The Good Samaritan

Samaritan is a fun superhero yarn. In superhero comics, you can’t look too close at the underlying logic; if you do, you lose suspension of disbelief needed to immerse yourself in the story. In Samaritan, you’re given a quick history you can’t look at too closely. Two brothers, who John (Stallone) describes as “genetic freaks” … More The Good Samaritan

A Hero is . . . Coded?

(Warning: This post contains serious spoilers for anyone who has not seen Free Guy. If you haven’t seen it, SEE IT. If you have, then carry on.) Thanks, everyone. I have been . . . concerned that Joyeuse Guard’s tardiness (a year late!) would affect its reception, but it’s been meeting milestone after milestone. High … More A Hero is . . . Coded?

The Perfect Endgame

I’m just kidding; there is no such thing as a perfect story. What there are, are stories that are so great to experience that they don’t leave room in your head to criticize them while enjoying them. That’s Avengers: Endgame. So, some background. As everyone knows, I’m a lifetime comic-book fan. Not a rabid collector, … More The Perfect Endgame

A New Marvel

It was the best of films, it was the worst of films. Just caught Captain Marvel today, and it was worth the price of admission. It added another brick to the structure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and had quite a few fun moments. The acting was uniformly good, with Brie Larson playing a very … More A New Marvel

An Incredible Sequel.

I like to think about what words used to mean. Take “incredible.” It’s the opposite of “credible”, which is to say it originally meant “unbelievable.” Not always in a good way. “You claim that you had no knowledge of a crime, carried out over the course of many weeks, under your very nose. Mr. Brad, … More An Incredible Sequel.

Fight For Justice!

  Ignore the critics, and go see this movie. Seriously, I just got back from watching it (well, with a detour for a burger at Red Robin’s). I know the critics are panning it–41% Tomato Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But regular viewers who go see it are giving it an 84% Popcorn Rating, putting JL … More Fight For Justice!

She Is A Wonder

It is easy to forget that “wonder” is a much bigger word than its normal usage.  We say, “I wonder what time the movie starts.” Wonder Woman brings the wonder in its old sense, the emotion aroused by something awe-inspiring, astounding, or surprising. Gal Gadot also delivers a noble and yet wondering quality to her … More She Is A Wonder

War is Never Civil.

Team Steve! Team Tony! Wait, this feels familiar… I have just come from watching Captain America III: Civil War. I went into it with lower expectations than I might have; Batman v. Superman was…okay but flawed and I enjoyed it mainly by telling myself I was watching a Frank Miller interpretation of the real Batman … More War is Never Civil.