Dark Phoenix: The X-Men Franchises Last Stand With 20th Century Fox

As a long time fan of the 20th Century Fox Marvel franchise of the X-Men movies. From the beginning, the first thing you heard in 2000 was Mutant. Ever since there has been deep character development, extremely wonderful special effects, a few dude tear moments and a bit of cheesiness. Over all, from Logan to Days of Futures Past, we've been given quality. Now that Disney has purchased Fox and is set to bring the heroic mutant team and all that is tagged in their universe along with the MCU proper. Fox's final project before the acquisition is Dark Phoenix, the next and last installment after X-Men First Class, Days of Futures Past, and Apocalypse.

The embargo for this is set to lift at midnight of the 5th of June, a day before world wide release and the early critic reviews were not so good. Though I went into a press screening with this being where the bar is set, I came out with a lot of enjoyment from the film. First, I was set to believe, and the trailers game me nothing else to go with, that this was going to be a carbon copy of The Last Stand. The film that was the reason for retooling the franchise in the first place. From Magneto fighting in and with a Subway car, to Phoenix looking as if she would kill a member of her team, I was going in with some pretty low expectations. What we got was a villain, lead by Jessica Chastain, that reminded me of the Skrulls in Captain Marvel but done with extreme superiority. The way these alien forces moved and fought felt like a World War Z set to Mutants film.

The overall dilemma given to the X-Men was Charles Xaivier's (James McAvoy) ego. This was a unique way to go, never really been done before but when you have the most powerful being in the universe to deal with, the under toned messaging just felt out of place. My overall impression was that this director was going in hard with something to prove and what he wanted to do was out do all of the previous films in the action and suspense department. I'll admit, in a lot of ways, this was done brilliantly and in others it was piss poor. Being in a world where mutants are hated by people and having military sent to take them get put into situations where they are being taken out by a greater threat and witness the mutants take them on with more ease totally owning the situation like true superior heroes.

I would call this similar to The Last Stand in a lot of ways but done right. I was worried about the alien invasion aspect but even that was done better than most alien invader movies. It was very cloak and daggerish and stayed hidden for the most part. Made for a better story and I like this film better than a lot in the franchise and would rank it as such. X-Men because that film was a huge mystery and super fun suprise in the theater, X2 because it was done even better but the original still set the foundation, Days of Futures Past because we got to see Wolverine interact with members of the teams from both versions of the timeline, Dark Phoenix because it was better than expected and took risks than none of the others did (redeeming the Last Stand) and First Class.

Apocalypse is better than Last Stand but I'm not itching to see any of them again. The former before the ladder if I had nothing else to watch but the films in my top 5 I can watch over and over. By the way, speaking of taking chances and trying to surpass previous films, Nightcrawler. He has a moment that reminded me of the opening of X2 and boy did he do us justice.

I do not know if this was because we know that Disney was going to take over the franchise and reboot it or because it was a press release but we saw no after credit scene. Also, if you're asking about the end credit scene from Apocalypse and wondering about this movie, don't hold your breath. What you saw in the trailers is what you're going to get and it was still a thrill ride that got me pumped. I'll admit, if I didn't know that this was the last time these particular X-Men would be on the screen I would have been more excited. I celebrate how good it was but I kept myself from going bonkers because the whole time it loomed overhead that these guys, more than likely won't come back, so I kept it cool. A few cliffhangers left out there, somethings that made me roll my eyes, like the simi-batphone. . .come on.

You'll have fun. Go see it. Its got more good and exciting things in this one than in any most of the films out this year. I believe people are just ready to see what the MCU is going to do with these characters and that feeling was with me before the movie started, disappeared as I watched but slowly returned as I walked out of the theater.


Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Please Subscribe to our Blogs

Dead To Me Is Simply Thrillarious: My Review And Speculations

Usually when a show is even slightly predictable I lose interest in finishing. It becomes clear that it will take an extremely interesting cast with near perfect acting ability to keep me glued. I saw the trailers to Dead to Me and still feel that Netflix is doing itself a disservice with the marketing team developing trailers that give away the entire plots to there films and series. The same thing happened again with this series. I predicted the reasons behind the characters Judy Hale and Jen Harding fates being intertwined from the trailers. It was a guess but the way the stories were setting up, it was an educated guess that turned out to be correct. 

A widow with anger issues meets a free spirited new friend that keeps insisting to plant herself into each others lives. She (Judy) seems grief stricken and riddled with guilt. Not just because of the her stories of losing a loved one to find similarities to the widow Jen, but from the first time she is on the screen you can see pain and guilt in her eyes. This was brilliantly displayed Linda Cardellini.

I feel that the mood was set from the very beginning. I personally have dubbed this series simply Thrillarious. Though predictable in a lot of moments, the journey is the prize. The execution by the talent kept me glued to my seat. Took me two days to binge but that was only because I started it late and finished it early the next day. This series is funny and devastating enough to really perk you up and beat you up at the same time. I can not remember the last time I had this much fun.

My thoughts for the next season.
Detective Nick Prager will become the main issue to deal with. He has to feel betrayed used and the thrill of getting his mojo back by taking down these two women could make his career or spell his doom. Maybe he will join the team and have another chance at love with Judy but will he ever want to? I wouldn't but I'm still a sucker for love so who knows.

We will definitely see the actor playing Jen's dead husband in action. Flashbacks are a guarantee, we'll have to reconcile the multiple lies and affairs.

The ultimate question, will Judy and Jen try to cover up what they've done in the end or use the neighbors tip about guns/invitations and just continue their strange hate bond friendship over the "you killed by husband, I killed your boyfriend" tether.

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel



Please Subscribe to our Blogs

From Brightburn To Burnout: Why The Movie Did Not Deliver

There were high hopes for this film. It seemed as if this could bring in a new chapter in two genres. Seeing how Fox did not get into gear with their horror superhero movie in The New Mutants, there was a void that was left to fill. Now I'm thinking that its a void for a reason. I did not hate Brightburn. There were more great qualities than bad. The bad was in the overall execution of this kind of story. Elizabeth Banks was the gem in this movie. If you did not feel a connection between her and Jackson Dunn this movie was not going to work. In comparisons to Superman, the connections between father and son was more important. Brightburn was bond between a boy and his mother.

Why are there a lot of horrors about a corrupt child with issues with his mother? This is probably why this movie could not connect with me. I am a man who was raised by a single mother. I left this film feeling like this weight of seeing these stories done so many times could have left a better impression when they were fused together but it just made the load that much more harder to carry. We've seen a superman done plenty of times, a killer child movie has been done to death (pun intended and nailed), we've seen alien movie. Mix all three of these types of stories and we could have a tremendous final result or we could have a mixed bag of a mess.


Brightburn was not a mess, it just did not push me to want more. I do not feel like I've seen anything new. A bad kid who goes on a hormonal rampage, I've been that kid. The only thing we've introduced is superpowers. I feel that a kid who's lived a life of love which this character has could have had more of a struggle dealing with his desires to kill or at the least be hurtful. The heel turn was on a dime and the whiplash from that made the final season of Game of Thrones look meek in comparison. The problem I had with it was that it was a bit confusing on whether the boy was being controlled, was just a bad kid, or his alien instincts were just set to indifference from day one. The last one would make the least since because those tendencies would have been there in him since the day he arrived. He seems more of a Clark Kent and he turns Lex in a matter of a second. It never really clarified what his problem was or what was going on in his head. At one point I believed he was just gone and a completely different alien mind took him over.

Or maybe its just a message of a crappy kid and this was really a metaphor of privileged youth who feel like the world owes them everything for nothing.

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Please Subscribe to our Blogs

Terminator: Dark Fate Trailer | My Thoughts & First Reaction

The first thing that came to mind as I watched this trailer was my curiosity and interest about the Grace character played by Mackenzie Davis. From what I can tell she has gone through an intense trailing routine and is in fantastic shape. Seeing a female protector reminds me of the Terminator series and from what I've seen it looks like she will be a great fit. Her expressions, her physical performances and intensity was gripping. The other thing about this cast that has me buzzing out loud is from Gabriel Luna. The only thing I've been exposed to is his performance on The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the MCU Ghost Rider. To see him as a terminator, something like the T-1000 from Terminator 2. Everything I saw from him, the look and the mannerisms were pure perfection. I can tell he has put a lot of hard work in the worlds most persistent cyber stalker from the future.

The parts that I'm still a bit confused about is the red conning of the past films after T2. Here are a few things I'm thinking will need to be clarified. The new mission to have a protector save a new girl. The original John Connor played by Jude Collie is casted so who is the target? When the Grace character said "I am human" are we dealing with a robot in denial like we got on Genysis? One of my subscribers commented that Arnold will be the human the T100 was modeled after. Why would they even need him? Why does Sky-Net need him?

The last thing that came to my attention was that the thrilling theme song from the other films was not used at all. I did not know how much I would miss it until it became obvious that it was not even used. This is the biggest fail on a short list of criticism. This trailer did its job in building my interest but how could they not use that iconic song. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves. Is this the new standard of terminator teams? My hope is that there will be a continuous course correcting that will bring this franchise back to the action/horror mountain top that it is meant for.

Will there be an "I'll be back" or "Get Out" moment? There better be.






Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel



Please Subscribe to our Blogs

The Longshot Movie | REVIEW

My review on my YouTube channel is up.



I took my fiance out to a lovely Mexican dinner after we watched this film. The first thing she said to me was that she loved every minute of it. The only thing that took her out of the film were the couple next to us who decided to take their shoes completely off. One of the only set backs to having new reclining seats. The first thing that stayed in the back of my mind when the movie began was the run time. I kept asking myself about the parts that will drag. Now I can admit that the movie could have been shorter and there were definitely some areas where the fat could be trimmed but the chemistry between Rogan and Theron is so enjoyable that I could not feel the length of the film anymore, I could only feel the warmth of the story. The parts that hit hardest to me was the feeling that everyone felt like they were enjoying the work they were putting in to the development of this film. When you have a Jonathan Levine directing one of my favorite surprise hits Warm Bodies, I'm not too surprised. He really knows how to capture the heart of a romantic comedy and keep it fresh and extremely funny.

Rogan has been great at casting himself and being cast as the unlikely love interest, as reluctant as the person he is attempting to make us believe he will live happily ever after with. Its happened so many times that now its not so unbelievable. This was not an opposites attract situation, Theron's character as Secretary of State, driven and professional, political giant is living a lifestyle that is not really her true self. You would think that the extremely self destructive an outspoken do-gooder to a fault, Rogan, would be a polar opposite that would never have a chance but the history they share makes the situation of them falling for each other make sense and you keep rooting for them through every scene.

What I loved about this movie was that the cliche moments that in any other romantic comedy from yesteryear would have put the lead characters ad odds by the third act, kept happening throughout the whole movie, but instead of doing the campy thing and letting the lies, truth and haters get in their way. Theron and Rogan fight hard for their happiness and successfully get out of their own ways and allow the logical thing to them set in despite how crazy it looked to everyone else. I applaud this film and the steps the writers took. Longshot is funny as hell and a great addition to the video home library. While its in the theater, if you have not seen it with someone you love, do yourselves a favor.


Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel



Please Subscribe to our Blogs

Pet Sematary on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-Ray Releases with Extended Scense

The Digital*, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray releases are packed with over 90 minutes of special features, including hair-raising deleted and extended scenes, a chilling alternate ending, a look at the main characters, behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and more.  A must-own for every Stephen King fan, PET SEMATARY is a “twisted and bone-chilling” (Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting) thrill ride.

“A creepy masterpiece”

--Alyse Wax, ComingSoon.net 

BASED ON STEPHEN KING’S TERRIFYING NOVEL,
THE BONE-CHILLING THRILLER RETURNS HOME

Including Footage Not Shown in Theaters and a Shocking Alternate Ending!

On Digital June 25 
Unearth the 4K Ultra HD^™ & Blu-ray^™ Combo Packs July 9 with Over 90 Minutes of Extras  

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  – Called “the stuff of nightmares” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) and “flat out terrifying” (Erik Davis, Fandango), the chilling new adaptation PET SEMATARY comes home on Digital June 25, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Video-On-Demand July 9 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

The Digital*, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray releases are packed with over 90 minutes of special features, including hair-raising deleted and extended scenes, a chilling alternate ending, a look at the main characters, behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and more.  A must-own for every Stephen King fan, PET SEMATARY is a “twisted and bone-chilling” (Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting) thrill ride.

The film also boasts a Dolby Atmos^® soundtrack to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead**.  In addition, both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Packs include access to a Digital copy of the film.

Synopsis

After the Creed family relocates from Boston to rural Maine, they soon discover an ancient burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, the grief-stricken father is driven by the cemetery’s sinister power, setting off a perilous chain of events that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.  Some secrets are best left buried in this twisted thriller.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD COMBO, BLU-RAY COMBO & DIGITAL*

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Night Terrors – Family Haunting Visions

o   Louis

o   Rachel

o   Ellie

• The Tale of Timmy Baterman
• Beyond the Deadfall

o   Chapter One: Resurrection –Directors, screenwriters and cast discuss bringing this classic back to life

o   Chapter Two: The Final Resting Place—A deeper look into finding the right location for the terror to unfold

o   Chapter Three: The Road to Sorrow— Inside the film’s tragic themes and creating the iconic cat “Church”

o   Chapter Four: Death Comes home—Unearth the creepy elements behind the climax and final scenes of the film

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Please Subscribe to our Blogs

3 Billion Box Office: How Spider-man Far From Home Will Boost Endgame Like Endgame Did For Cpt Marvel

They say "The bigger they are, the harder they fall". Avatar and Titanic were two of James Cameron's heaviest hitters for the box office. For two decades Titanic has held the top two positions for twenty years. When Avatar took the top spot it was by an amount unimaginable. Seemed untouchable until the MCU took shape. 

Here is the real reason Avatar became vulnerable. 

The power of the Avatar franchise was in danger with every delay of its sequel. The year Avatar came out all the kids were dressed up as characters from the movie for Halloween. The following year, the number of costumes declined dramatically. The year following, it was none existent. Then came the fist announcement of the fist delay of Avatar 2. Since then we were blessed with our first Avengers film, Man of Steel and rise in horror. How was it handled by the man? We were given yet another delay. Why James, Why? Well, he tells us that the technology isn't here yet. Avatar two will take place primarily underwater. Maybe we're getting a new race of Na'vi. The more time that goes by the shorter my memory gets. To be honest I lose more interest in the film over all. Its not that I don't believe that his vision needs to come to life the way Cameron wants it too, its just that I feel that the delay is not as necessary as he believes it is. 

Its his franchise though so I put it in the hands of the genius himself. If he were to ask me, I'd tell him that a whole generation of kids have been born and are being taken to the theaters to see films that have not even seen Avatar yet. Since Iron-man, Marvel Studios have been consistent in bringing quality films to life on time and on schedule. The fan base is strong, its loyal and is growing. The stories build and connect. With every cinematic universe film that comes out is another missed opportunity. 

George Lucas new technology was not where it was needed to be to make episode one so we got episode four with a great story and the rest is history. Maybe if James stuck with his timeline the technology would not have been where he wanted it to be but Avatar 2 coming off of part one would have made over a billion probably two billion short of guaranteed with the power of momentum and a great story behind it. If by the third film or even the fourth film the technology was not exactly where he wanted it to be, it would be there eventually. Probably by the fourth or fifth installment we finally got where we wanted to be technologically wise it would have made an epic finale. Just like with what happened with Endgame. 

Now we're not expected to see Avatar 2 till 2021. I'm putting my money on 2022 which means I'l be pushing my 50's by the time this franchise ends. I was in my 20's when it began. Now the world of movie goers and Marvel film fans have begun to assemble to make Avengers Endgame the number one box office film of all time. I was skeptical until AMC theaters started to show films round the clock. This countered the theory that the movie was too long to beat Avatar. It made Endgame have the biggest opening weekend in history. An accomplishment that probably will never be matched or beaten. 

The road to 3 billion was my hope. I would still hold on to this hope until the third weekend. Endgame has only been out, at this point, for three weeks and beginning the fourth weekend and has started to lose steam. I said, that if the movie hits 2.5 billion before the end of May it was a lock for the top stop and 3 billion. I mean, movies tend to stay in theaters for four or more months on average but we are headed to the summer and the majority of average fans and fanatics have already seen it multiple times. The number of people who have not seen it and plan too is shrinking. Another Two hundred million world wide before the end of its run seems likely, 3 Billion target does not.

The Captain Marvel Miracle

Here is where the hunt for a 3 billion dollar box open is still viable. By the time Endgame came around, captain Marvel survived the trolls and hit over a billion dollars in the box office. When Endgame had its monster debut Captain Marvel came from out of the top five back to second place. Why is this, marathon mode my friends. People will go the movies to see the previous marvel film just before the next in order to add to the experience. I believe this will happen again with Spider-Man Far From Home. People who have seen Endgame will defiantly see it again just before they see spider-man. The only questions will Endgame surpass Avatar before or after Spider-Man is released. 

If Avengers Endgame catches Avatar before the end of May or by the middle of June, the chances of reaching 3 billion dollars becomes extremely realistic. Overall, if Avengers needs Spider-man to catch Avatar it will probably not reach the goal. If it doesn't the goal for 3 billion is very possible and I will be pulling for it. I want to see the movie in 3D. I've already seen it in Dolby and IMAX. 

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Please Subscribe to our Blogs