Superman and Lois season 4 review

Superman and Lois season 4 review 

Intro: My Editor: Are you crying? 

Me: Go ahead a laugh I don't care. 

My Editor: It's OK I know. ( He wraps his arms around my head and cries.) it was so beautiful. Why did it have to end? 

Me: Will you get a grip!?!  

Superman and Lois season 4: This season picks up right after the last season ended and Superman is out of commission after his fight with Doomsday. The Kent's not only have to figure out how to revive him but deal with Lex Luthor. After Superman is revived he's becoming a shell of his former self. So, he has to figure out what's happening to him before Lex destroys everything he values. 

Despite the limitations behind this season, it gave us the best season of the show. This series took liberties with the death of Superman story that is filling for TV. The rest of the cast screen time being cut helps this show force on the Kent's. A character from the Superman lore finally appears in this series. The stakes may be small but you don't mind it because of how personal they are. Some of the action scenes are impressive and the way this series ended will pull on your heartstrings. 

This season makes you appreciate how lonely Clerk Kent/Superman feels despite having people in his life. We see how this is affecting the boys. What bugs me about him is that he shouldn't have the problem his having. 

I'm not crazy about what this season has done with Johnathon because it doesn't make the family less vulnerable. 

I was let down by Jordan this season. I mean I thought he was going to redeem himself by playing a role in having his father get better. 

Lex Luthor in this series is the best live-action version of this character. (Shut up Smallville.) He's ruthless and calculating. I have issues with his motivation because he shouldn't be mad at Lois for what happened to him. Plus, he's not innocent so he should have seen himself being wronged as karma.    

One of the problems I have with this series is one of the subplots. I wish this was in season two because this would have worked for that season. The character from Superman lore feels ticked on in this season. The season as a whole didn't play out so smoothly because of some of the filler episodes. This season didn't always handle Doomsday well and Brainiac is a joke. 

Overall, this is not only a fitting end to this show but an era.     

My Batman Beyond Rant

My Batman Beyond Rant 

Considering how popular Batman is, everyone should know about Batman Beyond. In case you don't, Batman Beyond is a sequel series to Batman TAS that lasted three seasons, and with a direct-to-video movie. The series is set in a cyberpunk future where Bruce Wayne is an old man and a teenage boy name Terry McGinnis takes up the mantle of Batman under Bruce Wayne's guidance. The show won over fans by giving us new adversaries, a future setting, and a protagonist who has to learn to live up to Batman's legacy. Besides Nightwing, this is the second closest thing to DC Spider-Man. I say that because this cartoon borrows elements from Spider-Man and other Marvel IPs. 

The show avoids the trend of making a future version of Batman's rogues gallery. When we do see a member of his rogue gallery, it's done in a way that makes sense. ( I wish I could say the same for the comics, but I'm getting ahead of myself.) The villains in this series are similar to the old ones without feeling like a copy of those villains. the show also deals with big business, misuse of tech, legacy, and mortality. Another thing this show did that I like is giving us a Bruce Wayne who lost his humanity. In season 4 of Batman TAS, Bruce is focused on his crusade to the point where he ruins his relationships and doesn't show compassion for his villains for the most part. In Batman Beyond, he lost his company and closed himself off from the world. After he meets Terry, we see Bruce out of the mansion and regain control of his company over time. Take notes, Mr. Snyder, because this is how it's done!   

With all that said, I didn't love this series as much as everyone else. As far as the movie goes, it lost its novelty, and the mystery wasn't good. Don't get me started on the JLU episode. Season one, to me, is the best season of the show. After that, the show lost its momentum, and it felt like a different show. Part of the reason why is because the show removed Derek Powers/Blight too soon. That annoyed me back when I first watched this show because he was the main villain to both Bruce and Terry for different reasons, and his last episode was anticlimactic. Looking back on it I still feel the same way about it; however, I understand why things played up the way they did. The radiation he was suffering from was not only affecting his body but also his mind, so he brought this on himself. 

He was brought back in the comics, but the writers don't seem to know what to do with him. I was also let down that the series wasted his son, Paxton Powers, because the writers could have done interesting things with him. Another issue I have with the show is the villains. This series has five recurring baddies, not including the Jokers and Blight, at the time. Most of them have gimmicks with no personality. 

We were suppose to get one of two Batman Beyond movies. One with either Mr. Keaton or Mr. Eastwood playing Bruce Wayne, and the other one with the same animation style as the Spider-Verse movies. Sidenote, I would prefer Mr. Eastwood because he's a bigger star. Plus, I don't want Mr. Keaton wearing out his welcome. If Batman Beyond movie ever gets greenlit, it's going to be hard to produce for three reasons. First of all, we had two movies that came out before and after Batman Beyond that are similar to the pilot episode. They are The Mask of Zorro and the first Ant-Man movie. WB could face a copyright lawsuit; the same thing goes for an animated movie. Second, the movie could be restricted from doing anything creative because it's based on a show. This is what hurt the tie-in comics and the fan film we got last week. The fan film is similar to the episode that introduces the Royal Flash gang, but with a few changes. (I'm surprised that the fan film didn't get a million views yet, considering how long fans have been waiting for a Batman Beyond movie, but I digress.) Finally, I don't think the villains in the series can carry a movie unless they work together. 

As far as the comics goes, I didn't read a lot of them, and I didn't like most of the things the writers did with those comics. The fact that we haven't got a Batman Beyond movie yet bothers me on principle, that principle is WB wanted a teenage Batman. What's the point of asking for this if you are going to give this I.P. the cold shoulder? If we ever do get a Batman Beyond movie, I want two things. The first thing is to have Dick Grayson make an appearance to give Terry someone he can relate to; he knows what it's like to be in Bruce's shadow. Second, don't have Dana ( Terry's girlfriend) in the movie because she is one of, if not the most, unlikable characters on the show. ( to be fair, Terry hasn't always been the best boyfriend.) Seriously, what does Terry see in her?  

That's all I have to say about this topic for now. What do you think should be done with this I.P.?    

My rant about the 4B movement

 My rant about the 4B movement

 

In case you don't know or care about politics, everyone's favorite businessman won his second reelection for President. This is a milestone considering that this hasn't happened before. ( If I'm wrong, then I stand corrected.) Of course, people, mostly women, are freaking out over this to the point where one woman took her own life over this. Women reacting like this is ridiculous, I mean, how often does the President keep his word? Just because you know about Project 2025,  that doesn't mean authority figures will implement all of it. People talked about WW3 for years, and it hasn't happened yet. I was wrong about things like the Black Panther movie joining the Billion-dollar club and Scooby Doo outlasting all of Hanna Barbera's cartoons for reasons I explained in the past. Does that mean my reasons weren't legit? My point is this, you can be wrong about something despite any evidence to the contrary. 

The election bothers women to the point where they want to start a 4B movement. For those of you who don't know what that is, this is a movement that started in South Korea five years ago, maybe longer. This movement is about denying men dating, sex, marriage, and kids. They are doing this to fight the patriarchy, reproductive rights, or they're tired of their place in life. Now, Western women want to do the same thing for the same reasons. (allegedly) You do realize you fixed the problem with this movement, I mean, no kids, no abortion. 

Before I continue, I want to talk about abortion real quick. I think it's sad that women are letting this define them. If that's not true, then why are you making a big deal about it? If you have a better life because of abortion, that tells me that you shouldn't have kids on your own or have them under better circumstances. (Especially if you suffer from postpartum depression.) I'm having a hard time buying that some women do this because their men pressure them to do it, because of how unruly women are. I'm annoyed that no one is talking about the negative effects of abortion because it's doing women a disservice. Covid 19 made it hard for me to take abortion rights seriously because you let the Government tell you to take the vaccine and wear masks. My point is you can't pick and choose when you want the government involved in your affairs.  

I don't know about you, but I'm not taking this movement seriously because women talked about doing something like this eight years ago, and they didn't stand on business. ( They also said they would protest over this election, and so far, nothing happened.) If women are serious about this movement, they will look stupid for four reasons. First of all, you are already doing this to most men. I mean, if you're not throwing yourself at the Average Joe, then that's my point. Second, those four things are no lost to us because American women are the least desired group of women. Foreign men would come over to put a ring on it instead of starting companies if that wasn't the case. Western women are unapproachable, they are not wife or mother material, they love to give us blue balls, and women are making it hard for us to be in our kids' lives. On top of that, American women are becoming mentally unstable. 

Third, this movement is hurting them because they grew up wanting a wedding, I mean be married and have kids. That's why they are miserable; they prioritize business over those two things. If that's not true, then why can't you be happy despite being liberated? Also, they use their feminine wiles to either get by in life or get out of trouble. We wouldn't have Instagram and OnlyFans if that wasn't the case. To the men who work in law enforcement, how often do women try to seduce you out of arresting them or giving them a ticket? Finally, most women would have nothing and end up dead if it wasn't for men. Go live on an island if you don't believe me. If you want men to continue to protect, provide, build, and maintain society, you have to make them feel wanted. To do that, you have to show that you respect and desire them because both of those things go hand and hand. Actually, I take that back, both those things can't co-exist because they conflict with each other. 

This is why men are talking about going overseas, because men who have self-respect won't tolerate women treating them like illegal immigrants. If you want men like that, then go live with Monks. Also, you have to be visually appealing to them. If you think men want to live in a community where women look obese, you're an idiot. American Men wanting to move overseas should scare women because they don't have that luxury. Foreign men won't tolerate your crap, and women are not as liberated as they are in the U.S. 

All in all, instead of entertaining the idea of starting this movement, women need to work on being better mothers, wives, and pleasant to be around. There are a lot of things they need to work on. Don't worry, I'll get into that really soon. That's all I have to say for now.                  

My Terminator Zero review

 My Terminator Zero review

Intro: A line from the show: Knowledge is power! Once you understand something it can't hurt you. 

Me: You have to be ready and willing to receive that knowledge for that to happen. If you're not it will do more harm than good ask Neo and Luke Skywalker. 

Terminator Zero: This series takes place In Japan where a scientist name Malcolm Lee creates an AI that will stop Skynet. That task becomes difficult when a terminator is targeting his kids. So he has to protect his kids from the Terminator and have the AI up and running before Judgment Day.  

This is a decent spin-off! I appreciate that this series did its own thing without undermining John Connor. It's interesting to see how both the humans and the Terminator will fight each other because Japan only has revolvers. Speaking of Terminators they are as scary and creepy as you remember. I also like the setting in Japan because it's a nice change of scenery. This series recreates some scenes from past films without copying them. How time travel works in this franchise is reinforced on this show and it can be used to make humans look bad. This series deals with why humans and machines don't co-exist, fate vs free will, and if humans should survive Judgement Day?  

There isn't much to say about Malcolm he's a brilliant man who has a hard time balancing his work and being there for his kids. What annoys me about him is that you can figure out how he knows about Judgement Day. 

Eiko is a soldier from the future. Despite being bossy she has her moments where she has a bleeding heart. My issue with the character is that we learn something about her that seems pointless.  

Misaki is a timid nanny. What bugs me about her is her reveal could have been shocking if it was subtle. 

Kenta is Malcolm's oldest son. He's brilliant like his father and the twist with him took me by surprise. 

One of the problems with this series is the discussion of whether or not humanity should be saved is almost pointless. You can say what you want about animals they don't screw each other over a percentage. ( Happy 45th anniversary if you understand that references.) I wish an outsider knew about Judgement Day without the baggage doing that would add a new perspective to the story. Overall, this is a solid addition to this franchise.     

My review of The Wild Robot

My review of The Wild Robot  

Intro: I can't believe I never reviewed a DreamWorks movie. 

The Wild Robot: This movie is centered on a robot name Roz who is shipwrecked on an island. Roz is programmed to be a service bot but the animals don't apprentice her services. Roz gets an objective when she comes across a baby goose and has to raise it in time of migration. To do that Roz has to fight against her programming and get the other animals on her side.    

This is one of the if not the best DreamWorks movie! I like the concept of a robot in the wilderness because that's never been done before as far as I know. This movie works as an underdog story because we feel the pain of both the robot and the goose trying to achieve this goal. I'm impressed that the film didn't shy away from how cruel the wilderness is and the movie even jokes about it. This movie is based on a trilogy of books and some of the changes I mean some I didn't mind. This movie deals with nature vs nurture and it takes a village to raise a child. The film can be emotional at times. I'm not going to compare this to the Ultraman movie that came out earlier this year because that movie deals with a different aspect of parenting. The animation is breathtaking! It looks like paintings come to life. ( I hope this movie wins an Oscar for it.) 

Roz is a fish-out-of-water character where being a service bot is useless. So learns to adapt to her environment and that has pay-off in the last act. I'm surprised by how expressive she is despite not having a face. 

Fink is manipulative. He does help Roz raise the goose and warms up to them and the other animals. 

Brightbill ( the goose.) is a different take on the ugly ducking. Because he was raised by Roz and is smaller than most goose he's treated as an outcast by the other goose.   

One of the problems I have with the movie is the jokes. There not bad it feels tacked on. Speaking of tacked on this the same grape I have with the climax I mean there's no build-up to it. Overall, this is an outstanding family film that I would recommend. 

Rating = Worth Seeing

My review of Transformers One

My review of Transformers One

Intro: A line from the movie: Orion Pax: Hey! My finger can transform. 

Me: Now that's not very Prime of him or family-friendly. 

Transformers One: This movie focuses on two robots named Orion Pax and D-16, who are miners on a planet called Cybertron. One day, they learn about a possible location of a MacGuffin that could save their plant. On the way, they learn of a secret that will not only turn their world upside down it will also affect the future of Cybertron. So the two bots have to figure out what kind of future they want for Cybertron?

This is one of those movies that took me by surprise! I thought that this movie was going to be a parody of the franchise; thankfully, the comedy is secondary to the story and worldbuilding. Speaking of worldbuilding, this movie isn't based on any pre-existing continuity; it's its own thing that uses different sources to create its own world. Plus, it leaves doors open for a sequel. The movie plays to its strengths by being animated and having no human characters. ( If only the Sonic films would do the same thing, but I digress.) 

The animation is an updated version of Beast War with a good color palette. The violence in this movie can almost rival the live-action movies. I like one fight scene because of how creative it is. The director incorporates the transformer's ability to transform into the fight. The comedy is hit or miss. Despite knowing how the two main characters will end up, you will be invested in how that happened and feel the pain of the fallout between them. ( Take notes, Mr. Lucas.)

Orion Pax is an ambitious miner who wants to be more than a miner. His ambition gets him and D-16 into trouble. 

D-16 is the straight man to Orion's attics. Despite being annoyed with Orion to the point where he slaps him around, it doesn't ruin their friendship. He does have a temper, and we see more of it as the movie goes on.

B-127 is the comic relief and gives Deadpool a run for his money as far as talking too much. When he fights, he's dangerous. 

Elita-1 is an ice queen. This wouldn't have bothered me if she was suppose to be Optimus's love interest. She does warm up to him as the movie goes on. What bugs me about her is that she gives off feminist vibes in the movie. I understand some of it is for jokes, but it doesn't make it less bothersome. 

Alpha Trion is barely in the movie; he's just in it to give exposition. 

Sentinel Prime is the leader of Cyberton. He comes off as a TV host to boost the bot's morale.   

One of the issues I have with this movie is that I wish the two main characters weren't friends. We've seen this story told so many times that this movie didn't break any new ground in telling it. I wish the writer would borrow more from the Transformers Prime lore. The film had a chance to do that, but didn't take it. Three popular Decepticons are in this movie, and I wish more was done with them. Speaking of Decepticons, why they are called that makes no sense. It bugs me to see two characters associated with each other because doing that gives away the twist. 

Overall, this is the best Transformers movie! (Shame on you, IGN.) I would recommend this to everyone, and it will put a smile on fans faces. 

Rating = Worth Seeing            

 

My Guardians of the Galaxy rant

 

My Guardians of the Galaxy rant

Like I said the MCU didn't just make Iron Man a household name but the Guardians of the Galaxy as well. That's impressive considering that this is an I.P. that the general public wasn't familiar with and this is an obscure group. That makes producing this movie a big gamble, and that gamble paid off. ( It's a shame that Hollywood didn't do this more often instead of playing it safe, but I digress.) I can see why this movie was a hit; I mean, there isn't a lot of space adventure that becomes a film franchise. Plus, it makes us appreciate classic music and this is coming from a guy who isn't a music person. The success of this movie gave us a trilogy, a holiday special, a cartoon, and a video games. 

With that said, the first movie didn't win me over because it didn't do the best job of telling a story of a ragtag group of misfits coming together and becoming a family. The video game did a better job of telling that story than the movie. The movies could have been better if the writers adapted more from the source material instead of  injecting comedy. However, that can be tricky because of the complicated comic book history. In the comics, there are two different groups with the same name. The first group was created in 1969 and it's made up of four obscure characters from the 31st century. They travel to the past to aid the cosmic Marvel characters and the only carryover character from that group is Yondu. The group we know was created in 2008 before that the Annihilus storyline set this group up to become the Guardians of the Galaxy. They were actual guardians and not heroes for hire. 

Before the Annihilus storyline, some of the members had their own comic book or were featured in other comic books like Starlord, Drax the Destroyer, and Rocket the Racoon. Because their backstory keeps changing it's hard to get a strong sense of who these characters are? That's another issue I have with the movies is I don't like how some of the characters are portrayed. You don't get the sense that Peter Quil/Starlord is a leader because he's not taken seriously because of how goofy he is. I wish the writers would come up with a story that would cause Starlord to return to Earth for internal and external reasons. Why is Drax the Destroyer in these movies if he's not going to live up to being the Destroyer!?! In the comics, he's almost if not as dangerous as Gamora. Speaking of Gamora I'm surprised these two aren't close despite their differences with Thanos. 

I wouldn't have minded the movies being the way they are if the cartoon made up for it by adapting stories from the comics. Instead of doing that, the cartoon wants to ride the coattails of the movies. That's all I have to say about this topic for now what do think should be done with this I.P.?                

My rant about movie marketing

 My rant about movie marketing

Deadpool and Wolverine is coming out this week, and I like how it was marketed. For example, it did a turn off your phone ad in the movie theater that's never been done before as far as I know. Really all three movies have good marketing. Another example is internet videos of Deadpool making meta jokes or doing reaction videos. Those videos get more views than the trailers. 

That's the problem with marketing today when it comes to movies is no creativity. I'm not saying the marketing team should copy what this franchise did but the purpose of marketing is to win the public over. Look at Old Spice I never bought their deodorant but the commercials for them are funny. Another example is the 20th anniversary of Power Rangers. To be fair if you do it wrong or too much it can hurt your produce. This is what happened to the 1998 Godzilla movie I mean the trailers kept us from seeing what Godzilla looks like, but the toys spoiled it for us.  

I miss how movies use to be marketed. There was a time where you saw posters of the movie on billboards, buses, etc. Also, ads promoting their merchandise, tie-in video games, books, etc, fast food restaurants having toys with the kid's meal, a soundtrack for the movie, and music videos with clips of the movie. I'm not a music person but that was a smart move because that could get people interested in the song or the artist. on a side note, it got me excited for Christmas and Birthdays.  

After 2008 movies are not marketed as much as they used to. This wouldn't bother me if the movies didn't have high budgets. Most of the marketing is on the internet what makes the marketing team think everyone has a computer? I already talk about the quality of trailers and not much has changed there. Merchandise are not being promoted, the gaming industry doesn't make tie-in games anymore and music videos stopped using movie clips. I understand why they stop making tie-in games because they don't sell but I can't say the same for music videos. 

My favorite part of marketing movies is movie posters, and I don't see much of them when I go outside. When I do, they either all look the same or they don't make more than one poster. Really the best posters are the teasers and IMAX. What is the marketing team spending their money on if they can't afford artists? Fanart can come up with better posters than them. I would like to see an Art Museum with a movie poster theme to it. 

That's all I have to say about this topic for now what do you think the marketing team should do?          

My Nightwing rant

   

My Nightwing rant

 

Intro: Warning! I might spoil somethings that happened in the comics so read this at your own risk.  

If Iron Man is the new face or Marvel then Nightwing should be the new face of DC. He is the closest thing DC have to their version of Spider-Man. His combat and detective skills rivals or on par with The Dark Knight himself to the point where he came fill in for him. He can give James Bond a run for his money when it comes to sweeping women off their feet. Due to him being an uplifting character, he has a better dynamic with the characters in the Batman mythos. Plus, be the leader of the Teen Titans. Part of the reason why he's like this is because he doesn't let his past ordeal ruin his life. (To be fair how his parents were murdered wasn't as tragic as Bruce's.) Plus, he's a jack of all trades.

This character does have flaws like, part of the reason why he's a ladies man is because he has commitment issues. He has a temper and takes it out on enemies who wronged him or his loved ones. Plus, he doesn't have a problem with killing the Joker. He also picked up some bad habits from his mentor like being obsessed with the mission, pushing his allies too hard closing himself off to others emotionally, and saying out-of-pocket stuff. 

With all that said it annoys me to see this character done dirty outside the comics. (Except for Young Justice.) When Dick Grayson was Robin on Batman TAS he was incompetent; when he became Nightwing he was treated like a supporting character. In the DC direct-to-video movies, he gets beat up or sidelined. Batman had to save this character twice in the Arkham Knight game. What the fudge!?! I can't comment on how the Gotham Knights game handled this character because I didn't play that game. Don't get me started on the Titans series. If it's true that Mr. Gunn will use Damian Wayne to be Robin we might not see Dick Grayson on the big screen anytime soon. 

As much as I've been advocating for a Nightwing movie I didn't consider how hard it would be to make one with the source material. None of the Nightwing stories stood out to me and the ones that do weren't good. Nightwing having amnesia could have been a good story but it wasn't. His connection to the Court of Owls is second fiddle to everything else. This is the same problem I have with his rogues gallery. Deathwing is the only Nightwing villain that stands out besides Torque and Sylph. Deathwing is basically Nightwing's version of Bizarro. The Nightwing comics work better as a TV series than a movie. 

Chuck Dixon's run on the character is my favorite run on this character. I say that because it focuses on Dick getting out of Batman's shadow, finding his place in the world and how he can stop crime in Bludhaven. After Chuck Dixon's run and before the new 52 the quality of the comics are hit or miss. I'm not crazy about the New 52 Nightwing comics because the writer is all over the place. I mean he doesn't seem to know what kind of story he wants to tell. Also, I'm not crazy about the direction he took with Tony Zucco. Nightwing rebirth was also a mixed bag. 

The current Nightwing run is frustrating. Part of the reason why is because the Titans get involved with the story and it gets worse as the series goes on. How is this a run on Nightwing if half of it is him helping the Titans or the Titans bailing him out? Do you think No Man's Land would last as long as it did if Batman let the Justice League fix Gotham for him? (Speaking of the Justice League I'm surprised that Green Arrow didn't appear in that story because he could have been a big help. But I digress.) Another issue I have with this run is Nightwing is not proactive is stopping heartless. Also, the writer wants to give him acrophobia why!?! If Dick Grayson had this fear from day one I wouldn't mind it because that makes sense considering how his parents were murdered. I hope Tom Taylor (The writer of the current Nightwing run.) knows what he's doing with this subplot. We also get the history of Bludhaven in this run.  

Each run has elements that I like about them and I want the movie to use them. For example, If we get a trilogy I would use the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation for the last movie. I want the director to show that Bludhaven is the worst city in the DC universe without being over the top about it or make the audience feel depressed. There is a story in The Streets of Gotham where Victor Zsasz has children fight each other to the death. I would like the movie to adapt that story. I'm worried about how Batman will be depicted because his relationship with Nightwing is unclear. Sometimes it's a Big Brother Little Brother relationship other times it's a Father and Son relationship. 

Plus, we have different versions of them going their separate ways. I hope Hollywood doesn't adapt Nightwing year one because I don't like how Batman was depicted in the comic. He sees Robin as a soldier not as a person. That's what I want this movie to do for Batman to humanize him. That's the problem I have with the live-action Batman except for that one scene in Batman and Robin. If we do get Batman villains we should get Two-Face, The Penguin and Black Mask. I consider Two-Face as a Nightwing adversary considering their history just as much as a Batman villain. As for The Penguin and Black Mask, they can be silent partners for Block Buster. 

That's all I have to say about this topic for now what do you think should be done with this character?   

     

My review of Kingdom of the planet of the apes

 My review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Intro: Did we really need this movie? 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Taking place over a century after the last movie, this movie focuses on a chimp name Noa who is a part of an isolated tribe. One day, his tribe has been captured, so he goes out to rescue them. On the way, he comes across other apes and humans who challenge his worldview. So, he has to decide what kind of future he wants?     

This movie is OK. I noticed that it tried to do the same thing Jurassic World did, as far as parallel with the first movie, but doing its own thing. However, the film drops the ball in doing that. We see the apes living in different groups without knowing how this happened? I don't get it why start the movie with the quote "apes together strong" if that quote has no payoff? This also shows that the apes are no different than humans. Speaking of humans, why are most of them living like animals? I mean the virus took away their ability to speak, not their IQ points. Legacy and knowledge are the themes of this movie, but the execution wasn't there. The climax in this movie is lackluster. The way this movie ended, it looks like this series will go in circles. 

Noa is a timid and curious character who goes on a hero's journey. The problem I have with him is that he lost someone close to him and doesn't want revenge. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, however, I wish the writers went in that direction because it would give the next character I'm going to talk about a bigger role. Then again, that's hard to do without feeling like it's retreading from the previous films. 

Raka is a supporting character who's informative. He not only tells other Apes about what Ceaser stood for, but he also knows the world before Ceaser. Plus, he provides some humor. My issue with him is him telling anyone about Ceaser; it doesn't affect the story or characters.  

Mae is a wild card in this movie. That's what bugs me about her, there's no personality to her, and we don't know why she thinks Noa can help her.  

Proximus may be Mr. Personality he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Like Raka, he's interested in history but misunderstood what Ceaser stood for. I wish he got more screen time, and why he thinks Noa can help him.    

I like the visuals in this movie, we see how nature takes over abandoned buildings and how the apes use them. I appreciate that this movie tried to stand on its own by not having any characters who are descendants of characters from the previous Trilogy in this movie. Overall, this movie is underwhelming. That's a shame because it could have been better if the writing was good.  

 
rating = Rental 

My thoughts on the Bad Batch series

 My thoughts on the Bad Batch series

 

Despite not being crazy about the Clone Wars series and the episodes that featured the bad batch didn't make the best impression I was willing to give this show a chance. That's saying a lot considering we didn't need this series. The writers could have written out the clones by making cloning illegal and have the clones die of old age due to their rapid aging. As I said the clones are the best part of the Clone Wars series it would be interesting to see things from their point of view like the war, the Jedi and being viewed as property of the republic. 

This series focuses on a defective but enhanced group of clones called Clone Force 99 also known as the bad batch. After the Clone War, they don't like how things are changing. So they decide to run away with a clone girl name Omage. This series was passable it reminds me of Firefly. Episode 12 of season 2 is one of my favorite episodes because it's a good example of not provoking your kids to wrath. I also like the last two episodes of season 2 because they play with our expectations. As far as the inhibitor chips goes I don't mind them however order 66 could have worked as a subliminal message. 

Despite not expecting much from this series it could have been better if it was based on the Republic Commando books. Here are some examples in those books, the clones were ordered to kill one of their own because he went AWOL. The clones are looking for a scientist to stop their rapid aging so they can live normal lives, another scientist created a virus that only affects the clones and a Jedi is pregnant by one of the clones. ( I don't know about you but that's more interesting than Anakin becoming Vader but I digress.) Also, the Commandos and ACR Troopers separate themselves from the other clones and keep to themselves. Speaking of Republic Commando one of them is in this series and the writers did him dirty. That alone is enough to make me want to take back anything nice I have to say about this series.  

This show could have been better if the writers used those elements a build a story around them. I wouldn't mind this series lasting three seasons if each season was about something. The first season could be about the bad batch starting not to agree with the war and ends with them getting away from the empire, season two could be about them figuring out what they should do now the war is over and the final season should be about the clone figuring out how to stop the rapid aging or find a cure for the virus that's killing them. That's another thing that hurts this series that is build-up. I mean there is no build-up to the clones realizing they are on the wrong side of the war before this series started. We don't hear or see them talk about a missing that made them feel uncomfortable. This could have been fixed if this series focused on the clones were familiar with like Rex, Cody and the clones from the episode rookies. (To be fair some of them died in the Clone Wars series.) 

They don't talk about the Jedi having an impact on them and having to kill them. We were told that they did beyond one episode with Yoda in the Clone Wars we don't see much of that. Instead of doing what I suggest we get episodes of either the bad batch keeping a low profile or saving Omega. There is also a subplot of liberating the clones I wish there was some conflict with that because the bad batch are indifferent to saving them. Plus, it's hard to appreciate the clones being captured because we don't know what they are being used for beyond training their replacements. Also, it's awkward seeing the clones live normal lives because they all look the same. We have a handful of Senators fighting for the rights of the clones but that's secondary to everything else in this series. 

Another reason why I wish this series would focus on a different group of clones is because the bad batch are archetypes. Wrecker is the muscle with no brains, Tech is the smart one, Crosshair is the by-the-book loner, Hunter the leader is the voice of reason, Omage is a cheerful kid and I don't know what to say about Echo. That's what bugs me about this group like I said just because characters have archetypes that doesn't mean they should be bound by them. I don't get the sense that this is a group of brothers because the group lacks camaraderie even with Omage and Echo. We learn something about this group in the series but it amounts to nothing. I wouldn't have minded this series being centered on these clones if we got more episodes of them in the Clone Wars series. I'm annoyed with what the writers have done with some of the characters because it has no payoff. 

Overall, this series was a missed opportunity. With that said this show is harmless.       

My multiverse rant

My multiverse rant 

Before I look like a hypocrite I want to let you know yes! I do enjoy different forms of medium that use the multiverse. With that said that doesn't mean I don't have problems with it. For those of you who do know what I'm talking about a multiverse is a collection of different universes that exist to give us different possibilities for the same people. This concept has been around in the comics since 1961 with The Flash. The first time the multiverse was introduced on TV was in an episode of Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman. (As far as I know.) The first multiverse movie that I can think of is The One. After the first Injustice game or The Flash season two, the use of the multiverse is on steroids. 

There are four issues I have with the multiverse. First of all, what's the differences between this and alternate timelines? (Or are they both one and the same.) Second, using the multiverse to tell a story could ruin a lot of storytelling elements like character development, creativity, emotional weight, stakes etc. Let's use Batman as an example of what I'm talking about. If you wanted to tell a story about a Batman who isn't rich and is disabled, you can't do that because we already have that with Daredevil. If you wanted to create a version of Batman that kills, we have that with the flashpoint Batman. Do you see what I mean by the multiverse hurts creativity? 

Speaking of the flashpoint Batman the original Batman received a letter from him and faced him in the City of Bane story arc. Those two things don't seem to change or affect the character in any way. What's the point of the main character meeting a different version of themselves if it serves no purpose? The most we can get from doing this is a cautionary tale, but we don't need the multiverse to tell that kind of story. Also, if the writers are going to give us the same character who made a different choice that choice only makes sense if the character had a different life. This is what bugs me about Injustice and Shattered Gird. I don't buy that Superman and Tommy/the Green Ranger would do what they did in those stories. This is the same issue I have with the What If series.   

Third, it seems like the writers are using the multiverse to take a character in a direction you can't take in the prime universe. Doing that takes away the notion that personality is inherent and character is built. (Or is it the other way around?) That's what I like about Everywhere all at once, the main character in that movie was the same person living different lives. That's another thing the multiverse doesn't address, what are the odds of you living a different life under different circumstances? 

I want to talk about Quentin Lance from Arrow. he lost his oldest daughter in season 4 and he meets a doppelganger of her in season 5. Despite being different from his daughter he still wants a relationship with her. In season 6 he died to protect her. Let's say she died instead of him, so he goes to any universe to find another doppelganger instead of grieving. See what I mean by the multiverse eliminates any emotional weight in the story? How can we feel bad if a character dies if he or she can be replaced? Granted the character doesn't have to be the same but why he or she is different has to make sense. Plus, that doesn't matter if you're telling a nature vs nurture story.

Finally, the multiverse can make us more hubris. I mean how arrogant can you be to think your life would have been better if you made a different choice? It's almost impossible to live life without regret because life is too uncertain. I'm surprised that the multiverse hasn't lost its novelty by now. Granted all of them don't operate by the same rules but that's not enough to keep it fresh. Speaking of that I think it's ridiculous that the Spider-verse would have the same consequences as time traveling. Going back to The One movie I would like to see that get remade into a better film. Have a multiverse agent kill the different versions of himself out of spite because he doesn't like being reminded that he's stuck in life. Doing that would make him relatable for the reason I explained earlier. 

I'm surprised this is not used in loved stories because doing that would expose how shallow women are when it comes to picking men. I mean women will tolerate almost anything from men as long as he has money. Plus, it would debunk the notion that true love exist. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 failed to do that. Then again, The Vow did that without using the multiverse. Look I'm not trying to downplay the multiverse however whatever story you can come up with can be replaced with different alternatives like twins/clones, amnesia, body switching, etc. The bottom line is this is a plot device that should be used sparingly.   

My top 10 movies that shouldn't exist

 My top 10 movies that shouldn't exist 

Intro: In case you're wondering, no, the Barbie movie didn't inspire me to do this list, but it did add fuel to the fire. Spoiler alert that movie is not on this list, sorry to disappoint. The hardest thing about doing this list is trying not to be obvious with it. I mean, I didn't want it to be full of sequels, remakes and true stories. I wanted at least one movie from different time periods, but that was a tall order. Speaking of time periods, the 90s gave us plenty of movies that have no business being greenlit. That decade gave us Baby Geniuses, Air Bud, Cop and a Half and Cat and Dog. (That movie came out in 2001, but who cares?) The movies I picked reinforce what I've been saying for years, that is Hollywood has money to burn even with a pandemic and a writer's strike. If that's the case, then where is the sequel to Dredd and Power Rangers?   

No.10 Megan: I want to ask Hollywood something, do you think the next Batman movie will make money if Scarface was the villain? If the answer is no, then why do you keep making movies about killer dolls!?! Seriously what's with Hollywood's obsession with scaring kids? This movie wasn't better than the Child's Play remake we got not too long ago, so what was the point of this movie? If this movie tried to be a parody of the horror genre it failed because the movie was trying to have it both ways. Heck, Small Soldiers is a better horror comedy than this. Megan is an empty vessel; besides saying a few funny things, she's not creepy or scary. 

It's hard to care about the girl and her aunt because she's either oblivious to what the doll is doing or in denial. As far as the aunt goes, she's not the best parental figure for her. The climate in this movie is ridiculous! The only thing this movie has to offer is a social commentary on grief and relying on technology too much, but the movie doesn't add nunice to it. This movie only deals with anger and denial. The fact that this movie is getting a sequel reinforces what I said earlier about having money to burn. If you want to see a good Horror comedy, watch Scream.       

No. 9 Star Wars The Clone Wars: Whether you love or hate this series, you can't deny that this movie didn’t do it any justice. It’s bad enough that the story is lame, but how it was told makes it worse. What really bugs me about this movie is it has the nerve to make us care about Jabba and his son. News flash, he’s a bad guy! I don't mind the idea of heroes and villains helping each other; the problem is the execution. You also don't care about Anakin's buddy cop dynamic with his Padawan Ahsoka because they don't bond. The events in this movie have no payoff for the rest of the series, which makes watching this film pointless. Plus, this movie has the same problems as the prequels; as far as stiff characters, dull acting, and plot holes. Out of all the episodes that were produced during this time, what made Mr. Lucas think these episodes were the best? If he wanted a Clone Wars movie, he should have adapted the story from the 2002 Clone Wars game because that story is better than this. This should have been a TV special instead of a movie. 

No.8 Cocaine Bear: Remember all those ridiculous movies from the 90s I mentioned before; this one should join them. What makes this worse is that Hollywood is talking about making a Cocaine Shark movie. WHY!?! The Sharknado films weren't enough? Just like most of the movies that are based on a true story, this one is not accurate. Yes! There was a bear doing cocaine, but the bear didn't kill people. Plus, the bear died from a cocaine overdose. I wish the creator would pick a different bear because Black bears are not meat eaters. The movie got me to laugh a few times, but that's it. Snakes on the Plane is more suspenseful than this. You really have to suspend your disbelief with this movie. I wouldn't mind this movie if it was a comedy, but it doesn't feel like it. This should have been a direct-to-video release.  

No.7 The Bourne Legacy: This movie was a failed attempt to expand the series beyond Jason Bourne. This franchise should have stayed a trilogy, but you know Hollywood can't leave well enough alone. What made the first three movies work is that it focus on a man with memory loss. When you remove that, you have nothing. Really, that concept can get old fast, which is what hurt the last movie. It's hard to be interested in or care about Aaron Cross because we don't know anything about him or anyone else in this movie. Putting him in Jason Bourne's shadow didn't help the movie either. This movie could have been about Aaron breaking away from his conditioning and he testified to the grunt work he did for this agency. Doing that would make up for how Bourne Ultimatum ended. I wouldn't have minded this if it was an episode of a TV series. That's the direction this studio should have taken. 

No.6 Good Burger: I can't believe out of all the skits from All That, Good Burger is the only one good enough to get a movie. I mean, if none of the shorts from In Living Color got a movie, what made Hollywood think that this was a good idea? Heck, the sequel wasn't good enough to be released in theaters. Since this was a short, that wasn't enough for it to be an hour and a half long movie. The short is about Ed working at Good Burger and taking people's orders literally. You can't have a movie that long with Ed doing that because that can get old fast. This is what hurt the Three Stooges movie and the recent Tom and Jerry movie. Speaking of that, Ed didn't make that running joke work the way Grover from Sesame Street did or Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy. Nickelodeon should have made a Kenan & Kel movie instead of this because that would've fared better. Heck, this makes me want to give a backhanded compliment to Adam Sandler. At least he tried different concepts with his films.    

        

No.5 Avatar: The Way of Water: OK, it's bad enough that we're getting a sequel, but turning this into a film series really? Seriously, just because a movie makes a lot of money doesn't always mean you should make a sequel. For a movie that was a hit, it didn't make much impact on pop culture. This is a sequel that screams lazy! The reason why I call this sequel lazy is because it feels like Mr. Cameron is pulling random ideas out of his butt and putting them on screen. In this movie, we are introduced to an underwater group of the natives of Pandora. This wouldn't have bothered me if they were mentioned in the last film. What's the third movie going to be about, fire benders, I mean lava natives? 

Some of the characters that died in the last movie are brought back in a way that makes no sense. ( You know that's a pet peeve of mine.) How and why are the Navi allowing the humans on their planet after everything that happened in the last movie? Some of them are here because they want revenge, idiots!!! The movie does have interesting things but they don't get much focus. People have been waiting thirteen years to return to Pandora and this is the best you can do? Shame on you, Mr. Cameron!   

       

No.4 Selma: The fact that this movie exists makes my blood bowl! Not because it wasn't accurate, it's because the late MLK Jr. meant little to nothing to most people. If that's not true, then why have we done a terrible job of honoring what he stood for? Why do we make fun of people who have his mindset? We gave this man a legacy just to spit on his grave; WOW! To be fair, he's kind of an overrated figure. How smart do you have to be to want the same thing he wants, as far as being treated fairly? I already proven that segregation is not completely a bad thing and I don't agree with violence is not the answer mentality. 

I know what he was trying to be, but as a man and a father, you have to show strength; you can't do that by being passive-aggressive. That's what bugs me about him, you can't say you shouldn't be violent and not teach us how not to be that way. Has he written any books on conflict resolution? I heard some disparaging things about him, like he didn't finish college and he copied the I Have a Dream speech. If those things are true, then why aren't we talking about that? The next time we get a movie about this man, it should be an indie film done by Monks. 

No.3 Barney's Great Adventure The Movie: Considering all the hate this character has got what made Hollywood think giving him his own movie is a good idea? Not only that they want to bring this IP back. Why!?! This is one of those movies that failed to live up to the title. Most of this movie takes place on a farm. What's so adventurous about that and them finding an egg? Baby Bop and B.J. shouldn't be in the movie if they don't serve a purpose. The movie Breaking the Fourth Wall is unnecessary. This movie is an overextended filler episode. The movie wants to be about imagination but the writers failed to fully embrace that theme in the story. 

The kids in this movie are a bit old to be in a movie like this. This leads to the next problem with the movie and that's Cody. Cody is either eleven or twelve so he's a bit old to be indulging in Barney's imagination. This movie could have been better if it took place at summer camp. Cody is six or eight he's sent there to get his mind off of a family member who's ill but he has no interest in having fun. So Barney shows up and helps get him out of his funk. Originally, they were suppose to get the egg back to the mother. This movie could have been better with my suggestions. If there's any preschool show that should get a movie it's Blue's Clues.       

No.2 The Emoji Movie: Talking animals and toys is one thing, but talking emojis really? Why not make a movie about talking stickers, that's what emojis are digital stickers. That's the problem with this movie why tell a story about it's OK to be different with symbols that stick with one expression? I'm surprised that this movie didn't make a Botox joke. Speaking of jokes the jokes in this movie are so predictable. This movie has no shame when it comes to product placements. If I was Patrick Stewart I would be embarrassed that I was in this movie. The stakes in this movie are ridiculous fixing or erasing your phone shouldn't affect the emojis unless Alex doesn't want to use them. Emojis are not needed to communicate they are there to add cuteness to text messages. This movie could have been salvageable if the human characters spoke different languages so they use emojis to communicate. What about Native Americans they use symbols to communicate. I know I'm beating a dead horse but that doesn't change the fact that this shouldn't been greenlit.           

No.1 Cats: You couldn't wait for the Avatar sequel, that you have to give us this. For those of you who don't know this movie is based on a musical that's based on a book of collected poetry. The play is 90% spectacle and 10% story. The play is about a group of cats competing at the Jellicle Ball where one of them is chosen to be sacrificed and reincarnated. The musical doesn't have a main character but it does have four principal characters. The movie doesn't do this musical any justice. It tried to build off the story by giving us a main character and a villain kind of. The spectacle in the movie is a joke. The CGI in this movie is off-putting why not use make-up? Don't get me started on the cat puns. I don't know who this movie is for it's not for fans for reasons I already explain. It's not for kids because of the famous part In the memory song. The cast also bugs me not because this is a bad cast however movies like this should be reserved for people who do musicals. I feel bad for bad-mouthing this movie because the people behind put heart into it. This was made with the intent to win Oscars but that didn't happen. This movie could have faired better if it was animated.   

My review of Godzilla Minus one

My review of Godzilla Minus One  

Intro: Just to let you know, I'm not reviewing the upcoming Godzilla vs Kong movie. The reason why is that crossovers are suppose to be a novel event, now Hollywood is milking it like everything else. Plus, I doubt the movie will be enjoyable. 

After I saw the movie: Show of Hands, who want to see what this director can do with Star Wars? 

Godzilla Minus One: This movie is centered on a pilot name Koichi Shikishima who is preparing for the tail end of WW2. The war becomes the least of his problems when Godzilla shows up and wreaks havoc. After seeing the collateral damage, he and the town's people have to figure out how to kill the creature. That becomes difficult because the town doesn't trust him because he failed to do his part in the war. So he has to win them over and find the courage to face Godzilla. 

I'm jumping on the bandwagon; this is the best Godzilla movie! (This is coming from a guy who's not a Kaiju fan.) This movie works as a remake of the first film and an underdog story. I say that because the town's people have to deal with Godzilla on their own, and the Government is not helping them. The movie fixed a problem I have with this franchise, which is the human characters. In the past, human characters were used to either advocate for Godzilla or give exposition. Due to that you don't care or don't mind if Godzilla kills them for the most part, that's not the case here. 

The movie gets you invested in what's going on with them to the point where this movie is more of a human drama than a Godzilla movie. You don't mind that Godzilla is barely in the movie when he does show up, you don't want the characters to die or suffer at his hands. This is a good example of less is more. (It's sad that it took Japan this long to do that, but I digress. If I'm wrong about that, then I stand corrected.) Redemptions, unity, making the best of your circumstances, and fighting for your future are the themes of this movie. The VFX is impressive considering the movie's low budget. 

Koichi Shikishima is haunted by survivor's guilt to the point where he doesn't believe he deserves to live. It doesn't help that his neighbor gives him a hard time about it. I wish this character were used to address the senselessness of war.

I don't have much to say about the supporting characters, that's a shame because the movie pulls a bait and switch on them. 

Godzilla is menacing in this movie. 

One of the problems I have with this movie is that our first scene of Godzilla is underwhelming. I wouldn't have minded that if the scene was scary. There is one editing issue I noticed in the last act. We see the limits of the VFX in the movie. Also, I'm getting tired of movies reintroducing Godzilla. All in all, this is a good example of how to make a simple story engaging. I would recommend this because this movie deserves more attention. 

Rating = Worth Seeing 

   

My Power Rangers Cosmic Fury review

  My Power Rangers Cosmic Fury review

 

Intro: OK it's bad enough that I lost my Mother but to learn that this is the end of an era is overkill. This won't bother me if Hasbro did anything to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this franchise. So did this series end on a high note or should this franchise ended back in 2009? Let's find out. 

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury: This series takes place right after Dino Fury ended and the Rangers are battling Lord Zedd and his allies in space. Things get dire for them when Lord Zedd gets the upper hand and the rangers are lost on an unknown plant. So the Ranger have to get new powers and figure out how to get back to Earth before it's too late. 

This series is better than most of what we got in over ten years but that's not saying much. That's a shame because this season has milestones that are wasted and I'm conflicted with the climax. This being ten episodes helps eliminate most of the elements that plagued this franchise for years. The season focuses on character stuff rather than stopping the big bad. Speaking of characters the side characters don't overstay their welcome. (That's a shame because I don't mind seeing more of Ollie's sexy I mean brilliant mom.) 

As far as the anniversary special goes it was lazy. I mean it suffers from nostalgia bait and I don't like how it brought back an old foe. This special addresses what happened to Trini. That was kind of awkward considering how long the actress has been dead. This special could have been better if it had the rest of the original cast plus more legacy characters. Speaking of legacy characters, I'm annoyed that you know who isn't the father of a legacy character. What the fudge!?! 

Amelia the Red Ranger is a leader in this series and shows leadership traits. That's what bugs me about her I mean she already has a role in the group that's being the heart of the team. I'm not saying she can't be both however I wish the writers would build up to it.

Ollie the blue ranger he's evil again. I understand why this was done from behind-the-scenes reasons however they could have done something different. 

Zayto the Zenith ranger ( Really?) is baggage for the most part. That bothers me because more could have been done with him. Like he could have guide Amelia as the new leader. How many times do I have to tell you when you kill off a character keep that character dead?

There isn't much to say about the rest of the rangers because much wasn't done with them. With that said this show wasted Javier the Black subplot. I mean this is the first time something like this happen to a ranger and the show doesn't focus on how it affects him. I wish Izzy the Green Ranger was the leader. I say that because A it would give her character development and B it would make being a leader less of a nepotism thing.            

Billy the Bule MMPR ranger is a good supporting character. He helps the rangers get new powers and aid the in battle. I'm annoyed that he isn't evil in this series. That would make sense considering his history with Lord Zedd. Plus, he would be a force to be reckon with. He did something in the anniversary special that makes no sense.   

Lord Zedd is middle of the road in this season. He's not as menacing as he was in MMPR but not as goofy as he was in that series either. What bugs me about him is the other baddies make him look like a clown. 

The rest of the villains are obnoxious comic relief. 

One of the problems I have with this series is that it tried and failed to top the finale of In Space. The morphing masters are useless and the references to past seasons are tiring. I'm annoyed that how easy the rangers lost there powers. I wish this series started with that because doing that get the views more interested in watching this season. We finally get to see the plant Eltar ( Zordon's home.) and it's underwhelming I mean going there adds nothing to the story or characters. Speaking of Zordon they can't leave well enough alone. 

Overall, this is not one of the worst Power Rangers seasons but it's not one of the best either. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go grieve again.