"Superman IV: The Quest For Peace" Movie Review

    The Christopher Reeve Superman remains the definitive take on the ‘Man of Steel’ in my opinion.  I think the first two Superman films are among the best movies ever made.  The Superman franchise sadly went down in quality greatly following those two masterpieces.  “Superman III” has some good moments but ended up foiled by it’s attempts at comedy.  “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” ended up in even worse shape and proved to be an embarrassing swan song for Christopher Reeve in the role he made so iconic.

    “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” was made by Canon Films with a shoe string budget.  Not exactly a promising start for a film in which it’s predecessors were famous for pushing the limits of special effects.  There were literally moments in the film where the wires could be seen and scenes that ended up being used multiple times to save on the budget.

    Christopher Reeve returns as the Man of Steel in his final appearance as Superman.  Not only does he star in the film, but he also helped develop the story about disarmament of nuclear weapons.  The film sees the welcomed return of Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor.  Hackman is such a joy to watch as he hams it up.  Hackman helps elevate this film ever so slightly, it’s just a shame he isn’t in more of the film.  Jon Cryer adds some comedy as Lenny Luther, Lex’s nitwit nephew.  Hilariously enough, Cryer has recently been cast as Lex Luthor in the CW series “Supergirl”.  Margot Kidder is once again hardly in the movie and her absence is felt.

    One of the worst parts of the movie to many fans is that Nuclear Man is the main villain.  This angered many fans since he wasn’t a character original to the source material.  I am not sure why they chose to create a new villain when Superman has a great rogue’s gallery that weren’t touched up until that point but the filmmakers did.  Still, I remember actually enjoying Nuclear Man as a kid (although the costume is ridiculous). Nuclear Man, interstingly enough, just made his comic debut in 2018.

    The movie isn’t as terrible as many make it out to be nor is it anywhere near as good as it should have been.  “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” is ultimately a film bogged down by lofty ideas in a no budget and cartoonish production.

Grade: D

Special Awards Announcement!!!

    Being a huge movie nerd, I decided to do a special award presentation on this blog with nominees and then later winners of the best films and work in film during 2018.  I am doing my best to catch up with as many movies possible including films already on video, in theaters, and via streaming (Netflix and Hulu films are not ruled out from my awards).  So, the nominees will likely be released late January or early February but I thought I would give you an idea of the categories.

    The categories for the 2018 Next Level Blockbuster Awards are as follows...

• Best Picture
• Best Live Action Family Picture
• Best Animated Family Picture
• Best Digital or Direct to Video Motion Picture
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Ensemble
• Best Director
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Home Video Release
• Best Original Music
• Best Original Song
• Best Production Design
• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design
• Best Film Editing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Makeup Effects
• Best Stunt Work
• Next Level Blockbuster Icon Award *(Issued to 5 individuals who left an impact on film)
• Next Level Blockbuster Legacy Award *(Issued to 5 films that were culturally important or changed cinema)

I would also like to hear your opinions in the comment section once the nominees are released.  Thank you for your time!

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 1

    So I decided to do a poll on instagram asking my followers which superhero movies they preferred and here are the results from the first round...

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Movie Review

    It is no secret that Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel superhero.  I grew up with the 90s animated Spider-Man series and enjoyed the comics (although it was the weird Ben Reilly Spider-Man period).  I am open to anything Spider-Man, but I have to admit that “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” didn’t exactly captivate me with it’s previews.  It didn’t look bad to me, but nothing I wanted to rush and see.  Then I kept hearing how good it was from friends so I figured it deserved the benefit of the doubt.
    Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the film was executed.  By all intensive purposes, much of the film shouldn’t have worked.  Some aspects were goofy but some of those parts were among the most enjoyable moments of the movie.  The film feels fresh and different which is somewhatly refreshing in an era of cookie cutter superhero films.
    The film primarily tells the origin of Miles Morales and his transformation into his universe’s Spider-Man.  Miles Morales was introduced in the Marvel Ultimate brand.  Like in the Ultimate comics, Miles Morales is forced to take the mantle of Spider-Man after Peter Parker is taken out of the picture.  The story is fun overall and I liked how the filmmakers were able to take the familiar Spider-Man story and changes it up by focusing on a Spider-Man other than Peter Parker.  Miles has a different outlook on life and has different interactions with characters.

    The film also introduces several alternate dimension Spider themed crime fighters including the popular Spider-Gwen, an alternate Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Ham.  It’s amazing how the film can include the likes of Spider-Ham and still work.  It was also visually amazing how the animators managed to differentiate the animation styles of some of the characters.  I should also note that the film contains several references to classic Spider-Man comics and the movies that die hard fans will love.
    The film was filled with innovative animation that was just fun to watch.  My only real complaint with the animation style was that the background had a slightly unfocused 3D effect, almost like you went to a 3D movie without 3D glasses.  Aside from that, it was sharp.
    “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” may not be able to top the likes of the classic Sam Raimi movies, but it’s miles ahead of “The Anazing Spider-Man” franchise and on par or perhaps better than what Marvel Studios is doing with the character now.  If you love Spider-Man, comic book movies, and/or animated flicks, you can’t miss this movie.

Grade: B+

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!!

    Hello everyone!  I know it’s been a little while since I have posted on here but I have more content coming soon!  Unfortunately, November and December are two of the busiest months for me due to my job and from selling on eBay.  I will soon have reviews posted from movies in theaters including “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and classics including “The Karate Kid Part III” and “The Next Karate Kid” (review copies were provided by the very kind Mill Creek Entertainment company).  Anyway, I just wanted to take this time to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas.  Also, for those amazing readers who celebrate holidays other than Christmas, I hope you have a happy holiday season!  Lastly, if you don’t celebrate a holiday, I still wish you the best and hope you have a great week!  Thank you!

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” Movie Review

    “Wreck-It Ralph” was one of the more enjoyable non Pixar Disney releases over the last decade.  The film introduced the lovable protagonist Ralph who happened to be the antagonist in his own game.  The film dealt with self worth and the importance of non glamorous jobs.  It was a film both adults and children could connect with.  Unfortunately, the same can’t be completely said about it’s sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet”.
    Now, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” isn’t a bad film.  The story of the film is actually pretty original and enjoyable.  I liked that they went a different direction with the story.  A lot of sequels try to make a carbon copy of the first film and this film did not.  It tried to tell a different story of morality but that was also part of the problem I had with the film.  The film, at it’s core, deals with having to let go of someone you love if it’s better for them.  While this is something we all have to deal with, it makes the film feel somewhat depressing.  So the film’s theme ultimately feels too adult for most children yet the animation might be too childish for some adults.  I did like that the film was ambitious enough to try a different tone.
    Unlike the first film, the jokes in this film didn’t always land.  Maybe it was because most of the jokes tied into product placements which this movie was filled with.  I am talking obvious product placement as well which is something that shouldn’t be so in your face in a kid’s movie.  I was well aware of eBay before this movie but if I wasn’t, I would sure be now.  “Ralph Breaks the Internet” feels more like a commercial half the time over a real film.
    Luckily for this film, the characters were extremely lovable and this film, despite it’s faults, didn’t hurt that.  Just catching up with the characters was refreshing and worth the price of admission.  The voice cast once again helps add to the character’s charm.  John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman have great chemistry and sound as if they were friends for years.
   “Ralph Breaks the Internet” doesn’t live up to the first movie but is worth a watch.  Just be aware that this movie deals with serious themes that children might not have much interest in.  The film also has kind of a bummer ending for an animated film.  Ultimately, I feel like this movie was worth the admission but perhaps not all the praise it received.

Grade: C+

”Creed II” Movie Review

    The “Rocky” franchise was long lampooned as never ending.  Many parody films would feature background posters of an elderly man in boxing gear and would have a title such as “Rocky 64” blaster across it.  It has been the butt of many jokes since “Rocky IV”.  The ironic thing is after all these years, the franchise is still going strong.  The newest film, “Creed II”, is the eighth film in the much beloved “Rocky” universe.

    “Creed II” acts as a direct sequel to both “Creed” and “Rocky IV”.  The movie begins with the introduction of Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago.  Ivan Drago had killed Apollo Creed in the ring during the events of “Rocky IV” but lost to Rocky Balboa in a bout held in Russia.  As it turns out, this event brought shame to the Drago name.  Ivan hopes to restore his family name through his son, Viktor.  This brings the Drago, Balboa, and Creed families on a collision course once again as Adonis Creed has just now become the boxing Heavyweight Champion.

    “Rocky IV” is one of my least favorite “Rocky” films (“Rocky V” holds the title as worst) so knowing this film would be a direct sequel to that film made me a bit nervous.  “Creed II” manages to act as a superior sequel to “Rocky IV” by making the stakes more realistic and grounded.  The boxing match isn’t about a country’s glory, it is about a form of redemption for both families.

    Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed and delivers another stellar performance.  Sylvester Stallone was fantastic once again as the iconic Rocky Balboa.  Supposedly, this may very well be Stallone’s swan song as Balboa (though it’s hard to believe he will completely exit the franchise).  I wish Stallone was given a little more to do in this film should this be his last movie.  Dolph Lundgren returns as Ivan Drago and despite the fact that he isn’t give many lines, he manages to convey a lot of emotion through his eyes.
    The film is rousing and filled with many epic boxing scenes.  The fight sequences are expertly shot and make you feel as though you are in each fighter’s corner.  One of the few criticisms I have about the film is that it’s a safe and predictable sequel.  “Rocky II” was a very good film and also suffered from a predictable story.  On the plus side, “Creed II” contains a few cameos that feel rewarding to long time Rocky fans without being distracting or feeling out of place.
    I can’t help but feel like this film is a bit of a setup to a larger story to play out in a possible sequel.  The film ends without a sense of who the clear cut best fighter is and I have to wonder how that might play out.  Also, if a sequel is made, Stallone needs to return in my opinion to officially retire the character.  While “Creed II” is a very good movie, Stallone deserves a bigger role with more to do in his final appearance in the franchise.
    At it’s heart, “Creed II” is a story about fathers and sons.  It’s about not making the same mistake over and over again.  Lastly, the movie is about placing family above pride.  What makes this film so unique is that both the protagonist and antagonist learn the same lesson.


Grade: B+