Iâve got a lot of opinions. Anyone who follows me on Facebook or Twitter or in real life knows this. I constantly want to talk about things that are going on in the world of entertainment, but I need an outlet. Thatâs what this is for. Every week, Iâll give you my thoughts and impressions on the biggest pieces of entertainment news, from trailers, to promotional images, to breaking news stories. Iâll even provide short reviews or impressions of the things Iâm watching, reading, playing, and listening to every week. So sit back, relax, and get swept up in the swirling vortex that is⌠Opinionado!
Justice League (Trailer 1)
Whoo boy. Starting off with a doozy, huh? This was probably the most anticipated trailer on the planet. Even before Batman v Supermanâs release, fans and critics alike have been wondering âWhat the hell is that Justice League movie going to look like?â Turns out, the answer is âLike a Zack Snyder filmâ. Itâs got the incoherent action, the muted colors, overall grimy texture, and the copious amounts of slow-mo. The only thing this doesnât have is Malick-like shots of wonder and Christ imagery. Iâve watched this thing a few times now and tonally itâs just all over the place. The film LOOKS exactly like a sequel to BvS would be expected to look, but theyâve sprinkled in a bunch of âlight-heartedâ attempts at humor (some of which works and some of which doesnât) and layered the whole thing in a cheesy, rock-version of The Beatlesâ âCome Togetherâ because apparently Beastie Boysâ âUniteâ would have been too on the nose. Look, itâs no secret that Iâm not a fan of how Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder have handled the DC Extended Universe. I want them to succeed, because I actually like DC Comics and their characters and storylines, but I also want them to fail so that they can just start the whole thing over from scratch and do it the right way. I have no idea if Wonder Woman will be good (although the skeptic in me says to not get your hopes up), but Iâm almost positive that Justice League will not be a good film. I hope Iâm wrong â I actually like what theyâve done with Aquaman and the Flash, and I think Cavill, Affleck, and Gadot are actually a great central trinity â but man, some parts of this trailer look really bad! Cyborg is just awful on every level (is his costume still rendering?) and the set pieces in this thing just look so dreary. Itâs like someone took Return of the King and turned down the saturation. And really, âCome Togetherâ? Damn.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (Trailer 2)
âIf youâre nothing without this suit, then you shouldnât have it.â CHILLS. Man, I am so ready for a good Spider-Man movie, and I really hope thatâs what this is. Itâs not the Marvel film Iâm most excited about this year (that honour goes to Thor: Ragnarok), but Iâm cautiously optimistic. I think that Tom Holland is a great Peter Parker, and Iâm geeking out that Spider-Man will get to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I mean, could anyone else sell that âFriendly neighborhood Spider-Manâ line the way that Robert Downey Jr. sells it? I donât think so. I love the whole âJohn Hughes with superpowersâ thing, especially since I just saw the same thing done quite effectively in Power Rangers. We havenât see much from the extended cast yet (remember that Donald Glover, Martin Starr, Hannibal Buress, Tyne Daly, Kenneth Choi, Tony Revolori, and Logan-Marshall-Green are all in this movie and I think weâve seen glimpses of maybe2 of them in the two trailers released thus far), but I love the chemistry between Hollandâs Peter and Jacob Batalonâs Ned. Iâm even excited for the Vulture, and I donât like the Vulture as a villain. I havenât been a big fan of any of his iterations, be it revenge-seeking engineer, youth-sucking vampire, acid-spitting mutant or whatever, but I think this works. If anyone can pull this off, itâs Michael âBirdmanâ Keaton himself, and theyâve actually designed a Vulture suit that looks appropriately badass, especially when paired with that vintage military flight jacket. Iâm excited to see where they take this whole thing.
A Ghost Story (Trailer 1)
Every now and then, there are movies that I hear enough good things about that I decide to abstain from watching their trailers. I did this for Arrival, I did it for Split (after seeing the initial trailer), Iâm doing it for Colossal, and now Iâm going to do it for A Ghost Story. So no, I havenât watched this trailer yet, but Iâm been assured that itâs a good one. Watch it, or donât. Your choice.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Trailer 2)
Man, I have no idea what to make of this movie, but I think I love it? Itâs like Terry Gilliam, Baz Luhrmann, and Guillermo Del Toro got together to direct a pastiche of Star Wars, Jupiter Ascending, Moulin Rouge, Guardians of the Galaxy, John Carter, The Fifth Element, and Doctor Who. Itâs so wacky and colorful and fun. I have absolutely no familiarity with the source material, but even if it fails completely on a plot and/or characters front, I need to see it on the biggest screen possible on opening night.
I donât have much to say about this one other than, uh, creepy. This looks to be right up my alley. I believe weâre going through a bit of a horror renaissance right now, and this looks like a strong contender to join the ranks of It Follows, The Babadook, The Witch, Get Out, and the rest.
Nope nope nope nope nope nope NOPE. That was my initial reaction to this trailer. Actually, I think my initial reaction was âholy shitâ. But that doesnât matter. What matters is that this looks absolutely terrifying. Iâm haunted by the image I saw as a child of a clown in a sewer grate, and this brings that right back to the surface. I get chills watching this thing. I know people are upset that Cary Fukunaga walked away from this project because they wouldnât let him make the movie he wanted to make, but that doesnât necessarily damn the movie. We were all upset about Edgar Wright leaving Ant-Man, but that movie turned out great. Iâm not saying that Fukunagaâs It wouldnât have been better, but that doesnât mean that this one will be bad. Pennywise looks insanely creepy and the movie looks like it has been very well shot. I even kind of want to read the book now, which is insane, because Iâm pretty sure itâs like, 8000 pages long.
I mean, she looks great. Thatâs my opinion on this. She looks good. Thatâs really all we know, but itâs a good sign, right?
Sony Is Making Their Own Marvel Cinematic Universe (News)
If you havenât already heard, this past month, Sony announced plans to release two new comic book movies in 2018 â an R-rated Venom film and a Black Cat/Silver Sable team-up film. If you donât know who any of these characters are, thatâs okay â most people who arenât Spider-Man fans wouldnât recognize them, which is why itâs weird that Sony is betting hundreds of millions of dollars that people will flock to the theaters next year to see them. Back when Sony was still producing those decidedly not-amazing Amazing Spider-Man films, they had plans for a grand web of interlocking Spider-Man films â a Spider-Man Cinematic Universe, if you will. They were in development on a Sinister Six film, a Venom film, and a female-led Spider-Man film. And then the Sony hack happened, and all of these details leaked out, and Sony began to tank. They ended up teaming with Marvel Studios to produce a new series of Spider-Man films that would tie into Marvelâs Cinematic Universe, the first of which, Spider-Man: Homecoming, comes out in July. We all assumed that Sonyâs dream of a Spider-Man cinematic universe had died, because it just doesnât really make sense to do that without Spider-Man. Well, you know what they say about assuming, right? As it turns out, Sony is charging full steam ahead of producing a number of Spider-Man spin-off films that will be, in no way, associated with Spider-Man: Homecoming or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And thatâs certainly⌠a choice. This is⌠this is maybe one of the more misguided decisions Iâve seen a studio make recently. I mean, I think DC is making a ton of mistakes with their cinematic universe, but at least they have access to all of their characters. Venom was designed to be Spider-Manâs foil. Black Cat was introduced as a love interest for Spidey. What are these characters without their shared history with Spider-Man? Imagine if DC made a Catwoman movie that had nothing to do with Bat-what? Oh, they did that already? Well how did it do? Oh. OH. Well⌠yeah. Then I expect these to do about as well as that did. Good luck Sony. Youâll need it.
Joss Whedon is Directing a Batgirl Movie (News)
Chances are if you know me, you already know how I feel about this news. My feelings towards the DC Extended Universe can be summed up with one Shania Twain song:
As Iâve said before, Iâm torn on the DCEU â on the one hand, Iâd love to see good movies based on DC characters, but on the other hand, I donât want to see future movies saddled with the garbage continuity theyâve established thus far. I want a fresh start. Rebuild it from the ground up. Donât build your home on a dubious foundation like Batman v Superman. Alas, Suicide Squad made enough money to keep this failed experiment afloat and Iâm sure Wonder Woman and Justice League will help matters, regardless of their quality. With each passing day, Iâm more and more convinced that weâre stuck with what weâve got, but I canât shake the feeling that everything Warner Bros. is doing is misguided. Did you know there are currently 18 DC films in various stages of development? Of those 18, only 6 have dates, and only 3 of those 6 have officially entered production. Itâs absolutely bonkers. There is constantly so much drama going on behind the scenes of these things â the rumor mill is constantly churning, and it would be easy to just disregard it all if Warner Bros. didnât have a history of driving talent away from their DC franchises (Iâm looking at you The Flash). Iâm not even sure itâs worth formulating an opinion over Whedonâs Batgirl film because the chances of a) it actually happening and b) Whedon being involved are so slim that it feels pointless. Will I watch a Batgirl film directed by Joss Whedon? Absolutely. Iâll watch anything by Joss Whedon. Would I rather he not make a Batgirl film and do something else instead? Absolutely. Will I get my wish? Probably! Who knows? Come see me in a year if Whedon is still attached to this stupid thing.
Review â Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Look, thereâs been a lot of controversy surrounding this anime adaptation and the whitewashing it contains. I wonât defend it, but I also understand the decisions that lead to this point. Iâm not going to say anymore on that here because frankly, I have no authority to do so. I also donât have the authority to speak on this film as an adaptation. Iâm not a big anime guy. I havenât seen any of the source material. In fact, I skipped out on watching the original film specifically because I wanted to judge Ghost in the Shell on its own merits. So what did I think? I thought it was good! Not great, just good. I enjoyed my time with it. Itâs not going to win any awards for plot or characterization â it raises some interesting questions that it never gets around to answering â but it sure looks nice. The production design is just fantastic. The effects, the sets, the cinematography â this is a nice film to look at it. I kind of want to see it again in IMAX for that reason alone. If youâre looking for some entertaining eye candy, you could do a lot worse than Ghost in the Shell. If youâre looking for a deep, philosophical sci-fi film thatâs going to blow your mind, look elsewhere.
Black Lightning Gets a Costume (Promo)
In case you werenât aware, The CW is getting a fifth (FIFTH!) DC superhero show in Black Lightning. Itâs unclear as of now whether or not Black Lightning would exist as a part of The CWâs Arrowverse, as it was initially developed for Fox, who passed on the script. The pilot is currently filming in Atlanta and we now have our first look at Cress Williams in costume as Black Lightning, and itâs⌠busy. Aesthetically, it actually fits in well with the rest of The CWâs superhero shows. They continue to go in a completely different direction than Marvel Television, who seem intent on downplaying as many costume elements as they can (just check out the leaked set photos from the Inhumans). Many have remarked that this would be a better costume for the Inhumansâ Black Bolt, but⌠weâll get to that when weâve got an official still from that production.
ReBoot Reboot is Official (News)
As a kid, I adored Reboot. The first computer animated TV series, ReBoot was revolutionary from an industry standpoint, but it was also revolutionary to me from a storytelling standpoint. ReBoot, along with its sister-series Beast Wars (or Beasties, for us Canadians) showed me that kids show didnât have to be dumbed down. Both seriesâ featured dark, mature storylines, with character deaths and plot twists. A lot of my storytelling proclivities were formed during this period and they greatly influenced me. So itâs with a heavy heart that I must announce that ReBoot is returning as a CGI/live-action hybrid. Who is this for? People have been clamoring for more ReBoot for years, and every now and then weâll hear something about an eventual ReBoot reboot, but now itâs officially official and I donât think itâs what anyone wants. Instead of a straight sequel or a re-imaging, weâre getting some weird thing about teens who play an MMO and get tasked with protecting⌠cyberspace or something. I donât know. It sounds really stupid. One of the characterâs names is âGoogâzâ. GOOGâZ! Apparently the original characters will play some sort of role, but I just donât really have any interest in seeing human characters. Am I the only one? I hope Iâm wrong! But Iâm never wrong. My opinions are always right (re: DCEU).
Legion Season 1 (Impressions)
I recently finished the first season of FXâs Legion, and⌠yâall should watch Legion. It is such a unique, gem of a show. I donât want to spoil any of the weird, little things that make it so special, but I will say that the acting, the music, and the production values are all top-notch. It quickly became one of my favorite currently airing programs. Things start off weird and only get weirder, but the payoff is worth it. This is a Noah Hawley (Fargo) show based on the X-Men franchise. I shouldnât have to convince you to watch it.
Attack on Titan Season 2 Premiere (Impressions)
Itâs time. Time⌠for anime! Iâve never been a big anime fan, but one of the few shows that I had actually watched was Attack on Titan. I go to anime for weird, crazy things that I canât get from American films and TV shows, and Attack on Titan fits that bill. It takes place in a world in which humanity has been driven into near-extinction by a race of mindless, titanic, naked men. Yeah, you read that correctly. The remnants of humanity hide behind 3 massive, concentric walls that protect them from these titans, but theyâre forced to fight when a colossal titan breaks through the gate. They fight using these aerial maneuvering devices that utilize gas-powered harpoons attached to ropes to swing through cities and forests like Spider-Man. Itâs as crazy as it sounds. Itâs ridiculous, intense, disturbing, and graphically violent. I love it. After a 3+ year wait, season 2 has finally premiered, and the insanity has continued. There are a couple great twists in the first episode and I canât wait to see where things go from here.
Destiny 2 (Worldwide Reveal Trailer)
I, like many others, have a love/hate relationship with Destiny (both the game and the universal force). Prior to its release, I had it in my mind that we were getting something along the lines of âepic space opera of Mass Effect meets combat of Haloâ. What I didnât expect was âfirst-person sci-fi Diablo with less storyâ. Itâs a very nice looking game with interesting art design, itâs got a good world with plenty of lore to discover, and the gameplay actually feels great â itâs just that none of that ever coalesced into a really great whole. The pieces are (mostly) there, but they were never arranged properly. The fun was mired by confusing systems and weird restrictions. I think there is a great game lurking somewhere in Destiny (and Iâve certainly sunk enough hours into it), so Iâm hopeful that Bungie figures things out with Destiny 2. I think I like this trailer? The tone is a little off though; it feels like itâs trying way too hard to be whatever it thinks people want. Iâm holding off judgment until we learn more about what the game actually is and how it differs from the first entry.
Kendrick Lamar â âHumbleâ
Okay, first of all, the song is straight fire. Second, does anyone else feel like Kendrick watched Beyonceâs Lemonade and thought âI can do thatâ? Not that this 3-minute video necessarily stands alongside Beyonceâs opus, but it certainly seems to be inspired by it. The video is filled with fascinating imagery and interesting camera shots. Iâm not smart enough to begin to understand what any of it means, but it sure looks great, doesnât it? It inspires hope in me that Iâll actually enjoy Kendrickâs new album after feeling let down by To Pimp A Butterfly. Yeah, thatâs right. Come at my haters.
Broken Social Scene â âHalfway Homeâ
I was a huge Broken Social Scene fan back in high school, and they, along with Arcade Fire, basically shaped my taste in music during the mid-to-late 2000âs. I was a fan of just about anything the Arts & Crafts label released, and at one point I was basically buying all of it (even though I ended up with many CDâs I disliked and would never listen to again). I thought that I had outgrown Broken Social Scene, but it sure brings a smile to my face to see them all performing on stage again. BSS concerts are a special experience, because itâs literally just a group of friends playing music together on stage. Thereâs a purity and an intimacy to it that you donât get from big, packaged concerts. Iâm not sure I really dig the song all that much, but Iâm glad that Broken Social Scene is back regardless. âFriendship ladies and gentlemen, friendship!â
The start of a new series in which I share my opinions on the entertainment news of the week. Iâve got a lot of opinions. Anyone who follows me on Facebook or Twitter or in real life knows this.
