The New Review - Black Adam

Copyright goes to DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery

Black Adam

Starring Dwayne Johnson

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Concept: Story of Shazam's biggest rival, and current anti-hero of the DC Universe.

Execution

Here we go...

Characters: So... this was the biggest let down. Let me explain. We have Black Adam. We have the Justice Society and 4 of the members. And some support characters. Plus a criminal organization with little explanation. Black Adam get PLENTY of backstory, or course, it is HIS movie. The JSA members were cool, but they barely got any backstory. Very very little. And I still get it... it is Black Adam's movie. And the main villain of the movie, Sabbac, was done very well. Waiting until the best point to introduce what he was... I give credit there. Score: 12/20

Presentation: Fight scenes... action... lightning... super powers... CGI... it was a run of the mill of the DC Superhero flick. Some of the CG was off. But nothing that feels like it didn't fit... just needed more polish. And not Transformers 2 level bad. And most of it dealing with Dr. Fate's magic... so... you can say it was magical. Score: 18/20

Chronicle: As mentioned before, the characters didn't get the backstory they all deserved, but the story around Black Adam was pretty good. Especially since they slightly CHANGED his backstory. That twist made this version of the story pretty good. Still sad that Hawkman and Dr. Fate didn't get a bit more story, but that it okay. The overall story was pretty good, even with lackluster support for the JS and Intergang. Almost felt like Intergang was thrown in, but they deserve another story. Score: 20/30

Impact: There are questions about whether or not Black Adam shifts the power in the DC Movie Universe. And so many say no. And... I slightly agree. But it is became a game changer in other ways. We got Henry Cavill back in the saddle as Superman. The Justice Society got established, and I would take a JS movie or series on HBO Max. And we got to see Dwayne Johnson finally do the passion project that took the better part of 15 years to get done. And... it works. The power might not have shifted, but it absolutely sets the tone for the new direction we are heading in for DC Movies. And I think it is a good thing. Score: 18/20

Extra Oomph: Because of the cameos of Superman and Harcourt(from Peacemaker), this movie established a canon connection between the Snyderverse that was, and the James Gunnverse that we are about to enter. Making Black Adam a very interesting linchpin in that transition. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 78/100

Final Grade: C+

Conclusion: It is a fun movie. And if you like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, then you will like this movie. Not perfect, but entertaining.

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 say... go see it. Watch it. Again, it has flaws, but it is still entertaining. But it is also a passion project. The Rock could've abandoned the idea at any time, but he followed through. And that should be appreciated and supported. So go see it. If you wanna pass in the theater, then buy or rent it. It is worth it.

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There you go... Black Adam has gotten a 78!!!

Not as good as I hoped, but it was still worth seeing.

Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Excited for the next phase of DC Films with Cavill back... and James Gunn at the helm?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - The Batman

Copyright by DC and WB

The Batman

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Ferrell, John Turturro, Jeffrey Wright

Directed by Matt Reeves

Concept: Yet another reboot for Batman. You know who Batman is. If not, where have you been?

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: I can gush about everyone in this cast. But here are the highlights. Robert Pattinson did excellent as Batman. Dark, depressed, brooding. Able to change voice himself between Batman and Bruce. Paul Dano as The Riddler was sad, creepy, horrifying. Like Jigsaw with an inferiority complex. Zoë Kravitz was elegant as Catwoman. And... Colin Ferrell disappeared at the Penguin. If you didn't know he was in the movie, you wouldn't know he was in the movie. And I have to praise John Turturro for getting Carmine Falcone right. Only negative I have with the Cast is Andy Serkis as Alfred. He was phenomenal... but we barely got him in the movie. Score: 19/20

Presentation: The score was soft and melancholy. The cinematography was excellent... close ups during a car chase scene to show the audience emotion was a cool idea. Gotham City had a life of it's own, and FINALLY, we get a Gotham like it should be... Pseudo-New York City(complete with Madison Square Garden), but still influenced by the Burton Gotham. The fight choreography looks like it came right out of an Arkham game. Praise Matt Reeves for this section. Score: 20/20

Chronicle: Influenced by Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and The Long Halloween. And if you know those, you can definitely see those. But if you don't, look at this movie as a Saw type murder mystery that just happens to have Batman. But it is complicated... twisty... and a false finish to the movie. The story will make you forget, and that is NOT a bad thing. Run time is nearly 3 hours, but there isn't a thing I would take out. No exposition for the sake of exposition. A world builder. All of this... in a week of movie. The only warning I have... it is almost 3 hours. Score: 28/30

Impact: This is a definitive Batman movie. One part Burtonverse. One part Nolanverse. One part Diniverse. One part JimLeeverse. One part Arkhamverse. And still etched it's own spot of the Batman mythos. It may not change the DC Movies as a whole, but... it will be carving its place in movie history. The question is... how MUCH it will change how DC movies will be made? I think... it shouldn't. Let Reeves trilogy be it's own style. Score: 19/20

Extra Oomph: Praise the casting... but I want this section to double praise Matt Reeves. He had a vision. And that vision ended up being a complete package. I'm still a little miffed that we didn't get Affleck's solo Batman vision, but Matt Reeves gets the character, and this movie shows just how much. This will be a wonderful trilogy. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 96/100

Final Grade: A

Conclusion: This a wonderfully built Batman film. And I really wrestled with this notion... this is my favorite Batman film. Beats even Dark Knight. It is the Batman film I've been waiting for. I'm proud of this movie, and I didn't make this movie.

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: Watch it. Now. Go do it. Now. Go watch it. Now. Go watch it. Please. Do yourself a favor. Go... watch... it...

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Well... The Batman gets a 96!!!!

No... it isn't a perfect movie. But dammit, it is built so well.

What did you think? Ready for a sequel? Comment and share!!!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - DC's Peacemaker

Copyright to Warner Bros and DC Comics

DC's Peacemaker Season 1

Starring John Cena, Robert Patrick, Steve Agee, and many more.

Created by James Gunn

Concept: After James Gunn did the Reboot/Sequel/Refresher The Suicide Squad, during Covid, he sat down and wrote 8 Episodes of a Spinoff of Peacemaker. What could go wrong?

Execution

Here we go

Cast: There isn't a single casting lost here. Everything is solid. But I have to highlight the following: Steve Agee's John Economos is the every man stuck in the situation, Freddie Stroma's Vigilante was a SCENE STEALER, and Robert Patrick's August Smith was a villain you could hate(and he wasn't the main villain). But... John Cena. I know I made fun of him during his wrestling career. I know I did. But dammit... as an actor... he is a much better actor than Dave Bautista and he is close to the crown that Dwayne has. It was the breakout role for him I was waiting for. And I can't praise it enough. Score: 20/20

Presentation: It's James Gunn. The visuals were crisp. The soundtrack was unique, but fit the feel for the whole season. And that intro/theme song... I didn't know who Wig Wam was before this season... but WE ALL know of them now. My favorite intro in so long. The show is gory filled with great simple set pieces. Score: 20/20

Chronicle: This season is extremely goofy. That was the point. Goofy. Because that is what the character was in Suicide Squad. But... the layers peel back, and you get this seriously sad story about a man that was ruined and manipulated by a father who was abusive AND a supervillain. All of this while being convinced to help take down an alien invasion of massive proportions. But nothing seemed like a stretch. Each time we got a stretch, they figured out how to explain it to the audience. They successfully turned a douchey anti-hero/criminal into a full fledged hero still dealing with a horrifying past, finally getting the help he so richly deserved. John Cena started as a heel, and ended the show with a most epically heroic face turn. Score: 30/30

Impact: James Gunn is James Gunn. He took a barely know Marvel team and made it into one of the most praised MCU movies(Guardians of the Galaxy). He took the Superman origin story and mixed it with Damien from The Omen(Brightburn). And now... he has taken the DC's douchebag Captain America and made him a household name. But even THAT doesn't explain the impact. Peacemaker was more in demand than BOTH Disney+'s Book of Boba Fett AND Netflix's The Witcher. And I feel it is BETTER than the MCU Disney+ shows so far. Yes... even better than WandaVision and Loki. With the condition that Peacemaker is not kiddo friendly. Peacemaker is that good of a series. And has changed the game when it comes to superhero TV shows. Now... Marvel... more seasons of The Punisher would be the only response... Score: 20/20

Extra Oomph: The references of other DC characters. Even Green Arrow has been confirmed to be in the DCEU now.

-Green Arrow

-Eclipso

-Bat-Mite

-Doll Man

-Matter-Eater Lad

-Mad Hatter

-Cerberus

-Intergang/Khandaq(references to upcoming Black Adam movie)

-Kite-Man

-The Justice League

-and a sly reference to Sgt. Gorilla

Any more that I missed? Regardless... James Gunn got to put all the references in he wanted to, and that drastically expands the DCEU outside the characters we already know. And that is pretty cool to me. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 100/100

Final Grade: A++

Conclusion: I fucking love this show. Sorry... I've trying to avoid using expletives in since I revived the blog, but this one deserves it(don't worry... the show has MANY more). So glad it got a Season 2. Because it deserves a season 2.

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 yet, what are you waiting for?! I cannot stress enough that the show is not for kiddos... but if you are not a kiddo and can promise me you won't expose kiddos to it(or gross them out and corrupt them, who am I to say what you should do? Lol), then watch the show. Watch the show...

Watch... this... show...

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HBO Max and DC's Peacemaker got a PERFECT FUCKING SCORE!!!(That's... two expletives lol)

And it deserves it.

Have you seen it? What do you think? Did I miss a reference? Comment and Share this thing.

Until next time... don't forget...

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!!

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...

Renewed Top 10 - DC Animated Works

The counterpart to the Previous Top 10. I felt animated needed to be separated, because as mentioned before... Marvel might beat DC in Live Action, but DC kills it in animation overall.

So how about a list for that?

Top 10 DC Animated Works

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: WildCATS: A different team, now a part of the DC Universe. It was during the wave of meaningless animated adaptations. Many people missed this. Something that felt familiar but felt different. And it was a great one.

Honorable Mention 2: Static Shock: DC Morning animation gave us this gem. Set in the Justice League shared Universe. This was DC's Spider-Man series. It was. Teenager who ends uo with powers now has to juggle that with high school life. They even tackled a school gun violence episode.

10: Justice League Dark: Animated DCAU movie centered around Matt Ryan as Constantine forming a magical team... with Batman. Animation on point. Story was well done. And Boston Brand being funny. It was a pretty good introduction to the magical portion of the DC Universe.

9: Batman The Brave and the Bold: Cartoon Network gave us this series that was as cheesy as the Adam West 1966 series. With Diedrich Bader as the voice of Batman. It was episodic, each one being its own story. And entertaining as it was goofy.

8: The Death and Return of Superman: Technically called "The Death of Superman" and "The Reign of the Supermen", buying them together in a set, it is called that. They did the truncated version in the infancy of this studio, and it was... okay. So we had a version in DCAU. And it is wonderful. Of the comic stories, this is near the top of the crop. Iconic story... done beautifully through animation.

7: Superman the Animated Series: When this series came out, I had one HUGE hang up about it. Clark Kent was way too solid. He LOOKED like Superman in a business suit. And it worried me. But one iconic theme later, and we have the definitive Superman animated series... that ended up leading to the definitive Justice League series(which makes this list too). Besides... Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor was SPOT ON.

6: The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 & 2: This is the Frank Miller Batman story of Frank Miller Batman stories. Set in the future, Batman comes out of retirement... and attacts the attention of the US Government. Peter Weller gives Bruce that weathered, but still bad ass in his old age. Besides... killing Conan O'Brien is satisfying. If you've seen it, you get it.

5: Flashpoint Paradox: So this movie in the DCAU presents us with the first Flash story I gave any damn about. Heartbreaking, ingenious, and a surprise Michael B. Jordan. It was brilliantly adapted. Also... it introduced audiences to the team that USED to be the WildCATS, complete with Grifter. Give me a movie centered around them... now please.

4: Batman Beyond: Many people are going to moan that this should be higher on the list. And maybe for you... but wait until you see the top 3. This was futurist take on Batman, set in the future of the Batman the Animated series. Some of the stories were weak... sure. But the overall feeling of this series is truly timeless. Different takes on old Batman villains(like the Jokerz gang), new villains. And tech galore. It was a different series. A different Batman. And it felt good.

3: Justice League/Justice League Unlimited: These are essential the same series from the people that brought us Batman: the Animated Series, Superman: the Animated Series, Static Shock, and Batman Beyond. The ultimate team up facing universal threats. What is the difference? Justice League focused on the main seven: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Jon Stewart Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. The Unlimited series made the audience realize there were other heroes in the DC Universe. The main seven are there, but more focus was put on the others.

2: The Killing Joke: The FIRST Rated R movie in the DCAU, it adapted one of the best Batman graphic novels off all time. Some people were pissed that the first part was there. For those not aware, we had an intro with Batgirl. It was necessary. Batgirl hadn't been in ANY other DCAU movie... and she is integral to the Killing Joke story... anyway... I digress. This story centers around the now confirmed origin story for the Joker, and the One Bad Day. With a bonus of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill from Batman TAS doing their voices for Batman and Joker respectively.

And the Number One DC Animated Work is...

1: Batman the Animated Series: What else was it going to be? The definitive Batman animated series. Led to Superman TAS and Justice League. In the same "mood" as the Tim Burton movies. Dark, noir, moody, episodic. With the Batman/Joker duo of Kevin Conroy/Mark Hamill... that is STILL relevant today, even through the whole Arkham games trilogy. Even AFTER the weird animation switch, it was still entertaining. Plenty of guest voices, including Ron Perlman, Melissa Gilbert, and Roddy McDowell. Also... this series changed the COMICS forever in two HUGE ways: the debut of Harley Quinn AND changing Mr. Freeze into an antagonist that we can feel for. Plus that theme/intro... it is playing through my head right now... this spot also includes the movies "Mask of the Phantasm" and "Batman/Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero".

There is the list. Did I miss any that you loved? I know a few I love didn't make the list. So I'm open to it. Tell me in the comments other DC animated series you love or DCAU movies you thought were awesome!

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Part 2 if this journey is down. Stay tuned for the next one.

Renewed Top 10 - DC Live Action Works

I have this big plan for some lists, and you all get to go on this journey with me.

This is the first of a series of lists, leading up to the Top 10 and Bottom 10 overall Comic Book movies toward the end of the Summer. So look forward to that, if you would.

The only way to get there is to take the first step.

So here... we... go...

This Top 10 list is going took at live action DC properties. Movies AND TV Shows. When it comes to DC vs Marvel, DC tend to have the animation down, but falters in the live action department. Even with that fact, DC HAS put out some wonderful live action stuff.

So I'm going to share with you my favorites.

Enjoy...

Top 10 DC Live Action Works

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: Batman (1966): The classic series made during the Silver Age of comics. Not violent if could help it. Overly cheesy. BIFF! BAM! SMACK! And it gave us the icon known as Adam West. That makes it great. RIP Mayor West.

Honorable Mention 2: Constantine (2014): This NBC series depicted John Constantine almost perfectly. Solidly paced... but some how it got cancelled after 1 season. Maybe because it was in a horrible TV spot(Dracula was put in the same spot... 1 season). But it made enough of an impact, at least Matt Ryan did, that this Constantine got an animated spin off, he was added to Legends of Tomorrow, AND Matt Ryan is the voice in the DC Animated Universe.

Honorable Mention 3: Superman & Lois (2021): The newest of the CW DC Series, it is a Superman game changer. Not an origin story for Superman. Set after Clark and Lois have teenage sons. Good story so far with so much potential. We will see if they don't screw that up.

10: Swamp Thing the Movie (1982): Directed by the Legendary Wes Craven(yes, THAT Wes Craven) pre-Freddy Krueger. This was campy... very campy. But it took a character that wasn't well known in the comics and turned it into a cult hit B movie series. I have very fond memories of watching this movie AND the series that followed. My uncle and I watched this. And... Dick Durock made it creepy.

9: Smallville: The DC CW series BEFORE The Arrowverse took shape. Follows Clark Kent through the formative teenage years. It had some low points, but Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum have the best Clark Kent/Lex Luthor dynamic I've seen in any Superman property. It also had a wonderfully fresh take on Doomsday... even if the suit they used sucked. I enjoyed the first 8 of the 10 seasons. Go check it out.

8: Batman (1989)/ Batman Returns: Tim Burton is famous for making dark moody movies. So here comes his take on Batman... who was dark and moody. But he had this idea. He took an actor famous for comedies and put him in the suit. Critics chided him for it. And... it worked. Still one of the most iconic Batman actors to this day. And I put both of his movies here because as awesome as Jack Nicholson was as The Joker, the Penguin/Catwoman dynamic was epic in the same ways.

7: The Flash series(2014): Here we have the show that turned CW's Arrow into the Arrowverse. I didn't know what to think about this show at first, but it turned out to be entertaining. Grant Gustin just... worked. And bringing in such a great actor like Tom Cavanaugh as Harrison Wells, a character they have molded into whatever they need to steal the show. I admit, I tapered off the show and I WANT to go back and catch up. But... the first 2 seasons were gold... so much so, I need to say this. The Flash Season 2 is my favorite season of any superhero TV show of all time. The villain Zoom is so well written, I'm glad I got to experience it.

6: Watchmen: Who Watches The Watchmen? I do. My favorite graphic novel of all time. Changed my way of thinking. It really did. So when I saw Zack Snyder was tackling it, I got excited. Perfectly cast across the board. Shot for shot ripped from the novel. But... in the graphic novel has 2-3 panels of Dr. Manhattan penis. Somehow, we got roughly 30 minutes of electric blue penis. Electric... blue... penis. Kudos to Billy Crudup... for... that.

5: Swamp Thing series (2019): I don't want to say too much, because this pissed me off. It was such a good series. Cut short due to money mismanagement. It was scary, the storytelling was better than solid. Perfect homage to the originals... but an even better homage to the comics. Worth the watch. I hope the CW experiement saves it.

4: Superman II Richard Donner Cut: Before pining for the Synder Cut was a thing, the Donner Cut was a reality. Christopher Reeve is an icon. And Superman made everyone believe a man could fly. But this sequel took everything that made the first movie great and made it all legendary. All because of a truly terrifying villain. General Zod. Terrence Stamp aggressively declaring "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD" is ingrained in our minds.

3: Joker: A artistic film representation of a man shit kicked by society's ascension into the Clown Prince of Crime. Noir without being noir. Smart without being too smart. And it doesn't hold your hand through exposition. Hints at something bigger, while still being VERY contained. Capped off by a performance by Joaquin Phoenix that got his that well deserved Oscar. This was a masterpiece of filmmaking. Watch it. But not for the kiddos.

2: The Dark Knight: The Nolan trilogy. Christopher Nolan, famous for his over the top fantasy style of film making decided to flip it... and make a Batman Trilogy that was very grounded in reality. Nearly everything in the trilogy was designed to make the viewer think it was possible in real life. Giving very real explanations for the tech. And of these movies, The Dark Knight was special. As amazing as the Joker movie was, this movie here gave us the definitive live action Joker performance. The movie is overall amazing, but Heath Ledger's Joker is THE reason to watch the movie(getting the Oscar for Supporting Actor for it)...... and even then, I would put Aaron Eckhart's performance at Harvey Dent/Two-Face over that. Yeah. I said it. That is how good those two were in this movie. And a testament to how great the movie was overall.

And the Number One DC Live Action Work is......

1: Zack Snyder's Justice League: So before anyone accuses me of being a Zack Snyder fanboy, he isn't even in my top 5 for directors. He is responsible for one of my least favorite movies of all time: Sucker Punch. But this... this was a cinematic masterpiece. The culmination of his vision, his hard work, the dedication of the fans wanting to see this come to fruition after the piss-poor Whedon Cut failed to satisfy us. We knew it could be more than it was. Then Warner announced it, gave extra money to Snyder to make it however. And what we got was 4 hours of a weaved story, doubling down on Ben Affleck being the best Live Action Batman... while introducing us to The Flash and Cyborg, making them MAJOR players... equals to the Trinity and Aquaman. Along with building a ferocious villain, and more than a glimpse of the end-all villain this one bends to knee to. Solid pace. Good story. And action sequences worth the wait. This is the pinnacle of what DC could be.

There is the list. Tell me what you think. Share it so others can tell me what they think. Any I might've missed? Have you own? Let me know in the comments.

Part 1 of many. So stay tuned.