TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT, 30/08/20

TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT

Trailer         

 

Synopsis

The Teen Titans welcome a new member who seems to have ulterior motives as they take on old foe, Deathstroke 

Cinema

Online Stream

Run Time

One hour, Twenty Four minutes (1h, 24m)

Movie Rating

83%

Age Rating

12 (Action / Adventure / Animation / Violence / Fantasy / Family / Sci-Fi)

Cast

Robin / Damian Wayne – Stuart Allan
Nightwing / Dick Grayson – Sean Maher
Kori / Koriand’r / Starfire – Kari Wahlgren
Raven / Rachel Roth – Taissa Farmiga
Gar / Garfield Logan / Beast Boy – Brandon Soo Hoo
Blue Beetle / Jaime Reyes – Jake T. Austin
Terra / Tara Markov – Christina Ricci
Bumblebee / Karen Beecher / Traci – Masasa Moyo
Wally West / Kid Flash – Jason Spisak
Speedy / Roy Harper / Arsenal – Crispin Freeman
Deathstroke / Slade Wilson – Miguel Ferrer
Brother Blood / Sebastian Blood – Gregg Henry
Mother Mayhem – Meg Foster
Titans Tower Computer / Bianca Reyes – Maria Canais-Barrera
Kevin Smith – Himself
Alberto Reyes David Zayas

Movie details

Mid – Credits: No

End – Credits: Yes (Sets up sequel)

Before the Review: Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, impacting people’s lifestyles. Moving on, it was recently announced that Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic are the latest countries to be added to the UK’s quarantine list, the UK has a “traffic light system” for holiday restrictions on Spain, Croatia, Belgium, France and the Netherlands recently and it’s recently been revealed that actual traffic lights run on a “mutant algorithm, which has also been blamed for the exams fiasco as well...

Review: Sadly, no Justice League this time around, which means that the spotlight is squarely on the Teen Titans and how they handle themselves against rising threats, or in the case of the movie, several threats. Quite a bit of character building for some, others were left with unanswered questions, which will hopefully be answered in potential further releases. In the previous movie, Damian Wayne was actively trying to take charge.

However, he seems more reserved and voices his opinions to the returning Nightwing (who is not the leader of the team). The dynamic between the two throughout the movie is really good to see, almost like Robin looks up to Dick Grayson, in a similar manner to Batman. There is blood, so parents are advised before letting children watch the movie for certain scenes. There is history between Damian Wayne and Deathstroke, which is touched upon, but not in great detail (Although a previous movie has already shown this).

PROJECT POWER, 23/08/20

 PROJECT POWER

Trailer         

 Synopsis

A cop and a former soldier team up to find the source behind a drug that dangerously provides temporary superpowers.

Cinema

Netflix

Run Time

One hour, Fifty Four minutes (1h, 54m)

Movie Rating

60%

Age Rating

15 (Action / Adventure / Drama / Mystery / Suspense / Violence / Fantasy / Science Fiction)

Cast

Art – Jamie Foxx
Frank – Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Robin – Dominique Fishback
Biggie – Rodrigo Santoro
Alex – Mohammad Tiregar
Newt – Colson Baker (“Machine Gun Kelly”)
Gardner – Amy Landecker
Landry – Allen Maldonado
Tracy – Kyanna Simone Simpson
Irene – Andrene Ward-Hammond
Captain Crane – Courtney B. Vance
 Wallace – Tait Fletcher
Knifebones – Yoshi Sudarso
Moto – Casey Neistat
Mr. Luker – Jim Klock
Deli Girl – Janet Nguyen
Bouncer – Luke Hawx
The Matriarch – Rose Bianco

Movie details

Mid – Credits: No

End – Credits: No

Before the Review: Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, impacting people’s lifestyles. Moving on, bubonic plague keeps cropping up after its most deadly outbreak in the fourteenth century, the current quarantine list includes Spain, France, Malta and the Netherlands, whilst autumn seems to have come early due to global warming / climate change?

Review: It’s been a while since I’ve seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the big “small” screen. Actually having to share screen time with another character called “Robin” looks like it could have been very frustrating, given that the big reveal at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. There is also a cheeky "Batman and Robin" reference. And the closest I’ve seen Jamie Foxx in this capacity was in The Amazing Spiderman 2, with his turn as Electro. 

A shift in dynamic where previously you’d have mercenaries, contractors or even cartels vying for positions of authority within countries to rule but now there is state involvement in favour of the cause. How long it would last is unknown, much similar to The Akatsuki in Naruto (and Shippuden) who were used to further other villages/countries own ends.

Very familiar scene from The Guardians of the Galaxy plays out for the big reveal sequence that begins to be teased during the movie. Jamie Foxx comes across as a very seriously actor here, which makes his turn as a former soldier believable. Lots of language and violence use, and most of the comedy stems from Frank, although one interaction between Art and Robin was quite humorous.

Justice League vs Teen Titans, 16/08/20

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS

Trailer         

Synopsis

Robin (Damian Wayne) finds himself forced to join the young super team, Teen Titans, and soon has to help lead them in a fight against the Justice League after the rising of Trigon, whose minions end up possessing the premier superhero team

Cinema

Online Stream

Run Time

One hour, Nineteen minutes (1h, 19m)

Movie Rating

65%

Age Rating

12 (Action / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Violence / Fantasy / Family / Sci-Fi)

Cast

Superman / Kal-El / Clark Kent – Jerry O’Connell
Batman / Bruce Wayne – Jason O’Mara
Wonder Woman / Diana Prince / Princess Diana – Rosario Dawson
Lois Lane – Rebecca Romijn
Lex Luthor / Toyman – Steve Blum
Flash / Barry Allen – Christopher Gorham
Cyborg / Victor Stone – Shemar Moore
Robin / Damian Wayne – Stuart Allan
Kori / Koriand’r / Starfire – Kari Wahlgren
Raven / Rachel Roth – Taissa Farmiga
Gar / Garfield Logan / Beast Boy – Brandon Soo Hoo
Blue Beetle / Jaime Reyes – Jake T. Austin
Trigon – Jon Bernthal
Ra’s al Ghul – Terrence C. Carson
Weather Wizard / Solomon Grundy / Atomic Skull – Rick D.Wasserman

Movie details

Mid – Credits: Yes

End – Credits: No

Before the Review: Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, impacting people’s lifestyles and unfortunately, my local cinema remains closed until the release of TENET. Moving on, it was recently announced that France, Netherlands and Turkey are the latest countries to be added to the UK’s quarantine list, the UK has entered its largest recession with GDP shrinking 20.4% and which also saw the UK heat wave come to an end, not the humidity though, paving way for more thunder storms as a result of global warming / climate change?

Review: Since Damian Wayne has been introduced as the son of Batman and the current Robin, it has been interesting watching his development as the rebel who defies his father’s moral code(s) and seeks to carve out a path of his own into the character he is now. Although his type of brooding largely reminds me of the Saiyan Prince Vegeta (From Dragonball Z / Super), and the similarities in having wealthy enablers, in this case Vegeta’s wife Bulma and Damian Wayne’s father Bruce Wayne, it seems that this Robin’s pride is somewhat misplaced for arrogance.

As you can imagine, teamwork for Damian Wayne was always going to be a chore, but within the Teen Titans, depending on which way you take it, there is room for major character development. There are aspects within the movie where he showcases why he is his father’s son; even coming into conflict with leadership who he feels are not doing enough, just like Batman. Like father, like son.

The storytelling makes room for humour, action and character growth. There are elements of disturbing storytelling which some viewers may not find suitable for children, especially one involving the dimension conquering demon, Trigon and Raven’s mother. The actual battle between the “Justice League” and the Teen Titans was fun to watch, and had more of “out of the shadow” feel to it.

CONTAGION, 09/08/20

 CONTAGION

Trailer   

 Synopsis

Returning to Minnesota from a business trip in Hong Kong, Beth Emhoff attributes the malaise she feels to jet lag. Two days later, however, she is dead, which leaves doctors to tell her shocked husband that they have no idea what killed her. Many others soon start to exhibit the same symptoms leading to a pandemic explosion. Doctors try to contain the lethal microbe, but with a blogger fanning the flames of paranoia, society begins to collapse.

Cinema

Netflix

Run Time

One hour, Forty Six minutes (1h, 46m)

Movie Rating

85%

Age Rating

12 (Action / Adventure / Drama / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller)

Cast

Dr. Ellis Cheever – Laurence Fishburne
Mitch Emhoff – Matt Damon
Dr. Leonora Orantes – Marion Cotillard
Alan Krumwiede – Jude Law
Dr. Erin Mears – Kate Winslet
Beth Emhoff – Gwyneth Paltrow
Rear Admiral Lyle Haggerty – Bryan Cranston
Dr. Ally Hextall – Jennifer Ehle
Dr. Ian Sussman – Elliott Gould
Sun Feng – Chin Han
Roger – John Hawkes
Jory Emhoff – Anna Jacoby-Heron
Li Fai – Tien You Chui
Li Fai’s Sister – Josie Ho
Aubrey Cheever – Sanaa Lathan
Dr. David Eisenberg – Demetri Martin
Damian Leopold – Armin Rohde
Dennis French – Enrico Colantoni
Dave – Larry Clarke
Lorraine Vasquez – Monique Gabriela Curnen
Clark Morrow – Griffin Kane
Irina – Daria Strokous
Aaron Barnes – Dan Aho
Andrew – Brian J. O’Donnell
Elizabeth Nygaard – Kara Zediker
Sanjay Gupta (M.D.) – As himself
Chef – Kam Tong Wong

Movie details

Mid – Credits: No

End – Credits: No

Before the Review: Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, impacting people’s lifestyles and unfortunately, my local cinema still remains closed. Moving on again, due to people flouting guidelines like social distancing, there is a very real prospect of a second lock down as cases / deaths continue to rise, the UK’s quarantine list for arrivals from countries (including Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas) have now added Spain and traffic lights really need a review during off-peak periods where, being on a timer, can actually lead to drivers becoming more frustrated at having to wait when no other vehicles are around...

Review: So here I am, trying to adapt to the “new” normal of a warmer climate change and the ever “mutating” COVID-19, that conspiracy theories are now becoming rampant. I already know how messed up our times are, but we just get on with it, albeit smartly. But then Contagion arrives in your library. I didn’t ask it to, it just appeared. Thanks Netflix. If you’ve been watching The Simpsons like I have, you would know by now that there have been predictions made within the series that were just too eerie, like the acquisition of 20^th Century Fox by Disney.

It does seem strange that predictions which turn out to be true or trying very hard to alter real life events are being made within TV shows or even movies (The Da Vinci Code?). But none more so real and really hitting home, as Contagion does, even with it's all star cast. After watching the movie, even though realised in 2011 (Captain America: The First Avenger anyone?), I’m getting a heavy dose of Déjà Vu here, along with a sense of realism. The movie is almost mirrored in the events that lead up to the outbreak of COVID-19 towards the end of 2019 (No theories, no assumptions, just almost identical with the current pandemic), obviously minus the bio weapon angle.

I mean, I’m a sensible germaphobe, but thinking that the world could have had almost 8 years to prepare for this, is staggering, given that it happened so quickly. I’m not going to make predictions or wild theories here, but everything I don’t want for what happens to humanity which is currently happening during this pandemic and can be summed up in the movie. I’d like to think we are a better, evolved people who put aside our differences and work together during this pandemic by being more considerate to one another and staying safe. Much more respect for scientists and those in the health industry for the work they do in these times. And Laurence Fishburne aka Morpheus, really sells the character in this clever movie, what more could you ask for?

REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN (2019), 02/08/20

REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN (2019)

Trailer         

Synopsis

Adapted from one of 1992’s The Death of Superman arcs, the world mourns the death of the Man of Steel, while seemingly new heroes emerge who lay claim to be the true Kryptonian himself. Their powers are then put to the test as a deadly threat emerges to target the Earth in Superman’s absence.

Cinema

Online Stream

Run Time

One hour, Twenty Seven minutes (1h, 27m)

Movie Rating

93%

Age Rating

12 (Action / Adventure / Animation / Violence / Sci-Fi)

Cast

Superman / Kal-El / Clark Kent / Hank Henshaw (voice modulation?) – Jerry O’Connell
Batman / Bruce Wayne – Jason O’Mara
Wonder Woman / Diana Prince / Princess Diana – Rosario Dawson
Lois Lane – Rebecca Romijn
Lex Luthor – Rainn Wilson
Green Lantern / Hal Jordan – Nathan Fillon
Superboy / Conner Kent / Kon-El – Cameron Monaghan
Flash / Barry Allen – Christopher Gorham
Cyborg / Victor Stone – Shemar Moore
Martian Manhunter / J’onn J’onzz / John Jones / Ron Troupe? – Nyambi Nyambi
Darkseid / Uxas – Tony Todd
Jonathan “Pa” Kent / Cemetery Worker? – Paul Eiding
Martha “Ma” Kent / President Joan Dale / Watchtower Computer – Jennifer Hale
Mayor Booker – Jonathan Adams
Perry White – Rocky Carroll
John Henry Irons / Steel – Cress Williams
Dabney Donovan / G. Gordon Godfrey / Snakey Doyle – Trevor Devall
Hank Henshaw / Cyborg Superman – Patrick Fabian
Bibbo Bibbowski / Kryptonian A.I / Eradicator – Charles Halford
Mercy Graves / Becky? / Sullivan – Erica Luttrell
Jimmy Olsen / Steve Lombard? Eric? – Max Mittelman
Cat Grant – Toks Olagundoye

Movie details

Mid – Credits: No

End – Credits: Yes (Sets up sequel)

Before the Review: Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, impacting people’s lifestyles and unfortunately, my local cinema remains closed. Moving on again, pharmaceutical company Moderna was subjected to a cyber attack during “promising” vaccine trials, the UK continues to amend it’s exemption list of countries to quarantine from upon return as Luxembourg was recently removed as Europe is beginning to spark fears of a second wave and a borough has introduced bus lanes for some buses running upwards of every hour, causing longer traffic queues and drivers driving in the bus lane anyway... *facepalm*

Review: Well, there may have been no “Save Martha” moments here, but segments where questioning the need for a Superman definitely felt like they were taken out of Dawn of Justice. Whilst some people cried out for a “black suit” Superman within that movie, they will not be disappointed here. Although, some plot elements for me felt wildly off the mark. Without giving too much away, the story line has been altered to give it a more updated feel. 

Again, as with the previous movie, I have changed the “Age Rating” from “12A” to 12, as there is violence and language for which some people, mainly parents may find unacceptable for their children. This is DC we are talking about, which more or less, aims towards a more mature audience. As many should take note, the movie obviously involves Superman in a big way, so many other characters end up with limited screen time. Is Steel supposed to portray Marvel's Ironman?

I thought it was a decent attempt at changing the story for a better creative standpoint, whilst keeping the source material intact. Some may find the movie deviates from this (I felt some parts were out of place, primarily because DC Comics storytelling has changed quite a lot since 1992). Likewise, a lot of creative talent behind these movies should be utilised on to the big screens, even in advisory capacities as I think they have a lot more to offer. I mean, recent Superman comics still have the Kryptonian wearing red “pants” on the outside?