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EH_STEVE

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Watched two movies with Nyan this month.

 

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

 

I liked it more than I thought it would; I went in with very tempered expectations. I am among those that wanted Danny Devito to voice Pikachu, but I got used to Ryan Reynolds in the role and thought he did pretty well. I never played the 3DS game so I didn't recognize any of the characters, in fact I wasn't even sure if the movie had taken any characters out of the game until I came here and saw XLW and Ridley Prime's comments.

 

Plot reaction & spoilers:

 

I thought the actor playing Lucy was really bad in her introductory scene with Tim. As the movie went on I thought she did better, which is good, because I was scared she was going to be giving that performance the whole movie. Tim was okay and Detective Pikachu was likable even though a handful of his jokes didn't land with me. Fortunately the jokes move on quickly rather than lingering for too long.


I found the plot very predictable. Nyan and I both guessed that the dad was Pikachu and that the city founder was evil, but what actually surprised both of us was Ditto disguising itself as the villain's son. I didn't think Ditto had the evil consciousness to do that and I wasn't used to the idea of Ditto becoming people, so when they set it up earlier with Ditto becoming a guy to push Howard I just thought it would remain a silly easter egg. Plus I only expected maybe one or two 'twists' at most. It was pretty amusing to see Tim getting in a fight with a Ditto that knew hand-to-hand combat.

Overall I felt like the film did a decent job appealing to younger and older fans, and I look forward to seeing them make another movie in that universe.

 

 

A Dog's Journey

 

A really cheesy, heartwarming story about a dog that reincarnates itself to look after a troubled girl as she grows older. Never saw the prequel to this (A Dog's Purpose). It had a lot of conveniences in the plot to keep it moving quickly, and was just alright. Not too much to say about it actually.

 

In summary, Detective Pikachu was fun.

Edited by Lucina
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  • 2 weeks later...

Late to comment, but I did see Godzilla King of Monsters a little while back which I really enjoyed too. Shame the critics kinda ruined the fun though since based on the criticism and ergo the lower box office sales than that of Godzilla 2014, reshoots for Godzilla vs King Kong will be done to make sure there's more human scenes I guess, because that's what we see these monster flicks for! Human drama and struggles, while Godzilla and them just fight in the background! (Really, as much as I liked Godzilla 2014, that was a real problem I had with it after awhile like many others) But King of Monsters was a fun ride, between seeing how they did Rodan, Ghidorah, and everything... Hard to see them topping that regardless of the kind of direction they take next.

 

 

And then there's X-Men Dark Phoenix which I just got back from. Was unsure on whether to see it after awhile at first due to the (unsurprisingly) bad reviews, but the mixed reception from the general audience made me curious enough to still give a watch, and it was just that, a mixed bag. It definitely had the spirit of the X-Men, especially with the fight scenes, but the problem was how the plot didn't really feel like it was going anywhere for me, with the vague introduction of the aliens known as the D'Bari. All the main mutants got their just due at least, from Magneto kinda getting another redemption arc, to even Cyclops and Nightcrawler getting their unique moments, the latter of whom I liked seeing all killy stabby, but overall I liked Apocalypse as a movie better, which at least felt like it was going somewhere, even if it wasn't as good as its predecessors.

 

Apparently the director originally hoped Dark Phoenix would be the first in a new line of films focusing on the younger X-Men, which probably would've led to more underwhelming films like DP, so makes part of me more thankful the Disney acquisition of Fox/X-Men happened when it did. This was just one last sucker before the inevitable reboot, but I have to say, even the Fox universe deserved a better film to go out on than this, but when they hadn't changed their formula too much since 2000 (despite how better MCU was doing with its Marvel properties), guess it was to be expected... At least Wolverine had the Logan film as a high sendoff, but man, end of an era.

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On 6/10/2019 at 9:35 PM, Ridley Prime said:

And then there's X-Men Dark Phoenix which I just got back from. Was unsure on whether to see it after awhile at first due to the (unsurprisingly) bad reviews, but the mixed reception from the general audience made me curious enough to still give a watch, and it was just that, a mixed bag. It definitely had the spirit of the X-Men, especially with the fight scenes, but the problem was how the plot didn't really feel like it was going anywhere for me, with the vague introduction of the aliens known as the D'Bari. All the main mutants got their just due at least, from Magneto kinda getting another redemption arc, to even Cyclops and Nightcrawler getting their unique moments, the latter of whom I liked seeing all killy stabby, but overall I liked Apocalypse as a movie better, which at least felt like it was going somewhere, even if it wasn't as good as its predecessors.

 

Apparently the director originally hoped Dark Phoenix would be the first in a new line of films focusing on the younger X-Men, which probably would've led to more underwhelming films like DP, so makes part of me more thankful the Disney acquisition of Fox/X-Men happened when it did. This was just one last sucker before the inevitable reboot, but I have to say, even the Fox universe deserved a better film to go out on than this, but when they hadn't changed their formula too much since 2000 (despite how better MCU was doing with its Marvel properties), guess it was to be expected... At least Wolverine had the Logan film as a high sendoff, but man, end of an era.

 

 

Ok, I liked this version of the DP story versus XIII.  I liked that they went darker with the tone too--made it different from the others.  With no background on how the story is supposed to go via comic canon I preferred this tale.  I also thought it was much better than Apocalypse.

 

I'd still argue though that for First Class cast, only the first two were REALLY GOOD.  3 and 4 noticeably less than the others.

 

 

***************

 

Jessica Jones S3 starts tomorrow!  The end of the NF/Marvel era.

 

I'd still say JJ and DD were by far the best two series overall.  Luke Cage and Iron Fist trended up in S2 mostly but The Punisher kind of trended down even if the story elements were as, if not more interesting.

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1 hour ago, purple_beard said:

 

 

Ok, I liked this version of the DP story versus XIII.  I liked that they went darker with the tone too--made it different from the others.  With no background on how the story is supposed to go via comic canon I preferred this tale.  I also thought it was much better than Apocalypse.

 

I'd still argue though that for First Class cast, only the first two were REALLY GOOD.  3 and 4 noticeably less than the others.

 

 

***************

 

Jessica Jones S3 starts tomorrow!  The end of the NF/Marvel era.

 

I'd still say JJ and DD were by far the best two series overall.  Luke Cage and Iron Fist trended up in S2 mostly but The Punisher kind of trended down even if the story elements were as, if not more interesting.

Oh yeah, Dark Phoenix was certainly better than The Last Stand, as Jean did more than just stand there like some edgy lich queen like in X3, but that's not saying too much. Some of the other films had darker tones too, so I didn't really get anything unique out of this one as far as that. The thing with Apocalypse is, I had been waiting for the titular character to make his film debut since... at least X3. He was always my favorite villain thanks to my exposure to him in the cartoons and other media, which got me to check him out in the comics as well, and so his film debut was a long time coming for me and fans. While I feel Fox didn't execute Apoc to his fullest potential, was thankful they at least did him much better than Dr Doom. Jean Grey has always been kind of a boring character for me, whose power level is insanely inconsistent depending on when or whether she has the Phoenix Force, but I did like the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix storyline... in the comics and X-Men animated series.

 

Apparently Dark Phoenix was originally planned to be two films, which would explain a lot, even if the reshoots helped it a bit.

 

https://deadline.com/2019/06/dark-phoenix-bombs-at-the-box-office-reasons-why-1202629749/

 

The Phoenix saga would've been so much better as at least two films... Same with Apocalypse for that matter. Major arcs like those require more than just one film. Imagine if for Thanos in the MCU, they crammed Infinity War and End Game into one film. That wouldn't of worked nearly as well would it? That said, I was disappointed how they didn't leave the Apocalypse character open for sequels, with the kind of major villain he is; pretty much the mutant equivalent to Thanos in terms of archetype, and Phoenix and Dark Phoenix are completely separate storylines that require a good focus on both for them to be done well.

 

As a trilogy of sorts, I would still put the First Class films (FC, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix) way above the original trilogy (X1, X2 United, X3 The Last Stand), while the Wolverine films are more their own thing, with Logan being the only good one that showed an end to the whole timeline.

 

 

 

I had seen no marketing for Jessica Jones season 3 whatsoever, so I had no idea it was coming out soon now. Thanks for letting me know I guess.

 

Daredevil and Punisher were the best two for me, but to each their own.

Edited by Ridley Prime
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1 hour ago, Kirbymeister2 said:

 

 Saw the Shaft movie. Of the the most funniest movies of this year. 

 

Do you have any background/experience with Shaft, Shaft's Big Score, Shaft in Africa, and Shaft (2000)?  The previews for this new one seem to give a vibe of going for laughs than a somewhat gritty action movie/detective story versus the 4 prior entries.

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44 minutes ago, purple_beard said:

 

Do you have any background/experience with Shaft, Shaft's Big Score, Shaft in Africa, and Shaft (2000)?  The previews for this new one seem to give a vibe of going for laughs than a somewhat gritty action movie/detective story versus the 4 prior entries.

 

 I don't. There was some realistic heartfelt moments in the movie with some good comedy and action. 

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Finished Jessica Jones season 3. Solid season I felt coming in after the mess that was the previous one; didn't have the magic of the first season, nor was I expecting it to, but for a sendoff I feel it worked much better than like the Punisher season 2 did for it, not feeling nearly as rushed, and given how much I liked the Punisher show as aforementioned it kinda hurts me saying that.

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4 hours ago, Ridley Prime said:

Finished Jessica Jones season 3. Solid season I felt coming in after the mess that was the previous one; didn't have the magic of the first season, nor was I expecting it to, but for a sendoff I feel it worked much better than like the Punisher season 2 did for it, not feeling nearly as rushed, and given how much I liked the Punisher show as aforementioned it kinda hurts me saying that.

 

I am watching S3 right now myself.  So far so good.

 

Punishser S2 was to disjointed.  It really lacked the focus they had in S1.  Several parts felt as underdeveloped as others felt overdeveloped. Not knowing all the comic canon ties I can't say how things should have been but...

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On 6/15/2019 at 12:59 AM, Kirbymeister2 said:

 

 I don't. There was some realistic heartfelt moments in the movie with some good comedy and action. 

 

Well,  the original 3 were gritty 70s action/crime/detective dramas with the current state of the US in play.  The 2000 reboot/sequel, whatever, was basically pretty close to the same kind of tale set in the 2000s obviously.  The commercials for the new one make the movie come off as a caricature of the "source" material.

 

On 6/17/2019 at 5:43 PM, Ridley Prime said:

Finished Jessica Jones season 3. Solid season I felt coming in after the mess that was the previous one; didn't have the magic of the first season, nor was I expecting it to, but for a sendoff I feel it worked much better than like the Punisher season 2 did for it, not feeling nearly as rushed, and given how much I liked the Punisher show as aforementioned it kinda hurts me saying that.

 

 

Wrapped up the final episode today.  IMO, it kind of had to end the way it did considering a lot of overarching story points.  I really do find the dynamics of Trish, her mom, and the angle of the show business mom about as interesting as Jessica's own family.  Also, the interaction between Jessica and Trish considering all those dynamics make for a interesting stepsister dynamic.  The Hogarth story arc was a very interesting one to get into.  So was Malcom's deal.  The new guy's powers and how he did what he does with the headache evil receptors was interesting.  That one cameo was fitting IMO.  I'd have to rewatch all three again but I think off the top of my head I'd say all 3 seasons were solid.  If I had to rank them though, I'd go 1>3>2  but not significantly so but I would admit that Killgrave was the most interesting villain and Sallinger was the 2nd most interesting.

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Toy Story 1-3/ BR
--Rewatched them all prior to seeing Toy Story 4.  Lotso was the best villain since Sid LOL.  I did like Al though and the whole toy collector angle.  I'd go 1>3>2 just because 2 used too much Star Wars humor.  Its crazy to watch the advancement in graphics from TS1 to TS3 though.

Toy Story 4 / Theater
--A very solid sequel with a lot of good gags, humor, and play within their world.  I do think they kind of muddled up the end though.

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As a villain I kinda liked the Prospector in Toy Story 2 more than I did Lotso in 3, but they're all good. Al was mostly a comic relief distraction. Can agree that 2 overdid it on the Star Wars humor/references though. Toy Story 4 I'll be seeing later in the day with family which I already have tickets and things arranged for.

 

On a less fortunate note, looks like Dark Phoenix is already being pulled from theaters with how badly it bombed at the box office. Considering it's only been out for a few weeks now, that's pretty bad.

 

https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/xmen-dark-phoenix-pulled-theaters-bombing-box-office/

 

Again, unfortunate how a movie franchise nearly 20 years in the making ends unceremoniously like this. While I wasn't a big fan of Dark Phoenix as pointed out earlier (considering it mid tier at best out of all the Fox films), I don't think it deserved this, but not many gave it a chance with the bad reviews it got, so here we are. I just hope this failure setback doesn't painfully delay X-Men rebooting/integration in the MCU too badly.

Edited by Ridley Prime
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Now that I'm back from it...

 

Toy Story 4 was alright, but the lack of screentime with Buzz and others compared to the previous films left a little something to be desired, so most of the fun I had with it came from the new characters like Caboom. I see what others meant about the ending too which I'm conflicted on, even if Woody was kinda justified in a sense.

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On 6/14/2019 at 10:53 PM, Kirbymeister2 said:

 

 Saw the Shaft movie. Of the the most funniest movies of this year. 

 

 

Ok, so I saw it tonight.

 

Having seen the original 3, plus the 2000 reboot of the franchise that put Sam Jackson as John Shaft for the new audience so to speak I have the following comments:

 

1) I think the trailer and the commercials did the movie a disservice.  They kind of gave off the vibe as this was a comedy fest lampooning the mellenials vs. old schoolers way of doing things.  The reality of it was it was a part of the movie for sure but it wasn't in in a for jokes kind of way.

 

2) I think the idea of Shaft having a kid that grew up that way was good way to ground some home/family issues that arise from that scenario.  Also kind of getting Shaft to reconcile is lifestyle might need a change.

 

3) This movie was less grittier than the prior 4 but some of the social issues were still there but more subtle than the prior 4 IMO.

 

If I were to rank the 5 we have now I would go  1>3>4>5>2.  2, while having a good main villain, just lacked the overall story and hook all the others had.  I think 3 was the best expanded context of the series.  4 was a solid way to bring the franchise back.  The new one, 5, was a solid way to come back to it it could have been tighter and better marketed.  1 is still the classic--although I feel a lot of its vibe comes from that era of the 70s and if you didn't know much about it, I don't know how strong anyone's ties to that era would be in liking it.

 

 

 

 

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The Flash  S_ (last season) / NF

-The plotlines were pretty good and I liked the new metas and what not.  What gets me in this series is the time travel games they play for story lines.  Like for instance if Nora sends herself back and she arrived before she was born then at that point any child rearing that might have formed her could be changing.  IDK, they seem like the pick and choose how the time travel ripples affect the future.

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BTW, I finally saw this at my local cheap (2nd-run) movie theater this past weekend and loved it. I wanted to see it when it came out, but was unable to (mainly for the cards). I decided to wait until it came to that theater, since...

 

🎟️ $5

🎟️ $2 (Tuesdays) 

 

This stupid movie put the hugest smile on my face. 😄 I loved all the easter eggs for the fans who grew up with PKMN, like me (since gen I). That Bulbasaur (my fav PKMN) part... 😍😍😍 Though, IDK why they made them make those weird squeaky noises. o_O?

 

Edited by alienboyva
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