Tag: movies

Superman II (1980)- When Director’s Cuts Actually Matter

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Director’s cuts for films tends to be a big talking point nowadays with film discourse. Whenever a highly beloved/controversial director takes their jab at directing a film from a well-known IP, questions always spur online about how much of the finished product is actually theirs to behold. Was the finished film one in which the director themselves had in mind from the start or is it just what the higher ups at the studios wanted it to be? With studios and producers having more a say on a final film product than ever before, that question tends to get ask every time a big film comes out when it lacks overall quality!

Of course, there is no director more famous/infamous with only being able to get the exact vision they intended with a film than Zack Snyder. Nearly EVERY single time a film of his has come out and it’s not well received by critics or general audiences, the immediate reaction from Snyder and his fanbase is ALWAYS about how his original cut was much better and you need to watch that in order to get the full satisfying motion picture. From Watchmen to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to Justice League to new Rebel Moon movies, there is no one that loves the word “Director’s Cut” more than Zack Snyder himself. Although I will be talking about his full director’s cut of Batman V Superman and Justice League later on in the marathon, it does give the indication as to how much someone’s opinion on a movie can change drastically when they see what the person behind the camera intended all along.

However, there are some instances where director’s cuts tends to be VERY complicated. Not necessarily that the entire quality of the motion picture changes on a dime but the way that a certain director decides to tell the exact same story in an entirely different way than someone else does. And this exact example I will be talking about today is no other than with Superman II.

As you could tell based off the title of this piece and my intro, Superman II featured a lot of different changes from both the original 1980 film and it’s sequel. After the massive success of Superman: The Movie, Warner Bros demanded a sequel ASAP. However, the production of it’s sequel went through it’s fair share of shake-ups, controversies, and mass difficulties in getting a quality product in theaters and even when it came out of theaters. Because of all this and more, Superman II was the product of two different directors, Richard Donner and Richard Lester. Yes, both directors have the exact same first names. I do NOT believe that was a coincidence whatsoever.

Following the success of the 1976 film The Omen, Donner was hired by WB to direct the original Superman movie along with it’s sequel. And to make sure that deal would be met, both movies would be film back-to-back simultaneously. However, tensions arose between Donner and the producers behind the films, particularly the father-son duo of Alexander and Ilya Sakling and Pierre Spengler. From clashing visions to scheduling conflicts, things became a mess from behind the scenes. It got so bad that the producers decided to bring in Richard Lester as a “co-producer”, A.K.A. a back-up director, and basically told Donner to just finish the first film and let them deal with finishing the second film. After Superman: The Movie became the hit that it did, the production of Superman II resumed but with Lester now behind the camera. Although, Donner had already shot 70% of the film, Lester had to go back and reshot much of the film, radically changing the tone and several sequences, just so he could get full director’s credit for Superman II.

So, yeah! That was quite a chaotic history involving the making of the second cinematic installment involving the man of tomorrow! Although Lester’s version ended up being a box office hit with a mostly positive reception, interest grew of what Donner’s original version of Superman II was like. And considering we were now starting to enter the era of DVDs and re-releasing films with extended or director’s cuts, what better time than any to release a cut of Superman II in which Richard Donner had his full name on the cover.

Unfortunately, despite high demands and a fan campaign asking for Warner Bros to release the Donner cut for the film’s 25th anniversary, they were unable to do that because of complicated reasons. With circumstances such as Marlon Brando suing the studio over royalties, which prevented his likeness being used, Richard Donner having never completed actually filming the whole movie, and the man behind the camera himself admitting he didn’t really have an interest in releasing one, it seemed highly unlikely that it would ever see the day. However, by the time 2006 came around, things changed and the studio actually gave into the demand, releasing the “Donner Cut” of Superman II on DVD.

While the Donner Cut was being assembled, an attempt was made to restore as much original footage of Donner’s original vision as possible. After all, some of Lester’s footage was needed to make the story feel actually coherent, being able to fill in the leaping gaps and create a proper bridge between Superman: The Movie and Superman II. Even though he wasn’t able to save his 100% vision due to the film being WAY too late to go back and reshoot, Superman II: The Donner Cut still remains one of the more unique director’s cuts of any mainstream film that has ever been released.

Instead of feeling like a complete finished film, it comes across as more of a “what if”. What if Richard Donner had full control from start to finish? What if he was able to film the two movies back-to-back fully like he intended? Well, the answers we got to those questions involves a director’s cut of Superman II that features several major differences from the film that was released in theaters back in the early 1980s.

Because of that, let’s take a look at some of the key differences between The Donner Cut and the Theatrical Cut.

More Sincerity, Less Comedy

Richard Donner has always viewed Superman as a modern mythology. Because of that, Superman: The Movie and his cut for Superman II reflected that, with a more serious approach to it’s subject matter and means of telling it’s story. Sure, the film definitely contains enough of a sense of humor, especially when compared to say…..Zack Snyder’s Superman, but for the most part, it’s a more serious, albeit sincere tone throughout the entire film. With Lester on the other hand, it was quite different. You have all the funny business with Lex, Non, the evil Kryptonian that doesn’t talk, acting like an overgrown baby, shots of civilians in the city during the final battle, one which involves a guy with roller skates and another guy talking on the phone, and the Kryptonians putting their faces on Mount Rushmore. Donner, on the other hand, cut most of the jokes that he probably felt cut the tension with each individual sense and just got right into the meat of them.

While I’m fairly certain this is more of a studio mandate rather than what Lester wanted personally, I say I prefer Donner’s take on what the tone of the film should be here. I like how he decided to take things more seriously without going too far and be able to incorporate a sense of humor when the film requires it. I guess we now know which superhero film to ACTUALLY thank for all that awkward humor that’s always thrown into every MCU film since 2012!

More Epic In Scale, Less Action

Just like the first thing, I imagine this was more of a decision from the studios to add more action scenes into the theatrically released film and less so on the director himself. Warner Bros craved to add in more action into the picture and less of the slower moving parts with certain scenes being too stretched out. Because of that, we get more mythical Normal Rockwell-esque Visuals with the Donner Cut and less of that mythical cinematography in Lester’s cut. And also because of that, we get more added in action in the theatrical version compared to Donner’s version.

The biggest example of this comes with the big fight in Metropolis between Zod, his minions, and Superman. This is a fight that ends with Superman running away and luring them to the Fortress of Solitude. From there, Superman tricks them into depowering themselves by reversing the effects of the crystal chamber. In the Donner version, it cuts right to this bit. In the Lester version, there is an additional fight scene added in the Fortress of Solitude first.

While I can understand the crave for more action in your Superman movie, the way that Lester went about to get more action really devoid the film of eternal logic. The Evil Kryptonians can now just suddenly teleport and shoot energy beams while Superman is now able to create holographic duplicates of himself. Not to mention, the bizarre power when Superman peels the “S” off his costume and hurls it onto Non like a big blanket. I like action but not if it comes at the cause of the actual quality of the film. Because of that, point goes to Donner here!

More Music From Superman: The Movie Instead of The Score From Superman II

As if the clash over Donner and the producers wasn’t insane enough, a similar thing happened in the production for Superman II with the legendary John Williams. While he was originally slated to score Superman II, Williams ended up getting into a feud with Lester after Ilya Salkind left the projection room. When he returned, John told him that he couldn’t get along with Lester and exited the film. To take his place, Lester brought in his frequent composer Ken Thorne. Because of that, Lester’s version offers a much different and more energetic score this time around, feeling like a composer’s own vision instead of trying too hard to match Williams. However, in Donner’s version, he reuses most of William’s score from the original film instead of using Thorne’s score from the original theater cut.

While I hate the circumstances leading to the situation, I give credit to Lester for being able to make the soundtrack work and feel like it’s own thing compared to the first film. No one is ever gonna top John William’s magnificent Superman theme from the original but the score here works well enough. And while I can definitely see why Donner would prefer to do more of William’s score instead of Thorne, you do get a sense that some of the tracks don’t match certain scenes the way they should and comes across as being overedited sometimes.

More Rough Around The Edges

This difference is a bit obvious but Lester’s version certainly feels more like a complete vision than with Donner’s. While The Donner Cut offers an interesting look of Superman II from the man that made the original such a classic, it doesn’t come off as a finished product. Had Richard been able to complete the Superman sequel that he started back in 1979, it would’ve certainly looked much better. However, with The Donner Cut that released back in 2006, it is simply the best he could do over 25 years later. Much of Lester’s footage remains in the film because it was needed to tell the full story, with a bit of jarring test footage in the middle from Donner thrown in for good measure.

While we’ll never know how a 100% version of Superman II would’ve looked like under Richard Donner, he still did the best with what he could do given the minimal material he had left to work with decades later. Even if I do like most of Donner’s ideas more, I do think by the end, Lester’s film ended up with the superior film, largely due to the fact that it feels the most complete and finished.

More Lex Luthor

Once Lester came on board to do reshoots for Superman II, Gene Hackman was reluctant to do any of them without Donner. Because of that, Lester could only use what Donner already had with Lex Luthor and just roll along from there. He had just enough of Lex to tell story and nothing more. In the Donner Cut, Luther is given a slightly bigger role than before. With more emphasis on the funny business with Lex and his co-workers, Hackman is given a bit more of a screen presence than he did in the original theatrically released version.

While I still wish Hackman was given more to do as Lex this time around, I’m glad Donner was able to salvage what he could and have Luthor contribute a bit more to the plot than he did with Lester’s cut.

Lois Lane Is Much Smarter

Lois Lane is a very smart character, perfectly matching the wits and skills of her counterpart, Clark Kent. So much so that Lois is able to discover the realization that Clark Kent is indeed Superman himself, something which no one else was able to do. At the end of the original film, Lois briefly notices the resemblance between Clark and Superman but just hand waves it off. In Donner’s version, this thread immediately continues with Lois scribbling some glasses on a picture of Superman, realizing that Clark Kent and Superman might just be the same person. To prove this claim right, she jumps out a window of the building of The Daily Plant to make Clark save her. But Clark is able to convince her that he isn’t Superman. Once the two are at Niagra Falls, Lois spots Clark without glasses and yet again suspects that he is Superman. Later at the hotel, Lois shoots a bullet from a gun right at Clark Kent, which nothing happens. After that, Clark admits that he’s Superman and Lois admits that the gun only had blanks. In Lester’s version, the first time that Lois suspects that Clark is Superman is at Niagara Falls. It’s only when they are at the hotel, Clark drops his glasses into a fire and retrieves it without burning himself, revealing to Lois that he is Superman.

Both of these takes work in their own right but I find myself leaning more towards Donner’s version here. With the way it builds upon Lois flirting around with the fact that Clark Kent and Superman might be one of the same from the first movie, Donner’s feels more of an organic follow-up to Lois’s development. Although, Lester’s version looks much better since Donner never actually got to film the scene in the hotel. Instead, he had to set for a repurposed test footage with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder respectively. While it works fairly well, the sound and performances do feel off and the continuity doesn’t mix and mash with the rest of the film.

Marlin Brando Returns

In the Donner Cut, Marlon Brando returns as Jor-El where he basically plays the same role he did in the first film. He mostly acts as a driving force for Kal-El, offering guidance to his own son beyond the grave. In the Lester Cut, Jor-El was replaced by Superman’s mother, Lara, played by Susannah York. The reason he doesn’t show up in Lester’s version is because after Superman: The Movie became a massive success, Marlon Brando sued the producers because he was owed nearly 12% of the box office revenue. Because the studio refused to pay him for any of the box office revenue for the sequel , Brando’s scenes had to be reshot in the theatrical release with Lara instead. Thankfully, Warner Bros was able to work out a deal with Brando to put himself back in Donner’s version.

Giving the circumstances, I think Lester did very well with what he could do. Plus, it did make sense to have Superman’s mother be a guiding force for him in his version, while the original film had Superman’s father play that same role. I don’t mind either one here but I do wish for an outcome that had both of Superman’s parents acting as that special emotional support for their son beyond their death. When thinking about what would act as a proper mirror of the original, I’d say Lester wins here. When it comes to acting as a part of Clark’s development here, I would probably go with Donner here.

Zod And His Crew Escape In Different Ways

In the Donner cut, the movie starts with a recap of the previous film, which ends with Superman carrying a nuclear missile out int space. It’s the shockwave from that missile that hits the Phantom Zone prison and allows for the evil Kryptonians to escape. In the Lester Cut, Superman stops a terrorist attack in Paris by tossing a hydrogen bomb into space, which frees the evil Kryptonains.

It’s mostly a minor difference but Lester’s cut at least gives Superman an actual reason to throw yet another bomb into space, just like he did at the end of the previous film. And with the way both cuts recaps the begin of the previous movie, Donner’s version does better at showing how exactly the events from the previous movie leads into it’s sequel. Unlike with Lester’s version, which comes across as more of a prologue read by the narrator of a tv show, telling viewers what happened in last week’s episode. Tough call, but I give the slight edge to Donner on this one, with at least having the beginning feel more consistent with the previous film.

Why Superman Gives Up His Powers

In both versions, Superman gives up his superpowers to be with Lois Lane. In the Donner Cut, Superman admits to himself and his father Jor-El that while he’s being selfish, he just wants to relax and be happy with another woman. His father argues that his son can NOT favor one human over the rest of humanity. Feeling he can no longer serve humanity in an objective way that would make his parents and himself proud, he gives up his powers. In Lester’s cut, Superman talks with his mother Lara instead. The conversation is much shorter, with Lara telling her son that if wants to be a mortal, then he must become one.

If we are looking through the perspective of what’s the right thing for Clark Kent himself to do and he achieves it, then Lester’s cut wins here. If we are looking through the perspective of what’s the right thing for Kal-El himself to do and he does the exact opposite of that, then Donner’s Cut wins. For the benefit of Superman’s overall arc in the film, I give this one to Donner!

No Magic Kiss

And lastly, the magic kiss is NOT presented in the Donner Cut. In Lester’s Cut, Superman II ends with Lois’ memory of knowing Clark Kent is Superman is wiped away in the form of a magic kiss. However, with the Donner Cut, Lois’ memory gets wiped by Superman flying around the world and rewinding time back before Lois figured out he was Clark Kent. It’s basically the exact same ending as Superman II except nearly the whole movie gets reverted back to square one.

As much as both ending come off as cheap plot gimmicks and glorified deux ex machina, I honestly believe Donner’s version is even worse, making the whole film feel like it never happened and undoing all the character progression like it’s some glorified Saturday Morning cartoon that prohibits progression in it’s story. The magic kiss is cheesy but I’ll still take that over a lazy rehash of the ending of the first movie.

I think you can now see why your experience with Superman II can be quite different by watching both of these cuts on their own terms! And that’s not even going into the two other notable cuts of this movie: 1.) the fan edited version that combined the best of both Donner and Lester while trimming the notable fats from both version and 2.) the ABC televised version that added 19 minutes of footage to the theatrical release, including alternate scenes involving Lex Luthor and an alternate ending. When putting all of that together, there’s not just one, not two, not even three, but FOUR different versions of Superman II you can watch. Not even Zack Snyder can dream of having THAT many cuts for just one feature film!

I will say despite the two different versions of Superman II that I’ve seen, my opinion on the film is largely the same. In the sense, that it’s a very, VERY good sequel that perhaps falls JUST shy of the greatness the original film had, largely due to these conflicting directorial visions, confusing character motivations, and feeling the need to pull it’s punches more times than not. Even so, I will say that I still would consider it to be the second best Superman movie to date (unless my rewatch of Man of Steel or Zack Snyder’s Justice League changes my mind).

Had we got one complete version from either Richard Donner or Richard Lester from beginning of production to the very end, then I think we could have gotten a perfect follow-up to Superman: The Movie, acting as that perfect two-part story figure that Christopher Nolan got superbly right with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight many years later. Instead we can only imagine what would’ve happened if either one of these gentlemen got both of their hands on this sequel from the very start!

Next Up: Superman III

Top 10 Worst Disney Live-Action Movies/Remakes (Updated w/Snow White & Lilo & Stitch)

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There is a lot of controversy surrounding Disney nowadays. Whether it’s due to their inconsistent quality of recent years, overreliance on nonstop sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, constantly milking a property dry until the very last drop of milk, overworking their employees and staff, and their participation of the so-called “culture war”, you just can’t seem to have a reasonable conservation about Disney without one side going absolutely BALISTIC over it! However if there is one opinion that seems to united the majority of the human population, it’s the fact that the Disney live-action movies/remakes…..kinda suck.

Unless it’s something involving Pirates of the Caribbean or National Treasure, live-action movies/remakes from Disney generally do no work on multiple levels, with only the box office successes for a good chunk of them being the core reason as to why they still get made. That’s not to say that EVERY single one of them has been a disaster. Live-action remakes/movies such as Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), Pete’s Dragon (2016), and Christopher Robin have had their fair share of fans but more often than not, these kind of corporate projects tend to have more backlash attached to them than acclaim.

I normally don’t like to “worst of” lists because the real world is already depressing enough and the last thing I want to do is throw more fuel into the already politically fueled toxic garbage fire that has plagued our world for the better part of a decade. However, in this case, I figured it would be fun to talk about Disney’s massive missteps in the live-action/remake department because everyone else seems to have fun doing it. And unlike most worst of lists out there, I highly doubt my picks will be that controversial among most reading this lists. But, who knows?

Dishonorable Mentions:

  • 102 Dalmatians

  • Alice Through The Looking Glass

  • Aladdin (2019)

  • Cruella

  • The Little Mermaid (2023)

  • Mufasa: The Lion King

Now onto the main list.

10.) Dumbo (2019)

The first 1/3 of Tim Burton’s Dumbo (2019) is a solid and faithful adaption of the original, that’s able to translate the aesthetics and heart of the animated original pretty well while standing proud on it’s own two feet. Unfortunately, there’s another 2/3’rds of the movie, which consists of nonstop filler to justify it’s modern movie runtime, that is about as boring, tedious, and repetitive as the majority of these Disney live-action remakes are. Also, what the heck was Michael Keaton trying to do with his performance here? Between this and Alice in Wonderland (2010), maybe it’s for the best to keep Tim Burton AWAY from these kind of movies.

9.) Lilo & Stich (2025)

The newest addition to these infamous pack of live-action remake flicks have two elements going for it: the superb casting of Maia Kealoha as Lilo herself and the lovable little misfit that is Stitch himself. Nearly everything else about Lilo & Stitch (2025) falls flat here. The changes made here feel like they are done for the sake of change, beloved supporting characters from the original are sidelined and feel more like a footnote than anything else, the editing is so bizarre and distracting that puts it on par with the fence scene from Taken 3 (Remember that?!) and the ending that involves Nina making a big life changing decision does not gel well at all with the message of ohana that the original explored so well (Regardless of what the post credits scene might have to say about!) Also, Jumba is the real villain in this one, yeah! Not even some decent performances, a couple of laughs, and Stitch himself can save Lilo & Stitch (2025) from being a dud. Unfortunately, if the stellar opening box office weekend is any indication, my opinion (along with plenty of others online) doesn’t matter.

8.) Mulan (2020)

Many people have this one at the top of their list for worst Disney remakes and it’s easy to see why. Mulan (2020) attempts to do a live-action adaption of the beloved animated classic with a much more serious tone and changes to the lore to make it stand out as it’s own thing. Unfortunately, Mulan herself is reduced to being an overpowered superhero with a bizarre chosen one storyline, completely undermine the point of the character and her arc from the animated original. And don’t get me started on the over-the-top action scenes, the clash in tones, the laughable main villain, and the very wooden performance from our lead (Less said about the initial controversy surrounding the lead actress, the better). I do give it points for ambition and trying to do something different to make it work on it’s own terms but when looking at the overall picture, Mulan (2020) is simply a dud and makes for one of the most heartbreaking live-action Disney remakes released thus far.

7.) Peter Pan & Wendy

While David Lowery was able to make one of the absolute best Disney remakes with Pete’s Dragon (2016), he unfortunately also settled with one of the absolute worst ones with Peter Pan & Wendy. Once again, this live-action adaption of two beloved characters in Peter Pan & Wendy tries to add new wrinkles to their origins, only to miss the point entirely and ruin the entire central metaphor of the story that it’s adapting. It’s certainly one of the more well-shot and photographed of the Disney live-action movies/remakes and Judy Law is EVERYTHING as Captain Hook but unfortunately, director David Lowery just did NOT have the sauce (Did I do that right?!) that he had with Pete’s Dragon.

6.) Beauty & The Beast (2017)

While this might not technically be the worst one, I can’t think of a remake that goes to show just how utterly pointless these Disney remakes are than Beauty & The Beast (2017). Despite having excellent material to work with and a star-studded cast, there is no new interpretation of the material that is presented throughout it’s bloated runtime that you didn’t already see be masterfully done in the animated original. It’s just the exact same story but longer, with unnecessary additions, confusing character motivations, ugly characters designs, and a new song you completely forgot the moment the movie is over. And don’t even get me started on the blink-and-you-miss-it gay characters (that would soon become a trend for the next seven to eight years with Disney movies). I won’t go as far to say that this ruins the original Beauty & The Beast in any way but all it does is make me want to go back to the original Beauty & The Beast over and over again and forget about this one entirely.

5.) Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Here’s the one that started this dark, corrupt path of Disney’s most lazy and creatively bankrupt packages of so-called “motion pictures”. Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland (2010) tries to add his own spin on the classic animated tale, with a more bleak and twisted feel to it. Unfortunately, the final version to come off as cruelly murky, violent, and unpleasant to watch as a result. While you can see there’s an attempt at making Alice a more three-dimensional character and expand upon the world building of the Wonderland itself in the most Tim Burton-way possible, it gets too bogged down by it’s own bizarre direction, feeling like it belongs more in the world of The Nightmare Before Christmas than it does with Alice in Wonderland. You can always give a movie props for trying to do something different but like Mulan (2020), it’s the WRONG kind of different!

4.) Snow White (2025)

Even if you are that one sane individual that was smart enough to live under a rock over the pre-release discourse nonsense surrounding the live-action reimagining of Disney’s first ever animated motion picture, Snow White (2025) is FAR from the fairest of them all. Much like with 90% of live-action remakes, it can’t decide how far it wants to go with it’s new ideas or how much wants to walk with the same path line as the original. The style is all over the place for to be a nostalgic pleasing throwback, the new elements that are added in feel more like baggage than depth, the reshoots and rewrites are painfully obvious, and Gal Gadot gives by far one of the worst performances in any Disney film ever. Surprisingly, the best part about this disastrous remake is Rachel Zegler herself, fitting the role of Snow White as best as one could in live-action. (If only she knew when to give herself some restraint.) Too bad the rest of the film sucks so much that it justifies all the hate that these live-action remakes/movies get. While not quite #1, Snow White (2025) is a culmination of nearly everything wrong with these Disney live-action remakes and is (hopefully) a wake-up call to Disney to finally leaves these kind of films in the past and put that money to something more wiser.

3.) Pinocchio (2022)

If I were to describe the Disney live-action remake that feels the most soulless and creatively bankrupt, that honor would go to Pinocchio (2020). Robert Zemeckis takes the original animated classic and strips it completely of it’s magical charm, with a script and direction that feel as wooden as Pinocchio himself. The visuals effects are generally poor, Tom Hanks is awfully miscast as Gepetto, and the changes to the story undermine the movie’s central message at every turn. This is a remake that just feels like a remake that exists for the sake of existing, feeling the need to update and give the modern treatment for no reason whatsoever. Say what you will about any other remake on this list but at least you can understand where they were going for and understand it’s reasoning for existence from a business and even creative standpoint. I could not tell you why anyone thought that Pinocchio (2020) was a movie that needed to exist And I don’t think even Disney themselves could tell you either.

2.) Maleficent

11 years later and I’m still completely baffled how Disney was able to screw up what should have been an absolute WINNER for them in Maleficent, one of their finest and fairest foes throughout their history. Despite what the title would suggest, the Maleficent that we all know and love from Sleeping Beauty is NOWHERE to be seen throughout the entirety of the film. For whatever reason, Disney felt the need to overcomplicated things and give Maleficent a reason as to why she is as evil as she is, while unintentionally confirming she actually has a heart of gold and isn’t as vile as she makes herself to be. The fact that I just typed that out loud should go to show you how little this movie understands the character of Maleficent. Throw in hard to see cinematography, sluggish pacing, bizarre plot holes, and some of the ugliest CGI creatures I’ve ever seen and you a real crappy picture here. Poor Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning are wasted here in a film that fails to capitalize a fraction of their talents. But hey, at least, they weren’t stupid enough to do it again with Cruella and Mufasa, right?! *runs away to go cry in the corner*

1.) The Lion King (2019)

There is NO live-action movie/remake to date that perfectly capitulates how bad, cynical, lifeless, and emotionally cold these kind of movies are than The Lion King (2019). Everything that made Jon Favreau’s prior Disney remake with The Jungle Book (2016) work is done COMPLETELY wrong here. There is no inspired direction, no engaging narrative, no unique art style, no convincing looking animals, no standout moments of it’s own, and no justifiable reason for this film’s existence to be found at any given moment. It only exists to remind you how great they got it right the first time around in animated form and for NO other reason than to make a bunch of dollar signs. (And it sadly worked!) Don’t get me started on the way it butchers beloved moments of the original in the most HILARIOUSLY awful way possible (Mufasa’s death scene KILLS me every time!) or doing everything in it’s power to be a complete by-the-numbers retelling of the original with no new ingredients of it’s own. The Lion King (2019) is a culmination of everything wrong with these Disney live-action movies/remakes and why they continued to be the most lazy, artistically bankrupt and pure spite of films that Hollywood is still releasing to this day.

Superman (1978) Retrospective: The Birth Of The Superhero

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If there is one film medium that has been a dominant force for the 21st century, that would be comic books and superheroes. While we are now living in an era where this subgenre of movies is not as strong as it was in the previous two decades, there is no denying that they have changed the way that blockbusters have been made for the past 25+ years. However, even before the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and the multiple DC Cinematic universe attempts, even before the likes of Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), and Spider-Man (2002) rolled around, and even before Tim Burton’s or Joel Schumacher’s Batman made their ways onto the scene, there was one superhero movie that stood proudly on his own. Not only working as a near perfect example of what a superhero movie should consist of but it set the template and tropes on how a superhero movie or even a blockbuster in general should operated. That one film I’m talking about is no other than Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner and played by the OG Superman himself, Christopher Reeves.

This was the superhero movie that changed everything! It proved that a film based off of a comic book superhero can work and translate onto the big screen as well as it possibly can. It proved that big cinematic experiences of this kind can be just as compelling as say a giant space opera or an intense thriller involving a big shark (Bet you can guess which two blockbusters I’m referring to from back then!). And most importantly, it proved that comic books and superheroes can shine a very bright light on pop culture, telling stories with impactful themes and unforgettable role models that anyone can look up to (No pun intended!)!

This was the birth of the superhero genre!

This is Superman (1978)!

To prove that this was indeed the one film that started this ongoing superhero movie trend, I decided to name six distinct tropes that this film laid out which is still being followed up to this day. Even nearly 50 years after Superman (1978) came out, these are all common beats you still see in superhero films to this day. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of/if not all of these with James Gunn’s Superman come July. Nevertheless, here are the six common tropes and cliches with superhero movies that Superman (1978) started.

1.) Origin Story

When it comes to the first chapter of a superhero story, it usually starts off with showcasing their origins. This is the part of the story where you find our where exactly the titled superhero came from, who gave birth to them, and how they got their powers and became the actual titled superhero. It’s become such a staple at this point that folks will call blasphemy if a certain version of a comic book superhero does NOT contain the origin in some way, shape, or form. No matter how many different stories we get off Spider-Man or Batman, we ALWAYS need to see Uncle Ben and the Waynes being shot in cold blood.

In the case of Superman, his origin involves his biological parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, sending him off to Earth while his home planet Krypton is on the verge of collapse. Clark is then discovered in Kansas by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who would adapt him and raised him as their son. It’s doing this sequence where Clark must discover what he was destined to be by his own mother and father, while learning what it means to live among the human beings on Earth by his adoptive mother and father.

This is a nice origin story that is able to be more about being an outcast rather than just a traditional “fish out of water” story. This is about Clark Kent learning to blend in with a brand new home not just as Clark Kent himself but as Superman. And even with all the criticism and rejection among the public, he still wants to do what is right. He wants to be the hero that his birth parents always envisioned of him. He wants to save people’s lives while stopping those that put them in harm’s away. And most importantly, he just wants to do good things for the goodness of mankind. Regardless if he will do it in a legal or illegal way, he is determined to be a hero at all costs, regardless of what the public thinks of him.

While the 1/3rd of this movie does take it’s time on establishing the origins of Clark Kent’s transformation into Superman, it is important to always showcases the answers to the questions that anyone might have about it’s title hero. Whether it’s like a traditional first installment with a superhero that spends the first half establishing the hero’s origin story (Spider-Man (2002), Batman Begins, Iron Man, or Captain America: The First Avenger) or uses an opening sequence or flashbacks scenes to establish their origins (Batman (1989) and The Incredible Hulk), showcasing a superhero’s origin is always urgent in order to get audience’s connected with the hero’s journey. While I can’t say for certain, I guarantee that the origin of a superhero would not be as much of a staple as it is if it weren’t for this film showcasing these exact important events.

2.) Secret Identity

A usual key component for a superhero story is with the main superhero having to keep their identity a secret. There are always exceptions such as when Tony Stark revealed his true self at the end of Iron Man or Diana Prince always representing Wonder Woman but more often than not, these are usually stories about the main superhero having to learn to keep their superhero life a secret and finding room to focus on their normal, everyday life. You have Peter Parker who has to learn how to balance himself between being Spider-Man and Peter Parker, you have Bruce Wayne needing to let his playboy billionaire side shine in the day and his crime fighting vigilante side shine in the night. In this case, we have Clark Kent needing to keep Superman and Clark Kent as two separate identities.

Of course, the main jab at Superman is how it’s unfathomable how anyone can’t tell the difference between Clark Kent and Superman because they both look exactly the same. Like, all you need to do is remove the glasses and you can see it’s literally the exact same person. How can a superhero who is trying to protect his secret identity do so by basically hiding in plain sight? That is a question with Superman that I thought about for years and could never find the answer to. That was until……I saw Christopher Reeve’s performance.

The main aspect that makes Reeve’s performance stand out perfectly as both Clark Kent and Superman is the fact that they feel like two completely different people when you watch them. As Clark Kent, he’s the typical nerdy, awkward man who is a bit of a dweb that is the last person you would ever expect to be a superhero in red and blue pajamas. As Superman, he’s this brave, heroic figure that you would never suggest could be some weak, submissive geek that lets his female co-worker fight his battles for him. I’m pretty sure if you asked Clark Kent in real life that he looks just like Superman, he would be able to PERFECTLY convince you that he is NOT Superman and just said, “Yeah, I guess that’s true! But I assure you, I am NOT him!” All you had to do is see how Clark Kent and Superman act so different in each scene and how perfectly Reeves is able to make them both convincing as two separate characters!

You are lying to yourselves if you ACTUALLY believe these two guys could be the exact same person if you just judge based off their appearance and personality and NOT just looks.

The secret identity tends to play a big role in most superhero movies, especially with origin stories, but I don’t think there has been a superhero movie that’s been able to capture just exactly what it means to be an average everyday joe to being the world’s biggest savior than with Superman (1978). A story which sees a man has to convince that his personal self and superhero self is NOT one of the same despite looking exactly alike. And this is in large part thanks to Christopher Reeve’s pitch perfect portrayals as both Clark Kent and Superman respectively.

3.) Love Interest

Of course, you can’t have a traditional superhero story without a traditional love interest. This is usually always added to give a story a bit of an emotional anchor and give motivation for the main superhero to do what he does. There are times where it can fall into some pretty infamous tropes. From being a constant damsel n distress to acting as a “trophy” for the main hero to getting the “fridge” treatment, this can be seen as the weakest part of the story if you are not too careful and learn too much into one of these tropes. There’s only so many times where people want to see Gwen Stacy die so Spider-Man can be sad only to get replaced by a love interest that’s hotter but much more blander (*cough* Mary Jane Watson *cough*). Thankfully, Superman (1978) is able to find a love story that works quite fondly with Superman and Lois Lane.

To be sure, it does involve Lois Lane having to be saved at least a few times by Superman. There are two notable moments of that, from falling off of a building and another instance that will be discussed later on. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Lois is a strong character in her own right and can even being seen saving Clark Kent on some occasions. She’s feisty, strong-willed, always determined to get the job done, and is always able to give Clark the emotional support whenever they need it. However, what makes her a perfect equal to Superman is how they will both stop at nothing to accomplish their goals for the greater good.

Lois Lane in general is someone that is as fearless as Superman is and always shows dedication to finding truth and justice for every report she covers as a journalist with the Daily Planet. Sure, she might not be as invincible as Superman is and is certainly not bullet proof but when it comes to her heart and free will, she is about as equal to Superman as someone can possibly get. That’s what makes the two a perfect couple and Lois Lane a perfect love interest.

Just watch this scene and tell me that it is NOT magical!

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is what inspired Disney to making the magical carpet scene in Aladdin.

Most superhero movies tend to always botch the love story. Mostly because it usually only acts to give the superhero a love interest and have it play second-fiddled to everything else going on, usually only acting like a box that needs to be checked off. But with Superman (1978), Lois Lane helps acts as the pure heart of the film and helps Clark fill that missing hole he had within himself in his early days as Superman.

4.) Saving People’s Lives

This is simply one component that a superhero movie can NOT live without. You need scenes and moments that shows a superhero actually being well…….a superhero. Throughout superhero movie history, we’ve seen plenty of examples of superheroes filling their good superhero duties by saving the lives of folks they’ve sworn to protect. We’ve seen Spider-Man saving people from a burning building, we’ve seen Iron Man rescuing passengers from a plane. With Superman, we get to see him rescuing innocent people from natural disasters and bridges on the verge of collapsing.

While the main protagonist saving people has never been anything out of the ordinary, there’s always something special when a superhero does it. This is mostly because they are able to save people in ways that an average person won’t be able to. They are gifted the skills, power, wealth, and/or resources to be able to rescue lives and give themselves a name which regular people would not be able to. With Superman, he is just using the powers that was gifted to him by his parents and home world for the benefit for others and not just himself.

And I know you might be wondering why I am not referring to Superman saving a specific important character at the near tail end of the film. Well, that’s because I’m saving that for the very next part.

5.) The Big Third Act Climax

Okay, this movie doesn’t have the traditional big third act battle that most superhero movies those. This isn’t like the third act of every Avengers movie where there is always so much crap that goes on at the same time that it can be hard to keep track off. This isn’t even like the big climaxes to Superman II, Man of Steel, or Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice where it involves Superman having to fight a powerful being that is even stronger than himself. This involves Superman having to save the day from the wreckage that Lex Luthor causes, a wreckage that could cause a worldwide nuclear war. Much like the climax to Spider-Man (2002) (expect without the ass-kicking 101 scene with the Green Goblin), it involves Clark having to be the hero to the world that he believes himself to be.

I already partially covered the meaning and purpose of the climax in my last part where it involves Superman having to save the very people he has sworn to protect. However, what part I missed out on is the part where he has to save Lois Lane after she partially died. After Superman fails to save Lois from the earthquake that Lex Luthor caused, he commits the biggest deus ex machina imaginable by using his superpowers to rotate the earth back and turning back time.

Can this be considered “cheating”?! Heck yeah!

Does this make any sense whatsoever?! Heck no!

However, that doesn’t change the fact that the third act climax is where Superman faces his toughest challenge yet, the part of the film where the main superhero finds himself pushed beyond measure to be the hero for everybody and the ones he loves. That always tend to be the blueprint for most third acts in superhero stories and I have no doubt this is the one superhero movie where many filmmakers got their first inspiration from.

6.) Being A Symbol

This might be the most important trope of all for every superhero story brought to the big screen. That is having your main character be a symbol. Not just for the characters in the story but for the audience as well! For superheroes to exist for as long as they have, they must have inspirations. They must have folks that would love nothing more to follow in their footsteps and become superheroes of their own in any way, shape, or form. Thankfully, Superman (1978) is able to succeed at that in both ways.

In the context of the movie, the public now has a very positive view on Superman and sees him as being mankind greatest superhero. When it comes to pop culture, the entire world and entertainment industry has followed in this film’s footsteps of making not just more Superman incarnations but also more superheroes of his kind.

Since this film came out, we have gotten more Superman films, shows, games, and comics that most certainly got it’s initial template from this 1978 gamechanger. Also, since this film came out, we have gotten many different superhero films, shows, games, and comics of it’s kind. The kind that I imagine would not exist if it wasn’t for the impact that Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve brought to the world.

Above all, Superman (1978) is able to prove that it’s title hero is in face the symbol he set himself out to be. Not only through the truth, justice, and American way that the character himself claims but through having that impact on the whole world, being the kind of hero that his parents always thought of him has and what I imagine the world saw Christopher Reeve has.

Being that exact symbol!

A symbol of……you guessed it……hope!

In conclusion, superhero movies wouldn’t be where they have been for a long time now if it wasn’t for Superman (1978). This is not only the superhero film that got the ball rolling but it’s the superhero film that laid the groundwork for all the beats, tropes, and basic structure that nearly every film based off of a comic book and superhero is expected to follow upon. This overexposed subgenre only ever became what it is and has grown to be for nearly the past five decades due to the groundbreaking success of Superman (1978).

This was the birth of the superhero!

This was Superman (1978)!

Next Up: Superman II: When Director’s Cuts Matter

Top 10 Biggest 2025 Summer Movies- Box Office Predictions

AdamLeave a comment

It’s now officially May which means it’s now officially the summer movie season! The time of the year where the big blockbusters of the year are front and center in movie theaters everywhere now that the kids are out of school! Because of that, it’s time to do a list of what I believe will be the top highest grossing films of the summer!

With Hollywood continuing to struggle in the movie theater business post-covid, only God knows how many more summer movie seasons await. Although, theaters have been picking up great momentum in the box office as of late with the likes of A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, and the very successful re-release of Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith, it’s unclear how long they will be able to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the year and even the future.

I think the 2025 summer movie season will give a big indication as to whether or not Hollywood is still recovering from the post-covid era of struggling to get people’s butts into theater seats or will this be the beginning of a resurrection for summer movies! We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best!

And considering I’ve been seeing multiple people put their own predictions of the top 10 biggest summer movies in terms of profit, why not throw my own hat in the ring and do my own list of this?! Keep in mind, these are the movies that I believe will be the highest grossing of the summer, not the ones that I desperately want to be at the very top. If that were the case, then Superman (2025) would be #1 and Jurassic World Rebirth would be dead last on this list. This list is not a matter of anticipation or movies I think will be objectively the best, this is a list of the movies that I believe will be the most to least successful in terms of the top 10 movies of the summer.

Also, this is a ranking based on box office numbers worldwide and NOT domestic. That list would be harder and more complicated for me to judge. This is how I feel the box office numbers will hold for summer movies WORLDWIDE from May to mid-to-late August. Could I be dead wrong on every single one of these? Absolutely! But hey, it’s fun to be able to make predictions, right?!

Time to jump right in and put my predictions on what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of the summer!

10.) Karate Kid Legends

Release Date: May 30th

Box Office Projection: $300 Million

Reason: The Karate Kid franchise has had some solid popularity as of late with the smash hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, that just concluded its sixth and final season. With Legends acting as the first film entry of the franchise since The Karate Kid (2010), we see both Jackie Chan (the star of the 2010 film) and Ralph Macchio (the OG Karate Kid) coming together to train a new student in the ways of kung fu. I’m not sure how much fans out there have been eagerly awaiting for this combo or even another entry but if it’s able to capture a tiny bit of the magic of Cobra Kai, I can see Karate Kid: Legends being a solid crowd pleaser and a satisfying coming of a full circle for die-hard fans.

9.) F1

Release Date: June 27th

Box Office Projection: $400 Million

Reason: Ngl, if this movie were set to come out before Sinners, I probably would not have put this on the list. However, after the surprising success of that film, which will certainly get as strong of box office legs as it possibly can, it proves that audiences still have hunger and desire for original films. Add that to the star power of Brad Pitt (recent controversy aside) and director Joseph Kosinski coming high off of Top Gun: Maverick, I can see F1 being the exact kind of smash hit that Hollywood needs for these kinds of films. The only question is whether or not the studios will let this one grow as the summer goes on and the mega July blockbusters start coming into play.

8.) Thunderbolts*

Release Date: May 1st

Box Office Projection: $450 Million

Reason: The first main blockbuster of the summer just came out in theaters and is set to at least kick off the summer box office better than last year’s The Fall Guy did. With strong reviews and early positive word-of-mouth, Thunderbolts* can most certainly outperformed early expectations and make enough in the long run to be able to make a profit. It’ll be entertaining to see how the media and YouTube will try to spin this film as being an actual failure because it didn’t make a billion dollars overnight or what was once considered “good enough” for a MCU/superhero movie is no longer good enough anymore. The only downside, other than a sudden Multiverse of Madness second week drop off, could be seeing how this is able to stack up once the likes of Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch comes around and if Disney and Marvel will have cold feet early and dump it to Disney Plus once Fantastic Four is out.

7.) Elio

Release Date: June 20th

Box Office Projection: $575 Million

Reason: Last year saw Pixar’s most successful and crowd-pleasing film ever at the box office with Inside Out 2, the highest grossing animated film at the time of it’s release. However, they now face a different challenge with Elio, a new and original animated flick that has been delayed multiple times. With no Woody, Buzz, or Lightning McQueen in sight, it will more than certainly have to rely on its stellar quality to make folks want to see it in theaters rather than wait for it on Disney Plus. If Pixar and Disney can pull off the same strategy they did with Elemental and Inside Out 2, by keeping it in theaters as long as they can and saving the physical/digital releases until Fall, then I can see this making a solid 575 million dollar signs, which would most certainly be good enough. Again, this will all likely matter if the finished film is actually any good.

6.) Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning

Release Date: May 23rd

Box Office Projection: $600 Million

Reason: Tom Cruise is here to “save” cinema one last time with Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning, acting as the potential final entry to the near three decade-long running Mission: Impossible film franchise. However, I still can’t help but feel like this one is gonna underperform it’s skyrocket expectations at the box office. While making $600 million sounds like a notable success on paper, the film’s reported $400 million budget and coming off of the underwhelming (at least in terms of box office) Dead Reckoning will give The Final Reckoning a near-impossible mission to accomplish. Also, facing immediate competition with Lilo & Stitch won’t make things much easier either. I’m always rooting for this franchise but it has all odds against itself this time around. Hopefully, there’s enough of Tom Cruise running to save this film this time around.

5.) How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

Release Date: June 13th

Box Office Projection: $650 Million

Reason: After the mixed-at-best results of Disney live-action remakes since 2010, DreamWorks and Universal has decided to take their stab at it by adapting the beloved animated How To Train Your Dragon in live-action form. With a sequel already being announced and set for a 2027 release date, it’s clear that DreamWorks and Universal are expecting this one to perform well. If it’s able to live up to the promise of being a faithful transition to the animated film and avoid any Snow White-level of controversy, then How To Train Your Dragon (2025) should most certainly make the money it needs to and act as a proper re-introduction to DreamWorks’ most acclaimed animated film series to date.

4.) The Fantastic Four- First Steps

Release Date: July 25th

Box Office Projection: $750 Million

Reason: I don’t care what YouTube says or what outrageous out of context quote got social media in a pansy, this film is gonna do numbers at the box office and be Marvel’s most successful film released in 2025. Even with those that have been sour on Marvel and previous Fantastic Four incarnations, they will still owe it to themselves to see Marvel Studios themselves take their first stab at adapting Marvel’s first family onto the big screen. With the build-up to Avengers: Doomsday looming and Thunderbolts* being a potential box office success, The Fantastic Four- First Steps should have no problem in carrying that momentum from Marvel and set the stage for Doomsday and Secret Wars nicely. If I look like a foul in two months, so be it. But for now, I can’t help but have positive expectations for this one!

3.) Superman (2025)

Release Date: July 11th

Box Office Projection: $825 Million

Reason: There’s plenty of reasons to be positive and negative about Superman (2025). This is a film that sees Superman returning to the big screen in his first standalone film since 2013, the start of a brand new cinematic universe, and what will likely be viewed as the film that gives the superhero genre the shot in the arm it needs. And it’s whole “This is the movie the world needs right now!” marketing should most likely play a positive impact. However, conflicting reports of the film being released overseas along with not knowing the exact expectations that Warner Bros has for this film could hurt it in the long run, which could make James Gunn’s DC universe over before it even begins. Still, this should be one of the most talked about and discussed movies of the summer regardless and will likely attract enough audience to give it a watch on the big screen.

2.) Jurassic World Rebirth

Release Date: July 2nd

Box Office Projection: $900 Million

Reason: I don’t know how they keep making these films and why they always make so much money at the box office. That being said, this franchise is always able to draw big crowds both domestically and overseas. Coming off the (rather quiet) billion dollar grosser of Jurassic World: Dominion (which was supposed to be the final film in the franchise), Jurassic World Rebirth will see Universal try to squeeze whatever remaining dollars it has left with the Jurassic Park IP. I got nothing to say other than if it offers enough dino action and Black Widow and Blade kicking enough ass together, this should be one of the biggest hits of the year. The only question is whether or not it’s able to follow his predecessors and achieve the billion dollar mark, especially after Dominion just barely was able to accomplish that. Although if my prediction is any indication, I’m gonna go with a no on that one.

1.) Lilo & Stitch (2025)

Release Date: May 23rd

Box Office Projection: $1.1 Billion

Reason: You might be calling me crazy for putting a Disney live-action remake as not just the #1 spot but the one that will be able to achieve $1 billion at the box office. I mean, how could Disney possibly recover after Snow White (2025), right? Well, they were able to recently achieve billion dollar grossers with Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 along with a solid 700 million dollar hit in Mufasa (*insert Sonic fan punching the air). Plus, this is being sold as the cute family friendly big movie of the summer, regardless if you have seen the original animated Lilo & Stitch or not. All it needs to do is deliver exactly what it says on the cover, avoid any negative press of any sort, and give itself a good long theatrical window. Do all of that and I pretty much guarantee that this will be the #1 movie of the summer and will be yet another billion dollar grossing hit for Disney. If I end up being wrong, so be it. But if I’m not, then you can all eat cake!

As for other movies that missed the list:

  • I think Ballerina will avoid the fate of Furiosa if Keanu Reeves plays a significant role in the movie but it likely won’t make as much as the last few John Wick flicks.

  • 28 Years Later and Megan 2.0 should appeal greatly to fans of the horror genre and previous installments of their respected IPs but I can’t help but feel it will get lost in the shuffle with them being released so close to other big movies.

  • The Naked Gun will either sneak under the radar as the one standout comedy flick of the summer or be buried and forgotten like the rest of the remaining comedy genre.

  • The Bad Guys 2 will certainly gain numbers during the fall if it’s able to continue the streak of perfect DreamWorks sequels but I left it off the list because it’s coming out right as the summer movie season comes to a close.

  • Freakier Friday is………a thing I guess. It might make noise for a week or two but then be completely forgotten about along with Haunted Mansion.

Ranking The Films of Alex Garland

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Alex Garland is one of the most interesting filmmakers in recent memory. He tends to make film that is able to deliver beyond anyone’s expectations for both the better and the worse. Regardless of what you think about his films, you can’t deny the man is usually not afraid to go all in on controversial matters or explore hidden depths within the sci-fi genre. Results always vary but no doubt, it’s always compelling to see a filmmaker always swing for the fences even if it always doesn’t work off.

With what is perhaps his biggest film to date just coming out in theaters in Civil War, let’s take the time to rank his four films released up to this point that he has been credited as a full-on director.

However, I would like to give one honorable/unqualifiable mention to this list.

Dredd (2012)

Dredd (2012) is one of the most underrated/overlooked gems that has been released for the past decade. A solid, intense, and incredibly enjoyable sci-fi action flick that’s able to improve on nearly every shortcoming that the original Judge Dredd had and be something even more than that. The main reason I can’t add this to the list is that despite writing the screenplay for it and did help complete the film, Alex Garland did NOT get any credit as director, that goes to Pete Travis.

Still, Dredd (2012) is a gem and it tanking at the box office still remains one of the biggest cinematic tragedies in recent memory! Hopefully, the cult following for this remains so strong that one day a sequel will be greenlighted!

Now that mention is out of the way, let’s get to ranking the official four films in Alex Garland’s directing library!

5.) Men

Alex Garland’s first film set outside his comfort zone in the sci-fi genre attempts to explore the inner depths of toxic masculinity and the mental state that abused women go through when having to deal with it. It’s just a shame that Garland couldn’t think of anything compelling to go along with that or provide an engaging narrative to get this obvious point across.

Men is ego-filled filmmaking at it’s absolute worst! The message of toxic masculinity is thuddingly obvious and not well handled, sequences are way too drawn out and repetitive as hell, it’s own attempt at shock value gets old very quick, and the final act remains one of the most infuriating climaxes of a film that I’ve ever suffered through in theaters. Even commendable performances from Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear along with a handful of stand out sequences (particularly the haunting tunnel scene) can not save Men from being the preachy and pretentious mess that it is!

Men was always going to be a film that was controversial no matter what given it’s subject matter but the end results of it just gives certain folks more ammo to support their own grift-filled narrative. Between this and the next film I’m about to talk about, it’s for the best that Alex Garland does more research on the subject matter he is tackling so the films don’t come across as distractingly obvious or inaccurate as it does. Plus, having a woman co-write or co-direct this film likely would have helped to! Just saying!

4.) Civil War

On the surface, you think you know exactly what you are going to get with a film like Civil War. In a year with yet another controversial election for America that is expected to arrive in the coming months, what better way for A24 to coast on this hot topical year than putting their own spin on an America that we are dangerously close to approaching to in real life? The kind of film that leaves no stone unturned and be unafraid to tear into every single realm of America politics and inner turmoil of the U.S. governments! The kind of film that is basically guaranteed to earn it’s F rating on Cinema Score like a pride badge of honor! The kind of film that would likely cause fights from hard core liberals and devoted conservatives during theater screenings! However, when you sit back and look at Civil War with an open mind, it’s surprisingly as apolitical and pointless as they come.

It’s doesn’t amount to being the political cringe fest that most viewers envisioned it as. It doesn’t commit to being the overblown disaster flick that it constantly flirts at throughout the entire picture. And it doesn’t even seem to be interest on exploring it’s own take on what a modern day civil war set in America could or would be like. Civil War just acts as a typical America murder porn flick with not much rhyme or reason do it and will likely leave viewers wondering what point Alex Garland was trying to make here.

It’s certainly as well made and well acted as you would expect from Garland himself but it lacks any creativity or boldness that this director is usually unafraid of showing off. I don’t know if this was because Garland was unsure which kind of movie he wanted to make or if he just didn’t want to piss anyone off but Civil War just seems as confused as all the people that are fighting in the movie are. Even if this movie’s overall theme is about how all war is pointless and nobody wins, that doesn’t justify this film’s existence any better.

3.) Warfare

Remember how I said that it’d be better for Mr. Garland to do more research on the subject matter he tackles with this films? Well, he apparently took that advice to heart with Warfare, easily the best non-related sci-fi work he has done to date and one of the better war films in recent memory. Based on the real-life experiences of Ray Mendoza during his service in the Iraq war as a U.S. Navy SEAL, the film act as an re-enactment of an encounter he and his platoon experienced on November 19, 2006, in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi. To keep the film as accurate as possible, Garland collaborated with Mendoza and real-life vets apart of that conflict by taken the film’s material exclusively from the testimonies of the platoon members, and is presented in real time beginning from the main title.

Warfare is a war film that has no agenda than showcasing the life-changing events that shattered the life and mental stability of a group of hard fighting soldiers. There’s no traditional Hollywood war tropes, no forms of military propaganda, and never tries to waste your time of filler of any kind. It’s 90 minutes of horror, intensity, and filling you in the shoes of being an everyday soldier in the army. The cast works, every sequence will have you on the edge of your seat, and this is more than worth the extra bucks to watch it in full IMAX.

While I’m not sure Warfare will be as memorable or rewatchable compare to other war movie classics and even Garland’s other work, it works well enough on it’s own that you won’t regret spending your time and money with. If Garland wants to continue making films with real-life and important subject matter, hopefully he takes the rights notes from this film and he might just get even better in the upcoming future.

2.) Ex Machina

Alex Garland’s directorial debut that came out in 2015 was about as perfect of a first impression as you could imagine. Ex Machina is able to be an imagative, creative, and engaging tale about the emergence of A.I. and how the human race responds to being in a world with technology as their overall counterpart with the realization that there is not much different between the two. The film has big ideas that it executes tremendously well, while also leaving a lot of room for further analysis. 

You also have to credit the stellar performances given by the main players here which consists of Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and ESPECIALLY Alicia Vikander, who all carry the entire picture on their backs all the way through with little to no hassle. Seeing Ava’s transformation from being a mindless robot to an artificial intelligence that is perhaps more intelligent than either Nathan or Caleb realize is really fascinating to see play out and keeps leaving you guessing on what will come next. Even the somewhat iffy last stretch isn’t enough to derail the impressive achievement that Ex Machina is.

Ex Machina is the best kind of sci-fi. The kind that treats it’s audience like human beings and doesn’t need to rely on pure action and spectacle to make for a satisfying experience. Masterfully directed, smartly written, and wonderfully performed by it’s main cast, Ex Machina was able to start Alex Garland’s directing tendure on the best note possible. Even in a year that saw the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina remained as the best sci-fi film of 2015 that happened to star Oscar Issac and Domhnall Gleeson.

1.) Annihilation

For as great as Ex Machina is, I still don’t think it tops the absolute sci-fi horror masterpiece that is Annihilation. This still remains not only the best film in Alex Garland’s filmography but one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century thus far. Even when facing release problems by Paramount and Skydance and criticism from the original Author, Annihilation is Alex Garland at his most creative, ambitious, and pure visionary!

This is a very engaging and complex story of a group of female scientists who are summoned to an enchanted forest to uncover a mystery as to what happen to a group of male scientists during this phenomena. The mystery as to what is happening on screen is intriguing and full of hidden details that beg for repeat viewings, the characters are well defined and engaging, the visual imagery is mind blowing, the slow pacing feels well utilized and earned, the tension is felt the whole way through, the score is absolutely mesmerizing, and the final 20 minutes contains one of the best and haunting climaxes I’ve seen in any film. It also feel refreshing to have an all-female cast done in a way that makes sense for the story it’s telling and not strictly to try to earn a few brownie points.

I understand it’s divisive to some but Annihilation still remains my favorite work from Alex Garland and one of my personal favorite sci-fi movies. It remains one of the most engaging and mesmerizing theater experiences that I could recall. There wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t blown up away by the visuals, tension, performances, plot turns, score, and just plain attention to details. I sure hope that author Jeff VanderMeer comes to his senses one day and realize the absolute brilliance that is the film, Annihilation. This isn’t just Alex Garland or sci-fi at it’s best, it’s pure filmmaking and cinema at it’s best! Annihilation remains a sci-fi film that I’ve gone back to many times and will continue to do so in the future!

Ranking The Filmography of Ryan Coogler

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If there’s one director currently working in Hollywood that I would say qualifies as being the most overlooked, that honor would easily go to Ryan Coogler. Despite being only 38 years old, he’s already achieved more behind the camera than most directors working in Hollywood would ever dream off. He was able to get a big-screen outing for his directorial debut with less than a million dollar budget at at the age of just 27, he was able to revitalized the Rocky saga when it felt like that series had ran it’s course, and he made history in making two smash box office hits involving the most popular black superhero in the history of Marvel Comics. And now with the release of Sinners, he has been given a blank check to craft his own original flick, involving vampires, religion, and lots and lots of blood and gore.

Because of that, we now have five films to rank! And thus far, he has yet to release an outright dud or anything that constitutes as being “mid” or “slop”. If that doesn’t say how talented this man is as a director, then I don’t know what does. Regardless, let’s not waste anymore time and get right to ranking!

5.) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is about as good and thematically rich of a sequel as it could have been given the circumstances surrounding it. Despite losing a main key piece and a few too many subplots that feel like they’re only here to tease future movie and shows, it is still able to follow the remaining characters and themes from the first one in a way that feels organic and right. It’s beautifully acted and made, the handling of Chadwick Boseman’s death is done to near perfection, and is certainly a film you will want to bring tissues too. If only the runtime had been trimmed down and there wasn’t subplots that put more focus on setting up future Disney Plus shows, then this might’ve have ranked higher on this list. Even so, the fact that Coogler’s weakest film can still qualify as being very good speaks volume to the superb quality of filmography this man has.

4.) Fruitvale Station

Ryan Coogler’s first ever feature film debut came with Fruitvale Station. Made on a budget of just 900k dollars, Coogler is able to explore themes surrounding life, tragedy, and police brutality. This is about a man that is just trying to make his way through the world to take care of the ones he loves but life always finds a way to make it difficult. While it’s fairly low budget is quite noticeable, this is still able to hold strongly together due to the top notch performance by Michael B Jordan and the sharp, clever direction from Ryan Coogler. Well acted and well directed with subject matter that is more than relevant over a full decade later, Fruitvale Station is about as good as these low budget debut films can be.

3.) Sinners

In a time where Hollywood desperately needs more creative voices than ever, Ryan Coogler comes on in to craft what is perhaps the most original and unique blockbuster in recent memory! Sinners is more than just an expertly well done horror period flick but it’s a glimmer of light of the creatively bankrupted nature in Hollywood. It’s prove that there are still distinct, creative voices in Hollywood and directors that are looking to push boundaries of what filmmaking can be in the year of our lord and savior in 2025! The cast is top tier from top to bottom, has the right mix of blood, gore, scares, and glorious amounts of sexiness, the production values are top notch, and nearly every single plot point and thematic arc gets a payoff of some sort by the end. It’s even impressive to have post-credits scenes that don’t just exist to give a tease for the sequel or a cheap gag but to actually expand upon the complete ending of the full complete picture. It might take a while for Coogler to much his chess pieces into place and I’m not sure it will have the cultural impact that the top two films on this list will have but nevertheless, Sinners is more than worth your time and money at the theaters.

2.) Black Panther

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

1.) Creed

About a month before the age of legacy sequels kicked into full gear with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there was Creed, which Ryan Coogler actually dared to take the Rocky franchise in a new direction by putting direct focus on the son of his old friend while Stallone himself acts as a secondary character. Easily one of the best movies to come out in 2015, this soft reboot is able to get everything right that these soft reboots tend to get wrong. It has the right amount of drama, right amount of emotion, right amount of fight scenes, right amount of legacy, right amount of inspiration, right amount focus on the villain, and just right amount of everything. Michael B Jordan is sensational as Adonis “Donnie” Creed and even Sylvester Stallone works just as well being a mentor figure as he was as the main boxer. And I will never be able to get over the MASTERFULLY directed boxing sequences and hard hitting drama that feels earned in every single bit. While all of Ryan Coogler’s films thus far have been impressive in every way, I don’t think there is one that speaks volume for his filmmaking talents and distinct voice than with Creed.

Best Movies Of 2024

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Another year of entertainment has come and gone so it’s time to look back at some of the very best that it had to offer. It’s been a wild and chaotic year and 2025 is looking to be even more wild and chaotic! That’s why it’s now time to share my picks for the top ten best films of 2024 (that I actually saw)!

A few disclaimers is that I did not see EVERY film I wanted to see by the end of the year. These include films that have gotten rave reviews from critics and audiences such as Heretic, Juror #2, Late Night With The Devil, and The Brutalist. I’ll see them whenever I can but I couldn’t see them on time for this list. Perhaps in the future, I’ll make an updated list of the best films of 2024 and I might include them once I see them. But for now, just know that I couldn’t see every critically darling to come out in 2024. Even so, let’s get on with this list and start with the honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions:

  • A Complete Unknown

  • Abigail

  • Alien: Romulus

  • Boy Kills World

  • Challengers

  • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

  • Flow

  • Transformers: One

  • Smile 2

  • Young Woman and the Sea

And now, onto the main top 10!

10.) Anora

Here’s a film that can be perfectly described as “Tumblr coded” and have it NOT be a bad thing! What starts off as a casual Cinderella tale about a love at first sight between a man and woman and riding off into the sunset to live happily ever after later transforms into a good old fashion slow burn rug pull that sees the consequences being played of an illegal relationship between a sex worker and an illegal Russian immigrant. Funny, slick, sexy, sharply directed, and featuring one incredible star making turn from Mikey Madison (Please call me!), Anora makes for one of the most engaging and subversive films of the year.

9.) Love Lies Bleeding

What is likely going to be the favorite film of 2024 for every lesbian and bisexual woman out there, Love Lies Bleeding is able to deliver their goods for not only it’s clear target demographic but will even entertain those outside of that. You have two electric actresses in Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian front and center who give everything they have for one another, spot-on direction and cinematography, a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through, and characters who aren’t necessarily good people but you can’t help but root for them regardless. And yes, this film is INCREDIBLY sexy in every way you expected and wanted! Rose Glass is able to deliver an absolute rollercoaster of a motion picture that works as a toxic love story and brutal romantic drama at the same time. It doesn’t matter what gender you are or what sexuality you are, by the end of Love Lies Bleeding, you will thinking to yourself, “LET’S GO LESBIANS!”

8.) Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is just about every Sonic’s fans dream come true! The Sonic characters themselves are at the absolute forefront with more focus than ever, the action and set pieces are all exhilarating and fun, the CGI is a treat for the eyes, there is more fan service and easter eggs than before, it’s able to adapt the storylines from Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog near perfectly, and Keanu Reeves predictably kills it as Shadow, as the character gives more depth and development than he arguably has in any other Sonic medium! It’s also nice to see how Sonic himself has grown through out the trilogy and seeing Jim Carrey bounce off well…..himself is an absolute laugh riot! This is just a series of films that keeps getting better with each installment and if the post credit scenes for this one is anything to go by, the next one could be even better! Is it high art? Probably not! But does it understand the assignment? Hell yeah, it does! Whether you are a longtime fan or a newcomer that has recently got into the series or someone that enjoys a good time, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is an absolute triumph and is my personal favorite video game movie to date!

7.) Furiosa

In an age where studio meddling is at it’s highest in the film business, it’s a miracle that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga even exists in the first place. It’s a prequel of Mad Max: Fury Road, a movie, which despite all the praise it got and the Oscars it won, barley squeaked a profit and made George Miller go to war with Warner Bros to allow Furiosa along with another potential Mad Max: sequel to even happen. This isn’t a film that exists because it’s something that Warner Bros desperately wanted to greenlight. It’s a film that exists because George Miller fought his neck and teeth for to get made. If this really is the beginning of the end of movie theaters as we know it, then I’m at least glad we are going out with bangs like like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A glorious action packed spectacle that offers a further expansion of the Furiosa character, more depth into the insane world of Mad Max, telling a compelling origin story that stands strong in it’s own right, and makes for a perfect counterpart to it’s already perfect successor in Mad Max: Fury Road. It may not quite reach the height of Fury Road but oh man, is it fun to watch George Miler try to top himself the whole way through. Even if Mad Max: The Wasteland never gets a chance to be made, I’m at least glad I got to see this incredibly well made and well done action thriller about one of the best female action protagonists in recent memory.

6.) Inside Out 2

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. Inside Out 2 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. 

5.) Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Some will find it pure blasphemy for me to put a mere documentary on a best of year list. However, this is no ordinary documentary, it’s one for the O.G. Superman! Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is exactly what these kinds of films need to be. Not only is it a great examination off the great life of the late great Christopher Reeve, the struggles and obstacles he had to overcome to live out the promising life he once has, and getting the points of views for about every noteworthy person imaginable, but just like with Superman himself, it’s inspiring. Even without the powers or cape, this documentary proves why Christopher Reeve was born to play Superman. He wasn’t just some old fashion superhero, he was a noble person that inspired us to be the best possible version of ourselves and not let any personal tragedies get in our way to move forward. If that’s not the sign of an exceptional documentary, then I don’t know what is.

R.I.P. Christopher Reeves

The world misses you more than ever!

4.) Nosferatu

It might feel odd how there’s gonna be generations that will now remembers Nosferatu for this remake and NOT from SpongeBob SquarePants. But you know what, after how excellent this 2024 remake is, I can definitely tolerate it. Nosferatu (2024) sees Robert Eggers firing on all cylinders here, crafting a slow burn yet engaging re-telling of this classic monster mythos in gorgeous and unexpecting ways. The performances are top-notch, the filmmaking craft is on full display, and the amount of vampire blood and carnage will certainly be enough for horror fans that crave for those in their vampire horror flicks. It’s hard to tell if this will stand the test of time as the original 1922 version but no doubt, Nosferatu (2024) is a more than worthy modern update on such as classic tale.

3.) Dune: Part Two

Thus far, no one has been able to stop this sci-fi masterpiece! If Dune: Part One acted as Villeneuve setting the training wheels on his bike in motion, Dune: Part Two sees him being able to successfully take those training wheels off and pushed that bike down the hill with good graces. Nearly all that set up that amounted in Part One has immensely satisfying pay offs in Part Two. The action and set pieces are taking to a whole new level, every single member of it’s talented, stacked cast get their own moment to shine, the cinematography is absolutely jaw dropping and makes the IMAX experience 100% worth it, and it’s able to push all the right buttons on making a perfect sequel, instantly comparable to the likes of The Empire Strikes Back, The Two Towers, and The Dark Knight. This is an instant sci-fi classic that will likely go down as one of the best cinematic experiences that I along with plenty of others will have all throughout 2024. Even if it’s not quite my favorite film of Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two will likely go on to be his most successful film to date and one that shall get the attention of the remaining moviegoing audience that aren’t yet familiar with his name. If the majority of big movies were even half as good as Dune: Part Two was, we would be living in cinema paradise.

2.) The Substance

What might be the most shocking and talked about horror film of the year, The Substance is the kind of film that will easily push new boundaries to the horror genre, so much so that it even got the Academy’s attention with it’s best picture nomination. This makes for both a brilliant commentary on the impossible beauty standards of women in the entertainment industry set by men and the perfect gore porn fiasco that tops itself constantly throughout it’s entire runtime. It pull no punches here, once you think the film goes too far in what it’s saying or doing, it proceeds to go one step further multiple different times, all the way up to the finish line. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are perfect in playing their perfectly balanced counterparts, Coralie Fargeat’s direction could not be more perfect, and the make-up effects feel so real and authentic that I wouldn’t be surprised if it came out that it’s not actually make up and what happens throughout the film just….happened. All kidding aside, The Substance is the kind of horror film that deserves your attention. It may not be for everybody, but if you stick with the film on it’s own terms, you might be surprised at how bloody brilliant (no pun intended) this experience is.

1.) The Wild Robot

This may be recency bias but I honestly can’t think of a DreamWorks animated picture that is as complex, layered, and impressive as The Wild Robot. It represents the pinnacle of DreamWorks Animation, delivering one last final triumph before they have to rely on tools and resources from other studios the immediate future. The animation is jaw droppingly gorgeous, the characters are all engaging, endearing, and wonderful to follow, the voice cast is all terrific with everyone being 100% committed to their role, the musical score is mesmerizing and carries the film on it’s own on several occasions, there’s is plenty of funny gags and emotional beats that work greatly, and the way it tackles the themes surrounding survival, parenthood, kindness, purpose, and coexistence is nothing short of marvelous. The amount of plates is able to spend in the air at once and how many hoops it dares to jump through is able to make the film stand out in ways that it had no business of doing so. This is animation and multilayered storytelling at it’s finest and The Wild Robot might just be the next prime example for that. Thank you to all the folks at DreamWorks who worked in-house for the company and I hope the very best awaits you in the future!

Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

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2024 is now officially over which mean it’s now time to roll into 2025! And what better way to kick off the early part of January then to share what new films I’m looking forward to the most in 2025.

When looking through all the big and small movies to come out this year, 2025 has potential to be the biggest year for movies in the post-Covid era. This has to do with the fact that a.) more people are more comfortable going back to theaters than before and b.) the latest strikes in the entertainment industry let to plenty of projects get pushed back to this year and 2026. Because of that, these next few years might just be the kick in the pants that the industry needs to get things back into full gear before it’s too late.

The most impressive thing I’ve discovered when doing research of all the main films slated for 2025 is how there seems to be more variety between original projects and upcoming installments in long-running franchise IPs. If the majority of them are able to deliver, then 2025 should be a strong year in film and especially in theaters due to having the kind of film for any sort of demographic.

Also, I should give a warning that films that I put in my top 10 and for honorable mentions last year will NOT be on this list. Because of that, you won’t see Mickey 17 and Ballerina on this list. I’m very much looking forward to those films and they likely would have been on the list if I didn’t put it on there in the year prior. Nevertheless, since I already mentioned them, I decided to leave them off the list because you already know I’m excited for both of those films.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Wolf Man

After Leigh Whannell delivered big time with his spin on The Invisible Man (2020), I have no doubt he can do it again with this one.

  • Dog Man

If the trailer and marketing is anything to go by, this is looking to capture the spirit of it’s source material while sharing the same unique and colorful animation that Captain Underpants (2017) had.

  • Novocaine

An original action thriller with Jack Quaid (The Boys) and Amber Midthunder (Prey)?! Sign me up!

  • Karate Kid: Legends

Even in an age where soft reboots/remakes and legacy-quels are oversaturated, there might be something special with Karate Kid that might be able to make that work properly without getting too bogged down in nostalgia and callbacks.

  • 28 Years Later

I’m not quite as high on 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later as much as most people but after how hard the first trailer went, my curiosity has skyrocketed!

  • The Bad Guys 2

If there is one animation company I trust with delivering great animated sequels, that would be DreamWorks!

  • Predator: Badlands

After Dan Trachtenberg made the best Predator sequel with Prey, I’m looking forward to see if he can top himself with this one!

  • Wicked: For Good

Since Wicked: Part One turned to be a genuine surprise for me, I’m curious to see if Part Two can stick the landing.

  • Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

I may not know much about this outside of it’s talented-heavy cast but if it manages to capture the spirit and enjoyment of the first two Knives Out tales, then it will succeed!

  • Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein

It’s Guillermo Del Toro taking on Frankenstein! How can I NOT look forward to this?!

10.) Paddington In Peru

Anymore remember when these movies were gonna suck because how bad the first teaser trailer to the original Paddington was? Those were certainly times! The first two Paddington flicks have to be some of the most heartful and lovable family films of the past decade. Although it has been quite some time since Paddington 2 came out and Paul King not being in the director’s chair this time around does strike some skepticism, I have no doubt that Paddington in Peru will still deliver as yet another immensely enjoyable motion picture about a bear who has no other goal than to spread joy and optimism to the world. If there is one film series you can count on as being the cinematic equivalent of a big hug, look no further than Paddington.

9.) Love Hurts

Here is the first of a couple of original films that was able to make my list! We see Ke Huy Quan in his next big action role after his Oscar win in Everything Everywhere All At Once with Jonathan Eusebio set to make his directorial debut. Quan plays Marvin Gable, a successful realtor whose past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when his former partner reveals that his brother is hunting him. All of these factors alone make Love Hurts an intriguing flick to watch out for once it comes out on February 7th. In an industry that has been extremely lacking in original, unique voices for a long time now, it would be nice if we can see this one become the next big thing and be an instant classic.

8.) Avatar: Fire & Ash

You can say whatever you want about the Avatar films but there is no denying this franchise knows how to deliver visually spectacle and thrilling cinematic experiences. Avatar: Fire and Ash will see director James Cameron continue to expand upon the world that he has been passionate about for over the past two decades while following up on the loose ends he left hanging in The Way of Water. Regardless of the outcome of this third installment, you can guarantee this will be yet another instant billion dollar grosser that will break records all across the globe. And considering we are living in dire times where the movie theater going experience is no longer prevalent, we needs films like Avatar: Fire and Ash more than ever.

7.) F1

Here’s a brand new film about formula one racing starring Brad Pit as a former hotshot driver who must get back in the game after retiring from an accident that left him shook. This is Joseph Kosinski’s next big feature film about Top Gun: Maverick, where he goes from blazing in the skies to vrooming on the race track. If he’s able to make the racing sequences as intense and captivating as he did with the flight scenes in Top Gun: Maverick (or even the racing scenes in Ford v Ferrari), this could make for yet another big crowd pleaser.

6.) The Running Man

If this was made by any other filmmaker, I likely could not give two craps about this. But because it’s made by Edgar Wright and stars a superb cast of Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian, Josh Brolin, Daniel Ezra, Lee Pace, and plenty others, The Running Man is among my most anticipated films of 2025. This is an adaptation based off of the 1982 novel of the same name by Stephen King, marking the second adaptation of the book, following the 1987 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger. If there is anyone on the planet that can make another remake/adaption feels fresh, unique, and feel like the definite version, it’s Edgar Wright. Also, the more Glen Powell, the better!

5.) Sinners

A new and original supernatural vampire horror flick that stars Michael B. Jordan in a new dual role and Hailee Steinfeld and directed by the GOAT Ryan Coogler, the man behind Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With the proven talent among the cast and crew and the superb first trailer of it, Sinners is looking to be a refreshing change of pace in the film industry that is stuffed with endless sequels, remakes, and legacy-quels. Not only am I looking forward to a film that is looking to push it’s own unique boundaries but also to see how the rising career of Ryan Coogler moves forward. It’s only a matter of time before Mr. Coogler becomes a household director name with the likes of Stephen Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese.

4.) The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Yeah, I know it’s not popular to put another MCU film on the most anticipated lists because they are not as good as they used to be, even after one of their films just became one of the highest grossing comic book films ever last summer. However, I can’t help but be intrigue and filled in eager when it comes to Marvel Studios finally tackling Marvel’s first family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is set to be the first film of Phase 6 and most likely leave the groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. With a talented cast, intriguing premise, and a direction that seems to have it’s own unique style to it that works for the Fantastic Four themselves, I can’t help but be super excited for this one. Please don’t screw this up, Marvel! Your first family desperately needs a legit great film at long last!

3.) Elio

I don’t think there is any animated studio that gets me most interested in an original film than Pixar. After becoming the highest grossing animated film of all time last summer with Inside Out 2, Disney and Pixar are looking to build upon that momentum with their latest original animated flick, Elio. This follows an eleven-year-old boy named Elio who is mistakenly identified by aliens as Earth’s ambassador. This has had quite a production history, being delayed by a full year with the impact of the writers strike along with changes in director and leadership. However, I still cross my fingers in the hopes that this is able to deliver. If Elio succeeds, this could be yet another classic Pixar original to add to their incredible library. For those that complain about Pixar making sequels over the years, you better support this one once it comes out in theaters in June or else you can’t complain!

2.) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

After nearly three decades, this franchise is looking to reach it’s endgame with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. This films have been the textbook example of “understanding the assignment”. What has been Tom Cruise’s baby since the beginning, this series of films have succeed in delivering constantly entertaining action and espionage thrill rides. For this final chapter, we will see the crew picking up where Dead Reckoning started with them likely figuring out what to do with the keys that they have claimed. I don’t know if this will reach the heights of Fallout but I will be there day one to see how this superb action franchise will stick the landing. Fingers crossed there won’t be another Barbienheimer that will bury this film under the rug this summer.

1.) Superman (2025)

If there is one film that could change the course of Hollywood for the foreseeable future, it’s Superman (2025). While it may seem on the surface just another Superman movie, it means much more than that when looking at it from underneath. This is a film that is set to accomplish a lot of things. It has to act as a launching path for the next wave of DC movies and shows, it has to lift up the superhero genre that is suffering from great fatigue by each passing day, it has to present Superman in a way that no other film has had to this day, and it also has to act as the next big event for theaters if it is to thrive in the future. James Gunn will have his biggest challenge yet as a director with Superman (2025), tasked with having to carry DC Studios and the superhero genre behind his back for the future along with giving Hollywood a new successful franchise to profit off of. With a cast that consists of David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, a premise that seems to portray Superman as not just a beacon of hope but something that always looks for the good in everyone, and even the freaking superpowered dog of Krypto, there is no film released in 2025 that has my curiosity and excitement than Superman (2025).

The Insane Development History Of Frozen 2

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Moana 2 is soon to hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving, like most Disney films around this time of year! This is an upcoming animated sequel that has been receiving it’s fair share of hype while also sharing it’s fair share of skepticism as well. The main reason for the latter is not only so much of Disney’s rather iffy track record with sequels but more of the development history that has been reported with Moana 2! That development history being about how the film was originally going to be a streaming series for Disney Plus until it was reworked to be a theatrical sequel, around nine months prior to release. Disney may deny publicly otherwise but this was clearly done in the response of last year’s Wish being a massive flop at the box office, leading them to release their next film on a familiar IP in the hopes of making quick bucks to make up for losing hundreds of millions of dollars of that failure! And if early projections says otherwise, they might get exactly what they were hoping for, with having potential to making Inside Out 2 level box office numbers worldwide!

As much as I am looking forward to Moana 2, I feel like I’m more interested of hearing what went on from behind the scenes that lead to the development state that it’s been in than I am of the actual film itself. Not only because of the recent horror stories about the development of big animated films such as Across the Spider-Verse, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Inside Out 2, but what we learned over the years about what happened to another recent Disney sequel with an insane development history. That film I am referring to is no other than Frozen 2!

Frozen 2 released around five years ago. Despite not getting the same amount of praise that the first movie did, it went out to become a MASSIVE box office success, grossing over 1.4 billion dollars worldwide, becoming one of the highest animated grossing films of all time, only passed by Disney’s own The Lion King (2019) (Yes, that technically counts!) and Pixar’s Inside Out 2. And while those successful numbers are quite crazy, I don’t think it was anywhere near as crazy than the reported development history from it. A reported development history that was confirmed by no other than the Disney Plus exclusive documentary of Frozen 2 titled, Into the Unknown. The documentary that basically straight up admitted that the entire film was basically being made up on the fly, with the entire cast and crew being crunched and rushed for time in order for the film to make it’s Holiday 2019 release slate.

Now, I know the big question that most folks likely have is how Frozen 2 could have been rushed exactly? After all, the first film came out in 2013, six years before the sequel and it was confirmed by Disney that a sequel was in the works in 2015. That would have at least been four to six years of development time in between each movie. Well, just because something was ANNOUNCED to being in the works does NOT mean that’s when the active development of the film started.

Before they could get around to Frozen 2, Disney Animation have to work on films that were already planned for release slates beforehand such as Zootopia, Moana, and Ralph Breaks The Internet. There was also having to deal with the mess involving John Lasseter being forced out of Disney and Pixar after sexual allegations came about him in 2017, forcing Jennifer Lee to take over as Disney’s CCO the following year in 2018 and up until this year, where she stepped down to focus solely on Frozen 3 & 4 and will now be succeeded by Jared Bush. Because of all that and likely more, I would imagine Frozen 2 didn’t start any actual development until either late 2017 or early 2018. And even then, that was likely only the pre-production, with the actual production not starting until even later than that.

One last element you have to keep in mind was that 2019 was originally set to be Bob Iger’s last year as CEO of Disney before he would step down and let someone else take over. Of course, we all know that plan completely fell apart so hard to the point that Iger had to come back to fix the mess that he inherited/created but before that, 2019 was suppose to be the swan song for his time at Disney, with Bob Chapek acting as his successor. Because of that, he wanted to go out with a complete bang if not for the audience but also all the higher ups and stockholders as Disney.

In 2019, Disney had an ABSURD slate of theatrically released films from their IPs they owned that were set to come out that year, many of which had potential to be billion dollar grossers. You had the Marvel Cinematic Universe which was set to end the Infinity Saga with the likes of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. You had Star Wars that was set to end the Skywalker Saga with The Rise of Skywalker. You had Pixar releasing yet another installment of their most critically acclaimed franchise with Toy Story 4. You had the live-action (or not) remakes/adaptions of beloved Disney animated classics such as Aladdin and The Lion King. And of course, you also had Disney Animation themselves releasing their long-awaited sequel to one of their most successful films ever in Frozen 2. Because of that, Disney was able to end the pre-covid era of cinema with SEVEN billion dollar grossers that year, with every single one of these films that I’ve mentioned cracking at least one billion dollars worldwide. While not all of these were critical successes, they certainly were successes in the eyes of the higher ups and shareholders at Disney.

Once you take into the context of the sky high expectations that fans of the original Frozen had along with the Disney corporation demanding that the sequel be out by the Holidays of 2019, you likely get a sense that this was going to be a nightmare of a film to make with so much pressure in and out for everyone involved. And if the Into the Unknown documentary is anything to go by, that was exactly the case for Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, and everyone else making Frozen 2.

I’m not going to go into every single specific mentioned in this documentary but there are PLENTY of points worth bringing up in the form of cliff notes. I will also share a link at the end of this article with Schaffrillas Productions’s video about this exact documentary and even repeat a few points he stated during it. But here we go:

  • The crew didn’t fully know the plot or even premise of the film at the start and would only figure out major key things later on down the road.
  • They initially had no idea who the voice was that kept calling Elsa, with many conflicting opinions on who the voice was and what it was suppose to mean for Elsa.
  • Songs were written before knowing how they would play a role in the story.
  • Show Yourself languished in development hell and almost got cut from the movie entirely because of how vague it was and unsure what it was suppose to mean for Elsa and the audience.
  • Lost in Woods came together really well, with little to no issues making it.
  • By the time the first trailer came out, no animation had actually been completed for the film outside of the bits shown off in the trailer. This was literally just NINE months before Frozen 2 was set to premiere.
  • The very first test screening that took place in May 2019 gained very mixed reactions from the audience. While adults liked it, kids were very confused about it.
  • This led to numerous rewrites to make the movie clearer towards kids and to answer questions that the crew still didn’t really know the answer to.
  • Additional rewrites included scenes of extra comedy, most notably the stand out sequence where Olaf is recapping the events of the original Frozen.
  • The ending got changed constantly, with the crew only deciding that the voice would be Elsa’s mom just a FEW months before the movie was supposed to be released.
  • Tons of scenes and shots that had been worked on for months got thrown out entirely because they were considered to be too “boring” for younger audience.
  • The crew were constantly crunched throughout development, especially in the final few months For ex.) Editor Jeff Drahiem had to constantly wake up at 3 AM to clock in and work from 14 to 15 hours a day during the final stretch of development to make sure the film got done on time.

So, yeah! I think you can understand why the reported development history of Frozen 2 was just INSANE! What makes it even more insane is how Disney had the audacity to release a full documentary of this, where the cast and crew are being as directly honest as they come with their experience of working on Frozen 2. What was likely treated as an absolute triumph with Disney patting themselves on the back for the movie turning out as we all it did instead basically explained entirely why the film turned out as uneven and all over the place as it did to many people that watched it.

And yet, none of that really mattered to Disney or even anyone working on Frozen 2 because the film turned to be a complete success anyway. It still made over a billion dollars, it still sold plenty of merchandise during the holiday season, the franchise is still moving forward with additional sequels, and Disney is still repeating the same song-and-dance routine they did back then and do this very day. The fact that the production was rushed and the crew was overworked to complete exhausting doesn’t matter at all. All that matters is that the movie made money and that’s the only thing that Disney cares about.

To make matters even worse is the fact that Disney did not learn their lesson at all from Frozen 2 and continues to double down on their mistakes to this very day. So much so that it’s not shocking in the year 2024 to hear stories about a big new animated film from ANY animation studio having a rushed and crunched development cycle! From Across the Spider-Verse to Wish to Kung Fu Panda 4 to Inside Out 2, animators are getting crunched and overworked beyond repair in this day-and-age with likely little to no extra aid or even remorse to go along with it. It’s all that and more of is what is leading the animation industry to go on strike in order to get the respect and fair payment that they deserved.

Which honestly makes me concern for how Moana 2 will turn out. While I’m sure the film will be as visually stunning as the original and the cast and crew will give it all their best efforts, I can’t help but feel like we are seeing yet another rushed development cycle for an upcoming Disney sequel, especially in the wakes of this originally starting as a Disney Plus series and only being announced that it was turning into a movie just NINE months before the film is set to release. Regardless of how the actual quality of the film turns out, I DREAD having to hear the behind the scene stories as to what everyone was put through in order for Moana 2 to meet it’s Thanksgiving 2024 release slate.

I will say one thing! After hearing about the development history for Frozen 2, it has given me a TON more respect towards animators and the people that worked on this film. They are all clearly giving it their all and trying their very best to make the best film they possibly can. It’s only the mega corporations and higher ups that keep giving them ridiculous deadlines that keep holding them back from realizing their full potential. I honestly think it’s because of them that the finished film actually turned out to be watchable and even mostly enjoyable. It just makes me wish they were able to get the proper amount of time they needed and a better work life balance which could have led Frozen 2 to be as much of a classic as the original was.

Now, we must all embrace ourselves for Moana 2 and the Disney Plus documentary for it that will to come out next spring, where we will discover that they couldn’t figure out who the main villain was suppose to be until the day before the actual premier of the film. I sure can’t wait to watch the Moana 2 documentary subtitled How Far I’ll Go about six months from now.

  • Seriously! Look at this poor man, he look so nervous!

Here’s the video from Schaffrillas Productions:

Streaming And Television Is Carrying The Superhero Genre

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Venom: The Last Dance has just arrived in theaters and much like every other comic book film property released in 2024 that doesn’t star Mr. and Mrs. Blake Lively, it has massively underperformed critically and commercially. I was gonna do a review for it myself but I really couldn’t think of much to say that would make for a good review. It’s about as incoherent, disposable, and all over the place as the first two films except this time, it actually tries to have a deep and heartfelt story with emotional beats that doesn’t feel earn in the slightest. Also, Knull doesn’t do jacks*it in the movie and seemed to be saved for the future for…….whatever. Also, NO, there’s nothing in here that has potential set-up for Spider-Man 4 with Tom Holland that makes it worth watching. Unless you were actually a fan of the first two Venom films or have absolutely NOTHING to do at that moment, I don’t recommend this film whatsoever.

I do believe the worst part of Venom: The Last Dance is that it acts as a perfect reminder to how terrible of a year 2024 has been with comic book/superhero movies, possibly the worst year it has ever been in my life. Madame Web was a trainwreck with it’s only saving grace being it’s absurd amount of camp value and unintentional laughs throughout (Also, Sydney Sweeney!). Joker: Folie à Deux was an overlong and tedious slog that wanted to punish the audience for every caring about this iteration of Mr. J in the first place. The Crow was a competently made but ultimately pointless remake that didn’t do anywhere near enough to justify it’s existence. Hellboy: The Crooked Man was just……a thing that exists and nothing more. And while the year’s billion-dollar grossing blockbuster in Deadpool & Wolverine was a success in the eyes of Marvel fans and mainstream audiences, it really felt thematically empty and severely lacked the rewatch value that the first two Deadpool movies had once you got all the callbacks, easter eggs, and references. It’s really saying something that the actual best superhero film this year was The People’s Joker, an independent film that gave such a queer and punk rock take on Batman’s rose gallery of iconic villains, which tackled the kind of commentary and subtext that 99% of studios nowadays wouldn’t dare to greenlight.

To be fair, outside of Deadpool & Wolverine, I don’t think anyone had much faith in comic book films for 2024. I mean we were getting not one, not two, but THREE Sony related superhero movies that involved Spider-Man villains that no one asked for with ZERO Spider-Men to be found in it. The Crow and Hellboy: The Crooked Man were just newer versions of familiar comic book properties that just….existed without anyone really knowing. And The People’s Joker gained such a small theatrical released in theaters and film festival that it didn’t catch anyone’s attention until it hit digital. And considering the fact that James Gunn’s DC cinematic universe isn’t set to kick off in film form until next summer and the MCU will be back to releasing three films at a time next year, 2024 seemed to be as much of a filler year for superhero movies as it was for basically movies in general.

Many folks have claimed this is a sign of superhero fatigue, with the cast and crew of today’s superhero flicks no longer having any passion and mainstream audience no longer having any desire to watch them. I would take those words for it if it wasn’t for the superhero genre MASSIVELY evolving in the realm of streaming and television. If 2024 was a sign that superhero movies can no longer carry cinema, it should also be a sign that superhero shows and series can now carry streaming and television.

When it comes to Marvel, 2024 offered us Echo, Agatha: All Along, and X-Men 97. Echo was a complete mess in terms of pacing and structure but it did have an interesting dynamic with it’s two main leads in Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk along with fight scenes and tone that perfectly resembled the beloved Marvel Netflix series that made it worth a watch. Agatha: All Along has been able to act as a proper follow-up to WandaVision while perfectly embracing it’s queer vibes and camp value that makes for the right watch at the right time of the season. And X-Men 97 was about a good of a revival as it could get, perfectly translating the traditional values and roots of X-Men into the modern times with beautiful animation, fun action sequences, and giving plenty of time for each cast member of the X-Men to sign. No offense to Deadpool & Wolverine and the two shows I just mentioned but I think most would agree that has been the best Marvel-related thing to come out in 2024, if not the best superhero-related thing.

When it comes to DC, 2024 gave us Kite Man: Hell Yeah, Batman: Caped Crusader, The Penguin, and a second season of My Adventures with Superman, with a fifth season of Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos set to arrive later this year. Kite Man: Hell Yeah made for a solid spin-off of Harley Quinn, fully utilizing it’s bizarre as hell premise to make it stand out for the better. Batman: Caped Crusader made for a nice reiteration of the beloved Batman: The Animated Series with a few modern tweaks to it, even if couldn’t escape the corrupted shadows of the series it’s clearly inspired by. My Adventures with Superman was able to carry the momentum of the first season, making it easily one of the best iterations of Superman in entertainment medium since Christopher Reeves. And The Penguin was able to be the perfect example on how to do a “grounded” superhero series correctly, with fantastic production values, intriguing world building, engaging characters and plot, a great central performance by Colin Farrell (who is still unrecognizable as Penguin) and a scene stealing turn by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, making for perhaps the best superhero property of 2024. While the quality of the newest season of Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos remains to be seen, I wouldn’t be surprised for these series to at least meet the quality of the majority of the successful DC shows thus far.

And of course, you also have to mention what is cooking over there at Amazon Prime, with Season 2 of Invincible and Season 4 of The Boys. Invincible Season 2 was able to deliver more of the same action, blood, and carnage that the first season had along with so much more. And while Season 4 of The Boys was intentionally controversial with politics that was COMPLETELY in-your-face, it was so bizarre, controversial, and in-your-face that you actually had to see it in order to believe it. And it was even able to predict the Trump assassination attempt before that even happened, which once again shows how disturbingly accurate that show is to real life.

There might be a show or two that I’ve missed but for the most part, that makes for the majority of superhero tv and streaming content released in 2024. While there are definitely some series that some like more than others, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that there have been more hits than misses in regards to superhero tv and streaming this year and that has been the kind of medium that has carried the superhero genre not just in 2024 but possibly the last couple of years.

Which once again begs the question as to whether or not the reason superhero movies are underperforming critically and finically right now really has to do with superhero fatigue or is it just because that is no longer the best medium in telling superhero stories with comic book characters? Fans of Marvel, DC, and Amazon seem to enjoy the majority of these shows with minimum fandom controversies involved in it and don’t seem to be worn out by the superhero genre that the media claims they are. I’m gonna go with it’s not so much superhero fatigue but more of a fatigue with mediocrity and repetition. Outside of a handful of exceptions, the 2020s era of superhero movies fits into that criteria and audience just no longer have any tolerance for it.

I don’t deny there has been a cultural shift in consuming products in entertainment since covid hit. Folks no longer have the time, money, or patience to see a film in theaters that will likely be dropped to digital just two weeks later. Yes, there are definitely exceptions but that’s all they are….EXCEPTIONS and NOT the main course. However, that doesn’t change the fact that recent shows and series with superhero and comic book properties have been able to make for the very best of the medium it is adapting, more so than the recent film adaptions. Because of that, it’s superhero television and streaming that has been getting the love and praise it deserves instead of the superhero movies.

There is a chance that this narrative could change in 2025 and beyond. Maybe James Gunn will be able to deliver the consistent and beloved cinematic universe for DC he has envisioned. Maybe Matt Reeves will be able to continue his own Batman crime saga with the strong quality of The Batman and The Penguin with The Batman: Part II, Part III, and whatever villain spin-offs await. Maybe the MCU will be able to close out the multiverse saga in good graces, sticking the landing to what has been quite a bumpy ride for the 2020s. And hopefully Sony will just give up on their dumb villain cinematic universe experiment and just stick with more Spider-Verse content for the immediate future. There are definitely plenty of cinematic projects in the works that can help turn things around for superhero movies.

However, as of right now, if you really want to see the best kind of modern superhero and comic book medium, look no further than streaming and television with any of the examples I just mentioned.