The death of comedy

The death of comedy

Intro: I know this topic is redundant, but it's still worth talking about. My taste in comedy may be questionable, but that doesn't mean I don't see the problem.    

For over ten years, comedy has become lifeless. I don't remember the last time someone bragged about a comedy show or movie. Heck, I don't know the last time I rolled on the floor laughing. The only time I get that reaction these days is when I look at memes or see someone on the internet ranting and raving. (Heck, that has lost its novelty over the years.) Despite my issue with R-rated comedy films, they are starting to fade. After The Hangover, Hollywood didn't make an R-rated comedy that stood out. We have the Deadpool films, but I notice some restrictions with them. For example, the last movie wanted to make a Spider-Man joke, but couldn't. The same thing goes for teen comedies that has become a lost art.       

An actress from The Office was asked does she thinks that show would work today? She said no. That says a lot about the time were in today. There are two reasons why comedy is in the state that it's in. In case you're wondering, no! I don't blame Will Smith for why comedy has gone downhill, but he has become the face of what's wrong with it now. After the slap, there have been stories of this happening to other comedians. Granted, this isn't new, but it made the public more aware of it happening. 

One of the reasons why comedy is dying is that there is a disconnect, thanks to streaming. Before streaming, when we wanted to watch a sitcom, we were at the mercy of the network. You have to be home before the show airs on TV. If you miss an episode, someone will tell you about it at work or school. It may be annoying, but it created a shared experience. Now that we have streaming, that shared experience is gone. We have people watching old and new sitcoms, which makes it hard to know what is considered funny anymore. Heck, people are talking about The Office again thanks to streaming. We even got clones of that show, like Abbott Elementary and Jury Duty.   

Another reason is boundaries. Yes! We had boundaries in the past, but now it's getting out of hand. Everyone is so touchy and sensitive to the point where you don't appreciate or care to appreciate the nuance of offending someone. For example, there was a time where you call someone who has mental problems retarded. It's hard to appreciate why we shouldn't call people with mental problems that word, because that word is used to call someone stupid. People also project themselves onto the jokes. 

That's what annoys me about women when it comes to rape jokes. Like I said before, rape jokes can be funny because women do things to put themselves in that position even til this day. For example, there are videos of women getting flown out or going on trips with a guy, then be dump founded that he wants sex. Come on, ladies, you can't be this stupid. 

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. That's why comedy has lost its magic. I find it funny that people want to play it safe when come to comedy but not have that same energy when it comes to world peace. In order to fix this, you have to be willing to push the boundaries. 

 We had films that got us to laugh at things we shouldn't laugh at. 

    

 

   Other movies failed to do that. 

That's another thing people don't know how to read between the lines when it comes to comedy. I'm not sure if comedy can get its magic back. Considering that we could get another lockdown, we need something to laugh at. That's all I have to say about this topic for now.   

My thoughts on the Lanterns series

My thoughts on the Lanterns series

 

Please tell me that this is an early April Fools prank. I mean, nothing about this trailer screams Green Lantern. This looks like 48 hours and Yellowstone combined. You need more than the rings, a character flying, and the suit hanging in a closet to get me on board for this series. Speaking of the suit, the fact that it's hanging in the closet tells me the people behind this series don't care or know nothing about the lore. I'm not crazy about Hal Jordan and John Stewart being paired together, regardless if this was in the comics. Both characters can stand on their own. Why is this series called Lanterns? Are we going to see more than one Lantern Core?  

We've waited years for this series, and this is the best you can come up with, really? If the people behind this series didn't have to budget to do this show, then why bother making it? I'm so sick of everything being grounded and realistic. When I think of Green Lantern, I think about them patrolling space, not a western. You can say what you want about the 2011 Green Lantern movie, but it had the look of Green Lantern. I hope this is a bait and switch; even if it is, it doesn't matter. They shot themselves in the foot by not putting their best foot forward. I'll give the first episode a chance, but they didn't do themselves any favors. 

My thoughts on the Persona Franchise

 My thoughts on the Persona Franchise 

 

Intro: Since this is the 30th anniversary of this franchise, and we're getting a new Persona game in a few mouths, it's time for me to give my thoughts on this series. I'll mostly be talking about one of the games in this series, so forgive me if you find the title misleading. 

Despite getting a PS4 late, my list of games for it is slim to none. So I looked up popular games for the PS4 to see which one interests me. Persona 5 caught my eye, so I gave it a chance. Man, oh man, you have no idea how this game frustrates me. Before I get into that, I'm sure you're wondering what is this series about? Persona is an RPG about a group of teens going through life while fighting people's dark desires in their minds with the power of their personas. This series has been around for 30 years, there are six games in this franchise, and it's one of two spin-offs of another RPG called Shin Megami Tensei if...  

The story for this game was insane in a good way. It had twists, turns, and world-building. The story is so thick that it left no stone unturned for the most part. It also deals with the ethics of the group changing someone's heart against their will. I'm not going to say that this is the best story in the franchise because I haven't played all of them. You can play this without playing the others because the games feel self-contained for the most part. There is one thing about this game story that got my attention; that is this is about a group of outcasts. I know what that feels like all too well. Despite that, they bounce back from their situations due to the connections they made. That helps the story feel uplifting. I also like the game's soundtrack. 

I'm surprised no one in Hollywood has entertained the idea of turning this story into a series. I mean, the game's story was good enough to get a manga and a stage play. I say that because this is something we need. Why make a big deal about mental health if we're not going to get stories that deal with the human mind? (If we do no one is talking about them.) heck, the movies that deal with dreams don't go far enough. When I reviewed Inception, I complained that it lacked imagination; this game made up for it. 

Before I address the elephant in the room, I have one minor issue with this game that is I find the demonic images off-putting. ( To be fair, that's a reference to Shin Megami Tensei if...) What drives me nuts about this game is how hard it is. It's not hard by design; it's hard by structure. When I first played it, it was a hassle. I couldn't do certain things because I didn't maxed out my stats. When I played on Game Plus, I was so close to beating it, but I ran out of SP, didn't stack up on items, and didn't find all my allies. When I played it the third time, I best it but I forgot to get an ally. This is why I dread playing it for the fourth time; this game scratches you so thin in so many different directions that you don't have time to yourself to train or craft. ( The last two things I mentioned also matter.) 

I know that there is an NPC that can help scratch time, but that didn't do much. Also, this game is long, even with fast-forward. The player's guide needs to make a comeback because this game needs one. If you don't meet certain people at the right time, you miss out on locations and opportunities. Despite how popular this game is, I can't be the only one who has this problem. Also, what's with the different versions of this game? ( I have to OG if you're wondering.) I mean, one of them is a sequel. This game didn't need a sequel. I hated it when game companies do that, you're not getting my money twice! 

This game could have been better if it had cut the fat, extended or slow-down time. That's all I have to say about this franchise for now.   

 

My Mercy review

 My Mercy review

Intro: Let me get this straight, people have been complaining about their lawyers being expensive, and doing them dirty. This movie gives you an idea for an alternative, and no one is going to watch it. What gives!?! 

Mercy: This movie is centered on a detective name Det. Raven, who is on trial for killing his wife. To avoid being executed, he has to convince an AI Judge that he didn't do it in 90 minutes or reduce that probability to 92%. As he pleaded his case, things got complicated when he learns about a conspiracy. So he has to choose between uncovering it or clearing his name? 

This is one of those movies that has an interesting idea but poor execution. Part of the reason why is because of how Mercy Court works makes no sense. If I can describe it, it's a bench trial with no decorum and no opposing counsel. Is that why it's called Mercy Court, because you don't have to deal with opposition? When we are introduced to the main extra, he's still drunk. Why!?! What's with the 90 minutes to plead your case? I know this was done for the movie to run in real time; however, it trivializes the court. It makes the movie feel like a game show. 

I can suspend my disbelief, but this is a big leaf. The AI judge must be outdated if it doesn't know the term trust your gut. The movie didn't ever try to be a social commentary on how AI can affect the justice system. I mean, no one finds it scary that you can have access to all this information? ( I can't wait to see real-life lawyers rip this movie a new one, but I digress.) This film is 90% bodycam footage and 10% movie. 

This movie could have been better if it had humor, played with our expectations, and had an epilogue. It's hard to appreciate Mercy Court because the movie doesn't show us the impact it has; instead, we get exposition. There isn't much to say about Det. Raven, because we learn things about him instead of getting to know him as a character. With all that said, I wasn't bored watching this movie. I did get a few laughs, not because the movie was purposely fun.  

All in all, this movie is fine for streaming. That's a shame because more could have been done with this concept. 

Rating = Rental 

My FOMO rant

 My FOMO rant

 

AM I the only one who thinks FOMO is ridiculous? For those of you who don't know, FOMO is the fear of missing out. That's self-explanatory. The reason why I find this fear ridiculous is because missing out on things happens to almost anyone. 

There are things that I missed out on because I wasn't born during that time, or didn't find it appealing.

   

There was an episode of either Hey! Arnold or Doug that deals with this. As far as one character missed out on a movie or stand-up comedy. Once he finally saw it, his peers moved on to something else. Other things that can cause you to miss out on opportunities, like circumstances, other people, and yourself. That's another thing that bothers me about the gaming industry; they enable FOMO by putting a time limit on DLCs and online services. Due to that, you don't get the full gaming experience. 

Fomo doesn't just create unnecessary pressure, but regret. I don't like the word regret because it's impossible to live a life without regret. Let's use MMPR as an example. The people who played Jason, Zack, and Trini left the show because they wanted more money ( allegedly). Years later, they express regret about doing that, or they should've waited at the right time to make that move. Whether you agree with them or not, they shouldn't have any regrets because most people who are involved in this franchise don't become successful outside of it. ( This is the same problem I have with sitcoms, but I digress.) Even if they did become successful, can they handle the stress of success? You have to view FOMO as 50/50; is the trade-off worth experiencing what you missed out?  

If you have regrets, that tells me two things; either you don't like your life or yourself. Sadly, there isn't much you can do about that. To be fair, I can understand why men could have this fear because we are the sacrificial lamb to society. No one, not even our family, cares if we don't have a lot of good experiences. If that's not true, then why are we taught to enjoy hardship and being mistreated? Why have that mindset if you have nothing to show for it? There are certain things that you shouldn't miss out, so you won't feel isolated like the rite of passage. 

Let's use the prom as an example. If I was running any school district, no school would have a prom unless every boy who wants to go can go. I'm not saying every girl has to go with them as their date, but they should have one dance with them. I don't want to hear the girls complaining, especially when they have no problem asking a boy with Down syndrome to the prom. If you have no problem getting pregnant by a guy you don't like, then you should have no problem dancing with a guy you don't like. I'm asking you to dance with them, not spend prom night with them.     

The fact that religious men and women in general don't appreciate how important it is for men to have a sex life is telling. Sidenote, I feel sorry for men who have foot fetishes because women think it's nasty; when really, sex is nasty when you think about it. That's another problem with FOMO, whenever something becomes popular, it gets ruined because of FOMO the gaming industry is a prime example of that. We also ruin things by over hyping it. That happen to me when it came to Pokemon.  

The bottom line is this; if you have FOMO, try not to let it ruin your life. There are things that I missed out on or may never get the chance to do, like playing every game that has a mascot, going to Comic-Con, traveling, and learning Archery. There are things that I missed out that don't bother me as much, like collecting Funko heads, going to Halo 3 midnight launch, being good at arts and crafts, and joining the Mile High club. I know you live only once, and there are times when I feel like life is passing me by. Keep in mind that life isn't fair; you have to make the best out of the life you have. Don't torture yourself, wonder what your life could have been, because you will do that regardless if things are going well or not.         

 That's all I have to say about the subject for now.    

My thoughts on the Supergirl movie

 My thoughts on the Supergirl movie 

 

Ok, despite Mr. Gunn not winning me over with his take on Superman, I'm willing to give this movie a chance. The reason why is because Supergirl is my favorite character in the Superman mythos. In the comics, she's kind of like Wonder Woman as far as being born and raised to be a fighter, and is not naive about some people needing to be put down. She's the type of person who shoots first and questions later due to her anger issues. Plus, she struggles to fit in with humanity to the point where she feels isolated and homesick. Heck, she has no problem turning her back on them, or doesn't see the point in protecting them. This creates tension between her and Superman.  

That's what bugs me about how this character was portrayed outside of the comics; she's a female version of Superman. (except for the animated stuff and Smallville to a degree)That's a huge disservice to this character. Another reason why I'm giving this movie a chance is because if this movie becomes a hit, it could lead to us getting more movies of other DC side characters. ( "Cough" Nightwing movie "Cough".) As far as the teaser trailer, it was fine. We see Supergirl not in the best state of mind; she's being hunted for unknown reasons, a little girl is involved, and we don't know what role she plays. What stood out to me in this trailer is when she said Superman sees the good in people, I see the truth. That line tells me we could get a comic-accurate Supergirl. 

Sadly, people online didn't like the trailer because it reminded them of GOTG. Look, you can say what's in the trailer is in the recent Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics, but that doesn't change the fact that this makes Mr. Gunn look like a one-trick pony to the general public. I don't see how he could have done this movie differently, maybe picked a different comic book story to adapt to be on the safe side. Also, the general public should be able to appreciate these films without reading the comics. Then again, people shouldn't talk about something without knowing anything about the subject. 

They also complain about Supergirl being a flawed character. Why!?! Do you want her to be the female version of Superman? They are also worried that the comedy could undermine Supergirl's dealing with her trauma. I understand why people are worried about this movie; however, their complaints are disingenuous. A trailer paying homage to a different franchise is not enough to raise red flags. How many of you were wrong about Predator Badlands?   

      

Overall, the trailer didn't scare me away from wanting to watch this movie because I don't expect much from it. As long as I have a good time with it, I'm fine with that.      

My rant about Batman writers

 My rant about Batman writers 

 

Intro: In case you're wondering, No! I don't plan on doing this for other comic book characters. When I write about comic book characters, I already expressed my overall issues with them that could affect the writing or my ability to enjoy their stories. For example, it's hard to get into the Flash and Hulk comics because of how powerful they are. It's hard to get into the Punisher comics because the character is too bleak for me. It's hard to get into Wonder Woman comics because the writers don't know what to do with her. 

When it comes to Batman, the writers did things with the Batman lore over the years that bugs me. Another reason why I'm doing this is because the Batman Kool-Aid is stronger than my addiction to Cinnamon Toast Crunch as a kid. Find me ten reaction videos where people are annoyed that they're getting another LEGO Batman game if you don't believe me. Where's the hashtag give us a LEGO Justice League game?!? Warning! If you haven't read Batman comics from the past 25 years, don't read this post. 

I don't know about you, but the quality of Batman comics from the 2000s until now has been a rollercoaster for me. Part of the reason is because there isn't one writer that I enjoy reading most of his or her work. Since No Man's Land, the year-long stories are not up to par. (The same thing goes for the crossover comics.) We have War Games, Murderer/Fugitive, and I'll talk about the rest later. War Games is a mess, and Murderer/Fugitive wouldn't last a year if Bruce/Batman was proactive. (Also, Shadow of the Bat #55 did this story better.) 

 

If there were a Mount Rushmore of Batman writers, it would be Chuck Dixon, Paul Dini, Alan Grant, and I can't think of a fourth person. ( I was going to pick the late Dennis O' Neil, but his run has some goofiness to them.) The only problem I have with Paul Dini is that I don't agree with keeping Nora Freeze dead because keeping her alive makes Mr. Freeze more sympathetic. Greg Rucka is one of the worst Batman writers; like I said, he doubles down on Batman's worst traits, and it was all for nothing. 

Jeph Loeb is an overrated Batman writer. He hasn't given us a good Batman mystery: to be fair, that genre has lost its novelty. I'm surprised that The Long Halloween and Hush are popular Batman stories because we don't know who the Holiday killer is in The Long Halloween. I get that Mr. Loeb was trying to make the killer's identity ambiguous, but the execution was off. An episode of Law and Order called Patient Zero did it better. Dark Victory ( The sequel to The Long Halloween) could have been better if it didn't follow the same pattern as its predecessor. Due to that, it feels like a retread of the previous story but with a few changes.  

Hush is underwhelming. What's the point of the Riddler knowing Bruce is Batman if it has no payoff? Dead Reckoning from Detective Comics issues 777 to 782 is a better mystery than this. (It's a shame that it didn't get reprinted in trade paperback, but I digress.) I'm also indifferent to the character Hush. Thankfully, Paul Dini fixed that with Heart of Hush and Streets of Gotham. Hush 2 and The Last Halloween make him look worse as a writer. Do I really have to comment on how bad Hush 2 is? Plus, I want to put him in the most painful submission hold for doing Bane dirty. As far as The Last Halloween goes, he should have left that series alone. 

Judd Winick is an underrated Batman writer. I say that because he didn't get a fair run with the character. He only wrote two Batman stories; they are Under the Red Hood and As the Crow Files. Both of those stories were undermined by the crossover event at the time. I would like to see him get another run at Batman instead of Grant Morrison. Or write stories for other Batman characters. What he did with Dick Grayson in Batman: Long Shadow is decent, and I can't comment on what he did with Catwoman.  

  

Let's start with Scott Snyder; his run on Batman didn't do it for me. The only thing he wrote I like was Zero Year. That story shows that the Riddler can be a big threat and pays homage to three other Batman stories. I have mixed feelings about the Court of Owls saga. I like the idea of a secret organization that knows everything and everyone in the city; however, making it a part of Batman lore oversimplifies things. I mean, having them behind the crimes in Gotham or playing a role in Bruce's parents being murdered takes away any complexity in Bruce/Batman's efforts in saving the city from itself. Also, the Talons are far-fetched for this group. No writer has capitalized on how much of a threat they can be, as far as I know. 

I don't like the direction he took with the Joker in Endgame. I don't care about Batman Eternals; that story is about a series of events that are orchestrated by one person. That story had already been told twice, and Eternals didn't break any new ground. I couldn't get into the absolute Batman because the character models turn me off. The way Bane easily beat Batman in their first encounter annoys me because that's what I was expecting from Ra's al Ghul. Why is he called the Demon's head if he's not going to live up to that title? I'm still waiting for a Batman version of Wrath of Khan. Going back to Bane, I like what Scott Snyder has done with the character. I just wish this were done in the new 52 instead of this. 

Tom King's run was disappointing; I mean, I expected more from a former CIA Officer. I will say this; I like that his run has an overall story, and that story did a better job at what the Hush story tried to do. As far as having events in the story lead up to something. When the build-up to your main story is better than the main story, something is wrong. The war between Jokes and Riddles could have been better if A it didn't happen in Batman's early years, and B the conflict between The Joker and the Riddler wasn't lame. Tom King wrote three things I like; they are Cold Days, I am Bane, and Gotham Year One. Cold Days is a Batman version of 12 Angry Men, I am Bane made Bane scary, and Gotham Year One is what the Gotham series should have been. City of Bane could have been better if he was behind everything and only had Batman characters. Also, what's the point of killing off Alfred in that story if it does little to nothing for Bruce/Batman as a character? 

Chip Zdarsky's run is far-fetched, ridiculous, and retreads what was done before with no rhyme or reason. The first story, ARC, is a response to the Tower of Babel, as far as what is Batman's plan to stop himself from going rogue? His response is to create an A.I. called failsafe. I like the irony behind this story, but we didn't need it for two reasons. First of all, Nightwing and Black Bat can beat him in hand-to-hand combat. Tim Drake can rival his detective skills, and Oracle can hack his tech. Second, it makes Batman look stupid. I mean, whatever lesson he suppose to gain from this story, he should have learned in the Tower of Babel. Really, he should have learned this is War Games because that story is about a contingency plan they blow up in his face. Also, in that story, Batman fell from space and landed on Earth. I know you have to suspend your disbelief with comics, but there's a limit. 

Towards the end of his next story, Batman meets different versions of himself. This was fun, but everything around it wasn't. Do I really have to comment on Joker year one? I enjoyed his last story ARC, called The Dying City. That story is about Batman solving a murder that turns into a conspiracy. I just wish that story didn't make Jim Gordon and Thomas Wayne look bad. I also like the first story he wrote in Batman Urban Legends because it was a nice follow-up to Under the Red Hood. Chip Zdarsky could have been a better Batman writer if he had focused on writing street-level stories for the character and not play with past events.

  

Grant Morrison's run is polarizing. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what he tried to do as far as bringing elements from the Gold and Silver ages to modern comics. However, the end result ranges from being clever to messy. Also, you can't read a random story in his run without knowing what happened beforehand. ( Grant, that's a problem I have with comic books in general, but I digress.) Another thing that hurt his run is that Batman is OP with the contingency plans. 

 This is one of the reasons why Batman is hard to write; whenever he's in a dire situation, fans won't take it seriously because they know or suspect that he planned for it. 

I blame Mark Waid, the writer of Tower of Babel, for this. Ever since that story, the fans took Batman having contingency plans and ran with it. I hate to burst their bubble, but when it comes to prep time, he's not better than Dr. Doom. If Samurai Jack can make fun of how ridiculous and frustrating prep time is, why can't you see the problem with it? 

This run starts with Batman and Son, where we are introduced to the second most annoying character in the Batman mythos, Damian Wayne. Yes! I know Damian has become less insufferable over the years thanks to Peter J. Tomasi's and Joshua Williamson's run of Batman and Robin, but you know what they say about first impressions. Plus, he's not in any good stories to help us appreciate his growth. Peter J Tomasi's run, jump the shark, and Joshua Williamson's run is a mixed bag for me. I'm interested in the latest story because Bruce and Damian are finally in a good place in their relationship.  

Batman and Son was OK, but the direct-to-video movie was better. After that story and before R.I.P., everything else in between ranges from OK to meh. My gripe with R.I.P. is that the Black Glove didn't make the best first impression. Part of the reason is that we don't learn anything about the leader, Dr. Hurt, until toward the end of his run. Also, before R.I.P., the Black Glove had Batman dead to rights, and they blew it. The return of Bruce Wayne had a fun concept of Bruce traveling through different time periods, but the story around it can be confusing. Overall, Grant Morrison's run didn't impress me. 

Tom Taylor has only written two stories so far and is in the middle of his third. I don't care about the first story for two reasons. First of all, it plays with Batman's origin. Second, it explores his no-kill rule for the millionth time. That's another thing that hurts Batman stories is the no-kill rule fatigue. If you're not going to have Batman kill someone or let someone die, then don't explore his no-kill rule again. I'm also tired of people ending up dead after learning the hero's identity trope. I like the second story because it can work as a satire of Batman. The current story looks like a rehash of Contagion and Fear for Sale. 

That's the problem with comic books in general; when you write stories for a character that's been around for a long time, you tend to recycle stories that's been done before. 

The writer of Detective Comics before Tom Taylor had Batman fight against supernatural villains, which I find off-putting. Those villains are too powerful for him. We didn't need Joker Wars and Fear State. The Joker doesn't care whose under the mask, why should that matter now? We already have a story of Scarecrow pumping the city with fear gas; why do we need another one? I have nothing to say about Jace Fox as Batman because I think it's funny. How can DC give us Black Batman when Black men are too busy being Robin? 

For twenty-five years now, Batman writers haven't been batting a thousand. There are two recent Batman stories that I enjoy; they are Batman and Robin: Year One and Batman: Dark Patterns. Batman and Robin: Year One focuses on Bruce and Dick going through the growing pains in and out of costume, which is the heart of the story. The only complaint I have with that story is how Dick Grayson is depicted; he reminds me of Jason Todd at times. Also, that story went in a direction with Clayface that I've been wanting to see for years, that is, making its own version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Batman: Dark Patterns focuses on Batman being a detective. 

The only suggestion I have from the writers is that they need to be more creative with Batman's rogues gallery, other than killing them off, making them anti-heroes, or being second fiddle to the Joker. For example, the first mystery in Batman: Dark Patterns could've worked as a Hush Story. Really, that's what he should have done to the Joker in Hush 2. I would like to see more stories of Hugo Strange playing mind games with Bruce/Batman or turning the Bat-family against him. If you can't do anything new with Man-Bat and Mr. Freeze other than doubling down on what Paul Dini did with them in Batman TAS, then leave them alone. Heck, they don't use the villains Paul Dini introduced in the streets of Gotham. 

They also need to cut the fat with Batman's allies. Killing off Alfred and demoting Jim Gordon is not what I had in mind. I mean, get rid of Batwoman, Batwing, Bluebird, the Signal. Seriously, with Catwoman, Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin having their own series. Plus, Birds of Prey and The Outsiders, Batman can have his own Bat-verse ( Don't even think about Hollywood.) With that said, I would like to see Leslie Thompkins fill in Alfred's role. Also, how did Cassandra Cain go from Batgirl to Black Bat to Orphan? 

That's all I have to say about this topic for now.              

            

My Primitive War review

 My Primitive War review 

Intro: Darn it! Why didn't we get this in the Jurassic Park franchise? 

Primitive War: This movie takes place during the Vietnam War, and it's centered on a recon team. This team is assigned to a search and rescue mission on an unknown Jungle. The team gets more than what they bargain for when they learn about a conspiracy involving Dinosaurs. So, the team have to figure out what it is before it's too late. 

 

This movie is basically Predator on PED, but not as good. It could have been easier to watch if the director had fun with the concepts in this movie instead of making it a horror film. Speaking of horror, the film could have done a better job in that department. I mean in the beginning of the movie, the dinosaurs were picking off people without a trace; later on in the film, they stop doing that. Also, the film is inconsistent about whether or not bullets can hurt them. Humor could have given the movie so life to it. The film also didn't help itself by putting it in the shadow of JP instead of standing on its own. Other issues I have with the film involve editing and a third party not getting enough attention. 

The characters, or lack thereof, are not worth talking about because they are empty vessels. There is one soldier in the group who stood out because of his mental problems. I'm not happy with the ending he got. I like how the dinosaurs look, and depicted in this movie for the most part. I was taken by surprise as far as who would survive in the end. The action and suspense in this film are serviceable. I can't comment on whether or not this movie is a good adaptation of the book it's based on because I didn't read it. 

Overall, this movie fell short of giving us an alternative to JP. With that said, I would still recommend dinosaur fans to check this out. 

Rating = Average      

My rant about Censorship

 My rant about Censorship 

 

Well, this is a terrible way to celebrate YouTube's 20th anniversary. If you are one of those people who complain about how this website has gone downhill will things are about to get worse. For those of you who don't know, on August 13, YouTube will have a new age restriction system where an AI algorithm will determine your age based on what you watch on the site. If it thinks you're underage, you have to show your ID, your picture, or your SS card to verify yourself. This is already implemented in the U.K., and it will be implemented on other sites like Spotify. 

People in power need a hobby because they have too much time on their hands. First, you want to censor games (even though AO games don't get promoted), then Texas wants to censor anime, and now this. YouTube already has age restrictions. What's wrong with that? Speaking of that, it went overboard, I mean, the site put an age restriction on videos of the news covering fights and women dangling their shoes. Really? 

If you believe the rhetoric of this is done to protect kids, you're a fool. There are so many reasons why this is BS. First of all, why didn't you protect Millennials from Chunky? 

My editor: Come on, that's not a fair question. Kids like to get scared, remember Goosebumps? 

Me: That's the thing no one talked about, how the Goosebumps books or series gave them nightmares. Plus, the recent movie makes the series look goofy.  

Kids were the only ones talking about how scary he is, and yet Hollywood keeps making movie after movie with his ugly mug. Movies about killer dolls are not bringing the Horror genre a lot of money, so why do they keep making movies about them? Now there is the Mandela effect with him, where he's not as creepy as we remember. You know what, if you don't think Scarface can carry a Batman movie, then a horror movie of a killer doll shouldn't be greenlit. 

Second mass shooting, despite no news report of one happening in two or three years (as far as I know), we've done a bang-up job of protecting them from that. I already explained what people can do to stop this from happening; if you're not doing it, then we shouldn't make a big deal about mass shootings. What about protecting kids from their parents? I mean, I'm tired of seeing a certain group of women traumatizing their kids by getting arrested or manhandled in front of them for no reason. Why don't you pass a bill that says if you want to be a parent, you have to undergo a psych evaluation or take a parenting class? What about kids who are homeless and being trafficked? What are you doing to protect them from that?  

I can't believe you will draw the line with kids being exposed to inappropriate images and not the other things I mentioned. Last I checked, monitoring what kids should or shouldn't be exposed to is the parents job! Really, what kids should or shouldn't be exposed to is debatable, but I digress. This is why our youth is messed up, because people are not doing their part or overstepping their boundaries. I already talked about how teachers and parents do this to each other, so I'm not going to repeat myself. Speaking of teachers, they talk about how kids can't read. I know they don't care about that because that's what they wanted, I mean, people smart enough to do their job but not question or rival the hierarchy. If I'm wrong about that, what are you going to do to fix that? 

To the people who agree with the AI algorithm, how will you protect the user's information? YouTube is not above being hacked; look at what happened to the Tea app. Heck, you can't protect us from spam calls or emails. You don't think this will encourage more identity theft? Just admit that you're doing this to sell our info. What about music that has more influence over anyone than what you watch or see. What are you doing about the other music sites? 

Bottom line is this; stop messing with the human experience or nature. Getting in trouble comes with the territory. We bond by talking about doing things that we shouldn't have done. When I was growing up, there was a porn channel on cable. I didn't know what it was at the time because the picture was fuzzy. To the people who did things that they shouldn't have done, growing up, did it ruin your life? If the answer is no, then that's my point. I mean, you can't tell people to work past their childhood trauma and then give them a backhanded compliment by making a big deal about it after the fact. If we can work past our trauma, then losing our innocence is not that bad. I'm not saying we shouldn't protect our youth's innocence, but you can't keep flip-flopping. 

I hope this censorship nonsense blows up in their face. Then again, I was wrong about Nintendo Switch 2 being the lowest-selling console. That's all I have to say about this subject for now.   

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