funny to me, since I actually read the stuff before she was born. ) I enjoyed all of it, that I've seen, even when I don't like the choices the authors made. SPOILER, for example, in Trilogy 7-9, was lazy writing. But I was unhappy they killed SPOILER in the Marvel cinematic universe, too. ( and bitterly disappointed when GOT killed the redhead hottie that I liked! I wanted more great scenes with her! ) So it goes. Generally, the Star Wars franchise is juvenile fiction. Rogue One was fairly adult writing, and SOME of the Animated stuff was darn good. So I don't expect the deep stuff you get from, say, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or Buffy. | ||
| Aesquire |
Top Gun, Maverick Good! You can TVTrope the daylights out of it, there will be terabytes of comments on "what movie "they stole that from"" but that's true of any sports or military scripts. Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connolly and the rest of the cast were Fine. The special effects seemed pretty good, and the real life carrier operations Perfect. They pluck heart strings with consummate skill, the visuals are breathtaking! And IT'S LOUD!!!! There are explosions. Catapult launches. MUSIC! See in theater! Take a date, there are Abbs! | ||
| Aesquire |
SPOILERS!!! And the rare review I agree with. See the movie first. I don't know if his "spoiler after the actors posing with military hardware pictures" theory about the writing was intentional by the film makers or just the reviewer's fanfic idea, but I like it. https://www.thebulwark.com/top-gun-maverick-review / | ||
| Mad_max |
I’m really enjoying season 4 of Stranger Things. The final 2 episodes won’t be out until July. Also The Boys, which is a major twist of the Superheroe’s genre for mature audiences. Characters similar to Aqua Man, The Flash, Wonder Women, Captain America, and Superman who is diabolical and as narcissistic as he is powerful. The top 7 Supes are managed by a huge corporation where power and profits are their only concern. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190634/?ref_=nv_sr_s rsg_1 | ||
| Aesquire |
I'm way behind on The Boys. Some real dark stuff there. I've ranted about the Wearing The Cape series of books, a "realistic" superhero series, that shows one way the real world might deal with flying people who can ignore guns. Great stuff. The Boys is WAY darker and cynical. There's more to the genre than Another Batman Movie. Continued from political thread... Maybe someday even Disney will reform, but I bet it will take a competing studio to make record profits and crush Disney films in the marketplace. I have some great books with stories that would make incredible movies. Remember the incredibly bad Twilight series? The pretty good Mockingbird series? There's some good YA books out there that could make it bigger. Just to pick one that both would enrage the uptight and get teen & tween girls to cram theaters... Mia Archer's "Villains Don't Date Heroes" would be a great film with Scarlett & Gina about... The title says it all. Special effects, action, comedy, romance! Sure, it's silly lesbian fantasy aimed at teens. In the book, there's no angst or issues with the same sex aspect, it's the good guy/bad guy problem. Remember the ( fake ) Canadian oil ad about not buying oil from countries that don't think lesbians are hot? : ) Us old male perverts could enjoy it too. Collect the action figures! ( come on! Gina & Scarlett? Damn! ) Argue about the death rays & combat armor. ( the running gag is both the forbidden relationship, and the Supervillain having to save the world, and her secret flame/crush and not ruin her villain street cred. ) It doesn't have to be Woke! Just ignore the sexes of the characters. Real acceptance isn't from complaints, it's from good stories! I'd rather see a Honor Harrington space opera or a Hammers Slammers gritty war story, but I'd LOVE to see Gina & Scarlett in a comedy action romance. ; ) | ||
| Aesquire |
And... In the Marvel 'verse! Spider-Man, No Way Home, rocked! Way better than expected. Rewards a second viewing. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a great stand alone movie. It certainly helps if you've seen the whole Avengers etc. Series, but you can enjoy it if you never saw any. The new Spider-Man trilogy is very much a continuation of the previous 234 films. You really need to see the trilogy, and Captain America, Civil War, and ... And... To get the story fully. Heck, you really want to have aLSO seen ALL the Spider-Man movies back to before a lot of fans were born! ( I missed one! & now have to watch it ) which leads to... Dr. Strange, and the Multiverse of Madness. Also good! But you really, really, want to have seen a LOT of the previous films, including the Avengers series, Loki Series, and especially the Spider-Man trilogy & Wandavision. Not perfect, but nothing is. Special effects, acting, just well done. | ||
| Mad_max |
I don’t think dark quite covers it. The Boys is very violent, more graphic than Game of Thrones, and more perverted than Doom Patrol. Imagine a world where 98% are Democrats. Unfortunately S3 is pushing more white supremacy bullcrap. | ||
| Aesquire |
https://pjmedia.com/culture/mitchpicasso/2022/06/2 7/top-gun-hits-over-1-billion-and-the-left-is-goin g-crazy-heres-why-n1608532 The problem of the "genteel aristocracy" being appalled at the Rough Men that defend them as they sleep is older than the American Revolution. That Top Gun Maverick made a BILLION FREAKING DOLLARS without sales in China & Russia! Is astounding. As I was discussing with my sister who was it and loved it, ( except how LOUD it was ) I would have liked a little more character development on some of the minor roles, but that would have taken screen time away from fast, dramatic action. Thus probably the right choice. You don't need to know Wedge Antilles was a TIE fighter pilot who had a rough time reconciling his duty and the Imperial propaganda, or lost his lover & best friend... to get excited as he flies through blaster fire in The Trench on the Death Star. ( example not chosen at random ) | ||
| Aesquire |
She Hulk! Saw episode one of both this week. Up front, it's been impossible to completely ignore the hate from people who only saw trailers of these shows, but I tried. The hate seems to come from 2 different factions ( and a Venn diagram would be interesting ) which breaks down, oversimplified, to... 1. The Hate Woke Crap crowd ( ok, ditto ) who are utterly embracing the "I'm Offended!" psychosis path. 2. Race obsessed losers who only see skin color instead of art. That's on both sides here, the producers of Rings and the fans who haven't seen the work. I'm guessing a lot of racist, and Fracking Sick Of Racists in Europe & America, who end up Offended! for personal reasons. Frack them all. How are the shows really? I'll start with the Tolkien show. https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2022/09/bor ed-of-the-rings.php ( I also have a meme I'll post later ) First, it ain't The Simarillion. Thankfully. I enjoyed The Simarillion, but it would be a royal pain to make into a "Game of Thrones" series. Not because it's Bad!, But because it's really a Dungeon Master/Author background manual in novel format. Unlike The Hobbit, which is a HUGE story edited down to a few viewpoints and not just a masterpiece, but literally the Trope originator with Lord of the Rings for modern fantasy. The Simarillion is the almost unedited source material, tossed to the Fans to make them happy... And money. Thus.... Rings Of Power can be considered Fan Fiction. Like Ginny Weasley and her quidditch career. It's from the author's notes, maybe, but never written, a gap in the stories never intended to be published. That said... Didn't suck. Seems to be The Galadrial Story, so far. Cate Blanchett did a great job in the movies in her few scenes. Not a bad choice for this fan fic. First episode is origin story, lots of introducing characters, and the scenery, cgi, and acting all seem darn good. I didn't like that Galadrial seems a bit OP ( gamer term, over powered ) compared to the other elves. I think I understand it, but it's a bit blatant. I'm guessing there's some foreshadow Worf Effect, ( see tv tropes ) or other reason to make her so Bad Ass, coming up. Overall, not bad, & I hope they improve as they go. Potential for greatness, not yet realized. ( and for everyone who complains about black or Asian or Hispanic actors playing elves or hobbits.... Bite me. If they're good actors that's what matters. Bitch if Malcom X is played by Leonardo DiCaprio if you want. These are ELVES. Aliens. Not Human. You have issues! ) Which brings me to She Hulk. I'm a long time fan. And there's fan service. I have the poster that's used ( updated with cell phones ) in the credits! (She Hulk on muscle beach, it's funny ) hee. Hee. Again, first episode is origin story. Good humor, decent acting, special effects ok. Lots of live actor body change, Avatar/hulk stuff, duh, and while not perfect, still sooooo much better than 20th century effects. They have a budget. I like the premise. It's a Lawyer show! ( that's the VERY tongue in cheek joke ) With a Reluctant Superhero. ( also tongue in cheek ) And She Hulk, like Deadpool, is a bit genre savvy, and breaks the fourth wall. They kept that from the comics. I liked it! There's some feminist twaddle, but that's also from the comics, and, it's Part Of The Joke! ( a 7 foot tall green Amazon who can toss tanks is not safe to catcall ) I wonder if they can live up to the pilot, and sustain the funny. Bottom line. If you like fantasy or superhero comic fantasy, you might enjoy them, at least the first episode, which is all I've seen. Make your own judgment! Screw everyone who says you should not like or watch them. | ||
| Mad_max |
IMO House of the Dragon is the show to watch right now. Good start, already 3 episodes in and it keeps getting better. Also a prequel, about 200 years before the Game of Thrones saga. All the critics offended by violence and toxic masculinity shouldn’t be watching it in the first place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34 (Message edited by Mad_Max on September 05, 2022) | ||
| Aesquire |
Thor Love and Thunder. I liked it! Funny, loud, tragic, Shakespeare with tongue in cheek. Special effects a 20th century film maker would sell Harvey Weinstein out for. Not the best Marvel movie, or the best Thor movie, ( Ragnarok! ) but pretty good and probably the cap to the series. But they could do more movies, just give Taika Waititi a big check. Unsubtle references to 300, REDACTED, and oh, never mind, you'll catch them or some otaku will gush on them. Worth theater popcorn prices. I caught in at a friend's home, best with a good stereo and big screen. I'll skip Spoilers except one, and go straight to the Mammoth in the room. I'm convinced that some of the Hate online is Disney Marketing. They should Stop. For every Conservative Whacko Editorial Hating on this film. Grow up. Is it Woke? If you saw the trailer, you know The Bad Guy is vengeance obsessed against The Gods. And Zeus doesn't get treated well. So you might get all righteous indignation mode and think it's anti religious. I'm guessing the following editorial writer hasn't read the comics or any mythology besides his Own. It's Thor. He deals with mythological Gods and Marvel Universe Cosmic Deities all the time. If Thor stops a mugger, it's for comedy. ( ditto Dr. Strange ) And he, like Dr. Strange have character building arcs that CANNOT totally cure them of arrogance and egotism, or you break the character. It's their baseline reason to screw up! Woke... Well, there is mention of Alien reproduction. Mention of a character's former love, and oh, yeah, Thor's Ex is in it too! I even saw a diatribe about a comedy scene where Thor is in bondage and stripped nekkid to the amusement and swooning of all, and the Critic complained about sexual harassment. Grow the F#$% Up! People. It's comedy. If you're taking a comic book series based very loosely on a foreign mythology and the Comic Book producer's desire for Bigger Villains and not offending their Audience's Boomer Parents, seriously, you need meds. Maybe some herbal remedy sold for anxiety with a trade name like Sour Cookie Cosmic Kush. ( dang, now I have to go look to see if that actually exists! ) Bottom line. Fun, good, loud, funny, spectacular. Ignore the hate. Outrage is a National Sport, and I won't buy the jersey. https://townhall.com/columnists/johnnantz/2022/09/ 13/thor-love-and-thunder--the-death-knell-of-marve l-n2612982?utm_campaign=rightrailsticky2 Re: Woke Entertainment and Backlash. ( not Love and Thunder specific ) Rant on! I'm fine if you don't like to be lectured. Ditto. Don't like a lesbian relationship mentioned? Among Aliens? Ok but I think that's mostly you. Minority actors in roles you think the race matters? I have mixed 'tudes, myself. There ARE a few roles where the race of a character matters, like Malcom X or Adolph Hitler & Othello. Other than those few, bitching about an actor's race is racist. Who gives a darn? Why? I do understand fan anger when your favorite character is described as hot redhead with pale skin and you get a brunette with a tan, but the real question is, did the actress make you Believe she was someone the Witcher would respect and fall for? Bitch if the acting is bad. Wail if the Costumes Suck. I've seen amateur cosplay far better than some Hollywood costuming. Yes, I'm picking on Teen Titans, and I never saw it. ( any good? ) Otherwise you sound like a radical Fem-lib crank complaining that the Lifetime Movie isn't in line with your narrow thinking. You know, the film where the woman returns to her small town after the City Bastard broke her heart and she now has writer's block and falls for the Hot Veterinarian she should have noticed in High School? End rant. | ||
| Aesquire |
Eternals. Meh. Not totally bad, not totally good. I'm going to blame a few actors, OR the director. It's possible that the actors were ordered to be wooden and their best work was cut. I just wanted more than I got. Looking constipated might be the best some can do to portray an immortal existential crisis. I'm fact, I'll just blame the director anyway, for not pleasing me. Casting could be beyond their control. And I'll take the blame for my reaction, you might love it, and I missed something important. Parts were quite good. Some of the casting was great. Special effects decent. The plot is Classic Kirby! I don't count it as time I'll never get back. But I went in with higher expectations. | ||
| Aesquire |
Spider-Man "home trilogy", otoh! Brilliant. Well done. See them all. Just do it! Casting, acting, special effects, all top. It does help if you're a fan, saw every MCU movie and every Sony Spider-Man film. Otherwise you'll miss jokes and wonder who X is. ( at least you need to be aware of the Sony movies, and the trilogy is set solidly in the MCU so the core "Civil War" through Endgame "blip" stuff is important ) Bottom line. Characters you get invested in and actors that sell them. It doesn't get better in cinema in the 21st century. And... Spider-Man, Into The Spiderverse, animated. Cannot praise it enough. Casting, directing, art design, music... Nailed it! An Oscar, a Hugo, and many more. All deserved. | ||
| Aesquire |
She Hulk... So far through episode 4.. Win. Possibly the best live action comic book show. It's a fairly obscure comic, but they captured the feel. I point out Iron Man was a second tier comic book too. Less serious than Deadpool, topical humor ( dating apps, pg-13 sex humor ) and more genre aware than some might get. You might not like it. Taste is taste. Feel free to argue! Explain why you're wrong! I'm seriously hoping they can keep it going a while. Not just 6-8 episodes. I liked WandaVision, brutally emotional take on grief and a great take on sitcoms. I liked Loki, and hope they do a second season... But they left a pretty high water mark to go for. She Hulk is far more tongue in cheek and funny, but not stupid. The cliches are on purpose, and it can get "serious" and still keep the spirit of the original books. I laugh out loud, a lot. | ||
| Patches |
Real life She Hulk in your houses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfKOZfcADC4 | ||
| Mad_max |
Never read any She Hulk comics so maybe I’m not getting it. Ratings are not everything but they have not been good. Loki 2 https://deadline.com/2022/02/loki-justin-benson-aa ron-moorhead-1234934381/ | ||
| Aesquire |
https://marionharmon.com/ a beginning, and season end review on She Hulk, Attorney At Law. spoilers in review. Harmon gives it a 3 out of 5, which I generally agree with. I liked it. Enjoyed a few parts a LOT, and thought the "troll the trolls" thing was a bit of an excuse for lazy writing, but since the Troll thing is so toxic, I'll accept it. Once. Hope for a great season 2. | ||
| Aesquire |
Black Panther Wakanda Forever I'll start with the important part. There is a stinger scene after the fancy credits but none after the long black and white credits. You Absolutely Want To See It. There's no horrid CGI actor reincarnation here. Thank the deity of your choice. There are shots from previous movies in flashbacks & memories, but no faked Princess Leia stuff. The unimportant stuff. Complaints from trolls and pundits. Feh. Grow up. Actual movie review! Did Not Suck. My niece thought it the best Marvel movie yet, but she was still watching the color credits and still hyped emotionally. The special effects, casting, acting, plot... All top tier. ( I think I caught one continuity error in the special effects, but I have to go see it again to be sure. ) There are some differences from the Comics I don't blame them for, ( to avoid comparison to DC property, I suspect ) and the film is solidly in the current MCU, and certainly could have a sequel, or crossover. It's a more personal journey film than most comic book movies, which is not a bad thing. Final comment, there's a picture of an anime looking battle suit out there with bitching about how it's not as well done as in Iron Man. Don't sweat that. It's not the new Black Panther suit, and I won't spoil it otherwise. See, enjoy. It's really quite good and a worthy addition to the series that I think will be a fan favorite when the stupid woke/troll Hollywood political thing fades away. | ||
| Aesquire |
https://pjmedia.com/culture/matt-margolis/2019/12/ 21/ten-essential-christmas-movies-to-watch-in-my-h ouse-n174481 What's YOUR top Christmas movies? | ||
| Aesquire |
Quantumania premiere tonight. I'll probably catch it this weekend. But I was reminded of a guilty pleasure film. A terrible mix of action, horror, comedy, that I found utterly ridiculous and quite entertaining. | ||
| Hootowl |
My favorite Christmas movie? Elf. | ||
| Aesquire |
Ant Man & The Wasp, Quantumania. Pretty good. Very much helps if you've seen most of the MCU, including the Loki series. Pretty much the only complaint is they don't waste a minute on back story. If you don't know who these folk are, and the MCU arc, then you're going to be left wondering repeatedly what? Why? And huh? ? But, if you HAVE seen the bulk of the MCU & the Loki series season one, then it's a visual masterpiece and full of treats, especially for the Comics fans, with stuff from the printed page done in glorious Techni... I mean, Digital. Plot didn't suck, either. Acting pretty darn good all around, worth a big screen view. And, stinger scenes, after color credits, and at the Very End. Both worth waiting for. |
