Superman: Red Son Review

Superman: Red Son is a direct-to-video animated comic book film based on the 2003 Elseworlds miniseries Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar and the 37th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies lineup. The movie is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Superman: Red Son is written by J.M. DeMatteis and directed by Sam Liu.





The story is after the destruction of Krypton, baby Kal-El's ship crash lands on Earth in the Soviet Union. After many years being raised by the Communist Party and becomes Russia's greatest weapon. With this new powerful Russian hero, the world becomes disarray and conflicts begin to arise all while trying to find a way to stop this Superman.

Initial Reaction



With Superman: Red Son being one of my favorite Superman stories outside the main DC Comics continuity, I was fully on board for this movie when it was first announced back in 2019. Then the trailer came and I was getting a little fidgety waiting for a release date. So Superman: Red Son was definitely becoming one of my most anticipated February movies. Which may be weird since it's a direct-to-video movie but hey I got excited for The Banana Splits Movie and that was a direct-to-video flick, so what the heck am I talking about right?








Cons



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








Middle Ground



One of the biggest gray areas with Superman: Red Son is some of the changes. Now I was expecting changes, because it's not the first time that has happened. There were changes to Justice League: Doom (which was based on JLA: Tower of Babel), some minor changes to Batman: The Killing Joke, changes to Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, and so forth. One of the changes I liked is what they did with Lana's character here as supposed to what happens to her in the comic. But then get a bad change. For me the worst one was the ending. The ending to the movie is your generic "Okay, the bad guys are defeated, we have our happy ending. Everyone can go home." But the ending to the comic miniseries was this mind blowing twist and they filmmakers should have taken that ending and put it into the movie. The next mix bag is while the movie has some complexity to it, mainly Superman struggling to figure out if what he's doing is truly better or is he doing much worse. However the more complex things in the movie aren't always expanded upon, and I really wish the writer did more of that as supposed to the next action scene.








Pros



One of the best things about the movie is the performances. I loved how Diedrich Bader gave this version of Lex this really smug and full of himself voice for this character, and Jason Isaacs did a good job giving Superman a Russian accent. What made it even better was he did drop it and any point and there wasn't times when it felt like he was forcing it. Another piece of Superman: Red Son that was good is the animation. Much like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight it's very Bruce Timm inspired, so if you like his art style than I think you'll like the animation to this. The final thing to give the movie credit for is the action. I really enjoyed all of them and I don't really think I have a favorite this time around.








Superman: Red Son is a pretty good entry for the DC animated film library. It has good voice work, the animation is good, and the action was fun. The only things that could have been better, were some of the changes and expanding more on the film's more complex themes.








My final rating is Good








That's all for me. I'll be anticipating DC's next animated feature (that one being Justice League Dark: Apokolips War) and do come back on Monday, Mar 2nd where I'll be discussing the Snyder Cut and how it's similar to another DC film. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Underrated Films - The Wrestler Review

The Wrestler is a 2008 sports drama film. The movie is produced by Wild Bunch and Protozoa Pictures and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The Wrestler was written by Robert Siegel and directed by Darren Aronofsky.





The story is an aging wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson is still wrestling despite waning fame and poor health all in an attempt to recapture the success he had in the 1980s. He also tries to have a relationship with a stripper named Pam and try to fix things with his estranged daughter Stephanie. While Randy is trying his best he can to have a normal life, he still feels the need to go back into the ring.

Why It's Underrated



While the movie did get a HUGE amount praise from critics, audience, people who work in the pro wrestling business, and even won many awards, the movie ultimately goes under everyone's radar. In doing so it's not talked about as much as it should be. Hell, I think I only saw one tv broadcasting on FX or some channel like that but that was years ago.








My Thoughts



One thing I've come to realize about this movie which I find to be one of its many best aspects is you don't have to be a fan of pro wrestling in order to enjoy the movie. You can actually be completely clueless about wrestling but yet still find the film to be a work of cinematic art. Primary because the story of Randy The Ram could have been about a former boxer or any other job where you put your body on the line or your age becomes a liability.



Now to tell you about the story. This is truly heartbreaking story within The Wrestler. From Randy coming to the end of his career, him so desperately trying to live an ordinary life, and him realizing the only place he gets any love is in the ring. Especially that last part about him being loved in the ring, he even says "The only place I get hurt is out there. The world don't give a shit about me." Like I said some real heart wrenching stuff.


Another thing you'll like about the film is it's realism. Everything about the feels real. The characters whether they be major or minor feel real, the wrestling companies that are in the movie are actually companies. But what made The Wrestler feel genuine was how the writer went about portraying the whole concept of the pro wrestling industry. Because sometimes or at least from my experience I've seen the business of pro wrestling either being portrayed in the fictional world of wrestling or they blur the lines to the point of obscurity *cough Ready to Rumble cough*.


The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is Mickey Rourke's performance. This guy perfectly nailed playing this broken down, worn out, and beaten performer that there was no way I could picture the previous candidates (those being Nicolas Cage and Hulk Hogan) being in this role.








The Wrestler is definitely one of my favorite movies. It's story is truly tragic, it feels very real, Rourke's performance is astonishing, and you really don't have to be a fan of wrestling to enjoy it.







My final rating is A Must Watch








Accomplishments



Not only did The Wrestler receive critical acclaim but it also won many awards.



BAFTA Film Awards


Best Leading Actor



Boston Society of Film Critics


Best Actor



Broadcast Film Critics Association


Best Song



Chicago Film Critics Association


Best Actor



Detroit Film Critics Society


Best Actor


Best Supporting Actress



Florida Film Critics Circle


Best Actor


Best Supporting Actress



Golden Globes


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama


Best Original Song - Motion Picture



Independent Spirit Awards


Best Feature


Best Male Lead


Best Cinematography



London Film Critics Circle


Film of the Year


Actor of the Year



Online Film Critics Society


Best Actor


Best Supporting Actress



San Diego Film Critics Society


Best Actor


Best Supporting Actress



San Francisco Film Critics Society


Best Actor


Best Supporting Actress



Toronto Film Critics Association


Best Performance, Male



Venice Film Festival


Golden Lion



Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association


Best Actor

A Look Back at Star Wars: The Clone Wars

With the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiering tomorrow, I thought I would review the show before it shows up on Disney+.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a computer animated tv series and is set between Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Cartoon Network run went from October 3rd, 2008 to March 2nd 2013 and it's Netflix run went from February 15th, 2014 to March 7th, 2014. Giving the series a total of six seasons and a total of 121 episodes. Star Wars: The Clone Wars was created by George Lucas.

The series tells the story of the ongoing The Clone Wars, but while the war rages on their are other tales being told that occurred during this time of Jedi Knights fighting against The Separatists.

• Negatives

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

• Mix

I don't know about you but the whole anthology aspect of the show is sort of a mix bag for me. The reason being is whenever I watch an anthology movie like say 2005's Sin City or 2008's Trick r' Treat, that's fine I can brush those off but when it comes to shows like this I would prefer the episodes to be in order. For instance the true very episode of The Clone Wars is actually season 2 episode 16, the true second episode is season 1 episode 16 and then you have to watch the theatrical film also titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars. So yeah, the anthology aspect does make watching the show in chronological order a little bit difficult, but hey if that doesn't bother you like it does for me then that's fine. But if you do want to have the show in order luckily the fine folks at starwars.com made a list of the episodes in the order they appear in.

• Positives

Now to tell you about the best things regrading Star Wars: The Clone Wars and that's the dark tone. When I first watched this on Cartoon Network, I was surprised they allowed this to air on their network, you see characters actually getting stabbed and/or shot in front of the camera. There's not cut away, it's right there in front of you. I mean if thought the 2003 series Star Wars: Clone Wars had shocking moments in it, watch this show.

The other thing you'll come to enjoy about the show is the action. The action of the show is just so much fun to watch, from ship battles, to clone troopers fighting droids, and of course the lightsaber fights. All of the action sequences are awesome.

Another aspect that I loved about the show is the animation. The CG is really good especially since it's for television, There are even moments when the animation got so cinematic that I truly forgot I was watching a tv series. It's that good.

Now to give praise to the best thing about the show and that's it's writing. The writing for The Clone Wars is truly amazing. Characters whether they be the ones we know from the movie, the clone troopers, or characters we don't even know are giving so much development. Then we have the fact that the writing makes the world surrounding the show feel bigger than what it already is. Now if you know me then you know I have no really big issues with the prequel trilogy in matter of fact I think there but if you watch The Clone Wars, they do take things from that trilogy and make them much better.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the best things surrounding the Star Wars franchise. It has a great dark tone, amazing action, great animation, and the writing is top notch. The only mix bag (for me maybe not you but it is for me) is the anthology part of the show.

My final rating is Great

So that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Feb 24th for another addition of Underrated Films. The movie for that segment will be Darren Afonofsky's The Wrestler. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Sonic the Hedgehog Review

Sonic the Hedgehog is a adventure comedy film based on the Sega video game franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. The movie is produced by Sega Sammy Group, Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, Blur Studio, and DJ2 Entertainment, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Sonic the Hedgehog is written by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller and directed by Jeff Fowler.





The story is Sonic has traveled from his world into ours. During his time in our universe he causes a power outage which grabs the attention and the government, who then hire the Dr. Robotnik to hunt him down. Sonic then teams up with a sheriff Tom Wachowski to evade capture and stop Robotnik from using his powers.

Initial Reaction



Now I was fully looking forward to this movie. Especially since recently we've got a lot of good video game movies. 2018's Tomb Raider and Rampage were good and 2019's Pokemon: Detective Pikachu was good. Sure their not going to win any awards or anything but after a long history of bad video game movies it was so refreshing to have not one, not two, but THREE good ones. Then that first trailer came out and my excitement was brought WAY DOWN! I mean really they used Gangster Paradise as the song? And of course Sonic's design.....safe to say that gave people nightmares. Luckily everything changed when the second trailer came out. Talk about an improvement.








Cons



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








Middle Ground



The biggest grey area with the movie is the script. Yes, it contains clichès, tropes, and even a bit of product placement BUT I think the audience is willing to forgive that because when you watch the film, it's clearly shown that the writers truly wanted to make a good story. There wasn't a time where it felt like the story was just made by a bunch of corporate suits thinking "Okay, just make any random story and we'll get into theaters regradless of quality". Another mix bag was the CGI. Most of the time it works other times it felt weird. Like during the final battle whenever there's a close up shot of Robotnik in his ship there's something about the effect that just didn't seem right to me.








Pros



Now let's move on to the positives, one of those being the performances mostly from Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey. I really enjoyed Ben's Sonic voice, it really fit with the character and he definitely nailed Sonic's personality. And of course you have one of the two highlights of the movie is Jim Carrey. From when he's introduced to the ending you can tell he was just having a blast playing Dr. Robotnik. Now this is beating a dead horse but you really need to give the animators credit, the design for Sonic was great. The cartoony look works for the movie, had they used that more realistic design there's no way it would have worked for the film. Especially when you take into consideration that the original design's realism wouldn't have bounced off well with someone like Carrey's animated movements, but with these redesign it works for the overall movie. So big thumbs up for the animators for all of the hard work they put in. The other aspect of Sonic the Hedgehog I enjoyed was the humor. A buddy of mine and me were just having a good laugh through and through with the movie, especially since there was a popular Sonic meme thrown in there. We thought that was brilliant. The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is it's mid-credit scene. I think it was a good sequel hook and I got really excited. And given the movie I saw I wouldn't mind a sequel.








Sonic the Hedgehog is a pretty good video game flick. What with it's performances from Jim Carrey & Been Schwartz, Sonic's design, the humor, and a good mid-credit scene. The more alright aspects are the CGI and the script.








My final rating is Good








So yeah, if you're a fan of Sonic definitely give this movie a watch. I don't really think there's anything that will truly disappoint you. Anyways that's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Feb 20th for my A Look Back at review of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That review will be in celebration of the seventh and final season of the show. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

My Sonic the Hedgehog Review is Delayed...Again

UUUUGGGGHHHHH! WHY ME?! (😂)


So yes, as the title says I'm delaying my Sonic the Hedgehog review AGAIN! What's the reason this time? Well to put it bluntly my buddy's college really sucks at scheduling a club meeting. So now we're (me and my friend) are now going to see the movie on Sunday which means my review will go up on Monday. Some of you might be asking "why don't you just see the movie with him?" Well I made a promise I wouldn't and I intend to keep that promise. Also I always got a weird feeling seeing a movie with someone that I already saw. Did anyone else get that kind of feeling?



That's all I wanted to tell, just so none of you are confused as to why my review isn't on Sunday unlike what I said in a previous post.



That's going to do it for come back on MONDAY, Feb 17th for my review for Sonic the Hedgehog, and if my buddy cancels on me again then I will go see it without him cause I ain't doing a third delay. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Thank You for the 20,000+ Views

    Hey guys. So about a week ago I discovered something that made my face light up, and that was I checked my all time views and the number at this time is 20,444! Wow. So I made this tell you that I am very thankful for all of stopping by and reading it is whatever it is that I posted whether it was uploaded today, yesterday, last week, last month or even last year. I am truly grateful for all of you coming by. Thank You.

So I hope you all come back on Sunday. Yes Sunday not Saturday for my review of Sonic the Hedgehog. If want an explanation to why it's Sunday and not Saturday like my usual recent film reviews, just click here. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Looking Back at the Films of 2019 Part 1 - Cold Pursuit & Alita: Battle Angel

Hey guys, welcome to my brand new segment Looking Back at the Films of 2019. A segment where I look at some films that I missed out on whether it be I couldn't see a showing, busy doing something else, or I wasn't interested and I missed out. So let's begin.

Why Didn't I See Cold Pursuit?



So one of the main reasons I didn't go see Cold Pursuit was because whenever I saw a trailer and TV spot it just looked another generic action flick. I mean the marketing just wasn't doing it for me. Then later on I would hear that it got generally positive reviews from critics and audience, so I finally decide to watch & review it.





What is Cold Pursuit?



Cold Pursuit is an action-thriller film produced by Summit Entertainment and StudioCanal and distributed by Summit Entertainment. Cold Pursuit was written by Frank Baldwin and directed by Hans Petter Moland. The movie tells the story of Nels Coxman, who had a simple life until his son dies under mysterious circumstances. Soon he goes on a quest for vengeance against drug lord Viking and his henchmen, however by doing this he sets off a chain of events.





My Thoughts



The Good: One thing that made Cold Pursuit a fun watch was it's not as generic as the marketing made it out to be. There's a lot of stuff going on in the movie, that helps separate it from other action movies. The other aspect I enjoyed from the movie is the cinematography. There was quite a few shots in the film that are REALLY good, wasn't expecting shot a beautifully shot flick. Another thing you'll like about the movie is the action. There isn't much but with what we got those scenes were awesome, especially that shoot out scene at the end of the movie. That was pretty cool. The final positive about Cold Pursuit and probably it's strongest asset is it's dark humor. I was not expecting to laugh as much as I did, if anything when the movie was being marketed they really should have used THAT as their main hook not just "Here's Liam Neeson seeking revenge!"




The Bad: The only issue I had with the movie was there was these two cop characters and I don't think they were utilized right. First there introduced because their working a case, then pushed aside, and then they just become the clean up crew by the end. If you're gone write characters like that, then you might as well just cut them out of the movie completely.




The Okay: The only real grey area with the film is there does become a slight pacing issue. Now I understand why that is, they wanted to develop these two gangs that are going to war with each other so of course that means things will slow down for awhile but at the same time I was wondering when will we get to the next scene.






Final Verdict: GOOD









Why Didn't I See Alita: Battle Angel?



The primary reason why I didn't see Alita: Battle Angel is simple really, I'm not a fan of the manga or anything related to mangas and/or animes. So I just decided to skip it. Even when I kept hearing good things about the film I was disinterested in it. Then my bud Brian texted me and asked if I wanted to see it and I didn't want to be rude and tell him no, so we went to see it and WOW, I almost missed out on something that's awesome. And the reason I didn't give you a review is because around that time the movie was weeks old and I want to send a review as soon as possible not when the film was released a long time ago.





What is Alita: Battle Angel?



Alita: Battle Angel is a cyberpunk action film based on Yukito Kishiro's Gunnm. The movie was produced by 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, Troublemaker Studios, and TSG Entertainment and disturbed by 20th Century Fox. Alita: Battle Angel was written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis and directed by Robert Rodriguez.





My Thoughts



The Good: One of the best things about the movie is the action. I mean...damn! Those sequences are just jaw dropping and astounding, so much so it's hard for me to pick which one I loved the most. That's how great they were. The other thing that made Alita: Battle Angel a good movie was the effects. They were perfect, there's really nothing to complain about regrading the effects there just really good. Another aspect of the movie I liked was the futuristic environment surrounding the movie. Robert Rodriguez really showed everything about this world. He showed the good side, he showed the bad side, and really the world's uglier side. It was nicely done world building. The final positive about the film is Rosa Salazar's performance. She just knocked it out of the park with her acting, what really made it work was she made the character both likable and badass.




The Bad: The only thing I truly hated about the movie was the romance between Alita and Hugo. The main problem was it's riddled with clichés. I mean there's literally a scene where they kissed in the rain. So yeah, the romance just didn't work for this movie.




The Okay: The one aspect of Alita: Battle Angel that could have used more work was the bad guys. There fine for what their worth but the really needed more development.






Final Verdict: GOOD








So that's gonna do it for me. I hoped you enjoyed this new segment, I have many more in the works. Come back next time on Thursday, Feb 13th for a special thank you message. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and maybe check out these movies whenever you get the chance.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Review

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) or simply just Birds of Prey is a comic book movie based on the DC Comics' team Birds of Prey. The movie is the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), a follow up/spin-off to 2016's Suicide Squad, and the first R-Rated film in the DCEU. The film is produced by DC Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, Kroll & Co. Entertainment, and Clubhouse Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is written by Christina Hodson and directed by Cathy Yan.



The story is after the events of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn has broken up with the Joker. She then bumps into a young girl named Cassandra Cain, who has a hit on your head from the narcissistic criminal, Black Mask. Harley then teams up with Black Canary, The Huntress, and Renee Montoya to protect Cassandra and take Black Mask down.

Initial Reaction



After 2016's Suicide Squad I was fully on board as to what would happen next with those characters. So when I heard Harley Quinn would be in movie that also involved the Birds of Prey. Then that trailer dropped I couldn't wait to see it.








Cons


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








Middle Ground


One of the biggest mix bags for the movie was it felt more like a Harley Quinn film than Birds of Prey. Meaning while the Birds do get their development and time to shine it still felt like Harley was given most of the attention. I think maybe that was done on purpose because Harley is more known to the general audience, so first movie it's her and second movie (or at least I hope there's a second movie) they can be more focused on the Birds of Prey. My another mix feeling was towards Black Mask. While the VERY twisted stuff he does in the movie make him a pretty good villain, ultimately he doesn't get much characterization. He really would have been even better had the movie given him more development.








Pros


Now for my positive things to say about Birds of Prey, one of them being the performances by Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, and Chris Messina. Margot once again hits it out of the park with her portrayal of Harley Quinn just like she did in Suicide Squad, Ewan McGregor definitely played a great twisted narcissist, and Chris Messina really nailed it with Victor Zsasz. I'm actually quite surprised more people aren't giving him credit, cause he really made Zsasz creepy just like he is in the comics. Another thing that made the movie good was Cathy Yan's directing. She made so many great shots in the movie, so of which I felt like were out of a comic and others that were just jaw dropping. The other aspect of Birds of Prey that made it a joy to watch was the action. From start to finish the action was awesome. I was really enjoying those scenes and just couldn't wait for the next one to happen. The last thing I'll say about the movie is it definitely has a great sense of humor. I was laughing everytime a joke popped up, my favorite was the running gag where bad guys are attacking Harley and she gives us their names and their grievances. That was funny.








Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a film you should really check out. While the both the Birds of Prey and Black Mask don't get that much development, what really helps the movie is the performances by Robbie, McGregor, and Messina, Yan's directing, the action, and the humor.








My final rating is Good








So yeah I really liked Birds of Prey. Anyhow, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Feb 10th for my first installment of Looking Back on the Films of 2019. The first movies on that list are Cold Pursuit and Alita: Battle Angel. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.