Top 5 DC Films (SPOILERS)

For every Marvel contribution, there's a touch of DC to even out the playing field. As I mentioned in my last post, Marvel and DC are the pantheons of the comic book industry. Of course, this list is for the movies, so I'll be picking five films that truly stand out as the best DC has to offer, starting with:

5. Superman: The Movie: Now let me get this out of the way: I've never enjoyed Superman as much as I do others. Compared to many of the other heroes that populate the comic book world, he stands out as the most simple and therefore the most boring to me. However, I do enjoy his supporting cast and his rogues gallery even more, so I can't say I outright boycott anything related to the character. All that being said, I do enjoy some depictions of him in the media, with my personal favorite (and the one for many others as well) being the 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve. Reeve, for all intents and purposes, IS Superman, as he not only nails the part of making Superman charming, likable, and heroic, but he also manages to maintain the part that makes him human and relatable, which is important when dealing with a character like this. While it's quite clear that he's the star, he's also backed by an amazing supporting cast, with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor being standouts. All in all, this is a truly great interpretation of the Man of Steel. And who can forget the theme song!

Best Moment: Superman turns back time

4. Wonder Woman: The DCEU has had it rough the past few years. Thankfully, their bad luck has finally changed with this movie. Wonder Woman is fantastic in that unlike the previous DCEU films, it has a hopeful, optimistic tone that makes one feel good about the future, and Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman just as much as Christopher Reeve is Superman. Backed by Chris Pine and a terrific supporting cast, Gadot really brings things to the next level. While the villains were underdeveloped, the romance was a little rushed, and the DCEU still has a lot of fixing to do before it can truly be saved, Wonder Woman is a true standout and one that will be fondly remembered for times to come! Please don't let its success go to waste, Justice League!

Best Moment: No Man's Land

Click here to read my review for "Wonder Woman"

3. Batman: Before The Dark Knight, before Ben Affleck, there was one definitive Batman movie and one definitive Live-Action Batman. Michael Keaton does a fantastic job in the role, and the whole movie has a great story and cast to put it all together. Of course, who could forget Jack Nicholson as the Joker? Quite frankly, as fantastic as Heath Ledger was, I feel Nicholson felt closer to capturing the true spirit of the character even if he is no Mark Hamill. All in all, this movie was very well done and memorable, and like Superman: The Movie has a theme song that fits the character and his world so well!

Best Moment: "I'm Batman"

2. Watchmen: Zack Snyder is an extremely divisive director when it comes to comic book movies and this movie may be just as divisive as him. Watchmen is a monumental work of fiction in the comic book industry so this movie had a lot to live up to. For the most part, fortunately, I think they did a damn good job. It's about as faithful as it could be with changes that I feel were necessary, because quite frankly, how exactly were they going to work the giant squid from the end into the movie? This movie also has a great cast, with the clear standout being Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Watchmen is a story unlike anything in comic book history, and I think the movie did a fine job replicating it as faithfully as possible.

Best Moment: "Men get arrested, dogs get put down"

And my favorite DC movie (or movies) is...

1. The Dark Knight Trilogy: What can be said about these movies that hasn't already been said? This series is not only the greatest DC movie trilogy, but one of the greatest movie trilogies period, so it was too hard to pick just one! With Batman Begins, you have a great telling of how Bruce Wayne came to be Batman and the challenges he faces entering this sort of business. It provides a truly compelling origin story and is propelled by a great cast and director. Now in the case of The Dark Knight, the stakes are much higher, and Batman is pushed to his absolute limit, which provides some intense viewing. This one also gives us Heath Ledger and a performance unlike anything ever seen before! While I did say that I felt Jack Nicholson captured the spirit of the Joker, Ledger brought a whole new beast, giving us a Joker that was unlike the others and for that reason really stands out! God rest this man's soul! Finally, The Dark Knight Rises, as flawed as it was, offered the perfect conclusion to the story, having Batman hang up the mantle after being honored as the hero he was always meant to be, thus allowing a new hero to rise to the challenge. Throughout these movies, the psyche of Bruce Wayne is explored in heavy detail and Christian Bale does a great job portraying that, even if his Batman could've been a little better (seriously, that voice was ridiculous). Overall, these movies tell the story of Batman unlike any other and it gives Ben Affleck quite the challenge to face once his solo outing comes to pass (though I have high hopes he'll pull through :)

Best Moment: Batman Begins: "I'm Batman"

The Dark Knight: The Interrogation Scene

The Dark Knight Rises: The Ending 

Well that's it for this list, guys! Tune in for more coming soon :)

Top 10 Marvel Films (SPOILERS)

Comic Book magic was made when Marvel came about. Along with DC, it's at the top of the line when it comes to superheroes and comic books. Now of course, it's not all about the comics, as there are many adaptations that were made as well, from movies, to TV shows, to video games. A while back, I did a list of my top 5 favorite Marvel films. This list is an updated expansion, with new additions as well as spots being changed here and there. Now without further adieu, let's begin the list with the man himself :)

  10. The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron: Yes they tie, and this won't be the only tie either! I just loved these movies, but I think they're both equally as great as each other. The first Avengers did a great job setting the Avengers up and each of them shared great dynamics with each other. It also had a terrific villain in the posterboy for MCU villainy, Loki, and overall provided a satisfying experience for everything that Phase One of the MCU was building towards while planting the seeds for the future. On the other hand, Age of Ultron is one of the more divisive entries in the MCU, what with all the clunky setup for Infinity War and the unnecessary Hulk/Black Widow romance, but putting that aside, you have a pretty solid movie that did everything a sequel should do: it further developed the characters, fleshed out their backstories, heightened the stakes, produced a great villain in Ultron, and introduced terrific new characters in Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver. Now for what I love about both of them is the strong team dynamic between the Avengers, the performances from each of their actors, the action, the humor, and the fact that they're both just so damn fun. They are both entertaining experiences that will be remembered for what they brought to the table, and I hope Infinity War does just as well in that regard.
Best Moment: The Avengers: Avengers Assemble
Avengers: Age of Ultron: Lifting Thor's Hammer
9. X2: X-Men United: A lot of people love this movie, and for good reason. The stakes were higher, the relationships of the original characters were further developed, and new characters and elements were introduced to help build the world and story. To see the X-Men having to work together with Magneto to fight a common enemy in Stryker provided an intriguing dynamic that gave us interesting character moments between them. It also fleshed out Wolverine's backstory and delivered a memorable character in Nightcrawler, who provided one of the most memorable opening scenes in comic book movie history.
Best Moment: The Mansion Attack
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Ah yes, everyone knows this one. This film is considered by many to be one of the best MCU films of all time. While I do think it's a little overrated (largely because the final battle is a little underwhelming to me and the Nick Fury twist is a cheap move,) I still think it's a damn good movie and must respect its importance in the MCU. Chris Evans gives a fantastic performance as Captain America, Scarlett Johansen kills it as Black Widow, Anthony Mackie proves to be a great addition as the Falcon, Robert Redford brings a subtle menace as Alexander Pierce, and the Winter Soldier provides probably one of the most deep and personal conflicts in all of comic book movie history. All in all, it's a thoroughly intense and thought-provoking film unlike anything the MCU has made before that time.
Best Moment: The Highway Battle
7. X-Men: As great as X2 is, it just can't top the original for me. Now the story for this movie is pretty simple for the most part, but the cast and crew really make the most of it. This movie is fun, intense, and just so entertaining the whole way through. Each character in the movie really gets the chance to shine here, and Magneto is at his villainous best as well. Also, that opening scene is legendary and really needs to be seen to be believed.
Best Moment: The Opening Scene
 6. Deadpool: What can I say about this movie that hasn't already said? The Merc with a Mouth has not done so well in cinema during the past, but this movie goes to great lengths to rectify that mistake and boy do they deliver. This movie is about as hilarious, over-the-top, and downright crazy as it should be, and Ryan Reynolds kills it in the role, being just as perfect as the comic design. Now while the plot may be a little too simplistic and Ajax may not be the greatest of villains (seriously, we really don't care about your name,) it's Deadpool, what's not to love?
Best Moment: Deadpool vs. Colossus
5. Captain America: Civil War: Overrated? Yeah, maybe a bit. But no one can deny the sheer epic scope and impact this movie truly has. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans provide epic performances, the emotions are souring, and the stakes are high. Plus, this movie finally brings Spider-Man into the MCU, introduces a great addition in Black Panther, and has one of the best villains in the entire MCU with Zemo, who does something no one, not even Loki, could do: he beat the Avengers by tearing them apart from the inside. This is a regular human being we're talking about here! Overall, while this movie may not be the very best the MCU has offered, it is indeed the one that changed everything and gives Infinity War some major competition to top.
Best Moment: The Final Battle
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming: It's been a while since Spidey has found his footing in cinema, but the MCU has fixed that problem and finally found a place for him to stay. Now while it may not be the definitive cinematic take on the story of Spider-Man, Tom Holland proves to be the definitive live-action Spider-Man, Vulture is a great villain, and this movie is about as fun and exciting as it needs to be. Overall, it's a great take on the wall-crawler and I look forward to seeing his adventures in the future.
Best Moment: Interrogation Mode
Click here to see my review for "Spider-Man: Homecoming"
 3. Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Guardians of the Galaxy should not have worked as well as it did, but with the great character dynamics, a fantastic soundtrack, and an off-the-charts fun factor, it proved be part of the best the MCU has had to offer. Now for all the problems it had, the sequel came along to improve upon that, providing an even better villain, deeper character moments, and high emotional stakes. Now these movies excel at being funny and fun, and together they provide one hell of an experience. To ask if they could be topped by anything else in the MCU going forward is a VERY hard question to answer...and at the moment, I can say it's almost impossible!
Best Moment: Guardians of the Galaxy: "Come and Get Your Love"
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2: "Come a little bit closer"
Click here to see my review for "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2"
2. Logan: Words cannot describe the emotional brutality this film brings. It's hard to imagine the world of the X-Men without Wolverine, but here we are not only saying goodbye to him, but to Professor X as well. This film is just epic! From Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen's breathtaking performances, to the sheer bittersweet beauty of it all, it's just something I can't even begin to express. While X-24 robs away some of the emotional investment that would have been had a different character been used, everything else is perfect, and I wouldn't have asked for any other way to end one era to pave the way towards something new.
Best Moment: "So this is what it feels like..."
Click here for my review for "Logan"

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, my favorite Marvel movie (or movies), is...

1. Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2: You all know Spider-Man is my favorite superhero of all time, and as much I love Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Homecoming cannot top the sheer impact Sam Raimi's first film had on me. Spider-Man is not only my favorite Spider-Man movie, but quite possibly my favorite comic book movie of all time. It told the origin story perfectly, set up the world of Spider-Man beautifully, and while Tobey Maguire was topped by Holland as the definitive wall-crawler, almost all the supporting players were nailed. Despite that, I cannot neglect the greatness of Spider-Man 2 either. While I don't think it's as great as everyone makes it out to be, I do see where many of these people are coming from. Maguire gives easily his best performance here and the dynamics he shares with his supporting cast are taken to the next level. It also has a fantastic rendition of the Spider-Man theme song performed by Michael Buble. Oh, and Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina kick ass as Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus. Now, can Holland top these two in the future? Probably Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man may be a bit more of a challenge, but as it stands, Sam Rami holds the key to producing the definitive version of Spider-Man.
Best Moment: Spider-Man: The death of Uncle Ben
Spider-Man 2: The Train Fight

Well that's it for this list guys. More blogs will be on the way soon! Take care :)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (SPOILERS)

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility...

What better way to start this review than with the words that encapsulate everything about quite possibly my favorite superhero of all time: Spider-Man! I've been a fan of him since I was introduced to him as a boy. Recently, the famous wall crawler has not seen good years in the media. The Raimi movies were cancelled due to disputes with Sony, then the same happened to Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man series. In the realm of animation, the awesome The Spectacular Spider-Man series was cancelled and replaced with Ultimate Spider-Man, which has since ended in time for a new series to come soon. To say Spidey hasn't seen good days recently would be a massive understatement. However, the MCU has been able to reach a licensing agreement with Sony and have finally brought him into their universe, and the final product has been quite successful. There was promise when he was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, but Homecoming has more than solidified the fact that Spider-Man has finally found a place to stay for however long that may be. That said, is it the truly definitive version that has come to pass? Well, not for me at least. And here is why that is the case:

UPS

1. Tom Holland is fantastic! Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield did great in their takes as Spidey, but Holland may just surpass them as the definitive live-action version of the character. He just feels so natural in the role and really embodies a gawky young teenager trying to balance out his normal life from his life as Spider-Man while also feeling like he's on top of the world thanks to his newfound powers. He really did a spectacular job and I can't wait to see more of his adventures as time goes on. 
2. The other cast members were great fun as well. Robert Downey Jr. is as amazing as always playing Tony Stark, but here there's a different side to him that I don't think we've seen before; the one where he acts (or at least tries to) like the father Peter never had, with the moment he takes Peter's suit being the highlight of that particular side. Meanwhile, Jacob Batalon does well as Ned, sharing a great dynamic with Holland that more than makes up for the absence of Harry Osborn and providing fantastic comic relief that makes him just as lovable. Laura Harrier also does a great job as Liz Allan, Tony Revolori does his best to make a badly written Flash Thompson work (more on that later,) and Zendaya delivers a unique version of MJ(!?) Marissa Tomei also does fine even if Aunt May doesn't exactly work this time around (more on that later as well,) and Jon Favreau even gets to do more this time around as Happy Hogan, who really gets the chance to shine here. All in all, the cast is great and I loved each and every one of them. Now of course, a good hero would not be complete without a good villain, and thankfully...
3. Michael Keaton is awesome as the Vulture! While it seems clear that he's stuck with playing characters who dress up as creatures that fly, Keaton just seems to kill it every time. The MCU has started a trend in creating villains that prove just as interesting and memorable as the heroes and aren't named Loki, with Vulture really kicking that into full force! He's got a motive that is compelling and relatable, while providing enough menace to be a genuine threat, and the twist revealing him as Liz's father was extremely effective and unexpected, raising the stakes for Peter and making things extremely personal. Also, his theme song KICKS ASS!!!
4. The tone really fits the film. It's got an upbeat feeling that works well with the high school setting and with Spidey's antics whenever the Vulture isn't involved. This movie is also very, very funny. A thing I like about the MCU, one thing I feel they excel at, is the humor, and this movie does that exceptionally well. All in all, this movie did a good job making you feel good, which I believe a Spider-Man movie should always carry with it. 
5. This movie, here more than anywhere else, is where I feel they captured the idea of Peter learning that with great power, comes great responsibility perfectly. Throughout the movie, Peter feels like he can do almost anything with his new powers, but he soon realizes that some things are too big to handle, even for Spider-Man. By the end, Peter learns that he should stick to what he's truly capable of doing instead of trying to be bigger than he actually is. And that is something we can all truly relate and inspire to.

DOWNS

1. The romance just didn't really go anywhere for the most part. I'm not saying it had to be a primary focus of the movie, but much like "Wonder Woman," I think it needed more time to grow. Oh well, I guess we'll see where Peter goes with Michelle...or MJ?
2. The suit doesn't really work for me. It just seems too animated and the technical stuff was too much (but I did like "Karen.") For all intents and purposes, all I'm going to say is sometimes, less is more. The suit introduced at the end looked pretty sick though. 
3. Remember how I said Tony Revolori and Marisa Tomei did fine despite problems with the way their characters were written, well that's all that could be said because Flash Thompson and Aunt May were written all wrong to me. While I understand why they portrayed them the way they did, it's just not who they are. Flash is someone Peter could never stand up to, only doing so because of the newfound confidence his powers had given him. Once that happens, the tension between the two starts to lessen as time goes on, with the two even gaining a begrudging respect for one another. Here, he's a rich jerk who wants to be better than Peter at his own game, which makes his rivalry with Peter totally different and much less interesting. In the case of Aunt May, I was already queasy about her when she was introduced in "Civil War," but just like it did with convincing me that Holland is the definitive Spider-Man, "Homecoming" unfortunately convinced me that this Aunt May just isn't going to work for me. While I'm not saying Aunt May has to be ugly or anything, it just doesn't feel right seeing her portrayed as a middle-aged diva who is hit on by pretty much every guy that's not Peter (or Ned.) She may get better with time, same for Flash, but as of right now, these two are going to have a hard time topping these two.

OVERALL
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the Spider-Man movie we needed for a long time now. I'm very happy to see that my favorite hero is now in a place where he belongs. Now of course, it's got a few flaws, and while I loved it, it can't top Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. Thankfully though, it's still amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing Spidey swinging his way back into our theater for Infinity War and beyond.

And now time to close out this blog the only way it should...

Wonder Woman (SPOILERS)

It's been a rough time for the DCEU. It's been a mixed bag and while I quite honestly enjoyed Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I can't say the same for Suicide Squad and I can also understand the criticisms that were being said. It was quite clear that there was a darker and edgier feel to the DCEU, and as a result most fans weren't thoroughly satisfied and couldn't hold much investment in the franchise...until the Princess of Themyscira came along and blew everyone away. To say Wonder Woman is an achievement would be an understatement, as this is a really great movie, definitely the best the DCEU has had. For this review, I will go over what worked to make this film the DCEU's saving grace, and what didn't work so well.

UPS

1. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman. She was considered by many to be a highlight of BVS, but Wonder Woman makes it clear she is one of the best, if not the best, thing about the entire franchise. From beginning to end, Gadot brings a lot of layers to the character. She's curious, caring, gentle, adventurous, tough, strong, brave, and at times can be quite adorable. Now, as great as she is, she's got a great supporting cast to back her up, with an awesome actor leading the way...
2. Chris Pine is great as Steve Trevor. He has great chemistry with Gadot and is a great character in his own right. Wonder Woman is just as much his movie as it is hers, and they both do a spectacular job sharing the spotlight. By the time his ultimate sacrifice comes along, it's greatly moving since Pine's job in making the character connect with us was complete. 
3. The rest of the cast was just as good as well. Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright are great in their respective roles as Hippolyta and Antiope; Lucy Davis is delightful as the sweet and hilarious Etta Candy; And Said Taghmaoui, Ewan Bremmer, and Eugene Brave Rock as Sameer, Charlie, and Chief Napi provide great comic relief while also having interesting character moments and proving themselves to be valuable allies. Danny Huston, David Thewlis, and Elena Ayana also do good jobs as the villains of the film, even if they weren't given much to do (which I'll get to later.)
4. The hopeful, optimistic tone. The DCEU hasn't really brought about much hope in the past, but here, it comes in full force. Diana sees now that the world is filled with evil, and while that cannot be changed, she will still fight for the ones who deserve it, spreading love and hope the whole way through. It's a great message to convey and the movie does it exceptionally well.
5. The matter of it being a standalone film, as it helps the movie tells its story fully and completely without bearing the burden of setting up the rest of the universe. This is mostly what hindered BVS, so it's great that Wonder Woman took the opposite approach and just did what it set out to do without any interference.

 DOWNS

1. The villains were kind of sidelined for the most part. Though their actors did well in portraying them, they just didn't get much to do, which is a shame because what we did get from them was pretty awesome and interesting. For that reason, I was a bit disappointed.
2. Diana and Steve's romance felt a little rushed. Despite Gal Gadot and Chris Pine's chemistry, I felt their relationship didn't develop enough. I think the first time they should have kissed was when Steve left to sacrifice himself. While it was sweet and the chemistry helped tremendously, it needed more time to grow. 

OVERALL

Wonder Woman was a great film, which really benefits the DCEU, a fact that I am truly happy to know. It may not be the best DC movie ever made, but I do think it's pretty high up there, so expect a list coming soon ;) Now it's up to Justice League to make sure this success isn't in vain.

Well that's it for this blog guys. More will be coming soon :)