James' Review -Deadpool 2 (2018)

 

Happy holidays out there, folks. 

Remember Deadpool? Merc with A Mouth? Ryan Reynolds' top movie role? Sorta the Austin Powers of Marvel but R-rated? Who can forget him and his amazing first movie in 2016? Today, we're here to discuss his 2018 sequel, Deadpool 2. And, after that, no more Deadpool because I don't like Deadpool anymore. HA! KIDDING! There is no way I don't love Deadpool, you can't fall outta love with Marvel's most iconic folks. Anyways, so what is the story all about?

A while has passed since Wade "Deadpool" Wilson saved his fiancée Vanessa and killed Ajax aka Francis and the merc is killing bad guys. One night, he comes home to the girl of his dreams and plan to start a family, only for a criminal to come in and kill Vanessa despite Wade's efforts. Vanessa's death badly impacts Mr. Pool and he attempts to join her in the afterlife, but he can't die. After trying to blow himself up, Deadpool winds up at the X-Mansion when Colossus finds him. Long story short, Wade becomes an X-Man. An X-Man trainee, of course. One assignment sees him, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead go to an orphanage where Wade meets the abused pyro mutant boy Firefist aka Russel Colins. He starts killing the staff, but ends up incarcerated at a high-security prison... with Russel, after Colossus intervenes in Deadpool's attack.

Meanwhile, a cyborg from the future, Cable (played by Josh Brolin), arrives in the present day and eventually reaches the prison where Wade and Russel are at. And when Cable attacks, Wade steps forward to protect Russel from the cyborg and their battle leads to them blowing through the prison wall and Wade has another near-death experience. Following this, Wade begins putting together a "super-team" called the X-Force in another effort to stop Cable from killing Russel, who is soon being relocated from the prison that he and the merc with the mouth were in. However, the team falls apart pretty badly during their mission and, by fall apart, I mean they die nasty deaths while only Deadpool and Domino, whose superpower is luck, survive to intercept the transport and encounter Cable.

During Wade's battle with the cyborg, Russel opens a cell and unleashes Juggernaut, a super strong mutant, who derails and smashes the transport, tears our red-black antihero in half and heads off with the pyro kid. While Wade recovers at Blind Al's place, Cable shows up and reveals why he is after Russel. As it turns out, Russel will kill the headmaster of the orphanage he was at and find enjoyment in killing people, becoming a full-blown terrorist, and goes on to kill Cable's wife and child. A nice little twist on the story this movie is parodying from Terminator. Cable is deadset on killing Russel, but is humble enough to let Wade have some time to talk down the boy.

After regrowing his legs, Wade, Cable and crew head to the orphanage right as Russel and Juggernaut are starting their rampage, leading to an intense battle. Colossus and NegaSonic Teenage Warhead arrive with the latter's companion Yukio to help and Colossus battles Juggernaut, the latter of whom is defeated with an electric shock to the backside. 

In the meantime, Russel is about to kill the headmaster until Wade talks to him. However, Cable opens fire on the boy and the merc with the mouth slaps mutant power neutralizer collar on his neck before jumping in the line of fire, making a friggin sacrifice play. Wade dies and is reunited with Vanessa, however, Cable uses his time device and rewinds time to before the start of the battle, slips a coin into Wade's Deadpool suit pocket and said coin ends up saving our, uh, protagonist's life. So Deadpool lives to kill bad guys and get into crazy stuff another day. The headmaster gets killed when he's run over by Dolpinder in his taxi, all is well, and then Wade fixes Cable's time device before going back in time to save Vanessa and one of the X-Force members named Peter Wisdom amongst other things as the movie ends.

While the first Deadpool was intense and action-packed with comedic beats, the second is more action-packed and intense while continuing to carry some comedic moments throughout. And coming out at a time when Logan had released a year prior, Deadpool 2 spoils the ending of the movie at the start with Wade commenting about how Wolverine got an R-rated movie and upped the ante by dying and this is while the regenerate degenerate is trying to, uh, find a way to die and join his dead girlfriend. However, despite the somber moments from Vanessa's death to Cable's tragic backstory, Deadpool 2 is nothing short of fun and full of charm for older Marvel fans and Ryan Reynolds' acting hits the right beats, even when some jokes fall flat. The first film made pops laugh 5 to, maybe, 6 times, this one got around 14 laughs from him. Sometimes, a sequel is better than the original. I hold this film in great regard and suggest it to anyone looking for a good R-rated action flick or an action-packed comedy movie.

See ya later.

Deadpool will return... in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

James' Review -V for Vendetta

 

In the 1980s, the landscape of DC was changing as their comics became more than just "for kids". Stories like The Killing Joke and Watchmen were pushing the envelope, targeting an older crowd, and Alan Moore contributed to it. Near the end of the decade, DC fans were in for a surprise as Alan Moore and his team crafted another dark and memorable comic, one that focused on battling Fascism...

V for Vendetta.

Released in 1988, the story focused on the "terrorist" known as V and a woman named Evie as they fought tyranny in a world where England was under fascist rule. Yes, in the world of V for Vendetta, England, which fought Nazism in World War II, was taken over by a fascist party. Alongside Watchmen, V for Vendetta became one of the most influential comics, and would eventually gain a movie adaptation in 2006 staring Natalie Portman as Evie and Hugo Weaving as V.

I obtained the graphic novel earlier this year and read it to the end, and, in the last month, my parents and I watched the film adaptation. It isn't every day when you get to watch an R-rated comic book movie with your mom and dad, especially as they'd seen it before at one point. So, what do I think of the comic and the movie. Let us start with the comic, and I have no intent of spoiling the ending in case you never read it.

The story is compelling, intense, and motivational. V is a well-written mysterious character, and Evie serves as the audience surrogate, our way of seeing the world of the Norsefire-controlled England and V's crusade against the fascist. The tone is dark, and ominous, and, as it is aimed at an older crowd, there are a couple instances of explicit nudity, female nudity, and there is a sex scene at one point. As for the violence, V does kill bad guys here and there, but the blood is used... sparingly. However, the sex, nudity and blood is not the focus, its the story of good against tyranny while discussing the importance of individual freedom.

The movie, which involved the Wachowski Brothers of Matrix fame, tells the same story, but makes some changes. The late John Hurt stars as Adam Sutler, the film counterpart to the comic's villain Adam Susan, which can offer 1984 vibes for those who have seen the 50s and 80s adaptation of the novel, and when I was watching the film, I initially didn't realize the man playing Sutler was Mr. Hurt. Likely because I was focused on the other actors like Natalie Portman and Stephen Fry, but John had some incredible range, and is a joy to watch even though he was the villain here.

My overall thoughts?

I love the comic, and its worth a reread. I might reread it today or tomorrow. You can't go wrong with a story where someone opposes a British fascist regime, and the artwork is spectacularly gorgeous, not to mention the writing is incredible. The movie version is equal, despite taking creative liberties, such as certain events being revised or omitted or the villain having a name change along with how his fate plays out. The comic gets a 9.9 and the film gets a 10/10. Mr. Moore's contribution to DC is legendary, even though he isn't fond of movies adapting his works, but he deserves the respect. See you all later, people.

-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 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 review of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

 

Salutations once again, we're diving back into the Marvel-verse and swinging our way into the Spider-verse with 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb. Enough delay, lets dive into this chapter of Spider-Man history, which came to be at a time when the fabled Marvel Cinematic Universe was getting off the ground.

In the year 2007, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 released, serving as the final chapter in the Spider-Man trilogy that had been five years in the making, and was a box office success despite mixed reviews. After the movie was out, pre-production began on a Spider-Man 4. However, being displeased with how Spider-Man 3 turned out and after being frustrated with Sony's meddling, Sam Raimi quit the project and Sony green-lit a reboot with Marc Webb involved with the project.

The result, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. The film released in the summer of 2012, shortly after The Avengers came out and its success kicked the Marvel Cinematic Universe & its popularity into high-gear, and this film was very successful. The movie's performance paved the way for a sequel that came out two years later, only for that one to flop badly and TASM wasn't thought of fondly for many years until Andrew Garfield returned to reprise his role in 2021's Spider-Man No Way Home.

So, what's the story of this movie?

The film starts off with Peter as a kid living with his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, until they head off and entrust Peter in the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. (We find out in the sequel that Richard was working on a genetic experimental breakthrough at Oscorp and had to flee to avoid being bumped off.) Jump forward several years later and Peter (now played by British actor Andrew Garfield) is in high-school and has a crush on Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone).

One day, Peter goes to Oscorp and, during a tour where he meets Doctor Curt Connors, takes a detour into a room with radioactive spiders and gets bit by one. Shortly after, Peter starts developing powers. At school, Peter gets into a little fight with Flash Thompson and humiliates him in the gym. He meets up with Doctor Connors again and helps come up with a formula to limb regeneration, afterwards, Peter heads home and is lectured by his uncle for not being responsible.

Peter heads off to a store where a robber threatens the shop owner, only for Peter to not help him. Uncle Ben is nearby and runs into the robber as he's getting away, the thief shoots Uncle Ben and kills him, much to Peter's sad dismay. He then begins going after criminals after some time, but after a disastrous encounter with a group of bad guys, Peter eventually begins working on an outfit and a mask for himself. After enough work, his suit is formulated and Peter becomes the web-slinging Spider-Man.

Sometime after, Peter visits Gwen and joins her family for dinner, during which her father, Captain George Stacy, calls Spider-Man a dangerous criminal vigilante. Peter and Gwen talk on the balcony afterwards and Peter reveals his identity as Spider-Man to her, surprising Gwen as they share their first kiss. Meanwhile, Doctor Connors creates the formula and tests it on himself. Right as expected, his arm regrows. However, the formula has a sinister side effect as Connors transforms into a creature known as The Lizard and goes on a rampage on a bridge.

Spider-Man sees the scene and briefly fights with The Lizard before the reptilian retreats into the sewers. While visiting Doctor Connors' lab, Peter figures out that Connors is The Lizard after seeing a rat they used to test the formula on prior become a vicious creature. He tries to tell Captain Stacy, only for the policeman to dismiss Peter's claims, making a Godzilla reference when he asks Peter if he looks like the mayor of Tokyo to him. If only you tried to clarify everything, Pete.

The Lizard starts planning to mutate everyone in New York into lizards just like himself and eventually figures out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. One night, The Lizard hatches his plan and heads to Oscorp Tower to put his plan in motion. Captain Stacy captures Spider-Man, but ends up letting him go when he finds out who is underneath the mask. Gwen Stacy heads to Oscorp, willing to help Peter.

Peter battles The Lizard atop Oscorp Tower in a battle for the fate of the city and pretty much all of mankind. The Lizard unmasks Peter during the fight and taunts him, saying he's all alone with no parents and no uncle, until Captain Stacy comes in to aid Peter only for The Lizard to critically injure him. Peter stops The Lizard's plan and the reptilian creature turns back into Doctor Connors.

New York is safe, but at the price of Captain Stacy, who tells Peter to leave Gwen out of this with his dying breath. Gwen's father dies and Peter vows to keep his promise to him, even telling Gwen about it at one point. But a talk with Aunt May makes Peter reconsider. "If you are anything, its good." May tells him. The movie ends with Peter and Gwen attending school together. A post-credits scene shows Connors in prison while a mysterious man talks to him.

What do I think of this movie?

Well, overall, regardless of its flaws, its really good. My mother even said at one point that Andrew Garfield is her favorite Spider-Man and really likes The Amazing Spider-Man over the Sam Raimi films and the MCU Spider-Man. I actually do agree with many others that it is a good superhero film, its not too bad if you ignore the issues it may have. 

Andrew Garfield was a fine pick for Spider-Man and having him fight The Lizard in this installment was an alright idea. After all, Spider-Man 4 was going to see Peter fight The Lizard anyway and TASM is pretty much a fourth Spider-Man movie regardless of the continuity. And as for Gwen Stacy being Peter's love interest instead of Mary Jane Watson, that's fine, Gwen was Peter's girlfriend in the comics well before Mary Jane was Peter's love interest.

The Amazing Spider-Man has some fun action sequences and the tone of the film is quite interesting to take in, especially since it was apparently trying to emulate the tone of the well-received Nolan Batman trilogy. Marc Webb and crew set out to create an engaging Spider-Man reboot and they succeeded. Its an alright movie for its time with good acting, decent screenplay and engaging moments throughout. I give this film an 8.5 out of 10, go watch it if you want to see this. You'll not be put off by it at all.

Next time; The Amazing Spider Man 2 (2014). See you later...

-James M