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Review – Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

23rd June 2021

Review – Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Directed by: Zack Snyder Produced by: Charles Roven & Deborah Snyder Written by: David S. Goyer & Chris Terrio Starring: Ben Affleck & Henry Cavill Release Date: March 25th 2016 A lot has happened since this movie first released half a decade ago. We have lived through the explosive fan backlash to the original cut, had an ultimate cut blu-ray release that fixed some of the theatrical cut’s problems, suffered through a watered down, colour-graded sequel from Joss “Brunch,” Whedon, finally surviving a worldwide pandemic and witnessing a monumental online campaign to get to see Zack Snyder’s untainted vision of an epic superhero team-up blockbuster that is mostly free from studio meddling. So really what is left to say? Well in the wake of the Snydercut being released, I revisited the theatrical cut of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice for review and realised that I do still have a lot to say about the film. First off, let me give you some context regarding the complex relationship that I have with this movie. For the last eight years I have been reading and collecting comics to an obsessive level and it is actually predominately because of this movie. I have always been a superhero fan (especially Batman,) and I had read some comics in my youth, but when this movie was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, (8 years ago!!) I was so hyped that I decided that I had to read the comic that this film was taking inspiration from. So I went to my local A1 Comics and bought The Dark Knight Returns, which underwhelmed me but that’s another story. Since then I have become a huge comic book fan due to this movie. So clearly I have a personal attachment to the film. Which means I went in seriously wanting to love it and what was not to love here? It would have been so difficult to get this wrong. It is Batman fighting Superman on the big screen, how amazing is it that this actually happened? And yet somehow they still managed to royally screw it up… Do you read? You will. And then realise how superior the comic that this film is based on is to the actual movie itself, (and I’m not even a massive fan of the source material.) I revisited 10 Cloverfield Lane this week for review and while that movie isn’t perfect, what makes that film great is exactly what makes BvS subpar. 10CL had a small team of people working on a restrictive budget, so every aspect of the movie was scrutinised and perfected to make up the end product and that attention to detail really paid off. BvS had a huge budget and a massive team of people working on it and I think that is what gives the movie it’s unfocused and sloppy feel. The script is a mess, there are clearly scenes cut, the editing is jarring, not all of the performances were up to scratch and while the imagery and visuals are incredible, the best way to describe this movie is all style and no substance. I like Zack Snyder, I love his Watchmen movie, I like 300 and I enjoyed Man of Steel, but I can’t help but feel that this was his fault. His decision to make years of comic book stories into one two and a half hour movie honestly baffles me. The events of this movie should have taken place over at least three movies. This movie really is all over the place and the pace and tone are random at best. Let’s talk about the best part of the movie, which is quite easily Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jeremy Irons’ Alfred. Seeing the two characters and their chemistry are worth the ticket price of the film alone. This is probably the most faithful to the source material Batman that we have had on the big screen to date, except for one pretty major change. Batman in DoJ is pretty much Punisher in a cowl. During the Batmobile chase he questionably kills some goons. I mean, some of them could have survived… If they had Wolverine’s healing powers I guess? But then there is that badass warehouse scene that we all remember fondly during which, he near enough shoots some guys himself. If you can get over this and see this as an alternate version of Batman you should be able to appreciate Affleck’s performance though, which by the way is amazing, he knocks it out of the park. I would have liked some kind of reference to it, even a scene where he discusses breaking his code with Alfred, just a few lines would have made me get on board with this version of the character a lot quicker. Critics have been calling Henry Cavill’s Superman performance wooden for years now, but I have always felt that is too harsh. He was perfectly serviceable in this movie but he was never going to be praised for his memorable performance either. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is a standout, my only complaint is that she isn’t in the movie enough as Wonder Woman. Jesse Eisenberg is the stand out worst performance in the movie. It isn’t necessarily a bad performance, it just does not fit that character at all. He was truly miscast here, if they had cast him as Riddler in the Batman solo movie and he put in this performance I would be praising him like mad. Lex Luthor shouldn’t be crazy on a surface level, he should be a respectable businessman and an intellectual force to be reckoned with and he will go out of his way to ensure that this is what everyone sees him as. It should only ever be the people closest to him that that he allows to see him crack. He certainly shouldn’t be making strange noises and gestures like someone with Tourette’s

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Review – Deadpool 2

20th May 2021

Review – Deadpool 2 Directed by: David Leitch Produced by: Ryan Reynolds & Stan Lee Written by: Rhett Reese & Ryan Reynolds Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin & Morena Baccarin Release Date: May 15th 2018 (UK) I was recently asked to review Deadpool 2 for the site and I honestly went back to it reluctantly. Although I did enjoy the movie when it came out, it has never had the same re-watchability as the first one and although it is only a 3 year old movie, I wasn’t expecting it to have aged very well. Thankfully my negative preconceptions were misplaced and I ended up actually having a really good time re-watching Deadpool 2 for review. Deadpool 2 is the kind of sequel that knows exactly what it is. It doesn’t pretend to be anything original and it’s main focus is getting a laugh out of it’s audience over anything else. It succeeds greatly at this with the film being hilarious throughout and it comes very close to being as funny as it’s predecessor, it just doesn’t quite get there. I think that the main reason for this is because it chooses to focus more on a story than the last one did and through that, the humour loses some of the momentum that it builds up. Although the first movie’s laughs have better momentum, an argument could be made for this movie’s individual lines being funnier. My particular favourite was the jab Deadpool makes at his creator Rob Liefeld for not being able to draw feet properly in his comics. Check out our fantasy MCU Casting for the X-Men I loved how they chose to show off Domino’s powers. Her power of ‘luck,’ could have came across really lame onscreen, but David Leitch’s fantastic direction helped it to come across brilliantly. I also loved the cameos, from the room full of X-Men, to Brad Pitt as the Vanisher. When they killed Vanessa at the start of the movie, I was disappointed as I was looking forward to seeing her character develop in this movie and I felt like just killing her off to give Deadpool motivation for his arc in the movie was pretty lazy. Then, they immediately rectified it with the hilarious Bond-esque opening title sequence. Later on, I thought that they were going to make Vanessa become Death, who is Deadpool’s love interest in the comics because he has so many encounters with her, but at the end of the movie we see Deadpool going back in time to reverse her death from happening, which also sort of negates a lot of the emotional beats that the movie surprisingly managed to hit during it’s finale. The Juggernaught is the movie’s surprise villain and while it is nice to see him in his comic accurate form, the CGI used is really cartoony and even hard to swallow in a surreal superhero movie like this one. However, that’s not why anybody watches a Deadpool movie. If I was looking for deep, meaningful character arcs and realistic CGI, there are a ton of other movies for that. Deadpool is there to make you laugh and there is no doubt that it succeeds at that. There are some comedic moments that feel oddly dated, like the constant references to dubstep for example and I feel like they missed a trick not bringing up the fact that the director was swapped out during the film’s production or the real life scandals involving TJ Miller, but every joke earns at least a chuckle, which justifies it’s place in the film. It may not as quite as novel because we have seen it before, but there are plenty of scenes in here that will have you laughing out loud in the cinema and fans of the character will not be disappointed. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE

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Review – The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (video game)

23rd November 2025

Review – The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (video game) Developer: Beenox Publisher: Activision Genre: Action-Adventure Writer: Christos Gage Release Date: April 17th 2014 You are probably thinking Dan, why the hell are you putting out a review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game in 2021? It was a poorly reviewed movie tie-in game that came out seven years ago. That is a very valid question. I chose to go back and review The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game because I actually believe it is one of the most relevant games I have ever played in terms of the wider gaming landscape. So yeah you may have me rumbled, this won’t be so much a review of The Amazing Spiderman 2 for PS4 as it will be a commentary on bad games in general and their place in the modern gaming landscape. I first played this game about three years after its initial release; picking it up cheap in an era that was dominated by Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham games. I remember that I had just come off of finally getting around to playing Until Dawn after putting it off for a long time. Until Dawn is a well made, well written, well acted, well executed teen horror story that had atmosphere and intrigue in spades. I then went on to play a game that I thought was mediocre by comparison, DMC Definitive Edition. When playing through the story I remember being so underwhelmed and disappointed in what they had turned this once great franchise into; an angsty, melodramatic, arcade slash ‘em up with as much depth as the shallow end of the kiddies swimming pool. I remember thinking, what a waste of cash and time. What a piece of garbage. Oh how naïve I was, as I had no idea how much worse it could get. The first thing that I was painfully reminded of upon revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man 2, was that this game graphically is at the same level if not worse than the first Amazing Spiderman game that was first released back on PS3. In 2021, after playing Insomniac’s 2018 Spider-Man game it is even more pitiful to look at than it was at the time. However, games with under par graphics can still be fun and UI’s and poly counts aren’t everything, So I began working my way through the game. Let’s start with the only positive that this game has going for it, the web slinging. Traversal feels and looks great in the game, zipping around NYC is a treat and when everything works correctly, you can pull off some truly spectacular acrobatics while shooting around in mid air. The shoulder buttons on the controller are matched to Spidey’s arms, left trigger for left swing, right trigger for right swing, and unlike the first Amazing Spiderman game, in this one the web shooters have to be aimed at a building in order to perform a successful swing. The important phrase here, is ‘when it works.’ There were several times when I would be right next to a building and press the trigger to swing, only to hear Spidey say, ‘Hey, this just in, web slingers need something to stick to.’ I realise that Spidey, that’s why I’m pressing the trigger on the side where the huge goddamn skyscraper is. Also, there would be times when I had a decent amount of momentum going, swing left, right, left, right consecutively and as I pressed the left trigger again to attach to the building on my left. Then, for some odd reason, Spidey would fire his right hand web shooter, attaching to a distant building on the right. Thus, turning me away from the direction I was swinging and totally ruining my momentum. This was particularly frustrating during boss fights and chase sequences or when swinging against the clock. Still though traversal is fun, – it is not a patch on Spider-Man 2018, but it still holds up fairly well. Now that the game’s one positive is out of the way, let’s rip this thing apart. Animations are stiff, glitches are common and every cutscene in the game ends abruptly with an awkward animation that resembles the look of a news anchor when they run out of words to read off the teleprompter, but the camera is still rolling. I have no idea why they decided to add a dialogue system, it is so unnecessary and out of place and has absolutely no effect on the outcome of the game’s narrative. It was simply included just for the sake of having a dialogue option. The plot is fairly standard, but is bearable for the first two thirds of the game, however the point that the publishers told the development team to get a move on and meet the deadline to coincide with the release of the movie becomes instantly clear. The last 5 or so chapters in the game are so rushed it’s like going through a checklist. The first bossfight in the last third of the game is pretty mundane, but at least there is an attempt at a build up to it. However after that fight you are teleported to the top of a skyscraper to battle Electro in a boss fight with the least build up in any game ever developed. So you do that and then you are corrected, this next boss fight with the Green Goblin is the least build up to a boss fight in any game ever developed. You don’t see the transformation of either Electro or the Goblin and honestly, if I hadn’t seen the movie that goes with this game, I would not have had a clue about what was going on. Then it’s as if the game remembers that they made a half cocked attempt at introducing Carnage away back at the beginning of the story and so they throw in another out of the blue boss fight to end the game. This lack of story build

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Review – The Cloverfield Paradox

22nd December 2025

Remember That Time That An Out-Of-Nowhere Secret Movie Ruined The Entire Franchise? Review – The Cloverfield Paradox Directed by: Julius Onah Produced by: J.J. Abrams & Matt Reeves Written by: Oren Uziel Starring: Daniel Bruhl, David Oyelowo & Elizabeth Debicki Release Date: February 5th 2018 Right, quick disclaimer – this is going to be less of a review of The Cloverfield Paradox and more of a rant on how this movie ruins any Cloverfield movies going forward. In terms of reviewing this film, I actually don’t think that this film is as bad as most other people have been saying. There are actually some cool moments and neat ideas here, they just don’t really work when they are all put together like this movie tried to do. I liked the cast, I thought that the set was cool, I even enjoyed some of the more cheesy sci-fi clichés in the film, but the whole point of the first two Cloverfield movies is that these planet altering events aren’t explained. Even if you totally disregard the fact that this ‘explanation,’ actually makes no sense when you think about the timeline of the first movie’s events, half the fun of the first movie was trying to work out exactly wtf was going on, this half arsed attempt at explaining it just ruins any of that potential fun. Then, the second movie established that the ‘Cloverfield,’ label was more of an umbrella that went over these exciting sci-fi movies. Sure, it ties the movies together as a franchise, but there are no obvious links between the franchise entries and that’s ok. Think of the ‘Cloverfield,’ title as being similar to the ‘Twilight Zone.’ Not everything has to make sense and call back/forward to another entry in the franchise. The tenuous links we had in the other movies, like how it was mentioned in 10CL that Howard worked at a satellite company before building his underground bunker, was more than enough to constitute a link and spark the online fan theories, we didn’t need any more than that. Then there was all of the online marketing stuff involving Slusho and Tagruato, which was so clever and unique and elevated the first movie from being a mediocre monster flick to something intriguing and ripe for discussion. Now this movie comes along and claims that all of these events are interconnected, even though the events of of the previous two movies took place years before the events of Cloverfield Paradox. Then they think by showing us a huge version of Clover from the first movie at the end of Paradox just automatically makes everything okay? Why did they not just make this movie about a group of astronauts on a space station having some weird shit happening to them, (like the original script for this film was written,) and then call it Cloverfield: God Particle? (which was the movie’s original title.) They could have still had Stambler’s brother on the news at the start talking about how the crew’s mission is dangerous and that would be enough to link this to the other movies. Why they included the appearance of Clover at the end of Paradox and the other half arsed attempts to tie the other two movies into this one is beyond me. It is so unnecessary and defeats the whole point of the Cloverfield franchise as a whole. That is the reason I didn’t like this movie, not because of the movie itself. The film itself was ok, but what it tried to do in terms of connecting these movies was stupid and unnecessary and may have ruined any other Cloverfield movies going forward.

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A Case For Venom: As Bad As You Remember?

19th January 2026

Review – Venom (2018) Directed by: Ruben Fleischer Produced by: Avi Arad, Tom Hardy & Stan Lee Written by: Jeff Pinker & Scott Rosenberg Starring: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams & Riz Ahmed Release Date: October 3rd 2018 (UK) I shouldn’t have enjoyed revisiting Venom for review anywhere near as much as I did. I remember when the film first came out not being on-board with it at all going in. I wasn’t interested in a Spiderman-less Spiderman universe and the trailers didn’t exactly sell me on it either. It looked like they were messing with the origin of Venom too much and the action set pieces didn’t look too impressive. Then there was the fact that the review embargo was only lifted a day before the movie’s release, then there were the terrible reviews. All of this led to me going into the film with a morbid curiosity and expecting a total mess. However, I am happy to report that after I saw Venom for the first time, it actually really pleasantly surprised me and I had a ton of fun with it and I even had fun whilst re-watching it a second for this review! When I heard that Tom Hardy was playing Eddie Brock, I was really gutted because I think that he would have been the perfect choice for the MCU’s Wolverine. I also thought that this was going to be a mistake in terms of Hardy’s career; out of all of the superhero movies he could have been a part of, he chose Venom? I was happy to be proven wrong, Hardy was great in both his role as Eddie Brock and as Venom. He was funny, scary and heartfelt at all the right moments and it always looked like he was having a good time whilst playing the character. This movie did remind me a lot of Upgrade, which was also a Sci-fi movie released in 2018 with a protagonist who gains a voice in his head and extraordinary powers that he doesn’t have any control over. Coincidentally Tom Hardy also looks strikingly similar to the lead actor in Upgrade; Logan-Marshall Green. If I had to compare the two movies, I personally preferred Upgrade, but I still had a lot of fun with both of them. And that’s the best thing about this movie, it is fun. Sure, it’s not a comic book accurate Venom origin and it’s not directly connected to the MCU’s Spiderman and it’s not up to snuff compared to any of the recent entries in the MCU, but it is a ton of fun to watch this violent alien join forces with a witty, down on his luck reporter and wreak havoc across a city. I’m going to drop a few spoilers going forward, so if you have yet to see the movie, you should probably click away now. The thing that was really bothering me during the opening of the movie was; why is this story taking place in San Francisco? Eddie Brock is a New Yorker, not a San Franciscan. Then they addressed that issue and explained that he had moved away from New York. It was only a brief, throwaway line, but they didn’t have to bother including it and I appreciate that they did. I also really enjoyed the brief appearance of She-Venom. Sure, the odds that this symbiote that rejects almost every human host that it comes into contact with, just happens to bond perfectly with both parties in this couple, is a bit of a stretch. However, this is a comic book movie about an alien symbiote, so I’m willing to accept a few stretches in the movie’s logic. Lastly I like the fact that they teased Carnage in the post credits tease and I am glad that they got Woody Harrelson to play him, as he is one of my favourite actors… but my God he looked really dumb in that red wig, like almost parody bad. It is still just as jarring on a second viewing. Overall, although I had extremely low expectations going into Venom, it exceeded them by a great deal. Sure, it’s not Infinity War or Endgame and it’s not even Spiderman: Far From Home, but it is a lot of fun and there is definitely a good amount of enjoyment to be had in Venom.

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Review – Aquaman (2018)

22nd December 2025

Review – Aquaman (2018) Directed by: James Wan Produced by: Geoff Johns & Zack Snyder Written by: Geoff Johns & James Wan Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard & Willem Dafoe Release Date: September 12th 2018 (UK) Re-watching Aquaman for review was the first time that I have seen it since seeing it in the cinema upon its release. When going to see it for the first time, I remember being quite excited for the movie after hearing the glowing reviews and praise it got at the time. I am also a fan of Jason Momoa and James Wan, so I was really hoping for this to be at least as good as Wonder Woman. Also, being a long time fan of DC Comics, I also hoped to see them find their footing cinematically and I thought that this could finally be the start of that. Unfortunately I left the cinema feeling pretty underwhelmed and not much has changed since then. The movie opens by telling the story of how Aquaman’s parents came to meet and fall in love, even though they are from vastly different worlds. This whole sequence is brilliant and I was totally on-board for what was to come afterwards. Sadly, this opening sequence is by far the best part of the entire movie. From this point on it descends into a mediocre action adventure flick with story elements very reminiscent of Thor and Black Panther, (two movies that are vastly superior to this one.) From a direction standpoint, it is clear that James Wan knows how to visually capture a scene in the most beautiful and intriguing way possible, which is especially evident during the trench sequence. His direction during all of the action sequences is great, with Nicole Kidman’s trident work in the opening scene and the rooftop sequence with Black Manta, Mera and Aquaman being the highlights. I don’t think that my issue with this movie is due to the direction lacking in any aspect. The only questionable choice in my opinion, was the choice to shoot the big Black Manta scene in broad daylight. It just looked slightly naff and would have came across much better if shot in darker conditions under the cover of night. Nor do I think that it is the fault of any of the cast members. I think that Momoa does a great job in the title role and he looks incredible in the full on Aquaman suit, (which I don’t think many other actors could legitimately pull off.) I think that Patrick Wilson did a decent job as the evil slightly cheesy power hungry half brother of Aquaman. I also enjoyed Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren and Nicole Kidman in each of their scenes. I think that the major culprit in this movie, – feeling a bit forced at times, – was the lazy script that the actors had to work with. Almost every scene plays out in the exact same way; with the characters that we are following turning up to a new location, meeting up with a character, (usually Willem Dafoe,) listening to them spout a bunch of expositional dialogue and then mid sentence bad guys will attack and an explosion will go off cutting the conversation short. Then we will get a well shot action sequence with super dynamic cinematography, then the characters will figure out where they need to go next, they will go to the next location and the process will be rinsed and repeated for the duration of the movie. Overall, Aquaman is not a bad superhero movie, there is a lot of fun to be had here with the badass action sequences. Unfortunately the lazy script holds the movie back from being as good as the glowing reviews told me it would be and it is by no means the best of the DC solo movies. PS. Although I don’t think that the movie in general was up to the highest level of quality, the CGI is objectively breath-taking in every scene and I totally agreed with James Wan that it was nothing short of an atrocity that the SFX team on this movie were snubbed for the 2019 Oscars ceremony.

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Captain Marvel Review: Why It’s Still the Ultimate 90s MCU Origin Story (Essential Watch)

4th February 2026

Review – Captain Marvel (2019) Directed by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck Produced by: Kevin Feige & Stan Lee Written by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson & Ben Mendelsohn Release Date: March 8th 2019 (UK) I am usually there to see a Marvel movie on day 1. Unfortunately though upon this film’s initial release, there was a load of bias and negative mentality surrounding it’s release. To be honest discussing this movie seemed like a volatile minefield around that time and it put me off going to see it for a while. Instead I decided to wait a couple of weeks for the dust to settle before going into it. The main reason for this was that I didn’t want my experience of the movie to be tarnished by some bitter neckbeard’s opinion on the other side of the planet. It is unfortunate that I felt repelled from the movie because of a loud angry minority, but in hindsight I am glad that I waited to see Captain Marvel, because I got to see it in with an untainted mind-set as the filmmakers most likely intended. Upon revisiting Captain Marvel for review two years later, I had a lot of fun with the movie. Captain Marvel is a great space hopping romp that will put a smile on your face in spite of a few minor shortcomings. The action is great throughout and every fight sequence is exciting and impressive to watch unfold. The CGI is also incredible too, from the vast space shots to the impeccable de-aging on Sam Jackson throughout the movie, to allow him to portray a younger Nick Fury. The characters are all great as well, I loved that Sam Jackson put a different more playful tone behind his younger, fresher Nick Fury performance as opposed to his stern colder portrayal as the older more battle hardened Fury we see in the Avengers movies. I remember watching the trailers prior to the film’s release thinking it seemed out of place, but in the context of the movie it worked really well. I also enjoyed seeing a younger, rookie Coulson and Ben Mendelsohn was great as the movies villain (?) I was looking forward to seeing what Jude Law would bring to the MCU, but unfortunately he just played Jude Law, as in the same character type that we have already seen him play in a ton of other movies. His performance was perfectly serviceable, but nothing to write home about. Then there is arguably the most important performance of all, Brie Larson as the lead character, Captain Marvel. I thought for the most part she did a pretty great job. I will admit that there were a few lines, (mostly from flashback scenes before she left Earth for the first time,) that felt a bit forced and took me out of the movie slightly. As much as I wanted to buy everything in her performance, maybe 10% of the lines that she delivered that were just a bit too cheesy and somewhat wooden. However the other 90% was great and I am very much looking forward to seeing her sequel movie. The plot in Captain Marvel given to us in drips and drabs due to the flashback filled nature of the way that the filmmakers chose to tell this story, but overall I enjoyed the ride. There were a few twists and turns along the way, – some painfully obvious and some not so much, – but most of them were enjoyable and some even felt refreshing, which isn’t often said about the 21st movie in a franchise. The last major thing to address is the female empowerment element that lies under the film’s plot and is the thing that a bunch of bigots on Reddit seemed to assume would become the focus of the movie and take away from their beloved superhero fantasy. I am glad to report that no, although it is present, it in no way takes away from the scale or plot of the film. Some moments, (again moments predominately from the flashbacks before Carol leaves Earth for the first time,) were a bit on the nose and felt somewhat forced, such as the ‘cockpit,’ comment. However, later on in the movie there is an incredibly powerful, more subtle scene that shows different stages of Carol’s life where she has been pushed to the ground and has had to get back on her own two feet and carry on. This sequence which showed a bunch of different young girls, ending with Brie Larson herself, standing up to face adversity with bravery and it was it moving and empowering and very well done. Overall, I had way more fun revisiting Captain Marvel for review than I ever expected to. It’s never going to be anyone’s favourite entry in the MCU, but it is a very well made, entertaining blockbuster. It is still as enjoyable today as it was when it first released.

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Joker (2019) Movie Review: A Dark Masterpiece Explored

16th February 2026

Review: Joker (2019) – A Dark Masterpiece Explored Todd Phillips’ Joker is not your typical superhero movie. Released in 2019, this film broke away from the traditional DC Extended Universe. Specifically, it provides a grounded and gritty origin story for Batman’s most iconic villain. Set in a decaying 1981 Gotham City, the story follows Arthur Fleck. He is a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who struggles with mental health issues. Consequently, the film feels more like a character study than an action-packed blockbuster. The Transformation of Arthur Fleck Joaquin Phoenix delivers what is arguably the performance of his career. Furthermore, his physical transformation and haunting laugh create a character that is both terrifying and deeply sympathetic. Arthur’s descent into madness is slow and deliberate. In addition, the film explores how a cold and uncaring society can create a monster. Phillips takes heavy inspiration from Martin Scorsese classics like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. Moreover, this influence is visible in every frame of the film. The cinematography captures the grimy, claustrophobic atmosphere of Gotham perfectly. Consequently, you feel Arthur’s isolation as the city crumbles around him. A Social Commentary on Mental Health One of the film’s strongest points is its commentary on social issues. Specifically, it highlights the lack of support for the vulnerable and the breakdown of community. Arthur’s journals and interactions with social services are heartbreaking. Therefore, the violence that eventually erupts feels like a tragic inevitability rather than a simple plot point. Additionally, the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir is a major highlight. The haunting cello melodies perfectly mirror Arthur’s internal struggle. In contrast to the bright colors of the comics, this film uses a muted, sickly palette. This choice reinforces the themes of urban decay and personal despair. Final Verdict: A Cinematic Landmark Joker (2019) is a cinematic landmark that redefined what a comic book movie can be. Ultimately, it is a dark, challenging, and uncomfortable watch. However, it is also a necessary one. Joaquin Phoenix’s Academy Award-winning performance alone is worth the price of admission. Therefore, we highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates bold, visionary filmmaking. Joker (2019): Essential Fan Merchandise & Buyer’s Guide If you want to bring the world of Arthur Fleck home, you need to know exactly which editions to look for. Specifically, we have named the most high-quality versions of the soundtrack, film, and comics below. The Official Soundtrack The Definitive Movie Editions Essential Comic Book Inspiration .

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Hellboy Movie 2019 Review: A Soul-Crushing Dumpster Fire

16th February 2026

Hellboy Movie 2019 Review: A Soul-Crushing Dumpster Fire INTRODUCTION: The Worst Superhero Film Ever? Welcome to our Hellboy Movie 2019 Review. While taking notes for this piece, I realized that the movie is impressive in only one way. It made me question the futility of time. Why was I wasting my short life re-watching this atrocious piece of trash? This might be the worst film I have ever seen. Frankly, it took the crown of “worst superhero movie” from Fan4stic. This reboot is downright insulting to fans. I still cannot believe they chose this garbage over a third Guillermo del Toro film with Ron Perlman. CHARACTERS: A Whiny Hero and Sleepwalking Actors A major part of any Hellboy Movie 2019 Review is the cast. David Harbour had big shoes to fill. In his defense, he tries his best with extremely poor material. However, the writers turned Big Red into a moaning, whiny teenager. Furthermore, the excessive makeup prevents Harbour from emoting. His mouth opens and closes like a puppet while shoddy ADR dialogue plays over it. The supporting cast is equally insufferable. Alice gives one of the worst performances I have ever witnessed in a comic book movie. Meanwhile, Ian McShane clearly sleepwalked through his role for an easy paycheck. Milla Jovovich plays a stereotypical witch and brings nothing new to the table. TECHNICALS: Cheap CGI and Horrible Editing In this Hellboy Movie 2019 Review, we have to talk about the visuals. I have seen cheap CGI before, but this takes the cake. Almost every creature looks like an unfinished student project. The fight with the giants is particularly bad. It takes place in broad daylight, which exposes the amateur effects. The editing is also horrible. It feels like a cheap 90s television show. The soundtrack is misused, featuring songs that add absolutely nothing to the scenes. Even the humor fails. The movie relies on gross-out burp jokes and “pantomime” dialogue that feels more like a poor kids’ film than a dark horror-action epic. VERDICT: The Final Hellboy Movie 2019 Review Ultimately, Neil Marshall’s Hellboy is a disaster. Please don’t see this unless you hate yourself. It is two hours of your life that would be better spent doing literally anything else. CGI Quality: 1/10 Writing: 1/10 Overall Rating: 1/5 Stars Check out our other 2019 reviews: Review – Shazam! (Movie) (2019) Review – Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) Want to see if it’s really that bad? Buy Hellboy (2019) on Amazon.

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Shazam Movie 2019 Review: A Fun But Flawed DC Adventure

16th February 2026

Shazam Movie 2019 Review: A Fun But Flawed DC Adventure INTRODUCTION: A New Direction for DC Welcome to our Shazam Movie 2019 Review. Usually, I know the source material of superhero movies very well. However, Shazam was an exception. Aside from the famous copyright battles between Marvel and DC, I knew very little about the character. Watching this film for review, I enjoyed many aspects, but it definitely falls short in specific areas. Interestingly, the movie marks a shift in the DCEU. DC finally dropped the dour tone of the Zack Snyder era. Instead, they embraced a “fun factor” that started right here. STORY: The Balance of Comedy and Action In this Shazam Movie 2019 Review, we look at how the film prioritizes family lessons over massive action. Zachary Levi shines in the titular role. His chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer is a massive highlight. Levi perfectly captures the wonder of a teenage boy in a hero’s body. Mark Strong also does a great job “hamming it up” as the villain, Dr. Sivana. However, don’t expect mind-blowing action scenes on par with the MCU. Billy Batson is an untrained kid. Consequently, the fights feel smaller and more personal. While this makes sense for the plot, I felt slightly unfulfilled by the lack of large-scale battles. CHARACTER: The Billy Batson Disconnect My biggest issue in this Shazam Movie 2019 Review concerns the lead performance. Asher Angel plays the young Billy Batson as broody and introspective. Conversely, Zachary Levi plays the hero version with over-the-top playfulness. This discrepancy breaks the illusion. It feels like they are playing two entirely different people. I wish the actors had compromised on a shared personality. This smoothing out would have made the character’s transformation much more believable for the audience. VERDICT: The Final Shazam Movie 2019 Review Overall, Shazam! is dumb fun. If you don’t think too hard, you will have a great time. It suggests that DC is finally finding its own path rather than just playing catch-up with Marvel. This move was for the best. Fun Factor: 8/10 Action: 5/10 Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars Check out our other DC movie reviews: Wonder Woman: Dead Earth Review The Dark Knight Returns Review Want to see the hero in action? Buy Shazam! on Amazon.

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