Arrow season six review

Arrow season six review 

Intro: Let me get this straight, season five ends with Lian Yu blowing up, and no one died or suffered PDST. Sorry, I stand corrected, a side character died, one is injured, another is in a coma, and everyone else is OK. What the fudge!?! 

Arrow season six: This season takes place months after almost everyone survived the explosion on Lian Yu, and the survivors manage to go back to their routine, except for Oliver/Green Arrow. Now that his son is in his life, Oliver has to not only be the Mayor and Green Arrow but a father as well. One day, someone sent a picture of Oliver as the Green Arrow to the news, which resulted in him being investigated, Team Arrow being shattered, and a group of criminals wanting to take over the city. So Oliver has to clear his name, salvage the team, and stop this gang before it's too late. 

This season was disappointing! That's a shame, considering that this series got itself out of the hole it dug itself last season just to go back to that same hole. This season feels odd without the flashbacks because they became a part of this series. We do get flashbacks of other characters; they're fine, it's just that they don't tell us anything new about these characters. One of the many gripes I have with this season is the people of Star City; they're morons for not suspecting that Oliver is the Green Arrow. I mean, this is the third time he has been accused of being the Green Arrow, and people don't think that he might be the Green Arrow? You know the saying, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, and fool me three times, I'm an idiot. Plus, they should be more involved with the story in this season. 

William is another issue I have with this series. He's nothing but baggage. If I were him, I would be mad at Oliver for starting a relationship with Felicity because Oliver doesn't seem like he's putting his son first. Plus, he lied to William twice. The dynamic of Team Arrow could have been better if alliances were shifted better. I was let down by the team of baddies because each member was suppose to be an adversary for each member of Team Arrow, but that didn't happen. Instead, two of them have a vendetta against Green Arrow, one is a double agent, one is in the background, and the other has some kind of rivalry with the Black Canary. Other problems with this season are leading the people of Star City to believe that someone who died in the past is still alive, plot holes on how hacking works, and characters being inconsistent.   

The crossover episodes are lackluster; they remind me of episodes from the Justice League cartoon, but not as good. This crossover is centered on Barry and Iris's wedding. That got interrupted by Nazi versions of themselves and other characters from the CW/DC shows from a different Earth. The Nazi version of our heroes wants one of them for reasons, so the others have to protect this person from themselves. What hurt this crossover for me ( Besides pushing an agenda) is the Olicity drama, that's right, the writers brought back one of the many things that made seasons 3 and 4 bad. If I were Barry or Iris, I would beat the crap out of them for taking up our moment. Also, this crossover has an evil version of an Arrow character who died. I wish he were the main villain in this crossover. This crossover could have been better if it were a cautionary tale. 

Oliver Queen/ Green Arrow didn't develop much since season 2, so what's the point of making him a father and the Mayor if he doesn't grow as a character? Also, am I the only one tired of the pattern of Oliver doing something wrong, someone corrects him, and he apologizes for it? That pattern makes him look stupid when it happens over and over again. He has the same problem as Jayden from Power Rangers Samurai, as far as he learns his lesson in one episode, then forgets about it in the next episode. Oliver needs to learn how to be a leader because that contributes to why Team Arrow is divided. The way he leads alienates his team; there's more to being a leader than just giving orders. Yes! He does help the team out with their problems; however, he doesn't connect with the latest members of his team the way he does with Diggle and Felicity. Whatever development the writers tried to give him this season was short-lived.  

OK, it's bad enough that this show ruined Felicity, but did you have to ruin Diggle, too? Yes! Diggle is unlikable this season because he does things that are out of character for him. There is a subplot of him wanting to be the Green Arrow. Why!?! Also, he doesn't need to be in the field because A Oliver has too many allies that can help him on the field and B he's suppose to be the Alfred of the show.   

Do I really have to comment on Felicity? I still want to give her a stunner for the most part. It makes me sick to see her be a surrogate mother to William. I say that because when she first learned about him in season 4, she didn't give a crap about him. Just like last season, she got away with murder.    

Dinah Drake/Black Canary is the level-headed one of the team; she's kind of like her comic book counterpart. She was in season five. I didn't mention her before because A she was underdeveloped and B I was too distracted by her... by her... Hair! My beef with her is that the writers hit the reset button with this character. You'll see what I mean. Also, she has done things that make you want to dislike her. I wish the writers would do more with her working at the police department.  

Quentin Lance doesn't do much this season besides assist the team whenever he can. 

Thea is one of the characters that should have died on the island because she serves no purpose in this season. 

Rene/Wild Dog is OK for the most part. You might have mixed feelings about what he did that plays a role in Team Arrow falling apart. I say that because some of the members are understanding of what he did. I'm not saying they shouldn't be considerate, I would probably do the same thing Rene did; however, what he did affects everyone, not in a good way. Also, he can be unlikable. 

Black Siren (one of the villains) is just the muscle. I'm annoyed with her subplot because the writers had a chance to do this last season, but they didn't. Also, it would make things awkward for Team Arrow.   

Cayden James ( Another baddie) is the brains of the team of villains. My gripe with him is that he's the main focus at the beginning of this season. This wouldn't bother me if he didn't overstay his welcome and wasn't boring. ( I wouldn't feel this way about him if he wasn't built up in the previous season.) Another thing it's hard for me to take him seriously because of how easy he was to manipulate. He wouldn't be in this series if Felicity didn't help free him last season. 

  

I'm not satisfied with the main villain, Raceto Diaz/The Dragon. This bugs me because he's Green Arrow's version of Bane. I was hoping the writers would get this character right since Batman writers can't get Bane right. Raceto Diaz is just a drug dealer; you'll find it hard to believe that he can pose such a threat to Team Arrow. I'm fond that he's an enigma and a behind-the-scenes guy, although doing this hurts him. To add insult to injury, he's the shortest person on the show; Oliver might as well fight The Penguin.    

Here are some of the things I like about this season. I'm fond of how the relationship between Oliver and Quentin developed from season one to now. This season did what season four tried to do a little bit better, as far as the theme of fighting for the city's soul. I'm glad that Team Arrow is divided because it gives them a chance to stand on their own. This season was getting better after episode 14, kind of. I enjoy some of the things that were done in the last episode; it would have worked as a series finale if it had played out differently.   

Overall, season 6 was a step backward. I'm surprised that this series got renewed because I don't know what story the writers can tell, or if they can tell any story, judging by how this season ended.    

My Speed Racer review

 My Speed Racer review 

 

Intro: Considering this movie came out after Iron Man and before The Hulk I mean The Dark Knight I can see why people overlooked this movie.

Speed Racer: This movie is centered on a track racer name Speed Racer who is good at what he does. One day he gets the attention of Arnold Royalton the head of Royalton Industries who makes him an offer. After Speed turns him down his life has gone upside down and his worldview is challenged. So, Speed must fight back, come to terms with a family secret and figure out if he can continue racing? 

This is the closest Mario Kart movie that you’re going to get! That’s what the races in this movie remind me of because of how over-the-top the races are. Also, this movie feels like a live-action cartoon and it makes references to the source material. The soundtrack complains the scenes in the movie. I find it hard to believe that the Wachowski directed this movie because it feels like it was directed by the man who did the Spy Kids movies. The story is told by showing us visuals of what happened instead of telling us. This movie tells an underdog story in a way that will take you by surprise. The jokes may be cheesy, but it has a charm to them. The themes of the movie are family and capitalism. This movie improves on some of the elements from the cartoon it’s based on like the characters and why the Mach 5 is so advanced?    

Speed Racer is much more likable than he was in the cartoon. In the cartoon, Speed is a self-centered crybaby. In the movie, he's a noble character and we see how his family played a role in the type of person he is. We feel sorry for him as we see him struggle with the downside of racing.   

Mom Racer is a supporting character who comforts and gives speed reassurance. 

Pop's Racer is a mentor to speed. He may seem grumpy, but he does have a heart. 

Spritle and Chim-Chim are the weakest part of the film for me. I know they are the comic relief, but it's distracting for the most part.  

Trixie (Speed's girlfriend) is also a supporting character who aids Speed. Trixie and Speed feel like a real couple unlike in the cartoon. 

Racer X is a cool and mysterious character. 

Arnold Royalton is a good villain because of how manipulative he is. There is one scene that reinforces that. He also threatens the two things Speed loves the most, they are racing and his family. 

One of the problems I have with this movie is how colorful and ridiculous it is. I know the cartoon is like this, but that didn't affect the action scenes or the seriousness of the cartoon, unlike this movie. Because the movie goes back and forth between being serious and lighthearted it creates moon whiplash. The movie looks cheap being shot with mostly blue or green screen. I wouldn't have minded this if the movie had half of its budget. The Wachowski are rough around the edges with making this movie family-friendly. The ending wasn't bad, but it feels like a cop-out. 

Overall, this is a good adaptation of the cartoon! I would recommend this to fans because this movie is an overextended episode of the show in the best way. 

Rating = Rental      

My Avengers Infinity War review

My Avengers Infinity War review 

Intro: After ten years, we finally get a Marvel movie with all of the Marvel characters in it. Expect for Wolverine, Daredevil and Deadpool. Hey, it’s better than nothing.

Avengers: Infinity War: This movie is centered on the main villain Thanos who's looking for the Infinity Stones, he's going to use them to wipe out half of the population in the universe. So the Avengers have to stop him from getting the stones. This is one of those movies that proved me wrong and fixed some of the complaints I have with the MCU. This movie made the previous Avengers movie better, however, not enough to change how I feel about that movie. ( I’m still waiting for the director’s cut.) You feel like you're watching a war movie without the chain of command, we have different groups of characters coming up with different strategies on how to deal with Thanos? Sacrifice is the theme of this movie you’ll see why when you watch the movie. Also, it was nice to see a past villain return. The way this movie ends puts a smile on my face!  

Thanos is one of the best baddies the MCU has to offer! We go from despising him to understanding him to feeling sorry for him. Plus, he shows compassion for the Avengers despite the fact they tried to stop him, how can you hate an adversary who does that? He doesn't want to kill half of the population for the heck of it he has a reason for it, whether or not that reason is good or bad is up to you to decide. The scene where his conviction is being tested is my favorite scene in the movie because we see this with the heroes but never the villains. I'm glad the writers didn't stick to his motivation from the comics because that would make him less compelling. However, his drive from the comics could work if it's used as a social commentary on what men are willing to do to win women over but I digress. I'm glad that Thanos is not a pushover without the stones, however, he isn't powerful. 

Ebony Maw is a cult leader of Thanos, I'm surprised that he serves Thanos because seems to be more powerful than him.  

We see how much Steve Rogers/Captain American has changed in this movie, he went from boy scout to rebel leader. My gripe with him is he contradicts himself about Vision's solution to stop Thanos.  

Tony/Iron Man is still struggling with his pride and ego because he tries to take control of the situation and he refuses to let certain people help him. That's understandable considering that he's been dreading the day where he has to face Thanos. I'm fond of his Iron Man suit because it has almost everything you need for combat. 

Thor is bloodthirsty in this movie. I'm fine with that because this makes up for him not having a strong reaction to everything that happened in Ragnarok. Plus, Thanos pushes him over the edge, don't worry he still has his sense of humor from Ragnarok. 

Starlord is going to be popular in this movie, I’m going to leave it at that. 

Drax is the comic relief in this movie. 

Bruce/The Hulk are having issues, the beginning of the movie might explain that however, I want verification.

Doctor Strange is headstrong in this movie, which makes him hard to work with. Also, he did something that undermines the tension in this movie. 

Vision has the same characterization in Civil War and we see how his relationship with Scarlet Witch has developed. My beef with him is he's underused, seriously what's the point of him being one of the strongest Avengers if he's taking out way too easy? 

Of course, misplaced comedy is one of the problems with this movie. There is a subplot with one of the groups that could have been cut for time. Why didn’t Thanos find the stones sooner? Each team could have slowed down Thanos if they weren't so stubborn. Some characters didn't get the chance to resolve their differences. If you haven't watched any of the other MCU films you might feel lost. Overall this is one of the best MCU movies that I would recommend. 

Rating = Worth seeing  

Black Lightning Review

Black Lightning Review 

 

Intro: If I had a list of comic book characters with the worst disguise Black Lightning would be on it.  

Black Lightning Review: This show is centered on Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning who quit being Black Lightning nine years ago do to a promise he made to someone. Since then he helps his community by being the principal of a school and other things. Things has gotten worst since a gang called the 100 showed up, so Jefferson decides to become Black Lightning again and stop them. 

This series is better than any of the Fantastic Four movies we have gotten, that's saying a lot. This show is refreshing considering how Arrow and the Flash are doing. Really I'm just happy that we have another Black superhero show on TV, do I really have to explain why I'm happy about this? The pilot episode feels like it's trying too hard to appeal to Black People, I mean it's feels heavy handed. Despite thinking having the ability to control lighting is lame I'm fond of how Black Lighting is able to use it in different ways. 

I like Jefferson/Black Lighting because he try's to better his community the right way and I feel his pain when he thinks that it's all for nothing or when he's a victim of racism. My Beef with him is that we learn that he has an agenda that damage his credibility with me.  

If Eric Killmonger from Black Panther had a sister you would get Anissa Pierce/Thunder. She's Jefferson's older daughter. I like the relationship between her and her father.     

Jennifer Pierce is Jefferson's youngest daughter, she's a promising student who gets into trouble. That's understandable considering that her family is overbearing. 

 I don't have much to say about Christine Adams(Jefferson's ex wife.) She didn't become useful until the last two episodes. 

Peter Gambi is Jefferson's mentor, he helps Jefferson on the field and proved tech support. We also learn that he's an enigma. 

Inspector Henderson is the James Gordon of this series. 

I don't have much to say about Tobias Whale. (one of the villains) He's a ruthless crime lord who has history with Black Lightning. 

One of the many problems I have with this show is the Villains, I mean it's hard to tell who's the main villain is in this series. Also the creators bought back a character that died for no reason, this person served no purpose in this show so what was the point of bringing him or her back? One of the reasons why I think having lightning powers is lame is because you can protect yourself from it by covering yourself up in plastic or rubber. 

I'm surprise that no one from the 100 has done this. Another thing whenever Black Lightning use his power to lift someone off the ground that person is not dead or burnt, how does that work? Another issues with this series is that it feels rushed, it tried to tell three stories and all of them are not resolved. Part of the reason why that is it's because this show has 13 episodes. This show addressing what's wrong in the Black Community can make it hard to watch, because we are not trying to fix things. Jefferson's backstory is kind of all over the place, we get bites and pieces of it but not enough to fill in the blanks.  

Overall this is an OK show I hope it gets renew so the writers can work out all the problems in season one.    

My MCU rant

My MCU rant 

  

Since Infinity War is around the corner, and it's almost ten years since the MCU started, I decided to give my thoughts on it. I'm impressed that this franchise is still going on; however, I think it gets too much credit for having different characters from different movies come together. Did people forget about Freddy vs Jason or Alien vs Predator? (Well, I can't blame you if you did.) Despite that, this hasn't been done before on a scale like this. I feel like I'm watching Marvel comics on the big screen. To be fair, this studio got lucky with the first Iron Man movie because this movie came out the same year as The Dark Knight; they could have been screwed if it came out the same month. One of the reasons why I'm surprised by the success of the MCU is because Marvel Studios is doing the same thing as the other movie studios, as far as studios not letting the directors be creative with their movies. I'll explain why this is an issue for me later. 

The MCU might not exist if people played this game; this game can help the general public become familiar with the Marvel world. 

  

Then again, the Justice League movie didn't have world-building, and look at how that movie turned out. (That's what WB gets for kissing Batman's butt so much, I mean, ignoring the other DC characters. I want a Blue Beetle or Booster Gold series on Netflix.) Don't get me wrong, I'm not against what Marvel Studios is doing, it's just that I don't like how this studio uses their solo films to set things up, I mean, they set up things when they don't need to, and they don't set up things when they should. For example, Iron Man 2 that movie was used to advertise The Avengers movie, and no one can tell me otherwise, the way it was done neglects the non-comic book readers. The same thing goes for Avengers: Age of Ultron; that movie was used to promote other films. I wish that the creators would take notes from how Arrow built its universe in season two. Whenever that show brings a comic book character in that season, they're used for the episode he or she is in, or they serve a purpose in the overall story. 

In case you haven't noticed, the standalone movies are one of the problems I have with the MCU; most of them feel the same as far as quality. The directors don't do anything edgy with these movies, I mean, we had two brief sex scenes in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Plus, a handful of intense action scenes in the other films. This is why I consider Captain America: Winter Soldier and Thor the best MCU films. Captain America: Winter Soldier is a solid spy thriller; the movie doesn't feel like it's setting anything up. Also, it affects the rest of the MCU. Thor is a family drama story. Yes! It has world-building; however, it didn't distract me from the story. Most of the MCU movies are about the hero's origin, personal issues, set up and the main villain looking for an object that will give him or her power. Since we're on the subject of villains, the MCU didn't produce adversaries that are memorable for the most part. 


Some of them would have been better if they were like their comic book counterparts. 

 

Or if the studio didn't throw away the actor or actress's hard work on the character.

 

It's time to address the elephant in the room, and that's the comedy. The comedy in these movies is overblown to the point where it ruins certain scenes, the tone of the movie, or the overall movie. Thor Ragnarok and Iron Man 2 are prime examples of that. The Last Jedi tried to copy this, and it didn't work because it creates mood whiplash. OK, I can see why the directors would do that because it's unexpected; however, it feels like a cheap way to get us to laugh. I'm surprised that the creators didn't use the break-the-fourth-wall type of comedy with setting up the Marvel universe. This reinforces why I'm not happy about Marvel Studios getting the rights to the rest of the Marvel characters, because I want variety. Despite not being crazy about the New Mutants movie being a horror film, I'm mad that the creators want to change that to make the movie family-friendly. We haven't seen a comic book horror film yet, unless you count the Blade trilogy. We might not have this problem if Marvel Studios let the Directors have their way with their movies.       

There have been stories of directors leaving or being fired from Marvel Studios because they don't like how this studio undermines them. Heck, even actors or actresses have gripes with this studio.

        

The standalone films are also similar to each other. don't believe me, answer these questions. What's the difference between the first Avengers movie and the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie? What's the difference between Black Panther and the first Thor movie? You don't really need to watch these movies to watch the Avengers films. Yes! The writers reference events that happen in the solo films; however, they don't play a role in the overall story in the Avengers movies for the most part. For example, Captain America: Civil War is going to feel like filler because we know or suspect that Tony and Steve will call a truce to deal with Thanos in Infinity War. As far as I know, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy are the only characters that became popular due to their standalone movies. That's saying a lot considering how much trouble Tony Stark/Iron Man has caused.  

Do I really have to explain why this studio announces that more movies will be released years in advance bugs me? First of all, they're spoiling their fan base. Have they ever heard of the saying less is more? If they keep going at this rate, people might get sick of superhero/comic book movies. Second, it takes away the surprise of watching these films. I mean, what's the point in watching a Thor movie if I know he's going to be in the Avengers safe and sound? The only time Marvel Studios played with my expectations was in the second wave of Marvel films. For example, after seeing how Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Winter Soldier ended I thought Tony was going to rebuild S.H.I.L.E.D and run it. That makes sense (Not because this was in the comics.) it's because Tony became obsessed with protecting Earth from another alien invasion, plus he doesn't trust Nick Fury. Also, I thought Thanos was going to be the main baddie in the second Avengers movie because A the creators showed him in Guardians of the Galaxy. B they set up the Infinity stones. 

Am I the only one annoyed that the Hulk is not getting any more standalone movies? The dynamic between Bruce and the Hulk is interesting. I'm happy that the writers finally gave the Hulk the ability to speak in Thor Ragnarok because we can finally get inside this character's head. I just wish that this had been done sooner. So the Fantastic Four gets four movies, but you're not going to give the Hulk a third chance. What gives Universal Studios !?! Seriously, what's the point of setting the Leader if you're not going to use him? 

As far as a Black Widow movie goes, I'm not against it; however, I don't think it's needed. First of all, we learn something new about her every time she's in these films, and we see how much she has changed since Iron Man 2. Second Black Widow works better as a supporting character if you ask me. If Black Widow is going to get her own movie, it has to take place after the Thanos story, because we already know most of her backstory, so we don't need to see it. 

I wouldn't mind a Nick Fury solo film to explore his backstory of how he went from soldier to Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Plus, he feels like an extra rather than a character. 

I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't get a Nova movie sooner. I mean, why show us the Nova Corps if you're not going to use them?         

Before I wrap this up, I want to talk about Infinity War. I don't think that this will be a good movie. First of all, too many characters; second, how will Thanos stand out the way Loki, Ultron, and Killmonger did? He's just like most of the forgettable villains as far as wanting a MacGuffin that will give him the power to destroy everything. How much of a threat does Thanos pose without the infinity stones? This studio didn't do a good job at building him up they just have him appear in some of the films like he's a big deal, I'm going to be outraged if he isn't. Third this is one movie it's suppose to be split in two, if the creators did that it would reinforce how dangerous he is. Finally, killing off characters, if anyone dies in this movie, it's hard for me to take it seriously because this studio doesn't seem to have the guts to kill someone and keep that person dead.      

The MCU would have been better if the creators borrowed more elements from the comics for example, the infinity stones in the comics can do different things. Most of the stones are used for destruction in these movies. There is a story in the comics where Thanos killed Odin (Thor's father) to get the Infinity glove. (Sorry, I could be wrong about that.) If the writers did anything like that in the MCU we would have personal conflict on how to deal with Thanos since one of the Guardians is a family member of Thanos. That's all I have to say about the MCU for now. What do you think of it?         

My Rotten Tomatoes rant

My Rotten Tomatoes rant 

OK, is it me or are people losing brain cells? People have lost their ability to act civilized, I mean you can’t say anything bad about a sports team, comic book character and game console without a fan wanting to kill you. Now we have this problem with movies, certain people want a website called Rotten Tomatoes shut down because they don’t like the scores, they give certain movies. I’m sorry I’m getting ahead of myself. Rotten Tomatoes is a website that takes reviews from other critics and gives a score based on that. This site also does that with the moviegoers however they're not the main focus. 

I didn’t know about this website until six years ago when people were outraged that this site give The Dark Knight Rises a low score at first. Since then, I don’t like the pedestal people put this website on, they treat this site as the voice for all of cinema. I can understand why people would go to this website because they don't want to waste their time and money on a movie that may or may not be good. (Especially if you bring your family to the movie theater.) How is this fundamentally different from not taking a surgery where your chances of surviving it are 11%?  

Just because you don't agree with the scores doesn't mean this website lied to you or the site is paid to play favorites. No one told you to watch the movie. People get carried away with the rating system, if the movie is not 10 out of 10 it's crap. People seem to forget that rating is subjective, what's a 10 for me may not be a 10 for you. You don't think that critics may exaggerate about the movie? (I do that from time to time.) is there a black-and-white movie that is a 10 out of 10 and you still feel like it deserves that rating? There are movies that Rotten Tomatoes don't give a 100% but I didn't think it was as bad as they say. Heck, I watch films that has a low score to see for myself how bad it is.  

I'm glad that Rotten Tomatoes didn't give the Justice League movie a score at first because I want to see how hypnotic people are by the website score system. Surprise! Surprise! They are! This caused DC fans to want the website shut down because they are tired of the site giving the DC movies from Man of Steel to Justice League low scores. Don't they stop and think that the reason why they got low scores is because the movies are bad? If you don't think it's bad who cares if the site gives it a 0%? 

Disappointments are a part of life!  

There are movies that I thought was going to be terrible, but they surprised me. 

 

 Movies that I thought was going to be good, but they end up disappointing me. 

 

And movies that I regret seeing. 

 

The bottom line is this people shouldn't put so much stock in one site, it's not good to put all your eggs in one basket. 

My Black Panther review

My Black Panther review 

 

Intro: I must be in the Twilight Zone that's the only explanation to why people are praising this movie. I'm sorry I'm getting ahead of myself. This was one of my most anticipated movies of this year. That's saying a lot considering that this character didn't make the best impression on me in Civil War. It's refreshing to see a Black lead that isn't a criminal, fruity, a token Black character, stupid and spineless with women. Black Panther is not only a superhero he's a King, I haven't seen a Black man as a King in cinema since Coming to American.  

     

I know we had Black Superhero movies before, however, they feel more like comedies than action/adventure films. (Except Blade.) Also, does anyone find those films memorable? 

I was surprised that a lot of people want to see this movie. (Do I really have to explain why?) However, it's disappointing that a bunch of them didn't dress up as the character or have any of the merchandise at the theater where I saw the movie. Enough of that let's get into what I think of the movie.     

Black Panther: This movie takes place literally a week after Civil War T'Challa/Black Panther has to adjust to his life as the King of Wakanda. Meanwhile, some outsiders want Wakanada's resources or the throne, so T'Challa has to stop them before things get out of hand. 

This is one of those movies that fell short from being as good as The Dark Knight and Winter Solider. I feel dirty for saying that because this movie addresses issues that affects Black people, but the movie didn't expand on them or tell us what we should focus on in regard to those issues. If it did it could have been considered one of the best superhero movies. The same thing goes for the should someone in a position of power should help those in their time of need message, I don't think that's a bad massage however it could have worked if more people in the movie were vocal about this issue. I like how this movie depicts African culture, because it was done in an uplifting way. The theme of the movie is tradition vs modern day. I like that this movie isn't plagued by too much setup and comedy like the other MCU films. 

I don't have much to say about T'Challa/Black Panther, he seems like a stand-up guy that wants to do right by his people. Also, he might remind the audience of someone that the general public doesn't like, I'm not going to say the person's name because I don't want to scare anyone away from watching this movie. He's unsure that he's ready to be King even though he earns that right. My beef with this character is that he contradicted himself about how he wants to run Wakanada and how he reacts to what he learned about his father. Plus, he earned the right to be king way to easy compared to what he had to do to earn the throne in the comics. Another thing his Black Panther suit is too powerful, I mean it eliminates any stakes in this movie.      

There isn't a lot to say about the other supporting characters. 

Shuri (T'Challa's sister) is the brains of Wakanda, she builds the technology for Wakanada. It's hard for me to believe that she's smart enough to build new tech with no assistants. 

Ramonda (T'Challa's mother) is just in the movie to tell her son how proud she is of him. 

Nakia ( T'challa's love interest) is in the movie for T'Challa to have a shoulder to cry on. (Plus, get him out of a jam.) Seriously? What's the point of her being in the movie if they're not going to get it on, I mean promote Black Love? Also, she's a hypocrite, you'll see what I mean when you watch this movie.  

Okoye is T'Challa's bodyguard and a General of one of the Wakanada Army's. I'm stunned that she has a Husband I'm not just saying that because she can be scary it's because I thought men being turned off by women with short or no hair was universal.      
              

I can see why people say Erik Killmonger is a good villain because it's hard to see him as a villain. He reminds me of Magneto from X-Men. I wish he had his own identity in the movie, you'll see what I mean when you watch this movie. He would have been sympathetic if he didn't carry himself in a demanding demeanor, also, if we had more context to how he got from point A to point B.     

One of my many grievances with this movie is that it lacks focus on T'Challa as King, this issue might have been fixed if we didn't have the subplot of him hunting a man that wronged him and his people years ago. There are plot holes around the customs of Wakanada and how certain characters know things. The feminist vides at the end of this movie bugs me. The Hero and Villain dynamic feels rushed. There is a scene in the movie that we suppose to take seriously, however it ends up being unintentionally funny. I wish this film would at least set up Infinity Wars since that movie is coming out soon and so far, there has been no setup for it. 

Overall, this is a solid film it could have been a lot better if it was split into two movies. I hope we get more movies like this. 

Rating = Average         

my rant about movies based on 911

my rant about movies based on 911 

Intro: Consider this a follow-up to my rant about movies based on real people and events. 

I don't know about you but I'm sick and tired of all these movies centered on 9/11, or being reminded of 9/11 period! Am I the only one that thinks Hollywood is trivializing 9/11? What about the people who were at ground zero, do you think they like being reminded of that? This makes me sick! Why am I being reminded of something that isn’t a big deal? Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it wasn't terrible but if you think this is worse than slavery or the holocaust, I don't want you around me. Also, what has changed from this ordeal it didn't make us one big happy family. The only change I notice is that Homeland Security is on steroids when it comes to security, people are afraid to go on planes or have xenophobia. If that’s not true, then tell me why we don't welcome foreigners with open arms? (If I'm wrong then I stand corrected.) 

So how can we make a big deal about 9/11 when we still mistreat each other? If that’s not true then why do we have Black Lives matter idiots, mass shootings and violent protests? This is why I'm not bothered by kids killing each other in school because they need to learn to not start something they can't finish. If you start trouble with anyone that tells me, you're ready to die. It seems like you like getting a violent reaction from people so why is 9/11 a problem? I’m not saying mistreating someone is a good reason to shoot, assault or kill anyone however you don’t get to complain about it if you’re not willing to go the extra mile to prevent it from happening. I’m not saying we all should be friends however show some common courtesy that can go a long way with me. 

9/11 didn't affect me at all I mean I wasn't afraid to go on a plane it's not like planes clash four times a year. (If I'm wrong about that I stand corrected.) Ordeals are a part of life I'm not going to stop living because of this, who said life is fair? If people are over 9/11 then why can't we joke about bombs? Isn't the purpose of comedy is to make light of a bad situation?  

Also, I don't know the whole story behind 9/11. When I saw the twin towers fall, I wanted to laugh because I thought I was watching an action film. Did anyone find it suspicious that the towers fell apart perfectly at the same time? Don't get me started on former President Bush's reaction to this. OK, I understand why he reacted that way I mean it already happened his not a Police officer or a Fireman what can he do? Now if no Police or Firemen showed up at ground zero then I understand why people would be upset with him.

My point is making a big deal out of any tragic event doesn’t mean anything if we don’t better ourselves as people.

My bright review

 My bright review 

Oh, look at how the mighty has fallen. I mean July use to be Will Smith Day now he's making movies on Netflix what a shame.

Bright: This movie is centered on two cops who live in a world where fairies, Orcs and Elves co-exist with humans. While on patrol they come across a wand that can grant you any wish and of course a lot of people are after it. So, they have to keep the wand from falling in the wrong hands.

I thought this was going to be a Man in Black but with fairy tale creatures boy was I wrong. What annoys me about this movie is that the creatures in this movie are used as an allegory for racism, police brutality and class division. This was wasted because the writers are not telling us anything new about this because we are already aware of this. Doing this is also disingenuous because what are we doing to fix this problem? Having the Orcs replace Black people and the Elves replace White people should bring up interesting questions but the movie doesn’t do it. Questions like are what does it say about Black people to have the Orcs endure our suffering just so that we won’t have to anymore? Is this arrangement enough to make up for all the messed-up things White people have done to us? Are White people OK with not being on top of the food chain?

Another thing we don’t get enough world-building to justify why this world is the way it is. I don’t like that the Orcs and Elves are adapting Black and White stereotypes I mean what’s the point of having these creatures if they don’t have their own culture? This allegory was handled better in District 9 and Zootopia. I say that because the aliens and animals didn’t have to be someone else to get the movie’s point across. I also notice a Dargon or two in this movie that's not problematic? Another thing that hurt this movie is the writing, this movie would have played out differently if the writers didn’t forget about the plot points that were set up in the movie. For example, we were told that only a few people can use the wand so why does everyone want this MacGuffin? The movie also suffers from some cringy lines for example someone said the don't think a magic wand is possible despite the fact that they live among fantasy creatures. Either he's an idiot or this is bad writing. There is one scene where the director tried too hard to make the gang come off as intimating. Why is this movie called bright if it doesn't focus on that? 

Daryl Ward is a wisecracking douchebag. He doesn't have a good working relationship with his partner not because he's an Orc it's because of a incident in the past. What the movie does with him would have been surprising if the movie didn't foreshadow it.    

Nick Jakoby (Daryl partner) is trying to be an upstanding cop. I feel bad for not because the police department is giving him a hard time the Orcs are giving him a hard time for being a cop. This movie sets up a plot point with this character that goes nowhere.           

The one complement I can give this movie is that it's unintentionally funny. Overall, this is one of those movies with an interesting concept but bad execution. 

Rating = Trash   

My rant about business people in the media

My rant about business people in the media 

Intro: This is another rant that's been a long time coming. The reason I didn't talk about this sooner is because my knowledge on business is limited and screw it, I want to talk about this. If I got any information wrong, then I stand corrected. 

Is it me or does Hollywood portray businessmen in a negative light? Can anyone who’s reading this think of ten businessmen in movies or TV shows that aren’t heartless douchebags? When they’re about to fire or kill someone how many times do you hear them say the famous line its not personal it’s just business? When you see a businessman on screen do you think he’s the villain? This is an example of what you watch can affect your mind, I’m sick of seeing businessmen as the next Gordon Gekko or Mr. Scrooge. The fact that Mr. Trump is our President doesn’t help either.  

This has been going on for as long as I can remember. This is what made the twist in Big Hero 6 work because we are conditioned to think that businessmen are the bad guys. That’s another reason why the twist in Iron Man 3 worked because of how we view bad people in general. To be fair I can understand why people are like this because of the Justice system, that is a business as well. Businesspeople are like everyone else they have friends, neighbors and family. Plus, they're not always cold-hearted, do you think we would have food, clothes and technology that makes our lives better if that was the case? (Well, you can get food by hunting and growing your own crops, but I digest.) Do you think we would have those things if it wasn’t for businesses? 

Whenever we do get a kind-hearted businessman they're either incompetent, they let their virtue get in the way of business, or they run a small company. 

                             

Look at Tony Stark in the first Iron Man movie for example when he learns that his weapons fell into the wrong hands, he stops manufacturing weapons. He didn't need to do that because A people are going to get their hands on weapons regardless. B despite how you feel about war and guns weapons are needed. That's my problem with capitalism, it ruins people's sincerity or integrity.     

To have Hollywood vilify businesspeople is insulting to what they bring to society. Do you think a community would last if the people in that community don't preserve or contribute to it? Also, I find it funny that Hollywood would display businesspeople in this light because Hollywood is a business too. I would love to see a movie where Hollywood makes itself look bad. There are so many stories from directors resenting studios for undermining them from producing movies they want to make. If there’s a movie like that, please let me know. Making money doesn’t make you evil being attached to it does. Being selfish isn't always a bad thing as long as it doesn't affect others. Do you think people with deep pockets got them if they worry about everyone else's problems? 

The Bottom line is this business shouldn’t be about making money off of other people’s expense it’s about creating new products that the world can benefit from. The media demonizing businesspeople can hurt society because we need more of them if we want them to thrive. 

  

My Coco review

My Coco review

 

Intro: Is it me or does this movie reminds you of The wizard of OZ or Footloose? 

Coco: This movie is centered on a boy name Miguel who has musical ambitions however his family is against it. This creates conflict between him and his family to the point where he runs away and ends up in the land of the dead. He can't stay there too long because he will be trapped there if he does. So Miguel has to get out of there before it's too late. 

I can't join the bandwagon and say this is the best Pixar movie in nine years because I haven't seen all of them. Plus I hear this movie is similar to Brave. I like the mystery around Miguel's family tree because it'd done In a way where the director plays with your exceptions. That's another thing this movie did well making us believe one thing when it's something else. This also did a good job of capturing Hispanic culture. (That's saying a lot coming from me because I haven't been around people like that in twelve years.) What can I say about the animation it's stunning! The theme of the movie is family it's done in a way where we should honor and remember each other. 

Miguel is a fun and loving boy who's into music. 

Hector is the best character in this movie. Despite being deceiving and self-serving he can a lot be funny and charming. Plus when we learn more about him you'll feel sorry for him. 

Ernesto de la Cruz is a famous musician who encourages Miguel to follow his dreams. 

Mama Imeida is Miguel's Great-Great-grandmother. she's a hothead who struggles to resolve things with her family.    

One of the problems I have with this movie is that it didn't do a good job at balancing the importance of family and following your dreams, what's the point of having a family if they will get in the way of your ambitions? Just because you have ambitions that don't mean family doesn't matter. Miguel's family looks stupid to think music is bad because of what it did to their family because music wasn't the issue, I can't say more without spoiling anything. Also, the story might be predictable for some people. I'm surprised that this movie got away with doing something that isn't family-friendly. 

Pixar took a big risk doing a movie about another culture and it paid off. I would recommend this if you like Brave.  

Rating = Worth Seeing  

My Inhumans review

My Inhumans review 

 

Intro:  I owe Iron Fist an apology because that's no longer the worst Marvel show I've seen. 

Inhumans: This series is about a group of altered humans called the Inhumans who live in the dome City called Attilan located on the Moon, the royal family of Attilan learn that one of their own is dead so they investigate what happened to him or her. Meanwhile, someone close to the royal family starts a coup to dethrone them, this results in the royal family being separated on Earth. So, the royal family has to reunite and get back to Attilan before things get out of hand. 

This show should be an example of what you shouldn't do when writing a story, seriously the people who work on this should be embarrassed. To be fair this was suppose to be a movie and you can tell because episodes 2 to 6 feels like filler to stretch out the story of the movie. The biggest problem with this series is the creators didn't make the royal family likable because of how they run Attilan and they made the main villain likable because he wants to change that. When the bad guy of the show is nobler than the heroes something is wrong. The writers are aware of this so they tried to fix this by making him look bad to the point where you have to choose the lesser of two evils. I feel like I'm being brainwashed, it's like watching DBZ and you tell me that Goku is the big bad. 

I thought the creator was going in the Thor direction with the royal family but they didn't. Also to make things worse the royal family has the nerve to say that they do things for the greater good if that's true they wouldn't run Attilan the way they have and do something heroic. Speaking of Attilan I'm not impressed with it because we don't see a lot of it or its people. How am I suppose to care about the fate of Attilan if I'm not invested in it or its people? The relationships in this show bugs me because they're either unconvincing, rushed or characters shouldn't want anything to do with each other considering their history. Another thing the climax of this series is a joke.

Gorgon (a member of the royal family.) is the muscle and kind of the comic relief of the family. 

Karnak is the brains of the family and he can see the flaws with everything. I'm not kidding if he screws up he can pause foresees the outcome of his or others' choices. Due to this ability he's annoying to be around I mean who wants to be around someone who's a know it all? However, I like his arc that he doesn't have to be perfect to be useful. I'm sorry but it's hard for me to co-sign on this because people do want perfection from each other especially if you work in a demanding job but I digress. 

Medusa (The Queen of the royal family.) is the type of person you want to strangle, she treats everyone besides her family like crap even those who tried to help her. She has the weakest ability out of the royal family and that is her hair can be used as a weapon. Is this a joke? How is she not (My editor censoring me from spoiling the series.) I mean she's nothing without her hair. Another gripe I have with her is I'm surprised that she's married to Black Blot considering the bad blood between their families. 

Speaking of Black Bolt (the King of the royal family.) I don't have much to say about him because he's a mute. The reason why he's like that is that he can destroy anything just by speaking or making any sound. (I'm surprised that this didn't kill his love life.) I can kind of see why he's the king. What bothers me about him is that we learn in flashback that he didn't want to be King but he took on the responsibility because of a threat that's coming to Attlian and we never learn what that threat is.    

Crystal (Medusa's sister.) is an entitled brat who's racist towards humans. My beef with her is she serves no purpose in this series. 

Maximus (The supposedly main villain and Black Bolt's brother.) is the champion of the people it's hard to despise someone who manages to dethrone the royal family without bloodshed. He would still be lovable if he didn't let his inferiority complex get the best of him. I wish I knew what his relationship with Black Bolt was like before the coup. What bugs me about him is that he shouldn't pose much of a threat to the royal family because he's human. In the comic, he can teleport why didn't he get that here?     

Mordis ( Another baddie.) is sympathetic because his powers are almost as dangerous as Black Blot yet he's treated differently, what the fudge!?! He has every reason to be evil.      

The only good thing about this series is that it has some entertainment value just barely and it made a social commentary of hypergamy kind of. Overall, this series is a mass, I wouldn't recommend this unless you want to see if this is worst than Iron Fist.