Ranking The X-Men Franchise

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With the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, it is now officially the end of the Fox-solo run of X-Men movies. Even if you have yet to see the film, it’s been basically confirmed beforehand that the film was to act as a a farewell to that era of superhero movies and open the door for Deadpool’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I don’t think you can find a superhero franchise that is this inconsistent and all over the place in terms of quality. The highs remain very, very high while the lows remain very, very low. While the X-Men movie franchise deserves credit for laying the groundwork for the 21st century domination of superhero flicks, they are certainly not without their faults.

Because of all that and more, let’s take a look back at this superhero series before the MCU does their own spin on it in film form.

Here is my ranking of all 14 X-Men films from worst to best, including Deadpool & Wolverine.

14.) Dark Phoenix

Simon Kinberg returned to do yet another adaption of the Dark Phoenix saga that he screwed up last time only to somehow do an even worse job here. As underwhelming as Last Stand was, that at least had more effort put into it and had some sort of emotional investment from the first two X-Men movies to pay off of. Dark Phoenix on the other hand lacks any sort of groundwork or proper payoff. We are expected to care about versions of X-Men characters we just meet one movie ago and is expected to have the sort of gravitational emotional weight that Avengers: Endgame provided. It doesn’t even come close to capturing a quarter of that since these are the versions of the characters we have spent the least amount of time with and there’s not much of a proper finale to build to. Not to mention the cheapness of the filmmaking on display despite it’s massive budget, set pieces that lack any sort of weight or proper direction, a villain that is so forgettable that no one even knows what her name is (Not even Jessica Chastain herself!) and wasting talented actors that are clearly over this franchise. Not even Han Zimmer bringing his A-game and the final scene between Charles and Xavier can save this disaster! I don’t know if it’s because of the numerous delays, the Disney and Fox merging, and/or Simon Kinberg trying to do the same story he already screwed up but no matter what way you look at it, Dark Phoenix is an utter failure of a motion picture and the worst film in this franchise by a country mile.

13.) X-Men: Origins Wolverine

For a long while, this was the worst that the X-Men franchise got. X-Men Origins: Wolverine shows what happens when a comic book movie tries to do too much with so little effort. This glorified attempt at making an compelling origin story for it’s main character falls flat in every single way. With too many characters, overloaded subplots, endless retcons and contrivances, awful effects, and insulting logic, this comes across more as a textbook example of how NOT to make a comic book movie and prequel at the same time. And don’t get me started what they did with the Merc in the Mouth (Screw you, Fox!) Although unlike Dark Phoenix, the cast, the clear standouts being Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and Liev Schreiber, give their best efforts and there are PLENTY of unintentional laughs to be found here. It may no longer be the worst X-Men movie (Dark Phoenix) nor the worst Fox Marvel movie (Fant4stic) but Origins: Wolverine remains the lowest point of Hugh Jackman’s tender as Wolverine and possibly his whole career.

12.) X-Men: The Last Stand

I never in a million years thought that this would be the best film adaption of the Dark Phoenix saga to date. At least there’s actually a plot driving the movie forward and and had payoffs to the first two movies of some sort. That being said, The Last Stand still doesn’t come close to being the satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy it aims itself to be. The pacing is way too break neck without giving you a second to breathe, the direction makes the film look lifeless and rather bleak to look at, there are decisions made by the characters that are just baffling, and (until Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League), you would be hard pressed to find a superhero adaption that gave such disrespectful death scenes to beloved comic characters. It’s certainly more action packed than most X-Men movies and there’s a emotional beat or two that work but X-Men: The Last Stand still remains one of the most disappointing superhero movies of all time.

11.) X-Men: Apocalypse

How do you follow up with one of the best and most exciting X-Men movies in the series with Days of Future Past? By wasting Oscar Isaac in an incredibly boring villain role, that’s how! X-Men: Apocalypse is not without it’s redeemable moments, which some good character beats scattered throughout (Quicksilver always steals the show!) and solid performances from the last old and new. It still can’t get over glaring flaws such as super slow pacing, a middle act being practically non-existent, wasted supporting cast, dodgy CGI and green screen effects, and of course, Apocalypse being an incredibly wasted villain. It’s baffling how the one X-Men movie that Bryan Singer did strictly as an obligation (Days of Future Past) turned out to be a million times better than the one X-Men movie he actually wanted to make from the start (Apocalypse).

Also, f*ck that stab at Return of the Jedi!

And f*ck Bryan Singer as well!

10.) The New Mutants

A re-watch has made this movie aged better in hindsight. The New Mutants had an interesting idea going for it by being more small-scale than most superhero movies and going with a more horror-like tone. It also has a commendable cast who do the best they can and even a lgbtq+ relationship that doesn’t feel pandering or forced. If only more time was spent on the new mutants developing their powers and NOT on constantly explaining their motives and themselves to everyone else and it fully committed to it horror elements. No one saw this movie when it came out because it released in theaters during the pandemic nearly three years but when watching it again on Disney Plus, there are more redeemable elements to this movie than I initially thought. Perhaps if it didn’t get caught between Covid and the Disney-Fox merge, The New Mutants could have been a refreshing change of pace to the superhero genre.

9.) X-Men

The original X-Men deserves credit for being the one that started it all and laying the foundation of this franchise for over the past two decades. It introduces the superb cast of characters that fit their role like a glove such as Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen, it established the core of beloved X-Men characters from the comics, and brought to the table the number of timely themes about civil rights and discrimination (X-Men has ALWAYS been woke btw!). That being said, it has not aged the greatest. It feels more like a POC (Proof of Concept) or pilot for an eventually long-running television series than it does a movie, with poorly aged effects and dialogue throughout (Do I even need to mention that one line from Storm?). Not to mention, turning Rogue (No fault of Anna Paquin!) into a scared little girl rather than a sexy badass and the middle finger it gives to the classic X-Men suits. As an introduction to this game-changing franchise, it does it’s job well enough. As it’s own movie, it’s passable but far from great.

8.) Deadpool & Wolverine

The newest Deadpool film finally introduces the long-awaited arrival of Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the longtime fans, there’s a lot of fun and enjoyment to be found here with the insane amount of cameos, action beats, full 4th wall breaking humor, and just seeing Hugh Jackman in that classic yellow X-Men suit for the first time ever. That being said, if you are expecting a compelling straight-forward plot on par with the first two Deadpool movies and look for more than just fan service and easter eggs in a movie, you will likely be disappointed. As enjoyable as Deadpool and Wolverine is, I can’t help but find the character more engaging on his own with his own friends and family. Also, I really hope Marvel doesn’t take the wrong lesson from this movie’s inevitable box office success and start making every movie going for just “MCU Reddit Fan Theories The Movie”. That will get old and fate very, VERY quickly!

7.) Deadpool 2

You can go back and forth between the sequels with the Merc with the Mouth but I learn towards it’s second installment due to the more creative filmmaking and emotional weight on display. Deadpool 2 shows David Leitch bringing his own inspiring flavor to the Deadpool franchise, getting a chance to play in the massive sand box with Marvel’s beloved anti-hero. What holds this back from the original are some of the creative decisions involved with trying to add more depth and weight to the character, particularly killing off the romantic hook that drive forward the first movie just to make our main protagonist sad. Also, certain bits dragging on and on and on got tiresome quick. Thankfully, the action, gore, and 4th wall breaking still work here and the new players of Josh Brolin’s Cable and Zazie Beetz’s Domino fit into the Deadpool world incredibly well. Even if it is a step down from the first, Deadpool 2 is still a blast overall.

6.) The Wolverine

Even if this one just misses the top 5, I can’t help but feel like this is the most underappreciated X-Men film to date. Perhaps it has to do with Logan coming out later on and the big CGI robot at the tail end of the picture but The Wolverine is still a really solid action flick and the Wolverine film we needed after Origins: Wolverine. Here we get to see the haunted and immortal Logan going on his own adventure to Japan, seeing a more darker and riveting take on the character than the prior movies up to this point. There’s plenty of good fight scenes all the way through and seeing Wolverine go through a James Bond-like arc is really fascinating to see on screen. The third act doesn’t work with the big CGI robot and a villain reveal being so underwhelming, almost as if Mangold forgot this was suppose to be a comic book movie, but everything else in The Wolverine is so strong and deserves more recognition. Even if Mangold and Jackman did everything better together next time around, their first time together was pretty damn good as well.

5.) X2: X-Men United

Talk about a sequel that steps it’s game up in every way possible. The original X-Men walk while it’s sequel X2: X-Men United was able to run like hell. This is where we see the X-Men get striped away of everything they hold dear and both sides of the mutants in Professor X and Magneto force to team up to stop Striker before being forced to go to war with the human race. There is not a single thing from the original that is not improved upon big time here. The story is better with more momentum and stakes, the characters get a lot more to do, the action is more creative and exciting, the score and direction has more life to it, and it’s just so interesting to see these characters that were fighting against each other in the first movie being forced to work together in this one. While there have been comic book movie sequels that would later surpassed this one, X2: X-Men United still remains a damn good X-Men movie and a really top notch sequel.

4.) X-Men: First Class

After The Last Stand and Origins: Wolverine came out, the X-Men franchise felt about as good as dead. Thankfully, Matthew Vaughn was able to bring the series back to new heights with the excellent (No pun intended!) prequel known as X-Men: First Class. This really felt like a proper origin story about the very first members of the X-Men becoming a team along with the start of the biggest love-hate relationship ever with Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr. The cast are all excellent and have perfect chemistry with one another (James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender might just even better than their older counterparts!), the action is fun and inventive, the soundtrack is great, and it’s able to fit all the requirements needed for a prequel film without the baggage that tends to weight these kinds of films down. The film’s villains could have been fleshed out more (Even if Kevin Bacon is clearly having a blast in the role!) and yes what they do with Darwin absolutely SUCKS but as a whole, X-Men: First Class is the real deal and one of the best installments in this franchise.

3.) Deadpool

After over a decade of development hell and test footage that got leaked all over the internet, we were finally able to get a proper Deadpool movie in 2016. After the character was botched horribly in Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller was able to deliver the film that fans have always wanted with the Merc with the Mouth. The comedy is brilliant, the action is fantastic, the violent is as bloody and gruesome as it can get, the soundtrack is heat, the romance is one of the best in any superhero movie, and it’s able to make for the best use and subversions of all the most common superhero tropes imaginable. Not to mention, Ryan Reynolds was clearly born to play Wade Wilson/Deadpool, it’s what God clearly always wanted. Yes, you can argue the origin story itself is a tad formulaic but since this was Deadpool’s first movie I can give it a pass. This is not only one of my favorite comic book movies, X-Men or otherwise, but also one of my favorite comedies period.

2.) X-Men: Days of Future Past

While there’s definitely a strong argument to be made that First Class might be superior in terms of being a more proper team-up movie, Days of Future Past still stands as my absolute favorite team-up X-Men movies in the series. This basically acts like the Avengers: Endgame of the Fox X-Men universe, the culmination of the entire franchise up to this point, with seeing the old cast members teaming up with the new ones. From the superb character development to the amazing action set pieces (The Quicksilver scene is still an all-timer!) to the warm, dark tone to the resonate themes to the inventiveness of the time travel storytelling to the inspired score, this is basically everything you can ask for in an X-Men film or in basically any superhero movie in general. I can’t really recall any movie in recent memory that was able to be a kind of course-correcting movie without feeling the need to sacrifice it’s own quality for a brighter future. There are definitely nicks that can be picked (How does Kitty have time travel powers all of a sudden?!), but these are forgiving for how rewarding the whole experience is. As curious as I am with how the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles the X-Men property from now on, I can’t imagine them topping this film or craft something as creative and inventive as this. Perhaps I’ll be wrong but as the film itself states, the future is never truly set!

1.) Logan

Of course, it was gonna be this one. Logan not only stands as the best X-Men film but up there with one of the best that the superhero subgenre has ever offered. This is about as perfection of an adaption of Old Man Logan as you could get, delivering the hard R-rating that everyone always wanted for a Wolverine movie and bringing together that perfect conclusion to Hugh Jackman’s original run with this character. The performances by Hugh Jackman, Patrick Steward, and Dafne Keen are outstanding, the direction by James Mangold could not be more perfect, the action is incredibly well-handled and gruesome, it’s able to weave into the gritty western genre very well, and it’s tells a really compelling story about time being an enemy when you are on your potential last remaining days. (Also, you are a robot if you don’t cry at the ending of this film!) Regardless if you look at Logan as an X-Men film, superhero film, or as a film in general, it is still top-tier cinema on all accounts, with that one final shot being a special cherry on top. Even though Hugh Jackman would come back as the title character seven years later, that doesn’t change the fact that Logan is a masterpiece and one of the best comic book films ever made period!

How Deadpool Was A Miracle

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We are now getting closer and closer to the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, the next film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will see the long-awaited returns of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titled characters. Although the discourse will likely be insufferable (most notably the hundreds of articles and YouTube videos about whether or not the film “saved” the MCU), this should be a fun time in it’s own right if it can live up to the buddy cop premise that it promises itself to be. However, I think it’s best to take a step back in the time capsule about how a Deadpool movie even existing is a miracle within itself. Not necessarily because just about any big movie that has ever gotten made is a miracle but particularly the circumstances surrounding the production of the first Deadpool movie, particularly what it took for Fox to actually greenlight it and give it that hard R-rating that fans wanted. We have to go back to practically the beginning of the 21st century to get the full dive-in the production of Deadpool.

Back in May 2000, Artisan Entertainment announced a deal with Marvel to co-produce, finance, and distribute several films based off of Marvel Comics’ characters, including Deadpool. It wasn’t until nearly four years later in February 2004 where there was any active development of a Deadpool movie, with David S. Goyer and Ryan Reynolds being attached to the project, both of whom worked together on the Marvel film, Blade: Trinity. Ryan became interested in playing Deadpool after learning that the character was refereed to in the comics as “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei”, compelling him to get the movie made. However, there were rights issues with 20th Century Fox and the X-Men films, which halted the project completely.

About a year later in March 2005, Ryan learned that Fox might have changed their mind and were once again interest in a film featuring Deadpool. However, it wasn’t until 2009’s X-Men: Origins Wolverine where he finally got casted in the role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool and be given a chance to play as the character he’s wanting to for so long. While originally meant to be a cameo, his role would be expanded later on in production of the film, leaving room for a potential future spin-off movie for that version of Deadpool. Unfortunately, the film’s portrayal deviated HEAVILY from the original comic character.

There were decisions made with the character of Deadpool in Origins: Wolverine that INFURIATED not just the fans but Ryan Reynolds. Elements such as giving him illogical superpowers, no comic accurate suits, lack of funny one-liners, and worst of all, sewing his mouth complete shut. Ryan was against the majority of the choices made but was forced to go along with it after being blackmailed by the studio execs into having the character recast if he didn’t keep his mouth shut (no pun intended).

Despite the negative reception of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it’s strong opening weekend at the box office encourages plans for a Deadpool standalone movie. Ryan would be attached to the project along with X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner. The spin-off would ignore the version that was presented in Origins: Wolverine and return the character back to his well-known comic suits, with a slapstick tone and plenty of fourth wall breaks. This project would be in the work for the next two years, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick helming the script, Tim Miller attached to make his feature directorial debut with it, and Ryan Reynolds being in the background to make sure everything was coming together.

The project would later be halted again after Green Lantern released in 2011, which starred Ryan Reynolds himself and was a critical and financial disappointment. Fox executives were already nervous about releasing a superhero film that was R-rated and the fact that Ryan himself as had quite a losing streak with comic book movies such as Blade: Trinity, X-Men: Origins Wolverine, and now Green Lantern didn’t help wonders either.

After Ryan and Tim Miller had several meetings with Fox, the studio did agree to give them a low-six-figure budget to product some test footage to see if a R-Rated Deadpool film could translate on the big screen. Miller would use CGI from his animation company Blur Studio in 2012, with Ryan voicing Deadpool himself. When presenting the footage to Fox, it did not convince them to greenlight the film. Just like that, the production was halted once again.

In the same year of 2012, The Avengers released in May and became the third highest-grossing film of all time. While some attached to the Deadpool project thought that would help pick serious momentum after it being in development hell for nearly a decade up to that point, Fox became even more doubtful of a R-Rated Deadpool movie working. Because of that, Fox began exploring ways to include Deadpool in an Avengers-like team-up film. Considering the fact that this was still years before Disney would own Fox, it would be pretty difficult to find popular Marvel superheroes outside of ones that Fox already own such as the X-Men and Fantastic Four to make a movie like that work. Yet again, it seems as though the project was still far away from having any actual development.

Despite having plenty of supporters over a Deadpool movie, even from some highly notable directors in Hollywood such as James Cameron and David Fincher, Fox still did not want to pull the trigger and give the proper and faithful Deadpool movie that his fans have been wanting for years now. It was at this point where it seems like a Deadpool movie was just never going to see the light of day. Due to a mix of studio politics and results of prior projects with some of the crew attached to it, it just felt like a Deadpool movie was never meant to be. Already so much time and effort had been wasted to a movie that was never officially greenlighted and it might be better off for everyone to just move on to other things. But then in July of 2014, the unthinkable happened.

Right around the time of Comic-Con in 2014, that test footage that Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller made together two years prior got leaked all over the internet. The test footage mostly acted as a template to the opening action sequence in the final finished film. Deadpool is on a highway where he makes quips, slice and dices up some bad guys, flips the car open, and turns to the camera to break the fourth wall, with the cherry on top being Deadpool dropping an F bomb at the end along with Angel in the Morning playing in the background.

This leaked test footage absolutely BROKE the internet! Everyone and their mother went absolute BANANAS over it! THAT right there was Deadpool! Those two minutes of test footage along felt more like Deadpool than ANY scene with him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This got Marvel fans so fired up and excited that it led to plenty assuming that a Deadpool movie was in the works. Despite Fox denying Ryan and friends a chance to make a hard R Deadpool movie for the past decade now, they just had to yes now, right?! With the MASSIVE acclaim this two minute-long test footage alone got, this had to be a sign that a Deadpool movie was made to exist. And as it turns out, that was exactly what the cast and crew needed to get Fox to FINALLY say Yes!

About a month after the test footage was leaked, Fox confirmed that a Deadpool movie would be in the works and they gave it a release date of February 12, 2016. At long last, Ryan Reynolds, Tim Miller, and everyone else who has been attached to this project for so long would finally get a chance to make the Deadpool movie they have wanted to make since at least the mid 2000s. All it took was for someone to leak test footage to get Fox to finally greenlight the project.

It has never been stated who exactly was the one who leaked the footage. Ryan Reynolds has gone on records saying that he, miller, and the writers had previously discussed leaking the test footage themselves, with Ryan initially thinking Miller had done it but that was also never confirmed. He later believed the leak came from someone at Fox but no name has ever come out on who was responsible for the test footage coming out. Even so, Fox did agree to have an R-rated Deadpool movie made but Ryan and crew would have to do with a much smaller budget compared to most superhero films out there.

Deadpool finally released in February of 2016 to strong critical acclaim from critics and fans alike. It was able to gross over 782 million dollars worldwide, becoming the highest grossing X-Men film and the highest grossing R-rated film at the time it came out. Despite the concerns from Fox about an R-rated hurting the sales and quality of the movie, it turned out to be a massive hit. One that eventually lead to a sequel two years later and a third one, subtitled Deadpool & Wolverine, that is set to come out at the end of this month.

When looking back on the production history of Deadpool, I think you got an understanding as to why the film’s existence is a miracle in the first place. Not strictly because of it being in development hell for so long and the constant back-and-forth between the studio and Ryan Reynolds himself but the fact that it took leaked test footage to get the film made. All of this was possible because one brave soul out there was able to take time out of their day to leak test footage that went viral all over the internet. If it weren’t for that, there could be a strong chance this film didn’t get made at all.

A strong chance that Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller wouldn’t be able to make the Deadpool movie they wanted to make. A strong chance that Fox would have passed on hundreds of millions of dollars and found the next big superhero hit franchise for them. A strong chance that the character couldn’t be brought into the MCU and eventually be in a movie alongside Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. This all had a strong chance of NOT happening! And it was able to get that strong chance because of leaked test footage.

Between this and the backlash over Sonic’s movie design, I guess the internet still has some good use for itself after all. I think I have an idea for an upcoming piece right when the holidays roll around.

Why Are People Hyped For Shrek 5 But Not For Toy Story 5?

AdamLeave a comment

Recently, DreamWorks Animation has announced that Shrek 5 is planned for a theatrical release for July 1st, 2026. This is an installment that has been rumored to be in the making for years now, with most believing that the sequel was in active development after Puss in Boots: The Last Wish came out, which had an ending where Puss and company arrived at the kingdom of Far, Far Away. There was then a report last year that confirmed that a Shrek 5 and even a planned Donkey movie was in the works, with Eddie Murphy supporting those claims a few weeks ago during the press tour for his latest film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. And now we have a confirmed planned release of Summer 2026, which will see Shrek getting his fifth installment along with Buzz, Woody, and the gang getting their fifth installment a few weeks earlier with Toy Story 5, which leads me to the other upcoming animated film I’ll be discussing.

Despite believing that Toy Story 4 would be the definite end of the series, Disney announced last year that a Toy Story 5 is in the works, with the return of Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, which is also set for a summer release for June 19th, 2026, about two weeks before Shrek 5 will release. Although never 100% confirmed by Hollywood Reporter themselves, it was announced by Pixar CEO Pete Docter during a Q&A that the film would be directed by Andrew Stanton, who previously directed Finding Nemo, Wall-E and Finding Dory for Pixar along with co-writing the first four Toy Story films.

With Shrek 5 and Toy Story 5 acting as more entries in two long-running beloved animated franchises, you would think they would have the exact same reaction of hype and/or concern among fans of the franchise. However, that has not been the case whatsoever based on the reactions that I have seen.

Whenever you ask someone if they are excited for Shrek 5, they usually respond with…..

And whenever you ask someone if they are excited for Toy Story 5, they usually respond with…

In a way, this is basically like the exact OPPOSITE reactions regarding the last time that Pixar and DreamWorks squared off in the same summer with their most popular animated franchises with Shrek Forever After and Toy Story 3. Last time out, it was the Toy Story sequel that got hype and praise while the Shrek sequel got concern and hate. Talk about the shoe being on the other foot now!

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I more than understand concerns for Toy Story 5, I’m quite baffled how lopsided the reactions to the development of Shrek 5 and Toy Story 5 are overall. Both of these are fifth installments to beloved animated franchises, both of these are some of the most popular brand for both Disney and DreamWorks, both are likely going to be massive box office hits at the time it comes out and both are series that once had definite stopping points but continued on strictly due to their financial success and popularity. Which yet again begs the question as to why one movie is receiving more hype and anticipation than another. I’m gonna break down the main reasons as to what I’ve seen online why Shrek 5 is getting hyped and Toy Story 5 is not.

“There are still more stories to be told with Shrek and not for Toy Story!”

Is there though? For what I recall, most of the criticism surrounding the last two Shrek films with Shrek The Third and Shrek Forever After was how the series was starting to run out of ideas and stories of it’s own to tell. Shrek the Third got ripped apart for elements such as having Arthur being helmed as the one to run the throne of Far Far Away, not knowing what to do with Puss and Boots, and having Prince Charming being the lead villain when he already was a villain in the last movie. Shrek Forever After also took flack by stealing the premise of It’s A Wonderful Life and having all the characters go back to square one but in a different timeline. Does that sounds like a franchise that has plenty of room and growth for more stories?

Say what you will about the Toy Story sequels but at least each installment felt like it was taking the characters to the next step in their development and the whole franchise is constantly moving forward instead of backwards. Each entry of Toy Story basically took the themes and messages of it’s previous movie and expanded upon it in the next one. Toy Story 2 had Buzz and Woody switching roles with Woody this time around questioning his own morality, by coming to the realization that one day Andy will grow up and won’t need him anymore. Toy Story 3 expanded upon that and have it build to a climax which saw Woody and the toys learning to move on. Toy Story 4 expanded upon that by having Woody finding a happy ending of it’s own after letting Andy and his fellow toys have there’s. You can save what you want about the execution of those ideas or whether or not they justified their own existence enough but at least the series always feels like it has it’s head set straight forward instead of constantly looking back. That is something that I can NOT say about the previous two Shrek films.

Perhaps Shrek 5 will find an engaging story of it’s own whereas the previous two installments fell flat. Until then, I have yet to think of a big reason for there being more stories to tell with Shrek than there is with Toy Story.

“There’s a larger year gap between the last installment with Shrek than Toy Story!”

This is one reason that I actually agree with. There will in fact be a larger yearly gap between Shrek Forever After to Shrek 5 then there will be for Toy Story 4 and Toy Story 5. Shrek Forever After came out in 2010 and Shrek 5 is due to come out in 2026, that’s 16 (!) years in between those two installments. Whereas Toy Story 4 came out in 2019 and Toy Story 5 is due to come out in 2026, making it just 7 years in between those two installments.

Sure, if you dig deeper and count spin-offs such as Lightyear and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, that would just be a four year gap for both. However, when it comes to the main entries of both respected series, it’s a fact that Shrek 5 will benefit or not due to it being a larger year gap than Toy Story 5. In an age where it feels like time has gone faster than you can say to infinity and beyond (2019 was literally FIVE YEARS AGO!), there is a strong point to be made that the anticipation for Shrek 5 does in fact have to do with it being so long since the last main Shrek film came out.

“DreamWorks is better at making sequels than Disney!”

When looking at it in the long term, you might have a point here. DreamWorks tend to always bring their A-game when it comes to their sequels, especially with their Part Twos. Shrek 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, How To Train Your Dragon 2, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish rank up there as DreamWorks Animation absolute best work. And even the likes of Kung Fu Panda 3, How To Train Your Dragon 3, and the Madagascar sequels didn’t turn out so bad either. However, outside of The Last Wish, has DreamWorks really been that great with their sequels in recent memory? Or at least since the 2020s rolled around?

Megamind 2 was a cinematic abomination that was able to united every single human being on the planet with it’s terribleness, Kung Fu Panda 4 was considered the weakest and least necessary of the four Kung Fu Panda movies, and is there anyone outside of young kids and the cartoon community that thought that highly of Trolls World Tour and Trolls Band Together? And did you know that The Croods and The Boss Baby got sequels in the 2020s because I keep forgetting that they exist?

And if we are talking about the Shrek series alone, there are plenty of people that would agree that the last two Shrek films left plenty to be desired. Shrek the Third was considered at the time to be one of the most disappointing animated sequels of all time and isn’t looked upon that much fondly to this day. Shrek Forever After has seen it’s fair share of reappraisal in the coming years (even I will admit that it has aged better based on a recent re-watch of it) but not enough to where people put it on par with the first two Shrek movies.

Say what you will about the track record of sequels for Disney and Pixar but in regards to Toy Story, all four of them receive widespread critical acclaim and enormous box office success! Some might have their haters (most notably Toy Story 4) but they were able to please critics and audience at the time of the release and even now. If Pixar was able to deliver four well received Toy Story films thus far, why not trust them to do it again?

I don’t entirely disagree that DreamWorks sequels tend to stand out more than most sequels from Disney but if we are going by the recent track record and the last two installments from Shrek, there should be just as much if not more skepticism surrounding Shrek 5 as there is with Toy Story 5.

“Toy Story 4 and 5 do not need to exist and Toy Story 3 was suppose to be the true ending!”

You mean like how Shrek 4 and 5 don’t need to exist? Or how Shrek Forever After was suppose to be the true ending as well? So much so that the literal marketing and trailers propped the 4th Shrek film as being the legit final chapter of the story! Did we all just forget about that?!

I’m not going to argue with those that feel like Toy Story 4 and 5 don’t need to exist but like what was the point of say Shrek Forever After and 5 existing outside of dollar signs. They could have ended the story with Shrek The Third as most stories tend to end after a trilogy but they made a 4th one because the Shrek brand was still popular. Yes, you can argue that it was made to write the sins of the previous installment and successfully did so but that doesn’t mean it had to exist. And if you are able to take that into account, Shrek Forever After was designed and promoted as THE FINAL CHAPTER! of the story of Shrek. Do any of you remember the marketing for Toy Story 3 and 4 putting so much emphasis on those being the final chapter of their own respective franchise because I sure don’t?!?!

If you think that Toy Story 4 and 5 don’t need to exist because Toy Story 3 was the perfect ending, that’s totally fine and fair. But, let’s stop this notion that Shrek 5 completely justifies it’s existence alone when the last one made it 100% clear that it was fully intended to be the last one. Nothing remains sacred in Hollywood and it’s pointless to deny that is the same case with Shrek 5.

“Toy Story 5 only exists to make money!”

Repeat after me: ALL MOVIES EXIST TO MAKE MONEY! Not only all movies but ESPECIALLY studio IP movies! There is not a single second of development for these two films or ANY film for that matter where the studio execs are NOT thinking of all the money that they will make by banking on families and nostalgic adults! It’s not an opinion, that’s just a fact!

Toy Story 5 exists because Disney and Pixar are at a time where they need multiple box office hits in a row to justify still playing their films in theaters and it’s best to develop new films based off IPs that have already been successful. Shrek 5 exists because DreamWorks and Universal want another Shrek movie and want to make more sequels to perhaps make up for recent box office losses such as Trolls Band Together and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. Both of these statements can be correct and there is no shame in admitting!

At the end of the day, it’s all business in Hollywood! If Shrek 5 and Toy Story 5 make a ton of money during the summer two years from now, then it will be a success in the eyes of studio executives regardless of the actual quality of the film. Yes, Toy Story 5 only exists to make money but guess what, the same thing can be said for Shrek 5 as well.

In Conclusion

I know nothing I say can change one’s mind if they are super excited for Shrek 5 and super dreading for Toy Story 5. However, I want to at least get some points across as to the reasons that one is receiving much more hype than the other makes little to no sense to me. It’s okay to be excited for one movie and not for another but at least know why you feel the way you do in regards to Shrek 5 and Toy Story 5.

It’s bad enough we now live in an age where losers on the internet are always wanting to start a culture war on any new movie, show, or game that comes out nowadays. (There are literally folks claiming that Nintendo has gone “woke” because Zelda, the title character of Nintendo’s most successful non-Mario franchise, is getting her own game!) The last thing we need is another one in regards to these two long-running animated franchises that we all grew up with. A fun debate and comparison is all well and good but not when it starts to get needlessly cruel, mean spirited, and political for no reason.

I have nothing against Shrek or Toy Story. I’ve loved both series when I was a kid and I still have fond memories for them as well! I hope nothing but the very best for Shrek 5 and Toy Story 5 when they come out in summer of 2026. However, I do think there is plenty of room for worry and concern considering how they exist more because of the business side of things and not for the artistic side. Which yet again makes me wonder why most folks are propping up Shrek 5 but not Toy Story 5? I guess we will all find out the answer together in two years!

Regardless, Toy Story 5 will release on June 19th, 2026 and Shrek 5 will release on July 1st, 2026!

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water (2015) Retrospective

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SpongeBob SquarePants returned in movie form on February 6th, 2015, 11 years after the first movie, with The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. It was directed by Paul Tibbitt, who also received story credit alongside SpongeBob SquarePants creator, Steven Hillenberg, with the screenplay writing by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. The story was adapted from an idea conceived of Tibitt and Hillenburg, which the pair wanted to develop an idea that could only work strictly in movie form. Similar to the first film, the final act places the animated characters in live-action world but the animated characters became completely CGI animated in the live-action world. Those scenes themselves were directed by Mike Mitchell. This film was also Hillenburg’s proper return to the franchise after leaving as the show runner of the series after the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. While he still did review episodes and delivered suggestions from time-to-time, Sponge Out of Water would be his first time involved in the creative and writing process for SpongeBob since his departure. This film is dedicated to Ernest Borgnine, the voice of Mermaid Man, who died in 2023. This was also the final film role for Tim Conway, the voice of Barnacle Boy, who died in 2019.

The film, like it’s predecessor, received mostly positive reviews from critics, having the highest critical approval rating of any SpongeBob film to date on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the fans and audiences were more mixed on it, with most being frustrated at the film’s misleading title and marketing campaign, which made it feel like the whole movie would take place out of water and have the characters becoming superheroes but that’s really only for the final act of the movie. Even so, it was a big hit at the box office, earning over $325 million worldwide against it’s $60-74 million budget, making it the third highest-grossing Nickelodeon film to date and the 6th highest grossing animated film of 2015.

When it comes to how most folks responded to Sponge Out of Water, you can basically put them in the category of the good, bad, and the meh. There were those that thought it was genuine return to form for the franchise and thought it was the second leash on life it needed after the inconsistent quality since the first three seasons and movie. There were those that thought it was a complete dud and yet another reminder as to how far SpongeBob has fallen. And there was those that found it to be inoffensive but nothing that warranted making a whole movie out of. Because of that, I feel like it’s best to separate my thoughts of this movie into those three specific categories. The good, the bad, and the meh! It’s only fair that I point out every single pro, con, and in between I can think of when looking back at Sponge Out of Water nearly 10 (!) years later!

The Good

1.) The Animation

The animation is genuinely great though out this entire film, with the same classic 2D style hand drawn animation ripped straight from the show along with the proper 3D transition for the live-action bits of the film. Not only does it show off some unique visuals that make it worthy for the big screen but it’s able to perfectly translate the style of animation that the show is known for but make it work as a movie, even more so than the first SpongeBob movie did.

2.) Funny Spoofs

If I could think of one main reason as to why the crew wanted to put this story on the big screen, it would have to do with the amount of pop culture references and spoofs they could fit in there. At it’s core, there’s about three main spoofs that Sponge Out Of Water does it’s own spin on and each spoof basically acts as it’s own distinct act. You got the first act that plays like a more kid-friendly version of Mad Max, you have the second act that feels like SpongeBob and Plankton stepping into the realm of 2001: A Space Odyseey, and the third act (the one that the majority of the advertisements focused on) that is basically Avengers: Assemble but with SpongeBob characters. While doing those spoofs certainly played a factor into the film’s uneven pacing and storytelling and it probably could have done with just choosing one or two movies to spoof, I can imagine the cast and crew were having fun putting their own stamp of some of the most beloved film franchises out there.

3.) A Neat Twist To The Krabby Patty Formula Story

The whole “Plankton trying to steal the krabby patty formula” is perhaps the most “been there, done that” plot line in the history of SpongeBob. But what if, the moment that Plankton has possessing of it, it slips through his tiny fingers and falls into the hands of a human pirate? A human pirate that has exactly what Plankton wants, total power to do whatever he wants. That is easily the most creative story element of Sponge Out of Water that helps provide nice characterization to both SpongeBob and Plankton. Speaking of which!

4.) The Power of Teamwork

The first SpongeBob film had a very straight forward and obvious message, which is that never doubt yourself just because you are a kid. It might have been simple but it was still heartfelt for any kid my age back then. Sponge Out of Water provides a straight forward and obvious message about teamwork and working together with your friends and even enemies to solve your problems. This is the main motive that drives SpongeBob and Plankton throughout the entire second act and with SpongeBob and all his friends in the third act. It might beat you over the head with it more so than the first film did with its message but any kids movie that has a moral about working together with others is always welcome in my book.

5.) The Trippy Time Travel Sections

Yes, I love the heck out of the time travel sequences in this film! Is it trippy?! Yes! Is it absolutely crazy?! Yes! Does it make any lick of sense?! No, but I don’t care! Plenty of folks probably thought that these bits were a step too far but I don’t care. I like that these scenes went trippy and crazy! I don’t know what the people who thought of these sequences were eating, drinking, or smoking but I want it all!

The Meh

1.) The Humor

This might be subjective but I was honestly expecting Sponge Out of Water to be much more funnier than it was. Aside from some fun gags and spoofs, I found the humor to be rather stale with not a lot of memorable jokes. Most of them feel like rehashes from the show or ones that feel too water downed for little kids. There’s definitely some chuckles along the way but nothing that really made me belly laugh, especially during the moments where the film clearly wants me to belly laugh, such as when SpongeBob is torturing Plankton with the sound of his laughter. I won’t say the movie is completely unfunny but it’s also not completely funny either.

2.) The Action

It’s bizarre how this is a movie that is willing to go so out there in terms of its plot, visuals, and gags but seem to play it very safe when it comes to the action. Sequences such as the opening at the Krusty Krab or when SpongeBob and crew go into full superhero mode should be some of the most stand out sequences in not just the movie but perhaps in SpongeBob history. However, they are mostly just serviceable with the only memorable beats being the ones that you’ve seen in the trailers for it. I’m not expecting stellar choreography or anything like that but still action that felt more creative and imaginative than the action we get in Sponge Out of Water.

3.) The Way Certain Characters Were Handled

Despite all of SpongeBob’s friends being a main selling point for Sponge Out of Water, the majority of the fan favorites such as Patrick and Sandy don’t really get to do much. Heck, outside of SpongeBob and Plankton, hardly any of them get much of anything to do until the last third of the movie. They still do get much more screen time than they did in the first movie, outside of Patrick and Plankton, but it kinda makes me wish that most of them were along the ride with SpongeBob from the start instead of feeling written in at the last second, likely to appease fans that might have been upset by the lack of screen time from them in the first movie. The fact I can barely remember the exact moment where the whole gang got together to go out of water and find the Krabby Patty formula really says something about the way they were handled.

4.) Antonio Banderas

This might just be me but I can’t help but felt the most meh about this movie when it came to Antonio Banderas’s role and his character. I love Antonio Banderas but I don’t think he stands out as well as you would expect in a SpongeBob movie as a live human being. It’s basically a combinations of all the meh qualities of Sponge Out of Water in a nutshell. He could have been funnier, he could have stood out better in the action, and I felt he should have more screen time and/or presence in the actual movie. Antonio is by no means bad or weak in this movie but it feels like he is just there because we needed a big celebrity to play a certain role in this movie. And that should not be the case when it comes to Antonio Banderas of all people.

The Bad

1.) The Nonsensical Plot

The plot for Sponge Out of Water is about as coherent as Joe Biden speaking during a presidential debate. It’s absurdly all over the place, difficult to comprehend or put into words, and I don’t think that even the writers themselves knew what they were doing. It’s overstuffed with so many different ideas and spoofs that its internal logic falls apart at the first second of thought. It’s the same issue that the newer episodes would have to feel like there’s not attempt at telling a story but just feels like a bunch of random nonsense. It may not quite be the worst example of that in regard to SpongeBob but it also doesn’t help wonders here.

2.) Mr. Krabs

For all the talk about this film was about being a return to form for the characters, one character I found to be done very poorly is Mr. Krabs. He blames Plankton for the Krabby Patty formula disappearing even though SpongeBob was right there with them when it happened. Then not only does he not believe them but he literally turns his back on SpongeBob and orders citizens of Bikini Bottom to capture him and the do….God knows what. While I can understand not trusting Plankton at all, the fact that Mr. Krabs would go the extra mile to not believing SpongeBob and wanting vengeance against them doesn’t feel right at all. It felt like such a betrayal to the character to turn on his best employee like that, especially when he has zero reason to doubt him and believe he is not telling the truth.

3.) False Advertising

As I mentioned at the start of this retrospective, perhaps the most controversial element of Sponge Out of Water had to do with the incredibly dishonest marketing campaign. From both the trailers and title of the film alone, you would believe that Sponge Out of Water would actually be about SpongeBob and his friends being well…out of water. However, those sequences don’t actually take place until the final third of the movie, most notably the last 15 to 20 minutes of the film. That might not be the fault of the movie itself but that no doubt had to leave a sour taste in the mouth of some folks. Perhaps a different title or more faithful trailers would have helped this problem out.

4.) Did this need to be a movie?

Despite having the quality animation and clear references to well known film classics out there, I’m not entirely sure that Sponge Out of Water has enough substance to warrant for itself to be a film to be seen in theaters. The plot itself is all over the place as it is and it doesn’t so much feel like a plot for a movie but more of the plots of three to four different SpongeBob episodes smashed together into one film. In many ways, it feels like the films it spoofs off of feel more like a cover to justify this being a feature length film and not because they were actually trying to pay genuine tribute to certain films by giving them the SpongeBob treatment. It might have been a fun cover up but it still feels like a cover up regardless and one that could have been made as either a string of multiple episodes or just as a simple tv movie in general.

In Conclusion

I can totally understand why The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is as divisive as it is among the fanbase. It contains some of the very best, very worst, and very “meh” parts of all of the SpongeBob movies thus far. That is basically what you get when you go with a whole “throw everything but the kitchen sink” approach to a movie. You will have some moments that stick, some that just don’t, and some that will just fly pass your mind the moment that the movie is over. I can certainly respect Sponge Out of Water for going as far and bonkers as it dares to go but I don’t think it all works as well as it’s suppose to nor do I think it holds a candle due it’s predecessor.

However, it still has most of the characters that I love from the show, some of which got very little to do in the first movie and have more to do here, it’s got some crazy visuals that I thought I would never see in a SpongeBob movie, some of the movie spoofs it provides were quite fun, and there is a moral, while simplistic and predictable, that I think can resonate with kids the way the first film’s “kids rock” message resonated with me. In some senses, Sponge Out of Water feels like Stephen Hillenburg and the crew from the original three seasons and first movie coming together, dipping their toes into the deep blue sea of Bikini Bottom before swimming back all the way underneath the surface.

When looking at it through those lenses, I would give Sponge Out of Water a pass and a mild recommendation to anyone curious. I can’t say for certain it will work for you nor will you find the movie to be necessary but if you are just looking for an excuse to hang with SpongeBob and his friends for an hour and a half with enough visuals and gags to keep you entertained, I think this will do you just fine. If anything, this was at least a start to a much better era of SpongeBob that awaited him, his best one since between 1999-2004. And it’s certainly not the worst SpongeBob movie out there. That is something I will be discussing in a few months from now!

Next Month: The “Other Good” Era (Seasons 9-11)

Best Movies of 2023- Updated List

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Just as I promised at the beginning of the year, I’m going to give you all an updated list of my favorite movies from last year. I didn’t catch up on as many movies as year’s past but I did find a few new entries along with finding more appreciations towards other ones to justify making an updated list. Unlike before, I’m going to go with my top 15 favorites movies of 2023 as oppose to just top 10 and I’m not including any honorable mentions as I just want to go straight to the list. If you go back to my list in December, you will know what my honorable mentions are and which ones may have even found a spot on this updated list.

Nevertheless, let’s get right down to it!

15.) Air

Air isn’t may not reach the levels of other films of it’s kind such as Moneyball but it’s good enough to stand on it’s own as a well-done biopic with a sharp script, great performances, and spot-on directing from Ben Affleck to make it worthwhile. It can’t quite escape it’s surface level feeling and certainly could have done with an actual appearance of Michael Jordan himself but it’s able to give anyone that is interested in this movie exactly what they want and expect with no interest in deceiving expectations whatsoever.

14.) Evil Dead Rises

Who would’ve thought that 40 years after the original Evil Dead that the series would still have plenty of juice left in it? Evil Dead Rise is able to continue the franchise momentum in pushing itself forward to new territory while still sticking to the roots of what Evil Dead stands for. Here we see mum Ellie getting possessed by the spirits with her sister and children in the fight for their survivals! The characters themselves are engaging, the kills still deliver in fresh and exciting ways, and the creativity that the series is known for is still on display! Even if it’s not quite the very best movie in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise still succeeds greatly at reintroducing Evil Dead to a new generation. Five movies in and it doesn’t seem like Evil Dead is losing momentum anytime soon, making for perhaps the best (or at least most consistent) horror movie franchise out there!

13.) Nimona

Disney’s trash turned out to be Netflix’s treasure with this animated fantasy adventure in Nimona. A movie made for kids that pulls no punches and will likely find a bigger audience with teens and young adults due to the film’s own subject matter and mature themes that come to play. It’s beautifully animated, incredibly engaging, has messages and representation that feels genuine, stellar voice work from Chloe Grace Moretz and Eugene Lee Yang, and Nimona herself is one of the most generally lovable protagonists in recent memory, managing to being the right kind of an “obnoxious” character. If this truly is Blue Sky Studio’s last film they ever do, not only is it grateful that they got to see their final work in a complete form but they were able to save their best film for last in the form of Nimona! Disney will certainly regret letting this film get away from them!

12.) Barbie

The highest grossing film of the year was also one of the year’s best! What easily could have been a by-the-numbers flick for little girls that would have been better off going straight to streaming, Greta Gerwig decides to go beyond that and craft a film about traditional gender roles, identity, and why there should be a proper balance between the matriarchy and patriarchy. Barbie is as clever, funny, and creative as you could expected given the talent involved, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being a match made in heaven as Barbie and Ken respectively. The world-building is as strong as it could possibly be with a movie surrounding a toy brand that everyone is aware off, each cast member are clearly having the time of their lives, the soundtrack is one you are likely gonna have stuck in your head as soon as you leave the theater, and it feels so refreshing to see a new summer blockbuster that seems to have to same love and passion it does from both in front and behind the camera. It doesn’t all work 100% and there will certainly be plenty of folks that will take issue with the way it handles it’s themes and messages but for the most part, Greta Gerwig is able to make lightning strike a third time in a row and has made herself a new name to look out for. If you’re a woman, you probably already saw this movie and love it. And heck, even if you are a man, watch it yourself and you’ll probably have a good time as well!

11.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Of all the feature films that have we have gotten so far involving the TMNT brand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is probably the movie that has gotten the most things right, aside from the 1990 original. While the animation and art style does take obvious inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it’s able to learn the right lessons from it by creating exciting set pieces and inventive visual storytelling. It looks amazing, the turtles themselves are all well-utilized, bounce off each other perfectly and actually FEEL like teenagers, the story feels fresh yet faithful to the turtles themselves, the score is absolutely killer, the action is a lot of fun to sit through, and it’s able to exist in it’s own sandbox as being the kind of thing that can stand proudly on it’s own two feet along with being among the best of what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have offered throughout their history. While I won’t go as far to say that it’s a perfect film in it’s own rights, it’s certainly a perfect TMNT film and one that will likely be the one to get a new generation into this successful running franchise. And if the next film and the new 2D series that’s in the works is as good as Mutant Mayhem, then this next wave of TMNT fans will have plenty to be spoiled by!

10.) Talk To Me

No horror film this year was able to impact me and hit me harder than Talk To Me. This is a thrilling and frightening tale about a group of friends led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia that uses an embalmed hand as a way to talk to the dead, taking the cast on a wild journey that makes them connect to spirits in ways they would never imagine and will soon learn to regret. It’s able to take it’s genius horror premise and does just about everything you possibly can with it, creating haunting visuals and imagery that is guarantee to stick with plenty of horror fans alike. The story is gripping, the set pieces are incredibly inventive, the scares are absolutely heart-racing, the tension is felt in every second of the runtime, and the visuals metaphors still live rent free in my head to this day. A24 is certainly not the most mainstream friendly studio out there but when they deliver, they deliver HARD! So hard that even the mainstream audience that give their films a F ranking on CinemaScore have to appreciate it! Talk To Me doesn’t just stand as my favorite horror film of the year but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was able to make room for it on my favorite films of the year period. Just superb entertainment all around!

9.) Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is once again another winner from the great Martin Scorsese. It’s an exceptionally well crafted and brilliantly acted picture that goes to show why Martin might just be the best when it comes to making these kind of period pieces. It’s as every bit of gripping, emotional, and impeccable as you heard, the 3.5 hour longtime while excessive is put to good use, and it’s another reminder why films like this are worth experiencing on the biggest of screens possible. And Lily Gladstone MORE than deserves that Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! I don’t know where this ranks among his very best but it’s certainly a film that will leave an impact on you, one way or the other. As we reach Scorsese’s final chapter of his 80-year old life, this plays out as the proper beginning of the end of one of our finest filmmakers who has ever lived. Because of that, it’s best to enjoy Scorsese pictures as much as we can while the man is still breathing! Let’s do that and STOP asking the man of his opinions on Marvel movies! Please and thank you!

8.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a very satisfying ending to it’s trilogy of what is perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising and consistently great franchise, along with showing how Marvel can still find ways to deliver quality entertainment, even when it might seem like they’ve reached their limits. It’s able to be funny, dark, sad, engaging, and deliver the highest and most personal stakes of all the three Guardians films that helps make it stand out as possibly the very best in trilogy. I don’t think there was a scene that was as heartbreaking as Rocket watching his friends die right in front of him or as thrilling when the Guardians got together for that one kick-ass action scene with No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn playing. I don’t know what the future holds for the MCU or what awaits for the team members that are still around to fight galactic wars but in the case of this movie, I don’t really care. All Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 needed to do for me was to deliver a conclusion that felt definite, right and satisfying all the same. And on those terms, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third (Pun entirely intended!) I’m glad James Gunn was able to end his run with Marvel on a high note and leave me awaiting his future with DC. A fitting farewell to these lovable a-holes!

7.) The Holdovers

While I certainly enjoyed The Holdovers on my first viewing, it VASTLY improved on me on my second viewing. So much so that this isn’t just one of the best films of the nominations, it’s one of the best films of 2023 period! This is a beautiful and heartfelt Christmas drama filled with engaging and lived in characters, a tremendous screenplay, spot-on direction, and great performances from the entire cast. As great as Cillian Murphy was in Oppenheimer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paul Giamatti pull up the upset and take home the Oscar for best actor himself. Anything to see him spotted again at a fast food restaurant with an reward in his hand. In all seriousness, The Holdovers is a genuinely excellent film that will resonate with you the more you think about it and watch it. It’s not just a film you will feel eager to watch every Christmas, but also one to watch for someone that don’t feel loved or appreciated enough in their regular lives. To those people, I can see this film feeling like one big warm hug, which is the best possible feeling for one to have during the holidays.

6.) Past Lives

Past Lives makes for a beautiful and touching tale about two friends, separated as children, being reunited as they confront destiny, their love for one another, and the choices they have made throughout the entire life. It’s a deep exploration of the connections we have with ourselves and the ones we care about along with our struggles that helps us define who we are. It’s about two dear friends that went their separate ways but might have an urge to try to relief the good old days in the here and now. It’s perfectly directed, beautifully acted, thematically relevant, emotionally engaging, and uses it’s slow-burn pacing to it’s absolute full potential. It’s a film where it’s ideas within the narrative are executed about as perfect as it could get. Even in an age where certain folks seem to decry the idea of films having important messages, Past Lives is a reminder why we need films like that, films that teaches us the true meaning of life and why we shouldn’t take or the ones we love for granted. If this is not a least nominated for Best Picture, then the Academy Awards can simply suck it. Give Greta Lee the Oscar right now!

5.) John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an exceptional achievement of not just the John Wick franchise but for the action genre in general. Not since The Raid movies has there been a series of action films that dares to go as big, bold, and as over-the-top as this film does. Yes, the action has never been better choregraphed and executed than it has been here. Yes, the cinematography and pure scope have never looked and felt better than it does here. Yes, just about every noteworthy person in the cast get a moment to shine and scenes that stand out so well you can’t wait until someone uploads them to YouTube. Yes, the near three-hour runtime does not feel daunting in any way. Working perfectly as John Wick himself getting pushed beyond his reasonable measures along with director Chad Stahelski and crew of pushing themselves to make the most unbelievable and badass film imaginable. Even if Chapter 4 does bring a logical stopping point to John Wick’s story, it leaves plenty of room of other characters in the series to have their stories to continue if anyone wants to go that route. I’m not one that likes to claim when a movie is “perfect” but when it comes to John Wick: Chapter 4 and is able to deliver the goods with an absolute bullet point, it’s hard to bring up any flaws that bring the experience down. 

4.) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows that the Spider-Verse could in fact make lightning strike twice! Everyone involved with the making of this movie wanted to take everything to the next level without holding anything back and they are able to exceed greatly with a sequel that manages to be as good as Into the Spider-Verse and in some ways, even better. The animation might be the very best I’ve ever seen in any film, the entire cast is perfect with everyone feeling like they are absolutely in LOVE with their roles, Miles and Gwen are some of the most best, engaging, and most layered protagonists in any comic book film, the themes and morals of the story still resonate and fits the core elements of Spider-Man perfectly, and there’s plenty of well earned fan service throughout that never gets in the way of the main central storyline. There has not been a film this year I’ve rewatched more than Across the Spider-Verse and I will certainly continue to do so in the future. While it does end on an obvious cliffhanger, it will no doubt make anyone excited to see how they will wrap up the story in the third and final installment. This is the kind of film that not only proves that superhero films are still important (even after the year the subgenre as had) but animation is as important as well! Bring on Beyond the Spider-Verse!

Also, to Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and the those at Sony Animation, PLEASE treat your animators right this time! Don’t put them through hell like you did with Across the Spider-Verse! 

3.) Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is yet another masterfully made and directed film by the great Christopher Nolan himself, perhaps his biggest cinematic achievement to date. It’s able to tell exactly the kind of sprawling epic story that it aspires to be by acting as a character study first and a biopic second of the infamous man of J. Robert Oppenheimer himself. Every single member of it’s highly recognizable cast is able to completely disappear into their roles and captured their performances perfectly (RDJ better get that Oscar!), it does a great job of exploring the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played perfectly by Cillian Murphy) as not just “the destroyer of worlds” but as an impactful flawed man himself, the three hour runtime is put to near perfect use, the score is absolutely riveting and will haunt you in the best of ways, and is able to deliver fully on the theater experience in ways that no other filmmaker than Nolan can do. Even if this is Nolan going for his Oscar, he’s able to do it in such a perfect and organic way that it feels more earnest than forced (Take notes, Alejandro González Iñárritu!). While it’s not quite my favorite film from Nolan (Inception and The Dark Knight will always be very hard to top for me!), this might just be his most important one to date, showcasing why Christopher Nolan will always be a name to attract a mass audience! Speaking as someone that was underwhelmed by Dunkirk and Tenet, Oppenheimer is a glorious return to form for Christopher Nolan and one of the best films of 2023!

2.) The Iron Claw

Talk about a film that will hit you hard in all of the places you don’t want it to and earning every single bit of it! The Iron Claw is a powerful, devastating, and tragic true story about a group of brothers who go through hell and back together. This works as both a heartbreaking family drama and an energetic sports film, with director Sean Durkin being able to find the perfect balance of these two distinct elements. The wrestling scenes are very well directed and choregraphed while never being afraid to being brutal and unhinged as they were in real life. It’s able to tell the story of the Von Erich brothers while not 100% accurate (which was intentional according to Von Erich themselves), is still able to remain translate those events of what took place between the tragic outcomes of this family as about as respectfully as you possibly could. Beautifully directed, beautifully written, and beautifully acted (Zac Efron impresses me with each passing day!), The Iron Claw is one of the best films of 2023 and one that I’m glad I was able to catch before making this updated list. I’m gonna go and cry some more!

1.) Godzilla: Minus One

Perhaps the most surprisingly film to come out in 2023. Who would’ve thought that after so many different Godzilla incarnations over several decades that the character and brand can still find new ways to craft great motion pictures? Godzilla: Minus One not only makes for an instant kaiju movie classic but it’s perhaps the best the character has been on screen since 1954 original. It’s able to pull off that perfect balance of offering exciting Godzilla action and a compelling story with human characters you actually care about, the aspects that many recent Godzilla films have failed SPECTACULARLY at! Even when Godzilla isn’t on screen, you don’t mind as much because of how compelling our main human lead is in Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Kōichi Shikishima. The visual effects are excellent, the sound design is off the charts, and the third act is so tense that it will have you on the edge of your seat. I have a few nitpicks that keeps this from being higher on the list (mostly the detour between the end of the second act and beginning of the climax that dragged for me) but this is DAMN good cinema regardless of those gripes! Between this film, the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series, and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire movie next year, Godzilla fans have a LOT to look forward to in the future!

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) Movie Review- The Batman: Arkham Origins Of The Quiet Place Franchise (Yes, that’s a compliment!)

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It might seem hyperbole to describe A Quiet Place as a franchise as basically being the Batman: Arkham series of the horror movie genre thus far. You have A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place: Part II playing the roles of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, working near perfectly as back-to-back stories that helps evaluate the genre of entertainment it is a part of while staying true to what it does best. And if that pattern continues, we can basically count on A Quiet Place: Part III (scheduled for release next year) as being the Arkham Knight of the series, a technically impressive and well made final (?) entry that bites off more than it can chew and relying on shaking foundations and underwhelming reveals to get itself to the finish line in one piece. Which will likely be followed a near decade later with Death Angels: Kill The Human Race, which involves the monsters wiping out the rest of humanity, including all the characters we’ve followed in the previous films, giving them the most underwhelming send-offs and death scenes imaginable. In the meantime, we now have what can basically be considered the Arkham Origins of A Quiet Place franchise with A Quiet Place: Day One, a prequel that will likely be seen as the black sheep of the series and more of the same but still has an engaging enough narrative that it can stand on it’s own two feet, even if you haven’t gotten into the series thus far.

It still provides the same amount of thrills, scares, and set pieces as the previous two films, it still is treated with the same amount of love and care in terms of pure craftmanship, and Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both so engaging on screen that you will actually not find yourself missing Emily Blunt and her children on screen. However, it still can’t escape the whole feeling of “been there, done that” and the central story is something that I don’t believe was needed to fit into the unique, post apocalyptic world that is A Quiet Place. The good old Big Mac still tastes good but you might be craving for something more and healthier, such as a delicious steak from here on out.

Premise: When New York City comes under attack from an alien invasion, a woman (Lupita Nyong’o) and other survivors (Joseph Quinn) try to find a way to safety. They soon learn that they must remain absolutely silent as the mysterious creatures are drawn to the slightest sound.

The one thing that is absolutely clear about A Quiet Place: Day One is that it’s not so much interested in being an origin story that tries to fill in the blanks and answer questions that no one really needed to be answered but tell it’s own tale that just so happens to be set in A Quiet Place universe and just so happens to take place before the events of the first two films outside of the opening prologue to Part Two. Those that are hoping for answers about who the Death Angels are, where they came from, and why is it that sound is their true vision will surely be disappointed. What we have instead is the most human and character driven story told in this world with a young woman named Sam, a terminally ill cancer patient that is finally getting a chance to explore the world for the first time in forever that just so happens to be the day where all hell broke lose and the monsters invaded hurt. And when she gets that freedom to explore the world, she doesn’t care about figuring how what just happened and who these monsters are. All Sam cares about is getting some pizza, and she will act by any means necessary to get it.

On one hand, it does feel refreshing to have a prequel story that isn’t interested in acting as a Wikipedia page summary and wants to just stand on it’s own while providing a different experience from prior entries in it’s franchise. And it also helps prevent them screwing up the lore with the monsters and make the universe feel much more smaller and contrived than before (*cough* Alien: Covenant). However, that does create the big question as to why this prequel even needs to exist or if it adds anything to the series. And unless you count there being two new heads getting focused and a new location in New York City, A Quiet Place: Day One never really answers that question other than to make some extra money.

What makes this all forgiven is that the new characters we follow are just as engaging as the characters we’ve followed in the first two films. Sam, played wonderfully by Lupita Nyong’o, is just a woman that is wanting to enjoy the outside fresh air in any way she can now that she is free, even if that happens to be on the day where monsters take over the world. Eric, also played wonderfully by Joseph Quinn, is someone that just wants to survive but also wants someone to be along side them on the way as he finds a safe place. You have Djimon Hounsou’s Henn, the only returning character from the previous films, that is doing everything in his power to keep the remaining human race alive. Alex Wolf shows up as a fun assistant to Sam for a limited period of screentime. Oh, and you also have an incredibly awesome Cat, who unironically makes the smartest and most logical choices out of any character in the series thus far. Even as someone that’s starting to keep tired of kitty cats showing up in every movie, I certainly liked this one.

The scares and thrills are still impressive here, easily containing the biggest set pieces of the series so far, which is crazy considering this is suppose to be a prequel. Even if setting it in New York City does make it comparable to other typical disaster flicks out there, Day One is still able to make most of these moments, providing unique tension and suspense whenever are characters are just roaming through the streets to get from one location to the next. There’s nothing here that quite tops the stepping on a nail or stepping into a bear trap moment but there’s enough of a body count and gruesome deaths to provide the tension when it needs to.

If it seems like this review is shorter than usual, that’s because there’s not much to say here that can’t already been said about the previous two films. We still have a story at it’s center about the human race trying to survive against deadly monsters that are attracted to sound while trying to live their life to the fullest in the remaining time that they had. It’s just that this time around we are starting to get the sense that this series is beginning to run out of tricks in providing a new and unique experience for A Quiet Place. The majority of what works about the previous films still work here but this feels like the first installment that you have done without the Quiet Place gimmick slapped onto it. Also, as said before, those that are looking for answers about the Death Angels themselves will likely be severely underwhelming as the film has no interest in answering those kind of questions.

Even so, the scares and thrills are still effective and Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both super compelling on-screen, with both of their characters undergoing satisfying arcs throughout, that it more than makes up for any potential short comings. If you look at it as it’s own thing, A Quiet Place: Day One is an intense and enjoyable sci-fi horror flick. But looking at it’s at another installment in this franchise, that at this point needs justifiable creative reasons to acknowledge it’s existences, it’s a showcase that this series is beginning to run on fumes and should be given a proper wrap-up soon before it wears out it’s welcome completely.

Bring on A Quiet Place: Part III and even A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, the new video game that just got announced! But, perhaps don’t bring on anything more after that!

Other comments:

  • If done right, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead can be the best and most satisfying IP licensed game since Alien: Isolation!

  • I also remembered there’s a scene in the film where a character is forced to carry the cat while swimming but the cat doesn’t scratch them or anything. That might be the least sensitive cat I’ve ever seen! I love it!

  • Also, NO, I did NOT get the Batman: Arkham comparison from Jeremy Jahns in his review. I already had that in the back of my mind before seeing his review. I promise! It was just bad timing, okay!

Ranking The 2D/Handheld Sonic Games

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Sonic the Hedgehog is now 34 years old! 34 years and counting of some of the very best and very worst that gaming has head to offer! To celebrate this beloved/hated blue hedgehog, let’s rank the 2D/Handheld Sonic Games!

When talking about the 2D side of Sonic, most would refer to that as the superior Sonic and is the one area that not even SEGA or Sonic Team can get wrong! That line of thinking is quite flawed. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of Sonic’s best work has come from these 2D style and handheld games but they are definitely far from flawless. However, there are definitely some that didn’t get as much credit as they deserved when they came out, especially the ones that came out in the early and mid 2000s when everyone couldn’t stop hating on the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06! Time to rank these specific kind of games from worst to best!

17.) Sonic Genesis (2006)

One of the worst ports to a video game ever made! Taking everything that was great about the original and bastardizing it beyond repair! It’s one of the few games that gave me a physical headache while playing it. Zoomed-in camera angels, constant frame rate drops and slows downs, and sound mixing that will make your ears bleed. Between this dreadful port and another certain game that just happened to have the exact same title as this one, November 14, 2006 was certainly a day to forget for Sonic the Hedgehog.

16.) Sonic Lost World 3DS (2013)

This is when Dimps reached an all time low with making Sonic games! While the first world or two are fine, it all goes downhill after that! Ridiculously overlong levels that get longer as the game goes on, constant gimmicks that are shoved down your throat, and game designs that feel much more Mario-like than Sonic. And that’s not even bringing up those special stages with the godawful gyroscope controls! UGH! Dimps had been a savior of Sonic in the past but after this game, I think they’ve worn out their welcome.

15.) Sonic Generations 3DS (2011)

Believe it or not, they actually made a 3DS port of Sonic Generations. Too bad it’s so incredibly meh that even I at times forget that it exists. There’s practically no difference between Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic gameplay and not enough levels from other 2D or handheld games are used here. If you thought the console version have plenty of missed opportunity, you should see the choices they made for this version. While there are certainly worse timewasters out there, this is definitely a version that screams “Quick cash grab!” without much effort to prove otherwise.

14.) Sonic 4 Episode 1 (2010)

As a game of itself, it’s merely passable. As a follow-up to the original classic games, I don’t think you could have made a more underwhelming one. The physics are off and practically non-existent, the levels are bland rehashes of other classic zones, and it barely makes any sort of attempt to be on the same level of quality as the first few games. Even the soundtrack this time feels off. It’s without a doubt playable but that’s the best compliment you can really give it compare to say the bottom of the list.

13.) Sonic Advance 2 (2002)

To be honest, I’m not very high on this one. Though much faster paced than the original Sonic Advance, the stages of Sonic Advance 2 can’t match up to that level of speed, resulting in frustrating difficulty spikes and an abrupt pace to each level. A Sonic game should always consists of being fast but this is one of the rare cases where I feel it’s too fast. As a result, playing through this game can result with countless cheap deaths and having to endure incredibly mean level designs. And the boss fights are just UGH! Still functional but this is easily the weakest of the Advance series for me.

12.) Sonic 4 Episode 2 (2012)

Sonic 4: Episode II is without a doubt an improvement over Episode 1, hence why I didn’t just combine both Sonic 4 episodes as one in this list. The physics are much improved, the level designs feels fresher and are more enjoyable, and the addition of Tails is certainly one that helps the gameplay this time out. However in the wakes of much better 2D Sonic games that feel more in-line with Sonic tradition such as Sonic Mania, there is really no reason to go back to do this or Part 1. Better is better but forgettable is still forgettable.

11.) Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars is a much more complicated game than I was expecting. Despite promising itself to be another classic 2D Sonic adventure that evokes the earlier days of Sonic, there are new gameplay styles and features that are included here to try to make the game stand out more as it’s own thing without feeling like a remake or remix. Some of the levels are fun and creative, getting to play as multiple characters in any way you want is awesome, and Trip is a neat new addition to a cast with a super dragon mode that is so broken that I can’t help but love it. However, the boss fights are needlessly cruel, tedious, and overlong, most of the new features are rather half-baked, and it doesn’t do enough to justify it’s 60 dollar price tag. If the trailers for Sonic Superstars looked good to you and you like it when Sonic games are at their most challenging, then I would say give this a shot once it comes out at a reasonable price. For those that are not on board the Classic Sonic train or just want to get off of it, I’m not sure this will win you over. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing this style returning for future games because if done well, this could be the start of the next series of great standalone 2D Sonic games.

10.) Sonic CD (1993)

I don’t quite love this one the way many people do but I definitely respect Sonic CD for everything that it tries to do. While there’s a lot of good features to it, the time travel mechanic often takes me out of the experience and makes good chunks of the levels awkward and frustration. It can make for a rather confusing and convoluted experience at times regardless of which path you decide to take. Still, Metal Sonic rocks as does the f*cking awesome intro. It’s still a fine game, just not my absolute favorite. And, Amy is cool too I guess.

9.) Sonic Colors DS (2010)

What acts as the finale of what can be considered as the Rush handheld trilogy along with acting as a worthy handheld counterpart to it’s main console Wii version, Sonic Colors DS is still able to keep the boost style gameplay fresh and fun! While not quite as good as the console version, this is still pretty solid and is a version that holds up well on it’s own. The boost gameplay is still as fast and fun as before and it even include some new characters who weren’t in the main version of the game such as Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Silver, and Blaze. This is not one I’ve gone back to a lot but if you can find a good deal on it, I say it’s worth your time.

8.) Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)

Sonic Rush Adventure isn’t so much Sonic Rush 2 but more Sonic Rush 1.5. This is basically the same game as the first one but with pirates, a (somewhat) annoying new raccoon character, and a few new mechanics that feel unneeded. Even so, the core gameplay that worked in the original still mostly works here that even the tacked-on gimmicks can’t ruin it. It’s also an interesting spin to see Sonic be transported to Blaze’s world while the first game has Blaze in Sonic’s world. And who also can’t forget the RIDICULOUSLY catchy main theme song! If you like the first Sonic Rush, then you’ll likely find plenty to enjoy in Sonic Rush Adventure, even if it’s basically more of the same.

7.) Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)

The one that started it all and introduced one of the finest gaming icons. I mean who doesn’t remember Green Hill Zone Act 1 beat-for-best. Everything from the level itself to the colorful backgrounds to the cartoon animals and of course, the music. It almost makes you forget this level has been remix and remade to death! Though it pales in comparison to its successors (at least for the classic games) and Labyrinth Zone is still absolute pants, the original Sonic the Hedgehog still makes for a strong first impression to this beloved/controversial gaming icon.

6.)/5.) Sonic Advance (2001) & Sonic Advance 3 (2004)

These two are basically neck-and-neck for my favorite of the Advance games. While the console games have been inconsistent in terms of quality, the handheld entries have had quite a few gems that don’t get the recognition they deserve. These two games are good examples of the perfect formula for Sonic. By adding characters/elements to the gameplay along with a sense of speed and platforming that help make the experience more enjoyable rather than hinder it. They both have issues (1 has ridiculous bosses and 3 has ridiculous padding) but as a whole, these two games are ones that still quite stand out for Sonic.

4.) Sonic Rush (2005)

The game that introduces the boost mechanics that would eventually become a stable for Modern Sonic, Sonic Rush makes for one of the most fun and unique Sonic games throughout his history. The main highlight here is seeing the introduction to fan-favorite Blaze the Cat, arguably the best female character in the entire franchise. There’s some repetition of playing the same levels twice and Eggman Nega sucks on literally every single level, but this is one I can recommend to those who are not even Sonic fans. With top notch speed, fast platforming, and a SUPER awesome soundtrack, Sonic Rush is an absolute gem that should not be missed! Just a damn shame this had to come out the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog!

3.) Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992)

A sequel that takes everything that works about the original and expands upon it in every single way. As a result, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 manages to be not just as good as the original but even better. Better controls, tighter level designs, more impressive graphics, colorful backgrounds and environments, and of course, the glorious music! And we also can’t forget this game introducing the beloved cutesy fox known as Miles Prower, A.K.A. Tails! With an even greater sense of speed, more memorable level designs, and the introduction of Sonic’s adorable sidekick, this is an excellent sequel. The final boss and level can still go F itself hard though!

2.) Sonic Mania (2017)

A remix of the original classic games, along with a handful of wonderful original levels of its own, Christian Whitehead is able to craft a masterfully done and respectful 2D Classic Sonic game in Sonic Mania, a game feels more of a worthy and faithful follow-up to 3 & Knuckles than both episodes of Sonic 4 combined. While not quite the best Sonic game ever made, it’s arguably the most fun Sonic game with more extras, unlockable and playable characters than before. Even if most of these levels are ones that you have seen before, the level design for each one of them is expanded upon and remade so well that it feels like you are playing them for the very first time! Had the game been filled with 100% original levels, this might have just taken the #1 spot. Nevertheless, Sonic Mania is awesome and should certainly go into the collection of any kind of Sonic fan.

1.) Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

The absolute definite Sonic game! Taking the best aspects of all the previous games that has come before it while introducing one of the best characters in the franchise known as Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is basically Sonic’s own magnum opus! The levels are more expanded upon than ever before giving you multiple paths and ways to the goal, every character controls perfectly with not a single one being a chore to play, and even the bosses and special stages (which I weren’t a fan of in the past) are great here. It’s able to perfect the 2D gameplay that the first few classic Sonic games ahead while giving a direction as to how this character can appear in a 3D environment, particularly with the likes of the sphere special stages. Masterfully combining speed, platforming, and exploration, Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains the top-tier Sonic experience and one to beat for many Sonic fans and gamers out there. It’s just about as good as Sonic can get!

And yes, this is one game! Don’t @ me!

Inside Out 2 (2024) Movie Review- Emotional Boogaloo

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Pixar is in quite a fascinating spot at the moment and even for the better part of the last 15 years! Even when delivering a handful of quality and/or downright excellent films over that time period, they’ve always seemed to be in a position to prove themselves with ever new entry they’ve released since the 2010s rolled around. It doesn’t matter that they put out Inside Out, Coco, Soul, and Turning Red during that time because Cars 2, Brave, The Good Dinosaur, and Lightyear all exist as well. This mindset especially takes center stage whenever they put out a sequel that is not Toy Story related (and even then, the last few they put out in Toy Story 4 and Lightyear got plenty of folks barking). Despite the majority of them turning out to be a success from both a critical and financial standpoint (Finding Dory, The Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4), they always tend to get heavily scrutinized for either not being as good as the original or just for the pure fact that they even exist at all. This thought process going into each non-original Pixar installment is very infuriating to me.

I understand in this day and age where people have more of an eye of what’s going on from behind the scenes then ever before and the corporate politics that come into play are as incredibly obvious as they come but at the end of the day, you have to judge each film as their own thing and not based on how much you detest the creativity black hole in Hollywood. I bring this up because for all the good that there is to be found in Inside Out 2, I can only imagine we will see those exact counter arguments against it that you would not find for other sequels made by other animated studios.

As for the movie itself, it’s about as good of a sequel to the original Inside Out as you can get, and in some ways is even better than the first one. It still does it’s job in taking the series to the next level, where we follow Riley taking the next steps into her life, not only becoming a teenager but being more aware of the world that surrounds here. It still has that same heart, it still has that same music, and it still has the same emotions but it is also has the same form of creativity that the very best of Pixar films have. If the original Inside Out is one that resonated the most with children, then Inside Out 2 is one that I can see resonating with teenagers and adults. Even if I slightly prefer the first one, the sequel is more than a worthy companion piece to it that should not be dismissed in any way, shape, or form.

Premise: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.

Even if you take into the account of the numerous amount of sequels that Pixar has made for the past 15 years, I’ve argued that Inside Out was the first Pixar film outside of Toy Story that had more than enough material to justify making multiple sequels out of here. Mostly because, just like with the Toy Story sequels, Inside Out 2 seems most interested in taking the characters to the next step on their journey along with continuing the themes involving growing up, getting older, and finding your place in the world along the way. Those themes ring true to not just the story with Joy and her fellow emotion companions but also to Riley herself.

While Joy and the emotions of old and new that come into play do have a main significant role in the film, the main beating heart reigns with Riley. Not that it wasn’t the case in the first movie but here, we clearly see that Riley is now in the part of her life where she must gain controls of her emotions instead of letting the emotions control her. As she is now hitting the age of a teenager, she has now become more aware of the imperfect and flawed world around her. She loves hockey and her friends but if she can’t make the right choices, then there’s a chance that neither one of those factors can happen. It’s only when finding control of her emotions where Riley can determine the outcome of whether or not she can make the new hockey team, and still connect with friends of old and new. Whereas the first Inside Out saw the original emotions due the heavy lifting for Riley because she was still at the age where she didn’t know any better, Inside Out 2 shows the character having to learn to keep the original and new emotions in check, and having to do so at the most crucial part of her life.

That makes the arc that Joy goes through be a perfect counterpart to Riley’s own growth. Much like with Woody in Toy Story 2, Joy must come to terms with the fact that she can’t control Riley, no matter how hard she tries. As you get older and get more experience in the real world, it gets harder to stay positive and optimistic because you are now more aware of the consequences that you can go through when things don’t work out. And this usually always come during a time where you must develop your own self conscious and have better control of your emotions. Even if she can’t make Riley into what she wants her to be, Joy must do everything she can to be there for Riley whenever her own kid needs her. It’s parallels like these that help make Inside Out 2 stand out as a really affective and worthwhile sequel.

It’s not just Joy that gets the spotlight but the other emotions get their time to shine as well. This time around, it sees the original group of emotions with Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust go on this adventure together as they must get back up to the tower to stop Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui from controlling Riley. Each one of them get their own standout moments and it’s interesting to see them all develop different emotions within them the way that Joy was able to in the original Inside Out and even now.

And of course, you got to mention the new players in Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. Anxiety is definitely the biggest standout as the leader of the group and taking matters into her own hands. Much like with the way the first film portrays Sadness, I respect the fact that the film doesn’t look to portray Anxiety as a villain but more as an antagonist. She’s not trying to do everything because she’s evil but because she thinks that is the right thing to do, even if her methods are rather flawed. Envy is cuter than a bag of kittens, Embarrassment is able to get his own G.O.A.T. moment as perhaps the most relatable of the new emotions, and Ennui is just the perfect description of Generation Z always on their phones in a nutshell.

The voice cast from top to bottom is stellar all around! Amy Poehler brings just as much joy (no pun intended), charm, and energy as she did in the first film, the new additions of Maya Hawke & Ayo Edebiri as Anxiety and Envy are such an absolute blast as well, and even if the (unfortunate) departing of Bill Hader as Fear and the (fortunate) departing of Mindy Kailing as Disgust is noticeable, both Tony Hale and Liza Lapira fit into the roles rather well, with Lapira in particular standing out much better than Kailing. Also, a big shoutout to Adele Exarchopoulos as Ennui. And Ron Funches as Bloofy. And Yong Yea as Lance Slashblade. And pretty much anyone else I didn’t mention. Moving on!

The animation is as breathtakingly beautiful as you would expect for a Disney film in 2024, the expansion of Riley’s mind is explored as well as it can be, the music is as soothing as before, and while there’s not quite a sad bit on par with Bing-Bong or a funny bit on par with “GIRL ALERT!”, the film does provide enough unique beats of emotion and comedy of it’s own that it more than makes up for it. The standout sequence in particular is one that I imagine will be the main talking point of this movie and the moment that I imagine the folks behind Pixar took inspiration from Uncut Gems. I’m sure Adam Sandler would be proud of that.

The nine-year long awaited sequel to Pixar’s surprise hit in 2015 is as every bit of affective, earnest, and heartful as it’s predecessor. This is arguably the first Pixar sequel not related to Toy Story that seems to have more on it’s mind to justify it’s own existence other than branding and merchandising. Going from seeing Riley as a youth moving to San Francisco to a teenager looking to make it into the high school hockey team with the popular girls, this sequel takes the logical next step into showcasing the inner turmoil of taking the next step to puberty with anxiety, envy, ennui, and embarrassment entering the picture, portrayed perfectly by newcomers Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adele Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser. There are nits to be picked such as having a familiar plot and structure as the original and a wrap-up that perhaps is a bit too squeaky clean by Pixar standards but as a whole, Inside Out 2 is able to act greatly as a natural continuation and expansion of the first movie’s story and themes.

As much as plenty of folks have been down on Pixar as of late with it’s abundance of sequels, I sure hope that Inside Out 2 is good enough for them that they can let it all slide and appreciate the film the way it was suppose to be appreciate. I can only hope these same folks get their butts in theaters around this time next year for Elio and whatever original film that is slated to come out in March 2026. Only then will they have a right to complain! But for me, after two films this great, I would welcome a third film with open arms!

Bring on Inside Out 3 if you may! (Oh and please bring Lance Slashblade in Kingdom Hearts 4!)

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League- When Game Development Turns Out To Be A Waste of Time

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Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has been one of the year’s biggest talking points within the gaming industry. It’s been coming to be one of the biggest gaming flops of 2023 thus far, losing Warner Bros over $200 million for the first quarter of the year. Despite being in development for nearly a decade, the long-awaited installment in Rocksteady’s successful Batman: Arkham series could not have been more of a critical and financial disappointment if they tried.

For months to even years, many folks have spectacled just what the hell went wrong behind the development of this game and why it took so long to come out. This was set to be Rocksteady’s next main game after concluding the Arkhamverse in 2015 with Batman: Arkham Knight. After the success of that series, it seemed like they could have done ANYTHING and leave plenty of folks excited for what was to come next for the studio. But yet after all that time and waiting, they come up with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, a game that basically puts all of the worst trends in recent memory in terms of gaming development and pop culture all into one, basically making it doomed from the very start.

Recently, there was an article that was published by known gaming insider, Jason Schreier, which he interviewed over 20 folks from Rocksteady that were part of the creative team of Kill The Justice League to get a sense as to what happened with the development history for this game. And let me tell you, there is some juicy, JUICY stuff in here! Not only going into great detail about everything wrong when it went to making this game but just how you can’t help but feel like Rocksteady wasted nearly a decade of time and money to a game that was basically dead on arrival.

I’m not going to go word-by-word of what was reported by Mr. Schreier but I will certainly give a cliff notes version of what was stated in that article. I will provide a link at the end of the piece of that article along with other sources that have info on what went behind the scenes for Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.

  • After Arkham Knight, Rocksteady’s co-ceos Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker set out to make an original multiplayer puzzle-solving game, codenamed Stones.
  • However, Warner Bros was eager to get a Suicide Squad game out ASAP after the 2016 movie was a big hit at the box office.
  • WB Games Montreal already had a Suicide Squad game in development for a few years but it wasn’t coming together. Warner Bros then approached Rocksteady to helm the Suicide Squad game by the end of 2016 and they agreed. This put an end to the development of Project Stones and WB Games Montreal’s involvement with this Suicide Squad project.
  • Rocksteady began development on the game in 2017 but were entering unfamiliar territory, as neither Hill or Walker had experience making online multiplayer games nor did they do much research on it or even played much online multiplayer games beforehand.
  • Nevertheless, they decided to make Suicide Squad an online multiplayer game with live-service elements added to it.
  • When the duo confirmed to the rest of the studio they would be making a live-service multiplayer Suicide Squad game, new hires of Rocksteady were SHOCKED by this, resulting in many of them leaving the project as that was NOT what they signed up for.
  • Due to Hill and Walker’s inexperience with making online multiplayer games, that led to big chunks of the scripts being scrapped and the studio struggling to convey the ideas that the co-ceos had in mind.
  • Devs would have to wait for weeks to months for Hill and Walker to review their work and provide feedback, which caused constant slow downs in production.
  • The constant delays made staff members want to abandon the project, as barely any progress was being made in development.
  • Rocksteady adopted a “Toxic Positivity” policy, where no criticism of the game was allowed, with management kept going on to it’s staff about how the game will turn out great no matter what by the final stretch, just like it did with the prior Arkham games.
  • Hill pitched an elaborate vehicle system that allowed for players to equip their vehicles with weapons and navigate the streets, similar to the Batmobile in Arkham Knight.
  • This BAFFLED the staff as the Suicide Squad members already had their own means of transversal through the skies and wondered why the players would chose to patrol through the streets of Metropolis in a large vehicle over quicker methods of transversal. This idea would later be scrapped.
  • The visions of the leaders kept shifting throughout development, most notably going from an emphasis on melee combat to focusing heavily on gunplay.
  • Changes like that left the staff confused as to why a character like Captain Boomerang would carry around a gun as his choice of weaponry instead of just…..you know….a BOOMERANG, like the name of the character states. However, Captain Boomerang with a gun would stay in the finished product.

And here is some behind-the-scenes info that came from another notable source in the gaming industry, Miller Ross. This goes into the spoilers of the main plot for the game. If by some chance, you haven’t been spoiled yet and don’t know what happens in the main plot of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, then click off this article RIGHT NOW because I’m about to dive deep into the controversial decisions in the story.

  • It was Sefton Hill, the mind behind Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy (JUST SO YOU KNOW!), that acted as the lead visionary behind the story and premise of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
  • The story 100% came from Hill, who took inspiration from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with the main campaign acting as Infinity War and the post-launch seasons would act as Endgame.
  • The plot was designed to make the audience believe that the heroes did in fact die for real and the bad guys actually won, creating a shocking twist and setting the groundwork for the post-launch seasons.
  • Developers at Rocksteady BEGGED to include hints that the Justice League were not actually dead to avoid inevitable backlash but Hill was persistent, wanting to keep it a complete surprise.
  • Future seasons is set to see new playable characters that will join the fight with the Suicide Squad to eliminated the remaining Brainiacs, including Mrs. Freeze, Deadshot’s daughter, and Deadstroke.
  • Each upcoming season will have the player resurrecting a previously fallen member of the Justice League.
  • Season 2 will resurrect The Flash, Season 3 will resurrect Green Lantern, and Season 4 will resurrect Batman (still voiced by the late great Kevin Conroy, who did record lines before his passing).
  • This will all come together with Season 5, which will see the Justice League resurrected and coming together to stop the final Brainiac.

And now in regards to the aftermath of all this and what awaits the future of Rocksteady and Warner Bros, going back to what was stated in Jason Schreier’s piece.

  • Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker left Rocksteady in 2022 to start their own gaming studio, which is now titled Hundred Star Games.
  • Their departure SHOCKED the staff at Rocksteady, giving little to no hints that they would abandon ship right before the game was scheduled to come out in 2023, which would again get delayed to 2024.
  • Hill and Walker told the staff that they wanted to make games of their own and free of the mandates and pressure from Warner Bros, giving the confirmation that they will no longer be associated with WB or their franchises.
  • Despite the financial failure of Kill The Justice League, Warner Bros do NOT plan to layoff staff members at Rocksteady and are committed to releasing the remaining seasons of the game.
  • Because Rocksteady is more understaffed compared to other gaming studios they collaborate with, WB doesn’t view layoffs for them to be necessary.
  • Rocksteady staff are now working on a director’s cut for Hogwarts Legacy, the best-selling game of last year, while some members will commit to complete the remaining seasons for Kill The Justice League.
  • The newest leaders at Rocksteady are currently planning to pitch a new single-player game to Warner Bros, hoping it will bring the studio back to its roots.

It’s also worth noting that both Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker declined to be interviewed for this story.

So……..yeah! That is QUITE a development history! When taking all of that info into account, it’s no wonder why this game was in development for so long and why it turned out so bad?! From WB handing the Suicide Squad torch to a studio that had ZERO experience with making online multiplayer games to visions constantly changing to the developers having to wait FOREVER for feedback on their work to the founders literally bailing at the last minute in order to avoid consequences, is it any wonder why the finished product turned out to be as half-assed and half-baked as it comes? There are plenty of great games out there that were able to overcome troubled development, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was certainly NOT one of them!

To make matters worse is just imagine all that time and effort that could have went into something COMPLETELY different! Imagine if Rocksteady spend the last seven to nine years crafting a game or even multiple games that are actually worthwhile and involves them doing what they do best! Just imagine if we got that Arkham-style Superman game that everyone wanted for them! Imagine if they made a Batman Beyond game, that follows the plot threads of the Arkhamverse in a RESPECTFUL way! Imagine if we got a proper Justice League game where we had to take down the Suicide Squad members ourselves instead of the other way around! Heck, there’s some folks out there that would even take a sequel to Urban Chaos: Riot Response, the first video game they ever made and their only video game that doesn’t involve Batman in some way! Instead, we all exist in the elseworld where we just got Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League from Rocksteady! And man, does that all feel like a waste of time!

And that is the worst part of all of this is! Whenever a game has been in development for as long as it has, you have to make sure it has the proper payoff and success that you envisioned! Otherwise, you just get a sense that the entire development cycle felt like a GIANT waste of time! All that time, work, and effort put into a product that was received poorly and failed financially! It’s bad enough when that is just a couple of years but when you have put nearly a full DECADE into something and it turned out so bad, well….that’s just a full decade of your life you will NEVER get back! And I imagine that’s the exact feeling that Rocksteady is feeling right now with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.

It’s bad enough that development of Triple A gaming is now longer than ever in this day and age. Instead of a traditional two to three years of development, it now ranges somewhere between four to five years! That’s why you are always seeing teasers for games when they first get announced and then you literally hear NOTHING about that game until at least two or three years later on down the road! Ex.) Insomniac with Marvel’s Wolverine, Monolith with Wonder Woman, and MachineGames with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. You don’t hear much from them until much later on because they are no where close to being done! That is why it’s apparent that video games turn out as great as they should to not only justify the 70 dollar price tag but also justify the long as hell development cycle of it. When it doesn’t, you get games like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, a game that was a waster of time to not just the players but also the developers who made it.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League should act as a perfect example of what NOT to do when developing Triple A games. The whole idea and premise of a game where you play as the Suicide Squad and literally kill the heroes of the Justice League was questionable at the start and it was only made worse with what Rocksteady put out after over seven years of work! WB should have NEVER given this project to a studio that was known for making single player experiences, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker should have done more research on developing these online multiplayer live-service games and brought in staff members who had that experience and they CERTAINLY should have known better to rely on tiresome trends that was going to be dated by the time the game was released. Making games is already hard enough as it is but it’s even harder when so much time goes into making a game and it brings very little satisfaction to players and the companies themselves.

While I’m glad that Warner Bros will not layoff staff members from Rocksteady, both sides are going to have to work BIG TIME to win back the trust of gamers everywhere! A pitch of a single-player game and developing a director’s cut of Hogwarts Legacy is a good start but they have a LONG way to go before being trusted to deliver high quality games again. We can all only hope they learn their lesson with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and never feel obligated to put this much time and effort into a project which does not suit their reputation whatsoever. If not, then I look forward to them throwing another decade of development away in favor of chasing the trends from the 2020s! Let’s all hope we don’t have this exact same talk when Insomniac releases Thunderbolts: Kill The Avengers in 2035, which will have Peter Parker being shot and killed by Screwball!**

Jason Schreier’s Full Article

Miller Ross’s Tweet About The Story Direction and Spoiler-Filled Plans For The Upcoming Seasons

Batman Arkham Videos on What Happened with Suicide Squad and What’s Next for Rocksteady?

**That’s actually gonna happen, isn’t it?!

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2023

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Well, better late than never I suppose! This list took me a long time to put together because I had to to actually play through all the games I wanted to that came out last year in order to make this list. And I also wanted to take my time with each one of these games so I can properly enjoy them without the need to rush through them in order to get the list out at a certain time. I currently don’t work for any big new sites that requires me to have a end-of-the-year list out by the end of the year so why not just take my time and make my list when I’m good and ready! In this case, I am ready now to share my picks of my top 10 favorite games of 2023.

There has been much controversial surrounding the gaming industry as of late, particularly with the amount of layoffs that are happening, developers and designers being overworked and crunched to death, and a good majority of video game making staff could be replaced with A.I.. All of those are MAJOR problems that I have brought up in the past and will continue to do so as long as it remains a problem. However, in this case, I would like to take a break from all of that and celebrate the best of what gaming had to offer in 2023.

2023 was an AWESOME year for games, the most exciting year for new games in quite some time. It was a year that had just about of everything for every kind of gamer out there. I did my best to play as many games as I could and particularly played through the games that actually peaked my interest. After all, if I’m gonna be spending 70 dollars on a game, it better be something that I know I’m going to play the HELL out of and enjoy. Thankfully, there were at least ten games that did just that for me!

A full disclaimer, there are certain highly acclaimed games that I did NOT get around to either because I didn’t have the budget for at the time they came out or they just didn’t interest me in general. These include games like Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy. I didn’t play those games because I couldn’t make time for them and they didn’t interest me enough for me to buy them. I might get around to those in the future whenever they come out at a good discount but they will not be on my list.

And before we get to the main top 10, I do have a couple of honorable mentions:

  • Mortal Kombat X

Even though I’m FAR from the best at fighting games, I always enjoy playing them. As far as this game is concerned, it gave me all that I crave for a fighting game. The combat and fighting is fun, the new mechanics work well, and there’s plenty of variety in terms of maps and the incredible roster of characters. The only downsides are the needless microtransactions and costing a few extra pennies in order to play as certain characters such as Peacemaker. It doesn’t revolutionized the Mortal Kombat series or fighting games in any way but if you find a reasonable price, you will have a good time with this one.

  • Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake

After reviving the best SpongeBob game to date with Battle for Bikini Bottom, THQ Nordic followed that up with a highly original game of their own with The Cosmic Shake. This put an interesting multiverse spin of the underwater world of SpongeBob SquarePants, fighting your way through each wish world as SpongeBob, along with Patrick as a balloon, in order to save their friends and bikini bottom. It’s heartfelt and colorful, the combat and platforming is incredibly enjoyable, there’s plenty of well-earned fan service throughout, and this might be the most I’ve laughed at a children’s game in a long time. Perhaps if you got to play as the other characters aside from just SpongeBob, this would have made it on the list. Even so, in an era where Nickelodeon has been making plenty of questionable decisions with our favorite yellow sponge, it’s nice to see THQ Nordic show true respect to the character, perhaps the best that the sponge has been treated since the passing of Stephen Hillenberg. I hope he is still resting in peace.

  • MLB The Show 23

This was actually the game I put the most hours in throughout 2023. That is because whenever I feel lazy and want to play a game without thinking to much, I either play through my team on season mode or find someone online to play an exhibition match with. It’s just something I like to past time with until I get bored. There’s not much to say here other than it’s basically what the MLB The Show games have been since forever. If you love baseball and/or sports games, you likely loved this one too. If not, then I don’t know why you even bothered.

But yeah, those were the honorable mentions. Now onto to the main top 10!

10.) Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Are my nostalgic googles completely on for this one? Yes, and I have no shame in it whatsoever. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to fully live up to its name and proudly does justice to the numerous franchises from our childhood that is being celebrated here. It’s able to improved upon the shortcomings of it’s predecessor along with providing enough new and unique elements of it’s own to make this a genuinely great platforming fighter. The single-player experience is fun with a good amount of challenges, the fighting system is giving much more depth than before, the new slime mechanic evaluates the combat to a whole new level, the roster of characters could not be more impressive, and even the campaign, while very minimum, makes for an enjoyable nostalgic trip down memory lane. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to deliver exactly what it says on the package and it could not be any better for it.

9.) The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog had quite a handful of games that came out in 2023. However, between Sonic Superstars, Sonic Dream Team, and the New Horizon DLC for Sonic Frontiers, I found The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog to be the most satisfying. This game came out on April 1st last year on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. Little would I know that this would be one of my favorite games of 2023 and one of my favorite Sonic games in a while. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!

8.) Super Mario RPG

The remake of the original Super Mario RPG does exactly what a video game remake is suppose to do. It’s able to take everything that worked about the original game, expand upon it’s concepts and gameplay, and updated in a way that it feels like a fresh and unique experience, almost as if you are playing it for the very first time. Thanks to keeping the great gameplay, fun story, breezy pace, and charming characters that the original had, it is able to show it’s age incredibly well, translating near perfectly to the Nintendo Switch. Some might argue it could have used a bit more new content along with it, but for newcomers, Super Mario RPG should be able to delight them the way it was able to delight fans of the original back in 1996.

7.) Final Fantasy XVI

It’s incredible how after over 16 mainline installments and a slew of remakes and spinoffs, the Final Fantasy franchise is still able to feel as fresh and different as it is. Final Fantasy 16 is able to take this long-running series to the next step, a step forward in terms of the franchise’s overall narrative and technical achievements. The combat is simplistic but it’s still fun to slash and dice your way through enemies, the graphics are at a whole new level of impressive, the RPG elements is still top-tier for it’s genre, the soundtrack is one of the best of 2023, and the story delivers some of the best emotional moments and characterization in this entire franchise. Even if the side quests left a bit to be desired, the overall main campaign could not be any stronger. Final Fantasy 16 is proof that this franchise still has yet to lose any steam and still continue to find ways of delivering quality games.

6.) Pikmin 4

I have never played a Pikmin game before this one. As a matter of fact, the only reason I bought this game at all was so I had a new game to play while I went on vacation last year. That turned out to be a very smart decision because Pikmin 4 was an absolute blast of a game that makes me want to check out the other ones. It’s just hard to NOT get sucked into this colorful world of charming creatures that will always follow your command to get the objective done. I like using my army of animal minions to counter any enemy that gets in my way, discovering any hidden treasure, and finding my way to cross certain paths. I loved all these Pikmin so much that it was hard for me to choose which one was my absolute favorite. Even if I’ve not played the other games, I can only imagine that is the charm and formula that fans have come to love about the series. Some might consider the game too easy but for a newcomer like me, Pikmin 4 was able to win me over big time, providing yet another great entry to a stack of quality games for the Switch in 2023.

5.) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

After delivering the 2019 galactic surprise hit that was Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Respawn was able to make lightning strike twice with their latest follow-up, Jedi Survivor. This 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 the Star Wars universe, it moved at a faster frame rate, it took a step forward in terms of graphics and technical achievements, and it contained some of the best set pieces in any Star Wars video game to date! 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, perhaps more so than any Star Wars game up to this point. This was one of the first games I got for my PlayStation 5 and I was not disappointed in the slightest. If the third game is able to deliver just as well as the first two Jedi games from Respawn, then this series will stand strongly as one of the best Star Wars media out there, along with one of the best Star Wars crew out there with Cal, Merrin, Greez, Cere, and the LOVABLE BD-1.

4.) Super Mario Bros Wonder

Just when you think that the Mario series has run it’s course after so many different Mario games release over the past several decades, Nintendo proves yet again with Super Mario Bros. Wonder that they in fact have plenty of more tricks up there sleeves. This is yet another superb and quality Mario game, making for perhaps the plumber’s finest 2D outing since Super Mario World. It’s able to expand on it’s level design, worlds, and power ups further than any prior 2D Mario game while acting as one that can stand perfectly on it’s own two feet. The levels are fast paced and fun, all characters are a delight to play as, the music is amazing, the graphics are beautiful, the new voice cast does a find job, and the Wonder Flower power-up stands out as one of the best and most unique power-ups in any Mario game. I don’t know why it took Nintendo this long to put out a new and fresh 2D Mario game or just a new Mario game in general but it was absolutely worth the wait. Even I can’t live to see the Super Mario Odyssey 2 that I so desperately want, I can at least say I had Super Mario Bros. Wonder which will make me die not only happy but trippy!

3.) Resident Evil 4

Yes, this is another remake. No, I do not care whatsoever because it still manages to be excellent. Resident Evil 4 is able to provide an upgrade that is more than worthy of the original’s reputation, which is quite an accomplishment considering the original RE4 is considered by many to be the best out of the franchise. Capcom is able to delivery another quality RE remake and makes RE4 the best one out of the bunch so far. It’s more action-driven gameplay is able to translate very well to next gen consoles, the updated combat that allows Leon to move and fire his weapon at the same time as well as block is a genius move, Ashley is giving a lot more to do this time around and doesn’t just feel like a distraction, and it’s able to provide all the improvements and additions needed to make this remake feel like a brand new experience. Like most Resident Evil games, you do have to “get” the level design and structure in order to enjoy the full experience. If you are able to do that, then Resident Evil 4 will satisfy you in ways you wouldn’t even expect. There’s been plenty of video game remakes out there and Resident Evil 4 is easily up there as one of the very best.

2.) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Just when you thought that Nintendo couldn’t do any better this year than with Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros Wonder, and Pikmin 4, they were able to reach that new level of peak with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Following up with the masterpiece that was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this will able to match those incredibly high expectations and in many respects, surpassed it. It’s never been more satisfying to control as Link in this incredibly massive open world, exploring more caverns and sky islands than ever before. The fluidity of both Link’s movement and combat, along with new powerups, makes playing through all these islands an absolutely worthwhile experience. Even in the parts where you may get lost and the pace slows down, there is always something to do in both the side stories and the main campaign, with it’s incredibly strong narrative being able to stick with you the whole way through. It’s debatable as to whether or not it surpasses Breath of the Wild entirely but Tears of the Kingdom is still an excellent follow-up, showcasing the power and quality of games that the Nintendo Switch has provided over the past several years.

1.) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

I was looking for every reason to NOT put this at #1. However, when it comes to the game that I played through the most, thought about the most, and had the most fun and excitement with, I can’t think of any other game from 2023 that fit those criterias for me than Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This is as good as as a Spider-Man game to get and just how good a superhero game can get in general. This is Insomniac Games reaching a new level of peak, being able to achieve the kind of greatness they always tend to reach but also find new and satisfying ways to do so. The story is incredibly engaging and worth following the whole way through, the gameplay is as polished, perfect, and RIDICIOUSLY fun as ever, the combat and web swinging has never been more satisfying to use, the graphics have never been more of a treat to the eyes, the soundtrack is a new definition of peak, and the voice work is some of the best performed in any video game. Whether it’s the very best superhero game of all time is still up for debate (I still have Batman: Arkham City as my #1) but no doubt, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was able to hit all the right buttons for me and gave me everything that I crave for as a massive Spider-Man fan. It’s games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that remind me why Spider-Man has always been my favorite superhero and one of my favorite fictional characters in general. I can’t wait for the next game, Marvel’s Wolverine, and whatever else that Insomniac has cooking for the future.