Somewhere, originality died. Somewhere, someone in charge (disappointing if it’s James Wan with his perceived taste and clout) said “to hell with it” and “what do we have to lose.” By the time this movie ends with a global press conference of Jason Momoa aping Tony Stark with an “I am Aquaman” mic drop, the answer of what is lost is dignity. Go ahead and put a pile of “Road Closed” barricades all over the end of this road.
Read MoreJustice League comes across like attempted course correction done on that Etch-a-Sketch. The artist, or artists in this case, are trying to retrace old paths and smooth over past missteps with redrawn swirls, lighter hues, and a fluffy cover-up we call comedy. That effort on the cinematic Etch-a-Sketch indeed changes the initial picture, but only after unnecessarily tedious effort and some remaining messy results.
Read MorePaired perfectly as a double-feature follow-up to this summer’s spacefaring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok is a raucously rad roller coaster that shoots rainbows out of every digitally-rendered pore. Blasting with energetic pace in the complete opposite direction from the dreary and grayish Game of Thrones Lite tone of Thor: The Dark World, this new chapter is a cinematic box of Crayola crayons laced with dynamite.
Read MoreWonder Woman is a movie worth standing up and cheering for. Here is my interactive whiteboard "Movie Classroom" film review for the summer blockbuster. Please like and subscribe to my work on the Every Movie Has a Lesson YouTube channel. SIDENOTE APOLOGY: My mispronunciations are terrible. I'll be looking at myself in a mirror for a week saying Themyscira, Themyscira, Themyscira... hoping to summon Greek Beetlejuice...
Read MoreChock full of more jokes, puns, and references than there are virtual plastic bricks, “The LEGO Batman Movie” is a breezy blast of unabashed fun. Twirling with dazzling animation and saturated with endless character possibilities, these two hours of zippy entertainment offer exhilarating playful engagement for young audiences and many absolute belly laughs for the adults. Like “The LEGO Movie” before it, the biggest flaw will always be the manic pace.
Read MoreBatman has evolved, but the long-standing love for that old TV show has only sweetened. The new WB Animation entry “Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders” unlocks a time capsule and reminds us why Batman can be just as fun when he’s not brooding and sulking. With the triumphant returns of original cast members Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar reassuming their Batman, Robin, and Catwoman mantles as voice actors, this new film possess audible and visual treats to behold.
Read MoreFour comic fans and film critics of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle wrestle with the villainy and quality of the hotly anticipated "Suicide Squad" after a recent advance screening for the press. Enjoy the heroic work of myself, Emmanuel Noisette, Jon Espino, and Jim Alexander!
Read MoreIn the words of professional wrestling Hall of Famer Razor Ramon, “Say hello to the bad guy!” Warner Bros. and their DC Entertainment wing need a rebound from the maligned “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and are banking getting you to cheer for villains instead of heroes with “Suicide Squad.” Packed with a head-turning cast of wild cards and very little shame for spectacle, this film aims to combine the delicious referential villainy you loved in “Deadpool” with the anti-hero team dynamics of “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Read MoreTo the uninformed, “Batman: The Killing Joke,” a one-shot written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, is a blistering 64-page classic of grim madness that fleshes out the most widely-accepted and definitive origin story of Batman’s greatest villain, The Joker. The graphic novel routinely, after nearly thirty years, tops the lists of the best Joker stories, and even overall Batman stories, ever told on the comic page. Filled with rated-R level violence and disturbing content, this is not your Saturday morning or weekday afternoon Batman story.
Read More
