Kamen America: Stars & Strife Review

 

So while planning out the next installment of the Road to Avengers: Doomsday I came to a sudden realization. That being I've been reviewing one too many DC and Marvel comic books. I haven't reviewed a comic outside of those two since June 2025. Almost an entire year. So I decided to change that by reviewing some indie comics. Starting with one I've seen and read getting high praise from people I follow on X for years.

Kamen America: Stars & Strife is a 2020 superhero comic published originally by Antarctic Press before reprints were later published by Iconic Comics. This volume not only serves as the debut of the Kamen America series but it's also the first chapter it the Stars & Strife saga. The story was written by Mark Pellegrini and Timothy Lim, the latter of who also did the artwork.

The story is, Carly Vanders is an inspiring fashion designer who was just trying to get her name out there and selling her clothes. Then after a USO show Carly is hit by radioactive debris and given electric superpowers. She later becomes the hero Warhen...but that doesn't work out and she becomes Kamen America.

• Negatives

I've got nothing here so just move on to the next part.

• Mix

It's the story. It's very simplistic. Now don't get the wrong idea, I still liked the story overall. It's still got a bit of fun to it, but at the same time the only surprise comes from the cliff hanging ending. Other than that a very straightforward story. But despite there's still a lot of fun to be had. And what also saves the story from being a boring read is Carly. Not only is pretty likable, but she has a good arc of at first just putting up with corporate control before having enough and branching out on her own.

• Positives

Let's start off with the tone. Now if any of you know me, then you know I really dig superhero stories that can be darker and more intense. From Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns to Alan Moore's Watchmen to Garth Ennis' run on The Punisher to Mark Millar's Old Man Logan to everything in-between. However, I'm also not against more lighter toned superhero stories. So I did like the tone to this. Especially since the comic does provide a lot development for Carly as a previously mentioned.

Now this also has a lot of comedy to it. No it's not MCU humor where a serious movement is ruined by a stupid joke. I mean there's moments in the dialogue where I actually burst out laughing. One moment being how Carly thinks she's being enlisted but it was just a simple job offer. But the story also has satire regarding that corporate control. The personification of that being Lansky. The guy is so obsessed with chasing trends that he only named Carly "Warhen" because "chickens are big money" but funnier than he told Carly to lie about her parents being alive because and I quote "You can't be a hero unless you're an orphan!". Yes, that's an actual quote from the comic and it's hilarious.

The last thing I'll praise is Timothy Lim's art work. First let me provide some examples to give you a taste.

Now Timothy Lim does have some western elements to it, but there's also some manga elements as well. But regardless of which kind of elements are in his art, Lim's style gives characters get expressions and a lot strong action scenes. The art can be detailed and has an energy to it, while also being very bright and colorful.

All in all, after hearing about this comic since 2020 and finally getting around to reading it, I can safely said I really liked it. I might have to read the other volumes after this because I also read those getting high praise.

My final rating is, Good.

That's gonna wrap things up. Come back on Saturday, Jun 13th, for my review of the newest Steven Spielberg movie, Disclosure Day. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Street Fighter (2026) - Street Fighter (1994) Review

 

Back on the road to Street Fighter (2026). And this time I'm looking at the more infamous Street Fighter movie.

Street Fighter (or as it's fully titled Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle or sometimes called Street Fighter: The Movie) is marital arts action movie based on the video game series of the same name, more specifically Street Fighter II. It was also one of two Street Fighter films released in 1994. Edward R. Pressman Productions and Capcom Co. Ltd. produced with Universal Pictures acting as distributor. Steven E. de Souza both wrote and direct.

The story is, M. Bison has kidnapped sixty-three relief workers and has demanded twenty billion dollars in three days or he'll kill all of them. Colonel Guile refuses to give in to Bison's ransom and instead leads his team to put an end to Bison once and for all.

• Negatives

The biggest problem with the movie is it really doesn't follow the source material it's supposedly based on. For starters a lot of the characters don't look like how they look in the game. Let me quiz you, tell me. Who is she supposed to be? 👇🏻

Don't know? Well I can't blame you. This is supposed to Cammy White. Yes, she is supposed to be this character.

The only thing they got was the blonde hair and pig tails. And it's not just Cammy that has this problem. A huge majority of the characters are like. Gulie's not only not wearing his green tank top shirt or camouflage pants, instead his colors have been swapped for a blue color palette. He doesn't even have his exaggerated flattop. And as for the poster boys of the franchise, Ryu and Ken, they're unrecognizable. Ken doesn't have his long blonde hair and Ryu never wears his red bandana. Okay, let's say you can forgive the characters not looking like what they're supposed to be, do they at least act like themselves? Nope. Gulie is an All American American but Jean-Claude Van Damme doesn't even sound like him. He just talks like Van Damme, accent and all. Then you've got Ryu and Ken. In the game Ryu and Ken are both warriors, with Ryu in particular being a wandering warrior. But here they're con men/gun runners. And oftentimes they're the wise crackers. They don't even have a friendly rivalry between them. Chun-Li isn't an interpol agent, here she's a reporter. The only thing the two Chun-Li's have in common other than their names is the fact they want to avenge their dads' death. But the biggest change of them all is Blanka. In the games Blanka is a mutated feral fighter from the jungle, in the movie he was one of Gulie's soldiers and exterminated on to be a super soldier. And there's so many other things that the movie doesn't get right.

Alright let's get into storytelling. Now at first it seems simple enough, Bison demands a ransom or people will die but the good guys want to stop that. But as the movie goes on the story becomes more and more of a mess. For instance, Gulie and Chun-Li want to put a stop to M. Bison whether it's personal or not. Okay, simple enough and that gives those two good story arcs. But then out of nowhere characters who really haven't done anything all of a sudden get storylines. Ryu, for example, man they got nothing right with him did they? Anyways, Ryu spends most of the movie being a con man turned inside spy for Gulie. But then during the climax of the movie he [Ryu] and Ken have a brief argument and Ryu mentions about finally fighting for something worth fighting for. I'm sorry...what? 😆 When did this deeper arc happen? 😆 There was zero indication that he was having a philosophical struggle about fighting for something. It's like Souza remembered at the last minute "Oh yeah, Ryu is a fan favorite who's deep character. I should probably do something about that". 😆

There's also a tone problem. One moment it's played as a straight face military action thriller, then out of nowhere it's being campy. This makes the film very uneven.

• Mix

It's the action. Now gun fights maybe standard but fun. When it comes to explosions, shootouts, vehicle chases, and the raid on Shadaloo, it all works in a fun 90's action flick way. Martial arts on the other leaves a lot to be desired. Van Damme is great helped by the fact he knows martial arts. So his movements are both authentic and powerful. Others are decent but there are times when you can tell a quick edit or camera angle is used to hide weaknesses.

• Positives

So is there any redeeming qualities to this? Well yes, there are! Starting with some genuine, and that's Raúl Juliá as M. Bison. He actually delivers a truly magnetic performance with some campy moments spread throughout. And if you ask me his "It was Tuesday" quote is probably a very underrated villain line. He was so good in this he was actually posthumously nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. That's how good he was.

The last thing I'll praise is the movie does have an infectious energy to it. From the campy one-liners to over the top villiany, the movie is actually pretty enjoyable to watch despite how bad it is.

Guys, this a beautiful mess of a film. If you want to watch something cheesy, you gotta give this a watch.

My final rating is, So Bad, It's Good.

That's all for now. Due come back on Thursday, Jun 11th, for my review of an indie comic book. Which one? Come back on Thursday and find out. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Scary Movie (2026) Review

 

Well we had to wait a couple years but we finally have a brand new Scary Movie. But does it truly cross every line or was that just for marketing?

Scary Movie (2026) or as we all know it as Scary Movie 6, is a parody film that spoofs movies such as the newest Scream films, Halloween (2018), among others and acts as the sixth film in the series. Production was done Miramax and Wayans Bros. Entertainment with Paramount Pictures acting as the distributor. The Wayans Bros. return to write the screenplay along with Rick Alvarez, but the director is Michal Tiddes.

The story is, 26 years ago Cindy and friends encountered a masked serial killer and he sadly got away. Now, the killer is back and Cindy and the gang must find out who it is this time before the killer can get to them.

Initial Reaction

After Scary Movie 5 way back in 2013, I always thought that was gonna lead to more Scary Movies. But then years went by and I thought it was never gonna happen. Then it all changed when the teaser trailer dropped and I couldn't be anymore happier. Especially since the Wayans brothers were coming back, that was also a major selling point for me.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

Unsurprisingly it's the comedy. Now I did have a lot of good laughs throughout the movie, but there were moments where jokes or gags didn't hit. But what about that other aspect? What about the whole "Every Line Will Be Crossed" tagline they kept using for the marketing? Did they actually go through with it? Yeah, they did. There were actually jokes that today's generation are gonna find offensive. Although they find 99.99% of stuff offensive anyways sooo 🤷🏻‍♂️. Joking aside, the Wayans bros. and Rick Alvarez did actually commit. There's jokes regarding a trans character, an Epstein files joke, and a dialogue gag about #MeToo.

The other slight issue was the pacing. Now the beginning and ending have good pacing, time just flies by. But that middle proportion is a different story. Sometimes the middle can go by just fine, other times it does drag a bit.

Pros

The biggest praise to give goes to Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans. It was amazing to see the big four back together again. They still have great timing and still bounce off very well. And much like Scary Movie 3 and 4, Faris and Hall are carrying a lot of the movie. But Marlon and Shawn Wayans do a tremendous job to. I loved hearing and seeing Shawn as Ray and killing it with the character's antics and Ray once again trying to convince everyone he's not gay. As for Marlon I loved seeing him be Shorty again. I was smiling ear to ear whenever Shorty was on-screen and Marlon didn't lose his touch with this character.

While it wasn't the big triumphant return I was expecting, I still had a lot of fun with Scary Movie (2026).

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. Come back on Jun 8th, for when I return to the Road to Street Fighter (2026) with my review of the 1994 live-action film. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Scary Movie (2026) - Scary Movie 5 Review

 

Here we are! The last stop before Scary Movie (2026)!

Scary Movie 5 (or as it's stylized on-screen Scary MoVie) is parody film that serves as a more standalone sequel to the last movie and is the fifth installment of the franchise. This is also so far the only movie in the series not feature Anna Faris and Regina Hall. The flicks being spoofed this time around are the Paranormal Activity films along with others such as Mama, Sinister, Evil Dead (2013), among others. Pat Proft returns once again to write the screenplay, and while David Zucker has also returned he just wrote the screenplay. This time around it's Malcolm D. Lee who's directing.

The story is, an eccentric couple has adopted their nephew and nieces after a tragic event. Soon, strange occurrences start happening around the house so the couple install video cameras to investigate. They soon discover their being targeted by a malevolent demon. Now the family must find a way to get rid of this demon and get their lives back to normal.

• Negatives

Nothing here, so just move on.

• Mix

The biggest mix bag is the humor. I know I've been saying that since the first movie, but here it was really really hit or miss. I did find quite a few things to laugh about. Like the various metaphors for lesbian sex. That's was pretty good. Even the opening with Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan had some good gags in it. But there were a few moments that just didn't work. There's a Madea gag that was pointless because 1) That's a comedy thus it's already making fun of itself and 2) You could've cut those two scenes or rewrote them and nothing would've changed. Inception is a modern classic but it came out in 2010 while this came out in 2013. So Scary Movie 5 taking the piss out of it was outdated. And I'm pretty sure the parody of Fifty Shades of Grey was here because "Hey look! Popular thing!" Not to mention but this entry really didn't have any bite to it. Out of all of the Scary Movie flicks this was the least edgy. People can complain on and on about how offensive they the previous movies were and how offensive the trailers for the sixth film are, but at least that'll be be something to talk about. With this one not only is it the weakest but it'll be forgotten time and time again.

• Positives

I'm gonna keep somethings brief because some of my praise is just gonna be repeats from praises I've given to the previous movies. One of those being is the pacing. Even if Scary Movie 5 has some issues, it still continues the tradition of these movies never wasting anytime.

My last praise goes to the performances from Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex. We've seen Rex handle the hilarity in these franchise before with the third and fourth movies. And he's no different here. He was great, and most of his best parts are how well his delivery is. Then we have Ashley Tisdale. Now I know she's done stuff outside of Disney, but when I watched this for the first time I couldn't help but think about her as Maddie from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody or Sharpay from High School Musical. So I hate to admit it but I didn't have to much faith in her, thankfully I was surprised. Sure she's no Anna Faris, but she was still fully committed to all of the bits. She even has some pretty good chemistry with Simon Rex. So yeah, surprisingly Ashley Tisdale did pretty good.

I read that this movie was critically panned which made me worried at first. Now don't get the wrong idea, this is by far and currently the weakest out of all of the Scary Movies. But by the end I couldn't say I was disappointed.

My final rating is, a very low Okay.

So that's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Jun 6th, for my review of Scary Movie (2026) aka Scary Movie 6. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Looking Back at the Films of 2025 Part Five - Clown in a Cornfield and Fear Street: Prom Queen

 

Alright, we've got another Films of 2025. So let's dive in.

Why Didn't I See Clown in a Cornfield?

As per usual I'm gonna be honest with you. The reason I didn't see this movie was because of the title. Clown in a Cornfield. I was aware it was a horror movie, but with that title I thought it was gonna be a horror-comedy. Only more Scary Movie and less Black Sheep or Evil Dead 2. And before you, no. I didn't see any marketing for this movie. I didn't see a YouTube ad or commercial on tv. So with all of this in mind I figured nobody would care if I skipped it. Only later I would kick myself because not only did it get some pretty decent reviews, but it was directed by the same guy who brought of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, and I love that movie.

What is Clown in a Cornfield?

Clown in a Cornfield is a slasher movie based on the 2020 novel of the same name. Temple Hill Entertainment and Rhea Films were in charge of production, while RLJE Films and Shudder were the distributors. Eli Craig directed and wrote the script with Carter Blanchard.

The story is, Quinn Maybrook and her father Glenn have recently moved to Kettle Springs. At first glance it seems like all Quinn has to look forward to is small town living and hanging with her new friends. That all changes when the group of friends realize someone dressed as mascot named Frendo the Clown is out to kill each and everyone of them.

My Thoughts

The Good: Let's start with the pacing. To make a long story short, this movie doesn't waste any moment of its runtime. And as per usual with your slasher flicks you get some pretty intense kills and those kills capture the fun slasher this movie is going for. The last thing I'll praise is Katie Douglas' performance. She carries the movie pretty well. She was able to greatly show Quinn's struggle of moving to a different place, kind of struggle at first to fit in, enjoy having new friends, and be scared out of her mind.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: First let's go over the good stuff. This is pure slasher fun. You got everything you want in your slasher movie. Deranged masked killer ✅, teens partying and then being hunted ✅, escalating body count ✅✅. But where the story dips just a little bit during the finale moments it all of a sudden of some sort of theme. Yeah once the villain reveal themselves they've got a speech and the speech has themes of generations clashing, resentment towards the younger kids, and thinking the town was better before. But like I said those themes come in later, near the end. And by the time you get to the ending you're not going "Oh, that all makes sense.". You're going "Wait, that's what this was all about?" So slasher vibes are done perfectly, deeper themes not so much.

Final Verdict: Good.

Why Didn't I See Fear Street: Prom Queen?

Now I did review the original trilogy, so why didn't I review this one then? Well I had the brilliant idea of not reviewing this but reviewing the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch....to say I regret that decision would be an understatement.

What is Fear Street: Prom Queen?

Fear Street: Prom Queen is a slasher movie that loosely bases its story on the Fear Street the novel The Prom Queen by famed Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, and serves as the fourth film in the franchise. Production was done by Chernin Entertainment with Netflix once again being the distributor. Matt Palmer not only directed but wrote the screenplay with Donald McLeary.

The story is, it's 1988 and everyone is getting ready for prom. This includes outcast Lori Granger who doesn't think she has a chance at winning Prom Queen not only because she'll be going up against queen bee Tiffany Falconer and the rest of group of friends called "The Wolfpack", but because of the rumor that her mother killed her father. But rumors and prom pressure will be the least of everybody's worries when a masked killer has invited himself to the party and seems to be killing people at random.

My Thoughts

The Good: I'm gonna be very quick with what I found good about this movie, the reason being it's very similar to my praises to Clown in a Cornfield. One of those being the pacing. If you want an easy to get through slasher film, well this is one of those movies that has you covered. We also get a good slasher vibe. Only this time it's 80's edition. So you got some classic 80's songs playing, some big hair, and some old school chaos. A matter of fact this really reminded me of Prom Night. And I mean that in a respectful manner. And the last thing I'll praise is the kills. You could view these as not the most creative, but you can't say they weren't boring.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: It's the story. This movie actually has a slightly similar issue just like Clown in a Cornfield does. The similar stuff is you got a fun slasher movie out of this. It even checks a lot of the same boxes. So there still is a fun movie to be had. But Fear Street: Prom Queen's dip is very different from Clown in a Cornfield's. Clown's problem was the themes came in too late, Prom Queen's problem is it doesn't add anything to the Fear Street lore. Sure the mid-credit scene had a very familiar looking symbol to it but, if you watched the previous movies like I did you're not gonna be surprised by the symbol's appearance. But if you watch this first and not the trilogy, then you're just gonna be confused by the marking.

Final Verdict: Okay.

That's all for now. Come back on Thursday, Jun 4th, for the last stop on my Road to Scary Movie (2026). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Spider-Man Noir Review

 

With Spider-Noir released to the public, I figured I celebrate the show by reviewing the comic that gave us such a beloved alternate verison of the classic Webhead.

Spider-Man Noir is a 2008 miniseries published by Marvel Comics and can be found in the 2008 edition simply titled Spider-Man Noir. It was written by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky and drawn by Carmine Di Giandomenico.

The story is, in an alternate universe of 1933 New York. The crime boss Norman "The Goblin" Osborn has corrupted everything. But when a spider bites young Peter Parker, he becomes The Spider-Man. Now, Peter will do whatever he has to take down The Goblin and avenge the brutal murder of his Uncle Ben.

• Negatives

I've got nothing. So just move on to the next part.

• Mix

It all comes down to the story. We get to see a new version of Peter/Spider-Man who has no problem using lethal force when needed. We also see Norman/Goblin be more of a crime boss and a other Spidey rogues as circus talents and freaks. While also having the story touch upon things like power abuse during the New Deal era. However because of the miniseries format a lot of the story elements are rushed. One moment Noir Peter's just a regular guy but the moment after the spider bites him, he's swinging around New York and fighting villains with the amount of easy the main continuity Spider-Man has despite the fact we never see do any sort of training.

• Positives

One bit of praise to give is the world-building. Now there are other Marvel Noir comics out there, but I'm strictly writing about the world in this one, and I gotta say it's some good stuff. This is a very lived-in setting. Filled with corrupted politicians, mob bosses, and economic despair. The writers also did a fantastic job at the previously mentioned way they reimagined Spider-Man's usual villains. This 1930s setting feels very much liked a grounded crime thriller you'd expect to see in old 1930s noir films.

The last thing I'll touch upon is the art. While Di Giandomenico isn't on my list of my top favorite comic book artists, I can't deny he did a good job. The design for Noir Spider-Man is perfect, but most importantly Di Giandomenico has some very strong backgrounds. He also conveyed proverty in the tragic manner it is, and his moody shadows deserves two thumbs up.

While I did mention some slight issues with the story, Spider-Man Noir is still a good read. So if you're a fan of Noir Spidey because of the Spider-Verse animated movies, you definitely need to get this. Especially since this is where it all became for this version of Spider-Man.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. I apologize for uploading this so late, but I was celebrating Memorial Day with my family. Anyways, come back on Thursday, May 28th, for part five of Looking Back at the Films of 2025. Until then, I hope you all have a very Happy Memorial Day. Especially for the ones who served and are serving.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Review

 

It's been several years since The Rise of Skywalker but we finally have a new Star Wars movie. The question is is it a hit or a miss?

The Mandalorian and Grogu (sometimes called Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu) is a sci-fi movie, and it's not only thirteenth theatrical film but also a continuation of The Mandalorian tv series. Production was Lucasfilm Ltd. and Fairview Entertainment with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures acting as the distributor. Jon Favreau not only directed but also wrote the screenplay with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor.

The story is, Din Djarin and Grogu are now working for the New Republic to hunt down Imperial warlords. After another successful mission Din is hired to find the mysterious Coin, but first he must help the Hutt twins find Jabba's son Rotta in exchange for info on Coin.

Initial Reaction

Now I would've been excited for this way back, but after watching season three I really wasn't all that excited anymore. Not because season three was bad or anything, it's just that Din's role was reduced too much. But I figured I've give a chance anyways because why not? I'm a Star Wars guy and we finally have a new movie after so many years, so why not give it a chance.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

It all comes down to the story. Now there's a lot of good stuff about the story. There's plenty of fun and action to be had, but more importantly what draws you in are Din and Grogu's bond. That father-son dynamic is just as strong here as it was in the show. One my absolute favorite moments from this movie is when Din is greatly ill and it's up to Grogu to take care of him. It might be simple, but I think everyone whether they're a son or not can relate to having to take care of their parent after so many years of your parent taken care of you when you were sick. The slight problem stems from the fact you can help but that "extended episode" feeling. Cause sometimes I swear this feels like episodes of the show stitched together, whether that's the actually case or not I don't know. Maybe people will be comfortable with that familiar feeling, but the thing is this a movie. And when your tv show is given a movie deal you really got make it [the movie] feel like a big moment.

Pros

Now one praise I want to quickly get out of the way because I've praised it so much that I really don't have anything new to say is Pedro Pascal's vocal performance as Din Djarin and the physical performances from Brendan Wayne & Lateef Crowder. All three of these once again did a get job providing Din's voice, body language, and combat skills. They've been killing it since season one of the show and here in the movie it's no different. I also want to praise the action. While I read that element has mixed feelings my p.o.v. I thought it was actual pretty good. It provides all the fun you want from a Star Wars project that doesn't involve Jedi and Sith. The last thing I'll touch on is the set pieces. I don't know how much was green screen and how much was shot on location, either way it looked great. My absolute favorite location was the Hutt twins' planet Nal Hutta. Now I'm not a swamp guy, but if that place was real I wouldn't mind going there for some sightseeing, well...only after all the criminals are kicked out but still.

So The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't gonna set the world on fire, and I highly doubt it'll bring fans back to the Star Wars franchise after so many years of both Disney & Kathleen Kennedy just making some terrible decisions and insulting the fanbase. However, I did enjoy the movie and wasn't disappointed when I left the theater.

My final rating is, Okay.

Maybe next Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter will do something that'll shake things up? But as of right now I'm done with this review. Come back Monday, May 25th, for my review of the comic book miniseries, Spider-Man Noir. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.