My thoughts on the Star Wars Prequels

My thoughts on the Star Wars Prequels 

 

Intro: Since this is the 20th anniversary of the prequels and the fate of Star Wars is in limbo, I decided to finally give my thoughts on this trilogy. The reason why I didn't talk about it sooner is that a lot of people badmouth the prequels, so I didn't think I can say anything new about them. Also, these movies are hard for me to review. Thanks to the recent state of Star Wars people are pretending that the prequels are good, I mean, starting to have a change of heart about the prequels. Now is a good time for me to talk about them. I'll try to focus on the major issues I have with this trilogy. If you haven't watched it, then don't read this post. I have one thing to say about Jar Jar Binks; when Watto and the battle droids are funnier than the comic relief character, something is wrong. 

When I first learned about the prequels. I was excited because we don't know the whole story of how Anakin became Darth Vader, the fall of the Jedi, and the rise of the Empire. However, looking at this in hindsight, did we really need this trilogy? I mean, we already know what will happen beforehand, which makes it hard to be invested in these movies. The prequels can work if they add context to what we already know; sadly, these movies drop the ball on that. Because of that, this trilogy feels like filler. Watching what happened in the past should be as good as hearing about it; if the movie doesn't do that, you know you screwed up. 

When I first saw episode one, I was confused because I noticed the inconsistency it has with the original trilogy. So I continued to watch the other two movies, and they made things worse. I don't think these movies are good, and after all these years, my views on them haven't changed. The first film has some entertainment value, but it's a waste of time because this movie adds nothing to the other films. The second film was a boring, written mess for the most part. The final film may be the best one out of the three, but that's not saying much. That movie was entertaining at times and dramatic, kind of. Despite how I feel about this trilogy, it did its job of introducing Star Wars to a new generation of fans.  

Whatever good things the prequels have going for it it's overshadowed by its flaws like dull and underdeveloped characters. Stiff acting, for the most part, slow pacing, boring politics, out-of-place dialogue, plot holes, and contradictions from the original trilogy. Both this and the original trilogy begin the same way, as far as starting off in the middle of an event that already happened; the difference is that we got a simple explanation in the original trilogy but not in the prequels.  

Thanks to outside sources I was able to understand the prequels a little bit better. 

                                                                                                  

However, this is one of the many problems I have with the prequels I shouldn't have to do research to figure out what the writers are trying to establish, establishing stories and characters is the writer's job. 

Just like I shouldn't have to go to an arcade to unlock special features in a video game. 

This is a trilogy, not homework assignments, also if it's not in the movie then it's not in the movie. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself.    

Let's start this off by talking about Anakin Skywalker. I understand what Mr. Lucas was trying to do with this character, as far as telling a story about how anyone can fall to the dark side due to fear and selfishness. However, there are so many missteps with how this story was told. In episode one, we're introduced to Anakin as a child slave on Tatooine. You'll find it hard to believe that he's a slave because he's a bright, cheerful kid with hopes and dreams. He's also a pilot, how in the world can he do that if he's not tall enough to fit in the cockpit? He has friends, a home to go to, and he builds things in his spare time. Does this sound like a slave to you? Anakin also has a high midi chlorians count. I'll get back to that later.   

Watto (Anakin's owner.) is chummy with him and when he sees him again in the next movie, he's happy to see him, ask him to help him out and apologizes for selling his mother. Why would he do that if he enslaved him and his mother? Speaking of his mom, am I the only one uncomfortable with the idea of his mom being a Virgin Mary clone? When Padme asks him are you a slave, he got offended you can say that he's in denial about being a slave. Introducing us to Anakin as a child was a mistake because a lot of kids are like this if they're raised properly. Even if he was an evil little bastard people wouldn't like the idea of wanting a child to die unless he's Hitler. Plus, being a slave doesn't seem to have a negative effect on him as far as we know. That's a shame because I like the idea of him being a slave because this helps parallel him with his son, both of them were stuck on Tatooine for different reasons. Also, this would explain a lot of things like his anger, being accessible to the darkside and the mindset he has in the next movie.      

This characterization of Anakin will serve no purpose in the next film because he completely changed off-screen in that movie. In episode two he's a juvenile delinquent who lusts after Padme. To be fair I would want to sweep her off her feet too. If you didn't see the first film you would think he's already on the dark side because he's disrespectful at times, resents Obi-Wan, thinks he can solve problems with dictatorship and he committed mass murder. Why is Anakin becoming Darth Vader suppose to be tragic again? To be fair I know why Anakin is like this but I'll get into that later. ( The Jedi Quest books also give us insight into why Anakin is like this.)     

In episode three he's a Jedi knight who chummy with Obi-Wan. He's also conflicted about the Jedi and worried about losing Padme (She's his wife now they got married at the end of episode two.) How is he a Jedi Knight? Vader told Obi-Wan when I left you, I was but a learner now I am the master. (To be fair I can buy him becoming a knight because of the Clone Wars.) Why is he upset that the Jedi council didn't make him a master? He gains knighthood towards the end of the Clone Wars, what makes him think he can get that title in a short time? Plus, he knew that they wouldn't give him that title, so what was he mad about? Where is the mistrust in the council coming from? I'm not saying he doesn't have a reason to think that however there's no build-up to it. This plot point was handled better in the episode 3 novel. If this is the same Anakin from the Clone Wars series, he shouldn't ask why he isn't a master because he was a rule breaker in that show and was comfortable with fighting the war. 

The scene where Anakin became Darth Vader was odd, I mean he knew what he did to Mace was wrong one second and the next second he joined Darth Sidious. Also, I wasn't that impressed with how Darth Sidious turned Anakin into Darth Vader, all he did was stroke his ego and prey on his fears. Plus, Anakin kind of has an inferiority complex which makes it easy for Darth Sidious to manipulate him. Another reason why I don't feel sorry that Anakin fell from grace is because he's either stupid or stubborn. I mean he was warned about the darkside so many times in films, cartoons and video games. He was even warned about how hard it is to be a Jedi. Would you feel sorry for someone who makes the same mistake over and over again, after someone tells them what they're doing is wrong? What's the point of asking Yoda for advice if you're not going to take it? (To be fair what Yoda told him causes more harm than good, but I digress.) 

I don't buy his friendship with Obi-Wan because If I can't call you by your first name then I don't consider you a friend. Plus, They spend most of their time separated. Whatever issues they had in episode 2 was resolved off-screen. Anakin said he views Obi-Wan like a father. I also don't believe that Obi-Wan is the reason Vader is wearing his black suit because when Vader saw Obi-Wan in a new hope he wasn't outraged with him. I understand why Anakin would blame Obi-Wan for his mother's death I mean he told Obi-Wan that he has nightmares about her. Instead of acknowledging his pain or comforting him, he ignores him. WOW! Good friend my butt. Anakin's friendship with Palpatine is more convincing than Obi-Wan that's saying a lot. Did he even try to free his mother or know about her death? 

The reason why I think Anakin is the way he is in episode two is that Obi-Wan was a padawan when he took Anakin under his wing. Despite Obi-Wan becoming a Jedi Knight later on Anakin doesn't respect him the way he would Qui Gon (Obi-Wans mentor.) because his knowledge of the force was limited, it's like a teenager raising a child on his or her own. Also, Obi-Wan was against Anakin becoming a Jedi, maybe Obi-Wan did or said something that gave Anakin the idea that he didn't want to train him. That wouldn't surprise me considering he didn't comfort Anakin about his mother and he was insensitive about Anakin being a slave in outside sources. 

I don't know if you have to be a master or not to train a padawan. Plus, Obi-Wan is guilty of doing some of the things he berates Anakin for like being reckless. Obi-Wan didn't say anything nice about Anakin in episode 2 and when he does he's condescending about it. So, yeah I get why Anakin was like that but it doesn't make him likable. I wish I could say that I'm glad that Obi-Wan took responsibility for Anakin becoming Darth Vader by saying I failed you Anakin because I don't know what he meant by that? He didn't admit the role he played in Anakin becoming Vader in the original trilogy.  

I wish Yoda would do the same thing because he also played a role in why Anakin became Darth Vader. In episode 2 he sense Anakin was in pain. I guess he didn't talk to him about it because it was never mentioned in the next movie.       

His romance with Padme was a joke compared to how it was handled in the novelization of episode 2. Anakin just wants to tap that... (My editor pop me upside my head.) I mean tap that heart with poetry. The romance in Twilight is better than this. (I'm just kidding I don't watch Twilight.) I don't get what Padme sees in Anakin. Speaking of Padme, she plays a role in why Darth Vader exist. In a scene in episode two, Anakin told her that he killed a village of sand people including women and children because they killed his mother. Instead of telling Obi-Wan or the authorities, she comforts him. What the fudge!?! I know he was outraged that they killed his mother however that doesn't justify mass murder. 

This is one of the good things about the prequels they reinforce that women want bad boys, you're a fool if you think otherwise but I digress. I know why these two love each other it's because they're both morons! When Padme confronts Anakin about turning to the darkside she was in shock. Where was this reaction when you first learn that he killed people!?!   

I was let down that the Jedi or Sith didn't do anything new with the force because the Jedi and Sith can do other things with the force like in the Expanded Universe. What's the point of showing us that if the creators are not going to put it in the films? Well, we kind of got some of that in the new Star Wars films but that's a topic for another time maybe. I can understand why people have a problem with Midi Chlorians because it makes Star Wars less of a Space Fantasy and more Sci-Fi. If the Midi Chlorians were used as an allegory for genes, it wouldn't have bothered me as it did everyone else. What bugs me about it is that it's distracting. 

Midi Chlorians are treated as a power meter in these movies.

          

Why introduce a new aspect to the force if the movies are not going to focus on it? We learn about it in the first film, the second film doesn't elaborate on the Midi Chlorians and it's mentioned in the last film. If Anakin is stronger than Yoda because of his midi-chlorian count, why didn't he become stronger than Yoga? I refuse to believe that Darth Vader couldn't become as powerful as he should have been because he lost his arms and legs, if Yoda can move around like a Tazmanian Devil then Darth Vader should be as powerful as he suppose to be. 

The force in the prequel films is treated like superpowers instead of a spiritual guide in the original trilogy. The Jedi can do the same things with the force and it's hard to tell who's the strongest without Yoda? Also, the force seems limited in the prequels. Do you see what I mean when I say that midi chorians are distracting? A Jedi shouldn't be defined by his or her midi-chlorian count or what he or she can do with the force it's about the type of person you are.    

   

Now onto the Clone War. Why is this war called the clone war if it has nothing to do with the clones? What's the point of the Senate being against a clone Army if it amounts to nothing? One of the gripes I have with the Clone Wars series is the war drags, I mean they could have killed General Grievous so many times but they didn't take it. This wouldn't bother me if the Jedi didn't do shady things in that series. Also dragging out a war is a waste of time, lives and money. This was addressed in an episode of the series. 

This war wouldn't exist of Darth Sidious said execute order 66 when everyone was on Geonosis. Let me get this straight this war started because the Separatists want to leave the Republic, are you kidding me? Who are the Separatists hurting by leaving the Republic? Leaving the Republic is not like leaving a Nation it's more like leaving an organization. We were told that this war represents a failure to listen; if we knew what the separatist want, it would make the war less one-sided. If you didn't want the Republic to fall apart, then you should have set it up better. 

How can the Jedi be OK with being a part of this war? Another thing is, how can they let themselves get killed off? They suspect a plot to destroy them, they learn about it after an investigation, and Count Dooku (one of the villains) tells Obi-Wan about it. In the Clone Wars series, they learn about Order 66, with all that information, the Jedi still played along with this plot. Why!?! Also, it's hard to be invested in this war when we saw the beginnings of it in one movie and the end of it in the next movie. In the opening crawl of episode 3, we were told that there are heroes on both sides. The problem with that is we don't see that in the movie or the series. We were also told that there is corruption in the republic but we don't see that either. Plus, we don't know the effects this war has on the Republic and the Galaxy in the movies. I understand this war is Darth Sidious's way of turning the Republic into an empire; however, the setup left more to be desired. 

I don't know if I would prefer the Thrawn trilogy's version of the Clone Wars. I mean it does explain why the Clone Wars is called the Clone Wars, but the conflict in this war doesn't sound interesting to me. Plus, it makes no sense for the Jedi to be involved in this war because it goes against their teachings. The writers of the original trilogy were going to build off the Clone Wars, but that idea was scrapped because the viewers would be left out of the loop. The Clone Wars should have been a throw-away line if the creators can't establish why this war was a big deal.   

      

Let's get into the Jedi and Sith. I was let down that the creators of these films didn't use Anakin to explain the Jedi way like the Original Trilogy use Luke to explain the force. We don't know much about the Jedi way because the movies didn't do the best job explaining that. We only learn three things about the Jedi way, they are Jedi don't kill people, they follow the will of the force and they have to devote their life to the Jedi order. Devoting to the Jedi order involves no attachments to people, things, or outcomes. 

This plays a role in why the Jedi council is against Anakin becoming a Jedi in the first place due to his attachment to his mother. It's too bad the prequels didn't focus on the life of the Jedi because that would have been an interesting character study, that lifestyle is hard like Qui Gon said. You have powers but you can't use them unless the council or the force tells you to. That means you have to let bad things happen around you including to people you care about. Also, you can't use your powers to better your life because the Jedi are selfless, they have to put others above themselves and others equally. 

The Sith always puts him or herself first, if you do that, you'll fall victim to the dark side. This is why the Jedi indoctrinate children at a young age because it's hard to convince grown-ups to live this life. Yes! It's messed up but they're helping them reach their full potential and preparing them to live a life without attachments. The Jedi are encouraged to love but not in a possessive way. After seeing what happened to Anakin in this trilogy shows why possessive love is forbidden, would you let the world burn to save one person you know? Even if you sacrifice a loved one for the sake of others can you live with the guilt of not being able to save that person?  

This is another complaint I have with the prequels they make it seem like everything is black and white and it's not, even Palpatine says what's right or wrong is a point of view. Yoda told Anakin fear is the path to the dark side, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering. I understand what he's saying however it's not that simple. Fear doesn't always lead to anger and this trilogy didn't do the best job at foreshadowing what Yoda said. This is why being a Jedi is hard because fear is the one emotion people are having a hard time controlling.  

Having emotions is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't dictate your actions. This reinforces why I think the characters are dull, most of the Jedi are emotionless. Just because you have the same outlook on life that doesn't we should have the same attitude about it. This is another thing the clone wars series fixed, the Jedi in that series have different personalities. 

Being selfish is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Do you think wealthy people become rich if they don't put themselves first? Serving others can cause resentment and it shouldn't come at the expense of not bettering yourself.           

This should have been the downfall of the Jedi having a civil war among themselves, instead of letting themselves get killed. Having Palpatine creates conflict with some of the Jedi by having them resent the Jedi order for robbing them of their childhood and not following the will of the force instead of serving the Republic. 

Qui Gon is the only Jedi as far as we know who follows the will of the force instead of the Jedi code whatever that is, this is why he wasn't on the council. The Clone Wars series shows the Jedi are at odds over the war and some of them are having trouble with not having attachments. The Jedi are suppose to bring balance to the force, not peace because peace and balance are not the same thing.   

How can the Jedi council members be on the council if they don't follow the will of the force? Even Mace Windu says they lose their ability to use the force even though they use it for combat. I don't think the Jedi Order is wrong there are benefits to how they do things however they took away people's choice to join the Jedi Order. If I was on the Jedi council I would suggest that there should be a trial to see if the padawans want to leave the Jedi order. I'm guessing the Sith not being around for a millennium caused the Jedi to lose their way.     

Since we're on the subject of balance do you know what bugs me about the prophecy besides the fact that we don't know who wrote it or what it says, it's that it makes Yoda look bad. What's the point of being the oldest and strongest Jedi if he doesn't know what the prophecy says and can't bring balance to the force? Wait! he can't be the strongest Jedi because Master Sifo-Dyes was the leader of the Jedi council. What kind of balance is this trilogy talking about? 

Are you talking about everything being even? That can't be the case because the Jedi outnumber the Sith a hundred to one. Is it the Yin and Yang balance that can't be it either because Palpatine said the dark side of the force is considered unnatural. If that's true, then the dark side is like a virus to the force. (Then again this would have more meaning coming from Yoda.) In Star Wars Rebels a character called the Bendu believes that the force would be balanced if there were no force users, are the prequels talking about that kind of balance? We don't know because were unclear about it.       

What is a Sith? I'm not being funny what is it? These movies don't explain their history. The only thing we learn about this they have been extinct for a thousand years and there are always two of them. Also, there was a Sith war.  

Overall, it's a shame that these movies turned out the way they did because they had the potential to be better than what they were. Really this trilogy should have been a three-book TV series like Avatar the Last Airbender because it's hard to incorporate everything the novels have done into movies. That's all I have to say about the prequels for now. Do you think they're bad or underrated?       

My thoughts on the Sonic movie

My thoughts on the Sonic movie   

   

You know out of all the video game franchises that can work as a movie like Halo, Metal gear solid, GTA, Mega Man and Legend of Zelda to an extent. Why oh why would Hollywood pick Sonic the hedgehog of all things!?! For those of you who don't know Sonic is a video game mascot created by a company called Sega, he has been Sega's bread and butter in the '90s. Sonic became so popular that he became relevant outside the video games with cartoons and comic books. He even has his own creative team called Sonic Team. If I can describe Sonic based on what I've seen in the video games and cartoons I say he's cool, laid back and impatient. 

Yes! Sega has other mascots however they didn't stand out due to Sega treating some of them as one-off characters. 

                         


Plus, Sonic was created to rival Nintendo's mascot Mario, both Mario and Sonic games are similar. The difference between the two games is you can move faster with sonic, sonic's world is more realistic and the story isn't about saving a princess. In 2001 Sega has falling on hard times, the Dreamcast (Sega's last video game console.) was discontinued because of low sales due to it being overshadowed by the PS2. Because of that Sega couldn't compete with the other video game company's hardware wise, that's a shame because they came up with concepts that the gaming industry uses today like motion controls and online gaming. 

To be fair Sega face hardship before, for example, they lost over 260 million dollars in revenue with their previous console the Sega Saturn. Other factors lead to Sega's downfall like Sega got carried away with the hardware, Sega of American are not making games that are challenging and the U.S. and Japan are at odds over how their products are being handled. I'm sorry I didn't mean to go off-topic. Sega is also struggling to make Sonic games without the help of third-party developers. 

The handheld games are fine. 

                          

 The console games are a different story.     

                      

Also Sonic as a character has changed as well, he went from how I described him earlier to trying to be cool, funny and patient. The problem with the console games is that sometimes the gameplay is fine but the story and cut scenes range from OK to ridiculous due to lame jokes and bad dialogue. I think Sonic fans are exaggerating about how bad Sonic games have become after Sonic Adventure 2, Yes! Most of them are not good but they're not terrible either. There are only two bad sonic games after 2001 and I'm not going to say what they are because y'all know what I'm talking about. 

This boils down to fans not knowing what they want, some of them want the games to be lighthearted as the early games others want the games to be serious as the adventure games. This is why I give game developers credit for trying different things with Sonic although the variety can be weird. One more thing if game developers are going to reuse old sonic stages then come up with new ways for the players to play them.

Now that I gave you a little history on Sonic let's get into what I think of the upcoming movie. Of course, I'm against this movie for so many reasons. First of all most of the video game-based movies are bad even the Resident Evil movies, how Hollywood managed to turn that into a franchise is beyond me. This wouldn't anger me so much if Hollywood isn't a money-making business, why are they wasting their money on these movies? If they have money to burn why not greenlight the sequel to Dredd? 

Second, after looking at the trailer the creators of this movie made the same mistakes as the other video game films and that is changing the source martial. I don't mind alterations as long as they are improvements over the original work however you shouldn't change things to the point where fans don't recognize the franchise. Doing this tells me that you have no faith in this property if that's the case why bother making this movie? You know there should be a policy in Hollywood that says if you produce a movie based on a popular franchise you need to hire a fan or someone who worked on that franchise as a consultant. ( If they already did that then I stand corrected.)

Finally what makes Hollywood think that they can make a good Sonic movie when the fanbase can't make up their minds about what they want a Sonic game to be? Let's get back to the trailer. The only good thing about it is at the end where Mr. Carry who's playing Dr. Eggman looks like him at the end of the trailer. Speaking of Mr. Carry I'm surprised that he's in this movie because I heard he stop acting because he wants to be in serious roles, but people won't take him seriously. If that's true then I feel sorry for the man but I digress. Mr. Carry is not a bad choice to play Dr. Eggman because Dr. Eggman can be goofy however Mr. Carry is over the top in this trailer as usual. 

What really bugs me about this trailer is that it reminds me of that Sonic game that fans want to forget about. What's with Hollywood's obsession with blending cartoon characters in real life, if it didn't work in the Smurfs, Yogi Bear and Scooby-Doo what makes them think it will work in this movie? (It's sad that Who framed Roger Rabbit is the only movie that manages to do that, as far as I know.) Judging by the trailer this movie may be an origin story, it could be interesting to see how their rivalry started. OK, how can the writers make a story about sonic stopping Dr. Eggman from experimenting on animals or finding the Chaos Emeralds work on film? That's another reason why video game movies don't work because for the most part game developers don't focus on telling an in-depth story they focus on the gameplay.  

The sonic design in the trailer looks worse in motion. He looks like a little man in a sonic costume. Also, why does he have lightning when he runs, he's not the Flash! Finally, the jokes in the trailer don't work for example when a human character first sees Sonic, sonic says meow. Why is that suppose to be funny, I understand why it suppose to be funny but the way he believe that line was bad. The trailer also made a joke about child abduction, really? 

Who is the target demographic for this movie? This movie can't be for the fans for obvious reasons and it can't be for kids because of the song that was played in the trailer. Gangster's Paradise (That's the name of the song.) what the fudge? Sonic doesn't have a gangster bone in his body, if Sonic is gangsta what does that make Mario Don Corleone? That's all I have to say about this movie for now. I will end this post by saying this if you're going to make a movie based on cartoons or video games play to its strengths by making the movie animated. Another thing I want is the movie to be based on the Archie comics even though Sonic is too powerful in those comics. 

                  

My Avengers Endgame review

My Avengers Endgame review 

 

Intro: I'm surrounded by crybabies. 

Avengers Endgame: The movie takes place 5 years after Thanos wiped out half of the population in the universe. We see how the survivors are affected by it, some of them manage to cope, others not so much and Thanos is MIA. One day two of the reminding Avengers learn that an ally survived the snap and he or she has an idea on how to repair the damage Thanos has caused. So the Avengers reunite to try and see if they can make this suggestion work. 

I wish I can say that I loved this movie but I didn't. Despite this being an emotional and entertaining film it's also problematic, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The movie maybe three hours long but it doesn't feel like it. There is a scene in the movie that will almost put a smile on your face! This movie did things that haven't been done before in superhero films, I can't elaborate without spoiling anything. The last act feels like I'm watching a Football game. Despite that, this movie wraps up eleven years of storytelling and it leaves doors open to continue this franchise.    

I'm impressed with what this movie has done with Tony/Iron Man, we get to see how much he has grown from the first Iron Man film to now. I wish he had better closer for his past, plus I don't like that he steals someone's thunder.  

I don't buy why Thor is the way he is in this movie because it makes no sense, I take back what I said about him reaching his breaking point in the last movie. It's sad to see him like this. My gripe with this character is the running joke the movie makes with him, you'll see what I mean when you watch the movie. 

I'm not crazy about what this movie has done with Hawkeye, the writers turn him into another Marvel character. I'm surprised that no one questions if he can be trusted after the things he's done.  

This movie humanizes Black Widow, now that she lost half of her family she won't move on. Plus she does what she can to keep the rest of humanity safe. I wish the movie would give us more of her trying to cope. 

Steve Rogers/Captain America does his best to comfort people but it comes off as annoying. He did something that I think is kind of messed up.  

Bruce Banner/The Hulk is a bit of a goofball in this movie. What bugs me about him is the other thing the movie has done with him, not because it's bad it's because it happens off-screen. 

Carol/Captain Marvel is arrogant and she's barely in the movie.    

One of the many problems I have with this movie is their plan to try to fix what Thanos did, it's such a cop-out. There is a character in the comics that could help them, he or she was referenced in GOTG Vol 2. You'll have a hard time buying how things played out in this movie. We don't see how the general public is affected by half of the population being wiped out, we only see it from the Avengers perspective. I'm disappointed that this movie didn't have a serious tone as the trailers have us believe, thanks to the comedy. Speaking of comedy it seems like there suppose to be a laugh track whenever someone says something funny. Do I really have to comment on the plot holes?   

The Directors could have done a better job directing some of the scenes. Since Thanos is hardly in the movie I wish there was more conflict for the Avengers to raise the stakes. Speaking of Thanos if you loved him in Infinity War you're not going to love him here, I'm going to leave it at that.  Plus the movie wouldn't go from A to B if it wasn't for contrivances. What happened in the climax didn't surprise me because the MCU foreshadowed that this is going to happen, plus the climax is one-sided. This movie could have been a social commentary on moving on from tragedy however the film dropped the ball in that department.    

I may not consider this as one of the best MCU movies however it did it's job of ending to the Infinity Stones saga for the most part.   

Rating = Average  

My thoughts on Gotham

My thoughts on Gotham 

When I first saw the trailer for this show I was turned off by it because it's a prequel, enough said. Fans say they don't want to see Batman's origin what makes the creators think that we want to see everyone else's? Also, this show should have been called Gotham Elementary, I'm serious there are moments at the beginning where the show feels like that. I'm surprised that there isn't an episode where Bane bullies Bruce. Also, what about Arrow that show use Batman villains so there are no copyright issues? What made me give this series a chance is that season 5 is going to adapt one of my favorite Batman stories, that is No Man's Land.   

Basically, this is a cop show with Batman villains. Later on, this show grew some legs at the expense of Batman's mythology, the way this show plays with it I feel like I'm watching a Flash Point version of Batman. I'm surprised that Mr. Burton is not involved with this show because it has a bizarre tone to it just like his movies. This series is centered on Jim Gordon, what's the point of this if we don't learn much about him? This show drags out the mystery of who killed Bruce's parents and made it complex to the point where you won't care who did it. 

You might be disappointed with how this series handled the No Man's land story, the creators treat it as a mini-series. I don't understand why that story can work as a season-long story. The last episode feels like a season premiere, the episode before last feels like the series final. One of the things that bugs me about this show is the Easter eggs, they are so on the nose that characters might as well put up a sign that says I'm going to be this person or that person if you're too stupid to figure it out. Also, it seems like the writers want to have it both ways as far as wanting to do their own thing with the mythology and make this show look familiar to everyone else. 

I'm let down with how this show uses the Penguin, it wasn't bad it's just that I was hoping he would play role in Bruce's parent's death considering their history. 

I don't buy Bruce's relationship with Selina because of how manipulative she is, I'm surprised Bruce didn't strangle her for all the mind games she played with him.  

Alfred is more or less the same character as he was portrayed in the past. What makes this Alfred different is that we get his backstory of him being in the service. Also, his dynamic with Burce is different due to Bruce being a minor.   

Harvey Bullock is jaded, we get an episode that shows us why he's like that. 

What happened to Harvey Dent? I mean He was in season one after that we don't see him anymore. 

This show wasted Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Hugo Strange and Scar Face. 

The Riddle is handled fine for the most part. 

There are things I like about this show like the relationship between Jim and Bruce, that's never been focused on in live-action before. Despite not being crazy about how this show plays with Batman's Mythology I'm happy that the writers are creative with it. This series can be amusing at times. The show borrows elements from different sources. If you can look past that this is a Batman show this is an OK series. I would recommend this if you like Batman year one.   

   

My Shazam review

 My Shazam review 

 

Intro: How can Marvel and DC not know that they both have a character with the same name? That's what happens when you rip off each other. 

Shazam: This movie is centered on a boy name Billy Batson who's looking for his mother. During his search, he meets a wizard who gives him the ability to turn into an adult with superpowers, so he has fun with them. his playtime is interrupted when he catches Dr. Sivana's attention and he wants his powers. So, Billy has to still his ground with him. 

Yeah! This may be a fun movie but it's also stupid. Seriously how did this movie get good receptions? The movie is suppose to be a character-driven movie but it doesn't focus on the character's goals. What hurt this movie is the writing and inconsistencies. There is a scene where kids beat up a disabled kid. Where's the outrage over that? The movie tried to be about family, but the theme wasn't executed well. The climax in the movie is head-scratching.        

I don't like Billy/Shazam in this movie. I'm not saying that because he's not like his comic book counterpart I'm saying that because he's not worthy of these powers. He's a troubled loner who doesn't want to be around his foster family and only wants to find his mother. Plus, he has done anything that deserves praise from the public.      

Freddy (Billy's foster brother.) is a superhero fanboy. He tries to act as a mentor to Billy he does things to damage his credibility. Heck, he didn't deserve the (censor) at the end of the movie. 

 

Dr. Sivana (The main Villain) is a tragic character. I say that because of his upbringing however, I wish the movie would focus on how it affects him. What bugs me about him is that he has no reason to target Billy. 

The only thing I like about this movie is that it puts the adoption community in a positive light. All in all, this movie wasn't the best way to introduce us to this character. That's a shame because this movie could have been better with rewrites. 

 Rating = Rental 

My rant about the Punisher

  

 

My rant about the Punisher 

 

For those of you who don't read comic books Frank Castle/ The Punisher is a Marvel anti-hero who's a soldier with a family after he's done with the Army, he tries civilian life. That was short-lived when his family was murdered by a mobster, so Frank goes on a killing spree to avenge their death and he has been killing criminals ever since.  

The Punisher is a character that I don't find applying! What turns me off about this character when I was a kid is him killing criminals. I mean the way he kills and tortures them I'm surprised that Hollywood didn't turn him into a serial killer. To be fair we kind of got a serial killer version of the Punisher with Jigsaw. 

If you're going to create an anti-hero, he or she got to have some humanity to them or an ethical code to live by.

 

   

 

The red rood is would make a better Punisher because he manipulates crime and knows that some criminals need to be put down. Well, the Punisher doesn't kill the innocent but that's not reassuring. As I got older, I still have issues with it but not for the same reason, we all have a shadow self. A lot of people can't look me in the eyes and say that they wouldn't want to get revenge on anyone who hurt them or their loved ones. I'm not saying that's a good reason to kill anyone however it's understandable. Also, if you shoot me with the intent to kill and you think I'm going to pull my punches you're a fool.    

You don't get the sense that he's doing this for noble reasons or because of his family he's doing this because he's looking for a reason to do it. I'm no expert in Psychology but I'm sure that someone who enjoys killing people regardless of whether they deserve it or not needs to be in the nuthouse. Also, if you miss your dead relatives and friends would you honor their memory by doing something that you know they wouldn't be proud of? What about minors would he kill them for breaking the law? If he doesn't, I'm going to have problems with that, not because I want to see teenagers get killed it's because this will make him look like a hypocrite. 

If your argument is that minors don't know better adults don't know better either so what's your point? Since we're on the subject of hypocrisy Frank works with Deadpool and Venom in the comics even though they have blood on their hands. What's up with that? He also dated Elektra in the comics, that's another reason why I don't feel sorry for this character if he can manage to have a social life then he should be able to move on with his life. Also, do you think Frank would be this way if he got professional help?

Another thing how does he know that people are committing crimes because they were strong-armed into doing them? Some people don't think certain things should be illegal. For example, I don't think selling drugs should be illegal because the drug dealers are not forcing people to buy them, if you don't want drugs in your neighborhood or community don't buy them. If Alcohol is not illegal despite the DUI's and bar fights how is this any different? Now if they sell drugs to kids that's a different story.       

The only explanation to why he's doing this is because he doesn't trust the system. OK two things wrong with that, first of all, he didn't even try to get justice for his family with the legal system! So where is the mistrust coming from? Even if he did use the justice system and it didn't work out that's no excuse for him to kill people like he's playing Rainbow Six. Doing that makes Frank look like a spoiled brat. I'm not trying to be insensitive to people who were screwed over by the justice system however no one said life is fair. If your car breaks down, would you buy a new one instead of fixing it? You gain sympathy by how you move on from tragedy. Second if frank was a Black man, I might buy this excuse. Why can't Frank admit that he's an extremist? I remember the Punisher was in one episode of Spider-Man the animated series and he was portrayed as a bounty hunter. 

Out of the three Punisher movies I've seen the 2004 film and I didn't like it. This movie has the same effect on me as the 2003 Hulk movie that is it's depressing and slow to the point where you don't notice anything else in the movie. I appreciate that this movie didn't take the death of Frank's family lightly however if you're expecting an action movie and the film doesn't deliver that's an issue. Another gripe I have with this movie is Micro is not in it. For those of you who don't know who he is Micro is Frank's ally, he helps provide weapons and tech support. 

The Netflix series is OK. I was let down that this show didn't embrace this character, I mean he barely wears his signature skull, Micro is a means to an end and he doesn't go on an ongoing killing spree. That's sad considering that I like how the character was handled in season two of Daredevil. Frank in this series feels like Wolverine, he tries to live a normal life, but he gets involved in a crusade and moves on. 

The bottom line is the Punisher is one of those characters that I'm surprised lasted this long. We can understand his pain however we can't relate to him. He killed people who did him wrong and in his own way made the world safer by replacing evil with death. How many people do you know got back at everyone who wronged him or her? 

Despite not being crazy about him that doesn't mean writers can't come up with interesting stories with him. That's another thing that hurts this character different writers, I mean they don't seem to know what to do with him. For example, there is a comic book where he killed all the Marvel characters including himself because his family was caught in the crossfire between the heroes and villains, I'm not kidding about that. This character works better as a baddie and he can be used to create a social commentary on keeping yourself honest and society using severe punishments to keep people in line.               

Black Lighting season two review

Black Lighting season two review 

  

Intro: How did we go from Fantastic four to X-Men in one season? 

Black Lighting season two: This season takes place right after the end of the first season and the Jefferson family are dealing with the aftermath. They learn that there are meta human in pods and Tobis and other forces want to use them. So the Jefferson family has to protect them from those forces. 

This season is hard for me to review because there isn't a lot going on in this season. This season has the same problem as season seven of Arrow, as far as not having a main story. I like how this season sets up for season three. We learn that Jefferson powers are limited, this helps build suspects. 

Jennifer now has powers and they seem to connect to her state of mind, because of that she's having a hard time controlling them. Her parents are not making things better for her, I mean they have good intention however it will blow up in there face.   

Perenna is Jennifer's mentor, she helps her control her powers. 

Lynn Pierce is more helpful then she was last season. 

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lighting is dealing with some of the consequences of having a double life and trying to help Jennifer with her powers. 

I shouldn't feel sorry for Painkiller (one of the villains.) but I do because of how he's being manipulated. 

One of the many problems with this series is that it establish two subplot that goes nowhere, I hope they get resolved in season three. Once a again this show broth back a dead character for no reason, well we do get a reason but it's unclear. Overall, this is not a good follow up do to this season having little to no stake. I hope season three will be better.     

My Captain Marvel review

My Captain Marvel review 

 

Intro: Did we really need this movie to introduce the Skrulls? Didn't we see one of them in Guardians of the Galaxy? 

Captain Marvel: This movie is centered on a Starforce member name Vers from the planet Hala. She and her team go on a mission to rescue one of their own from an alien group called the Skrulls. The mission was a mess and Vers crash land on earth in the year 1995 with a hand full of Skrulls. So, she has to figure out what they're planning and get back to her team. 

I don't get the controversy around this film. The movie is fine despite its flaws, it's could have been better than Wonder Woman. That's saying a lot considering that the trailers did this movie no justice, plus this character isn't popular. The movie does have some feminist vibes to it however they don't annoy me because of how vague some of them are. Also, this movie address one of the many things that are keeping women from doing certain things that men can do. I just wish the movie was subtle about it. I like that this film explains how Nick Fury came up with the idea for the Avengers initiative to a point. I appreciate that this movie didn't overdo it with the 90's references and the movie did things that took me by surprise from time to time. 

Vers may come off as sarcastic however she's dull. Whatever story the creator tried to tell with her didn't work. Also, when she tells a joke she has a straight face. My issue with her is she has amnesia, we get bits and pieces of her backstory but it's not enough to give us a full picture of her past life. Also, she becomes too much towards the end of the movie. 

Nick Fury is not in this movie. I don't know who this imposter is but it's not Nick Fury. This guy is more pleasant to be around than Nick Fury was in the previous films. I enjoy his dynamic with Vers. Also, he has a thing for cats. Fans might be let down by how Nick (My editor censors me from spoiling a part of the movie.).  

Agent Coulson is in this movie sadly he doesn't do anything in the film. (Then again, he doesn't do much and the others film that's why I never mention him in my reviews, but I digress.) 

Yon-Rogg is Vers's mentor who tries to help her the best he can. 

I don't have much to say about Marie Ver's best friend from her past because she doesn't serve much of a purpose in this movie. She doesn't have a strong reaction to things that she should react to.    

Talos (the leader of the Skrulls) is the comic relief. 

Before I get into my gripes with the movie I want to address and complain people might have with the movie. To the people who say why didn't Nick mention, reference or call Captain Marvel sooner? He kind of did reference her in the end credit scene in Iron Man, he said you think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet. Now, why would he say that if he didn't meet anyone from space?

One of the many problems with this movie is that it has a hand full of plot holes that I notice, however it created plot holes for the rest of the MCU. The twist in this movie didn't surprise me because of Ver's amnesia. Also, this twist has been done so many times that the writers don't do anything new with it. The movie has a villain from one of the MCU films, but this movie didn't give this character any justice. A minor complaint I have with the movie is that it doesn't reference what was popular in the 90's like skip it, T2 and Sonic the hedgehog. (I looked at my editor and said.) You thought I was going to say Power Rangers, did you? 

The bottom line is this is an enjoyable film I would recommend this if you want to see an entertaining movie.             

Rating = Average