My Fantastic Four first step review

 My Fantastic Four first step review

 

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

Intro: Well, that didn't age well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating = Worth Seeing

My Superman review

 My Superman review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating = Rental   

My Jurassic World Rebirth review

My Jurassic World Rebirth review

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martin Krebs is a wild card in the movie. 

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

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

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

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

Rating = Rental  

My thoughts on Batman: Arkham Knight

My thoughts on Batman: Arkham Knight 

 

Just like Arkham Origins, this was a polarizing game in the franchise. Before it was released in the US, it got good reviews, with Gamespot being the weakest, giving it a 7 or 7.5 out of 10. Part of the reason why is because the PC launch was a mess, lack of boss fights, and there was one element of the game that overstayed its welcome. Also, like Arkham Origins, some people's views on the game have changed despite Origins being buggy. As far as Arkham Origins goes, I wouldn't have minded the game's story if it took place on Batman's tenth anniversary. 

This was my reaction to the Black Mask twist. 

 

I don't like being taken for a fool. I'm not going to focus on The Arkham Knight's gameplay or mechanics, I will be focusing on the game's story. What can I say about the Batmobile that's already been said? Before I get into the story, I just want to say I wish Rocksteady would get the fans more involved with these games, as far as asking us what bat-suit we want to use as skins. I wish curing Man-Bat was a boss battle. The Azrael side mission is my favorite because it shows how subliminal messages work. 

The story is the weakest part of the game for me. I know saying that goes against what I said about video games should focus on gameplay first and story second, but this is a rare case. Plus, games have evolved from that; they can tell stories in a way that movies can't. (That's one of the reasons why most video game movies suck, but I digress.) The game's story sounds fine on paper, but it's a mess in practice. That's a shame because the story can be fixed with a few adjustments. Let's start with talking about the Arkham Knight. 

Despite being annoyed that Jason Todd is the Arkham Knight, I wouldn't have minded it so much if this was revealed at the end of the ACE Chemicals mission. By doing that, you give Bruce /Batman time to process this reveal, flesh out their story and make their ending feel less rushed. For example, how does Bruce feel that he couldn't find Jason until now, does that haunt him like not finding his parent's killer? We don't know because the game doesn't give us time to explore that question. Also, we don't know anything about this game version of Jason Todd. We learn things about him, but we don't experience them. I know these games are made for fans, but they play with the Batman lore.  

Jason endangered and killed GOD knows how many people, and he gets to Rome free, what gives Batman!?! I don't mind the idea of someone who knows Batman tactics being a villain, I just wish the writers used a different character. Jason wasn't the type of villain who had a vendetta against Batman. Plus, he was more of an anti-hero. He wasn't as big of a threat as he could have been in the game. I mean, nothing he did has a long-term effect on Batman. This game didn't do Jason Todd justice. I say that because he wasn't a coward in the comics. In this game, he abducts the only Batman ally that's disabled, he doesn't fight Batman directly, and as the game goes on, he becomes unhinged. For someone who's leading an Army against one man, this is a bad look. Don't get me started on his motivation to want Batman dead. I'm not saying the Joker brainwashing Jason into hating Batman isn't believable; however, I don't like how it's done. 

This was done better in The Dark Knight because the Joker didn't have to do much to Harvey Dent for him to turn heel. Plus, the Joker gave him the option to kill him. I wish that was in the game. Pairing him up with Scarecrow also hurts the character because they both want different things. Yes! The Arkham Knight said he wants Batman to suffer, but he really wants to kill him. Instead of wanting Batman dead, he should turn his allies against him. I say that because that was his second motivation; I mean, he resents Bruce for viewing him as a soldier. Jason expressed this in the comics, but it wasn't focused on. 

I'm surprised this wasn't done in the comics because it shouldn't be hard for him to get Barbara and Dick on his side. Barbara was also a victim of The Joker, and Dick almost killed him if it wasn't for Batman. Damian Wayne is also bloodthirsty, and Jason parallels with Selina/Catwoman. I'm surprised they didn't have a relationship instead of him and Talia, but I digress. It would be interesting to see a Bat-family civil war. Despite the Joker being dead in the game, there are other sadistic villains like Victor Zsasz and Prof. Pyg. This is the general public's first introduction to this character, and the game could have done more with him. 

Before I get into the Scarecrow, I just want to say that if we do get a Batman movie with the Scarecrow, I don't want him to use fear gas. Fear gas is becoming a crutch for the character; I want him to find another way to expose people's fear or find a substitute for fear gas. If this game doesn't make you a Scarecrow fan, nothing will. He won before the game started; his goal was to discredit Batman, and he did. Heck, he even says it in the game. Batman did stop him, but it was a bittersweet victory. 

If you think his backup plans are ridiculous, how do you think I feel about Batman's contingency plans? I hope this puts it into perspective. ( I doubt it because the pus... I mean his Kool-Aid is too good.) With that said, I find it jarring that the whole city is covered in fear gas, and after Batman fixed that, the game goes back to normal. I wish the Scarecrow was as charismatic as he was in the first game. Instead of pairing him with the Arkham Knight, he should have been paired with Hush. I say that because they both want the same thing; the difference is that Hush wants to discredit Bruce Wayne. 

I'm mad that this game wasted his side mission because more could have been done with it. You know I would like to see a movie with these two or Clayface that would make a good psychological thriller, but I digress. As much as I enjoy the Joker hallucinations, they should have been removed from the game. They don't express how Batman feels about the Joker's death; the most we get is an implication that he let the Joker die. It's bad enough that this franchise focuses on these two, but this makes it worse.    

As far as Batman's subplot, I wish it was about dealing with his obsession with crime instead of becoming the Joker. I mean, is he obsessed to the point where he enjoys it and doesn't care about the collateral damage? Going in this direction will give the ending to Arkham City pay off, help with my suggestion with Jason Todd and the game ending. Batman Beyond tried to do this, but it didn't go far enough. Plus, he doesn't talk about how he feels about the Joker being dead, going in that direction can make up for that. Instead of him saying goodbye to everyone at the end of the game, he should try to make amends with everyone. Why did this game tell us that Batman died? The way this game ended reminds me of TDKR ending. 

Overall, the story left more to be desired, and it makes the gameplay experience a mixed bag for me. That's all I have to say about this game for now.                         

My rant about the Hulk

My rant about the Hulk 

 

I don't know about you, but I'm surprised that the Hulk is one of the most popular Marvel characters for two reasons. (No! Not having any fan films is not one of them.) Do I really have to tell you the first reason? He's OP! People love to talk about how OP Superman is, where is that energy for the Hulk? Also, it's hard to appreciate how powerful he is when the thing gives him a run for his money, and Venom Spider-Man makes him look bad. The fact that the Illuminati can't help him is hard to swallow. The same thing for Rouge can't handle absorbing the Hulk's power. 

Second, people don't appreciate what he represents. The Hulk is suppose to be a representation of how destructive anger is. Judging by all the body cam, court cam, and WSHH videos, we are doing a terrible job of internalizing that. Again, why is this character popular if people, especially New Yorkers, don't appreciate the metaphor? Why are people not talking about people not regulating their anger like they do people being entitled? We only talk about it when it comes to a certain group of women. This makes anger management look bad. 

I get annoyed when I see movies try to address this issue because they deal with it on a surface level instead of getting to the root of the problem. 

   

For example, anger and rage are not the same thing, just like being sad and being depressed are not the same thing. Tyler Perry tried to do that with his film Acrimony, but he dropped the ball. One of the methods of dealing with anger is reformed thinking. For example, righteous anger can do more harm than good because you are not calm or collected. When you are not calm or collected, you put yourself at risk of saying or doing something that will make things worse. People getting angry over disrespect is a can of worms that can get its own topic. I'll just say this, that's something you need to rethink. Everything is not about your bruised ego, I mean, respect. If you get mad over unfairness, all I can say is Grow up!  

The problem I have with Bruce Banner/The Hulk is that he's depressing. He spends his time isolated from the world because he can't be around anyone and he doesn't know who to trust because of the Hulk. So he tries to get rid of the Hulk when he does, he has to take the Hulk back under certain circumstances. There is one comic where Bruce took the Hulk back because Betty showed interest in someone else. ( I'm face-palming.) Do you want me to feel sorry for him or not? 

He can't control the Hulk because the Hulk has his own personality. It's hard to have a satisfying life with the Hulk in it. It's hard to make that concept fun or engaging. This is what turns me off to the 1970s Hulk show, and the goofiness of it was jarring. The famous 2003 Hulk movie bored me to tears. Thankfully, the 2008 movie didn't have that problem because the director made the film entertaining, and Bruce is being proactive about his problem. It's a shame that movie got the cold shoulder in the MCU. 

Speaking of the MCU, it didn't do the Hulk any favors. Besides his sole film, he is treated like a side character with nothing much to do. Prof. Hulk wasn't impressive, really, if I wanted to see a smart Hulk, the studio should have given me Joe Fixit. Before the MCU, the Hulk comics weren't sailing like they did in the 80s; he had two cartoons that no one talks about, one movie that is or isn't underrated, and two video games.  

This video sums up my reaction to his fight with Thanos. 

I know Marvel Studios nerfed the Hulk beforehand, but it didn't bother me as much as this. If this studio thinks the Hulk was too powerful, why bring him into the MCU? The less I say about She-Hulk, the better. How can Captain America: Brave New World be a sequel to the last Hulk film without the title character? To be fair, I can't blame Marvel Studios for this because Universal still has rights to the character. I don't get it, why keep the rights to this I.P. if you're not going to do anything to make money off of it? Come on, give us a cartoon, a video game, a theme park ride, something. I wish Red Hulk was in the last Hulk movie to add Irony to that movie, but I digress. 

I don't think bringing Bruce Banner/the Hulk into the MCU was a mistake; however, he should have been used sparingly. He should be used as a last resort when the situation is dire, like the Transformers did with the Dinobots in G1. Doing that is still risky because the Hulk is more of a liability than an asset. That's another issue I have with how the MCU handles the Hulk it doesn't show the Hulk as a wildcard. The Ultimate Avengers direct-to-video movie did a better job at this. 

As far as turning the Hulk into a film franchise is tricky. How can you make a film about a character whose OP, who isn't that smart, depending on which Hulk is used, and his allies deal with him from a distance? If the response to this is to make a Plant Hulk movie, Thor: Ragnarok kind of wasted it. Also, the Marvel Executives are not crazy about making another Hulk movie because the last two didn't do well at the box office. This wouldn't bother me if this studio didn't make truckloads of money over the years. Stop acting like you don't have money to burn. 

If we ever do get another Hulk movie, there are three things I want from it. The first thing is I want it to be about internal conflict, whether it's Bruce and Hulk finding common ground, dealing with the root of anger, or dealing with personality disorders. The second thing is, I don't want the villain to be similar to the Hulk; give us Half-Life. Finally, I want the movie to exploit the Hulk's weakness for cats. To get a movie like that, the general public have to do their part as far as being willing to pay top dollar for a movie like that. Considering how successful the Smile films are, that shouldn't be a problem. 

If the Hulk is going to keep his status as the third most popular Marvel character, something needs to be done with this character to maintain the public interest. That's all I have to say about the character for now. What do you think should've been done about the Hulk?  

   

My Nintendo rant

My Nintendo rant

Well, it looks like my Nintendo or gaming days are coming to an end because the Nintendo Switch 2 is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. For those of you who are not gamers, the Nintendo Switch 2 is their ninth or tenth-generation console and the predecessor to the Nintendo Switch. This is the first time Nintendo didn't come up with an original name for a console. The system costs 450 dollars, the camera is 50 dollars, it costs 10 dollars to use a button the backward compatibility is 30 dollars. I could be wrong about that. Digital games are 80 dollars, and physical games are 90 dollars. 

These prices cause backlash online. You can argue that AAA companies are always greedy, but this is ridiculous. I have mixed feelings about the price of the console. Personally, I don't mind the price of the console because it's not that expensive. On the other hand, I don't want to reward laziness; the Switch 2 is just like its predecessor but with better visuals, a bigger screen, and horsepower. Are these things really worth the price? It's the price of everything else I have issues with. Plus, the prices could go up because of the tariffs. 

The physical games are not physical; they are key codes to download the game. You know, not having physical media is a pet peeve of mine. The President of Nintendo, Doug Bowser ( I'm not kidding, that's his real name.) responded to this by saying if you're too poor to buy a Nintendo Switch 2, you can always get the first Switch. He also brought up how hard it is to make video games. 

First of all, we don't care about the work you put into making the games, just like your boss doesn't care if you have to walk two hours to get to work on time. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your work doesn't matter; however, we are not paying you for your labor, we are paying for the final product. If you don't think you get paid enough for your labor, take up with management. Second, this isn't about money; it's about sending a message. ( I know people will get that reference, but I can't help myself.) There are so many things I could spend 80 or 90 dollars on, like groceries, clothes, and bills. How does Nintendo expect the poor to buy the first Switch when they didn't drop the price of the games or the Joy-Cons?   

I feel bad for parents who have to deal with this back-and-forth about why they can't get their kids a Switch 2. This is what happens when you don't teach your kids about being responsible with money.    

Plus, Nintendo is a family-friendly system. What are you going to do? I blame the consumers for this, too. Gaming companies extorted us with the DLCs, and we allowed it. How many of you got the DLC for Batman Origins instead of advocating for a patch for the game? Speaking of DLC's they better be free or don't have any at all. Judging by the pre-orders, people will buy this system regardless. Look, people have the right to spend their money how they want, but where do you draw the line? If the next-gen console games cost $150, you'd better suffer in silence because you let it happen.       

We also have Nintendo fans who will defend this company no matter what. I don't understand how they have fans like this when they won't let them make non-profit fan films. Nintendo is not thinking about how their greed could affect the next Super Mario Bros movie that's coming out next year. If that movie failed because of this, that's what you get. I know games in the 90s were expensive; that's because of the manufacturing. Also, those games were complete produces. I'm guessing the Nintendo Switch 2 will sell 9 million units. If that happens, I'm going to laugh because they brought that on themselves. 

If Nintendo wants to make more money, I have a crazy idea go back to selling handheld games. Nintendo made the most money selling those. How many copies of Pokemon Red and Blue were sold? Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if that's why the Nintendo Switch is a console handheld hybrid. To get the most out of Nintendo Switch 2, the prices have to be cut in half. If the Nintendo Switch 2 becomes a success, that tells me you're ok with everything being digital and not owning the game. We know that's not always reliable. If you have a printer, you know what I'm talking about. 

The reason why I said my gaming days could be over is because I'm not sure if I want a PS5 because of the disparaging things being said about it. Plus, I'm not willing to spend 70 dollars on a game. My experience with playing games on the PC hasn't been good. Until the game industry stop smelling themselves, I'm sticking to retro games and getting a Steam Deck. That's all I have to say about this topic for now.     

My review of The Amateur

 My review of The Amateur

 

Intro: If you are expecting this movie to be Enemy of the State and Revenge of the Nerds combined, I don't know what to tell you. 

The Amateur: This movie is centered on a CIA decoder name Charlie Heller, whose not having the best day after learning that his wife was killed in a terrorist attack. Frustrated that his superiors are not doing anything about it, he wants to take matters into his own hands. That becomes difficult for him because he doesn't have the stomach or skills for killing, so he comes up with other means to get the job done. Doing this puts a target on his back, so he has to finish his manhunt before his captured or killed. 

This is another pointless remake. That's kind of a shame because this movie delivered on the underdog concept. The problem is that the movie isn't engaging or entertaining. The film has some jokes, but they a few and far between. The trailer showed the best kills in the movie. Some plot holes make no sense in the movie. Is it me, or does the movie have pacing issues? One character should have been cut out of the movie because he or she serves no purpose. 

There isn't much to say about Charlie Heller he's a brilliant decoder who likes puzzles. I'm glad that he uses his brain to kill people because doing that helps build suspects.

Col. Henderson is Charlie's trainer. He's put in a tough spot with Charlie because he slowly starts to respect him.    

I like that the movie is stylish and clever at times. Overall, this is one of those movies that's forgettable. ( So much for joining the likes of Taken and the Bourne films.)  

Rating = Rental 

    

My overview of the pandemic

My overview of the pandemic 

Intro: Forgive me if I get any information wrong about this topic. Keep in mind I'm not a journalist. What I do does involve some journalism, but the information on COVID-19 is inconsistent. This is why I didn't write about the WWE because there is too much information to filter out. Plus, I don't have the luxury of interviewing people who dealt with the pandemic. like doctors, scientists, politicians, etc. Even if I did you think they would be straight with me? To be fair, journalists can be lazy as far as using the same sources for years. but I digress. 

A virus called Coronavirus or SARS 2 surfaced in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019. That's right, this is the same SARS we got in the early 2000s. The difference between the two is SARS 2 is it spreads faster, less exposed, and deadlier than the flu. It slowly started to spread to other countries and states to the point where we had a worldwide shutdown. The shutdown was suppose to last two weeks, but that's not the case. 

The news kept track of how many people died from the virus and how many people were affected. We can only go out for grocery shopping or to the hospital. When we do go out, we have to wear a mask and be six feet apart. Court cases are handled on Zoom, and some people work from Zoom. Sadly, the virus wasn't the only thing that spread like wildfire. In May of 2020, a man name George Floyd was murdered by an officer name Derek Chauvin. (Allegedly, but I'll get into that later.) The way he was murdered caused rioting and looting that lasted for months, depending on where you live. 

The following year started crazy with the Capitol invasion on Jan 6. This happened because Mr. Trump's supporters believed the election was stolen. I wish I could say the only good thing that happened that year, besides Mr. Chauvin being found guilty of murder, is that we got the vaccine, but I'll get back to that later. We were also dealing with supply shortages and inflation. The only thing that happened in 2022 is a war between Russia and Ukraine. In 2023, the National Emergency was lifted, meaning we don't have to wear masks or be six feet apart. 

Nothing much happened after that besides learning that there are different variants of the virus. There were mysterious balloons and drones that no one knew where they came from. Two planes crashed, one in Philly and the other in D.C. The only business we lost during the pandemic is Modell's. We had a writer's strike in Hollywood that lasted as long as the last strike, but I have more to say about that later. 

I don't know about you, but if I worked for WHO, CDC, or any Branch of the Government, I would be embarrassed that this outbreak happened. I say that because we dodged bullets with the bird flu, the H1N1 virus, and the Ebola virus. 

Also, what's the point of having all these books, documentaries, movies, and video games about outbreaks if we are not prepared to deal with one?     

       

I'm sorry, we do have a plan to deal with this situation, it's just that we didn't invest in it, so I've heard. With that said, I'm glad that the pandemic wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back. Watch the document Nine Meals Away for Anarchy to understand what I mean.  

Thank goodness the outbreak didn't turn us into this guy, and I can't imagine how the pandemic affects people like this. 

God forbid if we do get another outbreak where we have a shutdown, I'm going to laugh. No! It's not because I think the situation is funny; it's because we took it for granted. COVID is still around with different variants. If we have another shutdown because of this, that's what we get for not taking it seriously. South Dakota is a strange case for me; it operates like it's business as usual despite the spikes. What about the animals no one talks about, whether or not they can get Covid, as far as I know. 

We were told that we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 by keeping our environment clean. After the pandemic, whenever I use the bathroom at a store or restaurant, it's not always clean. The same thing goes for motels and public transportation. I still see trash on the sidewalks and streets. See what I mean about taking the situation for granted? Heck, we didn't get clean air out of the pandemic since most people weren't working. I doubt people are keeping themselves clean as far as not having raw sex.  

We were also told that you have to be healthy and have a good immune system. If that was the case, why couldn't we go to the Gym during the shutdown? Don't get me started on how food is produced. Food is suppose to support your health; how do you expect people to be healthy if you put sodium in everything we eat!?! If you don't believe me, the next time you go grocery shopping, find me ten food items where the sodium is under 25%, under 200 mg, and have 10% saturated fat. I've tried that and I only found five. This was at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's; that's disappointing considering that the food in those places is suppose to be healthy. Even the so-called plant-based meat has sodium in it what gives? Seriously, with this much sodium, who needs salt? 

Candy, chocolate bars, or any kind of sweets have elements of cocaine. Speaking of sweets, I'm surprised that carrots are not considered a fruit because it has some level of sweetness to them. This makes WHO look bad. What's the point of this organization if they can't or won't do anything about this? Before you say go on a vegan diet, it's not that simple because we don't know how our bodies will react to it. Look at RDJ, for example, that diet made him smaller and age faster. The fact that the food pyramid hasn't been revised is a bad look for schools and part of the problem.  

As far as the vaccine goes, there are horror stories about it. For example, in China, they had a hard time finding volunteers for it. That shouldn't surprise me, considering how fast it was made, and we don't know where the virus came from at the time. You don't think that taking it more than once, plus a booster shot, is a red flag? Don't get me started on the price of the vaccine. ( Well, they made it free for kids. Oh, how nice of them.) To be fair, I shouldn't be that surprised, considering how hard it is to get toilet paper or paper towels at the time. Thankfully, taking it wasn't mandated depending on where you live. I hope it won't lead to other issues for the people who took it. 

Don't take this the wrong way, but viewing the Doctors and nurses as heroes during this time bugs me. I get that this was done to boost morale because they were quitting or considering quitting. They were overwhelmed to the point where they had to recruit students who hadn't graduated med school yet to help. It can't be a coincidence that reruns of E.R. and Grey's Anatomy were airing during this time. However, where was this attitude ten years ago? If grocery stores stop giving them discounts, then viewing them as heroes was disingenuous. The next time we do that, you'd better stand on business. 

How we reacted after the COVID health emergency is another reason why I will find another shutdown funny. Almost 15 or 17 million people died from the virus, people lost their jobs, the pandemic took a toll on people who worked in the healthcare profession, the world was on house arrest, and we are going to treat that like it was a bad dream. This is what biological warfare looks like, and you don't think someone should take responsibility for this? Why give Dr. Fauci his fifteen minutes of fame if he's not going to do much to help the situation? Why didn't we get a doctor we're familiar with, like Dr. Oz?  

What's the point of having hearings about COVID if we are not going to hold someone's feet to the fire or outlaw biological weapons? What about President Trump? He knew about COVID a month before it reached the U.S., and he made the situation worse by making light of the situation. Seriously, what was he smoking, thinking that drinking bleach would get rid of COVID? Was he trying to be funny? Instead of trying to charge President Trump for Jan 6, why don't we charge him for this?  

If this is people's attitudes, we should stop making a big deal about 9/11. Also, if we have another lockdown, I'd better not hear anyone complain. This is why I find people's reaction to the COVID health emergency so jarring, because once we got out of house arrest, we acted like we had no home training. People get into fights at Airports and have the nerve to tell schools that they shouldn't have a mask mandate. To be fair, I understand why because masks are a joke compared to what doctors have to wear to protect themselves from COVID. Plus, there were news reports that parents can't deal with the stress of being around their kids all day.     

   

As far as how people reacted to the death of George Floyd, I was disappointed. 

 

I mean, where was this reaction when this happened? 

What about Tony Timpa? He was murdered in a way that's similar to George Floyd. What do you have to say about that? People caused all that mayhem for nothing. I say that for four reasons, first of all, you made it difficult to shop because everything is under lock and key. Second, all you did was generate talks about defunding the police. I'll get back to that later. Third, Black people made themselves look bad by destroying their own community and not looting for textbooks. What's the point of being upset with Law enforcement if you're not going to take it out on them? Finally, Mr. Chauvin might not be guilty of murdering George Floyd. 

I say that because his autopsy report shows that he had drugs in his system that can affect his breathing, and he has heart problems. Someone said he couldn't breathe before Mr. Chanvin put his knee on his neck. If this is true, then this case needs to be reopened or reevaluated. It's bad enough that we deify George Floyd, but we trivialize his death by saying I can't breathe every chance we get. I know other people have died because of police after George Floyd; however, their deaths weren't as tragic. ( No offense to the people who knew them.) Black people are not taking responsibility for their issues with Law enforcement. There are bodycam videos of us getting arrested over foolishness and then blaming the cops for being racist.  

I'm only going to say this once; when Law enforcement shows up, what they say goes. If they do something you don't like, you take it up in court; you don't have court in the streets. How many Ls do you have to take to realize that arguing or fighting with the police won't end well for you? This isn't about siding with Law enforcement; it's about making decisions that will benefit you.

I already talked about Jan 6, and my views on it haven't changed. The hearing for it was a waste of time because President Trump wasn't there. I don't care how many people you get to throw President Trump under the bus if you don't have proof that he wants Jan 6 to happen or a confession, what's the point of this hearing? Even if you manage to charge him for Jan 6, he can go for the insanity plea because of how inconsistent he is. Jan 6 wasn't orchestrated; if it was, one of two things could've happened; we would have had a hostage situation or a public execution. 

Trump's supporters don't believe that the election was stolen. If they did, why didn't they show up at the inauguration? I'm disappointed that they didn't show up, not because I want to see a bloodbath, it's because they look like punks. Don't sucker punch the capital and run; stand on business. Plus, they showed up at the Capitol again later that year, and they behaved themselves.             

I don't think Law enforcement should be defunded, but I don't think they should be militarized. Jan 6 proves it. There is footage of them letting the protesters in without putting up a fight. Before that, people on the force talked about quitting because of how people reacted to what happened to George Floyd. After that, there was a new report of a school shooting, and the officers did nothing to stop it. I understand Jan 6 was overwhelming for them, but it's not the same as being on the battlefield. It's not like they had to protect the Capital naked, and none of you died from injuries. 

Them complaining about what they went through that day is not a good look because that's what they signed up for. If it were me, my response would be occupational hazard. Instead of being mad at President Trump, they should be mad at the FBI for not giving them a heads-up. Speaking of the FBI, Ted Cruz noticed that they were there that day, undercover, what with that? I would also be mad that I couldn't go Rainbow Six on the protestor. Jan 6 is a joke to me, no one they cared about died, the Trump supporters didn't achieve anything, and things would have played out differently if minorities had invaded the Capitol. 

As far as President Trump giving his supporters pardons, I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, they did what they did on his half; it would be messed up if President Trump left them hanging to dry. On the other hand, you can't say you don't approve of what they did and not let them face the consequences. 

I can't believe we had a writer's strike. I mean, their writing hasn't improved since the last strike. Two things bother me about this strike; the first thing is that the actors and actresses undermine it by going on strike too. Who cares if they're struggling? That's what you get for not learning from the last strike. I doubt actors and actresses have a relationship with the writers beyond professional; if they did, they would have spoken about them getting low pay before the strike. Sidenote; if I were Tyler Perry, I would shoot my shot with Taraji P Henson every time she's in my movies. He can't look me in the eyes and say he didn't think about that, but I digress. 

Another reason why I'm annoyed with the actor's strike is because they became greedy. I mean, starring in TV shows is one thing, but you're crossing a line with commercials. Commercials should be reserved for people who are trying to establish themselves, not celebrities who are already established. The only exemption to the rule is D-list celebrities. Vivica A Fox and Ice-T doing Car Shield commercials are not good examples. Vivica A Fox is getting work starring in those awful Lifetime movies, and Ice-T has been on Law and Order since 1985. 

It's hard for me to feel sorry for the writers for getting low pay at the time because they are associated with fame. I don't care if you get paid one-fourth of an actor's salary; if you don't live among or below regular people, then you're not struggling. The second reason the writer's strike bothers me is because it's kind of wasted. I say that because they should want their names to be mentioned alongside the director when a movie is promoted. Writers and directors complement each other, so the writers should be acknowledged on that principle alone. If the entertainment industry goes out of business because of the strike, that would be no loss to humanity. We have fan and indie films that are making the industry look bad. 

Before I rip this up, I want to say it was interesting seeing how the entertainment industry has to work around the pandemic. I was laughing seeing ESPN review people playing sports games online. Watching WWE in an empty arena is awkward, but they fixed that later on. Watching court on Zoom is almost as funny as the court shows. I was let down that the pandemic didn't bring back drive-in theaters, depending on where you live. Speaking of movie theaters, they should have rented out the space to a small group of people so they can play movies or video games on the big screen. I'm annoyed that they didn't consider doing that; if they did, they would make us pay a ridiculous price. 

What bothers me about the pandemic is that we didn't act like it's a we problem. We wouldn't have a war between Russia and Ukraine if that was the case. Speaking of the war, it's a miracle it didn't spill over to the U.S. On top of that, Black people are singled out for being the most likely to catch COVID because of our obesity rate. We blamed China for the outbreak before we knew COVID came from China. To be fair, I understand why we would blame them because of their history with outbreaks. Plus, they stonewall us about COVID. Look, this isn't the time to be burning bridges; you can say what you want about China or Japan when the outbreak happened, they didn't play around. 

If I were in charge of schools, I would remove history from the curriculum because no one values it. Look at how much history repeats itself during the pandemic. We haven't had an outbreak in over a hundred years; the Capital hasn't been invaded since the 1800s, and it's been over forty years since the President had been shot at. The pandemic made the religious community look bad because they didn't walk by faith, and not by sight. 

For those of you who suffered cabin fever from the lockdown, I'm let down that it didn't help you see things from the point of view of undesirable people like educated lames. Speaking of educated lames, the fact that they are not considered high-value men is unbelievable considering everything they have done to make our lives easier. They recently made a drug that can make you lose weight. If mostly women use this drug, and they don't want to date men who made the drug, you have no business taking the drug. 

If I live to see another pandemic, and God forbid it wipes out half or most of the population, I don't want to hear about how tragic it is. It's sad that something like that has to happen before we get our acts together. Saving the human race means nothing if we can't look past racism or our egos.            

My rant about fan films

My rant about fan films 

For those of you who don't know, Fan films are films or videos made by fans for fans. They are inspired by popular or well-known IPs. They have been around on the internet since the early or mid-2000s. No one talks about them because there was a handful of them at the time. That changed ten years ago when a Power Rangers fan film got a lot of attention on the internet. Plus, the director of that fan film became successful. 

After that, we've been getting more of them left and right. With that said, it's a shame that no one talks about them outside the internet because they are outstanding works of art. Part of the reason why is because the people behind them don't have to worry about studios undermining them. 

Yes! All of them are not good, and they are not above behind-the-scenes drama. However, I would prefer the film to fail because of that over dealing with the middleman. 

 

      

  

If you are not happy with Hollywood movies or how they handle your favorite franchise, this is a nice alternative. I'm also surprised to see celebrities be a part of these films. The reason why fan films are tolerated in Hollywood is because the people behind them don't make money off them. That was about to change when a trailer for a fan film called Legend of the White Dragon was released. I was looking forward to that, not just because of the late JDF. It's because this could have been a milestone for independent films and cinema. 

This film was suppose to be a Power Rangers fan film, but the late JDF doesn't own the rights to Power Rangers, so the film was turned into its own thing. Doing that makes it easy for it to get a theatrical release. It mostly stars actors and actresses from the Power Rangers franchise. (Plus, an actor from Arrow.) The film had a budget of over 500 grand, which makes it one of the most expensive films of its kind. It even has some merchandise like toys and shirts. If this film becomes a hit, we could get more fan films to be released on the big screen. The film was suppose to be released in the fall of 2023, sadly, that didn't happen. Aaron Schoenke (The director and star of the film.) said the film is being delayed because of production problems, or the film needs polish, allegedly. 

If the film ever gets released in theaters, it will mean nothing because it lost its momentum. This isn't the first time Power Rangers fans have been let down. There was a short film called The Order that stars mostly Power Rangers actors and actresses. That film raised money for the film to get made, and some of the people who donated were suppose to be extras. The film wasn't released because the people behind it violated SAG or union rules allegedly. There's more to it than that, but I don't have time to get into that.

The idea of fan films getting the big screen treatment is a fantasy because of the studios being greedy or controlling. There is a Power Rangers fan who goes by the name Drew Danger, who has history with Hollywood. For example, he had an idea for an Alien film or fan film and presented it to 20th Century Fox at the time. He would give it to them if he's involved with the film, but the company didn't take it. Nintendo shut down a Legend of Zelda fan film because the people behind it had to raise money for it to get made. See what I mean by being controlling and greedy? I find it funny that Nintendo wants to stop a fan film but not Microsoft making their own Mario game. 

Do get me started on copyrights, it's such a joke that it's not worth talking about. Another thing that can hurt a fan film being made is yourself. Rican Ranger is an example of that. Rican Ranger is part of the Power Rangers fandom. He has an idea for a fan film called Rise of Ninjetti. Whenever someone tries to help him, he ruins it with his ego, ignorance, not willing to do his part, and stealing other people's ideas. The only person willing to help him is someone called Nerd Talk, and that guy has no self-respect. I say that because Rican admits that he's just using him, and he will drop him once he's done with him. 

Rican needs to forget about that fan film getting made because he burns bridges, crashes out, threatens, and harasses the same people who tried to help him. Who in their right mind wants to help him after doing all of that? Plus, he could face some jail time. This is not a good look for any fanbase. We proved to Hollywood that we can make better films; why can't we prove that we can conduct ourselves better as well? 

In closing, it doesn't matter if these films get the big screen treatment or not, as long as the general public is aware of them. Plus, if it becomes mainstream, it would suffer the same fate as everything else.