Friday, July 11, 2025

Superman


After the opening weekend of Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, I heard a local radio personality say, “This weekend I went to see a movie. There were apes in it. That’s good enough for me.” I felt the same way. I went to the theater. I was entertained. That was good enough for me.

But nobody really remembers this version of Planet of the Apes. It has largely been forgotten. Why? Because the movie had no depth. Despite some entertaining action sequences, it felt rather shallow. The characters weren’t particularly interesting or complex, so we had no reason to root for them—or to want to see them in a sequel. It paled in comparison to both the original and the reboot that would follow in 2011.

The 2025 version of Superman is about as intellectually satisfying as a bag of popcorn. The story can be summarized like this: Superman gets beat up a few times by powerful enemies, finds a way to win, saves a few people along the way, and patches up his relationship with Lois Lane. That’s it.

The movie introduces many characters but doesn’t give them enough screen time for us to get to know them.

Superman’s parents are portrayed as loving country folk, but the film doesn’t give us much reason to care about them.

Nicholas Hoult starts out strong as Lex Luthor, but toward the end, his character also feels shallow.

David Corenswet makes a decent Superman. He shows the most emotional depth of any character in the film, but he doesn’t feel as authentic as Christopher Reeve or Henry Cavill, both of whom embodied the character more convincingly, both physically and emotionally.

This movie is all about action, not characters—and that’s a major shortcoming. It tries to do too much, throwing so much at the audience that we’re not supposed to notice the lack of emotional connection.

The ending fails to stick the landing. It wraps up with a series of news clips meant to tie everything together, but it feels way too rushed.

Rating: B-

I much prefer Man of Steel, which feels more like a genuine science fiction film than most Superman movies. I even prefer Superman Returns for its character development.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Star Wars Cannot Survive Without George Lucas


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lgqNI36usE

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
Although I agree with the main point, the prequel trilogy was mostly very good.  There might have been a few flaws, but the good parts far outweigh any awkward parts.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Re: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Paycheck For Every Movie He Ever Made

I started watching the first Predator movie with my stepdad.  He didn't like it, so we stopped.  This would be a mediocre movie if it weren't for Arnold Schwarzenegger.  His physicality and personality make the movie work.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Well, This is Embarrassing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDJ7QXHXkrE&t=129s

@john2001plus
I watched the first movie 48 years ago this month.  I was so impressed that I saw it several times before The Empire Strikes Back came out.

Friday, June 13, 2025

STAR WARS Un-Disneyfied - Andor

The whole video is a great summary of why Andor is great, but here is the short version...

Tony Gilroy defends the purpose/intent of Andor


@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I've seen a few YouTubers claim that the authoritarian oppressors in Andor somehow represent capitalists, and that the Ghormans were fighting against capitalism. However, this doesn't make much sense. Supporters of a free market typically oppose government oppression—it's as if they have it backward.

Everyone has their boogeyman: the Right tends to fear the government, while the Left has traditionally been wary of corporations.  

Mark Hamill Addresses Rumor That He Quit ‘Star Wars’

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

All Star Wars Movies and Shows in Chronological Order

All Star Wars Movies and Shows in Chronological Order

  • Rumored Old Republic Movie, set hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace, is scheduled to be released in 2027 or 2028.

  • The Acolyte (TV series – Very flawed and barely passable as entertainment, but I liked most of it.)

  • The Phantom Menace (I think it's underappreciated; many fans didn't like it.)

  • Attack of the Clones (Despite some hokey dialogue that fans hated, I think it's really good.)

  • The Clone Wars (Excellent animated series. It started as a just okay animated movie shown in theaters.)

  • Star Wars: Visions (Japanese anime-style shorts; it's pretty good.)

  • Tales of the Jedi (Well-done animated shorts; some feature anime-inspired styles.)

  • Revenge of the Sith (Many regard this as the best of the prequel movies.)

  • Tales of the Empire (Newer animated shorts, some with a Japanese influence.)

  • The Bad Batch (Animated series—fantastic! I've watched it four times.)

  • Star Wars Rebels (Another strong animated series.)

  • Kenobi (TV series – I thought it was good, though many people didn't.)

  • Solo (In my opinion, it's just okay.)

  • Andor (Seasons 1 & 2) (IMO, excellent; a prequel to...)

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Fantastic! This movie leads directly into A New Hope.)

  • A New Hope (The original Star Wars film.)

  • The Empire Strikes Back (My favorite movie.)

  • Return of the Jedi

  • The Mandalorian (Seasons 1 & 2 are great; Season 3 is, at best, just okay.)

  • The Mandalorian and Grogu (Upcoming movie – May 2026)

  • Ahsoka (TV series – I liked it, though many people didn't.)

  • The Force Awakens (First movie of the sequel trilogy. It's good, but many Star Wars fans don't like it.)

  • Star Wars Resistance (Animated and more kid-friendly—most adults don't like it.)

  • The Last Jedi (I found it entertaining despite a few big flaws; most Star Wars fans hate it.)

  • The Rise of Skywalker (Entertaining, but not very logical—many people hate it.)

  • Untitled Rey Movie (Expected December 2026, but may be delayed to 2027.)

  • Other movies are reportedly planned, with some having started production.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

John Boyega says Star Wars has the vibe of being "in the most whitest, elite space"

John Boyega was a fantastic actor in the movie "Attack The Block".  His role in Star Wars was part serious but also part comic relief.   He has been vocal multiple times about how his character was portrayed, but he agreed to play this character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdGGX1HmUbQ


Saturday, March 29, 2025

Where did the RED BRICK ROAD go?!

Ben DESTROYS Walsh's LOTR Review


@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings decades ago. I offended my friends 25 years ago when I said I liked the first LOTR book, but I found the second and third too long and boring. Then the movies came out, and I felt the same way about them. By the time we got close to the end of the third film, I wasn't sure who the characters were or why I should care.

I should give the movies another shot.