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Lee (2222 KP) rated Titans - Season 1 in TV
Feb 4, 2019
Outstanding. This is DC done right
As the DC movie universe continues to struggle with consistency and quality, it is so refreshing to finally come across a DC TV show as entertaining and as epic as this one. A show which, in my opinion, manages to get the tone and style just right, restrained at times, but constantly teasing much bigger and much more exciting possibilities. I struggle with most superhero TV shows, failing to get more than a season into shows like The Flash, or more than just a handful of episodes into shows like Daredevil or Luke Cage, but this one just got me hooked. It kept me engaged and enthralled through every single episode, and managed to tweak every geeky bone in my body during its final episode. It had a decent cliffhanger finale, an interesting post-credits scene, and I absolutely loved it. What Titans manages to do extremely well is with the introduction of its main characters. It does this slowly, but enjoyably, leaving much of their character traits and abilities to be discovered throughout the season. It takes a while for them all to come together as a team, but even when they do it's more about them discovering who they all are individually and how to deal with the dangerous situations they find themselves in than just kicking bad guy ass (although they manage to do plenty of that too!). Occasionally, an episode will end on a real cliffhanger, only for the next episode to go off on a tangent, exploring another character and their past. But it just works, developing and enriching the story rather than acting as unnecessary or frustrating season filler.
We kick things off by meeting Dick Grayson, or Batman sidekick Robin as he's more usually known. He's currently working as a detective in Detroit having left Gotham City about a year ago. When asked about his reasons for leaving Gotham, he puts it down to problems with a difficult partner, but he still likes to wear the Robin suit occasionally - picking up leads as part of his day job, then dealing out swift vigilante justice as Robin by night. The criminals can't quite take him seriously though - scouring the skies, wondering whether the more terrifying Batman is going to show up to help out his little sidekick. Robin can more than handle his own though, brutally taking care of business before growling "F*** Batman". Yep, if you hadn't already gathered, Titans is a much grittier show than animated show Teen Titans! This version is much darker - we get blood, we get violence, our heroes have sex and they also have potty mouths!
Next up is Rachel Roth, a teenager with purple hair who sleeps in a locked room with crucifixes affixed to the door, fearful of a dark entity living within her. She has a vision of Dick Grayson, who she has never met, witnessing the moment from his childhood when his parents died during their acrobat act, the Flying Graysons. Rachel is being pursued by a number of individuals for reasons that are unclear for much of the season and, following the murder of her guardian, heads to Detroit where she crosses paths with Dick. Meanwhile, a fiery redhead named Koriand'r awakens in a crashed car in Austria, with no memory of who she is. She learns that she has some pretty good combat skills and some cool superhuman abilities. She also discovers that she is on the hunt for Rachel Roth, but she has no idea why. There is also a teenage boy called Gar, who is able to shape shift into a green tinged tiger, but only when he's naked!
Along the way, as these core characters all come together, we're introduced to a variety of other weird and wonderful characters from comic book history. Some, such as Hawk and Dove, have a recurring and increasingly important role, earning one of the more enjoyable episodes later on in the season when we delve into their backstory. Other characters, such as Doom Patrol and The Nuclear Family are briefly introduced, only to disappear for now - although I'm sure we'll be seeing them all again in future seasons (hopefully). But it's when new Robin Jason Todd appeared on the scene, and then Wonder Woman sidekick Wonder Girl, that I really started geeking out. New Robin is younger and much more sadistic than his predecessor (Robin 2.0 as he puts it), while Wonder Girl now leads a much quieter life. Her and Dick also share a past, with both of them being sidekicks, and we get a brief glimpse of her abilities a couple of times throughout the season. Hopefully with a lot more to come next season.
And then we come to the finale, with things coming to a head and with a serious threat to our planet looming. Dick heads back to Gotham where Commissioner Gordon has been murdered, the streets are rife with crime and Batman has gone off the rails - on a mission to kill The Joker and all of his enemies in Arkham Asylum. I loved this episode. The Joker, Batman, Wayne Manor, the Batcave - all of these things we're so used to seeing in countless movies and TV shows over the years, but in this context and as part of this world, this huge story that's been unfolding over 11 episodes, there was something about it that just blew me away. As mentioned before, the show also ends on a fantastic cliffhanger and teases some interesting additions post credits. I cannot wait for more of this!
We kick things off by meeting Dick Grayson, or Batman sidekick Robin as he's more usually known. He's currently working as a detective in Detroit having left Gotham City about a year ago. When asked about his reasons for leaving Gotham, he puts it down to problems with a difficult partner, but he still likes to wear the Robin suit occasionally - picking up leads as part of his day job, then dealing out swift vigilante justice as Robin by night. The criminals can't quite take him seriously though - scouring the skies, wondering whether the more terrifying Batman is going to show up to help out his little sidekick. Robin can more than handle his own though, brutally taking care of business before growling "F*** Batman". Yep, if you hadn't already gathered, Titans is a much grittier show than animated show Teen Titans! This version is much darker - we get blood, we get violence, our heroes have sex and they also have potty mouths!
Next up is Rachel Roth, a teenager with purple hair who sleeps in a locked room with crucifixes affixed to the door, fearful of a dark entity living within her. She has a vision of Dick Grayson, who she has never met, witnessing the moment from his childhood when his parents died during their acrobat act, the Flying Graysons. Rachel is being pursued by a number of individuals for reasons that are unclear for much of the season and, following the murder of her guardian, heads to Detroit where she crosses paths with Dick. Meanwhile, a fiery redhead named Koriand'r awakens in a crashed car in Austria, with no memory of who she is. She learns that she has some pretty good combat skills and some cool superhuman abilities. She also discovers that she is on the hunt for Rachel Roth, but she has no idea why. There is also a teenage boy called Gar, who is able to shape shift into a green tinged tiger, but only when he's naked!
Along the way, as these core characters all come together, we're introduced to a variety of other weird and wonderful characters from comic book history. Some, such as Hawk and Dove, have a recurring and increasingly important role, earning one of the more enjoyable episodes later on in the season when we delve into their backstory. Other characters, such as Doom Patrol and The Nuclear Family are briefly introduced, only to disappear for now - although I'm sure we'll be seeing them all again in future seasons (hopefully). But it's when new Robin Jason Todd appeared on the scene, and then Wonder Woman sidekick Wonder Girl, that I really started geeking out. New Robin is younger and much more sadistic than his predecessor (Robin 2.0 as he puts it), while Wonder Girl now leads a much quieter life. Her and Dick also share a past, with both of them being sidekicks, and we get a brief glimpse of her abilities a couple of times throughout the season. Hopefully with a lot more to come next season.
And then we come to the finale, with things coming to a head and with a serious threat to our planet looming. Dick heads back to Gotham where Commissioner Gordon has been murdered, the streets are rife with crime and Batman has gone off the rails - on a mission to kill The Joker and all of his enemies in Arkham Asylum. I loved this episode. The Joker, Batman, Wayne Manor, the Batcave - all of these things we're so used to seeing in countless movies and TV shows over the years, but in this context and as part of this world, this huge story that's been unfolding over 11 episodes, there was something about it that just blew me away. As mentioned before, the show also ends on a fantastic cliffhanger and teases some interesting additions post credits. I cannot wait for more of this!
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) in Movies
Feb 12, 2019
Everything is no longer awesome
I liked the first Lego Movie a lot. I liked the Lego Batman movie even more. I should have liked this movie too. Maybe I was just having a grumpy Monday, but unfortunately I didn't like this one very much at all.
The Lego movies thrive on being fast paced - a visual feast for the eyes with rapid fire gags and knowing little nods and references to film and other pop culture. Lego Movie 2 is certainly fast paced, but because I didn't find any of the gags funny, I quickly grew tired and annoyed by it all. Only when we start to see a lot more of the real world - brother and sister fighting, Mum getting involved (Will Ferrell reduced to just shouting something out from another room rather than appearing on screen, weirdly) - that we get a real understanding of the impact on the Lego world and why everything is happening. That brought a real coherency and sentimentality to everything and meant that I enjoyed the final third of the movie a lot more than the rest of it.
The Lego movies thrive on being fast paced - a visual feast for the eyes with rapid fire gags and knowing little nods and references to film and other pop culture. Lego Movie 2 is certainly fast paced, but because I didn't find any of the gags funny, I quickly grew tired and annoyed by it all. Only when we start to see a lot more of the real world - brother and sister fighting, Mum getting involved (Will Ferrell reduced to just shouting something out from another room rather than appearing on screen, weirdly) - that we get a real understanding of the impact on the Lego world and why everything is happening. That brought a real coherency and sentimentality to everything and meant that I enjoyed the final third of the movie a lot more than the rest of it.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 6, 2019 (Updated Apr 6, 2019)
The Shazam! (2019) movie is the Billy Batson of the DCEU
The movie comes properly into focus when it becomes clear that thematically, the movie itself is echoing Billy Batson’s character arc. Just as SHAZAM derives his power from the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas; the energy bolts of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury, so “Shazam!” inherits potent traits from its forebears. Like “Man Of Steel”, it’s perhaps a little too fond of fight scenes featuring flying people being flung through skyscrapers. Like “Aquaman”, it suffers the curse of a conspicuously ropey special effects moment. Like “Suicide Squad”, it’s trying a little too hard with its soundtrack choices and like “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice” it relies too heavily on YouTube clips for exposition. And just as Billy Batson has to battle his own mean-spirited, selfish and angsty urges to become the hero Shazam is meant to be, so too does “Shazam!” push back against the DCEU grimdark tropes to forge a bright new pathway to fun, adventure and a hopeful tone without sacrificing the superhero action...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusShazam
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusShazam
Awix (3310 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
Surprisingly non-awful
CGI aliens invade in search of ancient mystical plot coupons, forcing Batman and Wonder Woman to recruit a bunch of other superheroes (the Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg) in an attempt to fend them off.
Now, you can scratch your head at some of the creative choices made here - Why the all-pervading atmosphere of heavy metal gloom? Why these particular characters? Where's Green Lantern? Why not use a better-known villain? And so on - but on its own terms, this is a competently assembled film, for the most part. (This may be due to the fact that credited director Zach Snyder departed the production prematurely and was replaced by Joss Whedon.)
I stress 'for the most part' as there are still bits of this movie which just plain make no sense whatsoever, and there's a 'plot twist' (in the broadest sense of the term) which feels contrived and tonally wrong on pretty much every level. But at least they seem to be trying to treat these iconic characters with respect, and while this isn't up to the same standard as Wonder Woman it could have been much, much worse.
Now, you can scratch your head at some of the creative choices made here - Why the all-pervading atmosphere of heavy metal gloom? Why these particular characters? Where's Green Lantern? Why not use a better-known villain? And so on - but on its own terms, this is a competently assembled film, for the most part. (This may be due to the fact that credited director Zach Snyder departed the production prematurely and was replaced by Joss Whedon.)
I stress 'for the most part' as there are still bits of this movie which just plain make no sense whatsoever, and there's a 'plot twist' (in the broadest sense of the term) which feels contrived and tonally wrong on pretty much every level. But at least they seem to be trying to treat these iconic characters with respect, and while this isn't up to the same standard as Wonder Woman it could have been much, much worse.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II (1993) in Movies
Mar 11, 2018 (Updated Mar 11, 2018)
Old-school Toho monster mash follows the trend of early-90s Godzilla movies by reinventing popular characters from 60s and 70s films. Kind of suffers from the same problem as superhero films with multiple villains (cf Spider-Man 3 or Batman Forever), in that contriving a way for all the monsters to appear and interact requires some outlandish plotting and a good deal of hand-waving of implausibilities (not to mention indulgence from the audience).
In addition to Godzilla, in this film you get Mechagodzilla (well, duh), and also giant pterodactyl Rodan and Minilla (aka Baby Godzilla). The monster battles are pretty good, though there's a slight tendency towards the combatants just standing there and zapping each other with breath-rays, and the monster suits are excellent (the Rodan puppet is particularly impressive). Set against this we must place the fact that the movie doesn't actually have a plot, as such - things just happen one after the other with no sense of theme or structure. Most of the human characters are slightly annoying too. A step down from the previous few films, but still better than much of what was to follow in the late 90s and early 2000s.
In addition to Godzilla, in this film you get Mechagodzilla (well, duh), and also giant pterodactyl Rodan and Minilla (aka Baby Godzilla). The monster battles are pretty good, though there's a slight tendency towards the combatants just standing there and zapping each other with breath-rays, and the monster suits are excellent (the Rodan puppet is particularly impressive). Set against this we must place the fact that the movie doesn't actually have a plot, as such - things just happen one after the other with no sense of theme or structure. Most of the human characters are slightly annoying too. A step down from the previous few films, but still better than much of what was to follow in the late 90s and early 2000s.
David McK (3547 KP) rated Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Hmmmm ... how best to describe this?
Perhaps the foreword puts it best: released back in the mid-80s, this is (now) effectivel a 'what-if', with the central conceit being that this was a story told by Lois to a Daily Planet reporter about Superman's Last Days.
I say a 'What-if' as, obviously, the Man of Steel is still around today: at the time this was released, however, DC was going through a major 'cleaning of the house'; retconning and throwing out over 50 years worth of backstory for their various properties in an attempt to reset the switch; to go back to basics (as it were). As such, it was possible (just) that this very well could have been the last Superman story ever written.
Unlike some of Moore's other works ([b:Batman: The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns (The Dark Knight Saga, #1)|Frank Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159]The Dark Knight Returns, for example, or even [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442239711s/472331.jpg|4358649]Watchmen), this does show it's age somewhat; very much having a 'Silver Age' feel to it.
Perhaps the foreword puts it best: released back in the mid-80s, this is (now) effectivel a 'what-if', with the central conceit being that this was a story told by Lois to a Daily Planet reporter about Superman's Last Days.
I say a 'What-if' as, obviously, the Man of Steel is still around today: at the time this was released, however, DC was going through a major 'cleaning of the house'; retconning and throwing out over 50 years worth of backstory for their various properties in an attempt to reset the switch; to go back to basics (as it were). As such, it was possible (just) that this very well could have been the last Superman story ever written.
Unlike some of Moore's other works ([b:Batman: The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns (The Dark Knight Saga, #1)|Frank Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159]The Dark Knight Returns, for example, or even [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442239711s/472331.jpg|4358649]Watchmen), this does show it's age somewhat; very much having a 'Silver Age' feel to it.
David McK (3547 KP) rated Iron Man: Extremis in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I'll be honest - I was one of those who, before I saw the first Iron Man movie (2008?) had no idea who the character was.
That, of course, is not the case now, after 3 solo outings (to date) and 2 'team' entries (Avengers Assemble and Age of Ultron).
As my only real exposure to the character had also only come form those movies, I was also unaware that Tony Stark's identity (as Iron Man) was NOT common knowledge - I had always thought that was one thing that had set him apart from the likes of Batman, Superman, et al.
I also later discovered that this comic was one of those that had influenced those movies - while pretty obvious in Iron Man 3 (which also deals with Extremis), it had also had an impact on the first movie - reading this comic in 2016, it's interesting to see how: from the 'reboot' of his origins from the original Vietnam War to more modern Afghanistan, to even the look of the character (this came first, remember), and to the whole 'Genius Playboy Billionaire Philantropist' persona after he is injured by his own weaponry.
That, of course, is not the case now, after 3 solo outings (to date) and 2 'team' entries (Avengers Assemble and Age of Ultron).
As my only real exposure to the character had also only come form those movies, I was also unaware that Tony Stark's identity (as Iron Man) was NOT common knowledge - I had always thought that was one thing that had set him apart from the likes of Batman, Superman, et al.
I also later discovered that this comic was one of those that had influenced those movies - while pretty obvious in Iron Man 3 (which also deals with Extremis), it had also had an impact on the first movie - reading this comic in 2016, it's interesting to see how: from the 'reboot' of his origins from the original Vietnam War to more modern Afghanistan, to even the look of the character (this came first, remember), and to the whole 'Genius Playboy Billionaire Philantropist' persona after he is injured by his own weaponry.
DC Universe Presents: Volume 1: Featuring Deadman & the Challengers of the Unknown
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8.0
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Centuries have passed and time has taken its toll on Mars. Conflict burns across the landscape. A...