Misfits*

Last night I watched Thunderbolts* on Disney+.  I was a big fan on the team when Marvel launched it way back in 1997.  That team was made up of a bunch of criminals disguising themselves as heroes in a time when the Avengers were nowhere to be found.

This new team is made up of B-List Heroes with a ton of baggage.  The new Black Widow, U.S. Agent, the Red Guardian, Ghost, the Winter Soldier, and Sentry are manipulated by Allegra de Fontaine into first fighting each other, and then coming together to save New York.  

I'm sorry but this film just didn't work for me.  Taskmaster ( a great Marvel character) was killed off in like the first 10 minutes of the film. What a waste!  The Red Guardian got on my last nerve in a hurry. Bucky, a U.S. Congressman, what???  I never cared for the Sentry character and after the film I like him even less.  The story was just too cheesy to be good.

On the upside, Florence Pugh's acting was fabulous.  Kudos to Julia Louis-Dreyfus as well.  Hannah John-Kamen did a great job as Ghost who was constantly saving the team's backsides throughout the film. (I love this character and would like to see more of her in the future.) 

SO, fan boys and girls, that's my 2 cents on the film for what it's worth.  Peace, Out, Sauerkraut! 

Not So Alien

 I watched Alien: Romulus last night.  Big disappointment.  Essentially the same plot as the original movie except with teenagers/twenty somethings and a more benevolent android.  The human-alien hybrid was wild and the crash at the end was cool.  For newcomers to the franchise it might be worth a watch.

You Spin Me Twice Round

Back in 1996, I went to see Twister in the theater.  It was intense.  Paxton and Hunt were great.  

I saw Twisters today.  I was curious to see if it was just another remake.  It's not.  It's great!  It's intense.  Terrific story, acting, script, special effects....I could go on.  I won't.  Go see it yourself.

Too Much and Not Enough

Went to see Deadpool and Wolverine.  Not a fan.  Loved the 1st 2 Deadpool movies.  This just didn't do it for me.  I actually fell asleep during the movie at one point. Way too many F-Bombs!!!  I thought the story was overly stupid.  For all the hype, it wasn't worth my money.  Sorry fan boys and girls, not all Marvel movies are made equally. 👎👎

Oh no, There goes Tokyo (AGAIN!!!)

I've always loved that big old "King of the Dinosaurs".  I saw that Godzilla Minus One was on Netflix, so I thought I'd check it out.  I have to say, I was not disappointed.  The movie is a definite homage to the old school Godzilla movies from the 1950s and 60s.  These were the ones I would go to with my friends at the matinee on a Saturday afternoon.  Sometimes it was a double feature.  (I think our parents were actually  happy to be rid of us for a bit.)

The mood, cheesy acting, setting, and story were all very reminiscent of those classic films.  I loved some of the new ideas.  (Godzilla on the island in WW2 and the battle scene at the end, for example)  But we still got to see the classic Godzilla rampage in Tokyo (Blue Oyster Cult must be thrilled!) and the lighting up of the spine and atomic fire breath.  Good stuff!

The film was slow at times, but overall I enjoyed it.  Once again I felt like that little boy in the theater with a box of popcorn in awe of what I was seeing on the big screen.  Go go Godzilla! 

When Two Isn't Better Than One

I went to see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.  I've enjoyed the last few films and needed to get out of the house for a bit; so off I went.  I conned my oldest son into joining me with the offer of getting pizza at Jioio's (in Greensburg, PA) afterwards.  

Let me start by saying that the pizza was amazing as it always is there.  It was a bit of a wait to get in but well worth it.  I know you're confused...What about the movie?

Well....it was just okay....at best.  Essentially, this could have/should have been a King Kong movie.  Godzilla and Shimo seem like add-ons to pull in extra viewers.  They add nothing to the plot or film overall. There is a baby giant ape in the film.  He/she is cute for about 5 minutes (also not needed in the movie).  The acting was bland (except for Kaylee Hottle).  The story was predictable.  (It reminded me of one of the 1970s era Godzilla movies.)  Sorry to say, but I fell asleep 3 times during the film. Did I mention how good the pizza was??!!

Any way, that's my take.  Feel free to disagree.  Until next time.

Dinner and a Movie

Last night was date night.  Typical...dinner and a movie...nothing fancy.

Dinner was at Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Aspinwall, PA.  There are several of these places around the Pittsburgh area and they have a great reputation for their pizza. While the restaurant was just okay and the service left something to be desired, the pizza was AMAZING!!!!  I highly recommend it!  The menu had tons of options for food and drinks. I would go to one of their other locations and happily explore more of what they offer.   

The movie we saw was About My Father.  Very entertaining movie. If you've ever seen the comedy of Sebastian Maniscalco, you'll get the gist of the film.  Robert De Niro is great in it.  The rest of the cast does a fabulous job of playing over the top characters in this funny romp about the complexities of families.

All together a very enjoyable evening.  It's nice to get out and about every once in a while.

Double Feature

Does anyone still remember going to the movies or drive-in and seeing a double feature?  You got to see two movies for the price of one.  I loved going to these when I was a kid.  (I'm not going to lie; I usually fell asleep during the second movie.)

I watched a couple more of the MCU film series over the past few days.  Not quite a double feature but I still watched two films.

Marvel's Eternals was above average.  For the most part, I thought the story was good and the acting decent.  I liked the fact that they introduced the Black Knight into the universe.  The Sersi/Dane Whitman dynamic in the comic books was fantastic (I loved the team from that era).  I hope to see it carry over in the film(s).

I also saw The Black Widow which was fabulous.  In my opinion, it was the best Marvel film since End Game. Loved the story, great characters/acting, and a nice tie-up at the end.  Well done, I say!

Several more movies to go to get caught up.  I am hopeful once again that they will be of quality.  Pass the popcorn.

Once Around The Track

Went to see Ford v Ferrari yesterday with my son.  Outstanding film!!!  By far the best movie I saw in 2019.  Matt Damon and Christian Bale are fantastic in it.  At no point during its 2 hour and 32 minute run time was I bored or even slightly disappointed.  Kudos to all involved in the making of the picture.  Amazingly entertaining from start to finish!!!! (no pun intended)  Have a great 2020!!!