The Problem With Doomsday

WARNING:  This post contains SPOILERS for the season 2 premiere of Superman & Lois!

I would like to think of myself as a bigger Superman fan than the average Joe.  I've been following/reading Superman comics since The Death of Superman event that started 30 years ago this November. This storyline introduced us to a villain known as Doomsday. It was later that we would find out this creature had Kryptonian origins and would be responsible for the death of The Man of Steel.  It is arguably the biggest event in comics history.  Since then, Doomsday has been used in DC Comics in many ways as the big boogie man for not only Kal-El but also other heroes in the DCU.  Doomsday has also been used in other mediums. Superman/Doomsday, Justice League Unlimited, Smallville, Krypton, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a just some of the times Doomsday has shown up on screens big and small.  But with a character like this I feel like he is a crux that some creators lean on too quickly when making a Superman story.  I was quite shocked when Zack Snyder put Doomsday in the second installment of a new Superman movie franchise.  Doomsday is a third, fourth, or even fifth film villain I believe.  It's not a second film, or even second season, villain for The Man of Tomorrow.

In the season premiere of Superman & Lois earthquakes begin to happen in Smallville.  At the end of the episode, we see a hand punch out of rock deep beneath Smallville quarry.  Wearing a greenish outfit, and given that it's buried deep in the Earth, most people assume it's none other than Doomsday himself come to take on Tyler Hoechlin's Superman for this season of The CW series.  But my question is why introduce the biggest storyline in Superman mythology, his greatest battle, in just season 2 of a TV series?  I'm assuming since this is a more seasoned Superman that he's faced most of his rogue's gallery like Metallo and Brainiac (even though Supergirl used a lot of Superman characters and storylines) but it seems he has not yet faced his own death.  

My other worry is that if we're about to get Superman vs Doomsday it will need good special effects to do it justice.  Even though I thought Doomsday was used way too soon in the DCEU, Doomsday did look good, and its battle with DC's Trinity had an epic feel.  The series Smallville brought the character of Doomsday in on season 8 of the series and was played by Sam Witer with a dual identity plot.  But every time he fought Tom Welling it just wasn't satisfying on a CW series budget.  While Superman & Lois I feel has better effects than most Arrowverse series the creators would have to blow an entire season's budget to make it the epic battle it deserves.  To be honest, my favorite version of the fight between Superman and Doomsday is in the animated film, The Death of Superman. 

 The Syfy series Krypton also brought in the character of Doomsday in its second season.  The show was a prequel set on the not-yet-destroyed planet but saw Doomsday's Kryptonian origins.  Bringing in the creature that killed Superman is kind of top-of-the-hill as far as storylines go.  Something that can kill The Last Son of Krypton is the biggest challenge.  As excited as I was to see Doomsday brought to this series, I thought they were writing themselves into a corner much too soon. When Superman fought Zod and his gang of Kryptonians in his first film, Man of Steel, I thought they started too high on the difficulty level. Metallo, Lex Luthor, Parasite; these are more Earth-based smaller villains that can start a new Superman series and then you work your way up to the bigger villains like Zod, Brainiac, Darkseid, and Doomsday.  At least Smallville waited eight years. The last few Superman interpretations can't seem to wait till year 3.  

Now, personally, I don't see Doomsday as Superman's greatest villain.  To me, that title goes to Darkseid.  He's almost as smart as Lex Luthor, and almost as strong as Doomsday.  Superman stands for hope and freedom, while Darkseid stands for fear and oppression.  But Doomsday is a force of nature that (at first appearance) doesn't think, doesn't sleep, and doesn't tire. It just destroys.  Bringing in a force of nature like that so early in a fresh Superman TV (or film) series I feel like gives you little room to one-up the stakes for what we all would hope to be many more seasons. 

Showrunner Tom Belbing has confirmed we will get a full reveal of Doomsday by episode 3 this season, but where are they going with it?  One theory I have is that they may do the full Death/Reign/Return of Superman in this series.  In the comics, Superman's death brings four other characters in to try and replace him.  The phrase "Eradicator" has been brought up in the series.  John Henry Irons a.k.a. "Steel" is already here, and we have a "Superboy" as well. If they wanted to do a version of Reign of the Supermen all they would need to bring in is the villainous "Cyborg Superman". Tackling that three-part storyline over the course of one or two seasons of TV would be something I am interested in.  However, like I've said, a good budget (and story) is needed to do it right.  I just hope the super creators realize it.

Superman & Lois has been my favorite interpretation of the character in a while.  His speech to Jordan in episode 6 last season about the responsibility he feels every time he steps out as Superman was perfect! I think the writers really get what the Man of Steel stands for, and how his relationship with Lois fits into it.  I just hope they have the next three season already planned and bringing in Doomsday is the beginning of great foes, and not the best villain Tyler Hoechlin will have in this series.

Did Hawkeye Hit It's Mark(et Audience)?

 "The city is flying and we're fighting an army of giant robots. And I have a bow and arrow. Nothing makes sense." -Clint Barton

Clinton Barton is just a regular guy, and that's what I like about him.  That's what I like about Black Widow, and for the most part, that's what I like about Steve Rogers.  They aren't gods, monsters, or high-tech billionaire/genius/philanthropists. And sure, that might not make them the coolest characters, but to me it makes them the underdogs. So, when the idea of a Hawkeye series came up, I was interested.  Especially given the dual life he's lived.  He's a loving father and husband, but he's also spent his life murdering people, and in recent years went on a crazed, grief-driven, killing spree. What does a life like that do to a person?  These are some of the questions I thought made a Hawkeye series seem intriguing. And then it all got highjacked by cameos.

Hawkeye is set two years after Avengers: Endgame. Which means it's 2025.  Not sure how, or if, they will ever sink up with real-world time.  Anyway, Clint is spending time with his kids in New York when his past comes back to haunt him, and someone is seen wearing his old Ronin suit.  Clint finds Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, in the suit and bad guys are after her because of it.  Now Clint has to clear up the Ronin mess, make sure Kate is safe, fight off the Track-Suit Mafia, avoid Kingpin, and try to convince Yelena her sister's death wasn't his fault.  And also make it home for Christmas with his family.

Some people were disappointed with the first few episodes focusing on Kate Bishop more than Clint Barton.  But anyone who didn't think this show was really going to be about the passing of the Hawkeye mantle to the next generation had their expectations a skewed.  One thing I love about the series is you see Clint's emotional and physical state.  His body is beginning to show his age and all the battles he's been through.  He's losing his hearing and he's constantly sore.  Plus, he is still feeling guilt over Natasha's death.  This comes to a head in the finale as he faces off against Yelena, who is looking to blame him for Black Widow's death.  But in the end, they both had an epiphany that Natasha made her own choice, and they both know she was strong enough to not be stopped after her decision was made. 

SIDE NOTE: The Black Widow post-credit scene had Valentina Fontaine hiring Yelena to kill Hawkeye. We now know Kate's mom was the buyer.  Valentina has also recruited John Walker to her side.  Is she making a new Avengers team or a personal hit squad?

Kate's story is one of privilege.  Sure, she lost her dad when she was young, but her brattiness in the beginning of the series threw some people off.  I didn't really like her to begin with, but by the end I didn't hate her. Hailee Steinfeld is a good enough actress you can't totally hate her.  I still would not be keen on her getting her own series or film, but put her in an ensemble film, or a Yelena team-up, and I think she'd be great.  Just make sure you add Jack into the mix too.  I did find her mother, played by Vera Famiga, a little too straight forward.  Sure, we all knew she was a bad guy the whole time, but I was hoping for a little more depth to her by the end. 

The other future hero this series sets up is Maya Lopez, known in the comics as Echo.  I thought as a supporting part the character and the actress were great.  But the idea that Marvel and Disney might give the character her own show seems a bit off-putting. I don't think Maya is strong enough as a character to carry her own series.  Like Kate, I would love to see her in future MCU projects, but her own solo outing would not get me counting down the days will it debuts. I'd rather see a Yelena and Kate buddy comedy, with Jack as their boss/confidant. 

Of course, the big question in this six-episode series was the debate of whether Vicent D'Onofrio as Kingpin would show up.  So much so that it took up a lot of the talk for Hawkeye.  My friend JR swore he was going to show up, but I was skeptical due to the complications of bringing in the Netflix actors over to the true MCU.  But after Kevin Feige told the world Charlie Cox is the MCU's Daredevil I figured D'Onofrio was coming.  But only 24 hours later and my fears are coming true.  Speaking with EW, D'Onofrio says that this Kingpin is the same one from Netflix and that "The Blip" is the reason for the differences.  Not sure that's why he wears Hawaiian shirts now, or why he had so much trouble taking on a young girl in her twenties.  Chatter is spreading that this Kingpin pales in comparison to his Netflix performance, and that's why I thought Marvel should have just recast when bringing in Kingpin and Daredevil.  A new actor would not get as scrutinized for being the next person in line to play a version of Kingpin.  Also, people would not be disappointed as a rated R Netflix character transitioned into a PG-13 MCU world. 

The highlights of the series for me included the quiet moments between Clint and Kate.  Like the phone call with his son, the shot not taken, and what is the sacrifice to be a hero. I loved any scene between Kate and Yelena and was intrigued with the Lauren Barton mystery.  Most of the series Clint wanted to get the watch from the Avenger's compound auction (shouldn't someone be worried that Avengers stuff is being sold on the black market?) and we come to find out why it was so important.  Laura Barton was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent! And the back of the watch hints that she was Agent 19. In the comics, Agent 19 is Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird, and girlfriend to Hawkeye.  Now, this is kind of a kick-to-the-balls to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans because in the series Mockingbird is played by Friday Night Lights alumni Adrianne Palicki. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts! I feel like this puts an end to the debate on whether Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is truly part of the MCU.  Looks like it's not, and Phil Coulson is still dead.  Bummer. How this new information might affect the MCU going forward (or looking back) we'll just have to wait and see.

Hawkeye was meant as a holiday spoof with classic Christmas carols playing throughout, a bit more goofy than other MCU series, and what I thought was a Home Alone moment when Clint and Kate are gearing up to take on the bad guys.  I find the series enjoyable, but not great.  I think it took care of its two main characters well and gave us a lot of holiday fun.  Is it the best of MCU series? No.  Is this series for everyone?  No.  But I like to think of it as Die Hard meets Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  Except we can call it Arrows, Pizza Dogs, and Track Suits.

Spider-Man: No Way Home SPOILERS Review

I've never been a big Spider-Man fan.  My fondest memories of the web slinger is the 1990's Saturday morning cartoon.  My brother and I would settle in for TV watching that included Spider-Man, Batman, and X-Men.  My brother Patrick however is a HUGE Spider-Man fan.  Everything I know about Spider-Man comes from me reading his comic book collection when he wasn't home.  Like most big brothers, he didn't like me getting into his things.  As a whole I like the Tobey Maguire trilogy, but never really warmed up to the Andrew Garfield films.  I have, however, enjoyed Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker.  So heading into his third film I was curious what was going to happen in No Way Home, and who was going to show up.  The correct answer for both of those questions was EVERYTHING!

This film picks up right where Far From Home ended.  Peter's identity is exposed to the whole world, and those closest to him are being hurt because of it.  Peter turns to Doctor Stephen Strange to help him make the world forget he is Spider-Man.  But when the spell goes wrong it brings in everyone from the multiverse who knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man, which included villains (and heroes) from all the Spider-Man films Sony has released in the last 20 years. It all comes down to a climactic battle at the Statue of Liberty with three Spidermen versus the Sinister Five.  Yes, FIVE.  When they were all captured my first thought was, "there has to be one more to make it the Sinister Six."  But there wasn't.

First off, my problem with this film is the same reasons I, and many other, geeked out so hard while watching it.  It's filled with cameos from all the previous Spider-Man films; and then some.  It had great references and the money shot of all three Spidermen, in costume, ready to battle. But, earlier I hopped on YouTube to rewatch the Matt Murdock scene.  I remember freaking out when he appeared and I just kept thinking, "Charlie Cox's Daredevil is in the MCU." And in the 80 seconds or so he was in the film I didn't process any dialogue or anything else in that scene.  I was in a daze and missed everything else being said.  I just kept wondering when the next cameo was coming instead of focusing on this Peter's emotional journey.

But, despite two other Spidey's in the film, the heart of it was still Tom Holland's Spider-Man.  It was his hopefulness of not giving up on the villains.  Trying to not just send them back to their deaths, but to try and help them.  The end of the film ended with Peter making everyone forget not Spider-man, but Peter Parker; even his friends.  The last scene with Peter and MJ killed me Peter was about to tell MJ who he was till he noticed the bandage above her eye and believed the best way to keep her safe was for him not to be in her life. This reminds me of a comic book storyline called Brand New Day.  After Civil War everyone knew who Spider-Man was, and this led to Aunt May being shot.  So, Peter made a deal with Mephisto (yes, that Mephisto) that he would save May's life if Peter would give up is life with Mary Jane. Thus, causing everyone to forget he was Spider-Man, never meeting or marrying MJ, and him living the bachelor life with his buddy Harry Osborn in their New York apartment. That's what the end of the film felt like to me; that it's a brand-new day for Spider-Man.  Peter has his own New York apartment, struggling to get by, and most important; sewing his own costume.  This is the basics of who Spider-Man is to me, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Speaking of what's next, the mid-credit scene saw Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock getting the 411 on the MCU.  The bartender explaining it all is Ted Lasso's Cristo Fernandez. Football is life!!  Anyway, Eddie then gets zapped back to his reality thanks to Peter and the events of the film but leaves behind a piece of the symbiote.  And every comic book fan's immediate thought was not only "Black Costume Saga" but also, "Is the MCU gonna do their own Venom?"  Now, I'm still confused how Eddie ended up in the MCU.  We assume it's from the Strange spell, so then why would he get zapped to the MCU if he had no idea who Peter Parker was?  This feeds into the fan theory that Venom's hive mind with other symbiotes includes the one from Spider-Man 3, and Venom, not Eddie, knew Peter was Spider-Man, and why Eddie came to the MCU, and then returned to the Sonyverse. 

I believe No Way Home is love letter to everyone who has been watching Spider-Man films for the last 20 yrs.  It remembers the past but set up so much for the future of the character, and also raises so many questions like; did they bring Tom Hardy's Venom over just to leave the symbiote piece behind?  Does Zendaya's MJ ever get back with Peter or is this the actresses' way out of the franchise?  And what's up with Morbius?  We know he's in the same universe as Venom, but that Spider-Man mural is in the background in the trailer and so is Michael Keaton.  Also, Keaton's Vulture no longer knows who Spider-Man is according to the rules.  If Jon Watts and crew got a non-loving Spider-Man guy like me to get excited about the possibilities, I can't wait to see what he does with Fantastic Four!

Daredevil and The Defenders Dysfunctional MCU Problem

  I'll go on record right now.  Netflix's Daredevil is my favorite LIVE-ACTION comic book series.  Even more than Smallville or Arrow.  Daredevil is one of my favorite Marvel characters.  I like him not because of his powers or costume (which is pretty sweet) but because he's a hero who is just trying to do the right thing, but most of the time ends up making things worse for himself and those around him.  Charlie Cox was so great as Matt Murdock I gave away my copy of the Daredevil starring Ben Affleck.  Same thing with Jon Bernthal and my copy of The Punisher with Thomas Jane.  Cox and Bernthal's version of the characters are so definitive to me I can't watch any other previous version.  But I admit that is also a problem.

Last night, my Twitter feed erupted from a story coming out of the site CinemaBlend. In an interview with Kevin Feige he said, "If you were to see Daredevil in upcoming things, Charlie Cox, yes, would be the actor playing Daredevil. Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen."  Rumors of Cox's possible return to the role have been circling for months.  Some believe we will see Matt Murdock in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The problem this creates is that Cox was part of another shared Marvel universe on Netflix.  Before Disney+ started cranking out MCU shows, Netflix was doing The Avengers formula on a smaller scale.  The Defenders started with individual series for Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist, that then came together for The Defenders.  These characters were actually supposed to be set in the MCU with references sprinkled throughout, but then the references became less and less.  However, the Netflix series were all under the reign of Ike Perlmutter, who was the Chairman and CEO of Marvel Entertainment at the time, and who Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, did not get along with.

As the series were released Daredevil was beloved by most, while the rest got mixed to mediocre reviews.  Jon Bernthal's portrayal as The Punisher was praised as a highlight of Netflix's Marvel U.  When Disney+ was created the Mouse House wanted to be the only ones making MTV (Marvel television) and the Netflix series were cancelled. Some saw this as mercy killings anyway, except Daredevil.  Since then, fans hoped Cox, and even Vicent D'onofrio's Kingpin, would be incorporated into the regular MCU.  

Like I said, the Netflix series were technically part of the MCU so if Feige and his team plan to bring Cox aboard as Daredevil then they just have to acknowledge the Netflix series is MCU.  But that means the rest of The Defenders would be considered MCU as well.  Feige's problem with how Perlmutter ran his division of Marvel meant Feige also didn't want to mix his and Perlmutter's characters.  These TV shows would reference the MCU films, but never the other way around.  Sure Charlie Cox as Daredevil would be a huge win.  But what about all the other characters Feige would inherit?  Jessica Jones and Luke Cage declined in quality as they continued, and Iron Fist never was any good (and this is coming from someone who likes Iron Fist as a Marvel character). Setting aside Finn Jones's acting abilities, that version of Danny Rand was terrible.  Do we really want that version as the MCU's Iron Fist going forward?  

Now, Feige can say that Charlie Cox is doing an entirely new interpretation of Daredevil going forward, but then why not just recast?  Someone else will play Wolverine besides Hugh Jackman and someday, someone, will play Tony Stark besides Robert Downey Jr. How many Batmans, James Bonds, Jokers, and Supermans have we had?  Some have been good, and some not so good, but we all moved on after.  Keeping Cox on as Daredevil only continues the current entitled narrative that fans say what the studios should do.  While I was curious to see Zack Snyder's Justice League, I was not one of the sweaties that demanded Warner Bros give Snyder millions of dollars to let him finish his version of the film because they "deserved it." And after the $70 million+ was spent, the sweaties demanded Snyder get to finish his other planned DC films, even though all his previous DC films all under performed. Like a toddler throwing a fit in the middle of a toy store, we cannot let them think they are in control. 

To sum up this entire post I just have to ask myself three questions. Do I want to see more of Charlie Cox as Daredevil? Yes!  Do I want to see more of the rest of the Netflix Marvel characters? No! Do I think I should just shut up and remember that Kevin Feige probably has a plan like everything else he's done so far, and so far, it's all been pretty good? Of course, dumbass!

Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part II: This Will Shut The Fanboys Up

 "I have the power!" Just saying that phrase gives me a sense of confidence.  Of course, growing up in the 1980's I was into He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.  It's a little too cheesy now to watch as an adult.  A more palatable version is the 2002 Cartoon Network reboot that I believe only lasted two seasons, but the 3-part origin story is a great framework on how a He-Man movie could be.  A while ago, it was announced that the ultimate geek, Kevin Smith, was going to be producing a Masters of the Universe series for Netflix that was going to be a sequel to the beloved 1980's series.  I hoped it wouldn't be as campy, and from the trailer it looked like it could be family programming.  Then came the wrath of the fanboys.

When the first five episodes were released back in July it got MotU fans in a tizzy as both He-Man and alter ego, Prince Adam, were barely in it.  Instead, the first few episodes focused on Teela, and the aftermath of a great battle that made Eternia believe both He-Man and Skeletor were gone.  People brought their grievances to social media and attacked Kevin Smith personally.  They accused him of creating an SJW series that focused on a girl instead of, "the most powerful man in the universe."  I took it for what it was; the first five episodes of a season that had more to come.  I wasn't overjoyed by Part 1 of Revelation, but knew Mr. Smith and his team had a second half of the story still to tell.  Today, Part II of Revelation was released on Netflix and I believe it's everything the whiney fanboys from months ago wanted. WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

When last we were in Eternia, Skeletor had returned and now has the Sword of Power, which he used to stick Prince Adam with.  The Power of Grayskull was his!  As the new episodes start out our heroes are on the run and Teela uses her emerging new abilities to heal Adam before certain death.  They soon rendezvous with King Randor and his army to try and fight Skeletor, but, before they do, Evil-Lyn has tricked bonehead and she is now Master of the Universe.  And she's looking to burn it all down.

This is the part of the season fans wanted.  A lot of action, a lot of their classic hero, and big consequences with not a lot of talking.  I think we all saw Teela becoming the Sorceress before this was all over, and I thought it was cool that without the sword Adam's transformation of power pretty much just turned him into the Hulk.  In the end we had a giant spectacle of a battle that ended with the Skeletor defeated and He-Man as Eternia's champion once again.

But this series has also evolved the mythology into something new, and not just the classic story.  The opening tries to fill in newbies as to what MotU is, but I think a person having seen at least a few episodes of any previous He-Man cartoon would help when they start this series.  But now, going forward, they can tell new stories, and not just retell old episodes of the original cartoon.  The characters I've known since my childhood have grown and can continue to grow.  Also, I'm not an MotU expert, but if this series is supposed to be a sequel to the 80's cartoon, then don't She-Ra and the Horde already exist?  Don't get me wrong, I loved the tag at the end to set-up the Horde, but is Hordak still fighting She-Ra and the rebels in Etheria?  I just want some clarification if those characters already exist moving forward in this series.

When the voice talent was announced for Revelation, I thought it was top knotch all the way; from Sarah Michelle Gellar to Mark Hamill.  In Part II, the stand-out voices for me were Liam Cunningham as Man-at-Arms and Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn.  Along with Teela, Lyn got the most character development in the season, which is why I know some fans cried SJW.  But I say again, this series is MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, not HE-MAN and the Masters of the Universe.  

The lesson Teela learned that her mother did not is that becoming Sorceress doesn't mean leaving those you love behind. In fact, Teela learned that they made her stronger than those who guarded Castle Grayskull before her.   That part made me think of Harry Potter, since it's a cliche hero lesson; but a goodie none the less.  I wanted to rewatch the first five episodes before starting the new ones, but this time of year leaves me no time to do so.  But I would like to go back and watch all ten episodes together at some point.  For now though, I think this season is a great journey that gives He-Man fans the prospect of good things to come as far as storytelling.  But I gotta say, I was kinda sad no one said "snoochie boochies" at least once. 

Ghostbusters Gets An Afterlife (WARNING: SPOILERS)

Who ya gonna call? How can anyone not respond to that question without saying, "Ghostbusters!" I grew up in the Ghostbusters era. The first two films are beloved by me.  I watched The Real Ghostbusters animated series as well as the Filmation Ghostbusters series.  I was a Ghostbuster for Halloween at least twice as a kid, and I had quite a few Ghostbusters toys.  One that comes to mind is a footless Egon action figure thanks to our family dog.  So, when it comes to the Ghostbusters, I guess I would call myself a fan.

But as a Ghostbusters fan it's been a while since I've had something to get excited about.  I was too old when the Extreme Ghostbusters animated series came out, and it just seemed not that great anyway.  The IDW comic books in recent years have never gotten my attention.  And of course, the 2016 film was quite controversial.  I didn't mind it, but I thought it was nowhere the level of 80's classics. Then came news that Jason Reitman, son of the original film's director, was going to tackle a new Ghostbusters sequel.  Jason has directed such films as Juno, Thank You For Smoking, and Up In The Air.  All of which I enjoy, so it got me excited for this new edition to the franchise.  But then the trailers started to be released my excitement dwindled.

The first trailer had a bunch of kids driving Ecto-1 through a town and chasing a ghost (who at first, I thought was Slimer, but more on that later).  The films and the animated series were full grown adults who could handle an apocalypse-level event with thermal nuclear weapons on their backs.  Plus, they were funny as F$%K! These trailers made it look like Stranger Things the movie, not helped by the addition of Finn Wolfhard from the Netflix series.  I spent the two weeks before seeing Afterlife introducing my 8-year-old daughter to the franchise.  We watch the first two films, and a few episodes of The Real Ghostbusters.  We sat down to watch Afterlife, and to be honest, I thought it was ok.

The daughter and grandchildren of Egon have moved to a smalltown after Egon's death and they soon find out that the original Ghostbuster villain, Gozer, is about to rise again, and it's up to little Phoebe (played by McKenna Grace) to organize her own ghost-busting team.  This film is of course Sony's attempt to reboot the franchise and get a new generation into Ghostbusters.  I say this because my 11-year-old nephew was sitting several seats down from me and I could hear his excitement.  And my daughter also seemed into the film, getting several references from the previous movies we had recently watched.  Maybe having a Ghostbusters film starring not all men (or women), but kids, could be just what the franchise needed.

I kept drawing parallels to The Force Awakens, in that it was a very similar plot to the first films in their franchises and had the returning veterans playing supporting characters.  McKenna Grace is known for playing younger versions of women in films like I, Tonya and Captain Marvel, but I would call her the lead in this film.  However, I think expanding on the troubles of her mother could have helped us get more invested.  We get one quick scene to meet the three characters before being thrusted into the plot.  Why was her mom behind on rent?  Did she have a job?  How good of a relationship does she have with her kids?  And if Janine wasn't her mom, who was Egon's wife/baby momma? 

Sexiest Man Alive, Paul Rudd, helped bring a gravitas to the film as he did what he does. But it seems like they forced the two adult characters of the film together just for the Keymaster and Gatekeeper pay-off, which also seemed like the writers almost forgot they needed to bring forth Gozer. Wolfhard's character was just there to drive the car it seems; and to crush on a girl.  The real personality of this film came from Phoebe and her friend, Podcast, played by Logan Kim.  They all seemed a little too young to be taking on an evil God, which is why I thought the original cast should have come in sooner.

Let's be honest, Annie Potts and Sigorney Weaver's parts were pointless.  They were quick and added nothing.  I wish after the phone call to Ray the three Ghostbusters would have gotten there sooner before the battle had started.  And when they tried to stop Gozer, but couldn't, it would have made Phoebe's attempt more meaningful.  I thought Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson's deliveries were great, but to me it just didn't seem like Bill Murray wanted to be there.  Sure, he is older now, but I didn't feel the Venkman energy of wit I love so much.  Bringing them in sooner would have given them more time for character development, or some kind of story instead of just semi-cameos. And speaking of cameos, no Slimer?  I thought Munchie was cute, but come on!   At one-point Slimer was more popular with Ghostbuster fans than the actual Ghostbusters! 

"Are you a god?"  Luckily Ray had the right answer this time around.  The film is filled with plenty of easter eggs like Twinkies and marshmallow-covered heroes.  The end of the film is beautiful with ghost Egon appearing as you see the original four in one shot.  You get a father/daughter hug and it seems like the Ghostbusters are back in business as the film ends with Ecto-1 blaring through the streets of New York again.  But why?  I thought ghost-busting business had dried up in New York City?  I know they are trying to set-up a sequel with that (and the post-credit scene with Winston) but I don't see how stopping a ghost in the Midwest equals ghost activity now up in New York?  

I feel like I've written this review like I've hated the film, but I didn't.  To me, this film was made for kids who can see themselves in Phoebe and Podcast, and grow up to carry the torch of this franchise for another lifetime.  I thought Reitman did a decent job directing with some great camera shots and angles.  While I wasn't thrilled with the teenage characters, I thought Phoebe and Podcast were great and carried this film well.  I also may not have thought Afterlife was a worthy sequel to the others, but it's cute enough to entertain families and possibly spark more Ghostbusters films.  And to this once one-legged, Egon action figure owner, that makes me happy. 

Spider-Man: No Way ALL The Rumors Are True

Well folks, it finally arrived.  After days of anticipation we finally got to see it; my mother-in-law's new fancy bed.  But while I was putting that together, people in L.A. were gathering into a theater to be the first ones to get a look at the newest trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Sony promised a special surprise for those in attendance.  And I guess the appearance of Tom Holland is the surprise they got.  But those of us at home were hoping to see appearances from different webslingers last night.

Not since Avengers: Endgame has so many rumors and theories been swirling around a single film.  From Daredevil to Professor Charles Xavier I've heard every Marvel character might make a cameo in Jon Watt's third installment in the MCU's Spider-Man "Home movies." Cue laugh track. 

But with this film bringing in all the villains from previous Spidey movies people expect to see the Spider-Men that go with them; Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Recently, film pundit, John Campea posted some pictures online he thought were fake, but was soon contacted by Sony to take them down because they "could be real" as the Sony rep told him.  But it was too late.  People saw, saved, and shared those pictures all around showing Holland with Garfield and Maguire on a set much like the one we see in the new trailer when Peter is about to face off again Electro, Sandman, and Lizard.  People are speculating Marvel pulled one of their trailer magic tricks and erased two Peter Parker's from that shot for the trailer(look online for the Lizard getting punched by air).

So what take-aways do I have from this newest Spider-Man trailer?  Well I'm about 99.9% sure Maguire and Garfield are in the film.  I think Spider-Man is about to jump over to his own Sony-controlled film universe.  And I think Peter will suffer a tragedy.

A few years back Marvel and Sony Pictures broke a new deal after their old one in sharing live-action rights to Spider-Man had expired.  After it looked like Tom Holland's Spider-Man was gone from the MCU the two companies said they had renewed for 2 more movies; 1 Spider-Man film and 1 MCU film that Spider-Man would appear in.  I, like some, believed this was the two studios way of writing Spider-Man out of the MCU and into his own Sony universe with Venom, Morbius, Kraven, all of his own supporting characters. With the Multiverse going awry it would make sense that Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is the other MCU film Tom Holland will be in, and then have "no way" to get back to the MCU after Strange cleans up the Multiverse.  I for one have enjoyed Spider-Man interacting with the other Marvel characters, and while I believe he can lead his own cinematic universe I'd much rather see him stay in MCU.  But I think Sony is done letting Marvel Studios play with their most valuable toy.  Even if Marvel did re-polish it after Sony mistreated and dragged it through the mud.......Moving on.

The first trailer gave us Doctor Octopus and a hint of Green Goblin.  We also knew Jamie Foxx would be reprising his role as Electro. In this newest trailer we got confirmation of Sandman and Lizard with Doctor Strange saying "They all die fighting Spider-Man; It's their fate."  Now, I plan on re-watching all the live-action Spider-Man films before seeing No Way Home, but Sandman didn't die.  From my memory, all the others died at the end of their subsequent films, but Thomas Hayden Church turned a corner at the end of Spider-Man 3 and became dust in the wind.  Plus, we are missing two live-action Spidey villains; Venom and Harry Osborn's Green Goblin.  The end credit scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage hints that "a Venom" might make a cameo in this film, and Willem DaFoe wasn't the only Green Goblin in the trailer. One shot showed a Goblin looking different. My guess is it's Harry from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but some say it may be Ned's possible Hobgoblin turn like in the comic books.  But I'm more curious about Ned's letter jacket?  What sports or activities is he in to get one of those?  I also don't believe Molina's Doctor Ock will be a true foil in this film.  He also turned over a new leaf at the end of Spider-Man 2 and was about to die a semi-hero.

The trailer ends with a classic love interest fall and Peter diving to save her.  Maguire saved his girl.  Garfield killed his.  How do you think Holland is gonna shake out?  "This is all my fault. I can't save everyone," is what Peter says in the trailer.  Also falling in the trailer is a giant shield.  Looks like New York is making some Captain America memorial?  And the last line of the trailer is Strange saying, "They're starting to come through, and I can't stop 'em." Which I believe is a tip of the hat of what the good Doctor will have to fix in his own sequel film. Let's also not forget Peter had another new suit, a black one, that looks magical, because, we gotta sell some toys!  

I'm at that point in my life as a geeky film fan where I walk in trying to check all the rumors and head Canon before going in.  I'm not the biggest Spider-Man fan, but I do enjoy the character, and I look forward to see what Marvel and Sony have in store for us.  But, I'm wearing my Daredevil shirt just in case Charlie Cox shows up and I scream, "Yes!"