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