Monday, April 25, 2016

LEGO: Justice League vs Bizarro League & Justice League - Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015)

I know I am not in the target audience for these Lego movies. I won't complain how stupid and childish characters are. These were meant for little kids. Most important thing is to have good message and keep kids interested. So there is nothing deep in story. These don't have to be stupid but this time they are.

Movies are part of bigger continuity. Bizarro League teases with Attack of the Legion of Doom and Attack of the Legion of Doom teases with next movie. That is where the continuity ended. I watched these in wrong order and thought they had nothing to do with each others until I saw next movie tease at end of Bizarro League.

It was easy mistake to make. Movies had different version of Justice League. Bizarro League had some extra members and different Green Lantern than Attack of the Legion of Doom. I don't mean different voice actor. I mean different Green Lantern. Yes, there are more than one Green Lanterns. Difference was never explained. Like no kid would ever wonder why team has changed.

For adult audience these movies have very little to give. Animal hospital scene in Attack of the Legion of Doom had couple nice jokes but that was it. Target audience probably like these more. One more thing. Flash and Green Lantern are annoying together no matter the format or target audience. They should make live action Justice League movie less dark. That doesn't mean they make them better. Characters chemistry has not worked anywhere when they are made comical characters.

About reviewing superhero stuff until Legends of Tomorrow's last episode thing. I didn't know how long the season is when I promised to do it. I would have to go from bottom of the barrel to find something to review. Like this wasn't from there. I will something completely different next week. I will review Legends of Tomorrow after I have seen it. Until that review I will review something else.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)

Batman V Superman got really bad reviews but at least it is not Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. I didn't expect this to be this bad. I don't remember much from first Ghost Rider movie. I have watched it few times but I have not memory what it was like. I don't think it was this big mess. I think it was more serious.

This time we get full crazy Cage. Everything he does is either weird or crazy. He doesn't seem to be into the role. He looks like he is doing this for the money. Director wanted something crazy and he delivered. Ghost Rider is as weird and crazy as Cage and some how off. Guess they had limited effects budget. Superpowered villain's effect are shot against black background and filtered heavily. They looked as bad as Ghost Rider.

We have seen the story dozens of times before. There is nothing unexpected. There is little kid who is destined to be possessed by demon or something like that. Idris Elba promises to remove Ghost Rider curse if Cage help to get the boy to safety. He does that but Demon get the boy afterwards. Idris Elba, boy's mom and Cage have to save the boy. Only question is how Cage gets Ghost Rider's powers back.

It is impossible to write what is wrong. Too many things are wrong starting from the story. It didn't make any sense and explained almost nothing. Most of the movie is random action scenes. Rest is Cage being weird. First time Ghost Rider meets bad guys he is shot with bazooka. He is hurt so badly Cage wakes up in hospital. During next meeting he is shot again but this time it doesn't even slow him down. Movie is full of this kind of inconsistencies which force you not to care because what you thought could hurt heroes will not do it next time.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is just big mess. It might feel like cheap old time superhero/action movies but those movies didn't have this much inconsistencies and they at least tried to do something with what they had. I am not sure if anyone outside couple special effects guys really cared. Some effects look good. Most don't. I can't recommend this. I usually like these effect heavy hell themed movies. But not this one.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Suicide Squad after Batman V Superman



If video is not show you can watch it here

I saw new Suicide Squad trailer and had to say something about it. I am no longer as exited about the movie as I was before Batman V Superman. You can find more from video.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is follow up to Justice League: War. In comics there were other stories between these but in these animated movies these stories happen back to back. Last week I told reboot was in order to tell same stories again. I have seen this same story in another DC's animated movie. This time it is New 52 version.

Justice League: War told how Justice League got together. It felt weird how all of them happen to end up correct place correct time. This time movie can concentrate on story since heroes and their group was introduced first time. Story is about Aquaman and how Atlanteans attack Metropolis or where ever they attack.

Story begins as detective story. Movie benefits from staying in single story line instead of jumping from hero to hero. King of Atlantis was was killer during first movie. Prince blames humans. He wants revenge. Queen want to keep them hidden from humans. At this point Aquaman doesn't know who he is and what he has to do with Atlantis.

I liked Throne of Atlantis more than War. Darkseid was cool villain but story was quite weak. Justice League won by being stronger than Darkseid. This time things are not as black and white. There are interesting twists. Justice League outsmarts the villain to save the day. But this same story was already told in another animated movie. Maybe not exactly the same but close enough that reading synopsis you can't tell which is which.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Justice League: War (2014)

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was big teaser for Justice League movie and I am going to review Legends of Tomorrow after I have seen all the episodes. I thought I try to fill this gap with superhero movie reviews.

Batman V Superman made Justice League hot for a while. Justice League tells animated version of Justice League's origins. New 52 version to be exact. What is New 52 you might ask. New 52 is DC comics' reboot of every comic they released in 2011. Every title was cancelled and New 52 titles were launched. Almost everything started from zero and some characters got reimagined. In a way DC could tell same stories again  but I get more into that next week. If this wasn't confusing enough, DC will have rebirth event which will change everything again. There are reasons why I don't read comics that much.

New 52 needed DC's top group to get together which affects the story. All there characters are new versions of themselves and don't know each other. Before this there was nothing and suddenly world was full of superpowered people and aliens. Might feel odd when you know characters' histories. You should forget all that because this is New 52 and everything is new.

This time Justice League is formed when different superheroes fight against Darkseid's parademons on their own and end up same place when Darkseid attacks Earth. Addition to this movie also contains Cyborg's origin story which is quite close what we saw in Batman V Superman. Darkseid will be villain of upcoming live action Justice League movie. It might be quite close to this.

Justice League: War reminded how annoying Flash and Green Lantern can be together. Otherwise movie is quite entertaining. It is darker and more violent than you might expect from animated movies but then again so are most new DC's animated movies. There is no big deep story arc. It is just characters getting together and fighting villains.