28 Years Later Review

Finally! Finally after so many years we have a sequel to 28 Weeks Later.

28 Years Later is a post-apocalyptic horror movie and third installment in the 28 Years Later film series after following 28 Days Later & 28 Weeks Later. The studios in charge of production are DNA Films, BFI, and Decibel Films with Columbia Pictures handling distribution. Danny Boyle returns to direct with Alex Garland also returns to write the story.

The story is, it's been twenty-eight years since the Rage virus escape from the lab and infected so many. Survivors have found ways to exist among the infected. Among these survivors is a boy named Spike, and after hearing the story of a doctor Spike sets out to find in the hopes he can help his mother's illness. In doing this journey Spike will see both the horrors and wonders of the world.

Initial Reaction

Having liked both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later I was fully pumped for this. I was especially curious where the story would go from here. Although I'll always be saddened by the fact they didn't do 28 Months Later. 😔😆

Cons

Nothing to read here.

Middle Ground

The only slight issue is the story. Now 99.99% of the time it's really good. Let's start off with all of the good aspects first. Basically the story is a dark coming-of-age tale for Spike. Who at first is going through his people's rite of passage by going out on his first scouting mission with his father. But when he's mother's condition worsens he now has to grow up quicker than he should and become the family protector. It was a very good story for him and the scenes with his mom were the best. We also see how so much as changed in the past twenty-eight years. Things are differently more tribal this time around, and I don't just mean with the humans but with the infected as well. The infected still have animalistic traits but this time around their intelligence has been slightly heightened. Which honestly that scares me more than them just being mindless killing machines. Now all that stuff was great, but then there's that other percentage. Basically the filmmakers are planning for this to be a trilogy. And because of that this one does leave a lot of questions. So while I still enjoyed the story I can't deny there's sequel baiting.

Pros

Now for the truly good stuff. First with the visuals. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle does a fantastic job with the look of the movie. There's a lot of harsh background drops throughout. From the Spike's isolated community to a bunch of stuff like abandoned buildings & trains that's been rusting and decaying away for the past decades. However, Anthony also gave us beautiful nature settings as well. The forest is gorgeous and there's also a beautiful flower field as well. So there's this perfect balance between rot and beauty. But the biggest praise goes towards Alfie Williams and Jodie Comer. First let's start with Jodie. While playing Isla. Her character as I previously mentioned is very ill, so throughout the movie there's a very fragile side of her. So fragile in fact you're really hoping she makes it through the journey. But despite the illness Jodie also perfectly shows how Isla is still trying to be a good mother to her son. Wow, an ACTUAL compelling female character who isn't an overly annoying girlboss! I didn't think modern Hollywood writing still allowed that. Joking aside Jodie Comer is great. But the biggest praise goes towards Alfie Williams. At first he's still giving a great performance alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson. But once he has to be the main star he pushes his acting from 10 to 11. I mean it, this kid carries the entire movie and not matter what the tone of the scene has to be Alfie kills it. He does a stellar job having to balance courage, childlike innocence, and vulnerability. Not bad for a kid who only has two other acting credits before doing this movie.

While 28 Years Later for the most part has a great story, the movie truly shines with its cinematography but mostly shines with it's fantastic cast.

My final rating is, Good.

Overall a pretty good experience. So that's all for now. Come back on Monday, Jun 23rd, for my review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will serve as the near end of my road to Superman (2025). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Sin City: The Hard Goodbye Review

 

Welcome to another comic book review folks. Only this time I venture out of DC or Marvel and instead do a comic from Dark Horse Comics. Let's do this.

Sin City: The Hard Goodbye is a 1991 crime comic storyline and the first story in the Sin City comic series. The first part of the story was published in Dark Horse Presents: 5th Anniversary Special with the rest of the story published in Dark Horse Presents #51-62. Then being published in collected editions. Frank Miller was both the writer and artist.

The story is, former ex-military and professional killer Marv wakes up and sees that the woman he slept with Goldie has been killed. Now, Marv is on the warpath to find who killed Goldie and punish them for killing the woman he thought of as his personal heaven in the hell that is Sin City.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

It stems from the characters. Marv is a great anti-hero. He's violent but does have a moral code. And through his internal monologues he does show a slight vulnerability. But the villains he's facing are very one-dimensional. They're just plain evil. Which wouldn't be problem considering some great villains are like that, the Joker being the biggest example. But with how nuance Marv it does kinda make you wish the villains were just as complex.

• Positives

Let's start off with the pacing. The story immediately hits the ground running when Marv finds Goldie dead and starts running from the cops, and it never stops. But when we do stop it's perfectly strategic, with panels having Marv monologue trying to put the pieces together or seek help from others. This is a comic that's quick in all the right ways.

The next praise goes to Frank Miller's art. Nowadays it's so easy to rag on Frank's art. True his style isn't as polished as it was in his prime, but a lot of it isn't helped by whoever is inking and/or coloring his work, but I digress. With The Hard Goodbye his art is pretty cool. If you don't know Miller's art style is heavily influenced by noir cinema with a bit of manga thrown in as well. So while a lot of his work does come in color such as The Dark Knight Returns, his black and white art is really good. Visuals are striking because Frank has a great use of negative space and silhouettes. I'll give you just a little taste.

Now let's move onto to world building. Despite this being the city's very first appearance. Basin City or as it's called in the story Sin City feels like a character itself and that character is urban dystopia. The setting is a mess. There's seedy bars, decrepit appointments, and alleys just covered in rain. There's different types of societies. The corrupt elites rule from estates and compounds, the underclass scraping by in the gutters, and Old Town which not only showcases resistance but also hints at subcultures.

My final bit of praising goes to the story. While we get a fun revenge story there's also quite a lot going on. Marv's quest isn't just simply payback but also a warped sense of redemption. He's willing to die just because of one moment of kindness. Showing how even in despair humans still have a deep need of connection. And there's another thing I kinda failed to see the first time around but picked up on later. But there's moments where Frank Miller subtly questions if Marv's code is truly heroic or more self-destructive?

Guys, if you want to read an alternative from the typical DC & Marvel stuff, I suggest reading this. It's a fun read.

My final rating is, Great.

Well that was a good time. Anyways, come back on Saturday, Jun 21st for my review of the highly anticipated, 28 Years Later. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Fan Film Mondays - The Green Goblin's Last Stand Review

 

Alright the first edition of Fan Film Mondays! Now before we get into the review let me tell you something first. Whatever criticism or praise I give this movie I was strictly looking at this from a 1992 point of view. Meaning don't expect me rip apart the effects or anything because it goes without saying but, this was made long before fan films could rely on crowd funding sites like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo. So I'm only criticizing what the filmmakers had going for them at their time.

The Green Goblin's Last Stand is a 1992 fan film not only based on the Marvel Comics' character Spider-Man, but the issues #121-122 of The Amazing Spider-Man. Production was done by Dan Poole and Alpha Dog Productions distributed. Dan Poole also wrote and directed.

The story is, being Spider-Man was never simple for Peter Parker, but when his old foe Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin unexpectedly returns from the rehabilitation clinic Peter is naturally suspicious of him but also focuses on being in a relationship with his girlfriend Gwen Stacy. Norman is trying to keep it together, but he's slowly losing himself and it's only a matter of time before he transforms back to Spider-Man's deadliest foe.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

One mix is the pacing. A lot of times it can be uneven. The biggest example being Norman's transformation, those parts did drag for a bit. Meanwhile other moments have a much tighter momentum.

Then there's the acting. Let's start off with our biggest stars Dan Poole as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and James Kinstle as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. Dan is pretty good. He's got a solid performance and really goes all out during the final fight with Green Goblin. But James absolutely steals the show. He's wonderfully over the top. I dare say he truly nails that old school Green Goblin from the 70's. Then we get other performers like Allison Adams as Gwen Stacy. She wasn't terrible or anything. She's very earnest which does give her some charm. But since I gotta be honest with these reviews I do admit sometimes her emotional range is limited.

• Positives

First let's praise the faithful adaptation. While some might take issue with the dialogue, it's good see Dan follow the story (also called The Green Goblin's Last Stand) even when he does put his own orif stuff in there. Which is kinda funny considering that's what a lot of current filmmakers do today with their more high budget comic book movies.

The next aspect I'll praise is the stunts. Holy shit does Dan Poole have some balls on him! It's dangerous enough that he was holding onto a car while it's moving and climbing up on buildings, but this guy this freaking guy! He swung four stories off the ground with no safety net. Let me repeat. Dan swung four stories off the ground without a safety net! I'll fully admit it, the only way I'm doing a stunt like that for a fan film if there's like three or four safety nets underneath me.

The last aspect I'll give credit to is the clear passion. When watching this I feel Dan's love for Spider-Man. Not just in the fact he embodies the action and picked a critically acclaimed story arc, but he also recreated those key moments with passion and this especially grabbed my attention was how he made this with a love letter to the moral and emotionally complexity from Spider-Man writes the biggest ones being of course Stan Lee, but also the man who wrote The Green Goblin's Last Stand storyline himself, Gerry Conway.

While it unsurprisingly has some problems, The Green Goblin's Last Stand is not only pretty good, especially for a fan film made in the early 90's, but it's a stable of fan films. It's something people should watch if they're hardcore Spidey fans and if you're curious to see just how far we've come with fan films.

My final rating is, Good.

Guys, I hope you enjoyed this first edition of Fan Film Mondays. I've got plenty more to come. But for now due come back on Thursday, Jun 19th, for yet another comic book review. Only this time I won't be reviewing something from DC or Marvel. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

I Messed Up

 

Hey guys, so first and foremost I just want to make a statement before I get into what I mean with the post. This isn't a bait and switch! Let me reiterate, this isn't a bait and switch!

Anyways, if any of you read my review of Fantastic Four (2015), then you were more than likely expecting a review for Pixar's Elio. Well as the title has stated I messed up. I got the release dates all wrong! See I was still under the impression that it was coming out on June 13th, but I didn't know way back in February that it was pushed back to June 20th because Disney didn't want any competition with the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

Now some of you are probably wondering was I paying any attention to the marketing? Well truth be told, no. I was focused on other posts like comic book reviews, reviews for older movies, reviews for other recently release movies, and helping my dad replace floor boards, that any trailer and/or TV spot for Elio was completely off my radar.

Then I ran into another problem. See on June 20th not only is Elio coming to theaters but so is 28 Years Later. So I had to choose which one I should review. Then after thinking about it for awhile I decided to review a movie that I'm actually excited to see. So on June 21st I won't be reviewing Elio but I will be reviewing 28 Years Later.

So yeah, I just wanted to let all of you know what's going on around here and give you updates on upcoming reviews. I hope you're happy about this. And I mean that in a sincere way and not a sarcastic way.

Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Come back on Monday, Jun 16th, for the first ever Fan Film Mondays with my review of 1992's The Green Goblin's Last Stand. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Fantastic Four (2015) Review

 

Well, here we are folks. Our last stop, next month it's First Steps.

Fantastic Four is a comic book movie based on the Marvel Comics' team of the same name, only this time around taking more of an inspiration from their Ultimate versions. It's not only the fourth movie based on Marvel's first family but a reboot to the film series. Production was done by a whole list of companies. Those being 20th Century Fox, Constantin Film, Marvel Entertainment, Marv Films, Kinberg Genre, TSG Entertainment, and finally Moving Picture Company. 20th Century Fox also distributed. Josh Trank directed but also wrote the story along with Simon Kinberg and Jeremy Slater.

The story is, young & brilliant scientist Reed Richards has built a prototype teleporter which has got the attention Professor Franklin Storm. Soon Reed is joined with his childhood friend Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, Sue's brother Johnny, and Victor Von Doom. Just when they thought they've successfully discovered interdimensional travel with what they dubbed Planet Zero it all goes wrong. While Reed, Ben, Sue, and Johnny learn how to control their new abilities, Victor who was thought to be dead plans something that'll endanger everyone.

• Negatives

Oh it's sad how there's so many negatives. Let's start with the pacing. At first it starts off has a really good slow burn, but once we jump ahead one year later that pacing changes drastically. Now the second act is going by quick but steady then when the third act comes by it just doesn't take time to slow down.

Then there's Doctor Doom. They were setting up a really good tragic arc with him. During the early parts of the story he's set up as brilliant but disillusioned scientist. Then after the Planet Zero disaster we don't see for quite awhile. But when he finally comes back he's just a generic villain. And he wasn't supposed to be this way. When Toby Kebbell (the actor who played Doom) was interviewed he mentioned how a lot of his character building scenes were cut. Pre-transformation we would've seen his insecurities and post-transformation we would've seen his decent into madness. But since these scenes were cut by 20th Century Fox we didn't get to see this development. So now Doom has no connection to the Four and dramatic lines like "There is no Victor, Only Doom" don't work because he didn't get an organic transformation.

Now let's move onto to the tone. I forgot how much tonal whiplash this movie was. During the first act, Gee I'm starting to wonder which act was mostly Josh Trank! Anyways, during the first act it seems like we were gonna get something different from other superhero films. Yes, there is a more darker tone but, that first act felt like we were getting a good coming-of-age story with a mix of intellectual curiosity. Then we after that really good intense Planet Zero escape and we go to the Four in the hospital, it's like a freaking body-horror film and it's masterfully done. Then after the time jump to one year later, that tone just vanishes and we're left with a generic action flick.

Then there's the filmmaking, oh boy the way this movie is presented. If you thought the theatrical cut of Justice League was a Frankenstein of a movie, just watch this. I remember going to see this on opening day with my buddy Brian along with his brother and dad and afterwards I was dumbfounded by what I saw. I couldn't believe how these reshoots were ever allowed to be in this. First let me show you a photo.

Let me ask you a question. Which one looks like Kate's actually hair and which one is her reshoot wig? And it's not just Kate's hair that suffered, but also a lot of scenes/stories. At first the three members of the Four were held in containment but then we jumpe one year later they're now out of containment and their more heroic with no explanation at all. There's also the third act where it's Fantastic Four vs. Doctor Doom. There are some very jarring noticeable cuts during that fight that have scenes that might have been cut or restructured. Either way it's plain as day this movie was messed with whether you're aware of the movie's history or not.

• Mix

Now I do give credit to the cast. From Miles Teller to Kate Mara to Michael B. Jordan to Jamie Bell to the previously mentioned Toby Kebbell. They still tried, they tried their hardest to still give some good performances. And yes their performances were good it's just the poorly stitched together material was hard to work with.

• Positives

Really the only slight good thing I good say is there is a glimmer of a good movie here. But it's mixed up with a bad one.

Fantastic Four (2015) suffered from massive studio interference and I hate what 20th Century gave us, just because they decided to chase after MCU hype as suppose to standing out from the crowd.

My final rating is, Awful.

A Statement

I know this movie is gonna be ten years old in two months but I hope Josh Trank gets his Trank Cut. If Zack Snyder can get a Snyder Cut for Justice League, then Josh should have one for Fantastic Four. I don't care how it happens. Fan hashtags/movements, grace of God, planetary alignment, or a combination of all three. I want Josh to have his director's cut.

So that's gonna do for now. Come back on Saturday, Jun 14th for my review of Pixar's newest movie, Elio. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Ballerina Review

 

Ballerina is an action thriller movie and a spin-off to the John Wick franchise set in between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Films, and 87North Productions did production with Lionsgate serving as distributor. Shay Hatten wrote while Len Wiseman directed.

The story is, when Eve was a young girl she and her father Javier were on the run from the Cult, during this time Eve's father was killed. Years later Eve is highly trained assassin and hasn't let go of wanting revenge. Now she sets out to find the ones who brought her misery all of those years ago.

Initial Reaction

It's very simple as to why I wanted to see this. It's a John Wick spin-off and being a fan of those movies I wanted to see this as well.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

There are two slight issues. One being the pacing. The first half is very focus with setup. Which wouldn't be a bad thing had it not being delaying so much of the revenge plot. Thankfully the second half onwards finds a good rhythm. Speaking of plot, let's move on to the story. I'm not gonna sugarcoat this but yes, yes it's a very simple revenge plot. But I do think it's kinda saved because you're given a lot of fun stuff. And I do say "kinda" because while I didn't hate Eve investigating of where to find the Cult, I did notice some of the clues she needed did just so happen to pop up at just the right place at just the right time.

Pros

One pro is the cinematography. Much like the mainline John Wick films, Ballerina has gorgeous visuals. And the locations look beautiful. Whether it's a neon lit or snowy like the Alpine village, the location are eye catching. But let's talk action. How is Ballerina with action? Well it does start off pretty shaky l, but as the movie goes on there's a huge improvement. It's brutal as well as stylish. I especially loved the final fight in the village. Grenades going off, bullets flying, and even the use of a flamethrower. Truly some fun stuff. But the biggest praise goes to Ava de Armas' performance. While some aspects could've been stronger Ava keeps a strong performance through and through. She brought a perfect mix of vulnerability, grace, and strength.

Overall while somethings could've used more work, Ballerina is a good spinoff. If they ever make another spinoff or sequel to this, I wouldn't be opposed. Especially if they learn from their mistakes.

My final rating is, Okay.

So that's all for me. Come back on Thursday, Jun 12th, for the final chapter in my Road to The Fantastic Four: First Steps with my review of Fantastic Four (2015). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Predator: Killer of Killers Review

 

Alright, a new Predator movie! Let's get right to it!

Predator: Killer of Killers is an adult animated sci-fi action horror anthology and it's also sixth film in the franchise, eighth if you count the two Alien vs. Predator flicks. While Hulu distributed, production was done by 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation, Davis Entertainment, and The Third Floor, Inc. Dan Trachtenberg directed alongside Joshua Wassung and Dan also wrote the stories with Micho Robert Rutare.

The story is, we have three stories of three fierce fighters. One a viking raider on a bloody quest for vengeance, one a ninja fighting against his brother in a battle for succession, and the last being a World War II pilot who's out to prove himself. Three different warriors, three different journeys, three different time periods, but they all of one thing in common. They'll have to fight for their lives against the ultimate killer.

Initial Reaction

At first I had no plan to review this, not because I thought it was gonna be bad it's just I didn't know it was a thing. I didn't know about it until I was reading up on another and probably more well known Predator film that being Predator: Badlands. So because of reading about that movie I came across this one and waited for June 6th to come around.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The middle ground stems from the story. Now let's get to the good stuff. All of the stories offer different but exciting tales. Each segment gives our characters something. For Ursa (the viking) it's revenge, for Kenji (the ninja) it's honor, and for Torres (the WW2 pilot) it's about survival. Each story is highly entertaining and I enjoyed each of them. But the slight issue comes in the form of the final act. There's little bit of tonal shift, I found it especially noticeable with Torres. Now sure he had his funny moments in his story segment [The Bullet], but during the final fight he was way too comedic.

Pros

Let's start off with the thing we all come to see when it comes to Predator films, the action! Folks this brings you plenty of bloody and gorey goodness. The action is a blast. When Ursa goes to the castle to kill the man who killed her father, she has this awesome shield-wielding and slashing scene. I loved it! There's also more creativity with the Predators and their weaponry. One Predator fights with sonic hand cannon, another fights with some badass chain sickles and lastly we get a Predator in an aerial dog fight. Then there's the pacing. Now it's not long to big with, clocking in at an hour and thirty minutes, but I didn't feel like I was sitting on my couch for that. Even with commercials (by the way those were fun to have with your movie. Isn't streaming just totally the better alternative to cable? 😒) I didn't feel like I was watching for an hour. It felt more like only a couple of minutes went by. The last thing I'll praise is the animation. The blending between 3D depth and 2D textures was great. Here's some screenshots I was able to take.

These alone are visually stunning. But what you'll also like about them is how each environment is different. For "The Shield" it's very moody and frost laden, "The Sword" is mostly told during a beautiful night setting but also incorporated daylight that had ink wash inspiration. And "The Bullet" is filled with a fiery yet vibrant look to it. Combined that with fluid movements and you've got a great looking movie.

While it has some problems, I was still surprised with how good this was and I'm greatly I became aware of it during research of Badlands.

My final rating is, Good.

That'll wrap everything up for tonight. Come back on Monday, Jun 9th, for my review of the John Wick spin-off movie, Ballerina. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.