Friday, August 27, 2021

Renewed Bottom 10 - Worst Comic Book Movies

Credit... Google Image Search? (If it's yours... show me. And I will give you proper credit)

The other half of the end-all for the Summer Comic Book works list. You saw a bunch of lists for good content, but what about the bad ones?......

So here we have a list of the worst Comic Book movies, in my opinion. If you don't like something on my list, by all means... make your own list.

These movies might not all be stinkers, but they are ALL disappointments.

Ready for some garbage?

Bottom 10 Comic Book Movies
Here we go...

Dishonorable Mention 1: Jonah Hex: I have to give credit to Josh Brolin. He did a wonderful job. He really did. If you have to watch this movie, do it for that. But the rest of the movie was boring, banal, and the supporting cast phoned it in.

Dishonorable Mention 2: Steel: I forgot about this movie. This was a last minute edition. And it is because of Space Jam: The New Legacy. I saw someone say on Twitter "why not Shaq instead of LeBron?" One... Shaq isn't an active player. Two... Steel exists. We KNOW Shaq is a horrible actor(but he is a funny dude in the cameos). He is. And Steel was a horrible movie. The reason it isn't on the list proper is partially because it was a last minute addition... and partially because it makes me think of the TV Show M.A.N.T.I.S... and that show did it better. So Steel gets a pass for reminding about this show.

10. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: This sequel had so many issues for me. Let's start with the set pieces. They were restricted. No scope for a movie that would've benefitted from a grand scope. The Cloud Galactus was also a huge let down. And... let's focus on Doom being the villain again. Nothing against Julian McMahon's Doom, he did great in both movies. But the title... the set up... and we got what we got. It's like they got a small budget for this movie, and spent most of it on the CG for the Surfer and getting Lawrence Fishburne to voice him... and not enough for writers or set designers.

9. X-Men: The Last Stand: I was excited for this movie. Getting to see Kelsey Grammer as Beast was going to be a treat. Getting to see my favorite X-Man(Colossus) in action. And okay, that stuff was cool...... and that was it. Screwing up The Phoenix as bad as they did, small continuity issues, and a lifeless plot. How did this happen? X-Men 2 is one of the BEST sequels(in an industry where sequels suck). Followed by one of the WORST 3rd entries in the business... how? Director change...... that is it.

8. Howard the Duck: Supposedly it has turned into a cult classic... creepy ass puppet and all. As a family movie. This... a family movie? It is 3 different kinds of comedies, and it can't decide which it wants to be... and one of them is a Porky's type(without the nudity, that I can remember...). The only real positives for this movie are: Technically it is the first ever Marvel movie in theaters... and the other... it's failure inadvertently created Pixar. George Lucas had just spent $50 million to create a CGI division of Lucasfilms and hopes to turn a profit by producing this movie. He didn't. So he sold that division to STEVE JOBS... and it ended up becoming Pixar. So... credit THAT to this atrocity of a movie. Three positives... Lea Thompson

7. Thor: The Dark World: The first Thor was great. Ragnarok is one of the funniest MCU movies. This one was...... lackluster. It isn't a "bad" movie. And still integral for the MCU overall. But it is a bit confusing the first time going through it. No real memorable scenes. And a villain that, well...... could've been a Power Rangers villain. If you wanna watch all the MCU movies, you have to. But... overwise, be careful with this one.

6. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace: Screen actors guild... typecasting past a 3rd movie with the same name doubles the actor's salary. This is the 4th Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. And... well... most of the money went to Reeve. And he demanded a plot with a message about Nuclear Disarmament. Well he got it. Nothing wrong with that. Hell, they even included the lesser know Superman weakness of Nuclear radiation...... but why do the corporate takeover of the Daily Planet subplot? How did the Luthors screw up the Superman DNA? They combined it with radiation to make "Nuclear Man"... and wow!!! was he such a terrible villain/themed monster?! The 3rd Superman movie was bad... really bad. But this movie took that as a challenge.

5. Batman & Robin: Sonuvabitch... this movie pisses me off so much. And I can't not watch it. Keaton made an Iconic Batman, and a good Bruce Wayne. Val Kilmer made a GREAT Bruce Wayne, and a decent Batman. Clooney... didn't feel like either. O'Donnell was O'Donnell. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't seem like he could be smart enough to be Mr. Freeze(and all of those DAMN ice puns). Alicia Silverstone... underrated sex symbol... let's make her Batgirl, change her backstory, and pander to the audience. Poison Ivy was cartoonish, but at least close to what I expected(the auction scene is still too much). Complete screwed Bane(Bane is a tactical genius in the comics). The only detail I can appreciate is John Glover as Jason Woodrue(the scientist that created Bane and accidentally made Ivy). Jason in the comics is the human name of villain Fluronic Man in the comics, an alien of sorts with similar powers to Ivy. It was a mess. And I still can watch it. Doesn't mean I like it.

4. Catwoman: The last movie I ever walked out on and asked for my money back(and I got it). I was bored. And I get it... Halle Berry... skin tight leather costume... but the movie was BORING as hell. I tried to give it another chance later, and fell asleep on the couch. I wanted to place it higher... but I've never finished it.

3. Judge Dredd: So let's see if I got this right... Stallone... playing the titular Judge Joseph Dredd, a character who is the Law, dedicated to it. And famous for not revealing his face and not having friends. Stallone removes the helmet in the first act... and they pair him with Rob Schneider in a buddy cop style comedy portion of the movie. The only good part was Rico, and they turned him into an over-the-top Bond-like villain. Oh, and don't forget the attempted elaborate plot so thin that even Stevie Wonder could see right through it.

2. Justice League: The Josstice Cut. Joss Whedon. Screwed this up. I don't want to dwell on this. It is very public what happened, and how he ended up with this in his lap. Small details that didn't need to be changed... details added to "Whedon" it up... and in the Snyder Cut, Flash & Cyborg were HUGE heroes... but for some reason, Whedon made them almost worthless.

And the WORST Comic Book Movie...

1. Fantastic Four(2015): Let me begin by saying this movie isn't just the worst comic book movie, it is one of my least favorite movies of all time. Also... let's also talk about the cast... the director... this heaping pile of garbage is in no way their fault. Great cast... you can clearly see what the director was going for. No... I blame the Fox execs. They should've left him alone. The first part of this movie is pretty good... up until they get their powers, Reed escapes, and the one year time jump. Then you start seeing evidence of reshoots(like Kate Mara wearing an obvious fake blonde wig in some parts and not in others)... and so much build up for a climax that never happened. Like an trying to edge an orgasm that you forgot to go back and finish. The ends with an abrupt fade to black, like how Avengers: Age of Ultron did... and this didn't earn that. The overall finished produce felt like. 100 minute long trailer for a movie that would've been GREAT that we never got. Did I say finished? Sorry... cobbled together like a broken piece of IKEA furniture, and you can't tell whether it's a table or a toilet. That is this movie.
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There it is... the garbage.

What do you think? Too harsh on some? Disagree with one? Did I forget some?

Comment and Share.

And thank you following the series!!!

Renewed Top 10 - Comic Book Movies

Credit goes to Matt Groening/Fox/Disney... YOU KNOW WHO HOMER SIMPSON IS!!!

Here we are! The end of the Comic Book series. As planned, this will have 2 posts: a Top 10 and a Bottom 10(I know a few of you are looking forward to the Bottom list!!!!).

The rules are simple... movies. Yes, these movies appeared on the other lists. That... is how this works. And there is representation from each list.

This one was the most difficult off all the lists, because there are sooooooo many good movies on this list, and the top three, I had so much trouble getting it just right for me. Some of you will be shocked. But you'll understand it. If not... well, it is MY list. Go make your own.

Speaking of my list... I am going to preempt this one by saying descriptions and explanations might be shorter or non existent, given these are on their own lists. And if you want more, please go check out their lists. See how they stack up on their own lists.

Now... let's get at it...

Top 10 Comic Book Movies
Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: The Crow: Dark... broody... so much you think it's a Batman movie, or at least a Tim Burton film But it isn't. It's a Brandon Lee movie. His last one... and one of the best! A rising star gone way too soon from an accident no one could see coming.

Honorable Mention 2: Avengers Infinity War/Endgame: The two part epic ending to greatest multi-project shared Universe in film history. The ensemble cast or ensemble casts.

Honorable Mention 3: Sin City: A rare example of adapting the source material to the screen that actually works. Visually stunning, weaved tales, black and white with a splash of color.

10. Logan: Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in all of his bloodthirsty, gory glory. Claws out... and a great family film. No... not "show it to your kids" family film. But father/son with Xavier and Logan... and father/daughter with Logan and Laura. Perfect send off ol' Canucklehead!

9. Thor: Ragnarok: Best of the Thor franchise(so far). Funny as hell, AND the first MCU movie in which the heroes fail their mission. Foreshadowing Infinity War!!!

8. Joker: A non-Superhero, Oscar winning performance about one bad day getting stretched for a wholly terrible life. Art Noir... for a character you never thought could be a subject of such a movie.

7. The Dark Knight: Christopher Nolan made this wonderful trilogy about how Batman could work in reality. At the heart of this trilogy is a Oscar winning performance from a Joker that played Gotham like a fiddle. Another rising stsr gone too soon, more Oscars in his future he never got to experience.

6. The Suicide Squad: The Non-Sequel where James Gunn was enticed by DC with free creative control. And not only was it better than the original, it was one of the better comic book movies of the decade

5. Deadpool 1 & 2: Ryan Reynolds IS Deadpool. And he knew it. That is why forced Fox's hand to get the first movie made. He proved an R Rated superhero movie could work... and make money. Which it did. And the sequel was even better. Now we wait on Disney to get this third one made. It'll sell... it'll make money... and Ryan will get more of them.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy: I still regard this as the biggest risk in the entire MCU. Fairly unknown characters in a space epoch that was as bonkers and it was beautiful... all with a memorable soundtrack.

3. Zack Snyder's Justice League: I am a firm believer that a studio should not always listen to the hardcore fans. And it isn't because they know or don't know what is best. But because you can't please everyone all the time. Especially comic book nerds. But this is one of the times I'm glad Warner did. Zack Snyder is a visionary... and no one will every have the vision he does. That is the point(there are other directors that applies to, as well). Warner finally gave in. And we got a 4 hour Apology letter to the DC fans.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The best of the MCU. And it was a mold-breaker. While most of the rest of the MCU were these amazing Superhero epics, Winter Soldier wasn't. It was a great spy thriller with some of the best action sequences in the entirety of the MCU(that Elevator scene!!!)... and driven by an interesting story. And not to mention the awesomeness that is Robert Redford with yet another great performance.

And my number one Comic Book Movie............

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: This was a masterclass in Superhero movies. Oscar winning in animation, and well deserved.
-Great ensemble voice cast? Check
-Absolutely stunning animation feeling like it was ripped from pages of a comic book? Check
-Worthwhile emotional story at the core? Check
-Off kilter humor to keep the levity going? Check
-The most Stan Lee Cameos in a single comic book movie? Check
The movie is just...... great. Jarringly beautiful in many ways. Who would've thought the team behind "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" could make a 5-star comic book movie? If I did a review of it right now, it would still get a 100. If you haven't seen it, you should. End of story. End of list.
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There it is... the list. The list of the lists. The big one this summer has been leading to.

I'm proud of it. How many did you read? Check them out if you haven't?

What did you think of the big one?

Thank you for following along. Drop a comment. Share the posts. And enjoy the movies!!

Monday, August 23, 2021

Reboot Versus - Mortal Kombat Beatdown

Copyrights belong to New Line Cinema, Warner Bros, and Ed Boon


Here is a new segment... making 2 reviews(or more), whether they are using the same review structure or not, and fitting them together accordingly... but pitting them against each other.

As the name implies, we are going to review an original and a reboot... at the same time. The catch is......... they will be scored on the merits of its own work, but comparisons will be made with their own scoring system.

Best way to do this is by giving it a go.

So let's do this.

UNLOCKABLE GEM
Mortal Kombat 1995(MK95)
Starring Robin Shou, Christopher Lambert, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Reboot Versus

MODERN CLASSIC
Mortal Kombat 2021(MK21)
Starring Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson
Directed by Simon McQuoid

Concept: Earthrealm's champions must defend against an invasion from Outworld. Based of the video game series of the same name.

Era:
MK95: The Infancy of the Video Game movie craze.
MK21: Post Detective Pikachu world where video game movies can actually be great.

Execution
Here we go...

Cast:
MK95: Robin Shou was convincing as Liu Kang, Tagawa legendary as Shang Tsung, Lambert as Raiden was awesome for a Highlander fan, Linden Ashby WAS Johnny Cage. And the one to mention most is Trevor Goddard, a Kano SO good, it changed the canon of the character in the video games. But... who is Art Lean? Score: 18/20
MK21: Casting in this movie is tricky. Nearly EVERY character is spot on. The issue is, there are so many characters. The cast seems bloated. But... the real issue will be addressed in a moment. Before that, Shang Tsung badass, but never fought. Kano... stole the show... and there was just... a lot of characters. But... who is Cole Young? Score: 14/20
THE LINE: So, MK21 had a diverse cast(more ethnically accurate to the games lore), but they had so many characters, there wasn't enough time devoted to enough of them. MK95 had a smaller focused cast, one that fit every character, and even though Raiden wasn't... right... Lambert's raspy voice was MUCH better to understand. Advantage: MK95

Presentation:
MK95: Practical effects, not much in the ways of CGI, as expected. The era had plenty of practical effects it was the tech at the time. But... we ARE going to bring up the MPAA rating here... a PG-13 movie based on M-Rated gaming content. There was a bit too much Street Fighter in my Mortal Kombat. No blood, no guts, no gore. Was this even a Mortal Kombat movie? This is hurt it more than most people realize... though... the soundtrack is legendary, and the reason KMFDM became my favorite band. Score: 6/20
MK21: Less practical effects and more CGI. But... this movie went for the Hard R. Blood, guts, gore, flashy fatalities! It was all there. Goro looked a bit wonky in CGI, but Reptile looked great. This soundtrack though was...... forgettable. Score: 15/20
THE LINE: Presentation wise... as awesome of a convoluted story the MK game franchise has, people play it for the gore. So... people should want to see it in the movies. Advantage: MK21

Chronicle:
MK95: Faithful recreation of the story from the first Mortal Kombat game. There really isn't any other way to put it. Score: 20/20
MK21: First 3rd of the movie was way too much exposition, because it has way too many characters. As mentioned in cast, it is bloated. And in that first 3rd, you can feel it. That being said, after the exposition...... they built a good, original story from it. I was impressed that were able fit as much together as they did. Like a puzzle with some many pieces, a few seem missing, but it still looks like the picture on the box. Score: 25/30
THE LINE: For the first time, seeing a Gem vs a New... it gets to highlight how they are weighted differently. MK95 was faithful. MK21 was original, with deep roots. And... for me... impossible to choose. Advantage: Neither

Impact/Legacy:
MK95(Legacy): Here is where I'm probably going to get the most flack, but hear me out. MK95 does NOT have much of a Positive movie Legacy. It pains me to think about it, but it doesn't. Street Fighter came first... the first MK game led to controversy and the creation of the ESRB rating system... but the movie made a PG-13 movie in M Rated material, and in the case of MK, that is integral to its legacy as a movie and as a game series. The sequel was hot garbage. And... director Paul W.S. Anderson was so convinced he did a good job overall...... he ruined the Resident Evil movies... by making them. Score: 8/20
MK21(Impact): 2021 Reboot... didn't make much of an Impact either. It happened. But it was trying to be more than it really was. And it didn't need to be. You watch the Expendables to see badass legendary actors kick ass... you see MK to watch people get killed in glorious fashion. And... it at least pulled that off. It isn't epic like Sonic or Detective Pikachu for their overall impact to the sub-genre, but it is important nonetheless. Score: 10/20
THE LINE: This was tougher than I thought, but in reality... neither movie makes the grade in the overall scheme, but one does edge the other out. Advantage: MK21

Extra Oomph/Nostalgia:
MK95(Nostalgia): While I feel like MK95 doesn't have a positive legacy, it still stands out. That is different. Regardless of whether or not it has a positive legacy, it is still a beloved movie of people that are part of that era: gamers. It is still one of the best video game movies. Quotable("Handful of people on a leaky boat are gonna save the world?" "Exactly!" Or "IT HAS BEGUN!!!") If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. And... again... the soundtrack is a masterpiece of Techno. One of the only movie Soundtracks from the 90s I owned, and I liked playing it while playing the game.(hopefully you readers now fully understand the difference between Legacy and Nostalgia... the former is for the influence on the genre, the latter is for how memorable the movie is). Score: 20/20

MK21(Extra Oomph): The difference in era for video games... 95 came out near the beginning of the MK franchise... 21 came out after ELEVEN games in the main series. THAT IS A WHOLE LOT OF LORE TO TACKLE. As we saw with M. Night and The Last Airbender, you can't fit so much lore into a tiny, roughly 2 hour package. So the best thing to do is be original. Pay homage to the source material, but make it your own(I feel the same way about comic book movies... so many comic issues, not enough screen time). While I DO applaud them for being original is how the story plays out(even Cole Young was at least understandable). It didn't hit the mark, but I praise them for not trying to be perfect. Score: 8/10
Side note: the reason I champion MK95 for being perfect for story... it had one game worth of lore to work off of. But MK 21 can be more original because there has been SO MUCH LORE, what do you do with it? Also, different weighted scores, because Nostalgia is more Important than the Extra Oomph... but the same purpose.
THE LINE: So... MK95 hasn't stood the test of time... but I still love watching it(like Bloodsport lol). And no matter if I got my R-Rated Gorefest or not... Covid ruined my enjoyment of MK21. A full theater would've made it so much more... gruesome. Advantage: MK95

Final Scores!
Mortal Kombat(1995): 72/100
Mortal Kombat(2021): 72/100
(Same score? Was it intentional? No)

Final Grades!
Mortal Kombat(1995): C-
Mortal Kombat(2021): C-

The Line
Mortal Kombat(1995): 2
Mortal Kombat(2021): 2
Winner: Tied!

Conclusion: Neither of these movies were perfect movies. Not even B grade movies. But for the right demographic, either can be hits. Or...... both... or neither.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Yes, they tied. But this was the best example of how reboots can be loved, but for different reasons. I love the original 1995 Mortal Kombat. It is important to me in that genre of video game movies... but the PG-13 based on M-Rated Material irks me to this day, and it STILL happens(example, Ghost In The Shell). The 2021 Reboot was as advertised: bloody, gory, unapologetic, even it had so much going on.(even though it handled it better than MK: Annihilation). I love them both. For different reasons. And yes... equally.
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There you have it. Both movies got a 72!

Surprised?

Any other reboot you think deserves to be pit with an original? Lemme know below. Share this thing.

And above all else... don't forget...

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Terms of Entertainment Endearment - Legacyquel & Erasequel


Welcome to a new occasional segment, "Terms of Entertainment Endearment". These segment will feature some new terms I've come up with(or had assistance with) to call certain things in film and television that don't have official terms or SHOULD have official terms. Anything you see in these posts ARE unofficial, but with some help from The Audience, we can get them out there(unlikely, but I can hope).

So... we are going to start with something that has been happening quite a bit lately. Originally had a different name, but thanks to Bob(credit for Bob), a fitting name has been given: Legacy Sequel or Legacyquel for short. We have Minor Legacyquels and Major Legacyquels. In this post, we will go over why there are two types, examples of each, and why some work and some don't. And then we will tackle the other term, because it ties in so well.

So... let's get into it. What is a Legacyquel? It is a sequel that comes out MUCH later than the last entry in the series. And we will start there, the difference between a Minor and a Major is the number of years. Minor will be between. 10-20 years. Major will be over 20 years. Pretty simple.

Minor Legacyquel. A sequel that releases 10-20 years after the previous entry. There are other reasons that I fell Minor fits. For example... a Spin off Sequel or a Sequel whose development got pushed back for various reasons and it originally wasn't supposed to take that long. Here are some examples:
~Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines(12 years after T2: Judgment Day): Terminator 2 had a teenager John Connor... Terminator 3 has an adult John after Sarah's death. Leading to Judgment Day. Movie wasn't the best. Took some liberties it just couldn't pull off.
~Blues Brothers 2000(18 years after the original): Hard to beat the original, and didn't capture the same magic without John Belushi. But John Goodman is always a great addition to anything!
~Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles(13 years after Dundee 2): Fish out of water story, a classic Paul Hogan role... but this sequel was just random, almost like a fan film.
~Clerks 2(12 years after Clerks): the usual nerddom jokes, but hurts that it wasn't all black and white like the original was. Overboard with some jokes. But Rosario Dawson was a nice addition.
~Rocky Balboa(16 years after Rocky V): Not only was this a great movie, it also led to a highly successful spinoff series called Creed.
~Live Free or Die Hard(12 years after Die Hard with a Vengeance): Rumors that this one might not have been an Legacyquel, but 9/11 pushed it all back. So 12 years... good enough to get another sequel AND soon to have a Pre-Sequel.
~Independence Day: Resurgence(20 years after the original): Missing magic dur to missing out on star Will Smith. Just doesn't live up to it.
~Superman Returns(19 years after Superman IV): This is under the radar. But this was a sequel. Brandon Routh resembles Christopher Reeve. They did that for a reason. And it was a decent movie(at least better than Superman III and IV).
~Split(16 years after Unbreakable): Example of a surprise sequel. M Night had a rough patch of terrible movies... and he made it back with Devil. So... let's make a sequel to one of your best.
Hopefully that give you an idea for some Minor Legacyquels. There are many more. But take these and consider some of your favorites.

Let's get into Major Legacyquels. These are the ones where the assholes will whine about "why doesn't Hollywood come up with new ideas?" Sometimes... you need closure... or to pass a torch. There will be a few surprises or ones people don't really think about. Examples:
~Tron: Legacy(28 years after the original): Great idea. New age tech. New age graphics. And an early adopter for de-aging to make Jeff Bridges look like he did back then.
~Blade Runner 2049(35 years after the original): Answers some questions from the original... gives us new questions. And some amazing performances/set pieces. To make Ridley Scott proud.
~Bill & Ted Face The Music(29 years after Bogus Journey): A sequel a LONG time in the making, but it's stars had different trajectory(Keanu Reeves is Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter... well... is Alex Winter). Released during a pandemic, but should've gotten more support(go watch it).
~Psycho II(23 years after the original classic): one of overlooked sequels that to this day, I'm not sure why it exists. But it does.
~The Color of Money(25 years after The Hustler): Paul Newman reprises his role from The Hustler, paired with Tom Cruise. And... while he was nominated for an Oscar for the role in the Hustler, he WON an Oscar for the same role in this Legacyquel.
~The Odd Couple II(30 years after the original): The original spawned a TV series without the original duo of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. After coming back together for the Grumpy Old Men movies, they decided to do this, and it was a nice nostalgic piece.
~Star Wars Episode VII(32 years after Episode VI): Technically, this is true. Granted, there is a prequel trilogy between them. And Technically... George Lucas didn't want it to happen. But it happened. And um... it happened.
~Ghostbusters: Afterlife(32 years after Ghostbusters 2): It isn't out yet... and no, I'm not ignoring the all female Ghostbusters(I consider it alternate universe). After having a sequel in development hell for decades(that became the video game)... we are finally getting a sequel, that REALLY drives home the Legacy in Legacyquel.

Note: Disney has LONGER Legacyquels, but they are usually direct to home video releases. Example... Bambi to Bambi 2... there is a 62 year gap.

You get the idea of Legacyquel? Good.

Now... Erasequel. An Erasequel is a sequel that eliminates movies from canon. Maybe a sequel came out that no one liked. So the studio comes along and undoes it. Examples:
~X-Men Days of Future Past(erases X-Men The Last Stand): This movie has two halves. The future and the past. The past is the sequel to First Class, the Future is the sequel to Last Stand. With the ending, it undid what happened in The Last Stand. Because of this, Logan went from being a Minor Legacyquel to just being a sequel(Logan is in the original trilogy timeline...).
~Terminator: Dark Fate(erases T3, Salvation, and Genisys): So because Dark Fate is James Cameron doing a direct sequel to T2, Dark Fate IS a Major Legacyquel. And it erased two terrible movies, it also Technically erases a really good one too, in Salvation. This is up for debate since it takes place entirely in the future(after Judgment Day). But this movie wasn't that good. A great concept for a new Terminator(like in T3), but poor execution of the movie altogether.
~Unnamed Robocop sequel(erases Robocop 3): Robocop 3 wasn't that good, and no Peter Weller. Recently Peter Weller reprised his role as a voice in Mortal Kombat 11. Talk has been for awhile that we are getting this Erasequel. But Covid throw everything in disarray. We will see what happens. Hopefully it doesn't suck.
~Halloween(2018)(erases almost the entire franchise): 40 Years after the original. Jamie Lee Curtis is back. The Shape is back. And this one is a DIRECT Legacyquel to that original.(The Best Example of an Erasequel)

Enough examples of an Erasequel?

Do you have any examples of an Erasequel? What about a Legacyquel? Leave them in the comments. Let's get this going. Share it... comment on it... share it again.

Thank you for joining me on this. Have any ideas for Terms? Let's get on that, and if I like it, it'll be featured in a post with credit where it is supposed to go.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Unlockable Gems - Street Fighter: The Movie

Copyright by Universal Pictures and of course... Capcom

Street Fighter
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-na Wen, Wes Studi
Directed by Steven E. de Souza

Concept: Live action film based on the 2D side view one on one fighting franchise that made Capcom ALOT of money.

Era: After the "success" of the Super Mario Bros movie, the rest of the decade was littered with B and C level video game movies. Street Fighter II was a runaway success in the arcades and eventually at home... it also inspired other arcade fighting franchises like: Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Primal Rage, and other Capcom arcade fighters(i.e. X-Men COTA). But did the movie do the same?

Execution
Here we go...

Cast: So, if you read my Unlockable Gems post for Bloodsport, you would see that I made a bold correlation that Bloodsport inspired Capcom to change things up with representation starting in SF2, meaning that Colonel Guile would be inspired by Van Damme's character in that movie. So... for DECADES I laughed at the idea of a Belgian playing VERY American character Guile... but if I'm right... then the casting is based on it's own idea. Making JCVD the perfect Guile. Frustrating... but I have come to terms with that. Now, to what I already knew... Raul Julia. Yes, cast a veritable Latin Legend as the villainous M. Bison... and you know what, it was perfect. And he genuinely looked like he had a lot of fun doing it(reminded me of his work as Gomez Adams). And I enjoyed the casting of Ming-na Wen as Chun-Li. That was a pretty decent casting. Kylie Minogue as Cammy was... okay at best. Some of the other casting, those were decent at best(getting Wes Studi to play a Thai kickboxer was really weird... but... Miguel Nunez? Come on)... but overall, you could see that they tried. Score: 15/20

Presentation: There is nothing memorable about the soundtrack. Nothing memorable about the set pieces. There were no real special effects to speak. Which there should've been. At least something. In a game with fireballs and flaming punches... we got... what? It was subpar. Score: 6/20

Chronicle: This is a double edged blade. The main story of M. Bison's world domination vs Guile recruiting to take him down. That was pretty decent. The side story of Chun-Li infiltrating Shadowloo to kill Bison for killing her father. That was pretty good too. And both of those pretty true to the games...... but... what the hell happened to Ken and Ryu? Why are they grifters? In the games, Ken is a very rich heir... and Ryu is a "live off the land style hermit". Also, the original game, Fighting Street all the way until Street Fighting 5, Ryu(and in effect Ken) are the MAIN characters from the games...... so, yeah... it is a bit personal... but the side story of Ken and Ryu vs Sagat and Vega just felt... out of place(Though Vega kinna worked for me). In a bloated overall Chronicle... it felt very out of place. Same with Carlos Blanka being turned into a monster. It was very... Frankensteinesque. Overall, it was okay. But it could've been much better. Score: 12/20

Legacy: Super Mario Bros came out in 1993. Was the first of the video game movies. This came out in 1994. And was deemed terrible...... but it also inspired two other franchises to try it out. Mortal Kombat and Tekken. Mortal Kombat has spawned 3 movies... two PG-13 & one R. And 1995 Mortal Kombat learned from the mistakes of Street Fighter. MK was more polished story wise, casting was more accurate, and a decent special effects budget. The sequel, however took the Street Fighter movie flaws and triple down on them. Not sure how you want to look at that inspiration... but yeah. That happened. Tekken, which came out much later, did what MK and SF couldn't do: convert the tournament feel completely. Score: 17/20

Nostalgia: This is a movie that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I liked for some parts... I hated it for other. But there are a few things that stuck with me. Raul Julia having fun as M. Bison is epic. The Bison Bucks concept is still funny to me. Guile's rambling speech to get the troops behind him, inspiring. The fight between Zangief and E. Honda through the Shadowloo City mock model with Godzilla vs King Kong sounds is still one of my scenes. But... the ONE thing that has endured for me is Zangief's thumb. It overly dumb Russian stereotype and giving a thumbs up... sideways... and the moment Guile grabs his hand to turn it up, the look on Zangief's face is gold. It really is. It still isn't that... I, to this day, still like to give my thumbs up sideways as for a gag. The ultimate nerd dad joke. That is where the nostalgia ends. Because of anime. There is an animated Street Fighter 2 movie that is 4-5 stars, easily... overall, and for one of the most memorable scenes: Vega breaks into Chun-Li's apartment while she is in the shower(anime boobs in the unrated version), but you see as she is putting her hair up in the iconic buns... and then gets attack. She kickes Vega's ass and kicks him THROUGH the outer wall. Now, I know the MPAA ratings are different, but that movie was more memorable. Score: 13/20

Final Score: 63/100
Final Grade: D-

Conclusion: This was not a good movie, but it had some really good corny moments. Even if you wouldn't like the movie overall, just consider it yet another JCVD flick with gratuitous kicking highlights.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Seriously... I would still recommend watching this horrible horrible movie. Why? Raul Julia. Next to last performance. And not only was Raul Julia a legendary actor, THIS was a legendary performance. It really, truly was. So just like my comment from the list, this performance is enough for me to recommend seeing this trainwreck of a movie.
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So Street Fighter the Movie gets a score of 63!

Fitting that Street Fighter gets 1 point less that Super Mario Bros.

There it is... Street Fighter. Was it an Unlockable Gem? Yes. Funny thing is, I don't consider Mortal Kombat(1995) one. Because it ISN'T underrated. Those that have fond memories of it, love it. Those that don't, hate it. What do you think? Should Mortal Kombat be an Unlockable Gem? Lemme me know down below.

What do you think about Street Fighter the Movie? Did any of you play the tie-in video game?

Please leave a comment... share the post... and don't forget...

Unlockable Gems - Super Mario Bros

Copyright Buena Vista and... Nintendo, of course

Super Mario Bros
Starring Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo, Samantha Mathis
Directed by Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel

Concept: Someone decided to turn Nintendo's flashship brothers from another plumber into a dark live action movie

Era: This movie isn't part of an Era, it is the START of an Era. Super Mario Bros was the first video game live action adaptation... started a trend all of it's own.

Execution
Here we go...(now do it again in Mario's voice)

Cast: So here is where we know the casting director tried: the legendary Dennis Hopper, the lovable Bob Hoskins, up and coming comedian John Leguizamo, everyone's 90s girlfriend Samantha Mathis. And... some how, Hopper and Hoskins knew this was a shit show. Stories of Bob Hoskins drunk on set... Dennis Hopper looks like he tried, but still found a way to phone it in. And as great as John and Samantha were, they had almost no chemistry... and no chances to build any. The marquee is stacked... but they really didn't know what to do that. Score: 12/20

Presentation: Whoever designed these sets REALLY like Total Recall and the Judge Dredd comics. And for some reason, they had to have that kind of aesthetic. How does that work with Mario? Someone tell me how... Soundtrack was definitely kiddie with some tongue in cheek references("Walk the Dinosaur"). Also, for a parallel dimension with evolution from dinosaurs...... had plenty of people who didn't look the part. This is legitimately Total Recall for Kids. And... it kinna works. Score: 14/20

Chronicle: Story... hahahahaha! What story!?! It has holes... but the holes have holes. And yes, I know this was supposedly targeted to the younger gamers back in the early 90s and I'm an adult looking at it. But... even back then, I knew it wasn't good. Let's start with the meteorite. How... did only that small piece break off? How did Iggy and Spike screw up that many times? Koopa uses the machine to make them "smarter" and it failed. How did Mario and Luigi get arrested so easily and not have any other plumbers in the prison? Does the Mushroom Kingdom not have plumbers? And Lena... what? The side story between Mario and the bouncer and the most awkward sexual harassment dance scene in a video game movie ever!!! What really is this movie? Score: 2/20

Legacy: As mentioned before, it is the first live action video game movie. So of course, other companies were like "we can do it too", even though SMB DIDN'T make their budget back in theaters. And it set a bad precedent. There aren't very many good video game movies(see the lists). And it's because it has some of the same formulas that are just broken. Hell... the NEXT video game movie after this was... Double Dragon. Legendary Robert Patrick having fun and phoning it in at the same time, 80s/90s girlfriend Alyssa Milano, and no one had any real chemistry. It did worse in theaters. So, while it is AWESOME that SMB was the start of a sub-industry...... that sub-industry took 30 years to finally get things right. ------ there is more. So there are some really good corny jokes... some of them so terrible, but worthy of a cringe-laugh...... including when the worlds merge, the World Trade Center look like they had been destroyed...... yeah. NOWadays, I look at it and laugh my ass off. I like dark humor. I LOVE unintentional dark humor. Score: 18/20

Nostalgia: I'm an old school gamer. I'm a part of the target demographic when this movie came out... and it led to wanting to watch all the video game movies coming out. I was also that demographic that loved most of the TMNT adapted movies... and I was all in on that Power Rangers movie. That was me. And even now, I love this movie. I hate the movie. It isn't a great movie. It is so bad, that it is still good? No... but they knew who they were targeting. I can't say that with most of the bad list, but I can ALWAYS say that about Super Mario Bros. Weird... fond memories of watching the movie, but not of the movie itself. That is how it is. Score: 18/20

Final Score: 64/100
Final Grade: D

Conclusion: This is not a good movie. But for most, it could be a solid "so bad that it's good movie". That isn't a positive... but it isn't a negative. And seriously, there are WAY WORSE video game movies that have been made since.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. Yes... I said it wasn't good. But it is also good enough to still watch. See those tropes being born. And see WHY video game movies usually don't work. Games... the player has an active role in what is going on. Movies... the viewer does not. Not all types of games would work as a movie concept. And I think Hollywood is finally figuring that out. Regardless... yes, see it. But you have been warned of the flaws.
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So Super Mario Bros gets a 64.

Honestly... it's better than I thought it would get. And it deserved some love for being on both the best and worst lists.

There is another that got that honor, and so check out the other Unlockable Gems from today for that one.

What do you think? Too nice? Too harsh? Any video game movies fill you with nostalgia? Share it in the comments... and share the posts too.

And please don't forget...

Monday, August 9, 2021

The New Review Renewed - The Suicide Squad

Copyright by Warner Bros & DC Comics
The Suicide Squad
Starring Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena, and many others
Directed By James Gunn

Concept: The Non-Sequel Sequel. A bunch of DC misfit villains are tasked with an almost impossible mission. End up having to save the world.

Execution
Here we go...

Cast: There are a whole lost of people in this movie. Some take up screen time... some are just cameo... and the way the movie is done, there isn't a single one of them that feels like it was too much. A very bloated cast, but it drove home the idea of no one was safe(except maybe Harley). But I'm gonna point out 3 in particular:
1. John Cena. This is Cena's breakout role. He nailed this role. And I want to see more major studios take a chance on him. He is a funny dude.
2. David Dastmalchian. I never thought I would care about Polka-Dot Man, but now I care about him. He did a wonderful job.
3. Viola Davis. Is it just me, or was Waller worse this time? This... was a step back from the first film.
Score: 19/20

Presentation: Visually stunning. Visionary. James Gunn knows how to make impressively stunning movies. And the soundtrack was very... James Gunn. Starting the film with Folsom Prison Blues was like the cherry on top. Beautiful set pieces... wonderful music... and some very interesting set transitions, mostly pretty cool. The weird flashback transitions... I liked some of them, I didn't like all of them. But I got exactly what Gunn was doing(for example... showing what some Squad members were doing... staying with them... and then flashback 8 mins to see what the rest were doing). It was an interesting idea. And worked mostly. Not perfect. But I get it. Score: 18/20

Chronicle: A mission no one knows the details of... plenty of exposition going through it... and building the story along the way. Does feel like Bloodsport was a fill in for Deadshot, but I'm sorry to those that might not agree, but I think Idris Elba is a better actor than Will Smith. And the reason that tidbit goes here and not in cast because the Bloodsport and Deadshot story motivations were similar, but it felt more relevant in this movie. This was an ensemble action film. But it still had some great story. Double crosses. And it put together very well. The first movie, Diablo called his team a family... but this movie felt like it was building a family dynamic. Won't win any rewards, but it was very solid. Score: 27/30

Impact: The Non-Sequel. Was it better than the first? Yes it was. And not just by a little bit. It also has the honor of being the funniest of the DC Movies. I was laughing my ass off. And... it's James Gunn. The man responsible for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies. If you know the drama surrounding his tenure with, before, and after Disney... you know what this was. DC poached a director that Disney screwed over, and he made a GREAT movie. James Gunn was given full creative control. And look what he made? It is a shining example of why a studio shouldn't hold down the visionary directors. Hopefully Warner has learned their lesson. But I'm just not sure. And compared to Gunn's work with GotG, this was better than Guardians vol 2. And on par with the first one. Also, it shows that Hard R Rated Comic Movies DO WORK!! Deadpool started the trend... this drove it home. Score: 19/20

So here is you major spoiler section...
Ready?

Extra Oomph: So as mentioned before, this cast is bloated... but... so many got killed before the credits started. Major major casualties. And... it took the risk doing that the first movie failed to do. Sure, they killed Slipknot at the start of the first movie...... okay... cool... almost half the principle cast dies right away in this. And it's beautiful. I was so surprised by that. Kudos to Gunn for that. Also Kudos to Gunn for FINALLY bringing Starro the Conqueror to the big screen. Another DC villain I wanted to see, and BAM there it is! But...... I have to bring up Amanda Waller again. I remember her being EXTREMELY cold-hearted and rage filled(good enough to be offered a Red Ring)... and I think this Waller went too far. WAY too far. WAY too overboard. In a movie with plenty of "way too far", this was was too much. And knocks it down a peg. Score: 9/10

FINAL SCORE: 92/100
FINAL GRADE: A-

Conclusion: The Suicide Squad is a great movie. Better than the original, on par with Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy... with a similar risk of using characters the casual fan hasn't heard of. It was a great movie: funny, witty, extreme, and triumphant. Turning Waller up to 13 hurt it a little bit, but the golf club scene almost makes it worth it. Overall... one of the best movies I've seen in a while.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Not for the faint of heart... not for the squeamish of stomach... not for the kiddos. Cannot stress that enough. This is NOT a typical comic book movie. But for all the rest of you, watch this movie. Like... right now. Go support your local theater, and watch this movie. If you can't, sub to HBO Max and watch this movie. It is worth it.
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Well... James Gunn's The Suicide Squad get a 92!

I really enjoyed this movie. Gonna watch it again this week.

What did you think? On par with Gunn's work? Would you watch a sequel? Hype for Guardians Vol 3? Need more Brightburn? Comment and share.

And as always... don't forget...

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Renewed Top 10 - MCU Works

Copyright belongs to Disney/MarvelStudios... because... look at it.

Previously, I did a list of non-MCU works. Simple... nothing that involves the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Well, here is the MCU list. Before I set this list, let me preface by saying I don't think there are many MCU works that are bad. But... there are a few. Most are good... and some are GREAT. Not everyone is going to agree on the order, there are a few that will absolutely be on everyone's list.

The rules are simple. Movies. Disney+ shows. And remember, this is only up to this point. So much more content is coming for the MCU.

Enjoy.

Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Works

Honorable Mention 1: Captain America: The First Avenger: Chris Evans. The Jokester actor. Didn't feel like he could take this role on. We were wrong. This period piece in the MCU just felt all kinds of right. And sets a different tone for the overall franchise.

Honorable Mention 2: Iron Man: The First movie in the MCU. Before the MCU became a thing. And while it was hard to put this movie out of the Top 10... it's important. There were rumors that Tom Cruise was supposed to be Stark. And I was worried. But when it came out that Robert Downey Jr was cast, it felt perfect. The movie is the foundation, and it worked.

Honorable Mention 3: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: A series about moving on. Post-Endgame. Sam Wilson had to move on from losing his mentor. Bucky had to move on from his assassin days for HYDRA. An almost street level buddy cop show about image... both in the public eye and your own self-image. So glad Sam is getting his own Captain America movie.

10. Doctor Strange: In his titular movie, Thor referred to Asgard as a place where magic and science are the same. And then we never got magic in the MCU(not officially). Doctor Strange introduced the MCU to Eldritch Magic and different dimensions of existence. Benedict Cumberbatch pulled off the asshole gets redemption story. Visually stunning. Don't do any drugs before this movie. You won't need them.

9. Ant-Man: I do not consider this movie a superhero film. It is a heist movie. And a great one at that. Paul Rudd is funny as he always is. A scene stealer. And it is his movie. Michael Péna kills it. Another redemption story with a great villain... and Michael Douglas as the classic Ant-Man, Hank Pym. Unexpected hit. But it deserves all of the praise.

8. Black Panther: RIP Chadwick Boseman. I wasn't for sure how they would get to this movie, but they did. A frightening villain, but an understandable villain. With a movie that has a vibe like The Lion King(thanks to my dad for that one). And they even got the CGI to fix the eye of Forrest Whittaker! So much good with this movie... and I'm just now pointing out how awesome Andy Serkis is in this as well. RIP Chadwick Boseman. Gone too soon.

7. Spider-Man: Homecoming: The first MCU Spider-Man movie. It held onto Iron Man a bit too much... but we got(in my opinion) the best version of a live action Peter Parker. Tom Holland gave us the life-juggling experience of innocence meets superpowered responsibility. And Michael Keaton was spot on as a villain who was more misguided than sinister. Whatever he had to do to provide for his family.

6. Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame: These are together because they were always together. Originally part 1 and part 2 of Infinity War. The ensemble movie of ensemble movies. 10 years, and 20+ movies in the making. It was the culmination of numerous stories and directors and story arc all intersecting. A massive undertaking... and it paid off.

5. WandaVision: Thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, this show wasn't supposed to be the first Disney+ MCU show, but it happened. It captured me in the same way Season 1 of the CW Flash series. Each episode made me second guess my theories on the villain, until it was shown that the first guess was correct. The style of the show was unique at first, paying homages to sitcoms throughout the decades. Very well done. And still not the best show so far...

4. Thor: Ragnarok: So this one needs a preface as well. I'm a HUGE Kenneth Branagh fan. Top 3 directors for me. He directed the first Thor. Very good. Very Shakespearean. But... Ragnarok gets the BEST of the Trilogy. This movie is silly. Overly silly. This movie is damn funny. Maybe tooooooo funny. But... there is a tone shift going from Slapstick comedy... to knowing they failed. It is the first MCU where the heroes FAIL. And you can feel it... when THEY feel it. Taika Waititi is such a great director. And he is getting close to being in my top 5 directors. This movie is different than ANY of the other MCU movies(it is...). And it deserves more praise.

3. Loki(Season 1): Loki getting his own series. Why? Because it was great. This isn't the same Loki that was killed in Infinity War. This is a Loki who didn't get ANY of the character development from Dark World or Ragnarok. And they were to pull all of that off before the end of the second episode. Tom Hiddleston is one of the best actors throughtout the entirety of the MCU. And this series shows him off. Some good fight scenes. But so much character development... story driven. And I enjoyed every bit of it. Also, I learned my lesson about second guessing the "villain". I told a certain friend who I thought it was. "Oh they wouldn't do that in a series." They did(Joe... they did). Oh, and Owen Wilson... so impressed my his contribution to this series. Season 2 will be awesome. So much Wow.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians of the Galaxy. The biggest risk that anyone has attempted in the MCU. Largely unknown comic book characters. In largely unknown part of the comic's universe. Starring an actor who was ONLY know for comedy... a wrestler who isn't The Rock... and having Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel do VOICES. It was funny, it was pretentious, and it just worked. One of the best MCU movies... one of the best Superhero movies... one of the best Soundtracks... one of the best MOVIES of the modern era. James Gunn should get all of the love.

And now... my number one favorite work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is...

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: This isn't a superhero film. It is a layer spy thriller. Uncovering secrets and changing the MCU as a whole. Top notch action. Great storytelling. A thrill around every turn. Chris Evans best turn as Cap, ScarJo's best turn as Black Widow, gave us the first appearance of Anthony Mackie as Falcon, and the return of Bucky was very well done(even though we knew it was him). Not only is it the best of the MCU, it is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It is just that good. And the Elevator fight is such a wonderful piece, they even parodied it IN Endgame.

There you go! Another great list in the bag.

Tell me what you think. What would you add? What would you take out? Leave a comment. Share the post. Get others involved. Steal an Infinity Stone.

Next will be the end-all posts for the Comic Book list series. Stay tuned for those!

Monday, August 2, 2021

Unlockable Gems - Bloodsport

Copyright by Warner Bros and The Cannon Group, Inc
Unlockable Gems is a new segment that will be highlighting and retro-reviewing movies that I believe ARE or could be awesome due to personal reasons. You would normally call these underrated gems, but... I changed things up a bit.

These could be movies a bunch of people have seen. These could be movies no one has seen. But they are ones that I've seen and I think they are ones that deserve a bit more attention.

There will be some alterations to the typical scoring system and the weighting for each category. I will explain those slightly as we go along. Also keep this in mind, the final score does include more personal feelings than normal... and the scores are NOT compared to modern movies. If anything, you might compare the score in the ERA of movies.

And I thought I would start with one of my favorite movies growing up...

Bloodsport
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme(JCVD) and Donald Gibb
Directed By: Newt Arnold
Year of release: 1988

Concept: "Based on the real story" of Frank Dux. American soldier that learned a ninjitsu style when he was young... goes AWOL to participate in an underground fighting tournament on behalf of his teacher... a tournament that doesn't encourage, but could lead to death regardless.

Era: There is this era of martial arts movies in the 70s and 80s that REALLY showcased American insecurity. And what I mean by that... in China, there was this rise of a certain actor named Jackie Chan. He was making these really cool, funny martial arts movies, awesome stunts, and the goofy sidekicks. And that of course led to more serious films with lesser known actors in them. So... in that era, there was this counter-rise of cheesy martial arts films from the US, where the protagonist is insane American or patriotic, but could still kick ass like those Asian people in those other movies. Films like: American Ninja, Big Trouble In Little China(may see that later), various Steven Seagal films, and OTHER JCVD movies... and even Eric Roberts did one in 1989. It was a fad. A cheesy fad. But a fad

Execution

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme... JCVD. You know who he is. Belgian fighter trying to be American, but clearly isn't. But that wasn't the point. Looking back now, I don't know what they were thinking. But back then, he was a badass that fought for the US of A. And his goofy sidekick? Donald Gibb. Don't know that name? Ogre from the Revenge of the Nerds franchise. NOW you know who it is. With a smattering of unknown peoples serving as the world fighters... oh... and plus a suprise Forest Whitaker(well, not a surprise anymore). And... that is about it for notable names. But it isn't about them anyway. Be warned that there are some stereotypes, but it is also notable that they do represent their respective fighting styles in the world. Score: 16/20

Presentation: A very 80s movie. With the 80s vibe, in a very 80s Hong Kong, with a very 80s soundtrack/theme song. A martial arts film rocking out to the theme of "Fight to Survive" by Stan Bush & Paul Hertzog. High energy, also very 80s. Even now, it feels even MORE cheesy. But that was the point. That was the era. But that song makes it stand out. Score: 18/20

Chronicle: So I highlighted the story earlier. American soldier goes AWOL to represent the family of the man who trained him to be a martial artist in an underground fighting tournament because the son of his master was killed. Plenty of fighting. Plenty of jokes(from Ogre). Flashbacks galore for exposition. But there is a really weird scene... more cheesy and more 80s... and it just didn't feel like it fit the same way the rest of it would... the M.P. Agents tasked with taking Dux back to the state(for going AWOL... one of them being Whitaker)... they chase him around Hong Kong. But it is a very goofy, silly, Scooby-Doo style chase... competely with taunting from JCVD... and a silly-esque song to go with it. A pretty good martial arts film... and that part was out of place. But thankfully you have the "best buddy getting his ass beat by the villain to motivate the hero into winning"(ooooooooooh... you see it?). The chase scene knocks it down some. Score: 14/20

Legacy(Impact/Influence on the industry and other industries): So this is going to be speculation here. But as a movie, it doesn't affect much. It's an 80s martial arts movie starring JCVD. There are plenty. But more so, I think this movie inspired some video game ideas. The two that come up are: Mortal Kombat(good call, Bob) and the Street Fighter franchise. Now, like I said... speculation. I could see Ed Boon and John Tobias being inspired by this movie. But I'm gonna focus more on Street Fighter. So... the original game, called Fighting Street, was released in 1987. You play as Ryu, fighting enemies from various places. But as I mentioned, this movie had some fighting and culture representation around the world(even stereotypical). And Street Fighter II... it was all different. Different fighters from around the world... Turbo and more... Super added more. But we had a whole cast of characters. And some of those tropes are present in Bloodsport. (Including a Muay Thai kickboxer that reminds me of Adon, an African fighting that if he was Green he would be Blanka, there is a Sagat, there is an E. Honda type character, etc etc etc). Capcom will never admit it. But I see the influence. The ONLY issue I have with this...... dammit... if SF2 was inspired by Bloodsport, that makes JCVD the inspiration for Guile...... and his casting AS Guile in the live action movie was a fit. And I never wanted to come to that conclusion. Because this is all speculation, I gotta be a bit tougher with the score. Score: 15/20

Nostalgia(Why it is important to me): Does anyone remember the local TV stations? For example, the channel numbers changed, but locally, CBS was 8, ABC was 6, NBC was 13, FOX was 59, but we also had WTTV-4(can you tell what state I'm in?). It is now the CBS affiliate... it was the CW affiliate... and of course the UPN before that. But before it became an affiliate, it was just... WTTV-4. Channel 4. One of the only stations around here you could be guaranteed to pick up eith your analog TV even without an outside antenna or the rabbit ears. And what was Channel 4? For the most part, it was a catch all. Syndicated shows, re-runs, cartoons. And on the weekends, we had movies(edited for content and run time). Some classics. And one of those movies was Bloodsport. Once a year, around the same weekend each year. And it was a tradition in my house. Dad and I would know when it was coming, WTTV-4 would advertise the movies for the weekend... and it didn't matter what else was on, it was Bloodsport day. Every year. And I cherished the movie day. Even though I knew the movie from beginning to end, it was still an important day. "We are going to watch Van Damme kick some ass in this goofy action flick." Bloodsport Day lol and I don't remember any other movie on Channel 4 weekends that was so important. And now I have it digitally... so it can be up there again. Score: 20/20

FINAL SCORE: 83/100
FINAL GRADE: B-

Conclusion: The movie wouldn't win any awards in filmmaking. But it is a classic American martial arts film set in Hong Kong starring a Belgian badass. I love this movie. And will watch it every year... rekindle the passion... honor the tradition... fight to survive...

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat" that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: I recommend it to anyone. Not only is it a great JCVD movie, it very well may be his best one. In his prime. Kicking ass. Some others may come close, but this is THE Van Damme classic. If you are fan of JCVD and you HAVEN'T watched it... you aren't a JCVD fan. Sorry... you aren't. Watch it!!!!!
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Bloodsport gets an 83.

I would love a remake. But it won't compare to the memories of this one for me.

What do you think of this new segement? I have many more coming, and if you have any you would think is underrated, leave it in the comments. I can see if it qualifies, and if it isn't on my list already, you'll get credited for it.

Thank you for reading.

And don't forget...

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