Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

DIRECTED BY

Andy Serkis

STARRING

Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/Venom

Woody Harrelson - Cletus Kasady/Carnage

Michelle Williams - Anne Weying

Naomie Harris - Frances Barrison/Shriek

Reid Scott - Dan Lewis

Stephen Graham - Patrick Mulligan

Peggy Lu - Mrs. Chen

Genre - Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Horror/Comic Books

Running Time - 97 Minutes

PLOT

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution.

REVIEW

Despite the lack of praise critically and the fact that a film for this character was made without the more popular Spider-Man being involved in its origin story, 2008’s VENOM still managed to be a surprise box office success. It scored over $800 million at the global box office, which showed the strength of this popular 90s comic book character and the franchise potential that could be built around Venom. The mid-credits scene for the first film had teased the film I’m reviewing here today, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE [or VENOM 2 as I’ll call it for the rest of the review], which had a lot of fans excited for what’s to come.

As someone who actually owns the comic with Carnage’s first full appearance from 1992 [ka-ching] due to the cool look of the character, I was super geeked for this movie. While I did have reservations about Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kasady, he’s not a stranger to playing quirky, serial killer types. And while the PG-13 rating irked me, considering how super violent Carnage is, the idea of motion-capture legend Andy Serkis directing a CGI superhero fest was definitely appealing. Unfortunately, VENOM 2 didn’t really click for me completely due to many factors. But at least it’s silly, stupid and fun.

There’s really two big plot lines going on in VENOM 2. The obvious one is the introduction of Cletus Kasady, as he eventually becomes Carnage due to a sloppy move by the alien symbiote Venom, who leaves a piece of his offspring with Kasady to continue his serial killing rampage. Even though the film is probably shorter than it needs to be, the script does allow time to get into Kasady’s backstory - from being abused as a child, to meeting a superpowered meta in Frances Barrison and falling in love with her and to Kasady’s eventual need to reunite with her after both have been separated. While there’s a lot going on to explain who Kasady is, I do feel it’s done well enough to understand who he is and what his motivations are. Feeling a connection to Eddie Brock, Kasady sort of uses Brock to make himself more famous - which backfires when Venom figures out where Kasady’s victims are buried, leading to a quicker death row date for the serial killer while making Eddie Brock a hot reporter. This animosity leads to Kasady transforming into Carnage and wanting revenge on Brock and his symbiote. It’s pretty typical superhero movie premise 101, which is fine with me.

The other plot line involves Eddie Brock and Venom having relationship issues with one another, turning VENOM 2 into a love story of sorts between the symbiote and its human host. Serkis compared it to The Odd Couple and I definitely can see that comparison. Even after sharing a body for a while, both parties still want to live separate lives. Brock not only wants his ex-wife back [as does Venom], but he’s trying to build back his reputation as a journalist through Cletus Kasady. By suppressing Venom, he feels he can accomplish his goals and stay out of trouble. Venom, however, wants freedom to do what it wants. Venom wants to be the city’s Lethal Protector. Venom wants to kill Anne’s current boyfriend, Dr. Dan, in order for Brock to get back with her. Venom wants the freedom to eat human brains instead of chicken brains. When Venom solves Kasady’s case while Brock takes all of the credit, the two start arguing who is the better detective, which leads to a separation with both parties going their separate ways. Brock ends up trying to survive Kasady’s eventual pursuit for him, while Venom goes from body to body until he comes out to a party crowd how much he loves Brock. And Brock realizes his life is kind of boring with the symbiote. It’s an interesting take on this relationship and one that probably triggered a certain group of people against the so-called “woke” agenda of Hollywood. But I didn’t mind it because it’s used pretty well in the story, since the only ones who really understand them are each other. 

As for the rest of the screenplay, it’s pretty by-the-numbers. While Brock and Venom are going through their thing, Carnage is reuniting with his lover Frances [aka Shriek] - a woman who has powers of sound frequency. If you know anything about the symbiotes, you’ll see exactly where this is going. While the two characters are usually a pair in the comics and do show a bit of affection towards the other, the film kind of treats the pair as a homage to 1994’s NATURAL BORN KILLERS considering it’s one of Harrelson’s most popular roles. We know Cletus and Frances love each other through flashbacks and exposition, but we barely get to see the two of them together in the present to really care about their relationship. The moment she uses her shriek power, the Carnage symbiote is already verbally and physically abusing her - even threatening to kill her if she ever uses her powers around it again. This creates a bit of sympathy for the serial killer, as he pleads with the symbiote not to hurt her. It should create tension and conflicting moments for the characters and the audience. But there isn’t enough time devoted to the relationship prior to the Carnage symbiote taking over Cletus to really create a contrast between the old and the new. 

And that’s the main issue with VENOM 2 - it’s way too short for what it tries to accomplish. Unlike most sequels, the film may be badder but it’s not bigger since it’s about ten minutes shorter than the first film. And when you’re introducing new characters while continuing established stories, you’re going to need a bit more time to connect it all. While I appreciate Andy Serkis not wanting too much filler and exposition, I feel like the film did need a bit of that to feel more complete. Frances feels like a side character compared to Carnage, even though I feel like she has more of the interesting character arc between the two. She was kidnapped as a child, shot by a cop, and then hidden away in this secret facility while they had her locked up while experimenting on her. And when she’s finally free, she’s being sassed by an alien who hates her power, while her boyfriend is trying to keep the peace. Unlike a Harley Quinn, for instance, Shriek never feels like a fully fleshed character but a prop to show that Cletus and his symbiote aren’t as much of a match as Brock and Venom are. And while the character shows potential by the film’s end, it’s just too late for the audience to really care.

As for the other characters, Anne and Dr. Dan are around for comic relief and damsel-in-distress stuff in the final act. They pretty much play the same roles as they did in the first film, not really showing much growth as characters honestly. There’s also Detective Mulligan, who has an interesting backstory and a hostile relationship with Brock. I feel like he’ll have more to do in the next film, but he’s really just around to be another obstacle for Brock and Venom.

And if anyone is expecting an epic battle between Venom and Carnage like in the comics, you’ll probably be disappointed. While it’s better than the final battle in the first film, I was really expecting more considering the action and CGI was a lot better in this movie. I guess what we got out of it was pretty cool as a comic nerd, but I wish there was more conflict between Venom and Carnage as almost a cat-and-mouse type of thriller. While I understood the motivations of the villains, it sort of felt old hat and didn’t really do much in terms of execution. But it was fine for what it was.

Andy Serkis does fine as a director, considering how much of a great motion-capture performer he is. But he’s worked with so many filmmakers, you figure he learned a thing or two from each director he has worked with. Unlike Ruben Fleischer, Serkis isn’t afraid to take on the weirdness of the situation. He uses a lot of physical comedy and goofiness to tell the story, creating interesting visuals in the process. Sometimes the comedy doesn’t always hit, especially when it tries to shield away the horror that Carnage brings to the table - gotta keep that PG-13 rating. But Serkis definitely brings a fun, comic book style energy to the film with his quick pacing and CGI spot fests to amuse audiences for the most part. While I wish the film had a more serious tone going for it considering who the main villain was, Serkis makes sure we’re entertained by the stupidity of it all. I’d like to see what he can do with a stronger script.

The acting is also very good. Tom Hardy seems to be having a blast playing both Eddie Brock and Venom. I felt he was trying to figure out how to balance the roles in the first film, but Hardy seems totally comfortable and game for anything here. Also getting a story credit in the film, it’s obvious he’s all in on the Venom character. He’s honestly the best part of these movies. Woody Harrelson gets to play a PG-13 version of his NATURAL BORN KILLERS character in Cletus Kasady and Carnage. I’m still unsure how I feel about his casting, but he seems to be having fun as well and gets a lot of cool things to do. I think in a longer film, he would have been able to do more with the role. Naomie Harris is fine as Frances, but I think she should have been given more interesting things to do. I really found her character interesting, only because of all the relationships she had to deal with. Again, a longer movie would have benefited her. Michelle Williams and Reid Scott do what they can with what they’re given as Anne and Dr. Dan. Stephen Graham is probably going to get more to do in future installments as Detective Mulligan, but he’s good here with what he’s given. And Peggy Lu is a highlight supporting character as Mrs. Chen. A solid cast for sure, but would have excelled more with a better script.

Let’s be honest - the only thing anyone is going to remember is the mid-credits scene. I won’t spoil it, even though I’m sure many know what it is by now. But I’m very excited to see where it takes this franchise because the potential is huge for VENOM 3 to be a really good sequel if done right. 

THE FINAL HOWL

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE is pretty much on par with the first film. It’s not a superhero film masterpiece, but it’s dumb, fun and never boring. While it’s cool to finally see Carnage on the big screen against his nemesis, I do wish the screenplay was stronger and had done more to really elevate the tension between the two characters. In fact, the biggest flaw with this film is that it’s too damn short to let things breathe, let characters get developed and make the final act’s confrontation mean more than it does. But the “love story” between Eddie Brock and Venom is fun and the NATURAL BORN KILLERS-lite between Carnage and Shriek is a nice homage to Woody Harrelson’s past. Andy Serkis does a decent job with a big budget feature, which I’m sure he’ll get better with in time. And the actors, especially Tom Hardy, all seem to be having a lot of fun with the silliness of it all. Plus, that mid-credits scene - huge potential for future installments. But VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE should have been a bit longer and maybe should have had a stronger rating [I mean, it’s Carnage after all]. Not the “Maximum Carnage” it should have been, but it was a decent way to waste 90 minutes in a theater. 

SCORE

2.5 Howls Outta 4

Brightburn (2019)

DIRECTED BY

David Yarovesky

STARRING

Elizabeth Banks - Tori Breyer

David Denman - Kyle Breyer

Jackson A. Dunn - Brandon Breyer/ Brightburn

Gregory Alan Williams - Sheriff Deever

Becky Wahlstrom - Erica

Emmie Hunter - Caitlyn

Matt Jones - Noah McNichol

Meredith Hagner - Merilee McNichol

Genre - Horror/Drama/Fantasy/Aliens/Superheroes

Running Time - 90 Minutes

PLOT (from IMDB)

What if a child from another world (Jackson A. Dunn) crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?

REVIEW

If you can sum up the plot of the James Gunn produced BRIGHTBURN, it would be “What if Superman had turned evil instead of standing for truth, justice and the American way?” It’s not a foreign concept, as comic books and recent video games [such as the Injustice series] have used the angle of having one of the most popular and powerful superheroes take a ride on the dark side. BRIGHTBURN plays out like a DC Comics “Elseworlds” scenario, in which a Superman-like character would eventually come from an alien planet destined to rule it by any means necessary, no matter the good nurturing he received from human parents during his childhood. I’m surprised not many films have tried to visually execute a story like this, but maybe BRIGHTBURN proves it’s for good reason. While the film does a lot of things well, it unfortunately flounders on its most important asset - its story.

Let’s get the good stuff out of the way first. The horror aspect of BRIGHTBURN is done very well. This isn’t surprising since the film was produced by James Gunn, who comes from a horror world via Troma and later on with films like SLITHER and some aspects of 2010’s SUPER. The film gives us a nightmarish vision of what Superman would be like if he just used his powers to cause destruction. And the film never shies away from that, as we see some pretty gory stuff that you wouldn’t see in most superhero films. We get a cringe-worthy moment where glass impales someone’s eye, heat vision burning off a face at point-blank range, letting people fall to their deaths from out the sky, and so on. It carries its R rating well, especially when these scenes are directed with some nice tension and suspense to build up to these horrific scenes. If BRIGHTBURN was trying to be the anti-superhero film, the horror aspect sure helps in achieving that.

I also enjoyed the acting in BRIGHTBURN as well. Both Elizabeth Banks and David Denman are pretty good as the wannabe Kent parents, Tori and Kyle Breyer. Banks, especially, really plays on the emotions of a mother who doesn’t want to believe the miracle baby she found and raised turns out to be a homicidal maniac with superpowers. That’s not to say that Denman is any less good as the father who is quick to wash his hands of his son’s malicious nature. Their dynamic with each other feels very realistic and I thought they grounded the story. The star of the film is Brandon/Brightburn himself, Jackson A. Dunn. Dunn looks like an innocent child, but plays an evil one very well. I thought he portrayed his confusion as to who he was convincingly, slowly making it easy to believe his sociopathic tendencies when he did terrible things. I thought he was very unnerving whenever he had interactions with his crush, played well by Emmie Hunter. He came across very creepy in those scenes. I wish the script gave him more depth at times, but Dunn well-handled whatever the script gave him to do. All around, I think the acting was good.

I also didn’t dislike the direction by David Yarovesky. A fave collaborator of the Gunn family, Yarovesky manages a nice balance of the dramatic aspects of BRIGHTBURN with the horror sensibilities during the second half. The film flows really well and the picture looks nice. And the special effects are nicely handled as well, making BRIGHTBURN feel like it fits within the superhero genre. Not sure what Yarovesky has directed previously, but I could see him doing more work in the genre since BRIGHTBURN is a visually pleasing film that showcases his potential for the future.

And while the concept of BRIGHTBURN is great on paper, I wish it had been better executed on screen. The characters are fine. The film does exactly what you’d expect from it, besides an ending that some people may not expect. All the beats to a story like this exist in BRIGHTBURN. But the film never does more than that, playing things safe without trying to expand on the basic idea to give BRIGHTBURN a reason to exist. Is this film a commentary on the over saturation of superhero films? Is it a film on how bullying effects young people? Is it about toxic masculinity? Is there something more to BRIGHTBURN besides being just an evil kid film?

My main issue with BRIGHTBURN is the lack of struggle between good and evil for young Brandon. Prior to his spaceship telling him his destiny once he becomes a teenager, Brandon seemed like a good kid who was going to follow the same steps that Clark Kent had in DC. But once he finds out he’s powerful and not from Earth, Brandon decides that getting what he wants is more important, even if he has to hurt and/or kill others to make that happen. This is fine and all, but where’s the internal conflict? Where’s the character study that debates nature versus nurture? Brandon is just evil because… he just is? Where’s the story then? The screenplay just feels empty without nothing meaningful to say. Brandon gets bullied in school and that could have given the journey some depth if it went anywhere. And his social awkwardness makes his crush scared of him. But that tends to just fade away as well by the final act. There are a lot of aspects that could have given some meat to the story’s bones, but the film would rather focus on a evil kid killing people in superpowered ways than give us something to think about in terms of an interesting story arc. It’s a shame because this had the potential to be more. Luckily, BRIGHTBURN has a cast who cares and tries to make the most of what they’re given. But you’re just left feeling like there’s something missing by the end of it.

THE FINAL HOWL

BRIGHTBURN was one of the films I was most excited about during the 2019 Summer Movie season. The film has good horror moments, with some cringe-worthy gore at times. The acting is solid all around, especially by Elizabeth Banks and Jackson A. Dunn. And the direction is well done, with a nice pace and cool special effects handled well. And while this “Evil Superman” story contains all the beats and tropes needed to tell the story efficiently on a superficial level, there’s nothing really underneath to give BRIGHTBURN any depth. It’s a shame because it could have been an interesting commentary on the superhero genre, or just a neat character study on an alien being who struggles with his destiny versus the morals he was entrusted with from his parents. The film doesn’t burn as bright as it should have, but it’s worth at least a watch if an “Elseworlds” or “What If?” type of Superman story interests you.

SCORE

2.5 Howls Outta 4

The Watchtower of Justice: The Avengers (2012)

By Mike Huntley

When Marvel decided to form their own studio and started building solo superhero movies that existed in the same universe, fans were pumped for the inevitable Avengers team up movie that would be the icing and cherry atop an already delicious cake. Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in summer 2008. Iron Man 2 in summer 2010, which was basically a prelude to The Avengers. Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger in Summer 2011. And now the moment fans old and new had been waiting for: The Avengers in an already packed superhero movie summer in 2012. Going up against both Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) and Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man) is never an easy task to pull off. But The Avengers was the highest grossing film that summer and beat out The Dark Knight, which before Avengers was considered the best superhero movie of all time. Now, fans are kinda divided on which one deserves that mantle. While I do love The Avengers and it is the best Marvel Studios movie aside from Thor and Iron Man 3, I still prefer The Dark Knight Trilogy, Man of Steel, and The Amazing Spider-Man for personal reasons. I didn't grow up with The Avengers the way I'm sure many kids who loved superheroes did. Yes, I had heard of Iron Man and Captain America, but aside from the outfits and names, I didn't know shit about them. Yes, I knew who The Incredible Hulk was, mainly due to the short animated series. But all the others? Nope. Growing up, Batman and Spider-Man were and still are my top two favorites in the costumed hero department. Superman was popular on TV. The X-Men were a hit in animation. So, while I still love The Avengers and am a new fan, I will always have Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman closer to my heart. But that's not to say that I wasn't super excited to see Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye take on aliens and the God of Mischief! 

 Loki survived his fall into a black hole and has come to Earth to steal the source of power that S.H.I.E.L.D has in their possession. First, Loki puts a spell on Dr. Selvig and Hawkeye to help him open a portal that could damn our world. This causes S.H.I.L.D's director Nick Fury to take action by assembling a team of the most powerful people on this planet. Those powerful people are Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thor, and Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk. Together they form a super fighting force to stop Loki from letting aliens destroy New York City.

 

 I will never forget my theatrical experience with The Avengers. I went with my Dad opening night and the showing we were going to see was already sold out, so we went ahead and bought tickets for the next show. We sat around in the van for a little bit till it was close to time for the movie to start. Just about every damn row from the very front to the very back was jam packed full of everybody from the elderly to parents taking their children.  I remember getting the distinct pleasure of sitting next to some big guy who had serious B.O. and having some boys sitting in front of me giggling and texting during the show. But, once the lights dimmed and the movie began, I forgot all about those annoying little boys, or my nose begging me for Oxygen. You know why? Because I was having a total blast watching Iron Man and Captain America stand side by side, Thor knocking Iron Man across a forest, and who can forget Hulk giving Loki a professional ass whoopin'? Yep, that was The Avengers. A total blast of fun, excitement, amazing visual and special FX, Hulk/Bruce Banner finally done to perfection, aliens crashing through a city, explosions, Scarlett Johansson giving me a nice boner, Tony Stark making me laugh my ass off, and just being the definition of a summer blockbuster. It's that roller coaster that you want to catch the thrill again and again. Yes, I am not as attached as I am a Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man, but it doesn't matter. I had a great time at the movies despite the unpleasant theater conditions. 

When I first heard that Joss Whedon was set to write and direct The Avengers, I was more than happy. This is the same man who gave me two kickass TV shows during my childhood with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. Sure, he had not had much movie making experience outside Serenity, which was the movie version of his short lived TV series Firefly. But, I always knew that Whedon had the potential to make it huge beyond the small screen and 2012 was the year of Joss Whedon with The Avengers and the horror film that he co-wrote and produced, The Cabin In The Woods. Whedon directs The Avengers with honor, respect, and love for these characters. The film never misses a beat, and Whedon's outerspace stuff looks frickin' phenomenal. If he hadn't already played in Marvel's toychest, I would have said that he would have been the perfect filmmaker to bring that Justice League film to life. Still curious who gets that gig unless Zack Snyder jumps up and decides to, or maybe Ben Affleck, although I have a feeling he will get to direct the solo Batman films.  Whedon also handles the screenplay well. We get that classic Whedon humor like when Stark tells Banner that he loves it when he turns into a giant green rage monster. And Hulk kicking Loki's ass certainly made me cheer and giggle in my seat, even though I had to hold the breathing part thanks to B.O. guy.  Nick Fury making a flying monkeys reference, and Captain America picking up on it made me chuckle. Speaking of Captain America, I LOVE his new suit. It's very classic Captain America whereas the suit in his solo film was more a military war suit. And that finale in New York City has gotta be one of the single greatest scenes in superhero cinema history. Words can't describe how awesome it was seeing all these characters come together as a team. 

The cast was spot on in their respective roles. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark/Iron Man. The dude has enormous humor and tons of charisma that you just love. He's the kinda dude you just want to chill with. Chris Evans was a great pick for Steve Rogers/Captain America. Finally, that 1990 movie is wiped away from the character's identity. Chris Hemsworth is still thunderously awesome as Thor. The man is the definition of a superhero.  Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton, but ended up giving us the best portrayal of Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk applied to film. Ruffalo was a nice surprise. I hope he eventually gets that Hulk movie that he deserves. Scarlett Johansson is smokin' fuckin' hot as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Plus, she can kick a lot of ass. My kinda woman! Samuel L. Jackson is great as the slick and cool eye patched Nick Fury. Clark Gregg is great as always as Agent Phil Coulson, who is most likely not dead and is sadly on that God awful Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D television series that failed to capture the awesomeness of these movies in every way. Jeremy Renner is really good as Agent Barton/Hawkeye. But, Tom Hiddleston just about steals the show in his reprisal role as Loki. I love Hiddleston's menace as a villain. You can tell that the guy is having a major blast playing this character and us audiences are therefore having a blast watching him having fun. Hell, the man even came to Comic Con in character and talked to the fans as Loki. So awesome, this guy. 

Overall, The Avengers is the best Marvel Studios movie to date. Love it and look forward to Phase Two going forward and leading up to summer 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. The team will be expanding and the universe getting even more fascinating than it already is!

GRADE

 A+

The Watchtower of Justice: Thor (2011)

By Mike Huntley

  Even though superhero movies or films based on comic book characters have been very popular ever since Batman's smashing success in summer 1989, it seemed that the genre didn't really get the kick off as a Hollywood trend until 2000 when Fox released X-Men, and in 2002 with the massive success of Spider-Man as big motion pictures. Marvel started becoming a household name and was pouring out a new film just about every year or every other year. We got The Punisher, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra, Ghost Rider, and sequels to both X-Men and Spider-Man. And while most, except for those Bryan Singer X-Men movies and the first two Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies, are hated or have audiences torn, Marvel decided to form its own studio to distribute the rest of its superhero properties. Producer Kevin Feige formed Marvel Studios and came up with the master plan to give longtime fans the biggest wet dream of their fandom lives by forming a cinematic universe just like in the Marvel comic books. In 2008, Marvel Studios released their first attempts at this shared universe with Iron Man and a reboot of The Incredible Hulk. Iron Man was a pretty decent success at the box office with audiences, with long time fans falling in love with Robert Downey Jr.'s now iconic portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man, who became one of the best characters in the MCU. While definitely light years better than the very disappointing Hulk movie in 2003, The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton did okay but much smaller amounts of cash at the box office. In 2010, Marvel released Iron Man 2 which did decent business, even though it wasn't on par with the first film. Which brings us to 2011, when Marvel gave the Asgardian God of Thunder his own movie with Thor, as well as creating the best and most iconic villain in the MCU to grace the big screen. 

In a world light years away from our own, Asgard sits high above the universe, looking down on the nine realms. Odin, king of Asgard has two sons (Thor and Loki) and wishes that one of them will take up the throne from him. The Frost Giants invade Asgard, leading Thor to take his friends and brother into the Frost Giants' dark icy kingdom to strike back. Thor's disobedience to his father causes Odin to cast his son out of Asgard and send him to Earth after taking his powers and hammer away. Odin places a spell on the hammer to only be lifted by one who is worthy. Thor lands in the New Mexico desert where he is discovered by research scientist Jane Foster, Dr. Selvig, and Darcy. Meanwhile, Loki finds that he is not Odin's biological son and lets his jealousy of Thor twist him into selfishness and he aims to take the throne for himself and kill anyone who gets in his way, even his own brother and father. Thor must find a way to stop Loki's reign of dictatorship and attack on Earth, powers or not.

While I loved Iron Man, and enjoyed The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, Thor is probably my favorite film in Phase One, aside from obviously The Avengers. For starters, Asgard and all of the special FX are gorgeous to look at. This is how a sci-fi/fantasy movie should look and feel. It's simply breathtaking! I just get so bewitched by the visuals in this film, it's just incredible.  I think another thing that makes Thor stand out is how simple its narrative is. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Captain America have very heavy narratives. Thor is simple and feels like it is on a much bigger scale. Probably because Thor is from a much more fantasy world, whereas Tony Stark lives in our world,  and so does Captain America except he's from a completely different timeline. But, Thor and Loki are Gods and live high above us in their land of beauty and wonder. My favorite scene from this movie hands down is Thor and his army fighting the Frost Giants on Odenheim. I want to see more epic fantasy battles with our God of Thunder and it looks like Thor: The Dark World will explore the other realms of this galaxy. More Asgard please! 

Another thing that sticks out with many fans is that villain you just love, which in this case is Thor's very jealous brother Loki, who is known in mythology as the Night God of Mischief. Loki is a ruler. He is like any great villain, his thirst for power consumes him. But, what I love about Loki is how his voice sorta changes when he turns from good brother to cold hearted and ruthless antagonist. He starts out kinda quiet and has a soft spoken voice, but then it turns into this cold accent where it sounds like he is talking down to you from a very high throne and is about to sentence you to a dark dungeon for all eternity. He almost feels more like an Aries God of War type, but he likes to play on his brother's goodness and that's what makes him one of the best villains in a comic book movie.  

Lady Sif is another character that I have grown completely fond of. She is a sexy warrior who may be easy on the eyes, but she can just as easily cut those eyes off with a sword. I am a huge fan of females who can be just as badass as the guys. While Marvel does have some great strong and powerful women in their midst, I do feel that DC Comics has the upper hand in this arena (Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Huntress, Catwoman, Batgirl/Oracle, Supergirl, Hawkgirl, Lois Lane, Lady Shiva, Poison Ivy, Zatanna, Katana). Sif is basically Marvel's version of Wonder Woman, who in my opinion deserves a movie. But, Sif is a great character who I am very much looking forward to learning more about. 

If I had any complaints about the film, it would be that Thor and Jane's relationship happened rather quickly. I do feel that Jane's characterization could have been stronger. But, this is just a small nitpick. Hoping it is further developed in The Dark World. 

The direction by Kenneth Branagh was incredible. Visuals were out of this world. 

The cast was also great. Chris Hemsworth is fantastic as Thor, giving us a superhero that is fun and charismatic. Anthony Hopkins played Odin, king of Asgard, with class and heart. Natalie Portman was okay as Jane Foster. Stellan Skarsgard was good as Dr. Selvig. Kat Dennings was a bit annoying here and there as Darcy, but she is one sexy gal. Idris Elba was great as the gatekeeper. Clark Gregg was great as always as Agent Coulson. Jaimie Alexander makes for a great strong female super heroine as Sif. I really hope she gets cast as Wonder Woman. I know the characters are similar and that DC/WB and Marvel are rivals but just let a God make it a reality. And how could I end this without mentioning Tom Hiddleston as Loki? Hiddleston owns this role. He is extremely charismatic and outshined almost everyone with his devilish grin and dictator voice. He can talk down to anyone it seems, well, except The Hulk but that's saved for a different review. 

Overall, Thor is a great superhero movie. Definitely one of Marvel's most fun and enjoyable films out there. Can't wait to check out the sequel! 

GRADE

 A-

The Watchtower of Justice: The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)

By Mike Huntley

 When it came to superheroes during the 1990s, Batman was all the buzz in both cinema and in animation. Coming off the wide success of Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster hit Batman, and its controversial yet popular sequel Batman Returns, Batman The Animated Series was a dominant success on Fox. The series ran from 1992-1995 and then was revived with a new style on The WB to go along with Superman The Animated Series, which was also done by animation team Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and many others. In 1997, Batman The Animated Series was cancelled after completing a total of 109 episodes. Still the longest running superhero animated series to date since most animated shows for kids are restricted to having around 65 episodes total now.  After the cancellation of Batman, The WB wanted Bruce Timm and company to make a teenage Batman show for them that would cater to an even younger audience as they thought Batman The Animated Series was a more mature themed series aimed more towards an older audience. This little experiment became known as Batman Beyond, which dealt with an old Bruce Wayne mentoring a teenager who in this futuristic Gotham City donned the Batsuit and played as a spinoff series. Batman Beyond was a nice little surprise that lasted 3 seasons and spawned a movie that brought back The Joker. A few years after Batman Beyond ended, Timm and Dini entered The Watchtower with the amazing Justice League: Unlimited series that brought the most powerful beings in the DC Universe all together. During this time, Alan Burnett who had worked on Batman The Animated Series got together with another team of animation producers to bring Batman back to being a solo TV series again and not be in continuity with the Justice League show. Taking place in Bruce Wayne's 3rd year as Batman, The Batman explored The Dark Knight of Gotham facing many of his twisted adversaries for the first time.  After the show's first season was a success despite many Batman fans hating on it for not being as good as The Animated Series or the character design of The Joker, the producers decided to make an animated movie. After all, The Animated Series saw success with Mask of the Phantasm, Subzero, and Mystery of the Batwoman. With The Batman taking on a much more fantastical direction than The Animated Series yet still being kinda dark and somewhat morbid, they decided to pit The Batman against an equally iconic character who preyed on people when the sun went down: Count Dracula! 

The Penguin and Joker have escaped yet again from Arkham Asylum. While The Batman chases after Joker, Penguin ventures out to the old Gotham cemetary in search of gold that may be buried in the catacombs. What Oswald Cobblepot discovers instead is a weird coffin. Penguin opens the coffin and cuts his finger in the process, thus awakening the ancient Count Dracula from his beauty sleep. Dracula places Penguin under his hypnotic spell and makes him his mindless slave. Meanwhile, billionaire Bruce Wayne has started dating the beautiful News reporter Vicki Vale. Soon, Gothamites begin turning into blood thirsty vampires including Batman arch nemesis Joker and Dracula targets Vicki to be a sacrifice in order to bring his wife back to the undead. Can one legend defeat the other? 

The Batman was an animated show that I seriously didn't want to give a fair shot to. It wasn't Batman The Animated Series, which still is the best TV series thus far about Batman. Sorry Adam West. But after finding myself loving Beware The Batman after thinking it was going to suck for about a year, I decided to give The Batman another shot, a more open minded shot. And I really dug it. Sure, I still am not fond of Joker looking like a part of Insane Clown Posse, but the show was fun, entertaining, and surprisingly psychological in some episodes especially that Bane episode where Bruce flashes back to that night in the ally and we see Gordon comfort the traumatized youth. Anyway, I had always been intriqued to watch The Dark Knight go up against The Prince of Darkness. Who would win? A mortal billionaire who dresses up as a bat for effect or an ancient evil Count who is cursed to be immortal only by drinking the blood of living beings. 

This 84 minute animated feature like the series is a fun time. The vampires are creepy looking. Dracula is awesome. Batman is awesome. Joker gets vamped and looks even more twisted. Vicki Vale is introduced who many Batman fans may remember as Kim Basinger's character in Batman (1989). 

I absolutely love the way the opening credits are done, giving this animated superhero/horror show a dark and gothic vibe. The Batman vs Dracula really shows how great of a detective that Batman is as he looks for a cure to vampirism. 

 The voice cast is good. Rino Romano may not be any Kevin Conroy but I thought he made a decent Batman/Bruce Wayne. Alaistair Duncan fit the role of Bruce's long time loyal butler Alfred well. Kevin Michael Richardson was an odd choice to play Joker, but he did okay although I dug Mark Hamill a lot more. Tara Strong who many remember as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on The New Batman Adventures era of The Animated Series plays Vicki Vale good enough. Tommy Kenny is perfect as Penguin. Kinda reminds me a bit of Danny DeVito's Penguin voice. And Peter Stomare was creepy as Dracula.

Overall, The Batman vs Dracula is a good Batman film even though there are far better animated Batman films out there. It's a good time for superhero and horror fans alike if you can look past the mere fact that it isn't nor is it trying to be Batman The Animated Series even though the show borrows some characters that were popular on The Animated Series. But, good Batman and vampires movie that doesn't suck the life out of you. Seek it out. 

GRADE

B+

The Watchtower of Justice: Kick-Ass (2010) & Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

By Mike Huntley

Most of us in our childhood have thought of how cool it would be to be our favorite superheroes in comic books, movies, television, and animation. Imagine having super powers and being able to fly. Imagine having endless amounts of money, a mansion, and your own secret Batcave with your own high tech Batmobile. Imagine having the ability to run faster than anything on this planet. But, when you stop to think about it, what kind of life would you have? You couldn't have a good relationship with the opposite sex in fear that your enemies might hurt or kill them. You would have to constantly lie to your friends and family. At some point, your secret would take a great toll on your body and soul. Still, it doesn't stop us from wanting to dress up like a superhero and pretend we are fighting crime. The key word in there is pretend. Unlike our logics on why being a superhero in our real world is a very bad idea, there are some characters in a popular comic book who actually give it a try and turn our world into the world of the theatrical and heroic. Their names are Kick-Ass, Big Daddy, and Hit-Girl and this is their origin story off the comics page and into the wonderful world of cinema.

Dave Lizewski is a High School outcast who long wishes he was as cool as his favorite comic book superheroes.  One day while in a comic book shop with his two buddies Marty and Todd, Dave gets the idea to give it a try. He orders a ridiculous costume and mask online. His first mission? To stop the two thugs who keep robbing him and his friends. Well, things don't go great as he is stabbed and hit by a car. At the hospital, he tells his Dad that two guys robbed him and stole his clothes. This of course starts a rumor around school that he is gay, which Dave uses to his advantage when his crush Katie is all the sudden wanting to hang with him. Even though he should have quit his try out as a masked superhero when he almost got killed, Dave decides to give it another chance, this time saving cats out of trees. Oh and he stops a group of low lifes from killing some guy by pounding on them with two night sticks. This captures the attention of a huge crowd and is filmed by someone and posted online where Dave calls himself "Kick-Ass".  Now Kick-Ass is a New York City icon with costumes, comic books, and the like. Meanwhile, a former cop named Damon Macready and his daughter Mindy are killing off bad guys who work for NYC mob boss Frank D'Amico under the personas of Big Daddy and Hit-Girl due to D'Amico framing Damon and causing his wife to commit suicide. The costumed vigilantes take notice of Kick-Ass and want him to join them. Meanwhile, Frank D'Amico's son Chris wants to prove himself worthy of his father's empire so he hatches a plan for Frank to capture Kick-Ass and Big Daddy, which will change their lives forever.

Bottom line is I love Kick-Ass. I loved this movie when I first saw it in the theater a few years ago and I still adore it today.  It did something unique with superheroes by just having an average dude with no money or powers be a superhero. A superhero film that feels like it belongs in a comic book yet is set in the real world with real consequences. Now, would people act like these characters in real life? Probably not. But, this is a great satire on the superhero genre. We all love superheroes and Kick-Ass is us, but also shows us why people don't wear masks and capes in real life. Would it be cool to be saved by a masked caped crusader with cool gadgets? Absolutely. But, heroes in real life wear badges or military uniforms. Or they just do the right thing by risking their life for another Human Being.  The badge of being a hero is a rewarding feeling. Just knowing that someone is safe and out of harm's way because you had the guts to act, now that I'm sure would be overwhelming.

So, why does Kick-Ass work? While I love Spider-Man/Peter Parker for just being a kid yet doing extraordinary things to make this country's most well known city a better place, Kick-Ass/Dave Lizewski has zero powers. Peter Parker has spidey sense, fast reflexes, and the ability to climb walls. Dave doesn't. He's just us in a costume with two sticks ready to kick someone's ass even if it means getting his own ass kicked or stabbed. The kid's a hero because he has overcome the one obstacle that differs a casual person from a masked crusader: the fear of death. If we didn't fear death, then there would be nothing holding us back from being a superhero. Death is one of the most primal fears us Human Beings have. Take that away and we become more superhuman.  That's what I admire about Kick-Ass. This kid is not afraid. He just goes out and sticks up for the underdogs. In fact, Dave is a lot like Peter Parker but minus the science fiction elements. He lives with his Dad and the two aren't close since his mother died.

And then there is Damon and Mindy aka Big Daddy and Hit-Girl.  Mindy is an 11 year old girl who hasn't had a childhood due to her father training her to fight the criminal underworld. This is the coolest little girl you'll ever meet. She swears a lot, kills bad guys, and will basically kick your fucking ass. Damon used to be a cop till he was framed  and imprisoned for years vowing to destroy Frank D'Amico. Gotta love the almost Batman and Robin reflection of Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. That classic Dynamic Duo type of partnership.

But then there is the father/son relationship between Frank and Chris D'Amico. Frank is basically the Lex Luthor or Norman Osborn of New York City and Chris wants to join that big empire that his Dad has set up. So, Chris disguises himself as a fellow superhero named Red Mist to lure Kick-Ass into Frank's trap because Frank wants to kill Big Daddy as well as teach NYC that being a superhero will get you killed.

Like all superhero stories, there's the love interest. In this case, Kick-Ass's Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson is Katie Deauxma. Although I find it kinda messed up that she doesn't start talking and flirting with Dave until she thinks he is gay. But then the two become really close once she finds out that he is Kick-Ass. That is til the sequel.

Kick-Ass is NOT a family superhero movie! This film is violent and bloody as Hell. Bad guys get dismembered and not to mention by a little girl. The gruesome comic book violence is part of Kick-Ass's charm. Because let's face it, superheroes in real life wouldn't be PG or PG-13, they would be a hard R and this film is a pretty hard R!

The direction by Matthew Vaughn, who went on to direct X-Men: First Class, is top notch. Vaughn is a director that I'm quickly becoming a fan of and he shows his love for superheroes in his work. Hoping he steps back into the superhero world someday.

The acting is top notch. Aaron Johnson is great in the lead role as Kick-Ass. Nicholas Cage looks like he's having a blast playing Big Daddy, who's obviously a Batman knockoff. Mark Strong was great as villain Frank D'Amico. I really hope this dude gets Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman, especially after he got screwed as Sinestro with Green Lantern. McLovin was decent as Chris D'Amico/Red Mist, who will be the villain in Kick-Ass 2. Lyndsy Fonseca did okay as the love interest Katie. Unfortunately, her character sucks in the sequel.  Clark Duke and Evan Peters were hilarious as Dave's friends Marty and Todd. And then we have Chloe Grace Moretz, who gives the excellent stand out performance as Hit-Girl. Moretz has become a much bigger star thanks to this film, and I think this girl has a bright career ahead of her!

Overall, Kick-Ass kicks a lot of ass! In fact, it was in my top movies of 2010. I love this film so much and am super excited that it got a sequel.

GRADE

A

After the somewhat success of 2010's superhero movie Kick-Ass, plans for a sequel quickly came up.  Now, I'm not sure what all happened, but Lionsgate who distributed the first film dropped the sequel, so Universal picked it up. Then, Matthew Vaughn couldn't come back to direct due to scheduling conflicts, so he just stayed on as producer.  Co-creator of Kick-Ass, Mark Millar, decided on Jeff Wadlow to write and direct Kick-Ass 2. It was obvious due to the ending of the first film that McLovin's character Chris D'Amico would be the villain in the sequel. Excitement really kicked in when Jim Carrey was announced. It's been a long time since Carrey has been in an awesome movie, and plus he has been in over the top superhero movies before with The Mask and Batman Forever, so he seemed like the perfect person for a film like this. Unfortunately, Carrey didn't like the violence in the film and publicly tweeted on Twitter that he didn't feel right in promoting the sequel. Critic and audience reviews have been all over the place. But, this is a comic book world that is not for everyone. Kick-Ass is only for those who can handle over the top cartoonish violence and dark humor. If that ain't your cup of tea then you have no business watching either film. So, is Kick-Ass 2 the sequel that we have been waiting for? In my humble opinion, Hell Fucking Yes!

Dave Lizewski has been wanting to become Kick-Ass again after spending some time just being a normal teenager. So, Mindy trains him to become a tougher crime fighter. Unfortunately for Dave, Mindy decides to hang up being Hit-Girl due to her guardian Marcus wanting her to have the life she should have had all along. Mindy tries to hang with the mean girls and the Heathers of her new High School, but quickly finds that being a normal teenage girl is almost as hard as being Hit-Girl. Dave on the other hand is dumped by his girlfriend Katie when Katie thinks that he is cheating on her with Mindy.  So, Dave puts on the costume again and joins up with fellow superheroes like Dr. Gravity, Colonel Stars and Stripes, Night Bitch, and his buddy Marty who's now Battle Guy and they form their own JLA known as Justice Forever. Meanwhile, Chris D'Amico wants revenge on Kick-Ass for killing his Dad so he decides to become a supervillain known as The Motherfucker and starts his own Legion of Doom. Now it's an all out war in New York between Justice Forever and The Motherfucker's army of supervillains.

I'll say it now, Kick-Ass 2 rocked hard! I loved it. Now, was it better than the first film? Yes and no. Where the first film shined better was by having a much better villain. While Frank was a great foe, Chris/Motherfucker is not but his army sure as Hell is. Mother Russia was probably the best villain of the movie. That was one tough woman! She's basically the Kick-Ass world's version of Bane. That fight between her and Hit-Girl was insane. But, The Motherfucker with his S & M bondage costume was lame, yet the kinda lame where I can laugh at for being so stupid.

I thought Kick-Ass (2010) had much better character development than Kick-Ass 2, but loved the escalated development of Mindy/Hit-Girl in this. It kinda reminded me of Spider-Man 2 where Peter Parker decided to quit being Spider-Man because it became too much and tried a normal life. I know some complained that this section of the story went into a Mean Girls/Heathers direction, but you know what? I was okay with that. I liked how these popular bitches were almost just as villainous as the dudes that Hit-Girl would fight and kill on the streets. And Mindy's way of getting revenge on them was both gross and hilariously genius. If I could pick one thing about this sequel that I hated though, it would be the portrayal of Kick-Ass' girlfriend Katie. She just came off as a fucking bitch in this movie. Now, I can understand how she could maybe get the idea of Dave cheating on her with Mindy, but she could have at least up front asked him about it instead of slapping him and calling him a rapist. And then she is out of the movie! What the fuck? They don't even resolve this conflict? But yeah aside from a lame main villain, this was the big issue I had. I do kinda think they had too many characters to focus on, but at least they were interesting and didn't annoy me.

I do like that Kick-Ass and his Dad had a better father/son relationship in this film unlike the first movie. Mr. Lizewski is very concerned about his son and doesn't want him to be Kick-Ass anymore.  And then there's Justice Forever. These people are probably my favorite part of this sequel. Basically Kick-Ass has his own Justice League. It was just really cool seeing all of these people in costumes that looked goofy yet fun to wear. It's like when you're a kid and want to dress up as Batman or Superman. Colonel Stars and Stripes was awesome. I loved him telling the other members to watch their language and to not take the Lord's name in vain. And how about the swear jar where Mindy had to put money in every time she cussed, and then you see the jar at the end of the film and it has over flowed with cash?

The film was definitely a little darker than the first film in the violence department. This is the perfect example of escalation besides The Dark Knight. By dressing up in a costume, it inspired others to do so and when Kick-Ass killed Frank D'Amico, it inspired Chris to become a villain.

I love the final battle at Motherfucker's lair especially the fight between Hit-Girl and Mother Russia.

The direction by Jeff Wadlow was not bad I thought. Although, I would have preferred Matthew Vaughn. But, Wadlow makes the experience fun.

The acting was fine. Aaron Johnson still kicks ass as Kick-Ass. Chloe Grace Moretz is still great as Hit-Girl/Mindy. Due to the way this film ended, I hope the next film will be a Hit-Girl movie. Fingers crossed. I sincerely think that Moretz could carry a film with this character. Clark Duke was fun as Marty/Battle Guy. McLovin was a lame villain as The Motherfucker/Chris D'Amico. I'll take Mother Russia over this douche.  Lindy Booth was hot as Hell as Night Bitch. I haven't seen Booth in a film since like 2005 so it was great to see her again. Jim Carrey was awesome as Colonel Stars and Stripes. Definitely one of Carrey's best performances. It's a shame that he thinks so negatively of the film. John Leguizamo was good in his small role as Chris' bodyguard Javier. Donald Faison, who I haven't seen in awhile, was great as The Atom wannabe Dr. Gravity. August Prew who played Todd, and replaced Evan Peters, was just forgettable. Bring back Peters! Lyndsy Fonseca was wasted and turned into a bitch no less as Katie. What happened to that sweet girl from the first film? And Morris Chestnut was okay as Marcus.

Overall, Kick-Ass 2 was a very awesome sequel yet just lacked a few small things that made the first movie great. It's a definite must watch if you loved the first film. If this is your type of superhero saga then welcome to Justice Forever and if not then, "HAHA! There's a dog on you're balls!"

GRADE

B+