My Fantastic Four first step review

 My Fantastic Four first step review

 

Recapping what I said when I reviewed Secret Invasion. I'm saying goodbye to the MCU because this is the last time I'm going to talk about it. Is anyone really interested in their take on the Fantastic Four or the X-Men?

Intro: Well, that didn't age well.

After I saw the movie. OK, whoever marketed this movie should be fired because the marketing did this movie no favors. I hope this movie doesn't suffer the same fate as Transformers One.

Fantastic Four First Step: This movie takes place in a different universe where the Fantastic Four have been around for four years. ( Was that intended to be a pun?) One day, the Silver Surfer shows up to warn them that Galactus will come to eat their planet, so they go into space to confront him. Galactus will spare Earth if they give up something precious to them, but they refuse. So, they have to figure out how to stop him without giving in to his demand.

After thirty years, we finally get a decent Fantastic Four movie. ( I'm not going to Jinx myself by saying Marvel Studios has redeemed itself because this isn't the first time they throw us a bone and go back to their stick.) This movie may not have a lot of jokes, but it can take itself seriously and be fun. I appreciate that this movie isn't an origin story, and it didn't have you know who in it. Because doing that gives us something new. 

Heck, this movie made up for what Rise of the Silver Surfer could have been, because this movie has some of the same story beats from that film. I like the retro-future look and feel of the film. Because it's done in a way that it's not oversaturated by CGI. The passage of time helps give this movie world-building. Of course, there are easter eggs in the film. This movie is about family first and a sci-fi movie second. The story may be simple, but it's effective due to its underdog aspects.

Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic is a brilliant man who thinks ahead and does not know when to think about the here and now. He does have moments of dry humor, and I wish there was more of that. I was let down that the movie doesn't do anything new with his abilities. He feels like a discount Spider-Man in this movie. Also, he did something that makes him look stupid.

Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman is the heart and soul of the family. Not only that, she's the standout character in this film. When Sue and Reed are together, you're convinced that they are a loving and supportive married couple. I just wish there was more banter between them. The only complaint I have with her is that I'm having a hard time buying that she's as powerful as she is in this movie. ( If I'm wrong, then I need to read more comics.)

I'm surprised by what this movie has done with Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. He's not only the comic relief, but his smart in his own right. This becomes useful towards the end. A minor complaint is that the movie doesn't showcase him being a goofball. 

I don't have much to say about Ben Grimm/The Thing because the movie hasn't done much with him besides giving us subtle hints that he's still adjusting to his body. His interaction with Johnny is what you expect from brothers. How in the world can someone whose body is made of rocks can grow facial hair!?!

The Silver Surfer is underdeveloped; more could have been done with her.

There is nothing much to say about Galactus ( the main villain); he's a cosmic giant that eats planets. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't get why people want him as the villain in the next Avengers movie because there isn't much you can do with him, but I digress.

One of the problems I have with this movie is that I was annoyed that the Fantastic Four roughs gallery was treated like a montage. The jokes this movie has didn't do it for me. I wish the writers could have done more with the dilemma Galactus put the Fantastic Four in.

All in all, if I had a list of the best comic book movies, this would be one of them. I would recommend this to everyone.

Rating = Worth Seeing

My Superman review

 My Superman review

Intro: OK, I understand why Mr. Gunn removed Legacy from the title, but he couldn't replace it with Man of Tomorrow? I hope the Supergirl movie doesn't waste that title. 

Superman: This movie is centered on Clark Kent, who has been Superman for three years. He's catching a lot of heat for stopping a war. Lex Luthor made things worse by turning everyone against him, and he has plans of his own that could endanger millions of lives. So, Superman has to clear his name and stop Lex before it's too late.

Why, oh why is it so hard to make a good Superman movie!?! Don't get me wrong, this movie wasn't awful. However, it lacks focus and has too many subplots. This movie is a product of its time, as far as social media playing a role in the story. However, it has no payoff. I mean, if the movie is trying to be a social commentary on how gullible people are with social media, it drops the ball. I find it hard to believe that Superman has been around for three years because there are things that don't add up. 

As far as people being upset with him for stopping a war that gets lost in the plot. This makes me want to give a backhanded compliment to Superman 4 before getting involved in the arms race; Superman thinks, talks to people, and a kid wants him to do something about it. This movie could have been about people taking Superman for granted; Superman has to realize that he can't save everyone and deal with the politics of it.   

The biggest problem I have with this movie is how Lex manipulates the public, because this could rub fans the wrong way. I know this was done in Smallville, but that show did it better. The other DC characters take time away from what's going on with the main characters. There is one DC character that shouldn't be in the movie because this character served no purpose. Also, Ultraman is not who you think he is. I'm annoyed that (censor.) is in this movie because that's not his only weakness! The CGI doesn't always look good, and I wish the film had an original score instead of remixing John Williams's score.  

Clark Kent/Superman is passable; I just wish he didn't fall short in one area. Superman doesn't just save people; he boosts their morale. Why wasn't that in the movie? I don't like how the writers make him relatable. I mean, he gets upset over tweets, and there is one scene where he acts impulsively. I understand why he acted that way, but it doesn't change the fact that it makes him look stupid. I was let down that his ACR isn't about learning that no good deed goes unpunished. I say that because the writers can make a story out of that. 

I don't have much to say about Clark Kent because he's barely in the movie. What bugs me about him is how can he be a journalist and not know the dos and don'ts of interviewing? 

Lois Lane is a hard-nosed reporter. The movie doesn't do much with her besides pondering her relationship with Clark/Superman. Speaking of their relationship, it's hard to care about it because it's second fiddle to everything else. Plus, it feels like they are trying to have a rapport. Also, she's not as visually appealing as the other women in this movie.

 

Jimmy Olsen is also a Journalist instead of a photographer. It's hard to appreciate that he's a ladies man because we don't see him sweep women off their feet.

I don't have much to say about Clark's parents because they are barely in the movie. With that said, the scene between Clark and his father makes his father look lazy as a parent. 

Krypto is a loyal but undisciplined dog. We get an explanation for why that is. I feel like he's in the movie to make Superman relatable, and you know how I feel about that.  

Guy Gardner/ Green Lantern is the comic relief, who is mission-oriented. 

Mr. Terrific is handled better than he was handled on Arrow, but he left more to be desired. The same goes for Hawkgirl. The only complaint I have is that there is one scene with him that references GOTG.  

Lex Luthor (the main villain) is the Lex we know and despise. As far as being brilliant, vain, and obsessed with destroying Superman. He can come off as childish and over the top at times, which can be off-putting.      

I like that the movie is colorful and goofy. This is a better example of what Dawn of Justice could have been. The DC characters served their purpose in this movie as far as world-building. I was surprised to see two of them in this movie. We get an explanation for why people don't recognize Clark as Superman with the glass. Lex has a Loki moment in this movie. 

Overall, this movie fell short of being as good as it could've been. With that said, I would recommend that everyone check it out because this movie is fun.   

Rating = Rental   

My Jurassic World Rebirth review

My Jurassic World Rebirth review

 

Intro: The next time Hollywood has a writer's strike, don't have any news outlets cover it. If this is the best the writers can do, then they don't deserve better. Does anyone have bad or lazy writing fatigue, or is it just me? 

Jurassic World Rebirth: This movie takes place five years after the last movie and the dinosaurs are slowly dying. This causes a man name Martin Krebs to recruit a small group to go on an island to extract DNA from three different dinosaurs to help humanity. Things get complicated when a family gets caught in the middle and learns of a secret that has been kept hidden for years. So the group has to do their best to get off the island. 

This is JP3 but better! I say that because the characters have a reason to be on the island. The director plays with our expectations with the suspects. Of course, there are references to past films, the movie is well paced and the visuals are fine. The movie comments on the pharmaceutical industry and breakthroughs in science. However, the film doesn't do much with them. The dinosaurs are portrayed as animals and the movie has moments of humor.     

There isn't much to say about the characters because they are forgettable. 

Dr. Henry Loomi is a dinosaur geek and the voice of reason. 

Zora Bennett is a disappointing lead character. The only thing we get from her is past trauma. What's the point of us learning that about her if it serves no purpose in the story or the character? The same thing goes for Duncan Kincaid.  

Martin Krebs is a wild card in the movie. 

The family is OK, but more could have been done with the boyfriend. 

One of the problems with this movie is that the jokes aren't always executed well. The ending was underwhelming and I wish the marketing hadn't spoiled the big surprise in this movie. There could be some continuity errors and the dinosaurs are treated like random encounters. There is a scene in the movie that's ridiculous, you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. This movie could have made up for the last film, but it dropped the ball. This is the second movie about dinosaurs roaming the Earth. Instead of getting a post-apocalyptic Earth, we treat them like they are a huge inconvenience. What the fudge!?! 

The last movie mentioned that dinosaur DNA could help mankind, but it was focused on. This movie could have been about humanity having a civil war over the dinosaurs. They are too dangerous to roam free but too valuable to kill off. I hope this is the last movie in this franchise because whatever direction the writers take with the next film should have been done sooner. By the time we get there, it will be too late. This franchise wasted enough of my time and money; it's not getting any more of it!          

Overall, this is a by-the-numbers entry to this franchise. It could have been better if the movie had played or subverted our expectations. I would recommend this if you like JP3. 

Rating = Rental