Top 10 Most Anticipated New Shows of 2022

Order of Premiere:

1. The Cleaning Lady-A Cambodian doctor needing to move to America for her ill son agrees to aid the criminal underworld to get safe passage.

2. Women of the Movement-Historical drama about the mother of Emmett Till after he was murdered.

3. Let the World See-Docuseries about Emmett Till's murder and its effects on American society.

4. Smiling Friends-The day to day lives of employees at a company whose sole purpose is to bring happiness to its clients.

5. Naomi-Another entry in the Arrowverse produced by Ava DuVernay

6. Peacemaker-Spinoff to The Suicide Squad with John Cena as the peace obsessed hitman.

7. How I Met Your Father-Hillary Duff stars in this gender bent version of How I Met Your Mother.

8. The Gilded Age-Historical drama set in New York City during the 1880s.

9. The Afterparty-A murder mystery comedy set at a high school reunion after party.

10. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window-Kristen Bell stars in this dark comedy murder mystery.

11. Pam & Tommy-A look at the relationship between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

12. Reacher-Adaptation of the Jack Reacher novels

13. Inventing Anna-The story of a journalist investigating a German heiress who stole from New York's social scene.

14. Severance-Workplace based thriller about employees whose memories are erased after every shift.

15. From-A town that no can leave is surrounded by terrifying creatures.

16. The Porter-Period piece focusing on black workers after World War I.

17. Shining Vale-A dysfunctional family moves into a cursed home.

18. Halo-Paramount+'s adaptation of the video game franchise.

19. The First Lady-Anthology drama about the lives of the many First Ladies that grazed the White House.

20. Ms. Marvel-MCU show focusing on the Captain Marvel inspired Kamala Khan.

21. Andor-Prequel series focusing on the Rogue One character.

22. Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur-Animated adaptation of the Marvel series.

23. The Lord of the Rings-Amazon's deep dive into the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.

24. Secret Invasion-MCU show that adapts the comic book storyline of the same name.

25. She-Hulk-Mark Ruffalo returns to introduce Bruce Banner's cousin into the MCU.

26. Willow-Sequel series to the 1988 fantasy film with Warwick Davis returning in the title role.

27. Wednesday-Jenna Ortega stars as the titular Addams Family member in this coming of age horror comedy from Tim Burton

28. Pieces of Her-A woman in the middle of a diner shootout witnesses her mother take out the assailants and learns of her dark past.

29. Dark Winds-Police drama focusing on two Navajo cops in the 1970s.

30. The Last of Us-Adaptation of the popular video game.

31. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin-Set 20 years after the original series with a group of new friends going through the same ordeal.

32. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai-Animated prequel to the Gremlins franchise.

33. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds-The adventures of Captain Pike and the Enterprise years before Kirk took over.

34. The Man Who Fell to Earth-An alien is the world's hope during a pivotal moment in history.

35. Super Pumped-Anthology series exploring how many businesses affected culture.

36. The Old Man-A former intelligence officer returns to his old life when he is targeted.

37. Moon Knight-Oscar Isaac joins the MCU as the mentally unstable antihero.

38. Obi-Wan Kenobi-The story of the Star Wars character in between the end of the prequels and the start of the original trilogy.

39. Love and Death-The true story of a 1980 housewife who murdered her friend with an axe.

40. The Witcher: Blood Origin-Prequel that sees the origins of the Witchers.

41. The Lake-A man wanting to reconnect with the daughter he left behind finds it difficult once his step-sister shows up.

42. Little Bird-Drama centered on a Canadian indigenous girl who was forced from her family and wants to reconnect with her heritage.

43. The Ipcress File-Spy thriller based on the 1960s spy novel.

Top 10 Most Anticipated:

1. Women of the Movement-A tragic look at one of the most pivotal moments in American history.

2. The Lord of the Rings-Nothing says ambitious more than Tolkien.

3. Inventing Anna-Always fun to see the rich getting played.

4. Let the World See-The documentary companion piece to Women of the Movement.

5. Obi-Wan Kenobi-Seeing the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen will be absolutely exciting.

6. Secret Invasion-Nick Fury and the Skrulls return.

7. Ms. Marvel-MCU will continue to prove it can handle shows as it does movies.

8. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds-A fun throwback to the early days of the franchise.

9. Moon Knight-Oscar Isaac always delivers.

10. Peacemaker-Lots of blood spilling for peace seems legit.

Most Anticipated 2022 Films

Order of Release:

1. The 355-5 female spies from different countries must work together to combat a greater threat.

2. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania-The fourth film in the series sees Dracula and the other monsters turning normal.

3. Scream 2022-Fifth entry wherein Sidney and the others have to keep a new killer from targeting those related to the original Ghostface killers.

4. The King's Daughter-Pierce Brosnan stars as the historical King Louis XIV who seeks immortality by capturing a mermaid.

5. Redeeming Love-A Biblical love story set during the 1850 California Gold Rush

6. Morbius-Sony continues its Spider-Man spinoffs by adapting the story of the Living Vampire.

7. Moonfall-Roland Emmerich's latest disaster sees the moon heading towards Earth.

8. Death on the Nile 2022-Sequel to Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express.

9. Marry Me-After a singer learns of her partner's unfaithfulness, she agrees to marry a concertgoer who accidentally held up a "Marry Me" sign.

10. Blacklight-Liam Neeson stars as a troubled FBI fixer

11. I Want You Back-Charlie Day and Jenny Slate star as two people who work together to get back their exes despite already being in relationships.

12. The Devil's Light-A woman who wants to become an exorcist faces a demon who is haunting a school.

13. Uncharted-Adaptation of the video game franchise starring Tom Holland as the fortune hunting Nathan Drake.

14. Dog-Channing Tatum's directorial debut about an Army Ranger taking a military to its handler and his friend's funeral.

15. Texas Chainsaw Massacre-A direct sequel to the original set nearly 50 years later.

16. Luck-Animated film about a young girl teaming up with the personifications of good and bad luck to take on a powerful force.

17. The Outfit-A tailor gets embroiled in the criminal underworld after being employed by vicious gangsters.

18. The Batman-Matt Reeves directs a more detective based Batman story with Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader.

19. Turning Red-Pixar's latest sees a young Toronto girl cursed with turning into a giant red panda whenever she's stressed.

20. Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre-Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham reunite for a story involving a spy team recruiting an actor to stop an arms broker from selling a new weapon. 

21. The Lost City-A romance novelist and her cover model get caught up in a jungle adventure.

22. Everything Everywhere All at Once-Michelle Yeoh stars as a woman who exists across multiple universes.

23. Sonic the Hedgehog 2-Sequel to the 2020 film sees Sonic taking on Dr. Eggman who has returned with Knuckles.

24. Ambulance-An action thriller from Michael Bay about a bank robbery gone wrong and an ambulance being hijacked.

25. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore-The third film in the series sees the Wizarding World taking on Grindelwald in the midst of World War 2.

26. Thirteen Lives-Ron Howard bio about the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue.

27. The Bad Guys-The latest DreamWorks Animation project sees a group of former villains wanting to turn good.

28. The Northman-A historical thriller about a viking seeking revenge.

29. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent-Nicolas Cage plays a fictional version of himself.

30. 65-An astronaut lands on a planet and discovers he's not alone.

31. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness-Doctor Strange must deal with the many multiversal threats that threaten the MCU.

32. DC League of Super-Pets-Animated DC film about the many animals with their own powers.

33. Top Gun: Maverick-The long awaited sequel to the 1986 film with Tom Cruise returning as pilot Maverick.

34. Jurassic World: Dominion-The original and new casts team up to deal with the cloned dinosaurs that have been unleashed on Earth.

35. Lightyear-Chris Pine voices the fictional hero that the toy is based on.

36. Elvis 2022-Baz Luhrmann's biopic of the king of rock and roll.

37. The Black Phone-Adaptation of a 2004 short story from Joe Hill about a young boy kidnapped by a serial killer who gets help from the previous victims from a disconnected phone while his sister tries to find him.

38. Shotgun Wedding-A couple who planned a vacation wedding but begin to have cold feet must put their differences aside when their guests are taken hostage.

39. Minions: The Rise of Gru-Set in the 1970s as it sees how Gru became the villain he was in the first film thanks to the Minions.

40. Thor: Love and Thunder-Thor teams up with Jane Foster to take on a god slaying villain.

41. Bullet Train-Five different assassins realize they're after the same target in a Japanese bullet train.

42. Nope-Jordan Peele's latest horror social commentary.

43. Black Adam-Dwayne Johnson's 8 year long passion project about the DC antihero.

44. The Man from Toronto-An assassin teams up with a screw up when they're mistaken for each other at an Airbnb.

45. Secret Headquarters-When a kid discovers a secret headquarters in his basement, he believes his stepfather is a superhero.

46. Samaritan-A young boy believes that a long lost superhero may still be around.

47. Salem's Lot-Stephen King adaptation about a man who discovers his childhood home has been taken over by a vampire.

48. Dark Harvest-Fantasy horror about a small town who has an annual tradition of teens taking on a supernatural specter.

49. Distant-Two space miners deal with their individual ships getting struck by asteroids and fighting to survive.

50. White Bird: A Wonder Story-A companion story to 2017's Wonder, wherein one of the characters is told a story of survival in Nazi-occupied France.

51. The Woman King-The story of an all-female military unit from a small African kingdom.

52. Don't Worry Darling-A married couple in the 1950s realize that they both have dark secrets.

53. Mission: Impossible 7-The seventh installment in the franchise.

54. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)-The sequel to Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales team up with more versions of Spider-Man.

55. TAR-Cate Blanchett stars as a woman who is the first female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.

56. The Flash-The scarlet speedster's attempt to save his mother through time travel causes the timeline to be broken.

57. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever-Sequel to the 2018 film.

58. She Said-How the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct was uncovered.

59. The Fabelmans-Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical story of his childhood.

60. Avatar 2-Long awaited sequel to the 2009 film.

61. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom-Jason Mom returns as the aquatic king of Atlantis.

62. I Wanna Dance with Somebody-Whitney Houston musical biopic.

63. Babylon-Period piece set in Hollywood.

Top 10 Most Anticipated:

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)-The sequel to the best film of the 2010s has a lot to live up to. 

2. Lightyear-What could be better than Chris Pine voicing the young Space Ranger.

3. The Fabelmans-Spielberg telling a fictional version of his childhood.

4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness-With Sam Raimi onboard one will expect more than madness.

5. The Batman-Just from the trailers alone this film has incredible cinematography, awesome score, and powerful performances.

6. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent-Nicolas Cage as himself.

7. Avatar 2-13 years and I'm still hopeful.

8. Turning Red-Pixar has handled many topics, so stress will be a breeze.

9. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever-I'm curious how they will handle Chadwick Boseman's death.

10. The Black Phone-Ethan Hawke as a psychotic killer? Could be interesting.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Continuing on from the end of the last solo entry, Spider-Man: No Way Home looks at the consequences of Mysterio outing Peter Parker as Spider-Man. Due to how this affects his and his loved ones' lives, such as Aunt May and MJ, he goes to Doctor Strange to perform a spell to make everyone forget about his secret identity. Due to Parker's interference, the spell instead causes villains from other universes, that being from the Raimi and Webb films like Green Goblin and Electro, to end up in the MCU. To keep the multiverse intact, Strange intends to get the villains back to where and when they came from, but Peter fears that they will go back to their deaths. Trapping Strange in the Mirror Dimension, Peter works with Norman Osborn to cure the other villains until the Goblin persona regains control. The villains escape as Peter and Goblin's fight ends with May dying and Spider-Man seen as a threat by the authorities due to the villains' rampage. With MJ and Ned's help, they find the two other Spider-Men, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, and the three work together to fight and cure the villains. While the heroes have the upper hand, Doctor Strange shows up but finds that the rest of the multiverse is bleeding through to go after the Spider-Men. The MCU Peter proposes that Strange do another memory spell, one that will erase any memory of him from everyone in the universe. Before the spell is activated, Peter bids farewell to the other versions of him as they and their villains go back and promises to Ned and MJ that he will find them again. With no one remembering who he is or the connection to Spider-Man, Peter starts a new life without Stark Industry's help, makes new steps to reconnect with his friends, and makes his own suit to continue his heroics. This is without a doubt one of the MCU's most ambitious as well as most gratifying projects that would not have worked under different hands. Writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers had a monumental task at not only coming up with a story involving the multiverse, but also seeing the return of beloved actors reprising their iconic roles in such a way without being forced or too much for fan service. It's all well earned, especially in how certain parts of the story take queues from one of Spider-Man's worst stories, One More Day, just like Captain America: Civil War also adapts from a mixed storyline. The boldness of killing off Aunt May, which the comics have never done out of fear of making Peter feel too grown, gives him the push that Marvel has never given him in the pages to be able to learn as well as not stick to the status quo. Another praise towards McKenna and Sommers is their superb balance of comedy and drama unlike the last two films trying too hard to be teen comedies as well as getting the past Spider-Men and villains be true to their last appearances. If this and the last two movies prove anything about director Jon Watts is his full understanding of Marvel's properties and why he is perfect for doing a Fantastic Four film for the MCU. His direction is one of the franchise's most unique, while often mastering the styles of Scott Derrickson, Raimi, and Webb. Mauro Fiore is this entry's cinematography and there are so many moments that are quite striking and awe-inspiring. The editing from Jeffrey Ford and Leigh Folsom Boyd keeps its nearly two and a half hour run time feeling well paced and has well edited action scenes. Once again Michael Giacchino proves to be a phenomenal composer as he improves on his previous Spider-Man work while capturing the essence of the Hans Zimmer, James Horner, and Danny Elfman themes that came before. The effects are strong, doing a great job at de-aging Alfred Molina and Willem Dafoe, improving the Sandman effects, and making the Doc Ock tentacles look even more realistic. Though one complaint, and definitely the biggest one, is the obvious use of stock footage when Sandman and Lizard are cured and doesn't look too convincing. But of all the things that this movie absolute delivers in, is in the performances from absolutely everyone. Dafoe in the 2002 film was great, but in here he absolutely shines and proves that just because he was in his 60s didn't mean he couldn't do his own stunts. But the most important performances comes from making the relationship between the three different Peter Parkers feel so believable thanks to Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire putting in their all. Maguire still has the magic despite being 14 years since he last played Parker, Garfield is an absolute joy due to his real life love for the character that he never got to truly evoke, and Holland gives his strongest performance in the MCU perfectly evoking the fun, tragedy, and anger of what his Peter goes through. Using fan service to propel a story can be very tricky to pull off, but if one movie proves you can do it right it is Spider-Man: No Way Home. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. Spider-Man: No Way Home

2. Encanto

3. In the Heights

4. No Time to Die

5. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

6. The Green Knight

7. Candyman 2021

8. The Suicide Squad

9. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

10. Last Night in Soho

11. Dune 2021

12. Free Guy

13. Nobody

14. Black Widow

15. A Quiet Place Part II

16. Respect

17. Raya and the Last Dragon

18. Malignant

19. Eternals

20. Halloween Kills

21. Jungle Cruise

22. Cruella

23. Wrath of Man

24. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

25. F9

26. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

27. Snake Eyes

28. Old

29. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

A reboot to the video game based Resident Evil film series, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a much more faithful adaptation of the Capcom franchise. Taking cues from the first two games by having the story take place in both the Spencer Mansion just like the original 1996 installment and in Raccoon City during the zombie outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation as told in the sequel. With the characters from the games being adapted into this movie, including Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine, the Redfield siblings, and Leon Kennedy, it adds to the authenticity that the previous films lacked. Being based on an over the top, gory, and campy video game franchise inspired by b-horror movies like those of George A. Romero, this adaptation definitely captures those silly and gory moments perfectly. The writing isn't entirely new nor does it try to be profound but it's well told and does a good job at getting you invested in the characters and what's going on while giving us references to the video games and often trying for the corny jokes. Props to the actors, especially Avan Jogia and Neal McDonough, for giving strong performances even when they know their in something ridiculous. Director Johannes Roberts was perfect for taking this project on and giving it a lot more than what many would have done. He gives the right mixture of horror, action, and camp which are helped by Maxime Alexandre's cinematography and Mark Korven's score. Even the effects, whether the makeup or the computer effects, are perfectly cheesy and don't mind when it isn't perfect. If any complaint that is towards the production is that certain events like the zombie outbreak occur too quick with more time to better show the people of Raccoon affected by Umbrella's actions. Not every film needs to be a profound work of art, some can just be dumb fun while still telling a well told story like Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Over all: 84%

2021 top list so far:

1. Encanto

2. In the Heights

3. No Time to Die

4. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

5. The Green Knight

6. Candyman 2021

7. The Suicide Squad

8. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

9. Last Night in Soho

10. Dune 2021

11. Free Guy

12. Nobody

13. Black Widow

14. A Quiet Place Part II

15. Respect

16. Raya and the Last Dragon

17. Malignant

18. Eternals

19. Halloween Kills

20. Jungle Cruise

21. Cruella

22. Wrath of Man

23. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

24. F9

25. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

26. Snake Eyes

27. Old

28. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Encanto

With Encanto, Disney has its 60th film from its well known and loved Animation Studios since 1937's Snow White. Much like Raya and the Last Dragon, this one also has a very diverse cast, though of Hispanic actors with many of them being Columbian wherein this movie is set. Set in a small village, the Madrigal family are the main proprietors due to each member having a special magical gift, given to them by an enchanted candle, that helps and gives hope to everyone. The family and village is led by Alma, whose husband's sacrifice created the candle and a sentient house. When a member of the family reaches a certain age they are given their magical gifs, such as healing with food, animal communication, or super strength. Mirabel, Alma's granddaughter, however never got any powers and has often been looked down upon by the rest of the family despite trying to do the best she can. While everyone celebrates when her cousin, Antonio, gets his powers, Mirabel notices things going wrong in the Casita and fears that the magic is dying. Concerned, Mirabel's questions causes many of her family members to question themselves and what they want to actually do. Needing answers, Mirabel finds a long lost relative, whose prophecies made him an outcast, and the answer they get leads to some trouble that eventually causes the magic and Casita to fail. Realizing that her controlling nature led to many in the family not being happy and true to themselves, Alma apologizes to Mirabel and when the entire family rebuilds Casita on their own the magic is restored. Props for everyone involved in this movie for the precise and exact attention to detail towards the Columbian culture. Having most of the cast be Columbian adds to such an authenticity as they all give strong, fun, and emotional vocal performances. Whether it be well known actors like Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, and John Leguizamo or less well known like Maria Cecilia Botero and Adassa, all of them were amazing. The writing for this movie is really smart, not just in how great it tells its story but how it deals with the emotional repercussions of each family members' powers. Luisa has super strength and thus is relied upon by everyone as they think she can handle everything, though she frequently questions herself and is too worried about failing. Isabela makes beautiful flowers and is thus seen as needing to be perfect until she learns she can make more exotic plants and gets to reveal her true self. Another aspect to the writing that not only makes it great but unique is how it doesn't follow the typical Disney animated formula as Mirabel doesn't have an animal sidekick, no antagonists to fight, and the plot is more to prevent a possible disaster rather than dealing with it head on. As it has been proven time and time again, having Lin-Manuel Miranda be in charge of your songs is a recipe for great success. Between Miranda's songwriting and Germaine Franco's scoring, you have one of Disney's best music. Of course, none of that can work well without the absolutely fantastic, beautiful, and detailed animation. If there's one negative thing I can find about Encanto is just how short it is, but other then that it's a masterpiece. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. Encanto

2. In the Heights

3. No Time to Die

4. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

5. The Green Knight

6. Candyman 2021

7. The Suicide Squad

8. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

9. Last Night in Soho

10. Dune 2021

11. Free Guy

12. Nobody

13. Black Widow

14. A Quiet Place Part II

15. Respect

16. Raya and the Last Dragon

17. Malignant

18. Eternals

19. Halloween Kills

20. Jungle Cruise

21. Cruella

22. Wrath of Man

23. F9

24. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

25. Snake Eyes

26. Old

27. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Far From the Tree

Shown before Encanto, Far From the Tree is a Disney short done traditionally rather than animated through CGI. The short sees a parent and baby raccoon venturing out into beach in search for food, though the parent, who has a scar over its left eye, is very protective of the baby who tends to wander off. Due to the baby's over curious nature it ends up separated from the parent and comes face to face with a wolf whose attack leaves it with a scar on its nose. Though the parent saves its baby and are able to evade the wolf up a tree, the baby is scolded for putting them in danger. Years later, the baby is now grown up and has its own child and tries to teach it the same safety from so long ago. Doing things differently, the new parent climbs up a tree and shows its child a wolf to explain the danger and show the nose scar, thus helping the child understand what could happen before they go back looking for food. While computer animation will always improve year after year, one should never forget that traditional can still tell and show beautiful stories. Director Natalie Nourigat crafts such a well told story all without any use of dialogue, preferring to keep the animals sounding like how they would in real life. The score is kept minimal but you still get faints of it that grab both the emotional and the curious from what the raccoons face. This short's animation style is absolutely breathtaking, has the right amount of color and lighting, and has a bit of a anime-esque quality to it due to its quick pace and surprisingly violent moments that fit the story its telling. Sometimes not all stories need to be hours long to tell something so well crafted, and Far From the Tree is a great example of that.

Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

Savage Avengers (2019-) #1, the beginning of a Marvel series that is still going today, has a group of characters you wouldn't expect to ever team up. Also titled Chapter One: Once Upon a Time in the City of Sickles, this introductory issue sees Wolverine meeting, fighting, and then teaming up with a time displaced Conan the Barbarian in the Savage Lands. With the two taking on a faction of the Hand that is kidnapping and sacrificing people, mainly warriors, in order to summon a destructive god, they learn that one of Conan's old enemies, Kulan Gath, is also involved and happens to have a symbiote. When Brother Voodoo, an ally of Wolverine, is brought out to be sacrificed, the violent heroes get out of the shadows to confront the cultists. Elsewhere, the Punisher finds the grave of his family having been tampered and left with things originating from the Savage Lands. This comic really does deserve its savage title due to how violent and bloody it is, and considering what characters appear in this it makes sense. Is there a standard hero vs hero fight when Wolverine and Conan first meet, sure, but it is so fun and creative in how they end their fight through their shared love of beer. Writer Gerry Duggan knows that with that title and premise you'd expect something absolutely and extremely grim, edgy, and violent, which you do, but he manages to add good touches of humor, self awareness, and well executed drama that allows for investment in the story. Both the narration and dialogue are done in such a quick and detailed way without needing to over-exposit much of the backstory of certain story aspects. Travis Lanham's work as a letterer best exemplifies how well the dialogue and narration works by their placements in the artwork. Artwork is done through the combination of the penciling, inking, and coloring by Mike Deodato Jr. and Frank Martin Jr.. Its use of dark colors benefits its premise while still having lighter tones so as to easily tell what's in each panel. Well designed characters, detailed backgrounds, and a style change when looking at the distant past all lead to some great artwork. Every once in a while you get a new story that may not seem like much, but Savage Avengers (2019-) #1 is one of those that turns out to be a lot more then what it initially promises. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

5. Aliens: Defiance #1

6. Iron Man (2020-) #1

7. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

8. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

9. DC Universe: Legacies #1

10. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

11. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

12. Champions (2020-) #1

13. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

14. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

15. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

16. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
17. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
18. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

19. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
20. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
21. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Taking over from his father, Ivan, Jason Reitman has the enviable and stressful task of making a sequel to one of his classics with Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Focusing on the estranged daughter of Egon Spangler and her kids, who after learning of his death inherit the dilapidated farm the eccentric scientist owned in a small town in Oklahoma. Once there, Egon's grandkids, Phoebe and Trevor, not only uncover his Ghostbusting devices, including the proton packs and Ectomobile, but also the reemergence of ghosts and the return of a familiar villain that he feared would come back to bring out the apocalypse. With the help of other kids in town, and eventually the return of the original team, a new Ghostbusters team must stop the ghostly threat from endangering the world. As been said before, making another film in this franchise isn't easy, especially after the 2016 film, but going from father to son, with Ivan staying on as producer, is a reassuring way of having someone close to the original still be involved and having any changes at least be done under the original creator's eyes. Having some of the original cast also helps in making the passing of the torch to the new ones feel a lot more natural. Seeing Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson in their old ghostbusting outfits alongside the spirit of Egon with CG used to recreate Harold Ramis was both exciting and emotional. Them, alongside newcomers like McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Paul Rudd all give strong and fun performances and it's very obvious how passionate everyone involved in this is. Jason and Gil Kenan's script manages to capture most of what made the 80s films so loved while having some unique aspects that fit the younger Reitman's style. You still get some rather eccentric but lovable characters, fun moments involving the first use of new tech against ghosts, and a final destructive battle against the main threat. The biggest differences is its setting in a small town in the middle of nowhere, being more character driven rather than just relying on jokes and gags, and a slower pace focusing on drama. While it does tend to have numerous references and call backs to the classics, some of them do feel forced sometimes, its story relating to Gozer and Ivo Shandor does feel very natural and the way they're handled at the end does manage to go a different way. Other aspects that make this film work and have a different feel is the lush cinematography, well-paced editing, computer and practical effects blending well together, and the score evoking the original theme while adding new stuff. Even if this isn't that well regarded, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a worthy sequel with a post credit scene that hints at something bigger akin to the larger ideas Aykroyd originally envisioned for the original. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

8. Last Night in Soho

9. Dune 2021

10. Free Guy

11. Nobody

12. Black Widow

13. A Quiet Place Part II

14. Respect

15. Raya and the Last Dragon

16. Malignant

17. Eternals

18. Halloween Kills

19. Jungle Cruise

20. Cruella

21. Wrath of Man

22. F9

23. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

24. Snake Eyes

25. Old

26. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Eternals

The fact that it took 13 years and 26 movies for a an entry in the MCU to have a Rotten Tomatoes score lower than a fresh 60% just shows how the Marvel Cinematic Universe is such a strong, but still flawed, franchise. Being the first film to have that, with a low 47 percent score, Eternals has issues but it's not without strengths. Centering on the title characters, a team of synthetic immortal beings each with their unique abilities, who are tasked by the ancient and powerful Celestials to protect the people of Earth from the demonic and animalistic Deviants. The Eternals spend thousands of years protecting humans throughout many lands, often influencing history and the civilizations they meet along the way, while also some in the team growing closer to one another. Hundreds of years after believing to kill the last Deviants and the Eternals splitting up, a new batch of them appear and once the Eternals reform they soon learn of a dark secret tied to their origins and the Celestials. In my opinion this is not the weakest entry in the MCU, I still see Thor: The Dark World as that, but I can understand the reasons why this has such a low score. Being over two and a half hours, this movie has a lot to unpack with a big cast and a lot of exposition to explain what's going on. Chloe Zhao, who directed and cowrote, is remarkable at keeping it all together despite either being too short for all of the exposition and information or too short for not keeping things consistently focused. There's a lot you learn throughout this film that often times feels like it should have been done as a show on Disney+. Especially with how many flashbacks there are to look at the team's past adventures and their relationship, which at times proves it could have been told linearly. What makes Zhao such a unique director for this franchise is the much slower pacing, a much more indie like camera work, dealing with darker themes, often focusing on the love life of the characters, and shooting in many real locations rather than in a studio. There's also the brisk and astounding cinematography from MCU regular Ben Davis that gives it a more unique look compared to the past entries. Zhao being inspired much by Zack Snyder's work, especially Man of Steel, you can really see that influence. Unlike the previous MCU movies, Ramin Djawadi's work on the score is more ethereal and doesn't go for a bombastic style. The cast in this are all strong, with the biggest standouts being Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Lauren Ridloff, and Brian Tyree Henry. Though huge praise for casting certain diverse actors you wouldn't expect in a big studio film like Salma Hayek, a Hispanic actress in her 50s, and Ridloff who's deaf. Despite how great each actor is, having ten members of this team also means that not all of them will go through a lot of development. There's also the very typical MCU over editing in the action scenes, the rather weak villain with the Deviants' evolutionary abilities, and overuse of comedy that clashes with the darker tone it's trying to get through. But you do get really strong effects that often mix the actors with what's practical and computer generated when it comes to locations and objects. Eternals is by no means terrible and one of the MCU's most intriguing projects thanks to the direction, acting, and feel, but it's storytelling, sluggish pace, and uneven tone keeps it from reaching great heights. Over all: 96%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Last Night in Soho

8. Dune 2021

9. Free Guy

10. Nobody

11. Black Widow

12. A Quiet Place Part II

13. Respect

14. Raya and the Last Dragon

15. Malignant

16. Eternals

17. Halloween Kills

18. Jungle Cruise

19. Cruella

20. Wrath of Man

21. F9

22. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

23. Snake Eyes

24. Old

25. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright writes, alongside Krysty Wilson-Cairns, and directs Last Night in Soho, a psychological horror starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Diana Rigg in her final performance before dying last year. McKenzie plays Ellie Turner, a fashion student in London with a love for the clothing and music of the 1960s. After moving to a new place, Ellie begins to have visions centering on Taylor-Joy's Sandie, an aspiring singer from the '60s. Initially inspired by her visions and Sandie's style, Ellie changes her look to match her's and creates clothing inspired by that decade. What starts out as a wonderful gift soon spins into horror when the visions continue and Ellie witnesses Sandie's abuse at the hands of men she initially trusted, her murder, and then Ellie being haunted by shadowy ghosts. Fearing that she may be going crazy like her mother, Ellie sets out to discover what happened to Sandie and bring justice to her. As always expected with Wright, this film has his typical style, colorful imagery, and highly detailed writing, though not focusing on the quick comedy he's known for. Being a full on horror that focuses more on drama and very little in the comedy, this absolutely works thanks to such an engaging story that from the beginning gives us a message of how young aspirational women are often treated by men, especially those who promise them big dreams. Wright's direction not only makes the visions and ghosts scary, but he makes the abuse that Sandie and other women go through just as terrifying. One flaw I do have to give towards the writing is a bit of the message it tries to say about mental health issues, as it's slightly murky in combing that and a ghost story. Regardless, the performances from everyone in this movie are all incredible powerful with special mention going to the late Rigg due to the twist surrounding her character. As a modern movie that looks back at a decade so long ago, the music choices, cinematography from Chung Chung-hoon, and the score by Steven Price all keep the two time periods from being too distinct from one another. Plus I do love the message that just because you have a love for a certain time period, it doesn't mean it was all perfect. Initially seeming like a love letter to the 1960s, Last Night in Soho shows that you could be grateful and love a time gone by, but it's still important to regard what is going on now and what to expect in the future. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Last Night in Soho

8. Dune 2021

9. Free Guy

10. Nobody

11. Black Widow

12. A Quiet Place Part II

13. Respect

14. Raya and the Last Dragon

15. Malignant

16. Halloween Kills

17. Jungle Cruise

18. Cruella

19. Wrath of Man

20. F9

21. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

22. Snake Eyes

23. Old

24. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Aliens: Defiance #1

Set between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens, Aliens: Defiance #1 is the start of a 12-issue limited series from Dark Horse first published in April of 2016. In this debut issue, rookie Colonial Marine Private Zula Hendricks comes in contact with the Xenomorphs, leading to losing the rest of her crew and all but one Weyland-Yutani synthetic. Once Hendricks wakes up and is healed from suspended animation, she learns that the last synthetic, Davis One, has broken his programming. Davis learned that his creators plan to capture Xenomorphs for study, but fearing that they could escape all over Earth, he has gone awol and the two of them set out on a new mission to stop the company. While the story for this comic is very standard for the franchise, it's a good start that does get you invested for the beginning of this series. Brian Woods has a good eye for both exposition and dialogue, with a nice twist on how the synthetic reacts to his creators' intentions. Zula is a good character that isn't just an Ellen Ripley clone, but one who is stubborn, cocky, and doesn't want to show her pain. If one isn't too convinced by the writing, then probably the artwork would be a lot more enticing to get you to read it. The various aspects of the artwork from Tristan Jones and Dan Jackson gives us a very detailed environment but also one that is grimy and absolutely dirty, but in a way that's just wonderful to look at. It may not be the most astounding story in this franchise, but Aliens: Defiance #1 but it does have enough good qualities that it's worth picking up. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Aliens: Defiance #1

5. Iron Man (2020-) #1

6. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

7. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

8. DC Universe: Legacies #1

9. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

10. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

11. Champions (2020-) #1

12. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

13. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

14. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

15. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
16. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
17. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

18. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
19. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
20. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Dune 2021

Adapting one of the most influential and revered science-fiction novels of all time is no easy task, especially with how long and detailed it is, but Denis Villeneuve has proven to be the perfect person to handle such a challenge. Focusing on the first half of the original 1965 book by Frank Herbert, Dune 2021 can be difficult to get through due to its slow pace and highly detailed world building, but the payoff is worth it. Much like the novel and previous adaptations, the film is set in the far future wherein the entire universe is ruled by an empire and certain planets are looked after by a family. One of these families, House Atreides, is assigned to look over Arrakis, a desert planet from which the only source of fuel comes from and often called Dune. In reality, however, the emperor plans to kill the family out of political fear. At the same time, the heir to House Atreides, Paul, begins to develop abilities that he inherited from his mother, who is a part of a sisterhood with supernatural powers known as the Bene Gesserit. Some time after they establish themselves in Arrakis, the family and its followers are attacked by the House that previously stayed in the planet, the Harkonnens. Although Paul's father, Duke Leto, dies attempting to kill the attackers, he and his mother escape into the desert wherein they have to avoid attacks from the giant sandworms and find help from the Fremen, the planet's native population. One of the biggest praises that one can give to this movie even if one didn't like a lot of it is the bold ambition that Villeneuve and everyone involved in this production took, knowing how loved the novel is. Yes it has a rather slow pace and nearly three hours of very methodical scenes, while feeling at times like mostly setting up for the second half of the book, but a lot of it works due to how everyone involves takes it serious. A lot of the dialogue and exposition is written well and the performances from the actors never feels half assed. Having such acclaimed actors like Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgard, and Javier Bardem giving it their all, not a single one does a terrible or even mediocre job. Being less of a typical sci-fi action film and more of a political thriller, you often forget about the many typical tropes of the genre thanks to being engrossed by what's happening. Of course that doesn't mean that the effects, as well as the music and cinematography, aren't as strong or amazing for this kind of movie. Every aspect of this adaptation works even if you often feel bored, showing that not all big blockbusters need to be quick and done. Dune 2021 is a sight to behold all of the time but that doesn't mean it's easy to get through all of the time, but there's nothing wrong with that. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Dune 2021

8. Free Guy

9. Nobody

10. Black Widow

11. A Quiet Place Part II

12. Respect

13. Raya and the Last Dragon

14. Malignant

15. Halloween Kills

16. Jungle Cruise

17. Cruella

18. Wrath of Man

19. F9

20. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

21. Snake Eyes

22. Old

23. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Halloween Kills

Following on from the 2018 film, Halloween Kills sees Laurie Strode being taken to a hospital to deal with her injuries as Michael Myers escapes from the fire that he was trapped in. As Laurie heals, Michael once again goes on a killing spree throughout Haddonfield as he heads back to his childhood home. Once some of the survivors of Michael's original spree in 1978 learn about his escape and the new killings, they and the rest of Haddonfield form a mob to go after him once and for all. While I do agree that this sequel doesn't have the strengths of its predecessor, and knowing that this is the second part of a trilogy and thus feeling more about setup for the third part, it's still an exceptionally made movie that's far better than some of the other entries in the franchise. The writing between Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and director David Gordon-Green does a good job at making the anger the citizens have towards Michael feel natural, similar to the fourth film but with a bigger budget and more emphasis. It does, however, get rather repetitive with the constant times we're reminded of how evil Michael is or that they have to kill him. There's not that much that this movie adds to the series, just being a straightforward Myers kills anyone in his way story. You do get a few additions that at least do work well, such as showing how Michael was captured 40 years earlier, Deputy Hawkins's connection with him, some backstory to when Michael was a kid before killing his sister, the mob mentality getting out of hand, and Laurie understanding that he was never targeting her and is just another victim. What it lacks in writing, is made up thanks to Gordon-Green's phenomenal direction that leads to some very scary and spine-chilling moments. The best aspect to the direction is Michael's kills due to the originality of how he does it, the twisted qualities of each one, and perfectly fits the belief of him being the very presence of evil. That and the combination between Michael Simmonds's cinematography and much of the original theme with some new elements to the music by John and Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies also help in keeping you on the edge of your seat with your heart constantly on edge. With some returning actors like Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer and newer additions such as Anthony Michael Hall, every single actor absolutely shines. Though some characters don't really do all that much and are either wasted or just remind you of the setup for the third entry. Halloween Kills is still a fun, heart pounding installment but tends to do the same mistakes as any middle entry of a trilogy with tons of repetition despite its strong cast and creative kills. Over all: 96%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Free Guy

8. Nobody

9. Black Widow

10. A Quiet Place Part II

11. Respect

12. Raya and the Last Dragon

13. Malignant

14. Halloween Kills

15. Jungle Cruise

16. Cruella

17. Wrath of Man

18. F9

19. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

20. Snake Eyes

21. Old

22. Space Jam: A New Legacy

No Time to Die

Having played James Bond since 2006, Daniel Craig stars in his fifth and final outing as OO7 in No Time to Die. After an attack from Spectre leads a retired Bond to part with Madeleine Swann, he decides to go off the grid. Five years later, Bond is recruited by Felix Leiter for the CIA and then brought back into MI6 to look for a scientist who has created a DNA based bioweapon. Initially taken by Spectre, the scientist is recruited by a new terrorist group led by the mysterious Safin. With this bioweapon, Safin is able to kill the rest of Spectre and, with Madeleine's unwitting help, Blofeld. Upon tracking Madeleine to her childhood home, Bond learns that she has a daughter, though denying it's his child. Soon after they're chased and attacked by Safin's men, who manage to kidnap Madeleine and her daughter. Tracking Safin to a secluded island where he will make more of the bioweapon, Bond and Nomi, the new OO7, head to the island to rescue the hostages and open the silos so a missile strike destroys the bioweapons. Once there, Bond and Nomi face off against Safin's forces or risk a global catastrophe that would affect millions. With 25 films in the series, this entry stands out as one of the most daring by tackling things that's never been done before since 1962. Craig's portrayal of Bond has always been more grounded, darker, and at times terrifying compared to his predecessors. In this, we still get that, but also hints of more humanity and normalcy that can sometimes feel strange due to the past movies, but Craig's performance makes it believable. With Rami Malek portraying Safin, we get a more subdued Bond villain who always finds a way to get one step ahead. He's not over the top, doesn't make outlandish plans, or relies on extravagant traps, he's simply cunning, intelligent, and scarily realistic. Though one can't deny that he has similarities to Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me, and Drax in Moonraker that still give it that special flavor. The bold choice of both killing Bond and having a child is a great way of ending Craig's already distinct era. It helps that the writing done not just by regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, but also Phoebe Walter-Bridge and director Cary Joji Fukunaga is exceptional and manages to make it still feel true to the franchise and natural. As for Fukunaga's direction, it has a similar style to Sam Mendes but with more dynamic camera movements and superb set pieces. The stunts and fight sequences are not only well choreographed but have certain aspects of originality due to how they're presented, whether the opening chase scene with the Aston Martin, a shootout in Cuba, or the final fight between Bond and Safin. While Roger Deakins's work in Skyfall gave us the most astounding cinematography out of all the films, Linus Sandgren gives us a close second. The editing between Elliot Graham and Tom Cross helps keep the nearly three hour film, the longest Bond entry as well, feel brisk and have great pacing. Of course, one can't talk about a James Bond movie without bringing up the music and the theme song for the title sequence. Hans Zimmer does a superb job with the score, giving us the regular themes while adding bits and pieces of On Her Majesty's Secret Service's soundtrack that makes you weary of what could happen between Bond and Swann. This entry's theme song, same title as the movie, is performed by Billie Eilish who cowrote it with her brother, Finneas, and Miles Ale. At 18, Billie is the youngest artist to record a Bond theme and regardless of her age, it is an amazing song that fits both her style and the franchise's previous hits. It's perfectly moody and somber, but still keeps you magically invested due to foreshadowing what will occur in the rest of the film. Of all the Craig era songs, this is the second best right behind Adele's title song for Skyfall and one of the most iconic alongside Goldfinger's, Live and Let Die's, and For Your Eyes Only's. With No Time to Die being a perfect end to Craig's time as Bond, there's no doubt that it will be difficult to try to not only find a perfect successor to the role but have a movie that will be as regarded right away. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. No Time to Die

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Green Knight

5. Candyman 2021

6. The Suicide Squad

7. Free Guy

8. Nobody

9. Black Widow

10. A Quiet Place Part II

11. Respect

12. Raya and the Last Dragon

13. Malignant

14. Jungle Cruise

15. Cruella

16. Wrath of Man

17. F9

18. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

19. Snake Eyes

20. Old

21. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

With Andy Serkis taking over as director from Ruben Fleischer, who stays on as an executive producer, and Tom Hardy coming up with some of the story, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a wild and crazy sequel to the already over the top and energetic 2018 film. Set a little over a year after the first film, Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote have become begrudging roommates as Eddie tries to get his life back together. Opportunity knocks when a chance to interview convicted serial killer Cletus Kasady, played by Woody Harrelson, could help boost his career. With Venom's help, however, Eddie figures out where Cletus buried many of his kills, thus assuring that the serial killer will get the death penalty. Upon meeting Cletus one last time, a confrontation caused by Venom leads to Kasady biting Brock and the blood mixed with some of the symbiote's essence to eventually turn him into Carnage. Escaping from death row and going on a mass murder spree, Cletus and his own symbiote rescue an old flame with sonic scream powers and sets out to get revenge on those who have wronged them, including Brock and Venom. Despite having separated due to their constant arguments over how to perform heroic acts and whether Venom could eat brains, he and Eddie have to resolve their issues to defeat this new menace. What this film does best is continuing the crazy and silly tone that the first one did, although much of it is either toned down or kinda feels forced. The effects are still great, especially whenever Eddie turns into Venom but bigger props go to Cletus's transformations into Carnage as they have a more chaotic, almost body horror, aspect to it. In terms of the story, it's okay, short as it needs to be, but kinda all over the place when it tries to replicate the absurdity from the previous entry. While Tom Hardy, who also voices Venom, and other actors like Michelle Williams, Reid Scott, and Peggy Lu do return and give good performances, it's Harrelson as Carnage and Naomie Harris as Shriek that steal the movie. Serkis's direction is good as he films many of the drama and action with the same care, while the editing doesn't over do it with too many cuts in the action scenes. While it's understandable with the current pandemic going on that this is rated PG-13, knowing what Carnage can do and has done in the comics, an R rating would have been more appropriate. While Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a bit plain compared to other superhero films, the performances, effects, fight scenes, and a surprising twist in its mid credit scene connecting it to the MCU at least give it something to look forward to. Over all: 75%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

3. The Green Knight

4. Candyman 2021

5. The Suicide Squad

6. Free Guy

7. Nobody

8. Black Widow

9. A Quiet Place Part II

10. Respect

11. Raya and the Last Dragon

12. Malignant

13. Jungle Cruise

14. Cruella

15. Wrath of Man

16. F9

17. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

18. Snake Eyes

19. Old

20. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4) is the debut of an Elseworld DC story from 2004 that looks at a version of Superman in a world more like our own. Clark Kent, a teen from Picketsville, Kansas who was named after the comic book superhero, lives every day being given Superman themed gifts from his family and often being teased by his classmates because of it. Wanting to be a writer, Clark often stays out in the woods to write out his thoughts on an old typewriter and relax from his namesake. One day, however, while sleeping out during one of his trips Clark wakes up to discover he has Superman's powers, being able to fly and the other abilities. While initially not wanting to get into heroics, that all changes when Clark saves several people during some incidents. These heroics get the attention of both the government and the media, despite Clark wanting to stay out of the public eye. Wanting someone to at least help get the word out that he means no harm and just wants to understand his powers, Clark contacts reporter Wendy Case in the shadows who publishes many of their conversations until he sees that she was recording him. Wanting to go public himself at the town's Halloween carnival, an explosion caused by Wendy that led to several people killed to expose him convinces Clark to keep his identity hidden but still save people whenever he can. Despite not focusing on the main version of Superman, this issue, and no doubt the rest of this miniseries, perfectly encapsulates what makes the character so beloved since 1938. It gives us a Clark Kent who, despite annoyed by who he was named after, does whatever he can to help as many people as he can thanks to the powers and abilities he has. Never using them for his own personal gain, get revenge against bullies, and genuinely feeling guilty when he learns about the people who died in the festival explosion. What makes the story so engaging is Kurt Busiek's writing and how it does feel like Clark's thoughts through the typewriter, also being helped by letterer Todd Klein's writing formats and coloring. Stuart Immonen, who does all of the main aspects of the artwork, does a phenomenal job with the comic's unique painting and painted over photography like style. There are many things that Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4) does right, but the most important is that it will make you want to read the next three issues more than any other comic book. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Iron Man (2020-) #1

5. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

6. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

7. DC Universe: Legacies #1

8. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

9. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

10. Champions (2020-) #1

11. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

12. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

13. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

14. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
15. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
16. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

17. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
18. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
19. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Malignant

Horror master James Wan's latest film, Malignant, is certainly a mix of strange, terrifying, and at times over the top that you wouldn't have expected from the trailers alone. Annabelle Wallis plays Madison Lake, a pregnant Seattle nurse with an abusive husband who after a confrontation with him he is soon murdered by a mysterious figure that attacks her and causes a miscarriage. Soon after that same figure kidnaps a woman and goes after and kills doctors, to which Madison has visions of, that links it and Madison from before she was adopted in 1993. With the help of her adopted sister and the police detectives in charge of the investigation, Madison learns about her long forgotten past and the surprising reveal of what the figure, calling himself Gabriel, actually is. Don't want to reveal way too much and not to spoil a huge reveal, but just to get one aspect out of the way, Gabriel is a living tumor that was attached to Madison's, or Emily May beforehand, back that the doctors, which Gabriel is killing, attempted to surgically remove. There are aspects to this movie that I definitely didn't expect and found to be original, but many of the same ideas are also executed in a very outlandish and over the top way. However, you can't deny how atmospheric and tense it is thanks to the cinematography, scoring, and Wan's direction. While what we later learn about Gabriel is interesting and explains some aspects, like his unique movements by contortionist Marina Mazepa or the visions Madison has, the fact that he has super strength and is able to control electricity is never explained and feels out of nowhere so as to make us think it's something else. So however you feel about Gabriel's reveal or abilities, there's no denying that Ray Chase's voice performance adds to his creepiness. Another facet to this movie that elevates it are the performances from the rest of the cast, including McKenna Grace as the younger Madison, Maddie Hasson as her adopted sister, and Susanna Thompson as Madison's adopted mother. So while Malignant has a lot of things that make it rather silly, there are far more stuff in it that still make it an engaging, fun, and tantalizing horror movie. Over all: 96%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

3. The Green Knight

4. Candyman 2021

5. The Suicide Squad

6. Free Guy

7. Nobody

8. Black Widow

9. A Quiet Place Part II

10. Respect

11. Raya and the Last Dragon

12. Malignant

13. Jungle Cruise

14. Cruella

15. Wrath of Man

16. F9

17. Snake Eyes

18. Old

19. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues on to to its fourth phase with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. With a primary focus on Asian culture, the film sees Xu Shang-Chi, a martial artist, hiding out in San Francisco so as to escape from his father, the head of the crime organization the Ten Rings. When his father, Xu Wenwu and the inspiration for Iron Man 3's Mandarin, manages to find Shang-Chi and his sister after so many years, he tries to convince them that their long departed mother is being kept hostage in her old village in another dimension. With the threat of Wenwu's criminal army as well as his use of the powerful ten rings that grant him immortality and power, the siblings have to protect the village with help from the imprisoned Trevor Slattery, the fake Mandarin, and the people of the village with their mystical weapons and creatures so as to keep a powerful evil from escaping. While WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did focus on a post Endgame-snapped world, this is the first film in the MCU that does take place mainly after that. But the movie never makes it too clear how long it's been and doesn't use much of that throughout the whole run. Despite this, it's still a well written and directed entry that gives a compelling villain with noble, though misguided, goals. Destin Daniel Cretton's direction does an amazing job especially in how it handles flashbacks to Shang-Chi and his sister's Xialing's childhood from idyllic to after their mother is killed and their father becomes colder and trains his son to kill while neglecting his daughter. One huge issue with the writing is that it never explains what keeps Wenwu from taking over the world despite the army he amasses and the power of the rings that has kept him alive for thousands of years. But this being the MCU, one can infer that there may have been threats that challenged him as we do get cameos from Doctor Strange's Wong. The cast that includes Simu Liu playing the title character, Tony Leung as his father, Meng'er Zhang portraying Xialing, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi's best friend, and supporting characters played by Ben Kingsley, Michelle Yeoh, and Fala Chen who all provided strong, funny, and powerful performances. Similar to Black Panther and how it handled African culture, the exploration and representation towards Asian culture is not only detailed but also handled in a very respectful manner especially in the way it depicts various Chinese mythological creatures and doesn't over explains each one. Having a hero whose comic book roots lie in the kung fu craze of the early 1970s, this film's biggest strength is the use of martial arts in its action sequences. Thanks to stunt coordinator Brad Allen, who recently passed away, we not only get great fight scenes but also many that almost feel like a dance. Of course much of that is also thanks to William Pope's lush cinematography, the editing not being overdone, Joel P. West's Asian inspired scoring, and well made effects that don't interfere with the fight scenes. Between the powerful performances, strong action scenes, and compelling story with great use of Asian culture it's no wonder Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has become a box office record breaker even through the pandemic. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

3. The Green Knight

4. Candyman 2021

5. The Suicide Squad

6. Free Guy

7. Nobody

8. Black Widow

9. A Quiet Place Part II

10. Respect

11. Raya and the Last Dragon

12. Jungle Cruise

13. Cruella

14. Wrath of Man

15. F9

16. Snake Eyes

17. Old

18. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Candyman 2021

A direct sequel to the 1992 original, Candyman 2021 is directed by Nia DaCosta who also cowrote with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele, with the two coproducing the film through their Monkeypaw Productions. The film sees Anthony McCoy, a Chicago visual artist played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Brianna, Anthony's girlfriend and the director to his art gallery played by Teyonah Parris, becoming involved in the legend of the violent mythological spirit known as Candyman. Wanting to bring something fresh to his work, Anthony ventures into Cabrini-Green, a housing project in hard times due to gentrification, where he learns about a man in the 70s who was unjustly murdered by cops after he was accused of putting razors in children's candy and how that relates to the violent urban legend. When this causes Anthony to create works of art inspired by what he learned, he inadvertently causes the curse of Candyman to be resurrected and a secret from Anthony's past to be revealed. This is a well crafted horror film that is able to balance heart pounding horror with important messages related to real life issues. Using the legend of a vengeful spirit that represents many black men who have been wronged by society and that Tony Todd's original take of the character wasn't the only one is very original. The writing and direction is done in such an original and often provocative way, all to give us something that is not easy to take in but very much needed. Though while a lot of the story and writing is good, a few things like Anthony's transformation, a flashback to Brianna's father, and the motivation of Colman Domingo's William feel like they were either rushed, not elaborated on as much, or a little wasted. Despite that, this movie has a cast that all give strong performances and you truly feel what they go through. Special mention goes to Tony Todd who, despite having such a small moment, brings such a powerful moment. Another strong aspect that adds to the tone and feel is the moody cinematography from John Guleserian and Robert A. A. Lowe's haunting score. Even if you may not be captivated by the writing, find the horror tame, or even see the messages as forced, one great thing that makes this work unique is its use of paper and shadow puppets to tell flashbacks. Much like Halloween 2018, Candyman 2021 proves that old horror franchises can still work if you have great people behind it that truly love what came before and want to expand instead of just doing the same thing. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. Candyman 2021

4. The Suicide Squad

5. Free Guy

6. Nobody

7. Black Widow

8. A Quiet Place Part II

9. Respect

10. Raya and the Last Dragon

11. Jungle Cruise

12. Cruella

13. Wrath of Man

14. F9

15. Snake Eyes

16. Old

17. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Respect

Jennifer Hudson plays Aretha Franklin in Respect, a biographical musical about the early life and career of  the influential and inspiring soul and gospel singer. The movie goes from Aretha's childhood as we see her singing skills grow, her baptist father's parties involving well known gospel singers, her parents' divorce, and becoming pregnant very young to then growing up befriending Martin Luther King, signing on to her first record label, dealing with her first husband's abuse, finding success with Atlantic Records, becoming an alcoholic due to being overworked, sobering up, and finally producing her 1972 gospel album which was her most successful. While the film is pretty standard for a musical biopic and the writing is nothing too spectacular, it is well written and you do get to know a lot about Aretha's life so as to understand what she went through. Even when the storytelling isn't all that great and at times standard, Hudson's performance as Aretha, and even Skye Dakota Turner as the younger version, are always shining when present. Of course that's not to say that Hudson is the only great actor in this as you do have Forest Whitaker, Marc Maron, and a surprisingly serious Marlon Wayans as Aretha's abusive first husband. Being a musical biopic, another great aspect is of course the songs from Aretha's early career as well as Kris Bowers's score. Director Liesl Tommy doesn't do anything too outstanding in her filmmaking but does manage to capture the eras of when the film is set thanks to Kramer Morgenthau's cinematography and the production design. So while Respect does nothing new, what it does do is give us a well made biopic to one of the most well loved and respected singers of the 20th century with strong performances. Over all: 98%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. The Suicide Squad

4. Free Guy

5. Nobody

6. Black Widow

7. A Quiet Place Part II

8. Respect

9. Raya and the Last Dragon

10. Jungle Cruise

11. Cruella

12. Wrath of Man

13. F9

14. Snake Eyes

15. Old

16. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Iron Man (2020-) #1

In Iron Man (2020-) #1, Tony Stark has decided to restart his life after so many setbacks in his life and get back to the basics of being Iron Man. To do so, Stark distances himself from his own business, sells off his Malibu mansion for an apartment in Manhattan, and begins to use new armors reminiscent of his early stuff. While teaming up with Hellcat, the two confront the villain Unicorn who has stolen a book from the Public Library. When they see that the book is a Gutenberg Bible and Unicorn rambles about working for a god, a bolt of lightning hits Tony and although it doesn't kill him it does incinerate the book. While it may be difficult for new readers to understand much of what goes on due to needing to read past stories, this comic is still worth reading. Christopher Cantwell's storytelling does enough to not make you confused for Tony's reasonings behind his new attitude. There's still a lot of backstory that's not expanded on, but you forget about it thanks to the well written drama and a great start to a new mystery introduced at the end of this issue. CAFU's artwork and Frank D'Armata's coloring create a perfect art style that resembles less of a typical comic style and more of a series of paintings. Iron Man (2020-) #1 is the start for a new series for the Armored Avenger that sees a significant change in the title character's life and through great writing and art, gives a very memorable and well made start to a new story. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

2. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

3. Iron Man (2020-) #1

4. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

5. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

6. DC Universe: Legacies #1

7. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

8. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

9. Champions (2020-) #1

10. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

11. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

12. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

13. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
14. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
15. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

16. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
17. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
18. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Free Guy

Having a few similarities to Ready Player One, Wreck-It Ralph, and The Matrix, Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as a NPC named Guy in a video game based off of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Not being aware that he's just a character in a video game, Guy doesn't notice how repetitive everything in his life is specially when everything all around him is chaos due to the actions that the players are doing. That is until he notices one particular player, named Millie, who unknowingly makes him aware of the video game he's been living in. The two then team up in order to prove that the code to make this game was stolen from her from a greedy and eccentric game developer. While stories like this have been done before, this movie's mix of fast comedy, balls to the wall action scenes, and drama relaying to creating unique life towards artificial intelligence is how this film really stands out. Alongside Reynolds pulling off his usual charm but with more idealistic qualities than his other roles is Jodie Comer as Millie, Joe Keery playing the other designer of the game, Lil Rel Howery as Guy's best friend, and Taika Waititi in one of his most over the top and fun performances as greedy developer Antwan. Every single person in the cast brings a lot of energy and charisma to their characters, the same goes towards the smaller roles and even quick cameos. One thing that really makes the video game world feel so real that you're highly invested in this digital landscape is the combination of the production design and effects. There's also some of the score from Christophe Beck that perfectly compliments many scenes and the use of some memorable licensed songs that actually fit into the plot. Much like Player One, this movie has a lot of references to other video games and other forms of pop culture. But, it doesn't rely too much on those references and are done sporadically instead of filling up every frame of the shot for one to catch. One huge praise that one can give to the script is how serious and detailed it takes with the concept of video game coding and never having to over explain to the audience. If there are any faults to the script, though just a few, is that some parts of the ending have a few obvious cliches and not all of the jokes and comedic bits stick and can get too long. While Free Guy may not have one of the most original ideas, the originality comes from how it uses its comedy and story concept to create a great satire with some important messages. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. The Suicide Squad

4. Free Guy

5. Nobody

6. Black Widow

7. A Quiet Place Part II

8. Raya and the Last Dragon

9. Jungle Cruise

10. Cruella

11. Wrath of Man

12. F9

13. Snake Eyes

14. Old

15. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Fathom Events-Rifftrax Live: Hobgoblins

Riiftrax, a comedic commentary group riffing on mostly bad movies that succeeded their previous show of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, teams up with Fathom Events to release live screenings of their riffs. Their most recent effort was for the 1988 Hobgoblins, a low-budget indie movie that is both a rip-off and parody of Gremlins and other small creature films. While the live broadcast I went to was delayed a bit due to technical issues, there wasn't that much that was missed. Didn't get to see the exact start, but it started just a few minutes in and the movie itself still gave enough information to already bring me in. Even if this didn't have the Rifftrax crew's usual comedic deliveries, the movie itself is already hilarious due to how over the top, nonsensical, and obviously cheap it is. But still, the works of Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett certainly enhance on the comedy. Whether they compare the hobgoblin puppets to that of a drunk Nick Nolte or point how certain scenes are obviously filmed at a school, their quick riffs never disappoint. So even if I didn't get to see the very beginning of this screening, this was still highly entertaining and makes me exited to one day attend a future Rifftrax event.