Road to Terminator: Dark Fate - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Review

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (aka Terminator 3 or T3) is a 2003 sci-fi action film and the third film in the Terminator franchise following 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The film was produced by Intermedia and C2 Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was written by John Brancato and Michael Ferries and directed by Jonathan Mostow.




The story is John Connor is now twenty-five years old and now lives with no record of existence in hopes that Skynet won't be able to find him. However Skynet still sends a Terminator after him the newest one being the T-X but the resistance also sends their own Terminator to once again protect him. Now John and the Terminator must join forces again, kill the T-X, and prevent Judgment Day.

• Negatives

My main issue with the Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is there are moments where the filmmakers were clearly trying to replicate the feeling of the first two movies. Even going as far to pay homage to some very familiar looking scenes. My issue with that is because of the movies lower quality the homages and stuff don't bring that much weight of nostalgia.

• Mix

One thing that's a mix bag for the movie is the T-X. The big issue being the T-X just doesn't have the same on-screen terror that the T-1000 did. What I do like about the T-X is it's only is a more powerful Terminator going up against the T-850. Because of this new more upgraded Terminator going toe-to-toe with a fan favorite Terminator this makes the T-850 have an underdog aspect going on for it.

My other mixed feeling for the movie is the use of humor. There are times when yes I did laugh but then there are times when the jokes just don't seem right for this franchise. One of them being when T-850 finally has his clothes and he puts on sunglasses only to reveal they have a star design to them. Scenes like that just didn't work for me.

The other mix bag I have is the same one I had with Terminator 2: Judgment Day that being the CGI. Once again there are times when it's good other times it's pretty obvious and could have used more work.

• Positives

One thing I enjoyed from Terminator 3 is the acting. Everyone does a pretty good job. It won't win them any awards but T3 does provide acting that isn't awful.

The other thing I liked about Rise of the Machines is Mostow's directing. Throughout the film he does a good job but his very best directing was the ending. That scene where Skynet finally fires the missiles is just amazing and beautifully done.

The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is the action. Because this film is more of a popcorn flick then it's previous films you are giving loads of action sequences. One of my favorites being is whenever the T-850 and the T-X are fighting. Those scenes with them really get you pumped.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines while it is a step down from it's predecessors it's by now means a terrible movie. He has serviceable acting, Mostow's directing is pretty good, and the action is fun to watch. The grey areas are while the T-X is a great opponent for the T-850 the character does lack a sense of terror, the humor is okay in some bits, and the CGI could have been better in some places. My only real compliant is replicating scenes that are clearly trying to capture the same feeling from the previous films.

My final rating is Okay

Three films down only two more to go but for now I'm done. Come back Thursday, August 1st for a brand new Raiders of The Lost Media. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Batman: Hush Review

Batman: Hush is a animated direct-to-video film based on the acclaim story arc of the same name. It's the fourteenth installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe and the thirty-fifth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. The movie is written by Ernie Altbacker and directed Justin Copeland.




The story is a new villain has come to Gotham City going by the alias Hush. His plan is to destroy the caped crusader himself, Batman. To further complicate matters Batman and Catwoman are starting to have feelings for each other and are questioning if they can truly have a relationship?

Initial Reaction




Having been a fan of the Batman: Hush storyline I was definitely looking forward to a animated film about said storyline. Although I do admit from watching the trailer I wasn't expecting everything to be just like the comic but I was still willing to give the movie a chance.








Cons




I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.








Middle Ground




Now the writers of the movie did a lot of changes. Some I don't mind others on the other hand I'm not a fan of. For instance the change with Hush, I like the changes with Bruce Wayne's friend Thomas Elliot get a thumbs down. He's just not as developed as he is the comic arc which just makes him come off as a throw away. The other grey area is the animation. I don't mind it but this is definitely one of the movies that would have benefit a style more closely to Jim Lee's art.








Pros




Now for the more positive aspects of Batman: Hush one of those being the action. It's definitely exciting and you want to see the next action scene. I got really excited for Batman vs. Superman and the final fight between Batman and Hush. The other good thing about the movie is the voice work. Everyone does a good job with their characters especially Jennifer Morrison as Catwoman. She provided a good amount of seductiveness and charm to the character. The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is touching upon the subject of Batman and Catwoman being in a relationship. It does a pretty good job with, sure the comic touched upon it more but the movie did what I think is a serviceable job.








Batman: Hush is a good movie overall. It has nice action scenes, the voice acting is good, and the relationship between Batman and Catwoman is developed quite nicely. The mix bags stem from some of the changes and the animation. But none the less I still enjoyed the movie despite these grey areas.








My final rating is Good








So that's all for me. Come back Monday, July 29th for my review of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and that review will be part three of my Road to Terminator: Dark Fate. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

The Lion King (2019) Review

The Lion King is a musical drama film and a remake of the 1994 animated film of the same name. The film is produced by Fairview Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The Lion King (2019) is written by Jeff Nathanson and directed by Jon Favreau.




The story is Simba is born and while most people are celebrating the prince's birth, his uncle Scar is furious that he'll be next in line for the throne. Now it's a battle for Pride Rock between Simba and Scar. The ultimate question being who will be the rightfully king?

Initial Reaction




Now having enjoyed the animated movie as a kid I was quite curious how they (the filmmakers) were going to handle a remake of The Lion King. I enjoyed what I've seen from trailers, clips shown of my Twitter timeline, and TV spots. But as usual I wasn't going to let my love of the marketing cloud my judgement on the movie.








Cons




The real big issue for this movie is the lack of emotions from the lions. I heard complaints like that before the movie came out but I thought maybe we'll get those emotions when the film finally comes out. Sadly no. There are times when the lion's eyebrows move but that doesn't make up for everything else. And it's weird too but Jon Favreau directed the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book and those animals were realistic but at the same time had emotions.








Middle Ground




One of two grey areas with The Lion King is the acting. James Earl Jones once again provides his voice for Mufasa and he once again does a good job. Chiwetel Ejiofor was a pretty good Scar what with him giving a more serious and darker version of the character. Then we have the scene stealers themselves those being John Oliver as Zazu, Billy Eichner as Timon, and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, all of them in their respected roles were awesome. The alright performance was Donald Glover as Simba. He's fine there are just times when he should have put just a little bit more emotion in some of his lines. The worst performances was Beyonce. She was just so bland. I mean there's a moment when Simba is in very big trouble and she doesn't shout "SIMBA!" in really loud way to express how frightened she, no it's just 'Simba!" in very monotone voice. The other mix bag for me was the music. Now all of the classic songs are there and these new renditions are pretty good. The only thing I wished they did was make "Be Prepared" be longer and cut out Beyonce's newest song "Spirit". It's not a bad song by any means it just didn't feel like it was put in the proper place. It really should have just stayed as an end credit song.








Pros




Now let's talk about the more positive things about the movie. Jon Favreau directing is great. He definitely was a great choice to direct this movie and he didn't disappoint. Whether the shot is something from the original or a new one for the film, he nails it. The other great thing about The Lion King is the CGI. It's amazing. Every animal, every plant, every piece of dirt, every bug, and just everything has so much detail put in it you would have though this was made with real animals and stuff and not computer generated.








So yeah while the remake of The Lion King isn't everything we hoped it would be it's still far from being called one of the worst films of the year. Favreau's directing is great and the CGI was so realistic that you actually believe those are real lions and stuff. The acting is fine for the most part and the music is serviceable at best. The worst thing about it is the lack of emotions.








My final rating is Okay








Well the movie my not have been the best but oh well, it could have been far worst. Anyways that's all for me. Come back next time on July 22nd, Monday for my review of DC's newest animated feature, Batman: Hush. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is a 1994 animated musical film. It's the 32nd Disney animated movie as well as the fifth film made during the Disney Renaissance era. The movie was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. The film was written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and directed by Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers.



The story is Simba's twisted uncle Scar plots to take the throne from his father Mufasa. Years go by and Simba must now reclaim the throne for his family and the fellow lions of Pride Rock. However Scar won't give it up so easily.

• Negatives

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Mix

The acting for a majority of the film is great. James Earl Jones provides the right powerful tone for Mufasa's king-like character, Jeremy Irons was perfectly cast as Scar. He does an amazing job with Scar's more cunning sounding lines. And pretty much everyone else does a great job with their respected characters. The only one who isn't bad but does just an okay job is Matthew Broderick. There are times when his line delivering is good other times he just sounds a little bit stiff.

• Positives

One thing I never noticed about The Lion King when I was a kid was there are a lot of mature themes. Themes such as accepting death, what it means to be a king, and mistakes leading to self improvement. There's even a theme going on with the hyenas about them being oppressed under Mufasa's rule.

Another aspect that makes this film so great is the music. It's just done to perfection. I mean you doesn't sing The Cycle of Life, Hakuna Matata, and of course Be Prepared.

The other part of The Lion King that makes it such an enjoyable movie is the animation. The all of the movements for the characters are flawless and the entire environment is showcased in such a grand scale. Also there are creative camera angles and beautifully done cinematography.

The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is the characters. Let's start off with Scar. He's a great villain. He's clever, cunning, and is shown to be truly evil. Simba may not be very charismatic but does provide a lot of the character growth for the movie, Timon and Pumbaa are very good comic relief and I enjoyed their scenes. Rafiki in my opinion is a fan favorite. Not only does he provide Simba the courage to head back to Pride Rock but he has such a wonderful how giving out his wisdom with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor.

The Lion King is a wonderful Disney film. It has quite a few mature themes, the music is beautiful, the animation is amazing, and the characters are all well written and wonderful in their own right. The only grey area is the acting. While a lot of the acting is great, Matthew Broderick could have used a little bit more work for adult Simba's voice.

My final rating is Great

That's all for me. Come back on Saturday, July 20th for my review of the upcoming The Lion King remake. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker - Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Review

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (or simply The Empire Strikes Back) is a 1980 space opera film and the second installment of the original Star Wars trilogy. The film is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed 20th Century Fox. The Empire Strikes Back was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Irvin Kershner.




The story is it's been three years since the first film and Darth Vader is in pursuit for Luke Skywalker along with the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While on the run Luke trains under the wisdom of Yoda to become a Jedi Knight.

• Negatives

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Mix

To me the mix bag for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is the use of humor. There are times when it's quite funny other times I didn't really feel anything. Especially when Luke meets Yoda and Yoda's all laughs and messing with him.

• Positives

One of the best things about this movie is the cinematography. It's amazing and hasn't aged at all. You the camera is moved smoothly and all of the shots are just gorgeous.

Another thing The Empire Strikes Back has going for it is the score. Williams provided such a well composed and memorable score. I mean come on you doesn't hum "The Imperial March" song. I know I do especially when watching this film.

The other aspect of the movie that makes it so great is the darker tone. Yeah when you watch Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and this one back-to-back The Empire Strikes Back definitely has a more gritty tone. I mean the good guys practically get there asses kicked.

Speaking of the bad guys to me this is the film that showcased that Darth Vader is one of the best villains in the cinema. Sure he had his moments in A New Hope but this one just shows off how ruthless he is. I mean if anybody ANYBODY in the empire makes even a slight mistakes he'll just straight up kill ya. In matter of fact that what he does throughout the whole movie.

What also makes this an awesome movie is the action. Those action sequences are just breath taking. They also make you wanna bit your nails there that amazing. Especially the Battle of Hoth and the asteroid chase between the Millennium Falcon and the TIE Fighters.

The final thing I'll give The Empire Strikes Back is how our characters are put through emotional grounds they didn't go through before in the previous movie. That happens mostly with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is without a doubt a fantastic sequel as well as one of the many great films ever made. The cinematography is perfect, the score is addictive to listen to, the darker tone is a nice touch, the film shows why Vader is a badass villain, the action is nail biting, and the emotional journey with our characters (mostly Vader and Luke) adds even more drama to the whole thing. My feelings on humor is it's fine in some places other places not really, but given how everything else was handled you can easily brush that off.

My final rating is A Must Watch

So that's all for me. Come back on July 18th, Thursday for my A Look Back at review for 1994's The Lion King. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Rambo V: Last Blood - Rambo III Review

Rambo III is a 1988 action adventure film and the third film in the Rambo franchise, following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. The movie is produced by Carolco Pictures and distributed by TriStar Pictures. Rambo III was written by Slyvester Stallone and Sheldon Lettich and directed by Peter MacDonald.



The story is Rambo is sets out to save his longtime friend Col. Trautman. But while Rambo must save his friend he also must stop a ruthless Soviet Army colonel from conquering Afghanistan.

• Negatives

One of the biggest issues I think anybody is going to have with this movie is well it's outdated. I mean the first two movies messages, the first one being about PTSD and the other being that sadly government officials do cover-ups this one was about helping out Afghanistan from Russian forces. Yes, Russia did invade Afghanistan and America did help but by the time the film was released that was way over. What also doesn't help the viewing experience is well...look how Afghanistan is today. Kind of makes the movie awkward to watch.




The other problem with the movie is for whatever reason we're introduced to a kid character named Hamid, who is pointless. No for real there's no reason for him to help Rambo rescue Trautman. But for whatever reason the writers though it was a good idea. I mean sure he's not in the action that much but still the character wasn't needed.

• Mix

The real grey area for this flick is the action. While entertaining there are times when it felt like they were remaking some of the scenes from Rambo: First Blood Part II.

• Positives

One thing I liked about the movie is the high stakes. Not only his Rambo on a rescue mission but his also liberating an entire group of people. What also made the stakes better this time was Rambo's buddy Trautman was in even more danger than he was in the previous film.

The other thing I'll give the film credit for is the acting. While not as good as the previous films is still pretty solid. Heck even the kid isn't bad.

Rambo III while still an enjoyable film is quite forgettable. The issues being the very outed premise of helping Afghanistan, and Hamid being really pointless. The action scenes while still good can be at times a repeat on the second film. The only really good aspect of Rambo III is the stakes and the acting.

My final rating is Okay

So yeah, while I still find this movie fun it's safe to say you can skip this one. Now that's all for me, come back next time on Monday, July 15th when I return to the Road to Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker with my review of one of the best sequels made Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

The Top 8 Director's Cuts I Want To See

Hello everyone and welcome to another countdown. This time I'm doing eight films that I would like to see a director's cut. Now I know at least a majority of these aren't going to happen but that doesn't mean I still shouldn't be curious about what could have been. But enough of that let's get started.

What is a Director's Cut?

Now for any of you don't know what a director's cut is, let me explain. A director's cut is an edited version of a movie that better represents what the director of said movie wanted to show. Typically these don't get a release because most film directors don't have "final cut privilege".

#8. Paul W.S. Anderson's Event Horizon

Event Horizon is a 1997 sci-fi horror film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The movie is about in 2047 a crew of astronauts are sent on a rescue mission after a ship named Event Horizon just appears in Neptune's orbit. When they get on the ship they soon see that it's an absolute nightmare. Now the original film had a grand total of 130 minutes, that's a total of 2 hours and 10 minutes of footage just cut away from this film. The whole reason for the movie being trimmed the way it was was because Paramount saw that it was clear that James Cameron's Titanic wasn't going to meet it's original release date. So because of that Anderson had to rush both filming and editing to release a movie that wasn't what he wanted it to be.

Now I would like to see the original cut because I don't at all like the version we were giving, so it really makes you curious if that 130 minutes would have made the film better. Sadly the chances of a director's cut being made probably won't happen because the footage has either been lost or destroyed. But that doesn't mean people like myself just can't help ourselves but want to see that original cut.

#7. Wes Craven's Deadly Friend

Deadly Friend is a 1986 sci-fi horror film directed by the late great Wes Craven (best known for 1984's A Nightmare on Elm and 1996's Scream). The story is after Paul's friend Samantha has been killed, he tries to save he life by putting a robot's brain as a replacement for her damaged brain. It goes successful but after awhile things get deadly. Now believe it or not this wasn't Wes Craven's original plan. What he wanted to do was make it a sci-fi thriller that would have focused more on plot, character development, as well as dark romance between the main characters. However test audiences were left disappointed that the film didn't contain enough gory. So Warner Bros. demanded Craven to re-shot and re-write Deadly Friend to be more like his more famous movie A Nightmare on Elm Street. That way the film contained more violence and nightmare sequences just like Elm Street.

I would like to see this original version solely because it would have been such a different yet interesting concept compared to the theatrical cut. I mean that dark love story aspect would be quite a sight in Craven's original cut. Sadly I don't see happening because the film's not as famous as his previous works and I'm pretty sure not even Warner Bros. knows about this film. But there is a petition on change.org and hey if Apocalypse Now can get a "final cut" why can't this flick get a similar treatment?

#6. Josh Trank's Fantastic Four



Fantastic Four (or as it's stylized Fant4stic) is a 2015 comic book based on the Marvel Comics' team Fantastic Four. The story is a team of four individuals are studying another dimension called. One day there's an accident on this other reality and the four of them gain superpowers. Things get worse when a friend of there's become their biggest threat. During an interview with Screen Crush one of the writers (Jeremy Slater) revealed the original script which was as he put it



"In addition to Annihilus and the Negative Zone, we had Doctor Doom declaring war against the civilized world, the Mole Man unleashing 60 foot genetically-engineered monster in downtown Manhattan, a commando raid on the Baxter Foundation, a Saving Private Ryan-style finale pitting our heroes against an army of Doombots in war-torn Latveria, and a post-credit teaser featuring Galactus and the Silver Surfer destroying an entire planet We had monsters and aliens and Fantasticars and a cute spherical H.E.R.B.I.E. robot that was basically BB-8 two years before BB-8 ever existed. And if you think all of that sounds great...well, yeah, we did, too. The problem was, it would have also been massively, MASSIVELY expensive."



Now yes, that does sound awesome but he does have a point about it being massively expensive. So I can understand wanting everything toned down to just be an origin story first then getting into the more crazy stuff for sequels. What I can't stand though is the way they went about it. I mean the reshoots were so obvious. I mean pay attention to whenever Kate Mara's hair changes to it being dyed to a wig and whenever Michael B. Jordan goes to clean shaven to sporting a little bit of facial hair. It's really distracting. So yes I would like to see what Josh Trank planned for this film before 20th Century Fox dicked with it. It's probably not going to happen because this movie got ripped to shreds from reviews to the point where I don't think Fox wants to back to it and it also didn't help that Trank tweeted (and then later deleted) this before the film even made it's debut...

"A year ago I had a fantastic verison of this. And it would've received great reviews. You'll probably never see it. That's reality though".


And then there's the most recent report of him saying he wouldn't mind erasing the film from his film history.

#5. David Ayer's Suicide Squad



Suicide Squad is a 2016 comic book film based on the DC Comics' team of the same name. It tells the story of criminals who are forced to go on missions for Amanda Waller. If they don't follow orders they will be dealt with permanently. Now I will be honest I don't mind the versions we got both extended cut and theatrical cut. However I still want to know what David Ayer really wanted to do with this movie and of course there's the whole thing with Jared Leto's Joker being cut out and that guy also deserves some justice. But going back to my point about what David Ayer original intended, if you watch the teaser trailer it's clear Ayer wanted to do something darker. However after the backlash that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice got due to it's dark tone, Warner Bros. was like "Oh Shit! Guys we gonna make our next movie more fun!" But by doing this you do get a version that while still entertaining it does leave a big group of audience members wondering what could have been. The issue with this director's cut is #ReleaseTheAyerCut is nowhere near as popular as #ReleaseTheSnyderCut but if Warner Bros. was to release that original cut. It would be something amazing. Especially since we'll finally get this scene...






You want to know what this scene was about. Well according to Mr. Ayer himself, Joker would have made a deal with Enchantress to where he is the "King of Gotham". Yeah...that doesn't sound like something people would want to see. Not at all (for the record I'm being sarcastic).











#4. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3



Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 comic book film based on the popular Marvel Comics' character Spider-Man. It's also the third film in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy. The story is Peter Parker has a new black suit, everything seems to be going while with this new suit but Peter soon realizes that this new suit has a dark secret. Now during production Sony kept giving Sam Raimi a list of demands. They kept telling him to do things that he really didn't want to but still decided to stay on and finish the movie. Now looking into this film's history, we would have gotten a totally different film. For instance a Twitter usher named @WilliamD1123 showed a bunch of things that were cut from the film, then you go on to the Spider-Man films wiki and we see more things that got cut such as...

Peter sees Venom in the mirror (although this probably wasn't going to be in the film, considering this is an early design of Venom).

During the finale battle the symbiote would have tried to get back onto Peter.

This freaky Venom skull (well we possibly would have gotten this. This was made for an alternate ending but you knows maybe we would maybe we wouldn't).

And last but not least this final swing, which in return would have continued the tradition in the film series of Spider-Man having one last swing.

Now when this movie had it's tenth anniversary we did get what was called an "Editor's Cut". But that doesn't count. That's essentially still the theatrical cut but with some scenes cut, rearranged, removed, and one extended scene. Now yes that cut also includes new scenes but it's still not Raimi's vision. But you knows if Sony was willing to give this film an new cut on it's tenth anniversary maybe we'll get a new cut for it's 15th or 20th? Probably not but hey stranger things have happened.

#3. Shane Black's The Predator

The Predator is a 2018 sci-fi action film and the fourth film in the Predator franchise. The story is the Predators have got wind a an alarm sent from Earth and set out to find it. Now a rag team group must stop the Predators or the whole world will suffer. When the movie first came out in my review I mentioned the editing was off. Then ScreenRant posted an article where they revealed so many things got cut. Things such as an entire sequence with more hybrid Predators, most of the characters personalities were changed, and of the course the entire third act was changed (although this is something we all know but still worth pointing out). Now you knows how much of the original cut was finished but none the less I'm still interested in what Shane Black's original plan was for The Predator. But much like Ayer's Suicide Squad I don't see a #ReleaseTheBlackCut being popular, I mean there's a petition so there is an audience who would like to see this.

#2. Simon Kinberg's Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix (or X-Men: Dark Phoenix) is a 2019 comic book film and the twelfth film in the X-Men main series. The story after Jean Grey was hit with a solar flare her powers start acting up and she isn't her usual shelf. During this crisis among the team, an alien race notices this and wants to control her. Now I understand there are a lot of people who liked the theatrical cut I even said in my review I liked it, however after seeing articles from both Cosmic Book News and XMenFilms it really makes me irate of how we could have had an even better version of the movie. Cause there are many things that are changed or cut. For instance this picture where Magneto is all jacked up not in the movie

Then during that same Cosmic Book News with that Magneto pic, we learn stuff like this got cut

- Scott and Jean get a more fleshed out relationship.

- Jessica Chastain's character talking about her alien race, the phoenix force, and mutants was extended.

- The inhabitants of Genosha were first scared of Jean Grey when she arrives.

and so fourth.

Then XMenFilms showed us pics such and this is a big one

This is a picture of UN security, reporters, and official facing an alien invasion.

So yeah we would have gotten a huge movie way bigger than what we got. Now there is somewhat of following wanting a Kinberg cut (including a petition) and I'm hoping 20th Century Fox or Disney will release this version of the movie, because like I said before I do enjoy the theatrical cut but this feels like a movie that sounds like you could watch it on repeat.

and the number one director cut I want to see is...

Yeah, yeah, I know. BIG SURPRISE!

#1. Zack Snyder's Justice League

Justice League is a 2017 comic book film, a follow-up to 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the fifth film in the DC Extended Universe. The story is after Superman's death, Batman and Wonder Woman have formed a team with Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. With this newly formed group they must stop an invasion from a powerful foe named Steppenwolf. Now I previously talked about my history with this cut before so that should really tell you about how much I really want to see this movie. But since then we continue to get more info about Zack's original film. I gotta say the more information that comes out you can clearly see that this was going to be a completely different movie than what we got. For instance

- More Cyborg scenes because he's the "heart" of the film. And just to make that statement even more clear Snyder shared this pic on his Vero

Yeah...Cyborg was gonna put us on an emotional roller coaster ride.

- Batman would have had a significant role in the film's third act.

- Uxas (aka Young Darkseid) was going to be in the history lesson instead of Steppenwolf.

- The "Knightmare" sequence in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would have been further explored.

And so much more of this stuff. So yes, there was so many things cut from the original version that the theatrical cut of Justice League is with a shadow of doubt a completely different movie. And there is a high demand for this movie. You have the actors such as Jason Momoa (the actor for Aquaman), Ray Fisher (the actor for Cyborg & he said he would absolutely release it), and Ciaran Hinds (the actor for Steppenwolf) wanting to see this movie, film directors such as Kevin Smith (director of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, etc.) and Steven S. DeKnight (director of Pacific Rim: Uprising) wanting to see this cut, Jay Oliva (the storyboard artist of Justice League) wanting this movie, comic book writer Jerry Ordway (best known for his writing for Superman) wanting this movie, comic book artist Rob Liefeld (aka the creator of Deadpool) saying "hey give us this movie", and of course the numerous amounts of fans using #ReleaseTheSnyderCut because they want this movie. Hell there's even a film editor by the name of Chris Dawson (@CDawsonAuthor) busting his ass making his own fan edit of the movie titled Justice League: Black Suit Edition just to give fans something that's just about close to Snyder's vision and there's also a fan named Fiona Zheg (@fukujang0627) who created a website called forsnydercut.com dedicated to this cut of the movie. And with all of that support is what makes the Snyder cut of Justice League my number one director's cut I want to see.

Well that's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, July 11th when I go back on the Road to Rambo V: Last Blood with my review of Rambo III. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a comic book film and the sequel to 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's also the twenty-third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the ending to Phase Three. The movie is produced by Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures, and Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Spider-Man: Far From Home is written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers and directed by Jon Watts.

The story is after the events Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker is trying to get his life back to normal while at the same time mourning the death of his mentor Tony Stark. One day Peter and his classmates go on a schooltrip to Europe. Just when everything seems normal Nick Fury comes to Peter asking for his help against a fight with a new threat called The Elementals.

Initial Reaction




Now I for the most part do like the MCU's version of Spider-Man. I have my issues here and there but for the most part I'm okay with this version. So naturally I was looking forward to Spider-Man: Far From Home. I also wanted to see because after that second trailer it really left me curious about the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame.








Cons




One of my issues with Far From Home is Michelle or "MJ". I can't stand this character. And it has nothing to Zendaya but the writing. She's just irritating but I guess with the two previous films she's suppose to come off as sassy or something like that. What I'm trying to get at is she's poorly written. And because of that it makes her whole romance with Peter nothing interesting. So yeah, I don't like this version of Mary Jane-Watson. I'm hoping for either two things, one she's not involved with the third movie (but after the credit scenes I doubt that's going to happen) or two better writers come on board and make her a more likable character.








Middle Ground




The really grey areas with this movie is the humor. There are times when it's fine, it serviceable but other times not so much. Like there's a scene when one of the Elementals attack and Spidey smacks his head on a bell not one but twice. Instances like that just made me wonder where was the canned laughs from the studio audience. My other issue is Mysterio. It's very predictable what's going to happen with him yet at the same time it was the right thing because this is one of Spider-Man's most famous bad guys. Overall I thought he was a good villain. The last grey area I with is the movie doesn't really touch on the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame as much as it felt like it should. It's brought up in the beginning then ignored then sprinkled in here and there. So it felt like the writers touched on it but at the same time not really.








Pros




Now let's talk about the good things from Spider-Man: Far From Home. One thing I really liked was Peter trying to live up to Tony's legacy. Throughout the movie we see Peter is trying to become like Iron Man because he thinks that's what the world needs. But as we progress we slowly see him realize no he doesn't have to be Iron Man Jr. or Iron Boy, what he needs to do is become SPIDER-MAN. The other aspect of the movie I enjoyed was the performances. It mostly comes from Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal. They worked so well off of each other. The other thing that made Far From Home fun was the action. It was just crazy. My favorites were when Mysterio was using his illusions on Spidey to mess with his head and the other one was the London Bridge scene. That Bridge scene was just all around crazy. The final thing I'll give Spider-Man: Far From Home is the credit scenes. Both of them. The mid-credit scene is a jaw dropper because it leaves you wonder how is Peter gonna get out of this, what's gonna happen in the third movie, and stuff like that. As for the post-credit scene not only do I find it an improvement over Spider-Man: Homecoming's post-credit scene but I made wonder how exactly did that happen to Nick Fury?








Spider-Man: Far From Home while an enjoyable movie isn't something I felt like you need to rush to the theaters to see. While it does have a really good story arc for Peter, great performances from Gyllenhaal and Holland, epic action scenes, and a really good mid and post-credit scene it could have improved on the humor, Mysterio, and showcasing the aftermath from Avengers: Endgame. It's big issue is sadly the main female MJ.








My final rating is Okay








So that's all for me. Please come back next time, Monday, July 8th for my countdown of the top eight director cuts I want to see. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Stranger Things - Season 2

Warning: This review contains spoilers. You have been warned.

With the third season of Stranger Things premiering in just two days I'm going to review the second season to celebrate.

Stranger Things 2 (as it's called onscreen) is the second season of Netflix's hit show Stranger Things. The show is produced and distributed by Netflix. The show has a total of nine episodes. Stranger Things 2 is created by The Duffer Brothers.

The story is it's 1984 and it's been a whole year after Will's disappearance. Everyone thinks life has returned back to normal, however strange things start happening to Will as he tells everyone he's been seeing a tentacle monster called the Mind Flyer. Now Will, his mother Joyce, Chief Hopper, his friends Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven, and the new girl in town named Max must join forces to stop the threat of the Upside Down from increasing. 

• Negatives

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Mix

One thing I'm mixed on is the seventh episode titled "Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister". What makes it just a grey area of is while Eleven makes a character named Terry who has abilities similar to Eleven, but the thing with this chapter is it very much stops what's going on with Mike and the gang. So yeah while I do like how we learn more about Eleven overall it felt like it should have happened earlier in the story instead right in the middle of what was happening previously.

• Positives

One thing to like about the second season is how the series just makes you feel bad for the Byers family. Throughout the whole series this family is put through hell. So when the story comes to an end, you feel so happy with what happened them.

Another part of the show I liked was how the writers build everything up very slowly. This is a very slow paced story that's being told. Which makes the final two episodes so stratifying, because of that slow build it makes all of the action later to come so much fun.

The other aspect of season two that makes it enjoyable is how relationships were being developed. For instance Dustin and Steve, they have a great moment where Dustin is talking about how he likes this new girl and how he can win her heart and Steve tells him how he can to it correctly. It was great scene where we the audience are seeing the beginning of a friendship.

The final thing I'll praise the second season for is how we get a new threat with the Upside Down. This time around while yes the monsters are still trying to get out this time there infecting the town. Which I liked. It brought a new scene of danger with these creatures.

Stranger Things 2 is on the same level as the first season, that level being fun to watch. It really makes you feel for the Byers, the build up to the series finale was done great, the handling of relationships/friendships are done perfectly, and the new threat from the Upside Down is fun to watch. The only grey area is episode seven, while I understand they wanted to explore more on Eleven's past at the same time that episode felt like a detour to the main story.

My final rating is Good

So yeah, season two is just as enjoyable as the first. But that's it for me, come back on Thursday, July 4th for my review of the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Far From Home. Until then enjoy the upcoming third season of Stranger Things or just enjoy the rest of your day.