Action

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
When it comes to mass volley of Spider-Man movies, I confess that I am guilty of being “that guy.” I have complained that there have been too many Spider-Man movies, too many origin stories, too many reiterations of the same idea all spinning around and around, like The Wheel of Samsara, casting this iconic hero […]

No Time to Die (2021)
It is probably well to note right away that No Time to Die, the 25 James Bond adventure, is not going to please many purists. Those who have picked and prodded through every nook and cranny of this long-running series, or those who view it as comfort food, are going to walk away with mixed […]

The Suicide Squad (2021)
I don’t want to be this guy. I don’t want to be the guy who persistently compares the DC Cinematic Universe to its spiritual cousin over there at Disney+. But I feel that I am given no choice. The two are working in the same medium but while the MCU greets me with the warmth […]

Black Widow (2021)
Watching Marvel’s pandemic-delayed Black Widow, it’s hard get away from the feeling that it seems to be slightly out of date – by, say, five years. I don’t mean that to sound harsh, this movie is slightly better than I had expected but given real-world events, the current chronology of the Marvel Universe, and justified […]

Mortal Kombat (2021)
I come to the 2021 edition of Mortal Kombat only with vague memories of having played “Mortal Kombat II” on the Sega Genesis, and a modest affection for the first screen attempt back in 1995. From what I recall, I played the game routinely without having what you might call a fixation. I recall that […]

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
I offer up a ringing endorsement of Godzilla vs. Kong based on a rating that some might accuse of being generous. I don’t think so. The movie is about as much fun as one could have at a movie featuring a towering battle between Godzilla and King Kong – you get what you pay for. […]

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
I feel it necessary to enter into a review of Zack Snyder’s Justice League by noting that I am not unsympathetic. I’m not giving the film a favorable review but I completely understand why Snyder felt compelled to return to a project that he had to abandon four-years ago after the death of his daughter. […]

Unholy Relics: Appreciating the Goofy Charm of ‘Batman the Movie’ at 55
As a movie and as a TV series “Batman” belongs in a time capsule, not of Batman lore but of a loving tribute to the pop sensation of the swinging 60s. To watch it again after almost 50 years is to be reminded of a time when television – and for that matter pop culture […]