Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Odyssey
IT WAS NOT ALWAYS AT THE front of my mind, but it certainly had a permanent place somewhere in the back. Ever since the COVID pandemic, I have wondered how the movie theaters will survive. The first few months, after we were able to go back safely, I was usually the only one in the theater. Granted, I avoided the weekends, always going early in the week and picking a seat in the last row on the side. My logic was believing most people gravitate to the center section and prefer being halfway from the screen. As time went on, my logic proved to be true, except for the occasional high school or college couple who wanted to sit in the back row and make out. Since time has gone on and COVID is no longer in the front of most people’s thoughts, there has been an uptick of theater patrons. Every week I have done a mental count of how many patrons are seated and the numbers vary between me alone, up to two dozen at the most. I would sit during the ending credits and wonder how long could the movie theaters remain open with such dismal numbers. There have been several great films, but in my opinion there seems to be more average to below quality movies being shown these days. FOR TODAY’S MOVIE REVIEW FILM, I attended, for the first time, a Saturday night opening weekend showing, which I have not done for over a decade. Because there was so much hype and advertising, I went to the movie complex the day before and bought our tickets. At that time, when I was picking out our seats, I saw there was twenty to thirty seats already sold. When we came back the next day for our showing and sat down in the theater, I was stunned to see almost all the seats were filled. It had been so long that it came to me as a shock to see so many people. I wondered if it was like this every weekend, that I have simply not been a part of it; but keeping track of the box office opening weekend results, I do not think theaters are consistently full every weekend. However, seeing the results for this past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of sales for this film; it is very encouraging and I hope it is a bellwether of what is in store for movie theaters. BASED ON THE EPIC POEM BY Homer, written in the 8th century BCE, this adventure, dramatic fantasy movie tells the story of a husband and father’s long, perilous trek home after a decisive battle. With Matt Damon (Oppenheimer, The Last Dual) as Odysseus, Tom Holland (Spider-Man franchise, Uncharted) as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada franchise, The Idea of You) as Penelope, Corey Hawkins (The Color Purple, Straight Outta Compton) as Polybus, and Robert Pattinson (The Drama, The Batman) as Antinous; this latest film from Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk, Tenet) was truly special. The directing and filming of this ancient story was mesmerizing; the cast was brilliant and the scenes were near breathtaking, massive in scope. I have racked my brain, but I could not find a memory of me ever reading or hearing this story. The closest I could come to was a childhood memory of a favorite film of mine called “Jason and the Argonauts,” which I had to look up as soon as I returned home to see if they were both based on the same poem; though similar in nature, they are not. The movie was nearly three hours long, which in the first half seemed to me to be too long. I looked at my watch a couple of times. However, the creativity in presenting the scenes and the action scenes were captivating. The more I have thought about this picture, the more I have grown to love it. And to coin a cliche, the icing on the cake was being in a full movie theater and seeing everyone applauding as the ending credits began to roll.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Supergirl
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST FEELINGS TO experience is the one where you feel you are alone, the only one like you on the planet. The feeling can be all consuming, coloring your other emotions and feelings. In my case, it made me withdraw further from interactions to the point I wished I was simply wallpaper on the wall that no one would notice. A friend of mine went in the opposite direction; they tried to fit in by joining different groups in elementary and high school. I used to keep my distance when they were undertaking a new experience, preferring to be an observer. Maybe there was a part of me hoping I could learn something that would break this hold on me of being different; but in truth, I became a witness to the same results happening to my friend over and over. Since they were just joining things to become part of a group, they did not realize that to others it would soon become apparent that they were not interested in the activity and not having a good time. It has challenging to pretend you enjoy something when you really did not, and my friend did not have the acting skills to put on a “good” front. HAVING ENDURED THOSE PAINFUL TIMES SEEING my friend experience hope and rejection, let alone my own experiences, set me on a course to try and figure out why I felt like I was on a different planet from everyone else. Gratefully, during those times where I would get more depressed about my situation, I never had the desire to numb myself with drugs or alcohol; food became my addiction. Yes, I ballooned up in weight for a time, before I realized I was only adding (no pun intended) another negative layer for feeling alone. My first inklings of possibly not being the only one who felt this way was seeing a classmate chewing their nails down until their fingers bled and seeing someone with cuts down their arm. At the time, I had no idea why the person had multiple cuts on their arms. It wasn’t until I saw a television show where one of the characters had the same marks I had seen on that student’s arms, that I began to understand the thought process behind the cutting. In my case, there wasn’t a TV show that could explain my circumstances; it was my feelings I had for a graduate student who lived on my floor during freshman year. I did not realize I had fallen in love with them until they mentioned they went out on a date. It seemed as everything in my life came crashing down around me hearing they had feelings for someone else, despite not even knowing I was in love with them. That is when I sought out professional help and put myself into therapy. It was the best decision of my life. I wish the main character in this superhero action movie would have done the same thing. ONLY WHEN SOMEBODY CLOSE TO HER took ill, did a reluctant superhero find herself traveling the galaxy to find a remedy and ultimately bring justice to those who were wronged. With Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon-TV, Upright-TV) as Supergirl, Eve Ridley (The Witcher-TV, 3 Body Problem-TV) as Ruthye, Matthias Schoenaerts (Amsterdam, Rust and Bone) as Krem, David Corenswet (Superman, Twisters) as Superman, and Jason Momoa (A Minecraft Movie, Aquaman franchise) as Lobo; this adventure science fiction drama had a lot riding on it. The second film out of a revamped movie studio, there were high hopes for it being successful. There were some good elements in the movie, but they were overpowered with the poor choices by the writers and director. I found this film to be a messy bore. Storylines were underdeveloped, acting was dull except for Jason Momoa, and the action scenes had poor lighting and CGI effects. For over half the film, I felt I was seeing the same scenario being played repeatedly. It annoyed me to see a good idea in the script get trounced on by lackluster actions and absence of details. I think it would have been beneficial if all concerned in the production of this picture had a few sessions with a licensed therapist to get everyone on the same page.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Project Hail Mary
THOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL CHALLENGES FOR me, the month-long trip overseas went beyond all expectations and hopes. My latest thrill is visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, which we were able to see several on this trip. There was so much history we delved into, that I am having a hard time keeping all the facts straight for each place. One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the city where my Dad was stationed during the war. Hearing about the importance of the city’s place in history and walking the streets, I had this surreal feeling of connection. The issues I encountered the weeks I was away from home, gratefully, diminished due to amazing things we saw and did. One of my challenges was regarding foods. Since I do not eat red meat or pork, our home base country did not have a lot to offer me for meals since they are known for their beef. Chicken takes a far backseat on their diet. There were times I would wind up having two shrimp cocktails and a small side salad for dinner. The fact that I lost three pounds on the trip should tell you something. If that was not rough enough, I wound up catching a bug that caused digestive issues; so, there were a couple of days where I did not eat or drink anything throughout the day. I did not want to be caught in an embarrassing situation while on an excursion. ONCE WE WERE BACK HOME AND re-adjusted to our “normal” schedule, I wanted to see a movie that I could escape into, without much thought. This is why I chose this film; I wanted to watch something that had a visual, sci-fi vibe to it. I had no idea this picture would remind me of an encounter we had while on our ship. There was a married couple who were on a few of our excursions. We normally do not start up a conversation with strangers since we do not know if their beliefs are similar to ours; or, if they are not, they will not act on them, making it uncomfortable for us. The wife always had this sour look on her face; in my opinion, she looked mean. She never smiled or acknowledged us when we would see them repeatedly on other excursions. Granted, I do not think she acknowledged anyone as far as I could tell. One night as we were walking out of a restaurant, they were about to walk in. Before I could stop myself, I said the food was good and we ate a lot due to all the walking we did on that day’s excursion. To my surprise, they both laughed and shared their experiences on the trip. We come to find out they live in a town where I have a substantial amount of relatives; one of them was a friend of hers while in college. From that point on, we would see one another almost every day and stop to share our events of the day and became quite friendly. I had an extra reason to feel good after leaving this sci-fi, adventure, comedy, drama. AT FIRST DISORIENTED AFTER WAKING UP from suspended animation, a science teacher begins to remember why he found himself on a spacecraft, headed towards the sun. With Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Barbie) as Ryland Grace, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest) as Eva Stratt, James Ortiz (The Woodsman, Girls Against Boys) as Rocky, Lionel Boyce (The Bear-TV, Loiter Squad-TV) as Carl, and Ken Leung (Old, Lost-TV) as Yao, this movie surprised me. Based on the premise, I was not expecting the humor that was sprinkled into the script. I thought Ryan and Sandra did a wonderful job of acting and I was quickly drawn into the story. The visuals did not disappoint me, only adding to my enjoyment. In addition, I was touched on how the story took a turn by providing some touching moments. And kudos to the director for keeping things on track, consistently moving the story forward, while blending the emotional aspects. The extra treat for me, after seeing this film, was recalling how that couple we saw on the ship, that we were at first leery of, turned out being a pleasure to talk with and share our mutual experiences.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
WITHOUT ANY JUDGEMENT REGARDING A PERSON’S features, it is easy to group people by generation. At a party where the guests’ ages span from the mid 80s down to those in their 30s, I can tell roughly how old a person would be. The oldest guests at the party would have no evidence of having in their possession a cellphone. More than likely, their phone would be in their coat pocket, purse, or possibly still in their car. The next generation down would have their phones with them, but they would not be entirely visible because they might have their phone in a shirt/sweater pocket, a purse/should bag, or in a pants pocket. The younger generations after this group usually carry their cellphones in their hands, place them on a lap or on the cushion or armrest of the piece of furniture they are sitting on, or even place right besides them on the dining room table. As for myself, I either have my phone in my pants pocket or in my jacket. The only time I would have it sitting out in the open is if I was showing someone a photo, or if I needed to look up some information. Personally, I find it rude when you are sitting around a dining table, having conversations and there are a few people who are staring at their phones instead of joining in on the conversation. IN A WAY, I FIND IT an intrusion when a person’s attention is directed more towards their phone than the person or people around them. I totally understand when parents setup their young child/toddler with a tablet at a restaurant or dinner party. The parents want their child occupied, so as not to disturb the guests or patrons around them. However, I do wonder if this will become the start of a child becoming addicted to their electronic devices. I was out to dinner with a friend, and at the next table it looked like a mother and father were seated with their two teenage children. The siblings had their heads bowed, watching something on their phones. There was no communication between the children and their parents. Now granted, I did not see the parents make any effort to have a conversation with their children, but maybe they are resigned to the fact their teenage children prefer looking at their cellphones instead of talking to their parents. On the other hand, maybe the parents did not care to have a conversation. Personally, I find this all troubling, and after seeing this action, adventure, science fiction, comedy; I am more concerned what electronic devices have been doing to all of us. AT A LOCAL DINER, A MAN rushes in claiming he is from the future and is trying to save the planet. The patrons are not so sure how to act, until the man announces he has a bomb. Now everyone is paying attention to him. With Sam Rockwell (Argylle, See How They Run) as the man from the future, Juno Temple (Killer Joe, Atonement) as Susan, Haley Lu Richardson (Five Feet Apart, The White Lotus-TV) as Ingrid, Michael Pena (Unstoppable, A Million Miles Away) as Mark, and Zazie Beetz (Joker franchise, The Harder They Fall) as Janet; I immediately understood the message in this film. The cast was all in synch with their roles and played off of each other well. This was certainly a script made for Sam Rockwell’s acting abilities; he was the main attraction throughout the story. The issue I had with the script was the several scenes that repeated the same scenario. My interest was waning through the first half of the movie. It was not until the latter half where it felt like the story was coming together and had more excitement. Regardless, I thought the message was timely and important. There were several scenes of violence and blood.
2 1/2 stars
Avatar: Fire and Ash
PLEASE DO NOT LAUGH, I AM quite aware I am probably one of the last of my or any other generation to make the switch to paying my bills online. Yes, you are free to call me a dinosaur because i still pay my bills the old fashion way, with a check in the mail. Because of the uptick in our traveling, I realized paying online would be so much easier instead of what I have been doing, which is to overpay my bills enough to cover the months I would be away. I still do not want to have a debit card, but I have wrapped my brain around this new idea, at least for me. The first step I had to do was go to the bank and have them set up a profile for me. Maybe I could have figured it on my own after downloading the bank’s online banking app; but, I wanted to physically be with a banker who could walk me through it. By the way, the bank I planned on using for this endeavor was a large national bank. The process of setting up an online presence was painless and easy; the banker explained the features as we went step by step through the application’s options. With my new found knowledge, I was eager to get home and start the process of setting up my vendors and entering the pay dates for my payments. EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY GETTING MY FOUR bills loaded into my profile. I set up the due dates, double checked my work then signed out. The rest of the day I went about my business until dinnertime. It was around that time I decided to look at the mobile application to see if there were any updates from the bank. I tried signing in but a window opened to tell me I had been locked out due to fraudulent activity, and I would have to call the fraud department. I was dumbfounded. Gratefully, I did not wait long until a human came onto the line and asked me a series of security questions. Each one, I answered correctly then was prompted to explain my issue. I told her about being locked out and being new to this online process. The representative took a look at my account and took the lock off, asking me to wait an hour before reentering the one bank card bill that they had labeled fraud. I did as instructed and thought that would be the end of it. Well that was not the case. The very next day, the same thing happened where I was locked out and my bank card transaction was cancelled for fraud. I was in the depths of hell dealing with customer service, the fraud department, and two managers for the next six days, being told the same thing and getting the same results. Finally one of the managers suggested I write a check. I lost it, decided to end the call and went over to the branch again, in a total state of anger. Face to face with a banker, I listed all the asinine conversations I had had with the bank’s employees and not being able to get resolution, stating if I was committing fraud, why would I also list my medical insurance provider as a vendor to be paid every month. The banker had me delete and reenter my bank card vendor after typing several notes onto my profile. Today, I re-entered my payment instructions for the fifth time and now I must wait until tomorrow to see if it gets cancelled again or processed. These dealings I have had the past week with the bank have been exhausting and grueling. It got to the point where I felt overwhelmed and beaten; battling a large corporation takes its toll on the body. Because of this experience, I felt a strong connection to the Na’vi beings who were about to face their toughest opponent. WITH THE BUILDUP OF MILITARY FORCES, for an all out assault, and an aggressive tribe seeking conquest; the peaceful tribes would have to find a way to put differences aside if they wanted to keep their planet. With Sam Worthington (Relay, The Exorcism) as Jake, Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Emilia Perez) as Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver (Call Jane, The Good House) as Kiri, Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe, The Optimist) as Quaritch, and Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones-TV, Anchor and Hope) as Varang; this action, adventure, fantasy sequel was visually breathtaking. The action scenes were intense with many moving parts in them, that it almost became overwhelming. I found the creativity amazing in the creatures and landscapes. However, as for the story, it was predictable with little variance to the previous films, to the point where it offered nothing new or fresh. My interest was kept mostly due to the visual and technical aspects in this science fiction film. And possibly I felt a little more connected to the good vs evil aspect since I saw this during the middle of my bank ordeal.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: One Battle After Another
NEVER DID I HEAR THE SENTENCE, “You can’t eat that because of all the sugar in it,” during my childhood years. However, there was a loose limit on the amount I could eat. My favorite breakfast cereals were the ones that were covered in sugar; flakes, puffed, or rice based, it did not matter to me. My favorite cookies were chocolate chip, and though I knew a few friends and relatives who could finish an entire box of them in one sitting, I understood that was not a “good” thing to do. So, I usually would stop a third of the way down unless someone made a comment about my weight. I remember whenever there was a discussion among adults about any food that was not good for you, an elderly relative or friends’s grandparent would comment on how they ate that kind of food when they were young, and they are just fine. None of my friends had any type of restrictions placed on them for what kinds of food they could not eat. In fact, it was not until sixth or seventh grade when a transfer student took out of their lunch bag a piece of fruit for their dessert. All of us sitting around her just stared at her eating it, while we were chewing our cookies or cupcakes. IT WAS NOT UNTIL FRIENDS AND relatives of my generation started having children, that food items were being scrutinized more to determine if the item was good for their child. As the years progressed, I noticed certain games and activities I used to play as a kid were now considered unsafe. Playing outside after the sun set, was frowned upon. I am not judging any of this, simply observing the changes that have evolved when it comes to protecting one’s child. Another example is Halloween. When I was a kid, I would come home after trick or treating and pour the candy I got into a pile on the dining room table, to pick out the stuff I did not like to give to family members. The remaining candy I kept in a bag and would eat it. Children today can no longer do such a thing without their parents checking to make sure none of the items had been tampered with before allowing their child to eat it. Another thing I have seen are parents keeping track of their children via their cell phones. There have been a few parents I have met who have been extreme with their protection, but none have come close to the parent in this action crime thriller. AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE, A group of ex-revolutionaries have to go on the run when their old enemy resurfaces. With Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, Killers of the Flower Moon) as Bob, Sean Penn (Licorice Pizza, Mystic River) as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, No Sudden Move) as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos, Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One, The Book of Clarence) as Perfidia, and Regina Hall (Girls Trip, Scary Movie franchise) as Deandra; this comedic drama had an outstanding cast of actors who made the story come alive. Each one was at the top of their game which made watching this film a total treat. The story was part satire, part political, part family and the other things I mentioned before; I found it relevant and entertaining. Over 2 1/2 hours, I did find it a bit long, but this was a minor issue for me. It has been some time since I felt comfortable to say I can see this film getting a couple of Oscar nominations.
3 1/2 stars
PS: I will be on holiday for the next several weeks, returning just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe and be well.
Flash Movie Review: The Naked Gun
HUMOR IS SUCH A FLUID EMOTION; at least I think so. With the different styles of humor, not everyone finds the same things funny. For example, I do not much care for slapstick or physical types of humor. Where someone trips or falls down a flight of stairs, I do not find the humor in such things. However, I know a person who cannot stop laughing at such things. A friend of their’s slipped on the way down a staircase, and wound up bumping all the way down on their backside! My friend could not stop laughing; though, they at least were able to get these words out between the guffaws, “Are you ok?” Oddly, I used to love the cartoons of a road runner bird versus a coyote. If you are not familiar with them, the coyote would come up with different kind of traps to capture the bird, but they would always backfire. The reason I loved this cartoon was not for these scenarios but the inventions and ingenuity the coyote used in setting the traps. And as you know, in cartoon world, the character never dies; so no matter how many explosions, falls, and fire bombs the coyote experienced, they always survived. MY TYPE OF HUMOR IS MORE esoteric. One may need to think about it or imagine it as it is being told to you. I also enjoy stories where certain words or phrases can have two meanings a/k/a double entendres. One liner jokes is another form of humor that I am fond of, from the likes of Rodney Dangerfield to Joan Rivers to Don Rickles, for example. As I grew older, I discovered the art of story telling humor, and especially satire. i had a relative who had such a dry sense of humor that I always loved. It takes real skill to spin a story and make it both relatable, funny, and at times absurd. Now, though I do not have a problem with profanity being used by some comedians, I strongly dislike when “dirty” and derogatory words are peppered throughout one’s act. Referring to females with the “B” word is not funny to me. If I am at a comedy club or attending a comedian’s concert, I used to feel awkward when everyone around me was laughing while I just sat still with no emotion coming out of me. When I became an adult, I learned how to fake a laugh and put an amused look on my face. Gratefully, I don’t do that anymore because I am not intimidated by being the only person not reacting to a comedian’s joke. Not that it was an issue for me while watching this action, crime comedy reboot. FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS, A detective uses his special skills to try and save the world. With Liam Neeson (Marlowe, In the Land of Saints and Sinners) as Frank Drebin Jr., Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl, City Hunter) as Beth Davenport, Paul Walter Hauser (The Luckiest Man in America, Queenpins) as Ed Hocken Jr., Danny Huston (The Crow, The Dead Don’t Hurt) as Richard Cane, and CCH Pounder (RoboCop 3, NCIS: New Orleans-TV) as Chief Davis; this slapstick satire worked because of Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Having Liam in this role was genius because of his tough serious guy persona, and the chemistry between him and Pamela made it easy for each to play off of the other. I liked the way the story brought in elements of the original franchise, and the jokes and gags were non-stop. Not necessarily my type of humor for the most part; however, there were a few times where I chuckled during a scene. All in all, this picture was a short and tidy piece that accomplished what it set out to do. Nothing new or astonishing, just a bit of nostalgia that hoped it would get a laugh out of the viewer.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
WHEN MY FRIEND SHOWED ME THE package of crackers he was buying to try at home, he had no idea what memories billowed inside of my brain. I took one look at the package and felt myself hurdling back past decades of living to when I was in elementary school, at the time when I was in 4th or 5th grade. Living one block away from the school, I would walk home for lunch, having been entrusted with my very own set of house keys for some time. Being aware that I was overweight compared to most students in my class, I came up with a plan to lose weight. For lunch, I would have a cup of chicken bouillon. You may not be familiar on how this was made. We had a jar in the pantry that had foiled wrapped cubes in it. If you did not know better, you might think they were sugar cubes; they were about the same size and they pretty much were handled the same way as sugar cubes. I would unwrap one cube and drop the brownish colored cube into a cup. Running the hot water faucet until it was as hot as possible, I would decrease the flow and fill up the cup. By stirring the contents with a spoon, the cube would dissolve, turning the water into a chicken flavored broth. With it, I would have a couple of these same crackers with a piece of cheese folded on top. For the whole semester, this was my standard lunch. I was surprised how vivid this memory remained in my mind all these years. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER EXPERIENCING THAT flashback, I was sitting on the train, going down into the city. Across from me sat a young professionally dressed woman. What caught my eye about her was the purse that was lying on her lap. It appeared to be made of leather, but the front flap that was the same size dimensions of the purse had plastic, or some similar material, dots lined up in perfect horizontal rows down the whole flap. Seeing those dots immediately reminded me of one of my favorite candies I would always eat—candy dots; at least that is what my friends and I would call it. The dots were somehow attached to strips of white paper that was then folded or rolled up. One would purchase them by the strip. I loved this candy; sometimes peeling each candy with my fingers one at a time to eat, or I would bring the strip of paper up to my mouth and use my lips to pluck the candy off. Sometimes I would eat them by color; the purple ones first then the yellow and so on, other times in rows. Depending on which way I chose to eat them determined how long they would last; it was like a little game for me to play. Such two vivid memories stayed and carried me into the viewing of this action science fiction adventure. WARNED ABOUT A CATASTROPHIC DANGER APPROACHING Earth, the Fantastic Four decide to take the fight to “them.” They did not know the fight was going to be personal. With Pedro Pascal (Eddington, The Uninvited) as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman, The Crown-TV) as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Hold Your Breath, The Bear-TV) as Ben Grimm, Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II, A Quiet Place: Day One) as Johnny Storm, and Julia Garner (The Assistant, The Royal Hotel) as Shalla-Bal; this superhero reboot was a fresh take from the original film. What sold me on it was the retro vibe and cast; I felt as if I was a kid again watching The Jetsons cartoon series. The sets were something out of the original Tomorrowland theme park. As for the script, it was decent with some humor, a couple of thrills, some drama, and a touch of excitement. Nothing too extreme on either end of good or bad. In other words, it was a good film, not a great one. I did have a fun time watching it, even if a portion of that fun was for nostalgic reasons. Also, I think it would be a better viewing experience if one could see this picture on the big screen. I am hopeful that with the two extra post credit scenes, this movie was the starting point for making deeper, fuller, and more complete installments.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Superman
A PILE OF HAND-ME-DOWN comic books was my first introduction to Superman. I read and reread them many times over until I started buying comic books at the local five and dime store in our neighborhood. Superman’s strength was what attracted me to him, along with his X-ray vision. Not being much of an athletic kid, I wished I had muscles like Superman. The reason I wanted his X-ray vision was so I could spot someone hiding to ambush me when I was walking home from school. From allowances and getting money for returning soda bottle for the deposit, I bought every issue that came out. Besides Superman, I had enough money to buy Batman comics which was my other obsession. The array of gadgets Batman had always fascinated me. I think my thrill for fast cars was due to the Batmobile. Though, it was a toss-up for which car I liked better: James Bond’s car or Batman’s, both were equipped with amazing inventive tricks like machines guns hidden behind headlights, smokescreens and rocket launchers. Whether it was Superman or Batman, I loved all the special abilities they utilized in fighting “bad guys.” One of my biggest regrets was selling my comic books from my summer lemonade stands; little did I know how much they would be worth today. DESPITE ALL THE READING I DID of Superman, I did not focus on his ability to fly until I saw the live action television show. Seeing an actual person flying, sparked my imagination and desires. As a little kid, I thought the actor was actually flying. Now, whenever I happen to see a clip of the old television show, it looks more like Superman is just lying on a flat surface and either strings or a fan is making his cape move, to look like the wind is blowing it. I had dreams about flying; most of the time I was flying to escape getting picked on or beaten up. Summer days, I would sit out on our back porch and study the height of the trees nearby, wondering what would be a safe height for me to practice flying. Of course, my imagination was fully engaged with ideas about building some type of apparatus to help me fly. I thought about the possibility of attaching fabric to wing shaped wooden frames that I could build, then strapping them on my arms with belts. Or, maybe having someone sew fabric directly to my jeans and shirt so that the wind could get in it and float me up like a kite. Gratefully, I never acted on any of these thoughts that I just realized got nudged in my brain after seeing this action, superhero adventure. CONFLICTED BETWEEN HIS HERITAGE AND HUMAN upbringing was not the only thing that was causing Superman/Clark Kent, played by David Corenswet (Twisters, The Greatest Hits) stress and grief. Encountering a being as strong as himself was something new. With Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-TV) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, The Order) as Lex Luthor, Alan Tidy (The Trouble with Jessica, Resident Alien-TV) as Gary, and Bradley Cooper (Maestro, Nightmare Alley) as Jor-El; this reboot’s script was written for today’s current climate, with dashes of humor thrown in. The CGI dog was strictly there for comic relief. I was conflicted by this mix and wished there had been a stronger sense of doom in the plot. Though the actors did a good job, I felt their characters were a bit cartoonish and not fully fleshed out. At some point it seemed the scenes were jumping from one action fight to another. Maybe the intention was to make Superman more human, which I do not have an issue with, but I like my superhero characters to have a stronger foundation. Overall, I enjoyed watching this picture and felt everyone involved did a good job. Maybe I was hoping for a great job instead.
3 stars
moviejoltz 