CATCHING UP WITH Marvel Entertainment PART 3

Marvel

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO Marvel Entertainment I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Marvel Entertainment (their home page is here) had sent me a code to one of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on it with you. This will be a regular series and Part 1 we talked about Black Widow. Part 2 discussed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We have returned for Part 3 to share our thoughts on Eternals and straight to DVD release Spidey and his Amazing Friends!

Eternals

The Eternals have always been among the many characters I just can’t seem to enjoy in comics. Every story of theirs felt like a different world from the rest of the Marvel canon. The trailer for the film looked interesting but seemed like something was out of place because with as powerful as they were Thanos should not have been able to win his first battle with Earth. Thankfully the film explains why they weren’t involved and the reasoning actually makes sense. My two complaints regarding the film are both related to how the story is told, it skips around the timeline quite a bit and most of the story is more or less building up to the fight at the end but at a snails pace. Overall it was well told with amazing effects and a just as amazing cast but due to the pacing is not one for the whole family.

Spidey and his Amazing Friends

The series is made for younger viewers and follows Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy as they help other heroes and each other deal with the likes of classic Spidey villains Rhino, Green Goblin and Doc Ock. The animation is adorable and the lessons it aims to teach are valuable for the younger audience. One example is when Spidey tries to teach Hulk about not letting his temper get the best of him and in the process they stop Rhino at the amusement park. This series is a must for any younger Spidey fans out there.

Have you had a chance to see this film or series from Marvel Entertainment? If not both can currently be seen in Disney+ as well as purchased from your favorite distributer (Eternals will release February 15th).

CATCHING UP WITH WARNER BROS PART 10

Warner Bros

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me codes to some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. We have returned for Part 10 and no better way to celebrate this milestone than to go big with The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection.

The Outsiders

The original film does not hold a candle to the book but this edition of the film also comes with the Complete Novel edition so you can actually watch the entirety of the story. With this addition it makes it much better but even then I still preferred the actual novel to the film.

Cry Macho

This was an odd film for me. I am not typically a fan of Clint Eastwood as a writer, actor or director but somehow I still give his films a chance. I went into this expecting to dislike it but hoping it would surprise me like The Mule did. After finishing it I felt it was okay at best but when describing it to my wife the next morning I realized there was a lot to it that I did enjoy. The film follows a aging cowboy that is sent to Mexico to retrieve the son of a rancher he sometimes worked for. Begrudgingly he goes and finds the boy and works towards bringing him to his father, along the way falling in love with a small community and it’s people. After analyzing the film I must admit it was surprisingly good.

Malignant

As time goes on I am learning to appreciate horror films and the trailers for this film looked fantastic. The story follows a person with some abilities and horribly disfigured is reportedly euthanized in the opening scene but not before killing several members of the hospital staff. Fast forward several years Madison is pregnant and had a long day of work at the hospital. Responding to her being abused a mysterious killer appears and murders her boyfriend. She is then tortured as she can somehow see the killer’s actions as he murders the people who attempted to kill him many years prior. This was a fantastic film that had some very impressive effects when Madison begins to see where the killer is, blending the room she is in with the room the killer is. This film is worth watching for the effects alone but coupled with an interesting story and a strong cast and you have a winner.

The Many Saints of Newark

I have never seen even one episode of The Sopranos but seeing how Tony became the mob boss was intriguing. The cast of this film were fantastic and despite not knowing the source material it was still an enjoyable film.

Mad Max film collection

Growing up I thought there were only two Mad Max films prior to Fury Road- Beyond Thunderdome and Road Warrior. I had no idea the film that started it all even existed- Mad Max. Getting to watch them again was a treat but none of them compare to Fury Road in my opinion.

Which of these films from Warner Bros have you seen and which did you enjoy? Let us know on our Twitter page!

CATCHING UP With 20TH CENTURY Studios pt9

20th Century Studios

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. Part 7 focused on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Part 8 had The Last Duel. We have returned for Part 9 and Ron’s Gone Wrong!

Ron’s Gone Wrong

The only thing I knew about this film before watching it was that it was made by 20th Century Studios. They have yet to steer us wrong and so we watched it without hesitation. The film is a look at how society relies too heavily on technology and that you don’t need to always be connected to our devices. The animation quality matches anything we’ve seen these days with a fantastic cast and story to match.

CATCHING UP With 20TH CENTURY Studios pt8

20th Century Studios

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. Part 7 focused on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and we are back with Part 8 and The Last Duel!

The Last Duel

This film features a talented cast and follows the story of two French squires, their lust for power and wealth and the rape of one of their wives. The first two-thirds of the film is told from the perspective of each of them as they each experience the same events slightly differently. The direction and effects were masterfully done, showing how each person views themselves as the hero and victim of this tragic tale. My only complaint regarding this film is the pacing, seeing the story retold from each perspective left it feeling quite slow until we reached our climax. Despite this the film was well done and the cast were fantastic.

CATCHING UP WITH Marvel Entertainment PART 2

Marvel

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO Marvel Entertainment I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Marvel Entertainment (their home page is here) had sent me a code to one of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on it with you. This will be a regular series and starting with Part 1 and Black Widow. We’ve returned for Part 2 to discuss Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings!

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The movie begins with a brief history of the Ten Rings and learning about the relationship between Shang-Chi’s parents. Fast forward a few years and he is now an adult and going by Shawn in San Francisco. An altercation on a bus, a viral video of him fighting and a supposed note from his sister and Shang-Chi is now on a quest to find the hidden city his mother was from and stop his father.

The Ten Rings as a name seemed oddly specific at first and reminded me of the terrorist group called the same thing from Iron Man 3. Thankfully this film explained the link between the two through an unexpected cameo and delved deeper into the mythos of both films in the process. The action scenes were enjoyable to watch, the story absolutely enjoyable and the cast was fantastic. The only thing this film missed was a cameo from Stan Lee and even that wouldn’t have been needed as the film was fantastic from start to finish.

Have you had a chance to see this film from Marvel Entertainment?

CATCHING UP With 20TH CENTURY Studios pt7

20th Century Studios

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. We are back with Part 7 and The Eyes of Tammy Faye!

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Having grown up in a religious household I was aware who Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker were but thankfully my family was not one that watched them or their shows. The film follows the rise and fall of the televangelist duo and as those who were following the story originally will remember things weren’t as good as the duo would want the world to think. The story was well done but contextually was not something I would be interested in. Despite my lack of interest the film was captivating and both Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield deliver the best performances I have seen from either of them previously.

CATCHING UP WITH WARNER BROS PART 9

Warner Bros

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me codes to some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. We have returned for Part 9 to talk about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence!

The Suicide Squad

This is the first film in the DC cinematic universe by James Gunn, and hopefully not the last. The squad has been assembled to remove another threat to the world, this time with two squads. Once again Margot steals the show as Harley Quinn as her team tries to rescue her. Out of the current cinematic universe this is by far THE BEST installment yet. It is even a close second behind Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

Reminiscence

Global warming has caused the world to flood and with it the military and law enforcement have begun utilizing the ability to view memories at command. Nick, played by Hugh Jackman, is a private investigator skilled in the process of viewing these memories and calling up specific details to either help with a case, help a woman relive time with a past love or even as simple as helping a woman find her keys. The story is wonderfully told and really captures Nick’s desperation as he tries to find the woman he loves.

CATCHING UP With 20TH CENTURY Studios pt6

20th Century Studios

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. We’ve returned for Part 6 to discuss The Night House and Free Guy!

The Night House

This film follows Beth, a teacher who’s husband recently committed suicide on the lake behind their house. The only thing he left behind is a note telling her nothing is after her. Relating this to a near death experience she feels like this is some sort of closure but as she dwells on the sounds in their house and learns he had secrets. Seeing the trailer I felt like this film would simply try to hard to deliver the scares but this film really delivered. We aren’t talking about your usual jump scare nonsense either, the feelings this film invokes are visceral and the effects are breathtaking.

Free Guy

Guy works as a teller at a local bank but is what is referred to in the gaming community as an NPC (Non Player Character) in a world that looks like a cross between Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto. Expectations were higher than I wanted because of the cast and how funny the trailers already were- a hilarious trailer almost always spells certain doom for the film as a whole. Hollywood has a habit of showing all of the funniest parts in the trailer and then you have less surprising humor in the film itself. Thankfully this is not the case with Free Guy, in fact they barely scratched the surface. The film is full of action, humor and teaches you to disconnect from your virtual worlds and live in the real world again.

CATCHING UP WITH WARNER BROS PART 8

Warner Bros

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me codes to some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. We are back with Part 8 to discuss A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption!

A Clockwork Orange

This is the 4k release of the original Stanley Kubrick film. The story follows a group of thugs where one of their members gets captured and tortured, brainwashing him into having a negative reaction towards violence and sex. The movie can be a bit intense at parts but looks even better in 4k. The first time I watched this (in high school) it seemed a bit out there and didn’t really understand why it was so celebrated at the time. Now (as an adult with my own children) I can respect what the film did at the time but the graphic nature has become overshadowed by modern cinema.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Expectations for this sequel were quite low. Like most sequels I assumed we see a repeat of the same concept with a few new characters. Basically that is what we got but it was surprisingly better. The story follows an algorithm made to maximize profits for the future of Warner Brothers and it’s latest idea is using Lebron James in some new projects with the media corporation. Refusing the project the algorithm tricks him into entering into the WB servers digitally along with his son. It convinces his son to create a game and challenges Lebron to that game, winner would decide the fate of most of the world. I found it to be more of a family story than the first, focusing on building those familial bonds instead of only on saving the world. Visually it was more stunning, the game much more interesting to watch than the original and honestly a far superior film, my only complaint was that we did not see Michael Jordan even as a cameo. We would have loved to see him come and join the match towards the end.

Shawshank Redemption

This is the 4k release of the 90’s film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The story follows two inmates as the develop a bond through acts of kindness and decency. Both Robbins and Freeman give stellar performances in the film. I have seen the film a couple times over the years so there were no surprises in this release but I still find it to be a well written story that is just a little slow at moments.

SO WHICH WARNER BROS FILMS DID YOU SEE? WHICH DID YOU ENJOY?

CATCHING UP WITH WARNER BROS PART 7

Warner Bros

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me codes to some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. We have returned for Part 7 to discuss In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition!

In the Heights

This film follows Usnavi as he tells a group of local kids the story of his dream and how everyone has their own dreams while living in Washington Heights. I went into this film having never seen the play or listened to the music. My family are huge fans of Hamilton though and I went into this hoping to hear more amazing music in a similar style, but only a couple songs reminded me of others from Hamilton and not the ones I loved. Visually the film was stunning and the acting was fantastic but the story was slow and felt more like a week in the life of Usnavi and was not as interesting as I hoped it would be.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

This was the first of the Conjuring films I’ve seen with Conjuring actually in the name. The film begins with with the usual duo of, I guess you can call them demon hunters, as they work to exercise a demon from a young boy. I was expecting a campy horror film with too many jump scares but was surprised to find a well written film with the right mixture of tone and suspense.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League

This is essentially the director’s cut of Justice League as Snyder originally intended it. Like more director’s cut scenes were added to the original release but this time almost doubling the length of the film. This telling of the story was much more coherent and we ended with a much better telling of the story. It was a good film that was made better and overall a much more enjoyable experience.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic

This edition of the film include the Magical Movie Mode which gives viewers the ability to see deleted scenes (many of which have been released previously in other formats) and various commentary from director Chris Columbus. Seeing the deleted scenes was a treat but personally I have never been a fan of live commentary while watching a film, unless of course it is my family doing it similar to the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Overall this is STILL a fantastic film and the added features make the experience fresh but not enough to make it feel like a new film.

SO WHICH WARNER BROS FILMS DID YOU SEE? WHICH DID YOU ENJOY?