Robert Pattinson Officially Cast as Batman

Robert Pattinson Officially Cast as Batman

The journey certainly hasn't been easy, but we made it. After months, if not years, of turmoil surrounding the solo Batman movie, which involved Ben Affleck directing and acting in the feature at one point, Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. finally has their Batman. They have officially announced that former Twilight star Robert Pattinson will take the role as the Caped Crusader in the solo film which will debut in 2021. No other details have been confirmed.

Marc Webb in Talks to Direct Disney Live-Action Snow White

Marc Webb in Talks to Direct Disney Live-Action Snow White

Marc Webb, of recent The Amazing Spider-Man and 500 Days of Summer, notoriety, is being eyed to direct a Disney live-action remake. According to Variety, Webb, who directed the last installments of the web-slinger with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, is being eyed to direct a live-action version of the Disney classic, Snow White. According to sources, this won't be a traditional remake, much in the style of Aladdin or The Lion King, but instead will be a continuation of the story, just in live-action. Disney themselves have not confirmed this report. 

Onward - Teaser Trailer Review

Onward - Teaser Trailer Review

The first teaser for Onward has arrived. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: Know that I have the utmost respect for Disney and Pixar. They have delivered to us some of the best films and pieces of storytelling in the 21st century.

Also know that I have not liked very many trailers put out by Disney and Pixar, completely separate to what I actually think about their work. 

A film that I enjoyed tremendously, The Incredibles 2, I thought had a poor trailer. it was poorly put together and didn't showcase the best elements of the film, instead choosing to go for flashy animation and action. I firmly believe that no matter the quality of the film, Pixar's next endeavor, Toy Story 4, has had awful trailers.

So to me, it came as no surprise that I did not enjoy the first teaser trailer for Onward. Again please keep in mind that this will have no bearing on my opinion of the film come its release. In fact, I love Pixar's original content (Inside Out and Coco) much more than their sequels. But this trailer didn't do it for me.

The second the trailer started, I instantly got vibes from The Good Dinosaur (one of the few Pixar films that I don't quite enjoy). The concept of "what happens if society turned out differently". Now granted, we didn't get to see much. We mostly saw establishing shots and images of the setting. We only get to see our two main characters towards the end of the trailer, elven brothers played by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland.

But even their interaction felt stilted and unnatural. It felt like they were reading off a script more than they were naturally having a conversation.

The design of the characters and the premise seems interesting enough, but it just didn't appeal to me from the get-go.

Did it Raise Excitement? I'm a little tentative going into the movie after seeing the trailer. It didn't do anything necessarily egregious, no, but it felt so unlike Pixar and Disney to put out content like this. 

Trailer Rating: 4/10

Aladdin (2019) - Review: It May Not Be a Whole New World, But It's Definitely One Worth Experiencing Regardless

Aladdin (2019) - Review: It May Not Be a Whole New World, But It's Definitely One Worth Experiencing Regardless

Release date (US): May 24th, 2019

Starring: Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrard

**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind. 

The Review

Out of all the Disney films that they could have remade, Aladdin would not have been on the top of the list. I knew eventually that this one would be remade, but in the same year as The Lion King? I thought there were perhaps three or four other choices for a film to be turned into a live-action spectacle. But regardless, Disney decided to go with the Arabian street-rat-turned-prince that charmed both Princess Jasmine and audiences all across the globe in the 90s. 

But the film didn't get off to the best start when hiring Guy Ritchie, who has a very distinctly un-Disney style, and Will Smith as the Genie. The Will Smith casting, unfairly in my humble opinion, was greeted with hate, especially after the first trailer was released. Now, I will be the first to admit (and you can scroll through the archives of this website to find my trailer reviews) that I did not like the trailers for this movie. BUT, there's a difference between not liking the trailers and not liking what I saw IN the trailers. I told everyone, over and over again, the trailers are not bad because of the content; I thought the content looked spectacular (Naomi Scott's voice was stunning). I thought the editing team was squarely to blame, for not cutting an actual trailer, but cutting a montage of "best of" shots from the movie. 

Regardless, I went into the movie with relatively high hopes. And for whatever combination of reasons and mixture of elements that this film conjured, I loved this film. I had one of the best theater experiences of my life watching this movie. 

Let me preface this by saying, as blasphemous as this might be, that I haven't seen the original, or at least, not recently enough to remember anything about it. It must be ten years or more since I last saw the animated classic. So I went into this movie only knowing some very, very general things (like A Whole New World, Friend Like Me, and the basic main characters). Whether or not that made me enjoy this movie more, or less than I would've if I had seen the original, I'm not sure. But regardless of those external factors, I had an amazing time with Aladdin.

The film wouldn't work without two well-cast leads. There was a lot riding on the shoulders of Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott, not only to deliver a performance worthy of the original, but to carve their own space in the Disney-verse. And they both did an excellent job. I was less worried about Naomi Scott; from what I saw in the marketing, Scott was everything that Jasmine seemed to be in the original, just grounded in reality. Her singing voice is outstanding. She sings with an air of confidence and authority that rivals any other Disney female lead. But Mena Massoud was more of a wild card for me. From the marketing, it almost looked like they were trying to hide his lines and his dialogue.

Which is extremely odd to me considering the fact that I found Massoud to be as good of an Aladdin as they could have gotten. He had a rougeish charm that was necessary for a character who spent his life on the streets. And yet, he mixed just the right amount of gold-hearted protagonist to be the star of the film. While he doesn't sing nearly as well as Scott does (when they're singing duets, it's noticeable), he's a good singer in his own rights and does well in his solo numbers, like the beginning of A Whole New World and One Jump.

And let's talk about Will Smith for a second shall we? Smith was easily one of the most controversial parts of the marketing and promotional campaign, there is no denying that. From the poor CGI in the trailers to the noticeable Will Smith-isms, people were scratching their heads, wondering whether or not he was the right choice to take the mantle of the irreplaceable Robin Williams. But despite all of that, watching the movie for what it is, Will Smith stole every single scene that he was in. Was he "Will Smith" in a lot of the scenes? Absolutely - there's no denying that he has a certain brand of charisma that's almost unmistakable. But then again, so was Robin Williams. What's great about both is that they both put their unique stamp on the character.

Aside from the performance, yes the CGI isn't great. What they gave us in the trailers is essentially what you get in the movie. It's not good, and I would wager at times, it's even bad. It looks like Will Smith painted blue (a shade lighter than he should be, to where it almost looks fluorescent) on a green-screen background. But CGI is only "detrimental" to me when it's distractingly bad. If a film has an overabundance of CGI that takes you out of the movie, then it's worth noting. But for Will Smith, while yes the CGI was not good, it never once took me out of the film. When he first entered the movie, it was a little distracting for the first five seconds, but then my eyes settled and got used to him, and from there, it was smooth sailing.

What also surprised me about the film was the charm and the humor that it had. Each of the characters have an amazing chemistry with each other. Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott's interactions are worthy of the original; you can tell their connection is real and palpable. Naomi Scott in particular acts so incredibly well in the movie, and you really get to see the evolution of her character. Massoud and Smith also have some great interactions. Will's charisma and charm bounce off of Aladdin's stubborn, naive personality that make for some great lines and moments. There's one in particular in the middle of the film that had me laughing for a few minutes - I'm fairly certain that it wasn't in the original, but it worked so well with these characters and the setting.

But how can we talk about Aladdin without talking about the music and the dance sequences. They were all absolutely fantastic. A Whole New World showcases the leads and their voices match so nicely together. The backdrop behind them is reminiscent of the original without the "cartoon"-ish nature of it all. It feels like they're really on a magic carpet, touring Agrabba. Some other great musical numbers were Prince Ali and Friend Like Me. Smith's Friend Like Me is so respectful of Robin Williams' performance and song, while putting his own little flair in it. It was wonderful; Will Smith doesn't necessarily have the best singing voice, but the movie doesn't call for it anyways - Robin Williams himself wasn't a professional singer, and it still worked wonders.

There is one new song in the film, written by the brilliant duo of Pasak and Paul (songwriters for La La Land and The Greatest Showman) called Speechless. It's a solo feature for Naomi Scott that's split into two throughout the film. What I will say about the song itself is that it's brilliant; it showcases Scott's range and singing abilities, while also incorporating some signature compositional choice from Pasak and Paul. But on the whole, while the song itself is amazing, when she started singing it in the film, there were a couple moments where I felt the song and the lyrics were a little too modern and American. The other songs, especially songs like Arabian Nights and Prince Ali have a charm and a tone to them that fit the Middle-Eastern setting. This song felt like it was taken directly out of American Idol, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it is noticeable nonetheless. 

Before the film was released, we got our first look at Jafar in the new iteration of the film. It was certainly a departure from the original; the original saw Jafar as an evil, older sorcerer who was trying to pry the throne from the Sultan. This Jafar is younger, around the same age as Aladdin and Jasmine, and he's a little more cunning. Marwan Kenzari plays the character a little monotone admittedly; there isn't much emotional range from the character, and he never really becomes believably evil at any point. You know in your head that he's the antagonist, but it never quite registers in your mind. Regardless, he does a decent job; if there was ever a weak spot in the performances, it would probably be him.

Having not seen the originals, I was not aware until after the film about some of the major changes that the live action film made to the original. Without spoiling anything, once I realized what they omitted and added, there is a certain sequence that might make fans of the original a little confused and upset. It glosses over a major part of the original, and while I personally thought it worked, it may irritate some. The film relies on the fact that the audience knows the general premise of the movie, but even if you don't, you'll be able to pick up on it extremely quickly. 

Ultimately, this is a film that honors the original in a very, very respectful way, while adding its own flair. There are a couple points where it feels like it may be downright trying to copy the original animated film, but there are many others where it feels fresh; where the actors are allowed to make thees characters their own. For the most part, the new additions to the film only add to it; there weren't many creative choices that they made that I would have disagreed with if I were in charge of the movie.

In Conclusion: Again, not having grown up with the original, I have no nostalgia for it. Thus, I really didn't have much to compare this film with. I knew the basics; but aside from that, I went in clean. And maybe that impacted the way I saw the film, but nevertheless, I enjoyed this movie immensely. From start to finish, I felt invested in the world and it had such a charm that was irresistible. From around the halfway mark, I was waiting for the movie to do something that would cause it to stumble, because I was just having that good of a time with it. But it never really did. It's a feel-good film that will appeal to almost every age, every demographic; while not the whole new world that some may have wanted, Aladdin is absolutely worth watching. 

Lion King Releases Character Posters Ahead of the Film

Lion King Releases Character Posters Ahead of the Film

One of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, Disney's remake of The Lion King, has released character posters, highlighting the protagonists and antagonist that we have come to know and love. Check them out below:

The Lion King hits theaters on July 19th, 2019.

Onward Poster Released, Trailer Coming Tonight

Onward Poster Released, Trailer Coming Tonight

Disney Pixar's new original film, Onward, which is set to hit theaters in 2020, has released a new poster in light of the new official image released yesterday, beginning the promotional campaign for the film. The new poster highlights the two new main characters, played by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. Additionally, the first trailer will be dropped tonight. Check out the poster below.

Onward will hit theaters on March 6th, 2020

Avengers: Endgame - Review: It Couldn't Have Ended Any Other Way

Avengers: Endgame - Review: It Couldn't Have Ended Any Other Way

Release date (US): April 26th, 2019

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin

**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind. 

The Review

It's been 11 years in the making. 21 films leading up to the final 3 hours of what has become an unprecedented feat known as Avengers: Endgame. Everything's been leading to this, the marketing's told us. Every moment, every line, every character culminates in this extravaganza that has resulted in a film that has millions across the globe clamoring to see these heroes, perhaps for the last time.

Just to be completely transparent, this review will have absolutely no spoilers. I will reference only what we knew from the previous 21 films in the MCU as well as what Marvel has shown in the two main trailers that they have released, as well as the "Special Look" that was dropped on the day that tickets went on sale.

And on that note, I have to commend Marvel on their marketing. We don't often talk about marketing in these reviews, but this is a special case for a special movie. This movie was marketed in such a way that you think you have an idea of what's going to go on in the film, but trust me, you don't. Everything you thought you knew, throw it out the window. I'm not insinuating that the scenes themselves are necessarily deceitful. Some may or may not be; but what's even more commendable about the main brunt of the marketing is that they're edited in such a way that you really have no idea what to expect out of the movie. So if you were someone who was worried that you would know something major from the trailers, don't be. The best is yet to come.

And on that note, the best is really saved for the movie. A lot of movies have maybe one or two big "BOOM" moments that define the experience. You walk out of Captain America: Civil War saying "The Airport scene was magnificent!". Or maybe you walk out of Spider-Man: Homecoming saying "The Vulture twist was so unexpected!". That's what Marvel does best. They subvert your expectations. But Avengers: Endgame takes it to a whole new level. Avengers: Endgame has so many of these moments you're almost overwhelmed.

Three hours is a lot of real estate for any movie. There are almost no points in the film where nothing is going on. I would say there could be one scene that I would've shortened down or cut out, but out of 180 minutes, that's truly impressive on the Russo brother's (Joe and Anthony, directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) part. To me, the three hour runtime wasn't a problem AT ALL. In fact, it felt like an hour. It really did. And that's not to say that there weren't any slow moments. People often mistake "slow" for boring, or stagnate, but I think films that have slow moments in the right places and know how to capitalize on emotion are some of the best. There's one scene in particular towards the middle where the characters are just standing around talking. But it's poignant. It feels right because the events have a flow that would lead to a moment like.

But let me be clear; despite the film moving very quickly, it is overwhelming. Again, overwhelming is a word that can be mistaken as negative, and often is. That's not the case with this movie. It is not positive, nor is it negative; but the first time I walked out of the movie, I stood there utterly shocked. I had so many things racing through my mind and it was like my brain was going on overdrive. So many things happen that you're just not quite so sure how to think about it.

Having seen it a second time, I will say that once you know where the story is and where certain plot elements are going in advance, it feels so much more natural. The first time felt like information and visual overload; but once you understand exactly what the Russos were going for, it begins to fall into place (more on how a repeat viewing impacted my experience in another post).

As wonderful as this movie is, and as satisfied as I felt walking out of it, no movie is perfect. Every movie will have some problems with every person. And there were some problems that were actually quite noticeable to me ESPECIALLY in the first half. Because, and as much as I preach that no film is perfect, I do think the SECOND half of the movie is just about perfect. But back to the beginning; I actually thought that there were some subtle editing choices that I disagreed with. There are two transitions that were dragged out and were emphasized way too much, one at the very beginning and one near the thirty minute mark. It's not that the transitions necessarily were bad in themselves. It's that they were so tonally dissonant with the rest of the film. 

Because the first thirty minutes are dark. They really are. You feel the weight of the loss of Infinity War. The characters are almost all in a bad place. But then the Russos make a couple choices that I felt made very little sense, or at the very least, were extremely jarring. They also introduce a plot element that, as much I thought they did everything they could with it, made no sense either. They try to introduce it in a way that's seamless and natural, and to Kevin Feige (head of Marvel Studio) and Marvel's credit, it's not like it came out of nowhere. They did set it up; it's just that the way it's handled throughout the movie is wildly inconsistent. 

But at the end of the day, this film is all about payoff. Payoff, payoff, payoff. The first half is a lot of setup, and thus it's rocky at certain points. There are tonal inconsistencies and there are some moments that don't feel like they belong. But once the movie hits the halfway mark after a very specific plot point happens, it takes off and doesn't touch the ground ever. After that particular moment, there's almost no time to stop and take a breather. And that's what makes the movie so good. It knows when it has a chance to breathe, and when it has that opportunity, it takes it. Where other Marvel films, and just films in general would have skipped over those moments, Endgame takes advantage. Bu the final hour and a half is not that time. The final hour and a half is a mad adrenaline rush that makes you feel like a child all over again.

There's emotion, there's action, there's laughs, tears; the Russos were not kidding when they said that this was the CULMINATION because it really, and truly is. And what's so wonderful about Avengers: Endgame is how surprising it is. Like I alluded to earlier, the trailers don't give anything away. And you're able to go into the films and laugh at all the surprises and gasp along with the rest of the audience. There are a couple surprises that you could tell were coming within the film; they were set up during the setup and paid off later, but there are also moments that paid off throughout the movie that were set up five, ten, even fifteen films prior. That's what makes this film so unprecedented.

While there were some moments of momentary shakiness within the plot, the Russos always know what to do with characters. Here's what I'll say about Avengers: Endgame in terms of characters. There are some characters I felt they botched. One in particular - they made a decision that a lot of people enjoyed and I completely understand why. I didn't. And that's just the subjectivity of film. There is another that I felt they misused - it's not like they made a conscious decision like they did with the other one. It was more them ignoring previous arcs that were set up. But, and this includes these two characters, come the movie's end, each and EVERY character feels like they're where they're supposed to be. Once I begrudgingly got on board with their arcs, when the credits roll and the characters are in various places, I felt that each and every one was fitting.

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are the stars of the movie. They each bring out the best in their characters - Downey especially gets to show off his acting muscles and shows the audience how well he knows his character after playing him several times over 11 years. Evans gets a large amount of screentime, as compared to Avengers: Infinity War,  and he shines as the true leader of the Avengers. There are scenes where you look at him and realize why every single Avenger will follow him into battle, no matter what. 

The supporting cast, especially Johansson as Black Widow, Renner as Clint Barton, Rudd as Scott Lang, and Gillan as Nebula get big, BIG moments to shine. It's interesting to note that all four of these characters barely got, if any, screentime in Infinity War, but Joe and Anthony Russo, as well as screenwrtiers McFeely and Markus give these characters their due. What you really see in a film like Endgame is just how well each actor knows their own character, because they've all inhabited their roles for so long. They have almost become their characters, and that really, and truly shows. 

Josh Brolin also returns as the Mad Titan, Thanos. Without giving anything away, I will say this; Thanos is approached in a very different way than in Infinity War. In Infinity War, he WAS the protagonist - the main character. But in Endgame, it's the Avengers who take center stage. So naturally, he takes a little bit of a backseat. Which is completely okay because after Infinity War, we understand the characters and his motivations, and we don't really need him to be more fleshed out than he is. When he says lines that would be considered cliche and conventional for other Marvel villains, they come off as nuanced, subtle, and impassioned from Brolin's Thanos.

But one player who came to play that reviews seldom talk about is Alan Silvestri. After rewatching Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the original Avengers, it's clear that Silvestri is leaps and bounds better than any other composer in the MCU. And this might be his best one yet. The music in this film is absolutely phenomenal. It's not just that it's good on its own; it is - BUT it plays so well with the moment. I'm listening to a particular track over, and over, and over again because it's a beautifully orchestrated piece of music but also because it brings back memories and evokes deep emotion that I felt during that scene. Silvestri makes this movie so much better; without a good composer, this film would honestly have been so much worse. 

In Conclusion: There is no other way that this movie could have ended. These characters have had long, complicated, human arcs. And by movie's end, you feel so completely fulfilled and satisfied. There is little that you want after seeing this film. Thinking about the fourteen million different ways that Doctor strange saw the future unfolding, this really was the only one that could've worked for the audience. It's bold, it's deep and rich with character and emotion, and it's rewarding. This movie rewards you for seeing the previous 21 movies in ways that you would hardly know you needed. It was hard to envision a world in which this movie stuck the landing as well as it did; but believe me, it did. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Trailer 2 Reivew

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Trailer 2 Review

The second trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home has arrived. Does it deliver? 

**WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: ENDGAME AND POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME LIE AHEAD. DISCRETION IS ADVISED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**

Thoughts: When Tom Holland popped up on the screen to tell us there would be Avengers: Endgame spoilers, I was intrigued. I had no idea what to expect from the trailer that was coming off of what will be the biggest film of all time.

But when the trailer started, I knew that it felt right. We see Peter Parker, and he's really, really weighed down by the loss of his mentor Tony. As is Happy. In fact, the whole world feels it. The entire world is remembering the hero of the past age of Marvel films. But now we have a new set of heroes, and folks, Peter Parker is ready.

We see new shots of the Elementals as Peter and his friends vacation in Europe. All of this, we've either already seen this or have heard of this. But what we haven't seen before is Mysterio's backstory. And THAT'S where this film gets interesting.

Nick Fury explains Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio, came from another dimension that was torn open from the Snap. Peter quickly asks if that means a Multi-Verse, and from there, we're left to wonder - does it actually mean a Multi-Verse?

There are many possibilities with this, and I'll be sure to break them down in a separate post. But for now, this leaves a lot of different ways that the film could go. Which is exciting; one of the great things about Spider-Man: Homecoming were all the surprises that it had in store. And I think this film could have even more. 

Did it Raise Excitement? I'm already super excited for the film. There's not much that could raise excitement. I think the film is going to be great. But I will say that while the film doesn't necessarily raise excitement, it does raise intrigue. I am very, very, very interested to see where this film will go.

Trailer Rating: 7.5/10

It: Chapter 2 - Teaser Review

It: Chapter 2 - Teaser Review

The first teaser for It: Chapter 2 has arrived. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: Horror is a genre that I didn't get. A lot of unnecessary violence mixed in with some scares; how could that possibly equate into any enjoyment. Then I saw It. It was more than just a few jumpscares and cheap scares mixed with loud noises. It had a pulse, and it had a heart; yes it had horror, but it had a story and characters that were compelling; that's what made It so terrifying yet so enjoyable.

So, needless, to say, I was extremely excited for the second installment. And the second I began to watch the trailer, I knew that this was going to be something special.

Just the idea of using an extended scene instead of conventional trailer footage was brilliant. It set up the tone so extremely well, with Jessica Chastain getting to show off her acting and her character. And major kudos to the actress playing the old lady, who just had the creepiest vibes. There were also some nice callbacks to the Loser's Club from the first film, who will be returning for some flashbacks.

After the opening half, we do get the traditional montage of footage. We see some shots of Pennywise and the Loser's Club, now and then, as they go about trying to vanquish the clown once and for all.

The trailer didn't offer much outside of the one scene, but that one scene was enough to raise the blood pressure and get me pumped to see the film. 

Did it Raise Excitement? If that one scene is any indication of the film, then ABSOLUTELY. This film could be another home run.

Trailer Rating: 8/10

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Images Released

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Images Released

As with every Star Wars film, nay with every JJ Abrams film, the newest installment in the Skywalker saga is shrouded in mystery. Aside from the teaser trailer that was released at Star Wars Celebration, very little is known about the film. However, new images have been released via Vanity Fair that actually reveal many interesting plot points, including the Knights of Ren, Lando with Poe, and Kylo and Rey having a duel. Check them out below.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th, 2019

Weekend Box Office Report Predictions (May 31st - June 2nd)

Weekend Box Office Report Predictions (May 31st - June 2nd)

Every week, I look at the films opening this week as well as the films that have already opened to predict which films will be in the top 10. Let's take a look.

1. Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The latest film to feature the king himself, Godzilla: King of the Monsters will make a fair amount of money at the box office, well enough to be in the number one spot fairly easily. However, with the mixed reception, I don't envision the film staying in that spot for much longer. Or even in the top 5, especially as summer ramps and X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives in a week.

2. Aladdin (2019) - Even though critics may not be enjoying the movie as much as some other audience members are, the film has such a positive word of mouth at the moment amongst casual viewers. I haven't met anyone who hasn't enjoyed the film, and I think that the family appeal will see Aladdin take the number two spot in its second weekend. 

3. Rockeman - Don't look now, but we could have another Bohemian Rhapsody on our hands. Bohemian Rhapsody, which made just shy of 900 million at the box office, revitalized the genre of biopics. Rocketman, with the critical acclaim that it's getting, looks to capitalize on this. If it's good, and if it can maintain its legs, look for this film to stick around for a long time to come. 

4. John Wick: Chapter 3 - It was either John Wick or the Avengers. I could see both films making about 12 million dollars at the box office next weekend. Ultimately, even though Avengers is still huge and is going to eventually catch up to Avatar, John Wick: Chapter 3 has an energy surrounding it. And besides, it's been in theaters much less than the Avengers film has. So look for it to edge out the Avengers for at least one more week. 

5. Avengers: Endgame - But Endgame isn't going anywhere, not for awhile. It's going to be in the top 5 for another week at least, and the top ten for a LONG time, at least until it hits the Avatar record. 

First Images for Disney/PIxar's Onward Released

First Images for Disney/PIxar's Onward Released

Disney and Pixar are already at work on their next original film, entitled Onward. Onward is a film about two elves that str Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, both MCU alumni. Not much is known about the film; however, the first images have been released online. Check them out below:

Onward hits theaters on March 6th, 2020

Terminator: Dark Fate - Teaser Trailer Review

Terminator: Dark Fate - Teaser Trailer Review

The first teaser for Terminator: Dark Fate has arrived. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: I am not a Terminator fan, let me make that abundantly clear. Not that I have anything against these films at all; I just missed the train on these films. The first two, I have had heard nothing but good things, but by the time my interest in movies began to peak, these films were critical bombs. So I didn't bother.

I did know about all the drama and intrigue surrounding the new film. The previous installment, Terminator: Genisys, was critically panned and didn't do that well in the box office. The rights have now reverted to original owner James Cameron, and he has said that he's going to ignore all the Terminator films after the second one.

And for what it's worth, this trailer doesn't do anything egregiously wrong. But for me, as someone who is not invested in this franchise, did nothing for me to make me want to see the film.

We see Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger again, reprising their roles from the original two films. If this was supposed to have some nostalgic factor for some other people, consider me not one of them. 

The action and the setpieces did look a little generic to me. I think the CGI in places looked a little shaky. Maybe the CGI will be touched up by the time the film hits theaters, but I think that for what it's worth, there were quite a few shots that didn't work as well as others did.

Overall, like I said before, the trailer didn't do anything wrong at all. But nothing in it helped either. Also the music, which was interestingly somber and quiet, instead of loud and bombastic, was a little jarring - I tried to make it work in my mind, but after seeing it a couple times, it worked less and less and less. 

Did it Raise Excitement? Not particularly. It didn't make me want to not watch the film, but nothing past that. 

Trailer Rating: 5/10

Coming Soon: May 31st

Coming Soon: May 31st

Every Tuesday, I will be breaking down the top films hitting theaters that coming Friday. There are a large number of films that open every weekend, so I will highlight the films that I believe will be worth seeing. 

1. Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The sequel to the first Godzilla film is finally hitting theaters on Friday. What's interesting about this film is that Warner Bros. has already announced the follow-up to this film - Godzilla v. Kong. We'll have to see how this film does and whether that impacts the Godzilla and Kong film. 

2. Ma - The Octavia Spencer-led horror film hits theaters on Friday. It's not getting the critical acclaim that a film with Octavia Spencer might have had, but horror fans might come to theaters to check out the movie. 

3. Rocketman - The film hoping to be the next Bohemian Rhapsody hits theaters, starring Taron Egerton as Elton John. With the rave reviews, this film could sneakily enter the top five in the box office for a long time to come.

400th Post!!!!

400th Post!!!!

It's been such a joy and pleasure to be able to write about my thoughts on something that I love the most: movies. The past 400 posts have been a reflection of my love for film, and I hope that the next 400 will be just as enjoyable. 400 is a huge number; I never thought that I would get here. But now that we're here, there's nowhere to go but up. Let's get to 500!

Weekend Box Office Report Predictions (May 10th - May 12th)

Weekend Box Office Report Predictions (April 26th - April 28th)

Every Friday, I look at the films opening this week as well as the films that have already opened to predict which films will be in the top 10. Let's take a look.

1. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu - The Ryan Reynolds-led film will rake in some money this weekend and probably dethrone Avengers: Endgame from the number one spot. While it will be extremely close (a lot closer than we had originally thought), I think it's a safe bet that Detective Pikachu will make good money based on good will from the Pokemon fanbase. 

2. Avengers: Endgame - But regardless, Avengers: Endgame is going to stick for a LONG time. This weekend is no different. On its crusade to take over Avatar and probably hit 3 billion, it's going to be in the number two spot.

3. The Hustle - The other big film opening this weekend is the comedy, The Hustle. The film is counter programming, so the top two films won't really affect the box office all too much, which is why it will comfortably be in the number 3 spot. 

4. Uglydolls - The other biggest counter-programming film, Uglydolls, looks to daw in the children's audience for a second weekend. While it won't make a ton of money at all, it's going to be here. 

5. Long Shot - This film is in the top five only because of good word-of-mouth. The film above it this weekend, The Intruder, has been critically panned, and I think that Long Shot will overtake it. 

Coming Son: May 4th

Coming Soon: May 10th

Every Tuesday, I will be breaking down the top films hitting theaters that coming Friday. There are a large number of films that open every weekend, so I will highlight the films that I believe will be worth seeing. 

1. Pokemon: Detective PIkachu - The film looks like it's going to dethrone Avengers: Endgame at the number one spot, but it won't make nearly as much money as it could have. Regardless, a positive word-of-mouth and good marketing will lead this film to a good box office return. 

2. The Hustle - On the other end of the spectrum, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in the comedy that looks to rake in some box office returns against both Detective Pikachu and Avengers: Endgame.

Weekend Box Office Report (May 3rd - May 5th)

Weekend Box Office Report (May 3rd - May 5th)

Disclaimer: Every Monday, I will post the top five movies that grossed the most money DOMESTICALLY (in the United States), with some brief thoughts about each film. 

1. Avengers: Endgame ($145.80 Million): On its way to 2 billion dollars, Avengers: Endgame has had another monstrous weekend, raking in more money than almost every other movie makes opening movie on its SECOND weekend. 

2. The Intruder ($11.00 Million): I have no idea what this movie is, but again it wasn't going to do anything next to the monstrosity that is Avenges: Endgame.

3. Long Shot ($10.03 Million): I echo the sentiment for the number two spot.

4. Uglydolls ($8.51 Milllion): Uglydolls has made a showing as a form of counter programming. While making a very, very small amount of money, it has still made a presence based on the market for children's movies. 

5. Captain Marvel ($4.28 Million): Captain Marvel is back again. It's in the top five again. But it looks like it's going to be gone after this week, with new releases. 

How Did I Do (Weekend Box Office Predictions)
Number of Films Correct: N/A
Number of Films IN RIGHT SPOT Correct: N/A

Avengers: Endgame Hits 2 Billion, Becomes Number 2 Grossing Film of All Time

Avengers: Endgame Hits 2 Billion, Becomes Number 2 Grossing Film of All Time

Everyone knew that Avengers: Endgame was going to be huge. Few speculated that it would pass Avatar to be the number one grossing film of all time. Many doubted it. But now, it looks inevitable. As of today, Sunday, May 5th, Avengers: Endgame has made $2.188 billion dollars, officially passing the 2 billion dollar mark. It joins Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War, Titanic, and Avatar. It has now officially passed Titanic for the number two spot, and it looks well on its way to reach Avatar. For some context, Avatar took 47 days to hit the 2 billion dollar clubs. It made the exorbitant amount of money that it did because of huge box office legs. But in contrast, Avengers: Endgame has made 2 billion dollars in just ELEVEN days. It seems inevitable now. We'll have to see how long it takes.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now.