Kung Fu Panda 4

With this being the fourth film in the franchise since 2008, Kung Fu Panda 4 sees Po taking on a shape shifting chameleon who wants to obtain the martial arts skills from the spirits of Po's defeated enemies to rule over China. All that as Po learns that he has to become a spiritual leader and thus pass on the Dragon Warrior mantle to someone else, and he believes that a young Fox thief is a good successor despite Master Shifu's reluctance. Even after four films, this franchise knows how to give audiences perfectly choreographed, animated, edited, and creative fight scenes. Jack Black as Po and Awkwafina as Zhen, the Fox thief, have such a strong and memorable chemistry that they are the heart of the movie. You also get Viola Davis as a very memorable villain and Ian McShane returns as Tai Lung managing to keep his threatening presence but also show how his time as a spirit have changed him. The writing is pretty good, but often focuses too much on comedic hijinks compared to the first three movies. Especially when the focus shifts towards Po's biological and adopted fathers wanting to help him as their antics does drag at times. There are also decisions made by the studio that do affect the overall film, such as demanding at most a 90 minute limit which makes the pacing a little off at times. Another decision was to not have the Furious Five appear until the end, though voiceless to keep the budget low. On one hand, they're Po's allies who's differing fighting styles makes for great fight scenes, but on the other it did allow for Po and Zhen to better develop and introduced some new interesting characters that would go and help him. It may not reach the heights of its predecessors, but Kung Fu Panda 4 is still a pretty fun movie on its own right. Over all: 89%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. The Book of Clarence

3. Drive-Away Dolls

4. Kung Fu Panda 4

5. Lisa Frankenstein

6. Argylle

7. Mean Girls 2024

Showcase Vol. 1 #75

Showcase Vol. 1 #75 introduced the DC Comics pair of Hawk and Dove, siblings with different world views on how to handle serious situations. During a protest against the Vietnam War, brothers Hank and Don Hall hold different views over the war and the protestors, with Hank supporting aggression and taking action while Don believes in a peaceful and non violent alternative. When their father, a well regarded judge, becomes the target of an assassination attempt, the siblings involve themselves in figuring out who wants their father dead. Upon finding the hangout of the conspirators and realizing that they don't have a plan, Hank and Don are given powers and costumes from a mysterious force. As Hawk and Dove, they both try to stop the criminals and save their father while still keeping to their own beliefs with the former using aggression and the latter trying to be reasonable. For both an introduction and an origin story, this is a pretty good issue that manages to give us a lot of information about the new characters to keep us interested while giving us just enough of their development to make readers invested for their own series. Most of Steve Skeates's writing does a good job at showing the differences between the Hall siblings, though they're both a bit over the top in how extreme their beliefs are. The sudden moment of them getting their powers does feel very out of nowhere without any hints or foreshadowing towards it. But overall, the writing of the story is pretty good, the siblings are fun, and does make good points for both sides and ideals. For the art, it was all done by Marvel legend Steve Ditko, also a co-creator, and right from the first page you get such an incredible look. Characters are well detailed, colors are vibrant, backgrounds are great, and the sequential action is done really well. Hawk and Dove's debut in Showcase Vol. 1 #75 is not only a fun read but a pretty good time capsule of 1968. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:

1. The Complete Peanuts Vol. 15: 1979-1980

2. Daredevil Vol. 1 #170

3. The New Teen Titans Vol. 1 #1

4. Green Arrow Vol. 1 #1

5. Star Wars: Dark Empire #1

6. Deadman: Love After Death #1

7. Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library Vol. 1

8. Showcase Vol. 1 #75

9. Detective Comics Vol. 1 #441

10. Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18

11. Eternals by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection (Eternals (1976-1978))

12. Hulk Vol. 5 #1

13. Avnegers: War Across Time #1

14. The Yellow Kid

15. Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 1 #8

16. Archie and Me #132

17. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1

18. Action Comics Vol. 1 #674

Dune: Part 2

Adapting the second half of Frank Herbert's legendary and influential novel, Dune: Part 2 follows on from the 2021 film wherein Paul Atreides and her mother have to survive in the harsh environment of the planet Dune after the Atreides family was betrayed by the Harkonnen's with approval from the Emperor of the universe. With the help from the planet's inhabitants, the Fremen, Paul must learn to hone his abilities of the Bene Gesserit he inherited from his mother, come to grips with the idea of being a messiah, and fight the many forces that the Harkonnens and Empire sets against them. This sequel not only manages to live up to being a sequel to the already strong first film, but manages to surpass it to be an astounding movie on its own right. Denis Villeneuve crafts an incredibly astounding work that no doubt captures what made the original 1965 novel such a powerful story. His direction is so precise in capturing incredible detail and the writing Denis shares with Jon Spaihts manages to take a story that has been copied by others inspired by Herbert's book but keeps it true to what the source material true, thus making it feel authentic and in some ways fresh. The characters never feel one dimensional and the motivations are not only understandable but, much like the original book, leaves you questioning who is in the right and how certain events aren't straightforward. Villeneuve's decision to shoot in actual deserts truly encapsulates how big budget movies can still have just as much practical effects and locations as digital effects. All the shots of the landscapes are incredible, all thanks to Greig Fraser's astounding work in the cinematography. While we had shots like that in the first movie, with this one it's set more in the desert and thus Fraser's work shines more. Add to that, scenes that take place in the Harkonnen home world are shot in this astounding black and white look thanks to infrared cameras. Hans Zimmer not only returns to work on the score, but he manages to outdo himself by creating one of the most etherial pieces of music ever. One particular track, "Kiss the Ring", plays throughout the movie at certain points, but especially at the end. It's both incredibly beautiful and astoundingly terrifying, being able to feel an awe in Paul's journey throughout the desert and then a touch of tragedy when Paul declares a war that may lead to thousands dying as he's manipulated by many forces. With Timothée Chalamet in the lead, he gives an incredibly powerful performance and makes Paul's development, struggles, and decisions seem life like. Alongside him, Chalamet's costars which include Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler all deliver just as powerful performances. As the story relies on the characters for its plot, the cast all did an incredible job with whom they played whether they had big or small roles. With a sequel already set based on Herbert's 1969 followup Dune Messiah, Villeneuve and everyone else involved in it will have a hard time in trying to surpass a movie like Dune Part 2. Over all: 100%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. The Book of Clarence

3. Drive-Away Dolls

4. Lisa Frankenstein

5. Argylle

6. Mean Girls 2024

Drive-Away Dolls

Things get weird, fun, and trippy in Drive-Away Dolls, a crime comedy road film solely directed by Ethan Coen without any involvement from his brother. The film centers on two lesbian friends in 1999 who get tangled up in a criminal conspiracy after they were given the wrong rental car. Along the way the two must contend with corrupt politicians, secrets in briefcases, a decapitated head, and their forming love for each other. Despite only having one half of the Coens involved, Ethan's direction and the writing between him and his wife, Tricia Cooke, still has the signature dark humor and over the top violence we expect from them. It's highly creative with an engaging story and characters that can often come off as silly but still highly endearing. The biggest flaw is that at less than 90 minutes, you yearn for more and it often feels like everything is going too fast at times. But with the cast involved, such as Beanie Feldstein and Colman Domingo, but especially the two leads played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, it's an unforgettable 84 minutes. While it may not hold up compared to other works done by the Coens, whether together or separately, Drive-Away Dolls is still a fun movie to get through. Over all: 90%

2024 top list so far:

1. The Book of Clarence

2. Drive-Away Dolls

3. Lisa Frankenstein

4. Argylle

5. Mean Girls 2024

Lisa Frankenstein

A horror comedy set in the 80s, Lisa Frankenstein stars Kathryn Newton as an outcast who befriends and then falls in love with a reanimated corpse played by Cole Sprouse. Zelda Williams, in her feature-length directorial debut, crafts a fun and quirky film aided thanks to Diablo Cody's writing. Their work manages to take a rather simple and overplayed story and gives it a very unique identity with how the plot goes from start to finish. The movie knows how to perfectly balance terrifying and bloody moments with absolutely hilarious ones right after. Newton and Sprouse not only give strong performances but their chemistry is what truly cements this movie. Under lesser filmmakers and actors, Lisa Frankenstein would no doubt be a forgettable droll, but thankfully the strong work of its cast and crew make it worthwhile. Over all: 89%

2024 top list so far:

1. The Book of Clarence

2. Lisa Frankenstein

3. Argylle

4. Mean Girls 2024

Argylle

Matthew Vaughn's latest foray into the spy comedy genre is Argylle, in which a spy novelist gets involved in the real deal. Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell lead in this, as usual for Vaughn, over the top and energetic romp. While a lot of Jason Fuchs's writing doesn't offer anything too new, the plot is rather predictable from the start, and so much relies on obvious coincidences, he still manages to make it entertaining despite that. Being a Vaughn film, the action and fight scenes are of course incredibly inventive, wonderfully unique, and high octane. However, due to its PG-13 rating there's so much of the action that feels rather tame compared to his previous work. Howard and Rockwell not only play well off of each other, but you also get Bryan Cranston and Catherine O'Hara as highly memorable villains as well as Henry Cavill and John Cena who often steal the movie as fictional spies from the books that take part in similar escapades as the leads. However, for such a big budget film, some of the effects do feel a bit jarring, even if it adds to the fun appeal at times. Despite being an incredibly fun movie, Argylle does tend to feel like it's both trying too much and not enough. Over all: 78%

2024 top list so far:

1. The Book of Clarence

2. Argylle

3. Mean Girls 2024

Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18

The original iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy was introduced in Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18  back in 1968. Consisting of Jupiterian soldier Charlie-27, American astronaut Vance Astro, the crystalline Plutonian Martinex, and archer Yondu Udonta, the four strangers have to learn to work together to defeat the Badoon who plan to invade the Solar System in the 31st century. This introduction to the original version of the Guardians is interesting, with only a few things similar to the most well known incarnation made famous by the James Gunn films. A few things off note include having a member be from Earth but unable to go back, Yondu and his choice of weapon, how the team initially started fighting each other before finding common ground, and fighting against enemies wanting to conquer all. Arnold Drake's writing gives each of the characters the feeling of not just being stock sci-fi characters but giving them their own backstories and motivations. It often over relies on narration and exposition, but considering this is the start of a new franchise for Marvel, it's needed to let us understand this futuristic setting. With Gene Colan, Mike Esposito, and Stan Goldberg each providing the initial artwork, inking, and coloring to the comic, you have pages and panels with incredible visuals. Good use of shadows, vibrant backgrounds, and detailed character designs all add to the biggest strength of this issue. One small complaint is Charlie-27's design is overly rotund, though him being from a planet with much stronger gravity does explain it but could have been better. Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18 is not only a fun comic to read, but a good start for what was considered one of Marvel's most obscure character. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:

1. The Complete Peanuts Vol. 15: 1979-1980

2. Daredevil Vol. 1 #170

3. The New Teen Titans Vol. 1 #1

4. Green Arrow Vol. 1 #1

5. Star Wars: Dark Empire #1

6. Deadman: Love After Death #1

7. Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library Vol. 1

8. Detective Comics Vol. 1 #441

9. Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18

10. Eternals by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection (Eternals (1976-1978))

11. Hulk Vol. 5 #1

12. Avnegers: War Across Time #1

13. The Yellow Kid

14. Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 1 #8

15. Archie and Me #132

16. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1

17. Action Comics Vol. 1 #674