Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Movie Review

The final act of a multi-film series is an end of an era for both the fans and the creators.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 hit theaters this weekend. This final chapter of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy follows our heroes as they try to save the life of Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). The only way to bring Rocket back to life is to travel to the realm that is led by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). The problem is that in doing so, they are leading their foe straight to their injured friend.

While this is happening. Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is trying to convince Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to give him another chance. The problem is that this Gamora has no memory of their relationship and has no interest in reviving the romance.

Clocking in at 2 hours and 30 minutes, this film has to be one of the longer ones in recent memory. While some of the scenes could have been left to the extras reel, it is still a very good movie. It is just as funny as its predecessors, the music is amazing and the action is pitch-perfect.

And as usual, wait for the mid-credit and post-credit scenes. They are worth sitting for a few more minutes.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is presently in theaters.

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Throwback Thursday: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

As much as we love our family, it’s not always lovey-dovey. There are times when arguments arise, creating (hopefully temporary) emotional chasms.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). As our heroes are dealing with internal conflicts, Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is thrilled to meet his father, the celestial being Ego (Kurt Russell). Though it initially seems that Peter has the relationship with Ego that he has always wanted, there are dark rumblings that threaten to reveal the truth.

I loved this film. Like its predecessor, it is action-packed but also has humor and heart. What makes this a sequel to admire is the human experience and human emotions that build up the narrative and create the perfect amount of drama.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Throwback Thursday: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Heroes are not always born. They are thrown together in ways that will test them in unexpected ways.

In the 2014 Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy, a ragtag group of heroes comes together to save the universe from destruction. Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Drax (Dave Bautista) are three of this unlikely gathering who will put their lives on the line to prevent everything and everyone around from ceasing to exist.

I loved the movie. What makes it more than the average comic book movie is that it is funny. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, allowing the audience a chuckle or two while being fully sucked into the narrative.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review

One of the beauties of the science fiction and fantasy genre is the creation of new worlds. Within these worlds is an exploration of character and narrative that is both novel and human.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the third film in the Ant-Man series. The movie starts when it seems that all is well in the world of Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). His daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) is now grown up and has joined the family business. He is happily settled down with Hope Van Dyne/ The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly). The relationship between his in-laws, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) is as solid as it ever was.

When an experimental machine does not work as planned, they are sent into the quantum realm. While trying to figure out how to get home, they have to get through Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Kang has a bone to pick and is not unwilling to use force to get what he wants.

I enjoyed this one. There is a nice balance between comedy and action. The narrative is neither too short nor drags on for what seems forever. I certainly appreciated that the female characters were on the same level as the male characters.

Though Kang is not as deep as Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) or Wanda Maximoff (Elisabeth Olsen), he is still a fierce baddie who stands in the way of our heroes. He knows what he wants and is perfectly willing to destroy anything or anyone who gets in his way.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in theaters.

P.S. There are two scenes worth waiting for. The mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene that opens the door to the next season of Loki.

Throwback Thursday: Venom (2018)

The antihero is an interesting character type. Though this person does eventually save the day, their motives and actions do not match what is expected of a heroic protagonist.

In the 2018 film Venom (based on the comic book character of the same name), Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a former reporter whose career is in shambles after an interview does not go as planned. Six months later, he discovers a symbiote from outer space named Venom and becomes bonded with it. Among the things that are ruined by this new “relationship” is his attempt to get back with his ex-fiance, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams). Anne was employed as a lawyer before Eddie’s mishap ended her employment and their engagement.

Before this movie, I was vaguely aware that Venom existed within the world of Spider-Man. I tried to watch it, mainly because of the lead actors. Hardy and Williams are two of the finest actors of their generation. The problem is that I was quickly bored and lost interest in the narrative.

Do I recommend it? No.

Flashback Friday: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

A secret is only as powerful as its content. Its corrosivity is based on the power it has and how it controls those who know the truth. It can be as benign as stealing a candy bar from the local convenience store as a child. On the other hand, it can be as destructive as having cheated on your significant/spouse for decades.

2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015). Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is walking the tightrope of fatherhood and being a superhero. To say that it is complicated is an understatement. Adding to the difficulty is a new task assigned by his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Hank’s daughter/ Scott’s partner, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). His ultimate goal is to reveal a secret that has been kept close to the vest for a very long time.

Compared to other individual IP continuations with the Marvel universe, it’s slightly weaker. That being said, it is not a complete dumpster fire. Even with the narrative’s darker turns, it is still fun to watch and an entertaining film.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Best New Television Shows of 2022

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi: The DisneyPlus series answers the question of what happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in between the events of Revenge of the Sith (2005) and A New Hope (1977). My favorite part of the series was the introduction of Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram).
2. Anatomy of a Scandal: Based on the Sarah Vaughan book of the same name, this Netflix miniseries follows the investigation of a politician accused of rape.
3. The US and the Holocaust: This Ken Burns multi-part PBS documentary exposes how the United States failed to help the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.
4. Ridley Road: This PBS/Masterpiece program is based on the book of the same name by Jo Bloom. It tells the story of a young woman of Jewish descent in the 1960s who goes undercover to stop a Neo-Nazi group from destroying the UK.
5. Gaslit: Julia Roberts plays Martha Mitchell in this Starz production that tells the tale of Watergate from Martha’s perspective.
6. Dangerous Liaisons: A sort of prelude Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it started off a bit slow and took a few episodes to get interesting. Unfortunately, Starz canceled it at the end of the first season.
7. The Serpent Queen: Samantha Morton plays the title character in this Starz series about Catherine de Medici. Wow, that is all I have to say.
8. Women of the Movement: This ABC/Hulu miniseries told of the murder of Emmett Till and his mother Mamie’s journey to get justice for her son.
9. Ms. Marvel: A young woman goes from an ordinary teenager to a superhero who saves the world.
10. Andor: The prequel to Rogue One, the series explains how Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) became the rebel leader who led the fight against the Empire.

This will be my last post for 2022. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for taking time out of your day to read this humble writer’s work. I’ll see you in 2023.

Best Movies of 2022

1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: After the death of Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), the questions on how the IP would continue without its leading man seemed endless. Black Panther‘s sequel is both the perfect memorial to Boseman and a continuation of the narrative.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water: The 13-year wait for the follow-up to Avatar was worth it. The themes of climate change are just as relevant now as they were in 2009.
3. She Said: Based on the book of the same name, it tells the heart-pounding story to uncover the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. NY Times reporters Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) take on Weinstein and the Hollywood machine in a way that is jaw-dropping.
4. Elvis: Austin Butler transforms himself into Elvis Presley, adding new layers to the music icon.
5. Call Jane: Elizabeth Banks plays a housewife whose pregnancy is not going well in the days before Roe v. Wade. Denied an abortion by the local hospital, she finds an underground group and soon joins them in their mission to help women.
6. Hocus Pocus 2: After 29 years, the Sanderson sisters are back. It has enough of its predecessor while holding its own in the best way possible.
7. Mr. Malcolm’s List: Based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Allain, Mr. Malcolm is the most coveted bachelor in this Jane Austen-inspired narrative. In order to fend off marriageable young ladies and their match-making mamas, he creates a list of qualities that his wife should have. Little does he know that it will soon be moot.
8. Downton Abbey: A New Era: This second film in the franchise opens the door to new stories while closing old ones in perfect fashion.
9. Cyrano: This musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac starring Peter Dinklage adds new flavors to the well-known tale.
10. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Shot in stark black and white, Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand star as the power-hungry and bloodthirsty Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Review

When Chadwick Boseman passed away two years ago, it was more than the loss of an actor whose gifts were once in a generation. His portrayal of T’Challa/Black Panther in the original Black Panther film was groundbreaking and universally applauded.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released in theaters this past weekend. It takes place a half dozen years after the first movie ended. It starts with T’Challa’s off-screen death from an unknown illness. The loss of both the King and protector leaves Wakanda in a state of mourning. While his mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) steps up to lead the nation and deal with pressure from the outside, her daughter Shuri (Letitia Wright) tries to pretend that everything is fine.

Then a new threat emerges. Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is the king of an underwater Indigenous people. His ancestors were nearly exterminated by Spanish colonizers. Like the Wakandans, vibranium is part and parcel of their culture. Namor is threatening to wage war against the surface world. The only way to appease him is to bring him a young wunderkind scientist, Riri Williams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne).

Ramonda and Shuri have a tough decision ahead. Do they sentence this young girl to death or do they work with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and M’Baku (Winston Duke) to stop Namor?

Wow. Like its predecessor, the film balances action, emotion, and timely social issues. This is Wright’s film. She carries it with everything she has. I was floored by her abilities as a performer. In addition to dealing with the grief (and the connected mental health issues) that come with losing a loved one, Shuri must protect her country.

As in Black Panther, it is the women who are in leadership roles. Each is human and powerful in her own right. She is also an important part of the narrative and is dealing with the loss of T’Challa in her own way.

My only issue is that it was a little long.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. It is one of my favorite movies of the year.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is presently in theaters.

P.S. As usual, stay for the mid-scene credits. It will make you cry.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Review

*I know nothing about the original comic book on which the show is based. This review is strictly about the series.

In life, and in writing, when one door closes, another opens. Just because one storyline has been completed does not mean that there is room to take a connective narrative in new directions.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered a few days ago on DisneyPlus.

Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is a thirty-something lawyer who is doing her best to get ahead in her career. Then she gets into a car accident, which changes everything. In the passenger seat is Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

As a result of this accident, Jennifer turns into a She-Hulk, creating new problems. In addition to her job and her personal life, she is now officially a superhero and must save the world.

So far, I really like this series. It is funny, action-packed, and Maslany as the title character is fantastic. It speaks to the fact that many women (regardless of their romantic or familial status) are balancing multiple aspects of whatever is part of our daily lives.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will be released on Thursday on Disneyplus.

P.S. There is a post-credit scene that is worth waiting for.