Comic Flashback: Man of Steel #3 (1986)

The Man of Steel #3
November 1986
“One Night in Gotham City”
Writer: John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Dick Giordano
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Andrew Helfer
Published by: DC Comics

In Man of Steel #3, Superman flies to Gotham City to apprehend the vigilante known as Batman. I don’t recall the exact reason Superman goes after Bats, but it was probably as simple as Clark not liking Batman’s method. Unfortunately, fr Superman, Batman knew they would cross paths one day and has prepared for his visit. First, Batman uses a Superman-detecting force-field around himself – and if Superman triggers it, a bomb will kill an innocent person somewhere in Gotham City.

As you can imagine, the big blue boy scout ain’t too happy with the news. He’s probably fast enough to take down Batman, but he’s not about to risk an innocent person’s life either. Instead, he agrees to team up with Batman against a Gotham City crime lord known as Magpie. The deal is Superman helps take her down but only if Batman hands over the detonating device for the bomb.

To be honest with you, Magpie is not much of a threat. She’s a jewel thief and her look made me laugh the first time I read this comic. The most horrifying thing she does is blow up one of her goon’s heads with dynamite in what another henchman called “Happy Birthday.” Superman and Batman do some detective work and eventually track her down in a museum. I don’t remember all the details, but I seem to remember the heroes defeat Magpie by ripping off her wig.

As the issue nears its end, Superman and Batman say goodbye, not as friends, but as two guys who now respect each other. But before flying of Superman wants Batman to defuse the bomb, but it turns out that the innocent person Batman put in danger was… himself! Yep, Batman never intended to kill anyone. He just figured that Superman wouldn’t kill anyone and kept the bomb in his utility belt the entire time. And with that, the heroes finally part ways.

The first time I came across Man of Steel #3 was in 1990 at a church flea market of all places. One lady had a few comic books on her table, but the one that caught my eye was Man of Steel #3. For one thing, Batman was on the cover. and coming off the Batman movie I was devouring anything the Caped Crusader was in. Two, the splash page featuring Batman standing over a criminal blew me away. Up to that point, I’d only been reading comics for a little over a year and a half, and I hadn’t seen Batman without the yellow oval on his costume. Also, the way John Byrne drew Batman made him look huge and I loved that.

Plot-wise, the story in Man of Steel #3 is not the best I’ve ever read. Having the heroes go up against Magpie was not very exciting because she wasn’t much of a threat. For what is supposed to be Batman and Superman’s “first” post-crisis meeting, the threat needed to be bigger. Maybe not Lex Luthor or the Joker, but surely there were better options than Magpie. That said, I do love the one-on-one scenes between Batman and Superman and the beginning and the end of the issue. They told me everything I needed to know about their relationship at that point and laid the groundwork for the friendship that was to come.

Nitpicking aside, Man of Steel #3 is a very entertaining issue. I felt like I got an entire story without having to read the rest of the mini-series. John Byrne’s art is stunning (he was awesome back then), and even his dialogue is sharper than usual. But perhaps the best part about this comic is that it only cost me $1.

The Invincible Red Sonja #1 Review

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #1
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner
Artist: Moritat
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Colorist: Moritat
Release Date: May 5, 2021
Cover Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

What it’s about…

Written by the award-winning fan favorites AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI, Red Sonja finds herself on a spectacular journey filled with pirates, mermaids, princesses, and political intrigue as the threat of two kingdoms hangs in the balance. All this, plus the spectacular art of MORITAT and a cover by AMANDA CONNER and PAUL MOUNTS makes THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA a series not to be missed! It’s so great, we had to launch a whole new title for it!

What I thought about it…

With Invincible Red Sonja #1, superstar creators (and real0life husband and wife) Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner have put together a fun and action-packed story that sees Sonja traveling on a pirate ship. It’s a type of adventure you don’t see much in today’s comics and maybe that’s why the story grabbed me right away. Both the plot and the dialogue are engaging, and Sonja is portrayed as a strong and somewhat mysterious character.

The first issue of the series hints t some interesting characters and plotlines that may come in future issues. I’m very interested to see how Red Sonja handles some of these situations. Palmiotti and Conner introduce a character in this issue that could serve as a foil or possible love interest for Sonja. The scenes of the two of them together were some of my favorite moments in issue #1, so it’ll be interesting to see where this new friendship goes from here.

The only thing that concerned me about Invincible Red Sonja #1 was the fact that Amanda Conner would not be handling the art duties. But I had nothing to worry about because Moritat delivered some impressive visuals in this comic. The fight scenes alone are worth the price of admission, with many of them becoming quite brutal. But maybe the highlight of Moritat’s artwork is the facial expressions of the characters. The art has some Conner elements to it, and I loved the twinkle Sonja seemed to have in her eye before and after a battle.

I will admit Invincible Red Sonja is a different take of the character. At the very least it’s the most unique Sonja tale that I’ve ever read. That could be part of the reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did, but it may also be why many reviews haven’t been too positive. This series may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. Red Sonja stars in plenty of other comics that may be more to your liking.

All in all, though, I thought this was fun to see Red Sonja on a different type of adventure. And with Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner handling the writing, you know you’re in for a fun and exciting adventure. Invincible Red Sonja delivered that and then some. Add in some solid art by Moritat and you got one heck of a debut issue.

The Invincible Red Sonja #1 Grade: B

Jupiter’s Legacy Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

The United States of “Jupiter’s Legacy” has similarities to the one we know today, but there is one big exception: superheroes have been around since the Great Depression. For over 80 years, these heroes have helped millions and kept supervillains in check. But the world is changing at an alarming rate. Unemployment continues to rise all while the rich get richer and the poor are left behind.

The heroes in the new Netflix series are led by the Superman-like Utopian (Josh Duhamel), and ever since they gained powers, they’ve adhered to a strict moral code that forbids killing villains and meddling in the political affairs of the world. While the Utopian, (real name Sheldon Sampson), his wife Grace, a.k.a Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb), and other members of the superhero team The Union remain committed to the code, Sheldon’s brother Walter (Ben Daniels), a.k.a. Brainwave, has had his doubts from the start. And as their world (and villains) become more violent, the code begins to weigh on the shoulders of the next generation of heroes as they prepare to pick up their parents’ mantles.

Sheldon and Grace’s son Brandon, a.k.a. The Paragon (Andrew Horton), starts wondering why they can’t lethal force in certain scenarios. Meanwhile, his sister Chloe (Elena Kampouris), has walked away from superhero life to become a supermodel, a lifestyle that brings its demons. But perhaps more importantly, Brandon and Chloe are still dealing with the responsibility that comes with being the children of the most powerful being on the planet. A responsibility that has shattered the relationship between all of them.

Created by Steven S. DeKnight and adapted on the comic book series written by Mark Millar with art by Frank Quitely, the Netflix show stands out from other recent series like HBO’s “Watchmen” and Amazon’s “The Boys” and “Invincible” thanks to the main hero’s code of honor. “Jupiter’s Legacy” also stands out by structuring its season by flashing back to 1929, tying their arrival to the stock market collapse that caused the Great Depression, and drawing parallels between the world then and now.

It’s an intriguing premise and for the most part, it works. However, there are some aspects of the season that work better than others. At the start of the episode, we get a brief flashback to when Utopian cautioned his young children not to use lethal force. but I wish we’d seen more of this because, by the time the action jumps to the present day, we’ve missed all the drama between father and children. I’m not saying the entire season needed to go down this road, but one episode with Brandon and Chloe as little kids would have helped the rest of the family drama.

“Jupiter’s Legacy” also suffers from a pacing issue. But I think that’s on me since I read the comic when it was first published. I know where the story is going, but I felt like it took too long to get there. On the other hand, my wife (who hasn’t read the comic) thought the pacing of the show was fine and she liked the way the action and dram developed over the eight episodes. From what I know, Steven S. DeKnight left mid-way through production, so maybe that’s why some things in the season seem off here and there. If there is another season, I’m sure a lot of my issues with the show will take care of themselves.

Still, the main relationships and internal struggles the heroes face are engaging, and the lead characters are all well developed. When it comes to the cast, the biggest surprise has t be Duhamel. I have nothing against the guy, but I’ve never enjoyed any of his movies. But in “Jupiter’s Legacy” Duhamel shows the range that I didn’t know he had in him. He brings a lot of depth to his 1929 character, even nailing the dialogue and mannerism of the time. And when we see him in the present day, it’s hard to believe it is still Duhamel under the long hair and grizzled beard.

My only complaint with the cast is that Leslie Bibb didn’t get as much to do as the other actors. I think she’s an underrated actress who can handle comedy, drama, and now action. Bibb is terrific in the stuff we see her in, she even steals of the scenes during the Great Depression era, just give her more to do in season two.

While Jupiter’s Legacy” isn’t a perfect comic book adaptation, there is a lot to like in this season. As I said Josh Duhamel won me over with his acting, something that I wasn’t expecting. The action is big and bold and looks movie-quality most of the time. Now that the character and this world have been introduced, I think season two could be bigger and better in many ways.

“Jupiter’s Legacy” grade B

Without Remorse Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

Directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples, Prime video’s “Without Remorse” centers around Navy SEAL John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan). When the film opens, Kelly is in Syria on a top-secret mission that appears to be successful. Months later, a now retires John returns home to his pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) and takes a job with a private security company

However, the next chapter of his life is cut short when a group of Russian soldiers, angry about Kelly’s interference in Syria. The Russians break into the Kelly home and kill his wife. After the murder, John Kelly sets out on a revenge-fueled mission which leads him to uncover a covert operation that could set off a war between the United States and Russia.

“Without Remorse” is based on the novel by Tom Clancy and serves as an origin story for John Kelly, who is best known by his alias John Clark in Clancy’s novels and the subsequent film adaptations centering CIA agent Jack Ryan. Don’t remember him? me either, so I had to look him up and found out that the character has been played by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber. On paper, this sounds like a good way to expand the Jack Ryan universe that Amazon seems to be setting up. Unfortunately, this movie is a chore to get through.

That’s bad enough, but the film also wastes the talents of Michael B. Jordan. I could not tell you anything about John Kelly the person besides that he’s a Navy SEAL. The script doesn’t take the time to make me care about him, his wife, or what his job is. Doing this undercut any character development, and thereby makes Kelly a one-note character. As good an actor as he is, there only so much that Michael B. Jordan can do with what he is given.

The main plot is as straightforward as it gets. The problem is it’s nothing audiences haven’t seen before. Off the top of my head I can think of “Hard to Kill,” “A Man Apart,” and “The Punisher” all of which had similar stories about a guy whose family is murdered and he sets off on a mission of revenge. With the lead character’s ambition crystal clear, it leaves little room for Michael B. Jordan to portray anything bud sadness. So it would be up to the supporting cast to balance the film’s emotions, but even actors like Guy Pearce and Jamie Bell couldn’t do much with this script

Even the action in “Without Remorse” looks cheap and uninspired. The potential for some exciting action sequences was there, but the film resorts to a bunch of shoot-outs like the ones you can see on any television show. Many of these scenes last so long that they end up becoming boring. And just like in the recent “Mortal Kombat,” many of the action scenes are badly lit, making it nearly impossible to make up what is going on or who is in the shot.

In the end, it’s probably a good thing that ” Without Remorse” went straight to streaming rather than hitting theaters. Even in a normal world, I think this movie would’ve had a difficult time at the box and the word of mouth would have been mixed at best. Michael B. Jordan and the rest of the cast do what they can, but with a weak script and uninspiring direction, this movie is one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

: Without Remorse” grade: C-

Mortal Kombat Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

The all-new, all-different “Mortal Kombat” film begins in 1617 Japan where Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) fights Bi-Han (Joe Taslim), a member from a warring clan who has the power to create ice and use it as a deadly weapon. Of course, these characters are better known as Scorpion and Sub-Zero, respectively, but before they assume those identities the film jumps to the modern-day and introduces a new character, Cole Young (Lewis Tan).

Cole is a failed MMA fighter, but he bears the birthmark of a dragon that is an invitation to a tournament known as “Mortal Kombat.” For centuries the tournaments have seen champions of Earthrealm battle against the forces of Outworld led by the nefarious Shang Tsung (Chin Han).

Soon, Cole teams up with special forces soldiers Jax (Mechad Brooks) and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) as well as smartass mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson) to find the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) where they can fight alongside fellow warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Kung Lao (Max Huang). However, the forces of Outworld have no intention of fighting fair and hope to eliminate the champions before they can make it to Mortal Kombat.

The Mortal Kombat video games caught on with fans in the 90s not just because they were gory, but because they were fun. The 1995 and 1997 live-action films failed to capture what made the video games great, and I’m afraid to say Simon McQuoid’s adaptation never gets there either. The best part of the movie is the prologue set in Japan. This sequence looks incredible and it’s heartbreaking. But it’s far too long and it doesn’t matter again until the very end of the film, making it almost unnecessary.

After the prologue the movie shifts between the vague plot with more exposition than action. When the film goes for an action scene, I found the fight scenes dull and badly lit. Several of them are edited badly too, making the action look even worse. Other scenes were filmed at night and in a dark place making it impossible at times to see what the hell was going on. If the filmmakers hired some of the best martial artists in the business, don’t hide the action, let us see them fight. After all, it’s what everyone watching this movie came to see in the first place.

This version of “Mortal Kombat” tries to skate by on gruesome fatalities, but do little with the rest of the plot. The film’s leading character, Cole (Lewis Tan), is boring and brings nothing new to the material. Sub-Zero looks great though, but I wish the script had given him more to do. Out of the entire cast, the only one who stood out for me was Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee). But again, the script barely scratches the surface there. I was left feeling that there is much more to Sonya than what we got in the final cut of the movie.

Another issue that I had with “Mortal Kombat” is that the movie spends too much time introducing the characters and explaining things. I understand it’s been twenty-four years since the last live-action adaptation, and a new generation of potential fans haven’t seen a Mortal Komba movie. However, chances are anyone checking out the new movie has been a fan for a long time. Don’t waste so much time, and get to the fights already!

As you can tell, the new “Mortal Kombat” didn’t do it for me. The movie has some good ideas and some solid special effects. But for some reason, the movie just never gets going. The entire thing seemed like the first episode of a new series rather than a stand-alone movie. On the bright side, the movie is far better than the 1997 sequel “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” so I suppose that’s something.

“Mortal Kombat” grade: C-

Comic Flashback: Excalibur #75 (1994)

Excalibur #75
March 1994
“Hello, I Must Be Going”
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Ken Lashley
Inker: Randy Elliot
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Colorists: Garrahy & Matthys
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Group Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
Publisher: Marvel Comics

When Excalibur returns to Mui Island after the wedding of Scott Summer & Jean Grey, Rachel is jumping for joy because it seems like Jean has finally accepted her. The fun comes to an abrupt end when Meggan confronts Rachel. She’s probably mad because they forgot to take her to the wedding. Not really, Meggan just tells her to stop r ignoring Captain Britain’s pleas for help. The rest of the team is like “WTF Rach?” but before she can say anything, Amanda Sefton arrives on the island.

She tells Excalibur that she’s there because she receiving Nightcrawler’s call for help about Meggan’s call for help about something. Crap, now I’m getting a headache. I wasn’t alone either because Rachel got cranky at having her fun spoiled and storm off to parts unknown only to have Captain Britain try to take over her body again while repeating that he needs her help.

Later that day, Rachel has a heart-to-heart chat with her best friend Kitty Pryde. After their talk Rachel realizes she can’t stop what’s about to happen and knows what she has to do. Soon, a plan is agreed upon and Amanda uses Meggan as an anchor to create an opening in the timestream. Once Rachel crosses over, she eventually finds Captain Britain and can get him home.

But doing doing the right thing also means Rachel has to say goodbye to her friends as she takes his place in the timestream, and disappears. However, Captain Britain from the timestream is not exactly the Brian Braddock who led Excalibur. Not only does he act differently, but he’s wearing a new costume and insists everyone call him “Britannic.”

By 1994 my love of the X-Men was dwindling, but I didn’t quit reading the books right away. But the more I soured on Uncanny X-Men and the other X-Men book, I decided to find comfort in the pages of Excalibur. My first issue back was #74 and it was a decent enough issue. I wasn’t always sure of what was going on, but at least it was simpler than the mess the other X-Men books were at the time. I liked the issue enough to come back for the series landmark 75th issue, and boy was that a mistake!

First off I had to pay extra for one of those silly 90s gimmick covers that were everywhere back then. But then, Rachel, (my favorite character in the book) leaves the series right when her story with Scott and Jean was getting really interesting. Yeah, eventually she forms the Askani order that played a role in Cable’s future, but surely Marvel could have put that off for a while. And to makes matters worse, they didn’t even bring back the Captain Britain of old. Instead, we get Brittanic?!

Excalibur #75 is when I started realizing the problems I was having with the X-Men books had one thing in common: Scott Lobdell. Characters switching sides, unresolved plotlines, and random excitement of major characters had to be his doing. I suppose I could blame the editorial department but they must have liked what Lobdell proposed or it never would have made it to print. I’ve read some Lobdell comics in the 27 years since this issue came out, but I’m always aware now of the type of stories he likes to write.

The one positive I gave Excalibur #75 in 1994 was the art by Ken Lashley and Randy Elliott. Lashley won me over with his detailed work in issue #75, and here his art explodes off the page. But I have to say looking at Excalibur #75 it’s weird how all the women have tiny necks. However, I’m still a fan of his art and his recent stuff in Spawn was damn good.

Sadly this was Rachel Summer’slast appearance in the series. She eventually returned to the X-Men books, but her early 2000s appearances felt like a step back for me. That version of Rachel seemed more unsure of herself and her place in the X-Men and going from her red suit to a mini-skirt and crop top didn’t wow me. But at least for a few pages of Excalibur #75, I got to see her happy and that made this issue worth checking out again.

Batman: The Detective #1 Review

BATMAN: THE DETECTIVE #1
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Andy Kubert
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Clem Robins
Release Date: April 14, 2021
Cover Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics

What it’s about…

An epic tale begins that will take Batman on a harrowing, action-packed European adventure in a new miniseries by superstar creators Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert! A horrific tragedy in the United Kingdom sends a very personal and deadly message to the Dark Knight—one that will draw Batman out of Gotham City to investigate! From the moment he lands in Europe, Batman will face a difficult investigation and unheard-of adversaries and find the assistance of a partner once more—all in the hunt for the villain known as Equilibrium! New villains! New allies! A thrilling overseas adventure begins for the Dark Knight!

What I thought about it…

Anyone who’s read Batman comics can tell you that Batman rarely likes to leave Gotham City without protection. It takes something massive for him to leave home, but that’s exactly what happens after a commercial airliner is attacked by a group of terrorists wearing white Batman masks. The tragic event sends Batman London to investigate, only to find a strangely personal connection even the world’s greatest detective didn’t see coming.

It’s a relatively simple premise to launch Batman The Detective, but Tom Taylor layers the story with mystery, twists, surprises, and drama, and it all works extremely well. Taylor is unafraid of taking risks with his stories, and it always pays off. Maybe that’s why it often feels like every punch, every word in this issue matters. But I’m also a sucker for solo stories that take Batman out of his usual surroundings.

In this issue, Tom Taylor even throws in links to Batman’s past by bringing back a character that I don’t think has been seen in years. I won’t say who the character is, but I was surprised. But don’t worry if you don’t recognize this character because Tom Taylor fills in new readers with everything they know. Another cool thing is the way the opening attack on the plane is handled. Yes, there is action, but it adds to the story and is not there just to be a flashy sequence.

When it comes to the art of Andy Kubert, it won me over. I was a fan of his work in the early to mid-90s, but eventually, I thought all his drawings started looking the same, so I lost interest. However, in Batman, The Detective #1 Kubert’s work is one of the highlights of the book. Kubert’s art tells as much of the story as Tom Taylor’s dialogue does, and it’s a perfect match. The way Kubert draws Batman brought me back to his style in the first Batman versus Predator series from 1991, and that is a good thing!

Overall I’d say Batman: The Detective #1 is a solid Batman story that is easily accessible to new readers, and one that will please longtime fans. Tom Taylor is by far my favorite writer in comics today, and if you’ve never read his stuff, this is a great issue to jump on the bandwagon.

Batman: The Detective #1 Grade: A

Movie Flashback: King Kong Lives (1986)

Directed by John Guillermin, the 1986s “King Kong Lives” opened with the finale of 1976s “King Kong” which saw Kong fall off the World Trade Center. But it turns out that Kong didn’t die from the fall, he’s just been in a coma for a decade. Overseeing Kong’s health is Dr. Amy Franklin (Linda Hamilton), an employee of the Atlanta Institute, or the Atlantic Institute as the onscreen text calls it later.

I’m still not sure why the institute is trying to bring back the creature that caused so much destruction in New York City. He also stepped on poor Charles Grodin in the previous film, but we can probably forgive Kong for that. Anyways, the institute has spent millions keeping the big ape alive. They’ve even given him an artificial heart, but nothing has worked. Things are so dire that Dr. Franklin proclaims: “Only one thing can save Kong, A miracle.” Luckily, Hank “Mitch” Mitchell (Brian Kerwin) may have exactly what she needs.

Mitchell is an Indian Jones cosplayer, who found a giant female ape in the jungles of Borneo. He may look like an idiot, but he’s smart enough to know that he can make good money with a 40-foot ape. When the institute calls, he captures the female ape and takes it to Atlanta. Dr. Franklin performs a blood transfusion which revives Kong, who instantly falls in love with Lady Kong (why isn’t she Queen Kong?). She reciprocates Kong’s advances, but this is where things got complicated for the Kongs: the apes escape the institute, but Lady Kong is eventually recaptured by the film’s villain, Lt. Col. Nevitt (John Ashton).

King Kong escapes the army dudes by jumping off a cliff into a river below. Shockingly, Lt. Col Nevitt immediately assumes Kong is dead. How could anyone think that? the big ape survived falling off the World Trade Center for Pete’s sake. But for some reason, Nevitt believes jumping into a river meant the end of Kong. Eventually, Kong ends up in the Louisiana bayou, where he survives by eating alligators and rednecks (don’t ask).

Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin and the Indiana Jones wannabe get to know each other. The problem is Hamilton and Kerwin have zero chemistry. But I think some of the blame goes to the script which makes sex scenes awkward by making Linda Hamilton say things like “We’re all primates.” We then learn that Lady Kong is very sad with the boo she’d barely met, oh, and she’s very pregnant. With this in mind, I’m sure you can easily figure out where “King Kong Lives” goes from there.

When it comes to King Kong movies, “King Kong Lives” is at the bottom of the pile. The basic premise isn’t bad, but the execution fell short of even the 1976 movie. After only a few minutes, the story became convoluted, the pace slowed to a crawl and the tone changed for the rest of the movie. The special effects here are terrible as well, but not surprising since the effects team from 1976 didn’t return for the sequel. The ape suits are not realistic, though Peter Elliott (Kong) and George Yiasoumi (Lady Kong) do their best to give the two Kongs some personality. But the other effects let down their performances.

As for the human cast members in the film, I’m afraid Amy and Mitch are horrible characters and suck the life out of the movie whenever the action cuts back to them. Neither is relatable or likable, and there was no reason for them to become an item. Not once did I believe these two would fall for each other, or that they wanted to help the Kongs. Meanwhile, Linda Hamilton seems to be phoning it in, almost as if she knew there was no saving “King Kong Lives.”

I’ve only seen this movie once, but I’m sad to say that in the end, “King Kong Lives” is a very dumb movie, even by 1980s standards. This is one of those movies that looked cool when you saw it on the shelf at Blockbuster, but when you take it home it becomes a huge letdown.

Godzilla vs. Kong Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

Directed by Adam Wingard from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is the latest chapter in the Monsterverse that began in 2014 with “Godzilla.” The new film explores a lot more of the Titans’ lore, while also laying the foundation for their big battle.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” takes place a few years after Godzilla saved humanity (and was destroyed by beloved Fenway Park). Things had been quiet until Godzilla reemerged attacking cities and killing many in the process. But once He senses King Kong, the big ape becomes his target. Meanwhile, Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and Jia (Kaylee Hottle) are working to protect Kong from Godzilla and from humans who want to use him as a weapon.

However, things change when Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård), who is tasked by Apex Cybernetics CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir) to take Kong from Skull Island to Hollow Earth in a bid to obtain its power source and use it to defeat Godzilla. Of course, there is more to this than meets the eye, and those things are being investigated by conspiracy-theorizing (and Apex employee) Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) and Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown).

One of the big complaints fans had about 2014s “Godzilla” was that it didn’t have much of the jolly green monster. The main complaint I had about “Godzilla: King of Monsters” was that nearly every monster battle took place in the rain or the dark (sometimes both). But I’m happy to say that “Godzilla vs. Kong” delivers on most fronts. Godzilla shows up early and often, and some of his appearances ramp up the tension for what lies ahead.

The fight scenes between the two titans are fantastic and easy to follow most of the time. Kong and Godzilla go at it scratching, clawing, and throwing punches. Given the scope of the battles, there is plenty of destruction in the film. But at least this time, we understand the reasons for the fight. As I mentioned earlier, “Godzilla vs. Kong” delves further into the lore of the Titans and Hollow Earth, which I must say is incredible to look at. But nearly everything in the movie is visually stunning, and I think it helps when most of the action takes place during the daytime. There are still some sequences filmed with little lighting, but it’s not as bad as it was in King of Monsters.

When it comes to the human characters, they’re mainly there to deliver exposition. But I have to say this is the first time in these movies that I gave a damn about what happened to these people. The most interesting human plotline involves Jia (Kaylee Hottle) and her unique bond with King Kong, who trusts her and protects her. She is the only human who can communicate with Kong, and their relationship is one of the film’s highlights.

Since both protagonists are creatures, there is a lot of exposition delivered by the actors. However, in “Godzilla vs. Kong” the exposition matters to the overall plot. Nearly everything that is discovered by the cast leads to something else, making their stories much more interesting. I’m not saying every piece of dialogue is a home run, but I got the feeling that the screenwriters were trying for a change. Also, the movie has some solid humor from a conspiracy theorist and podcast host Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir). Watching him realize his “conspiracies” are true was pretty amusing, as was his line about not wanting to die sober.

Something else I enjoyed about “Godzilla vs. Kong” is that at no point did I feel like the movie was just setting up another sequel. It’s quite the opposite, because once the credits rolled I felt like everything had led up to this and that it was worth the wait. Not only that, but this movie is fast-paced and clocks in at under two hours, making it an easy watch.

As for complaints, I would have liked to have seen more of Rebeca Hall’s character. She’s in the entire movie and plays a key role. But, everything we know about her and Jia is told to us in about five sentences. I wanted to know who Hall ended up on Skull island, what made her take Jia in, and how her bond with Kong began. All of this could have been done in one of two scenes, and I’m sad we didn’t get to see any of it. And not that I’m a huge Kyle Chandler fan, but I feel bad for him because he only got about three scenes in the entire movie. Considering he’s the father of one of the main characters, I thought he’d be featured more.

Overall though, I was pleasantly surprised with how good “Godzilla vs. Kong” was. The movie delivers on the fights, features one or two surprises old-school fans will like, it keeps things moving, and the human characters don’t overshadow the monsters. As far as I’m concerned, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is the best film in the series so far.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” grade: B

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

In “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” the modern Mighty Ducks dominate Minnesota’s junior division, with an outstanding 10 state championships and facilities most pro teams would envy. However, Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) no longer coaches the team He even claims to hate hockey now, even though he owns and runs an ice rink, but he spends most of his time eating leftover birthday cake.

But the show rea; y revolves around 12-year-old Evan (Brady Noon) who has kicked off the Ducks just before the start of the season. The way Evan is kicked to the curb doesn’t sit well with his mother Alex (Lauren Graham) who throws a tantrum that goes viral. Alex believes sports should be fun for children, and that winning shouldn’t be the only thing that matters. With that in mind, Alex goes from her law-office job to coaching the team she calls the “Don’t Bother.” Alex forms the team not only to give her son another hockey shot but to give other kids who were told they weren’t good enough a spot on the team.

Their main problem is that they only have three days to assemble the team, Evan recruits his neighbor Nick (Maxwell Simkins). Together they find a heavyset video gamer (Luke Islam) who might work well as a goalie. Other team members include a nunchuck-wielding girl (Bella Higginbotham) who’s trying to improve her anger issues, a popular girl (Taegen Burns) who wants to be an individual, a daredevil skateboarder (De’Jon Watts) who likes to break the rules, and a conventionally handsome Canadian kid (Kiefer O’Reilly).

Are you ready to feel old? okay, you’ve been warned, so here goes: It’s been 29 years since “The Mighty Ducks” hit theaters. The film began the story of an underdog hockey team coached by Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez). It was followed by two sequels followed which brought their story to an end, or so we thought. But thanks to the nostalgia trend in Hollywood, we now have “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” on Disney+.

I had low expectations for “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.” The last movie didn’t do anything for me, and there are plenty of kid sports movies out there for me to enjoy. But as shocking as it sounds, I loved Game Changers. The show is brilliant all the way around, from the cast, the premise, and the setting. One of the best aspects of the show is that the kids seem like real kids. Gone is the stereotype of the Texas kid being a Cowboy, or the Cuban kid being from Miami. Evan, Nick, and the other kids in the new series are normal kids with normal problems. And I guarantee you some kid watching this will be able to relate to this team.

Something else that I liked about “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” is the way the show offers a blistering, (but hilarious) critique of present-day youth sports and the way they promise fame and fortune to the kids and their parents. Alex is one of the few parents on the show who knows most of the kids won’t go pro. But she also thinks sports should be fun, so she refuses to enroll her kid in summer training, or hire a fitness expert, a nutritional coach, or a sports psychologist to boost his chances of making it in the sport.

The show’s big draw for older fans will be Emilio Estevez’s return to the franchise. This is a huge grab for Disney+ because the character of Godron Bombay was a key part of the first two films. But as “Mighty Ducks 3” proved 25 years ago, the Ducks are not the same without Estevez behind the bench. I like the new direction the show is taking him, but I hope they don’t drag out the reasons for Bombay’s current dislike for anything to do with hockey.

Something I wasn’t expecting was the crazy amount of chemistry between Estevez and Lauren Graham. For now, it doesn’t seem like they’re love interests, though that may change over the 10 episode season. But their back-and-forth rapport, as Alex asks for help and Bombay continually finds ways to turn her down is pretty damn good. Graham is great too as a single mom trying to do something good for her son and his friends. Her character is funny, sweet, and willing to do what it takes to put this hockey team together.

I know we’re only one episode into “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” but I love what I’ve seen so far. Some things are similar to the movies, but the series is different enough that it stands on its own. The half-hour episode flew by and it was loaded with content. By the time the credits rolled I knew all the key characters, the premise of the series, and got a hint of what is to come in the rest of the season. All in all, this was a great way to bring back the Mighty Ducks.

“The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” grade: A