X-Men 13: Deadpool & Wolverine

X-Men 13: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


With the buyout of Fox by Disney, who also has already acquired Marvel, Deadpool and the X-Men franchise has officially merged into the Avengers universe, to the point that it is the source of several pointed comments in the film and we even see Deadpool actively trying to join the Avengers. Of course, being a Deadpool film, there's a high level of comedy, though the crudeness and profanity levels have gone up in this sequel from previous iterations, along with the level of gore seen in the fight scenes. What plays well though, is this merger with Wolverine, especially as both have regenerative abilities so they are much harder to kill, and both have a rather crude sense of humor. This may also be the closest to an in depth level of the multiverse that we've seen in live action so far, or may see to date, with the entrance of so many Deadpools (similar to the Spider-Man headquarters in Across the Spider-Verse). An additional nice touch, aside from many of the characters being more true to their original comic book creations, was the inclusion of cameos from several past Marvel live-action performers reprising their same roles, including Sabertooth, Toad, Elektra, and even Blade. A nice touch of nostalgia, especially with all of the TVA. Fans that have been around since the early movie days are also of an age they may get an extra kick out of the soundtrack for this film, complete with copying some of the original music video dance moves. 

Avatar 2: The Way of the Water

Avatar 2: The Way of the Water (2022)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Finally got around to watching this during a redeye flight to Florida when I couldn't sleep. The CGI is well done and the characters are still interesting. We don't see as much of Jake, though he's still one of the main characters, as this largely focuses on his children and how they adapt to their way of the life as they are a bit different from the other Na'vi and their family is now being hunted by other avatars. Some adapt easier than others to their new way of life as they struggle to find a new place and settle in to try and keep their family safe. It's not so easy to stay safe though when their enemy is rather relentless and has some idea at least of where they could possibly go for help.

Marvel Cinematic Universe 26: Eternals

MCU 26: Eternals (2021)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


It feels like this one missed the mark a bit in what it could have been. Ikaris especially is a bit of a let down as the full story comes out. Also somewhat interesting that there is supposedly now this partially emerged frozen giant in the world for the current MCU universe, and yet it is not mentioned or even seen in passing through all of No Way Home. Seems like something easy to miss that may not be mentioned short of another Eternals film down the line. A future Eternals film may not even come back to Earth however, with half of the team now captured and the new eternal showing up to offer help. Not sure if we'll see Ikaris again as well given he left everyone originally or if he may have actually learned something from the experience and return down the row.

Marvel Cinematic Universe 27: Spider-Man 3 [No Way Home]

MCU 27: Spider-Man 3 [No Way Home] (2021)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For a lot of chaos, this was handled remarkably well. It was a special treat to see old faces from the Spider-Man franchise as the multiverse came to life in the MCU. Our newest Spider-Man is making the usual sacrifice when it comes to those who should know his secrets and his own promises, and of course no one can call him on it since he's the only one who remembers. There's a lot of growing up and learning that takes place over the course of these newest Spider-Man movies, and this one is no exception. It will be interesting to see how future films play out and what will happen as Spider-Man possibly meets his past friends and allies in new battles along the way. 

The New Mutants

The New Mutants (2020)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Can't say this was the best of the X-Men franchise films, especially considering how many times the production was delayed or redone. There's no back story, so unless you know these characters from the original comics, good luck trying to recognize anyone. For example, at no point is there any reference where you might pick up that Illyana is the younger sister of Colossus from the X-Men. She also comes across a lot more mixed up and caustic than in the older comics. Don't recall a love interest between Rahne or Dani either, and it feels like a bit of an after thought just to force some sort of close tie in for why they'd trust each other, even after it becomes obvious Dani is the source of all these nightmares coming to life. There's also no resolution to the movie. They're free of the "cage" now, but is the nearest town really as far as Dr. Reyes claims? Do they stay together? Try to find the remnants of their families for those who have survivors? Overall, leaves a lot left to be desired.

Taken 2

Taken 2 (2012)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lenore has separated from her second husband leaving her at a loss for what to do when she had planned a trip with her daughter Kim to try and re-connect and get away from things after the events of Taken. The two end up meeting up with Bryan in Instabul following the end of a job he'd taken there with the intent of a family holiday - except Bryan has a few enemies as a result of his rescue operation in Paris to get Kim back. He manages to keep Kim out of the line of fire this time, but it's Lenore, and he himself who are taken this time, and it's back down to his unique skillset to make sure Kim stays out of their net while trying to get the two of them out at the same time.

Taken 1

Taken 1 (2008)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bryan is a retired CIA agent trying to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter who has a mother that appears to have no boundaries when it comes to telling her no, and a step-father who literally buys her a fancy horse for her birthday (not a pony, a full on dressage horse with shiny black leather tack and everything). There is little solace to be had when her Paris trip, that she lied to get her father to sign the forms to allow her to go in the first place, goes south and she's taken while on the line with her father (perhaps her one saving grace leading to her rescue attempt). Bryan will stop at nothing to get his little girl back, and he has just the training to do, but he's also up against a ticking clock.

Minority Report

Minority Report (2002)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


John Anderton leads the Precrime unit, catching murderers before they can commit their crimes. All is well and good with this practice until one vision turns Anderton into the criminal and he needs to learn how to beat his own system to stay alive and find his "Minority Report," the vision from the lead pre-cog, Agatha, that might tell a different story and prove his innocence. Turns out there are more loops in the precrime system then they might have been aware of before.

The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild (2020)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


A more recent adaption of the book, it's well done though a lot of the dogs are obviously done with CGI, especially Buck. Neither my mother-in-law or I remembered deaths in the book, but despite the occasional sad note in the story, it's overall very positive and an interesting take on domestic meeting wild and the line blurring between the two.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The kids rented this by accident, so of course we had to watch it to get the money worth. Still, it was definitely on the side of stranger movies I have watched. Also lead to an odd discussion about how apparently guys relate to these kind of daydreams and totally get where Walter is coming from in this movie where to me it just seemed like he was beyond delusional and needed help, even if I also got the purpose of the daydreams and how they progressively fade as he chooses to actually live and take charge of his life. Something to say supposedly about a negative assets manager for Life magazine needing to learn how to really live, while at the same time also discovering exactly who he is and what his life and work means to those around him.

The Terminator

The Terminator (1984)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's hard to believe this series first started the same year I was born. I remember there being a big deal about one of the later movies when I was finally old enough to remember such things and my family went on trip to Universal Studios where they had a big theater/ride thing for Terminator. There are many reasons that this movie, and it's subsequent series by extension, are so well known even after all this time. I don't think anyone has ever not heard of Arnold Schwartzeneggerr's famous line, "I'll be back" - even more apt as it was coined in this phrase because the Terminator always comes back. As a cyborg with no pain and no emotions, all he knows is his mission to kill, and he won't stop coming to make that happen. It's a miracle if anyone manages to survive after he bulldozes through.

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)

My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars


The second movie in the series, this sees the passing on of the torch for the Blue Ranger due to a back injury just as Divatox threatens the planet again. As the name might imply, the new zoids are cars instead of the original classic dinosaurs. The original Red and Pink Rangers also make appearances, though they no longer have the ability to morph, having passed those keys on to the new team already. Of course, it's not a superhero action movie if the heroes don't have a couple of close calls before coming out on top.

Alita: Battle Angel

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


It was curious to see how this live action adaptation lined up to the original animated movie from back when I was still in school. Unfortunately, like with the original, there is no real ending, which is rather aggravating. Alita herself looks the most CGI of all and is a constant stand out compared to how the rest of the characters appears. There is also more emphasis on the love story than I remember from the original. Still, despite the ending being more than little aggravating, the story alone is entertaining and engaging. Would be best if it actually finished any part of the plot instead of turning it like she's working towards a pointless goal.

Marvel Cinematic Universe 23: Spider-Man 2 [Far From Home]

MCU 23: Spider-Man 2 [Far From Home] (2019)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


They actually did an excellent job with how the designed Mysterio. The ending however, is either a set up for a lot of chaos as it triggers a man hunt for Peter Parker or is Fox pretty much handing Disney an impossible knot to unravel for their takeover. MJ is amusing, and the hand off from Iron Man to Spider-Man, including the same music playing as he designs his new suit, is a nice little added touch. The end credit scene with Nick Fury is also entertaining - where'd he put his shoes?

X-Men 12: Dark Phoenix

X-Men 12: Dark Phoenix (2019)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


As a stand alone movie it was alright. It is slightly better done as far as renditions of the Dark Phoenix saga goes than the original attempt in The Last Stand. This one is noticeably missing Wolverine from the action, and it doesn't take long for Mystique to be taken out of the running either. We do see Magneto return, along with some of his Brotherhood of Mutants. Despite being the Dark Phoenix story, there is no Hellfire Club, even though they were seen in First Class. The film also likely suffered as they were forced to change things around rather last minute, including re-filming the ending as there were too many similarities with Endgame. There are still a lot of similarities, but that isn't all too surprising given the nature of the power in use for both films either. There were hints at the Genosha arc with the power inhibitor collars, which could be a lead in for the next movie in the set, or we could be going a completely different direction or start from the beginning with Disney having bought out Marvel. Being the last of the Fox X-Men movies, it'll be interesting to see how the next one stays the same or changes going forward.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the story of how Queen came to be and the making of their hit song, Bohemian Rhapsody. It goes beyond this to when the band broke up and ultimately comes back together just in time for a big show. Beyond their music, I hadn't actually known anything about the band itself, so it was interesting. Documentaries aren't usually my thing, except apparently when dealing with music.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Updated art more in line with the original and not entirely CGI like the 2012 series. The story itself has a wide divergence with the Ninja Council and the alien species that include characters like Shredder, making Kurai's existence even more questionable until they make it clear that's more of an adopted relationship than anything else. Slightly disturbing otherwise. These aliens essentially come across as super humans with their human suits and enhanced abilities and intellect. The council situation is another can of worms that just seems strange. Everything definitely was not originally on the up and up there, and that came back to bite everyone. Splinter sure tries his best, but seems to essentially be forced to accept these situations as outside of his control. Disappointing in some regards. Obviously still enjoyable and recognizable for the series it is, or my kids wouldn't ask for it.

X-Men 11: Deadpool 2

X-Men 11: Deadpool 2 (2018)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


X-Men come back into play, which I suppose is why Deadpool is considered part of their franchise though he does officially start off creating X-Force.... even if he and Domino appear to be the only survivors of that endeavor. There's a lot of crude jokes thrown around, several bad puns, and more than a few references to other characters and franchises (heavy on the dissing DC Comics in the beginning there). X-Force seems to have been largely forgotten in favor of this ragtag group, even more-so with Cable's addition, teaming back up with the X-Men to try and save the day in the end. Funny how that ending seems a little familiar from the first movie.... as usual hilarity and lots of blood ensue. Entertaining to say the least, but definitely not one to watch with little kids.

Ferdinand

Ferdinand (2017)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Based on the book by the same title, this tells the story of a bull who is nothing but a gentle giant and loves flowers. His size and the all too applicable adage of a bull in a china shop get him labeled as a beast and shipped back to the bull farm to be used as in bull fights. Somehow in the process of figuring out his own second escape, he reconnects with the other bulls at the stable and they all escape together. It's a rather amusing tale with a series of ups and downs, including several happy accidents that ultimately play well to Ferdinand's intent. The best is near the end when he's sitting in the arena with flowers raining down on him and the bulls he sacrificed himself to rescue come charging in to save him, only to end up sitting on the outskirts of that same flower field.

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman (2017)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love music, I enjoy a good show, and Hugh Jackman is one of my favorite actors. All this added together to put this movie on my to-watch list when I saw the trailers. The story itself is somewhat predictable and lacking overall, as well as not really historically accurate despite using real history and people as the cast for the story. That being said, it is riddled with catchy music that pulls you in and is beautiful to listen to. Much of the movie itself felt rather predictable and anti-climatic. Regardless, I still enjoyed the ride a lot. The soundtrack may end up being a bigger hit with me for longer, but it's still worth seeing.