Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

FX has been showing a slew of Marvel movies this summer. I've recently seen Eternals and I've got a couple other films coming up in my queue. Whatever the programming campaign by Disney is, it's really helping me to catch up on my superhero movie deficits. I just don't have the money to see these films new for the prices theaters are asking for these days.

My latest watch was the third, and perhaps final, entry in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. If you've been wanting to get all the details on the origin of Rocket Raccoon, this is the film you've been waiting for. The movie has some pretty heartbreaking moments and that's not just because of the ending which seems to wrap things up for the Guardians. It's also because of just how freaking tragic Rocket's origin story was.

I'm that sort of softie that I will absolutely hate a movie if a lovable animal is killed. So, YES- once I realized that we were finding out about how Rocket and his friends were early experiments of the High Evolutionary, I made sure to go to Wikipedia and find out who lives and who dies so that I wasn't stunned by the death of a furry friend. It's a good thing I did, because several adorable animals buy the farm in this film. But what really surprises me is that because of that treatment of animals, Vol. 3 actually won an award of praise from PETA! It must have been because director James Gunn used CGI animals instead of the real McCoy. 

As for James Gunn, I've seemingly made my peace with him. His scandal of dressing up as a pedophile priest really stung me because I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I was pretty pissed off at him at first and it did factor in me not watching this 2023 film when it first came out. But I've learned that if I want to be an opponent of cancel culture, what I have to do is forgive. It's also a tenant of being a follower of Christ. I'm not perfect. FARRRRRRRR from it and I've got to practice the forgiveness I was given by Jesus on others. Even if I've never met them in person. James Gunn in his escapades was trying to be funny. It wasn't a good joke. But it's not worth holding a grudge against someone. He apologized and deserved a second chance.

I wouldn't say that Vol. 3 was a bad movie. I also can't say that its the weakest of the trilogy. But it is long. At exactly 150 minutes in length, I think we could have cut out about 20 minutes, which is pretty much the length of time the Guardians visit the Evolutionary's counter-Earth. What I was initially thinking was going to be the funniest part of the film just felt unnecessary to me. Based on the clip where Star Lord is trying to help Nebula open a car door, I was expecting much more of this movie to take place on our Earth and not a anthropomorphic duplicate created by the film's main antagonist.  The animal hybrids were pretty cool looking but I don't think we needed to see how they lived. I would have been totally fine with seeing these creatures walking about on the High Evolutionary's ship. 

As for the High Evolutionary, in comics, he's never been a character that appealed to me. But I thought actor Chukwudi Iwuji was great as the very unhinged bio-scientist. Another character that won me over in the film despite not being one I care much about in the books was Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. The British actor brought a naivety to the character for some much needed comic relief since Rocket spends about 2/3 of the movie in a coma. And I just love the Soviet era pooch with psychic powers, Cosmo. That dog stole every scene!

Although the film was very long, I didn't want the excitement to end. I really have grown to love these characters. As I don't have Disney+, I've never seen the Holiday Special. Maybe I will have that to look forward to this Christmas season. FX is showing streaming series such as Daredevil: Born Again. So maybe we'll get lucky! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Issues #48-50 of the first run of Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee are considered an American masterpiece. Even by scholars who wouldn't consider themselves a typical comic book reader. Today, I witnessed the first work of cinematic art to hot screens in decades. 

I got definite feels of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey during the first half of the film which leads up to the team of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm and a very pregnant Sue Storm to confronting Galactus as he consumes a planet light-years away before he heads to Earth for the main course. 

The Devourer will spare Earth if the Fantastic Four will surrender their unborn child to him. Sensing the child's great abilities, Galactus believes that the ageless one's unstoppable hunger will finally be sated with the Richards child taking his cosmic place as a natural balance of all things in the universe. 

I don't think it's much of a spoiler to reveal that Sue has the baby while attempting to escape Galactus since a trailer came out weeks ago where Reed Richards reveals to the human race that they refuse to bargain with him. That turning point then changes the feel of the entire movie. But it still manages to keep that masterpiece feel by now evoking feelings of The Grapes of Wrath, The Ox-Bow Incident and To Kill a Mockingbird as the Fantastic Four's sense of duty to the planet while maintaining a whole family unit is greatly explored as they try to find a way to defeat Galactus.

I know a lot about the Fantastic Four. They're in my top 5 favorite superheroes all-time. I've seen every cinematic incarnation of Marvel's First Family and read a ton of their books. So I feel that I can definitively say that it was refreshing to know all of the backstory and yet watch this film as having no clue where it was going. Honest. I was clueless about how this film was gonna end.

There's 3 reasons that helped me not feel like I've seen this story a million times before. No- 4! 

#1. The movie takes place in the 1960s. A few years AFTER the team goes into space and are bombarded by cosmic rays. So no oft repeating origin story other than a quick establishing montage.

#2. It takes place on an Earth different from the 616 universe we've experienced all those other Marvel Universe movies in the past 25 years.

#3. There's no appearance of Uatu, the Watcher, whose arguable meddling in the affairs of the human race, saves the Earth from Galactus. Also absent: Alicia Masters, whose sightless view of the good in humanity causes the Silver Surfer to betray Galactus in the process.

#4. By having the Silver Surfer be a different character than Norrin Radd, you have no idea as to whether or not this Surfer is 100% to Galactus or not. It makes the character more of a dark horse in the scheme of things, helping to keep things fresh.

I know that some fans threw literal fits with having a female cast as the Surfer. I thought Julia Gardner was really good. Ralph Ineson, who plays Galactus was very good as well. As for the FF, they were like this legendary meal I had in Philadelphia years ago prepared by Iron Chef Morimoto. Individually, each element was good but not great. Get two characters together, things start to come together. Three is hitting on fabulous. But put all 4 actors together, and it's like Morimoto's Chilean sea bass with Black Bean Sauce: it was Fantastic.

I was startled by how much Human Torch actor Joseph Quinn looked like a young Robert Downey Jr. As Downey is set to play a version of Doctor Doom, I couldn't help but wonder if that casting was intentional. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing was great when dealing with civilians. I could get used to a Ben with a beard. But he really needs to work on his battle cry of 'It's Clobbering Time!' as Ebon's was really weak.

Speaking of weak, actress Vanessa Kirby was anything but. I know that today's Sue Storm is a bad ass not to be trifled with. But when she first appeared in the 1960s, her role was less that of the Invisible Girl but more of the damsel in distress. Since the film occurs during a time when the sexual revolution is not even on most women's horizon, seeing Sue so determined and self-confident feels like an anachronism. 

As for Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards. I think it's time for him to stop being in every movie and franchise or we're going to get tired of him pretty soon. But he was good, too.

And I can't close this review without mentioning the 5th member of the team. No, not Franklin. I'm talking about H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot. Not since watching Star Wars have I been so invested in an android. I was going to be pissed if they killed him off and it was everything I could do to not pick up my phone during the film and make sure that H.E.R.B.I.E. survived. 

I would love to see this film again. But next time I do, I want to watch it at home where I can pause the screen and examine the backgrounds and the extras. I caught a few Easter eggs, like of Stan and Jack working away at Timely Comics. I'm sure I missed a ton in the opening montage scene. Plus it was so great of Marvel Studios to give a solid tribute at the end of the film to the King. Stan the Man always got the praise. It was about damn time that the applause for all for just Jolly Jack for once!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a masterpiece of film that deserves a view in the theater. But it's also a movie for true Marvel fans who will want to search over and over again  for clues and hidden gems like the Zapruder film.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Eternals

Thanks to my having DISH Network and the FX channel, I finally saw Eternals. Of the post-Stan and Jack Marvel projects created by Jack Kirby, it's the one I know least about. I'm more of a New Gods person. Coming out during the height of the pandemic in 2021 and my god son not having very much interest in seeing it, I bided my time waiting for it to come out in an affordable format. 

Eternals isn't really a Marvel movie that you have to watch or else you risk losing your place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. If anything, it helps to explain how Earth has legends such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and Icarus with his flying too close to the sun. Turns out it's all connected to the Eternals.

The Eternals are a group of powerful humanoid beings who are tasked by the mighty god-like Celestials to assist planets with their development. The Eternals have a monstrous counterpart called the Deviants that prey on humanity, preventing the natural evolution of things. Throughout the ages, the Eternals become the stuff of legend by the civilizations they save to the point of becoming the inspiration for the Greek gods as they claim to be from the planet 'Olympia'. 

Around the 1500s, the Eternals wipe out the last of the Deviants in Central America. With their mission seemingly complete, the Celestials haven't retrieved the Eternals back to Olympia yet. With nothing to do but wait, the group fractures into smaller cliques, assisting humanity until the the day they are called home. Now it's 2021 and when a pair of Eternals named Sersi and Sprite are attacked on the streets of London by a Deviant welding  encountered powers and abilities, they must reunite to end the Deviant menace once and forever if they ever want to return to Olympia.

Eternals is one of the lowest grossing and lowest rated of the Marvel live action films. One complaint I remember hearing was that it was a 'woke' movie. True, it's got a multi-ethnic cast that puts Sesame Street to shame. But I didn't feel like this was a movie that was preaching at me. I did however feel like it was a picture that was just way too long.

With a run time of over 2 and a half hours, it would be okay if it was action packed. But you've got 9 characters having to rediscover one another. Each time a new Eternal is introduced, you get an exciting introduction. And then you get about 20 minutes of each character lamenting how hard it is to be immortal. There is also a lot of melodrama with the Eternals struggling to accept the new reality they all face when it's revealed that the Celestials are not really whom they have seemed to be for millennia.

If you were to trim about a half hour of the repetitive speeches, you'd have yourself a fine little picture. I was excited to watch a Marvel movie that I knew very little backstory. I just wish it was a bit more faster paste. There's a lot of time jumps with flashback scenes lasting 15-20 minutes each. Plus not having any established Marvel characters involved makes for this movie to have a really odd pace to it.

But to finally see Jack Kirby get the solo credit he deserves for this film was long due in coming. Too bad there wasn't a tribute scene of a photo of him somewhere in the background. But at least, Stan Lee didn't steal the limelight from the King.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Superman (2025)

Superman, 2025.

James Gunn did NOT eff him up!

I had my doubts considering how much The Suicide Squad was more of a fart fest in line with the Troma films Gunn cut his movie teeth on. Superman was done with care, respect and awe.

I loved it.

The movie starts off with Superman already established for several years. Lex Luthor has been scheming since the Man of Steel's debut to bring Superman down and he just might have a perfect opportunity to pull such a feat off. Superman prevented a fictitious country called Boravia from invading a neighboring country. As Superman acted alone, without the approval of the United States government or even the United Nations, his actions have caused controversy to swirl over whether Superman acted on his own accord or in the public good as he claims to the press.

Luthor determines the location of Superman's Fortress of Solitude where he uncovers a secret message from Superman's Kryptonian parents that encourage him to rule the Earth as a god-like despot. Sharing the message with the news media, public opinion turns on Superman quickly. They especially don't like the part where Jor-El tells his son to continue the Kryptonian bloodline by filling a harem with as many fertile human wives as possible. 

Not wishing for further trouble, Superman turns himself in to the Department of Justice, in hopes of working things out. Only because Superman is an illegal alien and not subject to American law, plus the superpowers he can use to escape any prison, the Man of Tomorrow is turned into a private army called PlanetWatch which just happens to be funded completely by Lex Luthor!

I hear that President Trump hates this movie. He's condemned it as being 'woke'. Yet, there's nothing woke about this film. Superman's role on the international stage has been debated since his second ever appearance in Action Comics #2 when Superman prevented 2 warring European nations from starting another World War. Supe's immigration status has been a topic of discussion for at least 4 decades. Way before the term became the common vernacular used today. So really, what is 45 &47's problem with this movie?

I've seen every Superman movie ever made. He's my favorite superhero of all-time. I wear Clark Kent glasses and somehow my hair does a natural curly-cue. So I think I can attest that this was an entertaining movie that was nostalgic while pushing the Man of Steel into the 21st century. I know that I am going to be controversial when I say that I liked this Superman better than the Henry Cavill Superman! David Corenswet's Superman and Clark are in the tradition of Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh.

One reason our Commander in Chief isn't fond of the current Last Son of Krypton is because he's not a perfect specimen as he was created way back in 1938. I like that Superman isn't perfect. If he didn't have have weaknesses or made mistakes, he'd be boring. Just don't make him too flawed. Maybe like 97.8% perfect. James Gunn did a fine job keeping Superman a superior specimen while also keeping him relatable.

The real star of the film is Krypto, the super dog. Although in this film, he's a super mutt! We got the definitive Jimmy Olsen in actor Skyler Gisondo. While not a true ginger, we finally got a Jimmy with freckles. Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane wasn't bad. I got real Courtney Cox vibes off of her. Though, sadly I think she knows how to spell the word 'rapist'. Couldn't she at least once have called Clark 'Smallville'? I also really liked Wendell Pierce as Perry White. But then again, he's great in everything! It was so fun seeing this film be really heavy on journalism as that was one the things I loved about the Dean Cain/Terri Hatcher series from the 1990s.

I'm on the fence about Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor. He's way better than the last couple of actors to play Superman's arch-enemy on screen. But he was a little bit on the whiny side. This Lex is really intimidated by Superman despite being one of the most powerful men on Earth. Regardless, this Luthor is a real slime ball. 

Don't think that this is just a Superman movie. This is James Gunn's opening chapter into the new DC cinematic universe. Fans get to see Guy Gardner and Metamorpho in live action for the very first time while this is both Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific's big screen debut. Nathan Fillion was a perfect jackass. I can't wait to see Batman knock him out with one punch. Metamorpho was a character I remember my dad having a bunch of issues of when he was a kid and it brought back memories. As for Mister Terrific, I'm not very familiar with him as I don't read a lot of the more modern Justice Society stuff. But Edi Gathegi was terrific as the tech-saavy hero. I look forward to more of his character in future DC productions.

I loved this movie. It made me feel like a kid again. Though he's a bit more violent than all 4 Christopher Reeve Superman films combined. James Gunn's Superman may not be everyone's Man of Steel, but this film did something that recent movies haven't made me want to do in years: I wanted to buy tix for the next showing and see it again!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars. 

Shazam: Fury of the Gods

When it comes to their movies, DC has a god problem. Not God, the Almighty. Though, that's definitely something that could be debated at a later date. What I'm referring to are the gods that occupy the pages of DC Comics and the visual media adapted from them. With exception of Wonder Woman, her people of the island of Themyscira and her eternal foe, Ares the god of war, DC's heavenly hosts just don't manage to capture the imagination of theater goers like Thor, Loki and such do. 

What about the New Gods? They're pretty popular among fans! True. But the average person doesn't know the difference between Steppenwolf the character and Steppenwolf the band who brought us the hit song 'Born to Be Wild'. I argue that a lack of familiarity with the villains in Scott Snyder's Justice League doomed the film way more than Joss Whedon's interference with the final cut. And that's also what doomed Shazam: Fury of the Gods!

When 2019's Shazam concluded, we were teased with a potential team up between Doctor Sivana and that domineering worm, Mr. Mind. I was so pumped for the sequel. Even with the poor showing of The Rock's Black Adam movie, I was expecting the Big Red Cheese and his Shazam family to take on Sivana, Mind and Black Adam in this sequel. And if Adam wasn't in the picture, maybe we'd get that evil brute Ibac! Instead, we got 3 daughters of Atlas who I've never heard of before in my life!

The daughters are played by Helen Mirren, Lucy Lui and the controversial actress Rachel Zegler. Lucy Lui was pretty good as the menacing Kalypso. She played a really good psychopath. Zegler was okay. But her romance with Freddy Freeman made her predictable. And I think Helen Mirren is one heck of an actress. But I just don't see her playing the role of a titan/goddess out to punish humanity because they turned their backs on the old gods. In her prime, Mirren is just too nurturing. Throw in a magical apple, some tree of life that actually does just the opposite and a bunch of mythical creatures that are more bark than bite and I was seriously bored with a lot of this movie.

The beginning when the 'Shazamily' saves a crumbling bridge full of car riders to the tune of Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding Out For A Hero', had promise. The unexpected return to Djimon Hounsou as the supposedly dead wizard Shazam was warranted. I loved the banter between him and Freddy. And the ending with that very much needed cameo and the whole family enjoying the spoils of victory was a great way to end the film. But the middle was so complicated and I found myself fiddling around on my phone instead of paying attention to the movie. In fact: I recorded this film on my DVR in March, where I made it through the first 45 minutes. It wasn't until now in July that I finally got up the nerve (and care) to complete it. In all honesty, I just finished it so that I could review it and get the 2 hours back on my recorder.

Some are going to argue that the 2023 film bombed because of the pro-Trump platform of lead actor, Zachary Levi. It probably didn't help. But it didn't deter me from watching it in theaters. Out of this world ticket prices led me to wait for it to come on TV. (For those of you wanting to blame the pro-Palestinian comments of actress Rachel Zegler for this movie tanking, her comments came AFTER Fury of the Gods left both the silver screen and Pay-Per-View.) Really, what killed this movie was that it was smited by the gods. The deities of Egypt in Black Adam couldn't illicit an opening segue into more interest for the second Shazam picture. Using obscure Greek gods stuck a knife through its heart. As a result, James Gunn, with his new vision for the DC cinematic universe, buried any hopes of a third movie with what I suspect will be a blockbuster with the new Superman coming out tonight!

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

Alien³ #1-3 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

1992's third installment in the Alien movie series could have been so much better than what audiences received. Cyberpunk author William Gibson was originally tasked with writing a script that included elements of the Cold War, government corruption and religious fervor. Rushed to complete before a potential Hollywood strike, producers were unimpressed with Gibson's original treatment. They called it 'uninteresting'. So Fox Studios issued a number of rewrites. A film that was supposed to quickly capitalize on the success of James Cameron's 1986 action heavy sequel, Aliens, languished in pre-production for several years, resulting in some of it's stars to become unavailable or in the case of actress Carrie Henn, who played 12 year old survivor Newt; age out of their roles.

Alien³ would eventually see Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley crash landing on a former prison work colony along with a facehugger that survived from the previous film. Ripley believes that Newt's body is being inhabited by a Xenomorph embryo. However, an autopsy proves otherwise. That's because the facehugger choose another host - Ellen Ripley!

This 3-issue adaptation produced by Dark Horse Comics was written by Steven Grant. Except for some awkward translations of curse words into more comics friendly words and phrases, any qualms with the plot or scripting shouldn't be directed at Grant. The writer was tasked with a script that seemed doomed from the start. The same cannot be said about the artwork.

Pencils and inks for this mini were by Christopher Taylor and Rick Magyar. Their adult Xenomorph warrior referred to as a 'Dragon' Alien, because its 4-legged frame with a long tail was the result of bonding with the penal colony's guard dog, is impressive. But one has to wonder if Taylor and Magyar had ever seen either of the previous Alien films because their facehugger looked like a miniature Xenomorph with hair instead of an albino scorpion. 

Ripley looks like, well anyone but actress Sigourney Weaver. But at least the artists seemed not to confuse her with another actor. The oplikeness of Bishop looks more like Paul Reiser's character of Carter Burke, right down to the curly pompadour hairstyle and long trench coat! As for likenesses of the inmates, that's kinda hard to assess. They're pretty much all clones of one another as a lice infestation on the planet results in all of the colonists shaving their heads.

Alien³ would go on to make an estimate of $160-180 million dollars thanks in part to its Memorial Day weekend opening. Only the third installment in the Lethal Weapon series would outpace the space horror. Despite making three times as much as it's budget, the film is considered the worst of the Ripley films and tied with the franchise crossover Alien V. Predator: Requiem as the most underperforming of the franchise.

This would not be Weaver's final appearance in the Alien series. In 1997, she would return, this time as a clone, in Alien: Resurrection. Time would also see William Gibson returning to the franchise as a comic book writer. In 2018, Dark Horse published a 5-issue adaptation of what Alien³ could have been with William Gibson's Alien 3. 

The covers for Alien³ #1-3 were all painted by Arthur Suydam.    

Completing this review completes Task #7 (A Movie Adaptation) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

In the bonus scene at the end of the first Venom movie, fans were teased with the special appearance of Cletus Kasady; a deranged serial killer who would one day fuse with the spawn of the symbiote dwelling in Eddie Brock. The fusion would result in the deadly Carnage, whose red body is 10 times more powerful than that of the black alien being, Venom.

In this sequel from 2021, Venom and Eddie Brock are on the outs. Eddie is tired of being bonded to an alien creature that craves human brains. It hasn't been all bad, as Venom has helped Eddie regain some of the prestige he lost when his life spiraled out of control resulting in losing his investigative reporting job and girlfriend at the same time. Venom is growing bored with a diet of chocolate and raw chicken. But above all else, Venom wants to be appreciated for the ways he's changed Eddie's life for the better, despite a very schizophrenic living arrangement that puts Brock just a bit on edge. It all comes to a head when Venom takes off in search of a new host.

Eddie thinks that his life is finally getting back to normal. Maybe he'll even reconcile with his ex, Anne. However, it seems that Eddie and Venom are destined for each other once again when Kasady escapes from death row, bonded to Venom's DNA as the rampaging Carnage, and threatening to kill Anne unless Venom and Eddie sacrifice themselves to him!

Cletus Kasady/Carnage were the big draws for fans to hit the theaters. I admit, I was thrilled about the prospect when Woody Harrelson popped up on screen in the first film. But really what made this such an entertaining movie was the dialogue between Eddie Brock and Venom. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I learned that Venom was voiced not by Jai Michael White or Khary Payton but Eddie Brock himself, Tom Hardy! When a single actor plays 2 roles on screen at the same time, there's always a time lag that ruins the illusion. Yet, here, they've managed to make it work so seamlessly. And the two characters are written so well. I'd subscribe to a podcast of just Brock and Venom going back and forth at it. They're so hysterical together.

Another plus for the sequel is the director. CGI and blue screen icon Andy Serkis. I for one applaud his efforts. Finally, they're was a comic book movie that didn't use slo-mo during the action scenes. Plus, Serkis really seemed to understand the whole dual nature of both Venom and Carnage with their subsequent hosts. Which makes sense considering the troubled nature of Serkis' most iconic starring roll: Gollum/Smeagol!

Take out the credits, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage is 90 minutes of fun. It's also got a heavy true crime vibe to it as Brock tries to uncover where Cletus Kasady hid the bodies of all his victims during his murder spree. Really, it we could have just had Eddie and Venom kicking the crap out of each other and the crime angle, I would have been just fine with it as the movie. Harrelson's character actually was lessened when he fuses into Carnage. 

That's right: I could have done without the Carnage. I'd be a bigger fan of this movie without Kasady becoming Carnage. Though I doubt very many audiences would have shown up for Venom: Let There Be Cletus. 

There remains 1 more Venom film. I honestly can't believe that Let There Be Carnage came out in 2021. I could have sworn this film was from 2023. I didn't go to a lot of comic book films during the height of COVID and in a way I'm glad. So many haven't been all that great. With ticket prices being so freaking expensive, I'd rather wait a while and see it later on for free. I think I would have hated this movie if I paid $12 to see it in the theater. Besides, I obviously didn't wait that long to see it, since I thought it only came out about 18 months ago.

Worth Consuming!

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Morbius

I'm not sure why 2022's Morbius got so much hate. The film isn't very long, clocking in at about 1 hour and 40 minutes. An origin story, it doesn't drag things out too badly. The plot is pretty cut and dry.  Jared Leto's acting is way better than his Joker from Suicide Squad. Matt Smith is fantastic. The visual effects are pretty good. With exception of just 1 fight scene, the dreaded slo-mo effects are virtually non-existent in the movie. In fact, it's a pretty fast paced action horror movie that seems more on par to star Wesley Snipe's hybrid vampire hunter, Blade than being a Sony Pictures film set in the Spidey-verse. 

So why am I not singing it's praises? Mainly, because I was so bored with this movie.

I DVR'd Morbius last Thanksgiving. I had passed on going to see it in theaters because of how much hate the movie was getting in the reviews as well as my social media feeds. Going to the movies has gotten so expensive, if it's not something I'm thrilled to watch, I'm not going to suggest my godson and I go out to see it. I tried watching it during the holiday break. Then again at Christmas until finally finishing it yesterday. I just couldn't get into it.

The story of Morbius is fairly simple. Guy with a rare and crippling blood disorder becomes a doctor in hopes of curing himself. Using vampire bat DNA, Dr. Michael Morbius develops a cure. Only, it turns him into a living vampire. One who must consume blood in order to live; with all of the powers and none of the weaknesses of the traditional vampire. 

It all sounds a lot like the story of the Batman nemesis Man-Bat. It also sounds very similar to the origin story of another Spider-Man villain, the Lizard, who's work with iguana DNA in hopes of restoring his missing arm instead transforms the scientist into a rampaging reptile! While all 3 of these characters are certainly tragic figures, what separates Morbius from the others is that as far as I know, he's never been cured of his secondary affliction. To this day, Morbius struggles with the endless blood lust that boils inside of him, preventing him from becoming full vampire. 

If I had my choice to be able to affordably own the first comic book appearance of the Lizard, Man-Bat or Morbius, I'd choose Morbius every time. His role in the Legion of Monsters and Midnight Sons has made him such a bad ass character. Plus, he's got such a freaking awesome appearance and super cool looking costume design by legendary Gil Kane. For some reason, that level of excitement just didn't transfer very well onto the screen for me.

There's 2 extra scenes. I had to search for them on YouTube as the channel I recorded the movie from omitted them. Those 2 scenes piqued my interest into the potential of a Secret Six movie finally coming to fruition. However, I'm starting to think that if you can't use your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in the film, there's really no point for these movies. A good villain can sell tickets. But if he doesn't have a greater hero to battle, it won't be entertaining. 

In other words, despite being a fan favorite character, not every Marvel based friend or foe deserves their own movie. Maybe it's time for Sony to let Spider-Man remain at the House of Mouse along with all his amazing friends...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

RoboCop: The Official Adaptation (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

There's an infamous scene in 1987's RoboCop in which a thug with a gun holds a woman hostage. The cyborg officer orders the man to drop his weapon. But when the criminal refuses, Robocop shoots him in a very delicate area of the male anatomy.

That scene is recreated here in this comic book adaptation of the blockbuster futuristic sci-fi starring Peter Weller as the title character. However, this being a Marvel Comic, the events were changed slightly with the gunman being shot in the shoulder from RoboCop's computer accurate targeting system.

Bob Harras wrote the script based on the screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Alan Kupperberg and Javier Saltares penciled. It tells of a dystopian Detroit in which crime is so bad, it's police forcehad to be privatized by the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products. Recently, a crime wave resulting in the deaths of nearly 30 Detroit cops has lowered morale to the point that the officers are ready to go on strike. That's just what corrupt executive Dick Jones is hoping for. Without humans to police the city, he can patrol Detroit with his robotic drones, the double-barreled ED-209. If the program is a success, Dick will certainly become the new head of OCP, allowing him to put a massive real estate plan into action. However, when the tank like robot malfunctions, killing a junior OCP exec, the project is shelved to make way for the RoboCop project.

After the death of Detroit's newest boy in blue, the idealistic Murphy, OCP rushes to harvest his body in order to create their first prototype. Supposedly wiped of the memory of his previous life, RoboCop becomes a one-man army against crime. While on a patrol, RoboCop comes face-to-face with one of his murderers, bringing back memories of his life as Murphy and setting the robotic law enforcer on a course of revenge against the gang of men who killed him. 

Marvel Comics hadn't been a stranger to issuing adaptations of R-rated films. However, when originally cut by director Paul Verhoven, the 109 minute long feature was rated-X for gory violence. Scenes of one character turning into a mutated blob thanks to a run-in with RoboCop and a tank of toxic ooze were considered off-the-table for censors. But the director stood firm in his original version of the movie, that is until his kids watched it. 

Verhoven had intentionally tried to make the scenes of gore as well as Murphy's torturous murder, a bit on the farcical side in order to undercut the level of violence. But the director might have gone a little too overboard in his level of surrealism, as his children reportedly laughed their heads off watching the heroes tragic death. Another round of edits and the film garnered not only an R-rating, but also elicited a feeling of unease among the audience of the new cut.

In 1990, Marvel would produce a monthly series continuing the adventures of Murphy and Lewis. The ominous OCP would be portrayed as more considerate of the public good while continuing with their gentrification project, Delta City. This series ran for 23 issues. Marvel would also release a 3-issue miniseries adaptation of the inevitable sequel before losing the franchise license to Dark Horse sometime in early 1992. 

After Dark Horse, RoboCop sat dormant as a comic book character until publisher Avatar Press gained the rights in 2006. Frank Miller, who worked the screenplay for RoboCop 2 and 3 wrote the new series which was based on Miller's rejected storyline for the sequel as well as unused concepts developed for the threequel. As of 2018, Boom! Studios was the last comic book publisher of the franchise, releasing the 5 issue miniseries RoboCop: Citizens Arrest. Nothing new starring Future of Law Enforcement has been released in this current decade.

This book is a colorized reprint of the official 1987 adaptation which was presented in magazine form.

Completing this review completes Task #11 (Pick a Long Box and Read the 6th Book in the Box) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

When Tim Burton's Beetlejuice came out in 1988, I didn't really understand it. I liked the concept of a newly deceased couple navigating the afterlife as well as trying to extricate an annoying living family from their home. However, the movie was called Beetlejuice and the title character is only in the movie for 17 minutes! My 11 year old brain couldn't understand why Beetlejuice was so rarely in his own movie. So I ended up becoming a fan of the cartoon series as well as the action figures.  They were amazing sculpts! As I got older and became a fan of Tim Burton movies, I understood the reason behind the character's absence and it eventually became one of those movies I can't pass up if I see it while flipping channels.

We jump ahead to 36 years later and Beetlejuice returns to the screen after several decades of rumors of a sequel. While the main character still isn't in every scene, Beetlejuice is in enough of the movie that my younger self would have been satisfied. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice debuted last month, breaking records for films that opened in September. I kept wanting to go to the theaters but I was either too busy or not wanting to fight the crowds. At least my wait wasn't too long as it finally showed up on Amazon Prime and Youtube Premium for my bride and I do give it a Halloween time viewing from the comfort of home. 

In the time since the first film, Lydia Deetz has cashed in on her ability to see ghosts. After helping the Maitlands successfully cross over to the afterlife, Lydia could still see ghosts and became a psychic arbitrator between the living and the dead. Despite starring her own reality TV show, her teenage encounter with Beetlejuice has left Lydia a pill-popping neurotic wreck who has PTSD fears of being reunited with her one-time fiance poltergeist. A widow, Lydia is estranged from her daughter Astrid, who thinks Lydia is a fraud because she never can communicate with her dead husband. Living in New York City, Lydia and her daughter must return to Winter River after the tragic death of her father. However, as Lydia begins to clear the house of her father's possessions, the single mom begins to have horrifying visions of a ghost dressed in a black and white striped suit. With every passing moment, it becomes clear: Beetlejuice is nigh!

Almost the entire original cast returns for this film. Michael Keaton is a treasure! The only major exception is Jeffrey Jones, who played Lydia's father in the original film. However, his criminal past of possessing child pornography meant that his involvement in the film was not to be. Despite this, you do see photos of Jones as Lydia's father at the funeral and his voice is used in at least 1 scene.

There's a few new players to the Beetlejuice universe. Justin Theroux plays Lydia's manager and human fiance. I thought it was interesting having Theroux in this film as it was produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment. Both Pitt and Theroux were married to Jennifer Aniston! Imagine the conversations between these two! Monica Bellucci plays Beetlejuice's vengeful wife, thus shedding some light on the main character's origins. Willem Dafoe is an afterlife detective trying to find Beetlejuice's former lover before she can send him to his final reward!

I liked being able to know when and where Beetlejuice came from. But I felt that Monica Bellucci's character was unnecessary. True, without her, that would make Dafoe's character also unneeded and he was some great comic relief. Still, I felt that her parts in this movie didn't really move the plot along other than telling us about the main characters life before the afterlife.

This has got to be one of the most Tim Burton movies filled with the most un-Burton like scenes and music. Thankfully, we get the great Danny Elfman doing the main score. There's stop motion. There's a slew of oddball dead characters. There's another dance scene. But it's no 'Banana Boat' scene. I'm guessing the Harry Belafonte estate wasn't willing to license out other songs of his. 

One thing that I just adored about this film is that it takes place during Halloween. It was seasonal to get to watch it here during the middle of October. Hopefully, it will become an annual favorite. I'd watch it again. It was a nostalgic sequel without being too repetitive of the original. If anything it felt more like a continuation of the Saturday morning cartoon series in which Beetlejuice and Lydia were good friends. Having a 600 year old plus ghost with the hots for a teenage girl is kinda icky. But as friends from differ sides of the doorway to the great beyond felt more comfortable for those of us who got up freakin' early every Saturday to watch a cartoon classic!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 of 10 stars.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. Hugh Jackman once again as Wolverine, despite claims that he was done with the character. Together on screen, finally... In correct costumed form!

While it was every Marvel fans dream to see comic book accurate versions of the Merc With a Mouth and Logan together on the silver screen, this wasn't my favorite Deadpool movie. That's because with Disney finally in charge of the two mutant properties, the reigns on Reynolds and Jackman were removed and they went into full berserker mode. 

Parents and guardians, you really shouldn't take a young child to a rated R movie. That being said, this is one R rated superhero film that no children under the age of 17 should be escorted to. The blood and violence was set to 11. There were so many F-words, I didn't know if Quentin Tarantino wrote the script or would have blushed at the shear volume. Lots of sexually graphic talk, especially from Deadpool. Though of the 3 movies in the franchise thus far, no nudity. 

'The material to be expected from a Deadpool movie,' is something you might say in regards to my alarm. However, I read a lot of Deadpool and a fair amount of X-Men stuff. No matter how many Explicit Material warnings Marvel might put on their edgier books, I've only encountered Wade Wilson or Wolverine using the F-bomb once each in comics and both were graphic novels and not monthly issues.  The level of violence; okay, I'll grant you that. But the sexual innuendo is way tamer even in comics rated Mature 

A lot has been made saying that Deadpool & Wolverine is a farewell letter to the FOX Universe of Marvel movies. I can agree to this and with the level of cameos surprises hidden in this roughly 2 hour film, I don't want to give away too much. Seeing the film just 5 days after the premiere, I am happy to say that there still were a few cameos and Easter eggs left that hadn't been ruined by social media. Be on the look out for a great sight gag that lambastes Rob Liefeld's inability to draw feet! Also, I will say that I wouldn't be surprised if you see some characters from FOX's ownership of movie rights return to the big screen because if anything, this movie basically ushered those films of the last 30 years into the Disney fold.

The TVA, Time Variance Authority, from Disney+'s Loki series plays a huge role in the movie. It's another one of those situations where you don't have to watch the 2 seasons of Loki to understand what's going on; but it helps. And I can definitively say without giving too much away: if you don't like the multiverse, then you will hate this movie. 

I don't mind the multiverse. In fact, I really enjoy Marvel's What If series. Deadpool & Wolverine doesn't just pay respect to the FOX Cinematic Universe of Marvel Movies; it also pays great tribute to the comics. Don't worry- the Wolverine who died in 2017's Logan is still dead. Though his body isn't resting peacefully, I can tell you that. Still, if you are the fan who's having trouble sleeping at night because Robert Downey Jr. is going to be playing a version of Tony Stark as Doctor Doom, it's probably best for you to watch something else.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Deep #1; A Marvel Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Fresh off the success of Stephen Spielberg's Jaws, studios rushed to secure the movie rights to more works by Peter Benchley. There was just one problem. Benchley didn't have anything else in his repertoire yet. Jaws was the author's first and only book. 

The author did have an idea floating around in his head for a new book. Based on the wrecking of the American naval ship, the USS Constellation sinking atop a Civil War vessel, Benchley crafted a story that combined elements of illegal drug smuggling with treasure hunting. Benchley soon began working on The Deep after the success of Jaws. Immediately afterwards, Columbia Pictures secured the rights to the book, despite not being published yet. 

Benchley worked with screenwriter Tracy Keenan Wynn, fleshing out the screenplay while working on the finished manuscript. The Deep is about a couple who stumble upon a shipwreck off the coast of Bermuda that is not listed on any maps. Because of explosives aboard the USS Goliath that was sunk during a squaw in the 1940s, the wreck has been declared off limits. As the divers also find an 18th Century medallion, it appears that a legendary shipwreck containing a fabled assortment of jewels and gold has been uncovered due to a recent storm surge.

Treasure hunter Romer Treece, hopes to go back to the wreckage to uncover more Spanish treasure in which the provenance would be worth the price of the booty times 10! Island gangster Cloche, wants the countless ampules of morphine said to rest in the hold of the Goliath. With a street value of over $3 million dollars, Cloche hopes to become a wealthy man and forces the trio of divers to recover the drugs from the wreckage in 3 days or else! Now Treece must secretly recover the Spanish treasure while recovering the morphine or else Cloche will end up with everything in his greedy grasp.

 In 1976, The Deep debuted in bookstores, a minor success, not quite on par with Jaws. A year later, the film debuted in theaters. It earned over $100 worldwide and would have been the 7th highest grossing movie of 1977 if not for a little film called Star Wars taking the world by storm.

The Deep starred Robert Shaw, fresh from playing the expert shark hunter Quint in Jaws, Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset. Shaw's character of Treece was based on renowned deep sea explorer, Teddy Tucker who gave Peter Benchley the inspiration about the overlapping shipwrecks. Tucker has a small cameo role as the Harbor Master. Benchley also cameos in a scene set during the Goliath's floundering but was ultimately cut from the final print. Young, handsome Nick Nolte adds some rugged gravitas to the film. An assortment of underwater monsters and action never before seen on screen added to the excitement behind the film. But it was a marketing campaign featuring Jacqueline Bisset that was perhaps the film's biggest draw.

During a key underwater scene, Bisset wears only a white T-shirt and black g-string. Someone on the production team snagged a photo of Bisset in her underwater and the image was used in gentlemen's magazines to advertise The Deep. Plans were in the works were produce a poster of the image. It perhaps would have rivaled the red bikini shot of Farrah Fawcett, but Bisset was successful in preventing the sale of the unauthorized image.

With the ban of the poster, Marvel's 48-page comic adaptation is one of the few authorized officially licensed tie-ins to the film. In fact, with exception of a tie-in print of the novel complete with full color photos from the movie and a LP album featuring music by compose John Barry, this is the only licensed product that can be found that was released the year of the film's debut.

The comic tie-in, printed under the 'Marvel Movie Special' banner was penned by Doug Moench. Carmine Infantino provided the pencils with inks by Sonny Trinidad.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (Published the Year You Were Born) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

I really enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife. But I think I am more of a fan of the newest film in the series, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. For one thing, there is way more presence of the original Ghostbusters in this 2024 film. Sure, the ghost of Egon was a major character in Afterlife. But his spectral form was executed by body doubles, special effects tricks and CGI. In Afterlife, when it came to the still living cast of Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson, you saw them on screen 4 to 5 minutes tops. With much expanded roles in this film, it really felt like a Ghostbuster movie. I just hope it's not the last one in the series.

Egon's daughter and grandchildren have been given the reins on the Ghostbuster empire by their benefactor, Winston Zeddmore. Along with Oklahoman science teacher Gary Grooberson, the Spenglers live in the old firehouse, chasing ghosts in the Ecto-1 with the same old aging equipment. Facing major backlash from former EPA inspector Walter Peck who is now the mayor of New York, young Phoebe Spengler must stop busting spirits until she turns 18 or the whole endeavor will be shut down.

Meanwhile, a young man clearing out his grandmother's apartment brings what he thinks is some old junk from her home country of India over to Ray's Occult Books. Hoping to make a few dollars, the man, played by Kumail Nanjiani, sells to Ray Stantz an orb made of brass that secretly imprisons a demigod from ancient times long before the birth of Christ.

For centuries, the orb had been housed safely away from the sounds of human voices. Now out in the open, the vibrations of the outside world are awakening the powerful god, who grows stronger with every sound the orb encounters. As this monster arises, the ghosts of the Big Apple are stirring, which causes the Ghostbusters original containment unit to start malfunctioning. The last time the unit shut down was in 1984 and it almost destroyed in entire city what with Gozer, people turning into demonic dogs and a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man terrorizing Manhattan. Only now, add to it a kingdom of ice that threatens to chill every last man, woman and child down to their very souls!

The weakest character in the movie was the precocious Phoebe played by McKenna Grace. Grace shined in the last movie. However, by putting her on the sidelines from active Ghostbusting, we get this typical teen angst trope that makes just about everything she does predictable. 

I was pleasantly surprised by Nanjiani. I usually can't stand him because every time I see him, he's got this disgusted look on his face like he just smelt a fart. However, he's got this loopiness that has been missing from the franchise since Rick Moranis' retirement from acting as the lovable loser Louis. Sigourney Weaver is also absent from this movie. But we get a big dose of Annie Potts' Jeanine this time around. Sadly, even though she finally dressed up as a Ghostbuster and even wears a modified blaster gauntlet, we never get to see her use the down thing. 

The last scene kinda sets up a 6th film. Fans have been talking about a proposed 'Ghostbusters International' film or cartoon series for a very long time. If what Winston hints at at the end of Frozen Empire is any hint, we might finally get to see what it's like taking down ghosts in places like Japan, England and maybe even Antarctica! Even if we don't get that premise, you can at least delight in a film that is probably about as close to a live-action version of Extreme Ghostbusters as we'll ever get. Only instead of Egon as the leader of the next gen of busters, it's Winston. And yet, it feels right. 

One More Movie! One More Movie! One More Movie!

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Alien Nation Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the year 1988, a space ship lands in the American Mojave Desert. The ship contains 300,000 inhabitants in suspended animation. These residents were slaves en route to their slavers home world but the guidance system malfunctioned, taking them into our solar system.

3 years later, these 'newcomers' have been granted refugee status. Many have settled into the Los Angeles area. Some found employment in the police force. Thanks to a government mandate, one of the newcomers is to be promoted to be the LAPD's first detective. Earthling Matthew Sykes volunteers to be Detective Francisco's new partner, after his partner was murdered in a shootout during a newcomer robbery.

Sykes has been ordered to not investigate his former partner's murder. Instead, He and Francisco follow the lead of an anomaly found on the body of one of the robbers. As some of the newcomer suspects in the case wind up dead, the detectives uncover a drug ring targeted at newcomers. Based on an opioid used to make the newcomer slaves more docile and subservient, Francisco knows a secret about it's overuse that could threaten the uneasy peace between humans and aliens. Working against orders, Sykes and Francisco rush to locate the new drug and destroy it before the drug can reach the newcomer market.

Alien Nation was a live-action sci-fi film produced by 20th Century Fox. James Caan starred as Detective Sykes. Mandy Patinkin portrayed newcomer Detective Sam Francisco, later named 'George' by Sykes. The film, an allegory for race relations and immigration, was directed by English director Graham Baker. 

DC Comics released a full-color adaption of the film. Martin Pasko adapted the screenplay crafted by Rockne S. O'Bannon, who would go on to create fan favorite series such as Seaquest DSV and Farscape. Pencils were by Jerry Bingham. The 55-pager bears images that look nothing like the stars, probably due to licensing reasons. The comic bears some gun violence and mild drug use. However, it's nowhere near as in-your-face as the scenes from the R-rated feature.

Alien Nation was a moderate hit that grew a cult following. In 1989, Fox aired a TV series based on the motion picture. Though one of the fledgling networks few early successes, production of the series was high and advertising dollars sparse. Despite ending the 22 episode first season on a cliffhanger, the show was cancelled. 

From 1990-92, Malibu Comics released several 4-issue minis based on the film, under their Adventure Comics imprint. Around the same time, Pocket Books released over a dozen tie-in novels. Thanks to those books, as well as a letter writing campaign through TV Guide, enough interest was garnered for 5 TV movies; the first of which resolved the cliffhanger of the newcomer's controllers returning for their escaped slaves whom have enjoyed several years of freedom on Earth.

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A sci-fi movie adaptation) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny

Barring a surprise announcement from Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, Disney or Harrison Ford, the Indiana Jones franchise comes to a close with the Dial of Destiny. I for one was okay with how it ended, bringing some things full circle with Archaeologist Dr. Henry Jones Jr. Indiana to his friends. 

At 2 hours and 34 minutes, the film is long. But I didn't really feel like any scenes were extraneous. There were a few characters that just didn't need to be in the film, like a couple of bumbling CIA agents whose roles in the movie do nothing to progress the action. But overall, I enjoyed the film. 

Everybody knows that the best Indy movies involve the hero taking on the Nazis. But part of that charm is in how Indy has to save religious artifacts with God imbued powers from falling into Adolph Hitler's hands. Fans will not want the Fuhrer to obtain the spear that pierced Christ's side which is shown as the item Indy and Shaw are trying to retrieve from the Third Reich at the beginning of this film. I'd say 75% of American audiences know nothing about the Dial of Archimedes nor do they really care why Hitler wants it so bad, despite it being a good rule of thumb being anything that Hitler wants, Hitler shouldn't get.

The Dial of Archimedes was found in a Greek shipwreck in 1901. An ancient early computer, the device, while obviously far from intact, could take amazingly precise measurements of the phases of the moon, along with numbers that coincide with the orbits of Saturn and Venus. While we don't know a lot about the device other than speculation, many experts agree that Archimedes or a member of his school of thought developed what is commonly called the Antikythera mechanism. Though for that sake of this film, the evil Jurgen Voller believes that the device is a time machine that will help him go back in time and help the Nazis win the war with his advanced rocket knowledge earned through his assistance with NASA's Apollo project. 

To help defeat Voller's Neo-Nazis, Phoebe Waller-Bridge joins the franchise as Indy's goddaughter Helena Shaw. A lot was made to how she would be the female Indiana Jones in early press about her casting. A ton of fuss was made over the announcement. It's not like Indy was turning into a woman or anything like that. One thing the actress had that Harrison Ford didn't was that she was younger. A lot of the action and stunts were done by her instead of the 80 something Ford. It's kinda like how the character of Harry was added to the first year of the Fourth Doctor's run on Doctor Who. Initially, the producers weren't sure if Tom Baker would be up to all those stunts and so the younger Ian Marter was brought on board just in case. Hence, the addition of the much younger and not as ethical Helena to the film.

This isn't to say that Harrison Ford's older Indiana Jones doesn't get involved in fisticuffs against Nazis during World War II and 1969. CGI deaged Harrison Ford in an action packed opening scene that explains why Mads Mikkelsen's Jurgen Voller spends nearly 25 years searching for an ancient artifact that the average modern moviegoer knows nothing about. That scene set during the last days of Hitler's Germany also introduces Helena's father, Dr. Shaw, played by Toby Jones. It shows how Indy and Shaw developed a closeness to each other and stumbled upon part of the fabled Dial of Archimedes. Plus, fans are now introduced to Helena Shaw who wasn't even hinted about in any of the 4 previous movies.

A knowledge of the franchise is sorely needed. Especially if you are to believe that Indiana Jones can survive all these explosions and close calls. One has to remember that Indy once drank from the Holy Grail. Though Indy had to stay with the grail to become 100% immortal, his drinking from the cup bestows him not just longer life, but it also makes him a lot more durable than the average 70 year old (Indiana Jones' canon birth date is July 1, 1899). However, instead of Helena Shaw, couldn't we have gotten Key Hu Quan to return as Indy's Temple of Doom sidekick, Short Round? Or at least have him helping along with Shaw?

I think there was a lot of speculation that Phoebe Waller-Bridge would continue the Indiana Jones franchise as Helena Shaw. It definitely felt like this movie was a pilot to set her up as the heir apparent. While this 2023 film earned over $380 million, in this day and age, those numbers ranks Dial of Destiny as being a flop. I for one would like to see the franchise continue. Disney seems all about streaming right now. I'd be in Heaven with a series starring Short Round all grown up as an archaeologist in the 1970s. Maybe make it a team-up with Helena Shaw and her sidekick, the teen pickpocket Teddy. Key Hu Quan is a hot property once again thanks to winning that Oscar last year and I know for a fact my wife and I would watch it!

A lot to consider. 

This is the first Indiana Jones film to be made without Spielberg or Lucas being directly involved. Stephen Spielberg didn't even direct. Indy 5 was helmed by James Mangold. While Mangold tries to pepper in a ton of Easter eggs from the previous 4 films, the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series and even some of the comics, Dial of Destiny lacks that magic of a Spielberg picture. This is probably why we never get Short Round in this movie. It's also why the film didn't have that staying buzz in the theaters after the first week. I think it needs to be a law: Only Spielberg can direct Indiana Jones movies.

For those of you who held off on going to the theaters for Dial of Destiny and aren't willing to subscribe to Disney+ in order to view it, this film is currently streaming on a few platforms, including YoutubeTV where I saw it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2023)

For some reason, I didn't get to see this movie when it came out last year. Was it streaming only and I didn't subscribe to it? That seems right. Not being able to see the sequel to 1983's A Christmas Story is one reason why I read In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash instead last year. Thankfully, this year, it was showing a couple of times on Freeform or some other cable channel and that I didn't have to wait 3-5 for it to debut for regular customers. 

There have been at least 2 other sequels to A Christmas Story. 1994's It Runs in the Family, later retitled A Summer Story is set in the summertime. It has a couple of actors from the 1983 film as well as Jean Shepherd narrating. Then there's the direct to video A Christmas Story 2 which is considered by many to be a stinker. (I've never seen it.) Though touted as an official sequel to the first A Christmas Story, it's not at all based on any of Jean Shepherd's writings. Considering that and the fact that the creator of these characters died 3 year's prior with no involvement in the 2012 movie, let us decree that A Christmas Story Christmas is the true third film in the trilogy.

The movie opens in the early 70s. Ralph is married with 2 kids living in the Chicago area. He's taking a gap year to try his hand at becoming a writer. Only none of the publishers based in the Windy City want to touch his 2,000 page sci-fi manuscript. If he cannot get his book published by new year's, Ralph will have to go back to a regular 9-to-5 job and give up his dream of becoming an author. 

Ralph's parents are due to drive up to spend Christmas with him and his family when he receives the news that the Old Man, deftly played originally by the legendary Darren McGavin, has passed away. In turn, this means that Ralph's family will instead go back to his hometown of Hohman, Indiana to spend the holidays. 

Wanting to capture the Christmas magic his father was known to be a master of, Ralph plans to make this the best Christmas ever for his wife and kids. With the help of his old friends Schwartz and Flick, Ralph's got some great things planned. But as family injuries mount up, the Christmas presents bought at Higbee's wind up getting stolen and a pair of bullies on snowmobiles terrorizing the neighborhood, Ralph is at his breaking point where he's got writer's block crafting his most important work ever: the Old Man's obituary. 

A Christmas Story Christmas doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 film, which in my mind is a classic. A lot of other people now think of it as one of the best holiday films of all-time. Only I was a fan when it came out on video for the first time in 1984. I didn't have to let it grow on me to love it as others have had to recently. The 1983 film is in my top 3 for sure. While the 2022 follow-up didn't even make it into the top 10 of my favorite holiday movies, it did capture the magic of the first film very, very well.

Having most of the original cast helped. Peter Billingsley was Ralph, only older. I'm not sure if that was his natural voice or he did an accent; but he sounded so much like Jean Shepherd, especially during the narration of the movie. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz brought the humor of the best friends Flick and Schwartz, now older but still driving each other crazy. I won't spoil any further cameo treats.

In terms of new actors added to the mix, I thought Julie Hagerty was great as Ralph's mom. Don't get me wrong, Melinda Dillon who played Mom Parker in the first movie was fantastic. I understand that due to her poor health, Dillon was unable to participate. But Hagerty brought that dry humor that made her such a great character in the Airplane films, to the role. I thought the actors who played Ralph's kids were amazing as well. Though, Ralph's son Mark, looks like his real father might actually be town barkeep Flick. Henry Miller who played former high school quarterback turned barfly Larry Novick, stole every scene he was in. And then there was Ralph's wife.

Erinn Hayes plays Ralph's bride Sandy. She's known for playing this more sophisticated wife to schlubby husbands. I don't know why they keep using her for that kind of role. Ralph isn't a schlub. Never has been. He's a dreamer that just can't figure out how to make his dreams become realities. Hayes, while not portraying her normal boorish character, just didn't fit in with the rest of the cast. 

I loved the ending. It, along with probably 90% of the other scenes in this film paid homage to the first movie. I wouldn't mind revisiting Hohman, Indiana again. Both for a rewatch and for a potential series. There's so much material from Jean Shepherd that could be used as a limited series that went back and forth from the depression era to the 1970s. Though, I imagine with the absence of McGavin, who plays a massive part in this movie, despite having passed about 15 years prior, might make the earlier stuff unfilmable. Still, I hope this isn't the end of the A Christmas Story original cast in these roles, because it really feels like more is on the horizon. 

Maybe not a new classic for the holidays. But it's definitely a film that warrants watching to catch up on the Parker family and their friends after A Christmas Story comes to a close with the eating of Chinese turkey. Mini Marathon, people!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.