Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now out in theaters! While this is usually that time where everyone does their rankings of all ten Planet of the Apes movies, I’m gonna do something a little different.
Truth be told, I have not seen every single Planet of the Apes movie out there. Outside of this reboot, the only other entries in this franchise that I have seen is the original Planet of the Apes and the Tim Burton remake from 2001. That leaves about four other films in this series that I have yet to they.
So, instead of lying to you all and just place the four other apes flicks I haven’t see in whatever placement, why not just rank the four installments in the rebooted series? After all, these contain some of the most beloved films in this franchise’s stored history! Why not give them the complete spotlight on this occasion, especially in regards to the newest film in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?
If I’m able to watch the other Planet of the Apes films by the time that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits digital and/or physical media, I might do a complete and full ranking of the entire franchise. But for now, just the reboot!
Let’s not waste anymore time and get straight down to ranking these acclaimed reboot!
4.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Don’t let the fact that the newest entry in this reboot is in last deceive you into thinking that it’s not worth your time and money! It’s in fact, worth both! Despite Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves no longer being behind the camera and Caesar no longer being the main ape protagonist we follow, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is able to pick up the slack from it’s predecessors in the best way possible.
The new apes we focus on are as likable and compelling as the apes in the last three movies, the action is thoroughly entertaining and thrilling, the world building has never been more intriguing, and of course, the visuals and motion capture is completely off the charts. It may not be quite as impressive from an emotional and depth stand point as Dawn or War but just like with Rise, it’s able to stand strongly as it’s own engaging ape film while planting the seeds for what the future for the apes and remain human race can be if the story shall continue.
This is honestly a film I can see moving up on this list and even on my full ranking of the Planet of the Apes movies. The only real thing holding it back is the sense of familiarity with the storytelling along with the new ape of Noa not being as close to an engaging protagonist as Caesar. Even so, I’m fully on board for any potential sequel with these new characters and have fully confidence that Wes Ball is gonna deliver with the live-action Legend of Zelda movie.
3.) Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I don’t think anybody saw the awesomeness that is Rise of the Planet of the Apes coming. At a time where Hollywood was overblowing franchises with consecutives reboots and remakes along with coming off the rock bottom of the Apes franchise that was Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes, this film had every reason to fail. Instead, it just about surprised everyone in every single way possible.
It introduces us to one of the finest film protagonists in recent memory with Caesar and a masterful Andy Serkis, that solidified himself as the king of motion capture performances. Seeing this beloved ape take his first step to becoming a special kind of ape raised by humans, meeting his fellow kind that would later become his friends, and planting the seeds of the future with a world dominated by apes is able to be as thrilling and engaging as one could possibly imagine. And you would be lying to yourself if you claim you didn’t get goosebumps at the moment that Caesar screamed “NOOOOOO!!!!”
Even if thin human characterization (outside of James Franco’s father) and some rushed story elements holds it back from being up there with it’s next two predecessors, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is about as good as a reboot and trilogy starter can possibly be. It just goes to show you that reboots and prequels can in fact be just as good if not better than the original films if the people behind it but the hard work and effort to do so.
2.) War for the Planet of the Apes
The final chapter to Caesar’s story included with this bleak but brilliant tale about the humans and apes going at it for one final showdown that will determine the fate of planet Earth. Despite what the title might suggest, War for the Planet of the Apes isn’t so much about a war that the humans and apes are fighting against each other but among themselves. This sees Caesar being a war within himself after witnessing those close to him being slaughter, crossing that fine line from being that gifted ape he was raised as by humans while also being the vicious ape that his kind was always suppose to be.
This part war/part revenge tale/part prison movie is able to bring the full three-movie long story arc to a satisfying conclusion with the ape characters we’ve been following since the first movie. Seeing Caesar being able to speak fully human and see his ape clan be as human as an ape can get is really intriguing to see, showcasing how far these characters have come. That’s not going into the tremendous motion capture work and visual effects, the hardcore action whenever it shows us, and Woody Harrelson’s The Colonel being the best and most menacing antagonist perhaps in this entire franchise.
While some might be underwhelmed that the film is not as “action heavy” that the title of the film might suggest, War for the Planet of the Apes is still able to tell an engaging and unconventional tale of it’s own that brings everything full circle in a very satisfying way. It’s able to close the final chapter of one book while getting you interested to read the next one.
1.) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
If you want a textbook example of not only how great a Planet of the Ape movie can get but how great summer movie blockbuster can get, thiswould be exactly what you find in that dictionary. Released in a loaded 2014 movie season that was serving constant bangers from Memorial Day to August, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was able to stand greatly among them along with the other great blockbusters of the 2010s.
This is a layered, three-dimensional, and at times unpredictable film that is able to tell a cautionary tale about the roles that two different species play and every single one of them looking for the best possible outcome for themselves. Instead of going with a conventional “apes good, human bad” approach, Dawn instead shows the pros and cons of both the humans and apes, highlighting the gray area that is consuming both sides, as the two sides are trying to make for the best possible future for themselves in the worst possible times. We also can’t forget the spectacular visuals and motion capture of the apes that has never been better than it has been here, great action, perfect tension throughout, and one of the coolest and underrated villains in recent memory in Koba, played perfectly by Toby Kebbell. Even the human drama works well this time (Although, I could have used more Gary Oldman and less of that one-note asshole) and helps make the scenes with the apes even better.
Perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly directed, and perfectly acted (Give Andy Serkis an Oscar already!), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not only the best in this rebooted series of films, it’s quite possibly the best Planet of the Apes film to date. Although I still have more ape films to see, I’m willing to bet they don’t come close to topping this absolute triumph of filmmaking. As much as we like to complain about the overabundance of reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, etc.., I’m willing to bet that if the majority of them were even half as good as this film and all four of these films are in general, we would have very little to complain about. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is blockbusters at it’s absolute finest, giving me all hope that we are still capable of making great franchise installments.
It would be quite strange to consider the new rebooted run of Planet of the Apes as “underrated”. After all, every ape flick that has come out since 2011 has been received with high praise from critics and audiences alike. But yet, despite all the love these films tend to get at the time of its release, they usually tend to get swept under the rug shortly after release. I don’t know if it’s just because these are the kind of films that just come and go with no ill will geared towards them or it’s just that everyone agrees these movies are good and then proceed to move on with it their lives but that has mostly been the case with every recent release of the Planet of the Apes franchise. It’s not so much underrated but more overlooked. There’s a different between those two words.
I bring this up because when it comes to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I think it’s about time we stop pushing these movies aside and just start accepting that the Planet of the Apes franchise is legit one of the best and most consistent film franchises out there. Despite Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves no longer being behind the camera and Caesar no longer being the main ape protagonist we follow, director Wes Ball is able to continue this rebooted series with grace with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in the best and most logical way possible.
The new apes we focus on are as likable and compelling as the apes in the last three movies, the action is thoroughly entertaining and thrilling throughout, the world building has never been more intriguing in these movies, and of course, the visuals and motion capture is completely off the charts and should be recognized greatly at the Academy Awards. It may not be quite as impressive from an emotional and depth stand point as Dawn or War or as the surprise/wow factor that Rise had but it’s able to stand strongly as it’s own engaging ape film while planting the seeds for what the future for the apes and humans can hold if the story shall continue.
Plot Synopsis: 300 years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
The main strength that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has going for it is staying committed to its whole “back to basics” feel to it. It’s not interested in raising the stakes and topping the scales of Dawn or War, it’s not trying to reinvent the wheels like Rise, nor is it even trying to be the “real” ending to Caesar’s own trilogy. Despite this technically being the sequel to the last one, it has more interests in telling it’s own story and potentially blazing a path towards it’s own distinct future while acknowledging the impact that Caesar has had even 300 years later. Much like with Rise, there are plenty of hints of where to go from here if the series shall continue from here with the new characters we follow of Noa, Soona, Korina, Nova, and others. While the jury is still out whether or not this newest group can hold a candle to the likes of Caesar, Maurice, Koba, and others, the newest characters of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are compelling enough in their own right that their presence isn’t missed too much.
The main ape Noa in particular has an arc about carrying the right side to Caesar’s legacy while making sure to forge his own identity. Particular because it’s his actions throughout the film that can serve as a major turning point between the lives of the apes and human beings. Whether you see that as a metaphor of Kingdom being yet another legacyquel about newer fresh blood being passed the baton or just the main theme of evolution that has always been a staple for this series, it does work wonder and makes Noa all the more compelling to follow on screen.
Which could not make the antagonist as Proximus Caesar any better. Not only because he can be seen as another subtle metaphor of learning the “wrong” lessons from his ancestor and the overall lack of media literacy nowadays but also is a good contrast to Noa’s arc about being careful of his actions since it could potentially turn the tide between human and apes. I don’t know if Proximus is on the same level as Koba but he works perfectly as the antagonist of this movie, acting as a brilliant mirror to Noa and the legacy that Caesar himself has left beyond many generations later.
The performances remain as stellar as they usually are with these films! Owen Teague is able to fit in the big shoes he’s require to fill quite well as Noa, even if he can’t quite escape the shadow from Andy Serkis’s groundbreaking work in these films. Kevin Durand is able to make just as strong of impression as Proximus Caesar, going two for two this year, following Abigail. Peter Macon is able to add an extra bit of heart to the picture with Raka. It’s nice to have more female presence among the apes with Lydia Peckham’s Soona and Dichen Lachman’s Korina. And even if I’m not completely in love with everything done with Noa/May, Freya Allan fits the role very well and is quite believable in the action.
Speaking of action, they are just as well done and choregraphed as it usually is with these movies. Being able to get full advance out of the motion capture and move sets of the apes, the set pieces are completely thrilling throughout, with the final third delivering exactly on that action that is set up with the first two thirds of the film. The visuals are just as top notch as the previous movies, with plenty of beautiful cinematography and location shooting that helps enthralled the world building throughout the movie. The score is quite strong with not a single track feeling out of place. And it even has more of a sense of levity than the prior three films did, adding a bit of light of what might be considered a more calm tone than before.
If there is one major thing that holds Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes back from reaching the standards of it’s predecessors, it’s that sense of familiarity in terms of the characters and themes. It’s understandable in the sense that it has to update the status quo in this world but four movies in, you are able to recognize the bits throughout. From the new heads of the cast to the new prisoners set to the characters from both sides yet again questioning their place in this worlds, it makes the hitting beats from the previous films more noticeable than before. I’m not gonna say it’s a rehash of the last three films since it has enough of an identity of it’s own but it could have afford to step out of the shadow a little bet and tread less familiar ground.
I also would have like to see more of the human’s point of view with the limited human characters we have throughout, particularly Noa. Not that I needed a good chunk of a movie to centered around them but just enough time where it makes the actions that Noa makes in the last third of the movie feel more justified. Also, more of William H. Macy would have been nice as well.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is able to carry the momentum of this rebooted Apes movies by both paying great tribute to the Caesar trilogy while also expanding the world dominated by apes in fascinating ways. Time will tell if this film and the inevitable follow-ups will live up to the high standards of Rise, Dawn, and War but for what it’s worth, it’s good and compelling enough in it’s own right that it’s worth seeing where this franchise can go for here. Four movies into this reboots and apes continue to remain strong! Caesar would indeed be proud!
Other comments:
I have more faith in the live-action Legend of Zelda movie now but I still don’t get why that needs to be live-action, especially after the ANIMATED Super Mario Bros movie made a billion dollars last year. At least, it will look nice with great landscape shots!
The only real Elon Musk comparison I see with Proximus Caesar is the fact that he’s played by Kevin Durand, who legit looks like Elon Musk’s twin brother except he’s actually a good hearted person.
I honestly thought Raka was a 320 year old Maurice once we first saw him.
Also, please for the love of god, bring that character back that was supposedly killed off. I don’t care how or why, just bring them back because they are too precious and likable and shouldn’t be wasted like that. It may for a nice emotional moment in the film but please bring them back!
I didn’t think I would be making another one of these pieces so soon but yeah. The Fall Guy is yet another very good male led action flick that is struggling in theaters. I’m not going into all the details as to why I think that is because I would just be repeating the exact same thing I said when talking about Monkey Man and Boy Kills World. I’ll admit I was a little surprise this one underperformed considering it was basically the film to kick off the summer movie season and I believe that getting that early May spot might boost up the box office numbers. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case this far. Unless it’s able to gain Elemental level of legs, my summer box office predictions has already gotten off to a poor start.
That being said, let’s stop talking about the box office numbers and start talking about the film itself and why you should see it in theaters if you haven’t. There are no spoilers to be found here! Just five distinct reasons why The Fall Guy is worth your time and money in cinema.
1.) Stunt People Get Some Love!
The main selling point of The Fall Guy other than the star power of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (We’ll get to them later!) is that this would be a film that would give professional stunt folks the love and respect they deserve. Not just strictly as a celebration for all their accomplishments that they’ve achieved on tv and film throughout the years but more of showcasing the risks they take by making stunts their job and the consequences that can come from it. It’s proof that yeah….stunt guys are real people too and should be taken into serious considerations of film and tv production.
Yes, there is also a touching romance story and a conspiracy/mystery plot thrown in there as well but at the front and center is a stunt man that is putting his life on the line by doing it in the way that he knows best. That way is with his set of skills he spent years training for as a professional stunt person. He can take a punch, kick, and be sprung all over the damn place because that’s what he trained himself to do. He may not be the name that gets people in seats but he takes all the cuts and bruises so the main star is able to do so.
I can’t think of a film in recent memory that showcases the importance of stunt people and why they deserve more recognition than The Fall Guy. So much so, that it should put pressure on the Academy to add a best stunts category for the Oscars. As more and more action films get made and use practical effects and professional stunt folks to make the action more awesome and believable, why not give them some love? If this film gets more notice as the year goes on, then I believe everyone will have the Academy’s eyes and ears in that regard.
2.) Ryan Gosling And Emily Blunt Are Great Here!
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt gave two of the best performances last year. With Ryan Gosling, he had the legendary Ken! With Emily Blunt, she had Mrs. Oppenheimer! They were two of the best performances of their careers, earning them both Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor/Actress! What better way for them to follow up those memorable performances by putting the pair together for this movie and have a romantic relationship be the main driving force for The Fall Guy!
David Leitch is able to get the best performances out of Gosling and Blunt respectively because it’s able to utilize their talents the way it has being in prior movies. With Ryan Gosling, he’s able to bring his star power charisma as Ken from Barbie along with the badass but incompetent role he played in The Nice Guys (See that movie ASAP if you haven’t already!). With Emily Blunt, she is able to play the role of the woman of the picture handed the most responsibility in a dire situation like with A Quiet Place along with a tiny bit of the that badassery she gained on Edge of Tomorrow. Taking those into account, they could not be a more perfect match for each other.
I highly doubt these performances are going to earn Mr. Gosling and Mrs. Blunt the acclaim they received last year but these are definitely performances that work perfectly for this movie. It’s also refreshing to see a romance put front and center in a 2024 movie that feels as sweet and genuine as intended. Star power may not be as much of a main selling point for movies as it once was but Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt deserves all the love in the world with what they were able to do with this movie.
3.) The Action Is Chaotic!
This should be a no brainer if you are familiar with David Leitch movies. Ever since co-directing John Wick, he has held his own in the action genre with Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train. With The Fall Guy, he continues to put his place as one of the better action directors to watch out on.
When it comes to the action, it’s able to fire on all cylinders! You got hand-to-hand combat, skills and weaponry, and intense vehicle chases that are all entertaining to watch. The fight choreography is on point, each one has their own sense of tension and/or amusement that fits, and of course, the stunt work is completely off the charts. With every film, it always seems like Leitch is constantly daring himself to do better and find any means necessary to top the scale and scope of each action flick he makes.
The best part about is that it’s not just Ryan Gosling that gets to kick ass but just about every notable cast member gets their own action beat of some sort. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Winston Duke, Emily Blunt, and even Stephanie Hsu gets at least one moment in action to shine. I could complain how it’s mildly ridiculous about how every single character is able to hold their own in fighting against professional fighters but the moments themselves are fun and fit perfectly with the film’s tongue-and-cheek tone that it’s genuinely hard to care. Judging by the trailers and David Leitch name attached as director, you probably except The Fall Guy to be filled with action. It is and it most certainly delivers.
4.) A Throwback Movie In The Best Way Possible!
There are two kinds of way that movies that act as a throwback/homage film can go. 1.) The references and callbacks of the picture can kill it entirely because it’s reeks of pandering, desperation, and lacking any form of it’s own identity. 2.) The references and callbacks of the picture can make the film feel whole because it plays into the throwbacks and homages that the story itself is built around and serves a clear narrative purpose. You do it the first way and you get Disney’s Wish. You do it the second way and you get The Fall Guy.
This is a film that clearly acts as a love letter to traditional action movies. There’s vibes of The Matrix, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, Back to the Future, and Die Hard spread all throughout the picture. That’s not even talking about the homages to action flicks that appear at the very beginning of the film, even including some of Leitch’s own movies. In a lesser film, this could make it seem like The Fall Guy is an empty action flick that relies on it’s callbacks and references because it has nothing on it’s own. The Fall Guy is able to prevent that exactly by making action scenes, while having parallels to other action movies, stand out in their own unique way and having the action serve to the greater narrative of a stunt double that is trying to make a name for not just himself but other stunt doubles as well.
Throwback movies always have potential to make or break itself depending on how well its references are utilized. It could make for the worst kind of “critic proof” film, using the homages as a shield to try to give itself a “get out of jail” free card. Thankfully, The Fall Guy is smarter than that, knowing it has to be respectful to it’s throwbacks while still being a film that can stand on it’s own. If you look at it both ways, The Fall Guy works one of those ways or the other.
5.) It’s A Crowd Pleaser At It’s Absolute Finest!
The best part of seeing a good movie in the theaters is getting to experience it with a big crowd. It’s always exciting to be able to experience all the highs and lows of a motion picture when plenty of others along with you. This is what helps create happy memories at movie theaters. Not just seeing a movie on the big screen but seeing how yourself and everyone arounds you react to it. The best movies to get these crowd reactions with usually revolves around a crowd pleaser such as this.
When I think of the word crowd pleaser, I mostly think of it as a movie that feels like comfort food for just about anyone that watches it. This usually revolves around underdog sports movies or screwball comedies, where the movie seems to have no other goal than to entertain it’s audience while providing a simplistic but effective message. While not quite fitting into either one of those categories, The Fall Guy is able to get that similar vibe when watching it. You can pick at holes and inconsistences or whatever but at the end of the day, it’s just too much fun that it’s hard to care.
The crowd I was with seem to really dig The Fall Guy and it was nice to see the way audiences reaction to every joke, action beat, and plot twist that the movie throws at you. It wasn’t as big of a crowd as I would have thought but if it was, I would imagine this would have gotten the same reaction from them as it did with movies like Ford V Ferrari and even Top Gun: Maverick. I’m dead serious! And if there’s one thing that Hollywood needs more off other than big event blockbusters, it’s genuine crowd pleasers like The Fall Guy.
In Conclusion
We are currently living in a dire time with movie theaters. Unless there’s a big upcoming film that is being halted as an event to be experienced specifically in theaters, most folks would just rather stay home and wait for the newest release to come out through streaming and digital than spend 30 to 40 bucks to take their family to the movies. I know there’s not much I can personally do about it, I always find it in myself to try and spread the word on good movies to see in cinema.
The Fall Guy may not be perfect with issues regarding to pacing and balance multiple different genre of films but it definitely feels like a summer movie and just a movie made for the audience by heart. With the strength involving its cast, directing, and the action set pieces, this definitely deserves to be seen in cinema and not just at home.
If you have the money and time, go check out The Fall Guy! This definitely feels like a movie to experience with a packed crowd. Even if you go during those discount Tuesdays, it’s helpful as every penny counts. Let’s hope this is able to get strong legs and the apes are able to pick up the slack this weekend!
May the 4th be with you, everybody! There is nothing like annual Star Wars day, a day that celebrates the most iconic sci-fi franchise out there! Instead of putting my entire reputation in jeopardy by ranking the Star Wars movies, how about I put my reputation in jeopardy by ranking my top 10 favorite Star Wars games?
There has been a TON of Star Wars games released over the years! Everyone has their own personal favorite as does yours truly! And to celebrate May 4th, I’m gonna share my list of my top 10 personal favorite Star Wars games!
I will say that I have not played EVERY single Star Wars game out there! There might be some of your favorites that will not be on the list because I either have not played it or I just didn’t care much for it. That should be acknowledged right out of the gate!
Let’s get onto list making by starting with my honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions:
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
An arcade style flight action game that lets you control as Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing and lead the Rogue Squadron to defeating the empire. It’s always fun to take control over ships in a Star Wars game and be able to blast your way through enemies. There’s not much content outside of the 16 story missions but it was definitely enjoyable. I sure hope that Rogue Squadron movie that Patty Jenkins had in mind will eventually see the light of day.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
One of the most controversial games in the series is one that I admittedly have fondness for. The idea of taking control of a force user that has unlimited power that wasn’t seen in any of the main Star Wars movies is a rather unique one for a Star Wars game. I did enjoy taking control of Starkiller and seeing him evolve over the course of the game. If it were less buggy and glitchy, this might have made it on the list. Also, Sam Witwer is the G.O.A.T.!
Star Wars: Jedi Alliance
The one game connected to The Clone War series that I enjoyed the most. Lightsaber Duels was too repetitive and wore out it’s welcome fast, Republic Heroes had INCREDIBLEY frustrating platforming and mindless combat, and Clone Wars Adventures had WAY too much locked content for a full experience. However, the Nintendo DS experience with Jedi Alliance was an enjoyable experience that took the best use of the portable device along with an intriguing story that dug deep into the lore of the Nightsisters. I might be one of the few on the planet that remembers this game but I have no shame in it whatsoever.
Star Wars: Elite Squadron
The Battlefront entry made exclusively for the PSP was one that felt completely made for the PSP. It was able to incorporate most of the things that made the previous Battlefront games so good while also putting it’s own spin on it to make it work for the PSP. Sure, the overall story might be silly with putting the focus on two “special” clone troopers who just so happens to be a part of EVERY turning point in the franchise but come on, you know it’s every Star Wars fan’s dream to be a hero in a galaxy far, far, away.
Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017)
At launch, Battlefront II was another disappointment from E.A., doubling down on everything people hated about them as a company along with shoving loot boxes and microtransactions down everyone’s throat. However, as the years went on and more content from all corners of the galaxy got added in, this is now a much fonder game to look back on. Had this been the game we got back in 2017, this could have made the list. Even so, this still has to be one of the better redemption stories in recent gaming history.
Now onto the main top 10!
10.) Star Wars Trilogy Arcade
Was there anyone out there that remembers playing the hell out of this game when they went to Chuck E. Cheese? I sure do! The Star Wars Trilogy Arcade game includes the three biggest battles from the original Star Wars trilogy: The Battle of Yavin 4, The Battle of Hoth, and The Battle for Endor! It puts you in the hands of the heroes from the first three films that needs to defeat the Galactic Empire and save the day! It’s an incredibly short but sweet experience that I would also go back to whenever I was at Chuck E. Cheese. If only they can re-release this on modern consoles!
9.) Star Wars: Battlefront (2004)
The original Star Wars: Battlefront was definitely a groundbreaking game for it’s time, setting the groundwork for this series that it’s follow-up would build greatly upon. The major downside is that it came out before Revenge of the Sith that makes the campaign disjointed and rather incomplete, introducing battles through the first fives movies and not the six yet. Even so, it’s still fun to roam and fight you way through the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War, with everything that works here becoming even better in later games. Even if it is certainly date, there’s still plenty of variety and replay value that Star Wars: Battlefront provides.
8.) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II- The Sith Lords
Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords II was able to expand upon the gameplay and lore that the original provided with equally satisfying results. The main cast of characters are among the most compelling in any form of Star Wars media and the story it tells is easily one of the best in any Star Wars video games. The only downside is how rushed the ending segments are and the most accessible version of the game is lacking the Restored Content as DLC. Aside from those two flaws, this is still a very good game that offers the strong gameplay and storytelling that the original Knights of the Old Republic offered in ways that no other Star Wars media has.
7.) Star Wars Republic Commando
If you were to describe the Star Wars game that was the absolute definitive FPS experience, look no further than Republic Commando. This single-player, first-person shooter is among the most enjoyable Star Wars gaming experience to date. You get put in the hands of the Delta Squad of Clone Troopers in the form of Boss, Fixer, Scorch, and Sev, getting a deep look into the Clone Wars itself. And before The Clone Wars series, this was the first Star Wars property to provide unique characterization to the clone troopers and treat them as actual people rather than mindless drones. This is one that can cater to not just Star Wars fans but also fans of a good FPS! If you still have yet to play it, there’s a ported version of it that you can pick up on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
6.) Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
After a skew of underwhelming Star Wars games in the hands of EA, Jedi Fallen Order was a pleasant surprise when it released back in 2019. This remaining one of the very best single-player Star Wars games, putting you in the hands of Jedi Knight Cal Kestis, who is forced to fight his way through Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. It also offers an incredibly compelling story with a cast of characters that are one of the best Star Wars groups ever (BD-1 is just everything!). While the gameplay might borrow too many elements from Soulsborne, it fits the experience completely as you hack and slash your way as a Jedi Knight with awesome force powers. Also, anytime Darth Vader goes into complete OP mode is just awesome!
5.) Star Wars: The Old Republic
BioWare’s second Star Wars game remains an absolute fan favorite for many and for good reason. The Old Republic is a highly ambitious MMO that expands upon that same ear greatly. There’s plenty of content that the game provides with many different ways for you to spend your hours during perhaps the most intriguing time period in the history of Star Wars. Some of the quests are quite standard and it does follow the same beats as most MMOs but with a Star Wars license on top it but this is still as good as this kind of Star Wars game can get. While it’s a shame we never got a third Knights of the Old Republic game, The Old Republic is more than satisfying enough on it’s own merits that it completely makes up for it.
4.) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
Jedi Survivor was able to build upon it’s already impressive predecessor in just about every way it possibly could. It furthered the characters, it expanded upon the gameplay and universe, it moved at a faster frame rate, it took a step forward in terms of graphics, and it contained some of the best set pieces in any Star Wars video game! While it wasn’t as tight narratively as the first one and the worlds were a bit too big for some, Jedi Survivor was able to deliver more in terms of it’s gameplay, graphics, and presentation. It was one of my favorite games last year and I can not wait for the third entry of this series. If that delivers, then this series will stand strongly as top tier Star Wars media out there.
3.) Lego Star Wars Series
It’s near impossible for me to choose just one or two of these games so I decided to just include the whole series in general, except for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens because I never played that one. Lego Star Wars will always have a special place in my heart. I played these games before I watched any of the Star Wars movies and man, was it just a fun, entertaining, and absolutely HILARIOUS way for me to get into this series. The gameplay involving the legos is unique, creative, and very enjoyable, it’s able to retell the events of the films and The Clone Wars series in ways that are both clever and super funny, and there is so much extras, unlockable content, and variety throughout that it will have you playing through these games for HOURS to DAYS on end! Regardless if you are a Star Wars fan or not, these are games I can recommend for just about anybody of any age.
2.) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
No matter what way you look at, the original Knights of the Old Republic is an absolute triumph in terms of visuals, storytelling, and gameplay for both Star Wars and the RPG genre as a whole. It takes an extraordinary look at the Star Wars universe, far removed from any film in the Skywalker Saga. It added major depth to the lore, it fully immerse you in exploring this new corner of the galaxy with rich new additions, and being a Jedi has never been more satisfying in any Star Wars video game. That’s also not to mention the memorable locations and quests, intriguing story, and memorable characters to make the whole game feel as full as you could imagine! This might be the best Star Wars game from an objective standpoint but from a subjective standpoint, there’s one more that fully perfects by Star Wars gaming experience.
1.) Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005)
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is the perfect Star Wars game! Not only does it build upon everything that the original Battlefront offered a year before and gives you even more but it is the one Star Wars game I can think of that is satisfying no matter who or what you are playing as. No matter if you are playing as a clone trooper, battle droid, rebel trooper, storm trooper, bounty hunter, smuggler, Jedi, or Sith, it is extremely satisfying to play. It offers the best areas of all six Star Wars movies up to that point, it includes most fan favorites characters to the roster such as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, Darth Maul, and so many more, the area and space battles are always intense and fun, the campaign is very compelling, and this has hands down the best multiplayer of any Star Wars game. It’s just a damn shame that the new remastered version is as bad as it is because with the perfect remastered, this could be seen as one of the best shooting games ever made. With the addition of online multiplayer and co-op along with some added bonus features, this could be even better. Even so, the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 still remains a S-tier Star Wars experience and my personal favorite Star Wars game to date!
Hope you all enjoy this list and may the 4th be with you!
It’s now officially May which means it’s now officially summer movie season! The time of the year where the big blockbusters of the year are front and center in movie theaters everywhere now that the kids are out of school! Because of that, I figure I’d so something that I’ve yet to do on this blog, do a list of what I believe will be the top highest grossing films of the summer!
2023 was an absolute DISASTER at the box office during the summer time! That is largely due to the massive budgets from the majority of the big movies that came out that year along with just the overall inconsistent-to-poor quality of those big movies. And considering the fact there will likely be no Barbenheimer to save the summer, 2024 will likely be just as challenging for summer movies!
Even so, I think the 2024 summer movie season will give a big indication as to whether or not Hollywood is still recovering from the post-covid era of struggling to get people’s butts into theater seats or will this be the beginning of a resurrection for summer movies! We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best!
And considering I’ve been seeing multiple people put their own predictions of the top 10 biggest summer movies in terms of profit, why not throw my own hat in the ring and do my own list of this?! Keep in mind, these are the movies that I believe will be the highest grossing of the summer, not the ones that I desperately want to be at the very top. If that were the case, then Furiosa would at least be in the top 3 and Despicable Me 4 would be dead last on this list. This is list is not a matter of anticipating or movies I think will be objective the best, this is a list of the movies that I believe will be the most to least successful in terms of the top 10 movies of the summer.
Also, this is a ranking based on box office numbers worldwide and NOT domestic. That list would be harder and more complicated for me to judge. This is how I feel the box office numbers will hold for each film WORLDWIDE. Could I be dead wrong on every single one of these? Absolutely! But hey, it’s fun to be able to make predictions, right?!
Time to jump right in and put my predictions on what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of the summer!
10.) Furiosa
Release Date: May 24th
Box Office Projection: $350 Million
Reason: I have all the faith in the world that George Miller will deliver with this film but I’m just not sure it’s one that most general audience will be interested in. Despite the massive praise that Mad Max: Fury Road got back in 2015, it only made a little over 380 million dollars worldwide, with a net loss somewhere between $20-$40 million. And considering this is basically a prequel spin-off surrounding a character from Fury Road but played by a completely different actress and with no Mad Max to be found in the marketing, that doesn’t inspire much confidence for Furiosa to top or even match that. I love to be proven wrong and the cult following of Fury Road will show up to this one but I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the most frustrating Hollywood flop since last year Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, especially with the rumored film budget being over 200 million dollars! Hopefully this prevails and we get more Mad Max films from George Miller with the time we still have with him!
9.) Bad Boys Ride or Die
Release Date: June 7th
Box Office Projection: $400 Million
Reason: This is likely the summer movie I’m the most curious to see how it performs. This is a sequel to a movie that was one of the last solid hits to come out before covid hit. If it’s able to hit all the right beats just like Bad Boys For Life did, then I can see this doing similar numbers to that and perhaps even top it. The only big question is whether or not everyone has forgiven Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock on stage yet?
8.) The Fall Guy
Release Date: May 3rd
Box Office Projection: $425 Million
Reason: The first big movie of the summer is set to arrive tomorrow and I think this will largely benefit from being that first big movie of the summer. It also helps that it’s an awfully good over-the-top action flick that puts the spotlight on stunt doubles. If the word of mouth is good enough this weekend, I can definitely see this being a genuine crowd pleaser and may even make more folks demand that the Academy act a stunt category to the Oscars. I seem to be higher on this movie than most folks that I’ve seen but I think The Fall Guy will do more than fine and dandy at the box office.
7.) A Quiet Place: Day One
Release Date: June 28th
Box Office Projection: 450 Million
Reason: Coming after the first two terrific installments, this is the one main horror franchise that has left the audience more intrigued to see what happens next. The only potential downside is that this acts as a prequel to those first two films with a completely different cast and director. The big looming questions is whether or not audiences love A Quiet Place for it’s memorable characters and recognizable actors or for it’s genuine scares, set pieces, and world building. If the quality for Day One is in the same ballpark as those first two Quiet Place movies, then I can certainly see it being in the same ballpark as the first two films in terms of box office results.
6.) If
Release Date: May 17th
Box Office Projection: $475 Million
Reason: There are two main factors here that will make If a good hit at the box office. First, it will be the biggest family friendly movie to come out in May (give or take The Garfield Movie) and will have enough time to stand out as that until Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 come out. Secondly, it has the star power duo of Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski. Those two factors alone are almost certain guarantee that this movie will do bank once it comes out in the next two weeks. It likely won’t be the biggest movie of the summer starring Mr. Blake Lively but it will definitely help for him to have a summer to remember.
5.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Release Date: May 10th
Box Office Projection: $500 Million
Reason: The next big summer entry is set to come out in theaters next month and looks as if it will be as visually delighting and narratively compelling as it’s rebooted predecessors. Disney has been doing everything in their power to promote this film by showing off the elements that folks loved the most about the previous three films. That in of itself will guarantee a strong first weekend, especially since it’s avoiding Memorial Day competition with Furiosa and The Garfield Movie. Just like with A Quiet Place: Day One, the biggest challenge that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will have to overcome is make people just as invested in this new cast and crew as they were with the previous ones. If it does that, then this will likely be in the top 5 movies of the summer.
4.) Twisters
Release Date: July 19th
Box Office Projection: $600 Million
Reason: It might be a bold claim on the surface to predict this one making 600 million and being one of the biggest movies of the summer but hear me out. The original Twisters is adored by many, it has the star power of Glen Powell, coming off his great work in Top Gun: Maverick, and everyone just loves a good disaster flick. The trailers have been doing it’s best to sell audiences on exactly what they want to see out of a disaster movie and that alone will likely get plenty of folks into the theaters. I could be dead wrong in claiming this but even if this does get bad reviews, I don’t see that scaring away audiences because this is the definition of a “critic proof” movie. By that note, this will likely be the most successful “critic proof” movie since The Super Mario Bros Movie. Hopefully, the discourse over the Rotten Tomato score won’t be as insufferable.
3.) Inside Out 2
Release Date: June 14th
Box Office Projection: $750 Million
Reason: Disney has been in quite a slump as of late with their theatrically released films, especially in terms of animation. Despite all the flops released last year, Elemental had some staying power and made just enough to be guaranteed a profit, making that and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 the only Disney movies to NOT be considered a financial disappointment. And considering this is a sequel to one of the most beloved Pixar films in recent memory, Inside Out 2 will be able to do some of the best numbers with Disney Animation since 2019, especially if the reviews are stellar. The recent track record alone might prevent it from reaching the same success as the first one but if it delivers, Inside Out 2 should be able to be the most successful theatrically released Pixar film since Toy Story 4 and possibly even the most successful theatrically released Disney film overall since Frozen 2.
2.) Deadpool & Wolverine
Release Date: July 26th
Box Office Projection: $900 Million
Reason: Many folks have claimed this will be a guarantee billion dollar hit but I think everyone needs to come back to reality for a moment. After many big movies underperformed last year, including two MCU installments, we might need to pump the breaks on such bold claims. As much as Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and will likely be one of the biggest movies of the summer, that’s won’t guarantee 7 digits as prior big Marvel movies did. The R-rating alone (A reminder that there has been only ONE film to ever make a billion dollars!) along with the inconsistent quality of recent Marvel movies/shows will likely prevent it from reaching that billion dollar mark, with audiences still needing more consistent quality Marvel flicks to be fully won back. The promise of seeing Huge Jackman as Wolverine once again in yellow spandex, the buddy-cop routine with him and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, and the absolute guarantee of multiple easter eggs, cameos, and fan service will make Deadpool & Wolverine one of the biggest movies of the summer almost certainly. When it comes to if it will be the first Marvel movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home to make a billion dollars, that more than remains to be seen in my eyes.
1.) Despicable Me 4
Release Date: July 3rd
Box Office Projection: $1.1 Billion
Reason: I don’t understand the appeal of these movies and I likely never will but one thing is certain though, this franchise certainly has an audience. Coming off a third entry that made a billion dollars and a second Minions movie that almost made a billion dollars, there is no reason to believe that Despicable Me 4 won’t be in that exact same territory in terms of box office success. Whether you like or hate them, Illumination Animation certainly knows how to get kids and families to theaters with their films and this will certainly be no exception. As I said before, the quality of any of these films is irrelevant and I highly doubt any kind of negative reviews will impact the box office results here. If I had to pick one big movie that is the saftest bet to make a billion dollars and be the highest grossing movie of the summer, it would be Despicable Me 4. I wish that was not the case but hey, there are plenty of folks out there that do. So, what do I now?
Other notes:
As for the other movies that got let off the list!
The Garfield Movie nearly came close to topping Furiosa the 10th spot but unless it’s able to make noise at Memorial Day, I can see this being shipped to digital really quickly. It might do enough for a profit but not Hotel Transylvania and Spider-Verse numbers.
Alien: Romulus looks like a return to traditional roots for the series in the form of Prey but it will likely have to pay for the sins of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (Damn you, Ridley Scott!).
The Bikeriders seems fun but won’t leave much impact until it hits streaming service like it originally was suppose to.
Horizon: An American Saga could likely come and go depending on it’s quality.
And if the trailers for Borderlands is anything to go by, this will likely be one of the biggest bombs of the summer. Why, Eli Roth?! Just why?!
Monkey Man and Boy Kills World are both out in theaters! These are two crazy action male led action films that have not being so well at the box office! Even if you take into account how there’s very little movies nowadays that do well at the box office, these two flicks have been playing in mostly empty theaters. That is such a shame! Not only because these are two very well done action movies that perhaps have a hiccup or two in terms of storytelling but these are literally the kind of flicks that people claim they want in theaters.
And to go into exactly what I’m talking about, I’m going to give you all five reasons why I genuinely believe that Monkey Man and Boy Kills World deserves your time and money at your local movie theater!
1.) Stellar Debuts For Two First Time Directors
That’s right! Monkey Man and Boy Kills World made for the very first film from a directing standpoint from both Dev Patel (who is also the main lead of the picture) and Moritz Mohr. It’s always important for directors to make the best possible first impression to audiences and both are able to do that just splendidly with their directorial debuts.
When watching both films, you can definitely tell that have a unique version of what kind of action flick that they were wanting to make throughout the entire production. Patel was aiming for a bleak and dirty action flick with fight scenes that have personal stakes and wants the viewers to feel every punch the main protagonist takes. Mohr was aiming for a crazy and over-the-top action flick where each action sequence dare to top themselves in terms of pure spectacle and carnage. Both of these kind of action flicks have their place within the genre and both directors were able to make the best use of it.
That’s not to say either one of them is flawless. Patel could have afforded to move the camera back every now and then and Mohr could have added a bit more weight to each fight scene. However, these are definitely flaws that can easily be fix with future film installments from the creative mind of these two gentlemen. These two films only got me more curious to see what these two will do next for their upcoming projects in the directing chair.
2.) Dev Patel And Bill Skarsgård Are Action Stars In The Making
The most impressive aspects of both movies is how well both Patel and Skarsgård suit themselves as action stars and provide enough screen presence to carry each film. Sure, both actors might have been part of big franchises out there such as with Patel in The Last Airbender *shivers* and Skarsgård with It and John Wick but this is mostly the first time they had to take action roles in order to carry an entire film. Thankfully, both are able to live up to the challenge.
They not only look the part and are completely buyable in the action scenes but they have their own unique screen presence that makes their performances for their characters stand out. Patel has his own stoic stone-face charisma that is able to copy the right notes from the likes of Keanu Reeves and Jason Statham. Skarsgård is able to find the perfect dry sense of humor of having to provide his own A.I. voice spin, playing a character that is both mute and deaf at the same time.
Action flicks can’t work if your main action lead isn’t compelling, entertaining, or awesome to watch in action. Despite the minimal experience, Monkey Man And Boy Kills World are able to provide that greatly with the performances from Patel and Skarsgard.
3.) The Action and Set Pieces Are Spectacular
Of course, the most important part of action movies is the action. Thankfully, Monkey Man and Boy Kills World are able to deliver very well on that front, creating impressive and stylish action set pieces that’s able to stand perfectly on its own.
While admittedly suffering with a bit too much shaky can and the camera being too zoomed in during certain fights, the fight scenes in Monkey Man are really hardcore. It’s always interesting when you see the protagonist start off completely sloppy at the beginning during fight scenes only to get better and more badass the more the movie goes on. The standout sequences include every boxing match in the ringer, an impressive bathroom set piece, and the final showdown between Kid and his mother’s killer.
As for Boy Kills World, it’s able to lean hard on its blood and gore to make the action more delightfully gruesome. If you can imagine the best possible version of Deadpool meets Kill Bill, this is basically what you get. Plenty of slicing and dicing and hand-to-hand combat, Boy Kills World is able to deliver on the action front in ways that will only itself can. The standout sequences include the training montages, the news brawl, and the final showdown between Boy, his *SPOILERS* and the true antagonist of the picture.
Even in a genre full of variety, these two films are able to provide their own significant stamp on action films. Not only to create memorable fight scenes with stellar fight choreography but to also use its set pieces to tell its rather complex stories, with the action serving as an unique metaphor for the journey that are protagonists go through. Those are action films at their absolute finest!
4.) New Male Led Action Flicks
There has been two tiresome complaints when it comes to modern cinema by folks on social media in recent years. The first one of those is that there are too many female led movies going on right now and not enough male ones. Never mind the fact that we literally just came off a year with another John Wick and Mission Impossible, the later of which was a financial failure, that pushed the boundaries on what action films can do, studios have stopped caring about male demographics and are only interested in trying to get a female demographic to big action flicks for brownie points.
If that’s the case, then I would like to hear their excuse as to why those folks have likely not shown up for these two films yet. It’s got straight male leads front and center that kick plenty of ass while also having a sense of vulnerability throughout that makes each fight scene have their own genuine stakes to them. We see them work hard, train, and put themselves through hell to become the ultimate badass in the hopes they are rewarded for it by the very end. While I’m not sure that Kid and Boy (lol, I can’t believe those are their actual names) will be as iconic as the likes of Ethan Hunt and John Wick, they are very compelling action heroes to watch on screen.
In a year that has these two movies, Dune: Part Two with Timothe Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling’s Colt Seavers, and Deadpool & Wolverine with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, we have quite a bit of male lead action films to look forward to. For those that whine about there being so many “girl boss” movies nowadays, you all better be supporting these two movies and/or at least any of the other upcoming films I just mentioned or else you can not complain whatsoever.
5.) These Are New And Original Films
The other most tiresome complaint about modern cinema is that there is nothing original anymore. It’s all just reboots, remakes, legacyquels, and superhero flicks. Later, rinse, and repeat! Those who make that constant complaint always prove themselves to be massive hypocrites. First off, there are more original films being made in this day and age than there ever has been (Seriously, go look it up!). Secondly, whenever there is an original film that comes around such as Monkey Man and Boy Kills World, they don’t show their support it.
Rather than put the money in their mouths and support flicks that is not a reboot, remake, legacyquel, or a superhero flick, they would rather whine about Hollywood’s constant reliance on it, despite the fact that those are usually the kind of flicks that end up being among the most successful films of each individual year. Granted, that could just mean that the internet is not always an indicator on what the general public thinks of modern films nowadays. Even so, it would be for the better for those folks to support films like these two and spread the word of their good quality onto others both online and in-person.
If you really want to tell Hollywood that we want new and original flicks, then make your voice heard by showing your support at the box office in your local theater. There is no other better form of communication with Hollywood than box office numbers. That gives the exact indicator on what kind of films that people want and what kind of films they don’t want. At the moment, the low box office numbers is giving the indication that Monkey Man and Boy Kills World are not what audiences want for the future. If you want to prove otherwise, then go check out both films in cinema and tell your friends and family to do so as well.
It’s also important to enjoy original movies and/or IPs while you can because if they happen to get more installments, then it’s technically no longer original but another franchise for Hollywood to bank on. As the old saying goes, something can only be original one time.
In Conclusion
I can understand the circumstances of Monkey Man and Boy Kills World not performing very well in theaters at the moment. These are smaller, more experimental that had little to no marketing attached to it and not much word of mouth outside of critical acclaim from the film festivals they were a part of. Not to mention with how high prices are for seeing movies in theaters and buying concession is nowadays, general audiences are more likely to save their money on trips to cinema and only use on special occasions.
However, for those that don’t qualify as that kind of general audience and go to the theaters on a daily basis, I strongly recommend checking these two films out. Not only do they make for great action flicks, they make for great experiences that is worthy of the big screen. Whether your reason is for watching movies in cinema nowadays, you owe it to yourself to check out Monkey Man and Boy Kills World in theaters.
This was when SpongeBob SquarePants got truly as bad as folks claimed the show got after the first movie. While I still stand by my opinion that Seasons 4 and 5 weren’t the worst things in the world, these next three seasons I’m about to talk about is MORE than deserving a seat at the table. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. It’s not the worst thing ever but it’s undoubtedly SpongeBob’s roughest time throughout his history up to this point.
There are multiple different factors that played into the poor quality of these three seasons I’m about to talk about. Part of it is because most of the writers from the original three seasons were no longer present. Another part of it is because the writers of these three seasons likely tried to add their own style of humor and slapstick to the show that just fell flat. And of course, there’s that part that might be how the show has gone on for way too long and basically ran out of ideas. However, I do think the one main factor in all of this has to do with Nickelodeon and them relying SpongeBob SquarePants WAY too much to keep their network afloat!
Nickelodeon has been a controversial network for quite some time, ESPECIALLY in recent events (Dan Schneider is going straight to hell!). A big part of that has to do with their habit of expecting a new show to be a big grand hit RIGHT out of the gate and never looking back. When a new show doesn’t meet anything near those criteria, they tend to disregard it quite quickly.
So much so that they won’t even have the decency to air the rest of the episodes of a season but just dump it on their “back-up” network and letting that show go out with an absolute whimper. Or in the case of The Legend of Korra, they’ll just stop airing new episodes halfway through a season on TV and dump the rest of the show on their website. Yes, that really happened!
However, when a show does in fact become as big of a hit as they want, they go too far in the other direction and milk it until that cow is dry. And even then, they’ll just find another cow to milk.
There has been two shows throughout their history that has been the direct result of that: The Fairly Oddparents and SpongeBob SquarePants. With Nickelodeon constantly cranking out new episodes and content for these long lasting franchises like crazy, it played a significant role in their inevitable decline in quality.
It was by the points of Seasons 6, 7, and 8 that Nick was relying HEAVILY on the SpongeBob brand to keep the network at a steady heart rate. They would constantly demand for new episodes to be made as fast as humanly possible. Don’t worry about the overall quality. All that matters is that they get a ton of episodes released so they can be covered for the next two to three years before having to worry about anything beyond that timeline.
When watching Seasons 6 through 8, you can definitely tell that Nick was rushing production for new episodes of SpongeBob that the writers never had time to sit down and figure out what the hell they were even doing. It was that bad!
The end results of that leads to an era of very ill-fated and mean spirited episodes that goes against everything that the show has been up to this point. You have characters acting constantly out of characters, the same repetitive “torture porn” jokes, inconsistent animation with unintentional creepy imagery, messed up morals that aren’t well thought out in the slightest, and episodes that lack any sort of substance whatsoever. If there was ever a time where the post-movie haters got to gloat how right they were with SpongeBob losing his way after the first three seasons, this was it.
Let’s dive a little deeper as to why this era of SpongeBob SquarePants has been the show’s most infamous.
Seasons 6 & 7
You might be wondering why I’m going to be talking about Seasons 6 and 7 at the same time? Well, that’s because they both have the exact same kind of problems that I just mentioned. So much so that it’s pretty hard to tell which season that each episode belongs to. Not only because Nickelodeon aired episodes in between both seasons before either one was officially complete (This would not be the only time they would do that in this show before and after!) but because the majority of the episodes gave that exact sense of ill-conceived, poorly thought out gags and storytelling.
First off, you have the infamous episodes that lacked any sort of substance. These were mainly ones that take the most paper-thin premise imaginable and filled 90% of the runtime with filler. You have Penny Foolish which is about Mr. Krabs trying so hard to get just a little penny from SpongeBob. You have The Card which is about SpongeBob trying to protect a special Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy card from Patrick. You have A Day Without Tears which SpongeBob makes a bet with Squidward that can he go a whole day without crying. There’s also Gone, which is about everyone but SpongeBob disappearing from Bikini Bottom, only to find out they left because it was National No SpongeBob Day! They are about as dull, one-note, and shallow as the premise of each episode makes it out to be.
You have the infamous episodes that show of the lackluster animation and gross out images. There’s The Splinter that shows the most disgusting looking splinter that you will likely ever see on your life. There’s House Fancy that shows Squidward’s entire toenail coming off in rather painful fashion. There’s Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful where we see Squidward eating, bathing, and sleeping in complete garbage. While the earlier SpongeBob seasons weren’t necessarily a stranger to gross out humor, these seasons take it way too far to the point where these episodes might make you legit nauseous.
You have the infamous episodes that completely butchers the characters beyond repair. You have Boating Buddies, Choir Boys, and Squid’s Visit which makes SpongeBob come across as a complete stalker with the way he refuses to let Squidward have his space and knows his home and lifestyle near perfectly. You have A Pal for Gary that makes SpongeBob look like an arrogant and illogical jerk to Gary, who is literally getting TORMENTED by the other pet in this house. You have Yours Mine and Mine and Stuck in the Wringer which takes Patrick’s stupidity to ridiculous level and making him look like a selfish a-hole. There’s even One Course Meal, which makes Mr. Krabs look like the most soulless crab in the ocean by trying to drive Plankton into committing suicide (an episode which even Clancy Brown admitted he was very uncomfortable doing voice work for). These episodes were so bad that I wouldn’t blame anyone if it made fans not look at certain characters the same way again.
You also have the infamous special episodes, especially one in particular, that were so overhyped and underwhelming that it made people lose interest in the show completely. While SpongeBob vs The Big One was pretty good, just about every other one in Seasons 6 and 7 were about as lackluster as the majority of special SpongeBob episodes. The Clash of Triton was mediocre at best that made you want to sympathize with King Neptune’s whiny and annoying son but failed spectacularly. SpongeBob’s Last Stand was a bold attempt on making commentary on environmental awareness that mostly fell flat and was ultimately forgettable. And do I even need to mention the dull, obnoxious, poorly directed, visually ugly, non-existential story driven, and disappointing as hell special that was Truth or Square. The 10th anniversary special that was nothing but false advertising and empty promises, the worst possible celebration for ten years of SpongeBob SquarePants that you could imagine. That one special alone was so bad that it made plenty of folks drop the show completely, such as yours truly.
That’s not to say there were ZERO good episodes of any kind to be found in Seasons 6 and 7 such as Sand Castles in the Sand and The Bad Guy Club for Villains. It’s just that you would have to dig HARD to find those hidden gems buried within such garbage. Anything else you would find is nothing but trashy, greasy nonsense. A sign that Nickelodeon no longer valued the quality of SpongeBob SquarePants but more saw it for it’s name and brand alone. There’s plenty of fingers to be pointed around here but this was the show at it’s absolute lowest point.
However, why didn’t I lump Season 8 into this as well?! Well, it’s complicated!
Season 8
To be clear, Season 8 was also not a good overall season whatsoever. There were plenty of episodes of the dire examples that I just mentioned to be found here. You have Face Freeze! which showed off the creepiest and most horrifying face expressions that has ever been seen on this show. You have Pet Sitter Pat which made Patrick more unlikable and insufferable than he always has been, allowing poor Gary to be beaten up the whole way through. And it’s better not mentioning Demolition Doofus, the episode where Mrs. Puffs is trying to get SpongeBob literally MURDERED! This was a bad season by all accounts, but it did have it’s moments!
As much as there were plenty of bad things about Season 8, it also had a handful of good things about it. The good things that not only help make it more salvageable compared to Seasons 6 and 7 but also it helped plant the seeds for the inevitable resurrection seasons for the coming years. These were good episodes that helped made Season 8 not just the best out of a bad bunch but also the best possible conclusion to the worst era of SpongeBob’s history.
A handful of fan favorite episodes this season include the likes of Frozen Face Off, Planet of the Jellyfish, Super Villain Aquatic Villain Team Up Is Go!, Chum Fricassee, the Vacation episodes, and The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom. However, there were two special episodes that I believed helped evaluate this seasons quite a bit. Those two special episodes were It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! and the Season 8 finale, Hello Bikini Bottom!
While the Vacation episodes with the main characters going on vacations were light and enjoyable enough on their own merits (even if most of them probably could have just been shorts instead of 11 to 22-minute long episodes), these two special episodes were able to capture a certain spark that the majority of this era couldn’t come close to achieving. It showed that not only is it possible for there to be new SpongeBob episodes that were good but that this show did in fact have some creative energy left within itself.
It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! was the first major SpongeBob episode to be strictly in stop motion animation. It also officially premiered on CBS during November 2012 before airing on Nickelodeon a month later. And believe it or not, it was very, very good. It managed to be funny, charming, moving, and just put you right into the Christmas spirit! For as good as the original Christmas Who? special was, It’s A SpongeBob Christmas managed to be just as good if not better than that already classic Christmas animated tale.
I would also go into deep details into how important Hello, Bikini Bottom! was to this season and the whole show in general but I actually have a special piece of that coming next month. And yes, that will be the monthly piece for this yearly SpongeBob retrospective! There’s just so much to talk about that episode and the multiple meanings that it has. Needless to say, it’s a very special episode and one that I feel should be even more appreciated than it already is.
Overall, I guess you can look at Season 8 compared to Seasons 6 and 7 the same way that folks look at Revenge of the Sith compared to the rest of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. It may not be particularly good but it’s definitely the least bad of the three with some redeemable values to it. However, the redeemable values are definitely worth bringing up as it would eventually build up towards another golden era of the yellow sponge quite later on in the future. This is something that I will be tackling in my next piece of the yearly SpongeBob marathon with talking about why Hello, Bikini Bottom! might be the most important episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.
In Conclusion
I’m not sure what more I can say that hasn’t been said about everyone else on the planet to how bad this era of SpongeBob SquarePants truly was. It’s the era which saw SpongeBob at his absolute lowest point. Due to Nickelodeon’s constant micro management and time constraints along with writers that might have been over their heads, Seasons 6-8, even with the last season’s good elements to it, is what sank SpongeBob’s reputation so hard. It was so bad that it killed any good will that most folks had left in this series. It did so much damage to SpongeBob that it made folks not want to acknowledge the legit good episodes that are a part of it because of how bad the majority of the episodes were. Whenever I feel the urge to claim that post-movie SpongeBob was no where near as bad as many have led you to believe, it’s these three seasons that respond back with an enthusiastic, “Yes, it is!”. And it’s then I would lose this fight completely.
I feel sad that the episode I will be talking about next month had to be a part of this era. In some ways, it basically had to die for this era’s sins to push towards the brighter next era that would come along. And it’s that episode of Hello, Bikini Bottom! that I will be covering in May!
Next Month: Why Hello, Bikini Bottom Is The Most Important Episode of SpongeBob SquarePants
Last year, Melissa Barrera was betrayed. Following the success of her standout performances in Scream (2022) and VI, the producers of those films decided to cut ties with her for having the audacity to voice her support for a dying Palestine. They can claim that it technically wasn’t “firing” because her contract was set to expire all they want but that was a cowardly move made by the studios. Even so, Melissa Barrera did remain working with Radio Silence, the company behind those last two Scream movies along with the excellent Ready or Not. Here she plays a character that by in large resembles the situation that Barrera has found herself dealing with in real life. She committed certain screw ups that got where she is now and is fighting for her life to get back to making things right. While that is mostly largely coincidental, Abigail could not have been a better follow up for Mrs. Barrera and Radio Silence if they tried.
It’s able to get an insanely talented cast and crew and put them front and center to make one of the best vampire movies in recent memory. It’s full of wit, charm, blood bath kills, and is completely bonkers from beginning to end. It made take a while for all the pieces to be put into place and those that watched the trailers might see some of the big reveals coming from a mile away but nevertheless, Abigail is proof that Radio Silence is the next consistent horror movie studio to watch out for and this film will definitely be up there as one of the best horror movies that 2024 will have to offer.
Premise: A group of would-be criminals (Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, and Angus Cloud) kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter (Alisha Weir) of a powerful underworld figure (???). Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire.
(I don’t want to reveal too much more considering the trailers had already given away a good chunk of the plot. Once again, if you haven’t seen the trailers yet and are looking forward to the movie, I would recommend to NOT watch them before seeing the movie.)
It may seem tiring to call films “self aware” nowadays, especially since that seems to be the norm for a film trying to be as “critic proof” as possible and would allow for it’s own “get out of jail” free card. However, Abigail remains the best kind of self aware. Not just because it wants to subvert the vampire genre that it’s a part of but it wants to embrace it with opening arms. It’s not so much interest in reinventing the wheels but more of putting both hands firmly on the wheel and taking viewers into directions that they may or may not expect. The main reason Abigail is able to get away with being self aware because it fully embraces the wit, camp, and gore that you come to expect from a vampire movie and a Radio Silence movie up to this point.
It does take a little while to get going however. Because it has quite an ensembled cast, it takes it’s time to get them all characterized with clear cut motivations and backstories as to who each individual is and why they got themselves into the matter that they are in. And of course, they have to establish who exactly Abagail is, even if most of the marketing as already done so, before the ball gets rolling. These sequences are made for the absolute better not just because it makes all the pay offs worth it but also for just how insanely likable the cast is.
Melissa Barrera is even better here than she is in the last two Scream movies combined, practically evaluating her status as a true iconic final girl and one that can carry any horror movie that she is a part off. Dan Stevens steals every scene he is in even harder than he did in Godzilla X Kong, somehow able to make his character likable and hilarious despite basically playing an absolute a-hole. Kathryn Newton is just as good here as she was in Freaky and Lisa Frankenstein, Angus Cloud (May he RIP!) and Kevin Durand gets some of the best laughs in the movie, and while not quite in the movie as much as I would like, Giancarlo Esposito is always a delight to see on screen.
Despite how strong the other cast members are, the real star of this show is no other than Abigail herself in young Alisha Weir. She slays every scene that she’s in and makes for the perfect centerpiece for this movie. She’s able to be fun, sympathetic, and terrifying all at the same time, making her presence feel noticed throughout the entire runtime of the film. Whether it’s for strictly horror or other movies, this young girl should have a bright future ahead of her.
As you would expect for a horror slasher and a straight up vampire flick, it more than delivers on all the kills here. Once things are set in place, Abagail becomes an absolute blood bath in the best and most gruesome ways possible. There’s plenty of thrilling and convincing kills that will give horror fans their craving, it’s able to play in it’s own B movie camp to near perfection, and the demented death scenes feel as satisfying as it does gruesome. Even if the film does commit to it’s campy and comedic undertone, it also commits greatly to it’s kills and thrills as well.
If there is any glaring weakness outside of the bit overlong set-up and the trailers spoiling the big reveals, it’s that perhaps it goes too far by the end with it’s over-the-top ness. It wouldn’t be quite as noticeable as the rest of the movie if it wasn’t for the fact that it tries to throw one or two more twists and emotional beats towards the end. It’s hard to explain without spoilers but the final deathmatch comes across as being stretched just in the hopes of not feeling too short or anti climatic with it’s last minute reveals.
Even so, in a year that has been quite underwhelming for cinema thus far, Abigail does feel like a refreshing change of pace for not just the horror genre but films in general. It’s able to meet the expectations it sets out too because it know every single trope of it’s genre it wants to commit to and manages to execute them all in the best way possible. It may not be revolutionary but it does everything it possibly can to make for a satisfying experience. The cast is great, the kills are brutal, the scares all work, and even if you are able to see the reveals coming from a mile away, you’ll be fascinated to see how well they are all done.
I can only hope this movie does well enough that it not only allows Radio Silence to keep making these kind of movies but it also puts Melissa Barrera on the map as a gal to watch out for in movies. Don’t let the Scream producers win here folks! Go support Abagail for not just a very fun time but also for our girl Melissa!
#JusticeForMelissaBarrera
And once again, Rest in Peace to the great Angus Cloud!
And here’s the ranking that is likely going to get me attack/cancelled from hardcore stans of this director!
Zack Snyder might be the most controversial big name director working today. While he is certainly a man with a vision and always has big ambition with everything that he makes, he has been inconsistent to translate that perfect vision he always has in his head properly in front of the camera. The action and visuals is always guarantee to talk the talk but the story and character development can never always walk the walk. Because of that, his films always tend to be divisive and even sometimes outright panned.
However, Snyder is no doubt an interesting filmmaker to talk about and do a ranking on. Despite everything I’m about to say with all 11 of his films, I can’t say the man has ever made a film that had me shrugging my shoulders. That certainly has to amount to something, especially in this day and age. I don’t know if I can call myself a fan of Zack Snyder as a whole but there definitely are films of his that I admire and appreciate. Just a shame that is an opinion that is hard to talk about on the internet without being dogpiled along with the so-called cult of Zack Snyder who view him a cinema Jesus!
Nevertheless, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver has just arrived on Netflix (or at least some version of it that may or may not be Zack Snyder’s true film) and it’s time for my long awaited ranking of all 11 films in this man’s directorial filmography!
And fyi, I am NOT including the director’s cut of Justice League (A.K.A. JOSStice League)! I don’t care if he’s still the credited director for that crap, we all know for a fact that was NOT his movie whatsoever! Which is why only his four-hour long cut will be included on this list!
11.) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
I’m still in awe how you take a crossover like Batman and Superman and make it so dull and joyless. Dawn of Justice is a film that wants to comes across as the most grand and ambitious movie every made, but when you look deep into it, this movie actually doesn’t have much to say on anything it’s talking about. Other than trying to cram two to three movies worth of material into one film, there’s nothing really risky or daring here and it’s so-called themes have been done much better in plenty of other superhero films. The plot is a convoluted mess no matter which version you watch and the conflict between Batman and Superman is so incredibly ridiculous that it could have been avoided if they would just simply talk to each other.
Ben Affleck is fine as Batman and there’s a few standout moments here (The warehouse fight scene and Wonder Woman’s first appearance are all-timers) but that’s nowhere near enough to save this turd of a film. Even the ultimate edition which many claim “saves” the movie really just has more of the same things that were wrong in the first place, aside from being pacing. If there is a clear difference between ambition and aimlessness, then Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice certainly strikes the finest line yet between those two definitions with results that fit more of the latter than the former.
This is a movie so bad that it not only arguably killed the DC Extended Universe before it even got a chance to get going but also caused big damage to Zack Snyder’s reputation as a filmmaker! I know tomatoes are going to be thrown at me for putting this at the very bottom but I’m sorry! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Both the theatrical and ulimate edition!) is an epic failure on every level!
10.) Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver
Part Two of Zack Snyder and Netflix’s answer to Star Wars and Seven Samurai could not have been more anti-climatic if it tried. While Part One was far from perfect, it did at least set some solid groundwork for Part Two to continue in good graces. Unfortunately, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver fails to capitalize on that promise in just about every way.
The visuals are still nice and Sofia Boutella still makes for a compelling action lead but nearly every flaw from Part One is carried over and made even worse. You have a universe that still feels undeveloped, characters that still feel one-note, exposition dumps that are still tedious, slow-mo that is still nauseating, and inspirations that still feel way too on the nose. Not even the action and set pieces work this time! Despite Zack Snyder clearly wanting to make an original franchise of his own, he still has clearly not been able to find a voice that matches his own and those he is inspired by.
Speaking as someone who went easy on Part One, Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver crushes any hope for this IP to ever take flight. It pains me to say that because there is always room for more sci-fi that’s not just Star Wars and Star Trek and we should applaud for more creative voices. However, Part Two is a reminder that sometimes filmmakers need restraint and need to be surrounding by more than just “Yes” men! Refuse to do that and you get the Rebel Moon series as a result!
9.) Sucker Punch
Sucker Punch is the most bizarre and ill-conceived movie that Zack Snyder has ever made. On the surface (and considering it’s time), it just seems like Snyder just wants an excuse to hang out with some talented women that he has worked with it and make a movie where they all kick ass together. When looking deep beyond the surface, it also wants to be a commentary on Hollywood treating women like sex objects and violence against female companions is wrong. It’s the perfect example of a film trying to have it’s cake and eat it too but not at the end results it actually wants.
The action is dynamic, the cinematography is well done, and the main female cast all do fine work and bounce off each other very well. Unfortunately, it’s letdown by a script that couldn’t give two craps about the paper-thin plot, underdeveloped characters, and constantly contradicting it’s themes and messages. On one end, the film can be seen as a mildly entertaining action flick. On the other end, the film falls into the same trappings it’s aiming to avoid because it clearly wants to be more than that.
Sucker Punch is a film that can be enjoyable but not for the reasons that Zack Snyder has intended. It’s basically the exact kind of movie that it’s claiming to be critiquing. Yes, women deserve to be more than eye candy and male gaze but that’s literally all they are in this movie. The fact that Zack didn’t realize that before cameras even rolled here basically made Sucker Punch doomed from the start.
8.) Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire
Rebel Moon was a film that started off as a Star Wars pitch to Lucasfilm shortly after Disney bought them in 2012. It was a pitched as an R-rated Star Wars film made strictly for adults and would take itself more “seriously” than any other Star Wars film. What should be a shocker to absolutely NO ONE but Snyder himself, that pitch got denied and many years later, has now been made into it’s own “original” film.
There is plenty of interesting concepts and exciting moments throughout Rebel Moon. The visuals are as good as they can be for a Snyder film, the worldbuilding while familiar is intriguing, the action is pretty damn solid throughout, and Sofia Boutella is awesome as Kora, the most compelling character in the whole film. It’s just a shame that it can’t escape the trappings of most theater cuts from Zack Snyder where a good chunk of it is left on the cutting room floor. Because of that, you got side characters that are painfully undeveloped, an internal conflict that’s not as clear or fleshed out as it should be, and references to other sci-fi pictures such as Star Wars, Dune, and Battlefield Earth that is as obvious as clear daylight.
Even so, I still couldn’t help but be intrigued by Rebel Moon- Part One: A Child of Fire despite it’s major flaws. It lives rent free in it’s own sandbox and throws so many different ideas on the screen that it’s near impossible to be bored by it. That being said, Snyder seriously needs to learn how to make proper cuts of his movie that are able to work for mainstream audiences and not just for himself and his hardcore fanbase. Even though Part Two was unable to deliver on this films promises, it was at least fascinating to see what it was leading to beforehand!
7.) Army of the Dead
Snyder’s first Netflix exclusive is an aggressive mixed bag. On paper, this seems like the film that Zack Snyder has always been destined to make and act as the perfect successor to his film debut of Dawn of the Dead. A zombie heist movie with with a hard-R rating sounds like it would fit right in the man’s alley. While there are certainly elements here that do work, Army of the Dead never quite reaches it’s full potential.
The cast, action, and practical effects (especially for the zombies) are all there and do lift the film quite a bit. However, it’s bogged down by poor dialogue, characters that constantly make dumb decisions, and not going all the way with it’s bizarre premise. And don’t get me started with the bloated 150 minute long runtime and the ending which has the film completely trip and fall over the finish line.
The elements are there for Army of the Dead to be an instance Zack Snyder classic and a great zombie flick all around but it never quite comes together. If Rebel Moon is proof that Snyder desperately needs someone to handle the scripts for his movies, then Army of the Dead is proof that he desperately needs someone to handle the editing for this movies as well.
6.) Man of Steel
The DC Extended Universe kicked off in 2013 with one of the most polarizing superhero movies of all time in Man of Steel. Looking back on it nearly a full decade later, I can’t help but have INCREDIBLY mixed emotions when it comes to this film. In terms of casting, tone, action scale, scope, and score, this is everything that a modern Superman movie should consist off, with nearly single technical and sound aspect works absolute wonders. However, when it comes to the overall story, script, and structure, that is where the confliction comes in.
Most of the characters come off as plot devices and motivation for Superman than actual characters, the dialogue strikes a fine line between being poetic/inspiring and just plain pretentious, and it’s overall themes feel not so much explored but just told directly to the audiences. Even so, the action is dynamic, the cast do great with what they have to work with, and the scope and Han Zimmer’s soundtrack are off the charts that it’s almost good enough to convince you that you are watching a much better film than you actually are! The elements that work are absolutely great while the elements that don’t work really bring down the whole picture.
When looking at it’s own thing and the seeds it plants for the future, Man of Steel could have been considered a solid re-introduction to the character of Superman and one that could successfully redefined Superman to a new generation. However, due to it’s shortcomings and the movies which came after tripling down on the things that don’t work rather than what does, you can’t help but see wasted potential. As it’s own thing, Man of Steel is functional on a surface level but not on a depth level. Henry Cavill deserved a much better standalone film than this!
5.) Watchmen
Snyder’s first official DC film is able to perfectly capture the style and feel of what the source material of Watchmen has always been known for. The looks, aesthetics, and effects are all completely on point and help make the film’s fascinating world come to life near perfectly in front of the camera. If only the pacing and structure was able to match the quality of it’s outstanding visuals.
Aside from the pretty colors, Watchmen has also many other great things going for it such as the talented cast, brutal action, inspired song choices, and even having one of the most underrated villains in any superhero movie with Matthew Goode’s Ozymandias. That being said, the pacing is constantly grinding to a screeching halt just for the sake of Snyder showing off his wide angle shots and constant slow-motion sequences. Also, this film easily has one of the most laughable sex scenes of all time! Just saying!
Still, there is a lot to like about Watchmen than there is to dislike. Had it benefited from a tighter runtime and cut down on the needless slow scenes, this might have been Zack Snyder’s own masterpiece. Thankfully, the HBO Max series is able to expand upon the quality of Watchmen even further and make that a worthy adaption alongside this film.
4.) Dawn of the Dead
Snyder’s official directorial debut happens to be no other than a remake of 1978’s Dawn of the Dead with James Gunn as the main writer. With all the discourse surrounding Zack’s reputation as a filmmaker, you would think this would be the most divisive film in this man’s career. However, that is not the case whatsoever. It’s basically just a very faithful and well done remake and that’s about it.
It’s got a very likable cast, the action is non-stop, the humor is quick and witty, and it manages to be consistent with it’s tone the whole way through. The Zombie Celebrity is still to this day the main highlight of the movie and the opening credits themselves is an all-timer! I don’t know if it has to do with James Gunn’s involvement as a writer but Zack Snyder is able to get the right script that perfectly matches his skills and capabilities as a director with Dawn of the Dead.
Even if a lot that has come after have been polarizing at best, at least Zack Snyder was able to start his career with a solid hit with this surprisingly solid remake in Dawn of the Dead. If you want a zombie movie from Zack Snyder that is done right, look no further than with this movie.
3.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Because we live in some dark and twisted form of an alternate universe, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a real thing now. Truth be told, even if you remove yourself from the toxicity that is the Zack Snyder fanbase (I won’t blame you if you can’t!), it’s actually pretty good with a lot more to like than there is to hate. This is probably the one movie in the DC Extended Universe with Zack Snyder that doesn’t feel overly pretentious but more of just the man wanting to make the most epic Justice League movie he can possibly make. For the most part, he succeeds even if some of the faults from his other films are carried over here.
The first half is way too stretched out for it’s own good, feeling like Snyder is trying to get every single little frame of work that he desires in there regardless if it actually serves a purpose. There’s also the final fifteen minutes that feels more like a collection of post credit scenes rather than an actual epilogue. But everything in between that is pretty solid. There’s good action set pieces, a nice, riveting score, memorable gorgeous visuals, and some good character interactions between all of the Justice League members, with Wonder Woman and Cyborg being the main standouts. And this also feels like the first time in Snyder’s films that the superheroes on screen actually act and feel like superheroes instead of just being all sad and mopey all the time. What a time to be alive!
While there’s still faults from the theatrical cut that are carried over here (*cough* Steppenwolf and Flash *cough*), this is certainly an improvement over the theatrical cut and should most certainly be considered the actual definite version of Justice League. I might not call myself a fan of Snyder’s input on the DC Extended Universe but I’m at least glad he got the chance to finish what he started after having to originally step down due to the tragic death of his daughter. Warts and all, this is easily the best DC superhero film that Zack Snyder has ever made!
2.) 300
Considered Snyder’s best by many, 300 feels right at home with what the man has to offer. It’s able to put the action, visuals, and cinematography front and center while leaving the story and characters arcs to the wayside. In most films, that would be a set up for failure but thankfully, Snyder is able to make the very best of it by not going too far on either end of those spectrums.
The action sequences are absolutely great, the cinematography is a treat for the eyes, the performances all work here, there’s a handful of standout lines that are memorable, and this might just have the most impressive visuals in this man’s filmography. Even, the required slow-motion bits actually work here! Sure, as I mention before, the story telling and character development are nothing to write home about and the historical inaccuracies will certainly be infuriating to some but for those looking for a rock solid action flick will likely be more than satisfied with 300.
For years, I’ve argued that 300 is the kind of film that Zack Snyder should always inspire to make. A film that’s able to build greatly on his strengths as a filmmaker and not doubled down on all his weaknesses. If you are able to deliver solid action and visuals with a brain in its head that isn’t bogged down by tiresome exposition and mind numbing flashback scenes, then just stick to that and you will be seen as a reliable filmmaker that knows what they are doing. However, there is at least one more film that I would argue does in fact show that Snyder can be great with telling stories with his visual flare to back up perfectly.
1.) Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole
That’s right! My favorite Zack Snyder film is the animated one about owls! Go, figure! In all seriousness, Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole is one of the most criminally underrated animated films in recent memory! It’s able to match that sense of awe and wonder in scale that Snyder always aims for in this film while also able to tell a shockingly heartful and cohesive story with these birds despite taking inspiration by multiple different books. Not to mention, even nearly 15 years later, the animation holds up WONDEFULLY!
As much as I can give praise to the animation, visuals, action, and voice work, I think the thing for me that stands out the most about Legend of the Guardians is it’s able to capture that right amount of earnest feels that most of Snyder’s films lack. It doesn’t feel it’s trying to hard to break new ground nor talking down on it’s audience that dare question it’s director, it’s just trying to be an engaging tale about the endangers of owls and the importance of having your friends and family alongside each other. All the pros of most Zack Snyder films are still here but very rarely are his cons present.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owl of Ga’Hoole is to date my favorite Zack Snyder film because it’s one that I can 100% get behind EVERYTHING that the man is trying to do here that I don’t need an extended cut or DLC in order to do so. That’s not to say this film is totally flawless (certain characters get painfully sidelined) but it has that perfect heart and wit to do it that it’s able to fully meet it’s grand ambition. Legend of the Guardians is not just Snyder as his best but also animation as it’s very best! Check this one out if you haven’t already!
This month saw the release of the new Amazon hit series of the live action adaptation of the popular video game franchise known as Fallout. In about a week or two since it has come out on Prime, it has been quite a success for critics and fans alike! So much so that Amazon has already greenlighted a second season just one week after all eight episodes of the first season released! There might have been some trivial debate about releasing all the episodes at once or whether or not it retcon a certain Fallout game from existence but for the most part, the series has basically pleased the majority of viewers who have given it a watch thus far. And as you would expect whenever a new video game adaption turns out to be surprisingly good, you still get the typical question about whether or not this was the one that broke the so-called “video game adaptation curse”, despite them asking the exact same question about the previous video game adaptation that the media praised.
Never mind the fact that there has been numerous adaptions for video games in the form of movies and tv series that have been good to great for at least the past five years! Never mind the fact that there was a big popular and well received video game movie or show that got a rave response from everybody a year prior! Apparently, those never happened and Fallout is the one that broke the curse by being the first ever video game adaptation to not suck! I don’t buy that for a second and I don’t think even the people that have made this claim do.
The main reason I say this has to do with the success and praise that last year’s video game adaptation in Max’s The Last of Us received. And just like with Fallout, that was a video game series that led many people to say that was the first legit great video game adaptation to ever exist and the one that broke the video game adaptation curse.
Did we just forget about that all of a sudden? Did we forget that everyone and their mother put that series on a pedestal when it came out as that being the first adaptation to get it right? Or are we just going to ignore all of that entirely that just for the sake of propping up Fallout? I’m not gonna say I know the answers to these questions but I do remember everything that folks have been saying about Fallout was also said about The Last of Us. And the reason I know that was because well…..I wrote a piece about that as well.
As I discussed on that piece last year, I would strongly argue that video game adaptations have taken a HUGE step up in quality as least since 2019 with the releases of Detective Pikachu and The Angry Birds Movie 2. And there’s even an argument to be made that the year prior wasn’t so bad with the releases of Tomb Raider (2018) and Rampage. As a matter of fact, the last true bad year for video game adaptations was in 2016 and 2017 with the releases of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. That is a good seven to eight years ago since video game adaptations truly sucked! Since the 2020s rolled around, there have been more winners than losers!
In terms of movies, we’ve had The Super Mario Bros Movie, that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide last year, the two Sonic the Hedgehog flicks, with the third coming out this December to massive mainstream hype, the Five Nights at Freddy Movie which despite it’s poor critical reviews, was a solid hit for hardcore FNAF fans, the Gran Turismo motion picture that was a surprising crowd pleaser, and Werewolves Within which most didn’t even recognize it was an adaption because of how good it was at it’s own thing!
In terms of tv shows/streaming services, we got some pure quality and well made adaptation in terms of live-action and animation such as the masterful Arcane, the anime hit Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the perfectly live-action adaptation in The Last of Us, the unexpectedly fun and amusing Twisted Metal, and now we have the latest banger in Fallout.
And that’s not even going into the other upcoming adaptions in the works that have potential to be just as good as the examples mention such as the new Minecraft movie and the new animated Tomb Raider series from Netflix. Have there been stinkers and more to come? Absolutely! But literally, no genre of any kind is perfect and will always have a dud every now and then. However, it’s incredibly safe to say that video game adaptations have gotten much better since the 2020s rolled around and have shown fans of multiple video games franchises that these can in fact work in terms of movie and television form that works greatly as it’s own thing.
Which yet again makes me wonder why we keep having this same argument over and over again. Why is it that we are still shocked whenever a video game adaptation is good despite the many other proven examples that I just mentioned? More importantly, why is it that we keep devaluing them just to praise the newest one that comes out when it’s any good? The only answer I can come up is that perhaps people are just afraid to call a video game adaptation good because of all the missteps of this subgenre in the past.
Much like how there are certain folks afraid to admit they like a new Disney movie or superhero flick or whatever motion picture made from a so-called “assembly line”, maybe folks don’t want to admit that video game adaptations are good now. They don’t want to accept that this is a medium that can in fact be successful when giving the proper care and treatment. It’s no longer the kind of movies and shows that can be a whipping boy to everything wrong in modern entertainment. Because now, video game adaptations have proven that they can be just as successful as a movie or show as they are with a game. Video game adaptations can evolve and develop into something greater that does its source material justice to not just fans of the franchise but also to newcomers as well. Because of all the examples I have given and more, video game adaptations no longer deserve the scrutiny the get just based on past mistakes. And you know what, it’s okay to admit that.
It’s okay to admit that a movie or series based off a video game can be good or even great. It’s okay to admit that the creators of these recent video game adaptations have learned from the mistakes of other failed adaptions in the past to make something worthwhile in the present. It’s okay to acknowledge the shortcoming of new adaptations without tearing down the entire subgenre itself. And most importantly, it’s okay to admit that video game adaptations can be just as good as anything else. Not just in spite of being a video game adaptation but BECAUSE it’s a video game adaptation! It’s okay to admit ALL of that because it’s true, ALL OF IT!
The Fallout series certainly deserves all the praise and success it has been given thus far. It’s well made with excellent production values, a bonkers feel that seems the most appropriate, unique world building, and great performances from the cast, especially Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins. However, there is no need to put this one on a pedestal as being the one video game adaptation that got it “right” or claim it shouldn’t be as good as it is strictly because it’s a video game adaptation. Fallout works whatever way you look at it and not for the reasons you don’t. It’s a video game adaptation that is good just like many other recent video game adaptations have been good. And as I’ve been saying throughout this entire piece, it’s okay to admit that. I sure hope I’m not the only one that feels that way!
Please don’t screw up Borderlands, Eli Roth! I don’t want to have to make another one of these posts four months from now!
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