Shazam! (2019)

Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, & Jack Dylan Glazer

Director: David F. Sandberg - Rating: PG-13 - Score: 3 Stars

Despite the fact that Shazam! is a DC Film, I had high hopes for it, after all the previews were terrific, it's a somewhat unique story, and it features two of the most popular young actors in all of Hollywood, however as is often the case with DC Films, I was disappointed. After participating in an act of selfless kindness, teenager Billy Bates (Asher Angel), is whisked away to another place. In this strange place, he meets a man claiming to be a high priest, who guards very special powers that can defeat all the evil in the world, powers he must relinquish. To receive these powers, all Billy has to do is say the mans name, Shazam, and just like that, Billy is a superhero. As expected, the young cast members Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Glazer had terrific chemistry and were the source of the majority of the funny moments that took place. Zachary Levi is also very good, but as DC tends to do, they gave away this entire film in the previews. Everything that looked funny, interesting, or unique about Shazam, is right in the preview. As for the rest of the film, the story is okay at best, with plenty of parts that were completely unnecessary, leading to a film that was over two hours long. Shazam was in fact about forty-five minutes longer than it needed to be, and not only was that obvious, but the filmmakers seem to know this as well, filling in a lot of scenes with boring shit that took a lot away from something with real potential. The film goes around in circle for a while, before we get to the ending and as is common for DC, the ending is a disaster. I would have to spoil too much of the film to explain to you exactly why that is, but if I'm to be honest, the ending really killed the whole film for me. I enjoyed the humor, I liked the fact that were some elements not often seen in the superhero genre, and I liked the interactions between young cast members. What I didn't appreciate was how the plot is constantly re-capped for us and I hated seeing similar scenes multiple times, especially when they don't move the story forward. I would say I'd recommend this film more towards children than adults, but the truth is, the kids in the theater with me were all restless around the ninety minute mark. The bottom line, Shazam! isn't a stinker and it drew enough interest in theaters to probably get a sequel, but in my opinion once again DC dropped the ball on a great idea and spoiled the whole thing in the trailer.

The Call Up (2016)

Starring: Max Deacon, Morfydd Clark, Ali Cook, & Chris Obi

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

One day the best gamers in the world receive an invitation to compete for a $100,000 grand prize. When they all arrive, they find themselves alone in an office building, given instructions by a computer, which tells them to put on these state of the art suits, and once they do they are literally in the game. The game is like nothing they've ever seen before, a real life Call of Duty, but when they engage the terrorists, they learn that the consequences are all too real, and the only way to get out is to win. The Call Up isn't a new idea, however after the failure of films like Gamebox 1.0 and Stay Alive, it's been a decade since anyone has attempted to make a film like this. Since then, the technology has come a long way, allowing the filmmakers to finally get it right. The CGI and computerized effects are impressive for any film, not to mention a B-movie. The original idea and tech are so innovate, that it takes your mind off the fact that the acting in this film wasn't all that great. Additionally, the development of the characters and their backstories was fairly strong, strong enough, that each viewer should have their own favorite to win, meaning the audience is invested in the game as well. Watching this film is an adventure, in that one feels a part of the game, the strategy, and even has an investment in what happens to the individual gamers. A better cast would have added a lot to this film, but as I said it's a B-movie and I'm guessing all those special effects didn't come cheaply. Viewership without any performer of recognition may have been a factor, but once people click that watch button, they will be quickly drawn into a film the likes of which hasn't been seen before. The Call Up receives big points for originality, special effects, character development, and certainly stands out for being a film that is truly one of a kind.

Marvel's Luke Cage

Starring: Mike Colter, Alfre Woodard, Rosario Dawson, Simone Missick, Mahershala Ali, Erik LaRay Harvey, Theo Rossi, Frank Whaley, Frankie Faison, Sonia Braga, & Ron C. Jones

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was never a big superhero guy, but what I love about this new crop of Netflix superhero shows, is that for the most part the characters are new and relatively unknown to the general audience. It's so refreshing to see something in the genre beyond Batman and Superman. What's more is that this new crop of superhero is much more realistic than anything we've seen before, perhaps none more so than Luke Cage.

Luke Cage was in prison for a crime he didn't commit, the victim of a horrifying experiment that left him with super strength and unbreakable skin. Unlike the other superheroes, Luke doesn't want to be a hero, he just wants to live a normal life in obscurity, in his Harlem neighborhood content with working in a barber shop. What Luke can't stand though is seeing injustice, when he knows that he is capable of doing something about it. When he finally decides to take a stand, all hell breaks loose.

What I find odd is how everyone is talking about Wonder Woman. How it's more than time we had a strong female superhero and how great the film was, but no one mentioned the fact that it's about time we had a strong African-American superhero too. What's more is that his story was completely original and more realistic than any other superhero film or TV show I've ever seen! Luke Cage isn't a blind attorney who somehow sees everything. He's not fighting some ridiculous weird purple mist, and he's not some samurai who thinks he's a God, Luke Cage is just a man, who is fighting gangsters and corrupt politicians. 

Mike Colter is the star of the show and he just has this way about him that is infectious and makes you want to follow him. He couldn't be more perfect for this role, as he's laid back most of the time until he's not and then watch out. As for his co-stars, the stand out among them is recent Academy Award winner, Mahershala Ali. I said it years ago when I reviewed his awful show, the 4400, and I've repeated it every time I've seen him since, this guy is outstanding! Ali is one of the best actors, who until last year, nobody knew existed. Every single thing he is in, is that much better because of it, and I am thoroughly entertained every single time I watch him. His portrayal of the gangster Cottonmouth, was the best villain I've seen in a superhero themed project since Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

The bottom line, Luke Cage IS a real life superhero. To date there has never been anything in the genre, even close to being as real or as honest as this. Luke Cage is unique, dynamic, and exciting, as well as being the best written out of any superhero show that I've ever seen. Marvel didn't just hit a home run with Luke Cage, they hit a grand slam!

Wonder Woman (2017)

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, & Robin Wright

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

So DC finally got one right, isn't that what everyone's saying? I completely agree, Wonder Woman was much better than anything else DC has released in a very long time, and it was a pretty great film, but was it as amazing as everyone say it was or are we all a bit bias due to the hype surrounding the film? In the first blockbuster superhero film featuring Wonder Woman since the 1970's, we see Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) sitting in her office, remembering how it all started, and we are thrown back to the Island of the Amazons, where she is a little girl. We see her grow up and go through her training, with her aunt played admirably by the Princess Bride herself, Robin Wright, making an epic comeback. After which, a series of events lead her to meet a man and leave the island to join the war effort in England. Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman and she was truly something special, I mean to take nothing away from her or her performance with this next statement, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't point this out. While everyone got caught up in the hype of the fact that DC made a good movie, that didn't center around Batman, and the fact that this film was centered on a female superhero, they failed to see just how unoriginal the story actually was. As I was watching the scenes on this Island, with Diana growing up, not knowing what she really was, and leaving before she was ready, I was very much reminded of Thor, but that was just the first hour of the film. I thought things would get better but they didn't. She becomes this unexpected larger than life hero in World War I, much in the way that Captain America did in World War II. Both of them fought really bad guys who weren't the "main" bad guy behind the war, and then there is the whole God angle, which brings us right back to Thor again. The film was so well done, I think it is more than time we had a strong female hero that young girl can emulate and look up to, and I thought Gal Gadot was a breath of fresh air, who gave an outstanding performance. As far as originality goes, to me it just wasn't there, as it seems the writers took elements from two of the more popular Marvel films and mashed them together. The Bottom Line, Wonder Woman is absolutely worth seeing, however I'm all for original ideas, and I want to see something different, especially at a time when a new superhero film is coming out every month. 

ARQ

Starring: Robbie Amell, Rachael Taylor, & Adam Butcher

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First it was original TV shows, then documentaries, and now Netflix is making it's own feature films. ARQ is the companies first foray into science fiction and it hasn't gotten great reviews, due to the fact that it takes place in a time loop. I love science fiction and my favorite type of sci-fi is anything that features the manipulation of time, time travel, alternate history, time displacement, and yes, even time loops. In an apocalyptic futuristic world, Renton (Robbie Amell) has created a new form of energy, one that can possibly turn the tide and save the world. Renton wants to give this gift to all of humanity, but his former employer has other ideas and decides to steal the technology in a violent home invasion, where Renton is killed. After being killed, Renton reawakens starting his day all over again, with a complete memory of what happened. He soon discovers, the longer he lives, the more he learns, but will it be enough to figure out how to escape his current predicament, as well as the unusual time loop he seems to be caught in? Science Fiction fans love this type of film, because it gives us a chance to figure out things at the same time as the main character. It also gives us the chance to think about what we'd do in that situation and see if the character agrees or has some other wildly innovative idea that we didn't even think of. These films also tend to have a lot of noir type twists and turns and can be really thought provoking. The flip side of that, is that you can see some of the same scenes as many as ten times, and if you've never seen anything like this before and aren't a fan of the genre, it can be extremely confusing. That being said, I thought ARQ was exceptionally well written and done to near perfection, some of the twists just blew my mind. On a side note, as a fan of the film Saint Ralph, I was shocked to see Adam Butcher all grown up, playing a hired gun, I really got a kick out of that. ARQ isn't for general audiences, it is genre specific for fans of science fiction. If sci-fi isn't you thing, obviously you're not going to get it and you're not going to like it. If you are a fan, this was really well done, in particular the writing was fantastic, this film will keep guessing right up until the very end, which in and of itself was shocking.

Interstate 60

Starring: James Marsden, Amy Smart, & Gary Oldman 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Interstate 60 is one very strange but one very cool movie, that features a man searching for the great mysteries of life on a road that doesn't exist on any map. On Interstate 60, your wildest dreams or worst nightmares can come true, so you have to be careful where you get off. You might find yourself in a town that's full of insane laws, where everyone is a lawyer. On the other hand, you might find yourself in a town dedicated to partying, where every resident is high on drugs 24/7. There are strange drifters, weird road side attractions, and caught in the middle of everything is Neal Oliver (James Marsden), who isn't sure why he's there. At first, I just thought this film was weird and over my head, but as time went by, I started to see the genius of it. How it shows us that taken to the extreme, what we really want isn't what we want at all, and that most of us don't really know what the hell we want. James Marsden is the star and he is fantastic, paired with a non-stop flow of cameos everywhere he stops. This virtually unknown film has appearances by Michael J. Fox, Ann-Margert, Christopher Lloyd, Kurt Russell, and the list goes on and on. How they got all these guys to appear in a direct to video feature is beyond me, but take it from me, this isn't your typical b-movie. This film is one of the most unique stories you will ever see and even if you don't fully understand everything that's happening, you'll keep watching simply to see who and what comes next.

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, & Kurt Russell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The long awaited sequel to the break out hit, Guardians of The Galaxy, is here! In 2014, the Marvel Studios original came out of obscurity to set box office records, introducing fans to a cast of heroes who aren't exactly your typical superheroes. Combining amazing special effects and comedy, the film quickly gained a cult following and critical acclaim, but can they defeat the biggest enemy of all, the curse of the sequel? The Guardians are back doing what they do best, with a new enemy on their tail, when they crash land on an uninhabited planet. Their rescuer comes in a form of a man who seems too good to be true, is he really there to help them or does he have something else in mind? The story in volume two is not as good as the first one, that was to be expected, but luckily it isn't far off. The characters are the same and this time they know each other a whole lot better, meaning the chemistry is better, the humor comes more quickly, and the magic is still there. Once again Chris Pratt is outstanding, it's still hard to believe he went from the annoying jock on Everwood to this charismatic megastar. The rest of the cast is also on it's game and we learn much more about the characters then we did in the first film. While not being as strong story wise, this film certainly hits closer to home, and everything is amped up from the special effects to the humor and even the soundtrack. I love these films and I hope there are a lot more of them, however I'd be remiss in not sharing my thought that something this good, especially with how the story evolves in the second film, is better suited for a weekly TV series than at most a handful of feature films. The Bottom Line, if you liked the first one, you'll love the second one.

Dark Matter (TV Series)

Starring: Marc Bendavid, Melissa O'Neil, Anthony Lemke, Alex Mallari Jr., Jodelle Ferland, Roger Cross, Zoie Palmer, Shaun Sipos, & Melanie Liburd

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Once in a generation, a show comes along that insists you pay attention to it. Nearly fifty years after the debut of Star Trek, Dark Matter is the latest show turning heads in the world of science fiction and it is like nothing you have ever seen before. Blending elements of Star Trek, Lost, and Knight Rider, this new show from the producers of Stargate SG1, will have you talking about it and pining for the next episode.

Orbiting a planet out in deep space on the edges of civilization, six people wake up on a spaceship, with no memory of who they are or how they got there. After pairing up and searching the ship, they discover it's full of weapons. With the help of an android they find on board, the crew discovers they are orbiting a disputed planet and the weapons are likely for the colonists below. The crew quickly becomes attached to the colonists, that is until they learn the horrible truth, that they are mercenaries at the top of the galactic authorities most wanted list. They know they must be there to remove the colonist for one of the big corporations that now run the galaxy, but with the lose of their memories, came something no one could have expected, a conscience. Eventually, the crew of the ship called, The Raza, decide they have to stick together and find out who they are, where they're from, and what happened to them, so begins Dark Matter.

Each episode is another adventure, dealing with the authority, their old enemies, and their old employers. They don't know their friends from their enemies, but after each adventure they get another piece of the puzzle and we get a glimpse into their passed lives. Together with the crew, the audience has the pleasure of trying to figure out who these people were, what happened to them, and debate on where they may be going. 

Much like Star Trek, this show has a virtually unknown cast, and is slowly producing it's own stars. I only recognized a couple of name, but the different skills each cast member present is as incredible and unique as the characters themselves. The women on board have moves that would make Bruce Lee jealous, but not to be overlooked is the cast interactions with each other, which often times are hilarious. The cast is diverse and so are the characters and their backgrounds, in coming together they all play on each others strengths and weaknesses to make this one of the most enjoyable shows on television.

I watch a lot of TV, probably a lot more than is healthy, but in all this time, there have only been a handful of shows that I can honestly say, I could not wait to see the next episode, Dark Matter is one of those shows. Honestly I get home early on the nights it on and put on SyFy fifteen minutes early so that I don't miss a second. The first two seasons are currently streaming, go and watch the pilot and I promise you, weather you love science fiction or not, Dark Matter will have you hooked.

The Giver

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, & Brenton Thwaites

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

It was the Nebula award winning novel that took the science fiction world by storm. Almost immediately after it's release, talk of turning The Giver into a feature film began, but turning a complex science fiction story into something general audiences could enjoy was a big issue. Studio, cast delays, and re-writes held the film up for more than a decade, but in 2014 it was released and it is spectacular! In the not so distant future, on top of a mountain, lays a futurist society in which pain, war, and disease has been eliminated at a huge cost. With all that society has gained, it has lost the ability to exercise individuality and free thought, this effects everyone except for one, The Giver. The Giver is the historian, who keeps the memory of what life used to be like, so that society never forgets that what it's gained far outweighs the cost. The Giver however is old and must train a replacement. At the choosing ceremony, a young teenager named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen. Once Jonas learns the truth, he must decide to do the job of The Giver or reveal the truth, in the hopes of bringing back individuality, but at what cost? Originally producers wanted Lloyd Bridges to play the Giver, when he passed, his son took on the role, and while he doesn't fit the mold of an elder statesman, he was still amazing. Meryl Streep also partakes in this magical film, playing the settlements leader, and she is every bit as chilling and suspenseful as the character in the book. At this point, I'm really convinced that there isn't a role she can't play successfully. Even with all the star power, far an away the best performance in this film is given by Brenton Thwaites, a British actor I'd never seen before. Aside from his tremendous good looks, Thwaites portrayal of a teenager with the fate of the world on his shoulders is better than even that of Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. The passion and charisma he portrays was absolutely infectious and helped carry the film through even the slowest parts. The Bottom Line, the book is a Sci-Fi lovers dream, while the movie is a lot different in order to attract a more mainstream audience, the power and genius of the story remains, and for that The Giver joins our list of must see movies!

Terminus (2015)

Starring: Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, & Todd Lasance

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

In the world of science fiction, a ridiculous plot is a bold and risky move. Audiences will generally see it in one of two ways, either as unique and innovative or ridiculous and stupid. While I general advise deciding for yourself, in the case of Terminus, I think the answer is pretty clear. David Chamberlain (Jai Koutrae) is a depressed alcoholic who lives with his daughter. One night he's driving home drunk and is involved in a wreck that should have killed him, except for the fact that he encounters a rock from outer space, that not only heals him, but starts giving him visions. Chamberlain starts seeing visions of the end of the world and sets out on a mission to build something remarkable, in the back of a stolen cement truck. The whole premise here is kind of stupid, however if the casting was better this actually could have worked. The main character here is a guy in his late forties, a factory worker with no skills, no education and general someone everyone already thinks is crazy. In my opinion he just doesn't fit what the story calls for. This would have been a much better film if the main character was a late teen or twenty something guy, who saw the incident as his life being spared for a higher purpose. Instead, Terminus is just really one big mess of sub-par acting, plot holes, and badly developed characters you really don't care about. If you don't care about the characters and what happens to them, and if you can't follow the story too well, then really, what's the point?

Logan (2017)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, & Dafne Keen

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Many people have asked why the name Wolverine isn't in the title of the latest X-Men movie. The reason is that this film is not for children. Logan is violent, vulgar, and disturbing, this film will give your kids nightmares. Logan is supposedly the last time Hugh Jackman will play Wolverine, it might also very well end the current X-Men film franchise, that has produced nine feature films and brought in billions of dollars. That being said, I expected an epic conclusion, the likes of which Marvel had never done before, and what I got was somewhat of a disappointment. It takes place in the future and yes, Logan is older, but he's still the Wolverine, so I was expecting a fair bit of fighting and chases, but it seems that was pretty much all this film has to offer. A deteriorating Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) claims that even though a new mutant hasn't been born in decades, he is speaking to one that needs help, and as it turns out he was right. Logan and Prof. X go to rescue the child and bring her to safety, while the government tries to stop that from happening. I get that this is the future and there isn't time to fill us in on everything, but there are some major plot holes with the story that are never explained. This may be a Wolverine movie, but it is also the conclusion of the X-Men, so what happened to everyone and everything else? The stories narrow focus is on these three and getting to their destination, with chase after chase and fight after fight. The film certainly has it's moments and more than it's fair share of F bombs, but where was the whole conclusion element to it? The epic end to one of the biggest franchises in the history of film just isn't there. The big draw seems to be that they finally went for the R rating and showed Logan's true personality and yes, they made the film much more realistic than any other X-Men film, but I didn't have that satisfied feeling when it was all said and done. As for Hugh Jackman, this was easily his best performance as Wolverine. You see his real personality and all that comes with it, and if this wasn't the type of film that it was, released when it was, I truly believe people would be talking about an Academy Award, he was really that good. The harsh reality is that X-Men as we know it, with the cast that we know is probably over, but the way they ended it leaves us with too many unanswered questions and a feeling of unfulfilled promise.

Interstellar (2014)

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, & Anne Hathaway

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Christopher Nolan is the smartest writer/director in Hollywood, so smart that a lot of people claim his films are over their heads. The master of twists and deception made Batman real, showed us how dreams work in Inception, and brought us inside the dangerous world of magic in the Presitige. In his latest film, Interstellar, Nolan tackles the concept of time and how different it is from what we perceive. This film does have a great twist in the end and some terrific special effects, but beyond that it is one of the longest and slowest moving films I've seen in years. Once again, Humans have finally destroyed Earth and have gone looking for a new home, but outside our solar system, things are much different than they appear. Time and gravity are different concepts in different regions of space, and the effects on the crew, who had hoped to one day see their families again, diminish with each passing day. Matthew McConaughey stars and as is the case with most of his films, he's terrific. Based on some of the poor choices he made in his younger years, he has a bad rep among critics, but the fact is that he's always fun to watch, and is one of the most intense actors out there today. As for the rest of the film, it's usually Nolan's genius that makes the film unique and special, but in this instance he was too smart for his own good. The story moves very slowly and at times is more than somewhat confusing, not to mention at nearly three hours long, it's a challenge to sit through to even reach his famous twist at the end. Nolan films are something I always look forward to, as they are different and both entertain me and make me think, but in this case, I was just beyond bored and fed up with the whole thing. I guess sometimes even genius takes a holiday.

Iron Man 3

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, & Don Cheadle

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I know, I'm a bit behind on my Marvel films, but to be honest, after Iron Man 2, I really wasn't looking forward to seeing another one. There's no doubt that Marvel films have gone from simple stories about superheroes to epic adventures with the best writers and actors in Hollywood, but the fact is Iron Man 2 was your typical disappointing sequel. In the third installment of the Iron Man adventure though, the franchise bounces back in a huge way, as we get a story that not only rivals the original, but in my opinion knocks it on it's ass! Iron Man 3 finally answers the question does the suit make the man or does the man make the suit, as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces his toughest enemy yet, the one with the greatest reach, that no one sees coming. With his team and gear in ruins, Stark is left to lamb it in the middle of nowhere, and in a sense start over and find himself all over again. After playing Tony Stark for so long and appearing in just about every film Marvel has made in the last decade, Robert Downey Jr. knows everything there is to know about the character, and it has never been more apparently than it is here. Writers utilize cannon from various comics, graphic novels, previous movies, and really delve deeply into the character like never before. I also like the fact that it wasn't just another film with Stark in his lab full of toys. This time he's stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by new people, having to start from scratch, it gave the whole thing a much more realistic feel to it, and finally there's the villain. While I loved every second of the Avengers, the truth is that the bad guys are aliens and aren't all that realistic. The Mandarin is a really bad guy and he's as real as the rest of us, needless to say I loved it. If you're not the huge fan I am and you only decide to see one of the Iron Man films, I'd choose this one. Rarely do I ever suggest seeing anything but the original, where it all started, but in this case, the effects are better, Downey's knowledge of the character is better, the writing is much better, and it's not the same old tagline you tend to get with introductory films.

Marvel's Jessica Jones

Starring: Krysten Ritter, David Tennant, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville, Mike Colter, Erin Moriarty, Wil Traval, & Susie Abromeit

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

The second character in Marvel's Defenders series is Jessica Jones. A no non-sense private detective with super strength, who helps who she wants, does what she wants, and seems to bring trouble wherever she goes. 

Krysten Ritter stars as Jessica Jones, and from an entertainment stand point she does a terrific job with the character, the problem is how likeable is Jessica Jones? This was my issue with this series all along. There is no doubt that in the last decade, Marvel has made leaps and bounds in both it's writing and character development. I even believe that the Defenders will challenge the Avengers in both content and popularity, still I just don't like Jessica Jones.

It's hard to give specific reasons without spoilers, but when I think Jessica Jones the one word that comes to mind is bitch. She's supposed to be the good guy, the one you root for, but she always has this attitude and everything is an issue with her. She's a mess, the people she spends her time with are a mess, and she seems like easy picking for the villain who chose to pray on her mind. 

The whole point of a superhero is to help people and to have people behind you and your brand of vigilante justice, but she seems to hurt more people than she helps, just look at what she did to Luke Cage (Mike Colter). Maybe others will feel differently, but I don't like the main character and therefore don't approve of the show. I love Luke Cage and I really like the idea of having a self-narrating private investigator, but there is this whole negative energy that surrounds her and everything she does, that I just can't get passed. 

I do love Daredevil and Luke Cage, I'll probably check out Iron Fist and I definitely will be watching the Defenders, so I guess I kind of have to watch season 2 of Jessica Jones, but fans of the show have a long wait ahead of them, as Netflix has confirmed that it won't be released until sometime in 2018, after season 1 of The Defenders.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, & Mads Mikkelsen

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The purpose of Rogue one was simple, to fix a plot hole that had bothered Star Wars fans for nearly forty years. How did the rebels get a hold of the plans for the death star and why was it so easy to destroy? 

At a young age, Jyn Erso's (Felicity Jones), father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) was taken by the empire, to help develop the death star. Jyn was protected by the rebels before fleeing and living on her own, until one day, the rebels receive a message from Galen, saying that his daughter is the key to everything, and if they help get her to him, he can stop the empire. 

What I love about Rogue one, is the fact that for this film the franchise took a step back. If you ask anybody what their favorite Star Wars movie is, inevitably you will hear A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, but why? It's because these films didn't have massive budgets, big name movie stars, the top directors in Hollywood, complex story lines, special characters thrown in for the kids, simply put they were the greatest space adventures of all-time. Rogue one leaves in the special effects, but the actors are not very well known, the director has only two films under his belt, the story is easy to follow, the characters are extremely likeable, (much more so than the new ones in the Force Awakens), and most import of all the story is more narrowly focused and much easier to follow. There aren't a million different things going on here, there is one objective and it is being attempted by characters you can actually get behind. 

Jyn Erso, very much has the Katniss Everdeen tough girl thing going for her and she is paired with Cassian (Diego Luna), who has all the charisma of a young Harrison Ford, together the pair is infectious and you can't help but like them. I didn't feel any of that with Rey and Finn, in fact, I barely remembered their names. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the scenery and special effects in the film, unlike in recent films, we see a multitude of planets, it isn't just all sand and sun. The planet in the final scene with the beaches and the energy shield in particular was just amazing. 

Finally there is the ending, I won't give anything away if you haven't seen it yet, but I will say this. While controversial, in my opinion, more perfect it could not have been. Rogue One is the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy and I hope J.J. Abrams took notice. This is what the future of the franchise should be. Just because you have the largest film budget in history, doesn't mean your film has to have dozens of plots, and all these random characters we don't care about. Use that money on special effects, more amazing ships, weapons, and planets, and just make Star Wars fun again in a way that Rogue One reminded us it could be.

Passengers (2016)

Starring: Chris Pratt & Jennifer Lawrence

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

...and the award for the most disappointing film of 2016 goes to Passengers! I can't tell you how long I waited for this movie to come out, it was at the top of my must see list for months, and I was more excited to see this than almost any other film this year. For those unfamiliar with the story, five thousand passengers are in suspended animation for one hundred and twenty years, as they prepare to start a new life on a brand new planet. Thirty years into the journey, there is a malfunction and two of the sleeping pods open, awakening two of the passengers ninety years early. Everything I read and saw made this look like THE film to see this year, but the truth is it was beyond boring. This malfunction that awoke them, was part of a cascade failure, meaning small failure got worse over time, years in fact, and nothing serious actually happens until the last twenty minutes of the film. Until then, it's a lot of talking, romance, sadness about how they'll waste their lives alone on this ship for nothing. This had to be why the studio paid two of the best young actors in Hollywood a ton of money to be in this thing, because they knew no matter how boring the story or bad the reviews got, people would still go to see Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. Congratulations Columbia Pictures, it worked, you made your money on this one and yes the special effect were cool, but how many people were actually entertained by this film? I for one was not, this film come in at just under two hours long and I felt like I was sitting in the theater for a week, that right there says it all.

Paradox (2016)

Starring: Zoe Bell, Malik Yoba, & Adam Huss

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

The manipulation of time is my favorite form of Science Fiction, it also happens to be the most difficult to write. Alternate histories, time travel, and of course paradoxes, can very easily go from entertaining to confusing to unwatchable in the blink of an eye. There is a very fine line between explaining too little, confusing audiences, and explaining too much, hence boring them to death with the scientific stuff. Lucky for us, not only does the new Sci-Fi thriller, Paradox manage to find that line, but much like it's story, it manages to come back to it over and over again. The story seems like a rather basic one, as a group of scientist are hired by a mysterious billionaire, to create a machine for the purposes of time travel. On this day, the group is pretty confident that they have completed the machine and will be sending one member, one hour into the future. The test works perfectly, only when the man arrives an hour into the future, he finds the lab is a mess and many of his colleagues are dead, hence the paradox. Will going back to warn everyone cause what he just saw or will it prevent it? Paradox is one of those films where it isn't about the acting, any decent actor could have been cast, it's the story that matters and the story was fantastic. The way they manage to utilize the machine and equipment that you never even noticed, or how they amp up the mystery by making everyone have that one thing that could make them a possible suspect, just makes the film that much more intense. This was honestly one of my favorite movies of 2016, and believe it or not, it was Written/Directed by a completely unlikely source. After seeing this, I had to know who wrote it and to my surprise, it was Michael Hurst, a guy who until now had only written some B-horror movies and directed some Xena episodes!?! This time he tried something different and may have found his true calling. If you love science fiction and a great mystery on top of that, you won't find many films that combine the two with the ease and satisfaction of Paradox.

Marvel's Daredevil

Starring: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elden Henson, Rosario Dawson, & Jon Bernthal

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

With time comes experience, and with that experience, Marvel has taken a bunch of barely watchable movies about superheroes, and turned themselves into a global empire. When Marvel first started making movies, they never dreamed they'd be getting the stars, exposure, or the nearly half a billion dollar box office receipts for every film they release. Perhaps the most overlooked element in Marvel's wave of success is the writers and directors, which is really what has led to the big stars, better films, and ultimately the TV series.

Marvel attempted to introduce Daredevil in 2003, in what amounted to one of the worst superhero movies I've ever seen. The plot was nonexistent, they rushed the characters backstory, and the acting was a joke. They learned from theses mistakes however, and reinvented the character in the Netflix series by the same name.

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was blinded in an accident when he was a child, but despite losing his sight, he gained other abilities. His other senses became super strong and he was trained to use them to help defend himself. As a youth, despite his training, Murdock decided to fight injustice in the courts and became a lawyer, eventually starting a firm with him best friend, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). Being a lawyer didn't always get Murdock the justice he sought, so he started using his training, and going out at night to fight crime as the devil of Hell's Kitchen, eventually dubbed by the press as Daredevil.

On the surface, people will look at this series and see another superhero show, but when you sit down to watch it, you will realize that the writing makes all the difference. This is one of those shows where the superhero element is an after thought, because everything else is so realistic and believable, that aside from the fight scenes, you forget that you're watching a Marvel superhero show. The criminals developed for this show, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) and The Punisher (Jon Benthal) are as good, if not better, than any villain ever seen in any of the Marvel franchises. Beyond that the show has a lot of legal and courtroom elements to it, a medical angel, family and romance issues, I don't say this often, but this show actually does have a little bit of something thrown in there for absolutely everyone! 

Even if you're not into superheroes, even if you can't stand them, there will be at least one element to the Daredevil series that you will enjoy, I guarantee it. As for the fans, I know it's been a while, but no need to fret, Daredevil have been renewed for a third season, and lead actor Charlie Cox has signed on for the eventual collaboration series, that will include all four Netflix-Marvel characters.

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, & Colin Farrell

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5

J.K. Rowling may have ended the Harry Potter series, but she isn't done writing about her magical world. Her latest series Fantastic Beasts has finally hit theaters, with the first of what will be a five film series, that starts off a hundred years before Harry Potter stepped into Hogwarts. The film is centered on Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who has come to New York City as part of his quest to save the endangered species of the magical world. These creatures live in what appears to be a suitcase, but when some of them escape and a muggle is exposed to Scamander's attempts to retrieve them, he finds himself in a world of trouble. Scamander's only salvation is that with another unknown creature and a dark wizard on the loose, there are other things to worry about, so he is sent with an agent (Katherine Waterston), and the muggle, to collect his creatures and to try to help figure out what is going on. Even though this movie takes place a hundred years before Harry Potter the special effects and especially the CGI on all the creatures involved is amazing! Even if I watched this film without the sound on, I'd still be blown away by how visually impactful it is. As for it's star, they cast one of the biggest up and comers in Hollywood, Eddie Redmayne, and he is perfect for the role. Redmayne is exactly like Harry and the kind of character Rowling loves to write about. He's this geeky, skinny, soft spoken, lovable loser, that no one would expect to be perhaps a hero in waiting. Aside from some corny jokes thrown in for the kids and die hard Potter fans, this movie was absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to see where it goes next. Rowling has stated that the other films will focus on other characters, including a younger Dumbledore, which I'm a bit indifferent to. I really liked this film, and I am curious to know what would be the point in a sequel that starts over. I'd imagine it would be to introduce everyone and then bring them all together in the end, but no matter what they do, the producers will be hard pressed to out due this film.

Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision

Starring: Jason Scott Lee & Thomas Ian Griffin

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

While I loved the idea behind Timecop, I hated the first movie. I thought it was really poorly done. With such a great idea, there were so many different directions the writers could have gone in, and the one they chose was just sloppy, however they made up for that in the second one. Too bad it was done in a low budget, direct-to-video film, that starred absolutly no one of any name recognition. In the second installment of Timecop, Anti-Government Terrorists want to change the United States to make it more like the way they want it to be, and the only thing stopping them is The Time Enforcement Commission. Led by former agent, Brandon Miller (Thomas Ian Griffin), the terrorist decide to go back and take out the agents before they are able to defend themselves, with them out of the way, they'll be able to do anything they want, but the only thing stopping them is Ryan Chan (Jason Scott Lee) The top Timecop, who they thought had been stranded in the past. The story here is much better than it was in the first film and much more what I expected to see. In ninety minutes, we go from the roaring twenties, to the wild west, and even Nazi Germany on this amazing chase through time. The film is however lacking in several ways, most important of all the cast. A low budget direct-to-video film means shotty special effects and worst of all a cast of actors no one has ever heard of. Jason Scott Lee stars, and while he has the moves, he butchers a lot of lines and really hasn't mastered emotions yet. As for his counterpart, Thomas Ian Griffin, he was kind of all over the place, so this was not the kind of film that will ever be used in an acting class, but by in large the story was enjoyable and does offer some redemption for a series that had so much promise.