FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY (1989) vs. OPPENHEIMER (2023) -a James M review-

 vs. 

 

Greetings, fellow historians.

We're going to do something different today with this special review as we pit two movies against one another. 1989's FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY starring Paul Newman and 2023's OPPENHEIMER by Christopher Nolan starring Cilian Murphy.

For a little explanation, both movies are about the creation of the atomic bomb during the war, and the latter is also about Doctor Robert J. Oppenheimer's life during, before, and after the bomb was created. The former, Fat Man and Little Boy, is very PG-13, while Oppenheimer is R-rated for heavy profanity and instances of nudity/sex.

Okay, so, which movie is the best?

Let us start with the 1989 film. Without delay, here we go, and I hope I don't upset the OPPENHEIMER fans.

Running at 2 hours and 7 minutes, FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY is straightforward as it covers Leslie Groves and his group's efforts on the Manhattan Project from 1942 to 1945. Now, Paul Newman is a stunning actor, and he was well-casted for the role of Colonel Groves. As for Dr. Oppenheimer, who is present in the film, he is portrayed by Dwight Schultz, and well-represented for the most part. The build-up to the bomb test is well-paced, and the film covers all the trial-and-error, with one person getting hurt at one point, not to mention Oppenheimer's affair with Jean Tatlock is covered reasonably well with a pretty decent PG13-rated sex scene shown at one point.

Over on OPPENHEIMER's side, the film isn't as straightforward as you think, especially as it goes all over the timeline from showing Oppenheimer's work on the Manhattan Project, to his education, to his affairs with the likes of Kitty Puening and Jean Tatlock, his conversation with Einstein in 1947, and his 1954 security hearing as well as a 1959 senate session. But, even as it bounces around the time periods, you still get the story of Oppenheimer's life and the Manhattan Project as well as his reaction to the Trinity test and the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Heck, my mom had trouble enjoying it and prefers FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY. 

Now, I'm going to admit, I enjoy both of these films, but between Oppenheimer and the 1989 film, the movie that is the superior one is FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY, also my mom's choice of film, especially as it's easier to watch and you don't have to spend 3 hours watching stuff with Dr. Oppenheimer. And yet, I am willing to give the 2023 film another watch one day. Now for the scores, FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY gets a 10.5, and OPPENHEIMER gets an 8.9.

Well, see you around, folks.

-James M

James M's review of Space Jam

 

Eh, what's up, Doc?

Yep, it's me, and I just recently saw SPACE JAM (1996) with my parents. Yup, THE Space Jam, starrin' Michael Jordan in a comical cartoony film with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a slew of cartoony characters you know and love. It was a good film, very fun too. For it's time, the CGI looks gorgeous, and the animation for the toon world as well as the characters is real polished. Oh, and Lola Rabbit is cute, not going to lie. I like Wayne Knight's character as well, and it was funny that, at one point, Bill Murray got mistaken for Dan Aykroyd. You can't go wrong with such a light-hearted 90s movie. That's all I got to say for now.

See you.

-James M

James M's review of IDW SONIC #71-72

 

Yo, welcome back, Sonic nation! 

And it is time for a mini-review of IDW Sonic issues 71 and 72. So, to make a long story short, the plot is thickening when Mimic impersonates Sonic's alter ego of the Phantom Rider and unmasks Sonic in front of certain folks like the Babylon Rogues, Tangle, and Whisper. Oh, and Amy & Tails free Belle from her tied-up predicament and our pink hedgehog friend somewhat figures out who the leader of Clean Sweep Inc is. Meanwhile, that obvious someone is making plans of his own.

And this is all in issue 71.

Issue 72 sees Surge and Kit try to quit Clutch's employ, Sonic encounters Nite the Owl during one of his Phantom Rider missions, and Tails, Amy and Belle learn the true identities of the Clean Sweep mascots Doctor Yolk and Nick. Spoilers end here by the way.

I'm aware I kind of repeat myself, but these issues are undeniably spot on, and these Sonic comics, even without the non-game materials fans enjoy, remain fun to look at and own to read again and again from time to time. Both of these issues get a 9, and I salute the efforts of the writers and I'd like to thank SEGA for working closely with IDW to get Sonic right in the comics.

See ya.

-James M

James M's review of SPIDER-MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (1994)

 

Face front, true believers. 

It's your old friend, and I'm here with a review of the Spider-Man show that ran from 1994 to 1998. Recently, me and dad finished watching the show, and it was gorgeous for it's time. You can never go wrong with a fun superhero cartoon about the adventures and heroics of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes.

The show ran for five seasons before it was cancelled after the Spider-Wars two parter, which ended up serving as the grand finale to the overall show, and it was the last time anyone saw this version of Peter before he made a triumphant return in X-Men 97. Yeah, this show shares a universe with the other 90s Marvel shows such as Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, basically the original Marvel Cinematic Universe before 2008's Iron Man.

Okay, quick little summary of the series. 

After getting bit by a radioactive spider and losing Uncle Ben when someone broke into the house, Peter becomes the superhero Spider-Man and fights against crime, also leading to some complications with his personal life. As Spider-Man, he battles the likes of Scorpion, the Lizard, Kingpin, Doc Ock, Hobgoblin, Morbius, and various other villains. In his regular life, Peter works at the Daily Bugle and lives with Aunt May. Oh, and he gets a girlfriend in Mary Jane later on... until she falls into a portal during a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin.

Following this, Peter has a sort of relationship with the Black Cat aka Felicia Hardy, and, eventually, MJ comes back, but it turns out she was a clone. In the show's third season, Peter meets Madame Web, who tests him, which leads to many scenarios, including one from the comics where Spider-Man meets a terminally ill kid. 

In the final season of the show, Peter teams up with Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and Storm of the X-Men, a team he met earlier in the show, to fight against Doctor Doom and other villains on a desolate planet. This leads into the two-part finale, which is basically Into The Spider-Verse before we get Into The Spider-Verse, as Peter teams up with variants of himself to save the multiverse from Spider-Carnage. Long story short, the heroes saved all of reality.

For a show in the 90s, Spider-Man is well-animated, with plenty of 2D animation and an occasional inclusion of 3D animation, and no superhero project would be complete without any action and there is a lot of action sequences throughout the series with plenty of high stakes at times. As for the other characters, no offense to JK Simmons, but Ed Asner as Mr. Jameson is really good. The soundtrack kicks butt as well, and when the music kicks in during an action scene, that's when you know things get very serious.

 I say this would be my favorite show yet, and, despite certain issues in some areas, Spider-Man (1994) deserves a lovely 10/10. Oh, and if you don't know, Peter DID find MJ. How and where? We don't know. See you next time, true believers.

-James M

James M's review of SON OF THE MASK (2005)

 

Yo. Remember that classic 90s film known as The Mask starring Jim Carrey?

Of course you do, I did a review of the movie. Well, get ready for the sequel... without Jim Carrey, but it has Alan Cumming as Loki and Jamie Kennedy as a cartoonist. Oh, and this story is going to be freaking weird, also, it came out in 2005 over 11 years after the OG movie dropped.

Alright. So, the film takes place some years after THE MASK ends and Loki shows up, looking for his mask, and terrorizes a museum. Meanwhile, a dog finds The Mask in a river and takes it to his owner, a cartoonist named Tim Avery, who is reluctant to have kids with his wife. Things change when he puts on The Mask at a party, spices things up, and, long story short, he and his wife end up having a baby... WITH CARTOONISH POWERS and this is all because Avery wore The Mask during the little guy's conception.

"LOKIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Odin calls out to his son, Loki, and tells him a child of The Mask was born. Loki looks everywhere for said child, who freaks the father out with the various cartoony antics that he does. Loki eventually finds the baby, kidnaps him, and Tim and his wife go after him. Tim puts on The Mask, has a fight with the God of Mischief, helps mend family ties between Loki and Odin, and things end on a bright happy note for the Avery family as Tim makes a cartoon based on the antics between his cartoony baby and the dog.

Okay, thoughts?

SON OF THE MASK is a mess, a fun mess, a funny, whacky, crazy mess that deserves respect. Sure, Jim Carrey did not return in this film, but SON OF THE MASK carries the charm of the original film and takes the wackiness up to eleven... and a little too far in some areas. However, it's pretty good, and I enjoyed the ride. I am sure this film has a lot of fans out there, and I wish I could see this one again at some point. 9/10. However, if you're grossed out by weird baby stuff, the baby in this movie does something pretty gross at one point.

James M's review of Fantastic Four (2005) and Rise of The Silver Surfer (2007)

 

Hi, it's me, here to review FANTASTIC FOUR from 2005.

Before we start, I have quite the interesting relationship with this movie as this was the first live-action superhero film I ever watched, the first Marvel movie I saw, and one of the first PG-13 rated movies I ever watched. Heck, the first time I watched it in 2009, I was sick and was reading the novelization for the film with my mom at the time.

Okay, so what is the story behind this film?

Starring Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman, Chris Evans (the future Captain America) as the Human Torch and Michael Chiklis as The Thing, Fantastic Four sees Reed Richards and Ben Grim preparing for a space mission with Victor Von Doom, Sue Storm, and her brother Johnny. During the mission, a solar storm hits ahead of when Reed and Victor initially predicted it and the whole crew is drastically affected by it.

After returning to Earth, everyone appears normal, until the effects of the storm kick in as Johnny bursts into flame harmlessly during a skiing trip, Sue turns invisible, Reed stretches his hand, Ben mutates into rock, and Victor starts to develop metal under his skin. The rock monster that was Ben tries to talk to his girlfriend, only to scare her off, and travels to a bridge, which becomes the site of a traffic accident.

Reed, Sue, and Johnny, who come to the bridge looking for Ben, wind up performing heroic acts along with the rocky Ben and earn the respect of the public with the group being called the Fantastic Four. Reed starts running tests on the group while trying to figure out a cure, and Victor, discovering how bad his infection is, begins a path that leads to villainy.

Usually, I go further and talk about the last act of the film, but its easier to stop in case some of you haven't seen this. Anyways. I have watched FANTASTIC FOUR multiple times and it's really incredible. Fun fact, this was the SECOND Fantastic Four movie adaptation if you count the unreleased 1994 film, which I will watch at some point. The casting for this movie was decent along with all the action, the music, and the writing. 10/10, and I will give this film more credit. Without FANTASTIC FOUR, I wouldn't be a Marvel fan.

How about we discuss RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER a little?

Okay. Firstly, at the time of this writing, this film is one of the only PG-rated live-action Marvel movies in existence. A PG-rated superhero film is rare these days, you only get either PG-13 or R-rated superhero content. And a little interesting fact, my dad asked me if I wanted to see this at one point when I was a kid and I initially objected. Usually, when I say 'no', I'm not interested, but this was also because I hadn't seen the first film yet.

Rise of the Silver Surfer is the last film in the original Fantastic Four series and the last time we saw this incarnation of the FF, until Chris Evans recently reprised his role as Johnny in a freaking Deadpool film. *spoilers* Okay, so let's talk the story of the movie here.

Taking place after the first FANTASTIC FOUR, Reed and Sue are preparing for their wedding when a cosmic entity known as the Silver Surfer appears and craters start to pop up across the world. As the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm unfolds, everything goes south when the Silver Surfer pops by. Now, the Fantastic Four have to face the new threat, unaware that there is more to the Surfer than meets the eye, and reluctantly team up with Doctor Victor Von Doom.

Now for my honest thoughts.

Rise of the Silver Surfer is an interesting and kind of fun movie. The soundtrack is wonderful to listen to, and even with the PG-rating, the stakes are high even though you have to wonder why the heck they aimed for a PG instead of a PG-13. Either way, RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER delivers something engaging and worth a watch on many levels. We may not have gotten more projects set in this continuity, despite certain plans as evidenced by a mid-credits scene, but this film was a decent send-off for Reed, Sue, and their friends, even with many loose threads like Doctor Doom's fate.

9.6/10. Fox is a fine studio, and Chris Evans is my favorite superhero movie actor.

-James M

James M's review of Madame Web

 

Hello again, true believers, and welcome to my review of 2024's MADAME WEB.

For those of you who just got into the Spider-Man comics, if you are out there, Madame Web, real name Cassandra Web, is a mutant with spider powers who observes all Spider-Man related activity in the multiverse and is in charge of the web of destiny (I think) and she's met with Peter during various Spider-Verse adventures in the comics and in the cartoons. Anyway, this film is sort of an origin story for a different Madame Web played by Dakota Johnson.

As for the story, allow me to give you a brief rundown:

In the early 2000s, three girls, whose names are Julia, Anya, and Mattie, are targeted by a man with spider powers named Ezekiel Sims, who has visions about the trio coming to kill him, and Cassandra, who works for a hospital, takes it upon herself to protect them and learns she is dealing with the man who shot her mother before she was born. Oh, and meanwhile, Cassandra's friend Mary Parker is about to have a baby who will obviously be Peter Parker.

Let me be up front, this film kind of gave me NEXT vibes. Long story short, Next stars Nicholas Cage as a man who can see seconds into the future, seeing incoming events, and he takes different directions to change it. Cassandra (Dakota Johnson) has the power to see the future somewhat and, at first, she is very confused by what is even happening. 

With what the cast is given, the actors do their best, and for a film set around 2003, MADAME WEB isn't all that bad despite being a flop even though I sympathize with Dakotoa Johnson. With a mind-bending story, lots of intensity and wild action, this one is a pretty decent superhero film that doesn't deserve the hate it has gotten IMO.

8.9/10. Maybe I should rewatch the film. Let's hope Sony can redeem itself.

James M's review of Morbius (2022)

 

Hellooooooo, Spider-Man fans. We're back with a review of MORBIUS, released in 2022, and starring Jared Leto as Dr. Morbius and Matt Smith as Milo (respectively). Produced by Sony and based on the Marvel comics, MORBIUS bombed at the box office and was negatively received. However, what is the film about?

Dr. Michael Morbius carries a blood disease which sees him on crutches, and as he tries to make a cure for himself, he winds up turning into a vampire and attacks people. Later, his brother Milo drinks the infected blood that Dr. Morbius took to go into vampire mode and becomes a vampire himself, setting the stage for a battle between the brothers.

In all fairness, despite the issues that people have, Morbius isn't a bad vampire film and is one intense thrill, pushing the PG-13 rating with the vampire-related action. It may not be R-rated, but this film does not hold back with the blood and is scary. Matt Smith, who played the 11th Doctor in Doctor Who, is a treat to watch whenever he's on screen and his role as Milo is one of the many fun factors within Morbius. So, what's my verdict on this film?

Regardless of what the critics say, this is a comic book movie you should give a chance if you like vampires and the Spider-Man comics, even if Spider-Man doesn't make an appearance in this title.

9.8/10. Thank you for joining me in this review.

Farewell, true believers.

James M's double IDW Sonic review

  

Welcome back to the world of the IDW Sonic comics, which were made canon by SEGA of Japan and their branch Sonic Team as Sonic Frontiers released. 

First up, we have Spring Broken. To make a long story short, the gang visited a festival, where a flower competition took place, and the heroes worked to solve a mystery as to who caused Silver's plants to die during the contest. The culprit was none other than the sunk brother Tumble, and Espio wins the flower contest before the gang has fun at the festival afterwards. A simple, light-hearted, but fun Sonic story that is a must-read for Sonic fans, has good writing and an alright tone.

Now, we have issue 70, which continues the Riders-like story, where Sonic, teaming up with Eggman, becomes the Phantom Rider and causes trouble during a race before Surge and Kit drive him off and are hailed as heroes. Meanwhile, Tails and Amy investigate a Restoration shuttle, and find Belle the Tinkerer tied up in a closet. It was quite alright, you can't go wrong with these IDW Sonic comics six years into their run.

Both get a 9.9/10, the writers know how to handle the Sonic cast and the tone of certain stories. Thank you for coming by. And I will see you next time.

-CVGWJames

May Reading Wrap Up

 

May Reading Wrap Up

In May I made progress on reading from my physical shelves although I did give up some reading time to binge Grey's Anatomy.  I watched the first episode and fell in like and have been watching it ever since. I only have to cover my eyes when the surgeons are slicing into people. LOL!

I read eight books of which six were physical and two were ebooks. Progress! The longest book was The Belle of Belgrave square at 421 pages and the shortest was Rendezvou with Rama at 304. No chunky books this month. 

My bedtime reads included John Scalzi's Old Man's War, the first book in a science fiction series in which the elderly are recruited, taken off planet and their consciousness is transferred in young bodies to be solders. Interesting premise.  (318) ****

Second was a reread of Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama in which space explorers and scientist board an alien space craft traveling through our solar system, 304)  ****

Third was Derek Paul's A Machine Divine: A Young Adult Steam Punk fantasy in which college studies get involved in politics, a secret society, science experiments, and a mad man running around gassing people, 377) ****

Next was Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, a science fiction, time travel, multiverse type of story in which a man gets kidnapped and the kidnapper assumes his life. 352) ****

Then Ernest Cline's Armada, a young adult, science fiction story in which video gamers join a real life defense league to save the world. 355) ****

Our 52 Books Author of the month was Peng Shepherd and read The Cartographers. A mystery thriller, full of magical realism which had a good premise but meh delivery, 392) ***

The two ebooks I read were 

Nalini Singh's Archangel's Lineage, in the sixteenth Guild Hunter urban fantasy/romance in which Raphael and Elana and the rest of the angels have to fight to save the world on brink of destruction due to ancestors, plus Elena deals with her father's heart attack, 398, e) *****

And Mimi Matthews' historical romance, The Belle of Belgrave Square about a bookworm and ex military hero with secrets of his own, 421, E) ****