Kong: Skull Island Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson
Series: Legendary's Monsterverse
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 118 Minutes

Gorilla Whale

Calamitous events are standard fare for most theater outings these days, and with the influx of "cinematic universes" everything that stars a marquee name (i.e, Godzilla, The Avengers, Batman v Superman) has to be a miserable film about miserable people dealing with even more miserable events that result in the destruction of a major city...

Then along came a Kong...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk
Series: Star Wars Anthology
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 133 Minutes 

Aren't You a Little Bit Weak for a Star Wars Movie? 

This review features minor spoilers for the film in a clearly marked section.

This will be how it is for a long, long time, in this here galaxy. A Star Wars episode one year, a spin-off the next. Rinse and repeat. Initially, as a fan, its hard to suppress that rush you feel when you hear or read the words "new" and "star" and "wars" in the same paragraph.

Independence Day: Resurgence Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher, Brent Spiner
Series: Independence Day
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 120 Minutes

Remember When?

This review features minor spoilers for Indpendence Day: Resurgence.

Remember when the White House blew up in Independence Day? Remember when Will Smith said, "Welcome to Erf?"

Are you ready for two whole hours of questions like that? If you are, then stop reading and go see Independence Day: Resurgence! If that sounds awkward, then you're damn right. It is awkward. This whole movie is just an escalating series of callbacks to the original film, that are as uninspired as they are boring. There's the classic destruction porn, the hero who sacrifices himself for the greater good, Jeff Goldblum's "ahh"'s and "um"'s, the air battles, etc. Characters even reference events from the first film in their dialogue, usually in a failed attempt to make the stakes seem higher. This movie bored my balls off, and I suppose I should tell you why...

Captain America: Civil War Film Review

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson
Series: Marvel Cinematic Universe
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 147 Minutes

Wait... This Again?!

"Didn't I already go through this shit?!"

Much to my annoyance, this is becoming somewhat of a tagline for the past few months of my life. I'd hoped going to the theater to see Captain America: Civil War would change things, even if only for a little while, and I'd get to see what Rotten Tomatoes assured me was the smash hit superhero film of the century.

GUESS WHAT?!

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Film Review

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot
Series: DC Extended Universe
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 151 Minutes

The CGI Action Figure Slaparound of the Century!

Here it is...

I remember being a child and hearing they were going to make a Batman versus Superman movie. I was excited. What comic fan wouldn't be? The two most legendary of all heroes, testing their prowess against one another. Of course, as a kid, I wasn't worried about what bullshit reason would need to be conceived in order for these titans to get in the ring, I just wanted to see, on a movie screen, a version of what I saw in my head when I took my Batman toy and my Superman toy and bashed them into one another again, and again. Apparently, Zack Snyder felt the same.

10 Cloverfield Lane Review

Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
Series:Cloverfield
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 103 Minutes

Winstead Outta Hell

I don't think anybody expected a "sequel" to Cloverfield. I certainly didn't. Yet, here it is, like that one guy who keeps showing up to the party, that no one quite knows, but everyone allows because he's mostly inoffensive.

So is this another found footage and Godzilla mash up? Nope. Tonally, visually, and basically fundamentally, this is a different film. More of a thriller than a straight up horror film, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an interesting, if somewhat misguided film, that at the very least opens up the Cloverfield name to potential franchise status.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Sidney J. Furie
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Mark Pillow
Series: Superman
MPAA Rating: PG
Length: 90 Minutes

 

Nuclear Powered Bitchslap

(Spoilers for the previous three Superman films are below).

After the flop that was Superman III, Christopher Reeve felt the series was becoming too campy and chose to shy away from doing another sequel. However, after being given the power to help shape the story, he quickly changed his mind. With Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, Reeve developed a story fit for a Man of Steel adventure as well as something that would appeal to the fans. Unfortunately, the studio didn’t have the same reverence for the film and barely supported it throughout filming and post. The result is a unfinished, unsatisfying mess of a film.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Film Review (Non Book Reader)

by The World Weary

Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson
Series: The Hunger Games
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 146 Minutes  

(Contains spoilers from the first Hunger Games film. This review is being written from a non book readers perspective, we will also be posting a review from a book readers perspective).

We all fear what it would be like if the Nazis had won the war, or in an even worse scenario, if some new evil regime crushes the voices of the people and forces them into an oppressed lifestyle. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy explored this idea and made some relevant connections between our current geopolitical state and that of her fictional land of Panem. Hollywood, once again capitalizing off the hard work of others, has begun making the novels into full length features. The first Hunger Games film was a massive success, and not bad to boot, and now the second film has been unleashed upon a Jennifer Lawrence/ Dystopian Sci-Fi hungry audience.

Star Trek: Into Darkness Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoey Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban
Series: Star Trek (2009 Reboot)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length:  133 Minutes

 

Boldly Gone

In 2009, J.J. Abrams brought a reboot of the beloved Star Trek series to the silver screen. It turned out to be a critical and commercial success. With a plot that not only reinvigorated the franchise, but payed homage to it and made sense within the continuity of the entire series, Trekkies around the world rejoiced. Now, Abrams returns to the director’s chair to try and outdo himself.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Manu Bennett, Benedict Cumberbatch

Series: The Hobbit

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Length: 161 Minutes

I am fire! I am death!

This article features spoilers for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

After a long wait, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit finally get to see a big screen version of the classic tale that features one of the most memorable characters the author ever made, Smaug. But, does Peter Jackson’s film adaptation live up to the massive expectations from fans the world over? I think so.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Simon West

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Jon Voigt, Iain Glen, Daniel Craig

Series: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Length: 100 Minutes

Lamea Croft

As the fires of the Tomb Raider franchise burned brightest, and the frenzy for all things Lara reached a Beatlemania high, some Hollywood bigwigs in a burst of creative brilliance found something that people liked that they could turn to profit. Throw in a blossoming, beautiful American actress and a pair of shiny pistols and the Tomb Raider train was ready for it’s big screen premiere.

Insidious: Chapter 2 Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: James Wan

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Steve Coulter

Series: Insidious

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Length: 105 Minutes

 

Dark Vader 

 

(This review features heavy spoilers for Insidious).

As far as supernatural horror goes, most recent entries in the genre have been easily forgettable. Even 2011’s Insidious was somewhat disappointing, despite having a solid opening act and brilliant sound. Until The Conjuring, horror fans were best off watching old classics like The Shining and The Exorcist. With such a powerful and positive response to The Conjuring, James Wan alleged that he was taking things he learned from that experience and applying them to his follow up to Insidious. Sadly, it seems he was just blowing smoke, as Insidious: Chapter 2 is a mostly stale exercise in conventional PG-13 horror.

Watchmen Comic Review

by The World Weary  

Authors: Alan Moore
Illustrators: Dave Gibbons

Publisher: DC

Genre: Graphic Novel

Series: Watchmen

Buy on Amazon!

A Stronger Loving World

 

Watchmen is the single greatest achievement in the comic book medium of all time. The brilliantly layered story, told through the eyes of the characters, news articles and books, and the fictional comic Tales of the Black Freighter is stirringly relevant. Alan Moore’s writing is astoundingly beautiful, and his ability to capture the voices of humanity makes the book breathe life into a tale that begins as a simple murder mystery, but becomes an unflinching and morally ambiguous discussion of our species’ self destructive nature. Dave Gibbon’s art perfectly blends with the narrative to create powerful, iconic imagery that makes almost every panel totally unforgettable. If you ever read one comic, read this one, as it is not only the greatest superhero story ever told,  but also one of the greatest pieces of literature of the twentieth century.

When Superman rose to fame in the 1930’s, I’m sure many Americans wondered what it would be like to don a costume and roam their towns and cities looking for wrongs to right. The idea must have been wondrously intoxicating, as it most assuredly is today. But what if? Alan Moore tackles that question with eloquent grace in his limited series Watchmen. Yet, there are many other questions that Watchmen asks, and each one has a relevant and totally morally ambiguous answer that might just leave you asking questions of your own like, “How much evil does it take to move someone to do good?”

Walking Dead Compendium Volume Two Comic Review

by The World Weary  

Authors: Robert Kirkman 
Illustrators: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, and Tony Moore
Publisher: Image Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel

Series: Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2

Buy on Amazon!

A Larger World

A much darker book than Compendium One, The Walking Dead Compendium Two takes Rick on a harrowing journey. The book begins to become crowded with new characters and the amount of hairy situations can be a little overwhelming, but Kirkman’s fantastic storytelling is still a force to be reckoned with.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: John M. Chu
Cast: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park
Series: G.I. Joe
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 110 Minutes

Buy on Amazon!

Retaliation Against Intelligence

(This review contains spoilers for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra).

After the success of 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, it was announced that another Joe movie would be coming out in 2011. However, the film was pushed back and now in 2013 the silver screens of America are tainted with this thoughtless action romp.

Walking Dead Compendium Volume One Comic Review

by The World Weary

Authors: Robert Kirkman

Illustrators: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, and Tony Moore

Publisher: Image Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel

Series: Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1

Buy on Amazon!

We Are The Walking Dead

 

Robert Kirkman’s brilliant writing and understanding of his characters makes The Walking Dead Compendium Volume One absolutely one of the greatest zombie apocalypse scenarios ever conceived. The art style shift between chapters one and two is a little jarring, but the strength of the story will carry you through this tome.

After the popularity of the AMC series of the same name began to rise, Image comics released a Compendium of the first eight volumes of the comic series. While there are obviously similarities between the two, the comic’s strengths lie in the powerful character development and not lame soap opera moments to drive the story along.

Tomb Raider Issue #2: The Four Guardians: Over the Edge! Comic Review

by The World Weary

Authors: Gail Simone

Illustrators:Nicholas Daniel Selma

Publisher: Dark Horse Books

Genre: Video Game Comic

Series: Tomb Raider Season of the Witch

Buy on Amazon!

Jumping the Shark

This article features spoilers for Tomb Raider: Season of the Witch.

After the first issue of this new Tomb Raider comic series, I felt pretty apprehensive about Lara’s future adventures. For the most part the comic was pretty uneven and featured some horribly weak characterization, as well as the dreaded “Horror Mouth”. The conclusion of the issue gave me quite a shock though, and for that reason alone, I held out hope that this new issue would really kick off the series. However, like the children say, “You can’t always get what you want.”

Tomb Raider Issue #1: Season of the Witch: Survivor’s Guilt! Comic Review

by The World Weary

Authors: Gail Simone

Illustrators:Nicholas Daniel Selma

Publisher: Dark Horse Books

Genre: Video Game Comic

Series: Tomb Raider Season of the Witch

Buy on Amazon!


Rocky Start

This article features spoilers for Tomb Raider (2013) and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.

It has been a long time since I’ve read a Lara Croft comic. I remember the first one I ever bought. I was in an airport in Germany at the time, and while I was waiting for my flight I found a little newsstand with some comics off to the side. I quickly browsed through, not expecting to find much, until my eye caught the (then) famous Tomb Raider logo. Having been studying German, I bought the comic and read it over and over on the plane ride to London, trying to make sense of a whole new set of words that I had just barely begun to scratch the surface of. Self-imposed German lesson aside, I was genuinely excited to be reading about the world’s #1 video game heroine. It was the summer of 2000, and Lara Croft was at the top of her game. The Playstation and PC series of games were HUGE, and everything from feature length films, to action figures and comics, were all planned for the titular Raider. Over a decade later, Lara has come back to the forefront of gaming in a big way.

2013’s Tomb Raider, the second reboot of the franchise to date, was a massive critical and commercial success, and what better way to follow a massive success than to get the marketing train rolling again? Action figures, comics, books, they all made a comeback. Obviously though, these new things had to tie in with the new Lara. She wasn’t a femme fatale, ass kicker anymore, but rather a balanced and studious young woman who happened to get caught in a crossfire of mysticism and barbarism that changed her forever.

Skyfall Film Review

by The World Weary

Director: Sam Mendez
Cast: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomi Harris
Series: Ian Fleming's James Bond 007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 143 Minutes 

Buy on Amazon!  

When The Sky Fell

A few months ago I saw the midnight opening of Skyfall in IMAX. I’ve been a Bond fan since I was a kid. I read many of the books and watched most of the films. My main problem with the franchise was how it was steadily devolving into blockbuster action flicks. The films seemed to loose touch with what made Bond interesting. Die Another Day, the last time Pierce Brosnan filled Bond’s shoes, could very well have sank the series. It was so incredibly cheesy that sometimes it felt like a direct slap to the balls to Bond fans worldwide.

Superman: Red Son Comic Review

by The World Weary

Authors: Mark Millar

Illustrators: Dave Johnson

Publisher: DC

Genre: Superhero

Series: Superman

Buy on Amazon!

Red Son Ascendant

Superman: Red Son is a fascinating and dark look at an Earth where the Man of Steel didn’t crash land in Kansas, but instead was discovered in the Soviet Union. The book draws upon decades of lore and remains faithful, while at the same time creating something totally fresh. With beautiful art and brilliant writing, this is an alternate take on Superman that is not to be missed.

Superman is as American as you can get. His earnest vow to uphold, “truth, justice, and the American way” has cemented him in our history and culture as a symbol of what we as a nation strive for. So what happens if Superman didn’t land in the United States? What if he landed in Stalin’s U.S.S.R.? This is the question that writer Mark Millar answers in his unflinchingly dark take on the Man of Steel’s legacy.