Month: January 2024

Spongebob Squarepants (Seasons 1-3) Retrospective: The Golden Era

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If you were to ask what particular television show had a huge impact on my specific generation, formally known as Generation Z, the answer you will likely get more times than not is Spongebob Squarepants. I would be hard pressed to think of a show that came out in the 2000s that hadn’t been remembered, talked about, beloved, hated, dissected, and especially MEMED to death! While there are plenty of shows now and then that have those kind of impacts, there’s something about Spongebob Squarepants that hits a bit differently.

On the surface, it seems like a very basic premise. What if you followed someone throughout their everyday life where they work, play around, and hang out with their friends and family? The main core difference here is that instead of it being in the human world or another planet, it takes place strictly underwater. That right there leaves plenty of room for a show to have plenty of creative world building, neat visuals, and a tons of creative and funny jokes! And for the universal praise that this show has gotten since it started back in 1999 is anything to go by, I would say that Spongebob Squarepants was able to utilize that familiar but different premise to it’s absolute fullest potential.

However, there is one specific era that is referred to as the absolute golden era for Spongebob Squarepants. That era is of course the first three seasons of the show, which basically acted as the original run for this series. This was when the creator of the show Stephen Hillenberg (May he rest in peace!) had complete control along with creative director, Derek Drymon, that acted as the main showrunner of this show and would later go on to be a part of the writing team of the first two films along with being the head director of the upcoming fourth film, Search for Squarepants. Needless to say, these two teaming up along with a handful of credited writers were able to make something truly special for this show’s original run.

Everyone has their own different opinions of Spongebob Squarepants post-original era but no doubt, you will never hear anyone say a bad word about this show in regards to it’s first three seasons. Even to this day, you plenty of folks that remember, quote, and meme episodes of these three seasons to death, which goes to show the everlasting impact this show has gotten over the past 25 years. Because of all of that and more, what better way to kick off this marathon than discussing what is considered by many to be the “golden era” of Spongebob Squarepants, the first three seasons.

Season 1

Now, I will admit, I do find Season 1 to be the weakest of these first three seasons. It’s the one which the animation has shown it’s age, the pacing feels the slowest, it’s much more “quiet” in terms of it’s sound, and this is also when the voice actors were going through their “growing pains” to get comfortable in their roles that they would end up be voicing for over the next two decades. That being said, this still does make for about as good of a first season for the show as you could imagine.

This is when we get introduced to the characters we would all come to love. You have the main character of Spongebob Squarepants, his best friend Patrick Star, his next door neighbor Squidward Tenacles, his other friend he meets Sandy Cheeks, his boss Mr. Krabs, his pet snail Gary, his boat teacher Mrs. Puffs, his boss’s arch nemesis Plankton along with plenty of others. Regardless of how big or small of a role they would end up playing in any individual episodes, there’s is always a certain trait or even a line that one of them says that makes them stand out on their own and become a fan favorite of some sort.

You have Spongebob always aims to be positive and upbeat, Patrick is lovably dumb, Squidward is depressed and moopy in a way that’s funny but also immensely relatable, Sandy is super smart and an absolute butt kicker, Mr. Krabs is always money hungry, Mrs. Puffs is a stress-filled teacher, Plankton is the arch rival that always finds himself on the losing end. Whether it’s their specific personality or they are so funny or they are just feel relatable, the characters of Spongebob are full of charm and memorability that it’s part to pick which one is your absolute favorite because they all have their great traits to them. Even Patchy the Pirate, a pirate who happens to be Spongebob’s #1 fan and Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob himself, and his pet parrot Potty, get plenty of laughs in the earlier season in their live-action bits, despite these almost ALWAYS falling flat with animated shows.

When it comes to the world building, they do enough to where it feels much more different than what it would feel like in the real world with humans or even on another planet with aliens. While it certainly doesn’t make 100% logical sense and certainly doesn’t go too deep into the “rules” of how this world operates, this is always a fun and interesting universe to spend time in and is always interesting to put your shoes with these characters and see how you yourself would act if you got to live at the bottom of the ocean.

The plots of the episodes themselves tend to be light hearted and very simple while relying mostly on it’s humor and visuals to tell it but that’s okay since the show is based around those exact elements and is able to deliver on those fronts when it counts the most. Even every now and then, there will comes an episode that has a strong moral to it that anyone of any age can get something out of it. Take the end of the episode, Ripped Pants, where Spongebob performs a song which reflects the general message of that episode. That message being learn to be yourself in front of ones you care about and not be someone you are not. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the sponge who ripped his pants in this episode. It’s nice, direct messages like that which is always springled throughout this series that helps make these stories stand out well, even if it’s not the most complex writing ever.

That of course, should also talk about the sound and audio of the series which helps gives the show it’s own unique personality. While it’s not quite as strong here as it is with the other two seasons as it does feel more one-note in comparison, it’s the kind of music that’s always catchy, relaxing, lives rent free in your mind, and always feels appropriate for the Spongebob show and character. It’s the kind of music that whenever you listen to a piece from it, you almost ALWAYS know it’s from Spongebob Squarepants.

Even if I do think this is the weakest of the first three seasons since it at times gives off the impression of everybody involved in the cast and crew getting their foot in the door, it still contains that sort of heart and charm that makes the best episodes of this show stand out completely well on their own. There’s plenty of well-loved episodes here such as Bubblestand, Ripped Pants, Pizza Delivery, Opposite Day, Fools in April, and the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episodes. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be either Ripped Pants and Pizza Delivery. Ripped Pants has the most wholesome message of any episode in this season and Pizza Delivery is Spongebob at his absolute wackiest and funniest. Regardless of this being my least favorite of the first three, it was more than good enough for Nickelodeon to greenlight a second season.

Season 2

Now, here’s a season that’s better than the first one in just about any way and may possible even be the very best season in the entire show. This was when you can tell that everyone on board this show were sitting fully comfortable in their square pants and came into work everyday just knowing what roles they are set to play. The animation is much better, the characters are more organic, fleshed out, and move more fluidly, the humor is even more hilarious, the pacing is more breakneck, and the overall world that is the Bikini Bottom feels more like it’s own character than ever before.

This is where most of the absolute fan favorite episodes came to be! You got classics such as Graveyard Shift, Squidville, Christmas Who?, Shanghaied, The Fry Cook Games, and Sailor Mouth. And of course, who can’t forget what is considered by many to be the very best episode on the show, Band Geeks! Like, if you tell me you never laughed at any of the jokes or quoted any one of the lines in this episode, you are a LIAR! And you are ESPECIALLY a liar that you don’t remember this episode for the iconic song, Sweet Victory, that plays at the very end of the episode! That episode along with plenty others in Season 2 is a perfect representation of this show at it’s absolute best.

Just like the first season, you also got a handful of episodes that have a solid moral at it’s core, teaching kids everyday lessons that they ought to learn. The biggest example being Procrastination, the episode where Spongebob is trying to do EVERYTHING but complete his essay. It’s a great examination on the dangers of procrastination, how simple distractions and laziness can prevent you from getting your homework done if you allow it to. Sure, it ends with the assignment being pointless because Mrs. Puffs cancelled it but that still doesn’t change the fact that you need to get work done when you can and never try to push it aside whenever you can. Of course, not all episodes are like that with plenty of humor and lighthearted writing to carry it but it’s another indication that this is not a simply “mindless” show that nowadays relies on memes to carry it. The majority of these episodes are classics for a reason and there’s a reason why they still resonate in the mind of so many who grew up with Spongebob.

Regardless of what Spongebob character is your favorite and what kind of Spongebob material is your favorite, Season 2 should MORE than satisfy you on every level. Each main Spongebob characters get their own episodes and moments to shine, the art design and animation is much improved and possibly better than ever, the humor is at it’s funniest, and it’s able to move at it’s own steady pace without every wearing out it’s welcome. Whether you are a kid whose looking for an entertaining cartoon or a parent/guardian/older sibling who is “forced” to watch it with their kids, there is plenty for anyone to enjoy about the second season of Spongebob Squarepants. This is when the training wheels were completely off and everyone on the cast and crew were ready to ride their bikes full throttle. And man, did they prove that whatsoever with Season 2!

Season 3

Season 3 was no doubt able to end the last of the original run of Spongebob Squarepants on a high note. It’s able to keep that consistent and quality level of humor, charm, and morals throughout with it’s characters still being endearing and Bikini Bottom still being a fascinating place to visit. If there is one thing holding it back compared to Season 2 had to do with the amount of interference that Nickelodeon had on the show and the bizarre airings of it.

To start off with the second point, many of the episodes of Season 3 were aired out of order from their original release slate. As a matter of fact, they started airing episodes of this season even before airing all episodes of Season 2. Nickelodeon has always had that weird habit of releasing episodes whenever the heck they want (Just ask Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom!) and that certainly applies here. It’s just stupid and Nickelodeon is stupid for that.

And speaking of stupid things, there was also some bizarre censoring of certain episodes from Season 3 that was done by the network’s part. There was the infamous bit in Mid-Life Crustacean where Spongebob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs are going through a women’s underwear drawer, which so happened to belong to Mr. Krabs’ mother. That episode was removed from rotation in 2018 until it was added back in on Paramount Plus due to a glitch until it was removed again. There was also a bit in Just One Bite where Squidward is trying to get into the Krusty Krab to snatch more Krabby Patties from himself but gets caught in a gas explosion trap twice and blows up both times. That bit was removed due to it feeling too reminiscent of 9/11…..for some reason. I don’t know any sane individual that thought of the World Trade Center blowing up during that scene but it was a thing. It’s nothing that bugged me too much but it certainly were things that fell off-putting now in retrospect.

There’s also the fact that this season doesn’t really have a definite final episode. Granted, that’s because the true original finale of the series was suppose to be with The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (which we will discuss next month) but having no real finale for the televisions series feels rather bizarre. If the movie weren’t a thing, the very last thing we would ever see of the show is Spongebob and Patrick being exposed butt naked in front of everyone at the Krusty Krab. Not to mention, how the last two episode segments made it’s way to VHS and DVD first before television. I know that because I saw those two episodes first on DVD at my cousin’s house before then. Keep in mind, none of these problems I mentioned are deal breakers or ruin my enjoyment of the show but those are things that just stick out for me if I had to nitpick.

Even taking those things out of the way, Season 3 is still very good overall. It too contains some of my absolute favorite episodes from the series such as Nasty Patty, Krab Borg, Chocolate With Nuts, The Camping Episode, and The Krusty Krab Training Video. This is also strangely the season where I happened to see the most memes off the show out of them all for some bizarre reason. I can only tell you how many times I’ve seen the meme from sports fans whenever a team chokes than the one where the health inspector is choking on a fly while Spongebob and Mr. Krabs are laughing their balls off.

While I do think Season 2 is a snatch better, I do think this is definitely the best of the first three seasons in terms of animation, character designs, art style, and especially voice work. I don’t think there was more range in any scene of this show from Tom Kenny when Spongebob is going on his rant to Mr. Krabs about how much Squidward is driving him crazy in Can You Spare a Dime? If that’s not proof about how talented that man is at voice acting, then I don’t know what is. Everything that worked about the prior seasons works just as well here, even if the interference from Nick itself and a underwhelming special or two (Ugh! is just…..nothing!) did start to show the cracks on the armor with this once untouchable series.

Even so, had the show ended with Season 3 the way it was originally visioned too by Stephen Hillenburg himself, it would have been a good note to go out on. Of course, due to their being a Spongebob movie on the rise along with Nick not ready to put away the Spongebob toys yet due to the character’s insane popularity, the show did continue with Season 4 and onwards. Despite all of that, Season 3 was basically the end of the original run of the show and it certainly ended that run with good graces.

In Conclusion

It’s hard to say things about the first three seasons of Spongebob Squarepants that hasn’t been said already by everyone else on the planet. It’s the perfect example of capturing lightning in a bottle. It does everything that it’s suppose to do right. The characters are lovable and memorable, the world building is unique and inventive, the jokes comes thick and fast with very little that miss, the music is classic and pleasant on the ears, and there are enough morals to enough episodes that helps make it just more than mindless children entertainment.

When going back to these seasons many years later, it’s easy to understand why this series has had the lasting appeal that is has had. When it comes to animation that is great for kids and families that works as a simple comfort show or one to watch for the wacky visuals and humor, there’s not very many out there that can top Spongebob Squarepants. Even if not every single episode is a perfect 10/10 and the “special” episodes don’t necessarily feel “special” but more like two 11-minute long episodes crammed into one 22-minute long episode, there’s not a single moment throughout these first three seasons that feels wrong for the universe this show takes place in and the tone that it’s going for with each episode.

Although the first three seasons are considered the original run of the show, there is at least one other thing that came out shortly after the third season ended. One thing that basically acted as an epilogue for this run of Spongebob Squarepants and even at one point was considering the true ending of the show. That, of course, is The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The next thing we will be talking about next month for this yearly-long Spongebob marathon.

Ranking The Marvel Cinematic Universe

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There has been no other franchise that has made as big of an impact on the film industry as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can debate whether or not it has impacted the industry for the better or for the worse but no doubt it has made an impact. With The Marvels now available for digital and will make it’s way to 4K, Blu-Ray, and Disney Plus very soon, I want to take the time to share my rankings of all 33 (!) films to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far.

First off, a few disclaimers. I am ONLY counting the movies that were released to be a part of this cinematic universe and nothing else. Which is why you won’t see the Venom movies, Morbius, or any of the Spider-Man movies except for the ones with Tom Holland on this list. I’m also NOT including any of the Netflix or Disney Plus series as that would make the rankings on this list even more complicated than it already is. Lastly, this is all MY opinion. Considering there’s now 33 movies in this universe, there’s a good chance my rankings won’t match yours.

When doing this list, I mostly tried to find a good mix between the ones I find to be the best in terms of objective quality, the ones that I enjoy watching the most, and the ones that I believe serves a big purpose to not just the cinematic universe itself but also the superhero subgenre in general.

Anyways, here I go with the biggest ranking I’ve made on this site so far. Let’s rank the Marvel Cinematic Universe films!

33.) Thor: The Dark World

The entry in this franchise that has aged the worst, especially in the wake of Thor: Ragnarok, remains the worst MCU installment to date. It still has it’s moments such as the powerful funeral scene and the moment where Thor and the main villain fights through the portals. However, it can never shake the feeling that it only exist just so Thor has a movie in Phase 2. The main problem is that it feels too inconsequential, complacent, and moves at such a fast clip that it’s hard to get invested into anything happen, even after characters supposedly “die”. The reshoots the movie have are quite obvious as it feels like a mix of multiple visions that never come together as a cohesive whole. Not to mention, the villain flat out sucks here (You can’t even remember his name, can you?)! On the bright, this did get a redemption arc later on down the road in Avengers: Endgame. It’s certainly a movie you can watch and get some entertainment out of (which says something about how even the very worst of the MCU is still watchable), but this is certainly one movie which critics of the MCU will find plenty of bullet points to support their arguments with.

32.) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn’t quite the worst movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but it’s certainly knocking at that door. Despite the movie’s overall goal is to give everyone a clear direction as to where this next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, it still has that feeling of inconsequentiality because of how little that will likely matter in the long run and how it barely progresses the characters and their stories here. It still hits the same beats you would expect from a Marvel movie but whether or not that will be enough to save the picture is entirely up to you. And if the box office results and fan/critical reception is anything to go by, it’s clearly not for most people. Jonathan Majors as Kang stands out well here (at least until Majors had to be an abusive idiot and destroy his career) but very little else does, especially the mind numbing CGI.

31.) Iron Man 2

There are plenty of folks that claimed that Marvel Studios couldn’t miss in the Infinity Saga. Those people clearly didn’t watch Iron Man 2 (or Thor: The Dark World). Everything that worked well in the original Iron Man just falls flat here. The cast is still great and the effects are top-notch but the script lets it down with too much Marvel easter eggs, little to no character progression, and action scenes that are over before they even began. You could tell Marvel was still getting their footing in how to make these movies as this feels like it only exist to buy time for the other movies in Phase One. On the bright side, just like with The Dark World, it did at least get a bit of a redemption arc later on in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I guess that’s something.

30.) Thor

The first third and last third are great but the rest of the movie is a bit of a mixed bag. The scenes on Earth are just no where near as interesting as the ones on Asgard, the special effects look straight out of a cheaply budgeted CW show, and it’s hard to understand why Thor and Jane are that into each other, aside from the fact that both characters are played by two EXTERMELY attractive people. Also, some of the setup with S.H.I.E.L.D. feel like they are only here so audience don’t get confused by their presence in The Avengers. Still, the brilliant casting of Chris Heinsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki really hold this one together and even Thor’s redemption arc works quite well, even if the journey along the way can be quite iffy.

29.) Doctor Strange

This introduces some of the most interesting ideas and concepts that the Marvel movies have tried out thus far but it’s just a shame not all of it is able to be executed to it’s fullest potential until the near tail end of the picture. This is the one where you can really feel the Marvel formula that this franchise has grown accustom too with the way it hits every single origin story beat in the book. Also, the sideling of Mads Mikkelsen and Rachel McAdams doesn’t help here. The third act is still an absolute banger, Benedict Cumberbatch was born to play Stephen Strange, and it does at least give a clear view into the direction that future Marvel movies are going with how much weirder and “out there” it will dare to go with it’s set pieces and visuals. It’s decent and functional, but it feels like Doctor Strange is at his best when he’s paired up with other characters in this universe.

28.) Spider-Man: Homecoming

Some might be shocked to find this movie this low on the list but I have my reason. As it’s own movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming is fine and certainly enjoyable. As a Spider-Man movie however, it’s quite underwhelming. Tom Holland is great casting as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, Michael Keaton’s Vulture is one of the very best baddies in the MCU, and the high school elements were somewhat relatable. However, too much of the movie feels restrained, like the filmmakers were too afraid of this movie being compared to the other Spider-Man movies that they desired to play it as safe as possible. There are changes that feel unnecessary (Why does Betty Brant feel like Gwen Stacy?), things that are removed (Uncle Ben’s importance), and things that are added (Spider-Man being Iron Man Jr.) which Homecoming makes it quite a middling Spider-Man experience. After No Way Home, it has certainly grown on me but the flaws that hold it back still remain true to me.

27.) Ant-Man and the Wasp

Coming straight off of the high heels of the maximum culmination blockbuster of Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp made for the right, breezy palate cleanser when it came out in 2018. Looking at it’s own, however, it doesn’t really offer more than the bare minimum of what most were expecting an Ant-Man sequel to consist off. Paul Rudd is still as charming as ever as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly steals the show and kicks major ass as Wasp, and the set pieces are quite fun. Even so, it still can’t help but feel too much like a placeholder film and a real expensive explanation as to what Scott did after Civil War and why he wasn’t in Infinity War. Not to mention, wasting Michelle Pfeiffer like that is a big no-no. It’s harmless fun but not all that memorable.

26.) Captain Marvel

This one has honestly grown on me overtime. The first act is a bit all over the place and some retcons to the universe are plain dumb (Fury losing an eye to a cat!) but this is still a mostly enjoyable buddy cop flick/origin story on the most powerful superhero in the MCU. Brie Larson fits the roll very well and has great chemistry with the rest of the cast, the 90s setting is fun, Samuel Jackson and his CGI is perfection, and seeing Captain Marvel flying through and destroying ships in her super form is quite satisfying. If only this character was introduced a bit sooner and not just before Endgame that I think it would have been easier for others to accept her with the other Marvel heroes.

25.) Black Widow

Should this movie had come out much sooner than it should have and not right after the character died? Absolutely! But, don’t let that take away the fact that is still a damn good family drama/spy flick with a great cast and engaging sister bond ship. Scarlett Johannsson is finally able to get her chance to shine in her own movie, Rachel Weisz and David Harbor make for nice additions to the MCU, and Florence Pugh is an absolute revelation as Yelena. Yeah, the Taskmaster felt like an afterthought and you won’t see me defending that one dodgy CGI green screen shot that Film Twitter uses as a whipping boy for this movie. Nevertheless, Black Widow is one solid movie that shouldn’t be overlooked even if it came out at the exact wrong time.

24.) Thor: Love and Thunder

Not quite as long as it should be and there are too many times where it feels like Whatti is trying too hard to re-capture the magic of Ragnarok instead of doing his own thing. All that being said, this is still a good time. Natalie Portman makes a welcome return as Mighty Thor and she actually has good chemistry with Chris Heinsworth this time around, Tessa Thompson is still an absolute goddess as Valkryie, Russell Crowe is a riot as Hercules, Taika Whatti is a bit overexposed but still charming as Korg, and Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher makes for one of the better and more threatening villains in the MCU, even if he could have used more screen time. It does suck though that the Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t get more to do here. I don’t know if a fourth Thor movie was necessary but Love and Thunder is still fun nonetheless and held up quite well for me on a re-watch.

23.) Spider-Man: Far From Home

An improvement over Homecoming in almost every way, with more focused on Peter Parker and his personal relationships and dilemmas along with some incredibly inventive action sequences (That Mysterio illusion scene is masterfully done!). Yes, there is still too much Iron Man tech here (Especially with his literal killer glasses) and it’s ridiculous how we have ANOTHER Spider-Man villain that’s trying to get revenge on Tony Stark (despite the fact he’s actually dead now) instead of Spider-Man himself but it did offer enough Spidey goods to leave one satisfied and get them intrigued for the future after that banger of a post credit scene. It doesn’t come close to being top-tier Spider-Man, especially at the time with Into the Spider-Verse and Marvel’s Spider-Man, or top-tier MCU as a whole but acting as a plate cleanser for Avengers: Endgame and an epilogue for the Infinity War, Far From Home is just fine.

22.) Eternals

If you were to ask me which MCU movie would have worked better as it’s own Disney Plus series than it’s own individual film, my first answer will always go to Eternals. Despite having a lot of ambition and interesting ideas, this never quite works the way it desperately wants too. There’s just too much characters to focus on with so little time given to develop every one of them. Not to mention, it has themes while well intended end up practically contradicting itself by the end of it. Still, I would rather a movie taking a ton of risks that don’t quite pay off rather than a movie that just plays it safe all the way through and meeting that end goal perfectly. Eternals may not be great but I do hope the negative reception this movie has gotten doesn’t prevent Marvel Studios from trying films like this in the near future.

21.) Avengers: Age of Ultron

In hindsight, this movie has gotten better with aged thanks to the films that came afterwards that were able to justify it’s existence. That being said, I still can’t help but feel there was still some major missed opportunities with Avengers: Age of Ultron (especially with Ultron himself). Too much of the picture feels like a placeholder for future movies instead of the main course, which is not something you should want out of an Avengers movie. Instead of feeling like a proper payoff to the other movies of the current phase like the original Avengers, this just feels like more build up for the likes of Civil War and Infinity War. And don’t get me started on that Hulk and Black Widow romance! Still, there are still plenty of solid character moments and action throughout (everything with Hawkeye is exceptional) and did introduce Scarlet Witch, who would later become one of the best, most developed and multilayered characters in the entire franchise! It’s a glorious imperfect mess but in a way, that’s part of it’s charms and I don’t think the other big movies after this would have worked as well as it did without Age of Ultron.

20.) Ant-Man

While it still remain a shame we’ll never to get see Edgar Wright make his own Marvel movie, this still deliver as a perfectly enjoyable heist flick. Paul Feig and Michael Douglas were perfectly casted in their roles as Scott Lang and Hank Pym respectively and that third act remains one the more fun and creative third acts in the whole MCU. It also helps that it softened the landing after Age of Ultron was a mild disappointment being more refreshingly smaller scaled compare to other entries. It still does fall victim to many of the usual MCU tropes, especially with the charismatic but underused turn by Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross, but it’s breezy and entertaining enough that it doesn’t bring it down. Also, that cameo fight with you-know-who was cool too.

19.) The Incredible Hulk

I actually find this one underrated in certain aspects, especially since this is the kind of movie that critics of this franchise tend to ask for. A movie that is mature, self-contained, and has it’s own arc for it’s main character that you don’t need to see any other movie to fully understand. Not to mention, the clever opening credits that is able to perfectly showcase Bruce’s origin into become the Hulk in a span of just three minutes along with the final fight between Hulk and Abomination is some of he most stand-out scenes in the MCU. However, Edward Norton doesn’t quite capture the character of Bruce Banner in the same way that Mark Ruffalo does and his chemistry with Liz Tyler is practically non-existent, which makes the movie lack a central love story to get invested in. It’s nice to know though that The Incredible Hulk is getting recognize more from the universe with returning characters showing up in more MCU projects. Far from the best of the MCU but still pretty damn good in it’s own right and deserves recogintion.

18.) The Marvels

And speaking of underrated MCU installments! Talk about a movie that came out at the worst possible time imaginable. Releasing during multiple strikes, franchise/superhero fatigue, and internet trolls being louder than ever, The Marvels is basically the one MCU movie that no one gave a chance to, not even Disney and Marvel themselves. Which sucks because when actually looking the movie on it’s own, it’s actually quite fun with some damn good action sequences, neat looking visuals, and three enjoyable female leads. Iman Vellani is precious as hell as Kamala Khan, Teyonah Parris is cool as Monica, and Brie Larson is able to shine much better her than any other films she’s been in as Captain Marvel, almost as if this is the character that Brie has been wanting to play since signing up for the role. It could have used a stronger villain in Dar-Benn, with more flesh out dynamics between her and the Marvels themselves and it’s certainly a film you can nitpick to death if you want to get technical about it but judging it as a straight up action movie, it’s entertaining with solid chemistry between the three leads. If you skipped this movie in theaters, I’d say give this a chance once it comes out on Disney Plus and you might be surprised with it.

17.) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Arguably the most divisive MCU installment since Iron Man 3, Multiverse of Madness that uses it’s set pieces and effective imagery to flirt with and mock the kind of fandom that care more about filmmakers making their bizarre fan theories coming true instead of making a genuine work of art. It doesn’t quite reach it’s ambitions with quite a bit of characterization being paper thin and not taking as much advantage of the actual multiverse as much as it should but Sam Raimi’s unique style is on full display here, the set pieces that work here are some of the best in the entire MCU, and Elizabeth Olsen is an absolute force to be reckoned with as the Scarlet Witch. It’s not the best movie involving multiverses but it’s a pretty damn good one regardless.

16.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

This is one I am so close to loving but a few elements keep me back to doing so. James Gunn is able to capture that same charm and heart as the first one along with continuing the themes of family and friendship that the first one introduced as well as expand more on the side characters such as Nebula and Yondu. If only the second act didn’t drag as much and the Guardians had the same spark away from one another as they do when they are together, then this could have been just as good as the first one. The film does in on an incredibly emotional high though with one of the mot fun post credit sequences ever in the MCU and Kurt Russell’s Ego is one of the better MCU villains. Bring on Vol. 3!

15.) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

No spoilers but it’s about as good and thematically rich of a sequel as it could have been given the circumstances surrounding it. Despite losing a main key piece and a few too many subplots that feel like they’re only here to tease future movie and shows, it is still able to follow the remaining characters and themes from the first one in a way that feels organic and right. It’s beautifully acted and made, the handling of Chadwick Boseman’s death is done to near perfection, and is certainly a film you will want to bring tissues too. As divisive as Phase 4 as a whole as been, I don’t think it could have ended on a more emotional note that hopefully can bring the majority of fans and moviegoers together and realized what amazing things they had in the past while hoping for amazing things in the future.

14.) Thor: Ragnarok

Still the best Thor movie to this very day! Waititi is able to offer Thor’s most funniest, interesting, and tragic adventure yet, offering the change of pace, style, and tone that the Thor franchise desperately needed to have it stand out with the rest of the MCU. Thrown in a great supporting cast with Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, and even Taika Waititi himself with the return of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and you got a complete package here. At times, it can get bogged down by having to carry the baggage from the first Thor movies without much proper payoff and it may be perhaps “too funny” for some, but if it wasn’t for the success of this movie, there’s a good chance Marvel would have been as good as done with Thor.

13.) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Here is proof that Marvel still knows how to take the familiar origin beats that they’ve become accustom to but still deliver something innovative and entertaining in the process! Taking a stamp from traditional martial art movies, Shang-Chi delivers some of the best and most creative action sequences in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to date! Simi Lulu as Shang-Chi is one of the coolest heroes the MCU has ever introduced, Tony Leung Chiu-wai as The Mandarian is one of the most engaging villains the MCU has ever had, Ben Kingsley is still an absolute riot as Trevor Slattery, and all of the female characters introduced such as Awkwafina’s Katy, Fala Chan’s Ying Li, Michelle Yeoh’s Jiang Nan, and especially Meng’er Zhang’s Xialing all stand out in their own unique and sometimes badass way. The iffy third act and resolution can’t even derail this from being one of the finest, fresh, and most pure fun installments in the MCU.

12.) Iron Man

The Marvel Cinematic Universe started off with an absolute winner with Jon Favreau delivering an incredibly strong origin story of of Tony Stark, who would end up become the face of this franchise for 11 years! Robert Downey Jr. is hands down the best casting choice in Marvel history as Iron Man and there is not a single scene in his Iron Man armor that he does not look like a badass. If it wasn’t for the tacked-on climax and an incredibly rushed villain arc in Iron Monger, this might just be one of the best superhero movies of all time. For what it’s worth though, we would not have the Marvel Cinematic Universe in any way, shape, or form if it wasn’t for the success of this movie, so this movie deserves all the credit and respect in the world for what it help start. And who could ever forget that bombshell of a post credit scene with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury coming out and mention the Avengers?

11.) Captain America: The First Avenger

Might be a hot take but this was my personal favorite of the build-up movies leading up to the Avengers. It had such a warm and nostalgic feel to it that I can’t help but be in the mood to watch it whenever it’s on TV. Even before it became cool to like Captain America, this made me respect and admire the character of Steve Rogers in ways I never imagined. He’s a good guy just trying to do good things and do what he believes it’s right for himself and others. Chris Evans is terrific as Steve Rogers along with co-stars Sebastian Stan, Hugo Weaving, and the absolutely beautiful Hayley Atwell. Even the montage scene that is everyone’s biggest complaint didn’t bother me, even if I wouldn’t have mind an extra 15 to 20 minutes. With it’s warm tone and sense of wonder and optimism threw out, this is one of my personal favorites. Also, you are a robot if you don’t tear up at or near the end.

10.) Iron Man 3

That’s right! This is my personal favorite Iron Man movie to date! Having the amount of action, humor, twists, turns, and social/political commentary, this is everything I could have ever want in an Iron Man movie. We see Tony Stark going back to basics here as he discovers that he can in fact be the hero that is Iron Man without even putting on the suit. Robert Downey Jr. is at his absolute best here in his solo movies, seeing Tony outside of his comfort zone is fun, and the action is about a exciting and thrilling as it could get with these movies. Hell, I even love that Mandarin Twist that everyone else and their mothers hate, sue me! It’s a shame that Rebecca Hall is sidelined here though and Bill Maher was given any screen time as well. Other than that, this was quite a ride that gets better and better for me each time I watch it.

9.) Avengers: Infinity War

The culmination of the past 10+ years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was an event of a lifetime! Seeing every possible Marvel superhero coming together to take on the greatest Marvel villain in Thanos felt like a dream come true for not just comic book fans but movie lovers in general. Not to mention, that ending which traumatize and entire generation of children. However, certain elements such as the scattered shot first half and the entire thing feeling like a giant prologue for the next movie holds it back for having enormous rewatch value for me. Still, this is certainly an experience worth experiencing at least one time in the theaters with a packed crowd.

8.) Spider-Man: No Way Home

Now, that’s more like it! This was basically the Spider-Man movie that I have been waiting for from the MCU! It offers Tom Holland as his absolute best as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, giving the character more depth and intrigue than he did in his previous two solo movies, finally utilizing the potential of this version of Spider-Man that had previously shown glimpses of it in his extended cameo in Captain America: Civil War and his side roles in the last two Avengers movies. Unlike Homecoming and Far From Home before it, it finally gave you an indication as to what this Spider-Man actually IS rather than what he is NOT! Of course, bring back in Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield along with their gallery of baddies and this is about as good of a Spidey adventure as it gets. I have legit interest to see where they go with this version of the character next and am anxious to see what Marvel has cooking up for the web slinger in his near future!

7.) Captain America: Civil War

Arguably a better Avengers movie than Age of Ultron, this feels more like the darker, mature follow-up that we were hoping for in that one. This is the one that tore the Avengers apart physiologically, where it took several years later to the team to even be whole again. The action sequences are phenomenal, it does a great job at being the right follow-up to both Winter soldier and Age of Ultron, and every character, regardless of how important they are to the plot or not, get their own arc of at least moment to themselves. Granted, Zemo’s overall actions to his master plan is too far stretched and definitely requires some suspension of disbelief but almost everything else works jut fine and delivers a damn good Marvel movie experience.

6.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a very satisfying ending to it’s trilogy of what is perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising and consistently great franchise, along with showing how Marvel can still find ways to deliver quality entertainment, even when it might seem like they’ve reached their limits. It’s able to be funny, dark, sad, engaging, and deliver the highest and most personal stakes of all the three Guardians films that helps make it stand out as possibly the very best in trilogy. This also has some of the very best performances and emotional beats in anything Marvel related! All Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 needed to do was deliver a conclusion that felt definite, right and satisfying all the same. And on those terms, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third (Pun entirely intended!) I’m glad James Gunn was able to end his run with Marvel on a high note and leave me awaiting his future with DC. A fitting farewell to these lovable galactic a-holes!

5.) The Avengers

The one crossover flick for the ages! The one that change all superhero and blockbusters in general for better and for worse (mostly worse). With all the comic book flicks that have come out after this, it’s easy to forget how much of a miracle it is that this movie worked out in the first place. Yes, the plotting and themes are simple and can be read like a book but that’s a necessary evil giving it does everything else incredibly well. Just about all the Avengers get their time to shine, the entire cast has perfect chemistry, and the final battle is an absolute banger which helps tie everything together and basically as a firework display with Marvel basically celebrating their own tremendous accomplishment. Who knows where Marvel and Cinema would be if this movie didn’t work out? Joss Whedon can suck it though!

4.) Black Panther

Okay, yes the CGI isn’t that great. Yes, it does move a bit slow in the first act and quite fast in the third act. And yes, more time with the bad guys would have helped. Nevertheless, when it come to quality, filmmaking, and it’s overall impact on pop culture, I don’t think there’s been an MCU installment that hits quite as hard as this one does. The characters are all iconic, especially with Kilmonger being arguably the bet MCU villain to date, everything that takes place in Wakanda is wonderful, the action is well done, especially that car chase, the aesthetic (minus the CGI) is beautiful on the eyes, the music rocks, and the impactful themes are ones that still resonate with me to this very day. When looking back on it, you can tell the impact this movie had with Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler and how it would be quite hard to replicated something with that one center piece now gone. Nevertheless, they can at least look back and witness the amazing achievement they were able to accomplish with the gem that is Black Panther. RIP Chadwick Boseman!

3.) Avengers: Endgame

Despite some time travel inconsistencies and one or two misused characters (*cough* Hulk), it still makes for a thrilling and satisfying end to the Infinity Saga. It ends the first few waves of Marvel movies on a high note, is well-structured and paced despite it being three hours long, delivering some of the most unexpected but well earned payoffs in the entire franchise, and that final battle, which the whole series was building too, could not have deliver any better than it did. Though, like INFINITY WAR, it does feels more like an event than a movie, but it still makes for one amazing event nonetheless. I will definitely never forget seeing the entire theater’s reaction to Captain America wielding the Mjolnir, showing that he is in fact worthy. Even if the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended here, it would have been more than a fine note to go out on.

2.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

If the first Captain America was a perfect period piece flick, then this is a perfect Captain America flick for the modern times. Not only a very well done espionage thriller with plenty of thrilling action, character development, and important subject matter, but it managed to make certain characters more interesting and badass than ever before. Captain America became cool to like in this one, Black Widow was more interesting and developed this time around (along with having the best hairstyle here), Nick Fury actually gets to do something here than just try to motivate the Avengers through pep talk, and man does Winter Soldier make for an intense and threatening presence whenever he is one screen. This was the Russo Brothers first film in the MCU and they were never quite able to top it. This was the one that change the MCU for the greater good and proved they can in fact work as their own things instead of being sneak previews for the main big events.

1.) Guardians of the Galaxy

While this may not be technically the best directed, acted, or written MCU movie, I don’t think there’s any other MCU movie I would rather rewatch than the original Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s incredible how a movie with this different of concept and characters and play barley over two hours yet it feels like the complete package. Every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy is instantly iconic and lovable, with the big standouts being Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, the story is familiar but also refreshing, the action scenes are well-crafted, it’s funny as hell, the score is kick-ass, and there’s some hard hitting emotions that feel just right. The best part about it is that you can easily watch this movie without having seen any other Marvel movie and you’d be able to follow it just fine. Even the one-note villain of Ronan the Accuser, is actually quite functional in his own way as being the space equivalent of Hitler. There are definitely Marvel movies that are better made and might be better objectively but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s as fresh, surprising, and flat-out more entertaining than Guardians of the Galaxy! Rock on, James Gunn!

Is Physical Media Dying?

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Back in October, it was confirmed that Best Buy will no longer support physical media of any kind in 2024 and onwards. This includes physical copies for medium like movies, tv shows, video games, music, etc.. There will be no more DVDs, Blu-Rays, 4Ks, Gaming Discs, or CDS (which they already stop selling in 2018) to come from Best Buy! If Best Buy was your only store to get physical copies of the latest big blockbuster or popular soundtrack with no Walmart or Target near by, then it’s digital media or bust for you. That seems to be the way now for Best Buy and it might likely be that way for the majority of stores for the near future!

First and foremost, I have ALWAYS been a supporter of physical media and ALWAYS will. It always feels like a privilege to be able to gain your own personal copy of something have it really be yours. You don’t have to worry about losing it due to services no longer supporting it or wondering if you will have the internet to watch or listen to something of your choice. When you have your own personal copy of something, it means it is yours FOREVER! Unfortunately, as we move forwards towards the future with digital media being more prominent now than ever before, we might just lose that privilege. And that is a very, VERY scary thought!

There have been a few times in recent memory where there has been strong support for physical media. The most recent example is with Oppenheimer, the highly acclaimed film from Christopher Nolan that sold out 4K and Blu-Ray copies during the holiday season. Heck, it took me at least two weeks before I was able to pick up my own copy of it because it was being sold out everywhere. As a matter of fact, my 4K copy I brought was literally the last 4K copy they had available that day. Considering Nolan is someone that has voiced his strong support over physical media, I’m sure he’s very proud of this. However, just like with only a handful of feature films that came out this year that showed courage of the theater going experience such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros Movie, this is only an exception to the fact that folks don’t care about physical media as much as they used to. Because of that, Best Buy is cutting all support of physical media and there’s a good chance that other main companies such as Walmart, Target, Gamestop, and Barnes & Nobles will follow suit sooner or later.

I can’t begin to tell you how much that scares me. Digital and physical media should always be options that co-exist together, not taking away from each other forever. With the lack of physical media, that lets companies have more control over their consumers products than ever before. Just recently, Ubisoft Exec stated that gamers need to start feeling comfortable of “not owning their games”. If that’s not a sign for things to come, then I don’t know what is.

What happens when the unthinkable happens and you no longer have access to digital media or the piece of content you own doesn’t work. What happens when you no longer have access to the internet? What happens when your movie, game or music doesn’t work because reasons? Most importantly, what happens when the company decides to no longer support their content that requires live services and it’s basically gone forever? They basically just stole your money over content you bought that you no longer have any control over. That just sounds scary.

Companies are becoming greedier than ever and with the confirmation that Best Buy no longer selling physical media, I would expect them to become even greedier now that the first domino of physical media has fell with plenty of more yet to fall. This is a dark and disturbing time and it’s a time that I don’t want to live in.

I will always value and support physical media as long as I live. The physical copies of the games, movies, television shows, and music that I own will always be mine to keep. Even if or when the inevitable happens, the ones I have will always be there, no matter what anyone says. I do not look forward to the day when that is no longer the case and everything becomes digital. It’s only then will people realize the power of something simple as owning their own copy of Avengers: Endgame or The Legend of Zelda: Tear of the Kingdom or the newest hit album from Taylor Swift.

Ranking All The Marvel Disney Plus Series

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With Echo now released, we now have 12 different Marvel series/specials that is available to watch exclusively on Disney Plus. These are content made strictly for this exact streaming service with the hopes of telling more stories with established characters that isn’t strictly in film format. When it comes to the overall quality of the shows, it’s results have been…..mixed to say the least. Even with a handful of good things to come out of it, they have their own limits and restrictions that have prevented them to be as engaging with some of the very best that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered throughout their history.

In hindsight, they have basically the exact opposite problems as Marvel Netflix. Where as the Netflix series often felt too long and bloated with filter, the Disney Plus series often felt too short and rushed. Despite there being plenty of good things to come from both Netflix and Disney Plus, most of them have struggled to hit that proper balance to have all these shows live up to their fullest potential.

Which one of these is able to be better than the others? Let’s find out by ranking all the Marvel Disney Plus series and specials up to this point!

12.) Secret Invasion

There was not a single Marvel D+ series (and perhaps any other MCU entry) that fell as hard as Secret Invasion. While the idea of having a series focused strictly on Nick Fury and the famous Secret Invasion comics are intriguing ideas on paper, the execution could not have been anymore disastrous. It’s poorly structured, well known characters are killed off in the most anti-climatic way possible, the Skrull storyline feels incredibly wasted, the behind-the-scenes reshoots are very obvious, and Nick Fury doesn’t seem to change one bit over the course of the whole series. Not to mention, the pointless retcon of Rhodey being a Skrull since Captain America: Civil War is just lame. This has about every single problem these Marvel Disney Plus series has and made infinitely worse. The only saving graces are the scenes between Nick Fury and his wife along with G’iah being a neat MCU addition (until she’s able to unlock every single superpower known to demand). Everything else about Secret Invasion is a segment of everything that can go wrong with the MCU!

11.) The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

It’s cool to see many of the side characters from the Captain America movies that got sidelined get more to do in their own series along with giving an intriguing arc for Sam Wilson as the newer, progressive Captain America. Just too bad the series is held back by weak villains with odd, nonsensical motivations and an overall structure that feels more suited for a movie rather than a streaming series (something which many of the Disney Plus shows have greatly suffered from). You are lying to yourself if you didn’t find most of the endings to the episodes rather erupt because it just feels like the start of one scene and not the end of the other. I respect The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for what it stands for but certainly not in the way it goes about it. If there is ANY Disney Plus show that would have benefited MUCH better as a movie and NOT a mini-series, it’s this one.

10.) Moon Knight

This has the ingredients to be a stellar series from it’s terrific cast to it’s psychological thriller elements to it’s exploration of someone with a dissociative identity disorder (DID). Unfortunately, Moon Knight is never able to make for the best of those ideas, despite Oscar Isaac trying his hard out as Marc Spector and May Calamaway being a welcome presence as Layla. It’s intriguing ideas are barely explored and mostly just results in a typical chase story with the character hunting down boring McGuffins while introducing lore and mythology that will leave you scratching your head. Not to mention, for a show called Moon Knight, there’s barely any actual Moon Knight in it. It is at least weird and bizarre enough that it might delight some folks who just want exactly that but it’s not enough to save the show from it’s undeniable shortcomings.

9.) Echo

There are parts of Echo that make it come so close to capturing the same magic that the best of the Marvel Netflix series has. The backstory with Maya and how she became to be a vigilante is intriguing, every scene with Kingpin is glorious, the action is as brutal as it has been with the MCU, and the tone/style feels like it was ripped straight out of the Marvel Netflix run. It’s just a shame it’s central story is not told in an organic way with obvious reshoots and bizarre pacing that get in the way entirely. Plus, it’s overall representation of Cherokee Nation is barely touched upon, almost as if Marvel didn’t want to go too deep into it so they don’t offend anybody. However, despite it’s faults, Alaqua Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio does stellar work here and the ending does leave some interesting seeds for future “Spotlight” stories. It’s worth a watch to get a potential glimpse of a new direction for Marvel but it still can’t escape the trappings of most of these Disney Plus series. Just PLEASE stop making these just five or six episodes and have Daredevil: Born Again feel like a proper tv show next time please!

8.) The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Perhaps the most inconsequential of all these series but still has heart and charm when it counts. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special makes for a cute holiday tale in the MCU which sees the lovable galactic misfits celebrating Christmas in a time where things are most dire for Peter Quill! This is the special that gave Drax and Mantis more time in the spotlight than ever before, along with the delightful presence of Kevin Bacon himself. It’s mostly slim and something you can tell was made rather quickly without too much thought being put into it but no doubt James Gunn’s passion and love for the characters from his successful films is on full display here. Also, you are a robot if you didn’t at least get a bit misty eye at the ending with Peter and Mantis. Just saying!

7.) Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel gets off to perhaps the best start out of any of the Marvel Disney Plus series. With showcasing a classic coming-of-age story, neat visuals, intriguing family dynamics, and a hugely charismatic and charming lead character in Kamala Khan, played wonderfully by Iman Villani. It’s mostly the second half when the dull as hell villains get thrown into the picture that don’t really mess with the style and tone of the show where it falters quite a bit. Thankfully, there’s just a bit more of the former in the latter to make this show overall worthwhile, with the entire experience being held together by Villani incredible turn as Ms. Marvel herself. If this gets a Season 2, please put more focus on Kamala and her family and friends and not so much on everything else.

6.) What If?

If we were going strictly by Season One, this would have been much lower on the list. While the first season had a handful of intriguing episodes and fun character swaps along with some returning cast members from the live-action movies/series reprising their roles, it was held back by stiff animation, beat-by-beat storytelling, and a feeling of not taking full advantage of it’s concept. Thankfully, Season 2 turned that around completely. With better animation, more creative storytelling, and doing more with it’s multiverse and made up concept to craft a more ambitious and enjoyable season overall. Plus, it gave us one of the most intriguing new characters in the MCU with Kahhori, who I very much like to see in live-action in the near future. It might have took one extra to find it’s footing for me but now I’m fully on board with What If?! Bring on Season 3!

5.) She-Hulk: Attorney By Law

Ngl, if we are doing these rankings strictly on how much fun I had watching these, this would probably be closer to the top. While not quite the best series, this is the one that plays the most like an actual television show as oppose to a six-part mini series or a feature film cut in pieces. It’s able to tell a funny, fourth-wall breaking story about a woman struggling with her daily life, dating life, and superhero life along with introducing plenty of welcome cameos such as Wong, Bruce Banner, Megan Thee Stallion, and especially Daredevil. Tatiana Maslany is absolute perfection as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, able to be super convincing as both a cute, vulnerable lawyer and a beautifully buff green hulk. It might be too “meta” for some and will certainly causes the heads of every incel out there that it’s poking fun at to explode, but nevertheless, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is definitely one of the better and more enjoyable series in the Marvel Disney Plus library.

4.) Hawkeye

While far from the most ambitious Marvel Disney Plus series, Hawkeye is one that does to take full advantage of it’s lower stakes and able to meet exactly the kind of endpoint it is aiming for, making a charming Christmas superhero tale that doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is. This of course helps introduces the immensely lovable Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop and gives Jeremy Renner his full time to shine as Hawkeye, which Florence Pugh’s Yelena eventually joining in on the ride. It does suck though that Kingpin doesn’t get much to do there and his only real purpose is to set up the Echo series. However, considering the MCU is clearly not done with Wilson Fisk yet and he’ll play bigger roles later on down the road, I can let it slide. Nevertheless, this was a good time and worth revisiting again during this wonderful holiday time.

3.) Werewolf By Night

Marvel’s first ever attempt at doing a special sees an interesting take on the horror genre and universal monsters. With the old-school black-and-white style, gorgeous cinematography, haunting score, and plenty of blood and violence to be found, Werewolf By Night is everything you could want out of a special Halloween special and perhaps even more than that. Even judging it strictly based off of werewolves, this is probably the best werewolf content in the last decade or so. I never thought someone as Michael Giacchino, someone who is most well known as being a musical composer, could make such an unique stamp for his first every directional debut but he really manages to blow my socks away. This is something I can see myself watching every Halloween and never getting tried with it. Just stick to the original black-and-white format please!

2.) WandaVision

The very first of the Disney Plus series gives one of the best and most interesting characters in the whole universe, Wanda Maximoff, her own time to shine. What starts off becoming a fun homage to 90’s sitcoms becomes more of a character study of Wanda where she has to deal with the sins and consequences over the actions she has committed up to this point. The entire cast is great here with Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda, Kathryn Hann’s Agatha, and Teyonah Parris’s Monica being the standouts with Paul Bettany as Vison being pretty good as well. The finale does suffer with the whole big CGI fight feeling quite forced and underwhelming payoffs to certain things built up in the heads of hardcore Marvel fans but as a whole, this still makes for a creative, fun, and engaging series that is probably the best or at least most interesting of the Disney Plus shows thus far. Ralph Bohner was hilarious btw!

1.) Loki

Everyone favorite villain turned anti-hero in Loki is the best of the Marvel Disney Plus shows thus far. There hasn’t been a series thus far that took full advantage of the multiverse concept like this one did. It’s able to introduce the complete bonkers elements, universe building, and just plain “out there” concepts that Marvel is setting out to do with Phase 4 but never once loses focuses on the characters and their adventures throughout. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is more interesting and engaging than ever before showing off his “anti-hero” side than every other movie or show that he’s been in. Sophia Di Martion’s Sylvie makes for a great counterpart and stands out well as her own version of the God of Mischief. Owen Wilson is able to make the character of Mobius more charming and likable than he has every right to be. However, the one that arguably shines the most despite only showing up in the final episode is Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror! He not only helps make the character such an entertaining presence when he comes onscreen but also makes the series stick the landing in the end.

NFL 2024 Playoff Predictions

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The regular season for NFL football has come to an end and that can only mean that all eyes are set on the playoffs. I’m not gonna lie, this was a ROUGH year for the National Football League in my humble opinion. From constant refball to controversies on and off the field to a good chunk of teams not being particularly good despite their winning records, this made for one long and sloppy year of football. While it certainly made for plenty of amusing memes and trash talking, the product on the field was just way below par. Because of that and more, that makes this year of playoff predictions a bit easier to rank than prior years. I think I got a good indication as to who are truly the teams that have a shot at taking home the super bowl trophy. Could I be dead wrong on all of these? Absolutely! However, I think I’m gonna be more right with my predictions than ever before.

Anyways, time to start what will undoubtedly be my FLAWLESS predictions for the NFL postseason!

American Football Conference Wild Card Rounds

Cleveland Browns (#5 Seed) at Houston Texans (#4 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 13th, 3:30 PM CST

Pick: Cleveland Browns

Reason: The Browns have the firepower from both offense and defense to shut down the Texans. Cleveland allowed the fewest yards per game and Flacco and Cooper was able to make good work out of Houston earlier this year. Not to mention, Flacco is tied with Tom Brady himself for the most road playoffs win by a QB with seven. If my prediction is anything to go by, he shall beat that record come Saturday. Hats off though to the Texans for completing in an impressive worst-to-first turnaround but they will likely not do any damage in the playoffs this year.

Miami Dolphins (#6 Seed) at Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 13th, 7:00 PM CST

Pick: Kansas City Chiefs

Reason: These are two teams that are coming into the playoffs ice cold. However due to more playoff experience and proven winning veterans, the Chiefs should be able to take care of business against the Dolphins. Kansas City has been struggling big time offensively as of late but Miami has lost 10 straight games in a row when the game starts off less than 40 degrees, which is likely going to be cold by Saturday. Thrown in the fact that Miami is dealing with a ton of injuries on defense, Kansas City is the favorite for me to win this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers (#7 Seed) at Buffalo Bills (#2 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 14th, 12:00 PM CST

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Reason: Once again, the Steelers was able to use their devil magic to secure another winning record and another playoff spot. However, like with prior seasons, this is where that magic will run out. The Bills have been a hot team as of late, winning their last four games and finishing the season strong despite their early struggles and inconsistency. Also, losing T.J. Watt on defense is going to hurt BIG TIME for Pittsburgh. While it likely won’t be as embarrassing of a lose for the Steelers as their humiliation to the Browns three years ago, I don’t see a scenario where Buffalo won’t come away with the victory here.

National Football Conference Wild Card Rounds

Philadelphia Eagles (#5 Seed) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#4 Seed)

Date: Monday, January 15th, 7:15 PM CST

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reason: This has the chance to be the most one-side game in the entire playoffs. The Eagles have been playing like absolute crap for the past six weeks while the Buccaneers have been playing great for the past six weeks. Everything has gone wrong for Philadelphia from an offense and defense standpoint and things have just clicked better for Tampa Bay all around. Unless the Eagles view the playoffs as an absolute reset for themselves and play like the team that started off 10-1, this should be all Bucs for the divisional rounds.

Los Angeles Rams (#6 Seed) at Detroit Lions (#3 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 14th, 7:15 PM CST

Pick: Los Angeles Rams

Reason: I think this will result in the biggest upset of the playoffs. While the Lions were able to make it back to the playoffs and win their first divisional title in a while, I can see the Rams shocking everybody and coming the way with the win. The Rams despite a lacking defense, have a very underrated offense and the Lions have struggled quite a bit in their own home stadium. There always comes a shocking upset every year and I believe the Rams trumping the Lions in their own home stadium will be the biggest shock of them all.

Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed) at Dallas Cowboys (#2 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 14th, 3:30 PM CST

Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Reason: Dallas has been a dominated team this year and has been EXTREMELY dominated at home, with a perfect 8-0 record for the year. While Jordan Love and the Packs have been impressive as of late, they are still a relatively young and inexperience team, likely still a few years away before making any real noise in the postseason. Yes, Cowboys have been a laughing stock in the postseason in recent years but if there is any time to turn that exact narrative around, it’s with this game right here. By the end of the night on Sunday, Jerry Rice will leave the stadium with a big smile on his face.

American Football Conference Divisional Rounds

Cleveland Browns (#5 Seed) at Baltimore Ravens (#1 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

Reason: The Ravens were easily the best team in the American Football League this year, firing on all cylinders in terms of offense and defense. While the #1 seed has proving to be a curse in recent years for just about every major sport, I don’t see that outcome here against the Browns. Cleveland has some impressive pieces, especially from an offense standpoint, but Baltimore will just be too good and dominate for them to handle. While the Brownies will no doubt go down with a fight, they will go down regardless and the Ravens will be taking their first steps to securing their first Super Bowl title in just over a decade.

Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed) at Buffalo Bills (#2 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Kansas City Chiefs

Reason: These are two very good teams that perhaps should have better than they were in the regular season. So much so that it’s baffling that one of these two will likely make it to the second-to-last round. However, between the two teams, the Chiefs just speaks to me as the kind of team that can turn the tide around once January rolls around. With the Bills, however, in spite of their recent hot streak, their inconsistency in their offense and defense will be on full display throughout this game and will likely cost them another chance at a Super Bowl run. No offense to Josh Allen but you are no Patrick Mahomes!

National Football Conference Divisional Rounds

Los Angeles Rams (#6 Seed) at San Francisco 49ers (#1 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: San Francisco 49ers

Reason: The 49ers were the best team in the National Football league this year and there is no reason to think they won’t show that against the Rams. Despite Los Angeles being a worth opponent against San Francisco in the past, there’s too much vulnerability on that team that can easily be exposed by the 49ers. San Fran is just a team that can be you in many different ways and that will likely be the main outcome here. Kyle Shanahan has been 10-5 in his career against Sean McVay and will no doubt use those favorable odds to his advantage.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#4 Seed) at Dallas Cowboys (#2 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Reason: The Bucs will be fortunate enough to take down an ice cold Eagles but a red hot home-friendly Cowboys will be their brick wall that they will hit. If the stars align perfectly for Dallas, they will continue to be undefeated at AT&T stadium, with an impressive 10-0 record combined with the regular season and postseason. Tampa Bay will certainly try but sometimes, trying is no where near good enough, especially when facing off a team you are way out of league with in the Dallas Cowboys.

American Football Conference Round

Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed) at Baltimore Ravens (#1 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 28th, 2:00 PM CST

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

Reason: While a big part of me can see the Chiefs pulling off an unexpected victory, I can’t help but feel like this will be the end of the road for the defending champs. There is too much holes in this roster compared to last year’s winners that the Ravens just don’t have. Mahomes and Kelce will give everything they have but Baltimore excellent defensive lines will shut them down and their offensive lives will be too much for Kansas City to handle. It’s not always wise to pick a #1 seed to make it to the Super Bowl but the Ravens can easily break that curse with a steady win against the Chiefs here.

National Football Conference Round

Dallas Cowboys (#2 Seed) at San Francisco 49ers (#1 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 28th, 5:30 PM CST

Pick: San Francisco 49ers

Reason: This will be the better and more competitive match-ups between the two conference games but I see 49ers edging out victory against the Cowboys. Dallas is slightly more vulnerable on the road than they are at home and have been San Francisco’s daddy in their last three match-ups. The 49ers just has the Cowboys number all around and that alone can lead this to a very expected outcome. But hey, congrats to good old Jerry for his first NFL championship appearance in nearly 30 years. That should amount to something.

Super Bowl LVIII

Baltimore Ravens (#1 Seed) vs San Francisco 49ers (#1 Seed)

Sunday, February 11th, 5:30 PM CST

Pick: San Francisco 49ers

Reason: Yes, I have the two top seeded teams making it to the Super Bowl! Yes, I have the same match-up that we got on Christmas day making it to the Super Bowl! And yes, I see the 49ers marching their way to their very Super Bowl title in the 21st century against the Ravens. Kyle Shananhan will at long last get his redemption arc after the brutal results of his prior Super Bowl failures against the Patriots and Chiefs. And speaking of revenge, the 49ers are just a team that likes to have revenge for breakfast (just look at that brutal beat down against the Eagles earlier this year that basically broke them). I don’t know how close or one-sided this game will be since these are two teams will similar strengths and weaknesses but I believe the San Francisco 49ers will walk away with the big trophy hanging over their head. Will this be one of the more predictable outcomes? Possibly, but with the way this year has gone, I’m going with predictability all together.

Night Swim (2024) Early Movie Review- A January Horror Movie At It’s Finest

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It’s become cliche to say that a movie released in January sucks. After all, January is pretty much considering the dumpster month of movies. A time where the kids are back in school and the awards contenders are able to hit that end of the year deadline in some areas to qualify for the Oscars. However, in recent memory, there has been a solid number of released films released around this time that were actually not bad or had at least some version of quality. 2016 had Kung Fu Panda 3. 2017 had Split. 2018 (at least in America) had Paddington 2. 2020 (before the pandemic) had Bad Boys For Life. 2022 had Scream. And just last year, 2023 had M3GAN. None of these films were necessarily masterpieces (except for Paddington 2) but they did at least start their respective year on a decent enough note that got folks interested to see what the rest of the year had in stores. If there is a January movie in 2024 that would do exactly that, it’s CERTAINLY not going to be Night Swim. Despite Blumhouse being able to surprise folks with M3GAN last year, they can not make that same lighting strike twice here.

Premise: Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) moves into a new house with his wife (Kerry Condon) and two children (Gavin Warren, Amelie Hoeferle). He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home’s past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.

The most blatant problem with Night Swim is how it can’t seem to figure out what kind of film it wants to commit the most too. You would believe based off the premise of a pool monster who preys on those that dare take a late night swim would put the majority of the focus on building tension and creating inventive scares that will get under your skin during and after the movie ends. However, it also wants to be a deep thematic movie about learning to accept a new stage in your life when you can no longer go back to the prior one and the overall meaning of sacrifice for the ones you love. Night Swim tries to do both stories at the same time but it’s done in the most half baked way imaginable.

The overall lore and mythology of who exactly this pool demon is are painfully underdeveloped. It’s never clear as to who this monster is, why it does what it does, or even how it’s been allowed to thrive in this pool for so long. Even when we get to the part where the original victim of this monster dive into the backstory of their prior encounter with the demon, it just makes thing even more complicated and confusing than it already is. It seems like it wants that pool to come across as some sort of drug, where the father and son become too addicted to it to the point where they are starting to lose who they are, but it’s never clear as to why it’s suppose to help those that swim into the pool. At best, it might heal Ray Waller of his disease sooner rather than later so he can go back to playing baseball but even then, aside from one scene where they go to the hospital for checks, that never gets addressed again and the movie goes on to the next nonsensical thing. It’s not a good thing when the first thing I ask myself when the movie was over is like, “Why don’t the family just NOT swim in the pool?!” There, problem solved!

The human drama with Ray and his disease is probably the most engaging subplot but it honestly feels like it should have made for it’s own movie rather than this one. A story about Ray having to choose to embrace his new life fighting this new disease only with his family or working his way through his illness to become a ball player could make for an interesting flick but not for a horror one. It’s the two conflicting tones of wanting to be a human drama and an intense horror thriller that makes Night Swim feels at odds with itself. This is all the more apparent in the final reel which the main character makes a move that’s suppose to tie into the overall theme the movie has been flirting with throughout the runtime but because of the other things it had to focus on, it comes across as anti-climatic and (the more that you think about it) incredibly stupid. It should have decided if it wanted to be a personal character driven drama or a straight up scary flick, not both at the same time.

When it comes to the scares themselves, some of them are decent but there is nothing here that will make your skin crawl shortly after the film ends. Most of it only works when it happens in the moment and there’s no creative visual imagery that will be living in your head rent free. The rest of the scares are poorly shot, lighted, and edited where I could barely see what was happening on screen. The perfect example are the scenes towards the end where the mother and son goes into the pool to confront the demon and it felt like the filmmakers had the desire to hid as much as possible for whatever reason. I don’t know if it had to do with the lack of a big budget, the proper rating, or that the director doesn’t have much major film experience but for those coming for the scares, you will likely feel ripped off as well.

Acting wise, while far from the worst performances you will see in an January movie, there’s nothing that stands out from the cast. Wyatt Russell is the most entertaining one here but feels too comedic for this role, almost feeling like he would fit better in a Jordan Peele horror movie rather than this one. Even during the scenes where he supposedly turns evil, it’s hard to buy his sudden turn because of him keeping that same form of charisma that he did in his good form. The rest of the performances from the cast are passable at best but nothing to write home about, giving that exact feeling of only being in it for a quick paycheck.

Night Swim is a perfect example of why horror movies or movies in general released in January get a bad rep. It’s a confused mess that has no idea what kind of film it wants to be. The tone is all over the place, the scares aren’t effective, the lore and mythology surrounding the monster and haunted pool don’t add up, and the ending the more I think on it might just be one of the dumbest endings to a film in recent memory. It might be technically “watchable” and might find an audience for those that have a soft spot for these trashy January horror flicks but it’s definitely not something I can recommend you should go out of your way to see. If anything, you are better off just watching the short film that this is based off of. I may not have seen it myself but I’m willing to bet it’s better than whatever the feature film was.

Move over Bambino and Billy Goat, the newest baseball related curse has arrived in the form of Night Swim!

Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

AdamLeave a comment

2023 is now officially over which mean it’s now time to roll into 2024! And what better way to kick off the early part of January then to share what new films I’m looking forward to the most in 2014.

I’ll be straight up honest with you, there’s not very many films that I’m over the moon excited to see this year. If anything, there’s not so much movies I’m excited for and more movies that I’m CURIOUS for. When viewing the 2024 movie release slate as a whole, you can definitely tell it’s been largely affected by the multiple strikes that took place throughout the course of 2023, causing many film releases to be paused or delayed entirely. Because of that there’s so many films set to come out this year as we speak that we literally know NOTHING about. Perhaps there will be smaller films under my radar or even brand new big films that I have ZERO excitement for will win me over but for now, I’m going into 2024 with pretty pedestrian expectations for what it will bring us in terms of films.

That being said, I still do have ten movies this year that I do have interest in and more likely will check them out around the time that they release.

FYI, I will NOT be including Dune: Part Two on this list because that was already on last year’s list. Considering that only got move backed due to the writers strike along with the fact that was on my list from last year, I don’t need to remind you again that I am legit excited for that movie.

First off, I have a five honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Argylle

We see Matthew Vaughn returning to the spy action genre once again with a stacked cast and an original premise that will hopefully bring a good spin on the genre as we know it. Hopefully, Vaughn is able to recapture that lightning in a bottle he did with Kingsman: The Secret Service and avoid the trappings that brought down Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

  • Ballerina

With The Continental acting as the first spin-off series in the John Wick universe, Ballerina will act as the first spin-off film set in the John Wick universe, taking place between Chapter Two and Three. It will star Ana De Armas as a ballerina named Rooney, a character from Chapter 3 but has been recast, seeking revenge by hunting down the murder of her family. If done well, this has potential to expand upon the John Wick franchise in interesting ways, even without it’s titled main character. And if you saw her brief cameo in No Time To Die, you would know that Ms. Armas is more than capable of handling an action role.

  • Borderlands

After returning to his roots last year with Thanksgiving, Eli Roth is taking his next step a year later with the newest video game film adaption in Borderlands. Even with the increase in quality over the years, video game adaptions are still something to be very cautious over. Even so, there’s a lot of notable names in the cast here with Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Eli Roth is the master at making over-the-top bloody gore fests. With the correct rating, this could at worst be a relatively fun time and make for perhaps the goriest video game movie we’ve ever seen!

  • Joker: Folie à Deux

This is one that I’m more CURIOUS about than EXCITED. Even as someone that enjoyed the first Joker but wasn’t jumping off the roof over it, I don’t think it was a film that warranted a sequel. But because the first one made a billion dollars, we see Todd Phillips returning for a follow-up which will see the origin of Harley Quinn played by Lady Gaga and is said to have a more “musical” vibe to it. I have no clue if this will work or not but no doubt I will be there day one to see how this whole thing will play out. This is a bold strategy, let’s see if it pays off!

  • Nosferatu

More than just his cameos in Spongebob Squarepants, Nosfreatu will be a modern remake of the 1922 original starring Bill Skarsgard himself with Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Northman) taking directing duties. Eggers has been a director that has just entered my radar and I’m profoundly interested to see if he can pull off a high quality remake of a film that is now over 100 years old.

Now, here we go with the main top three!

10.) The Fall Guy

The summer movie season of 2024 is not kicking off with yet another Marvel superhero movie but with a fresh action thriller with The Fall Guy, acting as an adaption of the 1980s tv series. We get to see Ryan Gosling acting as a daredevil stuntman that becomes a reluctant investigator to save his ex-girlfriend’s film. David Leitch has easily grown accustomed to the action genre with his work on John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train and he looks to continue that even further with The Fall Guy. Even if it’s technically not an “original” film, this looks like it will be a nice change of pace for summer blockbusters and shown it’s more than just an overreliance on superhero or franchise installments.

9.) Kung Fu Panda 4

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about a Kung Fu Panda 4. It’s rare to see three straight franchise films in a row to be as consistently good as they are (even if Kung Fu Panda 3 was a step down from the first two) and it’s even rarer for a fourth film to top or even match that level of quality. However, if there’s one thing you should learn by now when it comes to Kung Fu Panda, it’s to NEVER judge a book by it’s cover. Here we will see Po accepting his new role as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace while passing on the role of the Dragon Warrior to someone else. With a new set of characters such as Zhen (Awkwafina), Han (Ke Huy Quan), and the brand new antagonist the Chameleon (Viola Davis) along with old familiar foes set to return such as Tai Lung (Ian McShane), Kung Fu Panda 4 looks to act as a culmination of the entire Kung Fu Panda series up to this point. Just please make sure the Furious Five come back in some way, shape, or form!

8.) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Maybe this is recent bias, but after being on cloud nine with Godzilla: Minus One, I can’t help but be more excited for some more action with the King of Monsters. This looks set to be a rematch between Godzilla and King Kong himself, with the two facing a new global threat that will challenge their very existence and the survival of the human race. Based off the marketing and trailers we’ve seen thus far, Adam Wingard seems dead set on promising a gorgeous, action-packed spectacle featuring the two titled characters that everyone is looking to see along with perhaps something more than that. While it will be hard to top Minus One, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is certain to be a genuine crowd pleaser that will be able to expand the brand of these two beloved monsters, allowing their legacies to expand even further.

7.) A Quiet Place: Day One

After two excellent entries in this latest horror franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One will act as a spin-off prequel, showcasing the earlier days of when the worldlike apocalypse in this universe occurred that whipped off the majority of the human population. With Michael Sarnoski taking over for directing duties over John Krasinski, he will look to provide new and inventive ways to deliver clever scares and unique set pieces along with expanding upon the mythology of this franchise even further. I never would have guessed a horror series that has quite a paper-thin premise on paper could get me excited for multiple entries but if they can keep delivering films that are this well made, acted, and engaging, then I will happily take more of them.

6.) Inside Out 2

There is a strong argument to be made that the original Inside Out was objectively the very best Pixar film ever made. It was an animated film that did everything it could with it’s special premise and delivered a stellar motion picture about emotions and feelings and the importance of every notable one of them. With the first film tackling the days of little Riley as a young girl, the second film looks to take a step even further and show Riley going through her days as a teenager. With the new emotion of anxiety and a few others entering this film, we are likely to get a deep dive into the mindset of a young teenage girl going through her own personal struggles. As much as people have been overly critical with the amount of sequels that Pixar has developed over the years, Inside Out 2 is one that has more than enough material on paper to justify it’s existence. If they can make this work, I’ll take more sequels as there is plenty of stories to tell with the entire concept of these movies.

5.) Mickey 17

This is not necessarily one that I know most about or what the actual title of Mickey 17 is suppose to mean. However, there’s one name attached to this project that’s more than enough to me excited for this film to come out. That being no other than the director of Bong Joon-ho. Acting as a follow-up to his Oscar-winning masterpiece of Parasite (*insert angry incel anti-woke fanboy*), Mickey 17 will act as an adaption based off the 2022 novel Mickey 7 and will star the current Batman himself in Robert Pattinson. Would Mickey 17 be this high on the list or even on the list at well if it weren’t for the cast and crew behind this? Probably not. But sometimes, that is more than enough to convince you that it will be worth checking out or at least be a worthwhile quality piece of art.

4.) Deadpool 3

Acting as the only cinematic entry to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool 3 will be looking to add the humor, charm, and violence that made the first two movies so good and be able to deliver them in new, satisfying ways. With Hugh Jackman coming out of retirement as Wolverine (in the classic Wolverine suit at long LAST) along with potential other well-known X-Men characters joining the party with longtime actors reprising their roles, I wouldn’t be surprised if Deadpool 3 ends up being to Deadpool what No Way Home was to Spider-Man in acting as a celebration of prior Marvel movies. If done well, this can serve as a delicious appetizer and gets everyone excited for the next main course that will be the upcoming Avengers movies, most notably Secret Wars. Oh, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor Swift have a role in some way. After all, you gotta get that few extra bucks from the Swifties.

3.) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Approaching the 10 year anniversary of the action movie masterwork that was Mad Max: Fury Road (can’t believe it’s ALREADY been nine years), George Miller returns once again to this post-apocalyptic world which he helped created but with a prequel that puts the spotlight on the latest action heroine icon from Fury Road in Imperator Furiosa, played this time around by Anya Taylor Joy. With this being reported to be in the works for several years now, this is clearly a passion project for Miller himself and wants to give everything he has to do it. While it does look more CGI-ish compared to Fury Road, if Furiosa is able to at least capture a quarter of the magic that 2015 game changer did with it’s stunts, action, visual storytelling, and emotional depth, then it may just continue the Mad Max franchise even further, with hope that the long in development installment, Mad Max: The Wasteland, might see the light of day. Even so, I’m just at least happy to be able to spend more time in this universe.

2.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

In an age where most newest installments in long-running franchises are uneven and inconsistent in terms of quality, who would’ve guess that it’s the recent run of Planet of the Apes movies that is ahead of the curve in that regard. Coming off a hugely successful three-movie run with Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves that told the complete story of Caesar, the baton has been passed to Wes Ball for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, ape civilizations have emerged higher than ever while the human population is now at it’s absolute lowest, with the focus now on a young ape named Noa and a young human girl named Mae. If the quality of the first three rebooted ape movies is anything to go by, I would expect Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is to be yet another amazing accomplishment with motion capture and visual storytelling along with getting one step closer to the events of the original 1968 Planet of the Apes where it’s completely ape dominated. Between this and Furiosa, Memorial Day weekend is sure to be one strong weekend for films.

1.) Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Do I expect this to be the best movie of 2024? No! Is there a strong chance that this will likely be the worst of the anticipated films I’ve mentioned? Yes! But at the same time, I can’t help but have my mind set on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 more than any other upcoming movie this year. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the prior two Sonic the Hedgehog movies were honestly more or less the Sonic movies I’ve always dreamed off as a kid but Sonic 3 has a chance to not just set a new standard for video game movies but possibly make Sonic popular than he ever has been before. With it set to introduce fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog, possible well known Sonic characters such as Amy Rose and Rouge the Bat might get thrown into the mix, seeing how the Sonic lore is more expanded upon, and even just seeing how the main trio grow as characters, Sonic 3 just seems set to be an absolute blast for Sonic fans, video game fans, and everyday moviegoers alike. We might not know the exact plot synopsis quite yet or even who is going to be cast as Shadow the Hedgehog. However, the build up and anticipation to it’s holiday release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is what I’m looking forward to the most throughout the majority of 2024. I don’t expect this to win an Oscar or even be my absolute favorite of the year, but the inner child in me is what make Sonic the Hedgehog 3 my most anticipated film of the year!

As for other big movies coming out this year:

  • I saw Night Swim early. It kinda stinks and is pretty much the exact definition of a January horror movie. Don’t expect another pleasant surprise like M3GAN from it.
  • There’s another Mean Girls coming out that acts as more of a musical than an actual remake. Hopefully, it’s not another Mean Girls 2.
  • Madame Web seems set to be a Madame Webbing time (Did I do that right?).
  • Love Lies Bleeding looks like it will be every Sapphics wet dream.
  • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was another holdover from 2023 but from the trailers, it looks like yet another reminder about how Hollywood has completely forgot what made Ghostbusters special.
  • Rebel Moon: Part Two might fix the flaws of Part One but either Netflix needs to learn how to properly release their feature films or Zack Snyder needs to learn how to release a proper film in it’s actual cut released for theaters and streaming.
  • There’s a new Universal monster movie set to star Melissa Barrera, the actress who just got fired from Scream due to voicing her support from Palestine. That alone is enough for me to show my support!
  • Alex Garland’s Civil War seems set to be the most controversial film of 2024 in both the best and worst ways possible. Just please let this be closer in quality to Ex Machina and Annihilation and NOT Men.
  • There’s another Strangers film coming with The Strangers: Chapter 1 for fans of that series. I’m not really one of them.
  • An animated Garfield film is also coming on Memorial Day alongside Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Furiosa. It looks cute but why does Chris Pratt got to be in every animated movie nowadays?
  • Bad Boys 4 might still be a thing this year, assuming the whole world has gotten covered Will Smith’s Oscar slap.
  • Despicable Me 4 is happening because….I guess the kids still love minions.
  • Twisters is an upcoming disaster film with the director of Minari. That could be good.
  • M. Night Shyamalan has another movie set with Trap. And even his daughter has a new movie as well. Let’s see how those turn out!
  • Horizon: An American Saga is getting Chapters 1 and 2 in the same year directed by Kevin Costner no less. Could be interesting!
  • Alien, Lord of the Rings, and The Karate Kid are getting new films this year believe it or not but we literally know NOTHING about them whatsoever.
  • Gladiator and Beetlejuice are getting sequels….for some reason.
  • Kraven the Hunter movie is still a thing….for some reason. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game pretty much already has that beat by a mile.
  • Transformers One could be yet another surprisingly enjoyable or just okay Transformers movie that will likely underperform at the box office because the world is still recovering from Bayformers or even misses it.
  • Wolfs is the next film from prior Spider-Man director, Jon Watts. We’ll see how that goes.
  • Saw XI and Smile 2 are coming because of how successful the last Saw and first Smile was.
  • Venom 3 will likely be another film which will help Sony continue to destroy the last remaining will that superhero movies still have. At least Tom Hardy will still be run, right?
  • Red One is an upcoming Christmas adventure with The Rock and Chris Evans because….of course.
  • Wicked: Part One will be a newest musical fantasy adaption that I may check out if the reviews are good enough.
  • And of course, Disney is releasing Mufasa: The Lion King, which will likely be another bad or underwhelming Disney live-action remake that pales in comparison to the original. Barry Jenkins is WAY too talented of a director for this!

A Brand New Spongebob Squarepants Marathon Announcement

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Yesterday, I claimed that I would reveal what yearly marathon I had planned for 2024! Well, here it is! To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Spongebob Squarepants, I decided to do a retrospective (and later on)/perspective on the entire franchise as a whole. This includes every season up to this point and three featured films that have come out. I won’t be discussing the spin-off shows such as Kamp Koral or The Patrick Star Show, just everything tv or movie related that connects to the actual MAIN series involving our favorite yellow sponge. I may cover some new Spongebob content that comes out in 2024 such as the new Sandy Cheeks movie titled Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie or a potential 25th anniversary episode but there’s no guarantee when or even if I will go over those.

It won’t so much talk about each individual season and ESPECIALLY not each individual episode but go in depth to the several different eras of Spongebob that took place when referring to it’s overall quality. And unlike mainstream media, it’s not going to be the one-note/sided argument about how everything good that happened with Spongebob was the first three seasons and first movie and everything to come after that was bad with no redeemable values to it. That would be tiresome and just plain lazy. I don’t refer to the two separated spectrums of Spongebob as exclusively being pre-movie Spongebob and post-movie Spongebob. In my eyes, there’s just good Spongebob and bad Spongebob.

The goal of this marathon is to talk about a handful of seasons at a time while getting together of what seemed to be the general opinion surrounding each individual era from the hardcore Spongebob fandom. It’s a means of celebrating the 25th year long legacy of Spongebob Squarepants and why the series has stood the test of time to this very day.

This schedule is subject to change throughout the year, but at the moment, here is what my planned yearly schedule for the year looks like:

January: The Golden Era (Seasons 1-3)

February: The Spongebob Squarepants Movie

March: The “Awkward” Era (Season 4-5)

April: The “Bad” Era (Season 6-7)

May: The “Other Awkward” Era (Season 8-9)

June: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

July: The “New Golden” Era (Season 10-11)

August: The “New Bad” Era (Season 12-13)

September: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run

October: The “Current” Era (Season 14-onwards)

November: TBD

December: Ranking of Every Single Season

Again, this is subject to change but that’s the road map that I have at the moment.

I get the feeling that this is going to be the most fun marathon that I’ve ever done on this blog. Especially because Spongebob has had such an impact on me since I was a childhood and is a character that is just incredibly important to me. And because this is meant to be a brand new anniversary for him, why not celebrate by taking a good trip down memory lane?!

2024 Update

AdamLeave a comment

Hey everybody! I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and are currently have a fabulous New Years as well! I decided to take the time to go over a couple of things and give you all a sneak preview of what to expect in 2024.

First off, I did find another job last year in September. It’s mostly a part-time job but a job all the shame. That made my time to release more content on here much more limited than before but I still believe I was able to get a decent amount of content out on a good pace. Looking into 2024, I am looking to take one step further and pursue more of a full-time job, whether that involves writing or not, so I can give myself an indication as to where my head is at in the future. I’m at the point in my life where I feel like I need to take a leap of faith and decides for myself who I truly am and what I want to be defined as for the rest of my life. I don’t know where that will lead me or even if it leads anywhere at all but I’m intrigued to find out all the same.

Secondly, as I mention in doing all my mini-reviews for Wonka, Aquaman 2, and Rebel Moon last month that I took a little break from reviewing movies from the last two months of the year. This is mostly because of the lack of ambition I had for reviewing certain movies due to the amount of toxic discourse surrounding it, most notably The Marvels, and just the mere fact that I legit forgot about the movies near moments after I saw it, most notably Wish. No joke, I wanted to give Wish some time to sit to let my thoughts sink in but almost a day later, I COMPLETELY forgot all about that movie where I couldn’t make a review even if I wanted to. I was eager to do a review of Godzilla: Minus One but by the time I saw it and got motivate to do a review, it felt like an old story where I felt like I might as well just wait until my best of the year list to talk about it. It was mostly those reasons I mention why I didn’t feel compelled to make any more movie reviews for the rest of the year.

Heading into 2024, I think I might limit the amount of reviews I do in terms of movies and video games. There will be some from time-to-time without a doubt but not as much as there was in the past two years. As I’ve mentioned in my recent piece talking about whether or not the theatrical experience is dead, going to the movies is more expensive than ever before. Because of that, I really only feel compelled to go to the theater if it involves a film I’m either VERY interested in or I truly believe I’m going to enjoy. The rest I either wait to come out on digital, streaming, or even just watch a bootleg version of it online. I will still likely do the biggest movies of the year and some smaller ones that I feel are overlooked but just don’t expect a review on the latest movie of every week. Because of my Regal theater closing and Marcus Theaters not having any subscriptions on par with Regal Unlimited, I can’t be wasting money on movies I know are going to be crap or just mid at best. I don’t have the tolerance or financial support for that.

When it comes to video games, I was actually playing to do a list of my favorite video games of 2023 because of how good of a year for gaming it is for most people out there. However, there are still a handful of games that I have that I haven’t beaten yet. This includes games like Mortal Kombat 1, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and Final Fantasy XVI. I wanted to find a way to beat those games by the time 2023 ended but that just wasn’t possible. Too much time involving work and the holidays made that impossible for me. Plus, when I’m playing games, I want to be able to have fun during it and play at my own pace without feeling like I have to rush through them just for the sake of getting a list on time. Video games that much more time to complete and write about than movies so making a best games of year list by New Years Eve just couldn’t happen. I do plan on getting a list out sometime this year, hopefully at least by May or June, but I make no promises.

I should also mention that I’m thinking of holding off the list because of me waiting for the update on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Looking back on my review, I think I overhyped the game too much because that game has not sat as well with me as I was expecting it would. That’s not to say I turned on it completely like the majority of the internet has. It’s still a great game and one of my favorites of the year but there were flaws I refused to point out in that review, most likely because I was caught up in the hype train. I do plan on doing an update piece on the update comes along with the New Game Plus mode and other added features that is set to come with it. I then will give my scores on the game pre-update and post-update along with figuring out where that should go on my best games of year list.

One more thing when it comes to games, I have been debating whether or not I should buy and review Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League once it comes out next month. I do have an updated check coming for the blog and I plan to use that money to purchase the game and then do a review on it, as a means of paying off my Batman: Arkham marathon I did last year. But considering all the discourse and controversy that game has gotten along with it’s development history, I just don’t know if I should be wasting 70 bucks on a game that is more likely to be bad than good. I’m sure that would make for an entertaining review for you guys but unless that review gets a ton of views and increase my ad revenue big time, I don’t know if it’s gonna be worth the time, effort, or money to do so. It’s a possibility but not a guarantee just yet.

When it comes to sports and other topics, I did have a piece in the works of the massive contracts that the Dodgers are paying Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and how it has basically broken baseball forever. But again, that got lost in the shuffle due to a bunch of other things that was happening last month. Plus, I did the one with the Blues and firing Craig Berube because that was a more personal piece for me because of my connection to that team and organization. Those are getting harder to do for me because of how bad my main sports teams have gotten over the year but I’ll do my best to get a piece or two around sports every once in a while. I might do a NFL playoff predictions piece like I did last year before it starts. Be on the look out for that!

Lastly, there’s a special new marathon that I have been thinking about doing that will likely be a yearly long thing. It’s from a long running franchise that turns 25 years old this year and holds a special place in my heart! I will make an announcement of what that is tomorrow and how and when I plan to release every piece of that month by month. That should be a very exciting project, easily the biggest that I’ve worked on for this blog.

And that’s basically it. Although I am working a fully paid job once again and even have plans on other personal projects that may or may not become a big thing in the future, I still plan on providing you guys and girls plenty of content for this blog in 2024. I will try to stick to my planned schedule of at least two to three articles a week and hope I can keep that same sense of urgency throughout the majority of 2024. With the next few pieces, expect the announcement of what the next marathon on here will be along with my most anticipated movies of 2024.

Thanks to everyone who follows or even is just able to click on this blog whenever they get the chance you get! You guys and girls mean so much to me and it’s always nice to know that I have an audience out there on the internet that care about what I have to write!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I wish you all a very safe and happy 2024!