Author: Adam

Whenever there’s a sub genre that’s successful, Hollywood always tend to ride that success train as long as they can. Whether it’s sci-fi like Star Wars or superhero cinematic universe movies like Marvel, they will milk it until the cow is 100% dry. Even then, about five or so years later down the road, they will just find another cow to milk until that one is also completely dry.

Right now in Hollywood, what’s looking to be the next successful sub genre is with the concept of multiverses. While multiverse have always been around in some form for some time now in comic books, tv shows, and video games, it hasn’t really been presented as such on the big screen until now. With the box office success of Spider-Man No Way Home and Into the Spider-Verse along with the inevitable box office success of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we’re about to see multiverses from every major movie franchise out there like no other. It has already been introduced in video games as of late with Ratchet and Clank, Crash 4: It’s About Time, and later on in the future with Spongebob: The Cosmic Shake. There’s even rumors that the new Sonic the Hedgehog Netflix Series will have it’s own multiverse with it. Let’s also not forget that Flashpoint movie that’s suppose to come out when DC finally decides to release it or finally recast the role and dump that psycho Ezra Miller. While it has not made the impact yet on Hollywood, there’s no doubt that the impact is on the rise and will change the future of blockbuster cinema.

Meanwhile, we now have A24, the studio that is most beloved by film experts and most hated by movie goers everythere. The studio that is always guaranteed to get rave reviews by critics and a F on CinemaScore deciding to play in the sandbox of a successful subgenre just before it’s about to take the world by storm. However, unlike with 99% of media who has used the multiverse concept thus far, this one isn’t based off a well-known IP, this is it’s own thing.

This is a top to bottom original story with original characters using the multiverse idea to craft a mind blowing creative and imaginative tale on the meaning of life and nihilism. A film that uses the multiverse not to simply go back in time and hit the same beats of movies we already love, but go back to create interesting and unique beats of it’s own. A film that uses the multiverse to create some of the best and most inventive action setpieces you will see all year. A film that gives editor Paul Rogers the biggest challenge of his life of taking multiple different shots from multiple different time periods in the film and somehow have it all feel cohesive. A film that is basically about an older woman trying to be everything she can be all at once yet somehow is also able to be nothing at the same time. A film that basically tells us that this is Michelle Yeoh’s (and also Ke Huy Quan’s) world and we are all just living it! The film we have is Everything Everywhere All At Once, the best movie of the year so far and will definitely be one to top for the remaining eight months of 2022!

Synopsis: Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is an aging Chinese-American woman who is struggling quite a bit with her life. She’s running a struggling laundromat that is on the verge of bankruptcy, her business is being audited by IRS after she incorrectly filed her taxes, has a lesbian daughter (Stephanie Hsu) who is trying to get her new girlfriend Becky, accepted by her family, her dying father (James Hong) is making his way towards town, and lastly, her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) wants to fill for divorce. This makes her business and personal matters even more troublesome when during a meeting with an inspector of the IRS (Jamie Lee Curtis), she gets interrupted by a Waymond from another parallel universe. It’s then that this Alpha Waymond explains to Evelyn that there are multiple parallel universes that exist and every single choice she makes can create a brand new universe of her own. However, the multiverse is in danger by the hands of Jobu Tupaki, originally referred to as Alpha Joy, who can control these universes however she likes and may just have a big connection to Evelyn herself. Evelyn must now master the powers of controlling these parallel universes and stop this Jobu from destroying the space time continuum.

How’s that for a premise!

Most of that synopsis don’t go past the first act but it’s quite astonishing how multilayered and far-stretch the film is willing to go with this premise. It’s not just filled with references and call-backs to movies that we all like (although there is a VERY welcome shout out to Ratatouille), it’s able to use this bizarre concept to construct an interesting and compelling story in it’s own right. The multiple different versions we see of these characters and also Evelyn is not just to show off fancy new visuals and set pieces (Although, they are nothing sort of amazing!), but it makes for a really fascinating character study on Evelyn herself.

We constantly see multiple different versions of Evelyn throughout the film and nearly every single one magically has it’s own arc that ties into the main character herself and gets a resolution of some sort by the end of it. There’s a universe where she’s a chef, a universe where she’s a movie star, a universe where she’s a martial artist, and even a universe where she’s has hot dogs for hands and fingers. There are plenty more examples than that but regardless of how many different alphas of Evelyn we may see, they are all in service of the overall arc that our main character goes throughout the course of the movie. Each one of them is referenced and is given a pay off of some sorts along with help gaining new abilities for Evelyn to use as the film goes on.

Evelyn is a woman that, regardless of what universe she may appear in, is suffering from an identity crisis. Regardless of what version she is, there is always something that feels empty inside of herself. There always come some sort of shortcoming that leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Whether it’s from her husband, her daughter, her father, or her main job, she can just never be the best version of herself. No matter what choices she makes or the direction she decides to go in her life, it always ends up hitting a brick wall.

This makes a terrific showcase on how far someone will go to find their purpose in life. They will try multiple different things and even do some of it all at the exact same time. Yet, they still feel unsatisfied. They try to be so many different things at once yet ends up not being much of anything. Or in the case of this movie, Evelyn tries to be everything at everywhere all at once yet that could be the exact thing that leads to her downfall. There are plenty of things we would like to be throughout our lives but it’s overwhelming to try to be all of those things at the same time because then you will likely end up with nothing when all is said in done. Despite there being many movies that have tackled the themes of identity and purpose, there hasn’t been one that has done those themes as fascinating as Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The main selling point of this movie is Michelle Yeoh herself and man, she has never been better on the big screen than she has been here. For a movie where she is basically asked to play over a dozen different characters at the same time, she is able to nail every single one of them without losing side to the version that she is playing at that exact moment. It’s easy to get absorb into her performance as we follow her as she takes a weird, cosmic journey to the unknown of the unknown as she discovers which version of herself best illustrates who she is deep down while also trying to save the multiverse from her own mistakes. Plus, even for a woman in her later ages, Yeoh is quite convincing in the action sequences, especially during the moments where she gains new abilities. This is the kind of movie that lives and dies based on how our lead does in front of the camera and man, does our lead absolutely kill it. If Yeoh is not at least nominated for Best Actress by next Oscar season, prepare for the Academy to lose even more credibility than ever before.

The rest of the cast should absolutely not go unnoticed here. Stephanie Hsu is a tremendous standout here playing as Evelyn’s daughter. It’s hard to go too deep into her performance because that would result in spoilers but she is absolutely captivating every time she is on screen. She’s a born movie star than I have ever seen one. Tallie Medel is lovely as Joy’s girlfriend. James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis don’t get as much screen time as the main trio of leads but do get their own moments to themselves with their characters. However, it’s the unexcepted but welcome turn of Ke Huy Quan that helps make this movie the most worthwhile.

You might remember Quan as a young kid where he played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data Wang in The Goonies, but it’s so great to see him back on the big screen as a proper adult. Quan has stated that the reason he took a break from acting was because of a lack of Asian representation in movies but I really hope this one is able to inspire for more representation because he’s so good here. He does make a great counterpart to Evelyn’s conflicts she must face throughout the film as not just a husband who wants a break up but also acts as a starting guide to herself and the audience to the multiverse this movie introduces. He also gets plenty of exciting action beats to himself, the big one being one where he introduces the power and abilities he gains from traveling across the multiverse. I sure hope to see more of Ke Huy Quan down the road because the man more than deserves it. And also, did anyone notice that Randy Newman makes an uncredited cameo as *Spoiler*’s *Spoiler*.

The movie itself looks absolutely breathtaking. The Daniels were able to show off their kind of direction style in Swiss Army Man and their imagination shines even brighter here. While some might find the style to be a bit “in your face”, there is always a sense of reasoning behind every single shot framed and edit to make their unique vision fit well on the big screen. Editor Paul Rogers deserves MAJOR props with the way he had to put this whole movie together filled with multiple different versions of each characters in the movie and have it all be some sort of coherent. There are plenty of quickly-cut montage that could be overwhelming whenever you see them unfold but no doubt, Rogers is able to figure out the right mix with spinning so many different plates in the air at once. The costume designs by Shirley Kurata are inspired, the makeup effects by Michelle Chung and Anissa Salazar look great with all different versions of the characters, the action sequences are well choreographed and unlike anything you have ever seen in recent memory, and Son Lux’s score is mesmerizing and will likely be stuck in your head moments once the credits start rolling. Every single individual that was a part of this creative team deserve every single prop imaginable to make this film become a reality.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a movie that feels like it’s existence at all seems like a miracle. It’s proof that there are still movie directors out there that aren’t afraid to put their own stamp on filmmaking. It’s proof that creativity and surprise is still possible for movies out there. It’s proof that you can take a concept that is sure to get tiresome soon or later and can still something worthwhile out of it. I have a handful of gripes such as a somewhat overlong resolution and a couple lines of dialogues that feels like it should have been SHOWN instead of TOLD by the characters, but nothing can take away the worthwhile time I had with Everything Everywhere All At Once.

It’s has if the Daniels are taking a great look at the future of films and decided to make a movie with a familiar concept, not to simply mock it, but show the best version they can of it possible without the need to neglect or devalue the ones that come before it or will after. I didn’t love Swiss Army Man as much as I wanted to but the Daniels absolutely sold me as unique filmmakers with this marvelous achievement. We’re only in April and I’m sure there are plenty of great films on the rise, but I’m positive I will see nothing like Everything Everywhere All At Once for the rest of the year.

Your move, Benedict Cumberbatch!

A couple of other notes:

• Sorry for the delay on this review but I’ve had other things going on along with wanting to let this movie sit with me a bit before completing this review.

• This is the first movie that isn’t a main blockbuster in recent memory that I could recall most of the crowd in my screening stayed until the very end of the credits. I think that’s a good sign with how the majority of audience will view this movie.

• I never thought I would need a Ratatouille sequel 15 years later but, here we go!

So, Michael Bay is the good guy now? After years and years of critics and movie goers going on and on about Michael Bay is the devil and he’s all that has gone wrong with movies today, we are now all suppose to just turn around and claim that he was actual an angel risen from heaven all this time?! Sorry but I don’t buy it!

I’m not gonna claim I’m a full blown Michael Bay hater. There are definitely films of his I do admit to enjoying, whether it’s as a guilty pleasure (Bad Boys, Transformers, Dark of the Moon) or as a genuine work of art (The Rock, Bad Boys II, 13 Hours), but he is definitely not a director worthy of sympathy or deserving as having some sort of reappraisal. Especially since when you get right down to it, he’s one of the most financially successful directors working today, so he already had his legion of loyal fans from the gecko. While his notable good work should be notified, so should all of his bad work.

Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Island, Revenge of the Fallen, Pain & Gain, Age of Extinction, The Last Knight, and 6 Underground.

Those were all poor to downright terrible movies. When you do the math, there is more bad in his filmography than there is good. I’m not someone that likes to drag someone through the mud because they made a bad movie or two but when there’s been countless bad ones on one’s resume, then plenty of people have reasons to not overrated or praised a certain director.

So, forgive me for not thinking that Mr. “I only make movies for teenage boys” was the savior of cinema all alone just because he has his own sort of “style” and has never directed a Marvel or superhero movie in his life. Or someone that nearly got part of his crew killed when filming the movie I’m about to talk about and even nearly sexualized an underaged Megan Fox in Bad Boys II (which almost makes me want to take it off the list of his actual good movies). But, hey don’t tell Film Twitter that or else they’ll have to go on about how Zack Snyder is the actual final hope for humanity from now until the end of time because we didn’t slober over his garbage DC movies.

Anyways, I’m gonna keep my thoughts on Ambulance brief as I don’t have a ton to say about it that could cover for a big review. Plus, I’m more interested in exposing the hypocrisy of those involving with discussion of films along with the same, tired cycle of pretending to be a fan of someone or something you were never a fan of to begin it. It’s an obnoxious trend that I’m getting sick and tired of seeing and I feel the need to address it.

First things first, how’s Ambulance? It’s fine, I guess. Definitely not something I would put in the absolute failures of Bay’s filmography but certainly not something to lump in side with his actual good movies. It falls into the same tropes that Michael Bay movies usually consist of. Mindless explosions, over-the-top action, shaky cam, exciting practical stunts, dirty humor, high saturation, references to his own films, and even having a military character of some kind. That being said, it’s still able to get away with most of these tropes with the film’s overall sense of intensity throughout it’s runtime, some admittedly solid direction, and it’s compelling cast ( Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Elza Gonzalez being the standout) that get you invested in them just long enough before you stop finding a reason to care. However, like with most of Bays movies, it is one that will fade through your head moments after you see it and will most likely make you feel exhausted by the end of it.

I’ve seen many people compare this movie to being in a five-star chase in Grand Theft Auto. The problem with that is those chase parts in a GTA game wears out it’s welcome after less than 30 minutes when playing it. Sure, it’s cool to be able to kill fake people and blow up fake cars and see how long you can get away with it without facing any actual consequences, but once you done that like once or twice in one sitting, it just become stale and you feel like doing something else. Plus, I don’t recall in a GTA game where you are able to kidnap a hostage for long stretches unless you stole a bus or going through a certain story mission. Just like when playing a bad guy in a typical free realm, open world game, Ambulance has a premise that really only works in small doses and becomes clear why throughout it’s near two and a half hour long running time.

A couple of other problems is that there are certain character’s actions that don’t make a ton of sense, certain motives that constantly keeps changing every 20 or so minutes, and at times, it can be hard to figure out who side is suppose to be on who because of some decisions that are made by the characters. Even if that’s what Bay was going for, I don’t think that was handle as well as it could have been. I do at least admire though that the third act didn’t go massively overblown with explosives and mindless action that most of Michael’s movie have suffered from, (something that nearly ruined the third act of 13 Hours). So, I guess that’s refreshing.

Overall, if you’re looking for an entertaining enough action thrill ride that will keep your interest on a free day, Ambulance is serviceable for a price-off Tuesday afternoon at your local theater. However, for those that have grown tiresome of the kind of movies that Transformers had become over the years along with plenty other dumb, brainless blockbusters, then you best skipped this one. I would probably put it somewhere in the middle of Michael Bay’s filmography as a movie that doesn’t deserve much scorn but not one that deserve much praise either.

As far as ratings, I’d say it’s a 2.5 stars at best and 2 stars at worst. Make of that as you will!

That being said, the overall quality of Ambulance is not the actual reason for me wanting to write this post but to talk about this absurd reappraisal of Michael Bay as a filmmaker. It’s about the most absurd reappraisal for movies since blind Star Wars fans trying to convince themselves that the Prequels were actual masterpieces and beloved all along by everybody (Try telling that to poor Jake Lloyd!). And it will most likely be the most absurd reappraisal until the edgelord contrarians come out from their tunnels when the MCU’s Fantastic 4 comes around that the Josh Trank’s trainwreck that somehow was able to find it’s way into theaters in 2015 was actually some sort of misunderstood gem (Something that not even the people who worked on that movie would agree on).

If there’s anything I despise more in the world when it comes to talking about movies, it’s being the contrarian. I don’t mean in the sense of having a different opinion than others on a movie, that happens all the time. What I mean is making your entire platform filled with contrarian takes on movies as a means of trying to take a shot at another successful movie series or trying to come across as more clever than you actually are. Whether that’s because these people believe that’s the only way they can grow their viewership or that’s what they really think deep down is beyond me, but it’s incredibly obnoxious nonetheless.

In the case of film discourse surrounding Michael Bay’s new movie, Ambulance, is how there are certain folks how there that have come out claiming that Michael Bay, who has for the longest time been considered the scapegoat of everything wrong with blockbuster filmmaking and a whipping boy in the film industry, was actually good all along and is now somehow one of the very few filmmakers left that have a bold “vision” of their own. Something which is 100% false by the way!

While I know there are definitely folks out there that have had this opinion on Michael Bay and his films for the longest of the time, even when it became the “cool” thing to hate on Michael Bay, there is no doubt that this opinion was absolutely not share by the majority of film critics and everyday movie goers. All you have to do is read the hundreds of negative articles and posts on Michael Bay as a filmmaker and how a certain new movie of his is the worst thing ever! All it takes is a quick google search to find titles of said websites that doesn’t sound very nice to Michael Bay or the films that article will likely be about.

Obviously though, the real reason why these bizarre takes are happening now in the wake of a new Michael Bay movie is so critics or big movie reviewers can take a shot at the kind of big budget movie franchises that are going on right now. The one franchise in particular is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has become the cool thing to hate on the Marvel movies in recent memory because of how overly popular they are and there have so many films in that universe for the past 10+ years. Because of that, there has become to trend to hype up the next big movie or director that doesn’t have anything to do with that universe to give a sense that there is still some other form of creativity in filmmaking. These sort of movies that have come out, regardless if they are good or not, are often being treated as the equivalent of student movies, just be happy that they got made at all because at least it’s not Marvel. I can’t tell you how much this annoys me.

Don’t get wrong, it’s perfectly fine not to like Marvel or their movies/series. There has admittedly been a lot of them as of late but that doesn’t make it any better to try to praise another movie that’s not from that series of film as a means to try to take down the other film. It’s not a very healthy mindset, especially when you are trying to make those that like Marvel to feel bad about themselves because they like those movies and don’t like the ones you are hyping up. What makes it even worse is when these movies they are trying to hype up are not even remotely good.

Two weeks ago, there were folks that were trying to defend Mobius simply because it’s not apart of the MCU or it wasn’t “woke” (Whatever that word is supposed to be even mean nowadays). Yet, none of those defense or hot takes went into why the movie was even good. What was the story? Where was the character development? Was the action any good? Did the humor or emotional beats land? How was the music and the acting? None of that mattered because it didn’t matter that it wasn’t good, it mattered because it wasn’t the MCU. That’s the exact kind of mindset I’m getting with these takes on Ambulance.

To be sure, Ambulance is a far superior movie to Mobius. There is actually things to like about it and works find as an enjoyable crazy action thrill ride, but you shouldn’t have to try to use that movie to take down another to give it a recommendation. There’s nothing wrong with comparing one movie or the other or even preferring that movie to the other, but that should not be the only selling point to the movie or make anyone feel ashamed of themselves if they are not interested in seeing or supporting it.

What’s even more crazy though is that there are plenty others movies out right now and coming later this year being made by directors that I would argue deserves to be hyped up. Not just for the big movies but actual smaller, more original films from good/great directors. Those are the ones you should focus on spreading the word from in a genuine matter. There are several that have come out now and will come out this year. They are out there, you just have to look deeper. Here’s a handful examples of some movies I’m talking about:

• Kimi by Steven Soderbergh
• After Yang by Kogonada
• Fresh by Mimi Cave
• The Adam Project by Shawn Levy
• X by Ti West
• The Lost City by Aaron and Adam Nee
• Everything Everywhere All At Once by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
• The Northman by Robert Eggers
• Dual by Riley Stearns
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent by Tom Gormican
• Men by Alec Garland
• Bullet Train by David Leitch
• Nope by Jordan Peele
• Don’t Worry Darling by Olivia Wilde
• The Woman King by Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Babylon by Damien Chazelle

Those are 17 examples I just mention of directors who are not nearly as well-known than the likes of Michael Bay with original features coming out that I would argue is or will be more worthy of your time than Ambulance.

Yet I’m not seeing that same energy being put into anticipation for those films with promising directors who have the potential to be a name as big in Hollywood as Michael Bay or even well-liked /well-known directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino, etc.. It has to be strictly Michael Bay because, well, he’s a well-known director and he has made big movies that aren’t superhero movies. Because of that, we have to give more attention to him and Zack Snyder or whatever director it has become cool to hate but have to like now, just because.

That in general, is what irks me the most about this form of movie discourse. The amount of energy that has spent trying to convince everyone that “a director or movie that you previously hated but is actually great and you were just too dumb to realize it” nonsense could be spent in trying to build anticipation and excitement of seeing lesser known directors with the potential to be more recognized with more successful movies. You know they are out there, I know they are out there.

How about showing some support to directors and their movies who need it as oppose to someone who might have haters but also has all the supporters in the world to where he can keep going to making movies and grow his fanbase even further?

Or is just trying to being the contrarian more important to you?

Think on that!

*Warning*: This post contains minor spoilers for Sonic The Hedgehog 2! If you haven’t seen the movie yet and don’t want anything spoiled, then I would advise to watch the movie first before reading through what I’m about to say. Nothing major but you have been warned!

There’s a moment in Sonic 2 where Sonic is snowboarding down a mountain and he happens to find Knuckles right on his tail. Sonic’s response to him is, “Oh, great! The Winter Soldier!” While that is clearly meant to be a funny gag and a pop culture reference, I look at it in a different way.

Here’s an actual clip of it on Youtube!

In case anyone is unaware, the Winter Soldier is a character from the Captain America side of Marvel movies. The character came into full force into Cap’s second solo entry in the MCU titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier. There are many that consider that movie to be one of the best, if not the very best, of all the Marvel movies. It’s one that made the character of Captain America more popular than ever before. What was seen by some as being too much of a goody two-shoe kind of hero or too much of a patriotic nerd, The Winter Soldier made him into a legit interesting protagonist showcasing that there was much more to the character in modern society than what the past might have claimed for him. It also made Captain America into a total badass and best of all, actually made him cool. That is the exact kind of energy that I felt was brought to all the Sonic characters throughout Sonic 2, most notably Knuckles.

Granted, Tails himself shined quite well in this movie too. While most recent Sonic media (mostly just Sonic Forces) kinda framed him as being a scared little child who can’t seem to do anything without Sonic around, this was able to show how he is capable of standing his own ground if he needs too. Sure, he’s still a young kid who looks up to Sonic and can’t be afraid time, but they were able to explore his vulnerability without taking away any of his credibility. While the movie didn’t quite dive into being the Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius that he is, it was a pretty faithful adaption of the character that I don’t think could have been adapted more faithfully. His model is perfect, Colleen O’Shaughnessey is probably the best Tails voice to date, and my god, is he not so darn cute!

However, there was not one character in this movie that shined as well as Knuckles did in this movie, portrayed perfectly by Idris Elba.

If you were to ask any Sonic fan the last time Knuckles has had any sort of role for the Sonic series that wasn’t as a background character or comic relief, they would probably take a long, deep thought and realized that it has been quite a while since that happened. The closest one could argue that the character played a legit major role was either in Sonic Adventure 2 or maybe Sonic Heroes. Just about every other big game in the series either sidelined him (Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 2006, and the storybook games) or just made him a complete joke (Generations, Lost World, Rise of Lyric, Forces). Sure, he might have had a bit more to do in the spin-off games (Battle, Riders(?)) and shows (X, Boom) but even then those still couldn’t help but make Knuckles lose his own sense of credibility. Yes, Knuckles has always tented to be gullible and manipulative but he usually always have a good reason to do so and make sense why he would believe the things he does. And yes, Knuckles has always been quite y’know a knucklehead but that’s mostly has been part of the charm of the character and at least knew that he had an actual functional brain in his head. Despite being a fan-favorite character since it’s debut in 3 & Knuckles, he has really lost it’s sense of purpose and relevancy in the series. That was until Sonic 2 the movie came around.

I might need a little more time to think on it but I’m fairly confident in making the statement that I believe Sonic 2 has the best iteration of Knuckles in any Sonic-related media. Everything about him in this movie feels so right. From his actions to his backstory to his goals/motivations to his smexy voice and to his actual menacing screen presence, the red echidna has simply never been better. Here’s five main things that Sonic 2 nailed perfectly about Knuckles!

1.) His Goal

If there is one trait that the Sonic series have ignored about Knuckles for so long, it’s his overall goal. His main goal has always been to protect the Master Emerald at all cost. It’s something that he has sworn his life to look after. Not just because the master emerald contains the power of being able to transform thoughts into reality, but because it’s something that he promised his ancestors that he would watch over it. The Master Emerald represents the last remains of Knuckles and his tribe. It’s what defines him as an important character and as just a warrior in general. I don’t know why the series for so long has forgotten about that one important trait of the character, the one trait that basically made the character the way he is. I’m so glad that Sonic 2 was able to bring that back and arguably explores it even more than it has before.

And speaking of ancestors and tribes!

2.) His Backstory

This is actually one aspect that this series has barely touched upon, where Knuckles came from. There has always been hints of Knuckles coming from an ancient tribe and that he is actually the last of his kind. Sonic 2 is the first time I can recall that actually put that major aspect of the character in the spotlight. While the backstory scenes themselves mostly consists of about 30 second long clips of younger Knuckles, it gave just enough insight as to where he came from and why it has made the character the way he is today. It does make for quite a tragic backstory where nearly his entire kin was wiped out by the owl tribe. What makes it even more tragic is that it’s believed to be the same kind of owls that Longclaw, the one that raised and mentored Sonic, were the ones that caused it. Then again, most heroes and villains don’t tend to have the kindest pasts. I’d be very curious to see if that new spin-off series will explore more of that to further develop this character even more.

3.) His Actions

Just about nearly every single choice the character makes is completely believable for him. Sure, you could argue that he was gullible for trusting Eggman but he had perfectly valid reasons for doing so. He was looking for the Master Emerald and believed that helping Eggman track down Sonic would be the only way he would be able to get it. This also came from the same Sonic that was raised by those same owls that Knuckles believes to have killed all of those that raised him. Why wouldn’t you want to do everything in your power to take that blue demon down, one that is possibly link to both the Master Emerald and the death of his own kind? Not just that, but the action that Knuckles make throughout the course of the movie is not just in character but also makes him feel like an actual character instead of just a punchline. While he definitely has some laughs in the movie, there’s nothing he does that takes away from Knuckles himself as being as awesome as he is. It’s throughout the course of the movie that he learns to have put more trust in others and that people outside of his culture are not as black and white as he was lead to believe. People tend to act differently than others and just because they can change doesn’t mean you can’t either. That sure rises above whatever actions the character has made throughout the last decade and a half plus. Just saying!

4.) His Voice

There has never been a better voice for Knuckles than Idris Elba. His voice delivery was near flawless for the character. He’s able to nail the character through nearly every beat possible. He nailed the brooding side of him where he was angry at Sonic and trying to pick a fight with him. He nailed the dramatic scene where he shares a sad story about his part to one of the characters in the movie. He even nailed the comedic scenes that were actually funny and didn’t devalued Knuckles in any way possible. I’ve been looking for that one Knuckles actor that would be able to nail every single trait of the character without neglecting one or the other but now I finally got it. Thank you, Idris Elba!

5.) His Screen Presence

Even if you throw away everything I just said, he is just so darn cool and fun to watch in this movie. Right from the first scene where he attacks Sonic, you really got the sense that Sonic had met his match. He was able to answer Sonic’s power with a power of his own. Not only does Knuckles’s design look great and is able to blend well in the real world despite it clearly being a CGI creation, he is able to steal every scene that he is in. There’s plenty of scenes that give you a great indication as to how powerful Knuckles truly is. For how powerful his punching is to being able to stop the fastest thing alive in the palm of his hands, this is definitely a Knuckles you don’t want to mess with. This is how Knuckles should always have been seen like. The Knuckles that feels like a threatening presence to all of his enemies. The Knuckles that feels like he can take on anybody that opposes him or at least put a good fight. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment that SEGA or Sonic Team thought it would be best to take away that great aspect, but I’m happy those at Paramount was able to make Knuckles as great of a screen presence as he is in this movie.

I could nitpick an aspect or two about Knuckles in the movie (like how he never once glides at all, which is also a key power of his), but the positive aspects absolutely out ways any sort of negative aspect that I can think of. As someone who’s favorite Sonic character outside of Sonic himself is Knuckles, this is the kind of Knuckles I’ve missed so much and even the kind of Knuckles I’ve waited my whole life to see. This is probably the first time I’ve ever seen a Sonic media that is able to handle every single known trait about the character without feeling the need to disregard one or the other and show that he can be all of these things all at once. He can be funny, he can be interesting, he can be engaging, he can be a threat to his enemy, he can be a badass, he can be a warrior, and most importantly, he can be just so damn cool. I never would that thought that the main approach to have this character done justice is to simply go back to his roots and explore the loose ends of it without neglecting any sort of aspect of it.

Just like how the world was relieved after The Winter Soldier to say that Captain America is actually cool now, I’m relieved to say that after Sonic 2, Knuckles is cool now.

Now, time to see if the third Sonic movie can make Shadow interesting again without having to rehash the plot of Adventure 2 again (*cough* Sonic X).

It’s quite hard to put into words as to what exactly made the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie as surprising and enjoyable as it was. Even when you took out the MUCH BETTER re-design of SEGA’s beloved/infamous mascot for the film, it still did follow the same tropes that these kind of “family movies but for kids” tend to do. Movies such as Scooby-Doo, Garfield, Alvin and The Chipmunks, Hop, The Smurfs, and Peter Rabbit. The ones that take these iconic cartoon characters but puts them in the “real world” where it’s stars a B-list actor, has them in a car for a scene or two, includes crude and “I understood that reference” humor, contains a random fight scene in a bar or something, and delivers a message about friendship and/or family incredibly simplistic and obvious so that children would understand completely. Yet the Sonic movie tended to rise above the others in that regard even while sticking to that standard formula. It didn’t work in spite of following that formula but it worked BECAUSE of it. It was able to take the familiar ideas for these kind of movies but add more wit, charm, and personality to it while doing at least entertaining things with them. However, I do think another unspoken reason why many tend to give the first Sonic movie a pass compare to those others movies I have just mention is that the movie would be good enough so that a sequel can be made that would feel more familiar to the games and be allowed to deliver more of the Sonic goods that fanboys like myself have always wanted to see on the big screen. A trapping that many video game movies in the past (most recently, Uncharted from a few months ago) have fallen victim off. In that case, we now have Sonic 2.

While I’m not quite sure I can say Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is an objectively better movie than it’s predecessor as it’s more unfocused, overlong, and the jokes don’t land as much as it should, but it does do it’s job of mixing in the elements that Sonic fans like myself will be looking for in a Sonic the Hedgehog movie that they might have felt lack in the first one. We get to see more Sonic-related characters in this one with Tails and Knuckles, see Jim Carrey’s Robotnik in a more Eggman-like form, include more lore from the games, most notably the Master Emerald, teases and easter eggs for possible future movies (including the most “you can see it coming from a mile away” post credit scene imaginable), and get to see the relationships with the main trio develop on the big screen with a nice expansion of the friendship and sense of belonging message from the first one. If the first movie felt a standard kids movie that just happens to star Sonic, then this is a standard Sonic movie that just happens to star human characters.

Premise: Taking place after the events of the first movie, we see Sonic (Ben Schwartz) still living and paling around with his human friend/cop, Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and his wife, Maddie (Tika Sumpter) as he is trying to find his purpose as a hero on Earth and what good he can do with his speedy powers. As Tom and Maddie go away for the weekend to Hawaii to attend Maddie’s sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) wedding, Sonic must look after the house and the dog to prove to Tom that he is more responsible. However, Dr. Robotnik A.K.A. Eggman (Jim Carrey) has returned back to Earth after being stranded on the Mushroom planet with the help of Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba), who is looking for the Master Emerald, something that he and his tribe has sworn to protect in order to bring balance to the universe, and believes Sonic knows the location of it. We also see a cutesy fox named Miles “Tails” Prower (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) who idolizes Sonic and transported himself from his world to warn Sonic about Knuckles. Sonic later finds out that finding the Master Emerald might actually be a key to his so-called “destiny” as Longcaw, his former mentor/caretaker belives and is his one shot to prove to the world that he can be a hero. It’s then a race against time as Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before Eggman and Knuckles do.

If you are familiar with the Sonic the Hedgehog games, this is about as basic of a plot as the games go. Eggman (Yes, I’m gonna keep calling him that!) is back in town, wants the Master Emerald or Chaos Emerald to unlock unlimited powers, finds an ally or two that might help him achieve that goal, and Sonic and friends have to stop him before it’s late. It’s basically a mix between the games Sonic 2 and 3 & Knuckles along with an episode or two from one of the cartoons thrown in. I really can’t think of much of anything story wise that Sonic fans (or even moviegoers) that they won’t be able to predict or see coming. Save for one twist that is so bizarre and far-fetched that I bursted out laughing. But, then again, story has never really been Sonic’s biggest strength. What has been a big strength of the franchise is it’s lovable memorable characters.

It can be easy to describe the movie version as Sonic as being the most “meta” Sonic and certainly the most “pop culture reference” Sonic but it is no doubt Sonic. He’s still runs at supersonic speed, always carry around some golden rings, cracks some cheesy one-liners, annoy the hell out of his enemies, and has the sense of having the time of his life with what he is capable of doing. However, one aspect these movies nail that the games, at times, tends to ignore, is Sonic overall sense of loneliness and belonging. He might be the fastest thing alive with powers that no other living creature has but there will always be some emptiness inside himself if he is unable to use those powers without a purpose and someone to share them with. He found that later on in the first movie with Tom and finds it in this movie with Tails and Knuckles.

Not only does Tails in this movie feel in line as his character from the games and cartoons as being a young kid that has always looked up to Sonic and views him as a big brother-like figure, but he also ties well with Sonic’s arc in the movie of wanting to be seen as a hero to someone and finding his own purpose while helping someone else find theirs. Although, Tails isn’t quite the brain genius he usually is in other games with only a handful of scenes showing off his brain powers, he does make for a welcome presence and seeing the friendship develop between him and Sonic is heartwarming stuff.

There’s also Knuckles, and my god, it’s great to see him actually be cool again. Throughout the past decade plus, Knuckles as a character has been written has nothing more as either a buffoon or a complete and utter moron. For quite a while now, the franchise has tend to completely ignore Knuckles’s own role as a character and resorted him to be strictly comic relief (a criticism which the Sonic Boom series took and just put it on steroids). Yes, Knuckles has always been naïve and sometimes gullible, but he’s not an idiot and has clear goals in mind that he wants to achieve. I don’t think there has been a single piece of Sonic content that understands Knuckles more than this movies does. Not only does it nails his personality, development, and what his character stands for but he is just a plain badass and steals the movie every time he comes on screen.

As for Jim Carrey’s Eggman, he does more feel more in Eggman form this time around with the jump suit and longer mustache that has always made this iconic villain iconic. You do also see him get more advance with his tech and robot designs, including one in the final climax that is particularly ripped straight out of one of the classic games. He still isn’t shaped like an egg and doesn’t have the capturing animals gimmick that made Sonic his sworn enemy with his duty to protect his animal friends from the evil scientist but I did get a good enough sense of him as a threat as oppose to the first movie.

There’s also the rest of the human characters who, unsurprisingly, fall flat compared to the Sonic characters. They’re not bad and are even better than many of human characters throughout Sonic’s history but the overall storyline and subplots with them don’t really gel well with the rest of the movie. Tom and Maddie are still likable but really lack a purpose in this movie and gives the sense of the writers struggling of what to do with the human side of the story as opposed to the characters that fans are showing up to the theaters to see. There’s particularly one subplot involving the sister’s waiting that contains a turn that is admittedly shocking but also quite ridiculous. It drags on longer than it should and feels as if it could have been taken out of the movie without affecting anything else. There’s even one set piece that feels design to give the female characters a moment for themselves and while that’s a fun sequence in it’s own right, I couldn’t help but wonder how much better that one scene would have been if they had just bother to use one of the female characters from the Sonic universe instead. It actually could have been the perfect introduction to one particular female character from Sonic. The one that may or may not, have her own hammer.

That being said, most of the flaws from the first 2/3rds of the movie can be forgiving with how satisfying and filled with fan service the last third of this movie gives. It’s the kind of goods that I and imagine a lot of Sonic fans, have always wanted to see on the big screen. The action is exhilarating, each Sonic character gets a moment to shine, the references and influence from the games are well handled, and while I can see certain beats and moments easily coming, I still got goosebumps and excitement whenever they happened on screen.

As for the performances, they mostly get the job done. Ben Schwartz is even better this time as Sonic and feels more comfortable in the role while making his version stand out more on his own. Colleen O’Shaughnessey is still a great Tails and shines even more on the big screen than she did in Boom and the games. Jim Carrey is of course having the most Jim Carrey time as Eggman but he’s still fun to watch and really hope this isn’t the last we see of him. The human cast despite not everyone being particularly useful, is all fine here, even though I did find myself missing a bit of Lee Majdoub as Eggman’s assistant. The real standout here is Idris Elba as Knuckles. Not only does Sonic 2 deliver the best iteration of Knuckles ever but Elba delivers possibly the best Knuckles voice ever. He has the perfect mix of badass and humorous vibe to his voice and was undeniably the perfect casting for this character. It’s so nice to see my favorite character in the series except Sonic himself, be done justice once again.

The cinematography by Brandon Trost, looks much better than you would expect from a movie like this. There’s plenty of wide-scoop location shooting that looks great in it’s own right. The action is very well shot/edited and does a great job at showing off the powers from certain characters. The Sonic characters themselves look great and blend well in the real world that the movie is set in along with the things that are brought over from the games. And while it’s disappointing that none of the soundtracks from the games are included here (except for a Green Hill ringtone), the music by Tom Holkenborg is decent enough despite containing a bit too many pop songs this time around.

It’s far from a perfect movie. As I said, the human subplots doesn’t really blend well with the others things that goes on and kinda feels like it belongs in it’s own movie which could have been trimmed down to help the pacing in the first half. There’s a sequence with Sonic and Tails with other human character in the middle that is basically beat-by-beat the exact same sequence from the first movie. Also, just like with the first movie and these family comedy movies, there’s a bunch of crude and reference humor that is constantly thrown at you. While some of them are cute and will probably make kids laugh, there are plenty of others that might make you and the parents taking their kids to see this roll their eyes. Lastly, if you have seen just about any Sonic thing ever, then just about everything that transpires in the last 45 minutes (and the mid credits scene) you are bound to see coming from a mile away. It’s not necessarily a criticism from me as that was the direction I was hoping they would go and I’m sure Sonic purists will feel real pride to be able to get the references that the average movie goers won’t get, but if you at least know the plots of at least one of the main games, you will likely know exactly what you are getting by the end of it.

Then again, it’s hard to complain too much when there’s clearly much love and passion from behind the camera. Director Jeff Fowler along with writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington are clearly big fans of the material and understand exactly why these characters have appeal to fans over the years. It’s fairly enjoyable, the Sonic characters are as fun to watch as they are in the games, and even it’s obvious and simple messages are ones that kinda work with what this movie is trying to convey. Liked it fine, can’t wait for Part 3 and the Knuckles show! Into the Sonic-verse we go!

Was wrestling between 2.5 or 3 stars but I decided on 3 because of the big smile I had on my face throughout that third act.

Other comments:

• Yes, there’s one mid credit scene. Yes, it’s exactly the character you imagine it would be. While I’m personally a bit tired of that character as I believe he served his purpose a long time ago, I still am interested to see how they handle that character in the next one. I also know someone that would be PERFECT in that role!
• It feels quite fitting that this movie comes out the same weekend as opening weekend of baseball. You’ll know what I’m talking about the moment you see that scene.
• I can’t be the only one who felt that the climax was practically the exact same of a certain episode from Sonic X.
• Idris Elba lied! This is easily the sexiest Knuckles ever!

Well, f*ck me! I actually almost forgot to do this piece that I promised I would do. Granted, I had to go back work to this weekend and had very little time or energy to get this up sooner but it’s also because Morbius is such an incredibly nothing burger of a movie that I’m slowly starting to forget just about nearly every single thing that happened in the movie. However, there is one part of the movie that hasn’t left my mind yet. Of course, it’s the part that’s not even technically part of the movie but after the credits began to roll, the mid credit scenes.

Also, I was beginning to not want to bother writing this piece because it would lean into the big problem of me trying to dodge spoilers with a movie that has hardly anything to spoil and treating the post credit scenes as something vital to the movie/future of this so-called Sony Spider-Man Universe when it most likely will not in the long run. Then it began to dawn on me about how this is the exact kind of post credit scenes that are wrong with universe movies like this. Not just because it’s bad, dumb, doesn’t make a lick of sense, and feels like a complete portal for the character that this certain actor has played. More because it highlights just what most franchises completely miss the point off when it comes to an installment containing set ups, easter eggs, universe connections, and post credit scenes that might lead to something important later on down the road. Making you actually think you need to suffer through a bad movie and a bad post credit scene in the hopes that it perhaps will lead to something good in the future when you actually should not.

Let’s first go over the mid credit scenes. This is your one and only warning about spoilers for Morbius and even Spider-Man: No Way Home. If some odd, strange reason, you don’t want to be spoiled by the only logical thing that could constitute as a spoiler for Mobius, then click away and go watch the movie first, which I hope you don’t actually have to pay with your own money to watch.

Anyways, the first mid credit scene takes place at the exact time as the end for No Way Home where Doctor Strange helps Peter cast the spell that would make everyone forget he is Peter Parker and would send all of the villains from the other Spider-Man movies back to their own respected universes that they came from. However, Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes/Vulture, who is still in prison from his actions in Homecoming, gets transported from the MCU universe which he was established in and to the same universe as Morbius and (I guess) Venom are a part off. The second mid credits shows Toomes meeting up with Michael Morbius himself. He tells Morbius that he’s not from this universe and believes that Spider-Man is a big reason as to why he got teleported. It’s then that Toomes proposes that him and Morbius start a team as he believed the two can do some “good” in the world. Morbius is intrigued and the two began to form an alliance that will likely lead to the Sinister Six using whatever Spidey villains they can to one day come up against Spider-Man once Sony can figure out what Spider-Man they can actually use.

Okay, ummmm……………huh, what?

Talk about a confusing head scratcher. Firstly, how is it that Vulture actually is able to teleport onto another universe with the other Spider-Man villains when he is ALREADY apart of that exact universe that the MCU is set in? Shouldn’t he had just forgotten about Peter Parker instead of Spider-Man and that’s the end of that. Secondly, does Morbius even now about Spider-Man? Despite the trailer teasing that there’s an actual Spider-Man at some point in the movie (which is not in the actual movie), there is no evidence that a Spider-Man even exists in this universe. Why would Morbius be intrigued to get revenge on someone he probably doesn’t even know? Thirdly, is there even a Spider-Man in the universe of Morbius and Venom? Venom only found out about Spider-Man after he (somehow) got transported into the MCU but it was never established that there was an actually Spider-Man in it’s own universe. Even though there were rumors before hand about it being possibly connected to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, that’s never made clear or confirmed so your guess is abut as good as mind. Lastly, doesn’t it feel like a huge betrayal of the character of Vulture? By the end of the post credit scene of Homecoming, despite Toomes being intimately approached by the so-called Scorpion to reveal him the identity of Spider-Man, he doesn’t bite and keeps Peter’s secret safe. That established that he deep down cares for Peter and doesn’t want revenge. But because, he ends up getting moved to another separate universe and just blindly blames Spider-Man for it (which he has literally no reason to blame him for it even if it’s actually true), he now wants vengeance?! Give me a break!

But yeah, you probably already asked those kinds of questions after watching the mid credit scene itself or read the leaked description of it before the movie came out or even read the interview of the director literally spoiling that bit before anyone actually had a chance to see it. However, the reason why both of these mid credit scenes stink as to do it more than just being bad in it’s own right. This shows how most of Hollywood as an absolute miscalculation as to how superhero movies and cinematic universe movies should be run.

As much as people claimed that Marvel has a constant reliance on connective tissue and multimedia storytelling, when you really get right down to it or even think about it for a moment, it’s mostly has been a fairly self-contained franchise. Sure, every once in a while there’s that “main” movie you must watch and each once always have a universe building piece or two there, but the key trick that Marvel tends to pull with their movies and tv shows is making you think you have to watch every single aspect of it to understand the main central storyline at play here but you actually don’t.

All you have to do is look at the MCU slate last year. You didn’t needed to have watch WandaVision or Loki to be able to understand what went on in Spider-Man: No Way Home despite there being connections tied to the multiverse concept. Florence Pugh’s Yelena who made her MCU debut in Black Widow played a key part in the final few episodes of Hawkeye but you really didn’t have to watch Black Widow to understand that character and her motives. Heck, I’m pretty sure you won’t even have to bother checking that new Marvel animated series, What If? before Multiverse of Madness comes out to be able to get into evil Benedict Cumberbatch and Hayley Atwell as the new Captain America. Just like with to Mysterio himself, it’s all an illusion.

The approach that Marvel takes with their own cinematic universe is to make it’s canon and interconnectivity feel like more of a seasoning than the exact main course. Most of the set-up and universe building always takes a backseat first and the movies themselves always tend to work as their own stand-alone stories with their main characters that gives glimpses at what the future may hold for it’s own characters. It’s not like what Disney are now doing for their Star Wars series where they are treating every single episode of it as one that you must see or else you will probably be lost in whatever the main central storyline that Jon Favreau and company are trying to tell. Good luck being able to keep track what goes on in the third season of The Mandalorian without watching The Book of Boba Fett. Heck, that’s what Marvel Netflix suffered greatly from by trying to forced big tie-ins to it’s boring villains known as The Hand that made it practically required you suffer through Iron Fist to get a clue about what these guys are suppose to be in The Defenders. The MCU solves this problem by making sure to make it’s connectivity and set-up feel more like icing on a cake for the viewer rather than green vegetables you must eat before getting to the good stuff.

Most audiences watch all of these MCU movies and shows because they like what they are watching. They love the universe building, they love the action, they love the drama, they love the conflict that the characters go through, and lastly, they love the characters and their journeys. While it certainly can be rooted at times to what the audience might want to see next, it never comes across as a necessity or feels like homework. It always feel more rewarding than punishing. Marvel allows themselves to take risks with characters that might not be as recognizable or immediately profitable than the likes of Spider-Man and Iron Man but shows how far deep their library is of rich characters who are interesting in their own right who can get the audience invested in them and their role that it will get them anxious to see whatever happens next to them.

The thing that makes Morbius along with the two Venom movies (even if you are someone that likes them) look remotely bad and cynical is Sony openly stating that you have to watch a movie you may end up hating with a burning passion just so you are able to understand what happens in a future movie that you might end up hating a little less. The characters themselves lack interesting or compelling stories and is relying strictly on it’s main actors to be able to provide any sort of depth or intrigue to incredibly flat characters they are given to play. Even if the universe building itself or connections aren’t the main focus on, it always seems like it actually is because of so little else happening in the actual movie. It’s Tom Hardy doing weirdo stuff that was compelling in the Venom movies, not the actual character of Eddie Brock and the symbiote itself. It was Matt Smith having a good time that made him somewhat fun in Morbius, not the actual character he plays. It’s not Morbius itself you were required to see to find out the direction of Sony’s Spidey-verse, it was just the post credit scene of it. That’s what makes it’s ill-fated and flawed foundation stick out badly because there’s so little else to gravitated towards these movies except with seeing some good actors ham it up for an hour and 45 minutes. These movies seem to only exist so that one day they might be connected to a bigger story but the studios aren’t even sure if they will have the revenue to be able to back up their future plans.

That seems to be the one thing that Hollywood is missing the point in all that Marvel has accomplished. In order to build a solid foundation with a shared universe, you have to make it a foundation that people want to actually be a part off. You have to make the characters and the universe you are building likable and interesting in their own rights and have it’s interconnectivity as a guideline but not as a main necessity. Sony (and plenty of other big Hollywood franchises) hasn’t done any of that. By making movies that feel more like obligations or check-off lists than actual films and having post credit scenes that constantly hints at a certain future but it’s unclear if it will actually come, this are examples as to how Hollywood continues to miss the point to the success of it’s main juggernauts and we will constantly see more results like Morbius this in the near future.

Anyone has their own definition of what constitutes as a bad movie. Some says it’s a movie that fails to live up to their own personal expectations for it despite how high or low they were. Others says it’s a movie that basically is unable to meet any sort of standards of what’s required for good filmmaking through their perspective. There’s even some that find entertainment in a bad movie but is still unable to call it good because it didn’t entertain them in a way that the movie itself intended to.

When it comes to superhero/comic book movies (and I’ve certainly talked a LOT about them already), there’s three definitions of what I would consider to be a bad movie. There’s the kind of bad movie that is so bad that it’s completely watchable (ex., Batman and Robin). There’s the kind of bad movie that is so bad that it’s completely unwatchable (ex., Fant4stic). Then you get a movie like Morbius. The one that seems like a very slim version of both of those definitions. One that is so straight down of the middle in it’s badness that doesn’t meet either end of the rope of being watchable bad or unwatchable bad. Morbius is the exact definition of a superhero movie that is uninterestingly bad.

I’m almost kinda want to stop there because I’m not sure what else needs to be said that could at least make for a somewhat interesting review. It’s the kind of movie that I claimed I didn’t want to watch Fantastic Beasts 3 for because I didn’t think I would be able to come up with anything that I didn’t already complain about in the first two movies of that series. However, since I’ve already stated I would review this movie and already got started with this. I will do my best to go more in depth.

No spoilers but then again, I’m not entirely sure what to spoil because so little actually happens in this movie. The only thing to potentially spoil is the laughably terrible post credit scene that even director Daniel Espinosa already spoiled in an interview about a week before the movie even came out worldwide. Still, no big spoilers here.

Morbius is the third movie that takes place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (I guess that’s what we’re calling it now). The movie sees scientist Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), who has throughout a good portion of his life has looked for a cure to a rare blood disease that he has had forever. With the help of Doctor Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona), he believes he has found a cure in the form of bats but when the experiment goes wrong, he ends up turning himself into a form of a vampire. When his brother, Loxias Crown (Matt Smith) finds out about this same cure, he wants to take it for himself regardless of the consequences that may come of it. Michael warns him not to but Mio takes it anyway. The two then end up causing chaos all over town as the blood thirsty vampires.

The overall plot and structure is about as generic and conventional as it gets for a superhero movie. With the exact same story beats that has been done in plenty of other better superhero movies or even other better films in general, Morbius never once tries to deviate itself among the subgenre it claims to be a part of. Heck, the overall structure of the movie feel so hacked to the bone that I’m not even sure the movie itself has an actual middle act.

Once we get to see Morbius fully form into his vampire self (and this is after seeing a couple of scenes of bats swarming around him with an hilariously bad attempt at trying to mimic Batman Begins), the movie basically goes on autopilot. It’s only after about thirty minutes of the police trying to chase down Morbius after being accused of murder along with the scriptwriters desperately trying to find a way to make Matt Smith’s Milo the main villain of the movie, where we basically get to the film’s third act about over an hour before the movie is suppose to end. Somehow, it manages to be both long and drawn out as well as being completely abrupt and rushed. It’s hard to explain but I don’t even know what was suppose to be the central conflict between Michael and Milo by the tail end of the picture because the movie itself barely took anytime whatsoever to established that. The two have a difference with how they want to present their vampire forms and that’s basically it. However, once their confrontation is resolved, the movie then constitutes of what might be the most rushed ending I’ve seen in a big movie since 2018’s The Predator. Making everything that has come up to this point feel rather pointless. Almost as if the movie was just marketing time until the next movie and when Sony figures out what Spider-Man they are actually allowed to use for their so-called supervillain universe.

Granted, Venom had similar flaws as well but even that was able to be carried by the charismatic and clearly passionate Tom Hardy. It started off as yet another painfully dull origin sandbox but eventually found it’s footing by transporting itself into a buddy cop/bromance comedy that would later carry into the sequel. Morbius never inspires to be at least as watchable or enjoyably bad as Venom. A big part of that has to do with Jared Leto particularly sleep walking through the role and almost looks as if he just wants to be the Joker again. Then again, he also doesn’t have the advantage of actually having another self of himself to banter upon like Hardy’s Venom did or an interesting character to play so he’s not 100% to blame for this.

The main problem here is that there’s no arc or journey that Michael goes through the course of the movie. There’s basically no difference between Michael Morbius as a human being and him as a vampire. It’s hard to be engaged in the eternal conflict that Michael states repeatedly that he feels within himself because we’re not so sure what differs between the two sides of himself or even Milo. It’s never made clear if Michael wants a bigger goal than finding a cure for himself or if he even cares that other see his vampire self as a threat to society. It’s almost like the writers were too afraid to split his personality traits because they don’t want Mobius to accidentally come across as a hero in his own story, something that most recent “villain” origin stories (Maleficent, Suicide Squad, Venom, Cruella, etc.) including this fall into the same trap off. I guess Joker and Brightburn remain the gold standard in that regard of actually having the guts to make their center villains not the heroes of their own stories but the protagonists of it. There’s a difference.

The only time the movie finds any sort of light is when Matt Smith enters the picture. While his character is also terribly uninteresting and underwritten, Smith seems like the only person that is having fun in the movie. He doesn’t quite capture that same level of cheesy, enjoyable over-the-top ness that Hardy brought with the two Venom movies and really only has one scene to himself where he’s able to capture that same lightning in a bottle but he’s definitely fun to watch and makes you wonder why didn’t he play Morbius in the first place. At least then, you might be able to have an actor that has the charisma to be able to carry a picture with hardly any material to work with which could at least give the movie it’s own sort of value that it might perhaps leave a good impression on some folks.

Many of these flaws could at least be somewhat forgivable if there was some effective filmmaking on display but there’s barely anything to write home about here. The editing is choppy as hell and absolutely reeks of obvious reshoots and cuts. The direction is all over the place with it not knowing what character should be the main focus off each individual scene. The lightning is so incredibly dark that even Gareth Edwards would ask for a bit of brightness. The CGI looks like it came from a 2009 Playstation 3 game. The action scenes are poorly shot and nonsensical that it’s hard to feel any sort of stake or investment in them. Also, I’m pretty sure that Warner Bros should look into this movie because I’m pretty sure there are musical tracks ripped straight out of The Dark Knight trilogy.

Morbius is not the worst superhero or even Marvel movie I’ve ever seen. Especially when there exists the likes of Steel, Howard the Duck, Elektra, Catwoman, The Spirit, Fant4stic, and Suicide Squad. Even then, I could at least recommend those movies if you want a crash course on how NOT to make a movie. Morbius is just not bad or interesting enough to be part of that discussion because the movie itself doesn’t think it’s worth the time or effort. I can’t recall the last time that I was so unengaged with what is happening on the big screen and the supposed emotional moments made me go “meh”. It’s on par with the likes of the theater cut of Justice League and The New Mutants as comic book movies that have so little substance and engagement to it that it’s hard to stay anger at it or even bother putting your mind on it just a few days after you’ve seen it because it’s just not worth it. And if that atrociously awful mid credit scenes is anything to go back (and don’t worry, I will write my own piece about that a few days after the movie has been released), there doesn’t seem to have that much of an interesting (or even logical) endgame in mind either to where all of this is suppose to be going or not going.

Save us, Across the Spider-Verse! Save us all!

Other comments:

• I forgot to mention that Tyrese Gibson and Al Madirgal are also in here too as the FBI agents. The fact I forgot to mention them should say something about the bare minimum roles they play in the movie. I sure hope Tyrese was able to earn that paycheck though.

• I’m pretty sure that no one working on this movie has ever had a cat before. Apparently, they think that shaking a kitty’s litter box will get their attention. I’m not even joking about that.

• For a universe of supervillains, none of the supervillains have acted much like supervillains so far.

• What movie did Jared Leto even win an Oscar for again?

• No offense to Naomi Harris but Adria Arjon would have made a good Shriek.

• I’m starting to think about how much better this movie could have been if Leto and Smith swapped roles. Or if Leto just wasn’t cast in the movie at all. Either way, big miss opportunity.

• This was probably the first movie I’ve ever saw in theaters that had full English language throughout which included subtitles. Not sure why, but even then I was mostly able to understand everything that the characters were saying even if I didn’t care about what was going on.

• Happy April Fools Day, indeed Sony!

To paraphrase Han Solo in The Force Awakens, “Albert, we’re home!”

It was just this week that it was announced that Albert Pujols had sign a one-year deal, consisting of at least 2.5 million dollars, to return to the team that he started his MLB career with in the St. Louis Cardinals. This is his first time in a Redbirds uniform since 2011, the last year which the Cardinals won it all. After spending 10+ years in LA playing for the Angels and a half season with Dodgers, he now makes his way back to St. Louis where he plans for this year to be his final season.

While there’s no doubt about it that this is purely a nostalgia move by the Cardinals FO, I do believe there are some big benefits that Albert can provide to the team that in no way, shape, or form can bring any harm towards the team. Yes, Pujols is NO WHERE near the player he once was and how he has been since he left St. Louis over a decade ago is prove of that. However, if used properly, he can be a key factor into making a Cardinals a legit playoff and even possibly World Series contender in 2022. While the Cardinals still have other big holes they didn’t bother to fill in the offseason (mostly from the pitching department), having one of the best players to have ever played the game on in your clubhouse every day should certainly not be one of them.

To prove that, I made up a list of five reasons that I believe Albert Pujols can be a major asset to the Cardinals in 2022.

1.) A Perfect Bench Bat/Pinch Hitter

Aside from their lack of starting pitching and having to rely on young relievers that were clearly not ready for the big leagues, one of the biggest issues with the Cardinals last year was an incredibly weak bench. It did get better down the stretch with the likes of Jose Rondon and Lars Nootbaar (I still can’t believe that’s a real name), but for the most part, it was fairly subpar. Matt Carpenter was a shell of his former clutch self, Austin Dean, Lane Thomas, and Justin Williams didn’t make much impact, Edmundo Sosa was only effective when he was in the starting lineup, and Paul DeJong was plain bad no matter what his role was. A big reason for that awful stretch the Cardinals suffered in June to the All-Star Break which kicked them out of the division race, was a lack of a productive bench or reliable late-bat to count on.

However, if his time with Dodgers last year prove anything is that Albert can still be useful when used properly and can make for the right sparkplug. As a sub, Pujols’s numbers were .305 BA, .364 OBP, .458 SLG, .821 OPS. As a pinch-hitter, Pujols’s numbers were .359 BA, .395 OBP, .513 SLG, .908 OPS.

While he is certainly not someone who can start/play every day anymore, he can certainly make for a good back-up to rely on when the team needs it. Whether it’s when Paul Goldschmidt needs a day off or when the game is on the line and a big lefty-reliever comes up to the mound, Pujols can be someone to count on to get the job done.

And speaking of hitting off of left-handed pitching.

2.) He can still murder left handed pitching.

While there is no doubt that he was helpless against right handed pitching (.180 BA, .233 OBP, .266 SLG, .500 OPS), Pujols was undoubtedly a kryptonite for left handed pitchers in 2021. His splits against LHP include .294 BA, .336 OBP, .603 SLG, .939 OPS. For a hitter that is stated to be 42 years old (or possibly even older than that), that is quite an impressive.

The Cardinals are already a team that is capable of hitting off of left handed pitching with the majority of the hitters in their lineup being able to hit from the right side with only Lars Nootbaar and Corey Dickerson of what will (probably) be the only strictly left handed hitters that will be active on the Opening Day roster. With Pujols being able to act as either a pinch hitter against a lefty relief or as a side DH against a lefty starter, this makes the Cardinals a team you most definitely not want to face when you have a lefty on the mound in any capacity.

3.) Great Leadership

The only thing that make a great player any better is being a great leader. Anyone that has played with Albert over the years can tell you that he brings an absolute great presence and energy into the clubhouse with any team he has been a part of. Mike Trout has always spoke highly of Albert and has always credited him for his turn as arguably the greatest ball player in baseball. Also, plenty of Dodgers players last year has highlighted Pujols has being the right person in the dugout that an lead and inspire others.

With two other Cardinal veterans (Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright) expected to call it a career after this season along with young hitting prospects that are expected to debut this year such as Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera, Juan Yepez, Brendan Donovan etc., it’s definitely wise to have a baseball legend be in the clubhouse and being able to help guide these young hitters to show them their first true steps onto the big field.

Even if Albert isn’t able to make his impact with the bat or glove in 2022, there’s no doubt he will be able to set by another example of his fantastic leadership that he will likely bring in the dugout.

4.) Increased Fan Support

Admittedly, this is more of an advantage to the Cardinals FO then Pujols himself but hear me out. As I mention previously, there is nothing without a shred of a doubt that this signing was done to increase ticket sales and merchandise for the 2022 season. Mozeliak and the Dewitts know that fans would give anything to see Albert put on his Redbird jersey one last time and have his final home game be at Busch Stadium. However, if history is anything to go back, the Cardinals tend to perform better when they have the fans right by their side in their home ballpark.

Since they opened the third incarnation of Busch Stadium back in 2006, the Cardinals have only had one losing record season at home (2016). The biggest reason for that is how fans will always show up and support the team they love most in baseball. As a result, that gives the players an extra bid of confidence. It gives the players the sense of feeling that it’s their duty to pay their respects to the fans support by going out there and play the best nine innings of baseball they possibly can.

Since 2006, the Cardinals have had 17 playoff series at Busch, six of those in the League Championship Series, and three in the World Series. They have won 11 of those 17 series, three of them in the LCS, and two of them in the World Series. There’s not a whole lot of teams that benefit from home field advantage than the Cardinals do.

With one of the best Cardinal players of all time, Albert Pujols returning to where his major league career started, no doubt that fan support will be through the roof in 2022.

5.) The Perfect Swan Song

The main reason why fans were so eager to have Albert Pujols for 2022 was how it would make for a rather nice and bittersweet storybook ending for not just the career of Pujols but also Cardinal legends Yadier Molina and Adam Wainright, (or as the fans like to refer to them as Yadi and Waino). Molina and Pujols have both already announced that this year will be his final season. While Wainwright hasn’t 100% confirmed that this will be his final year yet, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to go into a 2023 season without Yadi being behind the plate for him.

This also leaves some important milestones that all three players are hoping to achieve in 2022. Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are looking to set the new record for most games started with the same pitcher/catcher combo ever. Albert is looking to hit at least 21 home runs to be able to be one of four Major League hitters ever to hit 700 home runs in their entire career. Just imagine the exciting and enthusiasm from Cardinals fans and even baseball fans everywhere if both of those milestones are able to be meet by the end of the year. These won’t be easy to achieve but no doubt, everyone will be along for the ride until the very last game of the year.

There’s no telling of the direction the Cardinals will be headed to next year. They will be faced with a lot of challenges with the departure of several key Cardinal veterans. Veterans who are not only three of the best players to ever put on a Cardinals uniform along with the last three pieces to their two World Championships of the 21st century but also ones that have inspired great connection and leadership to their teammates and the fanbase, both young and old. There’s no telling what kind of players that St. Louis will have for the foreseeable future that will leave anywhere near the amount of impact that these three men did but no doubt, there will be quite an Hollywood ending to write out by the end of the year.

Other comments:

It has just came out a few days ago that Albert Pujols’s wife, Deidre had to have surgery to remove a brain tumor in her head. My absolute thoughts and prayers are with Deidre, Albert, and all of her friends and family! This can not be an easy process whatsoever. I wish nothing but the best things from both of them.

Also, I do have plans to make an MLB Prediction piece for 2022. I should have it out sometime next week before Opening Day. I’m also seeing Mobius tonight and will have my review of that sometime tonight or tomorrow. So, be on the lookout for those.

Have you ever had that one series you really like but only really started to get into once the dust settled on it?! Doesn’t it make you want to go back in time and relieve the high and even low points of the franchise with the others who grew up with it so you can have that exact kind of emotional reactions to each installment at the time they came out?

When it comes to movie franchises, that’s Ghostbusters in a nutshell for me. I really enjoy the original Ghostbusters and understand/respect the influence it had on cinema and movie goers everywhere but I never had much nostalgia for it and didn’t even watch it all the way through until I was a teenager. That could potentially explain why I didn’t have such a vital reaction to the 2016 reboot and felt rather indifferent on the sequel and last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I did quite enjoy the 2009 video game though.

When it comes to gaming franchises, there hasn’t been one series that fits that description in my first paragraph than with Kingdom Hearts. I remember the big press surrounding it with each new installment that came out from gaming magazines, tv commercials, and demos you could play at Walmart or Target. I remember seeing bits of cutscenes online and my friends/cousins playing through a world or two from the first or second main game. I remember playing through the demo of Dream Drop Distance around the Holidays of 2012 when I got the 3DS XL for Christmas. I even remember watching a steam with live reactions when the official announcement of Kingdom Hearts 3 was confirmed during E3 2013. I was there to see the influence and impact this franchise had on gamers everywhere and their childhoods but I wasn’t never there to experience it with them.

It was then that I decided to take a shot at trying out at a Kingdom Hearts game by getting Kingdom Hearts 3 months after it came out. The reason I waited months after was because I was just waiting for the insane hype for it to die down and be able to form a completely unbiased opinion on it. I get to experience it from someone who didn’t have much attachment to the series and never played any of the games all the way through until then. For the most part, I was just curious about being able to play as Sora through all the Disney worlds, most notably Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Big Hero 6. Plus, who wouldn’t be excited to hear Elsa sing Let it Go for the fifteen billion time but through the eyes of Sora, Donald, and Goofy?

I will say, on my first playthrough of it, this game frustrated me to no end. I was constantly getting beat up, taken huge amount of damage to enemies, never felt like I was getting better or stronger as the game went on, and found just way too difficult and rage inducing . So much so, that when I was at the final boss fighting Xenahort, it took me like three days to actually beat it. By some miracle, I was able to do it. I completed what was undoubtedly an exhausting and intoxicating experience for me but I could just sit back, relax, watch the final cutscenes, and then I could be done with the game and probably the main series forever.

However, after beating the third game, I decided to go search some reactions to it and see if anybody else shared similar complaints as me. Mostly if they felt that the game was too hard and filled with insane difficulty spikes. As it turns out, I saw the exact opposite opinions. Many people complained that the game was actually too easy, simple, and just held their hand all the way through, even on the hardest mode. That flabbergasted me. Was it not the game’s faults but my own fault for being so blind and inexperienced when it comes to Kingdom Hearts? For the most part, yeah it was. It was then that I learned what the problem was. I just wasn’t playing the game right.

For whatever reason, about over halfway through the game, I forgot to continue to upgrade myself. As of result, once I got to the final battle where I took on Xenahort, I was only leveled up to like six or something. How I was able to go through the whole game and beat him with my level up being that incredibly low I have no idea, but by the skin of my teeth, I did it. I then realized that this was my fault instead of the game’s and wanted to give it another chance.

After realizing that I wasn’t playing the game correctly, I went back and played it again. As of result, I got through the game with ease. Now that I actually knew what I was doing, I was able to enjoy the immensely fun ride that was Kingdom Hearts 3. While the game is certainly not perfect with severe pacing issues, overlong cutscenes, and not much plot momentum until the last third of the game, I no doubt enjoy my time playing the game and get to experience a brand new KH game, even if I couldn’t follow jack s*it of the actual story of the game. Even after playing through the majority of the franchise, while I can’t quite say it’s the best one, this might be my most favorite KH game in terms of gameplay.

Now, after playing through 3, I thought it would be best to go back and relieve the other games of the series. I ended up buying a set of multiple KH games remastered titled Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far, the box set of the majority of the games that was released prior to the release of 3. It contained each game from the KH HD 1.5 Remix set, KH HD 2.5 Remix Set, along with a new set of it’s own with 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The games itself contained the first two main entries, Re:Chain of Memories, Birth by Sleep, 0.2 Birth by Sleep- A Fragmentary Passage, and Dream Drop Distance. It also contain from cutscenes 358/2 Days and Re:Coded but not the actual gameplay of it along with a mini-movie, Union X [Cross]. I play through all of these games throughout last year and what an amazing but exhausting ride it was.

The first KH while a bit clunky, is so fun, great, and was the perfect introduction to the series that I found myself immediately getting sucked into it. The second one, even with it’s admittedly overlong three-hour prologue, is even better and one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. Birth by Sleep might be a tad more repetitive when it came to gameplay and was getting hard to keep track of the amount of characters in this universe, but still had an engaging story and characters that it made it worthwhile. 0.2 Birth by Sleep- A Fragmentary Passage was a nice, if not quite sad, expansion of the original game and gave a good indication as to what type of gameplay we could see coming from KH3. Dream Drop Distance would have been better without the actual Dream Drop mechanic itself but seeing how Sora and Riku became Keyblade masters was cool I guess. The less said about Re:Chain of Memories, the better. I can’t say much about 358/2 Days or Re:Coded since I didn’t get to try out the actual gameplay out of it, but judging from the cutscenes, I found Re:Coded more engaging than 358/2 Days. Lastly, Union [X} was quite a bland, dull origin of the early conflicts between the Heart and Heartless that I could care less.

Also, Melody of Memory was pretty enjoyable too and a neat way to take a trip down memory lane. Here’s also gameplay of me sucking at it. xD (Yes, this is my YouTube channel btw.)

Regardless of the actual quality of the games (or cutscenes or that mini-movie), I no doubt was able to get that exact same feeling of wonder and excitement that I imagine the longtime fans did when they first played through these games. It just an interesting and unique concept that the series presented. A new, refreshing spin on the good vs evil story, instantly memorable and lovable characters, an intriguing if not convoluted universe, incredible bits of lore that you can’t help put look up some sort of Wiki article on, music that will stick with you the moment you first listen to it upon your own ears, and basically getting a chance of entering your own-self insert character into the imaginary worlds of Disney where you get a stab at creating your own Disney fanfiction. That might sound like a turn-off for some people but for me, it’s most certainly a turn-on for me. I mean who wouldn’t want to imagine themselves in the worlds of Lion King, Aladdin, Hercules, Toy Story, Tangled, Frozen, and Pirates of the Caribbean along with getting to fight alongside Donald, Goofy, or any one of your imaginary friends. With both the good and bad of the series, I never have had one regret spending as much time on the series as I did last year except for one thing. That one thing being not being able to experience it as a bigger part of my childhood and even teenage years.

I’m going to be heading into my mid 20s this year and the older I get, the more I become nostalgic to the things I’ve grown up with as both a young kid and a teenager. Whether it’s Nickelodeon, Disney, Spider-Man, Batman, Star Wars, Mario, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sonic the Hedgehog, Call of Duty, Halo, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, the St. Louis Blues/Cardinals, etc., I now long for the days where I get to relive those special moments that intrigued me to whatever game, show, movie, or sporting event that got me into any of those. However, I don’t think there is one franchise that I certainly wish I didn’t miss out on as a part of my years growing up as I did with Kingdom Hearts. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to relief those special moments from the series as a youngster instead of now having to start at it from a distance as an adult.

Even though I wish Kingdom Hearts has had more of an impact on me for most of my life, I still got that same sense of nostalgia whenever I played through these games now. Not just because of the Disney worlds you get to explore from all the Disney movies I grew up watching as well, but because I instantly understood why this series has resonated for so many people. Not because it’s perfect but more because it’s imperfect. It’s definitely a convoluted mess on multiple occasions but it is OURS and THEIR convoluted mess. It’s like family, we might be angry and frustrated with them on many occasions but deep down, we know we will always love him. And I don’t think there’s another gaming franchise out there that gives that same sense of warmth, nostalgia, and being part of a family than with Kingdom Hearts. Sometimes, it can be difficult and messy but most of the time, well, it’s just simple and clean.

Happy 20th birthday, Kingdom Hearts! I look forward to see what the future has in store for you.

Also, happy birthday to my brother who now turns 22 years old today!

At least, I’ve always been able to feel something special on March 28th for the past two decades!

The title speaks for itself! That’s really all that needs to be said.

Just when you thought that the La La Land/Moonlight moment from five years ago couldn’t be topped as the most awkward and cringe inducing moment in the history of the Oscars, there comes Will Smith smacking Chris Rock straight in the face.

To provide some context of this big moment, while giving out a presentation at the Oscars, Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith about her hairstyle, which is mostly a shaved head. Rock’s joke specifically referenced the movie G.I. Jane, a movie which actress Demi Moore shaved her heard in, and made a crack to Jada specifically saying he can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2.

There’s lies one huge problem here. Jada Pinkett Smith had recently been suffering from a hair loss condition called alopecia which has resulted with her being nearly bald. Needless to say, that joke was in INCREDIBLY poor taste to Smith (at least until he saw the reaction to Jada) and his wife.

Here’s is an uncensored clip of what undoubtedly will be one of the most (if not the most) talked about Oscars moments for plenty of years to come. Again, this is an uncensored version of it and you will hear a bit of language but if you want to see it for yourself, here’s a link from YouTube.

No doubt, everyone has opinions on it. Whether it’s who’s right, who’s wrong, if Will Smith should be charged for assault and have his Oscar revoked, if Chris Rock is just an incredibly tasteless comedian, or even if it was real or not?! Everyone will definitely have a take on this.

First off, I’m pretty sure that it was not scripted and it was definitely for real. If the slap itself wasn’t any indication, then Will Smith furiously shouting back at Chris Rock, dropping the f bomb certainly is. Secondly, there was also the events that followed after it went to commercial break. According to twitter source, Scott Feinberg, Smith was pulled aside once the break occurred and Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry came by him to calm him down. Will was seen wiping some tears off his eyes, sat back down with his wife, and Denzel came to the aid of the two couple. It’s then that the two waited to see if Will, an actor who will surely be remembered for that one infamous moment for the rest of his life will win his very first Oscar.

During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who motion for him to brush it off. Will appears to wipe tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada, with Denzel comforting Jada and Will’s rep by his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2

— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022

As it turns out, Will Smith did in fact win the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Richard Williams in the movie, King Richard. After receiving that award following that heated moment, he delivered quite a tearful if not downright awkward speech, where he (somewhat) apologizing for his actions to the Academy but not Chris Rock himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVvgCMZSkyw

As much as I hate to be the person that wants to have a neutral opinion on this, I do think both sides could agree now that they could have handled that a thousand times better than they did. Deep down they wish they gave a split second thought of what they were about to do before they actually did it.

Rock clearly wanted to take back that joke he just said after seeing Jada’s not-so-enthused reaction to it along with seeing Will marching up stage to confront him. From his line delivery after that joke, it looked as if he regretted that joke and wanted to brush it off that it was nothing. He probably wanna to make a gesture and apologize either on-stage or off-stage to the Smiths.

Smith, while understandably wanting to stand up to his wife for that tasteless joke, deep down knows he should have settled that without violence. Maybe telling Rock to cool it or having a talk with him during commercial break about how offensive that joke was. Maybe then if Will Smith had won best picture, he could deliver an apology to Will and Jada and off a congratulation to Smith for winning his first ever Oscar.

Unfortunately in the case for both sides, this wasn’t a script that Hollywood was writing, this was the real deal. What’s done is done! No matter what the consequences are for this moment (or even if there is any at all), this will go down in history as a defining moment for the Academy. I just honestly wish it was a moment that we could all laugh at without feeling ashamed or making it anything personal.

For as embarrassing and cringeworthy the La La Land/Moonlight moment was, at least that was a moment that just about everyone could get a laugh at without the need for any feeling of guilt or shame with it. There wasn’t nothing personal about it or something I don’t anyone would take quite offense too. It was a honest mistake that I think everyone in the Academy and viewers could get a chuckle at. Plus, anyone that got to witness that event live would be able to tell their children or grand children many years down the line how they got to see with their own eyes one of the biggest blunders ever live on television.

As much as everyone is making jokes and memes about this moment while I am currently typing up this piece, I get the feeling that it will all come back to bite us as something we should have took a little more seriously. Regardless, no one can take back what happened last night. Whoever actually participated watching this year Oscars will surely look back at this moment and just remember how they were like, “What the f*ck just happened?!”

Other comments:

Update: It appears Chris Rock will not press charge against Will Smith, LADP reports.

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/chris-rock-police-report-will-smith-slap-oscars-1235216542/

Will Smith might be able to lose his Oscar for violating for breaking the Academy’s code of conduct.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/could-will-smith-lose-his-oscar-over-chris-rock-slap/

Another year, another Oscars that is around the corner. Not gonna waste any time and just get right into it.

Disclaimer: I think #1-3 are great, #4-6 are solid, #7-8 are mixed bags, and #9-10 are pretty darn bad. A rather “meh” lineup of nominations despite a handful of legit impressive films.

10.) Licorice Pizza

Okay, even taken out the obvious reasons why this is bad (the pedophlic romance, racist jokes, dated setting, etc.), this is by far the worst of the ten nominees and one that was clearly only nominated because of the name of the man behind the camera alone. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Paul Thomas Anderson but I could at least respect the majority of his filmography with the way he goes on making his films and become one of the very first of the “movie store” generations of filmmakers. This one however, falls apart even if you are somehow able to buy into it’s incredibly lost in time premise.

It’s overlong, the two leads have zero chemistry, subplots are brought up but never resolve, side characters constantly appear and then just disappear, and it doesn’t even have the slightest idea why this is the kind of a movie that could only work back in the 1970s but can’t work whatsoever in the 21st century. Thrown in the fact that the only entertaining character in the whole movie played by Bradley Cooper is only in it for 5 to 10 minutes top and you probably get the big (but nowhere near the best) picture.

Alana Halm and Cooper Hoffman are potential young talent but it’s a shame they had to start their Hollywood career with a movie this obnoxious. Although, just like with these ten nominations, there’s at least no where to go but up.

Or if the next film on the list is any indication , maybe looking up isn’t the best idea.

9.) Don’t Look Up

I never want to come across as that one arrogant person who claims that directors should stay out of politics with their films, especially since where now in an age where just about EVERYTHING is consider political in the eyes of one-sided groups. But, I do honestly wish Adam McKay would stop making films based around real world politics and global events because he’s just not really good at it.

Don’t Look Up basically brings home the point that The Big Short was an absolute fluke. After the notable misfire of Vice, a film that spend nearly it’s entire running time trying to beat you over the head with “George Bush=bad”, came this one which spend the majority of it’s running time trying to beat you over the head with “cell phones=bad” and “Fox News is for demwitts”. Even if you find yourself in on the “it’s funny because it’s true” joke that this film constantly points out, it’s not really something you should make an entire film based around it as it does nothing but show the overall lack of substance.

Regardless of what political side you are on (and please don’t tell me which side you are on in the comments) or even if you agree on what the film has to say on today’s technology obsessions and “fake news” (which I admittedly do to some degree), there are definitely much better ways to convey it than with what is presented here.

It’s nice to have J-Law and Leo back in movies though.

8.) The Power of the Dog

This might baffle some folks considering I had this as a nomination on my Best Movies of 2021 list but time hasn’t been quite kind to this (To be honest, there’s a lot I would change on that list now). Even taking out the recent controversy over Sam Elliot’s homophobic comments of the picture, Power of the Dog is a very well-made and acted motion picture but really lacks an emotional connection or any sort of staying power.

Despite great performances from the whole cast, none of the characters they play are particularly memorable and have very little depth to them. The central dynamic between McPhee and Cumberbatch’s character comes across as hollow and not worth getting invested in. The pacing itself is also incredibly slow which despite clocking it at just a little over two hours, it can’t help but feel longer than that.

That being said the production values are top notch with great lightning and cinematography throughout and the cast are strong enough to hold their own that might even keep you engaged when watching it but will most likely fade away from your mind just a few days afterwards.

While this is certainly not the worst nomination, this is the one that I would argue is the most forgettable one.

Although, I wouldn’t keep this on my honorable mentions, I do stand by my statement that Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are exceptionally underrated talents that deserve much more recognition!

Also, I would now replace this movie with No Time To Die on my honorable mentions.

Anyways, onto the next one.

7.) West Side Story

Steven Spielberg had already made a musical in the past before this one. It’s called Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And I’m not just saying that because the opening of that movie featured a musical sequence but because it was that exact scene that showcases what the rest of the movie was going to consist of, that anything goes. With West Side Story, it’s half of exactly that and half of that is just well, not.

If there’s every a movie that will make you believe life after death, it’s this one. Whenever Ansel Eligort is on the screen, the movie instantly dies (and that’s not even just remotely because of the multiple allegations that have come out against him that Hollywood is trying to pretend doesn’t exist). However, every time he leaves the screen and the movies focuses on anyone else from the cast, it’s brought back to alive and well.

Arian DeBose and Mike Faist are the absolute standouts here and there are plenty of enjoyable and upbeat musical numbers that will most likely keep you interested throughout it’s near two and a half hour runtime; at least until Eligort reveres his ugly head once again and the film suffers repeatedly. Perhaps with some better pacing and a more compelling lead (Rachel Ziegler is fine here btw), this could have been a musical for the ages and even superior to that of the original (which I think is also just fine btw). As it stands now, it’s generally okay but definitely not the best that musicals or the mighty Steven Spielberg has had to offer.

Seriously though, Hollywood! It’s time for Angel Eligort to be be held accountable!.

6.) Belfast

You ever watched a movie that you think is overall pretty good and worthwhile but shouldn’t really be considered for an Oscar. Well, Belfast is the one that fits that criteria for me.

There’s certainly plenty to admire and enjoy here. The cast members are great, the material is engaging, Kenneth Branagh’s direction is top-notch, and it’s overall transition to black and white feels extremely appropriate for the time and place that this movie is set in. That being said, I still can’t help but think that perhaps this movie bites off a bit more than it can chew.

It tries to balance between a family drama and a political drama but can’t quite find that consistent through line that even say Taika Waititi was able to do with Jojo Rabbit. There’s are also times to where it feels the movie is trying way too hard to make you like the characters that you can’t help but wish the movie would back off every once in a while and let us as the viewers get sucked into the conflict that is actually presented in the story.

This is Oscar bait as it’s finest without a doubt, but this is the mostly kind of Oscar bait that I don’t mind seeing nominated even if it really doesn’t deserve it.

5.) Coda

The one nominee that “Film Twitter” seems to have the biggest grudge against for whatever reason. Which is odd considering the great reviews this got from most critics and the mostly positive audience reception to this smash hit on Apple +. I’m not quiet sure how accurate this is to overall sign language or the deaf community as a whole response to this movie but taken as it’s own thing, Coda is a very enjoyable and compelling movie in it’s own right.

The performances from it’s cast are very strong, especially Emila Jones who stands out well as being this young girl on the verge towards a distinct future that could separate her from her own deaf family. The other deaf/non-hearing cast members are superb as well and will certainly make at least a handful of viewers want to look up and study foreign language. Between this, Sound of Metal, and Eternals, it does feel quite nice to have that level of representation to make deaf people feel more understood.

One can definitely argue that the film’s overall representation is focused on more than the actual quality of the movie but the movie we have is quite solid that I could see a reason or two for winning. For what some are claiming this as the next Crash or Green Book if this ends up taking home the Best Picture Oscar, this might be one of the very few times I will find myself rooting for exactly that outcome even if I don’t exactly think it’s the best or my personal favorite.

Also, I’m just someone that likes to watch the world burn.

4.) Dune

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is a remarkable and impressive visual achievement that was hands down one of the biggest “must-see” experiences in IMAX theaters in 2021. With it’s enormous scale, diverse cast, and world building like we haven’t seen before in recent memory, this sci-fi epic is just ready to insert itself into every book of “movies you must watch before you die” imaginable!

That being said, Dune doesn’t so much feel like a whole movie but more like Dune: Part I. While it does end on an intriguing cliffhanger, we won’t know how worthwhile this experience will be until after we have seen the complete picture in a year or two from now.

I do kinda get the sense that this was also a nomination mostly due to the director’s name himself than the actual film but unlike with Licorice Pizza or Don’t Look Up, it still at least functions as an actual good film and I could see why it would get a nomination. Two years from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends becoming the next big sci-fi epic that Hollywood will desperately try to copy and replicate with iffy results.

3.) King Richard

When it comes to young children becoming famous and getting exposed to the paparazzi-like media, one side that is not looked much upon by people is the side of the parents. Sure, children comes first and foremost but the parents are as equally responsible for being able to guide and teach their kids on how to get through life with the lights shining directly on them.

In comes King Richard, this biopic sports drama showing the success and growth of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams as young girls through the perspective of their overprotective but still very meaningful father, Richard Williams. This dives deep into the process and difficulty of being a parent having to guide their children through fame and glory. Manage to display all the accomplishments and achievements that the Williams sisters were able to gain as superb tennis players while showing how they got to where they are thanks to the folks who gave birth to them!

Whether or not you’re a fan of tennis, this will engage you thanks to it’s sharp directing and terrific performances. Will Smith hasn’t been this good in a long time and should certainly be a front runner for Best Actor. Aunjanue Ellis is also great as the mother as well as Demi Singelton and Saniyya Sidney who played the two William sisters respectively.

Some might be underwhelmed that the movie don’t put as much focus on the sisters themselves as much as the father but it’s a very good sports movie regardless.

Also, what were you expecting about a movie titled, King Richard? Just saying.

2.) Nightmare Alley

It’s absolutely insane the way that Guillermo del Toro continues to either top or at least matches himself as a filmmaker! Easily one of the most creative, inventive, and visually pleasing directors today, Nightmare Alley see del Toro putting his own spin on the 1946 classic of the same name along with the book it’s based on.

Whether it manages to top or match the 1947 version or the book is up for debate but there’s no denying he created a version of Nightmare Alley that stands perfectly well as it’s own unique thing. Using all the trademarks and skillset that del Toro is well known for, this tells a great tale in the neo-noir sub genre about a man facing the consequences of his action that was driving by his own pride.

Bradley Cooper suits the role well as a manipulative and despicable a-hole, Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette continues to find ways to out-hot themselves as the femme fatales, and when is Willem Dafoe ever not been awesome (Between this and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Christmas 2021 will be remember as the holiday where Willem Dafoe is able to show the world once again what an absolute national treasure he is!)

This is one I loved when I first saw and love it even more on a second viewing. It’s one of my favorite movies of last year and easily one of my favorites of the nominees. However, there’s just one that I liked just a hair more.

1.) Drive My Car

Not gonna lie, the fact this movie is even a nomination in the first place is a miracle. Not because it isn’t a great film, it clearly is as that’s why it’s #1. But it was a movie overseas that felt too small to get any sort of recognition and even in the wake of Parasite, did seem like a foreign movie that the Academy would easily gloss over. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case because Drive My Car is the best of the nomination by a country mile.

The three hour runtime might be taunting to some viewers but there isn’t a single second on screen that feels like a waste. What we have here is a very long but moving meditation on loss, mourning, and trying to move on with an incredibly compelling lead performance by Hidetoshi Nishijima who makes this an emotional journey like no other film I’ve seen for quite some time. The characters throughout the film are greatly developed, it’s themes are fleshed out to it’s absolute best execution, and has an incredibly relatable message that anyone who has dealt with pain and death with a loved one can get behind. Sometimes the best way to deal with such tragic times is to take a sweet, long drive that can make that missing part of you feel whole again.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi directs the hell out of his feature film which may be long but will no doubt leave an impact on you even days after you have watched it. While I’m not 100% confident that this will be the one that will take home the big prize, this will be the movie that I will undoubtedly be rooting for come Sunday evening.

Other comments:

And those are my ranking of the best picture nominations. While I don’t necessarily love or even like every single entry that is presented here, it does at least feel nice to have at least a complete total of the allowed amount of best picture nominees at full ten.

As for other movies I’m shocked didn’t get nominated or would at least swap for I believe is a more “Oscar-worthy” movie, the fact that Pig or The Last Duel didn’t get a single nomination of anything, let along best picture, is absolutely criminal. I would easily swap Licorice Pizza and Don’t Look Up for those two easily. Also, I swap West Side Story for Tick, tick..Boom! as that was undoubtedly the superior musical between the two. Lastly, I might just be speaking because it was my favorite film of last year but I do feel like The Mitchell vs the Machines is great enough to at least find a spot among the ten nominations. I highly doubt anybody would cry themselves to sleep if Belfast or Power of the Dog weren’t one of the front runners.

I was also gonna share my overall pics for all 24 Oscar nominations but because I don’t enjoy watching the Oscars anywhere near as much as I used to or might not be able to watch it at all (I do have plans for a work party on that exact same night.), I can’t be bothered to waste precious time just copying directly off of the first website I see of their own picks for every single winner out there and pretend to make those choices as my own. So, apologies if there was anyone that was looking forward to that.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a good weekend and go Drive My Car!