A Look Back at Peacemaker - Season 1

 

Alright I know I've made it clear I'm not James Gunn's biggest fan, but with season two coming out and Gunn has said this would connect to the new DC Universe, I figured I might as well give this show a chance and watch it.

Peacemaker is a tv series based on the DC Comics' character of the same name. This season was a spin-off of 2021 film The Suicide Squad and took place in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The Safran Company, Troll Court Entertainment, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television did production and was distributed on HBO Max. James Gunn created the show, wrote each episode, and also directed episodes 1-3, 6, and 8.

The story is, after the events of The Suicide Squad Chris Smith aka Peacemaker has recovered from his injuries but just when he thought he could enjoy his freedom, he's assigned to a new mission. For this he must stop an alien invasion from a species known as Butterflies. But Peacemaker is struggling with his own problems and might not be able to complete this task.

• Negatives

My only problem with the show is the comedy. Oh my god the comedy! It's bad enough is ruins serious moods, like all other comic book adaptations seem to be hell bent on doing, but it's just not funny. Okay, there were like three moments where I actually laughed. James Gunn tries so hard for the comedy to edgy that it just doesn't work. If anything he's just embarrassing himself and the actors along with him. The jokes are either something lowbrow like making fart noises, cursing, Peacemaker and/or Vigilante being idiots, being dark with over the top violence, or conversations that are either about some personal struggle or the mission only for the conversation to be diverted by something unrelated and have that talk go on for a minute or two and then be brought back to the initial conversation. I swear other than the word "fuck" that last one happened in every single episode. Now the cursing or dark comedy with violence I have no problem with as long as they're done right, but James Gunn's writing isn't doing that. You'll be unimpressed by the over the top violence by the third episode, be completely numb by the overuse of the word "fuck" (seriously they say that word like it's going out of style and not in a good way), and shake your heard in shame by the lowbrow stuff.

• Mix

I've got two gray areas. Starting with the Butterflies. While their invasion can be fun, their characters are lacking any sort of depth. We don't get their reason for invading Earth until the very last episode. But even then, they still feel generic.

Then there's the other aspect of James Gunn's writing. The show deals with themes such as trauma, redemption, moral ambiguity, identity, and etc. Now those themes are very much there. We see Peacemaker's trauma because of his abusive upbringing, we see the gray areas of heroism, and so on and so forth. The problem comes from James Gunn being his own worst enemy. Because for every serious moment we have with these heavy subject matters, a stupid joke or crude gag is right around the corner completely ruining the intense moment. It's the same exact issue people have not only with Gunn's work with things like The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, and more recently Superman (2025), but with current year comic book movies and TV shows in general.

• Positives

Now there are a couple of positives, starting with the pacing. While some episodes do have some slow moments, a majority of their pacing do go by quite smoothly.

Then there's the music. If there's one thing I think people can agree on it's James Gunn does have a good taste in music. There's a lot of great songs that are used in each episode. I actually have one of the songs (Monster by Reckless Love in case you were wondering) on my Spotify.

The last thing I'll give credit is to John Cena's performance as Chris Smith/Peacemaker. While I never viewed Cena as the strongest actor, I do believe he did a pretty good job here. He was a badass anti-hero as well as being vulnerable with the character's trauma, I just wish he had more stronger writing to go with it.

So I don't think this season of Peacemaker  is overall bad, it's definitely not gonna be something I'll re-watch anytime soon. There was great potential but poorly made crude humor brings the show down.

My final rating is, Okay.

Hopefully things improve with season two, although I doubt it considering James Gunn is the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios. But that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Aug 25th, for part three of Looking Back at the Films of 2024. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to Tron: Ares - Tron Review

Surprise! I've got yet another Road to! Thus that makes six, six roads I've done. Anyhow, let's get started.

Tron is a sci-fi action adventure film that was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Lisberger-Kushner Productions & Buena Vista Distribution doing well distribution. Steven Lisberger not only directed but also wrote the screenplay along with Bonnie Macbird.

The story is, leading software engineer Kevin Lynn was once employed by the mega corporation ENCOM but now a video game arcade. In an attempt to prove ENCOM's executive vice president plagiarized his game, Kevin is transported into a digital world. His only chance of escaping is to win a series of deadly games.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

The only slight issue stems from the pacing. While the first and third acts' pacing are pretty good, it's the second act that stumbles a bit. During that time we get a lot of tech jargon, so because of that it almost felt like this act was slowing down because things were stopping for a bit to explain or be amazed at all of the technology.

• Positives

One positive comes from its concept. Now we're use to people or this case programmers entering a digital world ruled by a sentient A.I. I think that's been a plot to many TV shows. But back in 1982, Tron was way ahead of its time. Now there's a good chance I'm getting this wrong, but other than 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tron was one of the earlier films to tackle sentient A.I.

Another praise to give and it's one of the most underrated aspects of the movie, and that's Wendy Carlos' score. Her electronic sound can engulf you in the Tron's world. Her score is just simply incredible.

Then there's Jeff Bridges' performance as Kevin Flynn. His acting grounds with a variety of energy. He brings playfulness when he's a hacker, great fish-out-of-water characteristics when Kevin's in the digital world, and finally a determined hero. Bridges is truly a highlight of the movie.

The last thing I'll praise is the special effects. Sure I could dismiss them compared to what we have today but, it was the 80's and there was only so much they could do. But even then it's amazing what they accomplished. The light cycle chase alone is not only iconic, but it would go on to set a new standard in visual effects. Not to mention the visual style has influenced many other films alongside video games and digital art.

While pacing can be a tiny bit of a problem, Tron is an amazing and fun sci-fi classic.

My final rating is, Great.

Okay that's a wrap. Come back on Thursday, Aug 21st, for my A Look Back at review of season one of Peacemaker. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Nobody 2 Review

 

Alright! I'm back from my break and just in time for this movie. Just as I planned.

Also, I'd like to apologize for this review not coming out around 9pm (if you got by Eastern time like I do). But I was helping my dad out with building a shoe shelf for my mom and because this is the dog days of summer naturally mother nature decided it had to be 88 degrees. So by the time I needed to write this review I was all hot, sweaty, and could use a shower. So I showered and decided to relax and cool off. Remember folks, you can love your hobbies and passions but always make sure to good care of yourself first. Alright enough of wasting time, let's get to the review.

Nobody 2 is a road action comedy movie and the sequel to 2021's Nobody. 87North Productions along with Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment did production with Universal Pictures distributing. Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin wrote the screenplay with Timo Tjahjanto directing.

The story is, after the events of the first film Hutch wants to be closer to his family and takes them to an amusement park. But Hutch soon finds the place is actually a bootlegging route and the boss isn't happy with Hutch after an earlier altercation at the amusement park's arcade. Now, Hutch must protect his family and put a stop to the small bootlegging operation.

Initial Reaction

I'll keep the explanation brief. I wanted to see this sequel because the first one was a very surprisingly good action flick. So I was hoping for the same excitement to this one.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

My only slight gripe comes from the villains. But not so much a character standpoint, but more additions. What I mean is the movie already had a good villainous premise with the corrupt law enforcement and park operators and their leader Sheriff Abel. The Sheriff was already good enough but for some reason the writers decided to add Lendina, who character is she's the big bad shadowy boss. I didn't outright hate her character but as I said previously she didn't really feel all that necessary to the bootleg operation.

Pros

One praise I'll give is the same one I gave to the first movie, and that's Bob Odenkirk's performance. Much like the first he's the best thing about the movie. Perfectly blending both the movie's action and comedy bits. Then there's the humor. Now I still had a lot of good laughs throughout. We still get that dark sense of humor from the first Nobody, although there were times when things didn't quite land with me. We also have great pacing. The movie is one hour and twenty-nine minutes. And that runtime is as brisk as it gets. The pacing is tight and never once did I feels like things were going on for too long. Lastly I'll praise the action. Without going into any spoiler territory, the action has brutal violence along with slapstick humor. The best showcase of those blended together was during a showdown at a park that I found hugely entertaining. I think that might have been my favorite action moment.

While not as good as the first, I still had a lot of fun with Nobody 2. And if you also enjoyed the first then I think you'll get a kick out of this as well.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Aug 18th, where I'll begin the Road to Tron: Ares, with my review of 1982's Tron. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Time for Another Break

 

Hey guys, so if you read my review for The Bad Guys 2, then you know about the special announcement.

And, well, this is it. I'm taking another break. The reason being is I just don't have enough energy and I just want to rest up. While it's good to enjoy your passions/hobbies, it's more important to also take care of yourself.

I'll be back on Saturday, Aug 16th, just in time for a review of Nobody 2. Also, I'm well aware this isn't a very long break, especially given the fact that sometimes I haven't posted in a week too. But during those silent weeks I was working on like three or four reviews and post. Here, totally cutting myself off. No writing for anything until August 16th.

So yeah, just wanted to keep you guys informed on what's going on here and with me. So until August 16th, enjoy the rest of your day, and don't forget to give yourself a break every once in awhile.

The Bad Guys 2 Review

 

After waiting for three years we finally got a sequel to a pretty good DreamWorks animated movie. But is it any good though?

The Bad Guys 2 is an animated heist comedy loosely based on Aaron Blabey's children's book series The Bad Guys and the sequel to the 2022 film. DreamWorks Animation produced while Universal Pictures distributed. Etan Cohen and Yoni Brenner wrote the story with Pierre Perifel directing.

The story is, after the events of the first movie the group known as The Bad Guys have gone straight, but their struggling to fit into society. After hearing about a criminal called The Phantom Bandit, the group decides that they'll capture the thief and with this good deed be declared heroes with society loving them. But they soon realize that not only is that gonna be easier said than done, but also find out they'll have to be The Bad Guys one more time.

Initial Reaction

Simply put I really liked the first. I thought it was a pretty good movie. So when the sequel was coming out I decided to see it and find out if it's just as good as the previous film.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The gray area is the story. Now does have a good part where the Bad Guys trying to integrate into after a long life of crime. But the story does hit very familiar beats from the first movie. Such a heist story and wanting to be good, only with that last one the only difference is instead of just Wolf wanting to change it's the whole gang. Then there's the new characters being the trio called The Bad Girls with the team consisting of Kitty Kat, Pigtail, and Doom. Now Kitty shines with her charisma and menace. The other two not so much. Doom has some good moments what with being in a relationship with Snake, but we don't dive into her character. But the worse is Pigtail. She's just the muscle of the Bad Girls and that's it. Then there's the humor. Now for 99.99% of the movie, it's actually very funny whether it'd be chase scenes, heist, or dialogue. But oh man, do they overdo it with Piranha's nervous farts during the third act. I can't tell you how much I rolled my eyes during those parts.

Pros

Alright let's move onto the good stuff. Starting with the animation. Much like the first, the animation is gorgeous. DreamWorks once again killed it with stunning blend of 2D and 3D. Then there's the action. While I previously mentioned the movie going into old territory I can't deny the heist were still fun. But whenever there wasn't a heist, there were some good fight scenes as well. One being a very colorful pro wrestling festival. The last thing I'll praise is the cast. The returning cast not only give strong performances on their own, especially Sam Rockwell once again doing a tremendous job as Wolf, but their chemistry is just as strong as it was from the last movie. But there's also newcomer Danielle Brooks playing Kitty Kat. Who voice work brought out her character's previously mentioned meance and charisma, along with a commanding energy. So thumbs up to the cast.

While not as good as the first movie, The Bad Guys 2 is provides an enjoyable experience. So I'm willing, for the most part, forgive the slight issues.

My final rating is, a very high Okay.

That all for me. Come back on Thursday, Aug 7th, for an important announcement. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

The Naked Gun (2025) Review

 

Alright, I've been waiting for this movie since the trailer dropped, then reviewed the first movie and its sequels. It's time to finally review the newest Naked Gun movie. Hopefully the long wait was worth it. 🤞

The Naked Gun (2025) is an action comedy movie. It's not only the fourth movie in the series but also serves as a legacy sequel. Production is done by Fuzzy Door Productions with Paramount Pictures distributing. Akiva Schaffer not only directed but wrote the screenplay alongside with Doug Mand and Dan Gregor.

The story is, Frank Drebin Jr. has just stopped a bank robbery and then gets a case of what appears to be a suicide. He soon realizes that the crimes are connected and suspects that tech giant millionaire Richard Cane is also involved. Now Frank Jr. must find out how all of the pieces fit together.

Initial Reaction

Years ago I discovered The Naked Gun films when Comedy Central played the movies  back when I was 7 or 8 years old. I thought they were very funny and even to this day still get a laugh out of them. So when I saw the trailer for this new one I was a little excited. I had my doubts, but still a little excited.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

The mix bag comes from the humor. Now the movie does embrace the franchise's absurdity, so thankfully that was still intact. However not every joke worked. Sometimes some joke or gag just didn't do it for me. But I would say about 97% of the time I was laughing and having a great time. Then there's the characters. While Frank Jr. and his love interest Beth Davenport are funny characters, others like Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. are alright. Yes I know that's a supporting character so I shouldn't have expected much, but so was George Kennedy's Ed Hocken. And I remember his Hocken was far better than Paul Walter Hauser's Hocken Jr.

Pros

One praise I'll give goes to Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. With Neeson I was surprised by his comedic chops. We did see a bit of that with his cameo in Ted 2 and playing a fictional version of himself in the Family Guy episode Fighting Irish. But with those he was playing the more stoic badass akin to his role in the Taken trilogy, here he's deadpan but playing more to a bumbling goof much like Leslie Nielsen before him. So it's refreshing to see him take out a full comedic role. And to my biggest surprise was Pamela Anderson. Yeah other than Scary Movie 3 and Superhero Movie, I haven't seen her in a lot acting roles, haven't even seen The Last Showgirl yet despite hearing many positive reviews. But despite those things she was really good. She was great with the comedy and surprisingly enough had good chemistry with Neeson. My last praise goes to the fact that we have yet another good parody film (the last one being 2022's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story). I was worried this would take the Disaster Movie direction and less of the original Naked Gun movie direction. Thankfully the filmmakers stayed faithful to the previous films that came before, and with that we got a pretty good movie out of it. And because of that I'm almost willing to forgive the more gray areas, almost.

While it does have problems, The Naked Gun (2025) is a great time to be had. It's got plenty of funny moments and is thankfully one of the better modern day parody films.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Aug 4th, for my review of The Bad Guys 2. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Bambi: The Reckoning Review

 

Alright, we got another horror movie based on another public domain character. Let's cut the bullshit and get right to it.

Bambi: The Reckoning is a horror movie and not only serves as a horror retelling of Bambi, but it also serves as the fourth installment of the Twisted Childhood Universe. Production was done by Jagged Edge Productions and ITN Distribution distributed. Dan Allen directed and Rhys Warrington wrote.

The story is, Bambi has suffered many tragedies. He's lost his mother, he lost his mate, and he's offspring disappeared. One day he drinks contaminated water thus turning into a mutant, this water also effected his mind and he now seeks revenge. Now a family and hunters must find a way to survive this blood thirsty animal.

Initial Reaction

As I've stated in my Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, I've reviewing these kinds of a movies for a long time. It's pretty much a tradition for my blog. So I might as well keep it going with this movie.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

Firstly there's the characters. There's an attempt to give them some depth. Xana is going through some marriage problems with her husband and she's trying to be a good mother for her son despite these issues. It's very simple but you'll come to care for her and her boy. Having said that everyone else not so much. The grandmother (who's name is Mary by the way) has some sort of connection to Bambi, but other than knowing his name and making draws of him when her mind goes blank they really don't dive any deeper into this connection. The hunters are very standard bad guys who just want to kill Bambi. Meanwhile the rest of the characters are just there to fill the body count. Now let's move onto the acting. Roxanne McKee does a very solid job as Xana. She was very believable as her concerned mother character. With everybody else they're fine. They do an okay job.

Pros

Let's start with the pacing. Even if you don't like the movie you gotta appreciate the pacing. The filmmakers wasted no time with their 81 minutes runtime. The brisk action goes on and only slows down when needed. Then there's the kills. Now these aren't gonna be creative like something out of a Friday the 13th movie, but they are very entertaining. Lastly there's the Bambi special effects. First off I actually do like the design. The bulky frame and zombie-like eyes actually look pretty cool. But the most surprising thing was the CGI. There were a few times when it looked iffy, but overall it was actually good. Which is pretty surprising given the fact this was made with a report budget of $800,000. So nicely effects team.

I don't predict this being on anybody's "Best of" lists by any stretch. But if you're looking for some good turn off your brain entertainment, here you go.

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. Due come back on Saturday, Aug 2nd, for my review of The Naked Gun (2025). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.