Reviews

Suicide Squad Thoughts

The Good - Leto's Joker - if there is anyone who could come close to Heath Ledger, it's Leto. He's not as good as Ledger but he's a very worthy successor. Excited to see more of him in the DCEU - Deadshot - Will Smith gave a fantastic performance, in fact I think this is his best movie since "I Am Legend" - Harley Quinn - Normally I don't like Harley Quinn. But Robbie made me like the character for the first time ever! - Captain Boomerang - This guy was hilarious! A much different take than the TV version but it worked! - Killer Croc - He came off very intimidating and was oddly hilarious in a very good way - El Diabla - Wow, did not expect to feel so much for this character. I know nothing about him in the comics but I really liked him here - The bookends - SS felt like a sequel to BvS and a prequel to Justice League, and as a big fan of cohesive universes I really liked that - Batfleck - I don't really need to say anything here, do I? - Enchantress - Her design was great and I had no clue as to her significant role in the film. It's nice to be surprised at the movies every now and then

The Bad - There wasn't much of a story; there is about 30 minutes of setup and the rest is one long action scene (not that that's a problem, but it could have used some fleshing out) - Too many songs and not enough orchestral music - You could really tell the WB editing team took several axe strokes to the movie if the rumors are to be believed

My sheer excitement at seeing this comic realized on-screen though is really enough to help me ignore the films problems

9/10 (for now, my opinions on films can change)

Full disclosure - I'm a relatively new Wonder Woman fan (thank you BvS!) We kick off with Diana Prince's motif from BvS - nice! That segues into a new DC fanfare! Awesome.

• My favorite part of the film may be the beginning on Themyscira. The entire island felt so magical, but also real - it very much reminded me of the way Krypton was portrayed in Man of Steel. I hope we get to see more of the island in the future. The beach battle is awesomely epic, and I liked the mythical tale of the war between the Greek gods.

• The second part of the film (Diana in London) is probably the weakest. There are a lot of jokes and on retrospect, they are funny, but feel like they were edited in due to the response to BvS. I know that's not true at all, but that's how it came off to me.

• The third part of the film is just as good as the first part. Wonder Woman truly emerges here, and the results of the character building and effects in the first two parts lead to an incredible introduction of her to the world. The Wonder Woman theme from BvS kicks in and I dare you not to give a huge grin.

• The fourth part is probably the most emotional and philoshophical part of the film. Ares is revealed as David Thewlis after Diana thinks she killed Ares, and he and Diana have an awesomely written scene where Ares pretty much says what historians agree to be fact - there were no good or bad guys in World War I - everyone was at fault, so it was easy for Ares to manipulate people and regain his powers. Steve's death was heartwrenching - Gal Gadot and Chris Pine were on point.

One thing I wish they had elaborated on more was the Greek mythology. I want to see more of the gods in the future. I also want more Themyscira. Also, Diana's role in the world following World War I is unclear. Did the public know about her? I'm inclined to think no due to Man of Steel, but I wish they would have explained that more. However, it seems to me to indicate she has been super-heroing on her own ever since Steve's death. I hope Justice League will provide some clarity on that front.

The score was on-point. I don't think I will ever get tired of Wonder Woman's theme.

Just as good as the existing DCEU films. Can't wait for Justice League.

10/10

Just saw the film! I was excited for DMTNT, but I didn't think it would be this good. It hit all my expectations for a Pirates movie and even surpassed them. The last movie that had me experience so many emotions at a theater like this was Rogue One!

• I laughed (a lot) - I cried (Barbossa you are freaking boss, a true pirate) - I cringed (Jack Sparrow's drunken behavior, lol) - I grinned(a ton) - I had a great nostalgic feeling (from seeing Will, the Dutchman, the Pearl, and Elizabeth) - I cheered (when the Pearl came back and when the credits played) - The movie gave a sense of fulfillment (it really felt like the producers were trying to end the series but also tell an interesting story) - Digging into Jack's backstory was really cool

Geoff Zanelli, one of Hans Zimmer's proteges, did great work on the soundtrack. The Brethren Court theme was brought back, as was Will's theme!

Honestly, I think this movie may be my second favorite Pirates movie. I can't believe I like it better than Dead Man's Chest, I didn't think this movie would break into the top tier of Pirates movies for me (DMC, AWE) but it did! What an emotional roller-coaster and a great finale to the Pirates series.

The Good - Saruman and Elrond vs the Nazgul - Bard fights Smaug - Galadriel throwing that Orc off of Dol Guldur - The madness of Thorin - Thorin charges out of Erebor - Dain Ironfoot - The acting in general is excellent - Seeing Mt. Gundabad - Great set design

The Bad - Thranduil and Bard's characters getting switched - Galadriel being the main focus in the fight with Sauron and not Saruman - Alfrid surviving Smaug instead of the Master - Did not tie up all of the loose ends - Not enough Saruman - Dain not killing Azog - Movie is too short

The Orcish - Legolas killing Bolg - Tauriel and Kili love story - Not enough Beorn

Just a rough outline of my thoughts on the film. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I thought it could have been better in terms of book accuracy. Still, that is just me using the extremely high bar of The Lord of the Rings and the first two Hobbit films (I am critical because I am a huge Middle-earth fan wanting to see Tolkien's legacy done justice). Compared to most other films though, as a movie in and of itself BOFA excellent!

Batman v Superman Review (with possible spoilers) OK, so here we go. As you all know, I've been heavily anticipating this movie ever since I saw Man of Steel in 2013 and loved it. I'm going to start by saying my overall feelings right off the bat (pun intended): the critics are off their rockers for this one; Dawn of Justice is an amazing film! The story was a good one. It seamlessly combined two of the most iconic story arcs from the comics – The Dark Knight Returns and The Death of Superman – while hinting at the Darkseid invasion for the Justice League movie. But with a storytelling team composed of Zack Snyder, David Goyer, Chris Terrio, Geoff Johns, and Christopher Nolan, I am hardly surprised at how great the story was.

First, let's get in to the catalyst of the story – Superman. He may not have the most screen time, but the movie revolves around him. Henry Cavill does an excellent job – he feels more at home in the role than he did in Man of Steel, which is appropriate since Superman is now, well, Superman. But not everyone is in love with Superman like the amazingly-good looking Lois Lane is. Batman, Lex Luthor, and Wonder Woman all fear the damage that Superman could cause to the world, and so the main plot of the film revolves around these two characters trying to stop him.

Ben Affleck is the best Batman ever. When I looked at him on screen, I didn't see Batfleck, I saw Bruce Wayne personified. As good as Christian Bal was in The Dark Knight Trilogy, Affleck is better. You can see the weariness the years have taken on him – he is no longer as concerned with saving every thug as he is the overall end game with Superman. The end of the film, where Superman's decision inspires Bruce to return to his old idealistic ways, is truly a great touch. And of course the combat is brutal. Straight out of the Arkham games, it is the best live action depiction of the Caped Crusader in action yet.

Not to be outdone by Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg (or, as I call him, "Facebuthor") delivers the best performance of the movie in his turn as Lex Luthor. He is cocky, arrogant, and also sinister, something I wasn't sure if he could pull off. All the time though, he was convinced he was doing what he was doing for the right reasons. What an amazing follow-up to Michael Shannon's take on General Zod, which definitely left big Kryptonian shoes to fill in the villain department.

Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is a real scene stealer. Just enough action to get me (and the crowd I was with) excited, but still she was basically a teaser for her solo film next summer, which I am absolutely fine with. And her theme is one of the soundtrack's best parts (along with Batman's theme).

All in all, BvS presents a great introduction to the trinity and a great expansion of the world created in Man of Steel. I'm not going to go into heavy spoiler territory – you need to see this movie for yourself. It was well worth the three year wait. Now bring on Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League! 10/10, favorite CBM of all time

I have waited for this game ever since I played Arkham City. To say it lived up to the massive amounts of hype I had for it was an understatement. Here are a few of my favorite parts (this is by no means my definitive rankings):

5) The soundtrack - Nick Arundel collaborates with David Buckley to make yet another fantastic score for the Arkham series. "Invasion" is my favorite track, very reminiscent of Arundel's Arkham City theme.

4) The Arkham Knight - Yes, the reveal was obvious to any comic book fan. Did that make it any less compelling? Heck no!!!

3) Dual Play - Playing as Batman and Nightwing at the same time was freaking awesome. It felt like a movie!

2) Scarecrow - I had no idea the character had this much potential as a villain. The combination of his fear toxin, John Noble's voice (yes, you read that right!), and his new look (he really embraces his super-villain side; Crane truly is no more) make one heck of an intimidating villain. He also accomplishes what no one in the Arkham series has done before - unmasking the Batman.

1) The Batmobile - This thing is freaking awesome. I could (and have!) driven it for hours on end.

All in all, incredible job Rocksteady on my favorite video game series of all time. You are vengeance, you are the night, YOU ARE BATMAN. I can only hope you will change your minds and make another Batman game some day.

Thor was a great movie. The visuals, from Jutonheim to Asgard, were absolutely fantastic. The acting and story are both also great. I am not ashamed to admit I teared up a bit when Thor sacrifices himself to the Destroyer.

Both the Earth and Asgard scenes were well done, and Hemsworth completely gave me the Thor I wanted to see. Anthony Hopkins was the icing on the cake. I only wish there would have been more exploration of Asgard and the 9 Realms. A very-well made movie, and the best of Marvel's Phase 1 solo movies.

10/10

What can I say that hasn't already been said? RDJ nailed it in a hilarious portrayal of Iron Man. Gwenyth Paltrow was great (and great-looking) as Pepper, and Jeff Bridges played a pretty good villain. The first time I saw this movie I was shocked at how he turned from Tony's mentor to nemesis without even thinking about it.

Also, Favreau did an excellent job with the story, which I won't spoil here. Would have been nice to see more of Tony's past, but they left that for future films. Still the best Iron Man movie; Marvel could not have started off their Cinematic World in a better way.

9/10

This movie is so underrated. RDJ is hilarious as usual, and his portrayal of Tony's drinking problem was very, very good. I also loved Don Cheadle as War Machine. He just screams James Rhodes a lot more than Terrence Howard did.

I also liked Scarlett Johansson and Sam Jackson's characters of Black Widow and Nick Fury. It's not often you see Tony fooled. However, the plot just seemed random at times, and Whiplash and Hammer were not very compelling villains.

Still a very fun movie that enhances both the Iron Man and overall Marvel movie universes.

8/10

Ah yes. Iron Man 3. This movie could have been great, but it was a disappointment to me. RDJ and Paltraw are great as Stark and Pepper as usual, and Cheadle delivers another great performance, this time as Iron Patriot. And Ben Kingsley gave one of the best acting performances I have ever seen as The Mandarin/Trevor Slattery. I enjoyed seeing all the different suits, as well as the final fight scene. However, there definitely was NOT enough of Stark in the suit. This is an Iron Man movie. I WANT TO SEE IRON MAN!!!

Speaking of the Mandarin, that is what really brought this film down for me. I am a huge fan of the comic Mandarin, and to be teased about an Iron Man-Mandarin final showdown had me drooling. The reveal left me incredibly disappointed. And to make matters worse, they turned Guy Pearce into the Mandarin. Pearce gave one of the worst acting performances I have ever seen in this movie. I cringed at every scene he was in. And the story felt like it wasn't focused, just like Iron Man 2.

Overall, a fun movie, but also a massive disappointment.

7/10

I first heard about Man of Steel when I went to see The Dark Knight Rises in theaters last year. When I saw the huge, Nolan-ized "S" Superman logo, I became incredibly excited. However, I had never been much of a Superman fan - in fact, I genuinely disliked the character. But the more I saw, the more I trusted Nolan (I've seen almost all of his movies and loved every one of them), Snyder (I loved his work on 300), and Goyer to give Superman the same great treatment that Nolan, his brother, and Goyer gave the Dark Knight. As it turned out, my expectations for the movie weren't high enough - it really was that good.

The movies opening sequence on Krypton blew me away. I felt like a planet like this could be out there somewhere - and of course Snyder does a terrific job with the war between Zod and the Kryptonian government. But the real stars of the opening act were Jor-El, played brilliantly by Russell Crowe, and Lara. I almost cried when they sent Kal away, and that was when I knew this movie wasn't one of your typical summer blockbusters.

My favorite part about the movie was the theme of fathers and sons. I could really see Nolan's hand here. Russell Crowe actually recommended this as a great movie to go see on Father's Day, and he was completely right. It's really interesting seeing how different Clark's relationship with Jor is compared to the one he has with Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner did a great job here). Also great is Michael Shannon as General Zod – I never though an actor would make me feel sorry for someone like Zod, but Zod, and Foara to a lesser extent, genuinely seemed like they though what they were doing was the right thing.

Of course, this movie has Snyder's fingerprints all over it – phenomenal action scenes. As for people's complaints about Superman not caring about the destruction, I would like to point out that this is a rookie Supes, as well as the 1st movie of the DC Cinematic Universe. I am sure he will focus on this in the sequel. And of course, there is the controversial ending – Superman kills Zod. I was shocked when I first saw it, but then I realized he had killed Zod in the comics, and it was for similar reasons too – he wanted to save everyone he could, and Zod himself had said he would not stop, that he wanted to make the world suffer because of what Kal-El had done. The remorse shown by Cavill after the scene was really sold me though – he did not want to do it, but he felt that he had to. I also think this will be a really great explanation as to why Clark doesn't kill in the future – he is haunted by what he had to do to Zod, who was also one of the only surviving members of his race. That couldn't have been easy.

All in all, Zach Snyder, Christopher Nolan, and David Goyer have delivered a masterpiece. This is without a doubt the best Superman movie I have ever seen (and yes, I have seen the originals). Henry Cavill was an awesome Superman, who meshed really well with Amy Adams's Lois. But it was the supporting characters, Michael Shannon's Zod, Russel Crowe's Jor-El, and Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent that really made this film.

I know a lot of people may not have liked this movie, and we all have the right to our own opinion, but personally I just cannot see how anyone could dislike this movie, seeing as how reminiscent it was of the Dark Knight trilogy, which garnered universal acclaim. Because of this movie, I am now a Superman fan, and I thank you, Snyder, Nolan, and Goyer, for giving us this tremendous and exciting piece of entertainment. I cannot wait for Batman Vs Superman!

I have never been a Star Trek fan (I've always been a pretty big Star Wars geek). However, my roommate a hard-core Trekkie, and he convinced me to give the reboot a try. I thought the first movie from JJ in 2009 was OK, but not anything great. That said, I absolutely loved this movie.

The 4 highlights of the film were Admiral Pike, Captain Kirk, Spock, and Khan. The acting was great, and the it was clear that the film relied on its character interactions to carry it - and they did. The action scenes were bonuses - visually breathtaking, but not central to the plot of the film. Benedict Cumbertacht was especially good - I now can't wait to see his take on Sauron in the next Hobbit film.

Congratulations JJ, you have made me a bit of Star Trek fan. Now move along and get working on Episode 7!!!