Deadpool 2

Hilarious. Incredibly awesome. Deadpool 2 delivers. Ryan Reynolds is perfect. The story is well told. Breaking the fourth wall works well. The action scenes are very well done. Fun and surprising cameos that no one expected. Cable, as played by Josh Brolin, is really cool. The numerous easter eggs and references are fun to find. Certain jokes don't always work and a few take too long. The character of Peter, despite having a short appearance, is pure hilarity. Zazie Beetz makes someone with just luck based powers look believable and fun. Constantly, and cleverly, subverts the idea of the superhero movie villain, making it original. The chemistry between Brolin and Reynolds is really good, but at times not always strong. Over all: 98%

2018 top list so far:
1. Avengers: Infinity War

2. A Quiet Place
3. Deadpool 2

4. Black Panther
5. Ready Player One
6. Isle of Dogs

7. Game Night
8. Thoroughbreds

Pop Culture Guy episode 46: Thoroughbreds and Ready Player One reviews

Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1

Getting it as a bonus comic for the 2018 Free Comic Book Day, Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1 is my first Star Wars comic and my first comic book adaptation of a film, in this case Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This issue starts out with Jyn Erso witnessing the Empire kill her mother and take her father to work on the Death Star and ends with her recruitment to the Rebels and sent to find Saw Gerrera. While the comic pretty much shows what the film has, the issue also has some little extra scenes that weren't shown in the final film such as Jyn's father handing the plans of the Death Star to the pilot who defected and various flashbacks to Jyn's past with Saw. The artwork is descent and even if it does tell the same story as the film with some extra scenes, there's nothing that very remarkable about it, so it's an okay comic. Over all: 80%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
2. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6
3. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4
4. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
5. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
6. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
7. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
8. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
9. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
10. Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1
11. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8

Pop Culture Guy episode 45: Top 10 Film Moments of 2017

Avengers: Infinity War

The culmination of ten years with over a dozen and a half films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been rocked by the events shown in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos travels all over the universe in search of the Infinity Stones to fit them in and use the Infinity Gauntlet so as to wipe out half of existence in order to balance out the universe. He attacks Thor and his people right after Thor: Ragnarok, sacrifices his greatest love, fights several of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy in his own planet, and invades Wakanda. The cast for this film is huge as it has most of the cast members from most of the past films, with some exceptions that are explained right away, and they all do a good job at not outshining each other and providing equally good performances. With the Russo brothers replacing Joss Whedon as the directors of an Avengers film, they provide the same feel and tone as the films they previously did. Even though the film is over two and a half hours it actually feels longer due to so many events happening and how seamless one scene goes from another and that hopefully the next one will be even longer to capture just how epic it will be due to how such an incredible but heartbreaking ending the film had. Infinity War has the perfect mix and use of comedy, drama, tragedy, and excitement and lays the ground for various changes to the future of the MCU. Even though not all of the characters get to meat each other, the ones that do all form really fun team ups. Thanos, as played by Josh Brolin, is so compelling as a villain and despite knowing what he plans to do you almost agree with his methods as he doesn't do it to rule all over existence or wants revenge, but does it to prevent what he sees as a greater catastrophe. Both the ending and post credit scenes are just as important since they foreshadow a greater scope for the next films. Over all: 100%

2018 top list so far:
1. Avengers: Infinity War

2. A Quiet Place
3. Black Panther
4. Ready Player One
5. Isle of Dogs

6. Game Night
7. Thoroughbreds

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6

In the last issue of the sequel crossover, Batman and the Turtles fight against Bane and his forces with the help of Batman's and the Turtle's allies as well as Shredder and the Foot soldiers still loyal to him. The fight scenes are well animated and the plan the team come up with to weaken Bane's forces is well done. Seeing Batman, Splinter, and Shredder fighting against, weakening and taking down Bane is awesome to look at. One note I didn't like is that in order to get Shredder to fight with them, Batman agreed to a quick fight between the two and that his armor was tampered with so that he would lose. I get that it had to be quick so as to fight Bane, I just feel that it's something that either Batman or Splinter would be against. But even with that one flaw, this and the rest of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II is a great sequel and crossover that matches the original. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
2. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6
3. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4
4. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
5. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
6. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
7. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
8. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
9. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
10. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8

Isle of Dogs

Directed and written by Wes Anderson, Isle of Dogs is a stop-motion animated comedy film set in a near-future Japan where the majority have decided to send all dogs to an island due to a recent virus outbreak that originated from them and one child landing on the island to look for his dog. Isle of Dogs contains voice work from numerous actors including Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Liev Schreiber, Greta Gerwig, Yoko Ono, and several others including various Japanese actors. The animation and visuals are all vibrant and beautiful, especially the use of Japanese art style and architecture. As usual for a Wes Anderson film, the story is told in such a unique and at times quirky way that it's hard to not love it. The voice acting by everyone involved, especially the Japanese, makes you forget you're watching fake dogs and that they could be real. As for the dialogue itself, it's classic Anderson that could fit into any of his other movies, even non animated ones. It does have one huge problem in that even though it has a lot of Japanese influence, some of the Japanese culture and people are at times played in an over the top manner as well as how one of the main human characters is a white foreign exchange student from America who helps in taking down a corrupt government official. Even with that, the film is a delight especially as it's an animated film that isn't afraid to use its PG-13 rating and prove that animation isn't just for little kids. Over all: 95%

2018 top list so far:
1. A Quiet Place
2. Black Panther
3. Ready Player One
4. Isle of Dogs

5. Game Night
6. Thoroughbreds