Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

 

Before I review the movie for my Road to Captain America: Brave New World, I thought it'd be a great idea to review the comic. And if you're wondering why I'm not including this in the Road to like I included a comic review for the Road to Superman (2025), it's simply because this comic arc had no influence on Brave New World's story. But enough of this, onto the review.

The Winter Soldier was a 2005 to 2006 storyline that was published in the 2005 volume of Captain America in issues #1-9 and 11-14. The story arc was written by Ed Brubaker (one of my faves) and primarily drawn by Steve Epting, with Michael Lark helping out with issues #2-5, 9, and 12 and John Paul Leon filling in for issue #7.

The story is, Captain America is being attacked by an assassin known as The Winter Soldier. First he sees him as just another enemy ,but after being briefed by Nick Fury he learns that he's someone from his World War II days. Now with this shocking revelation, Cap wonders if he'll be able to take him down.

• Negatives

I don't have a single negative thing to say.

• Mix

Got nothing here either.

• Positives

First off, let me start off with Steve Epting and Michael Lark's art. It's astounding. Many Christmases ago, when my uncle bought me the first volume of this series, I couldn't look away from what Epting and Lark drew, I was awestruck. I thought it looked like a movie but in a comic format. Which funny enough seven years later, it came true.

My next praise is how this was the relaunch that Captain America needed. A couple of years before this volume, back in 2002 to be more precise, Marvel did relaunch Cap for their Marvel Knights imprint. For anybody that doesn't know, that imprint was for more mature stories but not fully adult like their MAX imprint. Basically the story was John Ney Rieber (the writer) had Steve Rogers go fight the war on terror directly in the aftermath of 9/11. Now I can't comment on the quality of those stories, because I haven't read them. But what I do know is they did slowly move away from that and went back to Cap fighting supervillains. So luckily for Marvel and us fans, Ed Brubaker gave us that post-9/11 espionage. And that was a really great time to do it because during the mid-2000s that's where a lot of entertainment was. There was realism, but still bits of entertainment to be had. In other words, while it had political themes, it wasn't political. Something a lot of current year comic "pros" can't seem to get a grasp on.

The last praise I'll give is the story. Now I never read any of Ed Brubaker's previous works, but after reading this I just had to read what else this guy wrote and what he's writing both during and after Captain America. One praise is how he did a great reveal for Winter Soldier. Earlier issues of this storyline had brief teases. We actually don't get a full reveal until the end of issue six, and his full origin unit issue eleven. So unless you already seen the movie, you have this anticipation and you're guessing who could it be? There's also some great retcons. Once again, for anybody who doesn't know, a retcon is basically a story device that offers new information from a previously established part of a story, mostly for dramatic purposes. Or to try to make sense of an inconsistency. But we got the more dramatic one, which is great. Especially since Brubaker made Marvel's World War II much like ours. Yes we had some truly brave men fighting, but there was a lot of complexities that happened during that time. My last praise for the story is how Captain America is really put through the ringer in this. He is being messed with both psychologically and emotionally. He's more than likely has some form of PTSD and just to add even more weight on his shoulders, he has to confront his guilt. Because of these hurdles, you feel bad for Captain America, you're hoping he gets redemption and hopefully in typical superhero fashion save the day. These aspects are what made this story one of my favorites.

The Winter Soldier is the story arc that changed Captain America for the better, and no matter how many times I've read it it still thrills me.

My final rating is, A MUST READ!

That's all for now. Come back on Thursday, Nov 7th, for part two of the Road to Captain America: Brave New World, with my review of the movie version of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Underrated Films - Wolfen

 

Wolfen is a crime horror movie, that's based on Whitley Strieber's 1978 book The Wolfen. Orion Pictures did production with distribution duties going towards Warner Bros. Wolfen was written by Michael Wadleigh and David M. Eyre J. and directed by Michael Wadleigh.

The story is, there's been a series of bizarre, vicious murders which are first thought to from wild animals. Because of the odd nature, former NYPD captain Dewey Wilson is called in to solve the case. But the more Dewey uncovers, the more he realizes these are animal attacks, but they're by no means simple.

Why It's Underrated

The movie, much like many others, is just not well known. It really goes under the radar especially since when people think of a 1981 wolf film, the first ones that'll come to mind are either An American Werewolf in London or The Howling.

My Thoughts

Now I do want to slightly criticize some things. First off, Wadleigh is a very talented director. He did a fantastic job with handling the movie, for 99.99% of the time. Where he slightly lost me was his overuse of the "Wolfen Vision". Basically it use seeing this from the wolves' point of view. But sometimes we'll get a pov that'll leave us confused on how many wolves there are or point of views where the wolves really shouldn't be able to see anything.

The there's the story. Don't get it wrong, the murder mystery is fine, the creepier points are pretty good, and the message was fine, but the ending dialogue really shouldn't have been included. All it does is tell you exactly what the message, and in a very ham-fisted way even though you already put the pieces together.

Alright now let's talk about the truly positives aspects, with the more interesting spin. Let me state that this isn't a werewolf movie, that's a misconception. It's more in line with nature attacking, but with a very subtle element put into it. I would tell you what that is, but when it comes to this segment, I prefer if you guys go figure it out yourselves if you want to give the movie a try.

Then we move onto the cinematography. Michael Wadleigh and Gerry Fisher did a tremendous job with the look of the movie. New York looks decayed, creepy, but yet still has a beauty to it.

The last thing I'll credit is the suspense. This movie really takes it, but it felt worth it because it's only a matter of time before the tension finally breaks. Which it does in a very fun finale battle.

Wolfen has flaws but there's still a lot of good in it. However if you prefer the previously mentioned An American Werewolf in London or The Howling well I'm not gonna argue. Those are some pretty sweet movies.

My final rating is, Good.

My not have ended this Halloween season with a huge bang, but hey, it's better than ending with some hugely disappointing like Exorcist: Believer. Anyhow, that's all for now. Come back on Monday, Nov 4th, for my comic book review of, Captain America: Winter Soldier. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃

Looking Back at the Films of 2023 Part Nine - The Exorcist: Believer

 

Well, it's yet another edition of Looking Back, so let's not waste with a long opening and get right to it.

Why Didn't I See The Exorcist: Believer?

It's the usual there wasn't a showing.

What is The Exorcist: Believer?

The Exorcist: Believer is a supernatural horror movie that even though it's the sixth one in the franchise, it serves as a sequel to the classic 1973 film. Production was done by Blumhouse Productions, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Rough House Productions, with distribution handled by Universal Pictures. The script was written by David Gordon Gordon, Peter Sattler, Scott Teems, and Danny McBride and was directed by David Gordon Green.

The story is, two girls named Angela and Katherine performed a séance in the attempt to contact Angela's mother. Then after being missing and found, the two while be traumatized still seem normal. But as time goes by it's made clear that something has taken over the two innocent souls.

My Thoughts

The Good: I've got nothing.

The Bad: Oh boy, there's quite a few things wrong, let's start of with how there's barely any character. These people are so uninteresting. So much so I can't remember their names. Hell, I had to look who the two possessed girls were just so my synopsis didn't repeatedly keep calling them the two possessed girls or the girls. They try, emphasis on TRY, to make us care by having the parents be scared and concerned, but it takes more than that. It worked with Regan and Chris in the original because we got to see them be a loving mother and daughter to each other before the possession. We don't get that with Angela's dad or Katherine's family. A matter of fact we know nothing about Katherine's family other than they're evangelical Christians, but that's it. Then we have the scares or lack there of. With the 1973 movie we get this uneasy feeling before the possession and then the messed up stuff with the possessed Regan, with this movie I felt nothing. Sure I wasn't bored out of my mind, but I wasn't exactly thrilled either. I was just...indifferent. Not exactly the feeling you want to give your audience no matter what the movie genre is. The last thing I'll touch on and it's its biggest problem, and that's it offers nothing new. Both for the Exorcist series and the possession genre. They even ripoff the whole is it possession or insanity and the "Help Me" craved into the skin bit.

The Okay: Well the cinematography looked decent enough. Not mind blowing, but still something, and that's better than nothing at all.

Final Verdict: Bad.

Yeah this movie isn't very good, but I can't say it's the worst out of the franchise. That infamous title goes to Exorcist II: The Heretic.

So yeah, that's all for now. Originally I was gonna end here, but this is just a sad way to end the Halloween season. So instead, come back on Thursday, Oct 31st, for an Underrated Films review of 1981's Wolfen. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Venom: The Last Dance Review

 

Venom: The Last Dance is a comic book movie based on Marvel Comics' anti-hero Venom. It's the sequel to Let There Be Carnage, the conclusion to the trilogy, and the fifth Sony's Spider-Man Universe installment. Production was done by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Matt Tolmach Productions, Pascal Pictures, TSG Entertainment, and Hutch Parker Entertainment, along with Hardy Son & Baker, with Sony Pictures Releasing handling distribution. The movie is written by Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy and directed by Kelly Marcel.

The story is, Eddie Brock & Venom are still on the run after their battle with Carnage. At first it was very simple, but things take a drastic turn when both military operatives and an unknown alien creature are chasing them down. They later they must make a devastating decision. One or both of them must die in order to protect the world.

Initial Reaction

The reason for wanting to see this was because I actually don't mind these. I'll admit they're not perfect, but they're far from being the worst comic book movies ever made. Also, I reviewed the previous two Venon movies, so why stop now?

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

Now the biggest mix bag is the story. There does seem to be a pretty good story in this, but there's some hiccups along the way. An example is a character will do something not very smart and then oh no something bad happened. Not too mention but it does seem like there was some character driven moments, but it seems to be an abridged version.

Pros

One credit to give is the humor. Much like the previous two there's a good sense of humor, sometimes it doesn't work, but I've seen far worse. Then there's the visual effects. One of the two consistent things to this movie series have been the good work on the VFX teams' part. Really great stuff, especially on the Xenophage (that's the creature hunting Eddie & Venom). That thing looked awesome. I also enjoyed the action. I was very entertained. There was tons of fun to be had, and I certainly enjoyed the chase through the river and the final fight with a whole bunch of Xenophages. The last thing I'll credit is Tom Hardy's performance. If there's one thing we can agree on, or hopefully agree on, it's that despite the questionable quality, Tom Hardy provides a great performance. Whether he has to goofy and/or serious, he's great in this role.

While there are issues with the movie, I can't say it's the worst in Sony's cinematic universe. That crown still goes to Madame Web.

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Oct 28th, for part nine of Looking Back at the Films of 2033. For that one I'll be reviewing The Exorcist: Believer. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Classic Film Night - Misery

 

Misery is a psychological thriller horror movie. It's based on Stephen King's 1987 novel with the same name. Production was done by Castle Rock Entertainment and Nelson Entertainment with distribution by Columbia Pictures. Misery was written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner.

The story is, famed novelist Paul Sheldon is planning the next phase of his career after finishing the last book in his successful Misery romance series. While traveling back to his home, he's caught in a blizzard and crashes his car which results in him being badly injured. He's soon rescued by a big fan of his novels. At first she's very kind, but he quickly finds out she's not what she seems.

My Thoughts

One praise I'll give is there are a few comedic moments. Not too many and they don't wind up either clashing with the movie's tone and/or ruin the tension. They're mainly just there for a breather. A let's take a step back for a brief moment then get right back on track.

Speaking of tension, wow. The suspense is perfect. Any time Paul makes a plan to escape or tries to outsmart Annie, a sense of dread just engulfs you. This film can really mess with you psychologically.

Now let's move onto Rob Reiner's directing. The movie looks really good. Not to mention, but Reiner seemed like he took some of Alfred Hitchcock's tricks when making this. However, he still managed to make this movie his own.

The other fantastic aspect of Misery is the performances from Kathy Bates and James Caan. First Kathy. She earned that Best Actress Academy Award. She's phenomenal. It's amazing how she's able to go from sweet to psycho in what feels like the snap of a finger. And what's amazing is this was her breakout hit, but yet it feels like she's done these award winning roles before. Then there's Caan. While he was overshadowed by Kathy, he still provides a great performance as well. The most challenging then he had to do was act on top of acting. What I mean is he has to act like what the character is normally, then he has to have his character pretend that he's falling in love with Annie, even though he isn't. That is a tremendous challenge, and James Caan successfully nails it.

Now for the woman herself, Annie Wilkes. This is definitely one of the top villains in not just in a Stephen King adaptation, but one of the top villains in cinema. She's clearly and unhealthy living in her own twisted little world. There's also the way she goes about killing. She kills because she wants to protect her made up world, kills for personal gain like say to get a promotion, but the scariest of all, there's one scene where Paul is looking at her memory lane book, and she committed murders while treating patients as a nurse. But there's no motivate giving, so there's a good chance she probably just killed for the sake of killing. But what truly makes Annie disturbing, is the fact she can be real. Think about it. Think of all of the celebrities that were killed by an obsessed fan, or were almost killed by an obsessed fan. There's a very good chance they're just like Annie.

I love Misery. It's a great movie to watch both regularly and for the Halloween season.

My final rating is, A MUST WATCH!

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Oct 26th, for my review of Venom: The Last Dance. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Scream 4 Review

 

Scream 4 is a slasher movie and the fourth installment of the franchise. It was produced by The Weinstein Company, Outerbanks Entertainment, and Corvus Corax Productions and distributed by Dimension Films. Scream 4 was written by the returning Kevin Williamson and once again is directed by Wes Craven, but this would sadly be his last movie before he passed away on Aug 30th, 2015.

The story is, it's the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders, and because of that this has drawn the attention of a brand new Ghostface, who intends to make a remake.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

The only gray area is the characters, mainly the new ones. Sidney, Gale, and Dewey are still the best things out of the franchise, while the newer ones were just okay. I didn't overly like them, but at the end of the day they were serviceable. Expect for Kirby, she was actually pretty cool. I liked her.

• Positives

Now for the good stuff, where one of those is the humor. Some great jokes whether they were meta or not. There was a pretty good gay joke in there. Remember when you could make those and not have people give you shit about it?

The next thing I'll praise is the violence. If you were disappointed with how tone down Scream 3 was, well don't worry, this one's got you covered. Scream 4 has violence come back with a vengeance. The kills are way more unhinged. And when it's not just the kills, Ghostface's phone calls are also absolutely insane. I remember one where it was "You hang up on me and I'll cut through your neck until I feel bone!" Yeah, Ghostface is a bit more hate fueled this time around.

The last thing I'll give credit to is on the movie touched upon social media. Basically that's the killer's motivation. To get famous by using social media to show Ghostface's kills, which in return will make their survivor status all the more shocking and/or inspiring. Now initially back in 2011 I did kinda groan because I thought it was the movie trying to be relevant. But now I realize it is relevant even to this day. We seen or read about people doing horribly violent things and then upload them in the vain hope on getting clout.

Scream 4 is pretty good. While not without its flaws, the movie still provides a very entertaining experience.

My final rating is, Good.

Wow, until Scream 7 comes out I have officially reviewed all of the Scream movies. Anyways, that's all for me. Come back on Thursday, Oct 28

4th, for my Classic Film Night review of Misery. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Smile 2 Review

Smile 2 is a psychological supernatural horror movie and the sequel to 2022's Smile. It's produced by Temple Hill Entertainment and Bad Feeling and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Smile 2 is written and directed by Parker Finn.

The story is, pop-star Skye Riley is making a comeback tour after a highly publicized struggle with both substance abuse and a car crash that killed her boyfriend. Just before a show, Skye goes to a dealer where she witnesses him killing himself just before freaking out and giving her a disturbing smile. Now, Skye is being haunted an entity that killed another woman not too long ago.

Initial Reaction

It's very simple as to why I wanted to see this. The first movie was surprisingly good and I was curious where the sequel would go.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

I'll keep this part of the review short because it's exactly the same mix feeling I had with the previous movie. That being Parker Finn's directing. Again, the movie looks stunning, but again, Parker makes some unusual choices. Maybe there's a reason behind it and it's just me missing something, but it was so odd choices.

Pros

One credit to give the movie is once again Parker focuses on people's struggles. The guy seems to have a knack for writing stories of how horrible events can really mess people up. So go job there Mr. Finn. I also liked the horror, but not just with the evil entity. This is something I wished I brought up in my review of the first, but while the demon is scary and the jump scares are actually worth it, what I found most terrifying with both movies is how we sadly see our main characters lose their grip on reality. And it goes without saying but that's scary because you actually picture that happening. Cut out the supernatural element and you can picture somebody, maybe yourself, a family member, or friend, one moment seem normal and next then you know they look like they're breaking down mentally. Which brings me to the ending. I found it to be a great "Oh sh*t! What's gonna happen next?" I won't give it away, but if there's ever a Smile 3, I'd be very interested in seeing that. But if we don't because this is where Parker Finn wants to stop, then I'd be fine with that because then it'll be a great "Well those people are royal screwed" ending. My last praise goes to Naomi Scott. This woman held nothing back. She was in full force with her acting. If there's any other reason to see this, it'd be for her performance.

While it has flaws, Smile 2 is just like it's predecessor where it's actually pretty good and you'll have a fun time.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Oct 21st, for my review of Scream 4. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.