Author: Adam

You ever have that one that you fully expected to be good because of all the talent involved with it yet it still manages to surprise you in the best of ways? In regards to Barbie, I think any film fan was anxious to see how this particular film turned out with Greta Gerwig at the helm, the director behind the marvelous Lady Bird and Little Women along with co-directing the not very well known but still very good Nights and Weekends. You also can’t overlook the big names attached to the cast such as Margot Robbie as Barbie herself, Ryan Gosling as Ken, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Simi Lu, Will Ferrell, and even John Cena (for one scene anyway). With a lesser known or proven director, there’s a chance that expectations would not have been as high. However, with the right people working on this project, it seemed like it can achieve another level of creativity and quality storytelling with a movie centering around a successful toy brand that is on par with The L.E.G.O. Movie. Suffice to say, Barbie is as much of a no-brainer winner as many expected to be.

It’s as every bit of clever, funny, and creative as you would expected but it is still able to subvert your expectations in a very intriguing way with a thought-provoking narrative, relevant themes surrounding feminism, patriarchy, gender roles, and identity, and some completely bold turns it takes with the story. The world-building is as strong as it could possibly with a movie surrounding a toy brand that everyone is aware off, each cast member are clearly having the time of their lives, the soundtrack is one you are likely gonna have stuck in your head as soon as you leave the theater, and it feels so refreshing to see a new summer blockbuster that seems to have to same love and passion it does from both in front and behind the camera. It doesn’t all work 100% and there will certainly be plenty of folks that will take issue with the way it handles it’s themes and messages but for the most part, Greta Gerwig is able to make lightning strike a third time in a row and has made herself a new name to look out for.

Plot Synopsis: Barbie (Margot Robbie) is enjoying the perfect life of a woman with her other variations (Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cuz Kayne, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, and Marisa Abela) in Barbieland, a matriarchal society where women are self-confident, self-sufficient, and successful. Ken (Ryan Gosling) is also enjoying his life with his counterparts (Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Rob Brydon, and John Cena) as they spend their days engaging with each other on the beach while the Barbies hold all the important job positions such as doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Ken constantly keeps trying to win over Barbie’s hearts but she keeps turning him down in favor of independence and spending time with their female colleagues. During a dance party one night, Barbie suddenly starts questioning her own mortality and brings up death. The next day, she discovers that she can no longer do her own usual daily routines and no longer has flawless hair or skin. It’s then that Barbie, who is constantly referred to as Stereotypical Barbie, meets with Weird Barbie, a local outcast, who informs her that the only way to cure her mysterious affliction is to travel to the real world and find the child who play with her.

Stereotypical Barbie along with Stereotypical Ken go on an adventure together to find Barbie’s kid. However, as the two enter the real world, they end up exposing themselves to CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell, the toy company who creates the Barbie dolls, who order their capture. Circumstances get more complicated when Ken learns of the American patriarchal system, where he feels important and accepted for the first time. Returning to Barbieland on his own, he persuades the other Kens to take over and turn what was a previously a matriarchal ran society into a patriarchal ran one.

Barbie must team up with her former owner and Mattel employee named Gloria (America Ferrera) and her bitter daughter named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) to find her true identity and save Barbieland before it’s too late.

When looking at the film on the surface, it’s easy to see why Barbie seems to work as well as it does. The costumes, set designs, world building, and pure aesthetics that are on display feel like they are ripped straight out the fantasies of any young girl that has ever played a Barbie doll in her life as well as any typical Barbie commercial. However, it’s the top notch script from Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach, who also happens to be Gerwig’s husband as well, that’s able to make Barbie an almost certain instant classic. It’s able to deliver in ways that you want but also in ways that you didn’t think you want.

The film takes very clever and subversive takes on each kind of genre tropes it attempts to tackles. From coming-of-age to fish out of water to finding your place in the world to gender roles to modern feminism to old school patriarchy, there’s not a single stone that Greta Gerwig leaves unturned and is not afraid to deliver her commentary on each and every one of these topics. It’s able to use the IP of Barbie, a property that has always been known for being by in large for delivering the perfect power fantasy for any young girl, and uses it to craft a story that greatly examines the classic gender roles, comparing and contrasting the real world with the “perfect” world, and how life is basically meaningless when you are someone who is flawless.

The film is able to successfully uses it’s IP to say something about the impact that Barbie has had on pop culture, the pros and cons of that impact, and what that impact can mean for everyone going forward. Even if it doesn’t quite examine it in a family-friendly manner the way The L.E.G.O. Movie did, it is able to prove once again how making a movie involving a brand should NOT affect the quality of the motion picture. So much so, that at times, the film acts as a response to the way films of this kind are made. Almost as if Gerwig is stretching the point that there are ways to be more inventive and complex with your work instead of just sticking to the typical stereotypical tropes.

Barbie is able to operate on so many different levels to make it one of most multilayered blockbusters in recent memory. Even if you are someone that doesn’t care for or isn’t comfortable with the themes and messages the movie is openly trying to convey, there is plenty of amusement to be found with the picture with the amount of meta humor, references, and quips the film constantly throws at you. It can be dark humor at times (This is a PG-13 movie btw!) but it’s very clear that Gerwig is inviting the audience to laugh along with her and have fun along the way.

Margot Robbie is about as pitch perfect as Barbie as you would expected and nails the role about as well as she nailed Harley Quinn. Her iteration of Barbie is as multilayered as she is three-dimensional and that’s in large because of how well she is able to deliver every single beat of her character where it counts the most. She handles the comedy greatly and easily sells the emotional and dramatic moments with ease. If this doesn’t prove that she’s more than capable of holding her own feature film and isn’t getting work in Hollywood based strictly on her looks, then I don’t know what will.

The rest of the cast is able to shine very well and it seem like they are enjoying themselves immensely. Ryan Gosling is brilliant as Ken, stealing nearly every scene he’s in. As much as he is funny and can be the butt of many of the jokes, he still does does have humanity and dimension to him that comes full circle towards the end. America Ferrera holds well on her own as being Barbie’s former owner and the adult who still has the heart of the child. Michael Cera and Simi Lu gets some laughs as their own versions of Kin. Kate McKinnon is as enjoyable to watch as she always is. Not to mention, Helen Mirren makes for one perfect narrator! It’s a big credit to Greta Gerwig as a director that she is able to find new ways to make a very familiar and well-known cast stand out well in their own ways.

Production wise, it’s very clear a lot of love, heart, and passion has been put into everything. It’s a very colorful and beautiful film to look at with sets, costumes, backgrounds, and visuals that look right at home of what I imagine most would want a Barbie film to look like. The soundtrack by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt is very well done with song choices that are incredibly inspired and will likely will have folks want to buy the soundtrack whenever they can. Greta Gerwig’s vision is perfectly realized throughout the entire picture and proves through every minute of frame that she was the perfect choice to direct this movie.

There are a few things that hold Barbie back from being a complete masterwork overall. As entertaining as Will Ferrell is when he’s on the screen as the CEO, the film doesn’t really know what to do with his character after the first meeting with Barbie and even completely disappears for at least a good half an hour. Not every joke lands as it should, some relationships between certain characters could have used more development, and has moments with it’s commentary while meaningful and well intended, feels like it would have better off showing instead of telling. Then again, this is suppose to be a mainstream movie and sometimes a little spoon feeding is needed for them.

Barbie is another triumph from Greta Gerwig, who is quickly turning herself into not just perhaps the best female director working today but one of the big names to keep an eye on for the foreseeable future. It’s very entertaining, immensely funny, cleverly subversive, and not afraid to be feminist in the slightest. Margot Robbie is perfect as Barbie and Ryan Gosling steals every scene he is in as Ken.

Between the releases of this and Oppenheimer, it’s proof that Hollywood should considered more events such has Barbieheimer going forward. Perhaps then movies will start to actually feel like events made for the big screen and proves that theaters still have a place for cinema. Although, with the recent announcement of Saw X and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie releasing the same weekend later this year, this weekend might actually be the start of something special. If that’s the case, then maybe their is hope for films going forward!

At least, until the strike finally ends!

Other Comments:

• This might be the most pink screening I’ve ever been too! Barbie might just also be the movie that made pink cool for everybody!

• I’m not kidding when I said this movie is clearly PG-13! The words penis and vagina are used at one point!

• No spoilers but I do love the way that one person is used in this movie. About as perfect of a reveal as the one near the end of The L.E.G.O. Movie.

• Who would’ve imagined that a Barbie movie would likely be a bigger summer hit than Transformers, The Flash and Indiana Jones combined? The power of women I guess!

It’s July 18th on the day that I saw Oppenheimer and starting writing this review. That was the day that The Dark Knight came out back in 2008 and exactly 15 years ago on that day (Can’t believe it’s already been that long!). It was during that weekend which also saw the release of Mamma Mia!, directed by Phyllida Lloyda, a movie that was by design entirely different than that of the dark and gritty Batman movie that would change comic book movies for better and worse (mostly worse) for the next 15 years ago. Yet, here we are again in 2023 where we see another flick made by the Nolanminer himself (I promise that’s the only time I’ll use that term) releasing on the same weekend as another flick made by a female director which by design is suppose to be a much different movie tonally and likely aiming for an entirely different demographic.

I bring all of this up is because it’s always nice whenever you have two big movies opening together that is of high quality, completely different from one another, and is able to appease the kind of audience they are going for. (I haven’t seen Barbie at the time of this writing but if the early stellar reviews are any indication, we’ve hit another jackpot.) It’s weeks such as the upcoming one with the Barbieheimer are ones that are greatly needed for theaters to keep going strong. Just constantly giving mainstream audiences reasons to want to see a movie that is suppose to be seen for the big screen instead of just waiting another two to three months to show on their favorite streaming service. I know studios don’t like to release big movies on the same weekend because of how badly it could affect the box office during the opening weekend but the fact that Universal and Warner Brothers committed to releasing their highly anticipated films in the same weekend is something I greatly admire.

As for Oppenheimer itself, it’s once again another masterfully made and perfectly directed film by the great Christopher Nolan himself. It’s able to tell exactly the kind of sprawling epic story that it aspires to be by acting as a character study first and a biopic second. Every single member of it’s highly recognizable cast is able to completely disappear into their roles and captured their performances perfectly, it does a good job of exploring the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer as not just “the destroyer of worlds” but as an impactful man himself, the three hour runtime is put to good use, and even the sound mixing is actually quite good for once even if it can be a bit too loud. For just about everything that it sets out to do, Oppenheimer succeeds greatly.

Premise: Oppenheimer is a feature documentary based around the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). It explores how one man’s brilliance, hubris and relentless drive changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria, and how, subsequently, the same man’s attempts to co.

(I’m not gonna go to deep into the plot since this is an early review and also this is based off of a true story.)

Like with plenty of Nolan’s films, Oppenheimer is one that certainly leaves a lot to unpack. It’s during it’s 180-minute long runtime that it constantly moves along from scene to scenes and throws as much characters and dialogue exchanges at you as possible. With a lesser director at the helm, this could make for a very overwhelming and even unsatisfying experience. Once again, Christopher Nolan is able to work his magic and skills behind the camera to make it all work and have it fire on all possible cylinders.

As I stated near the beginning of the review, the movie feels like a character study first and a biopic second. The documentary aspects are still there and (likely) completely faithful to the true story it’s adapting but it makes sure to make Oppenheimer stand out in a compelling way that feels justified in spending three hours with him. The film does a good job of going into great details of who J. Robert Oppenheimer is, where he came from, why he got to where he was, and how what he accomplishes was able to impact the world and himself mentally. Showing how not only creating the first nuclear weapons in the atomic bombs was able to make Oppenheimer the destroyer of worlds but how it might’ve destroyed himself in the process.

It’s not necessarily in the sense that the film tries to go the whole “good man turn evil” thing like some have claimed but it’s more of how the very desire one has in accomplishing their goals can get the better of them and those connected to him. Whether that person is good or bad, the ambition with what they are trying to can bring the death and destruction of themselves and others. The story of Oppenheimer is always one that met those metrics as one man’s mistakes lead to dire consequences for everyone else. This is always interesting subject matter to tap into and Nolan is able to make the ideas he has with this work in the best ways possible.

Of course, we have to talk about the cast here. This might have the most celebrity-heavy cast I’ve ever seen for a movie that was not directed by Denis Villeneuve or Rian Johnson. There is so much talent in front of the camera that it could easily come across as a distraction. As if the director doesn’t have faith in the film itself and has to bring in as many big names as possible to get people’s interest in it. However, not only is it not a distraction in the slightest, every single notable cast member is able to fit their roles perfectly and feel exactly like the characters they are suppose to play.

The man leading the charge is that of Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer himself. This is easily the best performance Murphy has ever given and is basically the first Christopher Nolan film which he is able to stand out as being among the film’s absolute highlights as oppose to an afterthought. He’s able to capture every single aspect of the man that J. Robert Oppenheimer was and never just feels like some actor playing him. He’s engaging and mesmerizing in about every scene he’s in, perfectly conveying every emotion he has to and will likely have an Oscar nomination come the next time the Academy will actually be able to host the Oscars. Some of the standouts scenes with him include the drama he deals with his personal life, the detonation of the atomic bomb, the aftermath of it, and ESPECIALLY the final sequence of the film. Even if the film didn’t have an all-star supporting cast, Cillian Murphy would be able to carry the whole thing perfectly on his back with no help needed.

However, there is a fact an all-star supporting cast and every single one of them are equally flawless in their roles. To go through every single notable actor or actress would take an eternity but the two main ones that stand out the best is Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss and Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer. Robert Downey Jr. is extraordinary as Strauss, completely escaping the mindset of just being an elderly Tony Stark and able to fit the role flawlessly as being as the chairman of the AEC. He has great chemistry with Alden Ehrenreich when the two appear on screen, is an absolute delight to watch on screen, and will certainly bein in the running for a well deserved Oscar nomination. Emily Blunt is also able to stand out greatly as Kitty Oppenheimer with at least two scenes that seems solely design to give her an Oscar nomination as well. Florence Pugh is also a great standout early on as Jean Talock, even if she is a part of the scenes that likely gave this film it’s R-rating. The entire cast is brilliant over all and it’s to the true strength of Christopher Nolan as a director that he was able to use their talents to perfection without it ever taking you out of the movie.

From a technical standpoint, this could very well be the very best from Nolan to date. The craftsmanship is on full display without anything going to complete waste and everything feeling completely real no matter how you may spin it. The cinematography is spot-on and is able to capture the era that this move is set in incredibly well. The sound design is effective, especially during the sequences involving the atomic bomb. The editing will likely get plenty of awards as it’s able to beautifully translate from scene to scene without much confusion. And thank goodness for once that I was able to completely hear ever bit of dialogue that the characters were saying without unnecessarily added music getting in the way. Finally, although it is weird to have a Christopher Nolan movie without Han Zimmer’s presence, Ludwig Goransson is still able to provide great work here with his score that is able to capture the tone and the mood of the film perfectly. It’s so refreshing in a summer filled with blockbusters that cost so much money to make yet so little of it is shown on the big screen that we got to see what a true cinema is suppose to look like with a hundred million dollar budget.

When it comes from a cinematic perspective, Oppenheimer is basically perfect at everything it sets out to do. So much so that the only flaws you can poke at it are mostly minor little details that I didn’t even really think about until I had to come up with some negatives. First off, there are times during the scenes involving the atomic bomb or Oppenheimer’s PTSD that it feels too loud. Thankfully, they don’t come during parts of the film where you are suppose to hear what the characters are saying but for those with hearing problems or troubled ears, you might want to bring some earplugs with you. There are also some odd directional choices made, particularly with nearly every scene with Downey Jr.’s Strauss being completely in noir while the rest of the film is in full color. None of those are enough to bring the film down in the slightest but I do feel those things are worth addressing, especially in regards to how loud this film can get.

Oppenheimer is yet another marvelous addition to the filmography of Christopher Nolan. It’s able to tell the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer in an interesting way that will delight those that known the history and possibly even intrigue those that don’t know the history. It’s beautifully made, the entire cast is perfection, the three hour runtime is used very well without any scene being wasted, every single penny of the budget is put to good use, and is able to add the notion of how important the overall theatrical experience is along with why theaters still serve a purpose. I’m not quite sure where I ranked it among Nolan’s other films (I will have a ranking very soon!) but this is certainly one of the very best, most well made and expertly crafted films the man has ever made. As someone who didn’t care for Tenet and was lukewarm at best on Dunkirk, it’s so nice to see Nolan return to stellar form and prove once again why he’s one of the greatest directors working today!

Better watch out Across the Spider-Verse! You might have some competition for best film of 2023!

Other comments:

• I was considering having the subtitle of this review: Nolan Drops a Bomb of a Movie but that would honestly be quite a dishonest take on the movie.

• Btw, there is no action in this movie to speak of. Despite this being about a man’s actions during the war, there are no actual war scenes in it. There’s only one main sequence with the atomic bomb along with only a few other scenes with it acting as hallucination sequences. This might seem obvious to some but for those unaware, just don’t expect a movie like Dunkirk and be more in for a thriller like Bridge of Spies.

• We also need to have a discussion one day of Bridge of Spies being one of Spielberg’s criminally underrated/overlooked films. It’s just great!

• It’s cool to not only see Josh Peck in big movies but also that his character is the one that gets to activate the bomb.

• I sure can’t wait to hear stories about high school teachers showing their students this film during history class and how it took literally weeks to finish the whole thing!

Because we live in a world where only the worst possible things can happen, another strike in Hollywood has begun. This time, it’s with the SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The strike involved an ongoing labor dispute between the Hollywood actor’s union, the SAG-AFTRA I just mentioned, and the AMPTP, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This officially started today, July 14th, 2023, after a failure to negotiate a deal with the studios that both sides could agree to.

The main causes for this strike involved mostly two key components. First, lack of agreement on a new contract between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, mostly involving the amount of pay for the actors. Second, for the intense use of artificial intelligence where it will scan actor’s faces to generate performances digitally which the studios can use to their benefit at anytime with no payment required for the actors. If you read both of these reasons carefully, especially the latter one, you can certainly see why there is a great divide right now between the writers and actors of Hollywood and Hollywood itself.

As a result of this strike and the writer’s one that is now about two and a half months in, Hollywood is basically shut down now for those in the writing or acting department. Scripts for movies and television are not being written and actors cannot show up to set for either a film or show. It’s only director working through post production related stuff and things involving A.I. which work is allowed to continue. Having the writers and actors go on strike at the same time is something that hasn’t happened in Hollywood since 1960, over 60 years ago. Needless to say, there hasn’t been a disconnection between both sides in Hollywood for a very long time.

As I said before, a large reason for both strikes happening at the same time involves studio wanting to push A.I. further than ever before but doing so at the expense of the writers and actors themselves. Firstly, there was the notion of using A.I. to create scripts for said films and shows while the writers would mostly be tasked with simple rewrites and patches to those scripts. Secondly, as recently stated, there’s the proposal to SAG-AFTRA that A.I. will be use to scan a background actor’s likeness for one day’s worth of pay and then be able to use their likeness forever in any form without pay or consent. If there is not a sense of being more technology advance to the point where you are literally trying to replace literal human being in favor of A.I., this is it.

Of course, the reasons for this push with A.I. isn’t simply to be more technology advanced, it more has to do with money. With being able to use A.I. more often with handling scripts and actors in the background, this would likely lead to studios not having to pay the writers and actors as much. After all, if you can just simply use A.I. to get things done, then why bother paying much for other people to do your work for you when you save dollar signs by using more advance technology? Never mind the fact that A.I. will never have the look, feel, heart, or soul of an actual person’s writing, as long as it saves a few extra bucks, it doesn’t matter with the studios. Even if the push for more A.I. involves taking a new step forward with tech, it’s very clear the main objective with it is to save more money for the future, especially if Bob Iger’s comments are anything to go by.

If you basically want a perspective from the studios themselves, look no further than Disney CEO Bob Iger, who recently reprised his role as CEO in November of last year and has just been extended to remain CEO until 2026. As a response to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Iger claims that the actors’ demands with payroll were “not realistic”, with the notion that “they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.” Also, a reminder that according to Huffpost writer Marian Fang, Iger’s annual yearly salary as CEO of Disney is $27 million. I don’t know about you all but that is basically a sign that the studios are basically living in their own reality and are nowhere close to being on the same terms as the writers and actors.

And that’s not even mentioning the fact that neither side has any intention of negotiating for the next several months and the studios are looking to drag this on until the other sides comes crawling back to them. I’m not even joking on that.

The studios and streamers reportedly have no intentions of negotiating with the Writer's Guild for several more months.

“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive tells Deadline. pic.twitter.com/vKXR8lwzYu

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 12, 2023

To put it all simply, we are in the middle of what will likely go down as the biggest strike in Hollywood history. It’s the kind of the strike that will determine the direction that movies and shows will look like going forward, the payroll that will go into them, how far they will go with A.I., and whether or not this will be the defining moment that makes or breaks Hollywood from here on out. I never like to be Mr. Negative but if recent history is anything to go by, Hollywood tends to always learn the wrong lessons and this will likely lead to them cracking like an egg. I have no idea what that will mean for the future of cinema but no doubt, changes will have to come.

A.I. can be useful and resourceful with anything but it should never be used to replace human beings entirely. That’s the kind of messed up future that the Terminators films have tried to warn us about for decades. It may not be killer robots but investing too much into artificial intelligence can lead to technology taking over humanity in many departments, including writing and filmmaking. It’s ironic how the big movie at the moment in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is literally about Tom Cruise facing off against A.I. and the consequences of artificial intelligence if you go too far with it. While it’s all fiction, it’s fascinating how Hollywood has no self awareness whatsoever and it could lead to a bigger collapse than ever before.

In conclusion, the actors have now joined the writers on strike. Because of that, many productions in Hollywood will have to be put on hold due to no scripts being written and no actors being on set to film. Until there is some form of agreement, this will how things being rolling in Hollywood until further notice. To quote a well-known actor who just turn 81 years old, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Here’s article links involving the studios proposal to the SAG-AFTRA and Bob Iger’s comments:

• https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/actors-strike-sag-artificial-intelligence-hollywood-studios-background-1234788191/

• https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/bob-iger-writers-actors-strike-disney-ceo-1235669169/

I can’t recall a blockbuster in recent memory that seems to come out at the absolute perfect timing than Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1. Not just because this has been a summer thus far of underperforming popcorn flicks that don’t involve Marvel superheroes and relying on Tom Cruise to work his “Top Gun: Maverick” magic to get butts in theater seats but the subject matter of what is the internal plot of the picture. That subject matter being no other than being the main villain that is known as the Entity. The Entity doesn’t act as an actual person but strictly as artificial intelligence, A.K.A. A.I.

It’s no secret that A.I. is on the rise more than ever. Although not quite the Terminator or cyborg level threat we come to expect, it is something that if not too careful, it could led towards the end of creativity and artistic integrity. That could also be a big reason why a writer’s strike is currently happening, using A.I. to create scripts with real writers giving soft patches to them so it could save the studios some money in the future. While I’m sure that was strictly convenient timing as the movie itself was suppose to come out in 2021, at least two years before serious progression of A.I. or the writer’s strike even happened, but no doubt director/writer Christopher McQuarrie saw some sort of writing on the wall and decided to make at least two Mission: Impossible movies out of it, with Dead Reckoning Part 1 releasing now and Part 2 set to arrive next summer.

Thankfully Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie are able to prove once again that they are up to completing the mission. While we will have to wait and see how this specific story wraps up next year, Dead Reckoning Part 1 is yet another superb entry in the very consistent and reliable Mission Impossible franchise. The action is bigger, crazier, and much wider in scope, the stunts are out of this world, the tone is perfectly controlled throughout, the runtime doesn’t feel intimating, and the social commentary on A.I. is well implemented that surprisingly doesn’t take you out of the movie. It doesn’t quite reach the highs of Fallout but it’s certainly a nice change of pace of a summer filled with mid to low-tier blockbusters that don’t remotely feel like it lived up to it’s 300 million dollar plus budget.

Plot Synopsis: Taking place sometime after Fallout, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) embarks on a new mission to recover half of a key from his ally Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), whom the IMF puts a bounty on her head. After briefly reuniting with Ilsa and telling her to lay low, Ethan travels back to the US to meet with the Community, led by former IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who informs him of a new threat in Artificial Intelligence that is known as the Entity. Originally designed to sabotage digital systems, the A.I. itself went rogue and was able to expand itself to infiltrate all the major defense and military systems along with intelligence networks. The power which the Entity possesses is one which plenty are wanting to control and even ally with.

Ethan Hunt and his allies of Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and Isla go on a mission to recover the keys that can unlock access to the Entity. However, other folks are looking to recover the key for their own benefits such has a mysterious figure named Grace (Hayley Atwell), the White Widow in Alaana Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby), and a powerful terroist and possible former adversary of Ethan named Gabriel (Esai Morales) along with his side assassin, Paris (Pom Klementieff). There’s also some enforcers for the Community known as Jasper (Shea Whigham) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) that are tasked with bringing Ethan in for infiltration.

With the power of the Entity becoming deadlier at every minute and the world at great stake, a deadly race around the globe is set. Ethan sets out for what is likely his deadliest mission yet, one that puts himself and those he cares about in greater danger than ever before along with introducing a new potential ally who he may not be able to trust. It’s now that he must come to the realization that the mission matters more than his friends and defeating the Entity might indeed cost him dearly.

When it comes to what one would expect from a Mission Impossible movie, it’s mostly four things: Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise in action, Tom Cruise doing absurdly crazy stunts, and of course, Tom Cruise running like the wind faster than Bullseye. Even after seven movies, the golden Hollywood superstar is able to find new and exciting ways to push beyond his limits in that department and then some. There’s a lot you can say about Tom Cruise as a person and an actor but there’s no denying that the man will doing everything in his power to entertain his audience, even if it involves putting his own life in peril.

As much as this movie involves Ethan Hunt facing off against A.I., it’s also about Tom Cruise trying to save Hollywood from himself. I think it’s safe to say that Ethan Hunt is the character that Tom Cruise has felt the most comfortable playing him. Ethan Hunt represents the kind of figure that allows Cruise to explore his own ego and self awareness along with playing a self insert version of himself that can always saves the world at every turn. Just as much as Ethan has to go through extreme measures to get his mission accomplished, Tom has to go through extreme measures to make sure the movies that he’s in are ones that everyone wants to see on the big screen. It’s a mission that both characters can constantly chose not to accept if they don’t want to but they will always accept it because it’s just who they are. Because of that, we get to see them both fly, jump, run, and go crazier than ever before.

In many ways, Dead Reckoning Part 1 acts as both a love letter and culmination of the entire franchise up to this point, even more so than Fallout. You get homages to the original 1996 film with the return of Kittridge, a more mysterious spy plot, a certain character that has a connection to Ethan’s early days in the IMF, and the consequences to Hunt’s action as had as an agent from that film to now. While the franchise up to Rogue Nation had been relatively self-contained minus a few tie-ins, McQuarrie knows that things must come full circle for what could be Cruise’s final times as being the character that will be most represented in his autobiography and is able to do that very fluently in ways that don’t feel contrived or forced.

Of course, Tom Cruise is not the only one to shine brightly here as he is once again backed up by a tremendous supporting cast from all members old and new to the series. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are back and they still as enjoyable now as they always have been as Ethan’s companions/friends of Luther and Benji. Rebecca Ferguson, while not in it as much as I would like, is still marvelous as Ilsa Faust and does get a few moments to shine herself along with Ethan. Vanessa Kirby continues to be electric as the White Widow. And Henry Czerny has not missed a beat as Kittridge and his return feels genuinely worthwhile without feeling like a pointless cameo.

When it comes to the new cast members, they shine even brighter. Esai Morales, while playing a henchman that feels a tad underwritten, makes a genuine impression as Gabriel, the new foe that tries to get under Ethan’s skin. Pom Klementieff steals every action scene that she’s in as the insane and sinister Paris, even if she spends most of her screentime being entirely mute. Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis are great fun as the agents that are constantly chasing down Hunt and make for a perfect buddy cop duo. The biggest new player her is Hayley Atwell as Grace, a sneaky thief that gets caught in the middle of the action and likely will have a new role played in future movies. She is able to fit into this series like a glove, has perfect chemistry with Cruise, and is just absolute mesmerizing every time she appears on screen. Atwell has always been a great, underrated actress and hopefully her performance here will land her more big roles in the near future.

From just a technical standpoint, this film is pretty much perfect. While the action isn’t quite as impressive as Rogue Nation or Fallout, it is still absolutely superb and every single set piece manages to top the one that came before. The entire Rome chase sequence alone is worth the entire price of admission with how tense and over-the-top it is. You also can’t forget the motorcycle off of the cliff sequence and the tension-filled climax on the train. It’s all excellent stuff and Tom Cruise continues to prove he’s the best madman we have in Hollywood. The pacing off the film is airtight, the runtime doesn’t feel intimating, and the score from Lorne Balfe is another fantastic one and one of my favorites in the entire series. While the 270 million dollar budget might seem overboard like a lot of big movies this summer, this actually feels like every single penny of production was put to good use and makes the trip to the theaters all the more worth it.

It is unfortunate tho is despite how great Dead Reckoning Part 1 is, it does make one story decision that will likely not vibe well with fans, especially those of the last two films. It’s a sequence that comes around the end of the second act where we see the great power that the A.I. possesses and the influence it can have on someone as smart as Ethan. It plays out well and makes the antagonist all the more threatening but the end result of it will likely leave a sour taste in some folks mouth. Without getting too heavily into spoilers, it feels like it falls into the trope of one character getting shafted for the sake of leaving room for another. While it’s a decision that could potentially be backpedaled in Part 2, the way it plays out makes it seem like a pill that fans will have to swallow to properly enjoy the rest of what transpires throughout the series.

There are also times to where the exposition surrounding the Entity and what it does can become too much, especially in the earlier scenes with it. These pieces of dialogue aren’t the best written and are the few moments where it feels like the movie is on A.I.-pilot (See what I did there!). Also, be warned that this is in fact a Part 1, something which the title card clearly states. While the movie does takes a definite stopping point that doesn’t feel abrupted, it does make it clear by the end that only one half of the equation is solved and there is still another half to go.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 proves that this series has no signs of slowing down anytime soon despite being seven movies in. It’s able to continue to deliver the goods and thrills that people come to these movies for while also keeping that same tongue-and-cheek feel that makes these movies enjoyable. It’s yet another reminder why the theater experience is important and there should be nothing that should take away from it. In a time where A.I. is becoming more of a thing every day and a strike involving writers and actors is occurring, Dead Reckoning Part 1 is a reminder of why we all love going to the movies and how much of the movies we will miss once the impact of these circumstances will be greatly felt. No matter where you fall on in the state of Hollywood, A.I. or this franchise, make it your mission to see this movie on the big screen! I promise it’s a mission you will not regret accepting!

Other comments:

• Don’t let the release of this movie distract from the fact that the strike with the actors and writers is very serious business. Studios need to suck it up and pay them the money they deserve! A.I. will never be able to replicated what real living being can do ever do! I don’t care how good or bad a movie is, A.I. should never be the answer to that! So, just pay them the money they are owed!

• Btw, I will write a piece about this matter very soon!

• I’m sorry I couldn’t get his review out before the strike was official. I wanted to get it done before then but things got in the way for me. Apologies if the timing of the review comes across as tone deafed.

• I think you can all see why the timing of this movie’s release could not be any more confident.

• Even so, please go see Dead Reckoning Part 1 in theaters! It deserves your money!

2023 has not been a particularly great summer at the movies from both a quality and financial standpoint. Sure, there have been a handful of bangers such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and of course, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse along with a handful of movies that were better than expect (The Little Mermaid) but as a whole, it’s been about as underwhelming and forgettable as they come. It’s been filled with franchise installments that at once were reliably successful at the box office but have now really struggled to make a profit.

All you have to do is look at how each big movie that came out in June fared from both a critical and financial standpoint. Last month saw new releases for well-known franchises such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Flash, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. However, off all those movies, the only one of those that has been successful all around in terms of reception and box office is Across the Spider-Verse. The animated sequel where the original Into the Spider-Verse made barely enough to warrant a follow-up has manage to outperform nearly every other franchise this summer that have been more proven and successful in the past than Spider-Verse.

Let’s also not forget Fast X which is currently underperforming despite making over 700 million worldwide, The Little Mermaid not doing so hot despite making over 500 million worldwide, and Elemental due to be a bomb even with it’s strong legs and clocking in at 200 million worldwide. How in the world has it come to this? How is it that movies that are making this much at the box office and are still struggling to make a profit out of it? While the reasons to folks are fairly obvious, let’s break down the most simple reasons why summer movies are declining heavily at the box office.

Ridiculous Budgets

This is the one that everyone and their mother has pointed out but it’s certainly worth pointing out again. The amount of money that is being spend on these big movies is beyond ridiculous. Going past the traditional of $150 to $200 million budgets to big blockbusters in favor of now $250 to $300 million budgets. You have Elemental costing $200 million to make, The Flash costing up to $220 million to make, The Little Mermaid costing $250 million to make, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny costing $300 million to make, and even Fast X costing $340 million to make. And that’s not even including the amount of money that was spent on trailers and marketing which you could add at least a few more million with. The overconfidence in box office has certainly been Hollywood’s weakness this summer.

I’m sure many people will point out how the larger budgets may have to do with Covid-19 halting many of these projects while they were in development but that doesn’t excuse how others movies released this year which made either just as much, more, or even less than any of the big movies were able to be a financial hit. You have John Wick: Chapter 4 which made a franchise record, 432 million worldwide, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse making over 600 million worldwide, which is a record for Sony Animation, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 making over 800 million worldwide, and The Super Mario Bros Movie making over 1.3 billion worldwide.

When looking at those four movies, only Guardians of the Galaxy had a reported budget of over 100 million. The rest of those movies mentioned were reported to cause exactly that much or just slightly more due to marketing. It makes you wonder how in the world movies such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-Verse were able to have a cheaper budget than Elemental despite having more impressive animation and more well known celebrities in the cast. Even so, it goes to show you how easy it is to make back your money on movies if you keep your expectations and budget in check without going too overboard.

If a movie making half or 3/4 of a billion dollars is considered underperforming, the studios need to take a good, hard look at themselves and figure out what has allowed that to happen. If you need to make at or near a billion for your big movie to make a profit, then that just speaks volume how little connection you have with yourself or the general public. Even if Covid was a factor in some extra money being spent, that can’t be the only factor to do it.

Too Many Big Movies Released At The Same Time

This was something I had been think about before the summer even began. Whenever you release a bunch of big movies at the same time, there’s a good chance that at least a good handful of them will underperform vastly if they are not received well enough or has good enough legs in the limited amount of time they have before the next big movie comes along. That has been the story of the summer with only a handful of big movies being a success while others have been a failure.

As much as people have been in denial of it as of late, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything about theaters. Yes, there has been a handful of juggernaut hits since then such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and The Super Mario Bros Movie, but they have been few and far in between. Theater trips can be quite expensive, especially when it comes to seeing movies with your friends and family. Because of that, it’s becoming more common for folks to just pick and choose which movies they want to watch on the big screen and which ones they would rather wait to come out digitally or on a streaming service. This is something that Hollywood has been clearly taking notice off.

As a result, we are seeing more and more movies getting release on digital as soon as possible in the hopes of gaining as much of a profit as it possibly can. Not even after the first weekend of it’s release that we already got word of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken will be coming out on digital just EIGHTEEN DAYS after being released in theaters. Or how Shazam!: Fury of the Gods became available on digital and exiled from theaters just THREE WEEKS after coming out. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement of Dial of Destiny coming out on digital by the end of the month and Disney Plus in August. With digital streaming become more and more common nowadays, folks have become more patience with just waiting an extra month or two for a movie to come out so they could watch it in the comfort of their own homes instead of paying extra money to watch it in theaters.

That is why releasing so many big summer blockbusters at the same time was a suicidal move for a lot of studios. Whenever that happens, it’s only a handful of flicks that will be able to make it to the other side satisfied while every other one will suffer as a result. While Across the Spider-Verse was able to reign supreme, Transformers, Flash, and Indy all suffered as a result.

No Longer Accepting Mid-iocrity

While the other two reasons mentioned is a great argument of the amount of money studios spend on their movies and the amount of moment audience will spend to watch them, maybe the big reason as to do with the actual quality of the motion picture. Maybe it has to do with audience no longer wearing their rose-colored glasses and seeing how it’s become quantity over quality for a lot of franchises right there. Movies that just exist for the sake of existing and not because it’s something the audience actually want to see.

That would explain greatly how Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have been the two most notable successes of the summer thus far. Not just because they were names from a familiar brand but because of the strong impact they had on mainstream audiences which led to repeat theater viewings and strong worth of mouth. While those two might not have been the biggest box office success ever, it was able to exceed expectations, and possibly even surpass them due to how good those movies actually were. The same thing can’t be said about the others movies that have come out since May.

Fast X was more of the same, over-the-top nonsense that has become accustomed to this franchise at this point. The Little Mermaid was one of the better Disney live-action remakes but still not good enough to match up with the quality of the original animation to justify it’s existence. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was a passable if not disposable entry for a franchise that is still dealing with the aftermath of the overblown Bayformers flicks. The Flash was a ugly CGI mess made solely for course correcting and the hope that having Michael Keaton back as Batman along with Sasha Calle’s first and possibly only appearance as Supergirl would be enough to overcome Ezra Miller’s annoying and unengaging version of Barry Allen. Elemental was strictly middle-of-the-road Pixar that folks would be better off waiting for it to come out on Disney Plus. And Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was an unnecessary and forgettable finale to a series that already had two definite finales beforehand. While one or two of these might be enough to guarantee a solid three out of four stars ratings, they all did not receive the best reviews or the strongest word of mouth to make any of these worth buying a ticket for.

Which makes you wonder if this is the audience standing up to Hollywood and no longer allowing mid, bad, or even just “good enough” movies for franchises that they love. It’s a statement to the paying consumer to do better if they want their money in the future. Whereas movies such as John Wick: Chapter 4, Creed III, Scream VI, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has shown that audience will show up for big movies that try hard enough and succeed, just about every other big movie released this year has shown that audience will simply not show up from them if they don’t think it’s worth the time or money.

It’s been said plenty of times that the only fair to properly communicate with Hollywood is through box office numbers and I don’t think that has been made more clear than in 2023. The ones that have been successful have been the ones that the audience has been the most satisfied with. The ones that have been failures are ones that the audience were either not satisfied with or not interested to see if they would be. The mainstream audiences have real standards for their favorite blockbuster franchises. They have the power to reward those that succeed and punish those that fail.

A Necessary Evil

While the way movies have been underperforming at the hottest time of the year is a cause for great concern now, it could possibly be seen as a blessing in disguise later on down the road. Maybe this will inspire studios to everything in their power to fix the issues that I and many others have stated. Maybe this will lead to more budget restraints and money spent wisely on future movies. Maybe this will lead to big movies being more evenly spread out to give all of their their moment to shine without stealing the spotlight from any other. Most importantly, maybe this will inspire more quality pictures instead of quantity pictures. Is there a reason to believe that will happen right now? Not in the slightest but hey, there’s always hope isn’t it.

There are still some upcoming movies for the remainder of the summer that could help turn the tide of the season. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 will likely be a massive hit due to how well received the more recent installments in this franchise has been along with Tom Cruise still riding high off the success of Top Gun: Maverick. Barbie could be the next big successful IP based off of children toys that might be successful enough to star a new film series. Oppenheimer has the name of Christopher Nolan alone that will likely have folks interested to check out the next film made by the most notable and well-known director working to date. And perhaps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem can ride the animation wave that Across the Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish started. If all of those movies are seen as good enough to warrant a ticket price, then July and August could be the saving graces of the summer and help rewrite the narrative. If not, then that will just add more fuel to the fire and the narrative will be doubled down upon.

Things are not looking good now in Hollywood. From movies not meeting expectations to the writer’s strike that’s doesn’t seem like is making any progress, it’s a dark time to those that love film and writing about films. Time will tell if things will get any better anytime soon but as of right now, we can only look at the reasons why Hollywood has dug themselves in the whole they are in right now and see they are able to learn from it in the future. Only then might we look at the summer of 2023 as being a turning point for the better.

This week will see the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the newest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise that has been at least 15 years in the making and will make for Harrison Ford’s last go around as this beloved character. It’s a movie that thus far has left plenty of people with a lot of questions before it’s release. Will it be better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Can Harrison Ford still play Indiana Jones even at 80 years old? Does the movie even need to exist in the first place? And the most important question on everyone’s mind, is it the w word?! All of these questions and more I’m sure plenty will get the answers to this weekend when the movie comes out in theaters, that’s assuming they haven’t read the online leaks for it. However, no matter how Dial of Destiny does in terms of box office and audience reception, I do think attention should be turned to another movie that can basically be described as a Indiana Jones flick even if it’s not strictly Indiana Jones. Not only because it’s a damn good flick in it’s own right but it’s arguably a better Indiana Jones flick than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and even Temple of Doom (Yeah I said it!). That movie I’m referring to is The Adventures of Tintin, also known in other areas as The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

In case for anyone that’s not aware, The Adventures of Tintin is an animated, action adventure film that was released in 2011, based on the comic books of the same name. It was directed by the co-father of Indiana Jones himself in Steven Spielberg, had a screenplay written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish, and was even produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and *bullet shield* Kathleen Kennedy. Oh, and also composed by the legendary John Williams, who is still doing strong music work at 90 years old! It’s a film that follows the title character of Tintin played by Jamie Bell, his lovable fluffy dog, Snowy, and his mentor figure Captain Haddock played by Andy Serkis, has they search for the treasure of the so-called Unicorn, a ship once captained by Haddock’s ancestor Sir Francis Haddock. However, the pair face dangerous pursuit from Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine played by Daniel Craig, the descendant of Sir Haddock’s nemesis, Red Rackhlam, and must find the treasure before it’s too late.

When looking through all of that, it’s easy to see why one would mistake this for being an Indiana Jones movie. It’s got some of the main people that were involved in the Indiana Jones franchise from Spielberg to Kennedy to Williams, there’s an adventure that leads to the main character needing to look for a McGuffin before it falls into the enemy hands, there’s plenty of action set pieces that the main character will have to go throughout their journey, and it even has an unlikely sidekick or two that sounds like the most oddest yet awesome pairing ever. However, the one element that Adventures of Tintin captures just as well with the original Indiana Jones trilogy and arguably does it better than either Indiana Jones movie that has come out in the 21st century thus far, capturing that exact feeling of adventure, excitement, and discovery.

Tintin himself is a really fascinating character who acts as a professional journalist who will do whatever it takes to uncover the story he needs even if it will put himself in great danger. Snowy makes for possible the most useful yet lovable pet in cinema history. Archibald Haddock makes for a great leader/mentor for Tintin and helps add great intrigue to the McGuffin that is the treasure of the unicorn with the connections he has with it and his. The main antagonist of the picture in Sakharine and his personal thugs feel right at home with the other traditional bad guys in the Indiana Jones franchise, even if none of them are Nazis or Russians. The amount of action and tension that Tintin constantly throws himself into feels like everyday occurrence just as it is with Dr. Jones. And of course, the treasure of the Unicorn, would be something that the young Indy in Temple of Doom would certainly put a grin on his face and lusting over the potential fortune and glory that would come with it.

It’s all these elements and more that make The Adventures of Tintin the most worthy spiritual sequel to the original Raiders trilogy imaginable and more than just another Indiana Jones knock-off. The action is there, the adventure is there, the characters are there, the banter is there, the intrigue and lore is there, and most importantly, the heart is there. So, the bigger question is how come this one didn’t get any sequels made? It’s a complicated story.

The film was considered a success at the time of it’s release grossing 374 million dollars worldwide. Because of that, a sequel was greenlighted. However, next time around, it wouldn’t be Spielberg that would be taking over directing duties but it would be Peter Jackson this time around. According to Spielberg, the pair agreed to take turns when it came to directing new installments in this franchise. It was initially suggested that the second movie would based on Hergé’s The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun. Unfortunately, this project still has yet to see the day.

For the past several years since the original Tintin came out in theaters, the cast and crew have given significant updates on the process of the sequel while constantly claiming that the picture was not dead and would eventually see the light of day. However, 12 years later, that has yet to be made and has remained in development hell. Even though, there has yet to be a confirmation that a Tintin sequel has been officially cancelled for good, it is looking less and less likely that a follow-up will ever get made.

It’s a massive shame that Tintin and Snowy has never gotten a proper sequel or franchise. I along with many others that have watched this movie would certainly love to see more adventures with this pairing and learn more about the whole that Tintin himself inhabits in. It’d give that perfect Indiana Jones vibe without actually being Indiana Jones and possibly even showing off a better younger Indy than any episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Even though it’s been over a decade since The Secret of the Unicorn got released, I still believe there is a proper way to re-introduce this character for a worthy follow-up in the 2020s. Not only because of the cast and crew still have desire to do another one but because they could take a page for what Dreamworks did with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Just like with Tintin, Puss in Boots 2 was also a sequel that was multiple years in the making and took over a decade to come out but it exceeded possibly every expectation that anyone had for it. The main key ingredient with that was the way they were able to update the animation style that the Spider-Verse movies had and used it as a template to tell an incredibly story in a way you could never do in live-action. It could fit perfectly for the world of Tintin as that too had animation that at time was over-the-top and nonstop but also felt like something that could only exist in animation, and of course motion capture. Even if using the animation style is becoming more apparent with recent animated films, I believe Tintin could learn the right lessons from that and used it to create stellar animation that would work perfectly with telling it’s story, making creative action sequences, and having characters be more expressive than ever before. If DreamWorks could make it work with The Last Wish, then I don’t see how it can’t work here.

Regardless, of how you feel about Dial of Destiny, I do think The Adventures of Tintin is something that you should check out if you haven’t already. It contains all the fun, heart, spirit, and excitement that the better Indiana Jones movies have while also being an incredibly unique picture in it’s own right. It’s one of the most overlooked animated movies in recent memory, one of Spielberg’s best films in the 21st century, and is just a terrifically enjoyable ride all around.

Tbh, I would honestly add that movie to my ranking of Indiana Jones movies even if it really isn’t one. Like, how else can I convince people to watch this movie who haven’t already? Even so, check out The Adventures of Tintin if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed!

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the original Into the Spider-Verse was an absolute gamechanger for animation. Not just because it was a near masterpiece of visual storytelling that was able to deliver everything that any hardcore comic book or casual fan could possibly want in an animated Spider-Man flick and then some, but was once again proved that animation should be allowed to stand as it’s own medium and NOT as a genre. For many years, animation tends to get a rep for being simply made for kids. Movies such as Minions, Trolls, The Emoji Movie, and even to some extent The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Yes, I’m going there!) gave the impression that animation seem to only exist to keep the kids entertain for an hour and half with flicks that don’t have much meaning or substance behind any of it.** Then, once the kids grow up, they simply move on from animation and stick with strictly live-action movies as those seem to stand out more as being movies for “grown-ups”. However, over the past few years, I would argue there seems to be a renaissance and evolution with animation that you could argue started with Into the Spider-Verse.

Animated movies such as The Mitchell vs The Machines, The Bad Guys, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, and (hopefully) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem have used the Spider-Verse animation style as not just a template for breathtaking animation but to tell engaging stories with that animation, the kind of stories that simply could not be told in any other form of medium. It wasn’t just the amazing visuals and set pieces of The Last Wish that engaged folks last Holliday season, it was the superb character development, resonate themes, and the way it used the visual and set pieces to tell a story about life and death and why you should never take any for granted. As animation continues to move forward, the recent success of it can all be tie back to the original Into the Spider-Verse, which, just like the best of animation, was able to not just be a movie strictly for kids, it was for everybody.

After having our minds blown in 2018, there was no doubt gonna be a sequel. Five years later, we have Across the Spider-Verse, the anticipated follow-up which was delayed from it’s initial release date of October 2022 and was even titled Across the Spider-Verse Part 1 until it got changed. And if there’s anyone that believed that a follow-up towards the original couldn’t match or top that bar of quality, to grab a quote that the characters in Across the Spider-Verse say multiple times, “the sky is the limit”.

While it may not match the level of surprise that Into the Spider-Verse had and may leave plenty feeling frustrated albeit amused as it’s notable cliffhanger ending, Across the Spider-Verse makes for another marvelous cinematic experience and will instantly go down as of the most definite middle film chapters in recent memory, perhaps all time. Everything you loved about the original is still present here, the themes and messages that the original got across is expanded to even greater affect here, there’s plenty of callbacks, references, Easter eggs, and fan service galore that will put plenty of smiles on faces, and even if you are left underwhelmed with the way things wrap up, you will no doubt be anxious to see the next one come spring time next year. Across the Spider-Verse not only helps showcases the bright future of animation that awaits us but perhaps the bright future of cinema in general, assuming the right lessons are actually learned, something which Hollywood always tend to drop the ball hard on every time.

Plot Synopsis: Taking place after the events of Into the Spider-Verse, we visits Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), on Earth-65, who is struggling to live up to her father’s expectations. Her father, George Stacy (Shea Whigham) is unaware that Gwen is actually Spider-Woman, who the police captain has a vendetta against because he believes that she was the one responsible for the death of his daughter’s best friend, Peter Parker.

One night in Manhattan, Gwen ends up in an encounter with the Vulture from another alternate universe. It’s then she is approached by two distinct Spider-People, Jess Drew (Issa Rae), a pregnant Spider-Woman who is also a member of the Spider-Society, and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), the leader of the Spider-Society, who arrive using portal-generating watches and helps Gwen subdue the Vulture. Things take a tragic turn when Gwen is confronted by her father and reveals her identity to him. Being in a shock of disbelief, Captain Stacy attempts to arrest his own daughter but Gwen is able to escape through a dimensional portal with the other two Spider-People after Miguel grants her membership in the Spider-Society.

In Brooklyn on Earth-1610, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is learning how to balance his personal life with his life as Spider-Man. His grades are slipping albeit still averaging around A’s to B’s instead of perfect A+’s and he is struggling to live up to his mom (Luna Lauren Velez) and dad’s (Brian Tyree Henry) expectations. He encounters a new enemy known as the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a scientist whose has an vendetta towards Spider-Man because he was responsible for having his body infused with portals after the Alchemax collider explosion. At first he’s written off as being another disposable bad guy until things take a turn for the worst and the Spot might just be responsible for not just the creation of Miles as Spider-Man but also could lead to the destruction of the Spider-Verse as we know it.

Gwen is able to transport her way towards Earth-1610 to reconnect with Miles and also secretly tracks the Spot across dimensions. However, there may be things that Gwen is not telling Peter that could lead to consequences and getting Miles sucked into a battle he was never destined to be a part off. The two then must take a journey across the Spider-Verse where they along with plenty of other Spider-people that are part of the Spider-Society must stop the Spot from invading the Spider-Verse before he is able to put an end to everyone and everything Spider-Man related.

Just like the original Into the Spider-Verse, it is absolutely incredible with how it’s able to hold up together and never feels weighted down by anything. Despite all of the characters, plots, arcs, themes, and fan service that can be found here, it all flows incredibly well and never feels disjointed or loose. Nearly every single moment or scene that can be found here serves a purpose of some sort. Whether it’s to deliver a spectacular action sequence, a slow but meaningful character moment, or include an obvious call-back that will make fandom cream in their pants, it’s all there for a reason and will never take you out of the movie. Whether you look at the movie as being a visually dazzling animated spectacle, an Easter egg flick, or an earnest character study of arguably the most iconic superhero of all time, Across the Spider-Verse is able to have all of it’s cake and eat it fully with immense satisfaction.

Miles Morales is still here and still makes for arguably the most unique version of Spider-Man that has ever appeared in movie form. If the first movie was about Miles learning to come to terms with his own version of Spider-Man, then this one is about him learning how his own version of Spider-Man is different compare to every other version. While the traditional beats of the character such as the constant struggle of balance between having a normal life and a superhero life along with struggling to connect to friends or family members are still present, it’s strictly Miles’s hand on the wheel this time. Only he can drive forwards towards his own future in ways that no one Spider-person can. He might be Spider-Man but just because he is Spider-Man doesn’t mean he has to follow the traditional path of those that came before or after him, or at least that’s what Miles himself believe. While we will have to wait until the next one to see how that plays out, it’s quite fascinating to see the next step in Mile’s story be about him trying to write his own chapter to his own Spider-Man instead of just copying from any other version.

Just like with the original, there’s is a splendid supporting cast of Spider-Men and Spider-Women that each will have at least one favorite among the fans. Issa Ree’s Jess Drew makes for a unique spin on the character as being the cool, soon-to-be Spider-Mom, that’s able to be a badass of her own while also not having to keep her identity a secret. Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk gets plenty of laughs and a handful of standout moments as this pop rock version of the web swinger. Karan Soni’s Spider-Man India…basically speaks for himself but in the best way possible. And of course, it’s delightful to see Jake Johnson’s Peter B Parker return in a more mature role where we see Peter having his own kid after getting back with Mary Jane Watson and now has to be a hero not just for himself but for his own daughter as well.

The one main standout in terms of the new characters comes from Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara or Spider-Man 2099. While the Spot might technically be the main bad guy of the picture, there can be a strong argument to be made that the actual antagonist is no other than Miguel himself. He seems to be the one person that believes that Miles being Spider-Man is a mistake and is the one thing that could ruin the so-called “canon” of the Spider-Verse. While I’m sure this is clearly meant to be a jab at obsessed fanboys that rejected the idea of someone other than Peter Parker being Spider-Man because…reasons and why getting worked up over what it is or is not canon in anything is ridiculous, it does make for a great contrast with Miles’s goal throughout the movie. Miguel is someone that wants everything to be set in stone, Miles is someone that wants to move that stone towards anywhere where his head is at so it could make for a possible, brighter future. While you can understand both points of views, Miles and Miguel have their own personal reasons for doing what they do and clearly feel in the right even if they might be clearly in the wrong.

And of course, we can’t talk about Across the Spider-Verse without mentioning Gwen Stacy as Spider-Woman played by Hailee Steinfeld. To put it simply, this is as much her movie as it is Miles, if not more so. Not just because the movie basically begins and ends with her along with giving her the most complete arc of the movie but it also highlights why Across the Spider-Verse stands out as being more than just another animated movie for kids. With the way each scene is framed, lit, and colored involving Gwen Stacy, it’s able to tell her story in a way that you simply couldn’t tell in live-action or any other form of media. It’s the visual storytelling and the wonderful animation that’s able to carry Gwen’s story about coming out as a superhero, dealing with the aftermath of it, and how she might have to leave those she previously loved behind if they can’t accept her for who she is really is. There are plenty of people that have made connections to Gwen’s story in ways that I’m not sure was intentional or unintentional by the filmmakers but even then, it makes for some masterfully creative storytelling and is honestly the most engaging part of the movie.

Which also has me going into the big debate this movie has had in terms of potential criticisms. There are many folks that have claimed that the movie feels like a “Part 1” and doesn’t work at it’s own thing but I honestly disagree. As I said before, if you look at the whole movie from Gwen’s point-of-view, it’s a complete story arc that has a beginning, middle, and a end. And heck, even if you at it through Miles’s point-of-view, he still has meaningful character growth throughout the movie and does have an arc of his own right where he tries to take matters into his own hands instead of just letting faith trying to write itself. Does the movie set up the next arc for the next movie right at the end of this one? Absolutely! However, there’s enough material in here that easily stand out as it’s own movie.

When it comes to production values, it’s quite amazing how much can be done with animation with a budget of just 100 million dollars. The animation might just be the very best I’ve seen in any movie to date. Not only does the whole movie look AMAZING but just about every single frame of animation is able to tell a story in it’s own right. The set pieces are absolutely spectacular, the characters are as expressive as they can possibly be, the editing is Oscar-caliber, and even the soundtrack somehow manages to outdo the previous movie. The main standout scene is no other than the chase sequence with every Spider-person known to demand. If that scene really took four whole years to create like it’s been reported, then those four whole years were put to perfect use. Every ounce of hard work and effort that the team of animators led by director Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson is on full display throughout the entire 140 minute long runtime and every minute of it is put to great use.

And if you haven’t figured it out by now, the voice acting in the movie is just perfect. Every single actor or actress gives a performance that don’t just feel like they are doing it for a paycheck, they are clearly doing it because they are immensely IN LOVE with their roles! I think almost any person on the planet who has liked Spider-Man have imagined themselves playing any version of Spider-Man. With the way the cast is able to deliver their vocal performances, they don’t just feel like another actor or actress, they feel like one of us who have wished to be Spider-Man someday. And to not get too deep into spoilers, there is one cameo in the movie delivered by a well-known Spider-Man actor that just brought a tear to my eye. It’s was only one line of dialogue but I get the impressions that actor has waited a LONG time to be able to deliver it and it shows in just that one scene.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows that the Spider-Verse can in fact make lightning strike twice. Everyone involved with the making of this movie wanted to take everything to the next level without holding anything back and they are able to exceed greatly. While we might have to wait to see how they stick the landing with Beyond the Spider-Verse next year, this is no doubt another important milestone for animation. Just like how these Spider-Verse movies prove that Spider-Man belongs to everyone, so does animation. And there should be no one out there that should say otherwise.

Even if we somehow manage to find ourselves in the alternate Spider-Verse in which the next movie ends up being disappointing, Across the Spider-Verse should not be looked anything as yet another reminder of what these movies can do when the heart and passion is there. As I said in the beginning, the sky is the limit. And I don’t think there has been a movie in recent memory that fits that meaning entirely than Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

** I know that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is MUCH better than those other movies but let’s be honest, that movie was strictly made for kids (and fans) first and everyone else second. Don’t deny it!

Other comments:

• No, there is no post credit scenes but stay anyway to pay respect to those that worked so hard on this movie for the past five years. It’s the least we can all do.

• When it comes to the theory around Gwen Stacy, I said it’s more head canon right now but I can totally understand why certain groups connect to Gwen on that level. It makes me wish more storytelling involving representation was anywhere near as creative.

• Miles’s mom is hot. Just saying!

• I can’t recall the last time in recent memory where my theaters was on complete cloud nine throughout the whole movie and even when it was over. These movies are really something special!

• When it comes to complaints of sound editing, it really only became noticeable to me during the opening scene of the picture. After that, it was just fine for me.

• Your move now, Tom Holland!

• Again, sorry it took so late to get this review up! If you want know exactly why, read my blog update I just published.

This year, it will be a full decade since 2013. Yes, you read that correctly. Because of the fact that we live in a time where time seems to fly faster than even the Flash himself, it has been ten years since 2013. I’m as baffled about that fact as you are but the truth is the truth. Of all the things that I look back on about the year 2013, the main thing that really stands out for me was how great of a year it was in terms of video games. No matter what your favorite genre or series of games are, there was a good chance you were satisfied with what you got from them in 2013 (unless you’re a Pac-Man or Sonic fan).

I honestly believe there’s a strong argument to be made that 2013 was perhaps the best year of gaming of the 21st century thus far. There was way too many bangers released at the same time that it was so hard to chose which ones to play at the time they came out and which ones to hold off of until the hype had died down. I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for gamers everywhere to make a top 10 list of their favorite games that year. As we look back on gaming in 2013, I want to celebrate by naming my top 15 favorite games that came out in that exact year.

I do want to make a couple of disclaimers. Firstly, I never did own a PlayStation 3 or a Wii U. So any game that was made exclusively from those consoles and never got ported anywhere else will NOT be on this list. Secondly, this lists ONLY include games that I’ve actually played. So, don’t expect to see games such as DmC: Devil May Cry, The Stanley Parable, The Wolf Among Us, and Pikmin 3 on this list. Gaming is expensive and I only purchase games that I’m actually interested in playing and believe will give me my full money’s worth. Thirdly, as is with any list I post on here, this is strictly my opinion. I shouldn’t have to say that but since this is the internet, I think you know why I should mention that.

Anyways, now onto the main list.

15.) Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins gets a bad rep. Whether it’s due to not matching up to the quality of the Rocksteady games or the misleading marketing of it, this is considered to be the black sheep of the series. However, when you actually look at the game for what it is and not strictly for what it isn’t, there’s plenty to like here. The gameplay is still fluid and fun, seeing Bruce Wayne in his younger, more reckless stage as Batman is engaging, and it hands down has the best boss fights in the entire Arkham franchise. You can definitely argue that this is a “filler” game but as “filler” games go, this is about as good as these kind of games can get.

14.) Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

I’m not the biggest Assassin’s Creed person out there but I would be foolish to ignore how enjoyable Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is. The open worlds are gorgeous and fun to explore, there’s plenty of content and side missions to keep you distract while completing the main course, and I can’t recall a game in recent memory that gave you the most satisfying experience as being a pirate. Only a forgettable story and too many tailing missions prevent this from being even higher on the list. Even if you are not a fan of Assassin’s Creed, I would say give this a shot because it’s one of the better entries in the series.

13.) Injustice: Gods Among Us

What did you get when you basically have DC’s answer to Marvel vs Capcom and Mortal Kombat, you get Injustice: Gods Among Us. This is a fighting game that can basically appeal to anyone, whether it’s hardcore gamers, casual gamers, or die hard comic book/superhero fans. You get access to anyone of your favorite superheroes throughout DC Comic’s history and pit them all against each other. Throw in a compelling story of Superman losing his powers and going full dictator with an impressive rose gallery of any notable DC hero or villain, Injustice: Gods Among Us is able to deliver exactly the kind of fighting game that it sets itself out to be with nothing convincing you that you won’t get your full money’s worth out of it.

12.) Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon

I’ve never played the original or even the third game but this game along with the series itself makes for a very intriguing one for Mario’s lovable younger brother, Luigi. There’s something so genius about creating a game where Luigi has to navigate through a haunted mansion and face his greatest fears, that being ghosts. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon makes for one really entertaining action-adventure game all around that provides a very unique spin to the Mario franchise and giving Luigi the perfect spotlight to shine.

11.) Rayman Legends

For those looking for a good and well-made platformer that is able to be challenging and frustrating in the best of ways, look no further than Rayman Legends. This has the looks, feels, and creativity of an very effective platformer that will always kick your ass but you will always feel eager to play through it until you beat it regardless. With a bunch of surprises thrown in, beautifully colored background, fair difficulty spikes, and overall fantastic level design, Rayman Legends is about as good as 2D platformers can get and in some respects, is even better than that.

10.) Super Mario 3D World

I didn’t get to play this game until it came to the Switch in 2021. While this is not the best Mario game ever made, Super Mario 3D World is easily one of the more “fun” ones. This is the one Mario game that would introduce one of the most satisfying power-ups in the series with the catsuit allowing you to climb walls and use a scratch attack. It’s also nice to have Princess Peach be a playable character this time around who joins Luigi and Toad to save the day and not just be a simply damsel in distress once again. Yes, it’s certainly not the hardest game ever made but for those that just want to kick back and relax with a straightforward Mario game, this will definitely do the job for you.

9.) The Last of Us

It’s certainly a hot take to have this one rated this low on the list. I imagine everyone and their mother and their grandmother has this in their top 3 at least. From the engaging narrative to the air tight gameplay to the groundbreaking graphics to the impressive sound/voice work, there’s a lot to love about The Last of Us. What holds it back for me is how there are times throughout the game where it feels like it’s trying to be more of a movie or tv series than an actual game (which is ironic considering this would eventually be adapted to a tv series). I’m also not a fan of the completely abrupted ending and the clickers are the most annoying enemy in any video game I’ve ever played. Still, from a technical, narrative, and even gameplay standpoint, The Last of Us is immensely impressive but it’s just not a game that I go back to a lot. It’s an experience that feels very one and done for me but it’s no doubt an experience that is worth experiencing.

8.) Deadpool

The critics were harsh on this one when it came out. While many praised the fourth-wall breaking humor and the meta-filled plot, major criticisms was filled at the gameplay being too dull and repetitive, being compared unfavorably to the Batman: Arkham series. However, speaking as someone who is a big fan of the character, I found Deadpool to be every bit as fun as the Batman: Arkham games. Yes, the gameplay itself is simple and straight forward but it never grew that tiring to me because of how fun and creative the combat was along with containing plenty of amusing quips and laughs throughout that really pulls it through. Nolan North is perfect as the character of Deadpool and I enjoyed all the callbacks, Easter eggs, and references to all the other Marvel properties. It’s not high art by any means but for those who are in need of a good Deadpool fix, this game should do you nicely.

7.) Pokémon X/Y

The ultimate Pokémon game for the 3DS is no other than Pokémon X and Y! It’s able to make use of the 3DS feature completely by added in new gimmicks and features that never hinder the experience. There hasn’t been a Pokémon game quite like that is able to find the right balance of all these different elements into something grand and making it a cohesive whole. It’s able to bring in the things that fans of the previous games have loved about the franchise while also adding in new elements that will appeal to newcomers. When comparing X and Y to the rest of the games in the series, it makes for one of the most consistent and socially-connected Pokémon adventures yet!

6.) Metal Gear Rising Revengeance

And while we are talking about games that’s pure unapologetic, over-the-top fun, how about Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, a game that takes the obscurity of Metal Gear and cranks it up to 11. Whether you are looking at this game as a slashing action-packed adventure or even as the game’s overall story about modern politics that unironically predicted the future of America ahead of time (And I’m not just saying that because there’s a character that literally utters the line, “I’ll make America GREAT AGAIN!”), there is something in here for any kind of hardcore gamer. Add in a really rocking soundtrack, fun boss fights, and all the hashing and slashing imaginable, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance makes for one entertaining adventure in the Metal Gear canon. Yes, Solid Snake is not present this time around but that does not ruin the game whatsoever and shows this series can have an identity without him.

5.) Grand Theft Auto V

I know this game has been overexposed and re-released as much as about any video game ever has. However, if you can close your eyes and imagine yourself back to 2013 when this game came out, then you have a Grand Theft Auto game that is the absolute complete package. Whether you are playing the main campaign, going through online modes, or even messing around and causing chaos just for the sake of getting the police force up your ass, there’s nothing here that won’t keep you entertained whenever you are playing it. This is a game that basically lets you do whatever you want and there is nothing stopping you from trying out whatever you like. Has the hype and success around this game along with Rocksteady continuing to remaster it over and over again diminished the reputation of it a bit? Absolutely! But when looking back on it without the hate-filled glasses on, Grand Theft Auto V is no doubt a game that is a must-own for any gamer to add to their collection.

4.) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

We all love a good Zelda game but for me, the best kind of Zelda games are ones that feel the most relaxing and comforting to play. Before Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom perfected that relaxing and comfort level for me, A Link Between Worlds was able to accomplish that with great wonders. Taking the familiar overworld of A Link to the Past and able to reimagine it greatly for the 3DS, this is one of the most pure fun games in the series and possibly the best experience that Link has ever had in 2D form. Add some impressive 3D visuals, highly entertaining puzzles, a new, revised item-collection system that adds to the gameplay experience, and a terrific open world to explore, you got one of the best Zelda game of all time with A Link Between Worlds.

3.) Tomb Raider (2013)

Talk about how to a serious reboot of a series right! While undoubtedly taking a page from the Uncharted, the modern update of Tomb Raider is able to embrace everything that fans have loved about the character of Lara Croft over the years while also being able to stand by itself perfectly as it’s own unique thing. The graphics are breathtaking, the gameplay contains the perfect mix of combat, platforming, and exploring, the set pieces are terrific and never make you forget you are playing a video game, the voice acting all around, especially with Camilla Ludington as Lara Croft herself, is outstanding, and Lara herself has never been a more compelling and engaging character than she has ever had. While I can flip a coin as to whether this or it’s sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider is the better game, Tomb Raider (2013) is no doubt one of the best gaming reboots to date and one of my personal favorite action-adventure games.

2.) Fire Emblem Awakening

There was not a single game in 2013 that I put in more time and hours in than Fire Emblem: Awakening. This is easily one of the most addictive RPG games that I’ve ever played and possibly even my favorite game on the 3DS. Whereas most games of this genre tend to get bogged down in insane difficulty spikes, dull-looking maps, and muted graphics, Awakening is able to be much more welcoming to those not familiar with the genre and also be more rewarding at the same time. The story itself is engaging, the character themselves are compelling, the lore and world building is intriguing, each power-up, level-up, and weapon upgrade of each character you control is addicting, and by the end, the whole experience is immensely satisfying. Whether you are a newcomer to the series or not, this is a huge recommendation for those that own a 3DS.

1.) Bioshock Infinite

When it came to games released in 2013 that surprised me, entertained me, impressive me, and kept me engaged the whole way through with no notable flaws to be had, I can’t think of a game that hit those bullet points to me as hard as Bioshock Infinite. This game gives you everything you can possibly ask for when it comes to a first-person shooter. The shooting gameplay itself is immensely fun that never wears out it’s welcome, there’s so many unique weapons to choose from that always adds to the experience, the graphics are out of this world, the art design is perfect and matches the Bioshock world completely, the storytelling is some of the best in any video game I’ve played, the mature themes the game provides still resonates with me a full decade later, the voice and sound work is absolutely superb, and Booker and Elizabeth has to be one of the most engaging pairing in not just video games but in any work of fiction that I’ve ever seen. Call of this high praise hyperbole if you want but there was not a game in 2013 that satisfied me more than Bioshock Infinite. I’ve already beating this game five times before and I would be more than welcome to do it all over again. Bioshock Infinite is not only my favorite game of 2013, it’s one of my favorite FPS games to date and one of my personal favorite games period. I can not praise this game enough!

It’s been just over one month since Major League Baseball has kicked off in 2023! In a year where there were rule changes designed to speed up the clock and get more action in the game, there has been plenty of things that folks did not see coming to start the year. There’s the Tampa Bay Rays who won 13 games in a row to start the year, the New York Yankees that had been severely bit by the injury bug and then some, the Chicago White Sox’s supposed championship window that has been multiple years in the making has blown up in their faces, and of course the Pittsburgh Pirates of all teams are in sole possession of 1st place in their own respective division. However, I don’t think there hasn’t been anything as shocking, flabbergasted and even amusing to watch from the rest of the baseball world than the abysmal start of the St. Louis Cardinals. With the exception of fans of the Oakland A’s who will now be forced to watch their declining team depart for Las Vegas in the coming years, there has not been a fanbase in baseball that has suffered quite as much this season than that of the St. Louis Cardinals.

After today’s 11-7 defeat against the Los Angeles Angels, the Cardinals are now at a dreadful record of 10-22, the worst record in the National League and only behind the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics for worst record in all of baseball. It’s their worst start to a season since 1973, literally 50 years ago, and the first time they’ve finished 12 games under 500. since 1999, the year which saw the movie releases of The Matrix, Fight Club, Toy Story 2, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The Cardinals has been a fairly consistent and successful franchise since the beginning of the 21st century, having only one losing season to speak off which occurred in 2007, a year after their 10th World Series title. Unless they are able to pull a devil magic fueled run out of their butts for the remainder of the season, this will likely be the first losing season since then. While the Cardinals being this bad at baseball might be surprising (and even delightful) to the rest of the baseball world, if you were to ask fans of St. Louis, this is honestly something you could almost see coming from a mile away.

Despite the Cardinals coming into the season as favorites to win the NL Central for the second straight year and were even dark horse candidates for a World Series run by some, they had some glaring issues that their front office refused to address in the offseason that could hold them back. They had a starting rotation that was projected to be one of the worst in baseball with no ace or notable top pitcher to speak off, they had to deal with a much more balanced schedule and not having as much games against weak division opponents, the banning of shifts which aided them the last few years with their stellar defense backing up their pitch-to-contact starters, and the notable retiring of two faces of the franchise with Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. And all that President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak and crew had to response to those issues during the offseason was the signing of the best free agent catcher on the market in Willson Contreras and literally nothing else. Even with those glaring flaws not being addressed, the Cardinals still believed themselves to be contenders for 2023. After all, they had six starting pitchers, according to Mo himself!

Needless to say, putting blind fate in a severely flawed rotation and expecting the offense to mash their way to six or more runs per game has backfired severely for the Redbirds. This was something that Cardinals fans going into the season were well aware of but for whatever reason, the front office and management were either unaware of or just didn’t care to address. However, this had been a notable problem for at least the last few coming years. I’ve already address the main things that St. Louis was going to be without coming into the season but let’s go over some of them one-by-one to show how the “success” the Cardinals have had in recent memory may not be as impressive as one might think and why their dreadful start seemed like it was years in the making.

A More Balanced Schedule

As much as the Cardinals have had a winning record for the last 16 years, one has to wonder how much of that is credited to how bad the others teams in their division has been and not just how good St. Louis has been. Yes, the Cardinals were able to make successful playoff runs in the early 2010s where they were a legit threat to other teams but how about in recent memory.

Since their early postseason exit to their longtime rival Chicago Cubs in the 2015 NLDS, the Cardinals have only won one playoff series and lost 11 of the 15 playoff games that they have played in, including losing 9 of their last 10. Which again, begs the question of how much of those playoff appearances mostly came from wining enough games against weak division opponents such as the Reds, Pirates, and other teams that weren’t trying to win for the past few years, and not because they are actual legit competitors.

All you had to do was look at the St. Louis Cardinals last year. Despite having an impressive record of 93-69 during the regular season, they were 34-38 (34-40 if you count the playoffs) against teams with winning records and just 47-41 facing teams outside of the NL Central. Which is why their two-game sweep in the playoffs at home against the Philadelphia Phillies should not have been as shocking as it was. Heck, even I mention that the Phillies shouldn’t be underestimated back last October since they have more experience against competitive teams such as the Braves and Mets in their divisions last year and I was right.

Regardless of what you could say about the Cardinals last year, they were no longer gonna be able to beat up on as many crappy teams for 2023 as they’ve done before, due to a more balanced schedule where everyone has to play everyone. It was their chance to prove to the world that they have been real competitors all this time instead of pretenders. Unfortunately for them, they are surely looking like pretenders.

The Banning of Defensive Shifts

I’m honestly shocked this wasn’t talked about more during the offseason than it was as a potential downside for this team in 2023. For a team that had a rotation filled with pitch-to-contact guys and had been relying on gold glove caliber defense to win games, the removing of the shifts was gonna play a HUGE factor to this season. And the Cardinals have SUFFERED as a result.

You would be hard pressed to have seen a team this year that has suffered from giving up hits that always manage to sneak pass the defense because they can’t shift, bloop hits that bounces in the least likely spot possible, and constantly failing to put away hitters when they are down to their last strike within an at-bat. Not having any notable swing-and-miss starters was going to put the defense to the test and that team has not been up to the task whatsoever.

The defense has been one of the Cardinals’ greatest strength for the last few years, most notably in 2021 where the team won a combined total of five gold glove awards, the first team in MLB history to accomplish that. However, one can’t wonder if that had more to do with the defensive shifts being included in prior years that than their actual skills on defense. That’s not to discredit the defense as a whole but they were gonna have to be WAY more affective than they are now to be able to back up their pitching staff.

Losing Legends

It was always going to be a tough hole to fill with longtime faces of the franchises and future hall of famers in Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina heading into retirement after last year. Even when Albert departed in free agency after 2011, the Cards still had Yadi front and center as being an exceptional catcher and leader to carry them ever since then. However, they are now gone and a good chunk of that leadership that was able to carry the team for nearly the past two decades would be gone. Even with the other beloved Cardinal veteran in Adam Wainwright deciding to return for one last season, who has provided great leadership over his career in St. Louis, it was going to be much more glaring than anyone realized.

To give the front office credit, they did go out and get the best possible replacement for Yadi in the offseason with the addition of Willson Contreras, who left the divisional rival Cubs. While his framing of pitches and calling games would be much to desire, his strong arm and elite offense should be enough to overcome these obstacles. It wouldn’t be Yadi but at least it seems like his successor would be a legendary one. However, that does not seem to be the case whatsoever. While the offensive numbers from Contreras have been solid to start the season thus far, his framing pitches, calling games, and chemistry with the pitching staff has been far from it.

Again, it’s hard to hell how much of this is actually Contreras’s fault and more of how Cardinals have just been spoiled by Yadi for the past 18 years. The Cardinals has had a similar pitching staff for years now but they’ve never been as bad as they are now. Is it just that Yadi was just a once in a generation catcher that was so masterful at framing, calling games, and carrying the pitching staff for so long that anyone that follows him was gonna look bad in comparison? Is it that Contreras is just a bad catcher whose only notable strength is his arm and bat? Is it just that this starting rotation was as ever bit as weak as it was projected to be for this season? Regardless of what your answers are to any of these questions, the absence of Yadier Molina has left an enormous impact.

While the noticeable lack of Yadi can be found with what goes on in play on the field, it has also greatly affected what goes on off the field as well. Manager Oli Marmol had a successful rookie season as manager in 2022 by winning 93 wins and winning the Central division. However, with how bad the Cards have been to start the year, how much of last year’s success can actually be contributed to his managerial skills. A big portion of the blame for St. Louis poor display of baseball can be contributed to Marmol’s questionable in-game decision making, outspoken comments on particular umpires, calling out his own players, most notably Tyler O’Neill, and having little to no feel for the game. It makes you wonder how much of last year’s success could be contribute by the veteran leadership from the likes of Albert and Yadi than it does with Marmol.

Even taking away losing two veteran leaders and future hall of famers, this is mostly the same Cardinal team from last year that won their division with only notable differences being the addition of Wilson Contreras and the subtraction of Jose Quintana. Not to mention, Molina had been gone for a good chunk of his final season and Pujols didn’t really take off his swan song surge until after the All-Star break. Even if you take in the fact that they will have less games to beat up on the Reds and Pirates (who they are currently behind in the division), it’s baffling how a team that is mostly young with a handful of well-known veteran players still present could be this bad. Which again goes back to the manger Oli Marmol.

Did Marmol ever form a connection with the players in the past year or was it just the veteran leaders who were on their goodbye tour that motivate the players to play their butts off? Was it actually Albert and Yadi that the players was playing for and not the manager himself? No one has an definitive answer for it but once again, the lack of their presence has made results quite noticeable.

Yes, you can also argue that superstars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado could be considered veteran leaders as well but they haven’t really been known for having success in the playoffs nor have they come close to winning a ring. Not to mention, they have been on several losing teams over the years with their previous teams they were a part off. While the Cardinals are never comfortable with losing, Goldy and Nolan have been for quite some time during their time with the Diamondbacks and Rockies. After being a part of a bunch of bad seasons with their previous teams, how’s another one going to hurt for them?

It’s not fair to blame it all solely on Goldschmidt and Arenado but it does make you wonder if the two are as quiet and stoic off the field as they are on the field. While there’s a strong argument that those two will be future hall-of-famers due to the success in the regular season, their lack of credible leadership has not made this start for the Cardinals any better whatsoever.

It Was All Leading Up To This

In all hindsight, this honestly feels more than just an ordinary bad season like the Cardinals’ last losing season in 2007. At least, that team was coming off of a World Series win and playoff runs in six of the last seven years. A down year after a championship victory was easier for fans to swallow. Unfortunately, now that we basically live in the age of “What have you done for me lately?”, the 2023 Cardinals have no recent success to look back on that they can be proud off. It’s been 12 years since the team’s last World Series title, 10 years since the team’s last World Series appearance, and even 9 years since their last actual National League Championship series victory. Since then, they haven’t really come close to another successful playoff run and it’s looking like they will not have another one anytime soon. This is mainly because the problems that the Cardinals have right now are ones that have been incredibly obvious in this organization for the past several years, from top to bottom.

Thus far, the 2023 season basically feels like a tribute to every screw-up and mistake this front office has made since the 2011 title. From the awful free agents signings to the dreadful talent evaluation to the poor development of prospects to the inexperience coaching/management to the lack of a plan, vision, or any accountability from the higher ups, reality is finally starting to settle in for the Redbirds. Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same!

The only difference with this season is that there will be NOTHING that can bail them out this time like it has done in previous years. They no longer have weak division opponents to beat off of because they have now improved over the years. They no longer have defensive shifts to back up their pitch-to-contact filled pitching staff because the shifts are no more. They no longer have proven winning veterans that can guide the team through tough stretches because they are now long gone. And I’m fairly certain that there’s NOT gonna be another historic 17-game winning streak or collapse on par with the 2011 Braves and 2021 Padres that will be able to get them in the playoffs because they no longer have the heart, identity, or so-called “pixie dust” they have had over the years. The baseball gods have at long last stop giving the Cardinals their blessings, now it’s payment time. And that payment has resulted in the franchise’s worst start in 50 years and as the season goes on, could be one of the worst seasons in this franchise’s massive history.

Can They Turn It Around?

Of course, some will argue that it’s still early and that there is five more months of baseball left to play. After all, this is a team that just two years ago were able to pull an historic 17-game winning streak to get into the playoffs. You can also look at teams in recent memory that were able to make impressive World Series runs despite having terrible starts to their seasons such as the 2019 Washington Nationals or last year’s Philadelphia Phillies. While that is still technically possible, I just don’t see that happening because of all the faults that are present with this roster that can’t be fixed with a soft patch, most notably the starting pitching.

The 2019 Nationals had a starting rotation filled with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin (at least when he was good), and Anibal Sanchez. The 2022 Phillies had arguably the best #1 and #2 punch in all of baseball in Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola. Aside from maybe Jordan Montgomery (who will be departing in free agency at the end of the year), the Cardinals have absolutely no one even close to the level of the pitchers mention. The starting pitching has range from inconsistent to just plain awful and that will likely not change.

They do have Adam Wainwright who is expected to come back soon and perhaps young top prospects such as Matthew Liberatore or Michael McGreevy might add a bit of a spark to the rotation but I don’t think that’s going to be enough. With the lack of a true firearm, swing-and-miss starter, or a notable ace of any kind, any chance of a resurgence like previous teams mentions is incredibly unlikely. And please don’t bring up the 2011 Cardinals, that drum has been beat FAR too many times for nearly the past decade.

Unless there’s a big change in the front office and management or the roster that has underachieved for the first 32 games is able to MASSIVELY overachieve for the remaining 130 games, I do not sense a turn around coming anytime soon. At best, they might finish in 3rd or 4th place in the division and just beat out from being in the bottom 10 in baseball but that’s about it. The glaring flaws from the organization from top to bottom can no longer be controlled and there isn’t enough proven talent that can overcome them the way they have done in the past. If the 2022 Cardinals was the equivalent of writing a bike with training wheels, the 2023 Cardinals is the equivalent of writing a bike for the first time without them and crashing hard into a tree as a result.

The End Of A Dream

As I’ve suffered watching this team consistently finding ways to lose game after game, it doesn’t have me thinking of what’s gonna happen for the rest of the season but more what’s going to happen to this team in the future. And I can’t help but thinking that this season is just a start of a long, rough road ahead. This is basically what has been in the makings for several years now and it’s finally caught up.

As of right now, there is no ace-caliber pitcher in the system, no reliable or proven outfielders, no notable leaders, no proper face of the franchise, and they no longer have as many bad teams to beat up on as they’ve done in the years past. These aren’t problems that can be fixed over the course of a season or off-season, these are problems that are going to take YEARS to fix. I’m talking fresh new philosophies in the hitting and pitching department, experienced coaching and managing that know how to develop their talent and use analytics properly, and a new front office that knows how to observe and evaluate the talent they have without letting an Sandy Alcantara or Randy Arozarena slip away. Unfortunately, that looks like that won’t be the case anytime soon.

Owner Bill Dewitt Jr. is clearly on John Mozeliak’s side every step of the way and has provided him with more job security than the President of the United States. At best, it will take multiple disastrous seasons such as this for there to be a massive change from the people responsible for the construction of this team. And that does not sound like a team that is pleasant to watch whatsoever.

Because of all that and more, this is the first time I can recall as a fan that I just don’t have any hope or interest in this team going forward. They clearly have no plan or vision for the future and have been relying on blind luck to carry them to over 82 wins and wild card clinches since 2016. Now, that luck has officially ran out and as everyone in baseball can now tell, they have no answers or solutions to any of the problems presented. If the people in charge of this mess don’t know or care how to fix this, then why should I bother spending my time with it.

I will always have plenty of memories from this team to fall back on that can never be taken away. I’m grateful to have see this team win multiple times and witness a couple of World Series championships before my very eyes. However, I think now might be a proper time to take a long break from the team. Say for next month where I may or may not go with my family to watch this team on the road against the Texas Rangers, I have no desire to attend another game until something big changes for the future. Everyone involved with the Cardinals FO have had undeniable successes in the past but they have long past their expiration date and it’s time to move on from them. If not, then prepare for seasons such as this one for the foreseeable future, Cardinals fans. We have one dark future ahead of us.

Do you remember when the Guardians of the Galaxy were the underdogs? Do you remember when no one aside from hardcore comic book fans knew of their very existence? Do you remember when this was an untested property that was for sure to fail simply because it wasn’t another traditional installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, back when it was simply just Iron Man and his amazing friends? Well, here we are now nearly a full decade later and these a-holes are still around.

Not only is Guardians of the Galaxy one of the more beloved series within the MCU but it’s also one of the only remaining properties left from Marvel to be a guaranteed financial hit based on the name alone. And with Vol. 3 set to be the conclusion to this iteration of the Guardians, they are about to lose another one. While that might be a negative from a business standpoint, it is surely a positive from an artistic and creative one. Not only does it give director/writer James Gunn the chance to end his Marvel run on a high note before he departs full time to course the upcoming DC universe, it’s able to provide something that very little comic book movie trilogies have nowadays, an actual definite ending.

Make no mistake, there is nothing that is on Gunn’s mind throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 than given the trilogy that he started a truly satisfying conclusion with the characters that he loves from the bottom of his heart. There’s no concern with setting up other movies, there’s no attempt to get you interested in whatever comes next, and it’s not even trying to be the so-called “savior” of the MCU. The only goal it sets for itself is to give a good and proper farewell to what is arguably Marvel’s most surprising franchise yet. In all of those regards, it succeeds entirely.

While there is some flaws to be had, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is simply fantastic. It’s every bit as good as the first two, and in many regards even better, it instantly joins the list of some of the very best work in the MCU, and it will no doubt satisfy audiences that are just craving for one last adventure with their favorite band of galactic misfits. It’s far in a way the most mature of the Guardians movies, every character gets a meaningful arc or moment to shine, it’s themes around family and friendship are more meaningful than ever before, and even some of the shortcomings of the more recent entries (mainly the CGI and VFX work) are actually some of the very strengths of the film. While there will certainly be plenty that will be put off guard with how different it is compared to the first two Guardians movies in regards to tone and feel, it’s clear that nothing in this movie is included without purpose. James Gunn knew exactly the movie he set himself out to make with this one and he accomplishes it greatly.

(Warning: The following premise might contain some mild spoilers for the movie. The reason I say this is because there is a certain subplot/element that the trailers have not touched upon. It’s not a huge spoiler as it’s revealed early on in the movie but for those that want to go into this movie completely blind, be warned.)

Plot Synopsis: Taking place after the events of The Holiday Special, we see the Guardians adjusting to life on the planet Knowhere, where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still grieving over the lost of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and constantly getting flat-out drunk in the process. One night, a powerful golden A.I. created by the Sovereign named Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) is sent to Knowhere to find Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and bring him back to High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the mad scientist responsible for making our favorite trash panda the way he is now. While Warlock fails his mission to retrieve him after encountering the other Guardians members, Rocket is left badly wounded and on the verge of death.

The team tries to heal Rocket until Nebula (Karen Gillan) explains that any attempt to operate on him will trigger a fail-safe device inside of him that could potentially kill the raccoon. It’s then that the Guardians team of Starlord, Nebula, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (Vin Diesel) set themselves on a mission to retrieve the code that will turn off the fail-safe device that is inside Rocket in order to save his life. Of course, they can’t do it themselves as they also seek the help from Gamora, who once again is the Gamora from 2014 and not the one that Peter fell in love with, who is with the Ravagers, led by Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) and also has Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Yondu’s second-in command, who is still around.

Meanwhile, as Rocket is on his potential death bed, he has constant flashbacks to his time with the High Evolutionary, where he was experimented and tortured along with his friends. The High Evolutionary is a sinister monster who has a goal of trying to make everyone and everything “perfect” while creating a new Earth that is filled with nothing but perfection. The Guardians of the Galaxy find themselves facing their biggest challenge yet, not only to save the galaxy from the High Evolutionary but also saves their own well-beings.

When reading that plot synopsis, you might think that sounds quite dark for a movie about the Guardians of the Galaxy along with taking place within the MCU. And you would be right! This story plays out as grim and somber as you would imagine that certainly earns it’s PG-13 rating (and that’s not just because it’s the first MCU movie with a f-bomb added to it). By diving into the past sins of the Guardians along with flashback scenes about how Rocket Raccoon got created the way they did, Gunn leaves no stone unturned and isn’t afraid to have his audience witness these bleak events along with these characters.

To be sure, the movie still contains the typical humor and comedy that the Marvel movies are known for with plenty of amusing gags and quips throughout that adds enough light to the bleakness of the story. However, unlike with most other MCU movies, the humor serves a purpose and adds to the characters themselves. They aren’t simply joking around because they are in an MCU movie, they are joking to hide from that sense of sorrow that they are feeling deep down and it’s just who they are. It’s manages to be the darkest of the Guardians movies while also the funniest of the Guardians movies without it ever coming across as too jarring.

The biggest hook with the Guardians of the Galaxy other than the weirdness and sci-fi elements is with the characters themselves. At this point, James Gunn basically assumes you love these characters to death and are willing to go through any journey with them. After going through their own movies where they save the galaxy and the crossover movies where they (somewhat) save the entire universe, here we see the Guardians saving themselves….along with a handful of others. It’s not only their raccoon friend that’s dying, it’s their emotional well-beings and the thought how the next mistake they make could be the last one. And if that is made, did they do what they wanted to accomplish for themselves or do they need to fight for that second chance to do so?

Did Peter Quill need to make amends with his grandfather to feel whole again? Does Mantis need her own identity aside from being a servant to Ego or a member of the Guardians? Does Gamora need to be the Gamora that the family remembers to be accepted? Does Rocket really need to run towards the monster who made him instead of running away from him to fulfill his destiny? Can Nebula turn her sister the way she did to herself? Can Drax serve a purpose that doesn’t involve sacrificing himself to be with his family again? Can Groot say anything other than I am groot? All those questions in more helps showcases just how far the Guardians are willing to go to save themselves because at this point, they all know that they love each other just as much as the audience loves them.

What really helps here are the performances of the main cast that certainly give it their all and deliver their finest performances to date. Chris Pratt is able to deliver the emotional beats as well as he has ever had as Star Lord, so much so that the moments where he’s being quippy can be seen as coming out of nowhere even when it’s what the character has been doing all along. Zoe Saldana finds even more depth to Gamora, where she basically has to play a character that is not the ones that was with the Guardians with the first two movies and Infinity War, and is able to absolutely sell it. Karen Gillian is great at helping showcasing just how far the character of Nebula as come since her somewhat extended cameo in the first movie. Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff are just as lovable, funny, and charming as they’ve been in the previous movies as Drax and Mantis. Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, despite always appearing in and out of the film whenever the script needs it, blends well with the rest of the cast as well as Linda Cardellini as Lylla, Rocket’s female friend. The other returning cast members from the previous movies such as Sean Gunn’s Kraglin, Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar, and Elizabeth Debicki’s Ayesha are recognizable but still enjoyable to see.

The two biggest standout performances however comes from Chukwudi Iwjui as the main bad guy of High Evolutionary and Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon. High Evolutionary makes for hands down the most HATEABLE bad guy in the entire MCU, one that you absolute love to LOATHE for all the sinister things that he has done and his bats*it crazy plan. This all makes it the more better with Iwjui’s performance who strikes a fine line between going full ham and being a legit threat at the same time. When it comes to Bradley Cooper as Rocket, this might go down as the very best performance in the entire MCU. Although he plays less of the sarcastic, wise-cracking raccoon, he’s able to give an emotional and vulnerable performance of being a little fella that’s on life support. Cooper has proven to be a great dramatic actor on occasions but I don’t I’ve ever seen him tackle a role quite like this.

In terms of production, this is a huge step-up from previous MCU movies. While there’s is obvious CGI and effects added to the picture, it never feels jarring or out of place. This is a beautiful film to look at because of how clear the vision of James Gunn is on screen. I don’t know if it’s because there was more time added to this than other MCU movies or because Gunn is just a more experience director but this is still a visually dazzling film that never becomes unpleasant to look at. The action sequences, while a bit few and far in between compare to the other Guardians movies, are quite good with one extended, one-camera sequence in the climax being the clear standout of the picture. These scenes are cut, clean, and easy to follow/enjoy while they are happening. And of course, the music choices are just as inspired as the previous Guardians movies and the original score by John Murphy might just be the best of the trilogy.

In terms of downsides, there are times to where the movie does move too fast to get from one emotional beat to the next, which mostly involves characters talking about their past mistakes much faster than they should even if the situation they are in calls for it. There’s also the subplot involving Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock that makes sense thematically but feels disconnected with the rest of the movie in terms of story. And there’s also a plot element that’s introduces during the third act that feels tacked on and seems to only exist to add more tension towards the second half of the climax.

Even so, even when these movies are not perfect, they always feel right. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a satisfying ending to it’s trilogy along with showing off 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 movies.

I don’t know what the future holds for the MCU or the team members that live to fight another day but at this moment, I don’t really care. All I wanted from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was for it to deliver a conclusion that felt definite and right. And if you ask me, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third.

Other comments:

• Yes, there are two post credit scenes!

• And yes, I saved the worst pun for last!

• Btw, I’m not joking when I said this is the darkest and bleakest of these movies. Fair warning to children taking their kids to see this, there are some haunting flashbacks scenes with Rocket involving animal abuse and extermination. If you think that’s too much for your children to handle, then you might want to skip out on this one.

• How in the world do you give the MCU’s first F bomb to Chris Pratt and NOT Samuel L Jackson? Kevin Feige better answer for that!

• Nebula might honestly be the most developed character in the entire MCU! Her arc throughout these movies is just magnificent!

• I know James Gunn loves his friends and family but maybe cool it with the constant cameos off them for future DC movies. Or at least make them less recognizable!

• Love the shout-out to St. Charles, Missouri!